Applying Water Based Decals

Decals make a huge difference to any model vehicle, but I always hate this bit....and since I'm doing them now on my Hetzer and Stummer, I found this tutorial by "Big Lee" very useful

Applying Water Based Decals

I’m in the process of applying decals to several vehicles and thought it was long overdue that I discuss how to do this. Now I’m not an expert by any means, and my experience is limited to the water based ‘slide’ decals that one associates with Airfix Kits (also known as ‘Transfers’) and the type sold by Battlefront for their FOW vehicles. I’ve also bought several other types from other manufacturers but always the water based variety because these are what I am familiar with. Over the years I have encountered several problems when trying to handle and apply these often small and temperamental details. So here’s my troubleshooting guide to applying decals.

Planning the Job

Take a few moments to decide what decals are being applied and where they will be positioned. This is a fiddly job so the more organised you are the easier it will be. You will need several tools before you start, including a sharp knife, tweezers, q-tips, tissue paper, gloss varnish and setting solution (described below). You will also need a shallow bowl - I use a ramekin dish - with warm distilled water.

Prepare the surface

Decals applied directly to a Matt surface can develop a silvery sheen. This is caused by micro bubbles between surface imperfections in the paint and the decal. There are two solutions to this problem. First you could use a Decal-setting solution which softens the decal allowing it to bind more closely to the surface. However setting solutions can cause decals to melt if they are too strong, which could be a problem if you use decals from different manufacturers. The second option, and the one I use, is to use a gloss varnish on the area where the decal is to be applied. Once dry it provides a smooth surface for the decal to adhere to and prevents silvering.

Releasing the Decal

First I cut the individual decal out from the sheet leaving enough backing paper around the decal to hold with tweezers. Soak the decal in WARM water for just 10-15 seconds then take out of the water and wait another 30 seconds. The Adhesive binding the decal to the paper should now have dissolved and the decal can be applied. Soaking too long in cold water runs the risk the decal will separate and end up floating in your water.

Bubbles

Sometimes large visible bubbles can ruin a decal. At the application stage bubbles can usually be brushed away (hold the decal in place with a cotton bud or blunted toothpick then brush the bubble towards the nearest edge). If a bubble is detected on a dry decal the only solution is to pierce the bubble with a pin or knife and smoothing with a damp brush. Weathering (see below) and varnishing can cover up smaller bubbles.

Excess water

I usually wet the surface before application to make it easier to reposition the decal. Once in position though it is necessary to remove as much excess water as possible and start the drying process allowing the decal to adherer. A dry brush tip can be used to draw off excess water, or for larger areas a dry cotton bud or q-tip. Another option is to use the corner of a piece of tissue paper. Whichever method you use be careful not to touch the decal at this point because it will not have adhered to the surface yet and could be moved.

Cracked Ink

I have found that decals often vary in quality from one manufacturer to another. Think decals can sometimes crack or split when applied on uneven or curved surfaces. If this happened the modeller has only two options. Either remove and replace the decal before it dries, or paint over the decal filling in the gaps. For simple decals like American Stars or Balkan Crosses this can be quite straightforward but is a nightmare for complex unit insignia.

Deep surface detail

In real life unit or national insignia were often applied across door breaks and engine covers etc. It may be necessary to apply a decal across a deep grove or other large surface detail which can use creases or bubbles. The best solution is to use a sharp knife to score the decal once it is in place. The knife needs to be sharp because the last thing you want is to move the decal as you drag a blunt blade through it. Apply a small amount of setting solution to ‘melt’ the decal into the grove or around a bolt etc.

Adhesive Stains

Some decals have more adhesive biding them to the backing paper than others. Sometimes this adhesive is not entirely dissolved when the decal is applied and creates a ‘stain’ on the model surface. These can usually be removed by wiping the area with a wet brush or q-tip but again, be careful not to touch the decal and accidentally move or damage it.

Seal in Place

I always varnish my models to make them durable when handling but even if you don’t do this you should consider applying a gloss varnish over the decal. This softens the raised edges and blends them into the paint job. Additional weather can be added over the top of this coat to further blend the decal into the model. Finally I apply Testors Dulcoat over the whole model to create a uniform surface.

