How to choose a wargames force using Pendraken

[fsn]

I've decided I want Russian, Japanese and Chinese forces to add to my ever expanding wish list. This is how I do it:

1)   Pick army: USSR
2)   Pick date: June 1939 – June 1941
3)   Pick strength (company/squadron or platoon/troop, all with associated artillery/AT etc.) In this case I went for the company option.
4)   Decide what I do and don't want. In this case I decided I didn't want T34s, but wanted BTs.
5)   Research.  I used the "Red Army Handbook" by Zaloga and Ness and picked a T28 tank company from a 1939 Heavy Tank Brigade,  supporting elements  of a  Mechanised Regiment of a Cavalry Division: a BT tank sqn from the 1st Bttn and the Motorised Rifle Co, Artillery Btty, AT platoon, AA platoon, HQ and elements of the AC sqn.   This, I feel gives me a balanced yet historically defensible fiorce.
6)   Download the appropriate Pendraken page and dump it into an Excel spreadsheet.
7)   Remove the inappropriate lines (winter clothes, not in period).
   Find out there's a gap in the Pendraken range or there's something else I fancy from the range. (Go to 5.)
9)   Create a spreadsheet of the required items and tot it all up.  Swoon at cost.
10)   Count the pennies until I can afford to buy the items.

The force I've chosen is:

Mechanised Regiment 1st Bttn:
     Tank Sqn (10 x BT7)
   
Mechanised Regiment 2nd Bttn:
     Armoured Car Sqn (6 x BA6)
     Motorised Inf Comp (91 including 6LMG, 2MMG) + 8 trucks & 2 MC
     Artillery Btty (4 x 76.2mm guns)
     AT Btty (3 x 45mm AT)

Heavy Tank Brigade
     Tank Company (10 x T28)

As a balanced force, it lacks mortars (not in the OOB) and AA (not in the Pendraken catalogue), and I need to add some aircraft.  Leaves me the option of adding cavalry and tachanka, T37s and more BTs as well as a few bits and bobs like the m/c platoon. If Pendraken could add some horse drawn limbers I could add in the Horse Artillery Rgt as well.

Cost £130 - about 3 Pendraken Ordering Days.

Please note. At no time did I say "army lists".

[petercooman]

There are limbers in the pendraken catalog, for the german forces:

http://www.pendraken.co.uk/GR37-p4313/

Off course limbers are limbers so you can use them as you want.

Here's a picture, just scroll down untill you find it:

http://www.kerynne.com/games/pendraken.html

There is also another limber in the german catalog, although i don't know how it looks:

http://www.pendraken.co.uk/GR36-p4312/

Hope this helps you!!

[Ithoriel]

My method (used for all periods, scales and manufacturers):

1) Select period
2) Select army
3) Select ruleset
4) Study armylist
5) Draw up a list for a historically feasible force for appropriate army size (0 = skirmish, 1 = minor action, etc)
6) Research period for uniforms, equipment, etc
7) Discover fascinating unit(s) not central to the conflict
8 ) Study armylist
9) Add unit's no one has heard of to list
10) Look at Pendraken lists for the period and match codes to force list, draw up Pendraken order
11) Discover gaps because Pendraken don't do <x>
12) Look at possible figures from other ranges
13) Add those codes to Pendraken order
14) Over a period of days add all those "Ooh! Shiny!" items I don't need but desperately want.
15) Slot all data into an Open Office spreadsheet (can't afford MS Office as that costs money needed for figures)
16) Realise I am way over budget
17) Worry that no one else will have armies of correct period, scale, etc, etc
18) Repeat process for opposing army
19) Reduce both forces to something manageable and only slightly more than I can reasonably afford
20) Paint two thirds of the forces before moving to new period/ scale/ ruleset/ etc
21) Rediscover armies months to years later - add 1 to army size go to 1)

[fsn]

Dear Mr Ithoriel,

I thank you for your compare and contrast. My planned armies never really survive the first order. I just know that I'm going to NEED a few tachankas, which means I'm going to NEED cavalry, but I never use rule sets or army lists. 

I shall probably use German limbers for Russian, and possibly Japanese.

Any idea about what to use for Japanese softskins? My Japanese Source Book is irritatingly vague on the subject. 

