28mm figures for Northern Ireland Conflict?

[benglish]

Hey guys.

Looking for suggested sources for 28mm figures for British Army in Northern Ireland, late 70s/early 80s with SLRs, etc. Thinking the Mo-Fo Falklands British from Gripping Beast might work.  Any others? 

What about 28mm 70s civilians and insurgent types?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks
brian

[carlos marighela]

Diorama?

I'm not sure how on earth would you game NI, even if one were so inclined. I'm not but your mileage may differ.

Newline Design sell Mo-Fo British troops for the 1980s, same sculptor as the GB ones I believe. SLRs and SMGs, no body armour, they are wearing tin hats and almost certainly too much personal kit so you would have to do some pretty heavy duty conversion work as you will with the GB figures. Most of them are in fairly active poses too.

Combat Miniatures did do a range of British troops in IS gear in 20mm, I think someone still produces them. Not your desired scale.

PIRA? Look for civilian figures that look like homicidal welfare recipients.

[v_lazy_dragon]

Not a period I'd have thought would be much fun to game... But hey, each to their own. MoFO & Mongrel both do 'full kit' brits, as already mentioned. The Geezers range has police, civillians and criminal gunmen which could probably be used as Terrs. I cant think of any other figures which would work off hand, as all the other insurgent types are wearing too much kit.

[Arlequín]

What those guys both said....

A couple of the figures from the Mo-Fo Argentine and Mercenaries range would work as Provos, but you'd be discarding more out of a pack than you'd use. You'll only need a couple of figures for them, in fact you could do without figures for them at all, as the most common encounter was a few shots fired from a window or other concealed position, after which they'd vanish.

The most common opposition for the Army and RUC were groups of stone and bottle throwing youths, like these from Offensive Miniatures. Some of them are a bit too modern though.

Seriously though, I'd agree on the lack of tactical challenge... most ops were like searching for a black cat in a coal house, when there was no cat there in the first place.

[jp762]

Royal Ulster Constabulary would be hard to find however I have seen someone do a Hotspur landrover......if I could just find it....

[voltan]

wasen't this one was it?




If so it's a slightly modified S&S snatch lanny

[carlos marighela]

Just missing the Confidential Telephone number on the side.

Now if someone made a 28mm Vulcan Bomber I might be tempted to game NI. 

[Plynkes]

I think a game called "West Midlands Serous Crime Squad" might be fun. It would be a bit like "Guess Who?" but the faces would all be beardy Irishmen.

Just pick six. Any six, doesn't matter. There are no consequences if you pick the wrong faces, or if you take the game board, throw it down some stairs and smash it to bits.

[carlos marighela]

Colonel Mustard, in the drawing room, lead pipe.

[Lowtardog]

Yuip mofo and Mongrel most definately, there was a Mofo pack of terrorist types with 1980s weapons but also check some of the TAG russians in balaclavas.

Civis are pretty much covered for rioters with offensive and also (bugger cant think of name) ones doing British riot cops and rioters.

Vehicles Sloppy Jalopy have ideal british kit for this.

[Arlequín]

Colonel Mustard, in the drawing room, lead pipe.

More like Paddy O'Toole, with the Semtex, in the Rotunda...

[Steve F]

Civis are pretty much covered for rioters with offensive and also (bugger cant think of name) ones doing British riot cops and rioters.

Offensive Miniatures have already been mentioned.  There's also Urban Beat from North Star - but both of these ranges may be too modern.

[Trooper]

The Urban Beat figures are too modern for 70's and 80's NI. The MoFo Brits have about the right level of kit, but you would have to use the figures in berets, Falklands Helmets are the wrong model, Infantry wore the early pattern helmet that replaced the Brodie type in 1944, and Paras wore the same style helmet they had worn in WWII. And of course, you would need to fit visors to the helmets. You will mainly want your Brits armed with SLRs and Sterling SMGs, although the Royal Marines used M16s in NI. As for RUC, you might get away with Musketeer Miniatures RIC figures, and just add body armour. For the bad guys Mongrel Miniatures might be the best choice. I do agree that it doesn't offer much in the way of satisfactory wargaming (for many reasons), as a "period" for me.

[benglish]

Hey Guys.

This was a great help.  Thanks.

I know this forum can have lots of UK folks on it, so didn't mean to offend.  A similar post on TMP caused a knock-down drag out. 

Excuse my American insensitivity to the subject ... I know it was (and to a certain degree, still is) something of a touchy issue.  But by the same token, I find it kind of strange that there are piles of posts and figures and game rules based on the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  If you ask me, this is apt to be considered a lot more controversial being that these conflicts are both recent, and in the case of one, still being fought.

I hardly see the difference between gaming British Forces vs. PIRA and USMC vs. Taliban insurgents.

Like I said, I'm coming from the American side of things.  But I don't get offended by people gaming scenarios where a US patrol is IED'd and ambushed by terrorists.  Why is there such a big reaction from the UK contingent at the idea of gaming scenarios where a British patrol is ambushed by terrorists?

Not trying to start an argument or anything.  Just wondering. 

[Steve F]

Like I said, I'm coming from the American side of things. 

Then try to imagine how you would feel if someone asked your advice about a game involving flying aeroplanes into New York skyscrapers.

Also, alas, "the American side of things" involved providing the IRA with much of its funding (while Gaddafi's Libya provided some of its training).  Mind you, the Americans aren't unique in this.  For example, the Provisional IRA was founded by an Englishman, John Stephenson, who liked to call himself Sean mac Steofain because his parents were Irish.  Sentimental Irishry has a lot to answer for.