I hope you've found this guide useful, and of course if you have any other suggestions or tips I'd love to hear them (this dog likes to learn new tricks). There are also several other guides online that you can refer to such as the Flames of War guide to Decals and Doctor Faust's Painting Clinic.

http://bigleesminipaintingblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/applying-water-based-decals.html

SS Battlesuit

A very nicely detailed, 1/6th scale scratchbuild of an SS Battlesuit, based mostly of PVC piping.

http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/forum/sixth-scale-action-figure-news-reviews-discussion/527253-wwii-sci-fi-experimental-nazi-mech-suit.html

More WW2 Mecha in Action

I could be wrong but these look like straight digitial manipulations, not using converted models.
Cool eh!

German AT-AT Models

Last year I posted some pics of some WW2 Mecha in action (http://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2010/06/www2-mecha-in-action.html), assuming they were all products of clever digital manipulation...not so!

It turns out that the German AT-ATs at least were based on some great modelling, based on the large Kenner AT-AT and many tank parts.  While the modeller's website has now gone, the following pics survive (click for full size versions).  And if anyone knows the talented chap's name let me know so I can give him his due credit:

Alternate History Books and Novels

These aren't all WW2 of course, lots of timelines (US Civil War is naturally very popular with American authors) and Points of Departure from actual History:
http://www.alternatehistorybooks.com/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:World_War_II_alternate_histories

and to get you into the mood there are some online essays and ideas here:
http://www.alternatehistory.com/ahdirectory.html#WW2
http://www.changingthetimes.net/samples.htm#World%20War%20Two

SS Panzer Kommandeur, Jun 1946

Publish Post

In Jan 1944, a project was launched by OKW as a possible solution to the growing shortage of combat troops. Having received reports of female Russian tank crews performing as well (if not better than) their male counterparts, a small batch of women were trained as panzer crews under this trial scheme.

In Dec 1944, this batch of female panzer crew received their first taste of battle assigned to SS-sPzAbt 102. Thrown into the desperate Ardennes Offensive, the women performed beyond everyones' expectations. Not only were they able to break through the Allied advance, they were as instrumental in stopping the counter attack of Pattons' Third Army.

The success of these female panzer crew led to the creation of Kampfgruppe Reklameschit, an all female panzer group. The Kampfgruppe took its name after the glamorous ring leader of the initial women panzer crew, Kirstin Fleischer.

Kristin had a natural killer instinct for both men and machines. Under her command, Tiger 069 scored 25 tank kills, 13 half-tracked kills and 7 anti-tank gun kills in the Ardennes Offensive. Discrimination of the fairer sex was still the norm then and her heroic actions were only rewarded with an Iron Cross Second Class.

With the mass production of Me262 in March 1945, Germany was able to win the air superiority battle against the Allies. The following push to regain lost territories on the ground was bog down by the lack of resources. It is only in summer of 1946, that the German forces were able to reach the outskirt of Paris.

Kirstin Fleischer had since been awarded with the Iron Cross First Class and a Tank Assault badge for her exploits in the battlefield and other areas. Promoted to SS-Hauptsturmf she was also given the command of a King Tiger.




http://onesixthnet.yuku.com/topic/9323

Resources For Creating Your Man Cave

Looking for some resources to setup your Man Cave?  Looking for websites to provide you with some inspiration?  Have a look at these (I recommend  number 11 in particular!):

http://www.changeofaddress.org/blog/2010/40-resources-for-creating-your-man-cave/

BA349 Natter Fighter

Designed near the end of the war, the strange-looking Bachem BA349 Natter ("Adder") interceptor required no run-way for take-off.

Instead, the aircraft was launched up a vertical 8 meter (25ft) rail attached to a small tower. The flight of the fighter would be controlled by radio from the ground until it neared a group of Allied bombers. Then, the pilot would take over and jettison the nosecone to fire off salvos of rockets into the formation.

