Heavy Gear BatRep - First Attempt

(Played in August 2013, Written October 2013)

One of the lots of figures I purchased included two painted squads of Gears.  Pretty much your typical GP squad, with some special weapons, all ready to go.  After having to reassmeble some of them from shipping damage, they were good to go.  Another lot included a variety of buildings which are mosty to scale for Heavy Gear.  What I had was enough to play a game.

Convincing a friend of mine to spend a free day trying it out yielded a pretty fun game.  We had both looked over the rules, but had not really gotten familiar with the details, so mistakes were made.  Some we picked up on during the game, others after.  All in all, the attempt was a smooth one, giving us both a pretty positive impression of the game.  Certainly enough that I felt I wanted to learn more.

I will not give a round by round narrative, in part because I do not remember the details, but I will say it was a prime example of seeing defeat snatched from the jaws of victory!  My initial tactics resulted in most of my squad getting overwhelmed and taken out, but the two survivors played a game of fall back/reenage, picking his squad apart one at a time.  I had some amazing rolls (firing full Rate of Fire(RoF) on some weapons and never running out/jamming, for example) while he had some horrible ones (grenades, especially).  He should of taken it when I was willing to concede mid-game.  We decided to play it out, and my shift in tactics won the battle.

If I were to do a demo like this again, I would go with the recommended 3 vs 3 with 'matched' forces (more or less) and a smaller play area.  Otherwise, it went well.

I was running the Northern Squad (Tan/Yellow), my friend was running the Southern Cadre (Green/Grey).



The bulk of my squad using containers as cover

Northern center defense while the South took the flanks

Southern Gears close to melee contact

Southern flanker took out a Hunter...

.. only to run into another with a Snub Cannon

Ayrun (UAE Colony World) - Tomorrow's War

I posted this in the Ambush Alley Games forum in Dec 2011.  My plans for how I would play in the "Tomorrowverse."  Mostly a work in progress, but wanted to see if I could drum up some ideas/suggestions.  In re-reading it, I am seeing several similarities not only to Battletech, but also to Heavy Gear, which was not really intentional.  It was like I took fluff from other games I liked and tried to add them all.  Not sure if that is good or bad.  I dont want to be blatent, but I have been influenced by those sources.  Go or No-Go?





United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Military Tech Level: 2+
Civilian Tech Level: 2+
Standard of Living: Average

Founding (Treaty of Amman) 2264 in wake of 2nd Iran-Iraq War. Sunni Arab. Next 50 years coalescing into a moderate Arab emirate ruled by elected emirs who serve five year terms. The Emir is elected by a council of emirs, composed of the royal families of the UAE’s members nations.

Member Nations: Former UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, and the Federated States of Iraq (Sunni & Kurdish regions of Iraq).

Friendly with neighbors is good except for UIT and Yemen. Space expansion ha been cautious and very cost-conscious. Colony world of Ayrun has potential to become as productive as Grissom, despite violent and unpredictable weather patterns (classified Marginal as result). Involved in mining in Asteroid Belt. Neutral in most disputes between great powers, but will side with OPS vs UIT.

Military is mixed bag. Each member state remained protective of their independence. Most difficulties have been smoothed over, but some resentment and jealousies remain. Most equipment is a generation or so behind that of most OPS natioins. Assortment of Russian, French, US, British, and German left over from pre-treaty days.

Most vehicles track/wheeled, a few first generation AGV’s fielded primarily by units assigned to ‘security’ in the Asteroid Belt.

Robots mostly used for rear-echelon duties. Dumbbots are used, AI is anathema to the UAE for cultural reasons (Iraqis being possible exception). Synthetic humans are often purchased second hand by wealthier states and used like Janissaries of old.

Aerospace is still a generation or so behind, but better than UIT. Pilots highly trained. Cold Navy consists of (four) older British Frigates and a dozen gunboats purchases from the PRC. Rumor of UAE contracting with the NEU to build a new light cruiser designed for naval expansion, but seems contingent on the UAE’s successful colonization of Aryun.

