Full scale war erupts on Charity!

Fighting on Charity stepped up a level last week when the Armed Forces of the Charity Freedom Alliance mounted a major armoured attack on a Neo-Colonial Commonwealth supply depot.  This was the first engagement to feature the opposing forces on an equal footing and casualties were high on both sides.

The battlefield - objective compounds marked A and B.

A small supply base in the equatorial village of Gnissig was the focus of the battle.  Two compounds were in use by NCC troops for storage of supplies.  AFCFA mounted a two-pronged assault to try and seize these depots.

Compound A

Defending the depot was a platoon of Sabre MBTs, 3 Lancer heavy IFVs, 4 Outrider scout vehicles, a Claymore heavy APC plus a couple of unarmed Badger liaison vehicles.

Compound B

Several fireteams of NCC marines were scattered through the settlement, both in the supply compounds and waiting in the Lancers ready for deployment.  Reports of the AFCFA column closing on the village led the Sabre crews to move their tanks into partial cover, main guns ready to engage any targets appearing near the main road into Gnissig.

First casualty - AFCFA Warhammer goes down!

AFCFA was fielding a strong force, 3 Warhammer attack Mecha, 2 Rifleman air defence mecha and 2 Longbow missile artillery mecha, re-equipped with anti-tank guided weapons.  A pair of Kamodo heavy IFVs transported 2 squads of hardsuit infantry, with 4 Stoat armoured cars carrying another squad.  A Kamodo fire support vehicle with a heavy autocannon provided additional anti-tank support.

Second casualty - another AFCFA Warhammer is lost!

The attack started badly for AFCFA, 2 Warhammer attack mecha on the left flank falling to the Sabre autocannon fire in quick succession.  Confusion on the AFCFA command channels led to their losing the initiative [Fog of War card "Wait, the General said what?!"] and they failed to regain it at any point during the course of the engagement.

Sabre MBTs prepare to inflict more casualties...

Things went little better on the right flank, an anti-tank missile destroying the lead Stoat with another being immobilised nearby.  Crew and infantry spilled out of the wrecked vehicles and dashed for cover in the nearby buildings.  Unfortunately, the large building into which most sought cover turned out to be a very flimsy structure which provided no cover whatsoever [Fog of War card: "What's this wall made of, Swiss cheese?"].  2 squads made the dash across the main road seeking better cover but both sustained severe casualties from machine gun and main gun fire from 2 Sabres.  The uninjured troopers managed to drag their wounded comrades into cover and set about delivering first aid.

Stoat destroyed!  Luckily all aboard manage to scramble clear.

The left flank was getting congested!  2 Rifleman mecha moved up to support the remaining Warhammer, but wreckage was leaving the AFCFA troop carriers confined, with little space to manoeuvre.  The infantry hastily debussed and took cover amongst the storage containers, leaving the IFS ready to reverse to find better positions.  The remaining Warhammer concentrated fire on Compound A, destroying the larger building at the nearest end.

2 'Mechs down and serious injuries in 2 infantry fireteams.

Those AFCFA troops remaining in the indefensible building pressed forwards into a smaller but sturdier building, then used this to launch an attack on Compound B.  The Stoat crew went first but both fell to NCC marine fire before making it to the building.  The fireteam following had more success, downing 3 of the NCC defenders and dashing to the cover of the compound wall.

Stoat crew are down but return fire from other AFCA troops eliminates 3 NCC marines.

Forcing an entry into the building, their luck ran out and the AFCFA troopers now succumbed to overwhelming fire from the surviving NCC marines.  The attack on Compound B was a failure.

One AFCFA fireteam succeed in entering Compound B but are overcome by the defenders.

Now the tables started to turn.  A shot at one of the Sabres resulted in only minor damage to the sensors, but the crew panicked and bailed out.  "What the Hell are you doing?  Get back in that damned tank!"  Gun camera footage captured the entire episode [Fog of War card "That won't play well on Youtube!" means -3 victory points), the jittery crew diving for cover behind the Sabre before realising their error and clambering sheepishly back in.