After firing off all of the rockets, and running out of fuel, the plane would glide down to 3000m (10,000 ft), whereupon a number of parachutes in the rear fuselage would deploy. The entire front of the aircraft (including the cockpit) would detach from the tail, and then the pilot would (hopefully) parachute to safety. Only the pilot and the tail (containing the rocket engine) would be recovered from each mission – the cockpit, wings, and nose were all expendable. Despite the death of a test-pilot during the first manned launch of the plane, 36 of these fighters were built, although none were before the end of the war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachem_Ba_349
http://www.wwiivehicles.com/germany/aircraft/fighters/bachem-ba-349-natter.asp
http://www.lonesentry.com/features/f36_natter-bachem-ba349.html

The Nazi Invasion of Amerika, 1942

LIFE Magazine published this article on the possibilities of the U.S. losing the war in their 2 March 1942 issue.  An interesting read with that period context, rather than it being an alternate history novel.

http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesciencebookstore/2009/12/mapping-the-invasion-of-america-1942.html
see also:
http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesciencebookstore/2010/12/jf-ptak-this-map-pretty-well-tells-the-story-of-the-perilous-situation-of-europe-and-england-at-the-beginning-of-june-19.html

Platoon Forward!

This will be released by Too Fat Lardies in the next day or so, and I'm going to snatch it up!

Essentially its a campaign system which inroduces both characterisation to your leader figures, a scenario generation system and an events generator.  Its tailored for WW2 but appears relatively generic so it can be easily adapted to almost setting.

Read an interview with the author at the Too Fat Lardies Blog here:

Alternate-Universe Sci-Fi Channel Show Asks What Would Happen If Germany Lost War

The Aryan Broadcasting Company is the Sci-Fi Channel's parent network.

NEW MUNICH—The new Sci-Fi Channel series Fallen Axis, which eerily depicts a world in which Germany actually lost the Second World War, premiered Tuesday evening to high ratings in an alternate universe to our own.

The much-anticipated television event is said to be the most ambitious ever produced by the science-fiction-themed network, which is a subsidiary of the Aryan Broadcasting Company. According to the early response, audiences in the alternate realm have been riveted by the show's vision of an inverted existence wherein a defeated Germany has been completely neutered by the Allied powers.

"Imagine, if you will, a world in which Hitler's glorious master plan had instead ended in ignominious failure, and the Allies had somehow emerged the victors," the show's creator, Leonhardt Riefenstahl, said during an appearance on Entertainment Heute Nacht. "It would be as if everything we know to be true—the fall of Russia, the invasion and surrender of the American continents, Heinrich Braun-Hitler's consolidation of the various conquered states in 1973—had never even happened."

Added Riefenstahl, "I think viewers all across the great worldwide National Socialist Empire are going to be terrified by the upside-down world we've created."

Critics residing in the alternate realm have also responded positively to the show: Many praised its scarily realistic depiction of a postwar Russian-American union rising to economic dominance and superpower status with the help of gloating French and English allies.

A father relaxes with wife and son after a long day of building panzerkampfwagens.

A father relaxes with wife and son after a long day of building panzerkampfwagens.
"Not only is Fallen Axis a chilling, what-if story of a world gone mad, it also asks a number of important questions about what Germany's victory meant, and why its sacred mission was so critical to the fatherland and all of humankind," said Hans von Winterstein, TV critic for the Deutsche-American Zeitung. "And Rolf Staal's performance as former cowboy actor Henry Fonda II, the monstrous American president who attempts to spread his country's insidious political and economic liberalism across the globe, will horrify even the most stoic among us."

Producers said depicting the fictional, non-German-controlled America cost upwards of 40 million reichsmarks per episode, with much of the budget going toward recreating the cities of Washington, D.C. and New York exactly as they would have appeared before the famous tide-turning Luftwaffe strike of 1951. In addition, test audiences reported being impressed by the show's painstaking portrayal of a topsy-turvy 2009 in which American big-band music plays on every radio, Mickey Mouse spouts pro-Semitic propaganda from every cinema screen, and dilution of the supreme race runs rampant.

The show is considered by many to be another boon to the Sci-Fi Channel's fall schedule, which also includes Battlestar Gleichschaltung, a weekly drama about a starship crew that enforces the total coordination of intergalactic society and commerce, and the hit reality series Jew Hunters, in which a team of paranormal investigators scour banks and former Polish ghettos in search of Jewish spirits.

No less an authority than the National Socialist Empire's reichsminister of propaganda Helmut Goebbels expressed his admiration for Fallen Axis in a formal address yesterday from the Reichstag.

"The Führer and myself are enormously pleased with this provocative new program," Goebbels said. "It shows you how close Germany might have been to losing the war had Nazi scientists not perfected the vortex gun just in time, and it is a reaffirmation of the values of self-sacrifice and racial purity that Germany's magnificent victory championed."

