January 2019 – Mark A. Morin

Building a Panzer Army Africa Tank force for What a Tanker

January has been a busy hobby month. After I had built a significant number of 8th Army British tanks for What a Tanker© games set in WWII North Africa. Subsequently, I really needed to build out an opposing and suitably-sized group of Panzer Army Africa tanks and tank destroyers. This post focuses on my January efforts on German forces. I will augment these with Italian tanks and tank destroyers on my next project.

OVERVIEW

I finished a total of 17 tanks/tank destroyers this month. These were all 15mm scale and from Battlefront Miniatures. Thirteen of these were for North Africa, while four would augment my forces for my France 1940 scenario. The largest single number were nine Panzer II variants. I had purchased a box of five Panzer II’s previously, and built one for France 1940, but the box was short one tank guns. Battlefront made good on this, and sent me another entire box of five tanks! This allowed me to convert an extra British A10 gun I had lying around into one for a Panzer IIC. It’s not perfect, but should work on the tabletop. I also had a Panzer IVD from Battlefront, and discovered that it had two left tracks. Battlefront has done right by me on that too, and replaced that entire tank as well. I will probably take the extra Panzer IVD and make it into a wreck later on. So this post will review these 17 tanks I built and painted:

2 Panzerjager I’s (one for France 1940 and one for North Africa)(15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GE100)
3 Panzer IIC’s (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GBX108) for France 1940
6 Panzer IIF’s (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GBX108) for North Africa
2 Panzer IIIE’s (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GE030) for North Africa
1 Panzer IIIH (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GE031) for North Africa
1 Panzer IVF2 (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GE042) for North Africa
1 M3 Stuart “Honey” tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR006) – one captured by the Germans for use in North Africa
1 Tiger I (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GE070) for North Africa

I will review each briefly, and give bigger shots in the eye candy section. Of course, I list the paints and other materials I used at the end for those interested. And there were 61 decals!

PANZERJAGER I’S

The two Panzerjager I’s base coated
Close up of North Africa Panzer IIF

In the end, I chose a camouflage pattern for my Panzer Army Africa version similar to what you see on the Marder II image.

PANZER II’S

There were nine Panzer II’s!

A10 gun conversion
How to paint a bunch of crews!

In the spray booth – 6 Panzer IIF’s.
Close up of crews in turrets.

PANZER IIIE’S

I had two unpainted Panzer IIIE’s left over from France 1940. They were not easy to put decals on – so that was minimal.

Panzer IIIE in blister
Base coat applied

After camouflage applied.
Close up of camouflage.

PANZER IIIH

Panzer IIIH in blister.
All cleaned up for assembly.

PANZER IVF2

Panzer IVF2 in blister
All cleaned up, ready for assembly
Assembled!

CAPTURED GERMAN M3 STUART “HONEY”

The Germans did a good job of recovering all kinds of AFV’s in North Africa. This included enemy vehicles – so I decided that an M3 Stuart would be a good addition.

I saw this and had to give the Germans a little American-made steel.

TIGER I

The last tank that I will share here is the centerpiece of the collection – a true behemoth – the early Tiger I. I modeled this one on the famous #131, which was captured virtually intact by the British in 1943 in Tunisia. A lucky British AP round lodged in the Tiger’s turret ring, and its crew abandoned it. Today, it is the only functional Tiger I on the planet and is at the Bovington tank museum.

Assembly of this model was NOT easy. There were 21 pieces and no assembly instructions, which is amazing given that Battlefront has assembly instructions for much simpler models. I also had issues with getting the tracks to fit the hull as there were no slots for the detents on the metal tracks.

My Tiger I in its blister
No track slots? Grrrr…
Lots of surgery and filing…
I got the tracks to fit – note the protective “cut gloves”

Lots of little bits for a big tank.
Assembled.
This was a tough build.

How I camouflaged tanks by using poster tack.
Tiger after the poster tack removed.

Turret close up after decals and crew added.

One of the three images I used to finish the model.

The second image showing the rear of the actual Tiger 1 #131.

I wanted to install a radio aerial, but in the end I decided that it was impractical due to the size of the model and the likelihood of future damage. I also wanted to include this Tiger as my “centerpiece model” in the January monthly painting challenge that I participate in – run by Azazel (whose blog is well-worth following).

So now, its time for…

EYE CANDY!

I completed two Panzerjager I’s – one obviously needs to get a paint job for North Africa!

Rear view showing the crews of this early tank destroyer.

The three Panzer IIC’s that will be for France 1940. The one on the far right has the converted gun.

Front view of Panzer IIIH, with nice view of DAK decal.

German motor pool! The 13 German tanks for Panzer Army Africa.

All 17 German tanks for January! Bigger motor pool!

This was a big project – and now on to the Italians (and my replacement Panzer IVD).

