Painting German S-Boats for Cruel Seas from Warlord Games

I've painted up my German S-Boats for Cruel Seas.  This is a World War 2 naval war game focused on small craft published by Warlord Games.

These ships are nicely detailed and look very nice when painted up.

I decided to go with a simple paint scheme instead of some of the camo patterns I've seen others use.  Simple paint schemes allow me to get models completed quickly and still look nice on the table.

I've painted 6 S-boats and these will be the core of my fleet.  Next I'm going to be adding some larger ships.  I've got some cargo ships and a couple Fairmiles to paint.

Cruel Seas - Building Guide for the German S-Boats

Next up, I'm going to show you how I go about assembling the German S-Boats for Cruel Seas from Warlord Games.  You can watch the video here.

Below is a step by step guide showing how I built these ships.  I am going to paint the ship before I glue the weapons on, but you can follow this guide to build the ship whether you paint first or not.

First, I printed out a parts list for the model sprue.  I trimmed all the pieces off and placed them on the sheet to keep them organized.


First, I'm building the S-38.  I took the cabin parts (pieces 11 and 12) and glue them together and then attach them to the hull.

Next, I put the 2cm flak cannon (piece 4) at the front of the boat.

Next, the 3.7cm flak cannon (pieces 5 and 7) needs to be assembled.  I used a needle to apply the glue so that I can make sure I only use a little glue and it goes where I want it to go.  Then it is attached to the rear of the ship.

I didn't get a picture of it, but last up is placing the torpedoes on the ship.  One goes on each side and I placed them in the rear torpedo track on each side.

Next, I'm going to build the S-100.  This one doesn't have a separate cabin so I start by attaching the 2cm flak cannon (piece 4) at the front of the ship.

Next, the twin 2cm flak cannon (pieces 9 and 10) is assembled.  A small dab of glue needs to be applied to the pieces and then they are held together for them to dry.  Once dry the gun is dry, it can be attached at the center of the ship.

Next, the quad 2cm flak cannon (pieces 6 and 8) needs to be assembled.  Piece 8 has a peg that fits into the lower half.  I trimmed the peg down a little so that it fits better into piece 6.  Don't trim the entire peg off because it will help to line up the two pieces.

Finally, the torpedoes need to be attached, one to each side of the boat.  I put them on the rear track on each side.

Some of the weapons are a little fiddly to assemble, but a little trimming should make them easier to put together.

I think these models are nicely detailed and will look great once painted.

Painting British Vosper MTBs from Warlord Games for Cruel Seas

I spent a little time painting some British Vosper MTBs for Cruel Seas.  Cruel Seas is a World War 2 naval game focused on small craft published by Warlord Games.

The ships are nicely detailed and a simple paint job looks very nice on them, in my humble opinion.

A limited color pallet and a little time and anyone can paint these ships to a nice tabletop standard.

I've got 4 MTBs painted and will have more soon.  Next I will be working on the German counterparts.

Cruel Seas - Building Guide for the Vosper MTBs

I picked up Cruel Seas from Warlord games when it came out, but have not had a chance to work on it yet.  I've started building the British Vosper motor torpedo boats and put together a video showing how to build the ships.

Below is a step by step guide showing how I assembled the ships.

First, I printed out a guide showing what all the pieces on the sprue are.  I trimmed all the pieces off the sprue and placed them on the sheet to keep track of them.

I'm building the Type I, Vosper first.  I took the two pieces for the cabin and dry fit them to make sure they fit.  The I glued them in place.  Don't use too much glue as you don't want the glue making a mess.

Next, I took the attached the torpedo tubes.  The back of each tube has a small bulge that should go to the outside of the ship.  Be sure you attache the correct tube to the correct side.

Next, I attached the twin Vickers MG to the back of the boat.  This fits into the circle at the back of the boat.

Next, the 20mm Oerlikon cannon gets mounted on the front deck.  There isn't a hole for this, so just apply a bit of glue and try to center the cannon on the deck.

Last up is to attach the mast.  I trimmed the bottom a little so it fits into the whole, added a little glue and put it in place.  Be sure you get it in line with the ship so the mast isn't at a weird angle.

This is what your finished Type I models should look like.

Next up is the Type II Vosper.  I took the two pieces of the cabin and attach them to the hull.

Next, I attach the 4 torpedo tubes.  These have the same bulge at the back of the tube and these should be placed so they are on the outside of the boat.

Next, I take the two pieces of the twin 20mm Oerlikon cannon.  Glue the pieces together, then attach the cannon by putting it in the whole on the front deck.

 Finally, trim the base of the mast so it fits into the whole, add a bit of glue and attach the mast to the ship.

This is what this ship should look like when finished.

A little work and you will have your flotilla finished and ready for paint.

