This blog will hopefully document the completion of projects begun almost ten years ago - WWII desert forces for Flames of War in 15mm. I think it was v.1 that got me started with the desert forces. Most of the models weren't even made by BF at that point, and I had access to an Old Glory discount, so most of my models are Old Glory Command Decision pieces. So the first question in my mind for a blog is always - WHY?
Well, when I was a kid someone gave me "Brazen Chariots" by Robert Crisp, the South African crickater and journalist. It had an impact with its vivid first-hand account, personal details, odd events, and honest evaluation of both his own performance and that of the 'higher-ups'. Ever since, I've loved the Stuart "Honey" and his book.
As for Flames of War, well, v.1 was "the" WWII miniatures game,10-15 years ago, and it certainly packaged WWII and made it playable. There were some brilliant mechanics, like relating Unit quality to Fire - it is easier to inflict damage on green troops than veterans. By imitating the Games Workshop model it brought WWII from the back of beyond, behind ancients and horse & musket, to a very popular period.
Unfortunately, by imitating the GW "Evil Empire" approach in terms of both gaming and marketing, thru v. 2-3 and now 4, they also created the same monster mix of power-gaming, special rules and units and drastically increased prices - and trying to force tournament players to purchase their stuff. Also, there continues to be a lack of realism that could be easily fixed, like no overwatch, etc. When I read Frank Chadwick's "First Battle" boardgames like "Team Yankee" and "Blood & Thunder" it's all so easy to correct. So like all Games Workshop games...Flames of War is dead to me now!
Still, there's lots of reasons to play this theater of war, if not Flames of War, anymore:
- Interesting opponents and match-ups! DAK don't fight like RE don't fight like 8th Army. Each has their own play style, strengths and challenges.
- Wild variety of equipment! And if you're British, loads of it is on your side. If you're German, you capture lots if it at one point or another.
- Tons of information, inspiration and great history in English.
- Painting goes from very simple to very unusual camo and it's all historical.
- Plenty of great models.
- "War without Hate" as Rommel said. As ugly as WWII often is, the desert war was without much of the horrors against civilians and generally the two sides respected each other and the rules of war. Pretty much the polar opposite of the Eastern Front and the Pacific War.
- The British Army alone fielded more national varieties in the desert than most nations fielded in the entire war. The Italians also had some unusual units and equipment. It's a front and time that's almost without standardization, and nearly anything can be fielded historically.
- My local area has loads of 15mm North African armies. Since I have both British and Italians, it's easy for me to get an historical matchup.
So basically, this is a no-brainer.
PROJECT GOALS
I've made a few attempts to finish my desert armies, but I keep buying more and don't sell unpainted stuff off so haven't gotten anywhere close - and I don't have any DAK yet! If nothing else, I need to finish two complete sides so that I can host desert games with people who don't have any and want to try it out, and also so that I can demo with people and play either Axis or Allies historically [not a fan of blue-on-blue training games, really].
Period & Theater
My favorite battle is definitely EW with Crusader. It's a knock-down drag-out fight between two evenly matched opponents and there's plenty to game here. There are great MW fights at Gazala and the early Alamein battles, too. But they represent the end of the 'classical' desert war as the strategic situation turned against the Axis. It becomes more of a Mediterranean Theater as the US and British invade from the West.
So it's all good, but I need to focus on Crusader at least for now.
Companies
The original project somehow became a Crusader [Crud] Squadron and a Carri Compagnia. This despite the fact that the Stuart Honey is one of my favorite tanks. I dimly remember using playtest EW lists and my first forays into making desert terrain in the basement of the house I had with wife #1. With the divorce, house sale, and all those transitions the armies suffered severe neglect. Also, I didn't like the CD Stuarts much, so swapped them with someone. Eventually, I got the very lovely BF Honeys but have to get going on them - a bit daunted by the Caunter camo, actually!
Round 2. Eventually I got into playing again and did some more work. I finished a bunch of Italian platoons that were official in MW FoW v.2 rules, even playing a tournament with them.
THE Tournament. My only tournament play, it was memorable for a match against a Russian infantry company with KV1 support, and the guy was really mouthy! He basically dismissed any thought of losing as soon as he found out I fielded Italians. Because since the Italians lost the war they should lose the game...? Of course, I won the game. I ignored his KV1s and instead focused on wiping out his infantry with loads and loads of MG dice, including those occupying a town. Then I circumnavigated the board at high speed and seized an objective from his depleted army. I think the hilarious thing about the "heavy tank mentality" is the gamers who assume that since they bought an unbreakable object that they simply must win. The fact that FoW is a game based upon a point system, even fights, and carefully constructed missions seems to have been missed by them. Anyway...tournements and Flames of War thankfully in the past.
Round 3. More personal eventfulness lead to more neglect. A second wife, a second house later, I was turning my attention to the Crud squadron - long overdue! All went well until I was trying an ink wash with the models, and they game out way too dark. Very discouraging. Then job messiness had us relocating near my wife's family and job. So the Cruds went back to the box with their problematic paint job.
I resurrected the Italians and did enough additions to them to field an Italian Compagnia Bersaglieri that was mostly driven by loads of gun teams and infantry with some tank support [tankette support, quite often]. It helped that a FLGS did an EW league and I was able to get the occasional game in there. Once I showed up with 17 platoons and had the opposition ready to quit after set up - he didn't really appreciate how poor most of the Units would fight, BUT FoW doesn't penalize shooting by low quality troops - they are just hit more easily, so you have to push them hard. Anyway, the league was somewhat hit or miss and the store difficult to work with, and v.3 was making FoW ever more complex.
Round 4. Finally, I finished the paint job on the Cruds, cleaning, priming and basing some support platoons, and even playing a few games borrowing or substituting Italian gear as British. Then...another move for a new job. All back in the box, months in storage, spring and summer hiatus from FoW and most wargaming.
Round 5. Tally-ho!
