Red Star Vietminh now at Empress.

[Paul @ Empress Miniatures]

These will be available at Salute and in the shop soon.





Regards,
Paul

[huevans]

Lovely! And very imaginative as well!

[Elk101]

Very characterful. Empress really is pushing the quality boat out.

[huevans]

It would be nice if the Chemin de Feu guys made an online resource package for the Viet Minh, like they did for the CEF paras.

Painting and other info for the VM is extremely hard to find, even from Militaria Magazine.

[commissarmoody]

Agreed, would be nice to see an online resource package for the Viet Minh.

[Paul @ Empress Miniatures]

These are now in the shop.

[axabrax]

EDIT: Looks like I asked the same question regarding rules when this range first came out. In the original thread people are saying to use any World War II set rather than something for unconventional warfare like FNG. Unfortunately, it doesn't really look like anyone has actually produced any sort of a supplement for any system. Perhaps I will look into doing something for Chain of Command…

Good Lord these are amazing! I knew about this range but I haven't really taken a look until now. This has to be some of Paul's best work. Clearly a labor of love by the gents over at Red Star. I agree, however, that we need some resources for painting and scenarios. Also, what rules are people using? Maybe FNG from two hour Wargames? Probably wouldn't be too hard to come up with a variant for this theater...

[axabrax]

Found a link to their blog:

http://dienbienphuredstarminiatures.blogspot.be

At least have some photos of the Vietminh equipment. There's a paint guide there as well

[Legion1963]

These miniatures are one of the best if not the best in the business.

[huevans]

Found a link to their blog:

http://dienbienphuredstarminiatures.blogspot.be

At least have some photos of the Vietminh equipment. There's a paint guide there as well

Thanks. Glad that they did that.

[Arlequín]

I think these are becoming possibly the best range of post-WWII figures out there, especially with the 'travelling' weapons teams and other options.

EDIT: Looks like I asked the same question regarding rules when this range first came out. In the original thread people are saying to use any World War II set rather than something for unconventional warfare like FNG. Unfortunately, it doesn't really look like anyone has actually produced any sort of a supplement for any system. Perhaps I will look into doing something for Chain of Command…

As the war, at least at the point for which these figures were designed for (post 1950), was largely composed of conventional actions, I'm inclined to say that something like CoC would work far better than a 'Vietnam' rule set. At it's simplest, you could use the U.S. and Soviet WWII lists (less the Soviet vehicles obviously) as your starting point and work from there.

I'm sure that with very little effort (and even more so with more) you could have some very satisfying games with them.     

[axabrax]

I posted a question about lists for CoC on the too fat lardies Yahoo group, and it sounds like there are some fans on the board that might come up with something. Let's keep our eyes peeled.

I'm curious now. What is it that separates this war from World War II? What are some distinct aspects of the combat that might give it some particular flavor? I think someone mentioned in an earlier post something about the possibility of trench fighting? Or new Weapons? Other than the spectacular figures, why would I want to play this if I already have WW2 armies?

[Poiter50]

Not sure whether you have seen my reply but this may be of some help if you have access to the magazine;

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=343468

[Arlequín]

I'm curious now. What is it that separates this war from World War II? What are some distinct aspects of the combat that might give it some particular flavor? I think someone mentioned in an earlier post something about the possibility of trench fighting? Or new Weapons? Other than the spectacular figures, why would I want to play this if I already have WW2 armies?

In truth it offers nothing that you wouldn't already find somewhere within WWII. Some new weapons, such as the recoilless rifle, but in game terms is that any different than the Bazooka or P/Faust? Granted the 57mm had quite some range, but a considerably smaller punch.

That being said you have many aspects of WWII without the need for numerous armies to recreate all of them. Admittedly I'm generalising a bit here, but you had guerilla/partisan warfare in the South throughout the war and in the North before 1950, and more conventional actions in the North after that date (plus guerilla actions to a lesser degree). Ambushes on convoys, VM assaults on French fortified positions, trench warfare in the fortifications around Bien Dien Phu, it's all there.

Despite their vehicles and air power, the French often found themselves tied to the roads (depending on where we are talking), with only a limited area either side of them to manoeuvre what tracked vehicles they had and only a slightly larger area in which infantry could move effectively. In a situation where the VM held a settlement, this means the French have the problem of deciding what to deploy on the limited frontage open to them, thus reducing their material superiority.

Someone with far more grounding in this could give a far better answer, but I have to admit it would be the figures more than anything which would drive me into this.

  

[huevans]

I posted a question about lists for CoC on the too fat lardies Yahoo group, and it sounds like there are some fans on the board that might come up with something. Let's keep our eyes peeled.

I'm curious now. What is it that separates this war from World War II? What are some distinct aspects of the combat that might give it some particular flavor? I think someone mentioned in an earlier post something about the possibility of trench fighting? Or new Weapons? Other than the spectacular figures, why would I want to play this if I already have WW2 armies?

Different characters for the armies. Very high morale for the VM. Many of their attacks were virtual suicide missions. Political objectives involved in winning / losing.

French paras would be elite troops. Infantry less so.

High proportion of automatic weapons on both sides. Little air support. None for VM, in fact. Limited armour support.

Much of the fighting would be jungle fighting along roads or in clearings.

Think everything you could get from PTO fighting in WW2, without the massive US firepower advantage.