Giving 'Men Who Would Be Kings a Try'

    Left wing of my force on its way to destroy a Pathan village in Keith's 'Men Who Would be Kings'

Our group has become enamored with the Daniel Mersey line of rules in the last year or so. Our latest foray into the "Rampant" system, as it is sometimes known, was last night trying out the Colonial rules, The Men Who Would be Kings. Our group has played Lion Rampant, Xenos Rampant, and Rebels and Patriots, so far. This was a new one for us, and in our opinion, the bloodiest of the lot! Since we had six players, and Keith did not have enough figures of any one native people to make a three-player side, he decided to set up three separate, one-on-one matchups. In the first, Allen's Zulus trying to prevent Mike W's British colonial force from marching past them and reaching the safety of the opposite board edge. In the middle game, Tom was commanding a Boxer Rebellion force intent on reducing a church they'd previously burned, and drive off the Western powers forces attempting to save the Chinese Christians there. Joel and I played a Brits vs. Pathans matchup on the Northwest frontier. I was attempting to destroy a village while Joel was trying to prevent me from reducing the buildings to rubble.

    Although they activated below par, my British artillerists were deadly with their shots!

Unfortunately, I did not think to take pictures of any of the other matchups. I focused on my game with Joel, as we were trying to learn the specifics of this set. Although the Rampant games share a common set of mechanics, each game has their own twist or tweaks for the periods. The big thing we noticed for Men Who Would be Kings, besides the bloodiness, was that all types of activation rolls need the same score for success. In our games, it was usually a "6" on 2d6, or a "5" if you had Discipline +1. So, it didn't really matter if you were activating to move, move at the double, shoot, or charge into melee, your unit needed the same number for all of them. Each troop type does receive one or two "free" actions -- well, most of them do. My artillery did not, and ended up failing their activation roll pretty much every other turn like clockwork!

    Early stages of the battle as my British force of 4 units advances on the Pathan village

The biggest difference -- and what caused this game be so bloody -- is everyone's base "armor" is one. In Rampant games, the shooter or both sides in melee roll their prescribed number of attack dice, typically looking for a 5 or 6 (or 4-6 for many cases in this game) on 10-12 dice. You total up your hits and compare it to the armor of the enemy. If they have an armor of two, you inflict a casualty for every two hits. For example, if a shooting unit score five hits, and the target has an armor of three, you would do only one casualty (no rounding up). If they have an armor of 2, you inflict two. And if you have a armor one, like most troops in this game, that's five hits! Actually, the game doesn't even use the term "armor." The only things that acts as armor are cover and long range.

    Close up of Keith's 25mm Ral Partha highlander figures, who fought very well in battle

So, when my British highlander units at short range and in close order (Why not be in close order, as it doesn't reduce your move or make you easier to hit?) fired at Joel's Pathan unit, I was hitting on each 4-6 on 12d6. I admit that I was rolling very well to hit throughout the game, routinely scoring six or even eight hits. Needless to say, that will devastate a 12-man unit! So, Joel and I were done in about an hour of gaming. Although he was defending a village of hard cover buildings, it didn't help him much. The scenario ruled that a unit inside would be eliminated if a building was destroyed. To do that, I had to inflict 10 hits. When attacking the building (at short or long range), I rolled 12 dice and needed a 4-6. On my first shot at a building, I rolled five hits in one turn. Joel's occupants realized that an average roll on my next shot would destroy it. So, they scrammed and advaned to attack my infantry, instead. So, the hard cover was essentially a death trap for his troops, and useless as cover for him. 

    Pathan left wing advances towards my forces, thankfully across open ground where we could shoot

My tactics in the scenario were simple. The artillery was on my far right corner of the board, and would shoot every turn it activated (about 50% of the time) at either enemy troops or reduce buildings. I placed both of my highlander infantry units in close order, and they would advance till within range and then plant themselves and fire. And fire. And fire again. My British lancers would wait till a unit had been reduced below half strength, and then charge and finish them off, while the infantry switched to target a new Pathan infantry unit and begin reducing them down. 

    After the enemy was softened up by the highlander's fire, the lancers would dash in & destroy them!

We outranged the Pathans' rifles, too, firing 24" to their 18". So, I essentially had the advantage of sitting back and waiting for them to come within range, and then shooting them down. Yes, I realize that was the basic tactic of colonial European powers in this era. I can't imagine it made for a fun game for Joel, though. He killed four of my troops the entire game -- two by shooting and two by fighting back in melee when my lancers charged home. When he and I decided the outcome was a foregone conclusion and called it, he had only two reduced units left of the six he began the game. It was a bloody slaughter!

