[Phil Gray]

Nice work.

 

Have you also tried the Erin range from Alternative Armies for this?

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Rick Berner wrote:

Parade ground colours all the way! The yellow and purple Vatican Mark V really sold me on this style. For reasoning, the first edition of the miniatures rules, positioned this painting style as a holographic command display for use by the commanders, and it’s one I’m happy to go along with, and exclusively employed rather than camo-based schemes. Having said that, splinter or dazzle camouflage would look great, and there was a a traditional (i.e. Including pink) Caunter camouflage Ogre in the book too.

I second that emotion.

For my money the models are representing icons, so camouflage is not relevant to me.

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Hi

Just to confirm that the hinge on the 6mm DDay game is fully functional.

The table is a custom build but I have seen similar set-ups using standard pasting tables, they’re just a bit narrow for this scenario.

The inserts for potential German defences are removed first, but the rest of the terrain is fixed, so it folds away just fine,

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017UR0K4G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Available from Amazon, no troublesome England Flag design to anguish over cutting and you can, if desired, put them through your printer – I use them to, in part, produce magnetic Unit ID tags for bases.

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Skies makes no mention of altitude as everything is oriented around the bomber stream. In relation to the stream you can be low, level (from the tail or nose aspect only) or high. The key factor in how quickly you complete an attack run and are in position to perform another is whether you press home your attack (determined) or not (evasive) – determined attackers that survive return sooner than evasive attackers. That said, if you’re lucky enough to have friends in 262s (your own staffel are always flying 109s but you can, mission by mission, spend your OPs points to buy friendly flights or upgrades) then they always choose where they come back to.

Oh, and also in Skies if the escorts are at the Above trailing position then when you check for escort movement they are VERY likely to come and sit in the least opportune spot for you  if not actively seek you out and engage you, which can really screw up your approach runs – especially if they bounce you as the usually outcome there is that by the time yo have disposed of or evaded the little friends the stream has moved so far on that your out of the fight.

Within Wing Leader height comes into play in two aspects. Firstly, the speed and turn values on the ADC that are used to decide combat differentials are split by height bands, secondly if you’re diving then you gain an on map speed pip – if you’re diving into combat and you opt for a hit and run rather than turning attack then that pip translates into a bonus to your actual speed as stated on your ADC. As the combat resolution uses the differential  between attacker and defender- or primary attacker/ defender where more than one aircraft type is engaged – to determine the range of outcomes you’re rolling for this can have a significant effect.

Climb rates on the ADCs determine the MP cost on the the map to climb a level (a level is deliberately not defined in the game), unalerted aircraft only have 2 MP (and no reason to be climbing or diving) as they are flying to a given point (or to exit the map) and then circle, trying to tally the opposition, while alerted ones get 3 MP and so can climb or slow climb (if they lack the MPs to climb a level in a turn) as their situation dictates.

And yes, if you are fielding an Me163 flight their vertical climb rate at full throttle is pretty awesome in comparison to others – but they only get so many turns of powered flight (to be spent at full or half throttle) before they convert to gliding, and a full throttle pass severely impacts their ability to score hits.

 

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

I fixed on WW2  in 1/300.

Goto rule sets are Scramble (no hexes, but specified base sizes play a role in movement and combat) and Blue Skies (hexed). I haven’t transitioned to computer games as I see them as focussing on the flight, not fight, aspect.

I’d like to see an air war set that moves away from the individual plane/ pilot and looks at the unit/ formation level of combat – which is not to say that pilots and plane capabilities are unimportant, there is a sympathetic relationship there, but good pilots, in good planes, who are tied to an out of date method of fighting, are going to have a hard time performing well against opponents with a better set up. i.e. GCI vs non-GCI, vic 3s vs pairs…

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Strictly speaking this is off topic, but it does involve the field use of the corpses of Soviet PoWs by the Germans – an Italian journalist (Curzio Malaparte) wrote that the Germans used them as route markers (the Germans called them ‘traffic police) at road junctions on the Leningrad (Oranienbaum) front… [the book is called ‘Kaputt’]…

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

WW1 German horse with gas mask

Intriguing – the outrider has full face protection, but the horse has mouth/ nose protection only (maybe because a horse can be led?)

Compared to this rig for dogs:

US dog with gas mask

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

I don’t think they do compare as they’re very different beasts (if Lebanon is the film I think it is).  I found Lebanon far more claustrophobic, and introspective, than Fury, and I felt that was appropriate for a ‘tanky’ film.

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

It’s one of my favourite systems.  The command mechanics, to me, give a reasonable approximation of friction.  I use the CV values to help balance scenarios, and as I mostly play with over matched opponents (41-42 Eastern Front or Malaya/ Burma) this can also reflect the relative inertia of some command structures.

That said,  using multiple HQ’s and small unit blocks allows exceptions that will catch the overconfident.

The multiple hits to me works fine as I think of them as shock / fatigue / nerve markers rather than actual unit casualties… If you put enough fire on a unit within their command cycle then their will to fight can be broken even if they are physically intact.

I like the sound of TB’s Ogre / FWC mash up. …

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Absolutely belting set up!

 

While I’ve used the drape over formers before the push pins are a very nice touch!

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Looking at their website the last mag they produced was back in 2013, before you joined up.  Since then they’ve previewed number 60 (about the time you joined) but nothing indicates they’ve actually produced anything since you joined – and you signed up for the next six issues they produce…

It looks to have taken them about 18 months to go from producing number 58 to making number 59, so at that rate your membership could be good for another 8 years or so…

Not bad if you can access the member discounts…

Maybe not so good if you joined for the mag though…

 

 

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Keith Laumer’s “Bolo” series were the inspiration for the SJGames “Ogre” cybertanks.. they make good reading

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Coming to this very late, but have you read Larry Bond’s “Red Phoenix”?

Granted, it was written a long time ago when there was a different Kim in NK and there was a glasnost’ish Soviet Union in play, but I feel the basic premises of the book could still hod water today:

SK domestic politics, US economic troubles, post soviet Putin-esque muscle flexing are all still players in the game. The US and AUS forces just happen to be the closest available FW types able to commit, – SK politics and the lack of a UN endorsement would make commitment of the Japanese SDF difficult, were it constitutionally possible to do so…

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

That’s an impressive list Jack, they’d be very busy bunnies to have been in all of that lot indeed (or have severely annoyed the postings section at OKH) 🙂

I look forward to the BatReps in due course 🙂

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Verry interesting… 🙂

9th Panzer Div could be a handy former to use for your fictional unit…

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

John Olsen wrote:

Hi Mike, Thanks. Very glad I joined. Our website is http://www.blacktreedeisgn.com Hi Mike, Early British are definitely on the list. What would you like to see done? Cheers, John

 

You might want to edit that link btw

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Hi

 

Great to hear that someone is looking to breathe new life into what is a very extensive range, with some very nice figures in it.

My personal favourite is the foraging Soviet character, complete with liberated fascist chicken… 🙂

My own personal preference would be for Soviet cavalry, as this arm of the Red Army is represented by just two figures…

Compatibility wise I think you nailed it for the figures.  Vehicles wise my own preference is for 1/56 but I know that others prefer the 1/48 look..

Hope things go well!

 

Phil

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Nicely laid out set of forces you have there, they look good, but can they fight?

 

🙂

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Hmmm… I think JTFM is your only option – AGNM do a 75mm G and C/D but they’re not what you want…

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Phil Gray]

Probably not so much – it’s a managed woodland, for charcoal (acc. wikipedia)…

Sand, not oil, in the gears of the world.

[Author]

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