A Yank needs some VBCW help

[Cadet13]

Hello all. In spite of myself, after trying to convince myself to not start a new project (we all know how long that lasts  , I've made the decision to start a little VBCW project. I've already got a few suitable miniatures (from a past project that ran out of steam) and a couple of vehicles, and I've placed a small order for some more.

I've been trolling through the threads looking at all of the lovely VBCW projects others have done, and I've gleaned a little information about factions and what not. As an American I don't always get the humor, but the whole premise of VBCW looks as fun as a barrel of monkeys to play.

Okay... now it's time to get down to business, and I need y'all's help. I've decided on doing the follwing factions as of right now (I may expand later):

• B.U.F.
• Socialist Workers Militia
• A local Yorkist nobleman's estate
• An Army unit

I'm anticipating the Army unit to be the free agent of the four, depending on the whims of the unit's commander.

With little knowledge of the "official" VBCW backstory other than what I know from reading the forum, where in England would this of mix of forces be present? What are the faction uniform and equipment colors? How can I make my VBCW games be just as quirky as some of the ones I've seen here on LAF? Any other advice for a newbie?

Any suggestions or comments would be helpful.

thanks,

Chuck/Cadet13

[jp1885]

First off, I suggest you register with the Gentlemen's Wargames Parlour forum at http://gwargamesp.18.forumer.com/index.php? and have a good trawl through the posts in the VBCW section at http://gwargamesp.18.forumer.com/index.php?showforum=4 .

This post here - http://gwargamesp.18.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=1689 - is especially useful!

As to where the factions are based - that's entirely up to you! My advice is to choose a part of the UK (a county, town or city) and do a little research as to what it was like in the 30's (a big industrial area or mainly farmland etc. were there any big military installations, did it have a history of far right/left agitation etc etc.) and work out the disposition of your forces from there. But in general there is no right or wrong way to do it - so long as it's reasonably plausible then the only limit is your imagination.

Uniforms - most units, especially workers militias and nobleman's forces would wear civilian attire, with maybe the odd bit of military equipment thrown in. The BUF, something dark and sinister looking and the army, WW1 and/or early WW2 British, with the odd bit of ceremonial uniform thrown in for colour.

You're welcome to take a look at my VBCW minis guide website, and my blog (both hopefully listed in my sig below) for further inspiration!

Have fun!

[6milPhil]

I second what JP says, also consider running a search for VBCW on my blog http://6milphil.wordpress.com/ as there's a fair amount of it on there including some freebie graphics like banners, flags and posters.

If you're not comfortable with using a real area of Britain just invent a county. Consider watching, or reading, some Jeeves & Wooster...



pip pip

[Remington]

Nice thread. Looking forward to seeing how your project will develop. We are still resisting the VBCW wave here in the Darmstadt area, but have been chatting about VGCW occasionally, although we're not sure VGCW would make much sense.

Should I ever start a VBCW project it would have to be based in Derbyshire, so I could stage the fight over Cock Bridge.

[Luddite]

You could always go with a Very American Civil War?  http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=165235  

However, welcome to the madness in any case!

Much of my rambling is likely to follow what jp said...

As an American I don't always get the humor, but the whole premise of VBCW looks as fun as a barrel of monkeys to play.

It is indeed!  

With little knowledge of the "official" VBCW backstory other than what I know from reading the forum,

There isn't really an 'official' backstory as such, beyond the key divergence of the King marrying That Woman (Wallace Simpson, unpleasant American sort don't you know...and a divorcee to boot.  An outrage) and the BUF taking government and splitting the country.  Pretty much everything thereafter is up for you to use and abuse as you like!

where in England would this of mix of forces be present?

Frankly everywhere!
The thing about AVBCW is its about taking your own home area, doing a bit of local history research and coming up with a 'Jeeves & Wooster at war' version of the 1938 civil war!

That's tricky for you of course, not being entirely local to anywhere in the UK?!
What i'd say is if you have some sort of connection to the UK exploit that.  IF not, create a 'Warmington-on-Sea' fictional location, adding in all the things you like/know about Britain.  Go mad with the stereotypes!  

What are the faction uniform and equipment colors?

Colours.  *Ahem*  

BUF - black shorts, long leather trench coats, pencil moustaches and greased black hair (shot back and sides of course).  They like marching about looking pompous too.  And beating up Reds.  Militia will probably have black armbands and no shame.

Socialist Workers Militia - Flat caps, sweaty shirts (sleeves rolled up) covered in the filth of honest labour.  Red armbands and the dignified pride of the working man.