Added Goebbels, "However, I must strongly warn the show's creators that it would be extremely unwise of them not to include a five-minute tribute to the Führer at the beginning of all future episodes

http://www.theonion.com/articles/alternateuniverse-scifi-channel-show-asks-what-wou,2846/

Soviet Spider Tanks

Checkout these amazing Soviet Spider Tanks painted by Heresy Brush.
Models forthcoming from the SoTR Range, by Westwind.

Lots of detail at his Blog on how he did the fantastic weatering and basing;
http://www.heresybrush.com/2011/como-hacer-desconchones/
http://www.heresybrush.com/2011/como-hacer-peanas/

***EDIT: I finally got my own done (some 6 years after this article was posted!) - see here:
http://tasmancave.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/soviet-spier-mecha.html

Wehrmacht '47

This free gaming supplement by GHQ is tailored for micro armour gaming (and the corresponding range of vehicles in 1/285 scale).  Its useful for all scales though as it includes provisions for not only experimental German units, but also US and Soviet Cold War technology which could feasibly been in service by 1947 had the war dragged on.

Certainly worth a read and I like that the fully tracked APCs (based on the "Kitten" experimental vehicle) slated to replaced the standard SdKfz 250 series half tracks were labelled the SdKfz 350 series.  Simple but elegant.

You'll find the rules here:
http://www.ghqmodels.com/pdf/Wehrmacht_47_Supplement.pdf

And some pics of the lovely micro armour range here:
http://www.ghqmodels.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3195

X-Ray Destruction Beam

These are Science Channel CGI renderings of the Strahlenkanone of Oberst d L Schröder-Stranz, an incredulous X-Ray Destruction Beam Weapon backed by a desperate Heinrich Himmler and the SS late 1944 to early 1945.

Note the artist has used the Karl Morser chassis as basis of his rendering.

http://germansecretweaponsnazi.devhub.com/blog/516196-x-ray-beam-weapon-i/

Schutzkommando and Krieghexen

These ruthless, highly trained operatives are the field agents of Sonderkommando-H. They scour museums, crypts and ruins all across Europe in their tireless hunt for profane relics. Taught in the brutal combat and interrogation methods of the SS, these men are among the most despised and feared soldiers in the ranks of the Third Reich. 

The Krieghexen or ‘war-witches’ are the sorcerer-soldiers of Sonderkommando-H. Trained extensively in the black arts by the dread Zauberer-SS, these men have become tainted by the dark powers they now call their own. A Krieghex can command the elements, can defile the flesh and soul of his fellow man, and can twist the perception of those around him causing an assortment of illusions and disorientation.  


From Darkson Designs, makers of AE-WW2. 
http://darksondesigns.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1732&page=2

Ministry of Space

MINISTRY OF SPACE is an alternate history graphic novel. The story jumps around in time, but if it's straightened out, it begins at the end of World War II, when an RAF officer named John "Mad Jack" Dashwood gets his hands on Hitler's top rocket designers and comes up with a scheme of breathtaking scope, one that will change history as we know it. Using fanatical drive and more than just a bit of ruthlessness, by the dawn of the 21st century Mad Jack has carved out a new British Empire in space...

If you dont want any spoilers stop reading now

From the all knowing wikipedia:

The narrative moves back and forth between the last days of World War II, the first few years of the British space programme, and the year 2001. The British have captured and relocated to England all the scientists and equipment found in Peenemünde, among them Dr. Wernher von Braun and the plans and pieces of the V-2 rocket bomb. Peenemunde and American advance troops are then (intentionally) obliterated by friendly fire, so that they cannot challenge the emergent British technological advantage.

The entire scheme is masterminded by Royal Air Force officer Air Commodore John Dashwood, survivor of the Battle of Britain, who manages to convince Winston Churchill to establish the Ministry of Space and fund it with a black budget. The following years see British pilots breaking the sound barrier (1946), launching the first artificial satellite in 1948, pioneering manned spaceflight (1950), building a space station (1953-56), landing on the Moon (1956), and then establishing a colonial base on Mars in 1969.

