Send in the Marines!

Some time ago (five years?) I purchased some 15mm US Marines in the 1941 pattern uniform.  I had just finished painting a USMC E-series rifle company.  I have always liked the early war uniform, but after painting 150+ Marines, I was not enthusiastic about repeating that.

So these miniatures have sat in a box since then and I actually forgot about them.  I happened to pull the box of my shelf to look for something and there they were.  They deserved to be rescued from the limbo of my closet shelves, so I decided to paint them up.

My WWII game of choice is Flames of War (FoW), which does not have any Pacific supplements.  There is a FoW Yahoo group dedicated to WWII in the Pacific, but I have decided to 'build' the unit as a US Army rifle company from the FoW mid-war North Africa supplement.  That way I can use them in  regular FoW games.

So to start off with I will build a company command; two full strength rifle platoons; some mortars and a HMG platoon. 

The figures I have are made by Eureka USA (http://www.eurekaminusa.com/catalog.aspx?c=Wake%20Island%20Marines&cid=258&pageIndex=0).  They are very nice miniatures and I am anxious to get some paint on them.

Tim, they call him...

Here kitty, kitty, kitty...

Played an interesting game of Flames of War yesterday. Both my fellow players were named Frank. Made for an interesting moment of confusion when I said "I'll play on Frank's side". Brit's vs. Germans at I am guessing 2k points a side.

Let me be Frank...nope there are too many of them already... Yeah I am easily amused...

I decided to try my hand at the Brit's (German's can get boring at times). I ended up playing with Frank against Frank. Frank had the British left flank and I the right. Frank was the sole German commander.

Setup - Both sides made errors; Frank and I should have placed more infantry; Frank should have placed more armor.

The Game - Meeting engagement, standard setup, delayed reserves, scattered reserves. I hate scattered reserves, they never show up where you need them, which is suppose is the point. Despite the errors on both sides, us Brit's were ok, tactically.

The one problem was the German schewerePanzer Zug, i.e. Tigers. I love running Tigers... they have a psychological impact out of proportion to their actual effect on the battlefield. The standard way to deal with them is to smoke them, forcing them to move to shoot which reduces their ROF to 1. That simple tactic cuts their effectiveness in half. Problem is...you need something that can penetrate armor of 9/8.

So I am facing two Tiggers with three Shermans (75mm) and three Churchills (6 pdr.). Now the Churchill's armor is almost as good as the Tigers, but the gun is much worse. The math works like this:

Shooting at the Tiger: 10 AT vs. armor 9/8. Firing from the front has no chance of penetration, the best you can to is a bail. With protected ammo, you know he is getting back in on his turn (approx 9% chance of a kill with a side shot under 16").

Shooting at the Sherman: 13 AT vs. armor 6/3? You have to be at long range and roll an armor save of six to survive (approx 50% chance of a kill at long range).

Shooting at the Churchill: 13 AT vs. armor 9/7 (applique armor). Five at long range, a six under 16" will keep you safe (approx 20% chance of a kill at short range).

So...smoke and move...I lost all my tanks... But I held the Tigers off for five turns, and managed to finally kill one - Hurry for our side. Frank was upset... Frank was also happy...

When the surviving Tiger got across the board he ran smack into my infantry (w/piat). The infantry tied the him up for another three turns. At that point Frank had a platoon fall below half strength and auto-failed a company moral test (C-in-C killed in an assault with Frank's tanks).

And that as they say is that. Very tense game towards the end

Thanks to Franks for a good game.

Tim, they call him

Hans? Hans? wo bist du?

Last weekend the forces of Mother Russia and the Third Reich fought to a standstill inside a tractor factory deep in Stalingrad. Everyone was a little unsatisfied with the street fighting rules, so I dug up an earlier (and better I think) version of the rules. See what you think...

Tim, they call him...

Troops in Buildings

Only as many teams as can fit in a room without their bases overlapping can occupy a room at the same time

Openings

• A single door, window or similar opening is only big enough for a single team to fire out of.
• Only one team can occupy or use an opening at a time unless it is wider than one base.

Moving Near the Enemy

• As long as a room is not occupied by the enemy, your teams may move freely within it, even if enemy teams are adjacent to openings into the room.
• A team cannot enter a room occupied by the enemy unless it is assaulting into the room.