I thank you for looking and hope this was enjoyable for you. What tanks are your two favorites (I know the Tiger I will be a big favorite!). Please share your thoughts and any feedback in the comments section!

PAINTS, INKS, GLAZES, SHADES, WASHES, PIGMENTS AND FLOCKING USED ON THIS TANK GROUP:

Vallejo “Flow Improver”
Vallejo “Airbrush Thinner”
Vallejo “Surface Primer – Black”
Testors “Universal Acrylic Thinner”
Battlefront “Dark Gunmetal”
Secret Weapons Washes “Armor Wash” (wash)
Battlefront “Panzer Gray”
Vallejo Model Air “Base Grey”
Vallejo “Neutral Grey”
Vallejo Model Air “Green Brown”
Vallejo Model Air “Green Brown”
Vallejo Model Air “German Green Brown”
Vallejo Model Air “Light”
Vallejo Model Air “Cam. Grey Green”
Vallejo Model Air “Bright Brass”
Battlefront “Boot Brown”
Battlefront “Dry Dust”
Battlefront “Black”
Battlefront “Oxide Red”
Army Painter Quickshade “Light Tone” (wash)
Battlefront “European Skin”
Battlefront “Skin Shade” (shade)
Vallejo Game Air “Moon Yellow”
DecoArt “White Pearl”
Army Painter Quickshade “Mid Brown” (wash)
Army Painter Quickshade “Strong Tone” (wash)
Vallejo “Dark Yellow Ochre” (pigment)
Vallejo “Light Slate Grey” (pigment)
Vallejo “Light Sienna” (pigment)
Battlefront “Rommel Shade” (shade)
Battlefront “Bradley Shade” (shade)
Citadel “Agrax Earthshade” (wash)
Citadel “Nuln Oil” (wash)
Gorilla Glue
Vallejo Mecha Varnish “Gloss Varnish”
Microscale Micro-Set
Microscale Micro-Sol
Microscale Liquid Decal Film
1/8″ rare earth neodymium magnets
Appropriate decals from Battlefront
Vallejo Mecha Varnish “Matt Varnish
Aleene’s poster tack
Sponges

Thanks for looking and for sharing your feedback!

ON MY RESEARCH MATERIALS

As for research materials, I used the same ones as I cited before – but for completeness here they are in case you are interested (you can find them on Amazon):

One by Jean Restayn:WWII Tank Encyclopaedia, 1939-45
One by the Smithsonian/DK:Tank: The Definitive Visual History of Armored Vehicles
One by Michael Green:Axis Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the Second World War (Images of War)
One by Robert Jackson:Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles Visual Encyclopedia

I would easily recommend all of these books as good resources for gamers and modelers.

More 8th Army tanks – A10’s, an A13, Valentines, Crusaders, a Grant and a Churchill!

This week I was able to finish off my 8th Army tank force for What a Tanker© games. The group was composed of 9 Battlefront/Flames of War 15mm scale tanks – two A10 Cruiser Mark IIA’s, one A13 Cruiser Mark IVA, two Valentine tanks (a II and a III), two Crusader tanks (a II and a III), one M3 Grant, and one Churchill II. These would add to my previous two A9 Cruiser Mark I’s and my two M3 Stuart “Honeys” tanks that I finished in November (those are discussed here). Including a couple of prepainted Matilda II’s that I had bought from Wargames Models in Ohio, my 8th Army force now has 15 tanks. Noticeably absent from this group of course are the Sherman tanks that arrived in time for the British push at the Second Battle of El Alamein, but I am sure I’ll get to adding them eventually. I wanted to have a group of earlier war tanks ending with the Grant and Churchill for now, as most folks are less familiar with them.

I did not take as many pictures in the assembly and painting processes this time as I wanted to get these done. I need to move onto the Germans and the Italians! My goal is to run these in What a Tanker© games at gaming club meetings and at local conventions. I do feel that these, as well as my last tank project attempts, have been fun and have stretched my hobby skills a good bit.

I’ll cover each of the types individually, then some eye-candy shots at the end for your (I am hopeful) enjoyment. Of course, I will list my paints and materials at the end for those interested. I used my airbrush and standard brushes on all of these.

A10’s and A13

I finished three more cruiser tanks – two A10 Mark IIA’s and one A13.

A10 in the blister, as we say, a BAHGIN

A10 Assembled

A10 prepped for assembly

I find that cleaning, filing, and general preparation of these models does take a bit of time. I know that washing the resin parts is very important. My last step in cleaning the resin involves a gentle brush wash/application of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol to some of you) to it. This has been helpful I think – you just need to let that dry before handling or you may leave fingerprints on the resin. I also added radio antenna aerials with 24 gauge wire if the model would withstand the drilling and mounting process structurally. Sometimes, I just could not add one without damaging the model.

3 a10 final with book (2) — One of the two A10’s as completed. I went with a sandy look compared to the Caunter scheme I used on the A9’s, mainly for tabletop identification. This is what I was aiming for, but of course I add pigments and dirty up my tanks! Note that either the book or my model has a different skirt, possibly because mine were A10 Mark IIA’s.

