Cassino: Wargaming Ideas

I have been reading Matthew Parker's book on the campaign for Monte Cassino and thought I would share some thoughts I had on rubble in wargaming.

The bombing of Cassino -  which was even more brutal than the bombing of the monastery - and its subsequent assault by Commonwealth troops gave me a lot of ideas for wargaming certain aspects of the terrain conditions. Rubble piles - some measuring 20 feet high - and craters blocked the progress of infantry and armor alike. Like quite a bit of the natural terrain of the campaign area, this forced the Allies to channel troops under fire and countered advantages in numbers and mechanization. Storming a building or strong point might happen, but the town would not be simply and quickly overwhelmed.

I think huge piles of rubble need to make more of an appearance in street fighting scenarios, at least in heavily decimated and contested areas. Offhand, I think of the Ruhr Pocket, Stalingrad (and probably most Eastern Front city battles), and of course, Cassino. I see a lot of ruins and rubble on tabletops, but not often like the way they described in personal accounts. They should be more than table dressing and maybe something more/other than difficult/very difficult terrain.

In games like Flames of War, where the infantry have a steady movement rate regardless of terrain (if I recall correctly), I think some of these debris areas should require a successful skill check to ascend or move across. I would probably consider them impassable to vehicles. Really, I think that might be ideal for most skirmish games in regards to the infantry; heavy movement penalties for entering rough terrain has its place, but I think that requiring a plodding one-quarter move up a debris hill the size of a building as taking away from the fast-paced action one associates with a firefight. I think pass or fail on a climb check seems more like it.

FOW Project: Wooden Guns on M10s

 Sometimes I really don't like the soft lead guns on 15mm AFVs. Battlefront's M10s gave me an option to keep from bending or breaking the barrels.

If you look closely at the pictures, you will see that a clipped toothpick is mounted on the vehicle. It fit snugly in the gun mount and doesn't look that much wider than either of the guns provided for the model. I'm pretty sure that when the model is painted, no one will really notice what I've done here when it's on the table.

FOW Project: M7 Priests and M10s

I'm bringing in a number of AFV support for my US infantry and armor. Ultimately, I am trying to build an armored company and an assault infantry company (taken from 3rd Division lists from Battlefront's Dogs & Devils).

Of course, I am continuing the tradition of posting pictures of the "Drying of the Washed Resin/Plastic Models". I gave the vehicles a good soapy scrubbing - and still amazed at the bluish gray water left behind in the soaking cup.

This time around the vehicles are new enough that they have the new hard plastic tracks and accessories. OK - new to me; I think Battlefront began the switchover to hard plastic a few years back. I was very impressed with the quality of the pieces - even the the .50 cal machine guns. Also, the new track-mounting method leaves 3 slots on one side of the hull and 2 on the other, with corresponding tabs on the tracks. This keeps guys like me from putting the tracks on backwards - and I have done it, believe me.

Also, I think Battlefront did a good job with the crews. Most of the time I do not like most of the crew figures. Many of them look poorly sculpted or molded compared to the decent to excellent figures you get with an infantry platoon.

FOW Project: Flakpanzers

I finally finished up the flakpanzers - part of the summer project for last year!

 

I can't recall if I mentioned it before, but I tried out the Late War German Armour spray from Battlefront (I believe Army Painter makes it) on one of the flakpanzers. It makes for a great shade of dunkengelb. While I'm not crazy about the price of $15 US retail, it might be worth it in time saved and great color (it serves as primer too). Since I picked up a can in the discount bin real cheap, I can't complain at all.

Instead of using a mix of black and brown inks, this time I just went with watered-down black acrylic paint. It left a lot of smudges and I like the effect.

The last thing to do for last year's summer project is to put in crews for the 251/9s. I've already started the next summer project - more on that later.

