American Mechanized Forces - A Contribution by a Reader

Editor's Note: Matt has been very kind to provide a couple of "how to" articles on his 15mm Twilight: 2000 armies. May I say I am honored to host them here for the readership!

American Mechanized Forces (ETO) by Matt Weaver-Uzelac

When I design my wargaming armies I try to make them as flexible as possible, so what started out to be elements of the 5th Infantry Division’s Cavalry Troop ended up being much bigger but have so many more options. This philosophy allows me to use the troops and vehicles to represent almost any American unit that a scenario might dictate. All of the units are 15mm in scale and everything is based on magnets. The vehicles are on magnetic sheets cut to size, and the infantry is based on ½ inch round magnetic buttons I found at the Lakeshore teaching store/website (they sell them in a 300 count pack for around $9). Heavy and support weapons as well as sniper teams are based on 1 inch magnetic buttons.

Available Forces (Pictured)

Infantry: I have approximately 60 infantry troopers wearing the 3 color camo pattern worn in Europe during the 1980’s (The type always pictured on the front of the adventures) A large majority of the figures are from Battlefront’s Team Yankee line, but with some Khurasan, Peter Pig and Rebel Minis.

To help Identify individual equipment during the game, I paint the edges of the bases specific colors for support weapons. I paint AT “penetrator” type weapons yellow (the color of RPG rockets in movies). Things that generally cause HE damage (like Grenade Launchers and mortars) I trim the base in red. For high rate-of-fire weapons I paint GW Jokero Orange (the same color I use for the plastic magazines on the AK74 family of weapons), If anyone is carrying a special weapon (like 9mm SMG, Sniper Rifle or shotgun) I paint the base blue. I have additional empty ½ inch bases I have painted blue that I stick to the bottom of the figures base if they need to have a modified weapon during a game. Finally I have Metallic-painted bases that I can stick to the bottom of a figure to designate it as a “Commander” or a Sergeant (something I use to organize my units in game-1 per squad))

Vehicles: My “motor pool” consists of the following vehicles and their makers:
• 2 M113 (Battlefront)

• 1 M106 (Battlefront)

• 1 M163 (Battlefront)

• 1 M109 ITV (Battlefront)

• 1 “LAV-75” (Battlefront body and the turret of an M5 Stuart with a rectangular “main gun.” It doesn’t look much like the pictured LAV-75, but since none of my players know what the prototype looked like, they can’t complain).

• 1 “other” LAV-75 For this one I used the hull of a Battlefront M551 Sheridan with a rigged up turret. Since I made this one I will “Re-convert the other LAV-75 into something else.

• 1 LAV-25 (QRF)

• 1 5-ton Gun Truck (Old Glory-an M113 ACCV mounted on the back of a 5-ton truck)

• 3 M35 2 ½ ton Trucks (Old Glory)

• 3 HMMWV (Khurasan)

• 2 FAV (QRF)

• 1 M2 Bradley (Zvezda-Not Pictured)

• 2 Abrams “Kits” I used the Battlefront M1 kits and built 2 “active” M1 kits with 4 Turrets (1 M1, 2 M1A2, 1 M1A3 and 1 M691 Dana). I use two hulls and just choose the turret for the battle. A third hull I made to look like it was broken down and turned into a checkpoint Bunker. The fourth I left turretless and turned it into an appropriated Training tank with a Mocked up fighting position used by my North American Marauders.

• 1 M728 (well… this one is actually a prototype M60 printed by a friend of mine. He accidentally made it a little too big so he gave it to me. I used some Leman Russ Parts to rig up a damaged crane, and the 165mm Gun and a dozer blade. I painted a smiley face on the front and named her “Happy Homewrecker. “ As I just finished her last week, I haven’t had a chance to have her go into battle.)

• I also have a ton of horses, bikes and motorcycles. I don’t have any actual models (which would be a pain to paint anyway) so I cut half inch wide magnetic strips in to 1 inch lengths and simply spray painted them (brown for horses, chrome for motorcycles and bright red for bicycles). When a model is mounted, I attach the magnetic base to the strip and count it as “riding.” This way if I wanted my units to be from 4-12 Cavalry or any other mounted unit I can.

My pretend LAV-75

The Happy Homewrecker

Delta Team/Convoy Escort Gun Truck

3 of my favorite vehicles in the Game, The HMMWV, The FAV and the M35

Examples of the Color bases

“Look ma…” Magnets are a brilliant idea for your Army (or gang/fleet/team/tribe/crew).

“My Better” LAV-75

M1 AAA Tank

M1A1 (complete with barrel rings) and the M1A2 (remote turret version)

My M1 “kit”

Post 100! What a Long, Strange Trip it Has Been!

Well folks, it's a day late, but I am ready to announce our prize winner for our first painting contest!

