Dropzone Commander - rather impressed

To be honest  I was a bit unsure about Dropzone Commander (DZC) from Hawk Wargames when I first heard of it. “Not another Boutique game, small table, expensive small armies, bit faddy and altogether just another attempt to drag in GW players with a cloned version of 40K \ Epic Yawn”

How wrong I was

At least partly

It is a bit “Boutique”, and it does struggle with the expensive label, even though it is pretty much bang on the average as far as I can see. But GW clone – no way.

I first saw the models when they were displayed at Salute 2012, and they were beautiful. 12 mm (1:144 for the die-hards) resin sci fi, very highly detailed, and a full range for four factions, all beautifully presented. It is safe to say they were the star of the show. The models went on sale later in the year and reviews were pretty much universally positive, but also at this point they got labelled as expensive. I’m not quite sure how this happened, because in comparison to historical stuff in the same scale they were similarly priced – tanks about a tenner for three is not too shabby when an M1 Abrams is a similar price from Minifigs in 1:144. Maybe the need to add dropships put some people off, or maybe they had their own agenda, but the “expensive” label was used a fair bit, and some of it stuck.

Anyway, that leaves “faddy” and “GW Clone”. There was maybe a chance that the “faddy” tag would prove correct, take up was slow initially. That seems to have changed when out of the blue Hawk sprang a 2 player starter set on us. This contained a full rules book printed full size (not a mini or quickstart) two starter armies in plastic, plus a map sheet and ten card buildings and all the dice and counters you need. It’s a big box and full of stuff. The quality of the plastic models is remarkable, slightly simplified from the resin but only marginally, and easy to assemble and paint. Cost is £60, although you can usually save 10% or so by shopping around online, and is great value.

So “Clone”? Absolutely not! The rules are innovative without being off the wall, but most striking is the setting and the way the game is mission orientated. Unlike most rules, DZC is mostly concerned with urban combat. I feel most rules basically are written with the standard “two woods and a hill” terrain in mind. DZC is about fighting through the urban sprawl , although the rules for other environments are fine, cities is where it is at. This could be an issue except Hawk has released a set of low cost full colour urban buildings in heavy duty card, along with a series of street tiles, so terrain is cheap, attractive and easy to get hold of. The second point is about the missions and game dynamic. You win by doing things other than just killing your opponent, and you have to do it fast. Objectives are pieces of intelligence, items or individuals usually located in buildings. You have to get in, find them, and get out before your opponent does, and do it in six turns. This means that infantry are not just an adjunct to a tank battle, they are an essential part of your army, even if they are very vulnerable. No-one can win by just bringing the biggest guns. The problem is that the game is played on a 4 foot wide table, and the APCs and tanks only move 4 to 6” a turn, so it doesn’t take a genius to realise you can’t just drive to the objective, find it, and get back in 6 turns, and that is where the air mobility kicks in. Just about every unit is transported in dropships, allowing them to get to the objectives “Furstest with the Mostest” as Nathan Bedford Forrest would have said, and then get back out of Dodge before you get caught.  This opens up a whole new level of gameplay and strategy. Dropships are vulnerable to enemy fighters, so you need to provide protection or risk them getting shot from the sky, either by moving from ground based AA covered zone to covered zone, or by escorting fighters. The problem is these are themselves vulnerable to enemy ground or air forces. Another problem faced is that in the Sci Fi battlefield of DZC, it is a valid tactic to blow a building down rather than let an opponent search it and recover an objective. Buildings with objectives in them become the scene of frantic searches, vicious close quarter infantry fights, all with the threat of the building exploding around you as it happens.  About a half an hour in you suddenly realise this is a game about all arms cooperation and air mobility, and is deeply engrossing and tactically challenging. 

I know this may sound a bit strange, but of all the games I have played, DZC reminds me most of the old AK-47 Republic from PeterPig (the old version, before they sucked all the fun out). It doesn't have that wackyness nd unpredictability, but like AK, you have to be flexible and mission orientated to win. And it is fun

All in all Dropzone Commander is an excellent and different game, well worth a try, and the starter sets are a great way in. Highly recommended

Turning Japanese Part 7 Last leg

Spike has realised he loves Buffy, but Buffy still thinks she likes Riley, but Riley is secretly feeling he is losing her.......