One difference in Men Who Would be King that I did like was that the number of dice rolled to attack an enemy by shooting or melee is controlled by the number of figures in your unit. In most Rampant games, a unit rolls the maximum dice (typically 12 or 10) when it is above half strength. When it falls to half or below, it rolls half that number of dice. In these rules, it is normally one dice per figure. So, you can wear a unit down with casualties and gradually see a reduction in its effectiveness. Maybe another reason our games were so bloody is that Keith made the decision to minimize the terrain in our first, learning game. I think that was a good idea, but it hurt the natives. Another thing that hurt the natives was the boards were relatively narrow -- each area was only about 3.5 feet wide by about 4-5 feet deep. The narrow frontage prevented them outflanking the colonials, and made our firepower that much deadlier, with enemy units always in our shooting arc. 

    The closest the Pathan advance got to my forces -- they were soon driven back by artillery & rifle fire

An obvious fix would be to give the natives more cover and the opportunity to outflank the enemy. Would it help the native forces? Definitely. That said, in the middle game, Tom's Boxers cleared the field of the colonial Western power units. He was able to use the Boxers' deadly charge and cut down the enemy. Now, Tom and Mike S admitted they got a couple rules wrong that might have affected the game some. Mike seemed pretty convinced he was outclassed, though. So, maybe it depends on which native force is matched up against which colonial power? What about the third game? It was pretty evenly fought -- and bloody, of course! However, Mike W's British fought off the attacks and destroyed enough of the Zulu enemy that it was obvious he'd be able to eventually fulfill his victory conditions and march off-table. So, it was 2-1 colonials. 

The games went VERY quickly -- the longest finished at two hours (Joel and I after an hour or so). So, I think the balance probably hangs in the scenario design and forces chosen. An unfavorable scenario, plus unfavorable matchup, can be very one-sided -- like my game. With me having the superior range (36" for my artillery and 24" for my rifles), I could sit back and pound his village all day long. That forced him to come out of the buildings and come after me. He was also hampered by the scenario, which forced him to deploy half of his force in the central buildings and the other half on his baseline. Contrast that with Tom's scenario in the center. Mike S was forced to put on sacrificial lamb of one of his units in the center ruins of the church. Tom's entire force could advance from his baseline together -- too many for one unit to keep at bay. It was just a matter of time before one of the Boxer charges drove him from the church and slaughtered him. And then, his remainder force coming up would be depleted of its firepower by the lost unit. With the Boxer's bigger units and superior hand-to-hand ability, I think Tom's scenario favored him as much as mine favored me over Joel.

    One building reduced to rubble in the village, and now the lancers prepare to sweep through it

Still, I enjoy playing the Rampant series of games. I think this particular one may need more tweaks, or careful scenario design, to prevent it from being a one-sided bloodbath. Obviously, we could use the same colonial figures and simply play the Xenos Rampant rules, if we wanted. We'll see what Keith wants to do, though. Either way, it was a quick fun game, which is what the Rampant series does well!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 172

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150

Last of the 28mm Fishmen

    My 2nd batch of 28mm Fishmen -- the center three are from Beldolor Studios I picked up at Origins

Right after I finished the last of my 28mm Vietnam figures, I was kind of at a loss what to paint up next. I got several batches of things ready to go, though. One of which were these five 28mm Fishmen to go with the others I painted up for the heck of it, awhile back. Three of them are excellent, 3-D resin printed figures from Beldolor Studios that I've seen the last two years at Origins Game Fair. The other two looked vaguely fishman-like from the D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures line, Kuo-Toa & Kua-Toa Whip. As I mentioned when posting the last batch, I'm really not sure what I'll use these for. The most likely possibility is to work them into my Tales of the Splintered Band using Sellswords & Spellslingers.

    Definitely my favorites of this batch, the two 28mm Pikes -- I love how their skin came out!

Of the Beldolor Studies fishmen, two of them are Pikes and one a Bass. My favorites of the batch are the two pikes. I decided to paint their coloring up similarly, as they had different weapons to tell them apart. I really like how they came out. I used a dark olive green as a base coat (after priming them with Liquitex White Gesso). I dry brushed them with a light olive. I made the underbelly of the fish lighter, highlighting that area more heavily. Next, I replicated some fish patterns I'd seen on Google Image searches by doing rows of dark green splotches going from head to tail. The rows stopped at the lighter underbelly, and I think it gives a nice effect. 

    The Bass is a cool figure, too -- I like his two swords and gaping fishy mouth (I added the teeth)

I did the weapons in normal wood and metal, though in my mind I debated the physics of an aquatic species armed with a buoyant piece of wood...! I decided they would know how to balance the wood's buoyancy with the metal head to give a more neutral weight, like scuba divers! I know, I know...it's fantasy. It doesn't have to make scientific sense! Still, if you know my group of friends that I game with, I wouldn't put it past one of them bringing up that point. It is good to have a ready answer when confronted with a gamer know-it-all (anyone want to guess who I'm referring to...? Ha, ha)! I even Google Image searched "fish eyes" so that I could give them the right effect. I really like how those eyes turned out -- especially on the Pikes. The tiny black pupil was done with a micron pen, by the way!

