My New Project for 2018

[bigjackmac]

All,

Well, fresh off my wargaming haul from Christmas (which you haven't even seen yet!), I just got my birthday haul in the mail!  Two separate orders: one from Novus Design Studios, which cleverly ran a 40% off sale after Christmas that I just couldn't pass up, and the other from Pendraken in the UK, purveyor of fine 10mm miniatures.  This is the order that is my big project for 2018 that I've mentioned cryptically to a few of you (and inadvertently told one of you!).  I'll show ya a couple photos, and it's up to you to put the clues together and take your guesses as to what that project is (a hint: the Novus Design order has nothing to do with the Pendraken order, so don't get wrapped up around that).


The Novus Design, all in 15mm for my skirmish gaming, already unboxed, and a medium-sized, heavy-ass box.  If you want to see what's in the box, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2018/01/an-embarassment-of-riches.html

So, what is it?  What's my big project?  The boy and I will be playing reinforced company-sized fights on a 6' x 4' table using a modified version of the Lardies' "I Ain't Been Shot Mum" rules. 

Coming up as soon as I can get them painted and based   I do have some modern skirmish batreps from Cuba Libre to share with you in the interim, post them as soon as I can.

V/R,
Jack

[paulr]

Sounds like a really interesting project 

[bigjackmac]

Paul,

Definitely minis  

No guess to put forth?

V/R,
Jack

[Terry37]

Can't guess what it is, but your post did bring to mind the excitement I always feel when I get in a Pendraken order. For me things are usually planned for purposes other than what they were originally made for so I  am always anxious to see if my thinking and plans are going to work! I look forward to seeing what your project is!!!

Terry

[paulr]

Paul,

Definitely minis  

No guess to put forth?

V/R,
Jack

I read your blog so have quite a few hints
I am wondering what infantry you are using

The American tanks are confusing me slightly

[sunjester]

A good choice of rules!

[pierre the shy]

Not looked too closely at Jack's blog but I'm guessing its cold war goes hot on the German Border or in Berlin in the early/mid 1980's (If its T-55's probably East German NVA rather than troops from Group of Soviet Forces Germany who would be in T62's or T64's)?

Minifigs do a range of 10mm modern infantry covering various NATO and Warsaw Pact nations Paul - I have looked at this period myself but Jack is living the dream  

Be very interested to see how you adapt IABSM rules to modern period Jack. Are you using some of the Lardies amendments that they did to cover the Falklands in one of their Christmas Specials?  

Love the ginger tabby cat checking out things in the picture - we had a very friendly one who lived to 19 years old but unfortunately he passed on last year.

[Jesus]

uauuuu

[FierceKitty]

uauuuu

Wot 'e said.

[fsn]

Yom Kippur?

I think you might find the cat a worthy opponent. They seem straightforward enough - but they're sneaky.

[bigjackmac]

Ahh, yes, thank you everyone, even for the 'uauuuu'

I figured there would be plenty of guesses for Arab-Israeli/Yom Kippur as that would seem to be most reasonable, what with the M-60s vs T-62s and BTR-50s, but I don't think M-113s are a great fit.

Cold War Gone Hot is much closer, but still not what you think: I'm going earlier, probably mid-60s, and this ain't happening in Europe...  The damn Soviets have managed to pull off a full-on invasion of the United States, Red Dawn style!!!

So we'll not be fighting in the Fulda Gap or to cross the Rhine, we're fighting to save Kentucky (I know, who would want to save Kentucky?) or to cross the Mississippi!!!  The Soviets will be coming down through Canada in Washington and New York, up through Mexico in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, and have nuked California and DC!  I'll be running a mechanized fire brigade dashing from enemy breakthrough to enemy breakthrough while the boy commands the (evil) Red onslaught.

Pierre - I've greatly simplified the combat mechanics of IABSM, so no real issues with bringing them forward to modern times.  Here's what I did:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2017/12/i-aint-been-shot-mum-rules-tweaks.html?m=1

And what do you mean you haven't looked very closely at my blog(s)!!!??? 

Paul - Regarding infantry, it was tough.  Minifigs make modern US and Soviets, but the US weapons and helmets are wrong. I thought about using Pendraken Vietnam-era US and NVA, but I decided I'd rather the US had M-14s than M-16s. I resolved to use Falklands Argentinians as US and NVA for Soviets, but the NVA are significantly larger than the Falklands range guys, so I simply went with Argentinians for both. I'm also using some French recoiless rifles from the Indochina range, and some 120mm mortars and command from the WWII Soviet range.

So everything is Pendraken except for two Soviet Su-7s and two American F-100s.

And to hell with that cat, he destroyed a bunch of my trees!!!

V/R,
Jack

[pierre the shy]

Very interesting Jack....l will follow this closely on your blog  

Thanks for the info about your changes to IABSM rules.

WOLVERINES!!!!

[Matt J]

Coool plan.

I too thought Yom Kippur (plenty of m113's isreali version zelda)

[bigjackmac]

Pierre - No problem, and WOLVERINES!!!!

Matt - Absolutely, but as you mentioned, the dressed up Zeldas, not the bare M-113s.  Which surely can be converted, if I had the time and talent

I got all the American vehicles slapped together this evening, will post on the blog shortly.  Hope to do the Soviets tomorrow night.

EDIT: Here's a pic, more on the blog:


V/R,
Jack

[fsn]

No, I'm pretty sure you've got Yom Kippur there.