Megablitz: First Batch of Russians

     Got the first batch of Russians done. This batch consist most of the combat regiments for a tank division. 

Haven't gotten a chance to label them yet.

Now I'm waiting for all the ash and trash to arrive. 

New Modern Megablitz Unit

   What a crap year. I've been working on a schedule that hasn't allowed me to do much of anything, gaming related. Mostly I've been trying to rebuild my database on computer, as I can take my laptop to work. However things are starting to look up and I've finally manage to get some new painting done. I've start on some units for a modern version of Megablitz. To this end, I decided to go with 3mm, as this will allow me to try some new things. So here's my first unit, the Canadian 4th Mechanized Brigade

I went with some different base sizes, from my WWII units. The stands are wider at the front to better fit putting 2 vehicles on. As usual the smaller bases are company sized formations.

  I decided to base my modern forces around 1985, the era I grew up in. In the front row are the main combat units; the recon company, 3rd Royal Canadian Regiment, 1st/22nd Infantry Regiment, and the Royal Canadian Dragoons Armor regiment. The next row has the Combat Support units; the brigade HQ, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Regiment, and 4th Combat Engineer "Regiment" (Actually a company size formation). Finally in the back we have the Combat Service Support units, a supply column and medical unit. 

  I'll be using this 3mm scale to try out new some ideas for Megablitz. I've got some Russians on the way so hopefully I'll get those done soon. My goal is to have a small game ready by the end of the year. 

Rapier 2020

I know I've been off for a while. My Laptop went tits up back in December, and it taken me a while to get a replacement. Not only did I lose the computer but all the data in it. House rules, planned scenarios, data list for various games, my collection of TOEs and OOBs. Its going to take while to replace all that. Anyway, on to funnier things. This weekend I managed to go to Rapier down in Jacksonville for at least part of Saturday. Like idiot I didn't get any pictures of the other games that were going on there and there were some pretty nice ones. I did manage to get pictures of the one game I was able to get in on.

It was a modern wargame using Lock and Loads World at War: 85 rules. I was controlling an infantry company and cavalry troop, as well as an AH-1 cobra. There was another player controlling another infantry company as well as several German units.  We were facing three reinforced battalions, two East German and one Soviet.

My Infantry defending a small town.

 

The very nice game table. All the woods and towns were removable to make for easy unit placement. 

Russian Hinds hiding behind a hill. They didn't do much early on but became a real pain the ass later. 

The Soviet T-80 Battalion. This unit took heavy casualties on its approach for an A-10 and a particularly deadly MLRS strike. 

 

The East German Tank Battalion entering the table

The East German Motorized Infantry Battalion, backed up by a company of T-55s. This the unit I was most engaged with.

My Cavalry Troop trying to get set up. Unfortunately the enemy was able to score first-blood taking out my TOW jeeps

The East German T-55s trying to force there way though a gap between two hills. My units however, were to inflect several casualties. 

Unfortunately my infantry quickly ran out of missile ammo so I started pulling them back to secondary positions.

My Cavalry troops pulling back to secondary positions   

I couldn't stay for the whole game, but I felt good when I pulled out. We had inflected casualties on all three of the Pact units. Only the East German T-72 battalion still had most of it's movers and we still had two fully intact units to face them. Finally I was able to get a little loot.

I pretty interesting model kit for $10, dirt cheap for a high end 1/35 scale kit. A board game that might make an interesting Megablitz scenario, and a Cruel Seas starter kit.

New Megablitz Units

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you a good time where ever you.are. I'm hoping to do a special Megablitz game for the 75th anniversary of Bastogne. So I've been spending the past few weeks painting up new units. Here are a few of the new Germans. First the Panzer Lehr Division, which I painted up a couple of weeks ago.

The 130th panzer regiment with a Pz IV and panther and the 130th AT battalion with a JgPz IV. The Pz IV barrel is bent to the right have to fix that.

The 901st and 902nd Panzer Grenadier regiments. Panzer Lehr was unusual in the all its infantry battalions were carried in Sd251 halftracks.

The 130th Recon Battalion with 2 armored cars and 2 halftracks

The division combat support units which include the artillery regiment, Flak battalion, and pioneer battalion.

Here we have the division HQ and staff.

