Vietnam in 28mm

Carrying on once again with my plan for October to take stock of all the figures I have and make a loose project plan for the next year (or so…). Sticking with the Vietnam theme from the previous post, I thought it was time to do the 28mm Vietnam stuff.

These are for a lower, skirmish scale of action. I use Savage Worlds (usually the Showdown skirmish rules), and occasionally these fellows have seen action in “Tour of Darkness” – a Vietnam Horror setting for Savage Worlds.

Here’s what I’ve got:

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


A Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol. The figures are from Westwind’s “Special Forces in Boonie Hats” pack.


Some gents from the MACV – Studies and Observation Group, in their black dyed fatigues. The Assautl Group.


More Special ops types of one form or another… The Assault Group.


Two mortar teams for fire support. Baker Company.


Here’s the whole platoon. A mix of West Wind and The Assault Group. I ran a campaign last winter. Most of these guys were actually named. I’ll see if I can’t remember them as I present them squad by squad. In the campaign each player had a squad leader, plus there were others playing the platoon commander and platoon sergeant. Who ever showed up on the given week was detailed for the weeks mission. Conveniently the player commanding the weapons squad and the platoon sergeant were the most regular ones to show up. The platoon sergeant would take one of the squads whose leader didn’t show up, and quite often command the mission in the absence of the platoon commander who was “in the rear with the gear…” more often than not.


The Platoon Headquarters. All the figures are from West Wind Productions. From Left to right; Spec4 Oliver Mann, the platoon’s medic, Staff Sergeat Owen McDaniels, Platoon Sergeant - a surly Korean War vet, 2Lt. Nathan R. Johnson, Platoon Commander and West Point Football Star Quarterback, and Spec4 Jefferson Q. Riley, Radio Operator.


First Squad (all West Wind), commanded by the ever-cautious Sgt. Joshua Higgins (on the left). “Make sure y’all gotcher helmets on, boys!”


Second Squad (also all West Wind), commanded by Sgt. Ed Graham (also on the left, can you see a pattern emerging…?)


Second Squad (once again, all West Wind), commanded by Sgt. Dane Lyles (you know where he is…).


Weapons Squad (all from The Assault Group), commanded Sgt. Ronald Hicks.


What the West Wind platoon pack lacks in detail and accuracy (not to mention M-60s – they’re in the separate “Weapons Squad" pack…) it sure makes up for in NUMBERS! An excellent way to get a platoon on the ground at a very reasonable price. These are the extras…


Casualty Markers. I think these were from Battle Honours.


Half-painted (and dusty) stuff to finish… or start in the case of the swift boat! The Huey is from Revell. the M113 is from The Assault Group. The tank – which I am pretending to be an M-48 is a cheap piece of junk plastic toy from the Dollar Store. Obviously the Swift Boat is also from Revell.


Vietnamese villagers. These are from West Wind. I was rather shocked by the complete and utter lack of WOMEN in this pack!?!


VC with LMGs (The Assault group)


VC with MAS bolt action rifles (The Assault group)


VC with rifles (The Assault group)


Assorted VC from Baker Company


West Winds VC platoon pack. Well, most of them – I have a few yet to paint. Unlike the American platoon it came with LMG gunners, unfortunately they’re all PRONE! I HATE prone 25mm figures!!!


Dead VC. Battle Honours.


Baker Company civilians and a cart drawn by a Water Buffalo.


Odds and sods still to paint.


Still to paint: West Winds “Montagnards”. They don’t look like any Montagnards that I’ve ever seen pictures of, they look more like the kooks Colonel Kurtz commanded in Apocalypse Now – and that’s exactly what I’ll use them for; Jungle Crazies! In Tour of Darkness there’s these wild, reclusive, cannibal tribes in the central highlands called “Cham”....


Still to paint: Dead PAVN. Battle Honours, again.


Still to paint: PAVN/NVA platoon pack from West Wind


Still to paint: PAVN/NVA support weapons pack from West Wind.

I also have a lot of terrain. You can see some it as well as some of these troops (and others… like… some zombies…) in action at my Hero’s Gambit 2006 Savage Worlds Tour of Darkness game report.

THE PLAN….

Well I should paint up the stuff I haven’t painted…. I have a platoon-plus of all the stuff I really need.

Maybe some day when I get playing with these again on a regular basis I’ll pick up some of those pretty, new Assault Group ANZACs…. Which might be soon because getting these out to take pictures of them has gotten me all pumped to play with them again.

I definitely need some vietnamese WOMEN!?! I may just have to make my own.

Westwind make some press-people reporters and cameramen which might be fun to get, unfortunately they're lumped in a pack with, get this... helicopter door-gunners...!?

Part of me thinks it would be fun to do a fire-base defence game with hordes of VC and/or NVA swarming the place... but I think the rules really kind of start to bog down beyond a platoon on each side....

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

More taking stock… 28mm WW2, maybe? We shall see…