The Germans are coming!

Due to a lack of funds, I have been unable to partake in much hobby related activity so I have been very quiet on the blog. However as of last week that changed. Thanks to an early Christmas from my aunt, I was able to begin my journey into the varied forces of the Wehrmacht. I was able to get my hands on the German Grenadiers box (which made some great little figures and has some great posing option) and the LeIG 18 75mm field gun.

The LeIG 18 75mm field gun

 Now I know that one box and a clam pack doesn't sound like a great deal, and if this was Warhammer 40000 or the now defunct Warhammer Fantasy that is barely anything. However this is Bolt Action. The Grenadiers box contains 30 models, enough to make three 10 man infantry teams or a commader and friend, an observer, a sniper team, one 5 man squad of veterans with STGs and Panzerfausts and two 10 man regular Grenadier squads with all the bells and whistles (3 STGs, 5 rifles, 1 LMG and 1 SMG with a pair of Panzerfausts). Add a light howtizer to the mix and you have  a 500 point army.

Not all small howitzers are created equally

I have built all the models from the kits and overall it was a simple and enjoyable build. My one gripe with the kit is the lack of an independent weapon sprue that I got in the British Infantry box which allows for you to build some of the smaller two man weapon teams you get in the army book, but overall, that's not a problem just slightly annoying. I have the LeIG 18 painted and I am currently working on the meat of the force.

LeIG 18 ready for deployment General

In terms of a theme for the tank I don't currently have one. I was tempted to base it off of the "Disciplinary Regiment" from the novels of Dutch Novelist Sven Hassel however decided not to. As of this point the only "theme", if you can call it that, is that one squad in the army is us (The Karlack 22nd) from our adventures in PTSD simulator (Red Orchestra 2 for those who don't know). We have Jay as squad leader and armed with a STG , Will is running around with a pilfered Soviet weapon as he has a habbit of doing that, Rob takes the LMG because well I felt like it and he seems to end up with that gun more than usual and I take one of the rifle man roles.

The Germans are here... They just seem to be out of uniform!

For expansion of this army a tank is the next step, and being a German player, my selection is vast. I could have a Tiger or its bigger, meaner brother the King Tiger. I could have the little and very capable 38t tank (or the Hetzers, its Tank Destroyer offspring). However I think the most likely new addition will be the Panzer IV H as it gives me a tank and a mobile heavy AT gun (Not a bad thing). On top of this maybe a few hanomags or weapons teams as that is one thing I am sorely lacking in this force.

I am looking forward to my adventures as the commander of the German Army and will keep you all apprised to my wins, loses and draws (If that ever happens of course)

Commissar Bean signing out

Operation Grenade

Oh boy. The Seagull has Landed 2015 was a fine tournament. A fun event for the Bolt Action player. And worst of all for Operation Grenade: it was a high benchmark for all other Bolt Action events.

Operation Grenade was a Bolt Action tournament in Chatteris, hosted by the Chatteris Warlords. We were off to a good start: despite some hairy driving in the fog, it was less then an hour from Cambridge. Then we arrived:

Niles models the top end of the hall while Rob bows down

And the lower end

Well, perhaps the Seagull has Landed 2015 was quite a revelation in nice tables, but the quality and layout of most of these tables were usable. They had some standout nice tables, while a few others were very thrown together. Not something you want for an event, leaving me anxious for the day.

My army for the day, plus everything else I needed for games!

Despite original intentions to play my Soviet Shock Army like Seagulls, I had to swap to the Axis side as we had an extra Allies player who wouldn't be able to play unless I did. So I dug out my SS. A much less competitive lists, I was much less hopeful for my chances. Still, I went forward with a decently mixed list: some rifle squads backed up by StG armed assault squads, with a STuH 42 as support and a Nerblewerfer as added help. A sniper rounded out the soliders, with a Kubelwagon for my Leutnant/Untersturmfuhrer and a medic to fill the last seat.

The board for game 1

Oh dear. As an owner of a train and rails for BA terrain, the hugely oversized train here really threw the board and the mat underneath ended any illusion of a excellent board. A lack of balance in the terrain (more building and hardcover for one side) made it so I was not looking forward to this game. The mission was the final clincher: demolitions, my least favorite of the book missions.

An assault squad advances

Again my lack of name memorization bit me in the backside, but I ended up playing who I was later told who was Steve (the eventual winners) main competitor. He had a very strong and game-y list, but I did enjoy my game against him regardless and after some good dice we came out with a draw. What a surprise.

The closest my opponents got to my base

Or not really! Still, I found out at the end of the game there was a secondary objective. Not written anywhere in the pack, it was the start of a long list of grievances. Only by sheer dumb luck I contested it without knowing it existed.

Prepped for my second game

My second game dawned. A hopeful looking table: it still had the rugish base but the wrecked vehicles, again much to big thanks to the odd scale, ruined it once more. In fact, I believe the table could have worked without it.

Apparently, my Nerblewerfer can't see the building.

Playing against a US airborne army, it looked to otherwise be a fun game. Once more though it was marred: point defense was the mission, a notoriously unbalanced game type.

The SS advance

After a few lucky shots (such as my STuH taking out my opponents Meatgrinder on turn one with a lucky indirect hit), I came across my first issue: terrain. While admittedly they had laid out a sheet for each table, I was unaware that the hills were considered impossible to see over regardless of true line of sight. Having misplaced my Nerblewerfer because of this, my opponent refused a retroactive re positioning, one of the first breaks of the good sportsmanship during my time playing Bolt Action events.

On final approach

A few other problem arose, such as no indication to outflanking along with a potential for cheating which I had to let slide. Ultimately, we drew again based entirely on running out of time. Having been aware of the secondary objective this game (after making sure by asking the TO) I did manage to grab it.

The kubelswagon once more shows it's impossible to kill, coming out of a hit from an AEC with only a pin

My last game was against a British Commando force. And what a game. Against a fun and friendly opponent, we went into a game of attrition. As is commonly the case, the free British artillery proved to strong for even my excellent luck that game to save me.

The wrecker advances

The STuH had a fun time, removing five units in three turns thanks to some excellent rolling and filled UCs to shoot at. Ultimately, I lost but this was still my most fun game all day!

I know one commander who got an Iron Cross that day...

So, conclusions? Better luck next time! I came fourth (again), just missing on on prizes. But the TO is where I ultimately place that statement. From poor organisation, rolling for missions at the time, to a unclear, to a bad tournament pack, to mediocre terrain and poor organisation (half the people I talked to during and after the first game were entirely unaware of the secondary objective and it turned out we needn't arrive as early as we did) left a salty taste in my mouth.

Jack, in his infinite smugness

Still, Jack won what amounts to least lucky. So we have that!