During the war, compared to the A10’s, the A13’s were much faster due to the Christie suspension and a better engine. Combat wise, they were not much better, and are not better in the game rules either. They are adequate foes for Panzer II’s and some Italian light AFV’s.

On all of my tanks I tried to use different FoW decals that seemed to make sense – they are so small! Of course, getting the decals to look sand-worn was important, and the pigment helped. Getting the decals to conform to the curved surfaces took many slow applications of Micro-Set, Micro-Sol, and Liquid decal film. Our hobby blog-guru Azazel mentioned using barely-moist sponges to lightly apply pigments, so I gave that a shot, especially on the decals. While I think I got a darker look, it did made the decals look less out of place, and I liked the effect.

1 a13 final with book — My A13 and the painting scheme that I went with, minus the remnants of the blue Caunter camouflage pattern – as I thought that bluish tinge would be nearly impossible to see at 15mm scale.

Valentines

I picked up the two Valentine infantry tanks on sale at two different hobby shops. The track treads were a bit different. Of note, the Valentine II needed significant reinforcing with green stuff to come together as it was either poorly designed or not well made.

Valentine II in blister another Massachusetts “BAHGIN”

Valentine III in blister

Valentine II assembled

Repair work on Valentine II

For the Valentine II, I chose a Caunter camouflage scheme that was more bluish than what I had done previously with the A9’s or the Honeys. That would help on the tabletop as well – and the biggest difficulty was masking the appropriate parts of the tank for airbrushing the blue.

5 valentine ii prepped for caunter — Valentine II masked for airbrushing the blue Caunter camouflage scheme.

I am not sure how effective the blue scheme was in WWII combat, but as the British abandoned it my guess is not very. Still, it does look striking and different.

6 valentine ii final with book — My Valentine II versus its model in the book. The red and white markers were too small for me to mask and paint, so I went with decals. Also, the sides of my model differed a bit as well. I chose to have a lighter blue – it was tough to bring myself to paint that bright of a blue on a tank!

For the Valentine III, I went with a camouflage scheme that was more brown and sand. I also added two aerials to this one.

7 valentine iii final with book — The Valentine III and the paint scheme I emulated. Once again, my pigment use darkened it, but in the eye-candy section below, you can see it better.

Crusaders

I definitely wanted to have a couple of Crusader cruiser tanks in my force. They do look good, though in combat their armor was not effective enough against their Axis counterparts.

My two Crusaders in blister

Crusaders assembled

Base-coated and ready for final work

I decided to use two different painting schemes here as well. The earlier Crusader II would get a sandy look, while the Crusader III would get a brown camouflage pattern.

4 crusader iii ready for camo — My Crusader III awaits the airbrushing of the brown camouflage. Poster tack works great for this kind of masking.

5 crusader ii final with book — The finished Crusader II and the book version.

6 crusader iii final with book — The Crusader III was for me a mix of two images – first this one…

7 crusader iii final with book — and secondly this one. Again, I want dirty tanks that look like they have been driving in the desert and not off the show room/museum floor.

M3 Grant

The British were not happy to get American tanks at first. They did invent the tank after all in WWI, and they were proud of them. They wanted the US to build British designs, but with the risk of the UK losing the war early on, we Americans balked and said we would only build US designs. That way, if the British lost, we would not have our factories tooled for non-American designs. One of these was the light tank M3 Stuart, another was the medium tank M3 Lee. To placate the Brits, a different and more rounded turret was made than that of the American M3 Lee, and that is the major difference between a Grant and a Lee. So, my tank is a Grant. In doing my research, it was interesting to learn that the sponson-mounted 75mm gun was more prized (eventually) because it had an HE round. That meant that the Grant 75 was far better able to deal with anti-tank gun crews, like the dreaded 88mm, than a solid shot AP round would have been. In the turret, a 37mm gun was the main anti-tank weapon (though certainly the sponson gun was used in that role as well).

The M3 Grant in blister

Assembled, base-coated, and dry brushed – needs camo and washes

If the chassis looks familiar, yes, it was used as the basis for the M4 Sherman as well.

3 grant final with book — My Grant with its model – the light green was interesting to apply – better pictures in the eye-candy section below.

Churchill Mark II

The Churchill infantry tank made its unhappy debut in the costly Canadian forces raid at Dieppe (these were Churchill Mark I’s). The Churchill Mark II was first used by the “Kingforce” detachment (6 Churchill II tanks) in North Africa in October 1942, and Churchills were used in that theater and in Western Europe throughout the rest of the war.

1 churchill ii in blister — The Churchill in the blister – I chose to make it a Churchill II as the Mark I was only at Dieppe.