I wanted the Bass fishman to look different than the two pikes, so I gave him a much darker green base coat. He received a medium green highlight that doesn't show up very well, unfortunately. For his fish pattern, I chose to do lines of yellow dots. I was happy with how his pattern, too. I went back and forth on how to do the fish lips -- yes, these are the things miniature painters debate with themselves! I ended up repainting them to make them darker than the skin pattern for the pikes, and lighter for the bass. The important thing was I wanted them to show up clearly. I mean, after all, "fish lips" is a kind of description isn't it? For the Bass, I even added some tiny teeth that weren't sculpted on the figure.

    I also like how the Kuo Toa came out -- the plastic they're made with is a little too bendy for me

I had Googled various fish images, so used some that I liked for the coloring of the two Kuo Toa. One was done in a gray green and the other in a brighter "leaf green." They also got lighter colored highlights, a bright but light green for the leaf green one and very light gray for the other. Since patterns were looking good on these fishmen, I had do ones on these figs, too! All in all, I was happy with all five of the patterns. After all this effort, I certainly hope they do see the tabletop sometime!

The equipment for the Kuo Toa were done in leathers and browns. I used bone for their cutting edges on the one Kua Toa's weapons, because that's how they appeared to be sculpted. These guys had clothes, so I had to decide what color to do those, as well. I simply went with a nice contrast to the skin tones. I really like the dull purple color that I did the net fishman in. It is a color I try to work in from time to time on my miniatures. I also like the little details on these miniatures, such as the bone necklaces. I really don't like the plastic material they are made from, though. It is too flexible and bendy. I honestly prefer metal figures and you can't get much more opposite than these!

    Over the sound of the surf, you hear an ominous, wet-sounding tramp moving up the beach...

I debated with myself whether to give these guys a dark wash, eventually deciding to do so. I liked how the sand flocking worked out on the first batch, so I replicated that here with these five. Sand is a nice neutral basing look -- they could have just staggered out of the sea and onto the beach, right? At this point, the poor fishy dudes sat on my painting desk for at least a week. I wanted to do a spray matte coat, and it has been the typical Columbus, OH, Southeast Asia type weather this summer. Once I finally got a day that was BOTH cooler and less humid, they finally got their spray. The last step was to give their skin a brush on gloss coat. I mean, they are dripping went having just come out of the waves and onto land, right??

So, what else is on my painting desk? Seeing as how a week or more has gone by since these were finished...quite a bit! My first batch of 28mm Orcs is nearly complete. Plus, I've begun another six large jungle scatter pieces. They're just underway, really. Only the central palm tree is done. I haven't even cut up the pieces of plastic plants yet to put on the rest of the base. I've been pretty busy otherwise with my 28mm Vietnam project. I did my second playtest and put the first draft of the rules together to send out to other playtesters. So, that's been keeping me busy. I have a few other odds and ends that I'll be working in, so stay tuned!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 172

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150

Surving 'Nam Playtests: Mission 2 - Temple at River Bend

    1st Squad lined up in the trees along the river, ready to open up on any V.C. that appear

Both squads crouched in a circle around Lt. Cooper and Cpl. Kern. "There's a ruined temple complex across the river up ahead," Cooper said, pointing at his folded map. "S-2 say that there's good Intel some V.C. are using it as a bivouac and bunker against H&I fire. Our mission is to sneak up on it, pour fire into it, and drive the V.C. out of there. Second & Third Platoon are waiting in ambush along the trail they'll withdraw on and should shoot them up pretty good. Those we don't get, that is!"

    View of the tabletop before the battle -- the Americans would enter from the right, V.C. on the left

Cpl. Kern jumped in quickly. "As soon as you catch sight of the river, get in cover. Move through the trees, hump them like they're your high school buddy's girlfriend!" A couple squad members chuckled. "We're a diversion - don't take stupid risks. No John Wayne bullshit!" All were nodding or smiling at that comment, though Cooper looked at Kern a little funny. "First squad on me...let's move out. Hawk - you got point. Watch out for punji sticks!" Hawk grinned and flipped Kern the bird. He patted the pogue Otis on the shoulder as he walked by, whispering something that sounded like, "See -- told you this would be fun...!" 

    Led by Cpl. Kern, 1st Squad enters on the left -- immediately taking cover in the trees

This was my second playtest of my Surviving 'Nam: A Year In-country with Mr. Charles rules. I was encouraged after the first playtest, though it had been exceptionally bloody for the platoon. Losing NCOs left and right meant that 1st squad was now led by a corporal and 2nd by the lieutenant himself. The river he referred to took a wide U-shaped bend with the U.S. soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One) walking into the pocket of the "U." There was ample patches of medium vegetation on the platoon's side of the river, as well as opposite. In addition, across the river were several temple buildings and ruins, as well as a couple newer hooches. 

