It's Getting Hot

When I was but a lad, I bought my first micro armour on the bring and buy at Triples, paying 7p each for them. I had no idea what they were other than they were Russian, but with a few layered hills and bit of green board along with some rather outrageous but fun rules, I and my gaming buddy at the time, had a few hours of good fun, with about 12 models.

It got me interested somewhat in what was 'ultra moderns' at the time, but which is now Cold War gaming, but it was never a major period for me.

A couple of years ago I saw the Team Yankee rules but blanched when I saw the horrid appearance of games as T7s charged in close order towards the enemy, going toe to toe with opposing armour. But, the 15mm scale models appealed to me. They looked better than 1/300 or 10mm models and had enough personality that they were better than 28mm for use on the average table top.

Seeing the Plastic Soldier Company Russian infantry last weekend, and being unable to get hold of a set of Vietnam War rules that I felt happy with, got me mulling the idea of some Cold War gaming, and also reminded me of the old Bruce Quarrie tank battle rules which we played to death and which led to many a late night gaming on the floor of the family manse whilst my parents were on holiday in the mid to late 80s. Bedsheets, over books and mates such as Roger, Bish, Wade etc merrily blasting each other's forces to hell and back whilst stopping regularly to do our best to empty the two freezers and fridge before my parents came home.

It was then that I remembered that at 'Joy Of Six' earlier this summer, I got a copy of the 1977 'Modern Armor' rules from TSR for 50p ( I know, I am a spendthrift of the highest order).

I have been reading them and I do declare that they have that same 'old school' feel and should provide a nice fast framework for clashes in the Rhineland without all the technical jiggery wot sit of the Bruce Rea Taylor or WRG rule sets. Also, as they were designed for 1/76 scale models, they will work admirably well with 15mm.

I've just bagged around 20 or so, very nice 15mm Cold War BAOR models and a few Soviet models from a private seller, which were only listed today and thus, I must consider this a sign from Great Gygax himself that I am on the right path.

I am actually rather excited at the idea of throwing a company or two of model around on what could be a very, very nice gaming table and doing so with that sense of enjoyment (remember what that was like?) of my youth.


I am beyond the realms of always having to go with 28mm because it's the way of the chequebook wargamer. I want to have fun and I can get a lot of 15mm stuff, nicely painted and very easy on the eye, for the same kind of money. What's more it will allow me to collect a large variety of formations along with air power which will look pretty damned awesome.