3D Printed Tobruk Pits Finished!

Here are the finished Australian Tobruk gun pits. I'll be using the 8th Army versions as Australians for these guys. They came out great and look nice and weathered.

Jagdpanthers finally done

More finished work that needed finishing. The 2 Jagdpanthers are complete.

Also, since its fun to have the most POWERFUL gun in the German arsenal, I figured I would also finish off the WEAKEST door knocker as well. Although technically this one has the Stielgranate (the same one used in Carantan episode of Band of Brothers). So continuing with finishing stuff off as fast as possible.

3D Printed Tobruk Bunkers

I bought a pair of Tobruk MG nests way back when when I was building up my Aussie Desert Force. These MG nests models are great because you can use them for many different armies. They give you gunners for Australians, British, French, Italian, German EW and German LW.

However, they only give you 2 actual nests. Since I had access to a 3D printer, I used my calipers to measure the nests and printed more! The models are pretty simple, so easy to print, but this allows me to use many more of the gunners in the box.

Check it out. They paint up nicely:

Original model on the left, raw print middle, painted print on the right. I have 7 nest bases now, and really when I get the chance will do another one.  The plan is to use 4 of them for Desert Aussies/British, and then 2 for German, and 2 more for Winter War Finnish. Will probably use the EW Germans as finns, but it should still work.

I've actually been spending the past 2 weekends painting my US Airborne force, but they aren't finished based yet so will post them when they're done. There's a LOT of troopers, and I haven't even gotten to the support sections yet (Mortar, LMGs, Pack Arty). But another solid weekend and I should have finished 27 infantry bases, 3 light mortars, 6 Bazookas, 3 snipers, 3 supply carts, the CO and 2IC. Like I said, a lotta figs.

Commandos vs Schnell Kompanie in Pincer

German heavy guns controlling the bridge

Last night I had a chance to play test my mid-war British Commando list against Ryan.  We rolled up Pincer as the mission and I decided to conduct the British speciality of a night attack. This was one of the first times I was going to be able to conduct a night attack and I was looking forward to it.

Big Willie's Commandos
OC
Commando Pl 1 section
Commando Pl 1 section
Commando Pl 1 section
Commando HMG Pl
Commando Mortar Pl
3 x Sherman tanks
2 x 17/25 pdr AT guns
Humber Recce Pl

Ryan's Germans (incomplete list, sorry)
OC and 2IC with knackers
Grenadier Pl
Grenadier Pl
2 x 15cm guns
2 x 15cm guns
2 x 88s


Set Up

Objectives are at the train and road intersection and

Commandos vs German Grenadier Kompanie in Breakthrough

Was it wheat or corn fields that stop bullets...

This game was the first time Stormtrooper Nick and I had played Infantry Aces.  We went with 500 pt LW lists to try the system out and because the other pieces of my gaming table hadn't arrived so the table was long but small. We modified the distances width wise to try and get the mission to work.

Big Willie's Commandos
OC
Commando platoon
Commando platoon
Commando HMG platoon

Stormtrooper Nick's Grenadiers
OC and 2IC
Grenadier platoon
Grenadier platoon
HMG platoon

Set Up

Objectives are in the woods behind the barn and on the road by the farm house

Huzzah Con 2015 Tank Aces!

Huzzah Con 2015 Tank Aces!

Well Drew has been on me about finally contributing to the blog and I did say that I would write numerous times, and then never did.  But finally this Tank Aces event game me the kick in the pants to get this done!  For those not familiar with Tank Aces it is a fast paced and brutal game with only tank teams allowed it is bloody and if the dice are hot, very quick!  The rules can be found in Blood, Guts and Glory.

When picking my list, for this Mid war tank boxing match, I used what I had already painted and or ready to be painted.  My list was:

Tank Company, from Eastern Front, page 32
500pts
Mittlere Panzer Platoon (p.34) - Command Panzer III G/H/J (early), 2x Panzer III G/H/J (early) (270 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV G (late) or H (75 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV G (late) or H (75 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV G (late) or H (75 pts)
495 Points
700pts
Mittlere Panzerkompanie HQ (p.33) - CinC Panzer III G/H/J (early), 2iC Panzer III G/H/J (early) (180 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer III N (20 pts)
Compulsory Mittlere Panzer Platoon (p.34) - Command Panzer III G/H/J (early), 2x Panzer III G/H/J (early) (270 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
690 Points
900pts
Compulsory Mittlere Panzer Platoon (p.34) - Command Panzer III G/H/J (early), 2x Panzer III G/H/J (early) (270 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV G (late) or H (75 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
Compulsory Mittlere Panzer Platoon (p.34) - Command Panzer III G/H/J (early), 2x Panzer III G/H/J (early) (270 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
- Upgrade to Panzer IV F2 or G (55 pts)
890 Points

So you can see I was going for the best Anti tank guns and if possible the best frontal armour.  But enough of the chit chat let’s get to the games!

Kampfgruppe Pieper vs Heer Grenadiers in Hasty Attack

Heer Grenadiers watch as the hills fill with SS Armour

I finally got to test out my anti-Patton list out of Devil's charge. Ryan brought a well rounded Grenadier list. We rolled up the mission at random and ended up with a Hasty Attack where I would use the always attack rule.

Big Willie's Panzers
OC and 2IC in King Tiger
1 x King Tiger
1 x King Tiger
Full Grenadier platoon
2 x 8cm (SP) mortars
3 x 2cm (SP) AA guns
3 x Pumas

Ryan's Grenadiers
OC and 2IC
Grenadier platoon
Grenadier platoon
2 x PaK 40s
2 x PaK 40s
2 x 88s
4 x 15cm guns
2 x Panthers
4 x SP AA
Stuka support

Set Up

Objective is top centre wood, just right of the right most wood and beside the hill on the left side of the ruined church