June Digest #4

Blog site

So, it seems like this blogsite is no longer viewable for free. You need a Gmail account to access and view my posts.

Old Skool

As cool and simplifying modern technology is, there's nothing like actually building something from scratch. 3D printers nowadays only require the design file and, voila, you have a miniature. And you've got it for a fraction of the cost of a commercially-available kind. You lose nothing on exquisite detail, (depending on the type of file) and you can print as many as you want. Hallelujah to that! 

World of Warships

Changes to the Armoury happening soon. Ship rotation will be a thing from Update 14.6. Not concerning for me at the moment. 

The Legacy event is interesting for beside the new ships on offer, the amount of resources such as Free XP and coal is also pretty high and therefore enticing. Pity it costs you a pretty penny. Weighing up the worthiness of the enticement, ie can I spare a penny or not?

The Narvik to Dunkirk ended recently with a fizzle; the reward for the effort proved to be a single ship.

The Summer Festival event replacing it is a non-event insofar as the enticements also cost another pretty penny. The ships on offer - at least as far as I'm concerned - are in the Tier VIII bracket. But it's such a long way away being in the thousand token range. 

The daily tokens on offer amount to forty-five in total while the weekly one adds another one hundred. But I'm not going to spend any money to buy more tokens, so I will go as far as I can before the event ends in about two and a half weeks. 

For now, I am continuing to grind my way slowly through a selection of certains captains requiring upskilling. Of these, just two more Legendary commanders left to go - Lisboa and Swirski; a trio of Seasoned commanders - von Jutland, George Doe, Charles-Henri Honore, and the remainder of this select group include specific nationalities who are backups - Pereira (Pan-American #2), Druzhinin (Russian #2), de Ruyter (Dutch #2). There still remain plenty of others requiring upskilling.

As always, I plonk these captains on premiums, irrespective of class type, and grind away. Some from this group are fun to play like the Atlantico (Lisboa), the Monaghan (Doe), and the Kirov (Druzhinin). I say that because I like to play aggressively and am happy to YOLO into a fight, and the above ships suit that style of play. 

However, others require playing more passively, ie hanging back, firing from range and preferably under cover. This applies to the light cruisers in this group such as the Kikjduin (de Ruyter), Elli (Swirski), Dupliex (Honore), and Leipzig (von Jutland). 

The Jurua (Pereira) comes second to the Monaghan but handles itself well enough if you play to her strengths. Her single firing torps are handy and are an advantage against multiple enemy ships in a close range fight whereas the Monaghan's torps fire as a salvo set, and only from one side. So you're stuffed if they miss. Of course this is offset by her long-time US smoke. 

Boardgames

So I went into my studio earlier today searching for my sets of coloured pencils for sketching. Came across these two unopened boardgames during the rummaging.

This box set of Arkham Horror is the 2005 edition. Bought after having fun with my copy of Eldritch Horror (2013) which I had bought first. This can be solo played too. 

Bought Runewars: Miniatures Game on a whim around the same time of purchasing Arkham Horror. Not sure the reasons I gave myself, perhaps it was the fact it came with minis. I have since learned you need two core sets to fill out all the stands. Which is a bummer. Unsure whether to proceed or put it up for sale. There are expansions (new factions, etc) but it sounds too much like another wargaming project when I already have a multitude on my tabletop to-play list. 

Planning on continuing my current fascination for the Vietnam War period by playing a solo game of Phantom Leader (either 2010 or 2013) by DVG. Will check it out. 

Addendum: A quick online search tonight has yielded that FFG (Fantasy Flight Games) no longer print this game nor its various expansions. That's like nine years ago! However one place still selling the whole kit and kaboodle is Amazon although it's the first place I sighted. No doubt eBay and other online resellers will have elements of this game for sale.  

I know nothing about Arkham Horror but I understand it's still alive and still churning expansions. There is even a website devoted to the game so that's handy for newbies such as myself. 

As for Phantom Leader, I pulled out the game and spent much of tonight simply sorting out the numerous pilot cards for one of the two Cuba Missile Crisis missions. Certain Vietnam War planes were disqualified because they never existed. This limiting of planes is proving interesting. Shame there is no B-52 nor U-2 card in the game. More than likely I will go with one plane each from the available remaining pool just to see how they would fare individually in such a situation as this. More to follow then. 

Art

So, after procrastinating forever I finally got back into doing art stuff. For my first return after years, I chose an image sent to me last weekend. Had the idea of what I wanted done in my head but realising it proved another matter altogether. 

Idea, like I said, is there but execution was both poorly done and incorrect. I will attempt again anew. But with this effort, I can complete it by painting over the pencilled in image using acrylic. Or I can resume using art markers as I've started with part of the archer's cap. 

Cheers.

------------------------------------

 

May 2025 - Part 2

Art

Some pencil sketches of my grandson Kato done off photos a few years back.

He's doing fine so far in the States. Losing his baby fat from a recent photo taken while getting a haircut.

Vietnam War solo scenario

Further development of my next solo game saw me drag out my 15mm Vietnam War collection earlier today. Well, most of it - figures, vehicles, terrain, buildings. All for one item - this Buddhist statuette I found by accident at Pet Barn in their fish section last week. Removed the hose at the back, and voila!