These models are pretty nicely detailed and now that I've got them assembled, I'm looking forward to painting them.

Stay tuned as I paint these up and assemble and paint the German MTBs as well.

Memoir '44 - Sidi Rezegh Airfield Battle Report - 6 x 6 Game Challenge

I pulled out my Mediterranean Expansion for another game of Memoir '44.  I played the Sidi Rezegh Airfield scenario and I took control of the British forces.

This scenario is most comprised of armor units and played very quickly.  I had a bit of a challenge with this one and was defeated pretty quickly.  The great thing with this game is that I can reset the scenario and replay it again.

I'm not sure if I'm making bad plays of if I'm just unlucky.  Either way, the games are fun and I will continue to play this game.

Memoir '44 - Operation Cobra Battle Report - 6 x 6 Game Challenge

I sat down and tried my hand at a solo play through of the Operation Cobra scenario.

I took command of the Allied forces.  I made some not so great choice for myself and paid the price for them.  The enemy also had some pretty good rolls.  I will definitely be playing more scenarios solo.

For solo play, I use a pretty simple process that I've stolen from others.

• Remove the Ambush card from the deck.  
• Chose the side that you will play in the scenario.
• Set up the board as normal and deal yourself the appropriate number of command cards.
• The enemy doesn't get a hand of cards.  Instead, on their turn draw a number of cards based upon the number they would normally have for the scenario (see below) and play the best card.
• 5 or less command cards - draw 2 cards.
• 6 or more command cards - draw 3 cards.
• If a recon card is used that normally allows you to draw 2 cards and choose one to add to your hand, then I will draw an additional card for the enemy on their next turn.

This isn't a prefect system, but it works well enough and you will find that the enemy is a pretty challenging opponent.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear - Solo Play Through 3 - Partisans

I played my third game of Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear for my 6 x 6 game challenge. 

This time I played the first scenario from the core box, but I used fan made Unit Spent Counters.  These replace the normal action point mechanic in the game and add a little unpredictability to units being spent.

The Unit Spent Counters were created by Kevin Kitchens and are available on BGG here. 

The Russian forces have a distinct advantage in this scenario, but it is still fun to play and does a good job of teaching the basic mechanics of the game.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear - Solo Play Through 2 - Tank Hunter

I sat down for another game of Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear.  I played the second scenario from the solo expansion; Tank Hunter.

This scenario is very challenging and I have yet to beat it.  I did actually manage to kill a tank this time, but still didn't manage a win.

I'll need to try some different tactics next time.

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear - Solo Play Through 1 - Search and Destroy

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear is one of my favorite games.  I have not played it as much as I would like, but it is a fantastic games.  I decided to play this game as part of my 6 x 6 Game Challenge so that I can get a few more games played.

I used the solo expansion for this game and played the Solo Mission 1 - Search and Destroy.

This game is full of difficult decisions.  The player constantly has several options and you have to pick one.  This means that you might miss the opportunity to do something else.

The game was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to getting more games played as I work through the game challenge.

Memoir '44 - D-Day American Landings Battle Report - 6 X 6 Challenge

Amy and I invited several friends over to play a game of Memoir in remembrance of the D-Day Landings 73 years ago.

I wanted to play with 4 maps, but my table isn't big enough for that so we only played 3 of the maps.  I set up the American maps; Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, and the American Airborne.  We had 3 players per side and had a great time with the game.

It took us about 3.5 hours to complete the game (not counting a break for dinner) so I've set the video to play quickly.

The Axis forces start with some bonus points at the beginning of the game so the Allied players have a bit of challenge ahead of them.  However, if the allied player can get a foothold, then they start to take points away from the Axis and the game can swing either way.

In the end, the Axis almost won, but couldn't get the last few victory points before the Allied forces pulled out the 37 points needed for victory.

The final score:

Allies - 37
Axis - 33

I do enjoy the big map games and should try to organize these more often with my gaming group.  If you get a chance, I encourage you to play some of these scenarios.  They add a new level to your Memoir '44 games and are a great experience.

Sorry I didn't get any pictures of the game in process.  I was to busy dealing with the American Airborne troops in my section of the game.  Yikes they are scary.

Memoir '44 - Flanking Caen Battle Report - Withdrawal from Hill 112 - 6 x 6 Challenge

Amy and I played the 3rd scenario in the Flanking Caen Campaign Scenario for Memoir '44.

Withdrawal from Hill 112 Historical Background.

On June 29, Operation Epsom entered its fourth day.  The British were holding onto a salient that incorporated high ground known as Hill 112 on the far side of the Odon River, near the village of Baron.  The British 11th Armored Division had a tentative hold and the Allies knew, thanks to intelligence reports, that the Germans were amassing armor for a counter-attack.

