Sandbox Skirmish

Nick Jones, author of the excellent Bloody Betancourt blog, has just bowled a bit of a googly in my general direction and is thinking of putting together an African imaginations skirmish project in 15mm. As you may recall, this has been a slow burning project of mine for years now, under the working title of Sandbox Skirmish, primarily as I originally designed it around Nordic Weasel's No End In Sight rules and the Skirmish Sandbox patrol system. 

I've not visited this for ages but am now feeling itchy, so will dig out what I've done thus far for a timely review. The original project was set in an alternative post-colonial Aden style location but I have considered shifting it to East Africa and even bigging it up to 28mm, using the outstanding terrain modules that I was gifted by wargaming chum Jon Ward. This would use either Commando Miniatures or Eureka Miniatures but it's a bit of a jump up and very much a peripheral option....

...off in another tangent again but at least it's one I've charted before!

https://bloodybetancourt.wordpress.com/

Eureka Miniatures British

The post colonial Aden 1967 British figures arrived in the post from Eureka Miniatures today and they are excellent. I only have a section of them for the moment but it's enough for a skirmish game using Wars of Insurgency or similar rules. I will put these away for a holiday project but hope to sort something out later this year at some point. 

Back to Africa

 

I had a nice parcel of Eureka Miniatures ZANLA guerrillas in the post today, with sufficient figures to kit out three sections of six and a commander. I thought some opposition would be a good idea but, rather than the obvious Rhodesian or Portuguese option, I decided to go for some British from the Aden range. I've ordered a section of ten figures to use as a patrol in a counter factual 'imaginations' type setting akin to my 15mm Sandbox Skirmish project, making use of the resin Humber Pigs from Warbases that I already have in the bits box. A bit pricey but very nice figures.

Angola Air War Additions

 

I have a couple of the later volumes in the Helion Publishing War of Intervention in Angola series, which are excellent, but not this one which covers the late 70"S and early 80's. These are really good reference sources, both for the detailed text and the full colour profiles, which are really handy when painting aircraft and vehicles. Good stocking filler!

Wars of Insurgency Rebel Force

 

There's a good chance that I can re-boot my Sandbox Skirmish post-colonial patrol project in the near future, using Wars of Insurgency rather than No End In Sight, at least to start with. To see how I can make the switch over work, I've taken the rebel platoon that I organised and ran it through the points system in the Wars of Insurgency rules, to see how it all added up. This lot totalled a respectable 219 points without including any grenades or the additional BTR-152 that I was thinking of bolting on. The three militia teams and attached mortar are supplemented by a regular team of Cuban military advisors with a Gaz truck, the whole lot forming a People's Popular Front unit. I can adjust this up or down between 200 and 250 points quite easily, so a good starting point for the project and more than manageable for painting purposes. 

Sandbox Skirmish Saga

                     

It's been a few years now since I began my 15mm Sandbox Skirmish project and it's really been a saga of stops and starts all along the way. I did get round to painting a section of figures earlier this year but otherwise it's pretty much ground to a halt. Next year I'm determined to shift it up a gear and get it moving along, possibly with some impetus from one of the chaps at the club who has similar interests and may well be up for a game or even a mini campaign, if I can twist his arm enough. This will be for No End In Sight and/or Wars of Insurgency, with One Hour Skirmish as a third fall back option. 

Sandbox Skirmish Aden Insurgency

 

After a long holiday away, I've been making up for lost time by raiding the local second-hand and charity book shops. I have now acquired half a dozen assorted hardbacks and a few softbacks, the latter including a copy of Aden Insurgency by Jonathan Walker. This is the book that initially inspired my Sandbox Skirmish post-colonial project in 15mm a few years ago, although at the time it was the digital version on my now defunct Kindle. 

It's great to have a hard copy now, as I can flick from chapter to chapter making notes and finding useful information, without having to scroll back and forth on my phone, which is like reading a book through a letter box. It's made me want to pick up the project again and get the rest of the platoon painted up, along with their vehicles and that lovely resin Whirlwind helicopter. 

Post War Whirlibitds

 

The 3D printed helicopters from Lambda Gaming arrived today and, once again, I'm very impressed. I particularly like the Whirlwind as it really looks the part and is very sturdy, perfect for wargaming purposes. The Flying Banana is also really good but a bit more fragile in the tail department, so will need careful handling once assembled. The models come with stands and magnets to attach the rotor hubs, so will dismantle to pack away. I'll use the Whirlwind for the Sandbox Skirmish project, where it fits in perfectly, while the Shawnee will go to Vietnam for the Bohica project, as transport for the ARVN. Excellent!

Hello Helo

                 

I had a message from the chap who runs Lambda Gaming a while back, saying that he had added a 15mm scale Piasecki Shawnee and Westland Whirlwind to his range of 3D printed models. As I was dead impressed by the Mi-18 helicopter I bought from him via eBay, and had been after both of these types for Vietnam and Aden for years, I shot an email back to him today and put in an order for one of each. I think I've also persuaded him to make a Westland Commando and a Westland Scout, but we'll have to wait and see?

Sandbox Skirmish Patrol

Here's the finished test figures for the Sandbox Skirmish project, with the bases painted in Vallejo US Tan Earth and a dry brush in Vallejo Iraqi Sand, plus some Gamers Grass light green tufts. I've put them with the Humber Pig and Ferret armoured car to make up a small patrol, the other three section squaddies being the drivers and Ferret commander. I now need to paint up the rest of the platoon and finish the other vehicles.

Sandbox Skirmish Painting Experiment

 

This is the result of my experiment in painting 15mm figures using a basecoat and wash method, instead of my usual layering over a black undercoat. In some ways I think it works well, the shading on the packs for example, but in others I'm not so keen. It also wasn't any faster than layering, which was a surprise. I think I'll stick to my usual method for my Red Actions! project but, as I've started using washes for the Sandbox Skirmish figures I'll carry on with the same for the rest of the British infantry platoon. Ho hum.

Sandbox Skirmish

       

This 15mm post-colonial skirmish project has been hanging about for a few years now but will get a reboot over the half term holiday, as I'm on a roll with my 15mm AK47 stuff and really enjoying the painting. I recently discovered the Wars of Insurgency rules, which would work well for this, so have some impetus to get on with a painting test run for the British infantry platoon. 

However, I'm thinking of relocating the action to a fictional East African ex-colony, where the government is facing a nationalist insurrection and has called on the British for political and military support. The response has been the deployment of a small contingent from a soon to be amalgamated West Country regiment and a few shady special forces SAS types.

I've re-sprayed a strip of eight of the figures in a Citadel Death Guard Green basecoat and gave the layer paints to get them started, which will be a change from using a black undercoat. It may of may not go to plan but, if it goes tits up I can always strip them back and start again. The vehicles just need finishing off, as they're three quarters painted already.

Should be fun!

Wars of Insurgency

                           

This is a set of skirmish rules that I hadn't heard of before bumping into a recommendation on a Facebook group. It's very much inspired by the original AK47 in style and content but with a system for skirmish level battles, rather than company level, and a slightly more serious tone. The army lists ate based around the same factions as AK47 and there's a clear emphasis on the political manoeuvring aspect, through a well designed campaign system. I really like what I've read so far and for only a few quid it's a bargain. I can see myself developing a 15mm or 28mm skirmish equivalent to my AK47 games or even using it for the Sandbox Skirmish project with a few minor adjustments. Very cool!

http://www.firstcommandwargames.com/wars-of-insurgency.html