Flames of War Army for Sale!

UPDATED: SOLD! (But feel free to enjoy the pictures.)

I'm selling my Flames of War mid-war German grenadier company with support. This is the army that Battlefront sold as a box set for their Stalingrad supplement. I'm also including a pack of Battlefront German snipers which I painted for this army. The unpainted figures sold for $162.

The company includes:
1 Command Group with CiC, 2iC, and spotter
2 rifle platoons with 2 platoon leaders, 2 50mm mortar teams, and 16 rifle sections
1 heavy machinegun platoon with 1 platoon leader and 4 MG-34 teams
1 medium mortar platoon with 1 platoon leader, 1 spotter, and 4 81mm mortar teams
1 infantry gun section with 1 section leader and 75mm infantry gun teams
1 antitank gun section with 1 section leader, 2 50mm antitank gun teams, and three transport vehicles
1 sniper platoon with 3 sniper teams and "Major Konig"
1 assault gun section with 2 StuG IIIFs and 2 bailed out markers
1 assault gun section with 2 SiG 133s and 2 bailed out markers

This army includes 7 painted vehicles, 4 painted guns, 4 painted heavy machineguns, 4 painted medium mortars, and 167 painted figures. All figures are mounted on well flocked FOW bases.

The storage container, buildings, and terrain mat are pictured for reference only and are NOT for sale.

Click on any of the pictures below to get larger images. I tried to get good pictures that showed the quality of the paint jobs. If you would like to see anything in more detail, please email me and I'll snap some more pictures.

The whole army packed for storage

German armor: 2 StuG III Fs and 2 SiG 133s

Bail-out markers mounted on pennies

Close-up of command SiG 133

Another close-up of command SiG 133

SiG 133

Top view of both SiG 133s showing the extra stowage

Front view of both SiG 133s

Another close-up of the SiG 133s

Detail of SiG 133

StuG IIIF

StuG IIIF command

Top view of both StuG IIIFs showing stowage

Front view of both StuG IIIFs

Detail of StuG IIIF

Detail of command StuG IIIF

Soft transport for the AT gun section

Close-up of commander's car

Close-up of gun towing cars

Another close-up

Attached guns include a 75mm infantry gun section and a 50mm AT gun section, each with command stands

75mm infantry guns

50mm AT guns

Close-up of 75mm gun command team with scratch-built radio

Company command includes 1 CiC, 1 2iC, and one spotter for the 75mm guns

Company commander

Second in command

Mortar platoon includes four mortar teams, a spotting team, and a command stand (not pictured)

Mortar team

Spotter with scratch built radio

Rear view of mortar platoon

Machine gun platoon includes four MG34 teams and a command stand

Close-up of command and MG team

Close-up of MG-34 team

Both rifle platoons

Each platoon has one command stand, 8 rifle section stands, and one 50mm mortar team

Second platoon

Close-up of riflemen

Close-up of 50mm mortars

A rifle squad

Rear view of rifle squad

Snipers!

Close-up of snipers

German sniper--"Major Konig"

German sniper--"Major Konig"

I'll be selling these rule books soon, but I can add them on to this army for an additional $60. I'm selling the original rule book, the updated rule book, the supplement for Stalingrad, and the supplement for German armor.

Maida, 1806

The gaming group got together today for a 25mm Napoleonics battle. We played through the 1806 battle of Maida twice, using Jon's Front Rank British army and my Old Glory French army. We used Jon's own rules, which are great for very small scale battles. The figure scale is 1:50, the ground scale is 1"=25 yards, and the time scale is 1 turn=15 minutes.

Jon umpired and took pictures. Austin and Don commanded the British, while Scott R. and I commanded the French. Click on any picture for a larger image.

Game 1 Initial Setup

The setup was the same for both games. The French had three brigades with five light and four line battalions, 1 regiment of light cavalry, and two sections of artillery. The two British brigades occupied the high ground with six battalions of infantry and four sections of artillery.

Game 1 The Whole Table

The French had a tough nut to crack. An advance right up the center would have to cover open ground devoid of any cover. Yet both British flanks were covered by terrain that would slow the French down and make it difficult to coordinate French attacks.

Game 1 Advance on the British Right / French Left

I commanded the largest French brigade and set out to pin the British right while Scott R. maneuvered against the British left. My legere battalions took a pounding from the British guns, but managed to keep Don's men occupied.

Game 1 French Attack the British Left

While I demonstrated, Scott R. sent a mixed brigade of infantry and cavalry on a long march against the British left. This left just three small French battalions facing the British line. Austin, in command of the British left, decided to attack! The British came down from their strong position, but the French infantry won the combat that ensued. As Austin's brigade fell back, Scott R.'s flanking force fell on the undefended guns. Here you can see French light cavalry taking the British leftmost battery.

Game 1 Heavy Skirmishing on the British Left

While Scott R. took Austin's position, I was heavily engaged with Don's British brigade. Here you can see the Corsican Rangers (95th Rifles) chewing up one of my legere battalions. Both regiments have skirmish screens deployed to their side. The preponderance of French skirmishers allowed us to disrupt many British battalions before the main lines ever engaged.




