Team Yankee playtest with 6mm GHQ minis.

Chris and I  rocked up to Simon's pad for my first gaming in ages. (Woot!) Simon had planned a Frostgrave dust up and it looks as cool as it reads. Very reminiscent of 1st edition D&D (white box) in look, but with a faster, more modern, and opposed resolution system. I will have to rewrite my list and give it a go with some suspiciously, Bulgar, Slav and Viking looking characters...

This was to be my first try at the new rules. Played 1" equals 1cm on a 4x6' table.
These rules are very familiar to any Flames player of course. The point buying is quite different in numbers but the scheme is the same, one core unit then pick from available supports.
We chatted about when the other armies would become available. My opponent Che was keen for Dutch, others are waiting on Brits and Germans of course.

The lists were as follows, Che got 100pts of Yanks
2 M1 command team
4 M1 platoon
4 M1 platoon
4 M163 Vulcan AAA platoon
2 M901 ITV ATGM platoon
2 A10's

I got 100 pts of Soviet Guards
1 T72 command
8 T72 platoon
7 T72 platoon
4 BMP2 Recce platoon
4 ZSU 23/4 AAA platoon
3 2S1 SP howitzers and an observer BMP
4 Mi24 Hind D flight

No infantry. Which is a bummer for Che as we roll No Retreat for a scenario.
Che must leave a M1 platoon off table, the other is in ambush. Which leaves a thin line of M113 variants and two M1's defending Germany from the horde.

I use Spearhead from my Recce platoon to push up our tank battalions past the halfway mark. Very cool rule, reminiscent of the Chain of Command patrolling phase. IMHO a good way to represent the work of reconnaissance units.
I open up with four Hinds, provoking defensive AAA from the Vulcan's. He bags two Hinds.
Our return fire kills an M1. Then our lead tank company takes out a single track and bails another. My recce BMP's fail to hit with their two AT5 shots.
Che retaliates by trying to get his reinforcements or air on station, both refuse. Settles for shooting down another Hind! Pops his ambush M1 tank platoon behind my second tank company on my right flank, 8 shots to the flank of my T72's, kills three!
Not enough to make us blink yet. They wheel around to blast the M1's off of OUR objective.
Remember who is rolling here, I also use two recce BMPs, my CO's T72 as well as moving my Hind over, away from those nasty M163's! After all of the shooting we have killed one and bailed one...

M1 ambush pops in our wood. BMP2 Recce bogs on a hedge.

Che gets air finally! It rolls in on the lead T72's after they had finished feasting on his M163 platoon. We have no AAA nearby, they were all looking fearfully at the M1 behind the hedge that everybody had been shooting at and somehow surviving.

The A10's roll in and get one kill and one bail after using Mavericks and 3cm GAU. Lucky me!

A10 Warthogs bounce the lead tank company, killing one with a Maverick.

Now facing the front of my second T72 company three M1's only get a single kill.

Sole surviving Krokodil after M163 Vulcan party on it's flight.

Again concentrating everything on this bloody M1 platoon we eventually finish them off.

Objective scrubbed clear of Yankee Imperialists

Krokodil, Grozdikas and Shilka supporting the attack

Fun game Che! Che could really have used some dismounted infantry in that central wood. We were both pretty rusty and relied on Pooch to referee. We both got our reminders of FoW's coarse die rolling with some weird results here and there. Of course the assumption in this game as well as our EPIC games in the past the Soviet vehicles actually ran and were assembled to spec. (Unlike many examples in real life!) Also ranges seemed short from what I was used to, we will tweak perhaps as we just went with a 1cm = 1" conversion. I will play again and for the moment can't afford to invest in BF 15mm vehicles so my small collection of GHQ will stand in nicely.
Sorry for the few crummy pictures.
Here is a link to our modern games from a few years ago using EPIC as a base.

[Epic Modern] What we call Conflict '89

Had a great game with Jason the other night.
We hadn't hung out in a while so we decided to have a game of Epic Modern. After spending so long working on it with fellow ChCh gamers, Pooch, Jon and Andy, it is imperative that we play it now and again.;-)
Jas said, 'Fulda Gap' and it was on like Donkey Kong. 1750 points, so roughly a battalion each.
That is where I used to play a lot when I first started in this hobby thirty six years ago.(!)

