A big day for football fans.

Having been brought up on the terraces at Milwall from aged seven where all the men of the family would meet every home game, (how things have changed), football is sort of in my blood! For the past 30 years though I have been a distant supporter of Manchester United, an armchair supporter I guess you could say, so todays big game against Leicester presents me with something of a dilemma. Like everyone else it seems I want Leicester to win the Premiership title in order to send a message to the 'big boys' that it is NOT all about money. Not sure where I'll watch it yet, I have an invitation to join a couple of friends, but the pub across the road (The City of London) is also showing it and the atmosphere in there can be great on a big match day so might pop over there as it's our local (Free House, so some nice real ales.

I'm halfway through 'Point Defence' hope to finish it later this afternoon or tomorrow. With 24 order dice in the cup the turns are taking time and I'm checking things out as I go along with the rule book to be sure I get it right. This game features preliminary bombardment AND a German air strike (if it arrives!). I'll write the game up in its entirety for the next post, but let's just say that the Soviet tank riders have had an unpleasant experience in turn 2 due to my leaving them exposed to fire from a German vet Grenadier squad armed with assault rifles who caused enough casualties to require a morale check that they failed, having 2 pins. Under the Soviet Special Rules you do get to re throw that failed check, but again it failed, so off they went!

The rules are playing in true Bolt Action style so far, the T34 has survived two separate panzerfaust shots fired from buildings, the first one glanced (phew) and the second missed. I expected those shaped charges to tear through the armour, and one was a side shot! I'm getting the hang of  mortars now especially useful for indirect fire. Had a lucky shot from the Soviet medium mortar team, ranged in on target first attempt (6) and dropped the HE right down onto a German squad who lost five men, failed the morale check for half casualties and were lost.

In order to simplify things a little I'm playing that each house can occupy one infantry squad and not bothering to fight up and down stairs on to different floors as it can become too complicated in my view. So an assault into a building becomes somewhat easier to deal with, especially when playing solo. There is also the option to play 'around' the buildings but let's face it we all like hiding our little men in model buildings don't we?

AAR will follow, but here's a few pics to be going on with to show off my new taller trees from S&A scenics. Simon kindly made them for me in order to life the scale a bit alongside the large buildings. I'll probably buy more in due course.

Trees all by S&A scenics, two sizes. Resin crater not yet painted.

Tank rider squad disembarks.

How did he miss! Panzerfaust is a 'one shot' weapon so once fired that's it. He can of course still fire his rifle.

I like this shot.

PaK40 anti tank gun, can pivot on an 'advance' order or as in this case move up to 6" and redeploy on a 'Run' order. Can't fire until next turn though so that juicy target may slip away, depends who activates first.

The ME262 awaiting orders to make a ground attack run. The dappling effect was a sod to paint!

German High Command inspect the first 'captured' Soviet dice, rather a showy affair! I'm not keen on the red dice either to be honest. 

Overview, I'm pleased with the thinner taller (14") kebab skewer flight stand as it seems to lift the aircraft more into scale