Czech Legion force

[Bako]

Ukraine I guess?

No, no. That's Ukryyin.

Mmm, beets. But pickled.

[Mark Plant]

where the Czechs were shown as more an enemy than the reds

The day Kolchak took over the White forces in Siberia was basically the day that the Czechs gave up on helping the Whites. The Czechs were left-leaning democrats, and so happy to work with KOMUCH, but no fan of Monarchist dictators.

In the end the Czechs handed over Kolchak to the Reds, in order to save some of their own men. Can't say I blame them.

[former user]

for some coal waggons and 1 waggon with the Tsar's gold as the lore says

no, I wouldn't blame them either. They have been used as puppets of the international politics for 2 Years and wanted to go home. who wouldn't
A shame many of them who pursued military later on didn't get the chance to give the nazis a good dressing down. Must have been quite a band of brothers.
Judging from that they are always shown in the uniform of the arch-enemy in fiction, I get a pretty good idea why the russians were pretty quick to overthrow the 1968 revolution by force.

now, since so many are collecting czech legion, how comes I never see an armured train with them?
(there he goes again, his favourite topic  )
The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear czech legion is railway and the famous Orlik.

[Poliorketes]

There is a beautiful model of the Zaamurets from polish manufacturer 5 Star in two scales - 1/72 and 1/35. Sadly not in 1/48 or (even better) 1/56.
http://www.jadar.com.pl/5star/35021/index.html

[former user]

There is a beautiful model of the Zaamurets from polish manufacturer 5 Star in two scales - 1/72 and 1/35. Sadly not in 1/48 or (even better) 1/56.
http://www.jadar.com.pl/5star/35021/index.html

yep

but who knows?
maxbe with the new 1:48 ranges and 3D design the'll make one

[Grimnir]

I don't know too much about armoured train tactics but I suppose it's all about being big, heavily armed and armoured AND capable of moving very fast...

I think that it is quite difficult to represent the mobility adequately on an average sized gaming table. (At least in 28mm scale. Smaller scales are a completely different story).

[Poliorketes]

We'll give it a try at Tactica. Your Czechs will get my armored train, though we plan to only allow them the use of one gun.

[former user]

yup

I am working on some rules to solve this problem
tactics is another thing however, since there are many tactics for armoured trains throughout history
this will be the second step

I suggest to solve the problem of the overpowered armoured train in wargames by ammunition limiting
the standard early armoured train would have 6-8 HMG per gun car
tailor it down through ammunition limits
apart from that, only half of the HMG would be available for use

[Mark Plant]

The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear czech legion is railway and the famous Orlik.

Correctly too. From start to finish they basically fought on the rail lines.

One way to have a train on the table, yet not have it dominate is to deny it access via terrain. If Red Partisans were going to ambush a Czech unit, you could be fairly sure it would be near a cutting or tunnel or some other place which basically nullified the train's ability to contribute.

In the very early fighting, against the Red Army, the the trains were fairly hasty affairs with only a gun or two and, as former user notes, ammunition was a major issue.

Trains were not dominant because they were big and armoured. The armour only protected the men. A shell on the wheels or directly on the engine spelled doom for the whole train, whereas a shell that takes out the entire top of a carriage only kills the men, not the train itself. Trains didn't engage in vigorous counter-battery duels if they could help it. Give the opponent a couple of heavy guns, and the game will be about clearing off those guns so the train can advance, not the reverse.

Nor could trains advance quickly on the battlefield: one sneaky section of track discretely widened during the night (a favourite trick) would be disastrous. There were also specially built mines to deal with. Rules should not allow trains to advance quickly over unchecked track.

Trains worked in the odd situation of the RCW because they had mobility to the rear and were always in supply. They could retire quickly when pressed hard, so were very difficult to defeat outright, and the crews had far superior abilities to rest and recuperate. It helped that they tended to have the pick of the best men (including landing parties), which reinforced their superiority.

Armoured trains were a fabulous strategic weapon, allowing an army with them to move troops and guns to the critical points very quickly. But they did not lord it over the battlefield.

[Leapsnbounds]

Great job, I'm sure they will be grat in action.

[Poliorketes]

We will do some play testing before Tactica, but the plan is to use terrain to obscure the trains field of fire and make the train a stationary object. But who knows, there might be a second train in the vicinity to fight out a duell...

[former user]

not sure if at Tactica....
You possibly have a picture?

if You show me Yours, I'll show You mine   
(well in 2-3 weeks when the first one is done)

[Poliorketes]

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=gallery;su=user;cat=73;u=8

[Ignatieff]

Those 1/35 models are absolutely stunning.  I have a faithfull old HLBS Red train, but it aint a patch on that.  I must pray to the Great Lead God in the Sky...

[former user]

niiiiice
am I missing something here?
thought this was the 1:56 train from Copplestone running on S gauge?