    Led by Lt. Cooper, 2nd Squad enters on the right and they also immediately take to the trees for cover

I gave this scenario a "+1" to the roll on ending the Countdown to Contact phase. Unlike last game, though, it took three full turns of Squad Leader-based movement before the die roll equaled or exceeded six (die roll + turns elapsed +1). During this early phase of the game, the squad leader rolls two dice per figure in his command. Successes are doled out to the soldiers as chosen by the players, with no figure receiving more than two. That meant both squads had good firing positions in cover, lining the bank of the river. The squad leaders were also in position to direct their soldiers (and give one of them a free activation each turn), and the new medic, Cpl. Frank, was back from the firing line in the center, as much as he could be. In short, we were ready once the enemy showed his face.

    Both squads advancing cautiously forward towards the river, sticking to the cover as Cpl. Kern said

After the first playtest, I tweaked the transition from the Countdown to Contact phase to the normal activation procedure. This time, instead of just moving straight into it, I first flipped Event Cards until it I revealed three cards that brought enemy onto the board. After rolling randomly for where they were deployed, I then started into rolling for my soldier's activations. I alternated a soldier from Kern's 1st Squad with one from Cooper's 2nd Squad, like two players would do if they were playing the game cooperatively. However, I was absolutely on fire with my rolling! I rarely failed activations -- unlike the first playtest! 

    1st Squad in their positions along the river, with the new medic, Cpl. Frank on the far right

In short order, the three lone VC whose cards were revealed were gunned down by the U.S. soldiers. The terrified clerk/typist even got the first kill, shooting a black-clad man across the river from him who was lining up a shot with his RPG. Someone laughed and shouted, "Get some, Otis!" Pfc. Griffin took aim at a rifleman in the distance, squeezed off a burst, and watched him fall to the ground. 2nd squad's M79 gunner, Pvt. Janowicz, moved to where he could see one of the V.C. behind the temple complex, and popped off a shot. It landed on-target, and the last of the three V.C. that I had just put on the table dropped as a casualty. Someone was still out there, though. Every time Cpl. Hawk raised his head, he drew a "That Was Close!" event card, which put a pin on him. There was a sniper out there...somewhere! Maybe not the most accurate one, but hitting close enough to keep the corporal's head down!

    2nd Squad watches incoming V.C. mortar fire land short across the river, causing no casualties

It wasn't till the end of the next turn that a V.C. light machine gunner came on board, but way off in the far corner of the board. So, for a turn and a half, Kern's and Cooper's squads held their positions or shifted just slightly. On the following turn, though, things began to happen. A squad of five V.C. popped up in the woods just across the river, on the unit's right. They lit up poor Pvt. Carter's position, but he hugged dirt and the rounds went overhead. When the fire slackened, he looked up, saw one moving and squeezed off a burst, pumping his fist as he saw him fall. Lt. Cooper had apparently been busy while the platoon was waiting for the V.C. to initiate contact, though. Shortly after the enemy squad appeared, a fire mission from the company mortars landed right on their position. I had drawn the first "Fire Mission" card during the lull, and it then it came up a second time (which is when it is actually played on an enemy) immediately after the enemy squad appeared. Cooper's radioman, Pfc. Byars, patted the lieutenant's shoulder as the rounds crashed around the enemy squad, whispering, "Get some, L-T!" Not to be outdone, Pvt. Janowicz lobbed a M79 round on target, too, killing another. After a bloody first mission, the platoon seemed to be ready for payback this time!

    While Lt. Cooper scans the opposite bank for enemies, his fire mission explodes into the V.C. squad

Cpl. Kern decided to switch positions to be closer to his M60 gunner, Pfc. Boston. As he was darting through the trees, he triggered a wire and KABOOM! Kern fell, and his buddy Hawk shouted, "MEDIC!" Cpl. Frank sprinted over to Kern, rolled him over and chuckled. Slightly panicked, Kern said, "What the Hell's so funny? I'm hit!" The medic pulled Kern's mess kit loose from his pack -- it was shredded, and had taken the shrapnel from the small explosion. Kern's voice cracked a little when he laughed, but his relief was obvious.

    Medic Cpl. Frank checks on the down Cpl. Kern, who triggered a booby trap during his movement

"Go get 'em, tiger --  you're okay!" Frank said, pulling the dazed squad leader to his feet. In Surviving 'Nam, a soldier who rolls lower than the Danger Level of an enemy shot, booby trap, incoming artillery, etc., is "Down." Another soldier needs to spend an action checking on them, at which point the players roll to see the result of the wound. It can range from "out of action" to "Holy Shit!" (when a player's was knocked to the ground by the force of the round or explosion, but they are unwounded). That's what happened to the lucky Cpl. Kern. He dashed off, grinning back at the medic.

