By Fire and Sword Battle Report - Muscovy vs Ottoman Empire.

 Hi again,

Apologies for the lack of posts on the blog lately, it's been a busy time. Indeed, this game was actually played over a week ago so the details are fairly hazy. That said, it was actually one of the better games of By Fire and Sword that I've played. I used the new Prince Boriatinski's Pomiestna Cavalry Regiment skirmish list while Nathan used the European Skirmish Force - our first time with both lists. I think Boriatinski's regiment is interesting, allowing more elite and Dvorian troops than the regular Muscovite skirmish list. Losing poor tactical discipline is also worth the extra cost of the list in my opinion. I was two FSP above Nathan's list (9 to 7, from memory) and suffered a cowardly commander (two command points for my commander to order a charge, amongst other things) and I believe fatigue (three markers placed by commander that once removed due to failed morale tests, results in -1 morale across the board). My reconnaissance advantage got me a decisive moment that I never ended up using!

Deployment. Russian troops focus on their right while the Ottomans stick to the centre.

The Russian right. Elite Dvorians, Skirmish Boyars and regular boyars here.

In the early turns the Muscovites make it to the central objective first. The lone boyar squadron on the left punched above its weight, breaking a unit of Sipahi. With the lance sipahi in the Ottoman Empire centre at risk of total encirclement should the gonullu on their left falter, we thought we were in for a quick game!

The Muscovite encirclement was looking good...

...however around turn 4 the Ottoman's get their act together. The formerly broken Sipahi had rallied and managed to drive off the dangerously exposed boyars of the Muscovite left. The lance sipahi weren't even needed and the gonullu held, saved by the inability of the Muscovites to muster enough troops to charge.

Here's where it turned. Over turn five and six the lance sipahi, unengaged up to that point, turned 180 degrees in turn five and charged in turn 6 along with the gonullu. The muscovite centre shattered.

Turn 6 was decisive. The Muscovites had held onto the approaches but the lances of the sipahi and taken back the central hill and the Ottoman's won by 2 points. Victory snatched at the last moment! By chance or by design, Nathan keeping his lances until the last moment proved decisive. I simply had no unit that could fight those guys toe to toe, and my command difficulties due to my cowardly commander meant I couldn't get enough squadrons to mass attack them. A great game that really demonstrated that you lose nothing by playing By Fire and Sword at the smaller skirmish level.

Zvezda 1/35 Bumerang APC (Звезда Вумеранг БТР) - Finished model and review

Hello again!

Today I finished my 1/35 Zvezda Bumerang. The Bumerang is an 8-wheeled armoured personnel carrier slated to come into service with the Russian Army. It is likely a small amount are either in testing or currently in service. This is one of my favourite vehicles so it was exciting to tackle this build. All up it took me about three weeks to build and paint, working on and off.

The kit itself is high quality. I'm continually impressed with Zvezda's detail on their parts. This kit also went together much better than the T-90 I built from them - the product of 6 years of experience on Zvezda's part since the T-90 was released I imagine. The only issues I had was some minor gaps to be filled where the hull went together. The build is still not perfect - I missed a couple of gaps and the wheels aren't on perfectly - but that is more me than the kit. The wheels are vinyl but hide their seams well. There is no photo-etch with the kit. Instructions were clear and easy to follow. The price is certainly right as well - at 50AUD it is priced very competitively as are all Zvezda kits.

What was frustrating was the ultra-thin mirror mounts. These were difficult to clean up and mount due to their fragility and I snapped one off early on during painting (entirely my fault, I'm clumsy and brutal with models). The piece snapped in multiple places and was sadly not repairable. The second one broke soon after. Given how much I weathered the model it's not implausible that they would be removed for combat or break off in the field so I'm not too concerned but it is still disappointing. If you build this kit be very cautious with them.

I tried a few new things with painting. I did an oil dot filter over the model. I intended for streaks but probably blended them too far. After this I did chipping with a brush - I think I went too far here, particularly on the top of the model. The dust and mud was applied with more care than on the T-90, using a combination of three different Vallejo pigments and enamel thinner to "wash" the dust on. Once dry, I used a dry brush to clean up obvious tide and brush marks and blend the dust in. After this I applied Vallejo thick mud on the wheels and underside to simulate fresh, wet mud. Finally I used a thicker enamel/pigment mix to flick on mud spatter onto the sides. I think the finished model looks pretty good but I still have plenty to learn and try. So, onto the pictures. Thanks for reading. :)

The built model. The vinyl wheels are nicely done so as to hide the seams. Plenty of antennas to break...

