Bat Rep is Back! Panzer Lehr Vs. Strelkovy 1750

Wait... That Can't Be Authentic...

So, we decided to take some time off from Bat Reps in the post Operation Sealion glow. But we're back! Today we bring you Throcks Panzer Lehr (that will perhaps be his NOVA Open list) vs. Rotny Vany'a Strelk's.

It was a hell of a battle. Short, bloody, and tons of learning along the way. Just the kind of thing we like here at Throck of War.

Sadly, my computer is liking the fine WWPD Bat Repper for some reason today. So we're just goin to wing it.

Mission: Hasty Attack
Points: 1750
Attacker: Dietrich Von Throckmorton's Panzer Lehr Panzergrenadiers
Defender: Rotny Vanya's Guards Strelkovy Battalion



The Lists (R= In reserve)
Panzergrenadier Lehr Kompanie
~Lehr Kompanie HQ: 1x Cmd Smg, 1x Cmdzerfuast, 2x Panzerschreck, 3x Track (2x Panzerschreck to Combat Plt 3)
~Combat Platoon 1: 1x Cmdzerfaust, 2x Tank Hunter, 4x Mg Team, 3x Tracks
~Combat Platoon 2: 1x Cmdzerfaust, 2x Tank Hunter, 4x MG Team, 3x Track
~(R)Combat Platoon 3: 1x Cmdzerfaust, 2x Tank Hunter, 4x MG Team, 3x Track
~Combat Platoon 4: Heavy Lehr Plt, 4x HMG 2x Track (2 HMG each to Combat PLT's 1 & 2)
~(R)Weapons Platoon 1: 2x PaK 40, 1x CMD
~(R)Div Support 1: 2x PaK 40, 1x CMD
~(R)Div Support 2: 3x Panzerwerfer42 With extra crew etc...
~Div Support 3: 4x 15cm sFH18 Howitzer etc...
~Div Support 4: 2x 8.8 FlaK36 with extra Crew etc...

Strelkovy Battalion (Guards)
~Strelk HQ: 2x Cmd Rifle, 1x Komissar
~Combat Company 1: 1x Cmd Rifle/MG, 1x Komissar, 14x Rifle/MG, 7x MG
~Combat Company 1: 1x Cmd Rifle/MG, 14x Rifle/MG, 7x SMG (Sadly no Kommissar)
~(R)Weapons Company: Strelk Scouts, 1x Cmd SMG, 2x SMG
~(R)Corps Support: Guards Heavy Assault 4x ISU-152
~(R)Corps Support: Guards Rockets 4x Katyusha, extra crew etc...
~Air Support: Limited Air Support: IL-2 Shturmovik

The Board

Crazy Yank does Halftracks, US Style

Yes, but which half?

 Ahhh, the humble half track. Carrying blitzdoughs to and fro across the battlefield in open air, convertable style.

The M3 half track was a mainstay of US Armored Infantry during World War 2 and, like it's German cousin, couldn't take a hit from anything bigger than lights arms. However, also like it's German cousin, those MG's on top could really come in handy in a pinch!

Today, my beloved American master painter Crazy yank has provided us with some more eye candy. This time, it's battlefront's very own M3 half track minis which he's painting up for his armormed rifle company.

One of my favorite things about Yank's painting is the contrast he's able to get between light an dark. I should really ask him how he does it. The dirt on the tracks and treads also contrasts very well and pops out quite nicely on the table.

If you've got any questions or constructive criticism let us know! We're always looking to learn more.

Historicon Part 1

Stolen from the website.

Well, my internet has been down since Thursday so I do apologize for the loss of Throckie goodness these past few days. But boy howdy let me tell you they've not been without excitement. This weekend I got the opportunity to go to Historicon 2012. And what a blast it was!

This was my first ever historically focused con and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I have to say, the commitment folks in the historical gaming is truly impressive. My FLGS guys, Eagle and Empire, got their hands on the Wargaming Monthly siege of Sevastopol board which is simply beautiful along with running a simply HUGE Charge of the Light Brigade scenario, I think the board was over 18 feet long and a mega sized flames of war game. By which I mean the miniatures were simply huge.

Last, but most certainly not least, the FOW mid-war tournament! I've got tons of pics below on that as well as everything else I spied while I was there.

Of special note, I got to meet some of the WWPD crew! Steve, Luke and Jon are honestly a great group of guys and I highly recommend their blog and for all your Flames of War needs, well those needs I don't meet anyways :)

But you're really here for the pics and here they are!

WELCOME TO HISTORICON 2012

No seriously, welcome

CrazyYank Sherman's, All painted up

Name that movie!

In other words, CrazyYank paint's up Tanks. Man, I really wanted that to rhyme more than it actually did. Anyways, our resident American player CrazyYank continues the battle to paint up his Armored Rifle company. Here's he's got some Sherman's and... Firefly's I think? I'm a German player, we just call them all easy targets :)

As always, we all love constructive criticism and hobby related feedback on these picture posts. Let us know what you think!
I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Operation Sealion, Final Battle Report

It's Up! But for some dumb reason didn't make it to the top of the blog. So here's a link.

http://throckofwar.blogspot.com/2012/07/holding-spot-for-final-operation.html

Anyone else totally Jazzed about the WWPD Network?

