Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Weird Wars => Topic started by: Bullshott on 04 January 2012, 08:34:46 PM
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A while ago I put together a platoon sized WWW2 Soviet force as a modelling/painting exercise. I'm hoping to soon make some time to add some more elents to these. However, at the same time I want to put together another force as apotential opponent when I get round to playing games with them. Rather than Axis troops I'm looking at doing British.
So the big question now is what to collect. I want a platoon sized force, possibly as commandos or airborne (so that I can concentrate in infantry and light armour/WWW2 specials rather than have a dispoportionate amount of heavy armour for the troops present). For figures I was looking at Bolt Action/Warlors, SoTR and/or Artizan.
To give me ideas of possible force options (manufacturers, weapon options, etc) could some of you guys let me have an idea of what you have used for small British forces (photos would be nice too :) )?
Also, I'm looking for ideas for 'WWW2 specials' to accompany this force - both technological and supernatural.
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I've been putting together an MI 13 Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment using the Artizan Commandos.
I've got a platoons worth of infantry in half tracks and three Comets. All very pedestrian. The only "Weird" element I've been able to add to the British is the Firefly walker that you've seen elsewhere. I'm working on converting several of the AT 43 Red Blok walkers into an armoured car substitute.
I'm also considering adding a special ops team in the form of Misses Liddell and Kitchen supported by a squad of Enfield toting Card soldiers but I'm having a hard time find a figure that looks like a grown up Alice in a trench coat.
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My SOTR British armies (Para Commandos and Infantry) use a mix of Westwind and Bolt Action figures, they actually size together pretty well.
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Try a fast recon unit 1/2 a dozen jeeps armed out the wazoo with machine guns and a few weird war Vietnam era-like gun trucks with some Borfors autocannons and heavy machine guns and add a couple cargo trucks to carry all the extra supplies and enemy booty. It would be a roving band of commandos who hit hard and fast anything they encounter and then disappear. Speed, volume of fire and surprise will win them the day. I think Bolt Action makes Brit Jeeps and even some Brit trucks and with a little conversion for gun trucks and their ya go, WWWII road warrior Brit commandos.
Brian
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Thanks got the ideas guys
@ Weird WWII - thats along the lines for one of the options I was thinking of. I was actually looking at the historical 30 Commando/30 Assault Unit for inspiration.
I'm starting to put together ideas for my force. First the 'fluff':
13 Commando/13 Assault Unit (13 AU):
13 Commando was raised as an army commando raiding unit and involved in raids on German installations in the Channel Islands, Brittany and along the French Altantic Coast. These raids included an encounter with ancient celtic magic that German sorcerers had accidentally disturbed as a by-product of their own demonic conjuring. Fortunately the secret past of one of the British officers helped to allow the commandos to turn the ancient magic against the Germans and win the day.
Following this incident 13 Commando were chosen to take out a German force occupying one of the Orkney Islands for the purpose of negotiating an alliance with Deep Ones. A small force led by the same officer was given basic parachute training and dropped onto the island. The mission was a complete success and included the capture of a Deep One and the discovery of the Deep One's lair (prior to it being depth charged from flying boats).
Leading up to D-Day, 13 Commando was re-trained and re-equipped as assault infantry (in the same manner as most historical commando units were). This included parachute training for more elements of the unit (once again, as per some historical commando units).
The unit was involved in heavy fighting following D-Day and eventually withdrawn to recuperate and replace losses. Following the death of the Commando's CO, the officer who led the raid on the Deep Ones was promoted the command the unit.
During this period news arrived the a German force had occupied Summer Isle, an island on the west coast of Scotland and the family home of 13 Commando's new CO. The Germans had occupied the island in order to use a stone circle for a conjuration. This raid itself was a success - a demonic gate was closed and a lesser demon that got through was killed. However, the victory was tainted with the news that the Germans had killed the lord of the island, the father of the officer leading the commandos who, as a result, became the new Lord Summerisle.
Following this incident and reports of an increase in attacks involving 'monsters' (both supernatural and man-made), Lord Summerisle's 13 Commando was re-named 13 Assault Unit (13 AU) and received a new role; that of monster fighting.
13 AU is equipped as a light mobile raiding/rapid response force, able to quickly get to monster sightings. Airborne trained elements of the force can also be rapidly deployed or dropped behind enemy lines by parachute or glider.
For figures I will use a troops in berets and a mix of Denison smocks or battledress (to give a similar appearance to historical late war commando units). I'm not 100% sure about weapons, but the standard SMG will be the Thompson (the preferred weapon of commandos throughout the war). Now to looks for the right figures.