FOW Project: Just Add Tufts

I have added Army Painter winter tufts to my US heavy weapons teams, and I like how they turned out. I tried out the model railroad straw stuff about 20 years ago and only managed to get a lot of straw glued to my hands. For $6, I think I got a good value for 20+ tufts that only require me to use a set of tweezers and some glue.

While I was able to get the tufts through my local gaming store, you can take a loot at them on the Warlord Games' Army Painter Battlefield Basing page here. There are winter, swamp, jungle, and Highland tufts available. 

I'll probably work in some swamp or Highland tufts in some of my other FOW models. Frankly, mixing tuft shades ought to be a good idea, just like mixing turf and flock shades - I see plenty of pastures and open fields that are not uniform in color or height, with patches of new, old, and dried grass/weeds all about.

FOW Project: Flakpanzer 38 - conversion gun shields

Flakpanzer 38 with card shield

I got a chance to catch up on some of my Flames of War miniature projects this weekend. First up are the Flak Panzer 38s.

Of my two models, only one had half a gun shield by the time I got around to assembling them. I attached the metal half-shield previously and then decided to use some thin card to do the rest of the work. Obviously, they look a little bit irregular in size/shape (and the full shield is glued on crooked...sigh) - but I think they will pass muster once painted and on the table.

Flakpanzer 38 with metal and card shield

I had originally thought about trying to work something up using plastic styrene, but thin card had a lot going for it: it was easy to bend, easy to find the right thickness (cracker box thickness), and cheap - something headed for the recycling bin. I think the thin card works really well at the  15mm scale and would recommend it to anyone needing to make a fix or conversion on something that won't likely get handled too much.
 

FOW Project: Our Frank

I've done a few US commanders for my heavy weapons platoons, plus a few more leaders to spread around as needed. While I think it is standard to place three figures on a command stand of any given level (platoon, company, etc.) in Flames of War, I prefer to place two figures on platoon command stands so I can better identify them when I'm trying to figure out out where my company commander and second-in-command stands are.

I got to do some fun stuff with the figs from the Battlefront US Company HQ pack I picked up years ago. The rifleman and carbine-wielding officer appear to be having a frank discussion over the CO's next big plan. There's some NCOs and officers in the pack who are definitely urging the men forward, but I like the laconic posturing of these guys quite a bit.

FOW Project: Basing Experiments

Even flat ground isn't always flat. I've had to go back and make some post-flock changes to some miniatures before and its sometimes as simple as adding some lichens or weeds. Why not just add a little few bumps with wall repair putty (quick dry, no mixing required) and some assorted bits of debris in the first place?

I mixed varying amounts of model grit/rocks, sand, and dried coffee grounds to my recent basing project (US command stands for FOW miniatures). This is definitely one of those arts v. science type of things. In some case, I definitely thought "less is more."

A friend commented that one of the bases looks like it was set on volcanic ground (which might come in handy for some fantasy monsters...). I think if I ever do some basing for the Ruhr Pocket, the coffee grounds might come in handy as well - if not for individual bases, then for the mighty coal piles that the armies fought in and over in the industrial region.

For those interested in recycling coffee grounds, make sure they get a proper drying before you put them in a container. Otherwise, expect to get some mold in your mix.

On a tangent item, dried tea leaves make a good pass for little leaves.

FOW Project: US Heavy Weapons (mostly ready)

Except for a little touch up paint on some spots (more on that) and a Dull Cote finish, my Flames of War US heavy weapons teams are ready, and the command teams are next.

The picture at right was taken shortly after flocking, and you can see some of the glue showing through. That went away. I did find some spots of glue that had no flock did not turn clear, but white. I'm guessing this was because of the watered-down wood glue I used instead of just regular watered-down craft glue. I avoided this mistake when I put together the command teams.

