Modern Spearhead: 1:285 Yom Kippur War

Syrian T55s at the 1973 'Purple Line' along the Golan Heights.

Greg and I had a couple great games playing 'Modern Spearhead' last weekend. The scenario was set during the opening days of the 1973 Yom Kippur War on the Golan Heights, with an Iraqi T55 tank brigade attempting to force its way past an Israeli defensive line armed with modified Super Shermans. Greg took the Israelis and I commanded the Iraqis.  

Shot-up T55s on the main road to the Israeli positions.

The Israelis were set up on a ridge in hull-down positions while the Iraqis entered on the board with 3 tank battalions. The Israelis were rock-hard but heavily outnumbered while the Iraqis were relatively green but had mass in their favour. 

Iraqi tanks cresting the final hills and seeing the Israeli Shermans in the valley.

Spearhead has a great mechanic that compels players to draw their orders on a map which has to be strictly adhered to. Orders can be changed but the speed and effectiveness of any adjustments are determined by an abstraction of doctrine, morale and training. I knew the Iraqis would be fairly inflexible in their command & control so I knew my initial orders had to be fairly simple and straightforward. I decided to assault with two tank battalions, one over the central hill and the other along the highway, while shielding the third in a valley as a breakthrough unit.

As I advanced Greg pounded my formations pretty darn hard but they managed to 'hold their bottle' and ground forward. Greg decided to stay in his original positions in order to dish-out some more pain. As suspected, I took another turn of accurate tank fire but my T55s finally reached a good range-band for their main guns and so I opened fire. The limitations of the Sherman's armour began to tell as platoon after platoon was silenced from the weight of fire.  In the end the Israelis were compelled to withdraw the remnants of their force as the Iraqis drove forward with their fresh battalion. By the scenario's parameters it turned out to be a solid Iraqi victory.

Many, many tanks burning after the final exchange of fire...

Greg and I chatted about the game, coming to the conclusion that the critical decision was probably him staying in place too long instead of 'shooting and scooting'. We decided to have another go at the scenario with the Israelis using several fallback positions so they would not be so easily overrun and so they could use their superior long range armament. For simplicity sake I kept to my original plan and again attacked with two battalions while keeping one in reserve. This time it was a very close game as the Israelis made the Iraqi armour pay for each position. I managed to get away with some critical morale rolls while Greg's luck dimmed during a few crunch moments of tank-to-tank direct fire. The climax came when the Israelis fell back into the last valley with the pursuing Iraqis hot on their heels. The final exchange of fire saw the last of the Shermans destroyed while the crippled force of T55s managed to creep off the field to a marginal victory. 

 

The final (fiery) position of the Israeli command.

Spearhead is a such a great system and it was a pleasure getting to play with Greg's beautiful collection of miniatures and terrain. I'm actually tempted to paint up a small force for myself as I think the guys back home would enjoy the period and the change of pace.

From the Lead Archive: 28mm Rakham/Confrontation Fantasy Figures

I remember years ago when the first Rakham figures first came out and being completely blown away with their animation, creativity and amazing detail. I'm a historical gamer first and foremost, but I do like to try the odd outlier from time to time and these really captured my imagination.

Here are a few castings from the early Confrontation line. I'm not really sure what they actually represent in the game - this set seems to be a 'before and after' of some sort of badass axe-wielding lyncanthrope (the axe broke on the right hand figure which I worked around by doing a leather wrap effect with putty, but neglected to do the same for the other figure - oops).

The guy below on the left seems to be a cross between some sort of a skinny S&M lumberjack and a barber...

...while the guy on the right looks like Ichabod Crane whose come back to Sleepy Hollow loaded for some serious payback.

A bit of memory lane there. I know I have a few more of these knocking about that are unpainted (or partially painted). I'll have to keep them in the wings for when I finally burn-out on Napoleonics. ;)

Gaming Vacation and Introduction to 'Food for Powder'

Last December my lovely wife and some of her girlfriends bought tickets to the U2 concert scheduled for Winnipeg this past weekend and so we made the pilgrimage for her to see The Great God Bono late last week. Don't get me wrong, I really like U2, but I have about as much interest in watching a rock concert with 50,000+ sweating, intoxicated, screaming fans as I have with sticking pencils in my eyes, so I quietly bowed out of the 'experience'. (Its funny as 20 years ago I would have probably given a kidney to see them...) Nonetheless, I tagged along so I could visit family and, like a complete geek, game my face off with some of my old pals from The Fawcett Avenue Conscripts. 

