First up was a box of Flames of War Typhoons to add to my commando force. These came courtesy of Wayland Games.
I must admit, the recent Remembrance day on 11th November got me thinking about all things WWII again, and I started flicking through my FoW rulebook and supplements again. I have never fully got to grips with the rules having only had a handful of games, widely spaced apart. My last one was probably over a year ago when Simon McBeth offered to show me the ropes over at the Hutt club. So yep I've probably forgotten whatever I learnt back then...
Not wanting my German forces to feel left out [and to give my typhoons something to fire at ;-)], I got some goodies for them too, from Mealstromgames; SdKfz 251/D and Panzer IV's from the Plastic Soldier Company. I've read good reviews of these new plastic kits and they are great value for money I think compared to the Resin/Metal style of figures.
I decided to add the half-tracks to my German forces to convert my Festungskompanie to Panzergrenadiers, giving me a bit more bang for your buck, with the troops I already have painted up. I also ordered the Panzergrenadier command pack and a bunch of Panzerfausts and Panzershreks to effect this change. Again from Wayland games, just awaiting delivery.
You just never can have enough Panzer support! ;-)
I have also managed to find a local player, or at least someone who has a force ready (bought second hand but as yet untried) who's willing to learn the rules with me, so it will be the blind leading the blind no doubt! Brett is bringing his Yanks over tonight, and I will be holding them off as best I can with my plucky German defenders. The only 15mm buildings we currently have are Bretts African style adobe buildings, so we figured we will use them in a Sicily type scenario... I'll try and take a few pics and write a report afterwards.
Along with the Maelstromgames order also came 3 boxes of WargamesFactory WSS cavalry.
I now have enough WSS troops to create an army for Black Powder with 6 units of 24 infantry, and 3 units of cavalry, so three brigades of 3 units. I'll try and add some infantry guns too and that will complete the set up.
Now of course all this plastic WSS is going to take me an age to assemble and paint before its ready for use, at my glacial painting rate.
So what I thought, and troubled me a little as it is most definitely NOT in the finest traditions of the Kapiti Fusiliers, is to simply assemble and temporarily (blu-tac) base it all, and at least then I can get a game with it, and paint it up as and when I get a chance to do a unit.
The same goes for my back log of Perry ACW and Perry Napoleonic Brits, all destined for Black Powder gaming.
It would mean any Battle Report pictures are liable to full of drab unpainted grey plastic, so I apologise in advance if this occurs.
But at least I'll get to get some games in :-)
So what's your thoughts, do you mind playing with unpainted figures? Is it OK generally, or complete anathema!? Or somewhere in between? ;-)
I'd be hung, drawn and quartered if I dared put out unpainted figs, but needs must as my Nan used to say!!
ReplyDeleteIf I'm just testing out things or learning a new system, I'll use unpainted models. If I'm playing a one of my regular games, I tend to stay away from unpainted stuff. I might take unpainted stuff to a friend's home. I'd never take unpainted models into the local game store. There are already too many people doing that!
ReplyDeleteIf I were to use your scale, it's closer to complete anathema for me... though not totally so.
Hi Scott, having 'been there' this time last year/early this year, all I have to say is "the road to hell is paved..." :)
ReplyDeleteI had to start drawing a line in the sand because we were trying so many different games that it almost seemed like by the time it was painted, we were on to the next thing and never got the fun of playing with fully painted figs! Still - we did it so you're not alone.
I like your choice of FOW force. Fun and a change from the stodgy infantry forces with special rules, backed with x amount of arty and y amount of armour. Armoured Pz Gren is my likely FOW project for next year too, unless the new LW books make Soviets play so differently I get hooked back in. Either way, fun mobile battles are where FOW shines.
Cheers
We've done it before! I can recall two ECW battles where the troops were unclothed just so we could try out the rules!
ReplyDeleteThe more you play, the more inspired you will be to paint (or conversely, decide that a project will go on the backburner until you find a ruleset you like better). It isn't like they won't be painted one day, Scott! And to a high standard. Get them out there and get gaming!
I just aquired a shed load of Americans to join my German stuff for FOW and so has been a hot topic with me as well of late. Looking forward to seeing your stuff posted.
ReplyDeleteChristopher
Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I know its not ideal, but at least I'll be able to try out some gaming I guess on the home front, while I woprk towards getting them painted.
ReplyDeleteWhat made me ask the question is I recall many years ago when gaming 40k, about half of our playing group, rarely bothered to paint thier armies up and it reallly frustrated me at the time when I went to the effort to paint my armies and make terrain, for them just to play with bare metal and plastic with rarely anything painted by the time the next game came around... even though one of them did some great conversions, he never bothered to paint them up...
So I'll play at home as such with the 'naked figures', and avoid putting up pics of grey plastic on the blog!
Thanks again
Scott