"6mm Vietnam" Topic

I'm currently playing with homemade markers – does anyone already play in this scale, or have recommendations on who (preferable UK-available) to use for inf and vehicles?

There are many options for you. C-n-C and GHQ have great selections. I've been playing it in 1/600 using Odzial Osmy minis, which are great! Talk about bang for the buck!

link

Armaments In Miniature LLC can provide aircraft in 6mm for Vietnam. More will be added to the line in the near future.

Navwar infantry would work, and are more in scale that some others.

Not sure if GHQ does infantry for Vietnam. If they do, they're probably a bit larger than the scale of the vehicles, since their WWII ones are.

Still, worth a look for primarily infantry on infantry fights.

I think I'd go with 15mm infantry though, for Vietnam, if doing that.

H&R, Scotia, Irregular, GHQ and CNC all make vehicles and figures for Nam and the first 3 are UK based.

Also check out the link above for Mainforce infantry – they are very easy to paint as they are all in the prone position. They are quite chunky and mix well with Irregular.

Cheers
Kieran

GHQ does nam era infantry – lovely little guys too.

I primarily use GHQ for mine, not UK based, but very good.

VC ambush of US forces

GHQ vehicles (unpainted) in terrain {Unfortunately its zoomed out a lot)

I like the scale an am working on a better mounting system for individual infantry. Currently I use THW's game "FNG: 2nd Tour" for my games.

Skipper

Try 'ronny8664' on Ebay. He does great Vietnam riverine stuff and some aircraft. Highly recommended.

Irregular in UK does a complete range for Vietnam in 6mm. They are not as detailed as say GHQs, but I like them (better then markers anyway :) And they have a fantastic service. I think there are some photos in their website irregularminiatures.co.uk

Thanks for all the advice guys.

@ Darby: I already play several eras in 2mm, but I want to go high enough for relatableness in this project – I'm playing Charlie Don't Surf. From the feedback I've had from opponents on 2mm TFL games, it just doesn't quite connect right. At the same time, I want to save on model and terrain space, so 6mm is a good compromise.

@ KMahony/Mako: Do you know what H&R/Navwar models to use for the Vietcong? I've been looking at their catalogue, and I'm not sure.

If there are H&R VC, I think I'll go with them. They seem cheaper than the other companies, even Irregular, weirdly; certainly when it comes to armour.

I'm doing Charlie Don't Surf in 3mm (which is 1/600) like Darby, here are some pics on my blog:
link
link
link

I'm doing CDS at half scale, which keeps it true to the figure scale.

Having said that, if Odzial Osmy hadn't come along with 3mm Vietnam figs, 6mm was my plan.

Chris

I used to use HR Warpac infantry and support weapons. I experimented with filing down the helmets to make the NVA sun hats, but after a while stopped as their was no real difference. Painted, based and viewed from a typical wargames table you could not appreciate the effort, even tried convert the RPK's to RPD's but stopped for the same reason.

Loved 1/300 for Vietnam as all aspects of the conflict could be covered, though representing civilians was tricky. Was planning to convert some HR oxen and medieval figures for civilians but life intervened!

I wasn't sure whether Modern Warpac or WWII British would be best for VC. I assumed Warpac for regular Northern army units.

WWII British for Viet Minh, the option for VC depends on mainforce of local militia. Warpac airborne are quite good and as a bonus they contain SPG's (used as recoiless rifles) and 12.7's on wheeled carriages (nice model).

Alternately British Cold War, given HR's depiction of the battle bowler with scrim looks quite bowl like and the weapons can be shortened (sadists can try head swaps between these and Warpac infantry to get the desired AK's!)

We used Warpac figures for both and painted one lot olive drab and light green highlight, the others charcoal grey and light grey/white highlight. Seemed to work fine, though for some bizzare reason I painted wooden grips on the guns and RPG's. Pointless really.

I did the same thing with my 1940 French, we all do silly things sometimes.

I think I may stick with Warpac, with maybe a few WWII British thrown in for colour. It'll just be easier all told…

Is it worth highlighting in 6mm? It's been ages since I did it – I was just going to do main colours and then give them a brown wash.

No sadism for me thanks ;)

I block paint 6mm and dip in a very light color,,,,honey pine polyshades or similar shade. Works pretty good, but if you are using a dark dip, make sure you start the figures with really bright paint.

The highlight does make the figures stand out more, especially if you concentrate on the tops of helmets shoulders etc, where the light would naturally strike. I normally glue the sprue to a wooden coffee spatula so a quick dust takes seconds for 8 men.

I painted some HR Vikings with lighter colours and then blackwashed and highlighted them and they look better than the ones just blackwashed, it seems to give them more substance. Yes I painted halved and quartered shield designs!

I notice H&R only does standard M113 – did I miss ACAV or FSV versions?

I use Irregular minis mostly with some bits from H&R to bulk out ….they paint up nicely IMHO……the ACAVs etc are all crewed too.

I looked at the Irregular range, being a huge fan of their 2mm stuff, but the M113 on their website looks a little melty – and unless I'm missing something, their vehicles are twice as expensive as the ones in H&R's 2011 catalogue.

The pics on the web site are BAD!With a little care and filing they clean up OK- I'll try and take some pics tomorrow…..

Just checked out the prices too- they have jumped!

If you get a chance to take photos, you should send them into Irregular too – I have some up there, so do others like Nik Harwood. It's a way to get some name out, and to help fellow consumers too!

Finally got around to getting some new batteries for the ol' digicam…..All from Irregular Miniatures.

M113's & Acav's

T54 & PT76

LVTP6 and variant (forget the desig. right now)

M48's – two variants TC up and 'closed down'

Riverine Group, LCM; Monitor & PBR's


VC Supply Unit

NVA squad leading a VC Cadre…

I like to pick out some detail with colour and then dry brush over all, vehicles are heavily 'muddied' as per photos around their running gear etcPesonnel are finished in their respective uniform colour – I don't bother to pick out faces and small arms any more- crew served and vehicle mounted mg's are done in gun metal or similar…… they look better in person and when on the table!!

Those look cool! I think I'll definitely mount up my Aussies using IM – and you should submit those pics, they're better than much of the existing IM picture stock!

Glad that you like them……the plan is to 'do' the 'Defence of Mel Gibson' from 'We Were Soldiers'…..using two atands to a squad (1xrifle/1xM60) with platoon and company commands etc I have a 'sack' more of VC/NVA to paint- not that they take too long!
I also use the infantry stands in my SF 'future wars' with some nice vehicles from GZG/Brigade/Scotia and IM of course.

I'm just building stuff out of the Charlie Don't Surf book, with extra support as whatever's spare from the trooper bags. But I'm sure I'll get specific soon =p