ANZAC day 2017 Remembering the fallen

ANZAC day 2017 

  

  In remembrance. For 1915, 1916, 1917, and 2017

  and for all the sacrifices before and after  for those who went and served, those who came back, and those who did not

  Lest we forget.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon ( For the Fallen)

This is war, General, But not as we know it!

This is war General! But not as we know it...

Rift tech runs riot ! At Schloss Wolfenschwanz the evil German Scientists have been creating all sorts of horrific forms of wunderwaffen (wonder weapons)

From slavering werewolves (Schreckwulfen) to the hybrid human/bat/reptile Nachtjaeger to rift-tech weapons and Ubersoldaten.

Even the ordinary doberman was not spared, modified into vicious semi-robotic dogs, they stream out of the lair of Darkness.

A spearhead of Yankee soldiers stumble upon this nest of vipers. Taken aback by the sheer horror of what faces them, they never the less press forward; not shy to put their own rift-tech to the test.

"Crank up the Teslas, Captain!"

American forces advance through a snow storm high in the German Alps

To stumble upon a citadel of evil - castle of Schloss Wolfenschwanz, where German scientists have been meddling with the occult, reanimating dead soldiers, and modifying them to fight the Amis.

Rift tech has also added new impetus to the wunder-waffen program with Kampflaufer (War walkers) now available to most Panzer and panzergrenadier units, making the faithful PzKfw V Panther almost obsolete. 

The castle garrison is supported by a Kampflaufer mech sporting an 88m gun and a barrage of nebelwerfer rockets.

The newly equipped units of heavy infantry now avail of Luftfaust (Also known s Fliegerfaust) heavy anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems; and tandem mounted MG 42 guns, giving them immeasurable clout as infantry.

Through the mists loom the first of the American armoured units: Sherman and Pershing tanks modified to carry the new Tesla cannon

Nachtjaeger appear on the castle ramparts, signalling the unleasing of the schreckwaffen (shock/horror weapons)

Undead SS troops, still carrying their weapons

and Schreckwulfen, that stream out of the castle gates, rabid with blood lust

Rift-tech recoilless guns at the ready to take on the Amis. 

Who would even have thought that you could some day shoulder an 88!

The Krankenwagen (Ambulance) warms up its engine. The Amis will provide the Herr Professor with many new corpses to experiment on. The next lot will have to face their own undead countrymen!

The German Army as the US has never seen them before. So they thought the war was over...

Lightly armoured Falschirmjaeger

Heavy Infantry with super heavy weapons

Rift tech phasers

Mind you though, the Gods of War have been even-handed. The US has its own rift-tech innovations.

"Tell me about it, Captain!

" Our Firefly paratroopers  are about to take flight. They will scale those castle walls with ease!"

"And we have our own walkers, sir!"

"The Jackcal can jump with the fireflies. "

"Imagine their surprise when this baby lands inside their walls!"

"...and we have support from heavy mortars"

"Our special weapons teams bristle with Super-bazookas and flamethrowers. 

We'll fry those undead critters"

 I am loving how I can now integrate my Dust Tactics figures and armour with my Bolt Action to play Konflik 47. Just relishing it! 

Developing a weird war horror castle siege scenario. Looking for 3 more players. I'm happy to play either side, as I have troops for both. Any takers?

Conflict about Konflikt,Dust to Dust, Weird WW2 gaming we must

Conflict about Konflikt, Dust to Dust, Weird WW2;  gaming we must !

Konflikt 47: US Walker first vehicle off the rank

On Dust (Dust tactics/warfare ) and Konflikt 47:

A (slightly dated post I wrote about a month ago) Discovered it unposted today.

I've always loved the Weird WW 2 genre. Was very excited when Battlefront took on the Dust Studios'  Dust tactics and Dust Warfare. Only to see it turn to custard. Or dust. Whichever you prefer.

US Light walker painted up

Anyhow, not a lot of players for Dust around either, but I have 2 starter boxes and expansions sets sitting on the shelf.

The idea of an alternative ending to WW2, and alternative outcomes to great battles has always tickled my fancy. First stumbled across the SF Gem by Philip K Dick Man in the High Castle back in the late 70s or early 80s. The book contemplates an alternate history in which Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan won World War II. This book contained an example of "alternate-alternate" history, in that one of its characters is the author of a book depicting a reality in which the Allies won the war (Philip Dick is, of course famous for writing Do Androids dream of electric sheep?; which was made into one of my favourite movies ever, Blade runner)

Anyhow, back to the Weird WW2. I lamented the fractuous DS-BF relationship and kickstarter that was Operation Babylon, that only started shipping this year.

And then came Konflikt 47! Yay!

