I am basing them in groups of 3 riflemen or a support weapon team on 30x30mm bases, with each base representing a section a la Tigers at Minsk. When based I have a rifle company plus a machine gun platoon of Finns (shades of Unknown Soldier/Tuntematon Sotilas), and a small rifle battalion of Soviets including support weapons (50mm and 80mm mortars, MMGs, LMGs), plus command including Commissars.
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| Soviets painted and awaiting bases. |
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| Finns ditto. The chubby lads on the right are Magister Militum. Russians but painted as Finns who often used captured equipment, and specially helmets. Front left are Pendraken I think. Behind are Pithead Miniatures. |
Two scenarios sprung to mind, both inspired by the film:
- An assault by Finns on prepared machine gun positions from 1941
- A fighting withdrawal to a river line by the Finns in 1944
I will play the Soviets, semi-AI stylee working to strict orders/plans, and my son can take the Finns which will require more active engagement.
I have a couple of thoughts on the rules. One is Tigers at Minsk, which might take a bit more getting used to, or a ‘back of a fag packet’ set I drafted myself a while ago.
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| Our heroes will have to cross this innocuous stretch of forest clearing and the water beyond. |
It all now depends on whether the bases I ordered from Pendraken arrive in time.under present circumstances I doubt it. [incidentally I rewarded myself for my recent work on the backlog by ordering up some more horse, foot and assorted siege types from Pendraken, and some castle pieces from Leven]. If the bases don’t come quickly I’ll go for a scenario based on the Battle of Seacroft Moor from the ECW. This was a fighting withdrawal over the Yorkshire landscape from Tadcaster (home of Samuel Smiths fine ales) to Seacroft a village now in the Leeds suburbs.
This will entail some telescoping of terrain as it was a distance of some 9 miles. Both sides had an asymmetrical 1000 each, with a foot heavy Parliament force being run down by a Horse dominated Royalist posse. In my normal troop scale this would only be 4/5 bases of foot and 3 horse for the Parlies so there’s not much scope to scale this down in order to stretch the terrain. As I haven’t got a 15 metre* battle mat the game will need partial map movement and then quickly set out tabletop terrain for close combat.
* which is what 9 miles would work out as using my normal rules. In any case we have rain forecast for the weekend so the garden option is out of the question even if I did have a sufficiently large cloth.
So is it to be Njet Molotoff or No Popery?
Good to see your recent procedure was a success! Here in the States, all elective surgeries seem to be on hold.
ReplyDeletePositive reinforcement upon finishing a painting task is the way forward, I think. Keep the Lead Pile well stocked in these uncertain times.
I look forward to seeing you run out TaM if that is the direction you decide to take.
Same situation here Jonathan. I thought initially that my op wouldn’t be carried out for months, then less than two days later it was booked for last Tuesday, then cancelled, then a slot became available at another hospital (same surgeon) and I jumped at it. It wasn’t a life threatening condition but a bloody painful one when the ‘attacks’ came. I think having been told to freeze all elective surgery private hospitals (a small part of the UKs secondary health care sector) were allowed to use some capacity depending on local need. Yesterday was probably the last such list for the duration of ‘hostilities’.
DeleteJohn Smith's is also brewed in Tadcaster, and a lot more of it than Sam Smith's. I believe Sam was John's nephew, although I can't be bothered to check.
ReplyDeleteI suppose Seacroft is indeed a suburb of Leeds, but the term gives a very misleading impression of what the place is actually like.
Anyway, I look forward to the battle of the A64.
Does that mean Seacroft is much nicer than other suburbs of Leeds? I must admit I know nothing about the place. I did notice Whinmoor was on Location x3 t’other night and that looked very suburban. Still on the property buying theme I just remembered I nearly bought a house in Seacroft Road, Cleethorpes ten years ago so I suppose it’s fated. Though that fell through so maybe not.
DeleteAs for the rival Smiths of Tadcaster it is very much a case of quality over quantity.
Seacroft is a sort of generic name for a swathe of ex-council estates in East Leeds. Someone told me that the original village green is still there in the middle of Seacroft proper (which lies just inside the ring road), but I've never felt tempted to go and check it out.
DeleteWhinmoor is a bit further out on the A64 on the way to Tadcaster/York and is, metaphorically speaking, on the right side of the tracks.
Soviets look great, I'm afraid I'm unable to comment on Yorkshire geography!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
They look a bit more yellow than they do in reality. I’ve deliberately gone for light shades with these. Something I should have done before with my other small chappies.
DeleteHave a look at Battlegroup rules. Bit like Rapid fire but with added command and control mechanisms:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF2ry7BfKgU
Tony S
Cheers Tone. I’ll have a look.
DeleteThe Soviets I did don’t match up to the standard of the ones you did, but as long as they don’t stand too close they’ll do.