Getting into 1/72 wargaming....couple questions.

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margras77
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Getting into 1/72 wargaming....couple questions.

Post by margras77 » Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:41 pm

Hello guys,
I've decided to give 1/72 scale Wargaming a try. Formerly, Ive only dabbled in 1/18th scale.
The wargaming setting is the year 2017. The US has taken an economic plunge, and the president has been found guilty of fraud and impeached. The vice president, Alan Lanard took over in the year 2015. He proved to be incompetent and dysfunctional. For the first time in America's history, a military coup was staged with a man named Eric Prince as the ringleader. He was the founder of the company Blackwater Worldwide, and forms a council with the joint chiefs of staff as the head of the United States. While they attempt to get their country back under control, drastic events are happening in Europe. Kim Jong ll has died and his son, Kim Jung Un has taken over. He proves to be very charismatic and unites North Korea with South Korea and unleashes chemical weapons on the major population centers in Japan. China funds Kim Jung Un's efforts, and he sets his mind on the western world. In Russia, Vladmir Putin resigns and a new prime minster, Tokarev Kruschenko takes his place. Tokarev is a fascist and the country turns in that direction. People emerge from poverty and Russia grows in strength, becoming a world power to rival China.
Living in fear of the Asians and the Russians, Nato is dissolved and the European nations form the European Joint Defense Coalition. Their fears are proven when Russian Spetsnaz and death squads begin to slaughter villages on the border. They once again annex Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Georgia and begin to move farther into Europe.


Now, Im a bit unfamiliar with the 1/72 scale. My goal is to use 1/72 scale items to represent units for the game. Instead of using a grid system it will be using a more free-form topography based system.
So I've got a few questions. Do they make 1/72 modern...people-ish things? How hard are they to paint if they come unpainted? Are they worth it?
Vehicles-what type should I get? I know I plan on getting most of the land vehicles as prepainted and pre assembled just because of the fact that they have moving treads/wheels, swiveling turrets, etc, but what about air vehicles like helicopters? Is it worth the extra money to get them pre-painted, pre assembled? I am relatively new to painting and such.
Being in high school, money is a bit limited, but with Christmas coming up I should be able to get enough to sate the game for a while.
Terrain! What is the best way to do this? I was hoping to do 3d, and what is the best way to do that? Or is 2d better?

Thanks a ton guys, and sorry for so many questions!!!! :)

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Re: Getting into 1/72 wargaming....couple questions.

Post by snake » Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:55 pm

Hopefully somebody can give you some hints, margras77.

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Re: Getting into 1/72 wargaming....couple questions.

Post by tparkhere » Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:04 pm

I know nothing about war gaming. But, I am going to try help about 1/72 scale.

Regarding soldiers and civilians, you may want to try “Preiser.”
http://www.rocousa.com/preiser.asp

They are for train collectors. They offer both painted and non-painted people, buildings, terrains, animals , etc. I believe it’s 1/87 scale, but it’s close enough to 1/72 scale. Painted versions are very expensive. If do shop around, you can buy a large unpainted set for a reasonable price. I am not sure if you are looking for soldiers only, or both soldiers and civilians. Also, these are for display purposes only and maybe too delicate for war gaming. Also, note that some “people” comes in one piece and other comes disassembled which you have to glue them.

If you are looking for 1/72 soldiers only. Read the review here:
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Periods.aspx
Some plastic soldier sets are very reasonable. $4-$7 for 40+ soldiers.

Regarding 1/72 armors. I can give you list. But these are for diecast collectors and not really for wargaming purposes:
Hobby Master, Dragon Armor and Easy Model (also known as MRC)

I hope this helps. Good luck with your war gaming.

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Re: Getting into 1/72 wargaming....couple questions.

Post by EnemyAce » Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:17 pm

check out this site:

http://theminiaturespage.com

and in particular the modern boards:

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/boa ... period=mod

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Re: Getting into 1/72 wargaming....couple questions.

Post by Tshintl » Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:41 pm

One thing to know, 1/76 and 1/72 scale are commonly referred to as "20mm" in the wargaming world. I second the Miniatures Page link above, and there is a "20mm" forum board on there too. Even a better site is the forum below, it's very popular for 20mm gamers and you will probably find more info there than any other website or forum on the internet. It's a very active forum.

http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/index.php

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Re: Getting into 1/72 wargaming....couple questions.

Post by ostketten » Sat Nov 20, 2010 6:36 pm

Forces of Valor offers a free set of wargaming rules and game cards called "Battle Tactics" for both 1/72 and 1/32 scales that can be downloaded here....

http://www.forcesofvalor.com/gamecards.aspx

Naturally, they want you to purchase and use their products for the game, but figures, vehicles, and structures from any manufacturer will work just fine.

My focus lately has been on 1/72 diecast aircraft, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that Conflix/Imex has released almost a dozen new battle damaged buildings for the 1/72 scale wargamer and diorama builder. They are not cheap, but I can tell you from personal experience that the quality and workmanship on these is top notch...

http://store.foxholetoys.com/coprdi.html
Last edited by ostketten on Sat Nov 20, 2010 8:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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margras77
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Re: Getting into 1/72 wargaming....couple questions.

Post by margras77 » Sat Nov 20, 2010 7:56 pm

Hey guys,
My computer hasnt been working so well lately but I got it fixed, so thats why I havent replied.
Thank you very much for all the help! Im taking a look at some of it as I type! Some of the stuff is a bit pricier than I had hoped, but It is also a lot more detailed than I thought.

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