I set this up so that I can ramble on about my lead (and plastic) mountain, my endless gaming, miniature, and terrain projects, and other

insights into various games.



You'll find lots of 'pretty pictures', various modeling techniques, and hopefully some inspiration for your own lead pile. You're bound to

find something amongst my games and photos that interests you.



Sit back, open a cold one, and enjoy.


If you need something, feel free to contact me at: dglennjr at yah00 dot com









Saturday, August 25, 2012

15mm-20mm-1/72nd Modern vehicles: $5 find at Big Lots

I found these $5 diecast and plastic sets at Big Lots: Army, Police & Rescue

 This one has a small helicopter (10mm-ish), a car (15mm-ish), and a fire truck (15mm-ish).  This set is probably the least useful and didn't purchase it.
 
This one has a helicopter (15mm-ish), a transport truck (20mm-ish), and a 6x6 armored vehicle (15mm or 20mm-ish) similar to a TPz Fuchs APC.  The 2 vehicles will end up in my 20mm modern collection.
 
This one has a helicopter (15mm-ish), a Hard top Humvee (20mm-ish), and a 6x6 armored vehicle (15mm or 20mm-ish) similar to a TPz Fuchs APC.  I'm going to add the two wheeled vehicles to my 20mm police force and zombie eradicators. 

20mm Modern: Iraq roadsigns and billboards, pt. 2

Here's a follow up to an older post. http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8660015160105754358#editor/target=post;postID=4463549177017288168

Here are the pictures of some of the finished road signs and billboards.

The local MaDonal's Restaurant, with appropriate Arabic signage. 

Here is the frame work for the signage.  Plastic tubing for most of the uprights and horizontal framing.  Flat, metal bases used for the signs.  

When attaching to the base, I use a 3/16" diam. hollow plastic tube glued to the metal base.  The vertical, upright post is a 1/8" diam. plastic tube that fits nicely into the hollow 3/16" tube. A flat, metal plate (metal base) is glued vertically to the plastic framework. 

 The signs are color copies onto paper that are then stuck to a sticky magnet (with peel off adhesive on one side). The signs then can be placed at will on the vertical metal plates on the signs. (I have a lot more signs than actual sign stands.

Here's an Iraqi billboard for Iraqi Airways.  

Typical street signs add flavor to a game, especially if you're trying to find somewhere specific, like Kuwait City or Baghdad. 

The Allied troops spend a lot of time on highways and byways and are often attacked there.  So, you always need some of these.  

 Gotta know where everything is.  Look, there's a MaDonal's up ahead, 0.2km to the right.  I'm feeling the need for a McShake.

20mm Modern: Operation Plymouth Rock, November 2004, Iraq

Here was a recent game that I've been wanting to run and get to use my recently completed 20mm U.K. forces.  I ran the game at a local gamesday, sponsored by the Suncoast Skirmishers gaming group in Temple Terrace, FL.

The scenario is based on the "Operation Plymouth Rock" which began in late November, 2004.   It was a joint operation between U.S. and U.K. forces to clear out any insurgency and bring stability to the norther Babil Province and the city of Yusufiya in Iraq.

In this scenario, The U.S. forces arrive amphibiously by rigid boat and AA7V's from the Eurphrates River and the U.K. forces arrive by land into Yusufiya.  The terrain is a mix of irrigation canal fed agricultural land and the built up areas of Yusufiya.  The object is for the allied troops to seek out/take possession/destroy any insurgent strong points.  The insurgents were instructed to protect their four major objectives/strong points that included a planning/operations facility, a money laundering/financing facility, a weapons cache, and a bomb making facility. Each of these were represented by a special terrain marker for each, often used for these games.
 
Here's an overview map showing what the Yusufiyah area of Iraq looks like.
 
 Here's the map board from the British 'land side'.
 
 Here's the map board from the U.S. 'river side'.  The bridge at the lower right crosses over the Euphrates River. 
 
A look at the agricultural filed side of the table.  Note the various irrigation canals feeding the fields. There are a few wooden footbridges for people to cross the canals.
 