I finished the 10 Type 89 Medium Tanks and 5 Type 95 Light tanks, all Battlefront, plus a trio of Type 97 Te-Ke Tankettes from PeterPig. I'm conflicted by the PeterPig models, they are a pain to put together because they have no solid hull to attach the tracks to, and the detail is sometimes a bit soft, but they do look nice when completed - as you can see here with "The Sasebo Special"

The Type 95 Ha-Go are Battlefront and apart from my earlier whine about sticking them together they are a great little model that paints up well

Lastly the Type 89s - again Battlefront, here seen with the 95s as a group shot

This was after they all received their national markings - a rising sun decal "pinched" from a set of Naval Ensigns by I-94 Decals sold here in the UK by Minibits\Pendraken http://www.minibits.net/I-94-DecalsTransfers-c23/13000-12400-Naval-sc81/(cheers Leon). Leon carries a wide range of decals that come in very useful, even if as in this case, they get re-tasked :-)

So that's it - 25 Buffys later and the Japanese are done

Turning Japanese Part 6 - Trucks and how Buffy helps

The well laid plans of Mice & Ken..................

I had intended to do lots of pics to show the various stages these models were going through, accompanied by pithy comments, but as usual I managed not to.

However, I am pleased to say they are now complete and have been boxed up and shipped Stateside, where I hope their new owner will enjoy them. I should say I actually enjoyed painting them, and I think in the end they looked fine, and while I am taking a little break from painting 15mm WW2 I'm certain I will be delving into my own collection of unfinished WW2 15mm inspired by them.

Before they hit the road I dis take a couple of pics however - sadly not the best but the lighting here, particularly the daylight, is pretty grim. Anyway, first up - the Trucks

These are Battlefront Isuzu 3 Tonners, and like most of their trucks they are one piece resin castings. This makes them a bit of a pain as you have to paint the block of resin they stand on, but as you can see, they turned out ok. Another minor issue is that the Isuzu has a canvas cover and open cab sides, ie no windows on the side. I toyed with trying to paint silhouettes inside then decided to go for a dark grey to suggest shadows. The models themselves were nice and flash free, but a couple of them suffered from miscasts along the line of the cab front. I don't think they are particularly noticeable at a glance but they did annoy me. I tend to like BFs resin trucks - life is too short to mess around with stuff that will usually be left at the back or as eye candy. If you doubt me, put a couple of Zvezda ZIS trucks together :-)

When I paint I need something on in the background to keep my mind ticking over. This has to be something verbal rather than visual as I don't want to keep looking up from the job at hand. My current background is Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which has a nice line in sparkling dialogue amongst other things. I measure painting sessions in Buffys, so a one episode session is one Buffy etc. The whole Japanese thing has taken me through Series 4 and midway through Series 5, so probably 25 Buffys, including a few wasted on other side projects.

Chain of Command Campaign Part Three - 12 Platoon Assault Maltot

Sgt Taylor decided to reorganise the platoon to reflect the casualties taken so far. He put all three Bren teams together under Corporal O’Malley, with instructions to form a base of fire. He then took the two men manning the PIAT and added them to the riflemen, then split the resulting dozen riflemen into two assault sections, each with their own NCO. In support he had his own 2” mortar team, plus a second he “borrowed”. He also had a word with the young Subaltern from 9RTR who were providing support in the form of a Churchill tank. The tank was going to be essential, as they would need the firepower to blast any defenders out of the ruins.

Platzer had fewer problems, but his wounded NCO made sure he would have to both command the platoon and direct the squad. He  had an attached Panzerknacker team, as he suspected the Tommies would bring tanks, and a quickly sown minefield covering part of his front. He also had a Chain of Command dice granted by the scenario.