The fine folks at WWPD have put up a new portal for all things WWPD related. I, for one, am excited to see where they go!

Here's a link to the WWPD Network

Looks pretty sweet right?

Operation Sealion, London Bridge comes Falling Down?

Well hey there everyone. After a couple of very busy days I've finally found a moment to post up our final Operation Sealion battle report.

The fine folks at WWPD have held one hell of a campaign and I'm glad to say it's one of things that really got me into blogging and playing FoW as my main miniatures game.

Seriously, hats off to the The Signal, Steven and the whole WWPD team for putting together one hell of a two month, global campaign of pure awesome-sauce.

Rumor has it that the next WWPD campaign will be 6 months or so from now (although the time line seems squishy, and for good reason, those boys need a rest!) and will be a mid-war desert campaign.

Welp, it's time to get started on that Yank Armored Rifle Company. It'll be the 36th Division, the T-Patchers, where my great-uncle served on a Priest motorized artillery piece.
In the mean time we'll be painting up and playing some early war with me doing French, Loon doing Germans and Rotny doing Polish Cavalry. We'll also be running our own little D-Day campaign (with Russian Lend-lease of course!) and participating in the local battle board league.

While Operation Sealion got this whole thing started, I assure you even though it's over we'll keep putting out the good stuff.

Now, on to the bat rep. I've decided to do this one a little differently than the rest. I'm going to post up all the pics and do a little narrative, but really, this huge 16000 point London battle is an homage to all the great fun we've had these last few months. Enjoy the pics, all 60-ish of them!

So, without further ado:

The Table

Konigstiger Review Pt 2, From Base to Board

Well hello friends! I'm back from a month of travel, and I can't tell you how happy I am about it. Posts should become more regular now and a few of the team here are going to be starting to post on own their shortly! Me boys are all grown up.

But, on to business. Today I bring you the second and final part of my step step review/tutorial on the Battlefront Kingtiger. Here I'll actually be painting the models and I'll let you know what I did and how I did it (mostly) step by step through the process. Because I'm a Luddite, I haven't started to use an air brush so I'll be going with a hand painted pea dot scheme appropriate, I think, to the Devil's Charge/Bulge period.

I always ask when I post on the boards, and I'll ask the same here, please give me any feedback that you think will help my hobby! Painting is my favorite part the better I get, the happier I am.

So... what tools do I use? For basecoating and when I brush on prime I use a citadel Large Dry Brush, it gets great coverage with a big bushy head (snicker). Seriously, GW brushes aren't good for much but I do like their dry brush line, especially the large which can do double duty as a base coat/tank brush. For all painting on the models except dry brushing I use a Raphael 8404 size 0. Simply the best detail brush in the business if you ask me.

So, with out any further ado:

First up, with the Citadel large Dry Brush I do two layers of relatively wet Vallejo/Flames of War line Middlestone #882

Konigstiger Review PT 1

That puppy right up there is one of the biggest, baddest tanks of World War 2. The Konigstiger (Which is actually German for Bengal Tiger) or Tiger II or Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B is hulk of a machine. It weighs in at 67 tons and had, on it's most armored spots, a whopping 108mm's of armor protecting the crew. More impressive is the gun, which could penetrate any allied armor at a range of 1.6 miles. 


But were not here to talk about that guy. Where here to talk about this guy:

The Konigstiger Platoon from the fine folks at Battlefront. In this first part of the review we'll go from box to base coat taking a look at the great scwhag, some troubling casting and what, all in all a very fine kit. 

Read on to get the full run down on the Konigstiger

Case Waldgeist: Thoughts from the Commanders 4

+ + TOP SECRET + +

TO: Captain Jiří Sláma, Commanding Officer, 3^rd Battalion, 1^st Tank Brigade

FROM: Brig. General Ludvík Svodobda, Commander, I. Czechoslovak Army Corps

ORDERS: For Immediate Implementation in Operation Bílá Hora, CODE BLUE-SEVEN

1600:GMT:15.5.1944

Captain Sláma:

We are distressed by reports of losses at Burtonhole farm, but encouraged by your valiant efforts in the face of superior forces. You are to immediately link up with British and American elements to shore up the defense of the River Thames. The war will hinge on our successes—if London falls, so too do hopes of restoring our homeland to its rightful freedom. The Corps has been pressed hard in Ukraine, but after consultations with Marshal Konev I have been authorized to dispatch reinforcements for Operation Bílá Hora. We now have reports that troops from the 3^rd Rifle Battalion of the 2^nd Infantry Brigade (Otakar) have made a successful clandestine landing in Scotland, and will march to reinforce your positions within days. The Battalion’s Forward Scout Teams have already reported to Headquarters from the outskirts of London. Time is now of the essence, we cannot delay. Report immediately to Marshal Volkov.

The Vltava is Red. The Knights of Blanik stir in the Mountain. The Bear has Awoken. Feed him the Long Grain.

General Svoboda