28mm WWII Barbarossa Project

I think a lot more people would be into historical wargaming if they knew how to get started. Take World War Two, for instance. Everybody likes tanks, right? But what rules do you use, where do you buy the figures and models, what scale should you choose, do you have to research your own scenarios, will other gamers laugh at you if you paint the soldiers the wrong shade of khaki...

So I thought it would be a good idea to start these Projects in order to eliminate barriers and show how easy it is to get started with historical gaming.

The decision about period and scale was made partly by planning, partly by what was on hand here in the office, and partly by what volunteers were willing to paint! The final choice was to go with 28mm scale, the Russian Front, and to base everything around a particular scenario.

I have all of the SkirmishCampaigns series of scenario books (published by JD Publications), so they were a natural starting point in my search for a period and a scenario. I eventually chose Opening Volley from Russia '41 - Into the Ukraine, which depicts a clash between German and Soviet armor and infantry in the first few days of the Barbarossa invasion.