So you can actually have a nice little game of Bolt Action with 500 points a side.
Found a website where they posted 500 point Bolt Action armies made from a single Infantry box. There are brief notes on how to employ the forces and eventually expand it.
https://chicagodice.org/bolt-action-beginners-guide/bolt-action-1-box-1-army/
There are two 500 point lists based on the WGA French Infantry set:
And a list based on the WGA Italian Infantry set:
I put together a list for a 500 point Partisan army based off a single WGA French Resistance box set.
One Leader. Two squads chalk full of submachineguns two close rapidly with the enemy and destroy them in close combat. One Squad with rifles and a Bren to provide long range fires and to sit on objectives. Finally a sniper team....mostly to use the last two bodies in the box while bumping up the points.
The list is largely driven by what's available on the sprue. There are MANY submachineguns on each sprue, and only two rifles. I would use the pistol arms for the Bren Gun "loader" and the Sniper's spotter. The sniper miniature could benefit from a little conversion.... maybe a scrap rod glued on a rifle to model a scope.
I would expand the force next with a truck to get one of the SMG squads to the fight faster and a light mortar for a little HE. (Light mortar a very plausible Resistance weapon).
This little exercise in list building made me realize some of the limitations in the current (still awesome) French Resistance box. Namely a lack of rifles and no kneeling or prone bodies.
Hopefully the female French Resistance box has a prone or kneeling body. (Great for suggesting a marksman or sniper). A Panzerfaust would be very welcome.
And a "Command" sprue ala the Italian Box in the female French Resistance box with medium machinegun and/or light mortar would be awesome.
(Maybe the Command sprue could have a medium machinegun, two prone crew bodies, arms with Panzerfaust, arms with sniper rifle on it).
@JTam this was a really great find.
@Vitor Soares
I thought it was neat. And worth sharing.
Other benefit of kneeling or prone bodies is that they are much easier to convert to mortar, antitank gun, etc., crews
500 point list using only one Wargames Atlantic Panzer Lehr kit:
(List created using the EXCELLENT EasyArmy.com site).
Veteran LT is supposedly suboptimal, but anything else seems off in a Panzer Lehr list. His assistant has a submachinegun.
One Squad is mostly rifles with two MG42s. With two LMGs and the "Hitler's Buzzsaw" rule this provides a nice base of fire.
The other two squads are ready to seize objectives and are armed with a healthy dose of submachineguns.
There's one Panzerfaust per squad. This isn't enough to be a real threat against armor, but it should at least make enemy vehicles wary. There's unlikely to be a lot of armor running around in a 500 point game anyway.
These are rock hard veterans and should be hard to shift. On the con side they have a pretty low number of order dice. I suppose one could cut down the squads a bit and get a medic or sniper who would get you another order dice.
Would later expand the list with a Halftrack and Panzerschreck. This isn't necessarily optimal, but it would get some good, yummy, Panzer Lehr flavor.
Conversely one could use this list:
Just substitute submachineguns for assault rifles.
For those who do wish to expand, feast your eyes on these machines.
Perfectly scaled to your Panzer Lehr, and with some even more great addittions on the site.
Look at the quality in workmanship in the Kit itself, let alone the really masterfull paint job almost looks real.
Looking at the History of the Panzer Lehr on Wiki and Bing I`m really pleased with some very nicely priced Rubicon Kits that would go nice with this "Elite Division" here`s a little taster to get the old grey matter buzzing.
Yeah, Rubicon are well regarded. If I ever did anything about my very stalled WW2 28mm projects I'd get some.
Rubicon makes good looking vehicle models but I do find their 1/56 scale to be on the small side for many 28mm minis. And I am not keen on the sculpts for their new Vietnam line.
That is a purely personal perspective though, your mileage may vary.
I prefer 1/48 scale too.
I find 1/48 vehicles are perfect for the 28mm minis (slightly bulky, a little bit exagerated), and they are closer to the real man-machine size difference on the photos.
Sadly, few firms work on this 1/48 scale. Tamiya's procurement system is complicated in France and what the firm Blitzkrieg offers is very interesting, but the distribution in continental Europe sucks (Brexit, taxes).
I would like to see bicycles (sing. Truppenfahrrad), motorcycles and side-cars (BMW, Zündapp), various cars, trucks and carts (like IF8), or Field artillery pieces (PAK)... German, Soviet, US main models would be great.
There is a gap, for sure !