Moving in Buildings
Infantry

• Infantry teams may only enter or exit a room at the start of their movement.
• A team must be adjacent to an opening or adjacent to a team that is adjacent to the opening to enter or exit a room.
• Most rooms are less than 6” across; this means you can freely rearrange teams without measuring.
• Infantry in multi-storied buildings, that start their movement in the building may move through openings up or down by up to two floors at the start of their movement.
• All buildings are rough terrain; as such troops cannot move At the Double in or through buildings.
• Cavalry and other mounted infantry must dismount (leaving their mounts outside) to enter a building.
• Troops making Stormtrooper or Avanti moves can enter a building by starting adjacent to an opening just like normal movement

Tanks & Transport

• Most vehicles can only enter buildings through large openings and doors.
• Fully tracked enclosed armored vehicles can drive through normal building walls. Such walls are treated as Very Difficult Going. The vehicle must pass a Skill test to avoid Bogging Down as it passes through each wall.
• Vehicles moving entirely within a building treat the building as Very Difficult Going and must pass a Skill test to avoid Bogging Down at the start of its movement.
• Solidly built industrial buildings are sufficiently tough to render them impassable to all vehicles except through large openings.

Guns

• Man-packed gun teams can freely enter or exit buildings and be taken up stairs and deployed on upper floors.
• Other gun teams may only enter buildings through openings big enough for them to fit through. Any such openings count as Difficult Going for the gun teams.
• Wheeled gun teams may not be taken up stairs; unless deployed there at the start of the game. Any guns so deployed may not move during the game.
• Immobile guns cannot be deployed on upper floors.

Streets & Rubble

• In a street fighting game, roads are classified as Difficult Going within 4” of a damaged building and Cross Country terrain within 12” of a damaged building. If there are no damaged buildings about, roads count as normal.
• Rubble is classed as Very Difficult Going and provides bullet-proof cover for troops hiding behind it.

Entrenching, Loopholes & Mouseholes

Entrenching

• Troops cannot entrench on streets. Troops can entrench in parks and other open spaces

Loop Holes

• Teams can make loopholes to shoot through walls lacking openings by passing a Skill test. They cease to exist if the teams end their turn away from them.

Mouse Holes

• Teams can dig mouseholes through the walls to allow them to work their way from room to room. An infantry team starting the turn adjacent to wall that does not move or shoot, can take a Skill test at the beginning of the Assault step to make a mousehole in the wall
• If the team fails its Skill test, it does nothing else this turn.
• If the team passes its Skill test it makes an opening in the wall. If more than one team succeeds only one opening is made.

The successful team can use this opening to:

• move through to the next room. If the team does this, any adjacent teams may move through the opening as well. At this point, the mousehole is removed.
• Or Launch an assault into the next room (see Launching An Assault below). Fight the assault as normal. Once the assault is finished, the mousehole is removed.

Pioneer teams re-roll failed Skill tests when digging a mousehole.

Platoon Command in Street Fighting

Teams inside a building are in command if they are:

• in the same room as the platoon command or a team that is in command,
• in an adjacent room connected by an opening to a room that contains teams of the platoon that are in command, or
• adjacent to an opening that has line of sight to a team from the platoon that is outside the building, within command distance and is in command.

Teams outside a building containing there command team are in command it they are:

• in line of sight and within command distance of an opening to a room that contains teas mot the platoon that are in command, or
• within command distance of a team outside the building that is in command

Line of Sight in Street Fighting

Shooting At Troops in Buildings

Line of sight stops at the edge of a building or wall. Troops on the other side of the wall are out of sight unless either team is adjacent to an opening in a wall.

Shooting in a Room

• Teams in a room always count as concealed. They also count as being in bullet-proof cover unless the shooting team is in the same room or is adjacent to an opening into the room.
• Any team that is in a room or adjacent to an opening into the room can see and shoot at any team in the room.

Fields of Fire in Street Fighting
Shooting From Buildings

• Teams occupying an opening in a wall can fire at any target on the other side of a line drawn parallel to the wall (subject to normal field of fire restrictions).
• Teams above the ground floor cannot shoot at teams on the ground adjacent to the wall they are firing from.

Artillery Firing Over Buildings

• Mortars may not fire over a building within 4”. Over 4” they may fire over any building (regardless of height).
• Other Artillery may not fire over a building within 4” or the height of the building, whichever is greater.

