A walk in the sun

 

This was a Vietnam skirmish-level game I ran over Zoom a few weeks ago. Half a dozen or so players joined me, each commanding small units, and I moved the toys around and resolved combat using A Fistful of Lead rules. The figures are all 54mm - a mix of MARS and TSSD. For most, this was their first deployment. 

The field of battle - a mere 30x40 inches!  The trees were purely representative - the whole area was horrible jungle - but added considerably to the look and feel of the thing. 

The US squad leader’s team - complete with radio man and medic.  The latter was kept very busy. 

Small detachments of NVA soon emerged from their hidey holes - the rotters!  Hello markers are shaken, red are wounds. See what I meant about that medic?

The US M60 team went off the the left of the track - would they avoid the baddies?

View from the NVA end. This fellow has just emptied a mag into the US point man. 

The view that none of the players had! The ground rises nearer the camera - this was the US objective. 

Remember the M60 team?  Here they are under fire from a sniper. 

Soon RPGs and grenades were adding to the fun. But the front of the US squad was almost atop the ridge.  What could go wrong?

This could!  An NVA controlled Claymore mine takes down the lead pair of Americans. It was agreed that my party popper was an excellent way of simulating this.  

A very entertaining game to run and  - so I am told - play. We’ll return to Vietnam in the coming months.  

The three stages of defeat

While packing away the German figures from the past week’s games it occurred to me that I held in my hands the three stages of the German defeat. As I was entertained by this you might be too. I knew these figures would have a purpose. 

 

Pioneers to the front!

More lockdown painting to report now, in the form of these WW2 Germans. These beautiful plastic  figures are by TSSD. There are some lovely poses - I especially like the guy running with the flamethrower (don’t try this at home!) whose bare left arm reveals a wristwatch! Unfortunately one of the chaps has already checked out - possibly in protest at my painting. These will go well with the TSSD infantry I finished back in February. 

TSSD Germans

Now complete but still lurking on the modelling table is this batch of WW2 Germans. These are TSSD figures and are really rather lovely. There are elements of three sets here - I particularly like the chaps in greatcoats. Above - cleaned and based, but otherwise as they emerged from the pack.

I’ll try to take some decent photos at some point.

More Jap chaps

While I was achieving a ‘quick win’ with the already painted Airfix Japs, I was also painting this batch. There are figures here from at least four manufacturers (from memory TSSD, CTS, Marx and Airfix).  They’ve been finished to my usual ‘basic but effective’ standard. 

I am especially pleased with the flags!