I've been reading Charles Grants The War Game a lot lately so I dug out my very old Airfix American War of Independence soldiers. These were painted in the early 1980's and were re-organised and re-based in 2009 when I bought the book. They make up half size units with some fudging and were done solely to try out the rules. This was the catalyst for my imaginations armies featured in my Pauls Wargames Blog. here
Here come the Redcoats.
Hessian Jagers screen the grenadiers.
Lightbobs from hacked Esci Austrians.
I had to borrow some guns from my imagination collection.
The rebels, Accurate and Airfix.
They deploy in two lines.
The American left flank.
The lines are closing.
American militia.
The lightbobs harass the enemy.
An overview.
American rifles harass the British left flank.
The British fire their first volley and shatter their opponents.
The British Grenadiers get the volley in first, while the Jagers shoot into the American flank.
And a bad morale roll sees the Americans retire from the hill.
Another American battalion is broken.
The battle is lost as the riflemen see off a British battalion.
A good afternoons entertainment.
Last year I was lucky enough to get Cruel Seas for my birthday and played it for 3 months solid. More recently I got hold of a Revell U- boat and waterlined it and slapped some paint on.
Sleek and dangerous, I'll have to get her into action soon.
Here's the rest of my Germans. The E-boats (S-boats) are Warlord out of the starter box.
The black and white Vorpostenboot is a 3d print with some bits added.
Torpedoes away!.
Here's the Italians. I love the little MAS boats. Molta veloce, molta bella!.
The Gabbiano corvette is another 3d print.
Here are the targets, a couple of rustbuckets, one is Warlord and the other a 3d print.
Brits and Aussies next, the Fairmile dogboats are Heroics, the MTBs Warlord.
The big 'un is HMAS Wollongong another 3d print.
I've had some great games with these with a few amendments to the torpedo rules. it's easy to make my own ship cards and I found some tiny clothes pegs in the pound shop to replace the crappy red sliders.
I got the 3d print files free from Wargaming3D and through Treatstock a nice chap printed them for me for very reasonable prices.
Getting into Cruel Seas was a bit of a punt that actually turned out to become a favourite.
Last Christmas I was lucky enough to receive Blood Red Skies Battle of Britain starter set. I was able to set it up and play it straight out of the box which is a bonus in the winter when spray priming models is out of the question. I had some grand games with it and sent for some decals with a view to painting the little planes.
Well, I got them painted a few weeks ago when the weather warmed up and I got them into action today.
I have long been interested in the Battle of Britain and have re-read Len Deightons book for some background.
Here are my Spitfires.
And the Messerschmitts. When we were kids running around with our toy guns and tin helmets someone would yell "Messerschmitt!" and we'd all dive for cover. Happy days!.
A Spit gets a shot in.
Now the boot is on the other foot!.
A bit of a furball.
But it soon opened up.
Blood Red Skies is a superb game and I reckon it is Andy Chambers' best work.
Stay safe!, now I'm off to shoot some bombers down.
Well I've been digging out some old toys while in lockdown and enjoying some games of Rapid Fire!. I've had some nostalgic moments trying to recapture my youth with some very old toys.
Here are some photos...
Airfix PaK 40 behind the Airfix cottage.
Revell Germans.
Hedgerow Hell.
US infantry with British tanks in support.
German anti tank company.
Airfix Americans.
A company of Airfix veterans, real veterans, they were fighting in the early '70's.
Here they are in close up.
The German officer is from my very first box of Airfix soldiers circa 1969, he has certainly seen some action!.
Italeri Germans and an Airfix Sherman.
Revell Americans.
And Revell Germans with a veteran Airfix panzerfaust man.
I've had a lot of fun with these for a couple of weeks or so, the days and weeks all run into one nowadays.
Stay safe everyone!.
