Saturday 18 January 2020

Nam '68 project

A project for 2020 is to develop a Vietnam war skirmish game, and to start with well you need something to play with. My first units are taking shape, here are just a few of them. The plan is to paint a US platoon and some light support, and a bunch of 3-man VC teams with various weapons, AKs, rifles, PPsH, etc... and then a few light support weapons for them too, an MG team, a sniper team, etc.

I have already completed 16 civilians, as I plan that they will feature in the game.

The game itself will be a low-level skirmish game, 'man with assault rifle vs man with assault rifle', with US fire teams (4-5 men) vs VC fire teams (always 3 men), jumping out of the bushes. Lots of ambushes, and US search patrols walking into trouble.

The initial idea is to set the game at 3 'threat levels'. Low threat game will only encounter minimal resistance, a few local guerillas (more like armed civilians) and maybe the occasional booby-trap. Medium threat games will encounter more enemy, from the VC Local Force (its militia), better armed and more determined. High threat level games will be more like full battles, against the VC National Force, with their best equipment and things like their own supporting fire (mortars). I'm planning on using a force generation system that means the US player can never be too sure exactly what he'll be facing today... so will it be a few snipers and a light mortar stonk, or a full VC National Force offensive? Should keep it exciting.

Work has started, I have a tonne of notes, and have already read a few Vietnam War books to get a better picture of the fighting. Rumour of War is excellent.

I don't see this being game involving lots of armour, the occasional tank might be available for the US player, or reinforcements might be available in an M113 APC or a Huey... but most of the work is on foot, patrolling, even for Airborne troops.

I really want the game to work as a campaign system as well... so a 12 month Tour of Duty through various threat levels and encounters, and see how your platoon survives. Some game might be a single squad, others include the full platoon in the midst of a full battle. Anyway... all idea atm... but the models have to come first.

 Fire Team 1

Fire Team 2

 VC opponents

 Specializing in hiding in the bushes...


8 comments:

  1. Looks like you have a great start, I look forward to seeing how the project develops.

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  2. Being a Veteran of that area. 196Th Lt Inf Brigade. WE always moved around at company strength in I corp. When not patrolling we where basically on high ridges that refortified. Down south operations where different. Lets of road convoys that got shot to shit. The only small units where LRRPS. Recondo and Special forces. They attacked mostly at night. NVA where tough, but they had chinese advisers. as for armor checked out my blog. https://gary-oldsargeswargameandmodelblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Vietnam Lots of tanks

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  5. What brand of models are you using ?

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  6. When will the Nam 68 rules be released please?

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