A jumpy NCC tank crew bail out of their virtually undamaged Sabre.

Right back at the outskirts of the village, the Kamodo FSV risked edging forward to take a shot at one of the Sabres covering the main road.

AFCFA fire support vehicle takes out a Sabre at long range.

Success!  The resulting explosion destroyed the Sabre, the crew managing to bail out before it brewed up.

Sabre destroyed - but the crew all make it out alive.

2 more Mecha had moved in, Longbows which were usually equipped with artillery missiles but on this occasion carried anti-tank missiles instead.  One moved to support each flank of the AFCFA assault.

NCC armour masses near Compound B.

They now faced a build up of NCC armour on the right flank, 2 outrider Scout vehicles, 3 Lancer IFVs and the temporarily abandoned Sabre MBT.

AFCFA infantry assault captures Comopund A.

The left flank was not as heavily defended and the AFCFA troops mounted an assault on Compound A.  The first fireteam balked at the command and hunkered down in cover outside the building.  "Come on lads, shoe 'em how it's done!" cried the leader of the second fireteam and in they went, clambering through the rubble left from the Warhammer's destruction of the main building.  Vicious hand to hand fighting resulted in one AFCFA casualty but the entire defending NCC fireteam was taken out of action.  Compound A had been captured!

Warhammer particle cannon destroy a Sabre.

Moving forward in support, the Warhammer pressed home an attack against a Sabre, destroying the tank.

Sabre destroyed - but the Claymore fights on undeterred.

Despite the destruction of an MBT within feet of their more lightly armoured vehicle, the Claymore crew remained unshaken and prepared their heavy autocannon.

Return fire destroys the Warhammer, but at least the pilot survives this time.

Their fire proved just as accurate as the Warhammer's and the disabled Mecha keeled over backwards.  The pilot dragged himself from the wreckage and sought cover nearby.  Missiles streaked in towards the remaining Mecha but the combination of their detonation fields and countermeasures meant that the fire did little more than minor damage to weapon systems.

Longbow Mecha also falls.

Autocannon rounds and anti-tank missiles continued to flash back and forth on the right flank and finally the Longbow went down - but at a cost to the NCC defenders.

NCC troops reinforce the defences of Compound B.

One Lancer sat smashed, leaking black smoke, another was damaged and unable to fire its weapons.  There were casualties amongst some of the supporting infantry.

Sabre crew pile into their ride home.

One of the Sabre crews scrambled into a Badger.  They couldn't contribute anything more to the fight but at least they could get home safely!

Overall, this game was a narrow win for the Neo-Colonial Commonwealth.  One supply depot was successfully defended, the other was captured.  5 Mechs were destroyed but the NCC lost only 2 Sabres and a couple of Lancers.  The bad publicity video of the NCC crew abandoning their tank wasn't enough to swing things completely in AFCFA's favour!

Of concern to the NCC now is the fact that AFCFA appear to have access to vehicles and large combat Mecha from the Guavan Defence Force.  The GDF have not been kindly disposed to the NCC since the fighting on Libelula, when Assault Cyborgs were used against regular GDF troops,  followed by a special forces raid on a GDF outpost.

Casualties from both sides were repatriated quickly at the end of the battle, NCC analysts now wish they had been given the opportunity to question some of the AFCFA troopers.  The ease with which they operated with the Mecha and their higher than usual standard of marksmanship and training has raised suspicions that these were really GDF troops in disguise.  AFCFA have claimed responsibility for the attack, so any GDF troops must be operating with their blessing.

The Guavan Defence Force

My entry for the Tomorrow's War Strike Force competition.

