The Range is Hot! Please see page 13 for quick straw poll.

[Arrigo]

Arget,

do not hold your breath, I need to ask in a roundabout way... but a friend of mine has a friend who is a ROKA army officer and I can provide the stuff. Be aware a lot of detail about the ROKA are classified. Thus I am not 100% sure to be able to get anything useful. It is easier for me to get stuff on the PLA... (oh by the way, the mix of weapons in the PLA packs from empress appears to be based on PLA insider info...)

Arrigo

[arget8]

Arrigo,

If you are able to get that info, I would greatly appreciate it. I won't depend on it, but it would be awfully nice.

On another note, does anyone know the platoon organization for the IDF? My understanding is that they are pretty fluid, but are generally similar to western militaries, with possibly only one LMG and UGL per squad. This is what I have so far:

IDF:

Platoon Leader- TAR-21
Platoon Sergeant- TAR-21
Radioman- TAR-21
Medic- TAR-21

3 Squads of 9 men

SL- TAR-21
LMG- Negev
AT- MATADOR/TAR-21
UGL- TAR-21/M203
Rifleman- TAR-21
Rifleman- TAR-21
Rifleman- TAR-21
Rifleman- TAR-21
Rifleman- TAR-21


IDF: 16 Unique Poses
-   Firefight (2x TAR-21, 1x TAR-21 w/UGL, 1x Negev)
-   Skirmish (2x TAR-21, 1x TAR-21 w/UGL, 1x Negev)
-   Patrol (3x TAR-21, 1x MATADOR) (POSSIBLE)
-   Command (Commander (TAR-21), PSG (TAR-21), Radio (TAR-21), Medic (TAR-21)
-   Heavy weapons (FN MAG, MATADOR, Unknown Marksman Rifle (potentially M24 or HTR 2000)

The pack organization leaves a bit to be desired, but I want to get at least two poses of the UGL and Negev. I think the Patrol pack would be nice, but I've been told that most production molds are sixteen figures, which makes me hesitate adding another pack. Let me know what you think.

Any ideas, critiques, or info would be appreciated!

Gunnar

[gimzod]

It all sounds great. I'd definitely buy some of the south Koreans and the generic army and insurgents.

[commissarmoody]

I like what I am seeing so far.

[Arlequín]

As the Israelis now have a 7.62mm version of the Negev (the 'Maximi' rather than the 'Minimi'), the FN-Mag seems superfluous with a set of figures with up-to-the-minute armaments otherwise. In a reserve unit with M4s would be better for that I think.

I don't know if it's changed, but back in 2005 an Israeli fire team 'usually' had one anti-tank weapon (in a squad one team often had an RPG-7 and the other a B-300), besides the SAW. UGLs do seem to have been one per fire team, or at least one per squad.

Fire teams appear to vary between four and five men depending on unit, although 'squads' of up to twelve can be seen on some photos. I suspect the variation is due to vehicle crews being with the squad for infantry operations/exercises, when in conventional combat they would obviously be in the vehicle.

Each Israeli APC used to carry what we now call a DMR (along with a Gill ATGW firing post and missiles), but the role of 'squad sniper' was introduced in the late 1990s and now one guy usually carries a DMR. The rifles mentioned are a DMR version of the Tavor (STAR-21), the SR-25 (7.62mm) and of course the M16A2, all of which have bipods. The role combines sharpshooter with assault rifleman, so bolt-action weapons like the M24 or the Barak (HTR-2000) are more probably confined to actual dedicated sniper teams.

Israeli infantrymen are trained to have two squad roles in combat, rifleman being the principal one and everyone apart from the SAW gunner carries a rifle. While a guy firing a Matador might be nice (in a weapons pack), I suspect a rifleman carrying one slung might be more serviceable, or better yet, one (and/or an RPG if they are still used) which can be added to a rifleman figure as required. One guy in a squad is also still often seen with a folding stretcher attached to his LBE on infantry ops.  

The old PRC-77 man-pack radios were phased out of the regulars before 2011 and even most reserve units now have PRC-624 and 710 units, which fit into a pouch on the LBE. Squad and team leaders have the same headsets you would expect to see in the U.S. Army. This means that a 'radio operator figure' is pretty redundant in a unit armed with Tavors.  

The actual organisation of a platoon I don't know, but I gather that the 'HQ element' is also organised as a squad, effectively giving four squads to a platoon, with two teams to a squad. If four packs of four is a single mould's worth of figures, this effectively gives you the option to do four different fire teams. Mixing and matching of individual packs by the customer cuts down on the 'samey' appearance of each squad and of course is very efficient in terms of packs sold from a mould (2 of each figure is a platoon).