Finally the division also had a number of army level support units attached to it during the battle. These include: the 559th heavy AT battalion equipped with Jagdpanthers, the 243rd StuG brigade, and the HEER 311th AA battalion.

Last week I painted up 26th Volksgrenadier Division. Buying some winter German infantry from H&R I decided to make them my first true winter unit (I'll flock the Panzer lehr for NW Europe after the game). I'll probably also use it as a regular infantry unit in early war scenarios, as like most Volksgrenadier division the 26th was originally an Infantry division.

Here's the whole division together. You may have noticed that the supply unit only has one wagon. I'm changing the basing of my support units to make them less awkward and also less expensive. I'm knocking them down to one miniture per 30-40 vehicles. 

Here is the unit with its unit designations. The 26th Volksgrenadier was unusual among infantry divisions at the time in that it still had 3 battalions per regiment.

While I was painting the 26th Volksgrenadiers, I also painted a the rear support for the Panzer Lehr division. I also painted a corps support unit the 55th Werfer Regiment.

I now have all the major units I need. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the 101st Airborne. I'll try to post them up next week.

Megablitz: New Aircraft

Managed to do some painting over the weekend. This time I decided to paint some aircraft for late war eastern front. First off we have some new German fighters. A Me109G and Fw190.

The Me109 is an old In-Service Miniatures model, while the Fw190 is from Scotia

Next we have a Ju87G with autocannons and a Fw189 reconnaissance plane.

Both models are by Scotia

Of course these aircraft need someone to fight, so I also added to my Red Airforce. First up is the fighters, an La-5 and Yak-9.

The La-5 is a Scotia model, while the Yak-9 is GHQ.

For Ground Support we have a IL-2M and Pe-2 light bomber. Also in the background is a Po-2 bi-plane. A versatile little craft, they where used as light bombers, or reconnaissance planes.

Both the IL-2M and Pe-2 are from Scotia, while the Po-2 is from H&R. 

That's the new stuff for now. A few more odds and Ends and I'll be ready for a another game of Megablitz. I'm not sure what I'll work on next.

Megablitz: The Red Hammer, Supersized!

    I actually got some painting done this month. For some up coming games of Megablitz I decided I needed some army level artillery as well as other assets. So I just came up with this Monstrosity, the 6th Breakthrough Artillery Corps.

   This unit is based on one that fought in the battle of Berlin and will be providing army level artillery for the forseeable future. The corps is made up of two breakthrough artillery division. First is the 2nd Breakthrough Artillery Division.

In the first half of the division we have the 20th Light Artillery Brigade, 10th Guards Howitzer Brigade, and the 16th Guards Gun Brigade.

Next we have the 48th Guards Heavy Howitzer Brigade, 121st High Powered Howitzer Brigade, and 5th Mortar Brigade.

The other division is 14th Breakthrough Artillery Division.

Its first half is made up of the 169th Light Artillery Brigade, 172nd Howitzer Brigade, and 176th Heavy Howitzer Brigade.

The other half has the 122nd High Powered Howitzer Brigade, 21st Heavy Mortar Brigade, and 6th Guards Mortar Brigade.

In addition to the artillery Corps I also made some other army level assets. Two Anti-aircraft artillery regiments and a medical unit. (For the horses)

Finally while I made a couple of modern Pact units for FFT. Two upper level command vehicles. These were part of a Shapeways command set I brought for fun. They will mainly serve as possible objectives in any FFT games.

Next up I think I'll paint up some aircraft.

Update: Starting a new army.

Hello
I was going to do some more Megablitz units last month, but there was a problem in shipping so I wasn't able to start the project I wanted. So instead I decided to get started on a new Sci-Fi army either for Stardust or some other rule set. Being an anime fan, I've been thinking of doing a Principality of Zion army for some time now. So I've decided to start with some mobile suits. Particularly Char's Red Zaku II. Here it is with it's standard weapons of an autocannon and a heat hawk.

I haven't decided if I'm going to put him on a base yet. 

The kit however came with a number of extra weapons including this bazooka...

...as well as this very large "anti-ship" rifle. In the anime the rifle was used to attack starships.

This is just the start. I have a few ideas for the infantry and hopefully I can get a hold of some the old tank and fighter kits.