Getting back into it - a few questions

shawno · Post by **shawno** » Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:59 am

Hey folks,

I was into collecting micro armor when I was younger. I didn't have much stuff, and I ended up selling it to a few folks on here about 12 or so years ago before I left for the military.

My military career will soon be coming to an end, and I've settled down with a house. Finally have space and money to get back into hobbies.

This time around, I'm looking to create a SOF/light force based on helos and wheeled vehicles. Now for my questions:

1. How difficult are the helicopters to assemble? i.e. MH-60, Chinook, MD-500. I only did tanks and vehicles before.

2. Do the OH-6/MD-500 stand in decently for AH-6/MH-6?

3. Anyone ever try mounting CROWS from a Stryker on an M-ATV?

4. Is the Jackal being released the Supacat Jackal used by UK forces?

Thanks!!!

Shawn

Guroburov · Post by **Guroburov** » Thu Mar 14, 2019 11:39 am

Hey and welcome,

I can't answer most of your questions as I'm a Warsaw Pact guy but the Mi-24 is really easy to build, just tough to make dachshund proof. So the other helos should be alright.

Whereabouts are you located? That way we can bug you if you're local to any of us.

Steve

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Thu Mar 14, 2019 4:38 pm

Shawno,
Welcome back. Hope you have fun with it, seems like you will.
1. Helicopter assembly is usually a bit no involved than a tank, not excessively so. Additionally, you will get better with your own process/technique as you go.
2. I think that the MH-6 stands in well for AH-6. You might add something to the front you could also kit-bash some .50 cal m.g. On a stub, just an idea.
3. I have mounted a CROWS on top of a Cougar 6x6 and RG-31, just add glue then drop CROWS in hole. I like the lower height. If you need any CROWS, let me know. The M-ATV look similar to JLTV when there is not a M.G. Bucket up top.
4. N-629 Jackel is to be released April 30, 2019, in 1 1/2 months.

Hope that this will help.

redleg · Post by **redleg** » Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:46 pm

Welcome back, Shawn! What branch and MOS from your military service? We may want to pick your brain at some point!

I just recently assembled some GHQ helicopters and they were pretty simple. I've got Blackhawks, Hueys, and Cobras and they were all fairly simple. I've got some OH-58Ds coming too but I suspect they will be just as easy. For the most part the fuselage is one piece and all you glue on are the rotors, skids, and the small stub wings for those aircraft with weapons. The most difficult part for my was the tail rotor, which is pretty small, but it's larger than a MG that you would glue to a tank.

Make sure you share some pics of your stuff!

shawno · Post by **shawno** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 12:31 am

Thanks for the warm welcome guys. I'm Canadian...and yes there is lots of snow here.

Now that I think of it, I may start out with some ground vehicles before attempting any helos. I really like the M-ATV (US guys had them overseas) so I will definitely be grabbing some of those. Probably going to mount a mix of CROWS and CROWS-J. I'll probably mix them with either some Jackal for a light/SOF ground force, or perhaps pair them with VBCI to make a cavalry force.

I'm also looking into Merkava IV and Namer...always loved the idea of a heavy APC sharing a common chassis with a tank.

and yes Chris, I will definitely be needing some CROWS and CROWS-J. I was going to see if I could work something out with GHQ and purchase them. If you have some collecting dust, let me know and perhaps we can work something out! Pretty sure I sold my Fenneks to you back in the day!

Cheers,

Shawn

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 1:12 am

Welcome, Shawno, and a "Well Done!" for your service. I see you have a direction for your collection. A word of warning: the more you have, the more you need!

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 2:54 am

I at one point put CROWS on VBCI instead of the turret. Only 1 company of those in 3-tone. So I might have 12-14 VBCI turrets used for testing of larger caliber weapons.lol.
Shawn, I do remember you being on the forum previously.

shawno · Post by **shawno** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:38 am

Thanks, PG! And I will keep that in mind...

So has anyone ever ordered spare turrets etc from GHQ? Chris or anyone else - could someone confirm if the CROWS-J from the Stryker Javelin model can fit on an M-ATV? I might also try mounting the system from the Stryker CAV. Another for Chris - can you confirm what model your CROWS came from originally?

If anyone has unpainted VBCI or M-ATV hulls they want to offload, let me know and perhaps we can work something out.

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:37 am

Iâ€™ll have to check when I get home on CROWS-Javelin. Iâ€™m sure it will fit, what do not recall the end of the missile is higher than the smoke discharges. Thus it should work on M-ATV....

madman · Post by **madman** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 5:46 am

Shawno

I am back into gaming after a 25 year break. So all my ultra modern is now Cold War! I am a fellow Canadian as well, looking for potential opponents. Given the chances not much that you may be local (just north of Toronto) but there are quite a few hard core gaming groups. Especially Vancouver, Most of Alberta and Ottawa. Toronto is hard to find guys not into the latest and "greatest" system, usually not yours. Plus it seems the attention span of many gamers is play what is new twice then dump it and move on..