BTW - can anyone tell me how Westwind's original 'Berlin or Bust' range (ppree SHS) looks and scales in with their more recent SoTR range and other manufacturers?
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BTW - can anyone tell me how Westwind's original 'Berlin or Bust' range (ppree SHS) looks and scales in with their more recent SoTR range and other manufacturers?
In a word....Short. :D
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... and in case you hadn't worked out the references in my 'fluff' to Lord Summerisle and ancient magic, go away and watch the 1973 film Wicker Man film. That's righ - I'm talking a commando unit supported by druidic magic :)
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Sounds excellent - looking forward to pics!
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Either fellow on the upper right or lower right might make a good Lord Summerisle
(http://www.pulpfigures.com/catalog/pbt12.jpg)
http://www.pulpfigures.com/catcode.php?range=British&code=PBT&number=12&custID=18481252131325867586 (http://www.pulpfigures.com/catcode.php?range=British&code=PBT&number=12&custID=18481252131325867586)
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Well, I took the plunge and orderered the SoTR main rules and Doomsday bundle from Westwind. I certainly like what I see in the rule books, so can now start planning my British platoon :)
It also looks like I already have enough figures to make up a Soviet platoon (mostly Copplestone Neo-Sovs). All I need is to add a couple of snipers and some armour and 'specials'. Even better news is that the majority are already painted and based :D
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Have you seen the British Power Armour troopers from Scarab Miniatures?
http://scarabminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=34_46
Richard Ansell designed them, and he wanted them to be a Royal Navy weapon, which is why they have a 'diving suit' look to them.
Nick
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Have you seen the British Power Armour troopers from Scarab Miniatures?
I bought 5 from you ages ago and never finished painting them. They are now destined to become a British Steel unit :)
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Have you seen the British Power Armour troopers from Scarab Miniatures?
http://scarabminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=34_46
Richard Ansell designed them, and he wanted them to be a Royal Navy weapon, which is why they have a 'diving suit' look to them.
Nick
How do these 1/48 scale minis compare with SOTR and other 28mm ranges? Do they fit in or is there a noticeable difference?
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theyre quite large:
Left to Right:Artizan 28mm,Heroclix,Projekt X Soldier,Artizan 28mm
(http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad244/Falkenhayn/trade010.jpg)
here is the US Battlesuit compared to a 28mm Mini:
(http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad244/Falkenhayn/Postapoc013-1.jpg)
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theyre quite large:
Left to Right:Artizan 28mm,Heroclix,Projekt X Soldier,Artizan 28mm
SNI
here is the US Battlesuit compared to a 28mm Mini:
SNIP
OK so maybe just mutated monsters and possibly battlesuits then..
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How do these 1/48 scale minis compare with SOTR and other 28mm ranges? Do they fit in or is there a noticeable difference?
I've just done a check against a SoTR figure:
Normal 1/48 troops are too tall.
The British armoured suits are tall, but not so much that they will not fit in with 28mm
The German suits are taller and broader - too big for 28mm 'normals. However, they would make nice armoured uber soldats.
I don't have a US suit to compare.
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I'd get some of those Warzone plastics that come on sale so cheap every now and then. Use the Imperials as special anti-monster soldiers. The Gasmask lenses reduce the ability of Vampires and other Supernatural things to mind-control them. The gun is semi-auto firing regular ammo, while the launcher fires special rounds containing "Holy Water, Silver Shavings, White Oak... the works" but have a very limited range (Pistol?).
Against the supernatural these rounds wound like the targets are normal people. Armor is heavy (includes a layer of silver under the paint) and slows the movement of the soldiers (no charging). And of course it is blessed, providing limited protection against the supernatural.
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I already have some of the warzone plastics from a previous project where I used some for VSF Prussians, so I still have a full set of the trenchers left.
Now that I have SoTR I will probably use that rules system. There are a couple of bits of the fluff and troop options that I don't agree with but, on the whole, it is a good set of rules and probably the most commonly used set amongst gamers at the moment, so I'll stick with SoTR for the time being.
At the moment I'm in two minds as to how I make up my commandos:
Option 1 - a standard SoTR British platoon using SoTR figures (since they include almost all troop options I need)
Option 2 - base my commandos on the the para platoon in the Doomsday supplement using a core of plastics plus some metal specialists, the core plastic figures being made from either Warzone trenchers or Warlord Games commandos with home made/converted assault rifles.
Decisions, decisions .....
Must have a look at my Warzone plastics ......