For flocking I used some Gale Force 9 terrain products: dirt flocking, mixed with dark green and yellowed static grass. I have found more satisfying results by mixing static grass with the ground cover than by sprinkling the grass on top. I usually get a mix of grass standing and flat, and well integrated with what I perceive as earth or shorter grass (the earth flock). Looks right to me. I like mixing the grass colors because for much of the year, that's what I see in pastures and open fields, except for maybe late spring and summer.

Next time, I'll post a little bit about the command teams. I tried a few new things in regards to basing, but still keeping in with the look of the machine gun and mortar crews. 

Coming Up - FOW Project: US Heavy Weapons

Just a short note this post, but I plan to talk a little bit about the work I've been doing on my Flames of War US heavy weapons platoons next week. The core troops have been flocked (pictured are teams are prior to that). I'm hardly the modeling expert, but I've got some ideas that seem to improve what I'm doing on the painting table. More on all that later.

A Closer Look at WI 280 (the Sudan issue)

Picking up where I left off on Wargame Illustrated's Gordan in the Sudan issue in this post.

WI 280 cover

The Sudan theme is every bit as good as I expected it to be after the previously noted skimming. Neil Smith really puts the whole series of episodes in political and military context, including the changes within the British Army in regards to organization and equipment. Having never really studied the period, I've always come away with some basics on the Sudan in the late 19th Century - ie. it was tough fight between the British Empire and the Mahdists and Gordon came to a bad end (and maybe not unexpectedly given his drive). The articles really go a ways towards explaining the how's and why's; you get way more than some interesting battle scenarios. 

The theme also includes the article, "A Good Dusting," written by Sudan rules author David Bickley. He explains the premise of his design concepts for the period and it gives one the impression his game must be driven by scenario/setting concerns instead of just creating a comprehensive set of rules for the entire colonial period. I have not read or tried out Bickley's rules, but I can say that I like his mindset for creating games. If you like to write game scenarios or tweak rules for particular historical encounters/wars, then this article should inspire you. 


I also enjoyed Mike Haught's "Bunker Down" Flames of War material, part of the supporting articles for the recent D-Day/France 1944 releases from Battleground. Even if you have no interest in playing FOW, I recommend the piece to you unless you are already quite familiar with all the types of pillboxes, machine guns nests, and other fortifications used by the Germans. Furthermore, there's lots of practical and historical tactical advice on using them in your World War II games. 


The "Back to Bases" article was also very interesting, and might be worth taking into account if you decide to jump into the Sudan ranges - which, by the way, I think you will find plenty of book and figure references and advertisements to get you started if you have thought about playing the period. 


I have not yet read Howard Whitehouse's "The Tribes of Germania." Not sure what to expect these days on the subject, but I'm encouraged by the article's use of classic sources and modern archeology. This subject is probably far more complex and misunderstood than one might think - and I don't write this because I know so much on the tribal folks at the edge of the Roman Empire - it's simply because I've experienced a few revelations through historians like Guy Halsall and Michael Kulikowski. 


OK, that wraps up my review on the Sudan issue. I left some things out - still haven't finished the magazine yet - but I think the above ought to give you an idea what a good issue it is.

FOW Project: US Heavy Machine Guns

I've been taking my painting in short spells - an hour here, a couple of hours there. Last weekend I got a lot done with my US  machine gunners, mortar crews, and commanders. No pictures of most of the guys yet, but here's a dark photo of a lone gunner to the right.

I believe that I will need to add in some wood glue or filler to sort of level the HMG base out with the terrain on the plastic base, and I will probably do the same for the mortar crews. I might get away with just going kind of thick with the flock, but that base is pretty deep. 

Speaking of commanders, Battleground recently announced new US SMG platoons. I think  I've seen a number of the figures in other packs (typically NCOs and officers), but there are others I have not seen before. While they are presented as a way to build the SMG squads and platoons of the 2nd US Infantry Division in France in the summer of 1944 (see briefing here), these troops look like a great way to build spare command and recon teams or simply add a little flavor to rifle teams or whatever. In a lot of ways, I think this pack has a lot more flavor than the old US infantry company headquarters pack.