Game 1 Situation at the End

With their left flank dissolving and their right under heavy pressure, the British commanders decided to call the game. Here you can see the overall situation. Don's British brigade, on the French left, was still largely intact. The 95th rifles were engaged in a firefight with a French battalion, one other battalion had been forced back but was rallying, and the third battalion still held its position on the ridge line. Austin's brigade, on the French right, was in rougher shape. The British Guards battalion, seen here in the open plain, had pushed back two French battalions, but a third French battalion was squarely on their flank while the two defeated battalions rallied and prepared to renew the advance. Austin's second battalion (with the Portuguese colors) had rallied, but had lost four of its six stands. Austin's third battalion had routed off the table. Scott's flanking force was in position to roll up the British line.

We had a pizza break (with really excellent pizza, Pizza Rita's; look them up if you're ever in Spokane) and returned to fight it out again.

Game 2 Initial French Move

We kept the same sides for the second game, but Austin and Don switched brigades. Scott R. and I decided to try the other flank. Here is the view from the British lines. You can see my legere off to the right, preparing to move through the thicket and engage the British right.

Game 2 French Flank Attack Moves into Position

Under a heavy screen of skirmishers, I moved against the British left. Scott R.'s two brigades are to the right.

Game 2 Don Attacks!

With the brunt of the French attack again falling on Austin, Don threw one battalion forward to engage Scott R.'s rightmost brigade. Don wanted to press the attack home, but without orders to engage, his men had to satisfy themselves with long range skirmishing. Scott R.'s artillery was able to cause some damage to the British advanced battalion.

Game 2 The French Carry the Hill

Scott R. charged a British battalion with infantry, which was thrown back, then cavalry, which destroyed the British battalion. Meanwhile I issued my brigade engage orders and carried the hill. The French legere pushed back Austin's two other battalions and inflicted heavy losses.

Game 2 Austin Has a Rough Day

We had focused our main attacks on Austin's portion of the line both times. Here a peeved Austin reflects on the folly of containing French revolutionary fervor.

Game 2 Final Situation on the French Left

Here's a closer look at the French legere as they face Austin's last remaining battalion.

Game 2 Final Situation on the French Right

Scott R. had a strong skirmish screen and artillery on the right, and he had captured the ridge in the center. Don was moving to refuse his flank, but the French had a good position, and most of Scott R.'s troops had not suffered serious casualties.

Game 2 Don Surrenders

With the British line collapsing, Don decided to raise the white flag (or napkin). All five of us enjoyed the day. Jon's rules were easy to learn, and they gave a good result. The British were outnumbered and without cavalry, and the heavy legere skirmish screens gave the French a big advantage. Maybe the British can win this one with some better die rolls, but the day went to the French.

Old Glory 25mm Carthaginian Libyan Spearmen

The gaming group ran through a trial of Field of Glory a couple weeks ago, pitting Carthaginians against Republican Romans in a Punic Wars battle. I like the game, and although it probably won't replace WAB as my go-to set of ancients rules, I will definitely play it again.

We used my WAB-based troops on 60mm magnetic movement bases. It worked pretty well, but if I'm going to keep playing FOG, I'll need some dedicated bases for it. I did find that the Litko magnetic sheeting was very weak, with figures popping off throughout our game. My old standby magnetic sheeting from Warweb did a much better job.

The game did inspire me to dig out a pack of Old Glory Carthaginians from the lead pile. With 30 figures to a bag, I had some wiggle room to base some in 60mm groups and some on 20mm squares. While I'm waiting for my 60mm Litko bases, I thought I'd share some pictures of the painted figures.

PPC-04 Libyan Medium Infantry

The figures are dressed in linothorax armor, just like classical Greek hoplites. They have Old Glory's cylindrical Carthaginian shield, which has a dimple in the center that makes painting designs a little tricky. Unlike the veteran spearmen, these figures do not have leg greaves. The standard bearer, officer, and musician are the same poses from PPC-01 and PPC-04.

The figures do not come with weapons. I used Old Glory spears with my older Carthaginians, so for the sake of uniformity I used them here, but I'm growing to dislike those enormous spear heads. If anyone has any tips on where I can find some decent turned steel spears (preferably with sharp points), please email me!

I prime black before painting. As always, these figures are painted with craft paints. The skin base coat is my own mixture from Delta dark brown, territorial tan, and medium flesh. The skin highlights are dark flesh, which I though appropriate for ancient Libyans. Any beards got a drybrush of storm grey. The sandals are drybrushed autumn brown. The linothorax armor got a basecoat of mudstone and highlights of oyster white and designs with vibrant green and opaque red. The tunic has a basecoat of cinnamon and highlight of cinnamon with a touch of white mixed in. Cloaks are dark burnt umber with highlights of dark burnt unmber and a little white. Spearheads and sword blades are Apple Barrel bright silver, and spear shafts are Delta dark brown. The scale armor, breastplates, and shield backs got a coat of brown iron oxide. All the helmets, sword pommels, armor scales, breastplates, and shield rims are Testor's enamel gold.