    A squad of 3 V.C. riflemen appear on table and move up to take cover behind a Buddhist stupa

Cpl. Frank took off running again when he heard the shout of "MEDIC!" from Pfc. Griffin, on 2nd squad's flank. As he sprinted over (rolled a "20" which gives an extra action for a total of 3!), Griffin shouted to him that Carter had been hit. Frank found the African-American soldier laying motionless on the ground. He looked pretty messed up, so he didn't hesitate. He snatched him up and carried him out of the patch of trees and line of sight of the enemy. He called over to the lieutenant and let him know that Carter would need a Medevac. Cooper nodded and told Byars to make the call ASAP. The squad had just taken its first casualty. Would this mission end up being like the last, with seven soldiers riding out on Medevac choppers? Cooper hoped not, Capt. Meyer would have his ass if it did!

    The V.C. squad moves from behind the stupa into firing positions in the hard cover of the temple

Meanwhile, Pvt. Janowicz was watching the far treeline beyond the temple complex. He'd seen three V.C. dart out of the trees and duck behind a massive stone stupa. Too hard of a shot, he thought -- the rounded  stone surface would just bounce his round away from the enemy. Sure enough, the trio soon darted from behind the structure and raced to the cover of a crumbling stone wall and Buddha statue. "Better pray to your fat buddy, suckers," he smiled, lining up the shot. Ka-BOOM! "Got two of them!" he shouted. While reloading, he called to Boston, the M60 gunner. "You going to fire that hog, today?" Boom! "Got the other," Janowicz laughed. The M60 gunner just shook his head. Now, that crazy Chuck knows I didn't have line of sight on those dudes, he thought.

    Janowicz's first M79 round lands between 2 V.C. sheltering behind a Buddha statue, taking them out

Suddenly, AK-47 fire hammered out from behind the platoon. Cpl. Kern shouted, "Boston, on our six! Enemy to the rear!" Boston spun away from the river and saw a half dozen black-clad enemy stalking towards them, firing from the hip. He laid down a sheet of covering fire, just like his mentor, Pfc. George, had taught him. All the enemy hit the dirt, one obviously wounded. Suddenly he heard Janowicz shout, "Get down...RPG!" An explosion in the trees caused a fresh round of cursing from an obviously unwounded but narrowly missed Janowicz. Kern was shouting again, "Across the river, Boston! V.C. bunker in the trees!!" The unmistakable sound of an enemy light machine gun fire from across the river made Boston spin back again. 

    V.C. RPG gunner pops up & attempts to give Janowicz a taste of his own medicine, narrowly missing

"God damn it!" Boston cursed, hosing fire towards the muzzle flashes coming from the trees. How did they miss that freaking thing? Shit was hitting the fan, now! Boston fired off another burst at the bunker, then turned and layed down suppressive fire on the squad behind them. "A little help, guys!" he called. 1st Squad's M79 man Cassidy cursed and moved along the river until he could see the bunker. He popped off a shot, but missed long. The bunker's machine gun fired another burst and the FNG Warfield, who had been trying to follow Boston around with more M60 ammo, screamed and went down. "I'm hit!" he called.

    Enemy LMG in a bunker across the river opens up on 1st Squad, catching the Americans by surprise

Kern called out to Boston, "I got Warfield -- you keep up the suppressive fire! You're doing great...no matter what Janowicz says!" The squad leader ducked through the trees to Warfield. The new guy was rolling around in agony screaming he was hit. Kern grabbed him, found the wound -- a bullet had scraped a hunk out of his shoulder, and bandaged it. Kern put his hands on either side of the terrified soldier's face. "You're going to be okay -- it was just a graze. Now, grab your rifle and move towards the rear. The C.O. says its almost time to go!"

    An "Outflanked!" Event Card brings a squad of V.C. riflemen onto the Americans' rear

When the sound of the M60 died down for a second, Janowicz called out, "Hey Boston! I bet I get the bunker before you do..." The M60 gunner smiled despite himself, loaded another belt of ammo, and fired at the bunker's opening. He swore he could see the rounds disappearing inside. Then he saw the 40mm grenade from Janowicz's M79 bounce through the hole and inside. BOOM! Well, so much for that -- even if he had killed the gunner, Janowicz would claim he did it. "TOLD YOU! Woowee! Did you see that shot, Boston?" 

