Find The Bastards, Then Pile On!

 As has been recorded in the blog in the past, I was wargaming Vietnam when it was considered a little 'off colour' and choices were limited, both of rules and minia, but of course, it was 20mm scale all the way - as is still right and proper of course.

How I remember listening to Yes being played on Radio 1 (that long ago) as I painted my latest unit of Green Berets or SEALs, and how excited I was when I painted my first Skytrex 20mm NVA which were chunky and lovely to paint.

I was thrilled and at the same time repulsed by the beautiful photographs of Tim Page, the photo journalist who, after stepping from a Huey in a hot LZ, hit a mine and ended up losing a section of his brain, the size of a fist, surviving and going back in later years, such was the effect of the country on his soul.

I am now wrestling with myself over a switch up to 28mm as I return to 'Nam gaming, but this only applies to smaller actions involving platoon sized formations and a more narrative approach.

But, I also want to game some of the multi-company sized ops I recall seeing on TV news reports when I was a very young kid, some of the earliest memories I have, along with the kangaroo court trials of Western mercenaries in Africa. Those scenes of the wounded men in a court, knowing they were going to be executed hit home even then and chill me to this very day.

But, I digress...

Yesterday, I was browsing that auction site we all love and hate, and I found both an Air Cav company and large Armoured Cavalry formation in 15mm using Battlefront models, painted beautifully.

I stuck a couple of bids on to what I thought was a reasonable level and then won them both at well below my top line bids.

In total, I got:

 

10 x M113 ACAV,

8 x M113,

2 x M113 with mini gun,

4 x M106 mortar carriers,

2 x M125 mortar carriers,

6 x M551 sheridans

5 x M48

 

 

1 x hq,1 x MG platoon,

3 x rifle platoons

2 x 90mm anti tank teams

1 x UH-1 aviation platoon

1 x aeroscout platoon

1 x aero weapons platoon and a C&C op helicopter (total x 5 Huey’s,2 x cobras and 2 x loach)

 

 

 And, with a few swap outs, I can use them for 70s Cold War gaming, which is always nice...

So, that's another unexpected addition to the collection, and something else to occupy my wallet, but that of course is the normal state of things for we addicts.

Oh, and did I mention the hernia-inducing box which arrived yesterday from Shaun McLaughlin of The Bunker fame, containing over 600  Citadel pre slotta Dark Age Arabs? Well, that will have to wait until the weekend to be opened properly as Shaun does a hell of a packing job, but a few random dips into the box had me squealing and wetting myself like a teenage girl at a Duran Duran gig. 

 Well, that said, I better head off to the studio and earn my daily crust.

 

TTFN