I just got in the post a WW1 Infantry Brigade in 1/600 scale from Tumbling Dice, and I would like to share some photos and a description.

First of all, the service was excellent (I got the miniatures in a few days from UK to Continental Europe) and I received a list of all their 1/600 range of aircraft and land subjects, too.

The pack is made of 16 strips of infantry in close order, 16 strips of infantry in open order (each with 8 men), plus...

... 2 supply carts and 2 wagons with horses, 8 strips of supply weapons, 6 guns (you should specify if British, German or Russian when ordering... these are British 18pdr guns), 3 limbers with horses and mounted crews, 8 strips of cavalry.

Infantry are all standing, wear a peaked cap and have a backpack, making them suitable for early WW1 British, or Russian, or other later XIX - early XX century troops. Bases are 20mm wide for close order and 30mm wide for open order infantry. The little guys are 4mm tall from feet to eye (so to say), and this makes me think that they are bigger than 1/600 scale... if 1/300 is 6mm. 

Guns, limbers and horses are nice, only the men sitting on the limbers are much smaller than their colleagues. 

The wagons have again smaller men. Support weapons strips provide a variety of MGs, with shield and wheels or not, mortars and groups of men carrying something... I think they are ammo boxes.

Cavalry is proportionated to infantry and well sculpted, considered the microscopical scale. Riders wear a shako.

I plan to use these miniatures for 1904-05 Russian and Japanese, and/or the Russian Civil War, using the Pz8 WW1 Divisional Rules...  how they will look when painted and based? I will let you know...

I like modern fictional countries for my wargames, because I can make use of whatever cheap model I can grab on e-bay, supplemented by other units from my existing armies.

As you all know, for example, the Desolado desert is disputed since the 19th century between the Bananarama (now People Republic of Bananistan) and the Costa Pobre. Bananistan just launched a suprise attack and occupied the town of El Gordo with its elite unit, the “Diablos” Paratroop Battalion, with an unknown number ATGW and SAM missiles. This vital bridgehead into the enemy territory, is supposed to be soon reinforced by an armoured battalion of old T55 (ex Egyptian surplus). Costa Pobre quickly reacted and sent the “Capitan Raimundo Navarro” Armoured Brigade, with TAM tanks (bought from Argentina), M113s and a squadron of Cobra attack helicopters (both kindly donated by the USA), to take back the town.

I played the game solo, using the Pz8 1975-2010 rules.

Costa Pobre was holding half of the urban area, when the Bananistanos collapsed and withdrew. Total losses were: Costa Pobre 2 helicopters, 1 TAM and 1 infantry units, Bananistan 6 x Paratrooper, 3 x T55 units.

Here is a report of a fictional battle between Italians and Abyssinians, making use of the Pz8 Colonial rules that will be soon available on the website, together with an update of the whole Pz8 two-pages wargaming rules collection.

An Italian force meets an unexpected wave of Abyssinian warriors and must wipe them... or die! Imaginative scenario, isn't it?

Miniatures were 15mm from Irregular, Gladiator, Tin Soldier plus some Dervishes foot from another unknown manufacturer (Gallia?) acting as Abyssinians...


The unit ratings were random; roll 1 D6 for each unit and see a table for the various nationalities.




Italians

8 x Askari, 1 Officer (Average)

8 x Askari, 1 Officer (Average)

7 x Bersaglieri, 1 NCO, 1 Officer (Average)

1 x Light Gun, 3 Crew + 1 Officer (Average)

1 x Light Gun, 3 Crew + 1 Officer (Average)

Ethiopians

13 warriors (Shield/Spear) + 6 warriors (Rifle) + Chief (Fanatic)

12 warriors (Shield/Spear) + 8 warriors (Rifle) + Chief (Average)

16 warriors (Shield/Spear) + 5 warriors (Musket) + Chief (Average)

24 warriors (Shield/Spear) + Religious Leader (Green)

Units were activated drawing a card from a deck (black = Abyssinians, red = Italians). In addition to this,  1 D6 was rolled for each activated Abyssinians unit, and compared to a reaction table... this made a fun solo game, in a very classic fashion.

The Italians set up their light artillery and started to shell the Abyssinian hordes, making huge casualties... artillery range is unlimited, but the firing player must guess the distance... this is always fun, even playing solo...

The Bersaglieri climb a hill, in order to gain a favourable position, while the brave Askari hold the ground and and the artillery continues to fire. But one Fanatic Ethiopian unit is now near to the batteries and one crew is killed by their precise (or lucky?) rifle fire...

The other Askari gun fires to the incoming natives, but hits too long! The Abyssinians charge and enjoy a + 2 advantage in close combat (one for sword/shields, one for Fanatic rating)... despite a desperate resistance, one Askari unit is destroyed and another is routed.

A Black Joker is now drawn from the deck, meaning an "unexpected event" in favour of the Abyssinians. The Bersaglieri are panicked and rout, virtually ending the battle. What if it was a Red (= Italians) Joker instead? 

I would like to thank Terry Pilling that helped to developed these simple, two pages long rules for Colonial wargaming. There is a draft version in the Pz8 Yahoogroup if you want to give a look...

I am having a large amount of fun with the Simplicity in Practice horse & musket wargaming rules, described in a previous post. Some evenings ago we used these simple but functional rules (with some tweaks here and there) to play a fictional 1859 battle between French and Austrians, somewhere in Northern Italy, around the imaginary town of Panissa... featuring Baccus 6mm figures.

For this battle we introduced a "DBA style" system of command and control; at the start of his turn, each player rolled 1 D6 = nr. of command point. Cost of actions was 1 point to move, 2 points to charge or rally; moving on roads and shooting to the nearest target was free; cost of shooting to another target (not the nearest) was 1 point. Generals moved around freely and could add a factor in close combat, at the risk of being killed with a "6"... simple things like these...

The French center occupied the town of Panissa, despite being bombed by the Austrian artillery and annoyed by the Grenzer skirmishers. The left wing boldly advanced to take the Austrian guns, while the right wing, with a contingent of  Piedmontese cavalry in support, manouvred more cautiosly, facing the bulk of the Austrian infantry that advanced in a counter attack attempt.

The most dramatic episode of the battle happened when the French commander in chief attached to one infantry unit that was occupying the town, and made a sortie to repel an Austrian unit, that was headed by a General. The two valorous commanders risked their life, but were saved.... and the Austrian were forced to withdraw.

With the town firmly in the hands of the French and all the artillery guns taken, the Austrian player (me) declared his defeat... I hope to score better in the 2012: Happy New Year to you all!