Rubicon Shermans for Bolt Action

 Rubicon Models- M4A3 and M4A4 Shermans

 A few years back I bought a Rubicon M4A3 Sherman which I made as a close support (105mm) Sherman. Last week I picked up three more of the M4A4 Rubicon model which can be made as the M4A4, Sherman V, firefly VC Version A or B- so lots of options. The new models will become part of my Free French force for Bolt Action. 

Today I made up the first of the Shermans and was very happy with the kit. Rubicon have excellent detail on their models, clear instructions and the models are easy to put together.

I’ve modelled my Shermans to support my Free French which I will use for both the war in Italy 43-45 or also for the North West Europe campaign and have added French markings to them. 

I can highly recommend both models, my only gripe, and it is minor is that with the M4A4/Firefly version providing two turrets (high bustle and low bustle) and options for the Sherman M4A4, Mk V or firefly why, oh why didn’t they provide the three pieces of plastic required to have the applique armour added to the tank? Instead they give you a template and instructions to use .5mm styrene sheet to reproduce this armour. WTF? Sure I could drive to the nearest hobby store to get some styrene sheet (at least a 200km round trip) or order some online but why, with all the options and pieces included in the kit, couldn’t they squeee in these three pieces? I assume it would require retooling the moulds used on other Sherman models but it seems a rather silly oversight.

Anyway apart from that minor grumble I am very happy with the kits an look forward to fielding them both on the tabletop very, very soon.

Craig

Bolt Action- Fallschrimjaeger vs US Paras

I popped round to Kent's last night for a game of Bolt Action, slightly rusty on the rules so we decided to do a nice easy Meeting engagement.

Kent used his typical US Para force with 11 dice.

• HQ
• Medic
• 3x large squads (10-11 men with tough fighter)
• 57mm AT gun
• 3" mortar
• Bazooka
• Sniper
• Grey Scout car
• Sherman

I took a much smaller panzer platoon supported by some Fallschrimjager (7 dice)

• 3x panzer IVs
• 1x 233 armoured car
• 2x 8 man squads (3x SMG, 1x LMG each)
• 1x 81mm mortar

Kent has been busy while I've been away, painting like a man possessed (as always) and using some of the funds generated to get some new terrain- a cigar box mat and some Sarissa buildings to add to his stuff, it looked, really, really good. His gaming/hobby room is fantastic too, a permanent work station and the now live streams his painting!

Set up: The table, Kent came on from the left, my guys from the right.

 A fallschrimjaeger squad advances into the village- the second squad has already occupied the larger building on the right.

 The US paras scout around their right flank.

 The mortar observer peaks out of the house, while the pnzer IV advances to cover the centre of the table.

Tthe para squad passes a farmhouse.

On my right flank two panzers advance.

As do the US paras- they are not going to be intimidated by the panzers!

 On my left the sherman dukes it out with the panzer and 233 armoured car. The Sherman is hit several times and pinned the Sherman 3 times. 

However, the greyhound had worked around the flank and gets a shot on the weaker side armour, knocking the panzer out!

 In the centre Kent continued with his aggressive infantry tactics. Sergeant Brad decided to assault the panzer IV but was unsuccessful, so he repeated the trick the next turn which was also unsuccessful....

 The US officer watches on and offers some advice to sergeant Brad...

 Third time lucky! The third close assult destroys the panzer.

 Towards the end of the battle, my squads occupy the two buildings on the left.

 Turn 7, the US para's can't assault my infantry on the second storey- nah, nah nah nah. However the squad photographed earlier did get into position and overran my other squad capturing the other building.

Result: A hard fought but very close 4-4 draw with the Germans tenuously holding on.

Lessons learned: Small, expensive forces like this need to be used carefully, especially vs large veteran, tough fighter paratrooper squads! I could have got a couple more points if only I could have finished off the last man in a couple of units but too many targets, not enough dice!

Early on it looked like my mobility would be able to make a difference, specially after my mortar destroyed the 57mm AT gun but in the end I had too many targets and Kent's aggressive use of his infantry squads meant I was unable to focus fire enough and finish off squads. As usual though it was an entertaining game.

I hope to get another game in before I head back to Kiribati.

Craig

BA: LW Germans vs US Paras

After several aborted attempts at a game Kent and I finally managed to get together for  game of Bolt action 2. Joining us was one of the young guys at the club and Ken Camel, who has decided to retire to Timaru (sensible chap).

Kent ran his typical US para force- basically everything he has- Sherman, 57mm AT gun, 3 squads, sniper, bazooka, mortar, greyhound armoured car, medic.

Ken and I ran a stug platoon: 3x stugs, 233 armoured car, pioneer squad, flamethrower, pak 38.