The terrain was the outskirts of Maltot village. The British would be approaching through the corn, which would provide some cover, but the Germans had the advantage of several buildings – ruins and walls, all providing hard cover.

Things didn’t improve much when it came to Force morale. Thompson rolled low, ending up with 8 FM points, but Platzer rolled high, and with the added bonus of his troop confidence level this gave him a FM of 12, and with it first action in both the patrol and combat phases.

The patrol phase was a disappointment for Sgt Thompson. He had 3 extra patrol moves, but couldn’t get quite close enough to the buildings that marked the outskirts of Maltot. Platzer had his hands full, but managed to ensure the Tommies did not outflank him.

Platzer had the initiative, and deployed three squads, one to secure the flank, a second in the main position on his baseline, and a third forward in the outer buildings.

The British deployment dice were not great, but allowed Thompson to get O’Malley and his Brens into position on the edge of the corn, one of the assault squads and his two 2” mortars set up.

Platzer had learned from his earlier frustrations, and immediately opened fire on the mortar teams. The team on the British right immediately suffered a casualty and broke, the left hand team also was hit and pinned. In return the Brens supressed the Germans in the nearest house, and the Churchill MkIV entered down the road. Platzer tried to relocate one squad across the main road, but they got caught crossing the road and took some casualties.

And then it went downhill. Platzer used his Chain of Command dice to deploy his Panzershrek into an ambush position. The rocket streaked out and struck the Churchill squarely below the turret. The hatches popped open and the crew abandoned the tank as it started to burn. There was a burst of fire from a Bren that shocked the ‘Shrek team, but they were already moving out to another position.

With his support gone, Thompson realised he had to do it the hard way. Under covering fire from O’Malley and his Brens, and covered by smoke, Corporal Peck launched his assault team at the nearest defended house. 

Sadly he misjudged the distance and moved too far - instead of arriving under the cover of the building, his squad found themselves in a vicious brawl with the defenders, being driven back with heavy losses. 

Thompson threw his last assault squad in, and this time Corporal Blair’s team broke into the defenders position in a flurry of bayonets and rifle buts, and drove the defenders out with some casualties. This was the high water mark of 12 Platoons advance. The incessant MG42 fire was causing alarming casualties, and Blair’s squad was isolated, if fairly safe. 12 Platoon was spent, and although Blair was holding out, he could not be reinforced, and lacking of Brens, he could do little other than throw grenades at the Germans in a neighbouring house.

The British were about to withdraw, but then Platzer, in an unexpected twist, tried to push a squad forward, out of cover, but a burst of Bren fire drove them back.

12 Platoon limped back to the start line, what was left of them, bloody and bedraggled. The attack had been repulsed, apparently with ease, and casualties were heavy. Six Tommies lay dead, a further three seriously wounded, and two NCOs were also carrying injuries. On the other side Platzer had lost three dead and two seriously wounded, plus a couple of others injured.

12 Platoon will take no further part in the fighting this day. Looking on nervously, 16 Platoon are called forward.................... 

Another great game of Chain of Command, lots of fun but also a lot to think about. The turning point was when the first assault got too close. The plan had been to move up, and then use the next turn to reorganise, throw grenades and assault after another round of suppressive fire from the Brens. This should have worked, but getting too close meant the melee started before everything was ready and with the assault team disordered from the sprint across the open ground.  

Mark (Geordie) is taking command of 16 Platoon for the next phase, so will his fresh platoon manage to break the German defences? Platzer is requesting his CO release some reserves to him, but will he succeed? Time will tell   

Turning Japanese Part 5 (and a bit) The Sasebo Special

While painting Tim's Japanese tanks I was scanning the web and came across a mention of a Type 97 Chi-Ha armed with a 120mm gun. I was a bit surprised as I had never heard of this before. A bit of research showed that it did really exist, and that after the war at least a dozen were found at Sasebo Naval base, held presumably as part of the SNLF defence force there. There is only one pic I can find....

and it poses more questions than answers, such as "what the hell is that gun?"

