Winter of 79 type games and 20mm

[ulverston]

Hi,
Just out of curiosity does or has anyone played a winter of 79 type game or campaign in 20mm? I ask because I am digging out old figures and bits of kit... you know how this isolation thing is making us all clear out?
I think I drifted away from 20mm partly because of the amazing 28mm sculpts that became available and partly because I find scratch building in 20mm very difficult. With all the vehicles and helicopters available at a reasonable price though I may be tempted to give this a go.
Your thoughts and advice and also pics of your work would be very much appreciated as for the first time in years I have more time than I know what to do with!
Thanks in advance.

[Harry von Fleischmann]

Well, one thing to do is work out just what forces are facing each other in your W79. You can do worse than start off with a regular army unit - we usually called them the “Wessex Rangers” and then use whatever SF or armed civs fit your vision of the trots/nationalists/Tooting Popular Front.
Paras & Marines are of course very tempting.....if you have them and Argentines you could go really just say that the Scots/Welsh/Cornish have amazingly been equipped by an errrr “foreign Power” and use the Argentines.

Frankly it’s up to you, just think of the tone and pitch of your W79 and take it from there...

[Gunbird]

In 20mm puttin g the toys on the table is a lot cheaper. I never found scratchbuilding harder though, I have a large collection of vehicles modded after various pictures from various warzones, and a bigger vehicle doesn't make it easier (My 40K Orks cost me a fortune in plastic in bits compared to modding 5 euro plastic Revell Humvees into ISIS ones, for instance)

Just a thought, how often are you going to use that chopper in a game? Would a few trucks or landrovers not be much more useful? Open top the Landi, put on a FN-MAG or a Bren on a pintle in the back and she will be on the table almost every time.

[ulverston]

Thanks for the advice Harry, the "period" does indeed sound fun and will give free reign to build almost anything! As it happens I have started with a company of 80's Brits with SLR's and a couple of FV432's. Maybe a couple of landrovers next. There are a lot more companies out there than last time I looked I am sure.

Gunbird you are so right about the cost! £20 plus postage and I have a good start already... in 28mm that would be around 12 figures (sadly I do love 28mm). The scratch building problem I have is the buildings themselves, I find it difficult to carve windows and doors out of the foam board that I normally use and have never been content with what I have managed so far... I even tried to copy the buildings from the Rapid Fire books.

Thanks for the advice I will continue to scour the web for information.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I know they might appear expensive, but there are many MDF kits for those (like me) who have difficulty scratch building buildings.

Plus, in 20mm, there are extensive ranges of model railway buildings:
https://www.dapol.co.uk/shop/model-accessories/self-assembly-oo-kits
Dapol market a lot of the former Airfix model railway kits.

[ulverston]

Thanks Ultra, you are of course right mdf is the way to go I am sure... I suppose what I save on the figures will pay for it in some weird way (that's how I will sell this to the chancellor/wife).

The link you supplied is amazing. I already have a wish list. Pulling the older stuff I already have out of storage means a game maybe on the cards using Spectre rules.