Tuesday 29 January 2013

Which Mid War Army Should I Collect? - Poll

Hello All,

Ben here looking for help! Some of you may have seen the poll I posted up yesterday (it should be to the right of this post). Basically I'm going to 2 Mid War Tournaments in the Summer (The Welsh Open and Devizes Attack!) and I need to collect a new Army for these events as I currently own no Mid War armies (or models really!). So after a little reading, planning and the like I have come up with 2 different armies I'd like to do. The problem is I can't do them both at the moment because of time and cost but I like them both!  So heres the deal, I will choice which ever army you all vote for! And I promise I will! So what are the two different armies? Well I'll do a run through of that I have planned:-



Finnish Jalkaväki Company from Eastern Front

First up the Fins, why the Fins? Well it's simple they are my favourite Nation in WW2 bar none! From the Dave Vs Goliath struggle of the Winter War to then the stopping the Soviets again in 1944 the Fins earn a reputation as resilient defenders (even Joseph Stalin admitted they were good soldiers!), this from a countries who's population was smaller than the Soviet Army! A countries who's main line battle tank was a tank the Soviets thought was obsolete before the war even started and the Fins were using it in 1944! (got to love T-26's!)

Anyway my goal with a Finnish Army would be a modeling project first and foremost. I want to make artillery blasted forest style bases, have camo netting on the anti tank guns as well as log defenses in front of the guns. I want to really push my modeling skills to the limit, spend my time on them and make them look as good as I can.

The list looks something like this

  Fearless    Veteran           Jalkaväkikompania
                   Welsh Open 2013		         Finnish Mid-War
               Infantry Company
PlatoonQtyUnitPoints
Headquarters
Jalkaväkikompania HQ p.109
2
2		Cmd SMG team
Close-defence Rifle team		100
Combat Platoons
Jalkaväki Platoon p.109
1
8		Cmd Close-defence SMG team
Rifle/MG team		230
Jalkaväki Platoon p.109
1
8		Cmd Close-defence SMG team
Rifle/MG team		230
Weapons Platoons
Jääkäri Platoon p.110
1
8		Warrior Command team Captain Lauri Törni
Rifle team		285
Mortar Platoon p.110
1
1
3		Cmd SMG team
Observer Rifle team
Tampella M/35 81mm mortar		105
Divisional Support
KV-1 Panssari Platoon p.106
2KV-1e425
Anti-tank Platoon p.112
1
2		Cmd SMG team
75 PstK/40 (7.5cm PaK40) gun		170
Company Points:1545
             www.EasyArmy.com                               Source document: Eastern Front

What I'd like my bases to look like.
Now the problem with this army is I have played a lot of Infantry in the past few months and with the planned Bastogne and Market Garden Hell's Highway campaigns I have coming up thats not going to change any time soon. Also this is another Fearless Veteran army, just like my Winter Paras and Market Garden Paras.

So in Summary

For 
  • Would be a great modeling project
  • My favourite army in WW2
  • As a minor Axis army you don't see them very often.
  • Easy to turn into a EW and or LW army getting three periods from one army.
  • I really want to push my FOW modeling skills and now I have a few armies I can play with I don't mid a slow build army.
Against
  • Another Fearless Veteran infantry army
  • Wouldn't be quick to get ready
So thats the Fins, heres the Soviets

Mixed Tankovy Batalon from Eastern Front

So mixed Soviet tanks, the first thing you may notice is this army is the complete opposite of the Fins above. This is a tank horde! This interests me as I haven't played much with tanks in Version 3 and I have never played with a tank horde. I have also never used a Conscript army so that could be very interesting!

The Colour scheme I'm looking at from Wargamer on Tour Blog
I would also have a completely different ethos that the Fins. Were the Fins will be about getting the best and nicest models this army will be about getting a cheap army fast! (saying that both armies will cost about the same amount to buy!) I will be using The Plastic Soldier Company and Zeveda for almost all the models.

