21 February 2016

Battlegroup: Battle of the Bulge Campaign

I got an email from Battlegroup yesterday with this exciting news:

DECEMBER 1944, THE BELGIAN ARDENNES... 

With the German army seemingly on the verge of defeat, the Führer ordered it to stage a new surprise attack, aimed at splitting the Allied army's advancing on Germany. Timed to utilise the winter weather, Operation Wacht Am Rhein committed Germany's last reserves in an ambitious gamble to turn the tide of the war.
On December 16th, the offensive struck in the Ardennes forests. The unexpected attack would become the largest American battle of the war in Europe...

• BACKGROUND
A general overview of Operation Wacht Am Rhein, from the initial infantry offensive on day one, to clear the routes for the following panzer attacks on day two. It  covers; 6th Panzer Army in the north in hard fighting for the Elsenborn ridge and the deep penetration of Kampfgruppe Peiper. 5th Panzer Army's drive in the centre and the surroundings of St Vith and Bastogne. 7th Army's supporting attack in the south.   

• ARMY LIST
Designed to be used with the army lists already published in Battlegroup Overlord, this book contains a single new army list, for the freshly raised Volksgrenadier Divisions, as well as many new additions to the Overlord army lists for refighting the battles of late 1944. It also includes units for the German disguised infiltration teams of Operation Greif.

• SPECIAL RULES
New special rules to adapt the core Battlegroup game to the winter battlefields of 1944-45. The rules recreate the character of the Ardennes fighting, with German infiltration tactics, the morale effect of their powerful surprise attack and the winter weather's limiting of Allied air support, along with the snow falling to impede operations on the ground. 

All help to create games with the distinctive feel of the bitter 'Battle of the Bulge'.   

• SCENARIOS AND CAMPAIGN
Nine new historical scenarios, including a detailed narrative campaign for Kampfgruppe Peiper's  ill-fated race to the Meuse river.

Battlegroup Wacht am Rhein, a 72 page, lavishly illustrated book packed full of detail on the Battle of the Bulge, will be released at Salute in London 16th April 2016, priced £12 but you can pre-order now in the Plastic Soldier Company webstore and take part in the fantastic pre-order special offer:-

Every pre-order will be entered into a prize draw:-
1st Prize: £100 worth of your choice of Plastic Soldier kits
2nd Prize £50 worth of your choice of Plastic Soldier kits
2 x 3rd Prizes: £20 worth of your choice of Plastic Soldier kits

Plus every pre-order will also get a free pdf copy emailed to them before the actual release of the book.

This will be a short print run book which will only then be available on pdf when physical stocks are gone - so don't delay!

Please note this is a Battlegroup campaign supplement and a copy of the main ruleset and the Battlegroup Overlord campaign supplement are needed to refight the Battle of the Bulge.

You can buy Wacht am Rhein with the main rules and/or Overlord in some excellent value bundle deals:-
WaR plus mini rulebook £18 (saving £4)
WaR plus mini rulebook pdf £15 (saving £2)
WaR plus Overlord campaign book £36 (saving £6)
WaR plus Overlord book plus mini rulebook £42 (saving £10)
WaR plus Overlord plus mini rulebook pdf £40 (saving £7)

www.theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk

Best Wishes
William

14 February 2016

A new Man Cave

The heavy blog silence is indicative of the hobby desert that is moving house, new jobs, new schools etc.  On the plus side we are now in our new house which is lovely old Victorian style cottage right on Sydney Harbour.  On the down side it doesn't have much of a Man Cave and its not quite functional yet...


As a result my challenge totals are looking a little the worse for wear:

Looks like my 250 points was a little overly ambitious but in my defence the degree of difficulty has been quite high. I do, however, have a plan to see me have a unit submission.  I might not achieve my initial goal, but I'm determined not to be one of those zero points guys.

On a plus side the war hound has returned to us after 20 months away while we were in the States.
Here he is appreciating our new back yard, which isn't too bad.