The well (Black Grom Studio)

I am still waiting for Hetzer model to come (together with some other bitz to be used as Bolt Action terrain features) but as I'm trying to keep myself busy in every aspect of life - I've managed to cross off pair of wells from Black Grom Studio from shameful yet-to-do list.

I got these models few years back and must admit I totally forgot about them until I started looking for materials for the big forest few weeks back. Getting them done took like two evenings - most of the time took drying (pva glue, oil washes etc). These are pretty small terrain features, surely not as eye-catching as bunker for example, but in my opinion all those small bits add lots of character to the battlefield - especially in WW2 settings. I mean all those wrecked cars, barrels, oil drums stocks etc. 

Apart from fact wells look just cool and provide water supply for locals (or Dagon cultists in this particular case) they are big enough to provide solid cover for snipers, spotter, artillery observers and all other pain in the ass models staggering on the battlefield. Hope to see the on the battlefield on the next match. Some scale shots below:

The wells sauté - once again I can only recommend Black From Studio stuff 😊

And if you like wells, human tears and songs - Carpathian Forest recorded something which fits the mood perfectly... Merry blue Monday!💀

Boccage

When it comes to Bolt Action in my opinion what makes the games pop, are dense battlefields: with all those buildings, roads, fields, trees etc. So when I was starting my Bolt Action adventure I tried to build some trees and hedges to protect my trusty GIs from enemy's deadly gaze. This was actually my first attempt to create such terrain, and after several years of using is looks like crap: foliage is falling off and bushes flattened so they lost lots of combat value. Not mentioning it looks just bad.

So some time ago I decided to build something much more battle damage resistant. The hedges below are assumed to represent boccage which is almost impenetrable obstacles from Normandy battlefields. These are based on thick sponge covered with several layers of modelling flock and grinded sponge. Not sure it looks realistic but thank to more-less same size it's just great for gaming purposes. Might build several more to have enough green walls to place homestead or ploughfield within them. Models presented for scale purposes. 

The buildings used are from Black Grom Studio - I can definitely recommend that manufacturer! You can see some close ups of building I've assembled here. Take care!

Below you can see old terrain pieces. I was thinking about getting rid of those trees, but I might just replace foliage with something decent and these still might find some use 🤔

Nazi horse cart (Horsepanzerwagen)

 Howdy,

A while back I painted Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer for my brother's birthday. Since then he strongly expanded his German force and because his big day is just ahead I decided to prepare something special...

This time it's in my opinion one of the most pain in the a$$ model available in whole German army (or any army which can field it): horse-drawn limber (proxy-ish...^^).

I mean: sure, it cannot tow heavy artillery, it has no gun, it can be taken down by infantry fire, it's huge (the biggest-base model for Bolt Action I painted evah!), buuut...

It costs 8 points! Got that? You get additinal order dice for 8 pathetic points!

As for model itself the construction is based on Black Grom Studio cart which I got a while back. It's been used as terrain piece for a while but wanted to make of it something better than just one more cover for infantry. Horses are from black coach set I painted long time ago - no idea what's the manufactuter of the set, it was painting commission.

Now looking at it I want to paint something from fantasy range again... Cute, eh?

The crewmen are most probably from Rubicon's vehicle: friend of mine is much more player than painter so he didn't mind sharing spare Fritz, Heinz and Adi with me.

Painting is nothing fancy: 

wanted to keep limited palette so it looks cool standing among rest of German models but to make model more eye catching I added the nazi flag and some gold shining from under hay. These guys were probably looting and now trying to get back to Berlin...

Hope you like it, hope my brother likes it but I really, really hope to see it on the battlefield shortly so I can wreck it! 8 points!!! 

Unbelievable!!! ><

Some work in progress shots:

Soviet infantry looking for the gold:

And Horsepanzerwagen itself:

I made hay and gold removable so in the transport other supplies:

Quite big - which makes it even more useless on the battlefield... ^^

Happy birthday, bro! Use the gold wisely!

Battle report: US vs Germans (Bolt Action)

Saturday night we've finally managed to arrange meeting in the gaming den and get Bolt Action armies busy. Must say it's been quite a while since the last battle so out Frontschweinen were rather hungry for blood and sweet scent of gunpowder!

Yeah... Carbide and gunpowder... Girls love that...

Ekhm... Right...

The table has been set up over month ago and we wanted to finally use Black Grom Studio iron bridge (and it's bloggy - for any news). Actually most of buildings you can see on the table are also Black Grom's - definitely recommended!

As for the bridge ssembling was easy as pie (or like opening a beer in our case...).
I wanted to make is rather striking so painted it "railway" style: muted greens heavily covered by chalk (dry pigments) and washes. Quick and easy.
In fact waiting separate layers to dry took longer than painting itself!

Here are some close ups - allied infantry and heavy piece are testing it's structural strength:

As for the battle:

The idea was to have some fun and make the report, therefore both armies had to be painted.
My opponent isn't much painter so this time he was commanding my brother's fully painted, 100% wysiwyg and 200% badass panzer grenadiers. Huzzah!!!
On my side - US invaders as always.

Germans forces:

- leutnant

- 2 full grenadier squads, carrying 2 panzerfausts each of them

- 1 small veterans squad carrying 2 machine guns...

- field air observer

- medium howitzer

- sniper team

- panzershreck team

- medium machine gun team

- motorbike + side cart

- hetzer

US:

- first liutenant + henchman

- medic (fun game, remember?)