The island state of Guava on Libellula has a small defence force which is based in barracks on the outskirts of the Guavan capital, Canteloupe.  This is an example of a small combined arms force typical of the Guavan military.  Guava is not a rich nation, and has not adopted expensive grav vehicles.  Instead, they have opted for easily maintained wheeled vehicles.  Guava's jungles are impassable for almost any vehicle, so this wheeled transport can deliver infantry quickly and easily along Guava's road network, ready for them to de-bus and proceed on foot when required.  Recent action on Libellula has seen the GDF operating in other environments such as desert, time will tell if this forces the GDF to purchase additional different vehicle types.

Two squads of mechanised infantry form the core of the force.  The infantry operate as either entire squads or split into two fireteams, with their IFVs providing transport and fire support as required.

The main anti-armour element of this force is the heavy walker, which carries two energy cannon, an ATGM pod plus twin machine gun clusters.  This walker has better off-road performance in the jungle than wheeled/tracked or GEV vehicles, and can slip between the trees more easily than a grav vehicle.  A Fire Support Vehicle adds additional firepower to the force, carrying a three man crew plus a 4-man fireteam for integral infantry support.

The GDF makes limited use of robotic drones, seen here with their technical support crew.  These drones can be used in a variety of ways, adding firepower to infantry squads of moving about independently, hunting for suitable infantry/softskin vehicle targets.  Also pictured here are a 4-man security detail to protect the tech crew, plus Force Commander Spencer with his bodyguard, comms officer and personal scout car (plus driver).

Not shown in the main picture, the Guavan military also makes use of water craft such as this light patrol boat, usually used in coastal or riverine operations.  This squad of troops have chosen to replace their hard helmets with soft bush hats, more comfortable for cruises through the jungle interior of Guava.

**Addition to post...**

My Tomorrow's War stats:

GDF Troops
Confidence Level: Confident
Supply Quality Level: Normal
Overall Tech Level: 2
On Grid? No
Body Armour: TL2 light armour (1D)
Troop Quality / Morale: D8/D10

Standard squad includes:
1 x Squad Leader w/ACR

5 x Rifleman w/ACR
1 x Gunner w/ACR SAW (Lt. AP:1)
1 x Missileer w/LAW (TL2, Med. AP:2/AT:2 (M))
(Squad often splits into 2 fireteams which may vary in composition depending upon the mission)

Heavy Walker
Tech: 3
Class: H
Type: S
Weapons: Heavy guns - EWS, AP:6/AT:5 (H)
ATGM pod AP:4/AT:4 (H)
MG clusters AP:5/AT:2 (L) (combined firepower)
Armour:
F: 4D12
S: 4D12
R: 3D12
D: 2D12
Crew: 1
Notes: Advanced Sensors
Backup AI
Countermeasures
Detonation Field (YL3)
Safe Haven

Scout Car
Tech: 2
Class: L
Type: W
Weapons: None
Armour:
F: 3D8
S: 2D8
R: 2D6
D: 1D6
Crew: 1+3
Notes: Advanced Sensors

Mechanised Combat Vehicle
Tech: 2
Class: M
Type: W
Weapons: Light Cannon - TL2 ABW AP:4/AT:2 (M)
MGs: 3D

F: 3D10
S: 2D10
R: 2D8
D: 1D6
Crew: 3 + 8
Notes: Smoke dischargers
Lifesaver
Detonation Field

Fire Support Vehicle

Tech: 2
Class: M
Type: W
Weapons: Cannon - TL2 ABW AP:5/AT:6 (H)
MGs: 3D

F: 4D10
S: 3D10
R: 3D8
D: 1D6
Crew: 3 + 8
Notes: Smoke dischargers
Up-armoured
Lifesaver
Heavy Hitter
Detonation Field

Riverine/Littoral Patrol Vessel

Tech:1
Class:L
Type: Naval
Weapons: Machine Gun - TL2 Hvy support AP:4/AT:1 (L)

F: 2D6
S: 1D6
R: 1D6
D: 1D6
Crew: 2 + 8 (exposed)
Notes: Obsolete

On patrol

A pair of DLD Kamodo IFVs move out on patrol, watched by GZG NAC Marines.

