wargaming in 3mm

[Sunray]

To lift my spirits, my daughter posted me a box of wargame figures aquired via internet. Some 10mm but a heap of 3mm WW2 and post war.

1. If using adapted BKC -halve weapon range etc - how many tanks to one base?
2, base sizes for infantry, artillery and command?

[Steve J]

I think I went with 1" square bases for everything and then simply fitted on what looked right from a visual point of view. It was a good few years ago so can't be sure to be honest. I know other gamers have gone with the correct number of tanks per base for a troop,squadron, but again not sure what base size.

In terms of distances, we used the rules as written and they worked perfectly well, especially when gaming the Western Desert, which was our theatre of operations.

Hope this helps?

[Big Insect]

Hi there - a fun sounding project & a very thoughtful daughter  

You can halve the ranges and movement etc - if you want to - but TBF I don't think it will make that much difference to game play.
The size of the playing surface (table) is more the driver for ranges/movements (& area templates) if I am honest.
With 3mm you could be playing a good sized game on a metre square table - even 2ft x 2ft would probably work - so cutting down the ranges will stop every unit being able to shoot at anything on the board from turn 1!

As to basing - it depends on what you want - as I have seen some really great games with hordes of 3mm infantry on bigger bases (60cm square) but that was for classical ancients .
Handling is a key factor - you probably don't want bases too small - maybe 20mm x 20mm as standard (?) It might be an idea to vary the shape for different unit types (especially Command, FAO. FAC and Recce bases) to allow you to do differentiate at a glance.

I'd look at the orbats of your force for how many models to a base - can you get an entire squadron on a base - now that might look very cool

Good luck and do keep us posted. I'd love to see some photos as you progress.
Cheers
Mark

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

My bases are slightly larger, and I'm using 6mm so it's 1 vehicle and 4 or 5 infantry per base. In 3mm or 2mm I'd be very tempted to use platoon/troop nos so 3 for most of the war for the British, 5 or 4 for Gremans, 2 or 3 for Soviets, and 5 for the US.

[Sunray]

Thank you forum members.

I was toying with an aircavalry unit = 4 choppers. One chopper carries a section. So elite may well end up on smaller base/unitss. 15mm X 20mm.  THe real estate I have inhereted is Peter Pig, with street width of 12-15mm

Also- I have a few 1/600 ships ! (H&R) . Is there a set of rules or do I adapt Cruel Seas?

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

There is another set - Action Stations by A and A Game Engineering. They only do PDF, but you might be able to get hard Copy from Tumbeling Dice. Little bit more complicated but still a fast play, Iv'e used both.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Whoops - also look for "Bulldogs Away" same company - it covers from 53.

[hammurabi70]

My bases are slightly larger, and I'm using 6mm so it's 1 vehicle and 4 or 5 infantry per base. In 3mm or 2mm I'd be very tempted to use platoon/troop nos so 3 for most of the war for the British, 5 or 4 for Gremans, 2 or 3 for Soviets, and 5 for the US.

We use 25mm square bases and have one 6mm miniature per platoon / five tanks as we have three figures in a company / squadron.  If I had 3mm I would be inclined to follow Ian's idea of one to one.

[Ithoriel]

I'm using 40mm square bases with a sub-unit's worth of miniatures on it. So a German tank zug is 4 - 5 models, an infantry platoon is 30 or so figures, 2 - 4 guns on a base depending on type and so on.

Yes, I know 30 figures crammed in that small space is a little cramped but needs must ...

[Sunray]

OK, as with any scale, the key is to beconsistent. 

I scratch built a 1/600 monitor last night, bits from Airfix Campbelltown and plastic card.  twin 6" guns. loosely based on Humber class.  Lotta fun with a broken arm.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

For shipping don't discount the Tamyia 1/700 th and also Dragon ?

[Sunray]

For shipping don't discount the Tamyia 1/700 th and also Dragon ?

This box all reminds me of manning up an RUC station on the Tyrone border. Scrans were late, so we raided the store. Water damage tins with no labels. Was it beans or creamed rice?

I have Tamyia dockside bits AND a few MTBs  and tanks thst I have identified as Irregular. 

The tanks - although 2mm- are exaggerated in detail and seem to visually blend with the crisp Oddzial models.  I prefer how Ian has done the tank guns.

It really is an eclectic hoard.  German WW2 infantry,  WW1,Russian infantry,  Chaffee tanks, and  Thunderbolt jets. 

The challange - to invent a scenario that gets the kit on the table. Then I watched Death in Paradise. Saint Marie as a Caribbian Falklands, oil has been struck and neighbouring military junta have a claim.

[Ithoriel]

For shipping don't discount the Tamyia 1/700 th and also Dragon ?

Yep, I have a Roberts class monitor in 1/700 for my nominally 1/600 scale WW2 Coastal stuff. It's intended as a target since, even if it's considered insufficiently anchored to fire it's two 15-inch/42 Mk 1 guns in the main turret it has four twin 4-inch AA guns, an eight-barrel 2pdr "pom-pom," two four-barrel 2pdr "pom-poms" and twenty 20mm cannon. More than enough to ruin any E-Boat's day!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Sounds fun...

[Leman]

I  use 3mm ACW (PP) for Altar of Freedom and Bloody Big Battles.