Painting and first Flames of War game for the year

I've still got some painting to do for Craig, which he's been very patient about. He let me finish off my Seven Years War project in order to get my painting mojo back (lost because I was painting so much for others that I think I lost interest). So now I am getting through his figures - starting with these 15mm Battelfront 15mm howitzers:

The commissions start again. Craig will finish off the bases.

I also played a Flames of War game a week or so ago. We planned to do a big 3000 point Kursk based game. The idea was to set up a scenario based on Prokhorovka, where the SS panzergrenadiers need to break through the Soviet line and the 5th Guards Tank army counter-attacks. It went well, except that the Soviets (I was their commander) failed to get their armoured reserves on before the defending infantry company failed it's morale.

Start of the game and the dug in Soviets face the SS Leibstandarte coming against them.The preliminary bombardment made some serious dents in the defences.

On the left flank the Soviet anti-tank command team are left alone to observe proceedings.

On the right flank the Soviets start causing casualties, but can they hold on.

The left flank begins to collapse.

Frontal assault with the low-armoured vehicles goes poorly for the Germans.

One set of reserves arrive from 5th Guards Tank Army - a heavy platoon of Churchills, who do a good job of taking out the Panzer IVs.

The anti-tank defences on the hill in the centre of the position remain pinned for the entire game, severely hampering their influence.

And eventually they are destroyed, meaning the only thing the Soviets have left that can win the game are the 20 T-34s in reserve...

...which don't show up. At the end of turn six both villages are taken and the Soviets fail their company morale.

On the painting tray at the moment are some more SS infantry for Craig. Pictures when complete.

Nate