[Sangin] Shutting down the drug runners.

Simon had been keen for a game for some time and we finally snuck one in before our tahr hunt last weekend. He brought his Kiwis and I didn't have any suitable OPFOR except for this group of drug running mercenaries. I had four veterans with assault rifles.

Simon had two fireteams of average grunts each with a veteran team leader.

We kept it simple as this a first game for Simon.

Typically dark ruin to have a dawn meeting at.

We started in the open having a 'meet'. The Kiwis were here to kill or capture them. One team in an overwatch position the other ready to sweep from the left.

The base of fires, these only heard shoot to  kill evidently.

That was the joke anyway after Simon immediately opened fire on the perps!

Worrying unnecessarily.

He's worrying about One guy that I might see. Yep saw him! And then shoot. Yep,shot him. Saved by body armor, worth it's weight folks!

First tangos are down.

My command guys were shot down before I could even get a spot check in.

They take cover in the ruin.

First order of business is, get away from that SAW! Hard cover, kneeling.

But the prone and aiming base of fire spots them.

"Bro, two more just popped into that ruin just to our right." "Get 'em mate."

The maneuver team has them in their sights as well.

Last man standing

Even he doesn't escape the deadly Kiwis

Fun game Simon! I think you had a great start. I couldn't spot to save my life!

Great hunt as well!

[Sangin] MARSOC project for Armies of Afghanistan

Working on repaints and getting some hiluxes as well as figuring out what to do with what I have. Here are some of my research pics while I wait for mini's and models.

I'll be painting the ANP up in mostly old style Woodland BDU's but with a patchwork of webbing types. The Marines seem to have a few different types of uniforms before they got there own Crye Woodland pattern uniforms to help them fit in with the Afghan Army and Police. They used both MARPATs, BDU, DCU as well as some Coyote and plain Khaki gear as well. "Who is your commanding officer Marine?!"

Motorbikes, moustaches and mortars! or more officially; "Always faithful, always forward"

Unofficial Raider patch

I said put the PKM over there!

High angle hell baby

Do you even operate bro?

SCARs and dirt bikes, woot!

Textbook base plate setting; charge four!

ANA Commando obcerving. Splash, out!

I'll paint my hiluxes up like this

Where's our outriders? Where's our ANPs!?

[Force on Force] Modern camouflage palette

Had a great, first game in ages for me and first ever for Andy, game of Force on Force. We had been keen on some modern 28mm action for some time and I finally had made some headway on my painting table.
Most of his minis were Chechens or other Soviet trained and or armed irregulars. He also brought his awesome south asian buildings which I'm calling the Alamo in the picture below.
I had my modern force of western equipped light infantry, representing Marines in this case, (go figure).
We are trying out the Fallujah scenario from the main book using about half the forces and a bit bigger map.

My assault element with a couple of casualties on the Alamo

 Much shooting and rolling later Andy has a narrow victory in his hands! I hadn't gotten to the objective in time, but I didn't have any fatalities either. Yeah me! It was too dark for pictures though his minis looked great as usual. My bad. It would have been cool to show some of his Soviet schemes as well.

Crye Multicam trousers and an Ex-Oficio shirt

 For my 'Other Government Agency' personnel I have a couple in multicam. Here is the palette I worked out after much photo staring as well comparing with actual samples I have.

All of these paint colours are Vallejo.
Base colour is my German Desert Armour Brown
Small Yellow Green blotches combined with Russian Uniform blotches
Khaki blotches
Black fine pen.
Beige drybrush

Desert MARPAT trousers and Woodland MARPAT blouse

For the Marines I have a mix of Desert and Woodland MARPAT. Not usually on the same figure though. Not in my Corps!
Woodland MARPAT
Again German Desert Armour Brown basecoat
US Dark Green spots close together
Black fine pen
Khaki drybrush

Desert MARPAT
Desert Armour Brown basecoat
Beige heavy drybrush
Green Brown spots
Beige light drybrush
No black spots!

Also
T shirts for modern era USMC, Russian Uniform (!)

More photos and more Force on Force later!

Something wicked this way comes...

So you may have heard a glimmer of our next group project.
28mm skirmish is all the rage and it was only a matter of time until someone got wind of the fact that Force on Force is actually a Modern ruleset!
Our friend Andy was keen on wargaming this and after he got a look at the Empress miniatures modern line we all jumped on board. They showed up a couple weeks ago and he already has a good gang of Chechens ready to go. They could of course proxy just about any former Soviet gangsters or terrorists.

13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and friends...

I've assembled and base coated my small gang of highly trained operators. A mixed bag of Marines from the 13th MEU, (or some other USMC unit) and some Other Government Agency operators (which could as well be SEALs or Army SF).
As well as a single CH-46 from HMM-163 to use as an objective or extraction helo which is kinda why this post happened.

While innocently perusing Acorn Models in town, looking for a decal sheet to modify my 'Phrog', I came across something that I couldn't resist! (weird I know!)

RQ-1 / MQ-1 Predator

It's been suggested that I next model some JDAM  craters.