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#1 Iain Werry

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 08:54 AM

Hi. I have a few questions, and I am sorry if these are all old news.More than a year ago, I was looking for a WWII 1/285 wargame, and after a bit of looking around, I found Mein Panzer, so I picked up the core rules and the WWII data book.I then fell back into my usual routine and put things away, only to come back to it all again now, after the announcement of the new edition.I am starting a couple of forces for the game.I have some armour, and I am now looking at infantry, but I am a beginner at historical wargames. I have decided that I will concentrate on Stalingrad and El Alamein (similar period should mean that units transfer if I dont look too hard at the paint scheme). As far as I understand it, the basic infantry block is the Rifle Team (for German, Russian and UK forces - my chosen forces for now). In MP this consists of a Rifle Squad and a Rifle/LMG Squad. Also, this Rifle/LMG Squad is a combination of a Rifle Squad and a LMG Support Squad. How are the stats for these worked out? Are the LMG Squads that are added specifically the Support versions (since there is also a half squad option in the Data Book)? Are these simply modelled together so that they cant then be split later?I guess what I am really asking is:I want to build some basic, core infantry for the next version of Mein Panzer, for German, Soviet and UK forces in Stalingrad and El Alamein.Exactly what should be on the stands? Four guys for a Rifle Squad and three guys and a LMG on a LMG Squad?I will probably be using Heroics and Ross infantry, and any info on these packs would also be appreciated.Thanks.

#2 Sacha

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 02:08 PM

cyber shadow.....I'll tell you what I use and how I model it. I just stick with the one stand is a squad, however each stand does take 2 hits. If it is a support stand then its one hit. The Rifle/LMG stand is essentially a rifle stand that has a bit more kik due to the support element that is now integrated into the stand.I'm not too clear on how all the stats calc out. I leave that to Gregory, Bob and Jon.As for modeling, I use GHQ figures and some H&R. The penny for me has become the universal mounting stand, for guns, mortars, squads....etc....The scaling of this works out well at 1"=25yards and not bad at 1"=50 yards. In our games we switch back and forth depending on the battle type and objectives.For samples of infantry stands, go to:The ODGW Lounge > Miniatures Discussion > MMG Minis and TerrainHope that helps.

#3 Iain Werry

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 03:14 PM

Hi sacha. Thanks for the response. I will probably take the 'two stands for a squad' route, since I really want to get this as historically accurate as I can (I will try to research all the details and use this as a way to learn about the period too).The reason that I thought that the support stands could be added to full stands, rather than the LMG half stand, is because the support stands stats are mostly + modifiers, which makes me think that you add these details to the original Rifle stats. However, this doesnt seem to be made clear in the rules.I was also going to ask about basing, and what people are using for 1/2" x 1/2" squads. Are there any flat bases commercially available?Thanks for the mini pics.

#4 Joel Tompkins

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Posted 16 September 2006 - 08:35 PM

Howdy,For .5 x .5 bases I use metal ones from Wargame Accessories.http://www.wargameaccessories.com/wargameaccessories/I like the way the penny bases look. However, I like to store on magnetic strips. Has an added bonus that you can combine stands on larger magnets to mount for those times when you might not be playing MP. :whistle: Seems like I've read that one of the small Euro coins is ferrous. I don't have ready access to 'em, though.Toodles, -JT

#5 Bob Benge

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Posted 18 September 2006 - 07:27 AM

Hi Cybershadow,The change for the Infantry in the Core Rules is that we did go to squad level stands. What this means is that one base represents one squad. For mounting figures on a stand, if you haven't done this already, 4 x rifleman per stand represent one rifle squad. A LMG or BAR squad would be represented by 3 x riflemen and 1 x LMG or 1 x BAR per stand. Now if you already have the half squad (or fire team) mountings then thats fine too. you can use the Rifle stands to represent a squad with or without an LMG (there really wasn't many squads without their LMG support or equivalent anyway). Thats what we have been doing. The rest of the stands remained the same for mounting. There is a new stand coming also - the Support Rifle stand. This stand is around 4-6 riflemen that were sent out to support independantly deployed MGs (LMG, MMG and HMG). These could be represented by either 2 or 3 rifleman mounted on a stand.Base sizes is not significant to our games, in that as long as you mount all of your stands consistantly then you will be fine.Hope this helps you out some. :)

