Ready for my CoC v2 Debut

Before embarking on our next Chain of Command campaign, John and I need a few familiarisation games with the new, improved, second edition of the rules, or CoC² for short.  

Today I set out my table based on the 'Probe' game scenario from the TooFatLardies' Kampfgruppe von Luck 'Pint-Sized' Campaign (pdf) - see the map below.  

My best attempt to replicate this is shown below, viewed from the German's side of the table.

In the campaign description the road from the Y-junction up to the farm is a sunken road.  As I couldn't easily recreate that I opted for high banked bocage hedge either side of the road which will both provide good cover and obstruct movement (especially vehicle movement).

As could probably be inferred from the map, the scenario sees a German Panzergrenadier platoon, from 21st Panzer, attacking a British Airborne platoon just after D-Day (D+1).  As I don't have any airborne troops I'm using a regular British platoon in its place, and giving them an extra 2 support points to compensate for their lower platoon force rating.  This gives the British 6 support points against the German's rather scary 13 points given they only need to get a team to the British baseline to win the game.  However, if the game is over pretty quick it will give us a chance to re-set and play again, as after all the name of the game is practise.

The game is in a couple of days' time but the AAR will be along eventually.

Figure Mods - Waiting for Bits

I wasn't planning on another update this soon but I broke my last decent drill bit for my Dremel rotary tool so thought I'd post some more on the command figures while waiting for some more drill bits[1] to arrive courtesy of Amazon (hopefully today).  

My last post saw the three command figures largely dismembered; the ensign needing a new head, the officer a head swap, and the drummer a head and arms swap!  So, after crafting another solder hat for the ensign, here they are put together and starting to take on their final appearance.

Since then, all I have managed is a bit more filing and some final detailing added with greenstuff as going near them with a soldering iron at this stage would undoubtedly see any solder on them revert to a shapeless blob. 

So, with still some tidying up of the greenstuff still to do, here's the officer, ...

... the ensign, ...

... and, the drummer.

I'm quite pleased with these, especially the drummer as he looks quite natural despite being a fairly extreme cut and shut job.  The officer and the ensign will both have boots, the ensign some nice tight ones that can just be done with a paint job.  I'm not sure whether the ensign would've worn a bicorn but I didn't want him in a round hat or competing with the officer's cocked hat.  Anyway, I think he's turned out okay and I like the tilt to his head that looks like he's paying attention to what he's doing with the colour.

Notes:

[1.]  Good drill bits are essential for drilling holes into the heads and torsos of figures having head-swaps to allow a steel wire to be inserted in both to provide a robust joint.  Without one I can't get on with all the rest of the planned head-swaps.

Figure Mods - a WiP Update

The last post which outlined some ambitious figure conversions to make a round-hatted unit of 20mil Napoleonic Spanish Fusiliers seemed to spark some interest.  So, while progress is slow, I thought I'd post an update, mainly to try and keep my conversion mojo ticking along.

First, the test figure, which has now been blocked in with the intended paint scheme.

Getting some paint on him has shown I need to be a little less generous with the 5SecondFix for the trousers and do a better job smoothing them off.  Also, I think a quick bit of greenstuff around the neck to make a more prominent collar will help.  That said, I'm pleased with the colours, the first blue (Humbrol 89) was too light so I gave it a wash of thinned down mid-blue (Humbrol 25) and got exactly the colour I was looking for to match based on an illustration in an Osprey[1].  I will probably highlight with the original light blue colour but I need to attend to the black lining first.

The rest of the figures, head donors and recipients, have all now been through the bleach-bath and had their paint cleaned off and the British revolutionary grenadiers (BRGs for short) have been cleaned up and had their 'wings' removed.  

Today has focussed on the command figures; officer, ensign and drummer.  These are all being worked up from HH (recasts?) BRG command figures.  

First the drummer.  I have no BRG drummer, so have used a sergeant figure and removed his head and arms, the latter in order to fit the arms and drum from a Napoleonic British fusilier drummer - see below.

You will notice his loins have been hollowed out to fit the drum which will be glued in once the greenstuff repairs to the drum and shoulder strap added to the figure (no photo) have cured.  The arms will them be soldered in place at the shoulders for a strong joint, he will also a round-hatted head like the rank and file.

The officers are BRG officer figures, one waving his sword being converted to a standard bearer and the other will be marching as is with his sword at the shoulder, as shown below.

The ensign has had a blob of solder added that will be filed down to create the 'bucket' that the flagstaff is placed in; the shoulder belt from which it is suspended will be added with greenstuff.

As officers I don't want these figures in round hats, so I took one of the spare BRG heads and cut the bearskin down before adding a cocked hat from solder - shown between the two figures in the photo above.  This took several attempts before I could get the solder blob to vaguely resemble the over-sized cocked hats favoured by the Spanish.  This was then followed by lots, and lots, of careful filing, a real chore but the end result is worth it (IMO).  I intend using this head for the commanding officer but haven't yet decided what to do for the ensign ...

... watch this space.

Notes:

[1.]  Man at Arms 332, Spanish Army of the Napoleonic Wars Part 2 1808-1812, Plate G1.  I would put in a picture but again I'm not about the copyright position for doing this.