Bolt Action with Zombies! Bring it on!
So then, why the Conflict about Konflikt?
The conflict is not about playing ! Nooo. Just where to post it. Is it fantasy or WW2 gaming ?
A bit of both, so maybe I'll put the post on both!

Konflikt Zombie, once off its (large) base actually size up well w standard 28mm

Dust Ubertoten Zombie MG42 gunner vs BTD BAR Gunner for size

(Crappy phone photos, sorry)

So here goes. Bought an American started set of Scott Bowman, our local purveyor of miniature goodness here on the Kapiti Coast. Scott has a pharmacy that is rapidly being crowded out by a growing line of gaming goodies. If you don't know about it yet, here is the link. Friends of the Hobby Corner

So the starter set was soon followed by the German Schreckwulfen and Nachtjaeger. Dusted off them Dust minis, coat of paint for them all, and last night we let the dogs out!

Civil war behind the German lines. Mine was predominantly an SS platoon, with the undead guys in tow. Stars of the night turned out to be the Zombies, who lurched out of their Hanomag and ground down the opposition. Learning curve for us both on the Schreckwulfen and Nachtjaeger. They are not assault units. Do not attack a full unit of assault gun armed Heer head-on. I see the function of these units probably more like light cav. in WHFB, attack and harrass the flanks, take out artillery and MGs. Definitely bigger units. The zombies are  a great hammer unit.

Nachtjaeger piling into IG 33. Great arty hunters.

 

 

 

Scott's spinne advancing on my Falschirmjaeger

Raking them with 20mm autocannon

While the zombies pile out of their Hanomag, and advance relentessly on the tomato patch kids

...brains, brains...

...tomatoes, tomatoes, mmm.

Progress on the table: 19th Century Brits, Mahdists and Bolt-action,also some terrain all happening simultaneously!

Victoria's Little wars: 

Brits in the Sudan, and Bolt Action. Strange bed-fellows

On my painting/modelling table at the moment:

Perry's Sudanese Mahdist Ansar warriors

Squaring up to the British colonial troops. The Ansar are mostly done now, bar basing and highlights

While the brits have only had under coat, base coat and flesh base done

"Here they come, lads!: Let 'em have it!"

"Bismillah! Alah-u Akbar!"

Production line in action

Different historical periods mingling in friendly fashion whilst drying

...or less friendly fashion. Salah- al Din being unhorsed (and de-handed ? ) 

by Viking Hirdmen with greataxes

 

Does anyone else ever imagine the conversation going down?

(For Gottz zake, Hans! Go play viz your flamezrover somevere else! Can you not zee zat det Hauptmann is plannink ze next attack? )

Und how vood ve get zere? Der Hanomag is ztill being painted! And it has kein Ketten!

I say, old Chap! Coming along nicely, what? Spiffing! 

 Terrain for Bolt Action: 

Having been mildly embarrassed with my lack of suitable terrain for modern , well 1940s, gaming in 28mm, I immediately sallied forth to rectify the situation

 I quickly dug out my (now) obsolete 40K terrain, and fantasy terrain, and rapidly brought these into the 20th century. A couple of EWAR french houses and shops, some 20mm railway layout bits and a few pot-scourers, and away we go...the makings of a semi-ruined French village!

In this snap it looks MOSTLY ruined

But the bus-service is still running... Picked up some great pre-painted Corgi and Solido civilian period vehicles in approximately the right scale off Trade Me. 

At the best of times I find it a bit of an issue with Warlord's figures being at 1/48 and their vehicles at 1/56 ! So these little buses are 1/50. Close enough, I think 

While the Corgi US Command vehicle at 1/43 may just be a tad to big. 

Half-painted Heer stopping in for Gipfel und Kaffee (Coffee and Croissants) at the Patisserie 

 

Take a bit of old fantasy stuff, paint the floors, weather a bt

some EWAR stuff and scratch-built stuff, a HO/OO train platform...

40K, Mordheim, LOTR and EWAR bits coming together to form a ruined village and Eglise. Well, almost more like Monte Cassino, or the Vatican, by the time I was finished!

Now for some roads, of course, both tarred and un-sealed:

Out comes the crack filler. In-between we put in a bit of work on the Sudan.

PVA wood glue and sand

Dry overnight, paint and Voila!

 Within a day or two we have roads, the Germans have retreated to the other side of town, 

Or have they?

Opel blitz trucks are seen parked outside the ruined farm-house, as is a German staff-car

These Blitz trucks are the elongated version.

Some advance cautiously 

While the bazooka team

and sniper team move into position

The French doctor sighs. The ambulance will again be needed. 

All to soon...

...while back on the work bench a PzIV and a Hanomag are taking shape. 

Typical German engineering. Taking forever.