VBCW Idea Thread

[Kommando_J]

Inspired by recent threads, I want to get a thread of ideas going for vbcw themes/units/conversions.

For instance some of Perry and warlords new stuff seems ripe for vbcw application, Wolsley helmt packs and the new armoured cars and radio truck seem perfect, any ideas gents?

[Arlequín]

I would never want to give the impression that VBCW wasn't welcome on LAF, but surely the VBCW forum itself does a far better job of offering a community of ideas and suggestions than a single thread here?

http://vbcf.freeforums.org/1938-a-very-british-civil-war-f53.html

There's no 'don't ask, don't tell' policy as regards LAF membership and 'other forums' you know? 

By the same token, there's no reason why you can't discuss it here either though.   

[jp1885]

Yep, take a look at the Very British Civil Forum, sign up and say hi - we're a reasonably friendly bunch!
Also have at look at my VBCW minis guide at http://vbcwminisguide.blogspot.co.uk for ideas on what minis to use.

[Kommando_J]

I've looked and while I liked what I saw, updates are somewhat sparse, here seems like a better idea to get the ball roloing, plus i'm after input from players/converters from all of LAF.

I'm looking to see new ground tread to help relieve my creative block.

[FramFramson]

A lot of games I've seen tend to be local affairs (which is very much in the spirit of VBCW), but even if you don't want to do a grander campaign, how about a mission or series of missions which take a small group out of their local element? Yorkshiremen trying a London assassination or covering for an intelligence mission or such.

Another thing you rarely see are naval battles or battles with a significant naval element (though I have seen a few).

[Mathyoo]

I am not even British, so what do I know, but I envy you guys so much.

I love the spirit of VBCW and as thinking comes free, I did came up with a few ideas.

I'd do some of those myself:

- (Welsh) scout squad. Some sheep and some men wearing sheep skin as ghillie suits, herded by a shepherd (that certainly has a shotgun hidden in his coat!)

- Football platoon/company/unit with football jerseys. I guess a guy kicking grenades would be a nice stand-in for a rifle grenade.

- Miners, but I think those were done already.

- International brigades could always work.

Plastics are nice for conversions and I would probably go with Warlord Brits as they got helmets separate, so you don't have to use them and helps with making a unit more civilian looking.

[Kommando_J]

You could always pick a region, and have a volunteer platoon from your home country, painted up in your local colours.

The new tropical hats from empress and perry make me want to try an African/eastern set vbcw force, perhaps with Japanese on the side of the BUF Foreign Legion? both are strongly monarchist and fascist.

On the other side have Anglican league aligned missionaries rouse up volunteers from the local explorer/settler/game warden/mission and convince local chiefs to provide troops.

[Arlequín]

I am not even British, so what do I know, but I envy you guys so much.

Maybe I might be in a minority, but I get a lot of pleasure out of seeing 'foreign' perceptions of the British, so what you do not know, make it up.



Dressing up as a 'naughty sheep' is considered a bit 'kinky' in some rural areas though. 

[fastolfrus]

For a naval-themed game, the Scottish fishing fleet could be a major force, chasing the shoals of herring through the North Sea but hitting opposition from Anglican League trawlers out of Hull/Grimsby. Not sure about other ports along the coast.

Would give you the chance of small boat actions, armed trawler or small escorts leading boarding actions / cutting out missions. Think of pirates with lewis guns.

RN vessels would mostly be too big for coastal actions, although you could consider a ship's launch or whaler sneaking into a small harbour to cut out moored freighters etc. or land a raiding party of RMs.

As for the new Wolsley helmets etc, there are lots of colonial bases that could launch similar naval raids, possibly just to pick up vital supples from "opposition" bases. (Crikey Jeeves - the mess is almost out of angostura bitters, better see if we can get some from....)

[paul c]

I'd hate to see VBCW just discussed on the http://vbcf.freeforums.org/index.php site; no one has a monopoly on the idea.

The colonial kit would work well for troops returning from India et al to support Edward or as ex-colonial forces forming themselves into a loyalist militia in support of the crown. Alternatively, it could just be Local Defence Volunteers wearing whatever "soldierly" kit they could find.

[Kommando_J]

I'm thinking of using the adapted rules from LOTOW for vbcw, plus bring in a few weapons from LOTOW that didn't make the cut, secondly limit the warband sizes and have a set limit of 1 leader and five minor heroes max, perhaps allow the native forces to have a slightly bigger max size o compensate for lack of technological prowess.

What miniatures would be used apart from the obvious foundry and copplestone, could Zulu war stuff be used?

What makes vbcw interesting is you can use pretty much any force to fight any battle, i'd love to do an updated darkest africa with lloyd carriers and armoured cars versus hordes of natives in jungle ambushes, taking a leaf from the Maori wars perhaps have mni forts for skirmishes?

[Arlequín]

I had an idea way back when, of doing a sort of ladder campaign of sorts, with the centre point being an attempt to smuggle guns through a small dock and out of town, with the local 'flying squad' attempting to stop it.

If the Police lose then the 'insurgents' are able to operate with better weapons and develop the insurgency. Army unit gets called in to support police. If the 'Rebels' lose then they have to source weapons by raiding a rural police station, or TA barracks, while relying on their existing few shotguns and pistols.

As each game moves up or down the ladder, the situation changes and you get to filter in different items as your campaign progresses. Ultimately either the rebels liberate the area, or the Police/Army stamp out the insurgents. Your next campaign begins from there, with either the insurgents going on to liberate an adjoining area, or the Police/Army have to face another fresh insurgency somewhere else.

The idea being that you could play your first game with just a handful of figures, then expanding your forces after that as quick as you can buy and paint them.

Even if you dive right into VBCW 'in the here and now', there are still quiet areas where you could begin such a campaign and then join the mainstream of events when your collection has grown.

[6milPhil]

Plastics are nice for conversions and I would probably go with Warlord Brits as they got helmets separate, so you don't have to use them and helps with making a unit more civilian looking.

The Warlord Brits are excellent for this, especially for vehicle crew. Both of those in the vehicle are just that - the one on top is a regular mini -a choirmaster for my AL boys choir.

Maybe I might be in a minority, but I get a lot of pleasure out of seeing 'foreign' perceptions of the British, so what you do not know, make it up.

Quite, VBCW isn't as realsitic as some might think, you could watch a couple of episodes of Jeeves & Wooster (which can be found on YouTube ) and a couple of old films and have the same source references that all the Brits are using.

Tally Ho!

[FramFramson]

Phil, that Anglican juggernaut is amazing!  

VBCW isn't really a thing over here, but I do like the ideas it gives me for Pulp games sometimes. Plus VBCW probably has the funniest AAR's on average among all wargame types. 

[Kommando_J]

How would Perry miniatures desert rates fit? is the uniform too late/modern? i'm tempted to do a few squads in wolsely helmets as part of some colonial police force-style detachment.