[Ithoriel]

Not really one of my areas of interest but Japanese softskins I'm aware of are:

Isuzu TX40 Type 97  - 4 wheel truck

Isuzu Type 64 - 6x4 Truck

Type 95 Kurogane Sedan Car - small 4WD staff car

Not aware of anyone making any of those in 10mm though.

Edit: Have a look at http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt/japanese-wwii-motor-vehicles-trucks.html

[fsn]

Sorry, Mr Ithoriel, the "any idea about what to use for Japanese softskins?" was for the members in general. Someone is bound to know that the Germans provided 23 Opel Blitz trucks to Japan on the 12th June 1937 ... or something.

Thank you for your help.

[Fenton]

My method would be

Oi Leon send us  one them lovely army packs would ya

Cheers

[fsn]

Hmmm. Simple but efficient.   

[petercooman]

I just buy stuff 

Actually i research a bit about the army compositions of that time. Then i put togheter a list of needs. Once i got the basic units i need (for example for my british army for normandy 44 i first put togheter a 12 base infantry platoon and a sherman platoon of 4) I start adding support units. Here i go a little bit off the historical numbers, sometimes adding tanks in incomplete platoons, just to represent that it wan't always possible to have optimal full strength platoons available to support the company/battalion.

So basically i pick what i fancy and go overboard adding stuff i like. THen afterwards if there are funds left i start buying 'special' units. For example bridging units, mine clearers and engineering vehicles, for those times i want to ply scenarios involving field defences and the like.

Then when all this arrives i put everything on bases, and with the leftovers i make units. For example if i have 4 models left i make an understrength infantry base and represent these in BKC2 by using the conscript infantry in the army list (by using a different number of models it's easy to identify) or if i have for example 2 brens and 2 stens and a rifle model left i make an infantry base to use as veterans, their higher firepower value represented by heavier weaponry (again easy to identify)

Then i do the other army and count up the numbers and see if the armies have a counter for everything in the other army. For example, i finished my russian army lately, and added a sturmovik. I just based all of my germans and realised i don't have anything in the way of AA units, so will add these to my next order.

As you can see i loosely put the armies togheter, as i rather have a nice matched game than a one sided game with perfect historical OOB's. I believe it's better to represent batallions as if they have been fighting  for the last few days and take loses wich are not immediately replaced (like it was IRL) and never use complete organisational elements

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Mine is, what am I into at the moment, or " OHHHHHHHHH shinny!" Or had Clib had anything to do with this range, SOLD!

[fsn]

I found that my existing way of force-picking (pit one squadron of tanks against another) is of no use in NW Europe 1944, and indeed Italy of the same period. What does a squadron of Panthers call a squadron of Shermans? An appetiser. Therefore I'm going to double up the UK tanks (one squadron of Churchills and on of Shermans/Fireflies) and pit it against a mixed Panther/Pz IV squadron.

I'm going to beef up the British artillery, even adding in some 5.5" guns, and make sure I've got some Typhoons on hand. The infantry also needs adjusting 'cos the firepower of the German Pz Gren is just too great.

This is a new way of thinking for me.

[petercooman]

Just wanted to say i missed one of the limbers last time!

GR 35 4 wheel general service wagon with team (1)

http://www.pendraken.co.uk/GR35-p4311/


Well at least that sounds like a limber, any info on this LEon?

[fred.]

That one is a large 4 wheeled wagon with a canvas tilt.

Right hand one in this line up


The third german limber/wagon - there is the light one you linked to on my webpage, the one above and the other one is similar to the WWI ones with a fairly narrow box on two wheels with stepped seating bit on top.

[petercooman]

Thx!

The light limber looks best for towing an anti tank gun then i suppose, that's what i'm looking for.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello

Russian Limbers:-



(Full Page here http://www.armchairgeneral.com/rkkaww2/galleries/artillery/UP.htm)

I'd go for the WW1 limbers (British BP10 , 3 limbers, 12 horses) and, if Leon can help, some 6-7mm diam. truck type wheels. There are some resin wheels available here :-

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/N-Scale-1-160-Willmodels-7mm-Wheelset-NT-04-Heavy-Duty-Truck-6-Pack-/170846816157?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item27c743879d

Maybe get some Russian or SCW cavalry types for outriders

Let me know how you go finding some T-37s. I could only find a T-38, discontinued from Kami de Korokoro. If you find any T-27 tankettes I'll be a very happy man 

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan