State of the collection 2017 - 3mm Team Yankee

Hi folks,

I'm finally done with my collection posts for this year I think, rounding off with my 3mm Moderns which I am using for Team Yankee.

This post took a little longer to compile than the others mainly due to some technical difficulties. The storage on my Ipad is too low for the Imovie app to work, and as of the 20th of September the video editor in YouTube stopped. I've had to jump through various hoops to get my clips together.

This collection is made up of Oddzail Osmy 3mm vehicles and infantry, with some 1/600th Tumbling Dice aircraft and helicopters.

Again, I've some still pictures for those who don't have the time or inclination to interpret my accent...

4 Companies of T72's at the fore, with 'Carnations' and 'Hail' SP arty at the rear. 

My only painted Soviet infantry company, with 3 Companies of BMP (2 x BMP1, 1 x BMP2)

Hinds and Su25's, Recce BMP's on the left with a better view of the BMP companies. 

A zoomed in view of Soviet AA and SAM assets. Shilka's and Gophers

Soviet arty units - Carnations and Hail

Hinds and Su25's, with BMP1 and BMP2 Recce

US colllection - Tank and Infantry companies with arty, Air, AA and AAA support. 

The Soviet horde

Still to do - Brits! - Chieftans, FV432's, arty, AA, etc. Only missing Heli's. 

A difference is scale... on the left the newer style Osmy 3mm M113's (actually an M163 SP Vulcan), on the right the older (and smaller) style M113's (actually M901 SP TOW). 

My aim for this year is to actually start playing with these models, testing out the rules and generally getting them out the box more frequently. At roughly £3 for 15 models, it doesn't take much to invest in this as an army - certainly a scale I will be taking an interest in going forward!

3mm Team Yankee - Soviet vehicles and Infantry

Hi folks,

In the week before the wedding I decided to tackle some more of my 3mm Team Yankee project. Having been back home for a while, I've managed to get them off the painting table - with the exception of the helicopters which I will tackle next time.

This batch consisted of:

My first 3mm Infantry Company:

This unit used 2 packs of Oddzial Osmy Soviet infantry - one standard infantry and one heavy weapons pack (SA 675 and SA 676). The standard infantry provided the bulk of the troops, with the heavy weapons RPG teams helping out. The two small bases consist of a representation of the MG platoon, with 4 prone MG figures and loaders, while the other small base consists on a SAM platoon with the heavy weapon shoulder SAM teams.

In game, each base will move as a squad does in TY. Coherency remains the same as the standard platoon. I'm giving each medium infantry base 5 hits with 5 shots each turn (max of 2 RPG-7 shots per turn per base). The LMG and optional SAM bases will have one hit each and have one shot each a turn. This keeps the platoon at 21 hit's (equivalent of 21 teams in TY) with the optional +1 of the SAM's. I'm unsure how to mark hits currently - one idea is small blast markers - or else dice. Each hit takes a 'shot' off of the base.

I need another 3 of these units to fill out the infantry for my BMP companies.

Speaking of BMP Companies (to transport my infantry), I completed another of these. This consists of 4 large FoW MDF style bases with 3 BMP-1's on each for a whole unit of 12.  One base worth can be seen here with one of my T-72 bases:

The T-72's from this batch made up my 4th Company, allowing me to field a full Battalion plus have a company supporting my Motor Rifles. This unit consists of 3 large bases - 2 with 3 tanks, 1 with 4 (marking the command base and bringing the unit up to the max book strength of 10 models). Each base moves like a single tank, coherency is the same as for tanks in a company at 15mm and each base has the same number of hits as the number of tanks - and the same number of shots as the surviving tanks.

Then we have Artillery (sorry, for some reason some of these pictures are very dark):

4 units (bases) of 3 vehicles each. 4 lots of BM-21 Hail Rocket Launchers and 4 lots of 2S1 Carnation SP guns. I also have another single BMP-1 to use as an OP stand. A little touching up on these guys needs where they have come off the painting sticks.

Lastly we have AA assets.

2 units (bases) each of 4 vehicles for the ZSU-23-4 Shilkas and the SA-13 Gopher SAM's. I also did a few (3) medium bases of these with 2 models each, with 2 vehicles. This gives me a few options and spreads the AA out a bit more.

As you get 15 vehicles in a pack for £3, some vehicles were spare. The last two BMP-1's from this lot I based on a large base to be the foundation of a BMP-1 Recce unit. Some of the other T-72's were added to my existing companies to bring them up to 10 tank strength. Other than infantry, the Russians now have every option from the army book represented. I'm tempted by some of the 3mm bridging units, just for scenarios and the likes, as well as the larger SAM batteries and other such options. But none of those are in game and I have other things I would like to pick up.