Firestorm - Bagration

I recently received a copy of Battlground's Firestorm - Bagration campaign game (this was the big Soviet offensive in the summer of 1944 that pretty much ended German hopes in Russia). 

I like the FOW campaign ideas of linked scenarios and bonus "power units" - referred to in the game as Firestorm units - for boosting your tabletop armies for certain engagements. The interface between the campaign map movements and the game table seem to have a good dynamic. That said, I don't currently have painted Soviets ready for FOW (there's a growing number of troops in lead mountain, though). 


The one thing we are looking forward to trying out is the 'General's Wargame', which totally takes place on the mapboard. Each player is assumed to have armies in their territories and the Firestorm units are bonuses that may be employed to tip the balance of their engagements. The elite units may be lost in combat, win or lose. This concept could work well in a Late Roman campaign setting, with the deployment of certain palatine units and the like. It really got me to thinking.


Another thing I like is the concept of the 'Total War' game, which is designed for really big games. While I don't generally like to play really big games (I do enjoy looking at them), I mostly like the idea of dividing forces into combat and support groups and for using a 'To The Last Man' concept for army morale. This makes me think my arbitrary scenario-based army breakpoint ideas for Great War Memoir aren't a bad way to go about tabletop army-level morale.

You can check out the game's design notes here on the Flames of War website.

FOW Project: US Army Colors

US Mortar Teams and Paints

I think the search for US army khaki colors approaches the elusive search for German field gray uniforms and dunkengelb armor.

I am trying out a new (for me) paint - Privateer Press' Formula P3 paints for their Warmachine miniatures. Battledress Green looks like a very close match to some actual World War II US Army khaki items I have seen up close, and I have been applying it to my US heavy weapons teams. 

Something else new I have been doing with the teams is applying an undercoat of GW Catachan Green over the black spray primer. I think it helps to define the figure details a little better than a sometimes dodgy pass with the primer and the color ought to help bring out the green hues of the uniform and equipment.

Another good color is P3 Thornwood Green. I think it is probably too dark for US uniforms, but it has potential for helmets, machine guns, mortars - and possibly armor.  

Oh yeah - the P3 paints go on nicely and they seem to have a good pigment content. I'm not a paint expert, but I'd say they are comparable to Vallejo in quality.

FOW Project: US Weapon Crews and a Favorite Glue

Elmer's School Glue Gel and FOW figs

While things seem to be working out all right with my US heavy support weapons (81mm mortars, HMGs), it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to paint and base the crews as well.

I did not get much done in this hobby session except for prepping the mortar crews and a few other figures. I don't usually base my 15mm figs before painting; instead I temporarily mount them on nails and plant them into a piece of styrofoam covered in newspaper (the newspaper protects the styrofoam from the dissolving properties of paint sprays). 

The glue is the real story in this post.

A couple of years ago I stumbled across the best glue for mounting metal figs on the nails: Elmer's school glue gel. OK, I haven't done any scientific testing here, but I can tell you that the gel glue has a weaker bond than regular white (or craft) glue - at least when it comes to metal-to-metal. I have had to gently wrest a painted fig or two from a nail using white craft glue, all the while trying not to scratch the paint job.  I don't have this problem with the gel at all. 

I don't recommend the gel glue for mounting troops on bases - metal, plastic, wood, etc. The miniatures seem ready to come loose with very little handling.

FOW Project: US Heavy Support

I will try to catch up on my FOW projects a little over the three-day weekend. I plan to focus on my US 81mm mortars and heavy machine guns. For the most part, I really don't like assembling and basing these kinds of units. For me, working with fiddly bits turn quite annoying, although I think it has given rise to some creative thinking (at least for me). 

With the mortars, I just decided to put down a layer of wood glue to prop up the mortar tube/base and the - well, the name escapes me now - bit for adjusting angle of fire. Afterward, I glued the pieces together, although I can see that they did not all necessary join where they ought to. Still, they are one piece, upright, and my mistakes can be hidden with a little lichen. 

