AK47 for a complete Duffer

[Colonel Kilgore]

Those tank riders are particularly good, Julian!

Simon

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

Wow!
thanks Julian, those are inspirational/aspirational pics. I do like the tank riders but I think in the 60's the Malian military had most of the decent hardware... Maybe they could be riding a captured APC 
thanks for the ref, Howard - alas the Malians largely relied on 2nd hand Soviet tech with off the peg green paint jobs and interesting camo was not introduced until the 80s 
I do need to source some arab/robed RPG toting figures - alas the Afghans/Taliban by Khurasan have too many distinctive pakol hats in the mix.

I'm going for a 60s retro version of this look from c.2012... Lots of technicals on both sides composed of Toyota land cruisers, Landrovers, Postwar Jeeps and Soviet APCs. I am prepared to stretch the conflict (which was bubbling away intermittently) into the 1970s so I can use some PP vehicles... I will also be re-tasking some civvy vehicles which is what started this off in the first place...

I will be attempting to recreate this kind of savannah scenic look. I particularly like the mud brick architectural style that characterises the sahel region with the upturned corners. I'm tempted to reuse some scenics I scratchbuilt many years ago for C Arabia which has a broadly similar mud brick style...

Neil

[Sean Clark]

Bon jeu, vive le legion !
julian

Whose table is this Julian? It's magnificent!

[Panzer21]

Neil,
While it may be difficult to break the habit of historical research, I think you may find it easier to use real life nations such as Mali as "vague inspiration" rather than a template on which to base army composition .
If you do, it makes separation of real life nastiness from playing with toy soldiers that much easier.

I've done this in the past by creating Imagi-Nations; Costa Guano in South America and the post Soviet state of the Central Eurasian Republic.
As they never existed, I'm free to field whatever I want or actually possess. In the CER the battle for the capital involved T-34/85s, JS-3 as well as T-55 and T-72. Costa Guano has fielded Leopard 2 and Marder apcs in the Presidential Guard.

Looking at your proposed army the first thing I thought of was Chad; you could have a government force with ex-Soviet equipment v rebels in a fleet of pick-ups and gun trucks all in Bedouin / Touaurig clothing.

Neil

[Sean Clark]

Good post Neil.

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

An excellent suggestion, Neil.
Chad is also within the Sahel belt and subject to the same regional transport challenges... a good call on potential army composition inspiration
That level of separation from reality is important I think. I have now opted for the 'Republic of Senemal' as probably more appropriate. Senegal joined French Sudan in the Mali Federation in 1959 but broke away shortly after independence in 1960. The Tuareg of the region expected a different territorial settlement and separatists have ever since fought for the state of 'Azawad' or 'Azaway' which originally applied not just to a small N part of Mali but to the much wider Berber region that existed in the Middle Ages...

The earlier soviet wheeled transports do remind me of LRDG jeeps, Julian

I'm enjoying this kind of world building... 

[martin goddard]

It is recognise that most of the armies and countries in Africa fight very horrible wars.
Hence why AK is kept generic.

This also the reason the rules stop at 1990. This helps avoid enthusiasts fussing over particular statistical information that would only spoil the game.

Some armies such as Lebanese, Israeli et al are specifically mentioned as the players wanted them.

The "making things up" aspect is a great attraction to the game for me.

Not sure if there will be a V3, but we are 13 years on.


martin

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

Julian,
Thanks for both your suggestions...
Martin,
It is nice to get the basics right and since I'm pitching my 'Republic of Senemal' in the period from 1960-1979 I wanted to get at least a sampling of the vehicles most likely to be in that region. I'm not a C20 vehicle specialist so I browsed the interweb so I didn't inadvertently get any 1980s 'cuckoos' in the mix. Finding out Mali used T34/85s as well as T54/55s just gives me an excuse to get 2 different MBTs!

Neil

[Bankinista]

I think that one of the joys of AK47 (original or Reloaded) is its uniqueness. Players have a very free hand. Look at all the things the game is and isn't:
    • It is realistic but also caricature.
    • It is and isn't fantasy.
    • It is and isn't "what if?"
    • It allows any vehicles/military vehicles from, say, 1940 to date to be validly used.
    • It allows just about any figure to be used.
    • It allows the use of any toy that "looks right".
    • It isn't geographically fixed.
    • It is only loosely fixed in time.
    • It allows humour of a sort that isn't always black. (Best summed up by the dead militiaman that has been run over by a tank.)
The rules are simple but effective. Name any other period that comes close?

Bankinista

[Colonel Kilgore]

That's a pretty good summary, Bankinista!

I would add: "it gives a nuanced, challenging game that's fun to play" 

Simon

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

I'm really looking forward to building up forces for both sides and exploring everyone's assessment of the rules.
I'm looking to give my T54/55 a similar paintjob to the attached... it has just come off the spray bench in an undercoat of light olive drab and looks fab already!
The Blue Moon Tuareg are alas more in the 18mm size bracket, so will have to be on separate bases to my other truer scale 15mm figures. I'll be looking to the Arab/PLO headscarved troops to provide AK equipped rebels and more modern fire support...
I just spent an enjoyable afternoon butchering a decrepit old Ford Anglia toy car which I plan to model as a burnt out roadside wreck...

Neil

[Colonel Kilgore]

I think a great thing about "AK47 Republic" paint schemes is that it's hard to come up with anything wackier than someone has already used in the real world, so anything goes!

So, maybe one more thing to add to Bankinista's list - no need to adhere to any paint scheme for figures or vehicles, if you don't want to!

Simon

[Colonel Kilgore]

They are very versatile figures, Julian - good for PMCs too.

Simon

[sukhe_bator (Neil)]

I'm looking for some more infantry in local dress with less combat gear. I've just added a smattering of Irregular Afghans to the mix - turban heads, AKs and RPGs... and more in scale with PP figs. I may well add some PP Arab/PLO in due course... I do like the idea of head swapping hardened militia, Julian

Seemingly most soviet APCs etc were in Russian olive livery. The Malians added names and historic events to their vehicles in white lettering so I may well copy that idea... they even used PT-76s as de-facto MBTs so I have one on order from Skytrex to add to my motley assortment.

Olive drab is a little incongruous in a desert theatre I'd have thought. In the film 'Sahara' the vehicles had two tone camo (tan and brown I think?) I'm doing some essential 'research' watching it now for inspiration!

Neil

[Colonel Kilgore]

Neil,

I've settled on doing all my AK47 "Western" kit in green ("Russian green" works well, ironically) and all the Soviet-sourced equipment in sandy yellow.

It may not be strictly accurate (although just try and prove it!) but it keeps things simple for me in terms of what I include in a given force and which model is on which side!

Simon