The story ends in 2001 and involves an American attempt to go into space, and their blackmailing of the British government concerning the secrets of the Black Budget that funded the Ministry of Space (which was derived from looting gold reserves from Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust. However, the British space programme has a manned spacecraft that has reached Saturn, thriving British Martian and lunar colonies, asteroid belt mines and at least three Earth orbital space stations- while it still practices racist segregationism as witnessed by a closing page that discloses such facilities onboard one of the space stations.

Lots of options for all sorts of gaming there, including WWW2

Thanks Darkson Designs

This week I scored myself a free pdf copy of Darkson's AE-WW2 rules as part of their New Year give-away. 
Many thanks guys!  http://darksondesigns.com/?page_id=54

Free scenarios

Using Ambush Alley's "Force on Force Primer", available for free download.  They are pretty generic so use them for moderns, WWW2, SF, whatever you like.  Their website says:

Force on Force is a scenario driven game and we have a LOT of them coming your way in the form of FoF Theater Packs and Force Books. I can hear you out there thinking, “That’s great, guys, but what are you going to do for me now?” Well, we’re going to give you a bunch of scenarios, of course!

Piers Brand, author of the Watching Jerry, Clearing the Old Quarter, and Bakers Corner scenarios in the Force on Force rule book, has put together a collection of six archetypal scenarios, each of which would be at home in any period or theater of war. Best of all, every scenario includes a generic order of battle as well as orders of battle specific to two different historical periods, so in essence you’ll be receiving eighteen different scenarios!

These scenarios are generic enough to serve as models for your own! Tinker with them a little here, add forces from your existing miniatures collection, and you’re ready to go!

Oh, and did we mention that the six scenarios string together to form a coherent campaign?
So, guess what we’re charging for this versatile campaign pack? NOTHING!

That’s right, we’re giving you the Force on Force Primer for free - it’s just our little way of saying thank-you for buying Force on Force!

http://ambushalleygames.com/fofprimer.html

WWW2 Artwork by Prasa

Just found some amazing original WWW2 artwork at deviant art, by Prasa.  As the artist says:

Some time ago I've decided start series of thematic paints depicting alternative and scifi history where Nazi Reich defeats Soviets and Brittons and whole world is in long constant war between US, Germans and Japans. Nothing much original I know, but I'm fascinated by grim dystopian atmosphere of such Orwellian universe and strange machinery of these alternative armies mixing old and new ...

He currently has 6 pics in the set, ranging across a number of themes, check them out!
http://prasa.deviantart.com/gallery/989326

The Bomb Run

"The Bomb Run" from the Dr Strangelove Score (performed by The City Of Prague Philharmonic)

Its the ONLY thing to listen to when playin' Toe-to-Toe Nu'klr Combat with the Rooskies
I stick it on repeat on my iPod...but thats the kind of guy I am!!!

V-3 Supergun

Developed as a vengeance weapon in order to strike back at London, as Allied bomber fleets pounded German cities to rubble, the V-3 (Vergeltungswaffe 3) cannon was capable to delivering a 140kg shell to a range of more than 160 km. The secret to this enormous range was a number of side channels attached to the 140m barrel. These channels each contained an electrically fired propellant charge which helped to accelerate the finned shell to a muzzle velocity of 1500m/s.

Hitler was most impressed by the prototype, and ordered 25 of them to be built at a site at Mimoyecques, in France. However, this site was heavily bombed by Allied bombers, which forced the Germans to abandon it. Two shorter-barreled 50m versions were later built and used against Luxemburg, where they fired a total of 183 shells, only managing to kill 10 civilians and injure 35. Shortly afterwards, both guns were captured by American troops.

Downfall - the Skirmish Game!

1945.  Berlin is crumbling and the Russians are nearing the heart of the city.  The Fuhrer is convinced that the fight can continue, but in order to do so he must be relocated to provide leadership.  He must be evacuated from the Bunker to a landing zone where he will be picked up by an experimental FA-223 Drache helicopter to effect the evacuation.  Will the war continue or will Hitler be captured...or worse?

