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Author Topic: A War in The East  (Read 74016 times)

Offline Wyrmalla

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A War in The East
« on: October 30, 2017, 11:53:37 PM »



Well my WWII blog's gone on for over a year now, which means its time to get distracted again...

See I've been pining to play some modern games for some time.  Some of you may recall my S.T.A.L.K.E.R. thread in the PA board from a while ago. This is using that as a basis, just with the video game specific stuff stripped out. I'm working through what I've built already - tidying up what I can - , but so far there's plenty of new bits to break it up to scratch.

I'm going for a conflict set somewhere in Eastern Europe. The plan at the moment is to go for four platoons so that most battles are accurate to the location: Nationalist Territorial Defence Battalions, "Non-State Actors" (little green men), Spetsnaz (GRU), and generic Separatist/ Militiamen.

Rules wise the plan's to see how Spectre: Operations scales up to platoon sized games. I'm starting out with single squads, then introducing modern IFVs and hopefully later tanks. I've no idea how the system handles things, but hopefully it should be quick enough without too much tweaking.

Here's where I'm at for now. I'll maybe start posting more of the older stuff, but may keep that to my original thread. Up to you guys. :P



These are what I started out with, mostly as they were the easiest to finish. They're your regular Empress Miniatures Russians with very little tweaking other than to give some of the soldiers more accurate loadouts (i.e. AK-74s for the RPG teams). Right now I have two of the three platoon squads done, along with the command section.




(tsk, the camera couldn't bloody focus right)

They're wearing a mix of plain green uniforms and gorka suits, along with a variation in polymer and wood stocked AKs for variety. I'm not going for near future stuff, rather just modern, so no fancy T-14 tanks or anything. The Motor Rifle platoon's mounted in 3 BMP-3s, which are still in the works.



The camo's a variant on the usual brown/ green/ black pattern. I'm not sure if I want to include the black stripes, or leave them as is and just say that's how the base they're from decided to paint them?


Besides the proper military types an irregular force is planned. I'm rating my technology on a slope. The Russians are in the top of the line technology (sort of). The Nationalists aren't quite there, but good enough, with their equipment being a bit more rag-tag. The Separatists are going to be riding ex-moth-balled gear, or even home-made technicals (I was wondering if a captured Humvee would be interesting too, but don't want to go overboard). Whilst I haven't started on the infantry yet, I did throw together a support vehicle for them.




Whilst the BRDM-2 doesn't really cut it for full scale engagements, throw on some slat armour and a ZU-23-2 on the roof and it can be a nippy fire support vehicle. This one's a HLBS kit with a Spectre Miniatures ZU-23-2 stuck on the top (yes, I fixed the sights...). The armour's just plasticard. The stowage is mostly by Die Waffenkammer/ HLBS.




I also have an MTLB in a similar role. This one's for the Nationalists.



I've gone a bit more overboard on the armour here ...as the MTLB's a gloried artillery tractor to be honest (all the armour kits I'm making are based on photos though, not sure if I can get away with posting them however). Sticking those ZU-23s on the back of random vehicles is kind of fun. :)


Now AA guns strapped onto the back of recce vehicles is all well and good, but having something with an actual official designation is maybe more effective...



Yes, this is based on a photograph. I'm thinking of maybe covering the front in sandbags, as it looks a bit bare compared to the rest of the vehicle.


The Nationalist forces will be riding in BMP-2s, up armoured and covered in crap.




This one's painted in some mock digital camo which I've seen going about. I'm not massively into how it looks though, so will probably go for a green/ grey stripe pattern with the other lot (I'll just say this one's been nabbed from a dissolved unit). Its by HLBS, with bits from TT Combat (obligatory mattress), HLBS, Spectre, and Die Waffenkammer (that terrain thread in the PA Board hurt my wallet bad this month...).


The soldiers need something to fight over, and I've began putting together more scenery to go along with my existing collection. The plan's to have enough for a town board. Whilst I probably have enough cottages I'd like to have shops, garages, maybe a pharmacy or a police station to mix in with them.

This is due to be either a cafe or a grocery store, depending on which order of bits shows up first.




I'm thinking about going over the walls in pebbledash, but need to work out where the rear door and air con units are going first.

This is an older building which has languished for a while now. The plans to make it a petrol station, with separate pumps. Right now it too's in limbo awaiting bits, so its still fairly natty (lots of gap filling to do).




And to go along with all the cottages are a load of sheds/ garages. These'll also work for a more urban area as storage units. They're still being worked through; only two having roofs so far.









I don't want to go too overboard with the interior details, just enough to hint at what the real things are like. I need to go back and do the same to the existing buildings which I made years ago as well, as a fair few of them don't have any furniture.


Anyhow, any input would be appreciated. Criticise the hell out of stuff as necessary. :)

« Last Edit: October 30, 2017, 11:57:53 PM by Wyrmalla »

Offline Marine0846

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2017, 04:58:51 AM »
Your stuff is looking good to me.
Excellent painting on your Russian guys.
Bmp3's work as a ride, would your men have that modern of kit?
Love your buildings.
Really nice builds, can't wait to see them done.
Semper Fi, Mac

Offline Wyrmalla

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2017, 05:12:36 AM »
The BMP-3s are for the Russians, which have been in service in limited numbers since '85. Due to the amount of Cold War era surplus the rest of the forces will have I felt like giving the Russians a bit more punch (and damn, balancing those for a platoon level game will be difficult. Spectre luckily has rules for "light tank cannons". ...Those things use the BMP-2's main gun in a co-ax mount).