Shooting At a Room

• If a heavy enough shell is fired into a room, the walls will contain and concentrate the blast killing or wounding most of the occupants.
• Roll for the effect of the shot on the team that was hit as normal.
• If the hit was from firepower 1+, 2+ or 3+ weapons, the target player rolls a save for every other team in the same room. Any team failing its save, the shooting player rolls on the table below. If they score the roll needed, the blast destroys the team.

Blast Firepower Table
Firepower 3+ needs to roll 6+
Firepower 2+ needs to roll 4+
Firepower 1+ needs to roll 2+
Automatic = Automatic

Pinning Down
Both the original hit and any additional hits scored by the blast on any teams that fail their saves count as hits for the purposes of Pinning Down the target platoon

Artillery in Street Fighting

• To simplify matters artillery bombardments are assumed to land inside or outside the building. If a template is placed on troops outside a building and part of it includes a building, only teams adjacent to the wall openings inside the template can be hit.
• Rather than using a template in a building, assume that the bombardment hits one room to the building. All teams in that room are under the template. Only teams adjacent to openings leading into the room can be hit if they are not in the room.
• If the bombardment has a double-sized template, it hits two side-by-side rooms (chosen by the shooter). If the building only has one room, place the double-sized template over the building so that all teams in the building; any under the template outside the building can also be hit.

Multiple Story Buildings

• An artillery bombardment firing at a multiple story building will hit the room containing the target team and any room directly above or below it.
• If troops being bombarded are in a room that is not on the top floor, add +1 to the score needed on the artillery firepower table for each floor the rounds must penetrate to reach them.

Aircraft in Street Fighting
Aircraft are not allowed to attack targets in a city
Assaults in Street Fighting
Launching an Assault
In order to launch an assault into a room a platoon must have at least one team in an adjacent room connected by an opening to the room being assaulted, or outside the building and within 4” of an opening into the room.
Charge to Contact

• If the defenders have a team adjacent to an opening the assaulting teams cannot enter the room, but must fight through the opening.
• If an opening is undefended, then the assaulting teams enter the room occupying empty spaces in the room. Assaulting teams may not pass through enemy teams to occupy space behind them. They can only occupy spaces then can reach from the opening.

Defensive Fire

• Unless an opening is wider than one base, only one team can fire through the opening.
• If the defensive fire kills an assaulting team, the assaulting player can immediately move adjacent teams to occupy their position.
• If a building is a solid model, assume there is only one opening between rooms.

Fighting in an Assault
Who Fights

• Every enemy team in a room can fight any enemy teams in the same room in an assault.
• Only one team may fight through a doorway or opening unless it is bigger than a base wide.
• Teams must break into a room to gain the space foe more teams to fight. Once a team has broken into a room, another may take its place at the opening and join the fight.

Breaking into a Room
Any team destroying an enemy unit in an assault inside a building may immediately advance to occupy the enemy team’s position
Assaulting up Floors
Teams assaulting up through an opening between floors must re-roll successful rolls to hit.
Defender Checks Motivation

• When a platoon fails a Motivation test to counterattack in an assault, its teams must flee or surrender.
• Teams in a room with enemy teams, where the enemy holds all the exits surrender if their platoon flees.
• Teams in a room that does not contain any enemy do not need to flee, and will not surrender even if the enemy holds all the exits. Instead they remain where they are and the combat continues. The platoon that ‘fled’ does not get to make any attacks in the round that it fled, so play goes immediately to the opponents next counterattack.

Counterattacking

• Counterattacking teams in a building move from one room to the next each time they counterattack.
• Teams moving to counterattack can enter or exit the building through an adjacent opening before moving as for normal movement.

Victory and Consolidation
Victory
The assault ends where there are no defending teams in any of the rooms occupied by the attacking platoon; in any rooms connected by openings to the attacking platoon; or outside the building and within 4” of a ground-floor opening occupied by the attacking platoon.
Consolidation

• Consolidating teams may stay in the same room, move into an adjacent room (on the same or different floor level), or exit the room through an opening and move 4”.
• Teams outside the building, may enter it as part of their consolidation movement if they are adjacent to an opening or a team adjacent to an opening in the same manner as normal movement.

