Rules - Scale representation, TOEs and paper keeping

Wargaming Rules thoughts of the Day

Just having a think this morning about rules systems for gaming in this scale, at the operational level.

I am slowly putting together my own set of house rules (of course), and dwelling on some of the issues involved.  There are 2 little points that are consuming my thought processes at the moment that need some expansion.

Number 1) is the paper keeping issue.

Number 2) is the TOE and representation of Divisions issue.

And these 2 subjects are necessarily intertwined.

Basing in 3mm

Tip of the Day

After the last experiment with the 1/600 O8 figures, I had a few questions about the basing method.

So I thought I would share that here with you all.

Requirements for basing at this teeny weeny scale are a little different to what I am used to with my 15mm miniatures. These requirements are :

• Models should sit as close as possible to the underlying board.
• The basing material should be sculptable, to create small folds in the ground, dead ground, and distinct track marks.
• The basing material should act as a glue to hold the models in place, although holding strength is not a huge issue, as the models are incredibly light anyway.
• The basing material should offer some texture - enough for a light dry brushing, but not so much that it overwhelms the teeny weeny figures.
• A little bit of fine scale flock works well - just a dab here and there is OK.

So with these requirements in mind, I get to work making up my own special 2/3mm specific basing mix.
 

Secret ingredient number 1) - Vallejo brown earth textured paint, and a couple of tubes of cheap art paint in various shades of brown.

The Vallejo textured paint is probably overkill for this - we can make up something similar anyway, but it does offer a great base to start with. Not cheap - these tubs are close to $20 each, but they do last forever.

Worthwhile if you are totally addicted to the hobby and have a lot of figures to base in different scales, as it saves a huge amount of messing around.  Designed for use with 1/35 scale armour, where it is the best thing around for putting mud on tracks and vehicles. Looks like peanut butter - but is not to be eaten !

German Infantry 1939

Regiment of the Day

More O8s for the troop experiment. Some Germans to match up with the Polish troops.

Again, I am ridiculously impressed with these figures. Cant say it enough - Simply Awesome !  is the best description I can think of.

Ordered these through http://www.fighting15sshop.co.uk/  - good prices, cheap shipping costs, and quick delivery. They had them in stock, so it is always good to have a reliable supplier for your next fix.  Recommended people to deal with.

On to the miniatures :

Polish Infantry Regiment

Regiment of the Day

Continuing the troop experiment, I will have a go with some of my newly arrived Oddzial Ozzmy (O8) figures today.

Put together a few bases of 1939 Polish infantry to see how the O8 stuff stacks up against the 2mm Irregular units.

One word - WOW !

I am impressed, I think the word 'awesome' is overused in the English language these days, however I have to say it - these O8 figures are Simply Awesome !

Russian BUAs in early Winter

Scenery of the Day

My first shot at doing some scenery for 2mm gaming - I chose (of course), some nameless corner of Russia in early winter, with a few city areas.

The point of this board is to create something that is dirt cheap to make, looks reasonably realistic, and can pack into a small box for transport.
It is made up of 8" square tiles, each divided into 4" square 'sectors'.

As a 'sector' is the basic measuring unit of the game system, each 4" square sector representing 2km square in real life, by having these divisions marked on the board, you can play the game without a tape measure.

Anyway, on to the piccies : 

A 3' x 4' table, divided into 4" square sectors = 20km wide, 28km deep.

Playstesting Begins !

Battle of the Day

First few rounds of playtesting begin, using scraps of paper for the units, and unpainted scenery to get an idea of scales involved.

I wont go into too many details about the actual battle, because it looks extremely boring without decent terrain and troops ... but I will try and caption some of the photos with interesting discoveries that come up during the playtest game.

Initial Deployment from the Russian side - There are 2 infantry Divisions in position in the BUAs on the left and centre, and a Tank Division held back in reserve on the right flank.

1943 German Division

Division of the Day

Some first prototype units for 1943(?) German Divisions.

Just playing around with ideas, using 2mm Irregular figures from Eureka.

Seeing what works, and what doesn't work so well at this scale.