"Armor action Malinova, Latvia 1944 - 3mm gaming" Topic

All,

This was going to be a much better post before my PC just crashed, and so losing my 1st composition attempt, so instead a much briefer, bullets-point version here now.

Good online research presented by R.A. Marchenko on the two actions fought around Malinova on 22nd & 24th July, 1944 -

link

link

Enhanced map prepared, and scenario map created, as a composite of the two actions fought, for the 3mm game.

A few of the game pics – the game which performed a lot better than my PC did today. :)))

Looks amazing!

FlyXwire

Great looking battle mat. Who makes the miniatures?
Thanks

BobTYW

Damn, sorry to hear about your computer, but a great looking fight, as always! Looks like some new forests, as well? Cool stuff, Dave!

V/R,
Jack

Battler, thank you my friend!

Bob, the game miniatures are from the 3mm Oddzial Osmy line, that are distributed by Pico Armor here in the USA, or by Magister Militum in the UK/Europe – they're amazing metal castings, and super-strong ones too, that hold up well to use. The buildings are from Voxel House 3D print files, that a friend resized to 1/600th scale and printed out for me.

Jack, you are so sharp…….yep, a whole crop of new woods made up for doing this scenario!

Once I run the game over in a few months, then everything will get put away together in its dedicated carrier, and onto a shelf. I'll pull it out when it seems fresh again, to play sometime in the future (sort of like having those favorite boardgames that can be easily set up, and played over when that time seems right).

They look great; how'd ya do it?

V/R,
Jack

Jack,

I found these topiary balls at Hobby Lobby on one of my crafty recons, and thought their foliage pieces looked good for 1/600th scale trees (was thinking for using as scatter for along the banks of a ACW riverine game mat).

From there, next made a woods set glued onto fun foam bases, for this 'Baby' Battle Masters conversion project (which I still adore, and would play more if I could).

The GOO glue doesn't stay stuck to the foam sheet as well as wanted, so tried a static grass garden mat for the backing material (Michaels) on the WW2 woods kit, and that worked great!

The rubbery tree pieces are durable, and add a little weight to their basing, so they sit well onto the tabletop. I did spray each final woods piece with a darker green acrylic color.

I think the WW2 woods set here used up 3-4 topiary balls-worth…..that took a lot of balls. :)

Damn, those bushes and that grass mat are super cool! A "crafty recon," I dig it! ;) Going to have to do some of that myself, I love the look. And luckily we've got balls to spare ;)

V/R,
Jack

Absolutely! :)))

Dave

*Panzer Lore* – not all the gory went to the Tigers of 502 sPzBn this time (ran this Malinova scenario once again this weekend, and caught this shot).

It pretty much was the early turning point of the game, as the T-34 company in the foreground, going to-to-toe with the Sturmgeschutz battery in the woods would be wiped out in the exchange. The Stugs would soon reposition to the west (left off view), and then re-engage with an advance between the town and the larger woods to the north, flanking a good portion of the remaining Soviet medium tanks, and then withdraw further north (a bold, slicing attack that scored more enemy kills, and then out the other side around the woods to safety….the Luftwaffe would have been proud of such successful tactics).

With the Soviet forces pinned down against Mazie, attempting to overcome German infantry in and around the town, the Sturmgeschutz were able to use movement and fire (maybe a little *shock* thrown in too) to affect their counterattack against the preoccupied enemy assault -

(I always appreciate players using bold action to grab those moments of opportunity – but of course, they need to roll well too in order to seal the deal)