There's a big thread on this forum arguing the merits of 1/56 vs 1/48 or 1/50th for 28mm.
Suffice it to say I am firmly in the 1/48 / 1/50th camp.
There's a big gap/need for 1/50th gaming models that I hope WGA will exploit.
Personally I use either, though the 1/56 scale stuff is growing on me and so far WA's minis have worked great with the 1/56 kits I have and come off a little on the smallish side with 1/48 kits (which is okay for most things but can be annoying if your detail orinted).
Thanks for the reading tip. In fact, there is no real consensus...
I think that a 1/50th scale would be an excellent compromise (vehicles usable both with 28mm WW2 and 28-32mm SCI-FI minis). In addition, in accordance with the metric system, it would be the best in my opinion.
So I vote for 1/50 scale !
@Grumpy Gnome agreed. I have found 1/48th scale vehicles to be closer to the right size. The 1/56 scale kits are ridiculously small.
@Don Williams Hmmm, well you, GG, Jtam, etc. may think 1/48 works better and be very vocal about it, but I get the distinct feeling tanks, tankettes, etc. from WW2 and RL are just smaller than you all think/feel they should be due to you guys being used to/corrupted by Warhammer vehicle to figure differences and Warlord minis being in lower key trash heroic proportions instead of proper historical scale proportions like they should be to actually work with model scale vehicles in a way that doesn't look artistically off.
Given the size of real tank, tankettes, armored whatevers,etc. and the snugness of thier cockpits/cabines in WW2, I think some armies actually looked for shorties among the newbies to drive them, I have heard that size (or lack thereof) was an arguement in the soviet union for having female tank crews. The people who would look the closest to that 40k look with the RL would have to have the height of typical Japanese School Girls (and yes that was an anime joke😉).
Anyways back on topic, the other problem as stated earler is Warlord's WW2 figures which kind of look out of place even next to larger 1/48 scale(like all heroic proportion figures (except the ones that are actually historical 32mm-35mm😆). I am pretty sure using Toon vehicles with them is probably the closest way to get that “looks right with” look for those guys given their gear and body portions go from almost proper historic proportions to stuff that can be swapped on with GW bodies to things where it looks like they used Tamayia 1/35 model parts in the original sculpting like the grease guns (certainly could swap those in no one the wiser after painting😆).
@Brian Van De Walker
Panzer Vor!
What works visually, works. Warlord (and to some degree Perry) proportions come back to never being 100% plastic and having to cater for metal components of their ranges. Weapons and other thin parts generally need to be ruggedised at 28mm in metal, or they're too fragile.
Another thing that skews it all is the height of soldier. There's this conceit that scale should be based on a 6 foot person (72", the nominal basis of the 1/72 scales with one inch figures), but historically that has not been a common height and WW2 was definitely not fought by particularly tall men. 5' 7" (67" or about 170cm) would be a better pick for a default height. With "28mm" figures being typically 30mm to the top of the head, 1/56 scale is pretty much spot on (and may be where that scale was calculated from for all I know).
TLDR: If a WW2 toy soldier is 30mm with his hat off, he's 1/56. If he's meant to be taller than average, add about 2mm to his height for every 5" taller than 5' 7" he's meant to be.
@Mark DewisHmm, mostly true, to be honest I was commenting on just Warlord's WW2 plastics (ironicly Warlord's WW2 metals seem to be truer to scale on the whole from what I can see, and they are not the only metals like that on the market).
What “looks right” is subjective to the eye of the beholder since none of these models ever seem to be consistently scaled accurately. So whatever works for you, works for you.
My take on how big a vehicle looks (and feels) is more influenced by the time I spent in, on and around real armored vehicles than Games Workshop caricature sci-fi tank kits.
The problem, in my opinion, is not really the scale of the vehicles "per se", but what I want to do with them... using minis I like.
The WW2 minis from Warlord are awesome, but they are definitely on any human real scale (comp. Warlord's German and British soldiers and the same ones from the Perry Brothers). Heads, busts and weapons are somewhat oversized and, as a result, they offer an interesting visual, whether on a game table or in a diorama...
If I want to put one or more minis on a vehicle, there is often a problem at 1/56 scale : they crush the effect of the vehicle, making it a bit too small and cramped. On the opposite, on a 1/48 scale vehicle, the effect is always cool !
