Sound off like you got a pair!

Would you read tutorials written by this man?

I am Pete Pelkonen and I am a new contributor to this blog.

I first started modelling when I was a boy, but in my teens I found another hobbies, but every now and then I turned my thoughts on returning to the hobby. Years went on, I bought a lot of models for Normandy landing diorama in 1:35, but it didn't catch on. Yet.

In the year 2010 I bought a 1:48 Tamiya model of North American P-51D Mustang (Chuck Yeager) that I built and wrote an article of the process to Finnish modelling magazine Pienoismalli (2/2011). The real itch had begun.

In 2012 I happened to walk in a gaming store ("I'm just looking") my eye caught a starter set of Flames of War. The box included two StuGs and three Shermans. The same summer I ordered Tigers March and Panzergrenadier company. Since then, my armies have grown to include two companies of US paratroopers, an US beach assault company, an armoured US company, an SS company with strong support platoons... and in the boxes awaits a German armoured company and Soviet armoured battalion.

I am not a competetive player, but a recreational player. I like small games, but I love huge Total War games. I like the games to represent the true history and therefore I have played with few of my friends the Normandy landing and later the Market Garden. Still to come, the Bastogne. In talks are the Kursk and Berlin. The thing in common with all of these games is, that they were played at home. Hence, Homewargamer. Hence, lots of terrain at home.

Some scratch built nests.

My contribution to this blog is mostly going to be easy building tutorials concerning terrain features, but I will also write out our 5000+ point Total War games.

Why I like to stay at home? Wife, two kids. Questions?

Also, I'm trying to raise a next generation of wargamers.
Pictured the Normandy anniversary game, that my kids started to play,
but I ended up finishing with a friend.

FNG part 2 - US Paras need some TLC and list improvement.

Garage mayhem continues and played against my new favorite opponent in learning and his Paras.

This time it was a lesson in speed and ambush mitigation. Brutal 6-1 for my panzerspah. FV Paras left hanging, the arty destroyed very early, no reserves arriving, in general a bad day for the Paratroopers. We had a good and thorough debriefing after  the game and hopefully it was lesson learned about putting infantry next to roads and how to mitigate the recce moves, I was in online meeting while he set-up those troops so didn't have chance to let him know what's not good idea, the mission was no retreat and we played with 1270 point forces. Now I didn't have any StuHs, only panthers, 2 nebs, Pumas and Pz Lehr platoon, so not necessarily the best list either against veteran infantry, but when that infantry doesn't connect with anything, it's moot point.

Well, next time he wants to attack, so I will play mine infantry against the Paras... I really fear that if he doesn't win in near future, he won't have fun anymore, and I'm getting better also, with game every week or two. Need to get more people so we could have game with 2 vs 2 or maybe noob vs noob. I'm been thinking also about creating a bad list for me. :)

As for any noob winning with OP US forces, it doesn't work like that. And I don't think AOP is needed with US Paras, he doesn't have that and there are more than enough PL's who can call the Arty. My other friend has bit more experience and will bring the British paras to the party, so at least I'm practicing against the really hard defensive lists as it is.

Give me ideas for US Paras at 1250 points and 1500 points, for a list I could suggest to him. I wouldn't necessarily start with TD's as they do require more than little skill to utilize well. He really wants to learn how to attack, so preferred lists would have attacking power.

Edit. Decided to play 1500 lists next, I'm gonna run FJ pioneers, which although are beasts defending versus tanks, kinda suck as they are so pricy. This should give him the numbers and we'll see. The guys don't believe in mortars, so I'm gonna show some mortar-love with the 10,5cm ones.

FNG - Friend lured into the Game with US paras.

Have been playing lately in my Garage. And against my old friend and his US Para lists. First game we did, was 1000 points or so, with Pumas vs. them. Free for All or something like that. 5-2 for me. Next one was 1250 with DM Panzers attacking in Hold the Line, 6-1. Last one was DM Panzergrens attacking in No retreat, 4-3 with me having 1 panther, nebs and 2 1-car recon platoons left.

His getting better, and so am I, it's fun to try new lists with I don't have experience and see him getting the Paras going, next game he wants to attack, so it's time for FJ's, I thought about having something with CT, but I think it's better to have about same number of teams.

Life is good, with game every week now :) Also, the 1250 points is nice for new guy, still the game takes 3-4 hours about, but can only hope they go faster with experience.