Slight variation, Jason was using the FRG's 1st Armored Brigade's Panzergrenadiers and Leopard 2a4s, while I was using the traditional Soviet Guards Motorized Rifle Battalion.

"What makes you think that this is the main effort Hans?"

Sadly a lot of my photos were crap so hopefully Jas got some good ones of his awesome army.
Including Raketenjagdpanzer, Marder 1a3s, Leo 2a4 and Luchs' .

T-72B's in their assembly area

 We were using the mobile defence scenario that Pooch had come up with last year and we had playtested a couple times.(?) Half of the defenders on table, the other half need an activation roll, then on a 4+ they enter. Otherwise it's next turn.

Tracked Recon Platoon

 The recon platoons in my armies are always there and they seldom survive. Irony? In this scenario we gave the recce boys a free move. That put them into the frozen marsh to cover the right flank of the target bridge.

Motorized Rifle Company in their assembly area

 The plan was run the motorized company up the left flank, paste the bridge defenders with the Hind and the 2s1's. Recce covering the tanks as they move up to smack whomever reacts. Ahem.

Krok eviscerating Panzergrenadiers

 Paste the bridge. With some lucky rolls this became truly horrific. First the AA missles missed. Then I finished off several vehicles and a few infantry stands. Finally the 122mm howitzers hit, killing a couple more stands and breaking the formation.
I was stoked, this is easy, just move up the grunts and we're done right?
The Motor company rocks up to the river and we pop one for moving over 5cm in difficult and rolling a 1.
No biggie...

Crossing the frozen river becomes problematic

Then we get hit by the 120mm mortars from the postcard village, kills another couple BTR's and two infantry squads fail to survive as well. 7 BM's.
This is starting to look like work! Bring in the tanks bro!

The last moments of my unscathed tank company

 Hiding behind a chemical refinery, that's an awesome idea Adam. Sadly, I didn't even do that right.
Can you hear the Leopards? (That's an AT3+ Macro weapon with 75cm range kids, someone is going to get hurt.)

Recon platoon covering the flank from a frozen marsh.

The recon platoon has been trading potshots with the Milan armed Racketenjagdpanzer on top of a rise. We finally succeed when we roll two 6's! Woot, two dead panzers and a broken platoon; for a minute.

The flaming wreckage of 10 T72's

The Leos show up and smash three T72's, I make a short move into the refinery and shoot back, killing one. Of the Ten.
Then I fail to activate my MRR company, twice.
Also the Hind, being air farce types. Go on their break.
Then all seven remaining T72's dissapear in gouts of flame. I hadn't hidden them well enough.
Luckily the Leos fail to activate in here somewhere. You know after the shooting.

Finally it comes down to my recon platoon charging the bridge and shooting down the Luchs'. Then the Marders from the survivors of the original defending company kill two BMP-2's breaking the platoon.
Draw.
Very fun to test our knowledge of the game that we hadn't played in a bit. We did pretty good. Started late and finished not too later. We both know and pointed out our mistakes and bad die rolls.

Huzzah Jason!

Some 6mm Red Legs finally!

I've been an advocate of off board artillery in our modern rules since we started. For a few reasons but primarily it's been because of the much longer ranges in modern warfare and secondarily from a FoW reaction to it's bizarrely close artillery support. (yes I play it a lot and know that they use a 'telescoping' range band, cheers)
However, another reason has been MY lack of appropriate models!

Hmmn, 'The Soviet Army', pp 4-31

This shows what I needed, it will be the same for my Guards Motorized Rifles or my Naval Infantry Brigade. I should have shown the next page...

I wanted to make it interchangeable between different models for my different units, so magnets!
Thanks for the idea Craig!

Some 122mm 2S1's for either my Motor Rifles or NI

 Be sure to  make the polarity facing the same way. Easy to mess up.