[julesav]

I've just spotted this thread and thought I'd add my tuppence worth!

Regarding the projected packs of 'western militia' wouldn't it be better to make a pack with G3, a pack with M-16, and 2 packs with AKs given people's expressed preferences for common weapons in a 'unit'? Just a thought!

[worrywort]

i'm agree with that !

Don't forget the french FAMAS

[arget8]

My idea behind the insurgent weapons is that the most likely weapon for most insurgents around the world will be the AKM. The G3 and M16 are possible in fewer numbers all over the world as well. I don't feel that the FAMAS is common enough outside of France and her former colonies to be included in a generic pack. The G3 is one of the most prolific weapons in the Middle East and Africa and the M16 or its clones are available all over the world in pretty large numbers. The reason I have them mixed in is that I don't think they are prolific enough to warrant their own packs when compared to the AKM. Also, insurgents tend to be a pretty rag tag bunch. If anyone has evidence to refute this, please let me know!

I will do some more work on the IDF and bring a second proposal range soon!

Gunnar

[arget8]

How does this look for the IDF?

IDF: 20 Unique Poses
-   Firefight (1x TAR-21, 1x TAR-21 w/UGL, 1x Negev, 1x TAR-21 w/MATADOR)
-   Skirmish (1x TAR-21, 1x TAR-21 w/UGL, 1x Negev, 1x TAR-21 w/MATADOR)
-   Patrol (1x TAR-21, 1x TAR-21 w/UGL, 1x Negev, 1x TAR-21 w/MATADOR)
-   Command (Commander (TAR-21), PSG (TAR-21), Marksman (SR-25), Medic (TAR-21)

As of right now, I am leaning towards the Western Insurgents and Generic Military with the Koreans and IDF close behind as potential future ranges. However, if the demand for the IDF and Koreans increases, I may consider subbing out the generic military for the IDF.

Let me know what you think!

Gunnar

[Wyrmalla]

Wouldn't doing a range nobody else does first be better? IIRC Empress do Western Insurgents already, and you can easily use generic criminal models as those too, or would yours look entirely different from those?

[Keith]

(oh by the way, the mix of weapons in the PLA packs from empress appears to be based on PLA insider info...)

This 

[ichwillauch]

I'd definitely buy some of the Koreans and the generic army, too.

Is there a chance for some really "unusual" poses like sentries, high ranking officers with secret documents or important members of the political party, drivers, soldiers laying/detecting mines, soldiers maintaining/refueling vehicles or parachuting especially a miniature still hanging on the parachute?

[arget8]

Wouldn't doing a range nobody else does first be better? IIRC Empress do Western Insurgents already, and you can easily use generic criminal models as those too, or would yours look entirely different from those?

Empress's insurgents are much more middle eastern. They look much more like Fedayeen or ISIS fighters than true western. They ahve some wearing jeans or sweaters, but most of them have a distinct Middle Eastern or Chechen feel with head scarves or Kamees. Mine would look much more like Europeans or Americans, but the heads will be interchangeable to allow them to be used for any type of insurgency where people wear distinctly western style clothes. Pretty much if the guys next door threw on some load bearing equipment and grabbed an AKM is the look that I'm going for.

Gunnar

[arget8]

I'd definitely buy some of the Koreans and the generic army, too.

Is there a chance for some really "unusual" poses like sentries, high ranking officers with secret documents or important members of the political party, drivers, soldiers laying/detecting mines, soldiers maintaining/refueling vehicles or parachuting especially a miniature still hanging on the parachute?

Sentry style figures are possible (guys walking around carrying weapons, but the rest are a little out of scope for my initial ranges.

[Elk101]

Arget8, where are you based? I only ask as I was wondering about your market accessibility. For example, if you are US based I'd potentially be concerned about shipping to the UK, and vice versa for those N American based. The poor Antipodeans largely seem to bear the worst of the shipping costs regardless. That's not to say I wouldn't though, as I recently had an excellent experience ordering directly to Crossover Miniatures. It would, however, likely attract a larger audience if you had a retailer or dustributor in other areas. For example Minibits in the UK are the regular stockists of Crossover and I've followed up my big order to the States with smaller orders to Minibits.

I just figured it's more likely to bring your figures to a wider audience in terms if accessibilitynand associated sales. I really think you might just plug a gap in the moderns market with your ideas, especially the generic troops with head options so it would be a shame for it not to pay off.