It will form the centrepiece for this new scenario. As for the temple complex? Well, that may or may not happen depending upon further research and my very dubious hobby crafting skills. It will be challenging, but that's something I need right now to shake me from my mental lethargy and depression. 

I could go all out and devise something a bit more substantial and complex such as the plan view shown below (while keeping the ornamentation bare-basic simple):

Or I could go even more "rustic" and simply have the item as a lost statue from a forgotten time. Maybe it's even a cursed statue (unlikely). Any number of likely possibilities abound with this scenario and, in particular, the use and placement of the centrepiece. 

As for the area map, I've come up with something simple. The main objective (in Red) is the main district town - Vuon Nuoc Hoa. It's English translation lends it to the name of this clearing operation - Operation Perfume Gardens. 

Backstory: Used to do morning runs not from our home barracks in Singapore through a particular "fragrant" leafy area that we affectionately called Perfume Gardens. Reminiscent of the Anchorman scene with the eau de cologne, Sex Panther by Odion. Smelt like Bigfoot's Dick all right. Certainly woke you up. 

An Overview Briefing by General Headquarters

...The strong Special forces team will be dropped off just east of the hamlet of Lang Phia Bac and set up ambushes covering the roads therein as part of their mission. At the same time they will report on all enemy movement in and out of their area of operations by conducting several scouting patrol due east of Vuon Nuoc Hoa. 

An air cav deployment will deploy while the main operation is happening and centre itself on the small hamlet of Ap Xa Phia Bach with the aim of cutting all escape routes north by road or water. They will have the support of a river force consisting of a single Tango boat transporting a platoon of infantry plus heavy weapons and engineers escorted by a Monitor. Once the ground troops are deploy, the helos will provide air support for the remainder of the operation. 

The main clearing force will make for Vuon Nuoc Hoa approaching from the south by air, river and land. In support will be a troop of M60 Bulldog tanks and APCs (reserve). 

Operations HQ (on the ground) will be quartered at Lang Dong Nam once it is taken and cleared by A company ANZAC battalion with C company in APCs in support. Artillery and air support will be provided for the taking of Lang Dong Nam which will be Stage 1 of the offensive.

Stage 2 will be the taking of Vuon Nuoc Hoa. For this a second riverine force consisting of D company ANZAC mounted in Tango boats supported by Monitors will capture the docks with part of the company moving on to capture the district village to the west, Lang Huen Tay Bac.

The main clearing operation will be conducted by D company ANZAC battalion with the 2/54 South Vietnamese "Tiger" battalion. D company will land by river and secure the northern road exit. The 2nd battalion of the 54th will drive in from Lang Dong Nam and move through Ap Mo and approach Vuon Nuoc Hoa from the south. D company 2/54 will demount and swing south and secure the river crossing from Ap Suoi Trang. Air and tank support will be given but the timeframe will be brief however as that support will then switch to the main clearing operations to be conducted by the remaining three infantry companies of 2/54th. Their goal will be toward the Golden Temple complex situated on the northern outskirts of the town. A and B companies move east of the northern road through town with C company in reserve. D company, once achieving their task, will move up the northern road and clear the western side of town up to the templex complex.

Overhead, a flight of gun helos will provide air cover coordinated by an Early Bird helo who can call on a flight of F4 Phantoms should things really heat up and local forces provide resistance.

The surrounding terrain is relatively flat and open with an abundance of wet rice paddy fields. Small stands of trees dot the landscape. Further north the terrain climbs into the surrounding foothills. The rivers are slow and often shallow in many parts facilitating crossings without too much trouble or reliance on the road bridges which are of good construction. The single main road runs from south-east to north-west and junctures with a newer road that connects from the north-east. Running south from Lang Huyen Tay Bac is an old colonial post road that is usable but in various stages of neglect. All other roads are merely dirt and gravel roads cleared, usable, but should be treated with some degree of care and caution. 

A large triangular-shaped forest exists due east from the objective and encompasses a fairly large area. We suspect this may be the base for the VC and NVA operating within this area but we need further confirmation this is so. Hence the Special forces team's presence. They will scout the area carefully to verify our suspicions. Nevertheless the area is quite dense underfoot and sparsely populated. The hamlet of Ap Song is known to us but intel on the place requires updating. 

Anti-vehicle mines are expected. Anti-personnel mines (the trip variety) are expected also so exercise caution when entered such areas. Engineers will accompany the companies. 

The local population are neutral, so Intel reminds us. But it's apparent they are also  "quietly" hostile toward our aims of pacification and integration into the policies of the legimate South Vietnamese government. The authorities therefore are having a difficult time trying to win them over. Hearts and minds, gentlemen. We must be mindful that this operation is for their own benefit and must be pressed with utmost force if necessary. Are there any questions?....

End of briefing...

The main problem now concern the rules for use. CDS is okay but there are elements I'm not happy with such as the Big Guy concept. It does lend itself to solo play and someone did a solo version shortly after the release. Having played a few solo games however I am not a real fan of CDS. It needs tweaking to suit my play style. So this scenario will help identify those sore points and offer clues on how to modify it more to my tastes. Cheers.