Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Conflicts that came in from the Cold => Topic started by: Paul @ Empress Miniatures on March 02, 2020, 11:32:17 AM
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Yesterday a couple of us went to the Overlord Wargames show, which is the local Empress show. I have been going for many years. Instead of trading I decided to do a display game and have some fun.
The period was Ultra Modern and the topic a Chinese PLA invasion of The Northern Territory in Australia. Best described as the modern version of Saving Private Ryan we had a great day and seemed to attract a great deal of interest as it was a pretty unusual subject for a wargame. Its also rare that ones sees 7 ZBD05 fighting their way up a beach. Huge fun to play.
Unfortunately the pictures are not the best quality as the lighting was a bit dim and I only had my phone camera.
Cheers, Paul
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Some more;
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and more;
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even more;
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You still here?
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:o
What a sight!
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So nice to see these small skirmish games Paul lol
Looks amazing!
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So nice to see these small skirmish games Paul lol
Looks amazing!
Well you know I am not into these 4 men kick in a door and go bang games. I like the bigger full on operational style game. We even had Chinese off shore naval gun fire. Mind you one landed on the PLA troops on the beach. It was messy. :?
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Cool looking game.
Was the main objective for the Chinese, McDonalds? lol
That's my guess.
Love the photos. :-*
Thanks for sharing.
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Good show!
As you said an unusual version on a modern theme.
What rules did you use?
Love the surf boards Dude.
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As the Chinese commander I would like to state that we breached the defences and achieved all our objectives. The 75% casualty rate amongst our brave marines (and 100% in our Special Forces) where “tolerable” in return for the success of our mission and Bruce’s School of Australian Philosophy will never again cast doubt on the writings of Confucius!
It was a great game using Danger Close and trying out the draft AFV rules.
The FAO for the Naval barrage is dishonoured and is no longer a party member by the way!
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A few of my snaps of the game
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That looks absolutely ace 8)
The most important question, though, is did you manage to find a Kylie?
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The most important question, though, is did you manage to find a Kylie?
You should be so lucky...
...lucky lucky lucky....
:D
Cracking table Paul - very jealous
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No - but I am pleased to confirm Skippy lives to fight another day!
PS Akula you beat me to it! (And now “I Can’t Get It Out Of My Head”!)
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That looks special, I'm very jealous of it.
The FAO for the Naval barrage is dishonoured and is no longer a party member by the way!
Was probably a drop bear infiltrator.
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We had a drop bear chance card but it never came up. ;)
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We had a drop bear chance card but it never came up. ;)
Now he tells me lol
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That game looks absolutely ace.
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A fantastic looking game, well done gents :-*
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That looks good.
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Great variation on the modern theme.
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That was one action packed table. The terrain and figures are superb!
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A fantastic looking game, well done gents :-*
Thanks for the compliments (everybody). I should stress, though, that the table was nearly all Paul’s work - I just had the pleasure of bringing along my “toys” to play on it! It was huge fun as the photos show.
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Great looking game... and "CU in the NT" is an actual tourism campaign that was run. For real lol
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Mention of Kylie makes me want to ask if you consider
the Chinese good 'Neighbours' ?
I'll get my coat.
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Great looking game... and "CU in the NT" is an actual tourism campaign that was run. For real lol
I couldn't believe it when I was looking for Aussie signs lol
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Those signs are pretty pure gold if you ask me. lol
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Indeed. Photos a bit blurry but very, very nice to see this. And what lovely terrain. Very pleased to see an almost entire modular one with a good use of cork bark. Well done. ;-)
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Fabulous. So incongruous it’s brilliant and hilarious. Well done chaps.
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Cheers chaps ;)
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I think you’ve captured the feel of Darwin, if not quite the architectural detail, perfectly. It’s the sort of place naval gunfire can only serve to improve.
Ironically the Port of Darwin is leased to the Chinese, a matter of great controversy amongst those ill-informed enough not to know that they own far more important bits of infrastructure.
Looks like it was fun. Needs more crocs though.
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Bum I have crocs and forgot them. :?
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That’s OK the NT News will probably pick up on this thread and add scores of them. Man- eating 20 foot salties.
Now cos you deserve a reward for your efforts andprobably were deprived of this local delicacy from the eighties, enjoy the following. Whilst the rest is self-explanatory, it helps to know that Darwin was wiped out by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve, 1974.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HlGSdq3B6I
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Some Rock-'n'-roll Gold there.
