Road to Berlin - 2025

After 5 long years of waiting battlefront once againt moved to Berling and it's outskirts. Once again guys from 3-City Bolt Action team led by Oberst Maciej did grat work bringing this incredible event to existence.

Exactly like duiring 2018 and 2019 event it's been tons of fun. It was not a typical tournament though, but series of friendly games. With no unhealthy pressure to win, f#cked up powergaming or any other crap like that. This time there were 12 battlefields to choose from, each with different winning conditions. There was no V-1 rocket launcher time but there detailed trainyard, Göring's forest residence (I think), submarine dock and of course legendary Reichstag building among others. 

Duing the event I've played 4 battles - 3 agains German army and the last one agains Finns defening submarine in Kiel. Apparently lots of weird shit was going on during warld war II 🤔

So here's what was going on - at least what I've manage to catch before battles started and between the games. First - battlefields unspoiled by military actions:

The legendary Reichstag building:

And some shots from the battles:

Some shots from the battle between Americans and Finns - probably one of the most exciting but surely the weirdest Bolt Action game I've ever played:

And the gathering of generals - once again big thanks to organizers for making is happen!

US infantry (winter war) #4

Winter is just over so it was high time to get some of my recent spoils of war painted. Looking at stuff I paint you know I am fan of metal models but must admit these new plastic winter infantrymen made me reconsider. Working on models below was fun but what I like the most are heads - they are much better defined then most of metal ones, so painting is much easier. Well done Warlord Games!

As for combat efficiency in the 3trd edition of Bolt Action I have mixed feelings. Until now I played maybe 3 games using new rule set and there's no "hype" like it was when we were starting Bult Action v2. Hope to find the game total fun again, during coming "Road to Berlin" event.

So here they are - 6 more storm troopers joined the assault squad:

And just to keep the order - rest of my defenders of Bastogne can be found: here - squad 1, here - squad 2 and here - squad 3. Till the next time!

German winter squad

After dealing with the captured IS-2 I decided to support that thing with some basic infantrymen: tanks operating without infantry are nothing but easy prey for enemy anti-tank squads. I don't play German army but last year (almost exactly one year ago surprisingly!) I got Foliescu's Hetzer, together with some test prints. Among them - few winter Germans.

Must admit I haven't painted any human miniatures designed by Foliescu so far, but these are just frigging brilliant. Detail quality is awesome, also proportions are much better then original Bolt Action models. They also seem to be slightly taller, but I guess it's because models were created in proper 28 mm scale.

Models below come from different sets: ordinary infantry and vehicle crew, but painted similar way they look great as squad of eastern front veterans. Especially the two about to engage in hand to hand combat. Models are light (prints after all) so just in case I ever get more of these - base got magnets, just like soviet assault squad. The guy carrying MP40 Schmeisser is from Stoessi's Heroes line - it's slightly smaller compared to his comrades, yet the sculpt is also damn cool and fits the squad. 

Deadly combat with United States G.I.s is about to start!

And yeah: I DO NEED winter themed photo backdrop... 🙄

Spoils of war

Last evening there was a lecture about conquering Elbląg 80 years ago, which was mentioned earlier. It was also part of hobby event from last weekend, so results of painting competition were also announced yesterday. 

Just like in case of soviet OT 34/85 painted for the contest, also IS-2 brought me some more hobby stuff: German paint set + some US winter infantry, which is great, because:

1. I am now working on some Foliescu's brilliant German infantry;

2. I was planning to expand my winter G.I. force by another squad so it fits Bolt Action v3 requirements.

So here's the loot - too bad they didn't give some free time so I could deal with it shortly 🙄

And here you can read about last evening event (Polish only). There was also photo report attached (here). As you can imagine on each end every public event there's a chance for a local goof to show up. Here's ours - never miss opportunity to mess somebody's day 🤪

Till the next time.

Captured IS-2 (painting contest)

I was actually going to paint some zee Germanz winter infantry from Foliescu's line (which is brilliant) but last week I was asked to paint something for local painting contest. The overall theme was 80th anniversary of liberating Elblag from under German occupation (just to make it clear: Poland was "liberated" by soviets, so you can imaging the rest). 

Because of this event there's been organised 2-weeks painting / wargaming course in local library, with friendly tournament and painting contest to crown it all. 

Anyway the challenge has been accepted but since I don't play Germans nor Soviets my options were rather limited. While digging through my resources I've found IS-2 heavy tank which was part of prize-loot for other painting contest 🤪

As mentioned earlier I don't play Soviet army but from what I was told in battle of Elblag Germans also used some captured vehicles, so I imagine it surely is one of them. Wasn't sure about the markings but I was pretty sure the crew would't like to be taken as Soviet unis from afar so markings were applied on each side of vehicle plus it got a flag on the hull just in case some lost Stuka decided to pay a visit...

I do not like to work fast with painting (and this was surely hasty paintjob for my standard) but I like the final result. Italeri's stuff is always tops. The commander is metal piece from Warlord's set, but I think as professional he doesn't mind driving Soviet wheeler. To glory!

Yup - from above it surely ain't soviet tank ^^

And some enthusiastic US tank hunters for the scale: