WWPD News From the Front Episode 21

"Mk IV AC Unit, Wall Mounted."

Steven, Joe, and Dirty Jon are in the hot box! A wall mounted A/C unit provides steady companionship throughout the episode. The boys talk Historicon, Cassino (Flames of War source book), and other nonsense! Plenty of "Wow"s abound with Joe back after a hiatus!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• 0:00 - Intro- Charity events, AAR, etc
• 0:15 - Historicon!
• 0:25 - NOOB ZONE: Hit Allocation Importance
• 0:31 - BF and Gamecraft Miniatures Reviews
• 0:48 - Infantry Aces
• 0:59 - Mail Call
• 1:14 - Cassino Review
• 1:46 - BF Communique

Download this week's episode directly: http://www.archive.org/download/WwpdNewsFromTheFrontEpisode21/Episode21.mp3
Subscribe via iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wwpd-news-from-the-front/id398903039
Subscribe with other: http://feeds.feedburner.com/WWPDPodCast

Links discussed in this episode:
Historicon

Heroes of Armageddon
WWPD on Facebook
Wounded Warrior Project
Gamecraft Miniatures

EDITOR'S NOTES:
Apologies again for the A/C unit. The scotch started getting me by the time "After Hours" was recorded. That always means it's a great episode! Luke- feel better! Also- Dave Taylor DOES head up the Heroes of Armageddon site, I messed that up. Sorry!

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They keep multiplying.

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Italians and Americans scrape in the desert (which has No A/C still :( )

Well our A/C still isn't fixed (Monday we're getting an entirely new system), but Joe Mezz decided that a little summer heat was no reason to call off a battle! Appropriately, we decided a desert match was in order. This time around we did US armor vs Italians. Since Joe hasn't played in a while, I wanted to really take the opportunity to take him back to basics. I gave the yanks a few extra points to ensure combined arms, and made sure to take my time to teach Joe how best to beat.. er.. me. I think Joe is a fine pupil, but he's not a jedi yet- he must.. confront… vader.

Also, Dirty Jon has my Africa book so I can't remember if Rifles can support the US Armor. I'm 99.9% sure they cannot in mid war, but I didn't want to have to add the cumbersome transport rules with the armor rifles, so I let Joe take some regular ol' dogfaces.

The mission was Fighting Withdrawal. I wanted to A) get all the forces on the board, B) Put Joe in a position to be attacking, and C) have a time constraint. It fit the bill.

US ARMOR HQ 2x Shermans (2iC upgraded to a dozer) 4x Shermans 4x Shermans 5x Stuarts Rifle Platoon Priest Battery Full Recon Platoon

Italian Bersaglieri HQ (Confident Trained) Bersaglieri Group (Confident Vet) Bersaglieri Group (Confident Vet) Bersaglieri Mortars (Confident Trained) 75mm Cannon Platone (Confident Vet) 5x M14/41 (Fearless Vet) Lancias (Confident Vet)

DEPLOYMENT AND TURN ONE

Italians from left to right: Bersaglieri, Cannons (first objective on the lower left hill), M14/41s, Company Command (in range of every platoon!)(Objective in the fork), Mortars, Bersaglieri (objective on the hill).

Lancias in ambush.

Americans from left to right: Priests, Rifles, Recon, Shermans + 2iC, Stuarts hiding, Shermans + Company Command.

>>>CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE REPORT!

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Quick news update and French 25mm AT Guns

Hey guys- first up I know it's the 2nd Sunday since our last 'cast and folks are jonesin'! (Seriously, thank you everyone who's e-mailed us asking when the next episode would be out- it keeps us going!)

Unfortunately, we did not record this weekend and may not for a few days. The reason? Our Mk I Air Conditioning unit failed a difficult weather check and bogged down. Unfortunately, it's also 13 years old and thus unreliable. Anyways, I've stretched that dumb metaphor long enough. The bottom line is my house is 90 degrees, and the thought of sharing a room with Luke and Jon in this heat is not pleasant. Right now my top priority is getting it replaced and getting my pregnant wife somewhere where she can be comfortable!

This weekend I sent her to her parents' and I stayed with the ship. I got some painting done, but it was so hot I mostly just sat around miserably.

So the next episode is TBA- we will definitely get one more in before Historicon.
Speaking of Historicon: don't forget to come to the live show at 9:00 Saturday night! We will have the room details soon, and there will be flyers for it which you won't miss!

And now here's a few pictures of some French 25mm AT Guns I finished up. These are Quick Reaction Force. I also got a blister of the BF ones, and I can solidly say the BF guns are WAY better. The crew are a decent match, with the QRF guys being a tiny bit smaller. The QRF *do* have the correct helmets though, so that's something. Overall, I still prefer the BF models, but it is what it is.

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GUEST AAR: Polish vs Germans "Hold the line"

This is a guest AAR by "Anatoli" from the very excellent Anatoli's Game Room


Scenario : Hold the line (1500pts per side)

Forces Polish Infantry Battalion vs German mechanized infantry.