I do have "recorded" stats for vehicles in service with the Ukrainian armed forces for the past decade, though whether they're exact is obviously questionable. They had some carry over BMP-3 from the U.S.S.R. I believe (single digits), with more being "acquired" recently. BMP-2s and BTR-80s have been the mainstay since even before the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. (surprisingly few MTLB in the official records past a certain point).

Offline Rich H

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2017, 07:19:31 AM »
Wow nice start!

Where did the corrugated iron come form?  I'm always looking for a good alternative source.

Offline commissarmoody

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2017, 07:27:20 AM »
Always fun to see your work. I too am interested to see if the Specter rules work for bigger games.
"Peace" is that brief, glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading.

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Offline Ockman

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2017, 07:55:20 AM »
Wow, cool inspirational pic and amazing terrain!

Offline Ultravanillasmurf

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2017, 08:49:36 AM »
Excellent work as ever. I look forward to seeing more of it.

A number of models of current conflict vehicles crop up in the Modelling press (one of the magazine's must be an AC/DC fan as the BRDM decorated with their logo is a regular).

An alternative to Spectre is Skirmish Sangin, they are working on a platoon plus version which might scale better.

Offline ChargeDog

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2017, 09:56:05 AM »
Looking good! If you're looking for an opponent who has played lots of Spectre, I'm over in Edinburgh and always up for a game of Moderns

As for the BMP 3's the combination of Light Tank gun/ATGM, Auto-cannon and multiple MMGs make it a bit of a terror against infantry forces.

Offline Wyrmalla

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2017, 11:19:50 AM »
@ Rich H

I was picking that up from a model rail shop, though it just came in vacuum-form sheets with no labels unfortunately (they were always crap telling me how to buy it myself, and now they're shut down. "I'll buy 100 of these things at your prices" - "meh, that's nice"). The stuff I'm using now is the black card on the roof, which is nowhere near as good, but cropped up in a craft store.

@ commissarmoody

Fingers crossed. I mean, I have used 7TV for platoons sized modern combat before. Spectre maybe more able at the task... ;)

@ Ockman

Thanks man. Ah, wait till its painted and looking like crap (god those shelving units in the sheds are going to be a pain in the arse). :)

@ Ultravanillasmurf

Aye, I remember looking at Skirmish Sangin years ago. Spectre is just what came to mind for modern games as I had their .pdf of the rules still on my drive. I'm invested now, but if it craps out its not like I'm beholden to them or anything. The Spectre rules seem streamlined enough, though definitely err towards smaller games with all the individual tokens (though hopefully that the game touts Mogadishu style scenarios it is in fact capable).

And yeah, I did buy a load of back issues of Military Modelcraft International. Pity the Facebook groups they mention for more pictures come up with dead links. "AD-DC's" shown up in a few of their issues. :P

@ ChargeDog

Hah, I just play at my local club. ...As I can't be bothered loafing the terrain boxes anywhere else. I was in Edinburgh a few days ago though, and considering the sorry situation that you guys have their for modelling shops (loads of roleplaying ones though). :)

Aye, my regular opponent has British armed mostly with rifles and in a battle taxi (can't remember which, but its not one of the upgunned modern variants). I tend to make my own forces for playing games so I can supply any would be players. In that case the plan's to balance out the BMP-3s/ mini -tanks and all the support weapons the Russians have (1 RPG + 2 disposable AT tubes a squad) with support vehicles on the enemy side like the Shilka. Even at a squad level the other side would probably need a BMP-2 and a ZU-23-2 to balance out the firepower a bit.



My game tonight, we'll see how it goes. Luckily the BMP-3s are still unfinished. I've not played with this terrain properly in years, so I'll be bringing along a spare pot of black paint to cover up all the chip marks. :D

Offline Dr. Zombie

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2017, 11:57:52 AM »
I am following this intensely. It all looks amazing.

I love how much crap you have put inside of the buildings that will only be visible with the roof lifted of.

Offline Wyrmalla

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2017, 12:32:55 PM »
I gave up on buildings without interiors years ago. The first shed doesn't have a second door or windows, so only really will be used to block line of sight, or have some loot in it possibly. The others hopefully will be more dynamic in game terms, with maybe a shooter hiding in one, or as something to run through to slow down any pursuers in Zombie games.

They're about as packed as I could manage whilst being practical. That's an issue I've been having with the interiors - can a model actually fit in here and be moved without the players destroying the thing? I learned after a while to go for low ceilings in the houses and larger than normal room sizes so people can actually fit their hands in... :)

And yes, I am the guy who'll procrastinate over board setups being "realistic" then spend the game thinking "oh crap, why are there no parking meters on this city board?". :D

Offline S_P

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2017, 02:35:34 PM »
Great project- I'll be following with interest

Offline Hupp n at em

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2017, 02:38:14 PM »
Another Wyrmalla scratchbuilding and conversion extravaganza to follow, hooray!  lol 8)

Offline Ultravanillasmurf

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2017, 04:23:32 PM »
Wow nice start!

Where did the corrugated iron come form?  I'm always looking for a good alternative source.
Besides Slaters, have you tried South East Finecast?
http://www.sefinecast.co.uk/Building%20Materials/Building%20Materials.htm

Offline clanmac

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Re: A War in The East
« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2017, 08:42:07 PM »
All looking awesome. Love the improvised nature of the vehicles. Also love those interiors. Is that Rusty Rail stuff you have in there?
Mac

It's not big, or clever, but let's do it anyway

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