FlyXwire | 26 Jan 2021 9:03 a.m. PST |
Gents, Some recent unit organizing, along with some sector-specific 1/144th scale vehicles acquired, that I can't show yet (Becker conversions), because they're unpainted. Thinking these might be perfect to try out with 'O' Group (Pendraken 10mm miniatures) -
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Mserafin | 26 Jan 2021 9:14 a.m. PST |
Do you actually have a copy of "O" group? If so, where did you get them? |
FlyXwire | 26 Jan 2021 9:25 a.m. PST |
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Dave Jackson | 26 Jan 2021 11:11 a.m. PST |
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Just Jack | 26 Jan 2021 1:10 p.m. PST |
Those are fantastic, Dave, as always! I'm working on some NW Europe stuff right now as well. Alright man, quit messing around and let's see'em in action! ;) V/R, Jack |
Marc33594 | 26 Jan 2021 1:10 p.m. PST |
Love the way you are organizing your troops FlyXwire. Would really like to see the whole collection sometime. Or better yet game with you sometime.Could throw mine in as well but based a bit differently. Mine are organized on bases as detailed in Blitzkrieg Commander. |
FlyXwire | 26 Jan 2021 2:25 p.m. PST |
Well, we haven't lost the will to fight then over these intervening months, eh! :) (glad to hear there's been so much maneuvering 'under cover' too) Hey, in regards to playing with these bases above for 'O' Group, all my smaller platoon stands near the left side of the boxes aren't unusable (and that's just because the collection was organized to be versatile for rules having Plt. HQs being represented). The next big 'O' question, and since I've only got the equivalent of 2 infantry companies each, plus supports – will the game play ok, without a 3rd infantry company for a force? Or, what about different force ratios in a scenario….2 vs. 1 company, or 6 vs. 2 platoons, etc.. I'm more than expecting the scenario formats will accommodate varied force ratios, and surely 2 companies of infantry with hvy. weapons support ought to be a sufficient collection total for a side? Hmmmm….maybe these smaller platoon bases could stand in as Patrol Markers for the rule set….. |
advocate | 27 Jan 2021 3:59 a.m. PST |
I'm not sure how flexible it will be. I'd guess that you would need to adjust the pool of command dice, and that could have unintended consequences (multiple 1s cause bad things to happen, I understand). The same thing is true of Chain of Command, though there are ways round it. |
David Brown | 27 Jan 2021 5:10 a.m. PST |
FlyXWire, A reduced battalion of just two companies is classed as Worn and generally only used in defence but of course, you can alter this to suit your scenario. Or simply add more supports or reserves to bring them up to a Standard size battalion. The number of your Battalion O Group dice for a Worn command is reduced by one at the start of the game. Best recruit another company! DB |
FlyXwire | 27 Jan 2021 5:41 a.m. PST |
Hi David, Thanks for detailing some of these organizational recommendations! I think I'll consider bolstering my battalions. Is it possible to have reduced platoon counts per company, or is the 3 infantry platoon standard, more or less a game-functioning 'mechanism'? As you mentioned, for scenario construction, there's the provision for having 'mixed' battalion assets, say with a leg infantry force containing a reserve company of armored infantry – assuming that's allowed? Question, so a bump from Worn class [a 2 company-battalion deployed on-board], can be facilitated by bolstering the reserves count – does such Class-affecting reinforcement work on a stands-count mechanism, platoon(s), or is it done by whole companies each? |
BobGrognard | 27 Jan 2021 10:26 p.m. PST |
Does anyone know if Pendraken and the new Victrix 12mm range can be used together size wise? |
David Brown | 28 Jan 2021 3:42 a.m. PST |
FlyXWire, Yes, a player can field a reduced company consisting of two platoons or even one platoon. Again yes, a player can field a mixed force if they wish to. So as you mention you could have a standard infantry battalion consisting of two leg companies supported by a motorised or armoured infantry company. DB |
FlyXwire | 28 Jan 2021 5:31 a.m. PST |
Dave, appreciate you following up here, and I'm looking forward to trying 'O' Group. Having collected full companies of some AFVs and transports (1/144th scale), I'm inclined to want to represent vehicles at 1 to 1 (or at least try to have this visually displayed on the tabletop)…..we'll see if the evolution to a ratio for vehicle counts used now might impede this (I can home-rule if necessary). Bob, wish I could tell you about the Pendraken vs. Victrix size compatibility, but I don't have any of the latter for comparison. (the current British and German Victrix infantry figs do look tailor-made for trying out with 'O' Group) :) |
David Brown | 28 Jan 2021 6:46 a.m. PST |
FXW, Having collected full companies of some AFVs and transports (1/144th scale), I'm inclined to want to represent vehicles at 1 to 1. A fellow 6mm gamer simply uses two AFV models to represent the section, which is much easier in this scale. When a section is damaged due to A/T fire he simply removes one model. So the below is a 4 sections or 2 platoons. theminiaturespage.com
DB |
FlyXwire | 28 Jan 2021 7:47 a.m. PST |
Dave, that'll work, with the removal or marking providing a nice visual clue for the damage state. For a 5 tank platoon I might go 'hvy. section – 3 models, & lt. section – 2 (removing or smoke-marking 2 models in the hvy. section for damage progression, and/or leaving it all for eye-candy).