Assaulting Tanks
Tanks may not fire Defensive Fire if it is in contact with an assaulting team that started its assault movement in a building.

"Remember what the general said; we're the cavalry. It would be bad form to arrive in advance of schedule."

My British Airborne group (special order) finally arrived:

I cleaned and based the two company command teams, the observer and the staff teams. By my estimation I have everyone standed or on painting sticks I need for my Airlanding Company. The exception being I haven't bought the Tetrarchs, nor have I bought all of the necessary jeeps I need.

My progress so far:

• Company Command, cleaned, based & primed
• All my Airlanding platoons (4) are all primed and have the flesh painted.
• All (8) 6 pdr AT guns are assempled; primed & base coated in Russian Uniform.
• AT crew, cleaned & primed
• 75mm pack howitzers (4) are drilled out, assembled, primed and base coated in Russian Uniform.
• RA artillery crew, cleaned and primed (observer & staff teams cleaned, primed and based)
• Sniper teams (3), Light Mortar teams (4), PIAT teams (6) & Pathfinder team (1) are primed, basecoated, based and bases textured.
• Mortar section cleaned and glued to painting sticks (Observers based and bases textured)
• MG Section cleaned, based and bases textured.
• Two (three)Objectives have been built and mounted on a textured base.

Not sure how I ended up with three objectives. I guess I will use one to test out my base colors

Tim, they call him...

Whoa there, Hoss!

Or...oh look...a bunny!

Ok...two things

1) I discovered that my assumption about leaving the Denison smocks on my Brit Airlanding guys to last is a BAD idea. Let me say that again... BAD idea. So lets forget I ever said that. Also, I am waiting on some mini's to arrive to complete the company, sooooo...

2) Back in November of '08 I purchased some 15mm AWI (American War of Independence) mini's. I bought some British Legion (Tarleton) Light Dragoons and Infantry and some Colonial 3rd Light Dragoons. I am going to play a game of PAL (Patriots and Loyalists) and was reminded of them. I have decided to take a break from WWII and take a trip in Mr. Peabody's wayback machine some 230 years in the past.

I did one of my painting guides on these guys, but basically:

3rd Continental Light Dragoons; Col. George Baylor's Dragoons; 3rd Legionary Corps, 1781

• Coat - white, white buttons
• Facings - med. blue
• Waistcoat - white
• Breaches - buff
• Headgear - black cap, med. blue turban,white feather
  

British Legion; Tarleton's Legion; Green Dragoons.

• Coat - green, brass buttons
• Facings - black buffs 7 collar, trimed with white lace.
• Breaches - buff
• Headgear - Black Tarleton helmet, green turban, and green plume on the left side.

These guys are very colorful and I think they will be a blast to paint!

Tim, they call him...

Skin game...

Man I hate painting infantry!

I finally got all the skin painted on my Brits. I started using Vallejo's Suntanned Flesh, but it looked to pale. I know these are supposed to be pasty Brit's, but I wanted something darker. I ended up using an old bottle of Ral-Partha flesh, which is a little dark, but covered well. I think I am going to go back with the Vallejo paint and highlight the faces. That will give me some depth on the figures. I think pants and boots are next. I am not just avoiding the Denison smocks camo, but I rather paint them last. Less chance of accidently painting over the smock that way.

Tim, they call him

Decisions, Decisions

I finally decided how I am gonna paint my Brit's. As usual I did some research and came up with a plan. Rather than spray prime in white, grey or black, I glued everyone to popsicle sticks and brush primed them with thinned down (approx. 50%/50%) Vallejo English Uniform. I picked this trick up from a gentleman on the Flames of War forum. So far it looks like a good decision.

I put together one of my painting guides to remind me what I am doing. If you like you can find it here:

http://www.stugiii.com/Brit%20Airborne%20Guide.pdf

Most of the pictures are from http://www.6th-airborne.org/index.html and are used without permission (I asked them, but they never replied to my email).

Tim, they call him...

The British Are Coming!