Basecoat down. I used my new Border Model airbrush to do the cam. I was very happy for a cheap airbrush.

The oils going down. This shows the contrast between the filtered hull and yet to be done turret.

Chipping! Probably too much. I need to be more careful next time.

The finished model.

Beautiful day to be in the Russian Army. T-90 and infantry are also Zvezda.

Finished Zvezda 1/35 modern Russian infantry

Hello friends,
Привет друзья,

Today I've finished the last of my Zvezda Russian infantry. To be clear this is two sets - the first is the "Polite People" set I reviewed in my last post. The second set is the Russian Spetsnaz kit (also Zvezda). Both of these kits went together really well, though the proportions on the newer "Polite People" kit are noticeably better than the Spetsnaz kit, which has fairly chunky features. The Spetznaz set is likely based in the 1990s or early 2000s. I decided to paint them in the modern Russian camouflage scheme anyway - perhaps they represent a regional unit yet to receive more modern weaponry and sights or even a militia unit fighting Ukraine in the Donbass/Luhansk region. Not accurate certainly but for my purposes (wargaming modern conflict) quite sufficient.

Russian troops in Crimea, 2014. The "digital flora" uniform fades to what looks like plain olive green at a distance but retains the detail up close.

The cam pattern I went for is called единая маскировочная расцветка (unified camouflage colouration), perhaps more commonly known as "digital flora". This was... not easy to paint. The uniforms Russia is using seem to fade fairly quickly. The infamous "Little Green Men" who appeared in Crimea in 2014 had clearly deployed with fairly faded uniforms and outside of parades it seems rare that the pattern isn't faded heavily. The pattern also uses what seems to be much smaller pixels than other digital patterns such as that of the US Marine Corps. This presents two challenges - the faded uniform from a distance appears to pretty well be flat olive drab, yet up close has a reasonable amount of colour variation. I needed that affect on the miniature. I ended up using a combination of sponging and washes and I think I got there in the end.

The finished "Polite People" set.

The rear

The Spetsnaz kit. Much chunkier figures. The figure on the right was painted as a (failed) test figure for the camouflage scheme and basing which is why he looks different.

The pattern up close. Dark green, black and brown over a lighter greenish-khaki base.

Thank you for reading :)

Zvezda 1/35 Modern Russian Infantry "Polite People" (Современная Российская Пехота «Вежливые Люди») Review

To the scale modellers who have found this review through a Google search, welcome. You're on what is normally a wargaming blog. Lately I've been working on a 1/35 T-90 Russian main battle tank, something a little different to what I usually do. Working on the tank has sparked a bit of an interest in a side of the modelling hobby that I haven't really ventured into - mostly in fear of the difficult modelling and painting techniques that are required to get a good result. But it was a challenge and so I've persisted, and have started diving in head first...

This is the second set of Zvezda 1/35 infantry I've purchased. I have their older cпецназ (Spetsnaz, Russian special forces) set so I was intrigued when I saw this set online. The set depicts the "Little Green Men", as they were known in the West, who appeared throughout Crimea during 2014. Despite initial Russian denials they were indeed Russian Armed Forces troops. The moniker "Polite People" seems odd at first, but refers to the reception they received from the Crimean locals. The Russian troops were by many accounts very polite to the locals that they were interacting with and acted with a high degree of professionalism.

The set contains four hard plastic figures all in various states of rest. For the scale modelling crowd these will make very nice diorama pieces alongside any modern Russian armour. The figures are depicted in ратник (warrior) gear and armed with appropriately modern weaponry. There's also a cat, modelled off a photo below and also possibly related to a quote from the Russian Minister of Defence at the time that“It is difficult to look for a black cat in a dark room, especially if it is not there... It’s all the more stupid if this cat is smart, brave and polite.”. A nice little easter egg from Zvezda there either way!

The quality is high here. The figures are well molded and the mould lines that are present are easily removed. There was very little flash present and all the parts went together remarkably well. The PKP Pecheneg light machine gun is a bit fiddly to assemble so make sure you give it plenty of time to dry before mounting it under the figures arms - and be careful of the very slim bipod!

