I'm enjoying this more than a lot of war movies I've seen lately. Great job and thanks so much for posting! You are a great inspiration to bring my painting up to snuff. I can't wait to see the next.
LoL...well there have been some beauty's alright :) IMO Band of Brothers set the bar extremely high...and I'm not sure if it will be reached in my lifetime. Thanks Edward :)
Brent Anderson Thanks Brent, glad you liked it. Images of well painted minis and well crafted terrain was what originally drew me into the hobby so I wanted to have that ascetic appeal to my games. Nice to see it's appreciated 😊
Another splendid video there, I have to watch twice as I tend to get wrapped up in looking at your superb terrain. I thought that the halftrack would get to pay for its bold advance.
Glad you're enjoying it. Playing much WW2 yourself? Think I saw some 28mm War of Independence/ 7 years War maybe...and just spotted your new Italian army which looked the biz! We all want to see a new AAR from the master Ethan, don't make us beg :)
Thanks for your hard work in the presentation of this battle. New to BA, lots of "gamey" things about it I don't care for but lots that I do like about it. I've been using home rules for the better part of 30 years but always buy new rules to plagiarize. I love your table and wonder if you could do a short video on setting up a game. I've been trying to figure out your terrain system. Is it vignettes scattered about then terrain bits added around to tie it together? However you do it is very effective and gives the claustrophobic effect that I imagine Normandy was. Great job there WP and more please. NOW! ;-)
William Widrick Thanks William :) I'd love to post something on making a table but real life keeps getting in the way of making further videos. Thank you for the kind words and I'll really try to do something like that in the future
With both the Sherman and Stug facing each other in an old fashioned show down in the centre of town I've decided to give them some skills as per Bolt Action Tank War Rules just to spice things up. Remember skills can only be used once per game but chances are one of these two may not be around long enough to exercise theirs... Both tank crews will be rated Regular and have 2 skills each: Sherman has a talented and alert commander Sergeant Henry Haynes whose always ready to get his retaliation in first. His Skill : “Eagle Eye: Play when this vehicle is nominated as a target of a ranged attack or assault. If this vehicle has LOS (line of sight) to the attacker, it may react by shooting at the attacker with any one weapon that has LOS to the attacker.” The Sherman also has a quick instinctive driver Technician Warren Patterson. His skill: “Quick Reflexes: Play when an attack is declared against the vehicle. This vehicle may make an escape move, as if it had the Recce ability.” The Stug's gunner Goetz Neuer is a natural and instinctive killer. He boosts these 2 skills: “Deadeye: Play before you roll to hit. Add 3 to a single shot’s hit modifier. Remember that a result of 1 is a miss, regardless of modifiers. "Snap Shooter: Play after a target attempts to react. The target of the shot cannot react to being targeted, including abilities like recce.”
I'm sure there are different directives going on in solo games but when I’m playing I’m not trying to play in a way that is tactically competitive as if I’m playing chess. (I'm bound to lose). Rather I’m attempting to either tell a story or in this case I wanted to see if the rules themselves would punish some blatantly obvious blunders like the half track driving up the main street facing a Sherman. With the forces reasonably evenly matched but an obvious advantage resting with the defenders I attempted to accommodate the US with the Germans receiving their forces as reinforcements. There were longer than expected delays especially with their armour support which they desperately needed to negate the double threat of the Sherman and Greyhound. Of course the US purposefully brought these forward early to maximize their firepower against the toughened German positions. The US had hoped that by the 4th turn the German two MG threats would be neutralized/suppressed so that the infantry 1 and 2 squads could make a dash across the bridge led in front by the Greyhound. The Sherman would be used cautiously to keep the Stug at bay… However what transpired in the last two turns have turned the battle on its head. My explanation: Personally apart from some unbelievable rolling I think two situations most contributed to the German’s serious recent demise... 1) The decision of the FJ’s to move the fully loaded 251 into a bottleneck on the narrow street in close proximity to the Sherman 2)The Sherman been allowed two unmolested activations in a roll at the bridge Regarding 2). This required the Stug failing to come on in the earlier Turn. That was really unlucky. Only a roll of an 11 or 12 on 2 d6’s would keep it held up and it managed to roll an 11. The German’s would have chosen it to move up front before the more vulnerable half-track. Again Regarding 2). The random activation mechanic also worked in the US favour. Also required the US get the first Command Activation Dice of the Turn so they could activate before the Stug. It was the Sherman’s fire that forced the FJ second squad onto the street which prevented the Stug from firing through them at the Sherman. What do you think?
