Red Metal: Nearly there...

I have managed further work on the rules, lots of tidying up and simplifications. I have now completed the counters for the play test. The pic above is a test shot before I print onto labels. They are just about OK for size, although I have lost a bit of definition. Fine for a trial version. Aha, just noticed in the pic that I have some small errors to correct on the counters. It always pays to try things out first!

Red Metal

 

This is a bit of a side project that I have been working on for some months, if not years. The mission is to use OHW as a basis for a period specific set of rules. These will be hex based and use 6mm models. The main idea is to use the OHW scenarios and force generation method but use a slightly more sophisticated set of rules.

The time and place is Russia 1943. I wanted a bit of a Panzer Blitz feel with less units and a smaller play area. I also want a simple activation mechanism with a single die roll combat resolution. We will see how successful I am shortly!

I have nearly completed units in 6mm for both sides with all of the army options. However, I really want to test the rules out using counters and a hex map as this will be quicker. Some of you may recognise the map above as OHW scenario 5. Using 4" per hex, the 9 by 9 grid is equivalent to the OHW 3ft square. Sample counters:

Events have a habit of happening, hence the lack of activity on the blog in recent times, but I'm aiming to test it out and report back with a copy of the inevitably revised rules soonish! 

A tale of three books.....

 

This is not a good, bad and ugly type review. Just some reflections on what I have been reading recently. 

The first of the three is James Holland's Savage Storm. I have read possibly all of his books. I have enjoyed them all and some of them have improved my knowledge immensely. I found this one a different kettle of fish. I don't think this is the fault of the author. Some things ticked me off very quickly from the incongruous 1907 bayonet on the cover to the number of barrels on a nebelwerfer (one page says five and the next six, either or both could be correct). What I found most difficult was the the lack of a clear narrative. The constant diversion into individual's personal histories made it difficult to follow the story. The writing is fine, I think the problem is the editing. I think I'll get Cassino from the library. 

I watched a WW2 TV episode with the author of this book. It looks at the beliefs and attitude of the German soldier on the eastern front through their letters home. An interesting book, pretty much on the academic side. If you have read the works of Omar Bartov, Michael Burleigh, Christopher Browning (or even Daniel Goldhagen, but I'm not intending to start a debate on that one), then this is a valuable addition to the story. Nice to have 50+ pages of footnotes!   

I got this for my birthday. A fictionalised memoir of a Churchill tank troop commander. Written in 1957, I have no idea how this escaped my attention for so long. A great read and a really useful perspective on war fighting in NW Europe. 

So, that's the end of book club for this week. More to follow in due course.

Sam Mustapha's Eisenhower

Mr Steel's initial overview of these new rules from Sam Mustafa is really good and well worth your attention.

I have to say that these rules have awakened me from recent slumbers. Having heard news of their development I checked out the introduction videos on Sam's website. 

I don't have any of Sam's other rules. I have pondered them over the years but have not adopted them. They are obviously very good rules, concise, complete and integrated. Everything that you need is built in. I think that is one of the reasons for my not getting into them. I am not a rules as written person and I much prefer something that can be hacked.

This is the difference with Eisenhower. It is a corps level game which gives great scenerio possibilities, Op Epsom is covered in the rules. Units are battalion, initiative is by division. The combat rules are very simple (just roll some dice, unlike the complex table in Rommel). It is played on a square grid (12 by 8), which could just as easily be a hex grid. It can be played with miniatures of any scale or using counters. Therefore it is very hackable. 

I have purchased the POD version via Amazon. As Mr Steel comments, the paper and the binding are poor. PODs can be produced with far better quality than this. However, the layout of the book, diagrams and illustrations are great. Pity it wasn't on nice heavy shiney paper like Helion does.

Nice wings comrade!

 

Another quick Zvezda diversion, a 1/144 LaGG 3, Pre-war colours to match the red leather outfits and the pointy hats with red stars on them. They were hastily scrubbed over with green paint at oubreak of war in 1941. The cowling, air intake, cockpit frame and stabilisers were in red brown undercoat (957 Flat Red), fuselage and wings are silver grey (989 Sky Gey). Elevators in bare metal (997 Silver) and rudder in red (817 Scarlet). I like the flat metal plates on the fuselage to stop the exhausts from setting fire to the pilot.

The LaGG 3 was a bit of a dog, so probably a good job that Lavochkin ditched his co-designers at this point.

I need more tanks!

 

Well, of course, what I really mean is that I fancy buying some more tanks. In this case, some nice 6mm WW2 tanks. The plan is to have a small OHW hex game using some 6mm troops and my 80mm hexes. To illustrate, this picture shows two old (mid-1980s) Pz IVHs from H&R. I'll be using the OHW scenarios set in mid-1943 Eastern Front. 

The question is, which manufacturer should I go for? An influencing factor is that I have small but reasonable selection of H&R tanks plus a far too large number of old Leicester Micromodels Tiger Is! It would be easy to add to this from H&R again.

There are variations between manufacturers in materials (metal, 3d print), size (6mm vs 1/285), packaging (single models or packs of several), crispness of finish and mould quality. There is also a wide range of prices. A rough survey of prices per vehicle (using the Churchill or proxy as the sample vehicle) shows:

GHQ: £2.26

PSC: 2.00

2d6: £1.20

Baccus: £1.46

BPM: £0.89

Irregular: £0.88

Scotia: £0.85

H&R: £0.75

Phew! As much as I fancy GHQ they are outside my price range. I'm still thinking H&R but I'm open to suggestions.

No longer a mystery!

 

Some valiant guesses but my map remained enigmatic to say the least. Top of the map is North. The sandy coloured road is the main route from Belgorod to Oboyan. Tomarovka is in the bottom left hand corner. So, despite looking misleadingly mountainous, this is the southern flank of the battle of Kursk and is the latest incarnation of the Steel, Steel, Steel! design.

The German unit with the British 25pdrs is the 57th Infantry Division, part of Army Detachment Kempf. According to the Dupuy Institute data, they had 8 87.6mm Howitzer (e), otherwise known as 25pdrs. I don't know the source of these but possibly Dunkirk rather than N Africa.

I have often wondered what happened to the kit abandoned in 1940. I have read, and seen photos, of Bren carriers in use by the Germans on the Eastern Front. Captured from the British or the Soviets? There is also an interesting German flamethrower unit armed with British MkIV cruiser gun tanks. Everyday is a school day!