Sugestions/recomdations on NWT 28mms, please ?

[HPFlashman]

As stated in another tread in the T+T forum, I`ve just ordered the ruleset and colonial addendum.

Driscol has been nice enough to give me an advice that I probaly should get something along the lines of 20 figures for each side, I`ve been thinking of using "The Story of the Malakand Field Force" as a back drop, so its skirmishing and battling around 1895 to 1902ish Northwest Territories, and it should be possibilities for some interesting bits and bobs, possibly some "spying" missions in the "Great Game" sense as well, if applicable ruleset can be found.

As everything has to be ordered by mail, I was hoping to get some recommendation as to suggestions on figures and appropriate paints to go with them - somewhat sneaking in line, as to circumventing the wait for ruleset, read up on rules for creating units, wait for figures, paint and the games afoot..

Only things I have for the moment are guts, some time, tools, space, both work and game and a table that should easily convert into a gaming table and a serious hankering of getting started. I probably will start with building up a gametable, along the lines of http://zeitcom.com/majgen/index.html,if not adviced otherwise...

I have built mil.models inc dioramas, painted larger figures for AD&D, but all that is a couple of decades away.

Any advice, gentlewomen or men ?

[Furt]

Hi HPFlashman,

I was in a very similar boat to you a couple of years ago and have a come a long way with the help of LAFers here. We pretty much started our war gaming efforts from scratch.

Having never built any terrain before I jumped in here first and produced some generic adobe style buildings that seem to fit in almost anywhere. They are easy enough to make and the Major General Tremorden Rederring's site is all the advice in this area you will need. These are some of my first efforts at copying the General's work, and if I can do it anyone can. http://adventuresinlead.blogspot.com/search/label/buildings

As for the figures you couldn't go past the Foundry Pathan/Hillmen in their India range. They are expensive but beautiful. There are some examples of our Pathans here http://adventuresinlead.blogspot.com/2010/10/chases-rescue-dispatch.html

Also I recommend keeping things as generic as possible. I believe it is easier to add a few simple pieces to convey the impression of location, than to construct some massive terrain project that covers just one specific period or battle.

Hope some of this helps?

[Will Bailie]

It may just be my Canadian prejudices coming through, but for me

NWT = North West Territories.  Canada's frontier.  Obviously your best choice for figures is Bob Murch's Pulp Figures - in particular the Yukon Peril line, but since that the selection is limited, you may want to supplement with Tiger Miniatures (formerly HLBS)
http://www.pulpfigures.com/cat.php?range=Yukon%20Peril&catalog=PYP&custID=1749288461288666144

http://tigerminiatures.co.uk/page7.htm


NWF = North West Frontier.  At one time the northwestern limit of British India, now the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.  For Pathans, buy the Old Glory figures.  These are probably the nicest figures that OG makes, and easily a match for Foundry in quality, at half the price.

http://www.oldglory25s.com/index.php?cat_id=325&catname='Pathans'

[Chairface]

It may just be my Canadian prejudices coming through, but for me

NWT = North West Territories.  Canada's frontier.  Obviously your best choice for figures is Bob Murch's Pulp Figures - in particular the Yukon Peril line, but since that the selection is limited, you may want to supplement with Tiger Miniatures (formerly HLBS)
http://www.pulpfigures.com/cat.php?range=Yukon%20Peril&catalog=PYP&custID=1749288461288666144

http://tigerminiatures.co.uk/page7.htm

I'll second the Tiger minis suggestion. The Mounties are delightful!

RAFM's MU Expedition to Antarctica would be useful as well:

http://www.rafm.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RAF&Product_Code=RAF02971&Category_Code=COCMMU

With the exception of the Penguin of course.

And Knuckleduster's miners would be cool.

[HPFlashman]

Thanks, Fellas

FSultana, if your link was to your first attempts of setting up a board, I must say that I`m angst ridden. Splendid stuff. I share the sentiment of keeping it as generic as possible.

