The ugly heat wave broke for a day or two of nice summer weather, but another week of ugly weather seems intent upon driving us back inside. No matter, the wargames table beckons, and OMM has new products to put it to use… Most due at the shoppe in two or three weeks.
MINIATURES…
1:100 (15mm) Sd.Kfz.222 Zvezda plastic model suitable for Flames of War or other ruleset at a great price. Snap Kit requires no glue. $5.00 USD
Victrix 28mm – Spartan Armored Hoplites 5th to 3rd Century BC Hard Plastic Figures Box contains 48 hard-plastic miniatures with thrusting and at-rest arm positions, plus lots of extra options representing Greek Hoplites of Sparta and Laconia from the 5th Century covering the end of the wars with Persia, to the 4th century and the titanic struggle for Greek supremacy in the Peloponnesian war against Athens and Thebes. Nine head variants, of which seven come in two halves – the hair plugs into the back of the head to achieve the distinctive moulding of the Spartan long hair. There is also a bare head and another with a shorter bob style to shoulders plus a helmet. There are a couple of crest options to make some officer variants. There are thrusting arms options, spear at rest options and sword arms. $38.00 USD
RULES & SCENARIOS…
FIREBALL FORWARD – Tactical World War Two Wargaming Recreate WWII company-scale engagements using tabletop miniatures of any scale. The game turn has no fire phase, rally phase, etc., but instead, active units may fire, move, rout, and rally in any order as needed to develop their plan. Non-active units look for opportunities to derail the active plan. Fireball Forward is playable on a kitchen table in one evening, and it's designed to challenge players with realistic tactical choices. Includes 13 historical scenarios: Paratroopers on D-Day, Normandy 1944 Mini-Campaign: (Easy Company; Pouppeville; Tank Assault at La Fiere; and Choctaw Warrior), Paratroopers on D-Day, Sicily 1943 mini-campaign (Devils in the Dark; Road to Gela, and Taming the Tiger), and six one-off scenarios: Bridegrooms of Death (Spanish Blue Division, Russia, 1941); The Bear, Guadalcanal, 1942; Red Cavalry, Russia, 1941; Road to Beaumont, France, 1940; Guards Counterattack, Stalingrad, 1942; and St. Lambert, (Canadians) Falaise Gap, 1944. $25.00 USD
FIREBALL FORWARD – Panzer Lehr at Saint Lo Supplement to Fireball Forward contains 15 scenarios set in July 1944 near St. Lo. The U.S. wants to break out of the hedgerows, the Germans want to keep the U.S. pinned in them. Also included: new rules and vehicle data cards for all vehicles used in this book. Scenarios: SS Engineer Battalion Mini-Campaign (three scenarios featuring elite SS engineers assaulting the GIs using flamethrowers); Panther Mini-Campaign (nine scenarios that follow a company of 10 Panthers driving into the U.S. rear areas while battling M10 Tank Destroyers); and Mark IV Mini-Campaign (three scenarios highlighting the U.S. counterattack on the morning of July 11 as Shermans battle Mark IVs. $25.00 USD
American Civil War Scenarios #1 – Bullets & Dirt ACW scenarios: Wilson's Creek, Logan's Cross Roads, Fort Donelson, Winchester, Port Republic, Baton rouge, Port Gibson, Salem Church, McPherson's Ridge, Droop Mountain, New Market, and Monocacy. Most of these are a brigade to a division per side. Each scenario includes short background, full-page gridded map, order of battle by regiment (includes number of men, weapon type, and quality), and miscellaneous terrain and wargaming notes. $20.00 USD
UNIFORM GUIDES…
UNIFORMS OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY DURING THE CRIMEAN WAR 1854-1856 This book looks at the organization, uniforms and the regiments which made up the army of Tsar Nicholas I during the Crimean War. Not only does it cover the regiments which served in the war, but also other units such as the Russian Imperial Guard and the Separate Caucasus Corps, which have not been covered by others books relating to the Crimean War. With 24 color plates including artwork by Bob Marrion and flags by Lesley Prince. $55.00 USD
WARGAMES…
BATTLE OF FONTENOY – 11 May 1745 Tight contest between the greatest general of the war – Maurice de Saxe – commanding French troops behind defensive works, against the inexperienced Duke of Cumberland who commands a mixed group of Allied troops. Includes several nationalities not yet seen in the BAR series: French, Dutch, Hanoverians, and English troops on the Continent, and offers a tactical situation far different from any other BAR game. Nine scenarios in all and a multitude of optional rules so that gamers can tailor the battle to their taste. BONUS GAME: Battle of Melle, 9 July 1745. Quick-playing game, ideal for BAR beginners, or for those who want to play out a full battle in one sitting. $80.00 USD