Anyways if you are within a few hours drive of Toronto and interested in micro armour please keep me in mind. If not I hope I can still help based on looking at what is out there nowadays.

Stephen

shawno · Post by **shawno** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:16 am

Thanks Chris, if you happen to notice the CROWS-J don't fit on M-ATV after all feel free to pass it on

Madman - I'm actually pretty familiar with the GTA and find myself there every so often! What have you purchased so far since you came back to the hobby?

madman · Post by **madman** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:44 am

[quote="shawno")

Madman - I'm actually pretty familiar with the GTA and find myself there every so often! What have you purchased so far since you came back to the hobby?[/quote]

Not so much as what I have bought but how my direction has changed.

Since getting back in the areas I have grown interested in are Russian Civil War, Eastern front of WWII, Soviet Afghan war and some ultra modern. I only game in 6mm (1/285, 1/300 or whatever the seller decides to call it).Because of that I like to play with squads, teams and weapons crews as my smallest unit. Many games these days require each trooper to be individually managed (skirmish) even when games handle up to a platoon per side. This is difficult, but not impossible, with micro armour. I prefer company per side. Also by sticking with one scale all my terrain, buildings, etc. can be used for multiple games. I cannot afford to get into 28 mm when I have to get figures, buildings, terrain, ad nauseum.

So for RCW I found a free set called Red Actions. Units are platoons but hey I can live with that. I want to play a few games using counters before I decide if I like it and commit to minis. I also have Triumph of Chaos (v2) for the larger (all the war) level of play.

When I got back into gaming I decided for the scale I like ASL would be the ideal solution. After spending a lot of time contacting the local group I played one game and realized why, of all the dozen items for ASL I have from back in the day, all but one is unpunched. ASL is not the game. I did find Conflict of Heroes which I find much better. It has potential but there are drawbacks here as well. After trying a few sets of rules and potential systems I am leaning towards a roll my own approach.

I never had any interest in the Soviet Afghan war back when it was current and just over. In fact I had almost no interest in Cold War at all and was selling off some of it. Then I was exposed to S-A war and am totally fascinated by it. So good thing I have a ton of Soviet armour and helos which now have a new life. I have bought a lot of infantry as that is also my new obsession as opposed to my tech loving armour fixation of the past. Personally I like Hind & Seek but more as a basis. I have also been exposed to Force on Force and am using a lot of the latter in my roll my own concepts.

I avoided ultra modern for the first couple years thinking it was too close to the bone. But it has grown on me and would like to start a bit of it. Of all possible themes this is the one I am having the most difficulty finding opponents for. As for systems I am leaning towards skirmish but as always in 6mm. I know asking the world!

I would be willing to travel a few hours in any direction for gaming. The further the fewer times a year but if it scratches an itch there is always a way. I live about an hour north of TO.

shawno · Post by **shawno** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:10 am

Ultra modern skirmish would probably be my thing actually! I haven't ever had anyone to play against really though, so you'd have to be ok doing a bit of teaching at first.

Another question just crossed my mind if anyone has an answer. Is the MG/LRASS3 mount on the M1127 Stryker Cav a single piece, or two separate pieces? Cheers

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:18 am

MG and LRASS are two separate pieces.

madman · Post by **madman** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:37 pm

shawno wrote:Ultra modern skirmish would probably be my thing actually! I haven't ever had anyone to play against really though, so you'd have to be ok doing a bit of teaching at first.

As for ultra modern skirmish the only rules I have played is Force on Force. It is generic enough to cover WWII special ops up to modern day forces. Although you operate unit sizes of teams each individual is handled separately for attacks, defense and casualties. I have only played it once with an equally inexperienced opponent. The rules book is verbose and poorly laid out. It is scaled for very close in actions and all weapons are generic to the point of being lumped into a few common types.

The other option I would like to try is Skirmish Sangin. It appears you would command individuals for all purposes with each side controlling a squad or two equivalent. Similar to role playing each individual has variable characteristics as generated. I am led to believe actions would proceed similar to operations in Afghanistan or Iraq except once an ISAF trooper is seriously wounded or killed the action changes from a patrol into an extraction mission. I have tried to find locals but no joy. I have posted on the Radio Dish Dash site but only received one notice from a guy in the same boat who seems to swing by Toronto once or twice a year. Judging by the other posts this seems to be the case unless you happen to live in or near the couple places in the world where those interested congregate. I assume if you can get interest up locally and supply gaming equipment you should get converts. I even contacted the "local" supplier who claimed they had a gaming community in TO which met weekly. Following this up died. This is supposed to be very scale, certainly detailed, with weapons operating exactly as advertised but the scale of action is the limit on characteristic.

The other popular option is Spectre Operations supported by Spectre Miniatures (one of the prime suppliers for this and many other ultra modern games albeit at 28mm). I haven't delved into it as it would be number three on my list.