Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Conflicts that came in from the Cold => Topic started by: MajorTalon on 02 August 2012, 12:57:51 PM
-
Which manufacturers should I be looking at for these nations armies?
-
For ultra modern? Go 20mm IMO. Start with Liberation/RH and Elhiem. Hang out at the Guild for ideas.
I will guess that you are playing Force on Force or Ambush Alley?
-
15mm is perfect for modern gaming unless you want to be playing major armoured engagements (in which case 6mm is the way to go).
Take a look at the ranges from QRF, Peter Pig and Quality Castings (via Old Glory 15mm). QRF particularly have a huge range and are great guys to deal with.
-
15mm is IMO better suited.
Try also Arsenal M http://www.arsenalm.de/cgi-bin/lshop.cgi (http://www.arsenalm.de/cgi-bin/lshop.cgi); they have 1:87 modern armour kits that fit very nicely to 15mm figs.
See: http://imperialarmour.blogspot.de/search/label/T-90 (http://imperialarmour.blogspot.de/search/label/T-90) by tacobat.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y245/Tim_rich/Europe%202010/T2.jpg)
T-90 by Arsenal M Infantry by Peter Pig
Also: IrishSerb http://www.adpublishing.de/html/15mm_modern.html (http://www.adpublishing.de/html/15mm_modern.html)
-
15mm is IMO better suited.
Try also Arsenal M http://www.arsenalm.de/cgi-bin/lshop.cgi (http://www.arsenalm.de/cgi-bin/lshop.cgi); they have 1:87 modern armour kits that fit very nicely to 15mm figs.
See: http://imperialarmour.blogspot.de/search/label/T-90 (http://imperialarmour.blogspot.de/search/label/T-90) by tacobat.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y245/Tim_rich/Europe%202010/T2.jpg)
T-90 by Arsenal M Infantry by Peter Pig
Also: IrishSerb http://www.adpublishing.de/html/15mm_modern.html (http://www.adpublishing.de/html/15mm_modern.html)
Ah! Thank you Agis! The US minis fit, and I can at least purchase the Fedayeen and get use out of those. I just have to find Russian and British forces now.
And Ragnar, I'm not sure which rules to use. I could use some help choosing.
(http://www.tanknutdave.com/images/intro_pictures/z1_3.jpg)
Should I convert some Panzer models for the Zulfiqar?
-
I believe that Eureka have Russian and Chechen ranges imminent.
John
-
I believe that Eureka have Russian and Chechen ranges imminent.
John
In 15mm? It seems they only do 28mm.
-
And Ragnar, I'm not sure which rules to use. I could use some help choosing.
Hmmm, I don't actually do much in the way of ultra modern gaming so I am not the best to ask. However:
-Ambush Alley is for low level unbalanced games, typically, a regular section or platoon vs hordes of 'Insurgents'.
-Force on Force is the big brother of AA and is the same system for balanced forces i.e. both sides treated as regular.
Both of these systems might be a bit unwieldy if you have more than a platoon a side.
I have used FoF for a 1980s scenario and enjoyed it.
Apart from that, I don't really know. I have bought but haven't played WRG rules 1950-1985, WRG rules 1950-2000 (don't ask, the perils of drunken ebaying) and Challenger 2000.
Edit: The last 3 sets of rules are more a traditional sort of game whereas FoF and AA are a bit more innovative. They have a good (imo) action and reaction system.
-
I believe that Eureka have Russian and Chechen ranges imminent.
John
Got a link?
-
Ambush Alley and Force on Force have been combined as just 'Force on Force (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Force-Ambush-Alley-Games/dp/1849085161/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344035730&sr=8-1)', so any type of game is covered now. However same level as before, so less than a company a side plus supports.
It all depends on what sort of game you're looking for really... no one set will meet all of the differing types of game folk like to play. If you're planning an armoured slug-fest with some token infantry, then FoF might not be for you.
:)
-
Will Force on Force work with 15mm though. The image below is a VERY rough sketch of my ideaa for a board.
(http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac207/calgar_20/IranBoardConcept.jpg)
Oh, and this iis my projects official theme. :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n96hCfLEcDE
Oh, and my first purchase, was a Maisto Tailwind AV-8b Harrier, which scales to approxmately 1:87.
