“The Wolverine Was Developed As A Fast Strike BattleMech.”

“One which could take part in missions requiring speed and firepower but too hazardous for lighter recon Mechs.”

This 1:285 scale “high quality” plastic model of a Wolverine is made by “Catalyst Game Labs” and can be bought together with a Griffin in the company’s “BattleTech: Beginner Box”. Both the pre-assembled miniatures also come with an assortment of Record Sheets depicting various colour schemes. But as I plan to use this particular sculpt as a Yakovlev-class Soviet War Walker for an upcoming Weird War Two campaign utilising some homemade rules, I decided to go with a predominantly green palette.

Resultantly, the 44mm tall figure was initially primed using two layers of “Vallejo” Russian Uniform WWII and shaded in “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green. It was then carefully dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Russian Uniform WWII and had its windows ‘picked out’ with a little “Citadel” Abaddon Black. In order to add a bit of interest to the “jack of all trades” I also decided to apply a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Red and “Citadel” Carroburg Crimson to the vehicle’s left fist.

The American Sherman tanks slowly edge forward towards the German Infantry

As a penultimate touch I gave the Wolverine’s right-handed Autocannon (with one ton of ammunition) and its shoulder-mounted six-pack SRM launcher a layer of “Vallejo” Gunmetal, as well as a wash of “Citadel” Nuln Oil. Finally, I decided to search through my collection of “Decal Details” and apply four 1/285 air or 15mm armour Russian Stars to the machine’s shoulder-pads and thighs.

Stepping away from painting, I have managed to get another ‘quick’ game of “Flames Of War” in recently, this time to determine how the World War Two rule-set by “Battlefront Miniatures” works when infantry confront an armoured formation. We only used the “Hit The Beach” Starter Set Quick Start Core Rules, and ignored any formation guidelines to allow us to pitch several 15mm teams (stands) of German Panzergrenadiers against an American Veteran M4 Sherman Tank Platoon.

The German Panzerfaust anti-tank guns finally get within range of the Sherman tanks

The game saw the American tanks advance from behind the safety of a small built up area, and was designed for us to try out the different effective ranges of our various weapons. Needless to say, I was super keen to ascertain just how useful it would prove for my infantry to carry a Panzerfaust anti-tank recoilless gun would be, and establish whether there would ever be a point to my German’s assaulting an armoured target without one.

In brief the conflict was very bloody, with the Sherman’s weapons capable of doing some considerable to infantry if given the option. However, it also quickly became clear that if facing an enemy equipped with anti-tank weaponry, the Shermans desperately needed infantry support. Two of the armoured vehicles were abandoned by their crew and subsequently destroyed in quick order once they came into range of either a Panzerschreck or Panzerfaust. Whilst the third ultimately fled the battlefield despite it easily surviving an assault with just a ‘harmless’ grenade…