That brings up Soviet tank platoons of 3 per – these would be classed as being "section equivalents" basically (or are they factored as 'platoons' – or maybe Weak-rated)? (questions, questions…..we need your rules) :))) |
David Brown | 29 Jan 2021 4:50 a.m. PST |
FxW, Yes, the basic game tank platoon is 2 sections, covering 3-5 tanks. Planned scenarios will cover differences in more detail. BTW – nice terrain and vehicles! DB |
FlyXwire | 29 Jan 2021 6:29 a.m. PST |
Thanks Dave! One thing I'm observing from the play-through videos of the rules, is the treatment of hamlets and much terrain as area terrain. At your level of command and unit scale, I'm sure this has helped facilitate not only the gaming mechanics, but it'll also promote user-made scenarios and ease assigning and adjudicating terrain effects. Gamers, who like to 'scale' their terrain boards, can create some of their own problems while attempting to move up the level of command. Some rules leave this terrain judgement to the players to manage (perhaps fine or appropriate for at the skirmish game level). If I've characterizing correctly here, hopeful 'O' Group relaxes, but still defines some of this terrain functionality…..and makes map-making easier for it. |
David Brown | 02 Feb 2021 4:10 p.m. PST |
For those into FaceBook there's now a dedicated O Group FB group, up and running. link
DB |
FlyXwire | 02 Feb 2021 5:09 p.m. PST |
Leaves me out – "Private". |
David Brown | 03 Feb 2021 6:25 a.m. PST |
FXW, Press the request to join the group button. It normally takes at least a few hours to be "verified", then you're in! There will also be the usual forums over on the GeneraldeBrigade and TFL sites. |
FlyXwire | 03 Feb 2021 10:42 a.m. PST |
Dave, I'm not a FB member, but will continue to keep up with the postings on the other forums listed above. Btw, I've just about got my 3rd Para company completed, so anytime you want to release the rules, that's ok now…… Kidding aside, it'll be interesting to see what the average % is for how many reserve units make it onto the game table in a typical 'O' Group game…..or before it's obvious one side has won a game, making additional reinforcement moot (which should be plausible, and representing a range of potential results expected game encounters). |
David Brown | 03 Feb 2021 10:52 a.m. PST |
It's out 1st March! One of the on-going command decisions is when to release your reserves, both Battalion and Company, and to where. Has the plan gone like clockwork, and can you consolidate where you intend or has it all gone "pear-shaped" and you have to re-think the plan? DB |
FlyXwire | 03 Feb 2021 11:37 a.m. PST |
Dave, thanks for the release date!, and the more I think about what you've detailed as game capabilities with these rules, the more utility I'm imagining using 'O' Group for. A thought……and I'm sure this is just the "next step" in applying your rules, but I could see mini-campaigns organized, that might have a set number of scenarios encounters planned (or scenario game boards/sectors planned), where the role of an overall Brigade or Kampfgruppe player would be operating, who would map deploy the forces for a side, and who would also be setting up reserve forces too, that are detailed to provide support for the individual battalions set up within the campaign's sector area, and with these Brigade/KG level supports already being largely committed 'in-proximity' to the battalions that they're assigned to in the line. Then the series of campaign scenarios would be played, to arrive at an overall operation result….. |
FlyXwire | 04 Feb 2021 6:54 a.m. PST |
BLOODY! – BRILLIANT! – BREAKTHROUGH? Nice to start off with the morning OJ, and have something new to digest that's really juicy – link P.S. As some of you might know, I'm not a Lardie rules fan, and in fact, this is the first Lard podcast I've listened to here (although I've watched the recent 'O' Group play-through videos already). I think I've become "'O' Group positive" [yes, before I've played it]. Anyway, enough drivel from FlyXwire – there's mentioned a new 'O' Group play-through video that I'm going to try and find…. |
FlyXwire | 04 Feb 2021 8:48 a.m. PST |
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FlyXwire | 05 Feb 2021 3:56 p.m. PST |
Guys, Finished up my 'O' Group Parachute Battalion CP stand – hope you like this little scenic.