(from Tomorrows War – p22-24)



Ayrun – Marginal World (UAE)

Roughly between the size of Earth and Mars, with a vertical axis (I think that is right.. the planet has no tilt so no seasons), the planet has what could be considered a typical assortment of earth-like environments. The southern hemisphere consists of several tropical regions, while the northern hemisphere has both arid and temperate environments. Both poles are frozen, standard gravity, abundant water and resources. The storms that denied the planet Garden World status are a result of both solar activity and the proximity of several gas giants in the system that are on non-standard orbits of the sun. With no seasons, this means no regular system of rain/snow, high winds, or other phenomena. This has lead to the development of an agricultural base that is not reliant upon ‘sensitive’ crops, and has forced the colonists to adjust to every possible type of weather.

The planet was opened to each of the member nations of the UAE, though the ‘good’ land was snatched up by the more wealthy and influential nations, leaving the others to get what they could. The counter to this is that most of the wealthier nations were unable to quickly populate their regions, while the poorer nations had many of their citizens who were willing to travel to the colony to start a new life with more opportunity.

While there is no outright hostility between the nation-states on Ayrun, there is still conflict between them. Grabs are made for resources and ‘safe havens’ (regions of the planet where the weather patterns are either more predictable, or have less of an effect). To maintain the unity of the colonial armed forces in case of an outside attack, a system of rules were adopted and are accepted by all who live there. Better to have a set of rules that all can follow to settle their disputes than to end up in a civil war.

Conflict over territory and resources are generally announced, and rarely take place near the objects contested. There are limits to the size of forces allowed to be used in these conflicts, and to try and claim a territory means you must put up a stake of similar value should you loose. Surrenders are always accepted, and prisoners are treated fairly. Those taken in these conflicts are given the option of either paying a ransom to return home, or to serve the nation-state that captured them for a set period of time. At the end of that time, if it is wished, the captured may remain with their captors and join their armed forces. No social stigma is attached to this practice, and any dependents are afforded safe passage to their new state. In this way, some battles can revolve more around who is captured from the opposing side rather than what is being fought over. You may loose a town, but if you gain a crack unit in the process (even for a period of time), it can be worth it. These captured soldiers are treated like the Mamlukes of old.

In the face of an outside threat, all internal conflict is set aside so that the whole of the Colony can deal with the crisis. Even the most deep-seated issues between nation-states can be put aside until the security of the whole is assured. As soon as the threat is gone, the conflicts can resume. While not an ideal system, it seems to work, and has lead to rapid expansion on Ayrun.

Other efforts have been made to further safeguard the regular fighting forces of the colony in the use of dumb-bots as ‘first wave’ troops. It is not uncommon to have battles decided without the loss of any human life (though “accidents” do happen from time to time).

The nature of the climate and terrain on Ayrun has produced an overall military that is capable of operating almost anywhere. Most units are at least familiar with vacuum/zero-g operations, arctic, desert, and even limited urban operations. While their skill is high, their lack of modern equipment is a distinct disadvantage when fighting non-UAE opponents. They are also very careful not to let their rules of internal-warfare hamper their operations against outside threats. It should be noted that they still try to avoid unnecessary loss of life, both on the part of their forces, as well as their enemies. Surrenders will be readily accepted, and some converts from non-UAE forces are known. Efforts are made to limit civilian casualties, and their tactics lean more towards the defensive when dealing with off-world operations. This has lead to several units to strike out on their own as mercenaries in external conflicts, as their rules and conduct has made them very desirable to those that are worried about expansionist neighbors.


Notes: I borrowed heavily from the rules of warfare followed by the Clans of Battletech, as well as setting up a basis for UAE themed mercenary units. Their skill at arms and motivation is off-set by their lack of advanced tech, to put them on par with most other nations. The use of dumb-bots as the first wave would work with this as well. Bots are not cheap, but better to loose a dozen replaceable machines than one skilled soldier.

I visualize the planet as being somewhere between Mars and Earth in size, with a ‘typical’ earth like layout/climate. Some larger continents with oceans. The southern continents would be similar to southeast asia, as well as the ‘wetlands’ of the US (Louisiana and Florida). The northern continents would be more like the steppes of Russia/eastern Europe. Mountain ranges can be found all over, with more present near the hot and arid equator.