    Pvt. Janowicz, at right, admires his shot bouncing a 40mm grenade through the bunker's opening 

Lt. Cooper's voice cut through the din. "Time to go, everyone! Janowicz -- shut your trap and move out!" Slowly, the squads begin to pull back. Each soldier would fire off a few shots at VC that were still attacking, then darted out of the trees towards the rear. Cooper's radioman Byars moved to help Cpl. Frank with Carter, and the two picked up speed, moving the unconscious private to the rear. Cpl. Kern lingered towards the rear, making sure no one got left behind. As he turned to run, he saw Lt. Cooper watching him. The two locked eyes, both smiled, and raced under the trees. 

    Pfc. Byars & Cpl. Frank, the medic, carry a badly wounded Pvt. Carter toward the rear & Medevac

The platoon's mission was to provide a diversionary attack on the temple complex. I ruled that once the platoon had killed a number of enemy equal to their numbers, that would be considered a sufficient diversion. When the enemy squad showed up on our rear, as a player I did the quick math, and calculated that would take us over the number required. Of course, that was also when the bunker and the RPG man appeared! Through the first half of the game, I was thinking, "This one is too easy." When Carter went down, and the enemy started appearing one after another, I was thinking, "Oh, crap -- here it comes again!" However, in the last game my dice went south at crunch time. This game, they stayed fairly consistent. 

    1st & 2nd Squad exfiltrate from the battlefield, having scored satisfying payback on the V.C.

I had only two wounded to roll for -- I got lucky when Cpl. Kern survived the booby trap unscathed. I knew Pvt. Warfield should be okay. He was only Lightly Wounded (+4 to the roll), and he made it off table (+1). I rolled the d20 and he got more than a 20. You want a high roll on the injury table. So, he was fine and wouldn't miss any time -- which the other soldiers would probably say was good since he just got there! I was sweating it a bit on Pvt. Carter. He was out of action (no modifier), but was carried off-table (+1). Carter scored, "Enjoy Japan!" He would be recuperating in Okinawa and miss the next three missions. All in all, the platoon had a MUCH better post-battle than after the first mission. 

    Screen shot of my Post-Battle Recovery table that wounded soldiers must roll on 

Organizationally, Cpl. Frey would return to take command of 2nd Squad next month. However, with Carter out, 2nd Squad needed another body -- it was only Frey, Griffin, and Janowicz. So, this meant one roll on the Replacements table. I scored a "15" -- "Welcome to the squad!" Capt. Meyer transferred a junior NCO from one of the other platoons over to 1st Platoon, 2nd Squad. He is "Grunt" status -- combat experienced. So, the guys will be happy to welcome Cpl. Bosa to their unit. Speaking of which, I imagine there has to be one or two readers out there who have figured out my naming system for the Big Red One!  Over to 1st Squad -- they are back to full strength in March with Pfc. Tatum's return. Otherwise, the new medic performed great under pressure (no failures on activation rolls). Lt. Cooper is starting to perform well under pressure -- he and Kern worked well together on this mission. So, February was a relatively good month for Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment -- at least our little section of it!

    A screen shot of my replacement table -- only one roll on it needed after this mission!

On the rules writing front, there are a couple tweaks that I'm going to make after this game, but I am happy with how the it is playing. Earlier this week, I got a chance to assemble the first draft of the rules into a coherent organization. So, if you are interested in helping me playtest Surviving 'Nam, please reach out to me. I have three folks who have done so already, so they should be getting some files this week. I hope you enjoyed the battle report. It obviously doesn't record every die roll and every Event Card drawn, hopefully conveys the main flow of the game and the action. 

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 167

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150

Resin Bunkers from MBA for Vietnam Project

    28mm NVA Jungle Bunker available from Miniature Building Authority - you can see fig inside

I picked up these four resin bunkers and sniper positions at Historicon 2025 from Miniature Building Authority. Not that every game is going to include a bunker, but the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong did use them, and they were usually well-camouflaged, making it hard to see them. My plan was to have them "appear" on the tabletop when a light machine gun Event Card is drawn in my Surviving 'Nam rules. Same with the sniper positions, though I may need to purchase a prone figure or two to have them and their base actually fit inside the position with the roof on! Oh, no -- just when you thought it was safe -- more purchases! 

    Coconut Log MG Bunker from MBA (originally made by Acheson Creations) with some VC figs

These 28mm pieces were originally produced by Acheson Creations, and Kirk at MBA has picked up them up and carries them on his website. All of the pieces came with detachable roofs. I purchased the Coconut Log Bunker, NVA Jungle Bunker, and two of the Sniper Positions. I'm a big fan of Acheson pieces, but have learned by now that you MUST do something to get of the mold release agent. Otherwise, your paint will bead up like rain on a newly-waxed car -- or pull away and bubble. My method is to put them in the dishwasher with soap on a low heat, light wash cycle. Next, I prime them with Krylon Fusion Acrylic black matte spray paint. The final step before painting is to go over the surface with a 50/50 mixture of black craft paint and water, to ensure all crevices are fully filled.