I was also looking into paint the army with a camo scheme, thanks to Winner Dave's airbrush (Dave can I please use your airbrush!?!) this should be quick!

So the list:-

 Fearless    Conscript  Mixed Tankovy Batalon
(Red Army)
Mixed Tank Battalion		Soviet Mid-War
Tank Company
PlatoonQtyUnitPoints
Combat Companies
Light Tankovy Company(Red Army) p.196
7T-70 obr 1942210
Medium Tankovy Company(Red Army) p.196
9Mark II 76mm (Matilda II CS)405
Heavy Tankovy Company(Red Army) p.197
5
5		KV-1e
Tankodesantniki SMG team		615
Corps Support
Armoured Car Company Fearless  Trained   p.193
5BA-10M190
Air Support p.232
5Limited Air Support I-153120
Company Points:1540
www.EasyArmy.com                                                        Source document: Eastern Front


The Kit that inspired the list
The only real problem with this army is I tried to collect a Soviet LW tank army last year and failed because I couldn't find a painting method I liked. But I think I have found a method I like now but that is untried.


For 
  • Would be a very different army to play with
  • Would be quick to paint
  • 26 Tanks and a plan must be fun right!
Against
  • Won't look as good as the Fins
  • I might end up hating painting them

So there you go, two different armies and it's up to you what I will play! The poll will run until Sunday Night UK time so vote quickly!

I think I will enjoy both armies so I really don't know what I would vote for!

Well thanks for reading and until next time

Ben
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13 comments:

  1. Paul W29 January 2013 at 00:57

    I've played against the Finns numerous times, they are a tough, tough army to face! Torni is one of the best warrior teams in the game and two veteran KV1es can cause a huge amount of mayhem.
    The Tankovy would be fun, but maybe frustrating. Conscript tanks die very fast, even KV's. Throw in Hen and Chicks, and it can be tricky. I play Soviets and tend to go infantry in mid-war, tank or tank/infantry mix in late-war. I've voted for the Finns, a very cool army with the mix of German and Soviet equipment, don't why more people don't play them.
    re: your previous post about trained tanks, I've fielded the Canadian armoured company in midwar. You get lots of tanks, but one Tiger and you're dead! It does make you a better player though I think, especially when you go back to Veterans. You appreciate what you've got :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ben29 January 2013 at 16:56

      Thanks Red Dog.

      I think both list would be good and have limitations (don't want to play the Fins against a Soviet tank horde!). Still Fins winning 13 - 6 at the moment so looks like a land slide victory.

      Yeah using Trained is hard. I really see Veteran as an armour value all of it's own. Still I hope it'll make me a better player.

      Delete
  2. Vitor29 January 2013 at 05:48

    I like the idea of a Finnish army because I like the modelling opportunities myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ben29 January 2013 at 16:57

      Yeah, that was almost the deciding factor I would have gone for without a vote, but the Tank Horde was just to cool for me to make up my mind.

      Delete
  3. PhaseStar29 January 2013 at 07:05

    Finns!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Engel29 January 2013 at 07:27

    Russian Matildas... *drools*
    Also BA-10 :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. AdamC177629 January 2013 at 16:15

    A thing to keep in mind is that some tournaments do require a certain percentage of of the models be Battle Front. I like both armies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ben29 January 2013 at 17:00

      Neither of those do, but it is a good point.

      Delete
  6. Anibal Invictus29 January 2013 at 19:26

    My vote for the Finns! The Soviets are too vulgar

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ben29 January 2013 at 19:34

      LOL named after the river? (sorry bad pun...)

      Delete
  7. Makke30 January 2013 at 09:57

    Finns! Because that is what I want to do too :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ben30 January 2013 at 10:19

      They are cool.

      I will be honest I did think the Soviets would win the vote as they are a more well know army. But at 15 - 6 I a little shocked it's so one sided. Still it's nice that Fins are so well liked.

      Delete
  8. Ben4 February 2013 at 09:13

    So with a score of 22 to 13 I'm doing Fins.

    Thanks you to everyone how voted.

    ReplyDelete

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