I spent last night cleaning up the miniatures for my basic Parachute/Airlanding plotoons. The two man teams (Pathfinder, PIAT, Sniper & Light Mortar) I glued to small bases. Everyone else went onto popsicle sticks for priming and painting. So that gives me:

• Company HQ (2 teams; 6 figures)
• Pathfinder team (1 team; 1 figure)
• PIAT teams (6 teams; 12 figures)
• Sniper teams (3 teams; 6 figures)
• Light Mortar teams (4 teams; 8 figures)
• Platoon HQ's (4 stands; 12 figures)
• Rifle/MG teams (18 teams; 90 figures)

Hmmm 6+1+12+6+8+12+90=135 infantry (so far). I suppose I should mention that I hate painting infantry. I hate painting them, but I enjoy playing infantry...even against tanks.

Tonight I will get eveyone primed and maybe start painting the flesh...

I am also going to put together one of my "painting guides" for British Airborne troops.

T

My Insanity Continues...

Ok sports fans... I spent a day going over the D-1 lists and came up with my painting list. Since the internal organization of British Airlanding platoons doesn't change between mid and late-war, I just need to make a few support changes to morph the company from one period to the next.

Late War - British Airlanding Company List

Company HQ

HQ Section

1 Sniper team

Airlanding Platoon

HQ Section

1 PIAT team

1 Light mortar team

3 Rifle Squad (5x teams)

Airlanding Platoon
HQ Section
1 PIAT team
1 Light mortar team
3 Rifle Squad (5x teams)

Airlanding Platoon
HQ Section
1 PIAT team
1 Light mortar team
3 Rifle Squad (5x teams)

Airlanding Mortar Platoon

HQ Section

1 Observer team

ML 3-inch Mortar (2x teams)

Airlanding Anti-tank Platoon

HQ Section

4x OQF 6pdr gun

4x Jeep

Airlanding Anti-tank Platoon
HQ Section

4x OQF 6pdr gun
4x Jeep

Airlanding Battery, Royal Artillery

HQ Section

Staff team

1 Observer team

2x M1A1 75mm pack howitzer

2x Jeep

Airlanding Armored Recce Platoon

3x Tetrarch Light tanks

Total List Cost: 1490

Mid War - British Airlanding Company List

Company HQ
HQ Section
1 Sniper team

Airlanding Platoon
HQ Section
1 PIAT team
1 Light mortar team
3 Rifle Squad (5x teams)

Airlanding Platoon

HQ Section

1 PIAT team

1 Light mortar team

3 Rifle Squad (5x teams)

Airlanding Platoon

HQ Section

1 PIAT team

1 Light mortar team

3 Rifle Squad (5x teams)

Airlanding Mortar Platoon
HQ Section
1 Observer team
ML 3-inch Mortar (2x teams)

Airlanding Anti-tank Platoon
HQ Section

4x OQF 6pdr gun
4x Jeep

Airlanding Anti-tank Platoon

HQ Section

4x OQF 6pdr gun

4x Jeep

Airlanding Battery, Royal Artillery

HQ Section

Staff team

1 Observer team

4x M1A1 75mm pack howitzer

4x Jeep

Airlanding Machine-gun Platoon

HQ Section

1 Machine-gun Section (2x Guns)

Total List Cost: 1480

I will also pick up a Typhoon or two for airpower.

I think I have enough figures to make four airlanding platoons...I can always use the extra to bump up the points or use them as engineers. I could also use the extra teams to swap out the light mortars and field parachute platoons if necessary.

Time to go clean and prep the miniatures...
Tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel...

Tim, they call him...

My Insanity...

In 2007, I started a blog (http://360.yahoo.com/decurion2000) to chronicle the painting of my USMC Rifle Company. It has evolved since then, but I can't help but notice that my Rifle Company is the only Flames of War force that I planed, purchased, painted and finished in a logical and organized manner.

Since then I have painted a lot of miniatures, but it is hit and miss...some bright shiny object attracts my attention and my focus gets distraction is focused elsewhere and my mini's languish unpainted and unloved.

So, I have decided to return to the successful formula and blog my painting progress...or paint to my blogging progress? Either way... Rather than finish some WIP (god forbid!). I have decided to start anew. I have a number of armies worth of unpainted led, so turning to the boxes stored in the "Holy of Holys" I selected my British Airborne troops.

Market/Garden has been one of my favorite campaigns ever since I read "A Bridge too Far" when I was 16 or so. Several years back I started buying British Airborne troops. I now have several pounds worth just begging to be painted...