-
Will Force on Force work with 15mm though. The image below is a VERY rough sketch of my ideaa for a board.
Force on Force will work better with 15/20mm than with 28s imo, purely for the more realistic looking engagement distances. They will work with anything though. My only reservation is that some people don't like the mechanics and you might be one of them... then again it could go completely the other way. I can't suggest an alternative though, I'm quite old-school and 'ultra-modern' to me is 1980, so I tend to use modified WW2 rules, or stuff like 'Charlie don't surf' as well as FoF.
;)
It's early in the morning and I'm my usual dopey self, but you're planning on a single fixed board? How will you reach anything in the middle? Won't you get bored of fighting on the same battlefield after a few games? No, I must have this wrong.
:?
-
Force on Force will work better with 15/20mm than with 28s imo, purely for the more realistic looking engagement distances. They will work with anything though. My only reservation is that some people don't like the mechanics and you might be one of them... then again it could go completely the other way. I can't suggest an alternative though, I'm quite old-school and 'ultra-modern' to me is 1980, so I tend to use modified WW2 rules, or stuff like 'Charlie don't surf' as well as FoF.
;)
It's early in the morning and I'm my usual dopey self, but you're planning on a single fixed board? How will you reach anything in the middle? Won't you get bored of fighting on the same battlefield after a few games? No, I must have this wrong.
:?
Mmm, you're right. I'm gonna get back to the drawing board.
-
Mmm, you're right. I'm gonna get back to the drawing board.
No worries... we've all been there (some of us still are :D ). If you're going down the 'awesome terrain' route, modular pieces are the way to go. Decide on a size for your boards... say 2' square and grid off a piece of paper, or use MS Paint, whatever, then draw your battlefield over it. If you make sure that continuous features (roads, rivers, ridges etc) enter/exit at the same point on the board edge (most people use the centre of each, but off-setting them makes for even more variation!), you can swap them around in almost infinite combinations.
The length of your table is up to you, but as a rule 3' is usually the maximum reach distance from either side, so 6' is pretty much your maximum width. Mileage varies between people, but a 6'x4' table should be quite adequate for 15mm, with 6'x6' or 8'x6' tables as a useful maximum.
The 'Workbench' board here will offer some inspiration, or even direct copies of what other people have done is ok (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all). A Google search will also net a variety of articles about how different people have gone about building their terrain. Don't ignore the Warhammer or 40k sites either, the principles are the same whatever your gaming poison and some of those layouts are amazing!
Having said that... a 'sand coloured' cloth and a few buildings, hills, whatever, can still look quite effective and will do duty until you've built your boards.
I hope none of that sounded patronising, I'm assuming you're new to the hobby, so apologies if I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs!
:)
-
I prefer 20mm, there is way more stuff out there in 20mm/1/72nd than 15mm and 28mm put together. The ranges are far more complete and lean more towards the cold war and ultra modern setting, whereas 15mm tends to be a bit scratchy, and you'll find it hard to find stuff thats come into service in the last decade, or prototypes for near future engagements etc.
But QRF is the only 15mm company I'am aware of really... That do a large range of Moderns at least, Khurasan has some bits, Peter Pig... and there was a company recently (that I can't remember for the life of me) that does Iranian and American forces in 15mm. CP models do some bits as well, such as Iraqi's and SAS.
Thats all that comes to mind.
-
Will Force on Force work with 15mm though. The image below is a VERY rough sketch of my ideaa for a board.
(http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac207/calgar_20/IranBoardConcept.jpg)
28mm will work on a table that size :o
12' x 8' table size I would seriously consider using 1/72-20mm, if you only had an 8x4 I'd go 15mm all the way, everything (including the kitchen sink) is available in 20mm.
-
Seems an upgrade will be needed it seems. ;)
What scale are aircraft at for 20mm?
-
1/72 ;)
so in theory you could build a Boeing/Airbus plane for a hijack game.
big planes here link (http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/archive/largest-1-72-aircraft-you-have-seen-or-built.__o_t__t_24630.html)
-
You can get god loads of cheap 1/72nd scale aircraft on the cheap on ebay (diecast that is) repaint/spruce em up if you want and then send 'em of to battle.