2 churchill turret mounting — How I started painting the turrets – I later transitioned my approach to using drill holes in wooden blocks instead of styrofoam. That approach worked much better. The #14 2″ screw held a magnet and a steel washer, and the magnetized turret stayed on top for painting.

I then masked this big behemoth (for 15mm). The effort on this tank took some doing – I needed a lot of poster tack.

3 before camo — Churchill tank awaits its desert camouflage paint job.

4 final with book — What I was going for – and again more dirty on mine.

Now my force was – as you Brits out there might say – “proper” in terms of game-worthiness.

1 lots of tanks — All of the 8th Army tanks I painted since November.

That concludes the history/what-I-did section – now for the…

Eye Candy

2 a10's right side — Right side view of the two A10’s.

3 a10's rear — Left rear view of the same A10’s approaching the village.

5 the 5 cruisers — Just for fun, I lined up all of my early Cruiser tanks in a convoy.

6 valentine ii by the well — The Valentine II, with its blue Caunter camouflage scheme, guards a well.

7 valentine ii by the wall — Opposite side view of the Valentine II. I do like the muted appearance of the blue. The decals were practically microscopic to work with!

8 valentine iii left side — The Valentine III with its brown camouflage pattern approaches a road.

9 valentine iii front facing — Head on view of the Valentine III. For perspective, the front of this tank is little more than an inch wide, so this image is 3-4 times the size of the model.

10 the two valentines right sides — My two Valentines (soon to be a romantic comedy perhaps on the BBC?).

11 the two valentines facing front — Nice view of the fronts of the Valentines. I had a bit of a concern with the tracks of the Valentine II on the left . As you can see they are a slight bit off – and this was the one Valentine that I needed to reinforce during assembly. Again, these are the things you notice when your picture is 3-4 times the size of the model!

12 crusader ii — Crusader II right side view.

13 crusader ii rear left view — Crusader II left rear view.

14 crusader iii side view — Left side view of my Crusader III with its camouflage scheme.

15 crusader iii rear view — Right rear view of the Crusader III.

16 two crusaders in front of the dune — The two Crusaders, not caped like Batman and Robin though…and this is not Gotham City…

17 grant in front of wall — Frontal view of the M3 Grant. As a nod to its possible Canadian forces use and/or manufacture, I gave it a Canadian unit marking. Many of the Grants were made in Montreal, at a locomotive plant. AND I did this as a Bruins fan (its a hockey thing)!

18 grant side view — The light green camouflage is a little more visible here. I did not want it to be overwhelming, but it is tough to photograph.

19 grant rear view — Entering the village.

20 churchill right side — My Churchill II, left side.

21 churchill left side — Right side of the Churchill II. The camouflage painting on this and the others was fun.

22 churchill front side — Front view of the Churchill II.

23 traffic! — For even MORE fun, I convoyed all of my painted 8th Army tanks.

24 parking lot — Is this a motor pool or what? Nice group shot – my Matilda II’s did not make the shot, but I only touched them up so they hardly deserve to be in this shot. Still like them though, but they are kind of adopted…

Now it’s onto the Germans and Italians – which I hope to finish soon. But never soon enough…

Thanks for looking, and I very much hope that you enjoyed seeing these. Any favorites? Feedback? Winning lottery numbers? Please leave me your thoughts in the comments section!

PAINTS, INKS, GLAZES, SHADES, WASHES, AND FLOCKING USED ON THIS TANK GROUP:

Vallejo “Flow Improver”
Vallejo “Airbrush Thinner”
Vallejo “Surface Primer – Black”
Testors “Universal Acrylic Thinner”
Citadel “Imperium Primer”
Battlefront “European Skin”
Battlefront “Skin Shade” (shade)
Vallejo “English Uniform”
Battlefront “Crusader Sand”
Vallejo “Desert Sand”
Battlefront “Worn Canvas”
FolkArt “Champagne”
Battlefront “Black”
Citadel “Agrax Earthshade” (wash)
Citadel “Nuln Oil” (wash)
Vallejo “Dark Sand”
Battlefront “Dry Dust”
Battlefront “Wool Brown”
Battlefront “Boot Brown”
Battlefront “Rommel Shade” (shade)
Battlefront “Bradley Shade” (shade)
Battlefront “Dark Gunmetal”
Battlefront “Dark Leather”
Battlefront “Oxide Red”
Battlefront “Tommy Green”
Gorilla Glue
Green stuff (kneadatite)
Tamiya masking tape
Vallejo Mecha Varnish “Gloss Varnish”
Microscale Micro-Set
Microscale Micro-Sol
Microscale Liquid Decal Film
1/8″ rare earth neodymium magnets
Appropriate decals from Battlefront
Vallejo Mecha Varnish “Matt Varnish”
Vallejo Mecha Color “Sky Blue”
Aleene’s poster tack
Vallejo Model Air “Blue Grey”
Secret Weapons Washes “Armor Wash” (wash)
Vallejo “Dark Yellow Ochre” (pigment)
Sponges
Army Painter Quickshade “Light Tone” (wash)

Thanks again for looking and for sharing your feedback!

