Pegasus Bridge Project Completion

Hello all,

Well - it was crunch time this week and so I decided to take the week off to make sure I completed my project in time for the convention this weekend.  Below are pictures of my Pegasus Bridge setup.  As usual, I took the modular approach to the whole setup.

I've gone with a very basic setup for the whole table, but I did try to add some details and work to round it all out.  I must say I'm really happy I used the 4Ground Pegasus Bridge set.  I added some of the 4Ground light wood chairs and tables to the outside area of Cafe Gondree to give it more of a "Cafe" feel.  I did a custom "main road" using MDF and plaster.

I'm running this game on Saturday from 9am to 2pm ... and I plan to take lots of pictures (of all the games at the convention) ... so at some point next week you'll see my convention report.  Until then, pictures below of the completed setup.

Always more to come!

Trenches (Ironclad Miniatures)

In support of my Pegasus Bridge project I bought a goodly quantity of resin trenches from Ironclad Miniatures.  I have much more than is pictured below, as I picked up enough to do a Brecourt Manor scenario in the future.

When it comes to trenches there are clearly two camps --- those who want them embedded (built-in) in their tables with a more realistic "depth" look, and those who need or want the modular approach.  Since I plan to use these for multiple scenarios, I didn't want the built-in type, so I checked on the modular "above board" trenches that are out there.  I already have a large number of trenches from Armorcast, but those are more "sci-fi" looking IMO and I wanted trenches will a more gradual slope to the tabletop.  I had first seen the trenches from Ironclad Miniatures in use by Adam Clark, and they looked exactly like the type I was after.

So I made the purchase and must admit they are very fine trenches.  The resin arrived very clean and I was able to go straight on to painting and finishing.  I have completed painting up only the sections I need for my upcoming Pegasus Bridge scenario, but I do plan to finish the rest of the sections after the convention.

The trenches I'll be using for the Pegasus Bridge scenario.

Standard 6" straight section with two different
types of end sections - one end trench and
one trench entry.

Team position section with trench end section.

A short straight section - 3" in length.  Ironclad
sells a few different versions of the short - this
one I really like because of the side with the
built up sandbags.

With 28mm Warlord British Airborne troops
for size comparison.

I use 60mm round bases for my MMG (and similar) teams
which fit perfectly in the appropriate trench sections.

For the base dirt look I used four colors.  I primed the sections using Armory Black spray primer.  I then drybrushed the sections using GW Rhinox Hide, then Steel Legion Drab, and lastly Karak Stone.  For the grey stones I used Foundry Slate Grey (32A, 32B then 32C).  For the stand bags I painted them with GW Steel Legion Drab, then I drybrushed them with Zandri Dust followed by Karak Stone.  A little white glue for the static grass as the last step and done.

I was also able to add the crew into the 5cm AT gun position.  The officer is just using the base that  he is molded with as if I base him on the normal bases I use the figure will not fit around the AT gun.  I've attached the gunner to the gun frame as the seat and support is part of the figure.

That's all for now --- and as always, more to come.

British Airborne (Bolt Action)

I've just finished up the basing on my British Airborne (more kudos to Artmaster Studio for their always excellent work) that will be used for my upcoming Pegasus Bridge game I'll be running at CelestiCon.  Things are coming along nicely --- my trenches from Ironclad Miniatures arrived yesterday and are spectacular (doing those next).  I've also started putting the finishing touches on the bridge board/river sections.  I still need to base Cafe Gondree ... and do a few other odds and ends ... but I'm on track to be done before the convention.

Nuff talk ... onto the pictures ...

Officer + 2 men
(Can use the radio operator as a spotter
for the medium mortar team)

Medic

Light Mortar Team

PIAT Teams

Sniper

Medium Mortar Team

MMG Teams

1st Infantry Section

2nd Infantry Section

3rd Infantry Section

I'm really happy with this addition to my Bolt Action collection ... more to come!

75mm AT Gun Position (Pegasus Bridge Scenario)

Ok, pulled a late night here and finished up the 75mm AT gun position. This is the model that is available with the Warlord Pegasus Bridge set ... I sold most of my set in favour of the 4Ground set ... but kept the key parts that I know 4Ground was not going to produce.