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I think you’ve captured the feel of Darwin, if not quite the architectural detail, perfectly. It’s the sort of place naval gunfire can only serve to improve.
Laughed out loud! Sounds like where I grew up in the UK!
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super impressive.
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You should be so lucky...
...lucky lucky lucky....
:D
Cracking table Paul - very jealous
God please no!!!
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Just what I need is more ideas for other possible conflicts! Been watching and no one else has asked so I gotta.
Did you use Danger Close rules? Any mods?
I know you state the germ of the idea was an alternate to Saving Private Ryan but where did the concept for a Sino invasion of Oz come from? Looking if you were reading some novel, a game, rules, etc..
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The rules used were Danger Close - we also tested the draft AFV rules (Danger Close is currently infantry only at present).
The idea for a Sino invasion of Australia goes back to the Empress Miniatures Kickstarter a while back which saw the release of PLA, Australians and USMC with a potential backdrop of WW3 in the Pacific (although the USMC and Australians doubled up nicely for games in Afghanistan etc.). We owned fully painted Chinese and Australian forces but had never actually gotten around to using them and thought it was about time. Paul was able to piece together the terrain from his vast collection (the last time I saw the port it was Loswithiel in Cornwall!). Paul supplied the surf boards and I contributed some kangaroos! With hindsight, as noted above, we should have had some crocs (although maybe Paul had some tucked away in secret but the appropriate Event Card never turned up!).
If you want a serious reason for an invasion, Australia has various natural resources that are potentially attractive to China (e.g. uranium). It is not a coincidence that US forces have trained with the Australian Army.
If you want a sillier reason for a game - an Australian School of Philosophy has been casting doubt on the merits of Confucianism!
Either way, it was something different to our more normal Middle Eastern or Eastern European games! I now have a hankering for a PLA vs USMC game over a Pacific island somewhere.... one day! It may have to find its way between more ECW games (always my first love!), Jazz Age games in Afghanistan and, unsurprisingly, the Vietnam War which we are both working on at the moment with varying degrees of enthusiasm!
As noted in another thread... I can resist anything except temptation and most of us are wargames butterflies at heart!
Hope this helps!
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Plus the chance for drop bears to be used......... but the card never came up to release them :-[
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Event cards are huge fun - they really add to a game!
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Plus the chance for drop bears to be used......... but the card never came up to release them :-[
OK what are drop bears? Also your site doesn't show anything for Danger Close rules. They are there but no ability to order. Are they being updated, printed, or?
Thank you for the answers.
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Drop bears are Koalas - it refers to a “practical joke” which I understand was played on US forces by the Australians some time back. Others may know more about this?!?
I am not part of Empress Miniatures but the rules used to be a PDF download for a nominal sum. They are a double sided sheet of A4 that provide a suitable basic framework for a game. If you are “gentlemen wargamers” they work quite well.
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Drop bears.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-13/uk-journalist-pranked-into-holding-a-drop-bear-during-bushfires/11863942 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-13/uk-journalist-pranked-into-holding-a-drop-bear-during-bushfires/11863942)
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OK what are drop bears? Also your site doesn't show anything for Danger Close rules. They are there but no ability to order. Are they being updated, printed, or?
Thank you for the answers.
The rules are on the Empress Miniatures site. Both digi download and hard copy. ;)
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Doh! For some reason I thought the download buttons were adds for minis. Bought the download and hope as stated the shipping will be refunded (five and a half times the cost of the rules themselves). Also I assume I will get an email with either the rules as an attachment or a link to follow. Since it is the weekend this may take a few days.
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These are some videos that take a light hearted view of a hypothetical China Australia war useing publicly available data. First video looks into the Navy aspect second is about the ground part.
https://youtu.be/kAPiIkULR7Y
https://youtu.be/OHsIqPE-lEs
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Very interesting! (A big thank you for sharing!). I’m no expert on modern warfare (ie others on here will have a far more informed view than I!) but the problem I see in analysing all of this is the vast amount of “known unknowns” and even “unknown unknowns”? China’s relationship with the Philippines and Indonesia are clearly major factors. The videos also ignores the damage China could inflict on the Australian economy in any build up? China is now a dominant economic power in the region.
Logic at the moment suggests China has other priorities (Chinese influence in parts of Africa and South America is considerable) and the new Silk Road is clearly a key theme in its medium term economic strategy. An isolated Australia is possibly more likely than an occupied Australia?
Whatever - it makes an interesting and different backdrop for some gaming!