It was our first game of 2e and I'd not even opened the book, luckily though the youngster knew the rules sow e were relying on him to explain the changes as we went.

We played scenario 7 envelopment and since we were armoured gave Kent the option to attack por defend, he chose to attack.

We deployed our 233, pak, pioneers and infantry on table. Kent then rolled  1 for the bombardment so nothing happened.

 Turn 1 our infantry advance to occupy some buildings- bringing them much closer to 3 squads of US paras.

The aforementioned paras advance.

Reserves, a stug advances down the road towards the US Greyhound armoured car.

We have wiped out one squad of infantry for the loss of our pioneers, late in the game the paras rush towards our set up zone.

The stug has taken our the Greyhound, and just out of shot (behind the building on the right) the Sherman too.

End result:  bit of a bloodbath (when is it not with BA?) and wee ended up drawing 10-11, so pretty close.

The game played well and seemed to flow. I liked the new rule changes we encountered (SMGs/tough fighters less dice in assaults) but were a bit lost at times through lack of games, but that is about usual for us these days.

It inspired me enough to want another game though, so next week we will be taking some Russian armour with the stugs.

Craig

BA- Germans vs US Paras

Kent popped round tonight for a game of Bolt Action, his US vs my Germans.

I took:
Reg HQ & 4x vet squads (2 squads with 2x LMGs)
120mm mortar, STUG, 233 armoured car, MMG, hanomag, flak 38.

Kent ran:
Vet HQ, 3x squads, bazooka, Greyhound, vet sherman,. 57mm AT gun, 81mm mortar, sniper

We rolled up envelopment and Kent chose to attack.

My defence- infantry squads in a rather linear defence across the board. The preliminary bombardment put 2 pins on 4 units and killed a crewman on the flak 38.

Turn 1 my assault squad occupies a ruined building near the crossroads.

On my far right a 2x LMG squads and the MMG hold the line.

The US paras advance into the woods in the centre.

The flak 38 is targeted by the sherman, greyhound and 57mm AT gun.,

And from the US lines.

Beginning of turn 2. The US are advancing on their left and in the centre through the wooded area./

The stug appears and engages in a firefight with the sherman, hitting but failing to damage the US tank.

Turn 3 or 4. The Sherman continues to advance on the stug.

Paras break from cover.

German pioneers reinforce the crossroads.

The 57mm AT gun knocks out the stug- possibly its first ever tank kill!

My final squad breaks from cover to try to reinforce the centre, but too little too late.

The Americans switch the axis of advance ot the far left.

 The greyhound chimes in putting pins on the only German squad on the right flank.

The US juggernaut proves unstoppable.

The hanomag finishes off the para mortar squad but it is a hollow victory.

Turn 6 the 233 races forward and misses the Sherman- a last ditch attempt to stem the tide.

The Sherman, greyhound, sniper and a squad then occupy the German right flank and so have 4 units in the defenders zone, giving Kent an 11-4 victory!

Yikes, that didn't end well. Not enough units on my right flank unfortunately. The centre of the board was a bit of an open zone and I failed to reinforce it enough. Kent seized on this and switched his main attack and swamped the defence.

Well played Kent, a few lessons learned there for me

Craig

BA: LW Germans vs US Paras

After our games the other weekend the guys were keen for some Bolt Action. Nigel was keen to try out his German army Kent painted for him last year and Kent ran his US paras. I have been meaning to paint a puma to finish off Nigel's army but haven't got round to it yet so he fielded a captured Greyhound armoured car instead but used puma stats for it.

We decided to do a point defence with Nigel's Germans attacking. I'd like to say it was a close game but it was a complete rout, with Nigel (and his most humble assistant) only managing to destory a US bazooka team in the whole game.

Turn 1: A view across the front line, the objective is on the right. A German half track filled with pioneers has advanced along the road and into the courtyard near the crossroads.

A squad of paras on the far side of the crossroads. 

A second German squad advances alongside the road towards the crossroads. 

Turn 3: The stug arrives.

The stug advances and takes cover behind a building. It faces off vs a 57mm aT gun, Sherman and the greyhound. Slightly outnumbered it came off second best and is eventually knocked out.

 German infantry advance though scrub towards the E-W road.

The infantry debus from the half track and capture a building. Only to be routed in hand to hand. Kent managed 5-6 kills vs the Germans 3 and the survivors surrendered. The first of Kent's uber-successful assaults.

The Sherman covers the Greyhound.

Kent pointing out his next victims- those guys there are dead!

The greyhound knocks out the 251. Grrrr.

The Americans destroyed about 6 of our squads, gun teams and vehicles for the loss of a bazooka team- so was "slightly" one sided.

We'll rerun it next week or so and see if the American can have better success attacking.

Good game guys, better luck next time Nige.

Craig