RESEARCH MATERIALS

As for research materials, I used the same ones as I cited before – but for completeness here they are in case you are interested (you can find them on Amazon):

Two by David Fletcher:
- British Battle Tanks: British-made tanks of World War II
- British Battle Tanks: American-made World War II Tanks
One by Jean Restayn:
- WWII Tank Encyclopaedia, 1939-45
One by the Smithsonian/DK:
- Tank: The Definitive Visual History of Armored Vehicles
One by Michael Green:
- Axis Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the Second World War (Images of War)
One by Robert Jackson:
- Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles Visual Encyclopedia

I would easily recommend all of these books as good resources for gamers and modelers.

French Chars defeat German Panzers (again!) at Mass Pikemen

The monthly gaming day for the Mass Pikemen featured a rematch between panzers of the German Wehrmacht and tanks of the French Army. The scenario was one of May-June 1940, where equally-sized forces meet using the What a Tanker© rules and points system. The players each got 8 points per player to acquire a tank of their own. They deployed on opposite sides of the river, which also acted as an objective for the game. The deploying sides were determined at random, and were roughly similar in terrain.

Poker chips were used for accounting and for tallying the score. Points/chips were awarded for tank kills, and for having your tank at the end of the game on the enemy side of the river. If your tank was knocked out, you re-spawned as a tank of the same value on the next turn, and the side of the player who killed you got chips equal to the value of the destroyed tank. These chips could be used in several ways. The team with the most chips would win, and chips could be used to purchase another tank, a tanker card, or upgrade an existing or re-spawning tank. Alternatively, you could keep the chips towards your victory points.

This was a rematch from a previous session as it was new for several of the players. The French started with two R35’s, and the German’s with a Panzer IIC and a Panzer IVD. Two late-arriving players also got/purchased two more AFV’s, a French SOMUA S35 and a German Sturmgeschutz Ausf. A.

1 the board — The game tabletop – with some changes (notably roads) from the last run of the scenario.

2 the board — The game table before the battle.

On one flank, a shootout occurred between a Panzer IIC and an R35 over a bridge on the French left flank. Initiative and the dice rolls went to the French R35, with the Panzer IIC taking temporary damage and being pushed back to its starting point, without damaging the R35. The German light tank barely managed to survive, exited the board, and re-spawned on the opposite flank to join the battle there. The little R35, a slow tank, had a long drive to rejoin the fray there.

3 this bridge ain't big enough for the two of us — This bridge ain’t big enough for both of us…

On the other flank, the other French R35 took up position at base of the other bridge. Eventually, it got a few flank shots on the opposing Panzer IV, causing damage, and pushing it back. The R35, smelling blood, advanced over the bridge, and took up a protected position by the farmhouse. The Panzer IV had lost most of its command dice, and was heavily damaged. Eventually, the R35 knocked it out. At this time the newly-re-spawned Panzer II from the other flank deployed nearby, as did the StuG. The Panzer IV was also re-spawned here, and the R35 was in deep trouble. The new French player got his SOMUA S35 and hurried to relieve the R35. The battle eventually became one of both sides driving around the farmhouse and trying to get advantageous shots.

4 r35 maneuvers against pz ivd — The R35 takes up position, and would hit the Panzer IV in the side multiple times. Eventually it would cross the river and take up position by the farmhouse…

5 r35 kills pz ivd — …where it would finish off the Panzer IV.

6 r35 between a rock and a hard place, or a stug and a pz iic — Seeking revenge, a StuG III and a re-spawned Panzer II surround the R35.

7 r35 between a rock and a hard place, or a stug and a pz iic — Things are looking desperate for the R35.

9 somua s35 to the rescue — Here comes the cavalry in the form of the SOMUA S35, a fast cavalry tank. The StuG is forced to take its aim off of the R35, and joins the re-spawned Panzer IV to face off against the SOMUA.

The Panzer IV got first activation, and missed the SOMUA! The SOMUA then drove like a bat out of hell, taking up position behind the Panzer II that was menacing the R35.

10 tables turned on the pz iic — The tables turn as the SOMUA gets behind the Panzer II.

The Panzer II got activation next, and decided to avenge its comrade. A flank shot destroyed the R35. The next turn arrived with the SOMUA getting activation first, and lit up the Panzer II. The Panzer II re-spawned on the other side of the board, hoping to get some victory points by driving to the other side of the river. However, the R35 player re-spawned as well, and decided to use some of the French poker chips to get an upgrade, a heavy tank – the Char B1 bis – to confront this action.

11 char b1bis arrives — Here comes the Char B1 bis!

The Panzer II crossed the river at a ford by the bridge, and turned to face the Char B1, who had crossed the bridge. As you see below, the Panzer II rolled a “10” for activation, while the Char B1 rolled a “7”, so it activated first.

