Painting progress

Real life continues to throw up some uncertainty although we now have a date for my wife’s operation in early February. I can find sanctuary in this wonderful hobby of ours and have been cracking on with some painting and have a couple of small games to post up as well.

Catching up first with completed painting.........

Expanding my Cold War Soviets some BTR 80’s troop carriers, for some reason I thought these came without guns but hey ho, very simple Cold War green with some numbers to add detail

A small squad of T72’s to boost the 62’s I already have I am also working on a couple of Helicopters for fun

One of my Christmas presents were a set of 10 mm buildings here is the first comlpeted the rest aren’t far behind

28 mm Norman’s these guys were picked up very cheap and make a nice unit

I had some more Norman infantry which needed finishing off, and rather than waste them I used some spare shield transfers I had, bit more colourful than I might like but .......this was the last of the plastic Norman’s I had, they are ok but I prefer the metal Gripping Beast or Crusader figures so any new infantry units will be them.

Finally this guy had been sat half finished for ages so I sorted his shield out, he promptly died in his first battle 😀

I will hopefully blog a battle soon, thanks for your patience 🙂

Cold War on the Edge of Europe : Cold War Commander

We have had a small European Cold War project running in the background and managed to get two small forces on the battlefield last weekend. Early days so not part of a larger campaign or with any specific historical context. But a small Soviet strike force has broken across the border, a strong British tank force has been sent to counter this aggressive action.

 A squad of Soviet T62’s push across into the security zone

With them are Soviet mobile artillery 2s1’s

In the distance BMP’s carry infantry towards the small village and more T62’s fan our on the right flank

But the advance has not gone unnoticed and British Centurions have already gained the high ground

It seems too easy for them to pick of the Russian tanks which appear slightly outdated !

Worse still for the Soviet commander on the ground a cloud of dust heralds the arrival of a Squadron of Chieftain Mk5’s whilst they come under fire they seem impervious to the Soviet tanks !!

Using the town as cover the Soviets on the right flank push forward towards the copse on the small hill

Following up the Chieftains are British infantry but they are foolishly out in the open and the Soviets call in an artillery strike

Out in the open the infantry are decimated in front of their commanders eyes 😱

Overview of the battlefield, smoke can be seen rising from isolated Soviet tanks which are burning 

Centurions in the Wood continue to exchange fire with the Soviet tanks in the fields below them

Period shot

The Soviets have now made it to the edge of the woods

But they are soon picked off by the Chieftains now in the village

The remaining T62’s duel with British AT rocket launchers but generally get the worst of it

Having been pinned down the Soviet infantry rushes forward into the village

Whilst Soviet long range Spandrel ATGW takes on the centurions at long range

The BMP’s redeploy to support the tanks assaulting through the woods.

At this point the British failed a rally test, due to the lucky strike form their artillery they had already reached their break point. It was pretty much a draw  as the Soviets didn’t have an answer to the british heavy tanks. This was pretty much a test game as we haven’t played much Cold War Commander we got a few things wrong and didn’t really utilise the long range forces correctly, the challenge seems to be using long range weapons but this is tough when line of sight is blocked. I have ordered a few more bits to supplement this little Soviet force and I will then have enough to take on my Americans !