Will, the interest is for the moment not Canadian territories, sorry bout that. But I must say that the Pulp figures was very attractive. Especially the Sikh with the .55 Boys AT rifle. I admit that some drooling took place, looking at that one. The Old Glory figures was stunning, I`ll contact them with some questions, thanks for the tip.

Chairface, my latest RPG adventures was a Chutulu campaign, back in the early 90`s - would have liked to have some of those miniatures then... :-)

A couple of questions:

How does the old glory 25mm compare with the foundry 28mm line in sizing ? 3mm`s not much on me being a bit over 6`7", but for something thats as small as the miniatures its quite a bit - somewhere around 8%.

Does this look odd on the table ?

Also relating to sizing - if I fancy getting some vehicle props, is it correct if I get them in 1:48 ? (The local hobby store has some 30ish car models in this size on a 50% sale - the most interesting being the Citroen Traction Avant).

Also recommendations on the Vallejo colours, for the NWB would be appriciated.

Sorry if I seem a bit long winded and with noobish questions, but I`ve gotten a seriously bite of  "the freshmans enthusiasm bug", over here its a rather lonesome thingy and for the most parts a mailorder avenue of approach. So no actually looking/fumbling before the mailman delivers the goods.

[Westfalia Chris]

How does the old glory 25mm compare with the foundry 28mm line in sizing ? 3mm`s not much on me being a bit over 6`7", but for something thats as small as the miniatures its quite a bit - somewhere around 8%.

Does this look odd on the table ?

The problem with Old Glory is, IMHO, that they are quite unpredictable. Some ranges are rather modern in size, more akin to 28 than the alleged 25mm, some are diminutive. For me, the main issue with mixing Foundry and OG would be the style, though, since they are markedly different at times, Foundry (from my experience) being a bit sharper and cleaner in detail.

Also relating to sizing - if I fancy getting some vehicle props, is it correct if I get them in 1:48 ? (The local hobby store has some 30ish car models in this size on a 50% sale - the most interesting being the Citroen Traction Avant).

I'm a big fan of 1/48th myself, and don't think they look too out of place, especially if the miniatures (not the cars) are on bases. If they have a sale (and they are indeed 1/48 scale), I'd say get some. If you don't get the same model in different scales, I don't think it's that problematic to combine them.

That said, you can also get a number of nice, if very complicated in assembly, kits from Sloppy Jalopy in 1/56th scale, with several designs of interwar trucks which are otherwise pretty much unavailable. Be warned - SJ assembly is NOT for the faint-hearted. You might also want to take a look at the Force of Arms models - they only have an unillustrated PDF catalogue, but I saw a large selection of the models at Fiasco on Sunday, and they were very, very nice (I got a Lancia Armoured Car).

Those will obviously be more expensive and probably less detailed than discounted model cars, but may fit the scale (especially of smaller 28mm figures) better than 1/48.

[Furt]

How does the old glory 25mm compare with the foundry 28mm line in sizing ? 3mm`s not much on me being a bit over 6`7", but for something thats as small as the miniatures its quite a bit - somewhere around 8%.

IMHO the Old Glory and Foundry mix fine. I have both - but prefer the Foundry. The OG Pathans that are kneeling come with some odd looking outcropping attached that I did not like, plus some have the OG trademark awkward gait. But as mentioned they are some of their better casts. I also have some of their mounted Pathans http://adventuresinlead.blogspot.com/2010/05/painted-old-glory-pathan-horsemen.html that i really like.

[Driscoles]

The Old Glory Pathans are great. One of the best ranges OG offers.
I dont know the OG Pathan Cavalry, but if they as good as the Old Glory Bengal Lancers they are good too.

Pathans foot and Foundry foot mix fine.

Cheers
Björn

[HPFlashman]

Thanks for the suggestions, fellas.