What I really wanted was a ‘middle-eastern’ style force that felt more like the Arabs of the middle-ages than modern day middle-eastern conflict. Gone are the IED’s and hordes of irregulars. Returned are the noble armies of Saladin and Moorish Spain. Opponents who would prefer you convert to their way of life, but are content to leave you in peace provided you pay the proper taxes and abstain from interference. Soldiers you could readily surrender to in a loosing battle with little fear of mistreatment. That sort of conduct can be taken advantage of, but it generally stops the sort of atrocities that have become all too common in war.


Additional Ideas:

NSF (Neo-Soviet Federation) - Synthetic rebels

Content Inbound

Things have been busy.  Not so busy that I could not plan and work on projects, but busy enough that posting has been difficult.  So, just in case anyone reads these still, I am sorry for that.  I actually  have several posts following up on my Volksgrenadier posts that I wrote without internet access.  Trying to find a way to date them for when I wrote them, but will get them up regardless.

Currently I am away from the majority of my gaming supplies, including tools, paint, and a suitable location to even assemble what I do have.  That problem should be taken care of soon, but even without that I plan to catch up on all of my 'planning' articles. 

Right now, my gaming list is as follows:

Force on Force - US, Insurgent
Flames of War - LW German (variety)
Historical - DBA Roman, DBA Hun

That is what I have available to play as is.  Small list, especially compared to my 'to-do' list, which is as follows:

Force on Force - US (support/extras), Russian
Flames of War - LW American Armored, LW Named German Armored (Bäke possibly)
Heavy Gear - PRDF, Leagueless (Desert Wolves), WFPA
Historical - DBA Byzantine, Saga Byzantine, Saga Norman


Part of the reason I started the blog was to document my process in my hobbies.  Originally, with DBA/Historicals, I went looking for "how-to" guides and found very little that was useful.  So, getting some advice from local painters (many thanks to Mark Krabbenhoft and the other painters at Compleat Games and Hobbies in Colorado Springs [now most of whom are at The Yellow King, also in Colorado Springs]), I set out to document what I was doing.  Maybe someone can use it, but also, I would know what I did when I took some time off from the hobby (as I do from time to time). 

I am going to work on documenting the whole process, from getting my first pack to having a completed force for Heavy Gear, in the hopes to turn it into a full-blown guide later on.  I think I might do the same with Saga as well. 

There is also an article on "Gaming for Less" in how you can get the most bang for your buck with hobbies.  Games can be incredibly expensive, but they do not HAVE to be so expensive.  I have managed to do it fairly well, so maybe I could help another future gamer get into a hobby they might not of otherwise due to cost. 

There is a lot of material in my notebook that will end up here.  Right now, I am trying to find a decent camera set up for better photos, as well as some way to record video (because sometimes, you just need to SEE how something is done.. well, I do anyway).  If anyone has suggestions on either, it would be appreciated. 

Getting excited for the upcoming projects, so if you are reading, thank you for sticking with me!

German Camo - WW2

So far, I have not been terribly ambitious with regards to camouflage with my 15mm figures.  For moderns, with ACU I went with a ‘generic’ look as the digital pattern is all but impossible to do at that scale.  The attempt at multicam worked out fairly well I think.  Still, not a fan of camo at this scale.  For WW2, maybe I should of gone US (who only briefly used camoflague) or Soviets (who did not use it, as far as I am aware). 

The Germans made use of camo on every level it seems, and my early attempts at painting them totally ignored this.  This time around, however, I decided to give it a try.  First, I had to figure out what models should be painted appropriately.  Took me some time to recognize which models had helmet covers and camouflage jackets.  Once I did, I then had to figure out what pattern they used.

Most of the info I have on it came from “The Art of War” from Battlefront.  The Heer had their own version of the “splinter” pattern that was the most common.  So, I painted a few models up with that, and they looked… ok.  I have seen better and worse.  My rank and file will all have that pattern on their garments, as well as the rolled poncho attached to some figures. 

