Iron Maiden: The Unboxing and Playing

As I was writing all those articles on the “Iron Maiden” release, I also volunteered to do the “unboxing”; not just because I wanted to write more about the subject, but to feed my desire to play with this new and interesting faction for Team Yankee. As some of you know from reading the past articles I penned on the Brits; I have always felt that this new force will change how the game is played. The forces in IM gives the player some really good infantry and a cheap but deadly main battle tank that can hold its own on the game table.

The Chief
I was able to get a hold of this box set that has 5 Chieftain Tanks and 2 Lynx helicopters. The box also comes with the new mini rule book witch is better made than the V3 FoW mini-rulebook, it will not snap its spine when you open it. 

Having made a Chieftain during the roll out event without instructions I found making them with the guide was a snap. Even the baskets on the sides of the turret fit right into a groove and you do not have to worry about misplacing them. One decision you will have to make is to use the regular or Stillbrew turret. While I love using magnets to swap things like this out, this kit does not give you the parts to do that; with only one cannon and one set of baskets available. I decided to use the Stillbrew turret for uniformity and for the fact that it not only looks a bit better, but it is also not that noticeable to the untrained.

Two things that will slow down your speed building of this model; the first is the cupola machine gun, which is just ripe to get ripped off the tank unless you are careful. The other is the side skirts, they seemed to go on at a slight angle and this is something you will have to play with to get it just right. Based on the pictures I checked out on the Chief, the actual side skirts so somewhat taper in the rear. The only real “complaint” I could think of is the commander who sits in the open cupola.  They seem to be at a larger scale and some of the included commanders will only fit in the turret at an angle. They also leave little logical room for the HMG, unless you want your crewman hugging the gun awkwardly.

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Great War; Great Once Again!

For those who are interested in the Great War, the last few years has seen a boom in all sorts of media and games that highlight the bloody struggle that changed the world forever. This boom is not because the topic is gaining popularity, but rather it’s the fact that we are remembering the 100th anniversary of the conflict. Even after 2018, and the anniversary period is over I still feel that many of us who are amateur historians will enjoy greater company with a new wave of converts who got caught up in the boom.

Flames of War: Great War
While this is not new, I do have some new personal news to share. I finally got off my ass and painted the French and American forces I got many many months ago. The motivation was a hangover effect from painting my Team-Yankee Soviets and West Germans.  I got back into painting and I really wanted to knock these guys out. 

So sitting on my bench collecting dust was each of the box sets and some add-ons so I would have one of each blister and box.  My first project was the tanks, which was 4 Renault Ft-17s, 2 Schneider CA.1s, and 1 Char St Chamond tank. I will admit to being cocky and made the decision to paint all of the tanks in the French camo scheme. 

 

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