Cityscape Terrain Board part II

I was a bit jealous on Saturday hearing everyone else on WhatsApp getting on with projects but I managed to find some time on Sunday and Monday in my all new workshop!  Also, I ordered some ruined buildings from Gamecraft (looking forward to seeing Mark's Stalingrad factory) and thought I should get ahead with the base boards for the cityscape.

I was aiming for an effect that looked like a fought over urban area with dust and debris subtly turfing up the desert ground but blending into my other boards.  Generally, desert scenics require a consistency regardless of the ground type but I wanted something a little more dynamic for our urban fights.  I thought I would make one 1'x2' section with separate town sectors to see if I could achieve the "look" and create something to game on and try out a few rules ideas.

The base boarding using a 1'x2' section alongside two other boards.  This would be an urban strip within one half of a standard operational board. 

The same board giving a variant on the above set up.  Of course, I could use three boards and make the entire table urban.  But one section could be open cultivated simulating debris with some visibility limitations (like a marshalling yard) whilst another section could be more difficult ground like woodland simulating a variety of light destroyed buildings..  The third section only may  contain buildings.  This would give maximum flexibility.

Added town sectors blend in with the background and allow infinite variations.  I just need to add buildings to complete the overall look.

I'm quite happy with the finished result, and for me, it didn't take very long.  I will knock up another one or two boards but I think I will need more town sectors - Mark do you have any more wardrobe panels?

Just waiting for the delivery of my ruined Mid-East buildings and I will post more pictures.

Modular terrain boards

Following on from Ian's post I'm looking at the idea of a modular city scape for WW2 Eastern Front (Stalingrad of course but also could double as Leningrad, Sevastopol and pretty much any city on the Eastern Front.

Following Mark's suggestion I think 2' x 2' boards is the way to go.  This way different city sectors can be fought over simply by altering the boards.  So the modular elements can include riverside, commercial sector, residential sector, industrial sector, parks and recreational areas, small lakes, railway sidings and station etc. etc.  (and also the Mamaev Kurgan - the hill that dominated Stalingrad.

I'm going for 3mm mdf for the bases as they a) are cheap (£9 for an 8 x 4 board cut to size into 8 squares by B&Q) b) take paint etc really well c) are fairly light for transport and d) doesn't tend to warp

There are a  number of things to consider though (and feedback is welcome).

a) Do I do them for Winter War or keep the bases more generic (i.e. no snow or ice).  Or do a set for Winter and a set for other seasons.

b) Do we glue and fix the buildings in place on each board  OR mark out spaces for them to be placed into (I'm thinking about transportation and them getting knocked about)

c) Consistency - by which I mean all edges of all boards should fit seamlessly so the same paint / talus / finish should be use on all boards.  This means one person handling that element otherwise the boards will look unconnected.

d) How much area does it need to cover?  What size city should we be aiming for (bear in mind that Stalingrad is / was like Liverpool - a long, flat city several miles long but only a couple deep.  So do we need enough module elements to cover 1,2 or 3 6x4 tables?

Feedback welcome!

ACW thursday

Another night of ACW using a point system this time.

Union trying to take a winter quarters town from the Confederates

 Objective town

 Rebels in forward defences

 Right wing union forces confident their commander had a plan

 Left wing union forces, artillery will cover the advance.

 Right wing still has a plan

 Rebels head out to contain the union

 Left wing making some headway

 Right wing uses plan B 

except there was no plan B

 Rebels crumbling as the union go in strong

 Union reinforcement appears top right trying to outflank rebel position

Still no plan!

Another good game Jon 

next time no rivers please

Cityscape terrain board

Inspired by Mark's game from a few weeks ago and my new "workshop" facility, I have begun experimentation on new city boards.  Phil's posting on his personal blog has also thrown up some ideas.

I am taking the 1980 siege of Koramshahr from the Iran-Iraq War as my inspiration as I want to use a devastated city in the desert and integrate this with my existing boards.  I can also use them for Tobruk, future battles in Tunisia and, when I have my mountains finished, I may use them for a Monte Cassino scenario.

Mosul after last years fighting - this is what I want the base boards to represent.

My current thinking is to create a base board that blends into the surrounding desert boards but has more blacks, greys and light beiges to simulate more intensive fighting, urban material etc. The whole board would represent broken ground or rough ground.

On top of these I would place variously sized urban sectors, more intensively coloured with extra debris.  Troops would move from them and into them as in the spearhead rules.

Any suggestions always welcome!

Thursday night ACW

Just some pictures of Thursday nights clash of grey v blue

 Union columns march to the sound of the drum

 Grey and blue tussle in the woods

Blues giving ground as the Greys push

The wide swinging cavalry column finally gets into play

Nice game Jon

Looking forward to this week

WW2 city fight

Thursday nights game 

Spearhead WW2, 2x American infantry battalions ( regular) with Sherman tanks as escorts, German 3x volksgrenedier battalions (green) with 2 Hertzer tank destroyers.

The idea was to just play a meeting engagement game and hash out any inner city rule additions that we felt suited the game

Americans entering from the bottom, with the Germans entering from the top

 Slow approach by the Americans would cost them, they didn't get much further than the first line of buildings.

 Germans on the other hand advanced boldly to take up forward firing positions

 Firefight ensues.

German battalions have 3 platoons of rifles and 6 of SMG.

the SMG might be good for close combat but at only 3" range struggle to add to the firefight

 3rd German battalion uses the centre city blocks to advance and split the Americans

 End game

Germans have taken the centre block, numbers are beginning to tell 

Rule additions for city boards

1. All town sectors are classed as villages with a -1 to hit

2. stepping from one sector to another within a block takes a full turn

3. Units can step out of a sector into open or step into sectors from open but not both on the same turn.

4. Indirect fire is not very effective, it is 11/12 for less than 150mm and 10-12 for 150mm and over.

5. Sector capacity is based on the longest edge of that sector, so a 4"x 3" sector would have a capacity of 4 units. A city block may be made up of single or multiple sectors .

A good game Gents 

a different game again showing that green troops in numbers can hack it.

city boards are another place to let your design instincts flow with the addition of parks industrial sectors etc and a good colour board it makes for a challenging game.

Has Jon Gone Missing in Action

To quote Ian ,'real life' is getting in the way of my war gaming at the moment with work and family conspiring to deny me the pleasure of watching Mark bugger up yet another plan. That being said, my 'free' time has not gone completely unproductive. My painting room has undergone a major overhaul and is now the calm ,organised workspace I have always wanted.

On the figure side I have based the fifty stands of Napoleonic Russians that my 'painting friend' sent me. With the exception of a few touch ups to faces and hats it I had very little to do other than the basing which took most of an afternoon and I am really pleased with the results.
I have already commissioned  thirty seven stands of ACW Union Infantry (adds another full Corps to the Union OOB) and fifteen stands (3 Brigades) of Russian Dragoons this month with Confederate and Union Cavalry, Confederate Infantry, and more Russian Line bagged up and ready to go. I meanwhile have been painting up three Brigades of Russian Cuirassiers and some Russian Artillery plus units of Modern Germans.
 I have an order with Pete @ Baccus for some Russian Grenadiers, Jagers and Hussars and a new order to go in this month for some Bavarians, Cossacks, Austrians, Wurtemburgers and Saxons plus more ACW . Since the French armies are massive I have also decided  to help Russ out and will be adding some French units to my collection soon.
In short chaps I am drinking lots of coffee, have the impetus and I'm not stopping.

Massed Ranks of Russian Line