Something a (very little!) bit different! - 3mm Team Yankee

Hi folks,

It appears, from talking to many fellow Miniature Modelling Mayhem visitors, that I'm known for my 'dedication' to WW2 British 15mm stuff!

So to fox everyone, I decided to paint... some different tanks for a change.

I've thought a lot about getting into Team Yankee, with the plan being to do 6mm. That is still the plan in the long term. In the short term I ordered some vehicles from Heroics and Ross just to see how they look. But I also ordered, almost on a whim, some Oddzial Ozmy 3mm 'Pico' Armour from Magister Militarum in the UK. Again, this was just to see how they looked.

I was blown away by the detail on these tiny models. The MBT's are small enough to fit on my thumb nail, but clear enough that you can tell what they are. If anyone has ever handled models that just made them grin, you know exactly how I felt when I received them. My only complaint is that compared to the other vehicles the M113's are out of scale.

My first order I got a pack of M1's, one of M113's and a pack of US Infantry.

All of them were really nice models (other than the small issue with the M113's...). The infantry pack has riflemen, MG teams and clearly definable Dragon ATGWM teams.

So impressed was I that i got them cleaned up and started painting. I also placed an order for some Russian vehicles and more US infantry - as well as the last vehicles I needed to finish off Team Yankee - the M901 ITV's.

The end result, a week later is this:

At the front, 2 x 2 T72 companies, followed by a BMP2 Recce platoon rear left and a a BMP2 Infantry company (less Infantry).

Close up's of the tiny Russian Hordes!

More close ups - these were so fast to paint - I spent more time on the basing.

Models are all Oddzial Ozmy 3mm T72B's

BMP2 Recce platoon - painted with some camo to make them a little different.

2 x M1 Abrams platoons and 1 x M113 platoon.

The camo looks better at a distance - it was my attempt at a NATO woodland camp pattern. These models need some work done around the tracks, where they came off the painting sticks.

I used two types of 1mm static grass (actually 3 types, but only 2 are visible).

Teeny Tiny M113's - a little bit of a shame, as these seems to be 2/3rds smaller than they should be.

I ran out of prepared bases at this point - as you get 15 vehicles in each pack I have enough for another platoon of M1's + the company command (a full company of tanks). Enough M113's for a infantry company and enough ITV's as support for both. This will give me, for a grand total of £9, the whole of Team Yankee and Team Bravo! Less other support options.

For the Russians I have 3 companies of T72's, 1 of BMP1's, 1 of BMP2's, the Recce platoon of BMP2's and a load of infantry still to sort out. That's effectively a tank battalion and an Infantry battalion. Slightly more money spent here - £18 including the 2 packs if infantry. I also have enough for the various battalion command vehicles and some OP teams. 

I went to the Durham show on Saturday and picked up some Tumbling Dice 1/600th aircraft and helicopters for not very much money, so air support will be sorted. SU25s, A10s, Cobras and Hinds - as well as some Tornadoes just to make up the money.

Future spends will be on artillery and AA assets, as well as one more pack of T72's and BMP1's.

So whats the plan with these? Playing Team Yankee at 1:1 at this scale seems to be a bit of a no go - just because of the sizes. However my plan is to treat each bases of troops as 1 single unit. The concept at the moment is that units move and fires like a single vehicle in Team Yankee. Units of 2 or 3 vehicles have 1 single hit, and roll to shoot as a single vehicle. Units of 4 vehicles have 2 hits and re-roll misses. Infantry... I'm not too sure about currently. Standard artillery fires with no template, just targeting a single stand. Salvo weapons will use a smaller artillery template made for 6mm Team Yankee.

This should all add up to a fast playing game that allows forces larger than a normal FoW game to be fielded. Hopefully! I'm hoping to be able to play test these rules versus Steve shortly. Battle report to follow!