(A side note here – in the rules, D6 are used for activation, but I have found that this leads to way to many “dice-offs” and slows play. Instead, I use D12’s, and if a player banks a command die “6” for the next turn’s activation, he/she gets to add two to the roll, so the math works out the same as the original game).

Back to the standoff between the German David and French Goliath…the Panzer II hits the Char B1 with a double -six roll, allowing it to get two extra strike dice – great news for the Panzer II. Unfortunately for him, the Char B1 is very heavily armored, and the hit fails to do any damage (well, maybe the paint).

12 a mismatched standoff — The face-off!

The Char B1 returned fire, and you can guess the results…

13 standoff ends — The Panzer II is destroyed by the Char B1 bis.

The surviving R35 finally made it to the other side of the board and took up position behind the StuG, who was more concerned with the SOMUA. The R35 rolled well, the StuG did not, and the German assault gun brewed up into a ball of flame and smoke. This left the Germans with only a Panzer IVD, and even with re-spawning, the game had gone too far in the French team’s favor. The final score, with all the points for being on the other side of the river, kills, and purchase debits, was 58-14 in favor of the French. I think the scenario is still balanced, but in the end maneuver and use of terrain both really matter in this game, and the French did better job of both in this game. They also got some bad luck for sure. I may add some points to the German side the next time I run this scenario.

14 the end — Mike Morgan and Chris Smedile survey the battlefield.

Hope that you enjoyed this post! Please let me know your feedback in the comments section!

The next Mass Pikemen game will be on February 16th at 2 PM at the East Brookfield MA Senior Center (110 Pleasant Street), East Brookfield, MA. We will be having a GASLANDS game run by Jared Burns.

8 the players having fun — Leif Magnuson, Chris Smedile, Chris Comeau, Jared Burns, and Mike Morgan having fun at Mass Pikemen!

CASUALTIES:

French:
- 1 R35
German:
- 2 Panzer IIC’s destroyed
- 1 Panzer IIC evacuated
- 1 StuG III Ausf. A
- 1 Panzer IVD

2018 Hobby Activity Roundup

2018 was a busy year for me for hobbies, my busiest ever in fact. My activities and projects were mostly involved with supporting either Combat Patrol™ games or What a Tanker© games. So what did I do? Well, I helped to found a local gaming club and I started running games at small conventions (and won “The Al” at HAVOC last year – photo above). All of my hobby activity and efforts focused on creating and building what I needed for my games to be successful. I also joined some community painting challenges which helped to focus my efforts as well and got me to try new techniques (thanks Azazel!). I also followed many other blogs which were very inspiring.

Some of the items on the activity list below could be fairly called double-counting, but hey, no blood no foul! I tend to count projects in terms of their distinctive nature, ie the building/assembling/creating processes to me are different than painting, as is converting figures. I did not cast anything this year or make any molds as I still have plenty of figures to paint, and my hope is to knock out more of them in 2019, as I will not need to make as many game pieces/game aids.

This list, which is a separate page on my blog, helped me to stay focused. The adding of the hyperlinks that you see on the items below helps me to review past projects as prologue for future ones.

Thanks for checking this out – and good luck to all in 2019! Hope I keep you amused and entertained!

2018 Total Projects: 2,036

244 figures painted
0 figures cast
47 figures assembled
33 terrain pieces made or assembled
28 terrain pieces painted
10 figure conversions
867 creations or components sculpted or scratch-built
0 molds made
807 game pieces/game aids made and/or painted

January: 91 projects

Creations/components sculpted or scratch-built (91):
- 91 unit placards sculpted/made from Apoxie Sculpt

February: 645 projects

Figures painted (36):
- 36 Archive Hurraku Space Phraints painted (#2318)
Creations sculpted or scratch-built (375):
- 185 blank game placards made for Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi use
- 185 decals made for game placards or Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi use
- 2 long arc weapon (breaching) templates for Mark III Warbot use in Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi
- 2 short arc weapon (breaching) templates for Mark III Warbot use in Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi
- 1 plasma ball template (breaching) template for Mark III Warbot use in Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi
Game pieces/game aids made or painted (234):
- 8 Armorcast ACFX034 Grenade Blasts Cinematic Effects Bits painted
- 36 casualty cards made for the Hurraku Space Phraints
- 185 placards made for use in Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi
  - 50 wound markers
    - 15 1-wound markers
    - 15 2-wound markers
    - 6 3-wound markers
    - 6 4-wound markers
    - 4 5-wound markers
    - 4 6-wound markers
  - 25 stun markers
  - 10 critical hit – optics/sensors markers damage for Mark III Warbots
  - 10 critical hit – mobility damage (“STOP”) markers for Mark III Warbots
  - 10 critical hit – CPU damage (“ROGUE”) markers for Mark III Warbots
  - 20 out of ammunition markers
  - 60 jet-pack use markers
    - 20 for one use of jet pack in the game
    - 20 for two uses of jet pack in the game
    - 20 for three uses of jet pack in the game
- 5 game aid templates painted for use in Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi
  - 2 long arc weapon (breaching) template painted
  - 2 short arc weapon (breaching) template painted
  - 1 plasma ball template (breaching) template painted

