US Infantry ready to roll

Finally got all the US painted ready to roll. I have a Battlegroup Command, 2 observer teams with jeeps, Jeep recce, Engineer section in 2 light trucks, 2 50 cals, 2 81mm mortars, 3 60mm mortars, 3 30 cals, sniper, 2 platoons of infantry and a jeep medic.

KGN terrain pics

Pictures of my Normandy terrain, showing farm complex, some orchards and several cornfields. Hedged roads and 2 high banked hedges/bocage

                                  Overview of the terrain, taken up astep ladder looking down.

                                  The following pics taken at 90' quarters to table - 6ft by 4ft

I think its  a busy table, but not to busy, and obviously can be moved around to different configurations. It is missing the windmill though, but the purpose is to show off the terrain. From pictures of the countryside around St Lo, and descriptions from Glover S Johns book - The Clay Pidgeons of St Lo, fairly accurate.

Hedges, fields and roads

Hedges and accompanying hedge lined roads have been completed, with gaps for access to fields or junctions for other roads. I have angled segments and a few junctions to make - 3 junctions. Will post a pic of a hedge/road layout. I have also completed a farm complex - actually an old Airfix La Haye Sainte, and an accompanying windmill. The large manor house has been sold to a club member as it was really out of scale.
I will also be trying to make gates for gaps that will not be used for road access. Trees are also in the pipeline, bought in from china. The problem with these are the bases, and the securing of the trees to  them as they are made from wire that really need a collar to support them without totally taking over the base.

KGN games at Ilchester

Organised a KGN game at Ilchester, 2 US platoons and armour against 1 German platoon and a small amount of armour. No details really as the game wasn't as great as I lead myself  to believe but I do have 3 photo's. In short, I tried too much with inexperienced players, and I count myself in that category. I couldn't give definitive replies/rulings to situations, so the play slowed right down. It was to be a learning exercise, and it did prove to be that! You need to start on a much smaller scale, and if possible keep to a single combat arm, i.e. infantry, or tanks only.
This was the basis for a very sucessful infantry action 2 weeks later, 2 US platoons advancing to secure a farmhouse and hedgeline defended by a German platoon. The main point drawn from this is that by the end of the game, the players were familiar with the concepts and mechanisms of the rules and were able to conduct actions on their own. I did give a small talk about what the rules allow you to do, visibility, actions, movement and shooting, before the game commenced.

US advance to small stream, armoured infantry debussing to advance, with armoured recon taken out by panzerfausts on road, US armour being engaged at long range by 2 panthers.

The germans had a section in the house, the orchard on the far left, the hedges between, and a pak 40 at the right side of the house.

The US tanks pounded the house, knocking out the pak, but unable to affect the infantry, and in turn took a pounding from the 2 panthers.

It wasn't a great game, but lessons were learnt. The second game at Ilchester was by far better as it flowed smoother, and the scope was much more limited/concentrated. No pics though.

KGN goes critical at South Somerset

Well, i've gone and done it. I have arranged  an introductory game of KGN at the club for this Thursday. I have done my US and have enough Germans to field opponents, and have 2 players set to play with me as umpire/moderator. I will have the camera with me, and pics will follow.

The Workbench

Hoping to clear the Tiger off the workbench and the remains of the Late War US as well. Pics to follow as well

Dutch KGN 1940

I have got hold of some Dutch 1940 figures, and after raising the subject on the Guild forum, have found a number of people who kind of agree with me about the ' rightness ' of playing Dutch. I got a  lot of help with  suitable figures for them as well. I will try and get them painted up and put up pics.

Christian Nubian latest shock

In an attempt to go 3 and 0 against Hundred Years War English, the Nubes went down in flames. A very good game, and it was on a 5ft table, so I can qualify the loss, but they suffered by the fact that the English ran across the table as fast as they could to engage the Nubians. Well done the english.

Martin has arranged another rematch- but with New Kingdom Egyptian, and I will be tweeking the list slightly to change the Bedouin Lancers for Nubian Light spear horse.

Christian Nubians - 2 and 0

I have been playing with the Nubes, and surprisingly have got 2 striking wins against Martin playing with 100 years war english. The Nubes have a second rematch this coming thursday, and are just playing it cool.

The Nubes would have been my choice at PAW, but thats life. They are really quite fun to play, and seem to be remarkably resistant to my ineptitude. I really feel I have found my mojo again, my new Thracians.

I have also now got a Late War German KGN platoon finished so can use at last.