A great alternate WW2 skirmish game by sbminisguy, using the NUTS! system.

http://sbminisguy.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/downfall-1945-game-report.pdf

Night Fighters and Bomber Command

Two pre-order games at GMT caught my eye today:

Night Fighter:

 http://www.gmtgames.com/p-233-nightfighter.aspx

And Bomber Command, which but I'm not sure...maybe a bit too much like my other flying games such as B-17 (which has a Lancaster variant) and B-24

http://www.gmtgames.com/p-302-bomber-command.aspx

But best of all though,: "Nightfighter is designed to be able to be played with Bomber Command . Both games can be played as stand-alone titles. However Bomber Command playthroughs can be used to generate scenarios resolved by playing Nightfighter."

Target: Moscow!

This last Mission is a toe curler boys - into the heart of Russia for some up close and personal Toe-to-Toe Nu’klr Combat!

Yep - the rest o' them missions is gonna look like a stroll through my Pa's fields compared to this one - we're on the RED Rout to Moscow! And Ivan's been prepping fur this one since them Nazis left so its gonna be a tight squeeze between all them SAM batteries and MiGs!

Secondary and tertiary targets have been allocated: Moscow Military District Air Defence Forces, and the 2nd Air Army Air Defence Force - but we're gonna try something a bit different this time: we'll take a 10Mt for the secondary (and neutralise the nasty MiG+3 defences there), ignore the tertiary and any targets o' opportunity, and I'm gonna take the big one - a 50 Megatonner - to drop smack bang into the middle o' Red Square.  That'll sort them Rooskies out! (and maximise VPs too.  Standard defensive stores of two chaff and two flares).

This is the big one boys - strap in and get ready for a wild ride!


Ingress
Zone 1: No sneakin' up this time boys- ther' Soviet radars everywhere and we cant jam 'em all - took a minor a hit (1 dam) from a MiG but punched through the border - Keep yer eyes peeled boys! (all threats at Mdm and maintaining high altitude to minimise them SAMs)

Zone 2:  Another interceptor took a little bit outta us (1 dam).  I also heard me some rumours that secur'ity ain't been so tight lately, so we gotta be careful (Event Card: "Ivan's Got the flight plan" - SAM attack, 3 damage - dumped 1 fuel unit).  The tertiary target below looks tempting, but I'm keepin' the payload for the Kremlin!

Zone 3: Avoided the mobile SAM launcher but got bushwacked by a MiG who took a big chunk outta the wing (3 dam - dumped another fuel unit)

Zone 4: (-1 fuel).  Those pesky MiGs are gonna be the death of us - another big chunk outta the other wing this time (4 dam, dumper another fuel unit), but at least them boys on the ground cant see us too well at high alittiude and keep missin'.  Dropped a 10Mt bomb on Moscow Military District Air Defence Forces so hopefully that scrambles their next few intercepts! 3 VPs

Zone 5: Getting real bumpy now.  Pounced by two MiGs - avoided one but hit by another - the old birds' getting rickety like ma Ma's old rockin' chair and pretty tough to fly! (3 more dam - down to only 10 damage points left).  We'll make it though, I just know it!

Zone 6: In we go!  Through the SAM belts on the outskirts of Moscow - first one missed....then POW - thats a big hit- you better not be horsing around back there you fellahs!  Whats that? Half the tail is missing? (6 damage).  Thats OK we're on the final approach now... 

Check Switches - Switches Correct!
Board Check - Board is Green!
3 miles, target in sight
Bomb bay doors open - 50Mt device selected
Bombs away - Take that Kremlin Comrades!  20VPs!

Well, boys, we got three engines out, we got more holes in us than a horse trader's mule, the radio is gone and we're leaking fuel so hold onto your saddles!
Egress

Zone 5: Them commies sure are mad at us now - particu'ly them two MiG jockeys coming up behind us...we're hit!  and hit again!
Time to bail out fellahs, its every man fur himself now....and we're deep behind enemy lines so dont forget yur combination Rooshin' phrasebook an' miniature bible!
(Mig+2 hits for 3 damage, leaving only 1 damage point left.  MiG+1 then took care of that, shooting the B-52 down.)

The crew are currently MIA, but have been awarded a unit presidential citation for destroying Red Square.   

Total VPs: 23                                         Mission Result: Minor Success
Campaign VPs: 120                                Campaign Result: Campaign Success!