All 30 Carthaginians

I based 12 of the figures on 20mm square Litko bases with Litko flexible steel on the bottom (my WAB movement trays have magnetic sheeting). The other 18 will go on 60mm x 20mm Litko bases. This way I can use the FOG bases for WAB by using my singles as "change" to fill out the ranks.

All these shields have hypothetical designs inspired my Little Big Men transfers. LBM doesn't make transfers for Old Glory Carthaginians (I assume because the shield dimple would make attaching them very difficult), so I painted these by hand.

Rear view

Greek art depicts colorful designs on the linothorax armor, and I figure that the Carthaginians would have adopted this tradition along with the armor. I painted a mixture of geometric designs, "Macedonian" stars, Carthaginian palms, and totem figures. With their bright shields and decorated armor, this is a very colorful unit!

I've painted most of Old Glory's Carthaginian line now, and I think it's one of their best. Are they as nice as Crusader? Well, no. But they are half the price, and they make nice looking units. It's great to have good sculpts, but it's the brushwork that really counts, and Old Glory's figures paint up just as nicely as anyone else's.

Old Glory Napoleonic French Infantry

Three years ago my friend Wally, who ran a hobby store in my old college town, sold off all his Old Glory Napoleonics. I bought 83 bags from him for just $300, which works out to $3.60 a bag, and these were the old bags, with 100 infantry, 65 command, 30 cavalry, or 12 guns and 48 gunners.

Since then, I've been working my way through this enormous pile of lead. I traded some Austrians for some OG ACW figures, and I sold a few bags of Prussians, but I kept the vast bulk of them to paint myself. I'm more than halfway through now.

I know a lot of gamers don't like the Old Glory Napoleonics, and I have to admit that, after painting quite a few AB figures over the past few months, I'm edging ever closer toward lead snobbery myself. Still, the Old Glory figures are perfectly serviceable as wargaming pieces, and there are some real gems among their extensive line.

This bag is one of the good ones. At the beginning of August, I finished painting my Old Glory French in full dress at road march. I was planning on putting a quick, down-and-dirty paint job on these figures, but halfway through I decided to go in whole hog, using my two-tone white technique and even painting the red edging on the lapels and turnbacks. These 96 figures took just over 20 hours to paint.

96 OG French (click on any picture for a larger image)

They're not quite up to AB's standard, but they do look very nice. I've had some problems with OG and Battle Honors flag poles bending or breaking, so I drilled out the eagle bearers' hands with my pin vice and replaced the lead flag staffs with .020 brass rod. The I cut off the eagles, drilled a hole in their bases, and attached them to the brass rod as well.

OG French Full Dress Road March, detail

OG French Full Dress Road March, detail

OG French Full Dress Road March, detail

If you're interested in such things, I used craft paints for the whole project. Delta's "blueberry" makes a great French blue.

All my 15mm French Line

All my Napoleonic infantry get 3/4" x 1" bases for Age of Eagles. This basing also works for my tactical rules of choice, General de Brigade. I glue Wargames Accessories metal bases to the bottom of my Litko wood bases so that the figures will adhere to my magnetic sheeting for travel. I glue the magnetic sheeting to two 1' square floor tiles to give the whole thing a little stiffness. The 1' square tile rests firmly in a 12" plastic drawer, three drawers to a unit. It's a great way to get figures from place to place without breaking or bending them.

The big box o' French

As I looked over my French, I realized that I have painted figures from nearly every Old Glory pack. There aren't a lot of pictures of Old Glory figures on the internet, and 19th Century Miniatures seems unwilling or unable to give examples of their line, so you might enjoy seeing what different Old Glory packs look like.

French Infantry in Greatcoats, Defending

French Infantry in Greatcoats, Defending

My haul from Wally included three bags of French in greatcoats, one of fusiliers, one of elites, and one of command. I have about 40 painted bases. As you can see, I went with brownish greatcoats rather than grey (too boring!). Old Glory's idea of "defending" looks an awful lot like "advancing" to me, but here they are. These troops are seasoned veterans, having seen action in almost every Napoleonic game I've played.

Old Glory French in Campaign Dress, Charging

Old Glory French in Campaign Dress, Charging

These figures did not come from Wally, but from my friend Austin. He bought these before he erupted in full-on lead snobbery, then decided that they weren't worth painting. The figures are fine for my purposes, although their protruding bayonets make them difficult to rank up. I still have a couple hundred of these left to paint.

Old Glory French in Campaign Dress, March Attack

These were the first 15mm Napoleonics I painted. I think I finished these during the summer of 2000. Of all Old Glory's French figures, these are my least favorite. They have that infamous scurrying quality to them. Some of the bases are so small that it took some creative glue work to get them standing upright.

Old Glory French Infantry, Comparison Shot

Old Glory French Infantry, Comparison Shot

Old Glory has some trouble getting consistent styles from their different sculptors. The charging and greatcoat figures are noticeably smaller than the others, while the full dress figures stand very tall. Still, as long as you don't mix these figures within units, they do make for a nice mix of troops on the tabletop. I usually field all of one type within each division, which does make it easier to identify commands on the table.