The German command made a preliminary push, sending the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions and the 2nd SS "Das Reich" into action along both sides of the Odon.  Although the 11th Armored Division was abel to hold Hill 112, the British commander, Lietenant-General Dempsey grew concerned about having this lead elements isolated on the far side of the river.  He ordered them to withdraw back across the Odon, a decision that came back to haunt him when the Allies paid a heavy toll to reclaim the same fround nine days later.

 Although Operation Epsom never quite achieved its original objective of flanking Caen, it did manage to draw the bulk of the German armor into the area which freed up the Americans on the right and opened the door for their break-out into hedgerow country.

The Allied forces are commanded by Amy and the Axis are commanded by me.

You can see the full play through here.

This game went a little more in my favor.  It was still close and a win was not assured for me.  I was really hoping to capture the temporary medal objective for the extra campaign points, but I couldn't pull it off.

I did fail to record a victory point during the game, that would have had me win sooner and put me in a better position in the overall campaign, but it was my mistake so I'll just eat it.

The campaign points after the third battle (including Objectives);

Allies: 18

Axis:  11

Stay tuned for the final battle in this mini-campaign; Hill 112.

Cold War Era in 6mm - Assembling Hedgerows

I wanted to add more terrain to my collection and was looking for something that I could easily put together and that would work in several different game periods.

So I broke out some clump foliage, tongue depressors, and flock.  A little work and ta-da, I've got a small collection of hedgerows.  

These can be used along roads, around fields, around houses, and where ever you think they would be appropriate.

These aren't really all that fancy, but they will be effective and I am please with how they turned out.

An added bonus is that these will also work with my 15mm gaming.  Terrain that works with multiple projects is always a good thing.

Airfix Battles: An Introductory Game - Solo Battle Report 1

I had the chance to play a few games of a recent addition to my game collection recently, Airfix Battles: An Introductory Game.

As the name says, this is an introductory game and has fairly simple mechanics.  However, the game still offers some challenging decisions for the players.

The box comes with rules and scenarios, two double sided grid-based maps, dice, a deck of command cards, a deck of unit cards, and card board tokens to represent your troops.  They suggest you replace the tokens with Airfix models, but you can use any models you have, or just use the tokens provided.

I've made use of some Battlefront models that I already have painted for my Americans, and am using some 15mm robotic forces to stand in for the German forces.

This game uses a deck of command cards that offer special actions the players can make use of, interrupts so you can react to the enemies actions, or the cards can be used as a basic move, shoot or reinforce if you don't want to use the special action.  These add a degree of "fog of war" in that you don't know what you are going to be able to pull off from turn to turn.

The rule book includes solo rules with an AI that uses the cards drawn to dictate its actions.  I have found it enjoyable to play against and look forward to playing more games.

Memoir '44 - Flanking Caen Battle Report - Capturing the Crossing - 6 x6 Challenge

Amy and I played the second scenario in the Flanking Caen Campaign for Memoir '44.

Capturing the Crossing Historical Background

The main thrust of Operation Epsom began at 0700 hrs on June 26th.  The British made good progress early on, with solid artillery support that included some naval gunfire.  It looked like the path was clear.  The forward German positions were lightly manned, however, the British soon discovered the German defense in depth.  Capturing the bridge crossing the Odon River just south of Cheux was the first day's goal.  This crossing was critical to maintaining the momentum of the operation.  The 15th Scottish Division, supported by the 31st Tank Brigade, made its way toward Cheux were it soon was bogged down in hours of bitter hand-to-hand fighting.

The German 12th SS Hitlerjugend Panzer Division alongside elements of the 21st Panzer Division launched a counter-attack to protect the bridge and  to repel the British.  The Germans were beaten back with the aid of the British artillery but succeeded in temporarily halting the allied advance.  Using the 11th Armoured Division, the British pressed the attack, but it too stalled out.  Without the support of armor, the British infantry soon ran into trouble and opted to dig in for the night well short of its desired crossing.  General Dollman, the German Commander, viewed the containment as an outright defensive victory.

Amy is again in command of the Allied Forces and I will be commanding the Axis forces.

The full play-through  video can be seen here:

The game was pretty tense at times and the momentum swung back and forth a bit.  The allies managed to pull out a victory, but failed to capture the crossing (though they got very close a couple of times).  At the end of the game, the Allies had earned 6 medals, but the Axis had 5.  A much closer game than the last one.

The campaign points after the second battle (including objectives):

Allies:  13
Axis:  6

Stay tuned for our next battle, Withdrawal from Hill 112.

Memoir '44 - Flanking Caen Battle Report - Securing the Flank - 6 x 6Challenge

As part of my 6 x 6 Challenge, I will be playing Memoir '44.  To start this off, my wife (Amy) and I will be playing through the Flanking Caen mini-campaign found in the Memoir '44 Campaign Book Volume 1.

