EW Polish trucks (and bonus "rant" about FoW Blitzkrieg)

[Anatoli]

And here are the Zvezda Zis-5 trucks painted up. I highly doubt I will get more trucks, having tried out the Motorized cavalry brigade this weekend I came to the conclusion that my infantry will always be slogging along on foot. And the AT guns that I would like to transport across the board faster - need Fiat jeeps to tow them.

I also wrote down a list of problems with Blitzkrieg (and the Polish) when it comes to the book and the models available on the market because I had to vent my frustration after making another futile search for key elements for my army.

http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.se/2012/07/ew-trucks-for-polish-artillery-and.html

[n815e]

I know that lots of people play FoW, but you could always switch to a different system.

[Anatoli]

Different system would not solve the lack of all those key models missing in 15mm...

[Helen]

I love the Fiat cars with their roles they play in the army. I echo your thoughts about this type of issue.

Cheers,

Helen

[jamesmanto]

Poles are a tough sell since they are unfairly viewed through the lense of German propaganda.

If you want to play tournaments then I'd say don't play Poles and if you want to play Poles than damn the lists, play a proper scenario and draw up historical OBs so the Germans appear with 1939 kit (a lot of Pz1s and NO SPGs)

And have you looked a the Polish figures and vehicles sold under the True North name by Old Glory? http://www.oldgloryminiatures.com/products.asp?cat=693

They have dismounted cavalry AT crews and the 7TPjw tank. Yes it's $8 for a single tank but what the hell do you want? It's a deal considering you're buying BF models for their outrageous prices already. Considering it costs a few hundred dollars to get a miniature sculpted, mould made and into production, then the price of metal and labour and one has to sell an awful lot of little tanks to make back any of that money.

Multiply those costs over an entire range of several dozen models and you'll see why the rare stuff doesn't get made.

James

[Anatoli]

@James,

I'm currently writing historical OoB for for FoW Poles, Germans, Slovaks and Soviets for the invasion of Poland 1939. The project is moving along at a decent pace and should be finished in 2 months time, then released for free.

As for True North/Old Glory, I would happily pay 8 dollars a tank without complaint if they were worth it. Sadly, judging from those pictures (the few that are up on their site) the sculpting of the TN/OG vehicles is quite poor compared to their infantry and even more importantly compared to the rest of the market. The sculpts are very rough with few details like rivets or lines to outline hatches or armor plates etc. 

[MajorTalon]

If you sign up at Battlefront's website, you can use the forums, and show them your lists in the Early War development board. They might adjust the lists when they release a new book.

[Anatoli]

@MajorTalon, I won't bother with that as Battlefront did not want to listen at all when I have pointed out stuff for 2 years. And I offered them my help a year ago, but nothing came of it. As far as I'm concerned they can do whatever they want, I'm writing a book for FoW gamers that want to play the campaign of 1939 alone.

[answer_is_42]

The Polish army fought for a month of a war that lasted six years, encompassed almost every nation on earth and over 100 million people. Whilst their contribution was indeed a significant one, I’m afraid I cannot agree with you in complaining about the minor problems in FoW army lists, or gaps in miniature ranges. I know it’s a real passion of yours, but you must understand only a very, very small minority of wargamers will ever hold even the vaguest interest in gaming the invasion of Poland. You should consider yourself amazingly fortunate that you’ve such a range to draw from. How do you think people who want to play the Dutch manage? Or the Belgians, Norwegians, Egyptians, Chinese, Slovaks, Siamese, Indian, Greek, Yugoslav etc, etc, etc?

The Poles have an astonishing level of coverage when compared to my particular interest - the Romanians. Despite fighting for five years, all the way to Stalingrad and back and contributing in total 2 million men to the war they are (for reasons of Western and Soviet historiography) largely unknown even to those otherwise quite knowledgeable in the Second World War. As regards FoW the Romanians lack much, in particular an Early War list. I have found most artillery guns impossible to obtain for them.

So, basically, calm down! It could be much worse! 

[Anatoli]

The Polish army fought for a month of a war that lasted six years, encompassed almost every nation on earth and over 100 million people. Whilst their contribution was indeed a significant one, I’m afraid I cannot agree with you in complaining about the minor problems in FoW army lists, or gaps in miniature ranges. I know it’s a real passion of yours, but you must understand only a very, very small minority of wargamers will ever hold even the vaguest interest in gaming the invasion of Poland. You should consider yourself amazingly fortunate that you’ve such a range to draw from. How do you think people who want to play the Dutch manage? Or the Belgians, Norwegians, Egyptians, Chinese, Slovaks, Siamese, Indian, Greek, Yugoslav etc, etc, etc?

The Poles have an astonishing level of coverage when compared to my particular interest - the Romanians. Despite fighting for five years, all the way to Stalingrad and back and contributing in total 2 million men to the war they are (for reasons of Western and Soviet historiography) largely unknown even to those otherwise quite knowledgeable in the Second World War. As regards FoW the Romanians lack much, in particular an Early War list. I have found most artillery guns impossible to obtain for them.

So, basically, calm down! It could be much worse! 

I think you mean well, but I find your post to have completely missed my point. By your reasoning Battlefront should have skipped the Invasion of France, should skip the Winter War and really just focus on D-day, Market Garden, and Stalingrad. That’s mighty convenient,  dumbed down mainstream WW2 for the masses. Imo, when you do something – you should do it well and commit a 100%.  The Blitzkrieg book is sadly an uninspired cash-in that just damaged whatever interest people might have had in the completely overlooked Early War – that is in fact a lot more interesting then rehashing another Normandy campaign.

I'll leave it at that.

[answer_is_42]

I think you mean well, but I find your post to have completely missed my point. By your reasoning Battlefront should have skipped the Invasion of France, should skip the Winter War and really just focus on D-day, Market Garden, and Stalingrad. That’s mighty convenient,  dumbed down mainstream WW2 for the masses. Imo, when you do something – you should do it well and commit a 100%.  The Blitzkrieg book is sadly an uninspired cash-in that just damaged whatever interest people might have had in the completely overlooked Early War – that is in fact a lot more interesting then rehashing another Normandy campaign.

I'll leave it at that.

Well, yes, as those are what make money. We should feel lucky that Poland etc get a look-in at all. Fact of the market is that even a large company such as BF probably make very little from these smaller ranges. They've got to turn a profit, you know. If they followed you reasoning and committed 100% to producing, in the case of the Romanians for example, an ever so slightly modified turret for the PZ-35t and so forth they'd quickly go out of business. I mean, who on earth will ever even consider making lorries correct for the Polish army 1939?

Economically speaking, Battlefront should simply produce "dumbed down mainstream WW2 for the masses".

[Helen]

Okay guys, rant is now over and topic is now locked.