 Apache 6 has won with a majority of the votes for his entry:

He'll be receiving our grand prize entry, and we ask that he gets in touch with us so we can get him his prizes!

Thanks to all the contributors and we'll be running another contest in the Spring!

Now, it's post 100, and I just want to say to our 60,000+ page views, and 52 followers one word:
Wow. When I began this blog a year ago, I never thought it would have this level of support and fans that would have people clambering for more. I promise to have more of my own work up..and there is another arena I plan to be delving into soon..3D printing. My parents thoughtfully, and I mean thoughtfully got me a Photon brand 3D Printer and I am devouring the owner's manual as we speak. Perhaps a 20mm LAV-75 is finally in the offing? But I have a lot to learn about making an STL file, let alone printing something out, so I will keep you all posted as to what's going on with this as time goes on.

I've discovered Thingverse, Wargames Vault, and Yeggi, but does anyone have anything else to recommend? Bigger terrain pieces might be a challenge, unless they are multi-part, but what I am really of a mystery about is can files be re-scaled. What I am looking for is can I take a 28mm file, and rescaling it for 20mm? (One of my primary scales). Can it be done, and how easy is it to do?

Also, what's a good tutorial for STL creation for a beginner like me?

So what comes now?

1. I intend to finish my long dormant project "Blood Upon the Risers" which is a scenario pack for Ambush Alley set during the fight for Bandar-i-Khomeini in 1997. When it's ready, it will be released here. I don't think it will be playested, but it will be free!

2. We'll be seeing more from our contributors, as they've already got some articles for us!

3. More painting, more models, and more ideas!

4. 3D printing, and the joys thereof! Let's see where this goes?

Man, Have I Been Prolific This Month! And, Some News of Interest.

I seem to keep writing a lot for the blog these days, and the painting contest is currently being judged. I encourage all of my readers to sign in and make their vote known. I'd like to see more responses as we had five entries, and all of them look like the contestants did their very best.

Also, I found out a couple of months late, but Wargames Illustrated did an article about using Twilight: 2000 as a miniature wargames background! Yep, that's right. In WI 373. there's a lavishly illustrated article that includes rules reviews, figure reviews (including a few I was kinda "meh" on, but YMMV), and a good summary of the Vistula Trilogy.

Cover of WI 373, image taken from WI website.

In short, if you don't have a copy, go out and get one. It's a good read for those just getting into this as a milleu.

Come the new year, I plan on getting some forward momentum on my own Twilight: 2000 miniatures and to figure out how I am going to work things out vis a vis doing Iran during the Twilight War in 20mm. I have a fan project I have been working on for years called "Blood Upon the Risers" that I really need to just finish up, and get out to the masses. That said? I do have some other paid gigs I need to give their due attention.

The next post will be blog entry 100, and we've come a LONG way from the humble beginnings of this blog. We're now at 51 followers, and 60,000+ page views, and I know the only way is up, really. I am so excited about where this blog can go?

So with that, I'd like to take a survey, what articles would YOU like to see more of here? Let me know in the comments section!

• Scenarios?
• Product Reviews?
• Tutorials?
• More discussion articles like in the beginning?

I want to make a real splash with entry 100, so it will be the beginning of the future of this blog, and the way forward. As for a question I asked last month, I think for now, I am going to put that on the back burner. As much as I would like to perhaps move to a WordPress format, there's far too many questions about how it work for me to feel comfortable making the switch. 

That's all for now, can't wait for the BIG 100! 

Submissions are Closed, and the Voting is Upon US!

Well, everyone! Our call for submissions has ended, and we have five submissions for people to judge and vote on. Please come on down to the Facebook page, and vote. You have until midnight on December 30th to cast your vote.

Just to give you all an idea of what we got for submissions this year, I have decided to post one picture from each entry.

So come on down and vote, our submitting artists would appreciate it after the hard work they have put in.

Painting Contest Developments!

Hey all, I got prizes in from Ehliem Figures and Michael Moore (Thank You very much, guys!), as well as a couple packs of the old Grenadier Twilight: 2000 line up for grabs for this thing. And, they're the Post Apoc "Gaslands" inspired line for Ehliem, which I reviewed in an earlier blogpost, Well, having seen some of the stuff in person? I am impressed. I am still trying to lock down the Game Craft Miniatures gift certificate, but if any other manufacturers see this and want to contribute to the prize pool, it's not too late!

Remember These Beauties?

So, get your entries in, you only have until this coming Sunday, and then, voting begins on the Facebook page, so don't forget to like the page, so you can vote for your faves! (I will be also posting pics here, and Grimace of the Good Luck, You're on Your Own newsletter will also be posting your entries.)

So I forgot to mention what needs to be included with your entries:

1. Good pictures. Sadly, we cannot judge your stuff in person, so good pics are going to make the difference. This is a pretty good article on how-to, but one of the best is by Henry Hyde in his book The Wargaming Compendium (We reviewed it a few blog posts ago.) And take multiple angles, it helps!

