Falklands Rock runs in 10mm

I've already mentioned I picked up all of the new 10mm Falklands stuff from Barrie at Timecast, http://www.timecastmodels.co.uk/range_1/range_1.html when I was at Vapnartak this year. The Rock Terrain bases he does are really good and apart from the tented and firing position bases are usable up to 28mm. These are really ideal for the hilltop battles and look the part. They've all been primed and a test piece will be completed for your perusal very soon.
Later,  Dougie

Hungary 1945 a 6mm Project continued.

This project is always simmering in the background, the look I'm after for both sides is a cold wet Hungarian winter. Here's a shot from Operation Konrad in 1945, cold, wet, bare trees!

The photo below is one of my Soviet command stands and I've never been happy with the trees I'm using.

Like the majority of wargamers I buy trees as a bit of an afterthought, the ones I get are ok, the photo above is a pine tree and they do deciduous as well in a couple of colours, however, what I was really after was a deciduous tree in winter, bare without leaves.
Now I've tried different things, making the trees from wire as described on the GHQ website but they didn't look right.
For my middle east 6mm forces I'd used some superb palm trees from the model tree shop, these are expensive but brilliant, check out the photo below

Anyhow I contacted the model tree shop told him what I was after and for deciduous trees in the size I was after he mentioned some brass trees that came in a number of different foliage colours. The colour wasn't important and the proverbial flash of inspiration came and I asked him if he thought the foliage would come off ? He wasn't sure but suggested sending one out so I could experiment. As normal with the model tree shop a package arrived the next day! Before I go any further here's the link for the company, they are excellent to deal with, have superb products and their service is outstanding!
http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/
The tree arrived I looked at the attached foliage and was sure burning would get rid of it! The photo below shows a tree on the right before its been napalmed, the tree on the left is after.

All it required was cleaning and a very minor Trunk thickening. Because the trees are etched brass they are 2 dimentional now this isn't a problem when the foliage is on but without they need a bit more substance, this is easily achieved with semi circle section plastic rod glued to the trunk and then it and the minor branches thickened up with liquid greenstuff.
This next photo shows the rod and greestuff added to the tree and it ready for paint and planting

Heres a photo of the same Soviet command stand from above but with one of my bare trees replacing the pine.

More like it! This is more the look I was after. If you order any trees for my treatment let Mr. Model tree shop know you've read about it here! The latest stand to have the tree treatment, a Soviet CO stand.
Later, Dougie

Pigtickler !?!

Some figures of Victorian weirdness I've painted for a friend. Dougie
The Umpire and stokers!?!

Some Players

Chain of Command

I'm really looking forward to the Too Fat Lardies releasing their new WW2 Platoon plus rules, "Chain of Command"
http://toofatlardies.co.uk/blog/
Probably better if you check out the you tube videos here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiT70m6CJO8
Standard Richard Clarke some great ideas!
Dougie

they sent me to Sangin and I said no, no, no...

Did a short run through of Skirmish Sangin with Andy this morning. It was a small scenario and as it turned out very quick! Skirmish Sangin is first and foremost a very low level system that is rewarding when played with a good narrative, by this I mean you've gotta have a role playing element if you do you'll like it.
Andy hadn't played the game before but its easy to pick up and we didn't encounter any problems. The story's below, read on... Dougie 
Summer 2006 in the outskirts of Sangin, as part of a larger patrol a 3PARA 4 man fireteam are to check a shop trader and follow up on intel. The action takes place on a 2 foot x 2 foot terrain tile, this equates to about 50m x 50m so the engagement is at very close quarters!
This is a view of my breakfast bar pretending to be downtown Sangin

A closer view looking acress the fields towards the store

Andy played the Brits with Sgt Fearon a veteran NCO with L84A2, Watterson an average Tom also with an L85A2, Richards again an average guy with an L85A2/UGL combination and lastly McGarry with the Minimi an average Tom but with a high BODY score. The team were entering the area in the small alley opposite the store in the picture above. I was Terry with Atash, Abdul Bari and Masem all with AKs and in the field opposite the alley. Atash was a veteran, Abdul Bari an average and Masem a novice but with a high BODY score similar to McGarry.
Atash had just been told to expect a patrol of infidels to speak with the shopkeeper, he grabbed 2 other fighters and was waiting in the field right next to the shop relishing the chance to attack the ISAF forces.
My 3 fighters impatiently waiting...

Sgt Fearon and the rest of the team arrive...

The fireteam gets to the alley junction opposite the shop and we go to Combat Rounds. McGarry and Masem activate first in combat phase 1, we roll and McGarry wins activating before Masem. McGarry rolls to spot spending 1 AP of his 3 and instantly sees the 3 Talibs loitering around at the edge of the field, they've obviously become sick of waiting and arn't hidden in cover.
 McGarry spends a further 1AP and brasses them up with his Minimi!

 Both are hit and Andy rolls for damage and being his normal jammy self rolls highly on the 4d10 damage dice killing both Masem and Atash! Because poor Abdul Bari, the novice fighter, is within 12" of this he gets a morale test marker.

McGarry spends his remaining AP and steps back into cover.
Combat phase 2 and Sgt Fearon is activated, he easily spots the hapless Abdul Bari and opens up with his L85. Andy's lucky rolling continues getting 14 on 2d10 killing him instantly!
Game over and I hadn't rolled a dice!!!!!!!

To get this engagement into context you had a switched off group of Talibs standing at the edge of a field when a veteran led Airborne fire team have got to a junction and spotted them. The range was 10" on the table which equals 20metres. Sgt Fearon and his boys weren't gonna miss at that range.
When playing this system, use cover, don't walk around in the open, prone or kneeling if you're stationary and remember a 4 foot square table equals a 100m square block of terrain, if you're in the open and it goes kinetic you're gonna get slotted!

More Falklands UKSF

Another 3 for the M&AWC, the figures are left to right, Britannia, Liberation and Hotspur. The middle guy has had a scratch made M79 added. Dougie

Top Malo House in 10mm

I picked up some of the excellent 10mm Falklands offerings from Timecast at York. The photo below is one of the few available showing Top Malo House in its undamaged state albeit from the 1930s! You do get some photos purporting to be the structure but show a building at Teal inlet with 602 prisoners after the engagement.

Barrie at Timecast has done a cracking job on his rendition of the structure, cast in Timecast's quality resin the chimney comes as a seperate casting. All I've done is base it and paint it.
Later, Dougie