Vacaloca - A Mexican Pueblo in 28mm

I've always wanted terrain and figures for Old West skirmish games and made the decision in July that this would be my next project, despite the only models I had for this period being a few cheap MDF kits that I hadn't touched since purchasing. Despite having these buildings I decided that I would start by first creating a modest Mexican Pueblo and getting a few figures to suit, and then if time permitted to expand this by building a small Western town. It didn't take long for all this to get well out of hand.

This project represents most of my efforts over the last three months and I ended up with just short of a hundred figures, 27 buildings, all of which were scratch built other than the four MDF kits, which I modified quite a bit, plus all sorts of scatter terrain to suit. 

In the process of making all this - with the ultimate objective of having a setup and game that I can play at Bangor, Wales next August (coronavirus restrictions permitting, that is) - discussions with friends and the creation of some very bad puns led me to the idea that the part of the Old West that my model would represent would be an area near the Mexican border that had been colonised by Welsh settlers. The town was duly named Aberillo and the idea stuck. I'll put up a second post soon with photos of the final setup for that town, but this post focuses on the Mexican Pueblo, which I chose to name Vacaloco.

In time, of course, I will be using this terrain for Western skirmish games, and after a lot of hunting around I am intending to start by using the Rules With No Name by Wargames Foundry, possibly with some adaptations based on good ideas from other rules. But the setup is rules agnostic and will do for any Western skirmish game.

Here then are some pictures of the finished setup for the pueblo of Vacaloca, somewhere just across the Mexican border. In these pictures all is quiet and peaceful; as games are played photos of Mexican bandits and the heroes who will face them will be posted in due course, and I might also blog with pictures of those characters separately as well.

Sleepy Sanchez takes a nap

Peasants go about their business in the pueblo

While the men discuss the weather, the women gather food and water

The well in the centre of the village is a regular meeting place

And the water is clean and good

All is quiet at the church, for the townsfolk are busy at their chores

A long view through the pueblo

A closer view of the north end of the village

All terrain apart from the basecloth is scratch-built. Buildings are made from cardboard, MDF and odd scraps. Saguaro cacti are made using the simple and brilliantly effective method described at the western games blog, although using Milliput and my own basing style. Mexican villagers are from Wargames Foundry. 

Here are some views of the whole table setup (with apologies for the poor lighting in my games room).

Views of the table setup

Images of Aberillo to follow in the next post!

Desert Forces for 15mm Chain of Command

Following up on the last post showing my LRDG force, here are some images of DAK and 8th Army troops that I completed around the same time. Most of the figures are Battlefront though a few Peter Pig and Skytrex models have sneaked in as well. Vehicles are all Battlefront except for the Panzers which are all from Plastic Soldier Comany and the Matilda II which is a Zvezda kit.

DAK Aufklarungs platoon

More than enough motorbikes here to provide vehicles for a DAK recon platoon using the provisional army list available from the TooFatLardies blog. These are Battlefront models individually based and painted in a variety of colours to reflect the availability and provision of machines for the desert war.

Two SdKfz 232 (8-Rad) armoured cars

No Aufklarungs platoon would be complete without some heavy support. I have two models because they were originally bought for Flames of War, but you never know, they may well both come in handy.

Kubelwagens

The universal small vehicle of German forces in WW2.

Heavy weapons support

Heavy support for the DAK comes in the form of one PAK38 and a tripod mounted MG42.

Lighter support weapons and observer teams

Two light mortar teams (mortars are scratch-built from plastic card), two anti-tank rifle teams (which can be used instead of sniper models if required) and two observer teams (with scratch-built radios) provide lighter support for the DAK platoon.

Four DAK infantry sections with officers

While the army list requires three sections within the platoon, I've added models for a fourth section as this is a possible cupprot option that can be purchased. All figures are Battlefront.

Panzer platoon

Playing Big Chain of Command allows for the possibility of fielding an armoured platoon, so these lovely Plastic Soldier Company tanks provide for a variety of options within that. Models represent four early model Panzer IIIs, one of which is the command tank, one short-barreled Panzer III, and a short-barelled Panzer IV (back left). Beautiful models.

