"Apparently I've Become a Vietnam War-Gamer" Topic

All,

Well, it all started about a year ago now. For some reason I'd decided to buy 'just a few' 15mm guys to do some skirmishing (actually, that's all Techno-Phil's fault: I wanted some 10mm Marines with M-14s but couldn't get them, so I looked to 15mm!). As part of that I was on Brookhurst Hobbies' website and ordered a single pack of Peter Pig LRRPs (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, for the uninitiated) and VC (Viet Cong, or Varmint Cong if you listen to Bill Murray). I painted and based both sets up, and a year later neither has seen the table.

But then I (virtually) met Jimmi over at Flashpoint Minis and, well, now I'm a Vietnam War gamer. Previously you've seen me post my Flashpoint Minis US Marines (with M-14s, about 70 figures), then Peter Pig Viet Cong (about 30 guys), and then more Flashpoint Minis, this time ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam, AKA South Vietnamese, about 50 figures). And then recently I went nuts and bought a bunch more stuff.

This post is simply to confirm to the world that I am, indeed, a Vietnam-era gamer, and to give a quick overview of all the stuff I recently purchased and finished up. I will be doing my 'usual' separate blog post for each subset of troops/terrain/vehicles, but I'm quite proud of myself getting all this done and so wanted to show it off in one grand post. So let's get to it.

Here's everything, all my recent purchases painted and based, ready to play. What do we have?
-Peter Pig NVA Platoon
-Peter Pig NVA and VC Heavy Weapons (mortars, MGs, and recoiless rifles)
-Peter Pig VC casualty figures
-A Peter Pig T-55 (for Laos and Fall of the South)
-A Zvezda 122mm SPG (ditto)
-A Battlefront US 'leg' Infantry Platoon
-Two Battlefront OH-6s
-A Peter Pig M-48
-Two Peter Pig LVTP-5 Amtracs
-Flashpoint Minis US tank riders
-A Peter Pig PBR
-Three Flashpoint Minis Sampans
-A village from Flashpoint Minis (four thatch huts, a wooden hut, a corrugated tin shelter, a fish pond, a foot bridge, a Buddhist Shrine, an animal pen, two wooden-staked walls, various pots and containers
-Flashpoint Minis Palm Trees
-Pegasus Banana Trees
To see pics of all that, please check the blog at:
link

Not pictured: Flashpoint Minis Elephant Grass, and Flashpoint Minis ANZAC Task Force, which I'm still painting up.

Like I said, I'll be doing separate posts for the various troops, vehicles, and terrain posted here, so stand by for that. And stand by for some Vietnam games! So let me pontificate on that for a moment; I know a lot of you out there in the ether-land love the photos of stuff, but I also know a lot of you enjoy hearing (and/or making fun of me for) my project plans. So here goes.

First, I'm very conflicted on two accounts:

1) I am absolutely committed to fighting out a campaign for the US battle of Dai Do, where 2nd Bn 4th Marines (reinforced by C/1/3) fought an entire NVA division to a standstill. I originally planned on doing this in 15mm, but the overall battle seems to me to lend itself to a series of company-level actions, and that's pretty big for 15mm (for me at least). So, my issue is whether to do Dai Do as company-level fights (about a dozen of them) in 6mm, or do it as a series of platoon-level fights (about 35 of them!) in 15mm.

2) (and this affects Dai Do as well) I have quite a few ideas for Vietnam projects, but I kind of don't want to play them as Vietnam campaigns, I want to work them into my existing Cuba Libre alt-history blog. That is, I'd be playing Vietnam fights with Vietnam figures, vehicles, and terrain, but for my campaign purposes the troops would be Cuban Expeditionary Forces rather than US Marines, US Army, or ARVN. This is pretty much solely in the interest of time; I've got too many projects, and so this is a means of sorting of killing two birds with one stone. I get to play some Vietnam gaming AND advance my Cuba Libre stuff.

So, what all do I have in mind? This is a list of stuff I will get to (someday):
-Dai Do, USMC vs NVA
-Operation Buffalo, USMC vs NVA
-Operation Starlite, USMC vs NVA
-Lam Son 719, ARVN vs NVA
-1972 Easter Offensive, ARVN vs NVA
-The movie "Platoon," USA vs NVA/VC
-Some "Apocalypse Now"-style Air Cav, USA vs VC
-I'd like to do some Phoenix stuff, though the troops aren't ready for this yet
-I'd like to do some SF w/Mike Force stuff, though I don't have troops for this yet

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of for right now.

V/R,
Jack

I'll put a pitch in for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. There is a great book out now, Blackhorse Riders by Keith, which describes a troop of the Blackhorse and a company of legs going to rescue another trapped company of leg infantry. The story was on the history channel lately. Plus the 11th tore into the NVA at Snoul (Cambodia). And there are plenty of opportunities for ambushes while guarding Rome plow operations. I'm stating to babble type. The 11th was/is a great unit with M-48s, M-113 Acavs, Sheridans and toher assorted goodies. Allons. H

Looks great, have fun!