Mission Summary- what a cruncher this mission is!  I'm going to have to play this one through a bit more - MiGs seem to be the primary threat until the end so maybe low alt then climb?Taking the 50Mt payload for the primary and ignoring the tertiary may not be the smartest thing, but it was fun

Campaign Summary:  What a complete hoot!  Totally loved it and it took about 1hr 20min total for all 4 missions, even taking fairly detailed notes for this write-up.  I HIGHLY recommend this game.

Target: Urals

The next Mission is gonna be a lot tougher fellahs - all the way into the Urals for some Toe-to-Toe Nu’klr Combat with the Rooskies!

We are going in on Route ORANGE into the Urals... Primary target is Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces HQ in Kosvinksky.  Secondary target is the 42nd Rocket Division at Nizhniy Tagil, and a tertiary target exists at Pechora Kamenka, from which Ivan operates strategic bombers. 

Loaded up with a 30Mt, a 20Mt and a 10Mt for the three targets.  Defensive stores wise, we loaded up two each of chaff and flares. Its the longest mission on the "Big Board" so fuel management is going to even more critical than last mission.

C'mon now - we gotta smash all them targets to protect folks at home, so lets get on the hump - we got some flyin' to do!

Ingress
Zone 1: Crossed into Commie airspace and got painted up like a Christmas Tree by Ivan's raders (all threats at Mdm and maintaining high altitude to minimise them SAMs)

Zone 2: Sure 'nuff, them radar boys got a MiG on our tail - tried to shake him with flares but he's on us like flies on a horse's rear end! Took a bit of damage (2) but kept goin' 

Zone 3: Managed to fool them Interceptors they had await'n for us, but Ivan's goin' nuts - we gotta take out his nukes or its gonna get messy (event card - Mutually Assured Destruction) 

Zone 4: (-1 fuel).  Resistance getting thicker now - took minor damage from interceptors again (1) but it didnt shake us from the bomb run - dropped a 10Mt bomb on Pechora Kamenka so them Rooskie bombers aint goin' nowhere now!  2 VPs

Zone 5: Little quieter now, all crew check contents of yur Survival Kits (event card)
....Shoot! A fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff!



Zone 6: Skirted the local air defence based and evaded both them MiGs and a mobile SAM launcher.  You'll have to do better than that Ivan!

Zone 7: Goddam commies got a MiG on our tail after all!  The flares didnt do the trick and he chewed a bit out of us (3 damage - dumped 1 unit of fuel) but it didnt stop us warming up them Rooskie boys from the 42nd Rocket Division with 20 Megatonnes of Luv!  He he. 8 VP.

Zone 8: We shure stirred up a hornet's nest now fellahs - had to dump both chaff and flares to avoid the local defences.  That was a close one!

Zone 9:  Another MiG took a chunk out of us (3 dam, dumped 1 fuel) but the SAMs werent no good.  Nearing the Primary target...

Zone 10: There aint no Reds here boys - its easy pickens! (Event Card: Herr Dokter +4VPs)
Dropped a 30Mt ground burst (delay factor yellow-3) on Kosvinksky, with love from Uncle Sam!  18 VPs

Now to get home...it sure seems a long way!

Egress

Zone 9: Them commies 'r good and mad now - a MiG chewed more off our tail, as did a SAM (3 damage)



Zone 8:  We was too wily for the SAM belt here - neither the mobile nor the fixed site didnt got a lock on us at high altitude and we slipped on through like cattle rusters in the night!



Zone 7: Got me some nice snaps of the impact zone and crater at Nizhniy Tagil.  Makes your heart (and them ruins) glow.


Zone 6:  Avoided the SAM but got bounced by a Commie pilot dropping out of the cloud bank (3 dam - only 10 left.  Getting nervous now, keep a hold 'o them survival kits!)


Zone 5: Burn baby burn!


Zone 4: Seems the local air defence network hasnt been as clobbered as we might think - another MiG successfully got on our tail (3 Damage - dumped fuel, down to just 2 left now)


Zone 3: Goddam it! Another of them hotshot Rooshin' pilots tore a chink outta the wing (2 damage - ditched survival kits).

Zone 2: Get we're through the thick of it boys - should be clear all the way home now!

Zone 1:  Landed with only 1 fuel and 5 damage points left.  Those folks at Boeing really know how to make an air-o-plane!  (+3VPs for B-52 survival, +3VPs for crew surviving)

Total VPs: 36                                         Mission Result: Major Success!
Campaign VPs:  97

Summary- much tougher mission, right down to the wire. Loved getting the survival kits and only ditched them out of necessity.  The MAD event card really made me press home the attacks and grab the Doktor's VPs to avoid loosing more at the end.