March: 74 projects

Figures painted (40):
- 39 F.R.O.G. Commandos from the Critter Commandos line
- 1 Frogbot from the Critter Commandos line (specifically Crittertek)
Figures assembled (1):
- Critter Commandos Frogbot
Creations/components sculpted or scratch-built (33):
- 33 unit placards sculpted/made from Apoxie Sculpt

April: 144 projects

Figures assembled (2):
- Roberker (#2010) from the Archive Miniatures Star Rovers line
- Juggerbot (#2009 or #2331) from the Archive Miniatures Star Rovers line
Terrain pieces made or assembled (12):
- 12 tea light smoke plumes made
Terrain pieces painted (12):
- 12 tea light smoke plumes painted
Game aids made or painted (118):
- 39 casualty cards made for the F.R.O.G. Commandos
- 6 flame circles made
- 25 chits for Combat Patrol™ made (pulling card forward chits)
- 48 unit and vehicle data cards made for Combat Patrol™

May: 6 projects

Figures painted (2):
- Roberker (#2010) from the Archive Miniatures Star Rovers line
- Juggerbot (#2009 or #2331) from the Archive Miniatures Star Rovers line
Game pieces/game aids made or painted (4)
- 2 casualty cards made for Roberker and the second Juggerbot
- 2 unit data cards made for Combat Patrol™

June: 95 projects

Figures painted (57):
- 32 Texican Space Rangers from Archive Star Rovers line
  - 6 Travis B. Crockett figures (#2225)
  - 26 Armando Garcia figures (#2226)
- 11 Robot Peacekeepers from Mega Miniatures Salvage Crew Robots & Vehicles Range
- 14 figures painted for my Space Dwarf Assault Squad
  - 11 Long Gone Jones Space Dwarfs from Archive Star Rovers line (Archive #2211)
  - 3 Agribot (S1L1) from Archive Star Rovers line (Archive #2204)
Game aids made or painted (38):
- 32 casualty cards made for the Texican Space Rangers
- 6 unit data cards made for Combat Patrol™

July: 66 projects

Figures painted (15):
- 5 Power-Armored Frinx on Glyptodon from Archive Star Rovers line (Archive #2042) consisting of:
  - 5 Glyptodons
  - 10 Power-Armored Frinx riders
Figures assembled (5):
- 5 Power-Armored Frinx on Glyptodon from Archive Star Rovers line (Archive #2042)
Figures converted (6):
- 6 Frinx riders converted with Bombshell Miniatures Arc Weapons (#36013)
Terrain pieces made or assembled (13):
- 5 large Woodland Scenics evergreen trees
- 8 small Woodland Scenics deciduous trees
Game aids made or painted (27):
- 11 casualty cards made for the Robot Peacekeepers
- 14 casualty cards made for the Space Dwarf Assault Squad
- 2 unit data cards made for Combat Patrol™

August: 54 projects

Figures painted (19):
- A platoon of 19 Mars Aliens (#71501) from Mega Miniatures Sci Fi Future line circa 2001 consisting of:
  - 1 platoon leader
  - 2 squads consisting of 9 figures each, to include:
    - 1 squad leader per each squad
    - 2 teams per squad consisting of:
      - 1 team leader per team
      - 3 troopers per team
Terrain pieces made or assembled (3):
- 3 Armorcast craters (set #ACCR001)
Terrain pieces painted (3):
- 3 Armorcast craters (set #ACCR001)
Game aids made or painted (29):
- 1 casualty cards made for the Roberker
- 5 casualty cards made for the Frinx on Glyptodons
- 19 casualty cards made for the Mars Aliens
- 4 unit data cards made for Combat Patrol™

September: 566 projects

Terrain pieces made or assembled (3):
- 1 Armorcast T-Section
- 1 Armorcast Building Corner (#ACRB008)
- 1 Armorcast Building Corner (#ACRB009)
Terrain pieces painted (11):
- 5 ruined building corners
  - 1 Armorcast T-Section
  - 1 Armorcast Building Corner (#ACRB008)
  - 1 Armorcast Building Corner (#ACRB009)
  - 2 Armorcast Building Corners (#ACRB013)
- 6 battle-damaged sci-fi walls
  - 1 set of 2 Armorcast High Tech Walls 2 (#ACW007), each set includes 2 walls so 2 pieces
  - 2 sets of High Tech Walls, each set includes 2 walls, so 4 pieces
Creations sculpted or scratch-built (368):
- - 184 blank game placards made for Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi use
  - 184 decals made for game placards or Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi use
Game pieces/game aids made or painted (184):
- 184 placards made for use in Combat Patrol™ retro sci-fi
  - 72 wound markers
    - 20 1-wound markers
    - 20 2-wound markers
    - 14 3-wound markers
    - 6 4-wound markers
    - 6 5-wound markers
    - 6 6-wound markers
  - 24 stun markers
  - 24 out of ammunition markers
  - 64 jet-pack use markers
    - 22 for one use of jet pack in the game
    - 20 for two uses of jet pack in the game
    - 22 for three uses of jet pack in the game

