1/56 Scale G.I.JOE MOBAT TANK

Ahhh, The MOBAT. From my earliest days as a G.I.JOE fan I have been in love with this tank! Featured prominently in issue number one of the comic, the MOBAT was an integral part of many of the original comic missions.

This tank has a huge nostalgia factor for me because, while it was not one of my first Joe vehicles (Those were the RAM and the VAMP for those wondering), I did get it for Christmas the first year I collected G.I. Joe toys from one of my favourite uncles (who had the forethought to also give me batteries). I drove this bad boy over piles of books in my Grandma's living room for hours. It was awesome! Yes, I am child of the 80's!

I think that the sponge chipping method worked particularly well on this vehicle given the number of wide blank plates it has as part of its armoured hull.

I started by painting the whole model white before black lining/washing the crevices a dark grey. I then repanelled the white back in to make the white neat before using blister pack sponge to apply the green to represent the green "underneath" the whitewash.

In Bolt Action terms I plan on using this as a Pershing, which is the American reskin of the Tiger tank in the rules. Given the size of the MOBAT's gun and its armour, I think that that suits.

 To the left you can see what it came like. It is a 3D print of a file found of Thingiverse that was printed in resin.

Only taking a few minutes to clean up before priming, this kit was a dream to paint up and prepare for the tabletop.

I absolutely adore this tank and I am now considering painting up another in the Crimson Guard alternative paint scheme that was sold by SEARS in the 80's. I think it would look ace in red and black!

Konflikt '47 Kodiak Walker

One of the best parts about Warlord's Konflikt '47 are the cool vehicles that you get to add to your existing armies to turn your standard WW2 armies... "weird."

One of those weird and wacky contraptions is the Kodiak Walker for the US forces. Looking suspiciously like the old Madcat mech from Battletech, this beastie carries an autocannon and a pair of heavy machine guns in each of its two arms. It Bolt Action/K'47 terms it throws out buckets of dice, all of which have an armoured piecing value, making this the perfect tool to stop transports, light vehicles and scary troops like werewolves, zombies and giant mutant bear men in their tracks.

This model was one of my first experiments as a painter using blister pack sponge as a means of "chipping" whitewashed armour. Though it is not perfect, I am quite pleased with the results.

Just looking at this model gets me excited to place Konflikt '47 again. Might have to set up another game sooner than later!

Warlord Games IS-3

A few years ago I published a review of the Warlord Games's IS-3 tank kit for WWPD. Now this is a very controversial vehicle in Bolt Action for several reasons.

First of all, the IS-3 was probably introduced into the war so late that the Germans had already surrendered. While many were sent to fight Japanese forces in Manchuria, it has never been actually confirmed if this beast ever saw actual combat during WW2.

Second of all, this tank has the highest armour value of any tank in the game. The armour to its front is one higher than super heavy tanks meaning that it can and does often survive direct hits from most AT guns in the game. The last time I used this tank it took repeated shots to its front from a King Tiger and outside of pins and scratches to its paint... it rolled away unscathed. It is TOUGH!

Third and last, it is one of the most expensive tanks in the game. Coming in at 600 points (at regular), this thing is the definition of points inefficient. Especially since it only carries a heavy AT gun. Regardless, if you have a small army and you need to fill out points to get your force onto the table or if you just like armoured rarities, this baby is for you. Plus, the sharp casting and solid detail on this Warlord resin kit is fantastic!

For more info on the IS-3 click here.

The Soviet Motor Pool Grows! (Some Support Vehicles)

Here are a few of the support vehicles that painted up last year to accompany my winter Soviet WW2 army.

This truck is made by Rubicon and comes with two alternative beds. I used the closed canvas top on this truck so that I could use the open bed on another truck that I will post later. Despite my... reluctance to build plastic kits (I prefer the sharp lines and quick assembly of resin models), I really do like the finished look of this model.

I have also included pictures of an early Soviet armoured car and a Komsomolets armoured tractor. In Bolt Action terms the armoured car is a cheap order dice that zips around the board with light machine gun. Likewise, the Komsomolets is there to serve as a cheap armoured transport that also mounts a light machine gun. You can find out more about this vehicle here.

Custom Made SU-76i

A couple of years ago, the extremely talented Jakob Lotz made a custom SU-76i model out of the hull of a Panzer III and plasticard. I painted it to match my existing Soviet SU-152, using a chipped white washed effect. 

I could not be more pleased with the results in the end. The BTD Soviet Sailor is to show scale.

For more information about this interesting Soviet vehicle that was made out of captured German vehicles click here. 

JTFM SU-152

Hey everyone,

I recently started experimenting with a light box that I picked up a while back on Ebay. I thought I might share some pictures of some of the stuff that I have been painting over the last year or two.