Really nice models to paint - very quick! Basing took longer but mainly as I went for 2 tone 1mm static grass on the bases. I used MDF laser cut bases from East Riding Miniatures - who do excelling work and who's stuff is very competitive priced compared to some other retailers. Customer service is also excellent. To the bases I added a coat of PVA and some fine sand, then painted the whole thing Flat Earth. PVA and 1mm static grass made up the top layers - I applied this in two batches, painting irregular patches of PVA and dipping in 1 shade, leaving to dry and repeating the process with the other uncovered parts.

So that's the Soviets done for now! 2 Hinds to paint and they are all done. Now just the US support units and Cobras.

Something a (very little!) bit different! - 3mm Team Yankee

Hi folks,

It appears, from talking to many fellow Miniature Modelling Mayhem visitors, that I'm known for my 'dedication' to WW2 British 15mm stuff!

So to fox everyone, I decided to paint... some different tanks for a change.

I've thought a lot about getting into Team Yankee, with the plan being to do 6mm. That is still the plan in the long term. In the short term I ordered some vehicles from Heroics and Ross just to see how they look. But I also ordered, almost on a whim, some Oddzial Ozmy 3mm 'Pico' Armour from Magister Militarum in the UK. Again, this was just to see how they looked.

I was blown away by the detail on these tiny models. The MBT's are small enough to fit on my thumb nail, but clear enough that you can tell what they are. If anyone has ever handled models that just made them grin, you know exactly how I felt when I received them. My only complaint is that compared to the other vehicles the M113's are out of scale.

My first order I got a pack of M1's, one of M113's and a pack of US Infantry.

All of them were really nice models (other than the small issue with the M113's...). The infantry pack has riflemen, MG teams and clearly definable Dragon ATGWM teams.

So impressed was I that i got them cleaned up and started painting. I also placed an order for some Russian vehicles and more US infantry - as well as the last vehicles I needed to finish off Team Yankee - the M901 ITV's.

The end result, a week later is this:

At the front, 2 x 2 T72 companies, followed by a BMP2 Recce platoon rear left and a a BMP2 Infantry company (less Infantry).

Close up's of the tiny Russian Hordes!

More close ups - these were so fast to paint - I spent more time on the basing.

Models are all Oddzial Ozmy 3mm T72B's

BMP2 Recce platoon - painted with some camo to make them a little different.

2 x M1 Abrams platoons and 1 x M113 platoon.

The camo looks better at a distance - it was my attempt at a NATO woodland camp pattern. These models need some work done around the tracks, where they came off the painting sticks.

I used two types of 1mm static grass (actually 3 types, but only 2 are visible).

Teeny Tiny M113's - a little bit of a shame, as these seems to be 2/3rds smaller than they should be.

I ran out of prepared bases at this point - as you get 15 vehicles in each pack I have enough for another platoon of M1's + the company command (a full company of tanks). Enough M113's for a infantry company and enough ITV's as support for both. This will give me, for a grand total of £9, the whole of Team Yankee and Team Bravo! Less other support options.

For the Russians I have 3 companies of T72's, 1 of BMP1's, 1 of BMP2's, the Recce platoon of BMP2's and a load of infantry still to sort out. That's effectively a tank battalion and an Infantry battalion. Slightly more money spent here - £18 including the 2 packs if infantry. I also have enough for the various battalion command vehicles and some OP teams. 

I went to the Durham show on Saturday and picked up some Tumbling Dice 1/600th aircraft and helicopters for not very much money, so air support will be sorted. SU25s, A10s, Cobras and Hinds - as well as some Tornadoes just to make up the money.

Future spends will be on artillery and AA assets, as well as one more pack of T72's and BMP1's.

So whats the plan with these? Playing Team Yankee at 1:1 at this scale seems to be a bit of a no go - just because of the sizes. However my plan is to treat each bases of troops as 1 single unit. The concept at the moment is that units move and fires like a single vehicle in Team Yankee. Units of 2 or 3 vehicles have 1 single hit, and roll to shoot as a single vehicle. Units of 4 vehicles have 2 hits and re-roll misses. Infantry... I'm not too sure about currently. Standard artillery fires with no template, just targeting a single stand. Salvo weapons will use a smaller artillery template made for 6mm Team Yankee.

This should all add up to a fast playing game that allows forces larger than a normal FoW game to be fielded. Hopefully! I'm hoping to be able to play test these rules versus Steve shortly. Battle report to follow!