    U.S. soldiers investigate MBA's 'Sniper Position' - it blends in well with my Jungle Scatter pieces!

Typically, Acheson pieces are a snap to paint up. Sometimes, it is only 3-4 colors on something and you're done, except for flocking. These were a bit more complex, though. I decided to do the wooden log construction of the bunkers first. I did a wet brush of dark brown, letting them dry overnight. Then, I did two highlights -- the first in Howard Hues Camo Brown and the second in Khaki. I'm always happy with the wood look this color combo gives, and these were no exception.

    A V.C. machine gunner inside the Coconut Log Bunker with the roof off of it

Next up, I went to work on the very thick vegetation molded onto both the roofs and the bottom parts of the positions. I decided to go with a three-color approach. First, I painted it all in a very dark green craft color that I have. After drying overnight, I did a medium green dry brush. These pieces are excellently sculpted, and have nice deep grooves in the palm fronds that are perfect for dry brushing. The next morning I put on the final very light green dry brush -- applied lightly. I really liked how the vegetation looked at this stage, and think it will blend in nicely with the model trees I use on the tabletop, which was a concern I had originally.

    The bottom part of the NVA Jungle Bunker comes in two pieces, with the roof as a 3rd piece

The final detail on the pieces were the boulders or large rocks modeled into the vegetation at various points. In carefully looking over these pieces, I found that I had painted a number of the rocks green thinking they were vegetation instead of rock. Even after I thought I was done, I found more of them! I did a three-color approach to these, as well. I used a Charcoal craft paint as a base coat, then a medium and finally light gray dry brush highlight. At this stage, everything was painted. I liked how they looked, but definitely wanted to do a wash on them before flocking. 

    MBA's 'Sniper Position' with palm frond roof off of it - the inside portion is too small for my figs!

In the end, I did two washes. For the vegetation, I used a dark brown vehicle wash from Vallejo. In creating my jungle scatter pieces, I had toned down the green plastic of those with a brown wash. I felt that doing a brown wash on top of the vegetation on the bunkers would give them a similar look to the scatter pieces. I was glad that I made that decision. I think the brown-washed vegetation looks great! Next, I did a black wash on the rocks and wood. The last step would be flocking, and like everything else with these bunkers, it would be multi-step and more complex than usual.

    Side view of 'NVA Jungle Bunker' - you can see the separate back wall better in this photo

First, I had to paint all of the earth that was showing. I used my usual craft brown paint. This was fiddly in some places, as I had to pick out the brown between individual palm fronds or rocks. Some modelers might have painted the earth first, in the time-honored paint "inside out" approach. However, I was afraid I would have too much splash over with the wet and dry brushing of the vegetation and boulders. Of course, I could have done the earth first and then gone back and just touched up the mistakes. If I were to more of these pieces, that's probably the method I would try next. 

    'I'm not going in there...YOU go in there!' -- a close up look at the front of the Sniper Position

Once the earth color had dried, the time for flocking had come. I have an old Elmer's glue bottle that I keep filled with half white glue, half brown craft paint (the same color I use for the earth). Once again, I carefully brushed this onto the brown earth spots, and then poured over Woodland Scenics Blended Turf. I tapped off the excess, and then used a makeup brush and a soft paint brush to whisk off the excess flocking from the leaves and boulders. I seized the chance of a borderline low humidity that day to spray the flocked pieces with Krylon clear matte.

    This look at the roof of the NVA Jungle Bunker gives a good picture of the intricate detail

The final step in the flocking process was to add patches of Woodland Scenics Blended Green Grass in irregular patches to the turf. It is a similar process I use for many of my bases, and I like the effect it gives. Like with my miniature bases, I also glued on a few tufts here and there. And leaves! I am really liking the touch that miniature leaves give to figure bases and terrain flocking. Now, I just need to find another source of them before I run out. One final spray coat and these bunkers are done! Well...they were supposed to be done. I wasn't 100% happy with how the roofs sat on the bunkers. I swore they fit nice and snug before I primed and painted everything! However, they seemed a little wobbly after it was all done. So, I decided to add a layer of black felt to the bottom of the roofs. Not only would it essentially be invisible when the roof was sitting on the bunker, the felt material should both snag and cushion the posts a little, and help them sit a little more secure. That is the hope, at least!

    Front of the Coconut Log Bunker -- you can barely see the flesh of the prone machine gunner inside

I'm very happy with how these bunkers and sniper positions came out. I'm so glad that Kirk from MBA has kept some of the incredible Acheson terrain line in production. If you need a few bunkers for either Pacific theater of World War II or Vietnam, I highly recommend these!