I began by researching the lists. One thing that quickly became apparent was there was little difference between a mid-war and a late-war force... Goodie! The US Para's underwent a dramatic reorganization leading up to D-Day and it is difficult to morph an mid-war into a late-war force and visa versa.

I started with late-war (that on is on Army Builder). I quickly decided that I wanted to to an Airlanding company rather than a Parachute one. The reason? Support options... The plain truth of the matter is I will be facing tanks (good ones) if I play late war. The airlanding units get better support units. Both airlanding and para platoons are Fearless Veterans (unlike the US!), so I wasn't "downgrading". The only real difference is para platoons consist of a Command team; a PIAT team, and six Rifle/MG teams. The airlanding platoon consists of Command team; a PIAT team, a light mortar team and five Rifle/MG teams. Basically a Rifle/MG team replaced by a light mortar.

I am off to work on my list...

"And you shall have my tanks... Your welcome"

For some reason I have this desire to work on my 15mm tanks...And while I can't imagine where that inspiration comes from, I will give into it...

I have wanted to do my own "How to..." guide for a while...perhaps this is the time.

I have been working on my StuG site (www.stugiii.com) for the past few days...again...I seem to have this inspiration coming from somewhere...

Tim, they call him...

Tim's Review of 15mm Miniatures

Tim's Review of Figures

This is an update of my original 15mm miniature review. I have been looking for some alternative 15mm WWII mini's and would like to share my thoughts. Be aware that these are my personal opinions, so if I have gored anyone's sacred ox…my apologies…

From Left to Right...

#4 - Battle Honors - US Marine Advancing
#5 - Battlefront - US Para
#6 - Old Glory/Command Decision - US Army in Greatcoat
#7 - Resistant Roosters - US Army in Greatcoat
#8 - Peter Pig - US Para

Height (I measured these, the scale in the pic is 1mm off)

• Battle Honors - 13mm
  
• Battlefront - 16mm
• Command Decision - 15mm
• Resistant Roosters - 18mm
• Peter Pig - 15mm

Proportions

• Battle Honors - BH mini's are in proportion for the scale, trouble is the scale is approx 13mm or 86% of what it should be.
• Battlefront - BF uses "heroic" or comic proportions for their mini's. It's like everyone is Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Command Decision - CD's minis are proportioned ok, though sometimes hands and faces are too big.
• Resistant Roosters - RR guys are big. Not only do they measure in around 17-18mm, the proportions are off.
  
• Peter Pig - Pig's proportions are ok, the legs and feet are a little thick sometimes, but they look good.

General Comments

Battlefront (Flames of War) Currently the "Gold Standard". A wide variety, with good poses (ETO only!). These guys are a little on the large side or 'heroic' as they are called. Lots of detail and very dynamic; they are closer to 17mm than 15mm. Some of the early castings are true 15mm and look thin and static compared to the later ones. Nothing wrong with that, but it can look odd when you mix figures. BF's uses a soft casting alloy which makes the mini's easy to convert. The tank & gun barrels are a little thick scale wise, but that is done for miniature strength purposes and doesn't look out of place; perception is reality... They are also a bit pricy; an average tank company will have approx 12 tanks, at $9-$10 each…do the math.

Command Decision/Old Glory - Or WWII at a more economic level. OG has a good mix of poses and a good range of figures (ETO & PTO). I am a little mixed on OG's stuff. The price per mini is very good; foot is typically around 50 for $27 and vehicles three per pack at $21. They frequently run 20-40% off sales, so they are even a better value at times. The consistency between the ranges is mixed. A few fit in very well with BF's "heroic" figures. Others are much smaller and look too small next to BF's but fit well with Peter Pig's mini's.

With a little work their vehicles are just as good as BF's. OG's lead alloy is soft, which is most evident in smaller parts which bend easily (MG's and such). Some of their barrels seem a bit thin...I have noticed this most obviously on their Pz III's and some 37mm Flak mounted on halftracks. I am not sure if it extends to other tanks in the line. In general the newer the mini's are the better the sculpting and larger the size.

I have three big gripes about OG mini’s:

• The boots are often perfectly in scale – ie, they are thin and can snap off easily
• OG vehicles have an annoying tendency to have a mold line running around or through the middle of the model.
• OG models tend to have a lot of flash/molding lines that require cleanup.
  