Overall this is an excellent kit. I paid 20AUD plus shipping from an Australian store and at that price the figures rate highly. This is not a common figure subject and collectors of modern Russian armour will be very happy with this kit. I've mounted the figures to MDF bases - I am currently attempting to write my own modern warfare skirmish wargame to use 1/35 figures so basing was a must. Expect more photos of both these figures and my T-90 when they're complete!

Спасибо за протитаете. :)
Thanks for reading. :)

Add caption

The box art is wonderful and depicts the figures in the kit well

Detail is high and the poses are very nice.

Plenty of detail on the back too.

Three weapons are left spare for you to do with what you wish - 2x AK-74Ms and a VSS

The cat!

By Fire and Sword - Muscovite Army

Hi again!

Finally, after about 4 months since starting, I've finally finished my Muscovite army for By Fire and Sword. This has been my major project since the end of last year so it's a huge relief to finally finish it.

Kind of. As with all things wargaming, a project is never really finished. In the future I want to add small Soldat and Field Dragoon regiments along with a hefty artillery contingent. I also intend on buying two of the Cossack Skirmish Set boxes to field them as either a large standalone skirmish force or as an allied regiment for the Muscovites. But, these are future plans and I have some smaller projects upcoming before I start buying more BFaS.

Upcoming on the blog expect to see Firestorm Planetfall and some 10mm ancients. I've grabbed some Gauls from Pendraken which I can't wait to paint and I'm really excited that I managed to get my hand on the two player starter for the long out of print Planetfall. Onto the pictures!

Editors Note: Pictures had to be re-uploaded as somehow they broke. How annoying!

Glory to Russia

The army from another angle

The first border dragoon regiment

The second border dragoon regiment

The streltsy. Not many photos of these guys around for whatever reason

I love the Streltsy models - full of character!

Pomiestna cavalry regiment.

Dvorians - perhaps my favourite models in the army

Boyar sons with spears

My general.

Zavoivodchicy

Bonus pic! My Holy Roman Empire army occupies the left tray. Plenty of room to expand the Muscovites then...

Thanks again for looking, I hope this post can serve as an inspiration for finishing your own army. I also know there's not a lot of pictures of painted Muscovite armies on the internet and in particular very few photos of Streltsy so hopefully it's also a good resource for those considering starting the Muscovites.

Bye / До свидания!

Dystopian Wars - Kingdom of Britannia Starter Fleet

Hi again!

Today I finished off my Kingdom of Britannia starter fleet for Dystopian Wars. This is a game that I bought a heap of stuff for years ago... then never opened a box. There's more to come as I paint my British models and then a Covenant starter fleet. I also have a small amount of Firestorm Armada I want to paint.

The fleet in all its glory

Cruiser and frigates

Battleship

Flyers

Small flyer tokens

Thanks again for dropping by. Plenty more hobby coming up including more By Fire and Sword. I'd like to get more games in but given movement restrictions due to coronavirus, it may not be possible.

до свидания

By Fire and Sword Battle Report - Muscovy vs Ottoman Empire, Task Force.

Welcome again!

Today is the blog's first battle report! This was a task force level game of By Fire and Sword on the  Capture the Crossing scenario. This scenario is slightly different to the skirmish scenario in that it features a farm on each side of the table as capture points in addition to the main crossing. The stream is fordable along the entire length for half movement. My opponent Nathan and I both took nearly full task forces which are listed below. Please note I made a massive error when deploying and put down 8 bases in the border dragoon pike squadron instead of four (I'd been eyeing off division construction during the day...). This definitely had a significant effect on the game as the pike block was involved in two combats that were drew only due to their outnumbering their opponents... Sorry Nathan!