DLD Kamodo AFV Review

I started building these DLD Kamodo vehicles months ago - see my earlier post from June! I've finally got them finished, and also built a third one which I saved so I could do a more in-depth review of the kit.
Here you see all the parts for a Kamodo ICV (Infantry Combat Vehicle) after trimming/sanding and a good scrub with a toothbrush & washing up liquid. The collection of small parts on the right includes smoke launchers, gunnery sight, periscope, IFF transponder and attachment ring, turret hatch cover, gun barrel and 4 stowage brackets. They come still attached to a thin sheet of resin so you can be sure you've got them all, but they are a bit fiddly to trim. The wheels appear to have been copied from the Revell 1/72 scale Fuchs APC, but as these are some of the best wheels I've come across on a model, that's not a complaint! Some parts are pre-assembled; the gun barrel and the turret (you can't see from this picture, but the turret pin is already fixed in place underneath so that you can guarantee it sits in the right place on the main hull).

The main hull and turret had a few small resin granules scattered alongside detail areas, presumably from small bubbles of air getting trapped when the original mould were made, but these were few and far between. Overall, the quality of the castings was excellent, especially the detail on the wheels (though more cleaning up was required here.

What I wasn't quite so impressed with was the amount of bubbling around the back of the vehicle. I assume that it is cast in a mould standing on its nose, which is why all the bubbles have accumulated at the back. They'd been poorly filled with a slightly granular filler, and I ended up re-filling them. I should point out that the vehicle has been designed so that the main hatch covers most of the rear, which helps hide all the bubbles in the middle part, and on the whole I was very happy with the quality of finish.

A close-up of some of the bubbles/filling. Detail on the rear of the model is not as clear as on the sides or top. It might have been better to have the rear stowage boxes as separate items to attach; that way, they'd have had better detail, and would have helped cover up some more of the bubbles.

The basic hull & turret assembled. Wheels have been left off to aid painting, as suggested on the instructions. You can see the collection of detail parts mounted on top of the turret, and two of the stowage brackets alongside the turret. I found that the stowage bin on the turret rear didn't really look right when attached, but it has been attached correctly. The instructions are very good, clear and concise on the whole. Just a couple of the parts were hard to differentiate - I ended up looking at the pictures of the 25mm scale versions on the DLD web site to make certain I had them in the right places!

Another view, this time from the other side. The number of tiny pieces to attach seemed unnecessary, I'd have thought that the stowage brackets and the IFF transponder and the ring that it sits in could all have been moulded on without too much loss in detail. I've left the turret hatch off for the time being, as it is just a plain domed circle with no other detail. I'm going to give it a better one, either making one from plasticard or using a spare vehicle hatch from another kit (Old Crow APC or a JB Models M113 ACAV seem the right size). It will probably be fixed in an open position, with a crewman peeping out.

The finished item plus a part-squad of GZG NAC dismounts. You can see that once it has been painted, the cleaned up rear of the hull looks fine. The turret stowage bin still looks slightly odd, but the painting does help bring everything together.

A view from the front. I will probably add more detail to these, including some stowage (jerry cans, bedding rolls), and probably some small gun barrels for the little blisters on the side of the hull (these are supposed to be built-in gun mounts for suppressive fire). The smoke launchers on the front faces of the turret are a little disappointing, so may get replaced with new ones made from bundles of short brass rod scraps.

I also have a Kamodo HFS (Heavy Fire Support?) to support my two ICVs...

Overall quality and ease of construction was much the same as the ICV.

The smoke launchers were much better than those on the ICV.

My rating for these kits will be a B-. Finished appearance is very good, and amount of detail is great, but construction is fiddly at times despite good instructions. I'm pleased with the finished result, they're a fine addition for a near-future force.

*Additional note: I've had a couple of queries now on whether DLD are still in business. I don't actually know - his web site is still up & running, but I have heard from someone else that orders are taking a while to get processed. I was lucky enough to get my 3 vehicles second hand, so I don't have any direct experience of ordering from DLD. I'd suggest that you drop DLD an e-mail direct from the contact button on their web site.