First up is a JTFM made Soviet SU-152. I bought this kit as a miscast and rescued it with a little green stuff and a little TLC. I am pretty happy with how it came out in the end.

The Brigade games snowsuit model is shown for scale.

Sun’s Out, Gun’s Out! Player's Pack

Sun’s Out, Gun’s Out!!!

A Melbourne based, 3 game

980 point, Narrative driven

Bolt Action Event

 Sun’s Out, Gun’s Out! will be held at Good Games Melbourne on Saturday, the 6th of October, 2018. 

Welcome to the Sun’s Out, Gun’s Out player pack! 

 

Sun’s Out, Gun’s Out! is a Bolt Action narrative event aimed providing Bolt Action players with a fun, casual event that is slightly different from your stock standard wargaming “Tournament Style” event. 

Location:

Good Games

Level 1, 365 Lonsdale Street

Melbourne, VIC 3000

(03) 9670 0102

melbourne@goodgames.com.au

Contact Information:

For more information, to submit an army list and for registration information please email Brad at:  whatisabattle(at)gmail (dot) com

Timings:

Please be on time for this event. Registration opens at 9:30 AM on the 6th of October. Games will begin at 9:45 AM.

Army Lists:

Given that this event is geared towards fun, inclusive play and that it is designed to welcome newer players to Melbourne's Bolt Action scene, I have fairly high standards for listing for this event. As a result I will be rather draconian with list submissions, though there are no units restrictions for this event, outside of the fun ones listed below, I would like to emphasise that this is an fun, casual event. 

I would like to encourage people to experiment and play with lists that are fun to play with and to play against. This is NOT a win at all costs event. The TO reserves the right to ask players to resubmit army lists that are considered... perhaps "too hard" for the spirit of the event. 

If you are unsure, please ask. 

•       All armies for this event should be no larger than 980 points. 

•       Forces may be made up using the generic reinforced platoons rules or they can be made using Theatre Selectors for forces in the Desert War or those involving battles in and around Italy.  Regardless, forces must come from these specific theatres of war. Armies such as the Soviets or the Japanese did not fight in these areas so they would not be appropriate to run in this event.

If you have any questions. Please ask.

Please make sure that you are familiar with the most up to date rules FAQ PDF available (for free) from the Warlord Games Website.

ARMY LISTS ARE DUE (by midnight) ON JUNE 30^TH of September

Please email them to: whatisabattle(at)gmail (dot) com

Awards:

Given the purpose of the event, we will only have 3 trophies on offer at this event.

Best Sportsman (for the player that folks most liked playing)

Best Painted Army (as determined by players in the event)

Best Themed Army (as determined by the TO, if your army has a theme make sure this is communicated to the TO)

Everyone whose side wins the event on the day will get a custom objective marker/ token as a prize to indicate their victory.

Games:

As stated above, Sun’s Out, Gun’s Out! is a three game narrative event.  Each round will last 2 hours.  Players will be assigned to sides (which will generally line up with Axis and Allied forces) and their progress will contribute to their team’s success or failure over the course of the day.

Missions will be assigned to specific tables and a few of the tables will be slightly smaller than the usual 4X6 size to represent specific types of specialized combat environments.

The side that has the most victories at the end of round one will be able to shift two of their players from one player to another player on their side so that those players change their table and opponents for the second round. The other side gets to do this in round three.

Registration:

To submit an army list and for registration information please email Brad at:  whatisabattle(at)gmail (dot) com

There will be a hard 20 player cap for this event.

Cost:

The event costs $20 which must be paid via PayPal prior to the event to hold your place.

For this event you will need:

•   Warlord order dice (rounded edges preferred) and enough six sided dice to play the game

•   3, 40mm circular objective markers

•   A tape measure

•   The rulebook and relevant “Armies of…” book or list

•   Pin markers

•   A pen and/or a pencil

•   3 print outs of your army list

•   An appropriate dice bag

Sponsors:

We would like to thank our incredibly generous sponsors for this event:

 The War and Peace gang have once again generously provided prize support this tournament.  As the Australian distributor of Warlord games products they have a great selection of product AND have a super friendly and helpful staff that love to "talk shop."  Give them a call or check them out online:

http://www.warandpeacegames.com.au

We would also like to express our thanks to Warlord Games for writing such a great game system (Bolt Action) and for consistently providing great prize support for our events.  Thanks guys!!!

http://www.warlordgames.com

Knights of Dice are the makers of fantastic quality MDF terrain, figure cases and coloured acrylic tokens. We highly recommend that you check out their online shop for the bits and pieces you need to make your gaming tables look absolutely fantastic! 

Looks for their fantastic terrain gracing the tabletop at this event!

http://knightsofdice.com/store/index.php?main_page=index