Modern USMC Minis Game

[GJK]

Two-cents, the first:
Empress Miniatures make some beautiful stuff.  I was tempted to buy some of their Zulu war stuff just so I could build a "Thin Red Line" vignette.

Two-cents, the second:
As much as I love 28mm, 1/72 seems the way to go with modern stuff.  It's a shame more companies aren't making more hard-plastic ranges, but perhaps that will eventually emerge.  In the meantime, if you want to incorporate more than 1 or 2 modern vehicles into your FoF games, I think you pretty much need to go 1/72.  Although having said THAT...I have played a couple of "all infantry" games of FoF and it is a great game system for modern skirmish actions.

Two cents, the third:
I don't want to sound hyper-cheap...but a one nice and affordable way to build out your FoF buildings and even vehicles is by using paper models.  Lots of stuff available for free or cheap on-line.

regards,

Jack Nastyface

Good stuff - thanks for this info.  I spoke to my son on the phone tonight and told him about FonF and what I've gotten so far and he's super excited to give it a spin (as am I).  I agree, it seems that 1:72 is the super easy way to go.  Maybe a little small for my tastes, but it will work out ok.  I'm already thinking of a way to make fireteam bases that will easily allow the removal of individual men for casualties while being "sturdy" enough to move as a whole unit and not have them fall off. 

I'll begin my Google search after I send this for paper buildings.  I've done quite a bit of research on FonF scenarios and have seen some great pictures of mini's here on this forum (AAR section) and this one as well: http://wargamesandrailroads.blogspot.com/2012/07/force-on-force-us-army-vs-taliban.html

Those buildings look easy enough to construct.

[Toonces]

Ok so I stumbled onto Force on Force on Amazon today, so I know what you're talking about.

Where did you get the plastic 1/72 figures?  From the little I read it seems that 20mm is popular for FoF and 28mm is popular for Bolt Action which I was also looking at.  28mm seems to correspond to plastic army man size, and I was looking for some rules to goof off with those.  I have a bucket of about 200 of them in my son's room.

[bayonetbrant]

28mm is interchangeable w/ 1:72

[GJK]

Ok, found this discussion on 20mm vs 28mm:  http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=56892

Seems that 20mm is their choice as well.

If 28mm is Army men size, then there's no way it's compatible with 20mm/1:72.  I may be misreading you here Brant-
A 20mm figure is just about an inch in size or maybe just under actually.

Toonces:  I found several boxes of figures at Hobbylinc.com.  Here's one of ones that I ordered for example:
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/cmf/cmf58.htm

I also got the Afghan Mujihadeen fighters:
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/maf/maf72002.htm

And another "US Elite Force". 

[bayonetbrant]

just saying that when you're pressed for figures to play a game, you can mix and match 28mm and 1:72 to get your dice on.

I wouldn't mix them if I was making a museum-quality diorama, but to sling dice over a firefight on a Saturday afternoon?  No prob.

[GJK]

Oh LORD no!  If I lacquer and clip my counters, laminate the charts and maps for my boardgames, then there's just no way that I'm mixing 20mm with 28mm when playing with mini's!!  :)

I'd personally rather paint and play with 28mm but if you price metal 28mm figures and compare that to what you can get in plastic 20mm, there's just no comparison unless money is not an issue.

[mirth]

28mm is interchangeable w/ 1:72

Blasphemer!!

[bayonetbrant]

Oh LORD no!  If I lacquer and clip my counters, laminate the charts and maps for my boardgames, then there's just no way that I'm mixing 20mm with 28mm when playing with mini's!!  :)

Gary doesn't suffer from OCD.
He has CDO, which has the letters in alphabetical order, like they should be.

[GJK]

Yes, true.  Everything else is in complete turmoil and disorganized save for my wargame collection which I pamper to no end.  Go figure.  :D

And go check out this table....I would LOVE to have something that looks half that good.  Hell, a quarter of that even!  Looks like a lot of fun too.



http://boardgamegeek.com/image/1588299/force-on-force?size=original

[Toonces]

I was wrong, plastic army men are 54mm not 28mm.  Not sure how I made that mistake.   :o

[Toonces]

If I have time I'm going to head to the LFS and see what he has WRT rules and figures.  I'm certain this guy has to have 1:72 modern minis somewhere.

[bayonetbrant]

Not sure how I made that mistake.

you're in Hawaii and had your mind on other things?

[GJK]

I picked up an M1A2 Abrams today at my FLGS.  It's from the "Forces of Valor" line and is at 1:72.  Cost $9. 

LOTS of WW2 stuff at 1:72 as you would expect but the only scale that really covered modern stuff was 1:35th scale.  I could of gone crazy at that scale.  I'll have to keep looking online for cheap 1:72 stuff (I need some HMMWV's and probably some Bradley's eventually.  The important thing is I have the squads/fireteams covered for both the US and insurgents. 

Also picked up a "desert terrain" play mat (yesterday actually) and some telephone poles (they were $4 and will add to the aesthetics).  I think that I'll get some balsa wood to construct the buildings. 

HO scale palm trees were $21 for three trees.  Crazy.  I'll have to shop for some of those but if not, no biggie.

[bayonetbrant]

Check model stores for HO scale models.  They'll also have a ton of model railroad terrain that can be used, too.

[bayonetbrant]

you might also find this one useful:  http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Index.aspx