Sunday, January 25, 2015

15mm Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) Raiders and Targets of Opportunity


Here is a LRDG raiding patrol along with some Stukas, supply dumps and fuel depots to serve as appropriate targets.


When I first saw these 15mm models released from Battlefront a few years ago I knew I wanted some to create some sort of airfield raid scenario. 

I don’t know about you but as soon as I look at a Chevy 30 cwt, festooned with all its gear, automatic weapons pointing everywhere, and packed with bearded maniacs it just screams for sh*t to blow up. 


'Yoo Halloo! Lock and load the Twin-Ks lads, we're going to partaaay!'


So, with that in mind I’ve been picking up assorted ammo dumps fuel depots, etc from Battlefront and Baueda for the raiders to mess with.  (Thanks to Nick for the tips on crate/drum colours.) I hope to make up around a dozen of these as targets as targets for the LRDG raiders.


The fabulous desert mat is from Alf over at Barrage Miniatures. It’s roughly 8x5 feet and will serve admirably for our future North Africa raiding game (and I imagine for any post apoc games). 

Alf's (from Barrage Miniatures) desert mat
...sorry for the glare on this image...
The Stukas are 1:100 scale diecast models I picked up cheap-as-couscous on eBay. I’ve dorked around a bit to dirty them up with some sand erosion and exhaust staining but otherwise they are pretty much stock. Again, they exist purely to sit on the airfield and get blown to smithereens. (I'm on the search for a 1:100 scale Ju-52 to serve as another juicy target...)


I’m thinking of either modifying ‘Formula De’ or ‘Chain of Command’ for the core rules (who knows, maybe I’ll mash them together). It will be a quasi-cooperative game where each player will command a single vehicle along with 2-3 LRDG raiders - the 'winner' being the team who amasses the most damage points, while still managing to stay alive and escape.


I need to find some sort of tents or Quonset huts for the aircrews and airfield staff. If anyone has ideas I’m all ears. I’m also working on some Afrika Korps personnel and assorted vehicles and equipment but that will be covered in a later submission.

Next up will probably be some more Russian Civil War stuff.

26 comments:

  1. Fantastic work Curt! The weathering on the Stukas looks superb and the LRDG as well. I'm looking forward to a battle report. If I should make it to your side of the pond one day I'd love to have a game... or two ;-)

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    1. Thanks Nick! You'd be more than welcome to Schloss Campbell-Hanks. Just don't come in the winter or the only warm weather you'll see is on this tabletop...

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  2. Lovely job.. Look forward to hearing all about the exploits of the LRDG!

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    1. Thanks Dave - I'll have to remember to put up an AAR after we have a game.

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  3. I can just imagine the movie that could be made of this scenario - it would be one of those tales of stiff-upper-lipped derring-do so popular with the British film industry in the 1950's, lots of thoroughly decent chaps dashing in to tweak Rommel's nose, blow up a few Jerry crates, and be home in time for a slap-up breakfast!

    Excellent work, Curt!

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    1. Haha! You and I would get on like a house on fire Evan. Yes, I expect these raiders will have posh nicknames like 'Bunny' and have very firm ideas on good sportsmanship. 'Dance with Jerry and back in time for tea and medals, wot!!'

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  4. It's a good job you can really paint mate. Your use of the Queen's English is truly something to behold. "cheap-as-couscous"?!?! :-)

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    1. What? What's wrong with 'cheap-as-couscous'?

      'Cheap-as-Chips' didn't seem to fit so I went with something geographically simpatico with North Africa.

      Bloody Antipods... ;P

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  5. Curt, we have done exactly this for a wargames show in Sweden. This is a report from Jocke. http://miniatyrmannen.blogspot.se/2013/12/lrdg-at-flemcon.html
    We used Chain of Command with some modifications, I'll send you the file if you'd like.

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    1. That looked like it was a lot of fun! It's great that you had some female gamers as they always add a neat dynamic. I ran a similar game around 10 years ago in 20mm and we had a blast with it as well. Please send along your mods to Chain of Command: curtcampbell at mac dot kom

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  6. Great looking table. I especially like the shots with the raiders in the empty dessert.

    John

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    1. Thanks John! Yes, the table sort of swallows up the 15mm stuff (I need to get more done!).

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  7. What a sight! Fabulous job Curt and wonderfully cinematic.

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    1. Cheers Michael - just the effect I'm looking for...

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  8. Fantastic looking desert units and those Stukas are something else. Never seen one with the snake marking down the side?

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    1. Thanks Dai! Yes, I think I've seen one illustration of snake body-art used but of course these diecast planes ALL have it so it makes it look like the whole Luftwaffe were wholesale into snakes. :)

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  9. Very nice looking collection & great idea for a game :)
    That Stuka looks superb :)

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  10. That's not just some Stuka, that is Hubert Pölz’s famous Stuka. He's going to be very cross if it is blown up on the ground :-)

    Excellent setup, thanks for posting it.

    https://notquitemechanised.wordpress.com/2019/04/04/hubert-polzs-famous-stuka-gets-a-nose-job/

    Regards, Chris

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    1. Ah ha! Mystery solved. Thanks for the background on this, much appreciated. I quite enjoyed visiting your blog, especially the section on 'Men in Sheds'. This is of particular interest as I'm about to undertake a hobby studio project and am starving for inspiration. Cheers!

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Thanks for your comment! As long as you're not a spam droid I'll have it up on the blog soon. :)