Monday, December 26, 2016

Bolt Action Gingerbread Stalingrad Battle

Had our first Bolt Action Tank Battle on the Gingerbread Stalingrad board! It was Jonathan and Kevin on the German side with two Panzers each.

Nathan had a Soviet Medium tank and a Sherman on lend lease from the USA. I ran with two T-34s.

Nathan started the moves by advancing his Sherman into the ruins for some cover. The Soviets moved two more tanks on before the Germans emerged to open fire on the Red armor!

There were plenty of misses due to the cover provided by the ruins. Quite a few hits were also scored which caused pins, but first blood went to Nathan as his Sherman hit and destroyed one of the Panzers.

After a few exchanges, one of Kevin's Panzers returned the favor by destroying a Soviet tank with a long shot.

The two T-34's commanded the center of the board from the Tractor Factory. One of Jon's Panzers took a hit and caught fire. However the crew was able to get the flames out and retreat from the building they were hidden in.

The Germans had the last three moves in turn six. Kevin's Panzer moved out  for a clean shot into the factory,  but failed to hit. So the game ended in a draw with one kill each.

It was a quick fun game with new players!

Friday, December 16, 2016

Stalingrad Gingerbread Tank War Edition!

In honor of this festive time of year we decided to indulge a little. So, we're thinking Stalingrad, Bolt Action, World of Tanks and Gnigerbread all go well together. Here is what we came up with.

Using Graham Crackers and traditional "royal icing" made from powdered sugar and egg whites we set to work. The crackers are pretty brittle so we used a set of dental tools and hobby knife to cut the window and door openings.

Here was the first test structure

and the next with it.

What would Stalingrad be without the tractor factory. Here it is in the early stages.

Here it is with the rest of the Gingerbread buildings. It even has a hammer and cycle sign posted above the entrance. For World of Tanks fans, this looks like a tier six match.

Russian, British, German and US tanks clash among the ruins!!

It was a great afternoon of fun.

Now to get the armies together and let the Bolt Action games begin.

About three years ago we built a Gingerbread Fortress which we posted here on the blog.

Have a Great Battle!
The Old Crow



Wednesday, December 7, 2016

How To: Make Impassable Terrain for Bolt Action or Warhammer, Historical or Fantasy War Games

Impassable terrain for Warhammer or Bolt Action
Having Impassable Terrain on your table top battleground gives you distinct advantages and equal disadvantages. It can cover your armors flank or block line of site for your casters fireball. No matter which you are befitting from, it makes your table look great.

Impassable terrain for Warhammer or Bolt Action
We started with a hardboard base and a can of spray foam insulation. When using the insulation foam, there is always a little left in the can and you can't save it! So, spray the remainder on a piece of old cardboard and let it harden. Once it dries you can peel it off and place it on your hardboard.

Impassable terrain for Warhammer or Bolt Action
You can use White PVA glue or a hot glue gun. We added bits of foam, rock and debris to fill in gaps and add texture

Impassable terrain for Warhammer or Bolt Action
Once you have everything glued and its dry, add a base coat of paint. We always advocate checking mis-tinted paint at your local hardware store, Home Depot or Lowes. We found this ugly dark green which works great for terrain projects. We then used light green and grey to drybrush on highlights.

Impassable terrain for Warhammer or Bolt Action
Then glue flocking and ground cover into the recesses and add any foliage. We used an eclectic mix of HO scale pine trees and bushes plus a few oddball pieces clipped from plastic floral arrangements.

We diod two pieces at once. That helps you keep working on one while the other is drying.

Impassable terrain for Warhammer or Bolt Action
And there you have it, instant gracious cover or pain in the rear site blockers!

Impassable terrain for Warhammer or Bolt Action
Enjoy