Since most of my 10-12mm vehicles have rare earth magnets underneath for mounting retention, I built the terrain here on top of a metal base, and can swap different vehicles on and off the road section w/o worrying if they'll fall off (the magnets adhere right through the basing putty).
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FlyXwire | 08 Feb 2021 8:24 a.m. PST |
Next preview podcast for 'O' Group covering - Deployment Generation Combat Patrols Consolidation Deployment & 'Oleg's delicious potatoes' :))) link |
FlyXwire | 08 Feb 2021 12:25 p.m. PST |
Here's the tandem movie release, showing the initial deployment rolls for the Eastern Front battle on the tabletop - YouTube link |
FlyXwire | 08 Feb 2021 3:23 p.m. PST |
Repurposed these figs onto a new base, to use now as a German Bn. HQ stand for 'O' Group.
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FlyXwire | 12 Feb 2021 1:10 p.m. PST |
Airborne!…….tanks. Here's a troop of Tetrarch lt. tanks, painted up in the scheme current to the British 6th Airborne Division's operations in Normandy.
Not too much bigger than jeeps! (1/144th scale resin models from Kamiya) |
Snowcat | 17 Feb 2021 3:44 a.m. PST |
What's the verdict on the Kamiya vehicles compared with Pendraken and others? I've been looking at some of the Kamiya WW2 German vehicles on eBay, and some look to have noticeable 3D printing lines… That said, they have some excellent inclusions in the range. Cheers |
FlyXwire | 17 Feb 2021 6:25 a.m. PST |
Snowcat, I suspect some of the Kamiya models are recasts of 3D models….such as those available from Shapeways by artist like Kampflieger models, and Panzer Shop (nl). Models from the above 3D artists, if ordered as high-res resin prints through Shapeways (or direct from Panzer-Shop.nl too), show minimal print lines if any. If Kamiya products are copies (not an accusation, but some models do look identical), they're good quality copies of the originals. Now some Kamiya models seem certainly to be their own 3D print runs, so that's something else to throw into the "mix" too. Many of the Asian-sourced models in 1/144th scale currently seem to be going through a transition of sorts also…..some models still come cast in resin, some are 3D prints, and some potentially being copies, as mentioned above – as resin casts of someone else's 3D modeling work. The short answer Snowcat – I've never been disappointed by any of the Asian-sourced/ebay-purchased miniatures I've bought online, and only some have shown a little print lining on one side/dimension. If, and when this has occurred, because the models seem to be resin-prints (or resin recasts), the print lines have been easy to sand flat with an emery board. Sort of a "sloppy shot" here for sure, but this illustrates the mixed bag of models I'm working up for my Von Luck KG units to play with 'O' Group (all these representing Alfred Becker's conversions of French vehicles that equipped the neu 21. PzD in Normandie). Some models just base-coated, but others still in their wrappers, and a mix of resin cast and 3D prints (Kamiya and other ebay-sourced makers). I'll need a few Shapeways-ordered models to round out the force yet -
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David Brown | 01 Mar 2021 4:32 a.m. PST |
I have both 20mm and 15mm collections, but I'm soooo tempted to go for 12mm!! DB |
FlyXwire | 01 Mar 2021 5:50 a.m. PST |
Dave, In 10-12mm size…..they are the cutest things! As you already know, 15mm is great for battle-level gaming (I always recommend anyone stick w/15s if they've already been collecting them). As you mentioned 20mm too (mine below), they can work too for the average-size board for maybe a few companies, and best for that if they're multi-figure mounted.
It's that 'pivot point' in the scales perhaps, where gamers want the single-fig skirmish stands vs. the populated unit stands which should drive the decision to go to the smaller stuff I think. |
Snowcat | 05 Mar 2021 1:52 a.m. PST |
Thanks for the info FlyXwire, much appreciated! :) |