A New Blog Recommended
I recently discovered the blog 'The Hobby blog for model railways, wargaming and military modelling' and it is in my reading list.
The part of the blog which interests me is this Norwegian hobbyist Roger's conversions of army men. He takes copies of Matchbox and Airfix, among others and makes new poses but the figures, especially American GIs, are painted to represent post WW2 troops of various nationalities and UN troops.
Hi conversion of Matchbox machine gunner to a standing figure is worth looking at.
His depiction of UN troops reminded me of the Congo Civil War in the 1960s and has inspired me to eventually wargame this conflict, complete with UN troops, white mercenaries, Belgian paratroopers, government troops and Simbas.
The part of the blog which interests me is this Norwegian hobbyist Roger's conversions of army men. He takes copies of Matchbox and Airfix, among others and makes new poses but the figures, especially American GIs, are painted to represent post WW2 troops of various nationalities and UN troops.
Hi conversion of Matchbox machine gunner to a standing figure is worth looking at.
His depiction of UN troops reminded me of the Congo Civil War in the 1960s and has inspired me to eventually wargame this conflict, complete with UN troops, white mercenaries, Belgian paratroopers, government troops and Simbas.
Interesting blog recommendation, James, with lots of spirited conversions. I can see why you like this site! https://modelrailsandwargames.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much for both your recomandation and visits. I hope you'll find something you like there in the future as well. What rules are you using for gaming With your army men?
ReplyDeleteThank you for Your nice recomedations and visits. Thus I'm not so active blogger as you, I hope you'll find something of interest there in the future as well
ReplyDeleteI'll write my own rules but some influences are Donald Featherstone, Frank Perry's wargaming books, Paul Wright's Funny Little Wars and Warhammer and Warhammer 40K. I'll be using one die per figure (or multiples for rapid fire weapons). I have done quite a bit of research on the conflict already. At Jadotsville the Irish mostly had WW2 weapons but with some having the British type assault rifles. They had Brens too and sub machine guns and mortars. I'll make the Bren fairly accurate at long range but with fewer dice than a heavy machine gun. The mercs mostly had assault rifles or sub machine guns. I'm not sure about the Katangan gendarmes weapons.
ReplyDeleteI just found a source for toy trucks and jeeps so I'll be looking for seated figures. Any ideas on a toy source for tanks and armoured cars? My Mercs will have berets, bush hats and helmets. UN Irish will have helmets or berets. I have been sifting through my WW2 and modern boxes of figures and have a stack ready to convert.
Further on the rules I'll have morale, which will cover ability to hold it together and to attack. I'm thinking the Irish will hold on until they run out of ammo. The mercs will be likely to fight on in difficult situations rather than surrender in face of uncertain treatment. However, their priority is getting paid well without getting killed so I might make it more doubtful for them to go into assault with heavily fortified positions. The Simba I might make fanatics which means they don't have to roll dice to attack. I don't think this will be a game big on melee but highest dice score wins with additions for elite troops. Paratroopers and mercs are elite and maybe some UN forces. Psychology rules could be used so African forces have to roll for leadership if attacked by Simbas unless alled mercs are present when their leadership could be strengthened. There will be ranges that require differing dice throws. There will be cover saves depending on the nature of cover.
Characters I'll give pluses on the dice and multiple wounds.
Some chance factors: For a radio man he has a die rolled each turn and on a six air support comes in for one move. Useable once. Template weapon for bombs and also mortars.
Another chance factor. Certain troops are prone to looting - mercs and African troops. Entering a settlement/village a dice is rolled to see how long they spend looting.
A random factor could also be mercs decide to mutiny because the government decides to disarm them or because they don't like a change of leader (Both of these happened at some stage).
Light vehicles can be taken out by machine gun fire and maybe multiple rifle shots. Heavier vehicles are taken out by bazookas and heavy guns or infantry getting into close proximity long enough (with odds against).
I like your approach to the rules. There are some free and simple rules out there based upon a lot of different wargames, which I consider to try. I think they have all pros and cons. I plan to test play some of them, and posts AAR on my blog.