2. Name, description of the piece and a "short how did you do what you did", we won't give out your real name if you ask us not to, but we'll need it for the prize information!

That's pretty much it. Please send all entries in either .png, .bmp, .gif, or .jpeg format. It's a lot easier to work with when we post these things to the internet.

So, you're running short on time entrants!

GET PAINTING! THE WORLD WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!!

Truck Utility Medium, Fitted For Radio - 28mm

Vehicles specifically for Twilight 2000 in 28mm are quite rare, so occasionally you have to improvise.

Crooked Dice have a miniatures game (7TV) and a matching range of figures, most revolving around the film and television output of a fictional British production company from the 'sixties to the 'eighties.

To provide transport for some of the characters, in 2016 they introduced a vehicle which has a remarkable resemblance to a Series III Land Rover.

A slightly out of focus William Killian (another Crooked Dice figure, sadly not currently in production) for scale.

This makes a nice shortish wheelbase hard top Land Rover.

Recently Crooked Dice have run a Kickstarter for a Post Apocalyptic version of their 7TV game. They added a number of conversion items including a Medium Stowage Set. This includes one piece that fits neatly on to the front of their Land Rover, and another that makes a great roof rack load.

In the Tankograd book on Key Flight '89, on page 28 there is a photograph of a Land Rover series III with stowage in that exact same location.

As it mentions in the title, this is Fitted For Radio, so I added an aerial mount using a piece of 4mm square section tube (with 4mm strip ends) and an aerial base made from brass rod to the front right side of the bonnet. The photograph in the Tankograd book has two aerial mounts, but the Land Rover 110 on page 15 has only one (and is a hard top).

Though the pieces fit fairly well, there was a slight gap between the front of the roof stowage and the roof itself, and the piece sitting on the bumper did not balance well.

The former was fixed by adding a tarpaulin made from Greenstuff, the latter had some square section rod added underneath.

This was one of the vehicles I mentioned when I was writing about the Soviet infantry.

It is base painted (PSC British Tank green), but needs decals and weathering.

A British infantryman armed with an L1A1 (FN SLR) for scale. He was converted from a Crooked Dice X-Commando using an Empress British Infantry helmet with extra camouflage.

So now my British have some transport, now I need some British troops.

Dressing For The Apocalypse - 28mm

As mentioned in an earlier post on 28mm figures, Under Fire Miniatures do a range of 28mm Cold War figures.

As supplied, the Soviet infantry (in this case Soviet Pack RMR2) are accurately dressed, with the uncomfortable high boots.

These would be fine for forces at the outbreak of war, but after four or five years of conflict, their kit would change. The obvious thing would be replacing the boots (and trousers) with more comfortable items - either manufactured for the troops, or those that the troops have picked up.

The first change was to add some small squares of Greenstuff to the front of the boots, sculpted with a scalpel blade to represent the laces. This was allowed to set before more Greenstuff was used to extend the trouser cuffs.

Soviet Motorised infantry were trained to be no more than 200 metres from their transport, so they do not tend to have large quantities of equipment, so only a couple of small bags or pouches were added.

The other thing is that they are quite likely to have non standard gear, or in the case of the NCO, he has discarded his helmet for a warmer and more comfortable wooly hat.

This is a head from the Empress Universal Soldier range. He is also wearing a scarf, more Greenstuff.

He also has picked up a rucksack (from the Rubicon Miniatures Allied Stowage Set 1). This was blended in with Greenstuff.

There is also a square section plastic rod and Greenstuff ammo pouch.

Once finished and based (Woodland Scenics ash ballast over Milliput), they were undercoated with Citadel Chaos Black spray. As I was painting some British vehicles at the same time, I used Plastic Soldier Company British Tank spray as the base colour.

The wooly hat was painted with Citadel Caliban Green. The rucksack is Citadel Castellan Green. The scarf is Citadel Zandri Dust. 

The NCO's jacket camouflage is Citadel Steel Legion Drab followed by smaller splurges of Citadel Zandri Dust.

The NCO, having experienced more than enough Instant Sunshine(tm), has changed his trousers for a pair with a camouflage pattern of Zandri Dust and Vallejo German Camouflage Black Brown,

The rest of the squad's camouflage spots are Citadel Zandri Dust, the helmets are Vallejo German Extra Dark Green.

The figures were dry brushed with Citadel Dry Brush Nurgling Green. The "woodwork" of the guns was Citadel Mournfang Brown. 

Once dry the green areas were washed with Citadel Athonian Camoshade, brown areas with Citadel Agrax Earhshade.

The bases were then covered with a mixture of Woodland Scenics Burnt Grass Fine Turf (finely minced sponge) and some anonymous static grass bought from a model railway show.

Here is the NCO and one of Empress Miniatures Chechnya figures.

Same source of wooly hats.