TMP special offer: Save 10%. New price: $72.00 USD
S&T 276 OPERATION ANACONDA Magazine includes two-player, quasi-tactical wargame Operation Anaconda, designed by Joseph Miranda, an intermediate-complexity, grand-tactical game covering that codenamed battle fought between U.S./Coalition forces and Al Qaeda in eastern Afghanistan in March 2002. Sub-commands activated by chit pull. The Al Qaeda player has the advantage of his units being deployed face down, and his opponent must use ISR (Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance) to reveal them. $30.00 USD
TMP special offer: Save 10%. New price: $27.00 USD
BOOKS…
PENINSULAR WAR: A Battlefield Guide Highly illustrated and practical guide offers a wide-ranging, up-to-date and balanced account of this prolonged conflict, and guides the reader and the visitor across the terrain over which the armies marched and fought. He reconstructs the major battles in graphic detail, and provides practical tours of the major battlefields and campaigns. Also included are sections examining the armies, the military organization and tactics of the time, and the role of the Spanish guerrillas. $40.00 USD
TMP special offer: Save 40%. New price: $24.00 USD
HATCHER'S BOOK OF THE GARAND Follows the evolution of the M1 Garand from the first semiautomatic hunting rifles to the devastating U.S. infantry weapon of WWII. It's a battle royal of weapons design, with dozens of unforeseen problems sending inventors back to the drawing board and a scandal-hungry media waiting to discredit the guns favored by the military. In addition, offers detailed explanations for cleaning, repairing, and firing. $25.00 USD
WHEN WASHINGTON BURNED – An Illustrated History of the War of 1812 Story of the great conflict between a young United States of America and imperial Great Britain. From the roots of the conflict, through a profile of the two armies, to descriptions of the great battles and events of the war, this work captures in one lavishly illustrated volume one of America's first great crises. $40.00 USD
TMP special offer: Save 15%. New price: $34.00 USD
UTMOST GALLANTRY: The U.S. and Royal Navies at Sea in the War of 1812 Focusing on the oceanic war rather than the war in the Great Lakes, this study charts the War of 1812 from the perspectives of the two opposing navies at sea. Evaluates entire cruises by American and British men-of-war, noting both successes and failures and how they translated into broader strategies. In the process, his study becomes a history of how the two navies fought the oceanic war, linking high-level governmental decisions about strategy to the operational use of fleets in the Atlantic and Caribbean and from the South Pacific to the Indian Ocean. $40.00 USD
TMP special offer: Save 10%. New price: $36.00 USD
FIGHTING FOR THE SOVIET MOTHERLAND – Recollections from the Eastern Front WWII struggle between the Soviet forces and the Axis powers can now be seen through the efforts of veterans such as Colonel Dmitriy Loza. Loza draws on his own experiences and those of acquaintances to illustrate particular problems, combat situations, and the functioning of the Soviet Army in its struggle with the German and Japanese armies. $55.00 USD
TMP special offer: Save 50%. New price: $27.50 USD
AND DON'T FORGET THE MAGAZINES…
BATTLE GAMES MAGAZINE #30 July 2012 Another terrific issue with: More Fun with Packaging (rummaging through useful bits and pieces that come with electrical goods to make a sturdy redoubt and a clutch of pottery kilns), Forward Observer (Citadel's major overhaul of their paint range and painting guide, the growth of the Plastic Soldier Company, the demise of Warhammer Historical, and more), An Epic Adventure (discussion of GW's Epic: Armageddon), The Osprey Swoops (discussion of forthcoming new rules Dux Bellorum with stats for King Arthur), Send Three and Fourpence (wargaming friends), Greasepaint Confessions (how actor Nigel Betts secretly paints armies), Looking Over the Hedge (five ideas for solo play), Command Challenge: The Package (ultra modern scenario about an arms dealer and rebels set in Azerbaijan), A Modest Heretical Proposal (deflating sacred cows of wargaming), Win More Wargames (examines army deployment and offers up fictional scenario), Recce (reviews), and Thoughts from the Armchair (Siggins on intellectual property). $10.00 USD
AND MORE AT THE SHOPPE
As always, visit the onmilitarymatters.com website for a full list of new items coming into the shoppe, those already in stock, and one-off specials.