When I got started on my 2iC and Scouts, I went looking to see if the Heer ever used other patterns, such as what the SS had.  From everything I read, it was not really common, but acceptable to have the odd figure in a pattern from another branch.  I decided if anyone was likely to have “better” camo (going on the assumption that the SS generally had the best in the way of gear) it would be the command teams and scouts.  I actually tried to find as many models as I could wearing camo for my scouts for that reason. 

Oak Leaf was the pattern I went with, based on THIS article.  I decided for Autumn colors since I did not do a winter theme.  I did the odd helmet cover in the pattern for the scouts, with the 2iC having a jacket in the pattern. 

The pattern was so much easier to make look right (to me anyway) than Splinter.  I immediately saw it, where I had to really play around with the splinter to get it to look passable.  Makes me want to try the Plane Tree or Pea Dot patterns for future models.  My hesitation to do a SS force was in part due to the number of other players playing SS at my last store, but also the supposed complexity of the camo patterns.  Should I ever get a foolish notion to do another German army, I could see it being SS now. 

Photos (to be posted later). 

12. Volksgrenadier (list)

12. Volksgrenadier Division (LW German – NUTS!)

HQ – AR/PF, AR/PF + PzShreck
Sturm Platoon – Full
Schutzen Platoon – Full
Mortars (8cm) – 2 Sections
MG – 2 Sections
Scouts – 2 Rifle Squads, Command AR/PF
3 StuG G (late)
Light Artillery – 3 10.5cm
Me 262 A2a Sturmvogel – Sporadic Support

1550pts – 7 Platoons

The biggest issue that this list will have is the lack of anti-tank guns.  I really wish I could get some PaK40’s in there, but as I only have 2 guns and no crews I decided to leave them out for the time being. 

Should I run into a tank heavy list I imagine I will try to move to a good position and dig my infantry in, then let the tanks come to me.  Somehow, I do not imagine they will, considering the number of Panzerfaust’s that are present.  My artillery and mortars can keep a smoke screen up for movement, while I can try to use my Air Support to hit high value targets.  The StuG’s will be there to defend against enemy light armor.  Still, parts of it look fragile. 

The scouts will give me the Always Attack rule against other infantry lists, as well as a Spearhead move for my Sturm and Shutzen  platoons.  That should work for getting them fairly close to their targets early on. 

This is a departure from any sort of force I have fielded before.  It has both offensive and defensive attributes.  I play armor, not infantry.  Having to play defensively will be a new experience, so I imagine there will be a bit of a learning curve for me.  Still, I am excited to try it.  I played a generic Grenadier list for the Infantry Aces campaign and did fairly well.  It should teach me things about infantry that I might be able to use when playing armor, which is good considering the trouble I usually have against them. 

For 1750 the only real change would be to add the 3 PaK40’s and a battery of 3 NW41’s, while dropping the Panzershreck team.  Not totally sold on that idea either.  If I can scrape the models together for enough PzShreck teams, I could just as easily drop the NW41’s in favor of 3 more PzShreck teams (I would have to change the StuG’s back to regular rather than late models).

An alternate for 1750 that would work much better has me replacing the StuG’s for 3 Panthers from the 12.SS-Panzerdivision (making them Fearless Trained instead), and dropping the MG Platoon for a battery of 6 NW41’s.  Guess I need to get the rest of my Nebelwerfers done up.

Nothing about this list screams tournament winner to me.  But, I am interested in playing it and it looks fun, so does that really matter?  It is a constant struggle with my inner power-gamer.  I want to win (who doesn’t?), and have been known to choose my armies based on that.  Going with an actual unit rather than a generic list is part of my attempt to get away from that, so I guess I will see what I can do with this.  It was cheap to put together with models I (mostly) already had and is from a battle I have a lot of interest in (the Ardennes Offensive / Battle of the Bulge).  PLUS, as a ‘reward’ to myself for getting this done, I can always expand into a US Airborne army in the form of the 101^st (specifically, E Co, of “Band of Brothers” fame) if I want to have an opposed force from the same battle.

Next up, I am going to go over my armored lists. 