Sames goes for tanks in 20mm, though plenty of companies that produce resin models do them just as cheap if not cheaper, like sandsmodels. Though the older models require a little work.
-
Major Talon:
15mm
Others have already mentioned QRF and Peter Pig for 15mm, I'll add Rebel Minis and Flytrap Factory to the mix.
http://www.rebelminis.com/15mm-modern-milita.html (http://www.rebelminis.com/15mm-modern-milita.html)
http://www.flytrapfactory.com/shop.html (http://www.flytrapfactory.com/shop.html)
Also, The Battefield:Miniature Modern Warfare (http://wap.wargamevault.com/product/102355/The-Battlefield%3A-Miniature-Modern-Warfare?language=en) is the ruleset of choice for the Flytrap Warfighter line of miniatures. If you have any questions about the rules, then I'll be more than happy to answer any questions [it is my ruleset! ;)]. The game is playable in 15-30mm.
http://bombshell-games.com/battlefield/ (http://bombshell-games.com/battlefield/)
20mm
Elhiem is great stuff! Not only that, but there are tons of cheap 1/72 scale kits that can be used for vehicles, objectives, and wrecks. There is quite a bit of affordable battlefield terrain in the scale as well. For 20mm, definitely look at the 1/72 scale Caesar plastic infantry miniatures. They're actually really good looking sculpts, and an amazing deal when you look at the number on minis you get in a box [40-45 figures!].
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1043 (http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1043)
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1389 (http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1389)
28mm
In addition to Eureka, Red Star is another worth investigating. Their gallery section has some amazing looking tables and is worth perusing if only for terrain ideas.
http://www.redstarminiatures.eu/gallery.html
Good luck! I look forward to seeing how your project progresses. Make sure you share some pics with us.
-
This is refreshing... nobody has said xxmm is better than xxmm yet. :)
-
Skytrex also do 20mm AND 15mm moderns (mostly Cold war centred though) however they can be a little on the expensive side I might add. And if you do enough searching you can definitely find 20mm equivalents on the cheaper side (though not all). 15mm is a different situation all together. I think there are some 15mm die casts, but not many and they aren't cheap because of this.
15mm Moderns often follow a particular theme; it is centred more around Cold War and Gulf War.
28mm is so limited I don't understand why people bother with it solely; Empress, Eureka have some very nice stuff, but they are very much the same sort of 'thing' if you understand. Eureka of course does Germans and French, and I know of another company out there which do Modern Italians in 28mm by Paul Hicks (I think) and then there is TAG which i'm not keen on. However its all pointed towards Afghanistan/Iraq mostly.
20mm on the other hand just has far more variation. And some of the quality of figs is just awesome (Under fire, Elhiem) with other companies there are dozens if not hundreds of generics allowing you to field armies of mercenaries, or what-if, imagination forces, or even dozens of armies across the world that vaguely use the same Russian tech.
But its also growing, massively, its on par (almost at least) with how rapid 15mm sci fi is coming along. With Matt Hingley at Elhiem churning out soldiers for almost every European country, and plenty of folks willing to pay him to make figs of a specific state, its getting to the point the market is no longer dominated by British, American troopers with some Iraqis to beat up.
In fact I'm gunna go make a list and post it, so folks know where to look for stuff.
-
In fact I'm gunna go make a list and post it, so folks know where to look for stuff.
Awesome, do that and I'll make it a sticky... likewise if anyone wants to do the same for 15mm. :)
As for the scale thing, I think it's horses for courses. I'll agree on many of your points, but pushing one scale over another is like herding cats.
28mm is mostly about the figures. Neither 15mm or 20mm (with a couple of exceptions) can compare on this. It's great for games of around platoon size, where air support and vehicles aren't too integral. Die-cast toys are often of a compatible size though and somewhat cheaper than some 15mm and 20mm vehicles on occasion.
15mm is the opposite extreme, allowing far more toys on the table, as well as air support (although this can be sometimes difficult to source in scale). 15mm is growing but is still a poor relation to 20mm. Having said that, with scale creep, 15mm 18mm will be 20mm before long.
