Category: flames of war

Flames of War Great War

Flames of War Great War

This week sees the release of the Flames of War Great War supplement. You can either buy a boxed set which comes with the supplement, or you can buy the August issue of Wargames Illustrated, that comes bundled with the supplement for “free”. Alongside the rules there are various models, including two boxed starter sets.

I got my copy of Wargames Illustrated yesterday and spent some time reading the supplement and the plethora of articles in the magazine itself on the new supplement and the rules.

The models look really nice, this is the Mark IV Male.

Mark IV Male

You can compare that detailed model with the 15mm version I bought many years ago. This version is a lot more detailed, looks much better and really captures the feel of this, one of the first tanks. As well as tanks there are infantry and artillery. I really quite like the introductory boxed set available, Mitchell’s Marauders.

GBRAB1 Mitchell's Marauders

Your rifle company is well-equipped for assaulting and crushing the enemy. Prepare your assault with your Mark IV tanks. They will pulverize Jerry’s gun nests with high-explosives and rake his trenches with machine-gun fire. Then send in your highly-trained rifle platoons to clear out the trenches and breakthrough.

The box provides all you need for an introductory game, infantry, tanks and artillery.

There is also a German boxed set available. Though that boxed set has the A7V, you can of course use captured British tanks for your German forces.

captured British tank

I feel I can’t say too much on the rules, as I have not had a chance for a game with them…

The articles within Wargames Illustrated cover a range of issues, one of the interesting aspects is debunking the myth that the Great War was just about muddy trenches. Towards the end of the war there were more battles that were about movement and breakthroughs across new areas that hadn’t been torn apart from relentless artillery barrages.

With the 100th anniversary of the Great War this month, I can see these models proving popular. For the future I hope we can see some more models, notably missing are armoured cars, which though played little part in the trenches, were well utilised in other theatres of the war.

Repainting the King Tiger

I started to paint the camouflage on my old SDD German Königstiger. I used Chocolate Brown (872) from the Flames of War German Armour Paint Set.

Though following the painting guidelines from the German Armour paint set, I think the brown is too brown and needs to be more red. I think I am going to recover the dark brown and then use Cavalry Brown (995) which is redder and will I hope look better.

In the first instance though I painted over the brown and will start again.

One of the advantages of using an older model such as this, it allows you to make mistakes and not worry about ruining a model. In the end I will probably use this more as scenery, maybe a knocked out King Tiger, rather than as an actual gaming model.

British Normandy Village Defence

British armoured forces defend a Normandy Village under a counterattack from German Forces.

Churchill and Humber Armoured Cars

A Sherman Firefly takes cover, behind a small hill.

Sherman Firefly

The rest of the Sherman platoon starts to move forward.

The rest of the Sherman platoon starts to move forward

Models from Simon’s collection, scenery from mine.

15mm Normandy Village

More photographs of my 15mm Normandy Village for Flames of War.

You can imagine that this would be the view from the gun camera of an RAF ground attack Typhoon attempting to flush out some entrenched Germans. You can see I have used the outbuildings to complement the Flames of War Normandy houses.

Here is an overhead view of the buildings.

As well as Battlefront roads and houses, I also have in there some of the nice 4Ground laser etched wooden buildings.

Flames of War Great War

Flames of War Great War

So what does the screen capture from the recent Battlefront video tell us? Well as they say in the video, next year is 2014, which is the 100th anniversary of the commencement of the Great War. Though blurred out, this is a German A7V tank; it is much easier to see in the video, towards the end.

Update: Video has been removed.

Those of you who follow the blog will know that I already have a 15mm World War One tank that I am using for a Home Guard force.

It will be interesting to see the models from Battlefront as well as the infantry and the rules.

15mm Normandy Village

I am quite pleased now with how much scenery I have now for 15mm Flames of War games.

As well as Battlefront roads and houses, I also have some nice 4Ground laser etched wooden buildings.

There are also K&M trees that are now quite old, but have stood the test of time, I think they must be nearly twenty tears old!

In addition and not shown in these pictures, mainly as they are not finished, are some Total Battle Miniatures 15mm ruins.

I look though at my grass tiles and think they are a little too bright, they might need some work in the future.

Deciding on the Fate of a Nation

Fate of a Nation
When Battlefront released miniatures and models for the Vietnam War, I was quite tempted, but didn’t buy any models, the as the era isn’t one where there were lots of tank battles and to be honest that’s the main reason I play Flames of War. Secondly I already have way too many models to paint anyhow…

Despite the fact I still have too many models to paint, I am quite intrigued by gaming this era and I do like the models. The Centurion, which we first saw as ANZAC reinforcements for the Vietnam Era makes a reappearance with both sides of the conflict. We also see the T55 and modern American built tanks alongside the older T34/85 and Sherman tanks.

As for forces, Simon has spoken about playing the Jordanians, as they have the Centurions and British style organisation.

As a consequence I did consider going for Egyptian as I did like the idea of the T55, but as I do like the Centurion I will probably go Israeli, and I get to use Shermans too. I also like the fact I can use M3 Half Tracks, however in 1967 Israel didn’t have any M113 APCs.

Of course if successful, I can see Battlefront expanding the range next year.
I have been considering alternative history options as well, imagine if the Americans sent in a force of Marines, M60 tanks, helicopter gunships and Grunts? Or what about if the UN sent a peacekeeping force of British troops, Soviet tanks, East Germans?