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Oh yeah totally agree, the benkov videos are all hypothetical one on one fights. With no Allies, nukes, and relatively similar morale. Fought over a year, useing
On paper know numbers and kit.
So in effect, its a wargame. lol
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True! lol
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I used some of these little films to work out the logic of the scenario although it was also a heavy dose of fantasy lol
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Nothing wrong with a little bit of fantasy. The VBCW fad is all fantasy. But still fun.
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Very cool seeing something like this in 28mm!! :-* Don't know if I could aspire to having that many vehicles but maybe one day lol
I was thinking of scenarios for my Aussies outside of Afghan. Like others said you need a heavy dose of fantasy for a PLA invasion of Australia (is just too big!) but I could imagine a punitive expedition. That said there is a lot of talk of the PLA looking to build bases in the South Pacific as a part of extending the reach of their area denial capabilities and the Aussies trying to outbid them.
Imagine a conflict where the Aussies land on a tropical island to battle the mysterious appearance of a Armed Militia/mercenary group with the fight escalating to include a PLANMC detachment.
The other would be the Aussies acting as a sort of Peace Maker in South East Asia battling pirates & terrorists in the wake of a destabilizing great power war.
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I like all of those options. Maybe a commando raid to knock out some area denial launcher's added to a artificial island they try to set up in international water to deny shipping. Say the Ashmore and Cartier Islands as a good reason to have a fight. China moves in, government dithers, untel the Chines move in the big guns and they have to respond. You know to make it a proper conventional fight. ;D
Or to defend Christmas, and Cocos island from a invasion or occupation.
Maybe they decided to support a reginal independence movement in Indonesia and Austral moves in to help support the government forces. :o
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I like all of those options. Maybe a commando raid to knock out some area denial launcher's added to a artificial island they try to set up in international water to deny shipping. Say the Ashmore and Cartier Islands as a good reason to have a fight. China moves in, government dithers, untel the Chines move in the big guns and they have to respond. You know to make it a proper conventional fight. ;D
Or to defend Christmas, and Cocos island from a invasion or occupation.
Maybe they decided to support a reginal independence movement in Indonesia and Austral moves in to help support the government forces. :o
Could have it where they have to raid a Container Ship being used as a sneaky drone carrier. Could have a bizarre role reversal where the Aussies are helping Vietnam against Chinese invasion. Be interesting to know what modern Vietnamese irregulars look like, whether they've changed a great deal since the Vietnam war.
Maybe combine all of these ideas into a campaign, be like an Australian Bad Company.
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Maybe combine all of these ideas into a campaign, be like an Australian Bad Company.
OK gotta ask please explain or better still a link to what you mean. Thank you.
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Another vote for someone to make modern Vietnamese with Galils and or Tavors (marines) to fight in the South China Sea.
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Another vote for someone to make modern Vietnamese with Galils and or Tavors (marines) to fight in the South China Sea.
I am down with this! :D
Ok this is the wiki link to what the PAVN is using. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Vietnam_People%27s_Ground_Forces
Military branches of Vietnam,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Army_of_Vietnam
Equipment used by the navy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Vietnam_People%27s_Navy
And some video links of modern training and propaganda of the Vietnamese Navel infantry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GETesM5zkxc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBFoZQkPG5o&t=7s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHa4EcRQnqU&t=84s
The Pith helmets are still in use, but mostly for rear area and training purposes.
With imported and local produced Kevlar helmets for combat.
Notice how they are phasing out the older AK variants for ACE 31/32 (IMI Galil ACE) and Tavor. Many of which are local manufacture. But lots of the heavy weapons', and equipment are still older vantage Soviet, Russian, Chinese..etc
They also seem to like the idea of body army in CQB at least. lol
Don't know how accurate lots of these lists are, but this is at least something about them.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/vietnam/naval-infantry.htm
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Interesting selection of camo schemes.
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OK gotta ask please explain or better still a link to what you mean. Thank you.
Campaign = a game or collection of games where one mission follows on from another maybe keeping in mind casualties/developments etc. Bad Company = reference to a Xbox 360/PS3 game (came out ten years ago now) about a ultra modern war where 4 US army miscreants end up behind enemy lines and somehow manage to shoot their way through 50% of the Russian army (and loads of rebels etc).
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Bad Company = reference to a Xbox 360/PS3 game (came out ten years ago now) about a ultra modern war where 4 US army miscreants end up behind enemy lines and somehow manage to shoot their way through 50% of the Russian army (and loads of rebels etc).
Thank you. That was what I was inquiring about.