(note - Since writing this, LW points have gone up to 1780.  I have work to do)

LW Germans - Volksgrenadier

At last, they released a sourcebook for a period of WW2 I have a strong interest in.  Specifically, the non-SS German units involved in the Ardennes Offensive.  I settled on the 12. Volksgrenadier list, a Confident/Veteran infantry list.

It features a heavy dose of Assault Rifle armed infantry, and it seems that everyone has a Panzerfaust.  There is a healthy mix of support weapons, not to mention armor and the Sturmvogel (the first jet aircraft used in the war).  All in all, I thought it was an interesting mix that would not require me to buy much of anything in the way of new models.  All I have to do is change a few things around and paint what I have.

I have not abandoned my armored lists.  I actually got the airbrush out and painted a few up for a friend at the LGS last week.  With that, I am setting myself up to be able to run either a generic King
 Tiger list, the Begleit StuG list, or possibly the Bake list (all from Grey Wolf).  In playing over the past few months I discovered that when playing armored lists, it needs to be all vehicles (or nearly so).  Infantry can work,  but taking non-mobile artillery was not a good idea.  That works out, because the Volksgrenadier list has no mobile artillery, so there can be a clear split there.

Back to the project at hand.  I scaled down my projects, working on 1-2 units at a time, at most.  Large units (like full 6 base + HQ platoons) get done one at a time.  This way I can go through the steps and (mostly) finish in a day or two of work, rather than spreading out the work and getting discouraged when game day comes around and they are all still on their painting sticks.  Since starting this method I have gotten the painting done on a Mortar Platoon, all the crews for the Panzerwerfers, and almost done with my Scout Platoon.  Moving on to the Assault Platoon next.  The 'finished' units need a wash of the Army Painter dip, then onto the bases.  From there, I can base them whenever.. they are ready to play.

Internet is extremely limited, which makes posting here difficult.  I want to do a walk-through with one of my platoons so I can document how I paint them, what paints I use, etc.  The camo especially.  I REALLY want to get back to writing here.  I said it a few months back, but taking the time to write this stuff down (and people responding) gives me motivation to post more, which gets me working.  Also, should something happen to my notes again, I will have a resource that tells me how I did what, so I dont have to guess.

I will post the list I plan to run at different point levels, as well as the 'to-do' list for the available forces.  Pictures will come as I take them.  Work will progress as long as I keep the shift I am on, having all night long to paint is a big bonus.  Getting caught up on Babylon 5 as well.. re-watching the whole series.  I get about a season every 3 days or so (while at work), so should be done by months end.  To that end, I should also have the core of my Volksgrenadiers done by then as well.

Back to Work

Wow, cant believe it has been over seven months since I have posted. 

For those that are interested, I took a break from the hobby for several months to get ready for Basic Training (as well as basic itself), and then to settle into learning my new job.  Now fairly settled into things, I am finding myself with a pull to start up projects I left off, and the first would be my German Armor.

As luck would have it, there is both a tournament coming up locally, as well as the possibility of a Tank Aces league starting up.  With that, I will have some work to do.

Right now, I am thinking that I will run a King Tiger list, probably out of Grey Wolf, in the tournament.  I would prefer to try a Begleit StuG list, but I do not even have the tank riders yet, let alone the time to get them ready.  Plus, it will give me a chance to see how the rules have changed with the last update.  Most of the figures I will be using are primed/painted, and I might be able to get a little more work done on them before the game.  If not, thats fine too, I will have time for that later.

If I can drum up interest in Force on Force locally, I will probably start up my Russian force (so as to have a proper MW2/BF3 'demo' collection).  Otherwise, I can finish up my insurgents to check that off the list.

Tomorrows War has been done with AT-43 figures mostly, so I will keep to that.  It is easier, especially in stores where there is existing 40k terrain that I can use.  I still have my plans for a UAE/Ayrun themed unit made up of infantry and suits, but that can certainly wait.

Really excited to get my minis out of storage and the airbrush fired up.  Just getting a platoon checked off would be great.  Hardly any time at all any more, but I will see what I can get done with a limited amount.  Plus I have other odd projects I want to post here for those that might be interested.

Hopefully it is not another 7 months before the next post.  :)