DeleteI've also found another "toy car" usable for wargaming in the toyshop. A GMC truck in 1/32 scale actually based on a norwegian tv-series for kids; Traktoren Gråtass. In Norway military toys are not that common, so finding sources for toy tanks and armoured cars are best found elsewhere. I've found New Ray ( https://www.newrayusa.com/military-mission/ ), and some more costly from 21century Toys and Forces of Valor. Classic Toy soldiers also have some ( https://www.classictoysoldiers.com/cgi-bin/ctsc6/rtl/prd_d.cgi?category=54mm%20Toy%20Soldiers+WWII%20Vehicles%20(54mm) ) . They are all in 1/32 or 1/35 scale, but are mostly WWII vehicles. So you'll have to find some of the used post war.
For sitting figures, I simplu just cut a standing figure in half, and glued it to the seat. Here you could actually also use some kitmade 1/35 soldiers as they come in many more poses and you're not going to handle them much.
I found some Chinese sources for cheap plastic jeeps, trucks and also metal 4 wheel drives and will show them on the blog when I get them. In this period a lot of WW2 stuff is useable. Apart from your idea for a mounted machine gun in the back of the vehicle I want a twin machinegun on the front of the vehicle but I am still working out how I'll do it. I have got a Tamiya Long Range desert group (SAS) WW2 I could use but I also want to make them for the cheaper jeeps I'm getting. Ideas? Seated figures? In the open top vehicles the lower part of the driver and passenger will be visible. I have some seated figures including cowboys so some cutting and splicing will occur.
DeleteTo use 1/35 kits to arm your fighting vehicles sounds expensive.....
ReplyDeleteI must addmit that 1>/35 scale is a very good source for such bits and pieces though. Maybe try to look for some of those weapons-set, because then you only get the weapons and not a vehicle you may not need anyway. Once I had an Italeri set #407. Eventhough its named accessories, it contains 3 Brenguns and 2 .30 cal. Brownings. These 5 pieces can be usefull for a co-driver arnament. a .50 cal would be to large in that position I think. In the Italereiset you don't only get the machineguns, but also some ammocrates to put in your vehicles besides helmets, backpacks, rifles and submachineguns which can be used for future figure conversions.
If you have sitting cowboys, it seems like you already have a driver with a bush-hat..
-Don't get rid of all your cowboys though,as they can be fun to game with as well. No historical correctnes to be taken to seriously. I'm working on an easy ruleset for use with cowboys, and will post in on the blog when I'm happy with it. Some more testgaming is needed.
No chance of me running out of cowboys although I might run out of seated ones. And absolutely no chance of me becoming politically correct! Seated road worker type figures are another source. I'll look out for the Italeri sets. I need about 20 twin link machine guns for the front passenger and the same number of heavy machine gun for the rear. Those mercs did not skimp on fire power. By the way, after looking at the Osprey book I sawa photo of Simbas with bows and arrows, bare chested but with trousers, fairly easy to convert from red Indians by cutting off loin cloths and filling any gaps in leggings. I might even get away with leaving some headdresses; I have to guess or find out the likely colour of any Simba feathers - dull colours or bright? The Simba army will be interesting armed with everything from primitive traditional weapons to assault rifles. Ala for them, no anti-aircraft weapons.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of machine guns.....
ReplyDeleteIs this for skirmish wargaming, or is it at platoon- or companylevel??
Needing so many machineguns you could try to 3D-print them yourself, or go to shapeways to buy someone which is already printed. Here is a suggestion: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/j-shape?section=Gun+%26+Accessory+1%3A35%2B+scale&s=0
For simbas I'd probably chose a dull, earth-tone color. Nice thought converting indians. Their rebellion was about 3 years later in the conflic than my focus, but again; The Congo was a lot of different conflicts...
I'll check that site out, Thanks. Simbas seemed to mostly wear khaki drill trousers and shirts or no shirts with leavesm grass and feathers stuck in waist bands and monkey skin head dresses. I guess some feathers would be parts but I haven't seen a colour representation. they also wore bush hats and berets. They could be barefoot or wear various shoes, A lot of civilian clothes and shoes too. The witch doctors I saw pics of had the primitive accessories but also wore trousers. unfortunately they didn't seem to go in for the loin cloths but some wore shorts (8th Army conversions there). No shields in evidence in pics so far but spears, bows, knives, AK47s (mainly in later stage) bolt action rifles and I read an account of bazookas. A strange mix of tribals with Chinese and Soviet support. I'll be posting pics of UN and more mercs soon.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a mix of skirmish and probably company level with between sixty and a hundred plus a side.
ReplyDeleteAt Shapeways you can also find 3D-printed 1/35 rifles and assault guns (also AKs). Great blog! I'm looking forward to updates!!
ReplyDelete