The Marines have landed.  U.S. troops disembark their rigid boats and the AA7V comes out of the river.

 The British are clearing out the town slowly, building by building.  The troops make sure the local MaDonal's restaurant (Iraqi McDonald's) is all clear, and taking a few Big Mac's with them.
 
 The U.S. squad on the right stumbles upon a radio controlled IED. (See the insurgent behind the wall with the transmitter?) Luckily, only 1 severe wound and several minor wounds are received and are able to proceed. The severely wounded Marine is placed in the back of the AA7V until a medivac can be brought in.  The squad to the left, heads across a footbridge to clear a building on the other side of the canal. (The U.S. would suffer their first KIA trying to clear this building.)
 
All 'hell' breaks out when the British contingent hits this walled compound.  First, gunfire from the lower right corner of the building hits a U.K. soldier next to the Landrover Snatch. Second, an RPG fired at the Warrior IFV from inside the compound, misses it's target, flying off harmlessly. Third, other automatic gunfire erupts from the compound hitting the less than armored Landrovers on the street.  A couple of casualties are caused and a gunner in the Landrover Snatch is the first U.K. KIA. Lastly, in an effort to 'run the gauntlet', an insurgent technical truck rams the front gate and hits a Landrover WMIK in a glancing blow with minimal damage to each vehicle.
 
 
Now, it's the British turn. The U.K. troops return fire, killing and wounding most of the Insurgents engaged, including the RPG firer. The UK Warrior lights up the Technical truck, turning it into a piece of Swiss cheese with four wheels and forcing it out of control into a Mosque building and vehicle across the street. (Which was supposed to be one of the insurgents 'get-away' vehicles.) 2 insurgents in the vehicle are KIA and another is severely wounded.
 
On the back side of the building, three U.K. troopers decide to toss grenades in windows to finish clearing the building.  Go figure that the last trooper rolls a critical miss, the grenade bounces off the window frame and behind him. Luckily it fell just out of range to do any damage to him or the rest of the squad. (see the white puff) 
 
 The U.S. squad enters the courtyard and proceeds to clear out the building with the AA7V providing some covering fire and protection.  4 more insurgent KIA's, including the triggerman for that earlier IED.
 
In the end, the insurgents (3 players with 6 squads) were far too spaced out to support each other effectively.  Additionally, the allied troops got to see first hand why the body armor and Kevlar helmets they are wearing are so important.  There would have been numerous additional allied KIA if it weren't for the armor saves. 
 
The final tally was:
 
U.S.: 1 KIA, 2 severe wounds, and a few minor wounds.
UK.: 1 KIA and a few minor wounds.
Insurgents: 18+ KIA and several severely wounded.
   


Monday, August 6, 2012

20mm Modern MCV-80 UK Warrior

In order to compliment my detachment of modern British soldiers for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan 20mm games, I have finally completed two Warriors (1/72 plastic kits).  Now I can move some of the British troops around the table-top in Armored Style.

 I painted one up in typical desert/invasion colors.  The other I painted with an interesting camouflage pattern based on an existing Warrior picture I found.  I still have to add some highlighting to both pieces.  

 To make things a little bit more interesting, I've been toying with the idea of using the plastic canvas material (10 squares per inch) to make inexpensive RPG skirts.  There aren't many commercially available options and they are usually made from etched metal and run a small fortune to buy.
I simply cut out the appropriate shapes, and removed some of the vertical ribs (this is the most time consuming part of the process) to give it the horizontal lines that most RPG skirts have.  One sheet cost me $0.99, and should be able to provide enough skirting for all of my vehicles. Look at some existing photographs. (see below)

An existing MCV-80 Warrior in Iraq.

I cut a total of 6 pieces of RPG skirting...one for each side, one for the rear, one for the front, and one for each side of the turret. I added short pieces of square plastic styrene strip to the back of the skirting so that it was offset from the hull by about 3/32". (except for the front piece.)
  
Side View


 The other side.


 The rear.

The front.

Overall, I like the addition of the skirting and may have to add some to my U.S. vehicles.