For those that aren't familiar with Memoir '44, it is a board game set in World War II.  It is based on the Command & Colors mechanic and is quite fun, in my opinion.  It is a fairly light game and plays quickly and is pretty easy to teach to new players.  The base game comes with a nice variety of scenarios and there are many expansions that cover different theaters of WWII.

There were 2 campaign books published for this game.  These books give you a frame work to play through multiple battles with the outcomes being linked and (possibly) having an effect on future battles.  I only have the first volume of the campaign books and this will be my first time using it.

Securing the Flank Historical Background:

As part of the preparation for the Montgomery's Operation Epsom, the 49th Infantry Division, was assigned the task of taking the towns of Fontenay le Pesnel and Raury (and the area around it).  If successful, the allied control of these locations would protec the 15th Division's flank as they pushed against the primary objective taking Caen.

The 49th Infantry faced the 12th SS Panzer Division and the left flank of Panzer Lehr.  The German defenders held tough and the inexperienced 49th Division was unable to take its objectives that day.

Allied command moved forward with Operation Epsom on June 26 even though their flank was exposed.  The German armor and artillery in Raury led to heavier resistance than Montgomery had hoped to face.

In our campaign, Amy will be in command of the Americans and I will be controlling the Germans.

You can watch the battle in all its glory.

It was a fun game and I look forward to our next game.  The allies managed to take Fontenay le Pesnel, but failed to capture Raury and earned 5 medals versus the axis who only earned 2.

The campaign points after the first battle (including objectives):

Allies - 7
Axis - 1

Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! - Game Review

I picked up a copy of Conflict of Heroes:  Awakening the Bear! 2nd edition a while ago.  It has sat on my shelf for some time.  I decided to pull it down and read through the rules.  I liked what I read and watched a few YouTube videos on the rules.  I was a little worried about this game being a bit heavy, but I think it is a pretty intuitive rule system.  I have played it mostly solo (not with the solo expansion) controlling both sides myself.

This game takes Operation Barbarossa and puts it on the table where players take control of squads and tanks to resolve tactical situations faced during WWII.

This game is highly ranked on BGG (19th War Game) and well respected by many of the reviewers that I enjoy; Derek Case from SingleHandedWarfare and Bart "The Chief" from The Dice Tower.

Games last between 1-2 hours depending on the scenario played.

Artwork
All of the artwork in this game is top notch.  The map boards look fantastic.  The tokens look great with all the pertinent information being easy to read.  My only complaint about the layout is that I would reverse the front and flank armor values.

Component Quality
Everything in this game is top notch.  All the tokens are printed well and punched out well.  The maps are very nice and, as stated earlier, look great.

Game Play
Each mission offers a different challenge and troops types to engage in the battle.  There is a specific objective to accomplish and details on how each force earns victory points.

Players take turn activating units to move them across the board or shoot at each other in an effort to accomplish the mission's goals.

A player can complete a single action on their turn.  This can be moving a single unit, shooting with a single unit or using a group activation to have multiple units move together.

When a player activates a unit he gets 7 action points (or a random number as an optional rule) to use on that units actions.  There is also the opportunity for shared actions, or group actions that allow more units to activate at the same time.

Players can use opportunity fire to react to the enemy by firing with an unactivated unit and then immediately flipping that unit to its spent side.

In addition, players have Command Action Points (dictated by the scenario) that they can use throughout their turn (and can even be used on spent units).  As a player loses units, they get fewer Command Action Points in future turns.

The activation system really forces players to think about what they are doing because you might have several things that you want to do, but you are limited in what you can do.  The decisions in this game matter and sometimes you can't always do everything you want.

Expansions
This game has several expansions.  Some are expansions from the first edition and others from the 2nd edition.  More are in the works as well.

The big one that I was most excited about was the Solo Expansion.  This has a variety of scenarios and AI cards that allow the players to fight solo battles where the enemy really fights back.  The battles are very challenging and you will need to use your wits to accomplish the mission in these battles.

The next expansion that has intrigued me is the Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear - Firefight Generator Expansion.  This expansion allows players to build scenarios using a deck of cards.  The cards are used to determine units, victory point conditions, weather, etc for each side.  The players take turns going back and forth with selections so you can react to what your opponent is doing.  This expansion allows you to create an enormous variety of scenarios to play.  The great thing is that this expansion also works with the Solo Expansion.

Overall Thoughts
I think I found a new favorite board game...

This game is challenging, but I have loved every minute of it so far.  The decision points are constant and I love that to do one thing you may be giving up the opportunity to do something else.  There is a level of detail in this game that won't be to everyone's liking, but I am very pleased to have this on my shelf.