Chalfant

Jack you will need to start putting words like "man", "incoming" and "willy pete" into all your posts. There is some new PP firebase items coming out next week too.
Enjoy the sun

martin

I'm selling a battalion of 15mm Aussies for Vietnam, painted and from Flashpoint miniatures if you are interested.

Looks neat.

You can also use those Americans in West Germany too, if desired, to help stave off the Soviet/East German hordes, as well.

Does anyone make an ONTOS in 15mm?

DM,
I think mine came from QRF. If so, it's one of their better sculpts.

Ah yes, just found it :)

It was only a question of time wasn't it? :-)

Just Jack: Man, put on some Jimi Hendrix while you're painting and model-making, then some Doors. Then read The Things They Carried (by Tim O'Brien, 1990).

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the comments!

Ferd – I've actually got NVA and US infantry/heavy weapons, some M-60s that can stand in for M-48s, some Sheridans, about a dozen M-113 ACAVs, a couple Hogs, a couple Chinooks, and a couple Phantoms. I've got VC and civvies that are primed and need to be finished off; very interesting regarding the 11th Cav, thanks!

Chalfant – Thanks man.

Martin – I'll see what I can do ;) A lot of your hardware in there, I posted over on your forum as well. I'm interested in your new firebase stuff, and I heard you're re-working 'Men of Company B' for platoon-level fights; what's the word?

Irish- Thanks man, but I've got all I need. Just need to finish up their Tiger Stripes (I'm not using them as Aussies, more as LRRPS, Marine Recon, Rangers, Mike Force, etc…) and base them.

Mako – Nah, all my Cold War stuff is 6mm.

DM – Ask and ye shall be answered ;)

Ivan – I suppose man. I'm re-looking at No End in Sight right now.

Glenn – I'll have to take a look for The Things They Carried, never read that one.

V/R,
Jack

The Things they Carried is more at the squad level. With the size of your collection, I would suggest anything by Kieth Nolan.

I'm with ya, VCarter. I've already got Dai Do (Dong Ha), Into Cambodia, Hue, and Op Buffalo. I've already drawn up about a dozen company-sized scenarios for Dai Do, plan on doing similar for the rest of those. I need to get Lam Son 719 too.

V/R,
Jack

Then you already on to it.

Nolan really has a hand on the history and it more the shame his life was so short.

Thanks,

Vince

Then you already on to it.

Nolan really has a hand on the history and it more the shame his life was so short.

Thanks,

Vince

Jack, you're in the sh#t! Sorry, couldn't help myself.

"You wouldn't know man.. you weren't there. Outside Na Drang in 15mm"

You guys are killing me… ;)

Ivan, I've re-read NEIS again last night. An excellent set of rules, but I'm just to used to 5Core. I can almost guarantee I'll be doing Vietnam with some iteration of 5Core, at whatever echelon I choose to play at. Modified, of course ;)

V/R,
Jack

Ah yes, you've been drinking the Montagnard rice-wine, haven't you? Jim Morris (the SF guy) warned us about that!

So here's what I'd do (but I've also been called crazy…):
I'd do the strategic battle in 6mm, moving units around into contact and whatnot, then also play out certain firefights in 15mm at platoon size or so, and have these fights affect the larger battle.

Many moons ago i was working on a 3mm Nam rule set for THW, basically operation level, mainly so I could fly lots of helicopters around and occurrences outside of the direct battle space could influence the operation (like a helo being shot down a few klicks away from the main effort, forcing reserves to be deployed to protect the downed crew, etc) but then got caught up in writing the new edition of FNG.
Long story short, i played 2 or 3 turns of skirmish/platoon level for every turn of the operation level. Worked really well. Helos flew around and showed up on the small table, arty arrived at seemingly realistic times, etc. Just zoom in on important parts, like the taking of a key village or the assault on a bunker complex, for the skirmish games. Don't get bogged down with things like a Coy of grunts encountering a trio of VC. Of course, you'll be accused of being bonkers too, but that may not be a bad thing!

You can do player-as-company-commander in 15mm pretty easily. Granted, I play Flames when I do it, but 3-4 platoons of multibased grunts is simple. All their helo support gets a bit expansive, though.

The new Men of Company B is coming along very nicely. The search and destroy game is sorted. Started work on the Firebase game. I think Martin is planning end of year release.

DSG – You must not be crazy, someone else suggested the same thing on a different forum, and I kinda like it.

Lion – Sure, but all my 15mm stuff is singly based. If I'm going to go multi-based I have 10mm and 6mm stuff. But helos are a pain in the ass in all scales, even 6mm when ti costs $12 USD to get one CH-34 or two UH-1s…

Fred – Thanks, I look forward to it.

V/R,
Jack

Sabot bases are your friends, Jack. (then again, I made a conscious choice to stick with 15mm for pretty much all my gaming once I got into Flames, lets me recycle almost all my terrain)