October: 113 projects

Figures painted (28):
- 28 Space Roos painted (converted figures that I cast)
Figure conversions (4):
- 2 Space Roo weapon conversions to RPG’s
- 2 Space Roo weapon conversions to grenade launchers
Game pieces/game aids made or painted (81):
- 45 small (1/8″ diameter) placards made and painted for improved identification of the Mars Aliens on the tabletop
- 28 small (1/4 and 5/16″ diameter) placards made and painted for improved identification of the Space Roos on the tabletop
- 8 dashboards built for What a Tanker games

November: 160 projects

Figures painted (43):
- 5 KV-1a Soviet tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio)
- 2 T-26 Soviet tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio)
- 2 BA-64 Soviet armored cars (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio)
- 1 BT-5 Soviet tank, (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#SU021)
- 1 BT-7 Soviet tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#SU023)
- 2 Soviet Gaz trucks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio)
- 1 Panzer IIC tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GBX108)
- 1 Panzer IIIE (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GE030)
- 3 Sturmgeshutz IIIA assault guns (15mm/1:100 scale), from from Battlefront Miniatures (#GBX109)
- 2 German Panzer IVd tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished, washed and varnished
- 1 German Panzer 38(t) tank (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished, washed and varnished
- 3 Italian M13/40 tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished, washed and varnished
- 2 Italian L6 light tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished, washed and varnished
- 2 British Matilda II tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished, washed and varnished
- 2 German Hetzer tank destroyers (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished and varnished
- 2 German Panzer IIIN tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished and varnished
- 2 Renault R-35 tanks (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#FR030)
- 3 SOMUA S-35 tanks (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#FR050)
- 2 French Char B1 bis tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished and varnished
- 2 US M4 Sherman tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished and varnished
- 2 US M3/M5 Stuart tanks (15mm/1:100 scale, Wargame Models in Ohio), finished and varnished
Figures assembled (25):
- 5 French tanks assembled:
  - 3 SOMUA S-35 tanks (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#FR050)
  - 2 Renault R-35 tanks (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#FR030)
- 2 British tanks assembled:
  - 1 A10 Cruiser Mark IIA (Desert) tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR023)
  - 1 Valentine II tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR060)
- 2 Soviet tanks assembled:
  - 1 BT-5 tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#SU021)
  - 1 BT-7 tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#SU023)
- 16 German tanks/assault guns assembled:
  - 5 Panzer II C’s and F’s) (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GBX108)
  - 3 Panzer IIIE’s (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#GE030)
  - 3 Sturmgeshutz IIIA assault guns (15mm/1:100 scale), from from Battlefront Miniatures (#GBX109)
  - 3 Sturmgeshutz III Ausf F8 assault guns (15mm/1:100 scale), from The Plastic Soldier Company, Ltd. (#WW2V15005)
  - 2 Sturmgeshutz III Ausf G (late) assault guns (15mm/1:100 scale), from The Plastic Soldier Company, Ltd. (#WW2V15005)
2 terrain pieces made or assembled (two fields)
2 terrain pieces painted (two fields)
Game aids made or painted (92):
- 28 casualty cards made for the Space Roos
- 36 bonus cards made for What a Tanker©
- 3 unit data cards made for Combat Patrol™

December: 18 projects

Figures painted (4):
- 4 British tanks painted for What a Tanker© in North Africa:
  - 2 A9 Cruiser Mark I tanks (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR020)
  - 2 M3 Stuart “Honey” tanks (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR006)
Figures assembled (14):
- 14 British tanks assembled for What a Tanker© in North Africa:
  - 2 A9 Cruiser Mark I tanks (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR020)
  - 1 A10 Cruiser Mark IIA (Desert) tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR023)
  - 1 A13 Cruiser Mark IVA (Desert) tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR026)
  - 1 Valentine III tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR061)
  - 1 Crusader II tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR032)
  - 1 Crusader III tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR034)
  - 1 M3 Grant tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR100)
  - 1 Churchill II tank (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR070)
  - 5 M3 Stuart “Honey” tanks (15mm/1:100 scale), from Battlefront Miniatures (#BR006) – Brits will get two, I am saving one for future Soviet Lend-Lease, one for future captured German use in North Africa, and one as an American M3 for future captured Japanese use in Burma or the Philippines.

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