Battlegroup Northag 15mm plans

Following on from my last post, here is a brief rundown of what I have and what I want need to get for Battlegroup Northag in 15mm. My plan is to be able to do a company sized action in this scale, so 750 points per side is the target. That should be more than enough at this size, another larger I will do with the 6mm collection I have.

So, where does my force stand in terms of the points needed. I'll start with the Russians, as I need very little for them. As it is I have over 900 points worth, so don't honestly need anything, but there are a few things I want to get at some point, some BTRs (cheaper infantry option), some BRDM3 tank killers and maybe some 2S1 SPGs for direct support.

The list I have made up so far is
Forward Screen
   Tank Recce Patrol (2xT64A)
   Armoured Car Patrol (2xBRDM2)
   Air Defence Battery (1xZSU-23-4 and 1xSA-9)
   2 Armoured Recce Patrol (Fire team and AT team in BMP-1)

Forward Screen

Vanguard

   Tank Company (10xT-64A)

T-64 Company

Main Force
   Rifle Platoon (3 Fire teams, 3 AT teams, 1 SA-7, 1 AGS-17 in 4 BMP-1)
   Rifle Platoon (3 Fire teams, 3 AT teams, 1 SA-7, 1 PK MG in 4 BMP-1)

Rifle Platoons

   Battlegroup Commander (1 T-64AK)
   Forward Observation Officer (1 FOO team in BTR)
   MP Team (1 Command team in UAZ)
   Tactical Command Centre (1 Command Team in ACRV2/BTR)
   Supply Truck (1 truck)
   82mm mortars in support

No pictures of these yet as I need to get the vehicles

Fire Support
   Deployed Smoke Screen
   2 Timed 122mm Barrages
   Breakthrough Special Tactics
Reinforcements
   2 Rolls

That comes in at 750 points with a break point of 63, 4 officers and 4 scouts. Thirteen T-64s should give a decent level of firepower, although the force is a bit lacking in infantry with only 2 full platoons. The plan is to advance, attack and pin the enemy with the T-64s and then use the Rifle platoons to capture any objectives or get off table using the Breakthrough tactic. The reinforcement rolls would hopefully be used for another tank company of T-62s(stood in for by my T-55s) and another Rifle Platoon.

Bear in mind that I have no idea if it is a good force yet as I still haven't played a game, but it seems fairly balanced for a tank heavy force. The only things I do not have are a UAZ jeep, a truck, a BTR and an ACRV2. I could also do with a different looking T-64 for my commander, just to make him stand out and look important.

For the British, I need more stuff! Lots more stuff! I can currently put together a mere 320 points, which is a bit lacking.

The list is below, with what I need to get in italics.
Forward Screen
   Dug in Forward Observation Officer (1 FOO team)
   Dug in Infantry Platoon with 1 added Carl Gustav (7 fire teams and 1 AT team)
   Dug in Blowpipe team (1 team)
   Dug In Chieftain Tank Troop (3 Chieftain Mk9)
   Gazelle Helicopter

Chieftains plus other bits

Vanguard
   Chieftain Tank Troop (3 Chieftain Mk9)
Main Force
   Mech Platoon (4 fire teams, 3 AT teams and 4 Fv432)

1st Mech Platoon

   Mech Platoon (4 fire teams, 3 AT teams and 4 Fv432)
   Battlegroup Commander (command team in Fv432)
   Tactical Command Centre (command team in Sultan/Fv439)
   Electronic Warfare Team (command team in Sultan/Fv439)
   105mm Abbot battery in support
Fire Support
   Off Table SAM Cover
   2 Counter Battery Fire missions
   Timed 105mm Artillery Strike
   Timed Tornado Strike
Reinforcements
   1 Roll

Total is 749 points with a 64 break points, 3 officers and 3 scouts. It actually has more infantry platoons than the Soviet list, plus 6 Chieftains. Very little scouting as it is designed as a defensive force. I plan to get what I need for this list first, then add some more options, things like Scorpion/Scimitar light tanks, Recce infantry in Spartans etc to give me a more mobile option. Sadly the Armies Army range is no longer available, being sold to Plastic Soldier Company and then sold again to Scotia Grendel. There is no sign of them on the Scotia website and no reply to my enquiry, so it looks like I will have to go elsewhere. I wonder how Butlers Printed Models vehicles match up size wise. 😟

I will take some pictures when I get the rest ordered, painted(hopefully) and based.

Take care and stay safe.

Life, the Universe and other stuff

I have been remiss in updating my blog for sometime and can only apologise if you missed me. Who am I kidding, nobody reads this tripe. 😑

My wargaming has been somewhat curtailed since I last posted as I have developed cataracts and it has really screwed up my vision. I cannot see to paint anything now without wearing my contact lenses and opti-visor, which then gives me a splitting headache after about 10 minutes of squinting. So no painting. I am also struggling to read things for the same reason, unless I hold the book up to my nose. This on top of my digestive issues has really screwed my head up and I had been down in a dark place for some time. Ah well, it could be worse, there could be a worldwide pandemic and we could be in lockdown. Then I got sick with a "mild case" of the Corona Virus. If what I had was only mild I feel for those who have had it worse, I felt awful for two weeks and wish the best to anybody who has it now. Screw you Covid 19! 😷

So why am I back now you may ask. Two reasons, firstly my wife has beaten my lethargy into submission with a big stick, so I am making a concerted effort to be positive and do more. So here I am. Not able to paint, not really able to do much gaming either for some reason. Why not? Because my loving wife has rediscovered her love of jigsaws and has taken over the table with a never ending stream of the bloody things. Good job I love her. 😉

The other reason is the recent release of the Battlegroup Northag ruleset by Plastic Soldier Company. I have a lot of interest in the what-if scenario of the Cold War gone hot, primarily because I am a child of the 1960's and it was important as we were a forces family. I already have a considerable force of Soviets, British, French and Americans in 1/300 scale, Russians, British, Dutch and Germans in 15mm and Russians and British in 28mm. The rules recommend 10mm, but I am not doing a new scale as I have enough already, so it's 1/300 for bigger games and 15mm for smaller actions.

The rules themselves look very nice and I am looking forward to getting a game in at some point soon. I like the way the forces are organised, with a forward screen on the table and a vanguard force arriving to reinforce the defence/attack. Having perused the two army lists (British and Soviet) in the main rulebook, I have a couple of things I will need to tweak slightly, but nothing major. More lists will be released in a supplement at some point in the future, but for now I have been making up my own for my Dutch and German troops.

My issues with the list both concern the British infantry platoon.

Point one. The Carl Gustav 84mm . You can only have one which seems strange as the platoon had one per squad, and you can't have any if you have a dug in forward screen platoon? Confused.com!  Also its AT rating drops with range, which is bizarre as it is a HEAT round which are not affected by range/velocity like AP rounds are. So, I will up the AT to 3 at all ranges and allow the platoon to replace 2 rifle teams with CG teams if they wish.

Point two. The Milan sections. The list allows you to add one milan team in a Spartan APC to the platoon, although not to the dug in platoon again. As far as I know and according to all the references I have seen, the Milan Platoon had a HQ section and two detachments of two milan teams carried in three Fv432s. So that is two milan teams in one Fv432. So that is what I will be using for my lists, obviously at an increased cost to the force.

So there you go, I am still here and still annoying everybody around me. Take care folks and stay safe in these troubling times.