Sunday, 23 January 2011

I Give Up!

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I mention towards the end of last year that my intention was to give up 15mm Moderns. I have. The death knell was sounded last week by the release of Under Fire Miniatures' new 20mm modern Russians including a pack of MVD/OMON Special forces in 'mushroom' helmets.

I just got tired of being presented with some Sovietesque motor rifle era figures armed with an AK47 cut-out as 'modern' - after all would you call the Bay City Rollers modern? To me, might as well be Russian Civil War or even Crimean War minis for their relevance.

Add to that, 15mm figures still being produced in  'line dancing', 'just eaten a dodgy kebab' and 'brushing a cobweb off the ceiling' poses. Please.......

Starting in a new scale has meant having to start from scratch with new terrain, new figures - six months worth of wargame budget that could have been spent on 15mm Moderns, Sci Fi etc.

This is just my opinion. My taste. Nothing more. I know there's plenty of folk out there with cash to spend, who are happy to receive a pack of lead as long as the pack title says RUS1 Russian, AK47. Each to their own. I'm going for the figures like the one above, great posing, representing troops NOW, easily migrateable into Near Future or even low tech Sci Fi settings without looking anachronistic.

I guess that's my Sunday rant over. I've got some 20mm C21st Russians to organise........

Cheers
Mark
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11 comments:

  1. Basement Gaming Bunker23 January 2011 at 14:53

    "I just got tired of being presented with some Sovietesque motor rifle era figures armed with an AK47 cut-out as 'modern' - after all would you call the Bay City Rollers modern?"

    I recently saw an explanation that there is no marketing difference between "modern" and "postwar," meaning anything after WWII. That just blows my mind. In the decade I've been in the US military, I've seen complete changes in uniforms, weapons, vehicles, and C4 systems. Let alone the differences from Korea to Vietnam and through the cold war, and we're just one force!

    I have a hard time believing there isn't enough demand to further subdivide the genre by "Vietnam or Early Cold War" "Late Cold War" and "Post Cold War or New Millennium" era miniatures.

    I have no interest in gaming modern actions myself (my own career isn't going to be the focus of my wargames), but the minis still have interest to me. I bought a pack of Command Decision "Modern" 15mm US infantry, thinking I could use them in a World War Z setting. Once I had the minis out of the pack, it was obvious that they were wearing steel helmets, wearing ALICE webgear, and carrying M16A1 rifles. Even without a shot of primer. I can't even use these guys as reservists while pretending it's anytime after 1980!

    Chris

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  2. Eli Arndt23 January 2011 at 18:11

    It is a similar sentiment that got me to go with 20mm. I'd been looking for excuse to try the scale out for a bit, but the total lack of modern Russians made 20mm the go-to scale. Even though a good portion of modern Russian troops and former Soviet nations still look like their later Cold War counterparts, there are still some things ill-represented in 15mm.

    Try to find a Russian fig in a balaclava or knit cap in 15mm!

    -Eli

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  3. Anonymous23 January 2011 at 22:22

    I agree 100%, initially it was wartime minis Australians that got me into 20mm, now with Elhiem and the latest modern Russians it's just too compelling. Science fiction is definitely a 15mm thing but picture a force of 20mm future infantry, how good would they look?

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  4. Fred24 January 2011 at 05:22

    Been dying to find modern as of 2008 on up soldiers for modern conflicts and near future stuff

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  5. Anonymous25 January 2011 at 09:16

    You know, in a pinch elhiems USMC can pass as future stuff, add a HUD with greenstuff and chop the barrels down on the weapons and they could pass

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  6. Mark25 January 2011 at 09:51

    Both Maff and myself are using Elheims wonderful new 20mm US figures ourselves for immediate future Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter games. They are really nice a all you need is a 'off world' camo scheme to make them Sci Fi.

    Matt's sculpting - moving figures who look like soldiers moving on operations - packs that tell a coherent story - just like Wartime Miniatures Modern Australians.

    Wartime did a 'stacked' pack which I cant find at the moment that was brilliant.

    Cheers
    Mark

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  7. Cheomesh25 January 2011 at 19:59

    Sad to hear you're going from 15mm; it was your blog that got me excited about them! But, I may end up checking 20mm out instead. Still looking for sub 25mm figs for use with the upcoming edition of FAD, so I could go either way.

    Does anyone mind linking me to Elheim's 20mm guys? I checked their site but the only products I could get to display were their gun sets. I'd much appreciate it!

    M.

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  8. Mark25 January 2011 at 20:20

    Don't worry, not giving up 15mm Sci Fi! Too much in the blood!

    Elheim as requested:

    http://www.elhiemfigures.com/iraq_and_afghan_69.html

    Cheers Mark

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  9. APJ25 January 2011 at 22:02

    Excellent ideas Mark.

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  10. GEoff25 January 2011 at 22:03

    [Try to find a Russian fig in a balaclava or knit cap in 15mm!]

    I have several... in a bag in this house somewhere... trying to find their way to Chas for moulding ;-)

    Geoff, QRF

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  11. Piers26 January 2011 at 00:20

    For those after a 20mm forum...

    www.guildwargamers.com

    I run it with matt from elhiem... We have all Matts latest work - Including his 20mm sci-fi...

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