STALINGRAD Bolt Action Mega Battle!

A quick, easy and fun way of getting some colour into a dead city.

My intention is to to model a series of individually distinct objective markers all themed to fit Stalingrad. I am ware that this image is probably later, but it is so striking and clear in it’s message, that I had to choose it.

The actual billboard had been made from 4 offcuts from a 4Ground sprue, and placed on one of their 60 mm bases. I have further added to its story by weathering the paper printed image (Courtesy of my School Mate Laurie, after my printer ran out of ink!) and drilling bullet holes with first a small pilot bit, then a larger drill bit that was removed more forcibly to get the splintered effect.

When I saw these supply crates, I new instantly what I wanted to do with them.

The kits are from 4ground and I mounted them on 60mm round bases also from 4Ground. A relatively dexterous assembly, but a quick, easy yet effective paint job.

In gaming terms, I like the idea of using a special rule to make the contents of the boxes a mystery, until opened. They could contain food, ammunition or that ever sensible staple of the Russian diet, a battalion’s Vodka ration. Both sides having secret bonuses for being in possession of named critical supplies at the end of the battle, will motivate aggressive tactics to keep games more fluid. There will be the added risk that your troops will capture a load of high strength booze, with a roll for a range of effects from bad to mixed.

Hopefully I can assemble at least 4 if not 6 of these.

The above Strafbat Squad Troops are understandably desperate to get their hands on some weaponry, with one enterprising chap utilising a former part of the built environment, as a somewhat crude alternative to a  crow bar! If the contents turn out to be hard liquor, who know what will happen?

I like the idea of having a variety of different objective markers that really stand out distinctly from each other on the battle field.

Also I intend to use my own cards in some games detailing specific special rules, and greater priority and extra victory points for different battlefield objectives. These will be kept secret to the player who has them until the end of the battle, or in some cases if triggered. Clearly identifiable objectives make this possible and will inspire suitable home brewed rules.

I have not mounted the safe on a base as I would like it to fit into the 4Ground buildings that I am working on, also it would be great in other games and time periods. We could have a little model of Vinnie Jones in A ‘Snatch’ (The Guy Ritchie Movie!) inspired robbery game set in Hatton Garden, which is incidentally where I sourced the real diamond for the interior of the model.

It’s a great kit, and naturally I had to paint it and weather it with pigment powder washes. If anyone else would like one:

https://4groundpublishing.co.uk/28mm-furniture/28mm-furniture-safe

Discount code:   TTMINI5

Not having been mounted on a Stalingrad themed base, and does mean that I can use it in future fall of Berlin games (where I am using a brick rubble effect), a Batman Game, or as the main objective in a Kelly’s Heroes scenario.

I now have a reinforced platoon with enough German’s to take on part of my Soviets, and now I have enough scenery done to cover a decent section a war games table, and it’s suddenly looking like ‘Stalingrad’!

My most recent piece of finished scenery is a wrecked building scratch built from left over wooden sprues form 4Grounds ‘Urban Ruins: Stalingrad’ range, based on modular bases from the same clever chaps at 4Ground.

I have modelled it with low sections to allow the braver minded player to run tracked vehicles through an inadvisable, but possibly worthwhile shortcut. Being on modular 4Ground bases allows me to mix in flattened sections to the rest of their Stalingrad range.

I have modelled in lots of holes to allow firing lines for the miniatures that use it, and what remains of the first floor is level with the 4Ground range, and will always allow enough space for a prone sniper team, the hallmark of Stalingrad City Fighting.

Black piping on the epaulettes to mark them as ‘Engineers’, and two coats of ‘Agrax Earth Shade’ under 2 layers of Vallejo ‘Gloss Varnish’ for the glass in the goggles and respirator.

German Pioniers

The heads are taken from the Warlord’s Plastic ‘Opel Blitz’ kit and added to the ‘Blitzkrieg German’ plastic bodies. The light mortar has been pinched from Warlord’s ‘Africa Corps’ plastic box set. I have used the same combination of heads to bodies with the troop squads so that they all have a unified  look on the table top, further enhanced by the green piping on their epaulettes.