[Graham Knight]

I bought a copy of Across a Bloody Ground.  I quite like the mechanisms of it which are reminiscent of the old Johny Reb system. Same author. JR are still my favorite – they have the look – but these are quite sophisticated whilst allowing battalions on the table, even if only 2 bases per unit. En Masse the effect is pretty good.  Again one can play without rebasing.

Graham

Delhi

[Graham Knight]

Looking good.  Looking forward to getting a copy for when I get my 1940 15mm collection back in 2016, once I get back to UK and they can come out of storage.

Graham

Delhi

[Graham Knight]

I use the Warbases sabots, so yes singly based, but slotting into their three hole skirmish bases if I suddenly want to play 28mm ColdWarCommander in 28mm.  so compromise and it is easier than trying to keep 3 figures in base to base contact.  Starting to do the same with 15mms now too.

Graham

[Graham Knight]

Where exactly in Africa did you want to base your model. I have travelled and lived in Africa. Towns end abruptly and before 200 metres you are into leanto buildings and market stall made of bits of stick, wood and whatever can be found to give shade.  In west africa for example you will easily find traditional villages of thatched huts within walking distance of the city centre.  Equally in Nigeria one will find buildings that look as if they might have come from an imperial palace in ancient Rome in Lago and In Abuja. There will be Mosues and Churches and in most residential areas compounds enclosing a main house or small block of flats, a quartes for staff and quite often a pool and pool house.  Equally one will find places that look like the set of Black Hawk down.  So pretty much anything barring a home counties cottage with roses round the door.

And don’t forget the goats and the sheep and the chickens 🙂

Best

Graham

Currently living in South Delhi

[Graham Knight]

Sparker

That would be the way of it for CWC. Certainly the illustrations in the book tend to give the command at a higher level for Soviet Style armies at Battalion level with the NATO A grades getting company level command elements.

Graham

[Graham Knight]

That makes sense. Plus as I understand it certain specialist personnel would be left back depending on the mission

Graham

Delhi

[Graham Knight]

Thanks, looks like another trip to Caliver’s website then.

Graham

[Graham Knight]

Well I have played at squad level and it seems to move OK  – You just have to think about your 6 shots being the effect of the various bits of kit designed to get a first strike.  The other thing that you might think about is the Future War Commander adaptation for 1:1 skirmishing. Maybe with a little re- engineering it might work for moderns.  That said I play Force on Force, so fire team against fire team and these work fine for Vietnam using 15mm .

I have just invested in some 28mm Kit to lend serious argument to a Platoon of 21st Century US infantry 1:1 and at platoon level.  Their opposition are in possession of T90s, BTR80s and BMP3s.  These may make the Table for Force on Force, but I am beginning to think that they will be better suited to playing outside in the garden. The closer I get to 60 the more I seem to regress to the fun games with Airfix 54s, digging foxholes in the lawn with our fingers.  Its just that the toys are rather better painted and rather more expensive and sophisticated these days.

Graham

Delhi

[Graham Knight]

I disposed of my original 1st edition Minifigs Napoleonics 25s to a friend who had coveted them for years.  They are in use. I painted them in the late 60s.  The second edition though, some I brought with me to Nigeria and to India now. I am adding to them all the time. I have Perry for 1815, and Eureka for 1796 but my singly based Dick Higgs sculpts still get regular outings in the Low Countries and the uplands of Spain.   Sometime for Sharp Practice, sometimes for Black Powder, sometimes for basic Charge! Shiny and resilient they still provide for a grand game.  Only the French and Brits are here.  When they return to Europe they will be re-united with their Portuguese, Spanish and Imperial Guard brethren and no doubt they will continue to  shine on battlefields new.  I just like the simplicity of the sculpts which respond equally well to complex or simple painting.

Graham

Delhi

[Graham Knight]

Hi Richard

I went through the rules again and yes the Hummer can go down to small arms.  There is a basic 12% penetration chance for small arms against class 2 armour. This basically induces a vehicle stopped and bail out.  In the narrative nature of Sangin I would venture to suggest this might change the game to one of recover the Hummer, or destroy all its secrets type of game.

The big mortar danger zone is 30 where mere mortals take 1 D10 of damage. Sangin really is up close and personal.  Nice for detailed solo play as far as I am concerned.  But I like  Ambush Alley and CWC as well.

Best

Graham

Delhi

[Graham Knight]

I will go re read, but I think that you played it right.  Rolling fire on a light vehicle is going to do damage eventually. ( An arrow off  55pound pull compound bowstriking in the engine will take out a a Nissan Sedan – I know because I have seen it happen when an idiot drove one across a West African archery range at speed during shooting practice.)    And don’t forget that with Skirmish Sangin you are very very close and 1 for 1.  Big bangs really will affect the run of play.

Best

Graham

[Graham Knight]

Hi Henry, well you do play early Desert so getting stomped on as the Brit is historically up to the mark, tactically. I would get worried if it were consistently against an Italian Army.

I like the early war British tanks even if they are a little clunky and have all the armour of a baked bean tin. They have an elegance all their own, even in 1/285th.

BKC are good for Desert games, they can easily be made armour and artillery centric, and allow battalion and brigade attacks to play nicely, even on a relatively small table. My other recommendation would be Dave Brown’s PanzerGrenadier Deluxe.  At 6 or 7 tanks to the squadron a large engagement can be fielded, and with some easily assimilated mechanisms play can be quite fast and brutal.  I use the 1st and 2nd editions at 15 and 28mm. Bt 1/285th should be no problem, in fact I may go and try  the new edition out for myself this evening.

Best

Graham

Delhi.

[Graham Knight]

I play a mix of IABSM 3, Blitzkrieg Commander (BKC) and Panzer Grenadier,now PanzerGrenadier Deluxe I believe.  IABSM will work with based elements and can provide for some really excellent supported company level games at 1:1 scale. It is supported by a pretty robust group of enthusiasts and many many scenarios are available. It is though a card driven game, but all the better for it. Support is on the TooFatLardies Blog etc

BKC is an excellent game especially if you want to go beyond 1:1 company level.  I tend to play it at element is Platoon, and that allows for a game up to Brigade level plus supports, and in a reasonable time frame on a moderate table.  Because of the way the game plays it is also possible to “Bath Tub” larger operations so that one gets the strategic choices faced by the commander.  Again thee is a supporting website with many scenarios and games reports.

In many ways though my favourite is PanzerGrenadier.  This I have played using the 1st and Second editions. There is now a third. A base is a section, and so a platoon is typically a command element and 3 sections. So easy to convert from FoW. A tank represents 2 or three vehicles,and in the earlier editions 1 infantry platoon fitted into 1 Vehicle.  The emphasis is on Command and COntrol rather than on nuts bolts and armour.  The method is very elegant and provides for a fast paced and exciting game, once one has played a couple it is easily memorable.  accounts of games, with pictures can be found on Edinburgh Wargames in the Journal if you want some well presented games reports.

Hope that helps

Graham

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