[EDIT: Welp. Completely wrong there. It's only *friendly units* which block shooting with that 1" bubble. Intervening units do offer a cover save though.] -There is a key bit you are forgetting is that units- _friendly_ units create a 1" bubble that blocks line of sight. While you seemed to catch that for your German units firing (and blocking each other), -you failed to take that in account for fire coming from your US troops (--12:38--).- In the fire step for your US squad in the building, from the perspective you had I'd wager they could -only shoot at the german units on the bridge (and likely just the MMG team), and NOT at the squad that dumped out of the half-track.- -You can screen units that way and it's an effective means to leap frog units forward.- fire away at that german squad. Lastly, while yes you want to get a ton of fire on that objective, the US troops have to move an infantry unit to claim it. So they can't stay back and shoot the entire game. They have to get on that objective or lose the scenario.
Geek Ken Thanks Ken. I was aware that friendlies couldn't shoot through friendlies hence the Stug unable to shoot through the FJ squad who had just emptied out. Is that still the case if the US team are on the second floor of a building. I was going by the "as you can see it so you can shoot it" rule. That second FJ squad can be easily seen from the second floor. Even if the rules won't allow the shot I'd prefer to use a house rule to over-ride that because it would seem to hinder the advantage of high ground...and I do like the "as you see..." rule. At the same time I would want to mention that (note...) in the video for newbies learning the actual game. Thanks for pointing those things out...looks like it 's back to the rule book for me :) I was aware of the infantry needing to move at some point but as I mentioned in that last message of mine the original plan was to suppress the main FJ MG's before that final push... Thanks again Geek Ken
War Panda Higher elevations in the game get a little sticky. The rules are super clear about the footprint they leave on the table, but less so when considering elevation. I'd stick with adopting rules for firing at vehicles. If a unit is at a higher elevation like a 2nd floor of a building and a vehicle is within 12", then they get to fire at the top armor of the vehicle (*plunging fire*). I'd offer the same for intervening units. The closer they are to an elevated squad, the more likely they can shoot over intervening troops. The farther away, the less likely they can get a shot in due to other units blocking fire. Keep in mind intervening units don't keep you from seeing them. You know they are there, You just can't fire at them effectively as -other- _friendly_ intervening troops block line of fire (hence, why a light mortars can be awesome with indirect fire).
War Panda And another little bit. Only specific models might have had LOS blocked. If a few of the US troops could trace a line of fire outside that 1" bubble, they could shoot at that German squad. Only the models that trace line of fire through a -different unit- _friendly unit_ can't fire. The German player could also remove any models they wished (even ones that would have been out of LOS). The rules are a little flexible. House rules might not be needed.
Did you make that smoke/fire cloud (on the half track)? If so, what's the easiest way to paint the cotton in your opinion, I was trying to paint one today and it just didn't end up that well
Well I used spray paints obviously but I held it quite a distance from the cotton wool, using very short bursts. Testing to see how the range and length of bursts effect the wool will eventually help you determine what will work. If you spraying red for example to represent flames but don't want to have it at the top half of the cloud maybe just cover the top half as the bursts will spread from a distance. I believe I spray painted the lower half with black first then red leaving white at the top. Then I used grey at the top -it's been a time since I did then but I hop this helps some
I've had a few enquiries from individuals who would like to start into 28mm wargaming and have asked advise on where to start. I found this website and I think he does a marvelous job of starting a wargaming hobby: battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.ca/2015/02/172-and-28mm-project.html?showComment=1424817992633#c3175745148341753675
Outstanding terrain, what a fabulous and atmospheric report!!
I'm enjoying this more than a lot of war movies I've seen lately. Great job and thanks so much for posting! You are a great inspiration to bring my painting up to snuff. I can't wait to see the next.
LoL...well there have been some beauty's alright :) IMO Band of Brothers set the bar extremely high...and I'm not sure if it will be reached in my lifetime. Thanks Edward :)
Fantastic work! We can't wait to see more!