- evil priest

- 2 squads (2 BAR each)

- 1 engineers squad mounted on Dodge

- bazooka team

- heavy mortar

- heavy anti-tank gun (first time in the field)

- jeep equipped with mmg

- sherman 105mm howitzer

The place of battle - pics taken my spy Messerschmitt plane:

My opponent rolled for a scenario: we got meeting engagement.
Not much to comment: general order is to kill as many guys from the other side as possible.

Take no prisoners!

Turn I
US infantry squad gets into the building, behind which get the commander, medic and priest - for both medical and spiritual support. Near the river anti-tank cannon and heavy mortar roll in trying to get control over center of the field.

On the opposite side anti-tank and sniper teams get behind bridge structure while medium machine gun squad takes cover in the pillbox.

In the corner Germans set up the howitzer to get control over the buildings, while veterans run trying to hide in the nearest shack - waiting for US inevitable assault.

Turn II

I had quite a lot of luck at the very beginning of the game!
My advancing infantry jumped into the next building trying to step away from clear line of shot of the howitzer  (which missed this turn!) and getting ready to deal with veterans.
Whole HQ was following them - some extra bandages (and prayer to the dark gods like this one) should be more than useful when Germans start shooting...

There were not much targets for US support weapon so mortar launched the shell in the air...
And directly hit the veterans killing 4 of 6!
Seconds after - another unbelievable shot: anti-tank cannon scored a hit on panzerschreck team removing them from the game! O_o

At this point shit got so thick the German commander had to step it taking positon next to air observer, who called an air strike on US anti-tank gun...

German sniper opened fire to advancing invantry but surprisingly - medic did the job so there was only a pin marker!

Veretans tried to get themselves useful but they screwed morale test so got down waiting for better occasion to act, while Hetzer rolled in just behind them bringing doubts and terror to Americans...

Turn III
...especially shortly after airstrike arrived blowing my main anti-tank weapon to pieces! O_o

Germans got the initiative!
Sniper aimed well killing NCO trying to cover in the building. 

Just after that 2 BARs fired from the window on the first floor trying to deal with remains of machine guns squad, but all shots missed.

On the other side of the table infantry squad was called from reserves to take down howitzer's crew. Despite dozen shots they only managed to scratch it - the crew got down.
Seconds later jeep wrrrrommmed in from behind infantry and took a shot:

Three times 6!!!
I knew it was good idea to bring evil priest to the battle!
Sadly there was one last crewman still alive which made the gun functional - and deadly...

This was something Germans just could not let happen:
motorbike stepped in trying to gun down advancing Americans - but fucked all rolls!
(Yaaay! It's priest's job once again!)

But there were more Krauts waiting for the chance to take some target practice:
full grenadier squad arrived from the flank taking down half om my squad and tearing jeep apart:
no matter how evil the priest might be, his prayers are shitworthy against panzerfausts shooting at point blank range...

Still wasn't sure where to bring Sherman so decided to get Hetzer something to think about in the meantime: bazooka team moved into the brickworks deeply hoping to survive long enough to strike the panzer hard.

With high hopes for Hetzer getting down (very) soon, Sherman arrived to get rid of remaining Germans on my right flank and maybe reach the bridge afterwards.

But Hetzer also had some ideas about the bazooka...

One the right flank Sherman annihilated grenadiers which allowed US infantry to push forward trying to hit biker, but they failed because of nasty recce maneuver.

Other infantry squad did much better job assaulting remaining veterans and taking cover in the nearest shack just after the fight. Having no anti-tank weapon at disposal but with advancing Hetzer at sight...

Turn IV

Mobile artillery advanced dealing with enemy cannon and trying to get some cover behind the bridge.

It all wasn't so bad until another squad of grenadiers arrived just on my hq's back mercilessly executing liutenant and his sidekick. Even medic and priest combined could do nothing to save them.

My very last reserve was the Dodge:
this was supposed to get close the Hetzer but simply couldn't give away priest and medic easily.
Car parked just behind the building but did not much damage on the German infantry. The only hope for it and it's precious crew is starting the next turn...

Turn V
But it was Heinrich who drew the correct order dice.
Grenadiers opened fire at Dodge destroying it easily.

Lucky for me boarded engineers suffered no casaulties and managed to jump far enough to hide behind the corner. It's getting hot!

Hetzer left his nest opening fire to Sherman and infantry hidden in the building but all shots missed!

Sherman finally got itself behind the bridge killing that damn sniper team on the other side of the river.

Priest and medic got in the building trying to find some cover. These bastards cannot even attack!

Turn VI

Engineers advanced trying to torch the Krauts but flamethrower attack missed!

On the other side the buys finally narrowed the bike and took it down!

And cherry on top of the cake:
Sherman tried to score a hit on enemy tank before it uses deadly cannon but missed!

Hetzer rolled on the bridge...
The gunner aimed carefully...

And directly hit my tank! O_o

Luckly it only caused minor damage adding more pin markers.
The game was over and after counting scores - it was a draw.

Aftermatch and summary:

It was fun! That's for sure!
Having river slicing the battlefield in half was pretty challenging thing to deal with. Also must keep in mind to bring some more anti-tank weapons next time.
As for anti-tank: grenadiers once again turned out to be a blast! Strong units armed with panzefausts it one of the best things in German army.
Hope confront them shortly, I have some ideas to test...

And post battle shots (taken most probably by that damn plany which wrecked my anti-tank gun): 

Till the next time!