I magnetized the gun itself so I can freely turn it and remove it if necessary (to fit the crew or remove it as destroyed).  I used a three colour grey for the cement (Foundry "Granite" series).  Finished off the base as I normally would with a little static grass and some highland tuffs from Army Painter.  I used Vallejo model colour paints to do the gun itself and the camo green.  Pictures below.

The gun is magnetized so I can remove it or swivel it freely.

That's all for now folks!

Horsa Glider (Pegasus Bridge Scenario)

I've finish up my Horsa Glider that I'll use for my Pegasus Bridge Bolt Action scenario.  This model and it's base will serve as a jump off point for the British Airborne at the start of the game.  Although it may be difficult to see in the photos, I used plaster to put "scuff marks" into the base to show that it was "glided" over by the Horsa Glider.  The landing gear has been ripped off and left somewhere behind the glider so it is not visible on the model.

The model is the 1/72 Horsa Glider that is available from Warlord Games (made by Italeri).  Yes, it is technically more 20mm ... but it works and takes up just the right amount of space on the table.  I was tempted to get the glider from Grand Manner ... however it is both larger and more importantly much more expensive than the 1/72 version shown here ... and it works for what I want to use it for.

In addition to the glider, I was able to finish basing the telegraph poles that I'll be using for the scenario.  They are from 4Ground - I cut down the MDF base that comes with them and mounted them to washers to make them steadier on the game table.  Nuff said ... pictures below ...

I'm just putting the finishing touches on the 50mm gun position ... and I have lots of British Airborne to finish basing ... so more to come.

Pegasus Bridge Project Update

Hello all,

I've been making good progress on my Pegasus Bridge project that I'm working on for CelestiCon (this labour day weekend).  If you are in the SF Bay Area (or driving distance) - I hope to see you at CelesiCon - come play in my Pegasus Bridge game ...

My British Airborne army is painted --- and just in need of basing.  I'll be doing that late next week if all goes to plan.  The British Airborne forces I'll be using for the scenario is as follows (all classed as Veteran):

• 1 x Airborne Officer
• 1 x Airborne FOO (Air)
• 1 x Airborne Medic
• 1 x Airborne Sniper Team
• 2 x Airborne PIAT Teams
• 1 x Airborne Light Mortar Team
• 1 x Airborne Medium Mortar Team
• 2 x Airborne MMG Teams
• 3 x Airborne Infantry Section (3 x SMG, 1 x LMG, 6 x Riflemen)

I'll post pictures of them once I finish the basing.  I'll also post up the full scenario breakdown (forces, reinforcements, objectives, turns, etc.) once I hash it all out.

I've built the Cafe and Bridge at this point ... so now it is on to the table details.  I'll be using individual trees (have them all - they need to be based), trenches from Ironclad Miniatures, a 1/72 Horsa Glider (1/2 assembled at the moment), the barracks and 50mm AT gun position from the Warlord Pegasus Bridge set, and a custom MDF board set for the river and base for the bridge.  You can see the table layout below ...

This is the scenario map I've put together.

I finished cutting and gluing together the three layers for the river/bridge MDF board.  I'll be filling the gaps between the layers with putty or concrete mix and sanding the banks down so they are smooth to the table edge.  The three layers will give the interior river bank some depth and I'll be using the Woodland Scenics water effects to finish off the river.

I've cut the 3 layers for the river and bridge sections
and they are glue together - once dry I'll
been sanding down the edges.

I'm using three separate sections for the river to make sure I can store it easier - but most of all so I don't get any serious warping in the MDF.  I always paint the bottom of the MDF before gluing it or finishing the top --- this is very effective at eliminating the warping that is common when the top get finished.  The other key thing to do is make sure you use heavy objects to hold down the edges while the top is drying (not the middle though - in fact, I generally put some leftover MDF in the middle of larger boards to make the warp, if any, naturally down towards the table - this means the weight of the model will generally counter any minor warping).

A closer look at the 3 layers - again, I'll be sanding them
down - but also adding filler to make sure it is a
smooth transition to the table surface.

That's it for now ... lots more to come soon as I'm in full assault on this project.

