Bolt Action: Operation Sealion Minis

[Arlequín]

The skating platoons were apparently termed 'Suicide Squads'; not because they were any sort of elite, but because of the injuries the unit suffered every time they turned out to train.

Another London unit was trained to manouvre by running and jumping across roof tops, not unlike the sweeps in Mary Poppins. Their accents would be a tad more genuine than Dick Van Dyke's though.

There was actually more than enough real weird, wonderful and silly in 'Invasion Scare' UK without making it up.

[carlos marighela]

Yeah but... Wouldn't that require reading?

[Arlequín]

I think there was reading involved, but given the Warlord blurb about only '157 AT Guns' in the UK and the 'Brave Lads of the BEF' being the only regular troops available to fight, I don't think it's any book printed after around 1968. Since then a lot of documentation has been de-restricted.

Truth is that across the board equipment losses in France (total, not just Dunkirk) were in the region of 50-60% of stocks of any particular item, so another duplicate BEF at around 80% equipment issue could have been formed before the BEF was even evacuated. That doesn't take into account items produced between July and September on top of that and the U.S. weapons received. Unit equipment shortages were due to the number of additional divisions being formed above establishment.

[Kommando_J]

I agree with Carlos, a nice generic list that I can use counts as for some wackiness but...the thought of actual rules for a rugby squad...I just imagine them getting gunned down way beforehand.

[Arlequín]

Probably wouldn't even survive standing in a line singing the National Anthem at the start of the game.  

Still they probably serve better than a football team, most of whom would fall down hurt when a round just comes close to them. A 'magic sponge' special rule would be required there.

 

I also agree with Carlos though too, create a solid 'real' list and you can always rely on a group to add their own 'fun', as was the case with Rich H and Co (although I note the Bootnecks escaped ridicule!). 'Having a joke explained to me' is exactly what I'd think if the 'fun' had to be spelled out to me as a core component of a setting and I'd be inclined to feel a tad patronised into the bargain.

[manchesterreg]

I agree with Carlos, a nice generic list that I can use counts as for some wackiness but...the thought of actual rules for a rugby squad...I just imagine them getting gunned down way beforehand.

Ah but dont forget, their HQ is the Club Captain, Club Secretary and Groundsman !

[Kommando_J]

I bought a load of nice footsore stuff just before Sealion released...only to find that all the patrol lists are shite and force you to have half melee armed squads, also most of the units can only be run in one patrol so you need to field multiple allied patrols for any variety...and the gangster list should have gotten smg's .

[Arlequín]

I confess I am surprised there's been no mention of Churchill's Daleks Ironsides. 

[Kommando_J]

The funny thing is they are making them for doctor who, but as I mention elsewhere completely the wrong scale, its a shame, the cross promotionl between 28mm DW minis and warlords various ranges could have been very interesting.

[carlos marighela]

Canonical items.

Nazi paratroopers dressed as nuns.

Fifth columnists pushing prams.

Smith guns and Austin 7s. Technically  speaking the Smith gun arrived too late for anything like a half realistic prospect of invasion but it's cool and we all have a copy of The Real Dad's Army.

Blacker Bombards.(see above)

Fougasses.

Butcher's van as personnel carrier.

Auxiliary Units but only cos you get to field Peter Fleming, author of Brazilian Adventure, his hunt for Percy Fawcett  and Ian's brother.

[joroas]

Wargames Foundry has some items that fill some of those gaps.



These are on eBay.

[Kommando_J]

Warlord does all of those too.

[joroas]

Not the German agent pulling a gun out of the bag on the handlebars....

[Kommando_J]

True, but in this case I think warlord do the better enemy agents pack.

[Arlequín]

Indeed the Blacker Bombard, Smith Gun and Northover Projector are all too late for a 1940 invasion.

Plenty of other things though;

RAC Motor Machine Gun units with 'Tilly MG Vickers portees' or Recce Austin 7 Tourers mounting a Vickers in front of the passenger seat.

TA Motorcycle Battalions.

The 'Malcolm Campbell Car' (Dodge Armoured Car), with or without German aircraft MGs, or a 6 pdr Gun.

Motley 3 and 6 pdr anti-tank guns (from scrapped WWI and Vickers Medium tanks).

'Bison' mobile concrete pillboxes and a cornucopia of armoured trucks and buses.

Bedford OXA (over 900 made).

Beaverettes with powered aircraft turrets mounted (double or quad).

Beer barrel on an Austin 7 chassis.

U.S. supplied 'French 75s'.

Early marks of two-man Vickers Light tanks (II to IV).

Single or double Scarff MG mounts on almost anything that had wheels.

Converted ex-aircraft Lewis LMGs (no shroud and added metal shoulder stock)

The quad Marlin MG mount and the RAF quad Browning MG mount.

Semi-auto and full-auto SMLEs with 30 round 'Trench' mags. Farquhar-Hill semi-auto rifĺes.

Webley revolvers with bayonets.

100 rd AA drum mags for Brens.

M1 Carbines.

Browning Auto 5 shotguns.

Armoured trains, including the miniature seaside ones.

4" Mobile Guns.

Morris SP Bofors Guns.