If I want to use WA Panzer-Lehr minis or adapt vehicles for Eisenkern-(she)troopers, the 1/56 scale is definitely too small. On the opposite hand, at 1/48, it works very well.
The 1/48 scale (or something close) allows me to work on several options... The field is much more open, and that's perfect for me.
In a science fiction context, you're usually adapting a historical kit to be an ahistorical vehicle, and it doesn't matter if it turns out bigger than the original. In that respect, 40K isn't the villian here. Even if some of their vehicles are inspired by historical ones, that's sort of like this:
Well you all know my beliefs I`m 1/56th all the way, but unlike the rest of you, now Iv`ve dumped the major load of my minis I`ve only 1/64 th cars and WGA,WGF, and Warlord Project Z, Metal Crooked Dice and Studio Miniatures. These are what my mate GG would refer to as on the small size, to me however as Brian showed machines are varied I really hated when my Zombiecide etc towered above my machines and if i went to 1/48th to solve it a police cruiser was as high at the wing as a mans shoulder. I`m really exited with Rubicons Nam range the figure and machines scale great and I can use them with the same buildings for Si/Fi . Si/Fi is the one thing were you can take any scale and make it yours by using scale doors lights etc.
Above is a coverted Matchbox, "TowingTractor" towing what will be an"Enginering Trailer". Scale being 1/64th. The Hum-Vee is a 1/64th Corgie. The Quad is a toy also1/64th, the figure on Quad is EMC 1/56th, and the metal Crooked Dice 1/56th. All scale prefectley with any Rubicon item, but would be drawfed by 1/48th, that Quad is spot on for those Warlord Project Z Hells Angles gang.
Above is the 1/64th Matchbox Hovercraft, these machines I`m geating ready for my "Dinos" and the new Ooh - Rahs.
Now 1/64th is way to small so they say for 1/56th personally with afigure in my pocket to judge "Touch Wood" not made a mistake yet.
Now this heavily converted machine is now reduced from 1/48th scout mech to a1/56th Heavy. At the end of the day we will all enjoy our own styles and ranges GG as a really great Pulp set up with is varied scales that match really well. J-Tam loves all kinds of items but you`ll never make him anything but a 1/48th guy it doesn`t really mater all we need is good friends to give us great ideas to use. I think Brian may be in my court, Mark he`s his own man and a Si/Fi "Jedi Master" and Pierre well "He`s a little Cracker" . Cheers all my mates , missed you. Geoff.
My own adventures in this space have just been using 1/35 tank kits as the basis for 40K Ork vehicles. That's an area where you really can't go much wrong and the nominal scale REALLY does not matter.
Hé, hé... the great and wise Man has spoken. You are right, Geoff : "Que chacun fasse comme il lui plaît" (let each do as he wishes)...
I'm not sure if "being a little cracker" is a compliment. I know "a cracker" (a good-tasting chip, but a bit salty and spicy), "a fire-cracker" (a funny trick that makes "bang", un pétard) and "a cracker" as an idiot, a stupid boy...
I suppose you use the 1st or the 2nd meaning, but as my wife often says that I'm "un emmerdeur" (a kick in the ass, a ballbuster), or "un vrai Basque" (it is equivalent, as if you were saying : "He, sure, is an Irishman !")... why not ?
I really like the Dust conversion. The quad is OK in size and the big material transport truck is good too. I am much less convinced by the Humvee : too small in my eyes. I've only seen this kind of vehicle once, and it was a really, really big thing (next to my car and I). But hey, I'm a (military) Land Rover lover !
As for the hovercraft, with martial paint and markings, with a crew of Navy-Stormtroopers, why not ? The good idea is not far.
Izan ontsa.
@Pierre Lerdou-Udoy" Little cracker" Black country, Bright Star ,like a fire work , shines like a star, "He`l go far and shine. Only you my friend couuld turn things back to "FOOD" I love chips particullary "Battered" with a cualiflower curry dip, and battered mushrooms.
Thank you for the kind word on my future vehicles.
Dear and noble veteran,
So, that was a compliment from you ! Alors merci, du fond du coeur... "Cracker" has a new and poetic meaning for me, direct from the Black - and Red - Country.
As my dear wife is from Irish origin, she pointed out to me that in Dublin, "cracker" is also a pretty woman... or a guy who talks too much (from the gaelic).
And yes, when it comes to food, I am indeed a true Frenchie ! La miche de pain au bout de la baïonnette (the loaf of bread at the end of the bayonet).
Bye for now...