Need to weather the 2S1's still

2S9's and USMC LAV Mortars in the queue

Helos not choppers kids.*

My burgeoning Soviet Air Force is coming along nicely. Just need to get my rolling consistent now.;-)
The Mi-24D has been seen before but I just got the Naval markings in place finally. It is a very attractive model from GHQ and features very nice rotors cut from brass, a very symmetrical casting as well great detail.

A Krokodil and a Hippo hanging at the refinery

In contrast I have a Heroics and Ros Mi-8. Not as pretty or symmetrical with pewter rotors and recognizable features. But not great detail.

A whole lotta 57mm rockets

I also went with a different camo scheme for the Hip using a more common two color rather than the really cool amoeba pattern on the Hind. Both in Naval markings in case there is a  pop inspection of the flightline.
I'm happy with both as the H&R is a lot cheaper, but you can see where the money goes in this case!

*In USMC vernacular that is.

[EPIC Modern] Blood for Oil!

I know, not my usual mantra of 'Blood for the Blood God!' but I'm trying to appeal to a wider demographic now.;-)
Had another fun game last night and introduced a friend of ours to the new awesomesauce. Sadly Kruger didn't didn't make it though his Iranians did, and they look great as usual from him. Chieftans, Pattons and Tomcats oh my!
Pooch and I took on Andy and Keith for a playtest of some new rules as well as an intro for K.
This is will be brief as I'm trying to finish my Bulgars and fight another battle today!

Pattions and OT64's protecting their blitz objective behind the refinery

F15's dispatched the Iranian Cobras quickly

Chieftans ready to pounce with macroweapons!

Mech infantry and T55's in their starting positions

Hvy Cav foreground, MEU background

Pasdaran dug in holding a wadi

Iranian counter attack on the Marines

M1's LAV's and LAV TOW holding down the left flank in a wadi

Heavy Cavalry Troop supporting Marine infantry and CAAT 

OT64's and supporting infantry

Broken T55's and lurking Scorpions in a wadi

M551 Sheridans tear ass into the city Patton hunting!

Both of my Marine infantry companies got caned but we won in the end. Very fun game despite the fact I also lost 6 Abrams. My FA-18's did the business though our artillery didn't get much done.
The Heavy Armored Cavalry Troop was intact and ready for another fight!

[EPIC Modern] The customer is always right. (!?)

In this case the Soviet's customer was an unnamed client state in the near Middle East that had been pantsed by the Israeli's and needed a 'little assistance' since he was deep in over his head.
As we all know, the customer is always right and in an effort to keep this customer the Soviets sent in their closest units. The 810th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade and the 23rd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment.

Pooch was borrowing Andy's Iraqis and playing them as Soviets with a couple companies of T55's a company of Motorized Infantry in BMP1's and a T72 tank company as well as his recon BMP platoon.
Jason had his IDF mob with a huge Golani company including the Achzarit, as well as Merkavas and a ton of grunts, supporting them was a pair of Cobras and a pair F16's as well as a company of paras and a Magach company.
Andy had his new gang of Magach, three companies as well as Cobras and TOW Zeldas and recon Zeldas.
I had my usual bag of Soviet Naval Infantry, including a T72 company with ZSU, a NI Assault Co. in BTR80's, a recon platoon in BMP2's, ATGM platoon in BRDM's, 2S1 battery and an SU24 flight. The SU24's were stated as SU25's for an extra 50 points.

Jason's gorgeous IAF F-16's and Cobras

 We had gone light in the air department just bringing the one pair of SU24's. The IDF however hadn't.

Israeli Magachs and their Chapparal AAM protection

 That looks like a main effort to me, pretty much opposite ours. Hmmn.

Andy's gorgeous new Magachs on our left

 Covering our left these guys had a big open area covered with wadis to deal with, it would become their killing ground working in tandem with another Magach company. They would rain fire on a total of three companies.

Soviet doctrinal use of T55's and smoke screen in the center

Despite some scepticism this actually worked a bit as they faced down the  two companies of Magach mentioned above. Obviously a bit two edged sword as they blocked the BMP saggers as well.