One of my pet subjects is the Japanese Navy - mainly the Russo Japanese War (memo to self- got to get those painted) and I have a fair few books. I think it is a fair guess this is a Naval gun mounted in the turret of a normal ShinHoto Chi-Ha. It doesnt look anything like any of the IJA guns I have seen, and the Army didn't have a 120mm gun on the books as far as I know - jumping from 105mm to 150mm. 120mm is however 4.7", a common calibre of naval gun, so I think this is a local project. Next question is the barrel length and whatever that is on the muzzle. That's a very short gun for ship use, but looking through the books, the Japanese did have some 25 and 40 calibre 4.7" mounted on old Coast Defence ships dating from the turn  of the Century, so it is not inconceivable these are something similar, dragged out of stores and jury rigged into the Chi Ha turrets. That leaves the thing at the end, which is inconveniently covered by a tarp. I dont think it is a muzzle break - it doesnt look right and you don't get them on naval guns because they don't develop high velocities - at least old ones don't. What it could be, however, is a counter weight, similar to that used on the 95mm Close Support Howitzer the Brits fitted to some Churchills and Cromwells. The counter weight is there to help balance the weight of the breach block inside the turret - see this pic

It sort of makes sense that this could be a counterweight - particularly as the original ShinHota turret was only designed to cope with a 47mm gun, so mounting something this heavy would need some compensation.

Anyway, part of the order I am painting for Tim was a Type 97 from Gaming Models. They had snapped the original barrel and had included a spare turret. I also had a Type 97 hull in the spares box - this time from QRF. Neither the hull or turret are particularly nice castings, but with a bit of plastic rod, and a bit of squinting, I put them together to make my own take of the Sasebo Special - here escorted by a Te-Ke Light tank from PeterPig

I'm quite happy with it, although I think if I were to make another I would use an Old Glory hull & turret as donor as they are much crisper.

7TV Wheely Evil Genius

I may have mentioned a while ago I am building a cast for 7TV based on Big Trouble in Little China.

Here is the Evil Mastermind himself David Lo-Pan, in his "little old letch" avatar. Still a work in progress - doesn't look chinese enough for a start, but I'm struggling to get him right. In the film he has an electric wheelchair but this is supposed to be him in the 1930s so it is hand pushed - thats my excuse, mainly as I couldn't find anything suitable. The figure is from the excellent Bob Murch's Pulp Miniatures range

Turning Japanese Part 4 - wherein much progress is made, but mostly without pictures.................

The aim as stated was to match some models I had sold to Tim a while ago. Only problem was trying to remember how I painted the originals. Thankfully I still had the pics I used to list them on ebay, so with a bit more thought I cracked on.

Once assembled everything got a coat of black undercoat. Once that had thoroughly dried I reached for the paint I had planned to use as a basecoat – to discover it was not only empty, but also the last tin of FoW “British Armour” in the Northern hemisphere!

Colour matching - Dont'cha just love it

Luckily Plastic Soldier Company has released a spray that is claimed as an exact match, so with trepidation I decided to try that. I was pleasantly surprised as the PSC paint seems to cover well and be a very close match for the old FoW one. 

My second problem then raised its ugly head, remembering which damned brown I had used - a matter complicated by the fact the original had run dry. Fortunately a quick run through to our local "Boyes" store rectified this. As an aside, Boyes is a VERY strange but useful store, a small chain department store that sells PSC, Perry Plastics and Zvezda, all at competitive prices.

I should add that while I appreciate the recommended FoW colours are a khaki undercoat, all the photos of “the real thing” look much greener to me, so I went with green.

The plan is to paint irregular areas of a brick red (Vallejo Saddle Brown), then add stripes of yellow. To get this rather garish combination to blend I’m going to drybrush with buff then wash the lot in a thinned sepia, which gives the yellow about the right effect. Then ink in the engine decks, paint the tracks and MG barrels German grey and highlight gunmetal. That’s the plan anyway

With about 20 to paint I decided a production line would be too long, so went for batches of five, starting with the Type 95 HaGo light tanks.