I played two games of 28mm Napoleonics: a largish Anglo-French scenario that I put on for the Conscripts and a smaller Austro-French scrum between Greg and I. (I apologize in advance for the crap photos - I was preoccupied with running the games and so just snapped these shots off when I both had a spare moment and thought of it.)

Here we have two battalion columns from a French infantry brigade negotiating around a muddy field in an attempt to deploy out into line.

After some initial success the French brigade meets a withering fire from British battalions supported by artillery.

For both of these games I used our new rules, Food for Powder which were originally inspired by our modification of Black Powder, but have since evolved beyond that premise to include an assorted mashup of interpreted game mechanics from Shako, Republic to Empire, Lasalle, In the Grand Manner and several other rule sets. Sort of a cafeteria pick-list of Napoleonic rules which together has created an entirely new beast. In point form, Food for Powder features:

• interleaved player activations to replace the common IGOUGO mechanic;
• streamlining of play by doing away with both shooting and close combat phases and instead incorporating them within the shared command phase;
• a reaction mechanism to allow both defensive interdiction fire and countercharges during the opposing player's activation;
• removal of any annoying (well, to us) saving throw mechanic;
• rules which allow cavalry the power to harass enemy formations as much by their threat as by their use in pitched melee;
• replacement of the D6 with a D12 to better smooth the results curve
• a Quick Reference Sheet with ALL pertinent rules that fits on ONE double sided page.

The rules have been playtested quite a bit over the winter and they seem to hold together quite well, though I'm still coming across areas where some adjustments are required. Nonetheless, from the guys' feedback I noted that they particularly liked:

• the interleaved activations as it adds tension and requires both sides to be watchful to exploit or react to developing situations;
• the reaction mechanism as it prevents units from moving into or through a 'beaten zone' with impunity;
• the casualty system, along with how rallies are handled.

An Austrian advance column catching the French on the move. The cavalry has forced a French battalion into square while the infantry advanced up the center in successive lines.

Grenzers moving into position to screen the advance of the rest of the brigade.

The French are seen here trying desperately to better deploy and break out. Notice the two sections of 12pdrs moving past the village to support the infantry.

The final push for the Austrian infantry who are on the verge of forcing the French brigade to withdraw.

French medium artillery who have just 'convinced' a regiment of Austrian Hussars to withdraw.

This week I'm going to update the rules with some the recent additions and changes with the idea of giving them another 'crucible' of playtests over the coming month. I am hoping to have a digestible copy of the rules ready sometime this early summer for those who may be interested in checking them out for themselves.

From the Lead Archive: 28mm Foundry Ancient Greek Hoplites

Still drumming my fingers waiting for 'Hail Caesar' to make its appearance.  Thought I'd ease my impatience by unpacking some more 'sword and sandal' stuff from our move. Here are a few test models I did of some ancient Greek hoplites. I remember I had just finished reading Steven Pressfield's superb 'Gates of Fire' and was completely stoked to paint hoplites.

These are from the excellent Foundry range of models that were sculpted by Steve Saleh. I really like the animation of Saleh's work, even though the shields seem somewhat small to me. Hmm, that reminds me, I need to get some transfers on those shields...

Now that I'm looking at them again I think I'll do up a few more along with some helots for a skirmish game scenario I have knocking around in my head. More on that later if anything comes of it.

'You Shall Not Pass!' 28mm 'Lord of the Rings' Balrog

I remember how nervous I was going to see Fellowship of the Ring on it's release night, thinking, "Cripes, I hope they don't screw this up." Then I saw Gandalf (Ian McKellan) in his ponycart riding into Hobbiton and I knew they had nailed it. It was beautiful. Absolutely magical. Then about 30 seconds after this revelation I began settling into my seat, anxiously anticipating Jackson's vision of the Balrog. Well, Peter J. did not disappoint and when the Balrog finally made its fiery, heat-shimmering appearance I was completely gobsmacked. I felt like I was 12 again.

Anyway, when Games Workshop came out with its 28mm scale model of the Balrog I had to have one.  So I gave it a go and here it is. I had fun trying to replicate the flame effects and the molten cracked skin. I have absolutely no use for the thing but I can see it is one of my most cherished models.

Someday I'll have to try GW's model of the Witch King on the Fell Beast...