Israeli recon Zeldas lurking in a wood, our extreme left

23rd MRR BMP1's ready to follow up the T55's in the center

More 23rd MRR T55's, center right

810th NIB and 23rd MRR tracked recon platoons, both holding the mosque

Naval Infantry moving through town, extreme right

Israeli reserve paras holding the center right objective

122mm bombardment goes first

We win initiative and open up on the tank parking lot, first with our 2S1 battery which shuts down the Chapparals and BM's a couple Magach. A lot of good saves were made in what became a trend.

Quickly followed by a close air support bombardment.

Again we got a few hits followed by a bunch of saves! Damn drunk air pirates!

Cobras paying back the NI boys

Turnabout was fair play but with TOW's being macro-weapons there was no chance for the PT76's or BTR's they hit. Flaming death! Luckily the infantry were dismounted.

Then more Cobras show up! Finishing the PT76's

What! More Cobras! Spread the wealth around a bit guys. The last two PT76's go up in flames.
I am missing my SA13 model. (Sadly I even brought it but couldn't afford the points.)

Israeli regulars from the Golani Brigade brought everything including their Achzarit

Pooch has the brilliant idea to charge the Golani with his Recon. Stopping the impending assault.
Then they vanished in a wall of main gun, HMG, GPMG and Dragon fire.
Our newest Heroes of the Soviet Union, Lt Nicolai Valivesky and his 23rd MRR Recon Platoon (Tracked), will live forever in the hearts of the fatherland.

Andy's other company of Magach on our extreme right

With the recon blocking the road temporarily Andy's Magach try to turn our flank and grab some suburban real estate. They look threatening even for M60's.

Pooch's T72's from his best company bring the pain to the Golani boys

After much pointing and exited talking from the NI commander, the 23rds CO turns his T72's onto the giant Golani Brigade company threatening to further their toehold.

Jas' Magach move out to support the paras

The garrisoned para company on our right center is already quite a sticky thorn and now it's being reinforced by a Magach company. Which way do we turn our tanks?

This is what happens to the biggest unit on the table in EPIC. Everyone wants a piece

Well, when you have their biggest unit on the ropes you go for it. There were still a couple infantry stands threatening our neighbors' socialist ideal. So we poured it on. NI BMP's finish off the last of the Golani's armored vehicles.

NI BTR's roll up to finish off the Golani company

With the company now broken Naval Infantry BTR's roll up to finish off the infantry with their 14.5mm HMG's.
The nearby Magach company, sniffs the air...

The SU24 appears again to try to discourage the Magachs, to little effect

Another SU24 bombing run comes in. Flying nap of the earth evidently sapped their concentration so much that it was inconsequential. 1 BM.

Heavily infested wood! Very worrisome, but he is facing three tank companies.

The Magach in the wood open up on my T72 company across the highway from them.  Now these are one of only two units nearby our blitz objective. You boys better hold fast!

Uh, two and a half companies. My T72's get caned!

They are ok at first but then the Cobras show up and do even more damage! Narrowly avoiding breaking they marshall and move. Ducking behind a wood they try to help cover the city with their ZSU.

Then they shift right to help cover the city

T55's charge into the suburbs and get bounced by Cobras

With the door being closed by the recon platoon earlier it gives us a chance to push back through nthe town towards Andy and Jasons blitz objective!
The Cobra's pounce in a desperate attempt to slow the venerable T55 attack.

Then the Magachs  assault the slightly outnumbered T55's, and get smashed! Bad rolling

Then the company of Magach swarm in on them. Should have been an easy fight for the superior numbers and superior vehicles. But their luck truly deserts them and Pooch rolls 11 smashing their assault and sending them reeling towards their own lines.
The NI recon BMP's roll up onto the objective and decimate the broken Magach with 3cm autocannon and missles.

SU24 has it's best bombardment yet, breaking this company of Magach

 Soviet air finally came through in the end, stopping their ability to chase us off of the blitz objective.

There are four unmolested recon BMPs in that flaming mess

So in the end we get a point for destroying the largest unit as well as a point for the blitz.
A glorious Soviet Victory. Go Red Team!
The battle was never well in hand until the very last turn when we won the initiative, even then it required a bit of luck.
Remember guys, a lot of what I write about is based on what pictures I took and which ones came out well.
Feel free to post up your version;-)
Very fun game, maybe our best yet.
Huzzah!