I`ve spent some serious time, browsing this site and others, looking up different sets, and has thus far concluded with nothing... :-D

I`m a bit partial to getting the following two Foundry collection:

http://wargamesfoundry.com/historical_ranges/collections/colonial/indian/indian_hill_tribesmen_collection_bcind005/

and

http://wargamesfoundry.com/historical_ranges/collections/colonial/british/north_west_frontier_best_sellers_collection_bcnw001/

Which seems like a good deal, if not a cheap one - the OG sets are so much larger (and cheaper), so when I tried setting up a force of somewhat similar character, it ran into several hundred figures - and being that they have a somewhat "lacking in pictures website", I flustered, and ran away in a true Flashmanian sense. 

I would have preferd to get regular British troops over the Highlanders, why I really cant say.

Anyhow - it looks like I`m about to spend something along the lines of £200ish, which boils down to either the Foundry at top at 92 figures, or the same amount of OG, that will be somewhere between 250 and 300 figures, depending on my individual mixing of infantry, cavalry, supportweapons et al. (ohh, and I really want a machinegun section).

For the Brits, OG points to their Boer line of figures, anyone that has any input on this line in comparison to their Indian line as to mixing and matching the two lines ?

And a last request for now, could anybody point me to some figures in hand photos ? - The more I browse, the more uncertain I becomes as to actual size of the 28mm, the figures that I recall from the AD&D days was in my imagination, a bit bigger, so a handshot with some figures placed in an open hand would help me grasp the actual size of these. I`ve come across any colonials, just some Warhammer 40K stuff and those looks big, anyhow I think.

Again, thanks for the assistance so far. Thumbs up for a great site and helpfull fellas.. Chin-chin

[Will Bailie]

Get the OG Pathans - you won't be disappointed!  (though why they can't get better photos on their website boggles the mind)



Foundry is good for having just about the only Afghan regulars around (although Tiger Miniatures has them as well).

For Brits, I have recruited from Perry Miniatures and am exceedingly happy with them. (and of course you should have 2 Indian regiments for each British one)

[chicklewis]

Danger, Danger, I believe Sloppy Jalopy also makes 1/48th scale vehicles, NOT 1/56th.  I would love to be proven wrong. 

For my tastes, 1/48th looks stupidly large next to most 28mm figures. 

[HPFlashman]

Thanks for the insights, fellas.

Browsing the OG Pathan and Indian line, it looks nice. So its going to town on those fellas

Anyone with some insights on the OG Boerwar British line ?

Just thinking about getting it done with one-stop shopping, but I havent found anything relating to that line - and I think I covered most of the pages regarding colonial gaming here..

Will - splendid tread you put up about Kandahar gaming, with the Pathans..
I`ve been over there on two tours, myself - up north, though.

[HPFlashman]

I`ve been speculating on this set up:

CNB-10 Wounded Indian Troops (For use as markers)

CNB-08 Indian Mountain Gunners with Crew
CNB-07 Indian Mountain Gunners 
CNG-01 7 pounder Mountain Gun

CBB-02 Infantry Skirmishing (British of the boer line)
CNB-02 Indian Infantry Skirmishing
CNB-03 Indian Infantry Advancing
CNB-05 Bengal Lancers

CNP-07 Wounded Pathan Tribesmen (For use as markers)
CNP-05 Pathan Tribesmen Mounted on Ponies
CNP-04 Pathan Tribesmen Charging with Swords
CNP-03 Pathan Tribesmen with Rifles

It may seem a bit heavy on the colonial side, but its marching and skirmishing duos, plus mountaingun deployed and in transportation mode. 

Any obvious oversights, stuff I`m missing out on etcetera ?


   

[Driscoles]

This looks like a great force. I hope you will like them.

They will be great for T+T and when painted all you can do even larger games.

I think especially the NWF is great for small skirmishes.

Have fun

[Furt]

Any obvious oversights, stuff I`m missing out on etcetera ?

Heroes?