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!

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] All your base, are belong to us.

That is correct folks!
Basing some 6mm units is a good idea and it looks cool too. I use it to simplify which unit is part of which formation, or to illustrate special abilities. It also gives you a chance to model with a bit more flexibility.
Obviously your mileage may vary etc.

This is what owns your base with 8 tons of Soviet 'precision' guided munitions

 This is an SU-24, kind of a Soviet version of an F-15 meets an F-111. Bombs, long range, very fast, cool.
They also had decent ECM and radar as well as defensive AA missles, a problem. This is using a typical Pooch designed base of 3cm disc, a couple heavy washers and a paper clip. Needed for this heavy pewter aircraft. (Then again it may be the bomb load.)

Recon Plt Tracked with a BRM-1 and three BMP-2, also the Bn CO in his K1Sh1

 The basing will illustrate their wider zone of control, makes them look different too. More important if you have different units using the same or similar vehicles.

Naval Infantry PT-76 platoon

 Usually attached to my NI Company, so no need for bases. But if I was using them as a separate tracked recon element then I would. I have bases ready to go!
6mm game on Friday! Those Israelis are up to their old tricks so the Red Team has recruited Pooch.

The Khan approves

I am very close to posting these guys up. Just a few niggles to deal with. (Basing and fitting to their horses!)

The very fashionable, yet late, arrival of the French!

Like most gamers we always have a hard time getting everybody together, and last week was no exception.
We ended up having to play at Cavs on a Thursday and rub elbows with the unwashed masses.;-)
That is, our fellow members of ye olde Christchurch Cavaliers.
Andy and I had our Red Team sides of Iraqi Republican Guard and Soviet Naval Infantry respectively.
Pooch on the other hand, had to show off his shiny new French AMX-30's as well as his armored car collection! Tre bon! (You know how I am about cavalry...)
Pooch had two Armored Regiments of 8 AMX-30's each, a Light Armored Regiment of 8 AMX-10's and two companies of infantry with 3x VAB HOT and Manpads. Not to mention a flight of three Gazelles with HOT's. OH yeah, and a four gun battery of 155mm SP howitzers!
Andy's Iraqi's had three companies of Type 69 and a company of Panhards and two Migs.
I had a seven tank company of Naval Infantry T72's with a ZSU23 and a company of Naval Infantry in BTR80's with three Saggers and a Manpad. I also had a recon platoon of 4 BMP's and a flight of two Hind D's.
French move first.

These AMX-10's made a move on our left flank, overwatch BMP-2's respond.

GCT 155's target Iraqi armor in the city center

Hungry Krokodil takes out two tubes!

Gazelle flights swoop in on our left flank, and open fire on the recon platoon.

While the surviving BMP's fall back, Iraqi Mig29's splash one,(Gazelle).

VAB's with HOT exact retribution on my heroic Recon BMP's

A wood too far. (Sorry)

Soviet T72's quickly move to the center and open fire on the AMX-30's

The return fire of an AMX-30 company smashes one Soviet hero.

Iraqi Panhards lurking in a wood on the right flank.

Iraqi Type 69's hustle towards the center from the far right

Type 69 company rushes to cover after witnessing the barrage of HOT missles on the recon bubbas.

Safe in the concrete jungle of Stalinism...

After the second AMX-30 co. opens fire, they break!

The second AMX-30 company threatens the approaches to the city!

Look at those gorgeous obsolete tanks!

Type 69's in hull down defilade, they don't do HDD well btw.

I guess we're going to have to depend on the Naval Infantry.

Hold fast!

Krokodil's bite off more than ty can chew, both get shot down by SAM's

Two companies of French chasseurs are not easy pickings.

Yeah, not so good. Multiple HOT missle volleys tear into the Iraqi Type 69's who courageously hold the left.

While they are decimated.

Type 69 company No1 working around the rear of the French armored assault

Panhards bag an AMX-30!

No armor save for you Pooch!

They ninja move to save the city while catching the Chasseurs in the open. 14.5mm MG's make mincemeat of nearly half the company. They are not broken however!

We try a few options but can't get the blitz, but neither can he. Draw!

Super fun game! Pooch is always a very tough opponent.
Touch and go for several moments there. The rules are doing there job and our stats seem pretty good. Now we just need some closers!
Please comment here folks. We will eventually publish this mod on our blogs probably.

WIP: Task Force Riper

I've actually got some painting done on my 6mm GHQ Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Here's some of my new LAV-25's, in front of some, stolen from the Army (Pooch!), M1A1's

Waiting on their LAV-AT buddies

Here are the F/A-18's that Pooch gave me a while back as well, he had even based them with his patented 'system'.
In VMFA-232 livery, one of the squadrons from Kaneohe when I was stationed there. (Speaking of old.) As a matter of fact one of the oldest squadrons of any type in the Marines.

The Marine Corps Air - Ground Team

Task Force Riper is named after a famous 'Red Team' Lt. General who notoriously defeated the invasion of Iraq plan in 2002. So the then current Secretary of Defense changed the rules! (Actually it would have been the US Army moderator I believe.)

I've got paint on a company of infantry as well. Thinking about how to special team them.
Chads with NATO weapon symbols on them?