First Army, First Tournament and at this rate First Game!

Hi Guys,

Here's a quick progress update on my project to get an army together for The-Art-of-War and I have to admit this has been way harder than I had expected it to be! Don't get me wrong, I hadn't expected this to be a pushover, but equally I hadn't expected trying to stick to my plan to be so difficult either!

Anywaay first up is the army list which I plan on taking. I say plan on taking because at this point I have no idea if I'll make it in time or not and I don't have a plan B! Maybe if I'm nice to Adam I can borrow some of his Germans...

Grenadierkompanie (.85)                                                       Grenadier Company	German Late-War
Infantry Company

Platoon	Qty	Unit	Points
Headquarters
Grenadierkompanie HQ (85.)  p.39	1 1 2	Cmd SMG team Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Panzerschreck team	105
Combat Platoons
Grenadier Platoon (85.)  p.39	1 6 1	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Rifle/MG team Panzerschreck team	190
Grenadier Platoon (85.)  p.39	1 6 1	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Rifle/MG team Panzerschreck team	190
Weapons Platoons
Grenadier Mortar Platoon (85.)  p.40	1 2 4	Cmd SMG team Observer Rifle team 8cm GW34 mortar	125
Regimental Support
Grenadier Anti-tank Gun Platoon (85.)  p.41	1 3	Cmd SMG team 7.5cm PaK40 gun	155
Support Platoons
Schwere Panzerjäger Platoon  p.35	4	StuG G	380
SS-Panzergrenadier Platoon  Fearless  Veteran Allied Platoon  p.113	1 6	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Panzerfaust MG team	290
Grenadier Artillery Battery (85.)  p.43	1 1 2 4	Cmd SMG team Staff team Observer Rifle team 10.5cm leFH18 howitzer	210
Divisional Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon (85.)  p.42	1 3	Cmd SMG team 3.7cm Flak43 gun	100
Company Points:			1745

www.EasyArmy.com

Source document: Bridge by Bridge Book

So what does that leave me to paint? Well the list goes as follows:

1 StuG

1 Mortar Platoon

1 SS Panzergrenadier Platoon

1 3.7cm AA Platoon

1 10.5cm Artillery Platoon

and

2 Panzershrek Teams

Can't be that hard right?  Wrong!

First of all I only had the 10.5's, the StuG and the 'shrek teams (thanks for the freebie Ben!), so I started painting the 10.5, ordered up the other stuff and waited...and waited....

Turns out stockists are only receiving a small portion of everything they've been ordering from Battlefront and things weren't going to be arriving as quick as I would have liked! With some phoning around and some less than amazing customer service I eventually got everything I ordered. (To be fair on the customer service front I was being a pain by trying to modify my delayed order, but initially they were also just saying "computer says no..")

So with 18 days to go (including 5 days working away and probably 5 days in Holland!) here is my progress so far.....

You may have noticed one of the gun turrets is missing. Unfortunately there were a few miscasts in the blister, thankfully though this was promptly sorted thanks to the local Battlefront customer service guys. I also got some replacement Panzer IV schurzen while I was at it. Also in the background you can see the current status of my mortar teams and SS platoon!

I bought the early war SS 10.5cm box as its nearly half the price of the late war platoon. Although I like them and I enjoyed painting them with hindsight I think the lack of muzzle brake on the guns will annoy me! Oh well, you live and learn.

Thanks for reading and wish me luck!

Andy