Polish units held in reserve: 1st and 2nd infantry platoon, scout platoon, Tankettes. Cavalry “Bypassed”.

Polish deployed on table, two hmg platoons  joined by the C.O and 2iC, 37mm AT and 75mm artillery platoon.

Table: Rural / forest region. Worked very well for a Polish front game. A few hills, a forest area in the middle, scattered fields and a country road leading through the middle of the table.
…………………………………………….
>>>>CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE AAR!

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SS Panzergrenadiers vs Guards Strelkovy (mid war)

Outnumbered, and low on ammunition the SS Panzergrenadiers continue the fight. Our own beloved tanks gave out many miles ago, so we'll use the untermensch's against them! We've rounded up all of our spare halftracks to send around behind the enemy in an attempt to encircle and breakthrough! Tom commands his russkies, and I command the Germans.

SS Panzergrenadiers HQ + 2iC Panzerknacker Panzergrenadier Platoon 1 + Panzerknacker Panzergrenadier Platoon 2 + Panzerknacker Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon Beutepanzer Platoon (4x T-34s) Captured KV-1e (Confident Trained) Armored Rocket Launcher Battery (3 + extra crew)

Soviet Guards Strelkovy Battalion HQ + 4 AT Rifles (attached to first Strelkovy) 1st Strelkovy Company with 3 Platoons, 2 HMGs, and Komissar 2nd Strelkovy Company with 2 Platoons, 1 HMG, and Komissar Heavy Mortar Battery with 6 Heavy Mortars Guards Armored Heavy Tankovy with 3 KV-85s 2x Flame Thrower Teams (attached to 1st Company)

The mission is Breakthrough, the SS are the attackers.

TURN ONE AND DEPLOYMENT

The Soviets get everything on the board. The massive strelkovy and heavy mortars are in the right (the mortars are just off camera). The smaller Strelkovy and KV-85s are in the north center. Both Strelkovy are ready to move out and hold the objectives.

The Germans put the Gepanzerte Panzergrenadiers in reserve. T-34s, Panzergrenadiers, and armored rockets deploy all the war forward in the bottom center. Smetna (the captured KV-1e) can be seen hiding just to the right of the center ruin.
>>>CLICK HERE TO SEE THE EPIC STRUGGLE!

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US 2ID Rifles vs German 326 Infanterie Grenadiers in No Retreat

US 2nd Indianhead Division HQ (SMGs) First Rifle Platoon (All SMGs) First Rifle Platoon (All SMGs) First Rifle Platoon (All SMGs) 81mm Mortar Platoon (6 tubes) 4x M4 Shermans Combat Engineers + 3 bazookas + Supply truck Full M7 Priest Battery Full 155mm SP Battery AOP

326 GRENADIERS (Confident Trained) HQ + Panzerfausts + Panzerschreck + 2 8cm Mortars Grenadier Platoon + Panzerfaust Grenadier Platoon + Panzerfaust Pioneer Platoon Armored Rocket Launcher Battery + Crew (Confident Veteran) 3x Jagdpanthers (Confident Veteran) **FIELD FORTIFICATIONS** 2x HMG Nests + 2 trench lines 8x Barbed Wire Entanglements 3x Minefields

The US 2nd Infantry Division has reached the outskirts of the vital port city of Brest. The Germans here are dug in tight as a tick with fortifications both French and German built. Elite Fallschirmjaeger mingle with battered remnants of once mighty German divisions. Here, one company leads the charge to burst through the German lines and seize the city! Launching from a bombed outskirt at dawn, the Indianheads were eager to prove that they were "second to none!"

The mission is No Retreat.

DEPLOYMENT AND TURN ONE

The Germans begin the game with one Grenadier platoon and the Pioneers. Since Brian has to deploy his fortifications, he decide an ambush would be a moot point. His command sets up in the farm house in the center of the board. An HMG tobruk pit is just on the north side of the building, with the 2nd on the southeast side between the building and the bridge. Pioneers are deployed in the south, with grenadiers in the north. The river is swollen and flooded forming low lying marshes.

The Americans deploy everything far forward. From the north to the south: 6 gun Priest Battery, 1st Rifle Platoon, 2iC + Observer Sherman, 155mm SP battery, 2nd Rifle Platoon, 81mm Mortars, 3rd Rifle Platoon, Shermans, Engineers + Company Command.

The Objectives are in the bottom center just behind the wire and north of the marsh. The second objective is in the north-east wheat field.

>>>READ ON TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS!

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6 down, 15 to go, comrades

>>>SEE THE REST OF THE COMMUNIST HEROES

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German Camouflage Tutorial

This Tutorial will show you how to produce the 'Dirty Jon' style of German camouflage - with no Airbrush required! By following these techniques, you can produce a table-top quality German camouflage for your Flames of War army, or adapt the techniques for your own style and army.

>>> CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF JON'S TUTORIAL!

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Gone Fishin'

I am about to head south for a few days, so WWPD will go silent till early next week.

I've been a painting machine- here is what I will come home to:

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