Thanks guys :)
Magnificent terrain and beautifully painted miniatures and the video is very enjoyable to watch, something that not all such vids are.
Brent Anderson Thanks Brent, glad you liked it. Images of well painted minis and well crafted terrain was what originally drew me into the hobby so I wanted to have that ascetic appeal to my games. Nice to see it's appreciated 😊
Really enjoying this!!
Thanks James :)
Another splendid video there, I have to watch twice as I tend to get wrapped up in looking at your superb terrain. I thought that the halftrack would get to pay for its bold advance.
Phil..."bold" is one word ;) Thanks for the kind comment
Love it!!
Glad you're enjoying it. Playing much WW2 yourself? Think I saw some 28mm War of Independence/ 7 years War maybe...and just spotted your new Italian army which looked the biz! We all want to see a new AAR from the master Ethan, don't make us beg :)
I like video, excellent !
Thanks Giovanni 😊
Thanks for your hard work in the presentation of this battle. New to BA, lots of "gamey" things about it I don't care for but lots that I do like about it. I've been using home rules for the better part of 30 years but always buy new rules to plagiarize. I love your table and wonder if you could do a short video on setting up a game. I've been trying to figure out your terrain system. Is it vignettes scattered about then terrain bits added around to tie it together? However you do it is very effective and gives the claustrophobic effect that I imagine Normandy was. Great job there WP and more please. NOW! ;-)
William Widrick Thanks William :) I'd love to post something on making a table but real life keeps getting in the way of making further videos. Thank you for the kind words and I'll really try to do something like that in the future
well done sir
Thanks Steve :)
With both the Sherman and Stug facing each other in an old fashioned show down in the centre of town I've decided to give them some skills as per Bolt Action Tank War Rules just to spice things up.
Remember skills can only be used once per game but chances are one of these two may not be around long enough to exercise theirs...
Both tank crews will be rated Regular and have 2 skills each:
Sherman has a talented and alert commander Sergeant Henry Haynes whose always ready to get his retaliation in first.
His Skill :
“Eagle Eye: Play when this vehicle is nominated as a target of a ranged attack or assault. If this vehicle has LOS (line of sight) to the attacker, it may react by shooting at the attacker with any one weapon that has LOS to the attacker.”
The Sherman also has a quick instinctive driver Technician Warren Patterson.
His skill:
“Quick Reflexes: Play when an attack is declared against the vehicle. This vehicle may make an escape move, as if it had the Recce ability.”
The Stug's gunner Goetz Neuer is a natural and instinctive killer.
He boosts these 2 skills:
“Deadeye: Play before you roll to hit. Add 3 to a single shot’s hit modifier. Remember that a result of 1 is a miss, regardless of modifiers.
"Snap Shooter: Play after a target attempts to react. The target of the shot cannot react to being targeted, including abilities like recce.”
Have you thought of painting your 5s and 6s so they stand out more?
Jacob Staten I did with a rpg game I play but no not for Bolt Action I like the idea though
I'm sure there are different directives going on in solo games but when I’m playing I’m not trying to play in a way that is tactically competitive as if I’m playing chess. (I'm bound to lose). Rather I’m attempting to either tell a story or in this case I wanted to see if the rules themselves would punish some blatantly obvious blunders like the half track driving up the main street facing a Sherman.
With the forces reasonably evenly matched but an obvious advantage resting with the defenders I attempted to accommodate the US with the Germans receiving their forces as reinforcements. There were longer than expected delays especially with their armour support which they desperately needed to negate the double threat of the Sherman and Greyhound. Of course the US purposefully brought these forward early to maximize their firepower against the toughened German positions. The US had hoped that by the 4th turn the German two MG threats would be neutralized/suppressed so that the infantry 1 and 2 squads could make a dash across the bridge led in front by the Greyhound. The Sherman would be used cautiously to keep the Stug at bay…
However what transpired in the last two turns have turned the battle on its head. My explanation:
Personally apart from some unbelievable rolling I think two situations most contributed to the German’s serious recent demise...
