Apparently I've Become a Vietnam War-Gamer

[Just Jack]

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:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2016/08/apparently-ive-become-vietnam-war-gamer.html

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

[Colonel Kilgore]

Jack,

These are all very nice.

You could add a 3rd option to your current dilemma: how about platoon-level search-and-destroy / search-and-rescue / firebase assault scenarios, all of which will be included in RFCM's fully-revised "Men of Company B" rules that are in development?

It look as though you already have most of the toys needed for the majority of the force and scenario types!

Simon

[Just Jack]

Thanks Colonel, though the last thing I need is more options!

Having said that, new 'Men of Compan B' for platoon level?  I'm all ears; any ETA on them?  Playtesters needed?

V/R,
Jack

[Sean Clark]

ETA should be before the end of the year. I think playtesting  is all but done but give Martin a shout.

[emphatz]

A Fantastic effort, there is lots to be proud of, But no US force is complete without a M50 Ontos, come on now !




why aren't my images displaying?? (experts out there?)

[Administrator]

you need to get the 'direct' link to the photo in PB. Please see -

https://rulesforcommonman.uk/smf/index.php?topic=126.0

I've corrected your post

thanks
Simon

[Just Jack]

Thanks Sean, I'm very interested in the rules.

Emphatz - Thanks man!  And you're right, but I don't think I can handle an Ontos!

V/R,
Jack

[emphatz]

Thank you admin...

[martin goddard]

I am happy to send out a playsheet to any forum members whom are interested. It may not make full sense though?
Juts e mail me on peterpig@btinternet.com

martin

[Just Jack]

All,

While Vietnam was largely an infantry war, there were, of course, vehicles present.  I've only got two helicopters, which you'll see later, but now you get to see what else I've got, and the cool thing is that I've got vehicles for both sides!  And I've got land and sea covered

The label says Peter Pig, which is a bit of a little white lie.  You see, it's almost all Peter Pig, but there is one lonely Zvezda vehicle in there.


Here's the group: a PBR (Patrol Boat, River), two LVTP-5 Amtracs, and M-48 Patton, a T-55, and a 122mm self-propelled gun (I believe the Soviet designation is 2S1?).  The T-55 and SPG are for the North Vietnamese, and will come in handy for some late war action, like the Fall of the South, the 1972 Easter Offensive, or Lam Son 719.  All the US stuff is in play for the entire war.

The 122mm SPG is the Zvezda model, all the rest is Peter Pig.  To see a bunch more pics, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2016/08/peter-pig-15mm-vehicles-for-vietnam.html

That's all my vehicles, and all I can see really needing in 15mm.  I'd like to have some more helos, some Hueys for the Army and some CH-34s for the Marines, but they're so big and expensive (and hard to find the -34s) that I'll probably live without them.  More troops and terrain to show ya, so stay tuned.

V/R,
Jack

[Just Jack]

All,

Next up in my Vietnam stuff is some Peter Pig NVA and VC.  Now, please recall I've already shown you pics of a bunch of Peter Pig VC rifles, RPGs, and RPDs I'd finished awhile back.  But I decided I had too many VC, so I took some VC I had lying around, and some VC I'd already finished, and painted them up as North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regulars.  Then I took some NVA heavy weapons crews I had lying around and painted them too, splitting them between NVA and VC.


The whole gang: there are 28 NVA infantry, six NVA heavy weapons crew, six VC heavy weapons crew, sixteen VC casualty figures (which I'll also use for NVA), and an unmanned 14.5mm machine gun and an unmanned 7.62mm machine gun (the two reddish brown bases).  Unfortunately I forgot to take closeups of those two.


A look at one of the NVA riflemen.  To see a bunch more pics, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2016/08/peter-pig-vietnam-15mm-nva-and-vc-with.html

Well, there's my bad guys, and I love the figs, just solid, well cast poses.  We'll be seeing these soon; we have to, because they'll face off against whomever I go with from the good guys, be they Marines, Army, or Special Forces of some type.  More to follow.

V/R,
Jack

[emphatz]

Very nice man......Love all the dead bodies, a good VC is a dead VC.....

[Just Jack]

Thanks man!

"If they run, they're VC!"
"If they stand still, they're well disciplined VC!"

V/R,
Jack

[emphatz]

Hahahah nice one, love this era, one of my fav wars.