Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 10th through to the 16th of September.
BLOG STUFF
This week’s post saw a triumphant return to battle reports with a Humvee ambush in Bazistan. Turns out, people really like battle reports.
There is always a little bit of stress when writing and then running games at the club, always a concern that I’ve written something no one, wants to play. Luckily, this game was an absolute banger – being able to have two players on each side and run it as a DM meant it was much easier to introduce new players to the game and get the tension up between the different elements. Using a double sized board also really helped to improve the spectacle as well.
Having managed to get a game in, I’m really looking forward to running something else in a few weeks.
NEWS
First up we have some more MDF buildings. Now, I’m stuck firmly in the Middle East/East Africa until I’ve painted up all the buildings I have but I couldn’t help but take a look at these South East Asian buildings from Dragonfrog Games. Never used the company but they look really good, perfect for anyone wanting to do Vietnam or anything else in that region.
One thing I love about following wargaming sculptors is how differently they handle some problems I have when collecting. Flytrap Factory decided he needed some more operators for his team from Spectre (which he’d been converting along the way) and so simply banged out a really nice pair of low profile/deniable operators covered in all the kit they might need. Having had some of his figures before, it’s really cool to see these guys designed to fit in with the Spectre style of figure. I’m also a massive fan of this style of operator (kitted up but not rolling in Crye Precision) so I can’t wait to see them all painted up and on the table.
Okay. Spectre, in their continuing quest to make me talk about their range every week, came out this Friday with a literal pile of new releases. First up they have a new site which should make it a little easier to navigate their ranges. My favourite change is the fact vehicles are now split out into several sections rather than just a massive list.
Now let’s talk about the new items. First up the big stuff and something I can see a lot of people buying even for non-Spectre vehicles. We finally have someone producing remote weapon stations to add to your vehicles, giving them a nice upgrade to bring them kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. As well as the full-size systems (that also includes a smoke grenade launcher) for the M2, MK 47 and M240, there is also a smaller version designed for mounting on lighter vehicles.
The big thing for me is the arrival of the GAU-19. I think this gun is mad – a three-barrelled Gatling gun firing .50BMG, this really is the gun you need to kill everyone in the target zone and whoever is directly past them. I’m really looking forward to getting this in a scenario and on the table.
This image also shows another upgrade, the rack of fuel cans on the side of the vehicle. The pack also includes a seat for the rear gunner, ideal for making the SF vehicle a bit more comfortable. The main surprise from this release is another HMV addon, the spare wheel frame. It’s a simple addition, but I can’t wait to put it on my vehicles.
Finally, there are three new turret gunners. These are designed for the HMV turrets, cut off at the knees. Each gunner is a different variation, letting you them your vehicles for either SOF troops, MENA Regulars (in a similar style to the existing squad) or a more generic style.
But that wasn’t all from Spectre this week. The long awaited Jungle supplement is finally out! It’s a really nice release, adding new rules for fighting under the triple canopy, additional support options more suited for the jungle and a complete campaign with a nice selection of missions. It’s going to be exciting to see what other supplements the Spectre team are working on.
But wait, there is more. At Colours this weekend, the crew behind A Few Brits and the Hobby , who also interviewed Spectre in a previous episode, were running a Spectre Operations demo game set on the island of Val Verde (yes, the Val Verde where every action hero of the 1980s earned their stripes). With the CIA and Navy SEALs taking on the Cartel, it looks incredible. You can find lots of pictures on their facebook group.
Also interesting were a few new Cartel figures spotted on the table. These guys are definitely on the gangbanger side of the Cartel range but have come to the table with some serious firepower. As well as some SMGs and assault rifles, there looks like one figure with an M249. But more importantly, the guy on the left has something with slab sides and a drum mag – it can only be my room clearer of choice, the AA-12 automatic shotgun. Not sure when these guys are coming out but knowing my luck it’s going to be next weekend.
PURCHASES
Coming out of the next month’s hobby budget, I’m picking up a few new items to form the next stage of Project Humvee
- Remote Weapon systems – first round is the M2 and M240 in full-size mounts.
- The GAU-19 – I don’t think I need to say why I need this
- A SOF turret gunner – I’ve already said I’m cautious about adding gunners to my Humvees as it limits which factions they can be used with but the SF M2 is only going to be used by guys in fast helmets.
- A MENA regular turret – It’s time to give the locals some firepower. Turret Alfa, a MENA turret gunner and DsHK will be a good start.
The other thing is it’s time to re-up my spray paint for building work. I need more grey and texture paint seeing as I have 5 more buildings to paint.
HOBBY
For the first time in a while, I actually managed to write a scenario that only needed one new figure painting. Although the SPG-9 was not 100% successful in game, it was a fun set to paint. The spotter was just sat there waiting to be painted as well and so I just rolled on and got them both done.
The main thing for this week was obviously preparation for Thursday’s game. As much as I love Skirmish Sangin, writing your own scenarios can end up being a lot of busy work,
On the weekend, I finally grew tired of the MDF sat on my sofa and broke out the spray cans to continue work on Project B-Town. Having seen how much I have left to do, I’m modifying my style slightly to make things quicker. More details coming soon.
After Thursday’s losses, I think its time for the Aden Defence Force to get it’s act together and invest in some protected patrol vehicles. In other words, I need to get off my ass and finish painting the pair of Foxhounds I picked up from Evil Bear Wargames. I’m also going to take this opportunity to add some stowage to them. Come back on Friday to see what I’m doing with them.
That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!