A New Scale

I really have been quite excited by the new set of rules coming this summer from Too Fat Lardies: Chain of Command. This is a platoon based skirmish game where the smallest tactical unit is the infantry team. It really looks like an exciting game which takes 1-2 hours to play. Richard Clarke has done a series of 3 videos which outline the gameplay, well worth watching, it certainly hooked me. There are also another 3 videos which act as an introduction to the game.

The game sounds enormously flexible, and requires a platoon of around 30 men, with heavy weapons support as well as allowing the occasional AFV. In anticipation of this, I wanted to paint up a starter force, as usual I am working on two sides.

As this is a skirmish game, my natural inclination was to go with 28 mm figures, but after a lot of thought I said maybe no. I have a quite a few buildings in 15 mm and 1/72 scale, which would do for WWII. One of the things that attracts me to WWII skirmish gaming is the terrain, I have seen displayed on the internet. I really was not keen on 15 mm, they are a little too small for single basing, and I have to admit I did not really enjoy painting them. I also though did not want to put a lot of effort into painting the figures, one needs really to reserve oneself for the Napoleonics. Lastly, I found the vehicles a little overwhelming in 28 mm, I felt like I was buying Tonka toys. I did go out a buy some Warlord figures and an AFV in 28 mm, but just did not like them.

So I was left with 20mm or 1/72. One thing I dislike about my 28 mm Napoleonics and I have over 3000 figures painted now is there lack of anatomic correctness. The only figures that really impress me as being correct are the Alban figure line, but they are very few and I had gone past 2000 figures by the time I had discovered them.

I had a look around and was curious with the offerings from the Plastic Soldier Company. As mentioned in my last post, I have swore off plastic figures in 28mm, I just find them too much work to assemble and bits keep on breaking off. I also was not much impressed with resin and metal AFV's that I had painted for my 15mm WWII project (happily all sold). The PSC boxes were quite cheap, so I bought a box. I was amazed, very nice proportions, not little stubby-wubby midgets! Also minimal assembly and really not much to break off. No flash and the figures had quite a bit of definition. Looked good, so I then bought a box set of their German Panzer III's, well less then 10 minutes of assembly with an excellent fit. I was sold. They have a pretty good range with forces from the US, Britain and the Commonwealth, as well of course Germany and Russia. I decided to start with the British and the Germans. I had also had a look at other 20mm lines to fill in the missing pieces and after some research have decided to try AB miniatures. The PSC has not yet produced a British Heavy Weapons box, so I ordered these from AB miniatures, hopefully they will show up soon and that they are a good match.

Anyway, I have painted up a third of each platoon (a section), as well as a couple of AFV's for each side as well as various heavy weapons for the Germans. These are all from the PSC and they are highly recommended. All primed white and painted with Vallejo paints from their WWII line. I based them on Canadian coins to give them some weight. The infantry figures are on pennies, the section NCO's on a 5 cent piece, the Platoon officer on a Loonie, and the Heavy Weapon sections on 40mm round bases.

The Commonwealth forces to date

The Platoon leader

I decided to go with a Canadian force to start, these are the markings for the Royal 22e Regiment the "Vandoo's"on this Universal Carrier armed with a Bren Gun.

A Sherman M4A1 76mm from the 12e Armoured Regiment "Trois Rivières", First Canadian Armoured Brigade

Light Machine Gun

A Rifle section with a SMG team

The Germans

A Rifle section with also with a SMG team

Panzer III Ausf.G

An SdKfz 251/D with a Pak37

Absolutely lovely model

Some German Heavy Weapons, from left to right: LMG, 120mm Mortar, MG42, Panzerschreck and a 82mm Mortar.  The 120mm Mortar is probably out of scale for this game 

Two Panzerfausts as well as another Panzerschrect

Anyway, as you probably can tell my knowledge of WWII armaments is a little limited, but I will learn.  I hope my basing works out, I decided to go with multi-figure heavy weapons bases. I should also point out that the decals are from Aleran Miniatures, excellent service.

Anyway, I think my forces look good and I am quite excited about the ruleset.

My next post will be about something completely different.