1) The decision of the FJ’s to move the fully loaded 251 into a bottleneck on the narrow street in close proximity to the Sherman
2)The Sherman been allowed two unmolested activations in a roll at the bridge
Regarding 2). This required the Stug failing to come on in the earlier Turn. That was really unlucky. Only a roll of an 11 or 12 on 2 d6’s would keep it held up and it managed to roll an 11. The German’s would have chosen it to move up front before the more vulnerable half-track.
Again Regarding 2). The random activation mechanic also worked in the US favour. Also required the US get the first Command Activation Dice of the Turn so they could activate before the Stug. It was the Sherman’s fire that forced the FJ second squad onto the street which prevented the Stug from firing through them at the Sherman.
What do you think?
[EDIT: Welp. Completely wrong there. It's only *friendly units* which block shooting with that 1" bubble. Intervening units do offer a cover save though.]
-There is a key bit you are forgetting is that units- _friendly_ units create a 1" bubble that blocks line of sight. While you seemed to catch that for your German units firing (and blocking each other), -you failed to take that in account for fire coming from your US troops (--12:38--).-
In the fire step for your US squad in the building, from the perspective you had I'd wager they could -only shoot at the german units on the bridge (and likely just the MMG team), and NOT at the squad that dumped out of the half-track.- -You can screen units that way and it's an effective means to leap frog units forward.- fire away at that german squad.
Lastly, while yes you want to get a ton of fire on that objective, the US troops have to move an infantry unit to claim it. So they can't stay back and shoot the entire game. They have to get on that objective or lose the scenario.
Geek Ken Thanks Ken. I was aware that friendlies couldn't shoot through friendlies hence the Stug unable to shoot through the FJ squad who had just emptied out.
Is that still the case if the US team are on the second floor of a building. I was going by the "as you can see it so you can shoot it" rule. That second FJ squad can be easily seen from the second floor. Even if the rules won't allow the shot I'd prefer to use a house rule to over-ride that because it would seem to hinder the advantage of high ground...and I do like the "as you see..." rule.
At the same time I would want to mention that (note...) in the video for newbies learning the actual game.
Thanks for pointing those things out...looks like it 's back to the rule book for me :)
I was aware of the infantry needing to move at some point but as I mentioned in that last message of mine the original plan was to suppress the main FJ MG's before that final push...
Thanks again Geek Ken
War Panda Higher elevations in the game get a little sticky. The rules are super clear about the footprint they leave on the table, but less so when considering elevation.
I'd stick with adopting rules for firing at vehicles. If a unit is at a higher elevation like a 2nd floor of a building and a vehicle is within 12", then they get to fire at the top armor of the vehicle (*plunging fire*).
I'd offer the same for intervening units. The closer they are to an elevated squad, the more likely they can shoot over intervening troops. The farther away, the less likely they can get a shot in due to other units blocking fire.
Keep in mind intervening units don't keep you from seeing them. You know they are there, You just can't fire at them effectively as -other- _friendly_ intervening troops block line of fire (hence, why a light mortars can be awesome with indirect fire).
War Panda And another little bit. Only specific models might have had LOS blocked. If a few of the US troops could trace a line of fire outside that 1" bubble, they could shoot at that German squad. Only the models that trace line of fire through a -different unit- _friendly unit_ can't fire. The German player could also remove any models they wished (even ones that would have been out of LOS).
The rules are a little flexible. House rules might not be needed.
Geek Ken Yeah I'll check that out. Again thanks for heads up on the rules
Did you make that smoke/fire cloud (on the half track)? If so, what's the easiest way to paint the cotton in your opinion, I was trying to paint one today and it just didn't end up that well
Well I used spray paints obviously but I held it quite a distance from the cotton wool, using very short bursts. Testing to see how the range and length of bursts effect the wool will eventually help you determine what will work. If you spraying red for example to represent flames but don't want to have it at the top half of the cloud maybe just cover the top half as the bursts will spread from a distance. I believe I spray painted the lower half with black first then red leaving white at the top. Then I used grey at the top -it's been a time since I did then but I hop this helps some
Awesome videos. Are you playing at 1/72 scale?
Thanks lacrauzorro :) It's actually 28mm
I've had a few enquiries from individuals who would like to start into 28mm wargaming and have asked advise on where to start. I found this website and I think he does a marvelous job of starting a wargaming hobby:
battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.ca/2015/02/172-and-28mm-project.html?showComment=1424817992633#c3175745148341753675