Cypher's modern wars - Empress PLA and others

[Cypher226]

A while ago I started painting the Empress PLA I got from the Kickstarter some years ago. I painted a squad, then got distracted (ooh, shiny!  ).

I was looking at the finished squad in the cabinet a couple of
 months ago and decided the desert uniform was too close to my USMC, so they got a reprime and I picked up the extras for a full platoon, to paint in the Marines scheme.

Here we are so far, the completed command element


And further work in progresses:
First two PLA from the first full squad:


An addition to my Special Forces, a trooper equipped for breaching (Spectre mini with a headswap)


And either an Aryan home-grown terrorist or other armed civilian type (Foundry Street Violence) :


And a PMC/CIA asset (Hasslefree with Statuesque head):

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice work.

I like the PLA.

[Cypher226]

Cheers. Here's three of the previous post finished:





I'm thinking the lass is probably either something to do with a bad guy (bodyguard maybe) or intelligence. Her skirt and jacket are a single coat of the new gw contrast aggaros dunes. I like it.

5 more PLA for the squad...

[commissarmoody]

They look great! I should really paint mine up.

[Cypher226]

Thanks commissar!

I've now finished the first PLA squad:





Only another 20 or so to go... 

[Lord Raglan]

Loving these buddy, well done!

[commissarmoody]

First down! And they look great.

[von Lucky]

Yeah - nice work all 'round. The camo has been done quite effectively.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

They are very nice.

[Paul @ Empress Miniatures]

Very nice indeed.

[commissarmoody]

So what TO&E are you useing if any for your force?

[Cypher226]

Thanks all!

The more I look at them the happier I am with the result 

So much so in fact that I started on the second squad yesterday afternoon:



Base colours mostly laid down, just the chin straps and the largest and most tedious part to do (the black), hopefully I can get that cranked out tonight or at least finished by the end of the week. At some point I'm going to have to divert to my Team Yankee US Marines for a big game on 28th though (2 infantry platoons, vehicles, plus a German church to build as the table centrepiece - no pressure!  ).

As for TO&E, there were a couple of sources I ran across before I started. Some seemed to indicate a 10 man squad (with 3 as vehicle crew, so left out for these purposes, still hoping someone will make the wheeled APCs in 28mm).
I saw some suggestions of 2 LMGs and 2 Sniper GLs per squad, but I thought that a touch excessive for the scale of game (and there's only so many sculpts) so dialled it down to 1 LMG and 1 SGL per 7 dismounts, with either 1 or 2 UGLs.

Overall it will be 3 infantry squads with a 4 man command element, plus a weapons squad with HMG and the other heavy weapons from Empress (I forget them off the top of my head). Ideally with 2 ZBD-05s, a couple of 'not Humvees' and either a truck or a wheeled apc and a type 99 in support. I might even finish this lot this year   

[commissarmoody]

Sounds good to me! 

[commissarmoody]

Yeah the Wikipedia page says this about squad TO&E.
"A mechanized infantry squad consists of nine men; six armed with QBZ-95 assault rifles, one machine gunner and crewman, and one RPG gunner. Non-mechanized infantry are soldiers moved by truck. A non-mechanized squad consists of 12 men; the original nine men plus one extra machine gun crew and RPG. Troops wear green-patterned camouflage uniforms, combat helmets, and flak jackets (ballistic vests with ceramic plates are only issued in rare cases). The dismounted squad has two walkie-talkie radios, while the vehicle has a longer range radio and intercom system."
And the Osprey book "the Chinese liberation Army since 1949" says.
The PLA fallow a 9-12 man rifle squad depending on task and such. With a Squad LMG/SAW, and anti-tank gunner with type69 or PF-98, 6 riflemen including squad leader and marksmen.
While Mech units supposedly have a organization of two 5 men teams, headed by the Squad and assistant Squad leader. Each team also has a LSW and a grenader ( most likely the under barrel type).
The list goes on to show company support options and higher levels of organizations. But I belive it was published in 2011-12 so thing like the sniper gernade launcher are left out. And I would like to know where it would fit in to the regular platoon, company etc org. Sorry just spouting off.

[commissarmoody]

Found some more info about PLA squad Organization from the rising dragon bear resurgent FB group. 
Chinese mech inf squad is 7 dismounts normally (with one SAW/LMG and one 120mm PF-98 AT launcher)
Chinese leg infantry squad is 9 personnel ((with one SAW/LMG and one 120mm PF-98 AT launcher))
Pers also can carry disposable AT launcher as required.
There are some variations though, with two LMGs (army aphibious troops) or a 35mm auto-GL vice the 120mm AT weapon (Marines), or 2 120mm AT rocket launchers.
Leg Platoon has three squads plus plt cdr. Company has three platoons plus 4 officers and 7 enlisted men.