Old Crow Models

A couple of photographs of some current items on the painting bench, in this case 15mm grav vehicles from Old Crow Models.

The Old Crow vehicles are very good value - at the time of writing, they are £5 for a main battle tank and £4 for APCs or medium tanks.

The kits are cast in a very nice resin, and are virtually bubble-free (I just had to pop a blob of epoxy in a few on the corners of the grav plates, but only 2 or 3 on each kit). They are sanded smooth on the base, and have presumably been given a quick wash during production - they don't feel sticky like some resin kits I've bought, and the moulds are obviously well-filled when casting, as there were no sunken areas where the hull sections fit together. On the majority of the kits there was no flash to clean up, and including a quick scrub with a toothbrush, they were all ready for assembly in less than half an hour. I stuck them using araldite epoxy resin - I'm sure superglue/cyanoacrylate would have worked just as well, but I prefer epoxy resin for most kits, just because the thicker mix helps smooth over uneven surfaces, giving a better bond.

Assembly is simple - the Glaive APC (seen above with a section of GZG NAC Marine deploying from the rear hatch) consists of a lower hull section and a main body, with 3 optional white metal fixtures for the top; a simple hatch, a 4-round missile launcher ot a remote gun turret. I've left mine off for now, and will attach one when most of the painting is complete.

The Gladius medium tank has several turret options which are chosen when ordering. I opted for the missile turret, but as turrets can also be ordered separately, I can always get a couple of different versions another day. The missile turret arrived with two different types of missile pod, either rectangular or angled. The rectangular pods come as 8 and 4-round units which attach to either side of the main turret mount. The angled pods (which I chose to use) come as 6 and 3-round units which attach to the turret mount in the same way. These angled pods have covers over the mouths of the launch tubes (or perhaps it's the noses of the warheads poking out), while the rectangular pods just have open launch tubes. The hull of the Gladius comes in two parts, upper hull and the grav lower hull (the same as the Glaive in fact).

The Sabre heavy tank has a one-piece hull, and the turret comes as 2 resin pieces (turret and a wide, inverted truncated cone mounting post) and a choice of 2 metal gun barrels - a single cannon or twin lighter cannon mount. The more observant among you may have noticed that the tank lacks a gun barrel at present - I dropped it while preparing the models, and only managed to find it after I'd done my gluing session!

I also have a turret base (only £1!) which will serve as a static defence turret. The Gladius tank turrets fit this turret base, and the same turret size is also used on several other heavy APCs in the Old Crow range. With extra turrets costing only £1-£2, it would be easy to create a static defence line for very little cost. The turret I have used here is a multi-missile turret, but I will be adding the 2 sets of white metal paired 4-round missile pods after the main painting is completed. The quality of the fit is so good that they simply pop into place and stay at whatever angle you put them.

Overall, I'd place the quality of these kits equal or above that of the DLD vehicles - far less cleaning up to do, and less assembly too, and much cheaper (though the exchange rate may have something to do with that).

These vehicles will be finished with a camo scheme of green and grey patches over the brown base coat, with a few final details such as ID numbers etc. Somewhere I have a box of 1/72 scale stowage, some of which will no doubt make its way onto these and other 15mm vehicles in my collection, but that's something for another day...

DLD Kamodo AFVs

A pair of very nice Kamodo Armoured Fighting Vehicles from DLD (plus GZG NAC marine for scale). Both have been assembled with superglue, apart from the wheels. These were attached using araldite epoxy resin, so that they could be adjusted slightly to ensure they are all level and the vehicle doesn't wobble. Small cardboard spacers were inserted above each wheel while the glue set, and removed afterwards so that the tyre isn't resting directly against the top of the wheel arch.

These are almost finished - they just need some stowage added, plus a commander figure in the hatch of the IFV (left unpainted at present to provide better purchase for the glue).

They are being painted in a standard UK temperate camo scheme - Humbrol matt75 bronze green, over which black stripes will be added.