Rebasing Micro-Armour Infantry and Heavy Weapon Groups

For years I lead a very active wargaming life playing microarmour. I remember purchasing my first vehicles from Heroics and Ros in the late 1970s for what worked out to about $0.25 CDN per vehicle.

Over time, I played many rule sets but I kept returning to the set that offered the perfect combination of complexity and playability, both for  World War 2 and the Modern Period. I refer to the WRG  Armour and Infantry 1925-1950 (June 1973) and Wargame Rules for Armoured Warfare 1950-1985 (June 1979). This 2^nd rule set replaced the earlier version of the rules which covered to 1975.

My introduction to the revised Modern rules was at a gaming convention held at St Mary's University in Halifax against a team from the Armoured Warfare School based at CFB Gagetown. They taught us civilians a lot that day.

WARGAMES RESEARCH GROUP - Rules Ancient and Modern and other periods in between, a website by Sue Laflin-Barker, provide pdf downloads to these and other out of print WRG rule sets.

My only complaint about these rules was the level they presented the infantry and heavy weapons units. I imagine they are what would be labeled as fire teams. My own interests tend towards a squad level unit, using markers for multiple hits.  In recent years I have tended towards Blitzkrieg Commander for WW2 and Cold War Commander for the modern period. For these rules I looked at rebasing the majority of my 600 infantry as squads on a 40mm x 20mm base and I am very happy with the results. 

WW2 Soviet Hvy MGs

WW2 Soviet AA Gunss

WW2 Soviet Mortars

WW2 Soviet Combat Engineers

WW2 Soviet Anti-Tank Rifle Teams

Soviet Medium Tank Battalions 1944

I had another two GHQ WW2 tank battalions to paint. This was a very quick job in the late fall before the temperature starting reaching below 10C during the day. I sprayed painted them using a can of War Paint (Flames of War) Soviet Armour SP02. I found the product provided a nice easy coat if the instruction were followed. After they dried I applied a wash of transparent burnt umber by Liquitex (Series 2 No 130). I found this to be a very quick way method to get the units ready for battle.

Soviet Medium Tank Battalions 1943

Back when I was a poor student, my early purchases in the field of microarmour were from Heroics & Ros. I am sure I paid less than 20 cents per vehicle at the time. However I was always drawn towards the much greater detailed miniatures available from C-in-C and GHQ. A few years ago opportunity knocked, and I was able to purchase three boxes of GHQ Combat Command packages at a local gaming store for less than half price. This past week, two boxes were painted.

 

First Battalion Painted Russian Uniform WWII Vallejo 094 

Second Battalion Painted Russian Green Vallejo 096

Both units were given a black ink wash (1: 20 parts water) to bring out the details and tracks and running gear were painted various earth tones with a brown ink wash.

Each unit at full strength had 21 x T-34/76s and 2 x Stalinetz Tractors (Recovery Vehicles). The Battalion would consist of  two tank companies each with 10 vehicles and  the Battalion CO in the 21st Tank.

I do not know if the recovery vehicles were attached one per company or acted as a battalion asset.

Invasion Earth 2150

Long before Tom Lehrer was introducing children to Silent “E” on the Electric Company, my generation was introduced to the not so silent “E” on Dr. Who. I remember rushing home after I completed my newspaper delivery in Spryfield to follow the adventures of the first two Doctors.

Hopefully the latest adventure would include an encounter those truly nasty metal clad beasts who would expound loudly upon the three “Es”.

“Eliminate! Eradicate!! Exterminate!!! Exterminate!!!”

Recently while reading the HOTT Yahoo Group Digest I came across an interesting posting that suggested that Irregular Miniatures produced in 1/300th scale an Attack Robot (NSF7) that would be perfect to fill the ecological niche occupied by the Daleks.

Photo 1: Command Stand (Centre) with Four Battle Groups

Link: http://www.irregularminiatures.co.uk/

I ordered 20 sets, enough for 40 figures. Irregular Miniatures now accepts Paypal and the figures were in my mailbox at the end of the following week. My plan was to base them for Future Wars Commander. Forty figures would be enough to provide a command stand of four figures and 12 combat stands each with three figures. I decided that I would base them on an AFV/GEV stand, instead of an infantry stand.

I had been thinking of basing them, four or five figures to a stand as infantry, but I changed my mind and figured they are extremely dangerous, but small tankettes. The latest versions of Dr. Who even have them with hover and flying abilities. This is very real improvement from the days when they couldn’t even mount or descend stairs.

Photo 2: Side view

I used a Gale Force 9 base for the Command Stand, while the combat groups are mounted on 40mmx 30mm bases purchased from Robert Knestrick. He advertises his wares on EBay under the name of missiletoe. The bases are a laminated black plastic with heavy magnetic bottom. I decided to leave them untextured and unpainted, to give them a sterile asphalt look. I can always spruce them up later if need be.

Soviet Air Power 1/285 Microarmour

I started to play modern micro armour late in the 1970s using the WRG Armour and Infantry rules 1950-1975, and later the revised 1950-1985 rules set. In spite of the size of my micro armour collection I neglected to build up the air wing. This changed earlier this year, when I noticed an ad offering a large collection of modern micro-armour for sale in the Ottawa Miniature Gamers Yahoo Group. I did not need the ground forces and the gentleman was willing to part with his Soviet Air Power.

Photo 1: MI-24 Hind D and two MiG 27 Frogger

I obtained four MI-24 Hind A, one MI-24 Hind D and two MiG 27 Frogger ground attack aircraft. The one problem was that the helicopters were missing the rotors. GHQ was very helpful in providing replacement parts and I received the brass etched rotors in just 10 days, along with a full colour catalogue and a time limited coupon for my next order.

Photo 2: four MI-24 Hind A

I drilled holes into the bodies of all the airframes in order to use some Games Workshop clear flying bases to hold the aircraft in the air. As usual the base terrain was be built up using Liquitex Natural Sand, and then will be painted with DeSerres Raw Sienna (Series 1 No 185) and flocked using Citadel Sand and Scorched Grass.

Future War Commander Sci-Fi Wargaming Part 1

Future War Commander according to the website is "an exciting wargame that allows you to re-create battles of the future using miniatures on a tabletop. Command anything from a company right up to a division and get a result in 2-3 hours without becoming bogged-down in detail. Suitable for any scale miniatures from 2mm right up to 28mm (including 6mm, 10mm, 15mm and 20mm) and no re-basing is required."

Specialist Military Publishing is a UK-based publishing company who design and publish tabletop wargaming rules. Their site is http://www.blitzkrieg-commander.com/

I have already played and enjoyed both Blitzkrieg Commander, and Cold War Commander. In antisapation of playing Future War Commander I has started to paint a 1/300th  (1/285th) Micro Scale Sci-Fi Force.

Photo 1: Command Bunker, Static Artillery Bunker, and 4 GEV APCs

Photo 2: 10 Heavy Grav Tanks, 4 Missile Grav Tanks

I won these figures on an EBay Aunction Last year. It would appear that they were unauthorized copies of GEV/Orgre miniatures that are produced by Steve Jackson Games. They are resin reproductions and are not lead miniatures. Please beware.