Muscovy - Border Defence Task Force - 22FSP

Voivode (2 command points)

Vanguard

6 Field Dragoons (musketeers)

Base

8 Border Dragoon Musketeers

4 Border Dragoon Pikes (ooops...)

6 Elite Dvorians

8 Boyar Sons

Captain (1 command point)

Falconet 1.5pdr

Transport Wagon (not present on the table by mutual agreement)

Level 1

8 Town Streltsy

Level 2

8 Boyar Sons w/spears

Falconet 1.5pdr

Level 3

8 Border Dragoon Musketeers

Golova (2 command points)

4 Skirmish Boyar Sons

Quarta Colubrine 5f

Level 4

6 Reiters

Ottoman Empire - Task Force from the European Provinces - 20FSP

Beylerbey (3 Command Points)

Vanguard

5 Besli (proxied with Tatar Warriors)

Base

6 Sipahi w/Lances

6 Sipahi

6 Gonullu

Aga (1 command point)

Transport Wagon (not present on table by mutual agreement)

Darbzen 300 Dirhem

Level 1

6 Janissaries

Level 2

4 Besli (proxied with Tatar Warriors)

Sanjakbey (2 command points)

Darbzen 1 Oka

Level 3

4 Tufecki

Darbzen 2 Oka

The table setup. The farms near the river are objectives alongside the bridge.

Deployment after Turn 0. Turn 0 was quite eventful as the besli charged accross the stream into the field dragoons who were on defence orders. I expected the dragoons to shoot them off but alas the besli made it in and drew combat, nullifying my recon advantage.

Border Dragoons en masse. Including my cheating pike block... still feel bad about that.

In all our games Nathan makes extensive use of march columns early in the game to move up his units. Not many units left to base for him!

The centre of the Muscovite line. Town Streltsy in the wood and the field dragoons up front from their recon. I had run out of room to get the spear boyars in a good position.

The Muscovite right. The elite sotnia in the woods, reiters centre, skirmish sotnia (in disgusting grey) on the right backed up by the boyars.

The Ottoman right. Tufecki are off screen further right. Nathan made a decision to not really contest the bridge and instead focus on the farms.

The post Turn 0 situation in the centre. These two units would proceed to duel for FIVE turns without either fleeing. The besli would spend most of the game disorganised and were totally annihilated in the end.

Turn 1 saw Ottoman artillery disorganise the streltsy, who promptly withdrew into the boyars. Thankfully the boyars didn't disorganise as well.

The Muscovites advance on the right. I made the decision to attack two units at a time and relocate two units to a more central position. I only had five command for the entire force so I had to be careful.

The left advances to the farm. The right hand musket block would move onto defence orders in turn two as the border dragoons went onto defence turn by turn. This commander only had one command point so going to defence early was key.

The Ottoman right advances. Sorry for the blurry photo.

Tufecki anchored the Ottoman left.

Glorious cavalry line. За родину!

Reiters (proxied from my HRE army) engage Ottoman besli. They won without issue.

The second wave continues their move to the centre.

Ottoman Sipahi shake out into attack formations.

The initial Muscovite attacks were successful on the right but this would soon change. The besli are fleeing while the Tufecki are disorganised.

The situation at the end of turn 3. The skirmish sotnia are out of command range and the reiters are dangerously exposed to case shot. Meanwhile the elite sotnia has shaken out into line.

Somehow the border dragoons kept holding on... Not seen is a falconet on the far left which used case shot again and again to help repel the Sipahi and Janissaries. Oh and something something cheating pikes...

Case shot and bow fire from the gonullu (that damn shooting left...) routs the reiters. From success to disaster on the right.

Allah Allah! The Sipahi try once more but to no avail, their morale failing them after more case shot. The block in the background had suffered casualties from musketry before being fought off by the boyar sons.

At the end of the game my wonderful, freshly painted streltsy had done... uh, nothing. Secured the bridge, I guess.

We ended up calling the game at the end of turn 5, with the Ottomans having too many units in disarray and the Muscovites firmly in control of two objectives. This was a really fun game (marred by my realisation this morning of the too large pike unit...). This is the biggest game either of us have played so far. Task Force is a fun level, it doesn't take much longer than skirmish games but is visually much more spectacular. Turn 0 is a fun concept as well. I think if we could play this again I would use the vanguard to occupy the farm on my side of the river so they can be left on defence orders without a worry and use the streltsy and artillery to support them. This would leave the border dragoons to hold the centre, but with much more command from the general could do it. The right I think was managed fairly well but suffered from Ottoman case shot in the end. If I were Nathan I would have garrisoned his farm with infantry early in the game and used it to anchor his flank while pushing for the crossing or my farm with the strong force of Sipahi.

In the end, a Muscovite tactical victory. Bring on division level!