20mm offers the best of both worlds and their disadvantages too. While there are some quality figures out there, many others are quite awful. Vehicles and especially aircraft are plentiful, there isn't much you can't get. Not everyone has the patience or skill to put together plastic kits however, which is where a lot of stuff is sourced as. Some obscure vehicles are only available in resin as 'scale models' and can easily top some 28mm vehicle prices and then some.
Of course some eras are better provided for than others, so mileage may vary on the above points.
-
Awesome, do that and I'll make it a sticky... likewise if anyone wants to do the same for 15mm. :)
As for the scale thing, I think it's horses for courses. I'll agree on many of your points, but pushing one scale over another is like herding cats.
28mm is mostly about the figures. Neither 15mm or 20mm (with a couple of exceptions) can compare on this. It's great for games of around platoon size, where air support and vehicles aren't too integral. Die-cast toys are often of a compatible size though and somewhat cheaper than some 15mm and 20mm vehicles on occasion.
15mm is the opposite extreme, allowing far more toys on the table, as well as air support (although this can be sometimes difficult to source in scale). 15mm is growing but is still a poor relation to 20mm. Having said that, with scale creep, 15mm 18mm will be 20mm before long.
20mm offers the best of both worlds and their disadvantages too. While there are some quality figures out there, many others are quite awful. Vehicles and especially aircraft are plentiful, there isn't much you can't get. Not everyone has the patience or skill to put together plastic kits however, which is where a lot of stuff is sourced as. Some obscure vehicles are only available in resin as 'scale models' and can easily top some 28mm vehicle prices and then some.
Of course some eras are better provided for than others, so mileage may vary on the above points.
I agree, when it comes to fantasy, or historical periods before WW1 I prefer 28mm hands down. Sci Fi I prefer 15mm due to whats available in comparison to 28mm, allowing me to collect all sorts of wierdness. And same goes for 20mm for World War 2 and Post War/Moderns, 20mm just has far more options. But it also allows you to have a pretty detailed enough army, and have lots of them for cheap. I personally feel 20mm fits 20th/21st century styled games as it suits the style of combat employed in Modern Wars, as often you have battles that can range from a few dozen to a few hundred troops spread out over large areas of terrain, which would be difficult to do with 28mm figures unless you have a lot of money. What I would use Modern 28mm stuff is for more post apocalyptic, sci fiish or RPG settings, but I wouldn't use it to do things like FoF or Rapid Fire etc, where I want sizeable skirmishes or battles.
-
Sorry for the delay re Eureka 15mm - been offline for a few days. Can't work out how to put a link in. Google Eureka 15mm modern russian and there are a few entries. The Wargaming with Barks blog has pictures.
Cheers
John
-
Sorry for the delay re Eureka 15mm - been offline for a few days. Can't work out how to put a link in. Google Eureka 15mm modern russian and there are a few entries. The Wargaming with Barks blog has pictures.
Cheers
John
http://wargamingwithbarks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/eurekas-new-15mm-modern-russians.html (http://wargamingwithbarks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/eurekas-new-15mm-modern-russians.html)
They look awesome! :o
-
http://wargamingwithbarks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/eurekas-new-15mm-modern-russians.html (http://wargamingwithbarks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/eurekas-new-15mm-modern-russians.html)
They look awesome! :o
This might be the catalyst to get me to purchase some 15mm moderns. :o
(I just have to justify them)
-
Since when do we have to justify buying toy soldiers? I'm going to to be stuffed in future if I have to go down that route!
Glad you like them. I am going to test Ambush Alley out with sci fi - if that goes well then Cold War will be next.
John
-
You could always get 'Tomorrow's War (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tomorrows-Science-Fiction-Wargaming-Rules/dp/1849085315/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344428959&sr=8-1)' which is the Force on Force rules tweaked for the Future... oddly.
:)
-
Since when do we have to justify buying toy soldiers?
I consider myself reprimanded. :) I'll pick some up next time I am at Eureka.
-
Unfortunately, this project has to be put on the backburner for a while, as my gaming club has gotten bit by the Flames of War bug, myself included. o_o