The machine guns (not pictured) turned out easier than I thought. The little hand drill really did the trick for placing the gun on the tripod/figure base. Seems like I couldn't find enough loaders for my gunners (I imagine they will show up in a group of German grenadiers at some later point in time), so I may have to do some more illusions with other crewmen and lichen. More on my glorious misadventures later.

FOW Project: 251/9 Cs & Flakpanzers

Back in December I got a chance to do a little work on my rather extended FOW Summer Project. The 251/9Cs are about ready for action. I need to add a crewman or commander or something to at least one of the vehicles. 

The Flakpanzers need a bit more work. I have done some work on the gun mount - which I still think is missing part of a gun shield, but I think I can draft a piece of thin card for the job. The most significant thing I did is get a nice basecoat on the AA vehicles. I started with Testors' 'Africa Mustard' spray paint - and it looks very much like a spicy brown mustard. On top of that I sprayed that last bit of Tamiya (can't recall the actual name, but looked like a good dunkengelb to me), and it really seemed to work well.  

Recently, I finally made the plunge to build my US support platoons - HMGs and 81mm mortars. More on them in a later blog.

FOW Project: 251/9 Cs

251/9 Cs before wheels, tracks, and guns.

The FOW summer project was put on hiatus, but I have put it back in action. No long sessions, but I put in a couple of hours this evening. The thing I have been dreading is my German 251/9 C models (the short barrel 75mm support vehicle). 

Why? Well, it seemed the front wheels would not fit well into the resin body. This was an easier fix than I expected - I just trimmed some of the lead wheel attachment piece. I also widened the resin body joint, but I think my time was better spent just working on the wheels. Not a hard project and I feel a little bit better about my very basic modeling skills. 

Regardless, this was no big problem to tackle and I can tell you I never had the wheel fit mismatch with the regular German halftracks. I called it a day on the 251s after attaching the tracks and guns and got started on the Flakpanzers (more on them later).

Wargames Illustrated 277 (at a glance)

This issue has got some offbeat material for some favorite periods, and I really like it. Highlights include the Russian offensive into Hungary (Flames of War/late war), the Haitian Revolution (late 18th Century), and the Anglo-Norman Invasion of Ireland (late 12th Century). We also get a little taste of hilarious sci-fi gaming with Howard Whitehouse's "Eat Hitler" mix of Nazis and dinosaurs. The magazine also debuts a new feature - Quick Fire Scenarios. 

I'll go into a little more detail in a future post, but I will leave you with a few thoughts. I like interesting articles that explore different perspectives of any given (and maybe even well-worn) military period and offer new gaming ideas in the bargain. All the major highlights noted above will let you put some new use to miniature troops that normally march across the field in other places (or even other times - and I'm not just talking about the sci-fi game).

FOW Summer Project: Making Your STUGs Stand Out

Schurzen have been attached to my work-in-progress STUG platoon. Of course, I put them on backwards - I believe the profile of the plates should slope forward. Just one of those little details that helps make my troops unique. 

The GMC trucks are pretty much done except for a little bit of base work. I used mudstone to give them a dry and dusty ground. I added a bit to the tires and dry brushed it on the rest of the vehicles. 


I'm doing some work on the 251/9s (German halftrack with short-barrel 75mm infantry gun) as well. They look like they will be pretty easy, except for the rear AA MG42 - which is all right, because I never bother with them. 


I have misplaced the assembly instructions for the Flakpanzer 38t's, but after a good bit of studying the FOW website images and other Internet sources, I think I have figured out to put the gun together. I'm not sure, but I think I am missing part of the 20mm cannon's gunshield. I think I'm going to substitute a small piece of styrene (probably just clip a small tile piece) and further camouflage the deception with a little lichen. Definitely more on that one later.