#6 Iain Werry

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Posted 18 September 2006 - 12:22 PM

Hi, and many thanks. So, if the infantry are now at full squad level, does this mean that the number of bases in an infantry platoon are halved? And, does this mean that a stand of four/five guys now represents a squad of twice this number in real terms?I have not based any of my infantry yet (I bought a couple of packs of armour with the core book way back, but then got some GHQ infantry that I didnt like...). Anyway, my research uncovered that a German infantry squad consisted of a three man LMG team, a squad leader and six riflemen. How does this translate to the new infantry bases?I will have to look around for basing material. Originally, I looked at the Flames of War bases, but these are too large.Anyway, thanks for your guidance. So, my infantry squads should be...Germans @ Stalingrad: One base with a LMG and a few riflemen.Russians @ Stalingrad: ?Germans @ El Alamein: As above for Stalingrad, but Afrika Corps.British @ El Alamein: ?Thanks.

#7 Bob Benge

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Posted 19 September 2006 - 06:40 AM

So, if the infantry are now at full squad level, does this mean that the number of bases in an infantry platoon are halved?

The previous method, a pure rifle squad was represented by 2 Rifle stands and a rifle squad with LMG support was represented by 2 rifle stands and an LMG stand. Thes same stands will no be represented by one stand each; the rifle stand with 4 rifleman figures and the rifle with LMG support stand with 3 riflemen figures and an LMG figure on a stand. Now the number squads per platoon can vary depending upon country. The typical US/British and German platoon was 3 squads per platoon, whereas, the Russians were 3 to 5 squads per platoon depending upon the year of the war. The current TO&E (this will be redone, I think, to match the new infantry rules) in the WW2 Data Book maybe deciperable enough to figure this out. If not let me know. ;)

And, does this mean that a stand of four/five guys now represents a squad of twice this number in real terms?

Yes. Remember that the damage to the infantry stands is not figure dependant. Damage to infantry stands is a game play abraction. All of the playtests have gone extremely well with the new infantry numbers and updated rules, especially after the amount of playtesting that a few of our playtesters did, and I am excited on how the new infantry will owrk and yet keep the game close to the pace of the Tank only game.

I will have to look around for basing material. Originally, I looked at the Flames of War bases, but these are too large.

There are a number of companies that sell metal bases in various sizes that can fit the bill. I know Sacha uses the cheapest (probably the most value for the money and most effective for 6mm/micro armor scale) bases around - the venerable penny. Check out his posts on the subject in the support forums: https://www.odgw.com...d=3661&catid=78 :)

Anyway, thanks for your guidance. So, my infantry squads should be...Germans @ Stalingrad: One base with a LMG and a few riflemen.Russians @ Stalingrad: ?Germans @ El Alamein: As above for Stalingrad, but Afrika Corps.British @ El Alamein: ?

To be honest, WW2 all major countries typical rifle squad had an LMG attached to it. Thus all Rifle/LMG squad stands would be the same; 3 riflemen figures and 1 LMG figure per stand. The Russians probably had fewer LMGs than most so you may want to throw in some pure rifle stands, maybe 1 o 3 rifle stands per rifle/LMG stand depending upon the year. For Stalingrad, I would lean to 3 rifle stands with 1 Rifle/LMG stand. Again look at the TO&E in the WW2 Data Book to get an idea how each country's squads are laid out.Hope this helps. ;)

#8 Iain Werry

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Posted 19 September 2006 - 10:54 AM

Thanks for the continued help. I am now seriously considering using small FoW bases and getting a full (historical) squad on each base. Would this affect the game too much?

#9 Bob Benge

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Posted 20 September 2006 - 09:02 AM

Not if you base everything the same. :)




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