I’m still working to clear outstanding bits and pieces off my paint table. Since I started playing Flames of War I’ve owned a British portee unit with four 6pdr guns. However in the first edition of Flames of War I found them very wanting as they’re basically middling anti-tank guns on the back of incredibly flimsy transports. They never excelled in a fixed AT role, and were too brittle to actually use as portees…particularly when you’re trying to hunt tanks! Consequentially they’ve gathered dust in my garage for almost exactly two years.
However with the arrival of Flames of War 2nd Edition portees gained a valuable new ‘Tip and Run’ rule which means they behave the same way most German units do with their ‘Stormtrooper’ (aka ‘Sneaky Weasel’) move. If they pass a skill test they get an additional 4″ move in the Assault phase, typically behind some nearby terrain!
This makes them considerably more useful, and as such I’m painting them up to go with the rest of my New Zealanders. I’ve painted the last two guns and teams and I’m halfway through painting up the last two portees as well. Here’s the full battery sans transports. It’s interesting to notice how much shinier the old units are, I really should go back through my army and hit everything with a dusting of Moana matt varnish.
It is really a good point to emphasize that these guns were crap in the first edition. But now, Portees are quite good although it is rather impossible to hide all of an 4 Portee Platoon with a movement of 4” behind nearby terrain.
Sneaky Weasel is an excellent name for the Stormtroopermove! Thanks for that funny expression, I will use that from now on.
Do you really want to make the nice colors of your models dull? They look really good? Or do you just want to change the base color?
Hi Tankred, 4″ isn’t much I agree, but it might save a few of them at least!
I really just want to flatten that shine a bit. For example in the battery shot look at the very shiny sand on the closest gun, compared to the gun immediately to the left. That’s the old varnish I was using compared to the newer brand I’m using now.
Your new tables look great btw. I wish I had a room to dedicate to gaming, since my garage is rather cold in winter!
Hi Stu, agreed, 4” should be enough for at least half of the portees. What I often forget about Portees is, that I can always send the trucks to the rear. So 6pdrs are a really variable weapon.
The varnish thing is hard to decide if you only see it on pictures. But if it is just the sand you want to dull then do not hestate to do so – it looks good.
Thanks a lot for your feedback on our tables. Our club is very proud of them an it is really fun to play with them. A gaming room on the other hand is a little bit of luxury.