Yorkist Nobleman - private army eh?  Well, location-wise he could have territories all over the UK so 'Yorkist' doesn't neccessarily mean 'York'.  Probably will have acquired uniforms...perhaps British or WWI-era French army surplus (the cad).  Likely to have a white rose sewn on or on the armband somewhere.  Of course, if you want to go a little wild, most country piles (large houses) will have stores of much older uniforms (English Civil War, lobster armour, even medieval chain and plate armour, and indeed weapons) that could make for a very interesting and fun force.  Remember in WWII our Home Guard units were issued with spears...

Army unit - definitely in British uniform - although that leaves a lot of choice in terms of colour at least.  We never could get the dye to fix properly.

How can I make my VBCW games be just as quirky as some of the ones I've seen here on LAF?

Tricky.  Without making you English of course...

Immerse yourself in 1930's and 1940's British films...

For your machines, check out Heath Robinson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson or Percy Hobart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart's_Funnies

Any other advice for a newbie?

Playing the game is the point.  Winning is irrelevant.  In fact, winning - especially wanting to win is really rather bad form.

During your games, all of the following should happen at least once;

1. Ammunition runs out (of course the sporting opponent will hand you some of his)

2. Vehicles break down (dashed contraptions)

3. Commanders make terrible decisions and the NCOs get it done anyway - Lions led by Donkeys and all that...

4. Everything stops of a tea break (both sides are likely to congregate round the tea urn at 'half time' to have a chat about how things are going)


Good luck and have fun with it Chuck.

Looking forwards to the pictures.

Incidentally, while we Brits do rather like to be self effacing, it doesn't mean we're incompetent.  There's a reason the Germans thought we had machineguns when we only had the best rifle ever made...

[Arlequín]

You could of course play purely with stereotypes. An American Anglophile who has bought a manor house and is trying to be as British as he can be, versus the local BUF commander who is desperately trying to be Italian/German/Spanish/Charles Lindbergh (pick your fascist role model). Your socialist leader could also be middle class trying to be working class and coming across like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.

Unfortunately there isn't a single type of 'British' to indoctrinate you with, we come in many flavours (complete with smells). The aforementioned Jeeves and Wooster, Black Adder Goes Forth and as much Stephen Fry as you can handle might help with one sort. I would just say do us as you see us, unless there is a large British community near you, who's going to call you on it?

Fortunately it's perhaps the one setting where 'getting it right' isn't so important. 

The folk at GWP are most helpful, but by all means come back here and keep us informed of your progress. We can then belittle your American naivity about us Brits.

[Cadet13]

Thank you for your replies, gents!

The thing about AVBCW is its about taking your own home area, doing a bit of local history research and coming up with a 'Jeeves & Wooster at war' version of the 1938 civil war!

That's tricky for you of course, not being entirely local to anywhere in the UK?!
What i'd say is if you have some sort of connection to the UK exploit that.

Well, I do know a little of my family history. My last name is Claywell, which is the Americanized form of Clavell, which was at one time a big name in Dorset. I think there's a Clavell Tower there. So that would put me in and around the southern coast.

Of course, if you want to go a little wild, most country piles (large houses) will have stores of much older uniforms (English Civil War, lobster armour, even medieval chain and plate armour, and indeed weapons) that could make for a very interesting and fun force.

Ooh, that could make a fun leader-type... 

You could of course play purely with stereotypes. An American Anglophile who has bought a manor house and is trying to be as British as he can be, versus the local BUF commander who is desperately trying to be Italian/German/Spanish/Charles Lindbergh (pick your fascist role model). Your socialist leader could also be middle class trying to be working class and coming across like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins

I like this idea too.

I second what JP says, also consider running a search for VBCW on my blog http://6milphil.wordpress.com/ as there's a fair amount of it on there including some freebie graphics like banners, flags and posters.

You have some very wonderful things on your Blog 6milphil. It was reading your stuff that helped spark my interest in this madness in the first place! 

You're welcome to take a look at my VBCW minis guide website, and my blog (both hopefully listed in my sig below) for further inspiration!

Some great eye-candy there too, jp, thank you!

Now I've just got to get cracking on the minis that I already possess while I wait for some more to arrive. Stay tuned! 

Regards,
Chuck

[jp1885]

Now I've just got to get cracking on the minis that I already possess while I wait for some more to arrive. Stay tuned! 

Will do sir - have fun!

[6milPhil]

Glad to have been of help.

