Blue Division Archives - Steven's Balagan

KB4R The Swamp – A Crossfire Battle Report

5 Feb 2022 by Steven Thomas

KB4R-006 Table from Soviet perspective - Banner

Jamie Wish and Chris Harrod played “The Swamp” (KB4R), the fourth game of Krasny Bor, featuring the Blue Division in an epic Crossfire campaign. The Spaniards were defending the second line – near the Leningrad-Moscow Railway line – against overwhelming odds.

Summary: I thought it would be over in 1 hour, but in an awesome David and Goliath contest Chris’s reinforced company of Spaniards held Jamie’s three battalions of Soviets for 2.5 hours of game time and 7.5 hours of real time. The Spanish defeated the first Soviet battalion but eventually the Soviets ground their way through the Blue Division lines. The time ratio, 2.5 hours of game time in 7.5 hours of real time, demonstrates how grindy it was – not for the faint hearted.

Official Crossfire Supplements – I want to write a couple

8 Jan 20228 Jan 2022 by Steven Thomas

I’ve been talking to Arty Conliffe about potential Official Supplements for Crossfire. Official because they have Arty’s blessing and input. I’m thinking about both a commercial scenario book and some freebie booklets. My megalomaniac aspirations for 2022 mean I want to write one of each. There are lots of possibilities and I thought I’m share my thinking.

Download Crossfire Freebie 1: Mini-Scenarios

17 Aug 20211 May 2021 by Steven Thomas

Download Crossfire Freebie 1: Mini-Scenarios. Introductory scenarios for Arty Conliffe’s Crossfire by Steven Thomas and Dick Bryant. Assisted by Arty Conliffe.

Crossfire Stocktake – My forces for the Eastern Front

17 Aug 202129 Dec 2018 by Steven Thomas

Given the upcoming year long campaign for Stalingrad, I thought I should do a stocktake of Crossfire forces for the Eastern Front. It turns out my collection is insane. Your average gamer doesn’t need this. If you are new to Crossfire then you can get by with a lot less figures; check out How many figures will I need to start playing Crossfire? For the first 10 years of my Crossfire gaming, I only had a reinforced battalion for each of Germans and Russians, backed up by a couple of Pz III Gs and three T-34s. That was more than enough. Then I got some more kit and played my Armour Fest with everything I had, but even that wasn’t really a lot. Much more than you need for a normal Crossfire game but not a lot in the grand scheme of things. Then, um, I guess I got greedy. It is kind of embarrassing.

Paper Factory – A Crossfire Battle Report from Krasny Bor

30 Dec 20218 Apr 2017 by Steven Thomas

Jamie Wish and Chris Harrod played “Paper Factory” (KB1R), the second game of Krasny Bor, featuring the Blue Division in an epic Crossfire campaign. The Spaniards were defending the Paper Factory, in a loop of the Ishora River, against overwhelming odds. Jamie’s Soviets captured all three objectives and won.

KB1F Advance from Ian Ishora – A Crossfire Battle Report from Krasny Bor

13 Sep 202211 Mar 2017 by Steven Thomas

Jamie Wish and Chris Harrod played “Advance from Ian Ishora” (KB1F), the first game of my Krasny Bor Campaign featuring the Blue Division defending against overwhelming odds in an epic Crossfire campaign.

Playing the Krasny Bor Crossfire Campaign with two players

18 Aug 202125 Feb 2017 by Steven Thomas

Campaign - 2 Player Krasny Bor - Crossfire - Banner

At the end of last year Jo asked if I had ever revisited my Krasny Bor Campaign for Crossfire and the Blue Division. Sadly the answer was no, but it prompted me to rectify the lapse.

I have persuaded Chris Harrod and Jamie Wish to play the campaign. This was a bit different: two players not eight; two months not two days. Here is some advice for anybody who wants to give it a go.

Crossfire 2 Foot Participation Games at SELWG

21 Sep 202112 Oct 2013 by Steven Thomas

Last year Dick Bryant published Six Small 2’x2′ Crossfire Scenarios. I’ve played four of them and really like them. Each offers a good tactical challenge but is fast to play taking no more than one hour. Dick intended them as a way to introduce novices to Crossfire. I think they work well for this and hence they are a good option for taking to a show as a participation game(s). So at SELWG 2013 I’m going to give it a go.

Spanish Blue Division in Megablitz

4 Feb 201727 Jul 2011 by Steven Thomas

A Megablitz order of battle Blue Division. Officially the 250th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht and comprising Spanish Volunteers, this unit was also know as the Spanish Volunteer Division, Division Azul, or the Blue Division.

Spanish Blue Division in Flames of War

4 Feb 201721 Aug 2008 by Steven Thomas

Flames of War are the company level WWII rules being written by Battle Front Miniatures . Here are my suggestions for using the Spanish Blue Division under Flames of War.

Volkhov Bridgehead – A Crossfire Battle Report

4 Feb 201716 Oct 2005 by Steven Thomas

Rich Wilcox and I played out my Volkhov Bridgehead / Posicin Navarro scenario the other day. As Rich took some photos, I thought I’d write up a battle report. This is one of my Blue Division scenarios, so features the 250th (Spanish Volunteer) Division on the Eastern Front.

Volkhov Bridgehead – A Crossfire Scenario featuring the Blue Division

20 Sep 202128 Sep 2005 by Steven Thomas

Table - Volkhov Bridgehead - Blue Division - Crossfire - Banner

A Crossfire scenario with II/269 battalion of the Spanish Blue Division attempting to establish a bridgehead across the Volkhov River and hold it against Soviet counter-attacks. See also my Battle Report.

The ‘Old Chapel’ – A Crossfire Scenario featuring the Blue Division

4 Feb 20174 Sep 2005 by Steven Thomas

A Crossfire scenario with two companies of the 1/269 battalion (Spanish Blue Division) attacking a Russian battalion at the ‘Old Chapel’ near the Vokhov River. This is an assault where the defender doesn’t really want to defend.

The scenario is draft at the moment.

Sitno – A Crossfire Scenario featuring the Blue Division

4 Feb 20174 Sep 2005 by Steven Thomas

A Crossfire scenario with II/269 battalion of the Spanish Blue Division defending the village of Sitno north of the Volkhov against massed Soviet assaults.

Krasny Bor Campaign: Phase 2 – Consolidate gains

31 Dec 202119 Oct 2003 by Steven Thomas

Krasny Bor Campaign - Phase 2 Tables - Banner

Phase 2 of the Krasny Bor Campaign is for consolidation and each Soviet player has different objectives. It ends at 13.00 hours and is fought on the Rear tables.