    Top down look at a Sniper Position which shows the dry brushing on the palms fairly well

So, what else is on my painting desk? Since terrain is often a "do a little bit and let dry overnight" kind of pace, I have been working off and on the last five Fantasy Fishmen I had primed and ready to go. They're off to a great start and are pretty far along. After that, I have some decisions to make as far as miniatures go. I can begin painting my horde of 28mm metal Orcs and Goblins, or I can do up a few batches of miscellaneous stuff I've been wanting to get done eventually. My guess is it'll be Orcs and Goblins, but we shall see!

    Last look at the NVA Jungle Bunker with 2 of my 28mm 'Black Sun' range NVA troops

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 167

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150

What A Tanker -- a WW II Game in Canada??

    Allen rolls the dice, literally &figuratively, with his advance along a road up the center of the board

Those who know me are well aware that I do NOT like the classic tank game. I can think of little more tedious in miniatures than a game full of looking up armor penetration charts and arguing about whether a shot is hitting front or side armor. However, What A Tanker, by Too Fat Lardies, is a pleasant diversion from such chart-based, uber-detailed gaming. I actually enjoy the game, and it is probably the WW II game our Sunday Evening group has played the most over the years -- especially recently!

    My Lee tank, right, lines up a shot from the cover of the woods at Keith's Canadian Valentine

The GM is almost always Keith. Though he enjoys the minutiae of discussing differences between the various Panzer IV versions -- the type of thing makes my eyes glaze over instantly -- Keith likes these rules, too. He embraces the simplicity of What A Tanker and can be depended upon to set up an entertaining scenario using these abstracted, detail-light rules.  This scenario was no different. It was firmly in the "What if?" realm, and featured a 1940s American invasion of Canada in response to a Fascist coup taking over that country. Allen, Mike S, Andy, and myself were the American invaders, while Joel, Tom, Mike W, and Keith were the Canadian defenders. Each of us controlled one tank, but would receive a replacement if ours was blown up (at the cost of surrendering a victory point). The defending Canadians were bolstered by several hidden anti-tank guns, which Andy argued probably made victory unrealistic for us.

    Allen's first tank rolls merrily up the road, while Mike W's (with the inexplicable bottle cap) awaits

Our chances of winning weren't improved by my friend Allen's "Hey, diddle-diddle, let's drive up the middle tactics" with both of tanks. His first was destroyed early on by a combination of shooting from Mike W's tank and one of the anti-tank guns controlled by Tom. His second was well on its way to suffering the same fate on the same approach up the road going through the center of the board. Andy went on a sweeping move on the right flank, but was outfoxed by Tom, whose tank darted from cover, got a side shot, and blew him up. Mike S sent his tank through the woods to blow up the ammunition trucks parked in the courtyard in town. He wasn't going to be bothered stalking enemy tanks if he could rack up some easy victory points for us!

    Joel's tank, left, enters the courtyard to rescue the ammunition trucks from Mike S's predation

Meanwhile, I decided to pretend my tank commander actually wanted to live, and would maximize his chances of not being blow up while taking shots at the enemy. Every move of mine ended up in cover that either made it difficult to spot my tank or harder to hit. It paid off almost immediately when my first shot across the board put two hits on Keith's Valentine tank. Sensibly, Keith darted out of my line of sight to reinforce the center. I switched to stalking Tom's tank, who was dueling in a game of position with Andy. There was one turn when I didn't move at all because my tank would have ended up out in the open, unprotected by any line of sight restrictions or terrain. Cowardly? Perhaps, but my tank not only inflicted big hits on two different enemy by the end of the game, it did not take any damage.

    That Tom -- he's a wily one! His tank blows up Andy's tank with a side shot near the railroad tracks

Meanwhile, our side finally scored a kill when Joel's tank turned into the courtyard to rescue the ammunition trucks. His shots at Mike S's Lee tank all went wide, while Mike's return fire did not. After 2-3 turns firing, Joel's crew bailed from their disabled tank. Still, at the end of the game, we had lost two and they lost only one. Both Allen's second tank and Mike S's tank were badly damaged. We called it a Canadian victory -- another in a long, historical tradition of failed American invasions dating back to even before 1776. I agree with Andy that the odds were stacked against us, with the Canadians defending their turf and having three anti-tank guns. Still, it was fun -- we laughed and had a good time. 

    One of my Lee tank's positions utilizing cover -- "never give the enemy an open shot" was my motto!

If you haven't played What A Tanker, and you're not a control freak who doesn't like a game where you can't necessarily do what you want to with your forces because of bad dice rolls, you might want to give it a try. It is certainly more light-hearted and more of a "game" than a simulation. And in my book, that's a good thing!!

    The 8 of us enjoyed a lot of laughs around the table - Keith, at right, presiding over the game

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 167

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 57

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150

    Tom spies out my tank's deployment, safely tucked between a building & the sprawling center woods