Can the Panzer Lehr be used for ordinary soldiers?


  • I'm Trying to wargame the fall of france campaign, but can't find suitable plastic germans. Does anyone know if you can use the panzer lehr as early war nazi soldiers?



  • I bet the ww1 set would work for that. Their uniforms are not exactly right but, they look close enough I think.


  • The Panzer Lehr set is a poor fit for "Blitzkrieg" early war Germans.  The helmets (having covers), headgear, tunics, boots, anklets, and machineguns are wrong.  


  • The Wargames Atlantic WW1 German set isn't a great choice either.  The helmets (for 95% of the troops), tunics, boots, putees, and weapons (mostly) are wrong.


  • Ah. Do you know of any plastic germans that would fit better?


  • @Estoc warlord has tons of sets that are going to fit better. Panzer Lehr were an elite unit formed after the fall of France from training staff.


  • Yes the Panzer Lehr wouldn't quite work for that one but we'll get to early war at some point to match the French!


  • Ah. Would the planned "German Sentries" work for that? And the warlord kits look to be metal.


  • Wait, not metal, just expensive plastic. 50 Bucks for 30 seems a bit absurd. Well, I'll be awaiting the WA early war models, mostly for the sake of being cohesive. Also, are there any reasonably cheap and model agnostic systems that would work for the Interwar and early Second World War periods?


  • @Hudson Adams 

    Well that's intriguing.

    Might I suggest considering making the gas cape worn on the chest separate or dropping it all together.  Minus the gas cape a jack booted, tunic wearing German Infantry kit would fit from 1939 to 1945.  (Many elite/combat arms units and many units in backwater stationings retained jackboots through 1945.  Even in the late war for every German Infantryman with a camo smock/jacket, or wearing a zehltbahn, or with a helmet cover there were still 10 who looked indistinguishable from a 1941 German Infantryman).


  • @Estoc The german sentries kit will more then likely not match bolt action scale or the current ww1/2 from war games as its for a different game.


  • @Cole Lassell 

    I'm given to understand they will match.

    https://wargamesatlantic.com/blogs/news/2-new-ww2-plastic-sets-for-02-hundred-hours-the-new-game-by-grey-for-now-games?page=2&grid_list

    I took away from the news post and remarks/questions that the 0200 models would be 28mm and match other WGA WW2 kits.


  • @JTam oh good catch. my bad. that makes me very cursious what this set will contain!


  • @Cole Lassell I'm using other WGA models, which considering that WGA sculpts both kits, will probably be similar scale.


  • @Estoc Well I was under the impression that 0200 was a smaller scale game, I was right but its smaller in over all play area not models. so the kits should match standard 28mm


  • Hi, WG "blitzkrieg" germans box are a good fit, plastic and fit for purpose, buy the early war pioneers, and for a few £ more, you get an extra figure (metal) and all their extra kit, flamethrowers, backpacks, a Goliath, mine detector...

    below is the WG blitzkrieg germans, they aren't quite finished yet.


  • @S. Oatley 

    Those look good already!  The "stone gray" pants in particular are well done.  Like the highlights.


  • @Estoc  

    Realize this is a 30 day old question but if it's still a relevant:

    Bolt Action is far and away the most popular 28mm WW2 game/rules set.  It is miniatures agnostic.  The prices for the rulebook and supplements is very reasonable to me.... but I came into the hobby from Games Workshop, LOL.  The rules are fast and fun.  Some don't like the more Hollywood aspects to it - which is fair.  But I find if you and your gaming circle agree to make more historical lists and avoid doing things like racing jeeps down sidestreets and having flamethrower teams ninja roll out of it you will be fine.  Or maybe you enjoy the over top aspects.

    Many of the campaign books are really well written.  Most are good reads if you enjoy history.

    Chain of Command is a very well respected and probably more realistic simulation.  It seems to be the second most popular 28mm WW2 rules set.   It might be harder to find persons to play against though.

    I'm sure there are other great rules out there, but the finding of opponents gets even harder.

     


  • @JTam

    My current location means I have only a single possible opponent anyways, and he generally just uses whatever models and rulesets I have on hand. My local game store doesn't stock any non-gw models or rule sets with the exception of gaslands once. I probably should have clarified the scale agnosticism and 30 or less models per side aspects of my request, but I seem to have frogotten that. Also, bolt action and COC both seem rather setting specific, and only seem to cover WW2 with specific factions and all.


  • @Estoc  

    Sounds like a 500 point game of Bolt Action would do the trick.  Bolt Action is nominally made for 28mm but many use 15mm with no changes.  I imagine 54mm to 12mm could all be done with minimal tweaking.  The basic rule book has basic lists for all the major powers.  You can make your own lists and units for the interwar period with just a little research. The vast majority Bolt Action units are inexperienced, regular, or veteran with different amounts of LMGs or SMGs purchaseable.  


  • @Estoc All historical rule sets are model agnostic, except possibly for basing. Because they are historical.

    Pretty sure the best you'll get are the Warlord Blitzkreig plastics. Not super expensive at that price - just pricier than other historicals. But still a bit cheaper than metals. Crusader Miniatures offer 24 metal for £30. Wargames Foundry you get 8 for £14. Warlord are 30 for £35.  The Wargames Atlantic equivalent 30 model kit is £25 - only a 40% difference between the actually extant WGA WW2 Germans and the hypothetical WLG ones. Don't blame anyone for waiting, but if you want early war infantry, it exists at a reasonable price point. Converting or proxying WGA WW1 Germans is a personal choice. They won't look terribly wrong except to rivet counters.


  • @Mark Dewis Conviniently, the 0200 Hours Sentries look great and should be coming out quite soon.

    also, I have discovered the wonderful Five Men In Normandy: 30cal Edition, which is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Also, It fits my current budget of around 70$. (I had more, but then the new horus heresy was announced.)


  • The main reason that Panzer Lehr will look wrong for early war is their tunics, by the way. Which are double-breasted, same as panzer crews (which their uniform was based on). Heer tunics button up the centre. But this does make them good proxies for tank crews...


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