All quiet on the Eastern Front.

I realized I haven't updated any of my blogs for ages, and this one for over three whole years.  This is partly because I've already been having to spend a lot of time at the computer what with work and other commitments, but mostly due a lack of anything relevant to say!  Its been ages since my last WW2 game using my Russians.  

Which is not to say I haven't been gaming; I have.  This past year it has been Bolt Action with my IJA in 28mm, and even some Dark Ages games using the fun One Hour Wargames rules by Neil Thomas.  We even managed another Napoleonics game using Black Powder.  Still, due to life and family commitments among the usual crowd, getting in any sort of regular gaming has been an elusive goal, so its been a mixed bag of games so far- not that I'm complaining, its great just to be able to game at all!

But 20mm Eastern Front games have, unfortunately, been off the radar, so there has been no action there from either the gaming or modelling angle.  Until very recently, when Rod and I thought it would be great to try the Battlegroup Kursk rules that have been languishing unloved on my shelf over the past few years.  Nothing wrong with BKC, but we thought we would try something different, and like the morale system that BGK uses.

 

No matter how long it stays on the back-burner, I find I always keep coming back to 20mm WW2 at some time or another.  My WW2 Soviet collection is long in the tooth, but is large and has given excellent service.  Still it could always grow, and I think some of the older models and figures need to be retired or at least get a fresh coat of paint and/ or a new uniform issue, and perhaps a more up-to-date (and less time-consuming) basing. 

And through no fault of his own, our German player has been working weekends so my Russians now find themselves with no-one to fight!   Besides, his Germans are more for 1944-45, while I'm more interested in 1943; so I decided it is high time to build up a German force of my own.  

So as a strategic reserve I've rummaged through my kit cache and cobbled together six Italeri fast-build Pz-III's and a PSC Stug III (where I managed to mix up the drive and idler sprockets and only noticed after the cement had set- since patched up after a fashion).  

Pleased with the results, and looking at the gaps in my collection I recently ordered some new kit from PSC.  These includes a Marder, a box of infantry and heavy weapons, and of course the iconic Hanomags.

I'm also getting back to work on my bevy of Zvezda T-34/76's and PSC T-70's to face them, along with a bit of artillery support. Basically the vehicles just need some stowage (already ordered from Value Gear in the US, and on its way here), and for me to add grab rails on the T-34's from brass wire.  Then it's painting time.

I also needed to blow the dust off them!