Engagement Around Caen - Bolt Action AAR

Played in a large Bolt Action game yesterday.  Adam Clark (check out Adam's custom Bolt Action projects on his site ... http://adam-clark.com/ - they are outstanding) was kind enough to invite me over to play at his place (thank you Adam!).  Along with two long lost Sacramento based friends Craig Hunter and Tom VanDyke, Tom's brother Bob VanDyke, and two excellent fellow Canadians Eamonn Glass and Rob Bauman who were down from Vancouver, much beer was drunk and it was one hell of a fun game.  The scenario involved a meeting engagement with victory points being awarded for the capture of farms and for destroyed enemy units.

The German strategy included a "feint-in-force" - a term jokingly coined by Adam during the pre-game strategy meeting ... our "FIF" strategy would change three times before games end ... adding to the age old saying "no battle plan survives contact with the enemy" ...

Order of Battle - Germany

Jay White, Adam Clark, Bob VanDyke, and Eamonn Glass played the Germans.

All units are regulars.

4 x Officers

12 x Infantry Sections (2 x SMG, 1 x LMG, 7 x Riflemen)

3 x Panzerschreck AT Teams

3 x StuG III G with Schurzen

3 x Panzer IV L

3 x Panzer III L/M with Schurzen

3 x Panzer III L/M

Order of Battle - British

Craig Hunter, Tom VanDyke and Rob Bauman played the British.

All units are regulars.

4 x Officers

3 x FOO (Artillery)

12 x Infantry Sections (2 x SMG, 1 x LMG, 7 x Riflemen)

3 x PIAT AT Teams

3 x Sherman Firefly VC

6 x Sherman V (75mm)

3 x Cromwells

Table and Setup

We played along the long edge of the table, which was 7.5' wide by 18' long.  Three farms spaced along the central road were worth 3 victory points each, with additional victory points rewarded for each enemy order dice removed from the game.  In order to hold a farm you must have a unit within 3" of one of the buildings in the farm, and not enemy units within 3" of any of that same farms buildings.  Units moved onto the table in the first turn.  A picture of the table is below.

The game was to go 6 turns, with players rolling a 4+ to continue to a 7th, then possibly 8th turn.  Victory points would determine the winner.

The table - 3 farms (3 VPs each), a central road, and
some forest/bocage on each side.

The Game

The game lasted 7 turns and victory went to the British.  The Germans at the end of the game had secured 1 farm and destroyed 10 enemy order dice.  The British held a single farm and had destroyed 11 enemy order dice by the end of turn 7.  One farm was hotly contested at the end of the game.  The Germans attempted to contest the central farm on turn 7 but just couldn't bring enough to bear on the occupying British units to get it done.  An additional turn may have shifted things back into a draw or perhaps with some good rolling a German win, but it was not to be.

The many pictures below should tell most of the story ...

The "ghost" of Craig Hunter is against the wall ...
the effects of moving during an exposure ... or
perhaps it was Craig who was exposing himself?? ;-)

The hill turned out to be an excellent position
to keep our tanks hull down against the British tanks.

One VC down ... 2 to go ...

These forces would secure their farm and start
to turn towards the central farm ... but not soon enough.

A smaller allied force meant to slow up the Germans
at the farm that was captured.

We (the Germans) made destroying the Firefly VC's a
priority --- we took out 2 of 3 ...

My StuGs struggled against the British armour ...

A tempting target for an artillery barrage ... or three ...

Adam's Panzer III's advanced to work on taking out
Craig's Cromwell tanks so he could further secure the farm
on his end of the table.

Proof ... Tom is a shifty guy ... ha!

This farm fell securely into German hands ...

British infantry massed around the central farm all but
guaranteeing they would secure it.

Desperate and bloody fighting occurred for this
farm - which would remaining contested at game end.

My beer is reaching concerning levels here ...

The Panzer III feels the heat against advancing British
infantry and PIAT teams.

The pins started adding up against the German armour ...
three artillery barrages helped make that possible.

The British right flank collapsed ...

Making a move to contest central farm - but to late,
the game ended before the Germans could get significant
forces in place to contest it.

This last Cromwell attempted to context the farm on the
German left flank ... but it would fall to an infantry assault.

That's all for now!