Resisitant Roosters - Produce Finns, Germans, Japanese and some interesting US (ETO infantry in greatcoats!) in limited scope. These look good on the site, but are disappointing in person (at least the Japanese and US in greatcoats are). The castings are "soft" lacking crisp lines and detail. They may suffer from the 'Gripping Beast syndrome' of looking better painted up than not, so I may correct my first impression after I paint some. They don’t match well with any of the other ranges

Peter Pig (Range 8) I like Pig's miniatures. They cover everything from early war to late war; ETO; PTO; and probably a theater or two I have missed. To me they are the Ral Partha of 15mm. The problem is, like Ral Partha they are true to scale (15mm in this case) and in general the foot don't mix well with other lines. Not too much of a problem if you stick with Pig, but mixing is less than satisfactory. The alloy Pig uses for casting is strong, but can be brittle when you try to bend arms and heads. This is a good thing for MG's and such. Incidentally, Pig's vehicles are a good match for the other lines. Pig also makes heads, so for example you can use British heads with their pie pan helmets on the bodies of US Marines to create early Marines. My one gripe about Pigs mini's is some of the gun barrels on the tanks are a bit thick...

Quality Casting/Battle Honors miniatures – Nice large range that covers both ETO & PTO); QC has some problems, however:

• The infantry are very small at 13-14mm (the vehicles are in scale)
• They are a little pricy (three vehicles for $29)
• Castings in general not as good as OG and more expensive.
• Some of QC’s vehicle castings are very poor representations of their originals.
• For some reason QC's tires are only one sided (the back is smooth). Not a real problem on trucks and such, but it looks bad on towed AT guns.
  

Conclusions

The Good
If I buy more troops they will be either Battlefront or Peter Pig. Both have great detail and a wide range of figures. It is unfortunate that the figures don't mix well. BF's are more heroic and PP's less so. So in most cases it is all BF or all PP...CD/OG can mix well with PP, but not BF.


The Not so Good...
CD/OG figures are good in a pinch, the price is right and you can afford some bad castings. They also make some teams and accessories that are hard or impossible to find from other manufacturers ranges, I also find that if you want to put crew in vehicles (fighting from half-tracks, etc), CD/OG is the way to go...


The Bad...
Battle Honors/Quality Casting (They are the same) There is no reasons to use these figures. Maybe if you got the whole company for free...maybe. The figures are small and not particularly well sculpted. They don't mix well with anything else...DON'T GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT...I don't mean to be so vitriolic about it, but I have been burned twice on these guys...It has been an expensive lesson and I am a bit annoyed

And the Ugly...
Resistant Roosters, I just don't know where to go here. I have seen a number of examples from two different lines and they just don't cut it. The web site shows them off nicely, but I was shocked when I got my order from them. They are too big; the sculpting is was below standard; the proportions completely off. I don't know how else to put it.

Remember these are my opinions...feel free to disagree and by all means comment!

Web Resources

Size Comparisons

Article on 15mm and "large" 15mm figures
http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~trochim/articles/15mmNap.pdf

For 25's – 28's
http://www.warflag.com/shadow/cast/figuresize/figuresize1.jpg

Where to buy:

BattleFront/Flames of War
http://www.thewarstore.com/battlefrontflamesofwarwwii.html

Command Decision/Old Glory
http://www.warweb.com/old-glory-15mm-world-war-c-70_138_1417_413.html

Resistant Roosters
http://www.thewarstore.com/resistantroosterswwii.html

Peter Pig
http://www.brookhursthobbies.com/Peter%20Pig/peter_pigR8.htm

Quality Casting.Battle Honors
http://www.warweb.com/quality-casting-wwii-c-70_153_420.html

Entry for December 27, 2006

So Christmas has passed...I don't know about you, but it seems like it was a "driveby" Christmas. Maybe I have too much to do to notice these things. Note to self, increase lithium dosage.

Tonight I rummaged around in my garage and found some FoW bases. I decided to get ambitious and clean up the scouts and Hmg teams and base them. Two episodes of "House" later and I have the scouts & mg's cleaned up; their bases filed flat; stands scored and everything glued where it should be (not counting my fingers).

I wasn't too happy with the look of the fig's at first (I have to admit I am picky about that). But the more I look at them, the more I like them. I think with the right paint job and basing they will look nice. Now I just have to find someone who can do that...I wonder what Bruce would charge?

Tim, they call him