[Trooper]

Nice thread. Looking forward to seeing how your project will develop. We are still resisting the VBCW wave here in the Darmstadt area, but have been chatting about VGCW occasionally, although we're not sure VGCW would make much sense.

Should I ever start a VBCW project it would have to be based in Derbyshire, so I could stage the fight over Cock Bridge.

Of course you could always tinker with history a wee bit and have the Nazis losing the '33 election, Hindenburg siezing power following the ensuing anarchy etc. Just a thought.

[ahpincis]

Hello all. In spite of myself, after trying to convince myself to not start a new project (we all know how long that lasts   , I've made the decision to start a little VBCW project. I've already got a few suitable miniatures (from a past project that ran out of steam) and a couple of vehicles, and I've placed a small order for some more.

I've been trolling through the threads looking at all of the lovely VBCW projects others have done, and I've gleaned a little information about factions and what not. As an American I don't always get the humor, but the whole premise of VBCW looks as fun as a barrel of monkeys to play.

Okay... now it's time to get down to business, and I need y'all's help. I've decided on doing the follwing factions as of right now (I may expand later):

• B.U.F.
• Socialist Workers Militia
• A local Yorkist nobleman's estate
• An Army unit

I'm anticipating the Army unit to be the free agent of the four, depending on the whims of the unit's commander.

With little knowledge of the "official" VBCW backstory other than what I know from reading the forum, where in England would this of mix of forces be present? What are the faction uniform and equipment colors? How can I make my VBCW games be just as quirky as some of the ones I've seen here on LAF? Any other advice for a newbie?

Any suggestions or comments would be helpful.

thanks,

Chuck/Cadet13

This sounds a spiffing idea! personally I would go for Herefordshire/Gloucester; nice part of Blightey if you ask me with Cheltenham Races in the area.

Good mixture of 'County' folk and lower orders too, probably miners from the valleys....

As for the lingo, Wodehouse is hard to beat; its also the era of Capt. W.E. Johns of 'Biggles' fame as in "Algy's bought it!"

Good luck!

[Cadet13]

Thank you all for the feedback!

I must say, I'm pretty fired up about this, and I've already knocked out two of the minis that I have. The first up is Clarence Lough-Downe, the son of the Yorkist leaning Sir Vincent Lough-Downe.





He's the not-Wooster from Musketeer. The not-Jeeves is in my painting lineup.

The other mini that I've completed represents a unit of socialist Royal Mail employees (I have yet to come up with a good name for them... any suggestions?) Lawrence Stiles is the spotter for a two-man anti-tank rifle team.









I've tried to represent a Great War veteran who nicked a bunch of military kit off of German soldiers, hence the stahlhelm, Gewher 98, cartridge pouches and entrenching tool. His lunch is packed in the small cream can above his e-tool, and slung around his left shoulder is his mail bag (I tried to do a cipher on it). His partner, "Tiny" Tim Murphy, is being painted.

C&C's welcomed!

-Chuck

[6milPhil]

Cor they're neat, both nicely down... Is the top one related to the Lough-Downes of Dredfullee? I'd be tempted with the "Peoples Posties - (Marxist Leninist)" or perhaps the "Pillar Boxes" being solid and red etc...

Nice thread. Looking forward to seeing how your project will develop. We are still resisting the VBCW wave here in the Darmstadt area, but have been chatting about VGCW occasionally, although we're not sure VGCW would make much sense.

See I'd not do VGCW set in the 30's, I'd go for the 1870's in a fight over the unification of German states, or the 1970's in a fight between popularist Reds (BM/RAF) and an unpopular government (Baader Meinhof Komplex Redux).

[Cadet13]

Is the top one related to the Lough-Downes of Dredfullee?

It's possible... The Lough-Downes have a rather extensive extended family. And thanks for the name suggestion-People's Posties it is!

So, I finished the AT Rifle team late last night. Introducing "Tiny" Tim Murphy of the People's Posties - (Marxist Lenninist).







And here's the team together. He was nicknamed "Tiny" because of his height: Standing,  he's nearly seven feet tall!



In fact it was this great height that got him the job of AT rifleman; he was the only an in the posties with the stature large enough to make the Polish Wz 35 AT rifle that they mail ordered () look like a toy. His mail bag is leaning against his knee.

I also added red armbands to both minis and will give all the Posties one for identification perposes.

C&Cs welcomed, thanks for looking!

-Chuck

[Traveler Man]

You're off to a cracking start, old chap! Nice paintwork indeed. I'm looking forward to seeing more.