British transport

These models were originally purchased with the intent of wither providing vehicle transport for foot for Flames of War, or for use as objectives in raiding scenarios. Both sides made much use of captured vehicles, so while these are British trucks they can be used by either side. The car is a die cast model that fit for style and size and can be used as a command vehicle or a scenario objective, for example in a "capture the General" type scenario. Lots of possibilities here!

Matilda II

I just love the look of Matilda IIs in desert colours so had to have one of these. Mine is a Zvezda plastic kit.

British suppport weapons

Mortars, tripod mounted machine guns and two 6-pdr guns make up possible 8th Army support.

8th Army infantry platoon, with additional section and various options

As with the DAK platoon, the fourth section is an additional support option. Sections allow for officers to be equipped with rifles or stens in accordance with the options in the army list.
 

Making Ford F30s for the LRDG - Part 3: The Finished Models

Ford F30s for Chain of Command

Before I start, an apology. This is the third and final part of a set or articles that I started back in 2013. I know, I really have taken far too long to finish this. My excuse is that I had originally made the Ford F30 models for Flames of War, and it was around this time that I lost interest completely in that rule set, mainly because I object to having to fork out for new books every few years - but also that we started playing Chain of Command in 15mm and (in my opinion) it's a much better game.

This meant that my F30 models have sat around primed and ready to paint, along with a load of 15mm 8th Army and Afrika Korps models, for a quite ridiculous number of years. It has taken lockdown (and the promise of playing some Chain of Command desert war games) to bring them to the painting table, and finally they are done and I am writing this post.

I said at the end of the second post in this set that the third one would show the all-important finishing touches, but apologise for never taking any photos of the final assembly of the vehicles and the stowage added. Where I can remember, I've described this in the notes under the images. This, then, is a short post to show some pictures of the finished models. I have not added specific unit markings to the vehicles, though. If decals had been readily available I might have and maybe I will do this in the future, but I like the look of the vehicles as they are anyway so let's leave it there.

Here then are photos of the finished figures, along with images of the rest of the vehicles in their units, and their crew, who are now based for Chain of Command rather than Flames of War.

One of the finished models on the painting table

I painted the F30s in a camo scheme plausibly used by the LRDG of Canadian sand (Vallejo green ochre with a lighter highlight) overlain with sharp-edged bands of azure blue (Foundry tomb blue). Stowage added to the vehicle comes from items in the bit box, and rolled canvas made from Milliput.

Another of the F30 models on the painting table

Camo netting within the stowage is fine cotton netting that has been soaked in PVA glue before attaching to the model. As well as looking good this is very effective at hiding minor errors! I based the trucks on spare Flames of War infantry bases which were slightly enlarged by cutting two bases and gluing them together to the required length. These were textured with a mix of filler, PVA, water and fine sand and sprinkled with chinchilla dust to give surface texture. When dry, bases were painted with cheap emulsion paint - Crown Brown Sugar, dry brushed when dry with Crown Biscuit.    

Truck #1

Truck #2

Truck #3

When I painted these models I also painted the rest of my LRDG models, so here are some pictures of them as well.

Officer's car (left), Ford command car (centre), Ford radio truck (right)

Early patrols in which the Ford F30s were most likely to be used would not have been equipped with jeeps but would have used older vehicles such as the Ford patrol cars above for their command vehicles.

Two LRDG (SAS) jeeps 

These type of jeeps would have served as command vehicles for later LRDG patrols.

LRDG Patrol #1

SIx Chevrolet trucks forming two half patrols. One of these is fitted with a 20mm Breda gun.

LRDG Patrol #2

Patrol #2 is painted in the same camo scheme as the Ford F30s. Again, one of the trucks carries a Breda canon.

LRDG for Chain of Command

Finally, figures to crew these vehicles. These have been individually based for playing Chain of Command in 15mm.