Next mission: the dreaded Route RED into Moscow!

Target: 27th Guards Missile Army

Our next Mission is gonna be a lot tougher fellahs - time for some more Toe-to-Toe Nu’klr Combat with the Rooskies!

We are going in on the YELLOW route to take out the 27th Guards Missile Army and its strong retaliatory capability.  Secondary target is the airbase at Krasnoyarsk, and the Sary Shagan military complex is the tertiary.

Loaded up with a 30Mt, a 20Mt and a 10Mt for the three targets.  Defensive stores wise, we loaded up two each of chaff and flares. A much longer mission than route GREEN so I'll have to watch the fuel gauge more this time.

Flying at High altitude, all threats are Low, nil damage...hold on boys, we're going in!

Ingress
Zone 1: No defences encounterd - but wait: Isnt that the Soviet Premier down there? (target of opportunity).  Keep focused boys - we need all the bombs we got!  Reckon he be a decoy anyways.

Zone 2: Still no defences - reckon we caught Ivan napping boys!  Damn - seems we have a bit of a fuel loss though... (Random event card)

Zone 3: Intercepted by MiGs screening the tertiary target.  Deployed flares to evade attack but took some minor damage anyway (2 points)

Zone 4: (-1 fuel).  Dropped down to fly low and slow,(event card) we lined up for the bomb run and released a 10Mt device to flatten the area (2VPs)

Zone 5: Preferring the extra height to defend agaisnt SAMs, we climed to Mdm altitude. SAM threat now at Mdm (event card).  Sure enough, we got locked up immediately by a heavy SAM Battery (SAM+2) - chaff was ineffective and we took a big hit (5 Damage!).  Pushing on..

Zone 6: Continued to climb to High altitude.  Got bounced by a MiG as we approach the bomb run but flares were effective. (Picked up Yee-Haw event card - will hold for the Primary target, just in case).
Dropped the 20Mt device on Krasnoyarsk and incinerated the airbase - 6 VPs

Zone 7: As forecast earlier, strong SAM defences cover the approaches to the 27 Guards.  But high altiude allowed us to evade both fixed and mobile launchers.

Zone 8: Mobile SAM Launcher missed - now approaching primary target with 30Mt bomb...where the Hell is Major Kong? (Dropped 30Mt on Primary - used Yee-Hah! Card to re-roll accuracy and Major Kong did his thing!)  18VPs

Now to get home...minus a crewmember!

Egress
Zone 7: Evaded fixed sites and an undetected mobile launcher nearly got us but the last of our chaff saved us from further damage.


Zone 6: Just ash and cloud...

Zone 5: Feeling lucky - both MiGs and SAMs missed.  Hope this keeps up...

Zone 4: Not much left here either, but now down to just two units of fuel remaining - keep them fingers crossed boys!

Zone 3: Swarmed by two MiG intercepts, but evaded at high altitude.  No doubt the ground control radar is getting interfereence so close to ground zero at Sary Shagan.

Zone 2:  Clear skies.  We obviously rattled Ivan's cage real good!

Zone 1:  I think we're home and hosed fellahs!


Zone 0 - Landed on fumes (1 fuel remaining).  Major Kong nominated for a Silver Star!
+3VPs for B-52 survival, +2VPs for crew surviving (lost one for the Yee-Ha!)

Total VPs: 31                                         Mission Result: Mission Success!

Campaign VPs: 61 - With two Missions down, we are on target for Campaign success


Summary- enjoyed this mission even more - particularly using the event cards and Yee-Ha! especially.  High altitude minimised the SAM threat again, conserving the chaff.  Fuel management much tighter this time, as was payload assignment.  I had 3 bombs for 3 targets, so the target of opportunity presented a dillema.  I could have wacked it and sacrificed the Tertiary target, but decided not to.  Why? Because there were no fixed defences in that spot.  If it turned out that there were defences from the counter in the same location as the tertiary, they would be blown away by the nuke, making the way home that little bit easier.  Same VPs too anyway.  Just a thought anyway - anyone else face this?

Next mission: Route ORANGE into the Urals...