ADHD strikes again... Here I was browsing miniatures porn on Brigade Models website and minding my own business when I clicked on "6mm" and found a link to the "New Guinea War" campaign on Wessex Games website... Take a few oldies but goodies add a pinch of new releases, google some paint schemes and roundels et voilà!
Quick background summary:
- 2005: coup in Indonesia Republic (IR) & IR takes over Sarawak and Brunei;
- 2020: uprising against France in New Caledonia, rebels supported by AU & NZ;
- 2026-27: IR takes over Malaysia;
- 2027: AU, NZ, Papua New Guinea & various Pacific Territories forms South Pacific Treaty Organisation (SPTO);
- 2031: IR takes over the Philipines;
- 2048: Hawaii and US Territories join SPTO that becomes the Pacific Federation (PacFed);
- 2048-2051: IR (with covert Japanese support) and China at war over Cambodia, Laos, Thailand & Vietnam; peace treaty mediated by PacFed; IR gets Cambodia, Thailand, South Laos and South Vietnam, China gets North Laos and North Vietnam;
- 2065-68: Antarctica War I: PacFed & UK versus Argentina & Chile; statu quo;
- 2078-79: Bengal War: IR versus India; IR gets "considerable territory" on India eastern seabord including Calcuta and Madras;
- 2082: IR takes over Burma;
- 2083: Antarctia War II: Brazil sides with PacFed & UK, Argentina territory split between Brazil and PacFed;
- 2099: IR and PacFed at war over Papua New Guinea...
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| Quick and dirty map of SE Asia & Oceania by 2099: PacFed in blue, IR in red, China in yellow, India in Green and flash zones orange... |
GZG's "Tuffleyverse" and Wessex Games "Iron Cow" universe (I just learned about it being the source of Brigade Models' products background) have always seemed a natural match to me...
Edit: I just re-read Dirtside II rules and found out that the "Tuffleyverse" has a strangely similar Papua New Guinea War... Disclaimer: not pointing any fingers here, don't know and don't care who care who came first: it's not like the idea is sooooo original that it couldn't evolve independently in two minds, end of controversy as far as I'm concerned; it does illustrate my point that GZG and BM backgrounds/models work well together!
All in all a quasi identical map by the start of the War (some difference on the NW flank of the IR/IC but nothing that matters much as far down in Papua New Guinea!
- 2018: AU & NZ takes New Caledonia over from France, EU intervention deterred by UK & US backing of AU & NZ;
- 2039: Indonesia takes over Malaysia;
- 2043: Indonesia takes over Borneo (doesn't make much sense: most of the island is Indonesian to start with and most of the rest is Malaysian - and thus according to this timeline taken over in 2039 - I guess it's Indonesia taking over the last % of the island: Brunei);
- 2050: Indonesia takes over the Philipine and becomes the Indonesian Commonwealth (IC), AU, NZ, Papua New Guinea and several South Sea islands states create the Oceanic Union (OU);
- 2053: IC takes over Burma (Myanmar) & Thailand;
- 2054: IC takes over the rest of Indochina (Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam);
- 2110-2112: OU and IC at war over Papua New Guinea, generally low intensity war, first widespread use of grav technology as major combat weapons, ends with the Sidney Accords (2112).
Pacific Federation:
I used to be a bit "meh" about GZG OUDF infantry... Until Jon uploaded the picture of them painted by Paul at Mini Metal Mayhem! Especially the "natives" variant really came to life with that awesome paintjob!
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| GZG OUDF three variants: "natives", bush hats and helmets... Picture from Mini Metal Mayhem blog. |
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| Cougar MBT and Wombat APC. I like the old grey-green paintjob better that the new blue one! Pictures from the manufacturer website. |
Speaking of paintjob, I'm sure quite a few non-Aussie will beg to differ, but seen from tiny Belgium, Oceania is mostly Australia (although NZ gained some recognition with the Lords of the Rings movies)! And to me, Australia military vehicle means black, olive drab and pinkish-tan camo... And while googling for pictures for this post, I come across this incredebly cool hexagon based scheme!
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| Pictures from ArmyRecognition.com I guess... |
I know the ADF is wearing Multicam those days but having every forces in my collection wearing the same uniform would get a tad boring (who would have
known military where such fashion whores: five days ago everyone just
had to have some digital pattern, now it's everyone in Multicam)... So Auscam/DPCU/Jelly Beans it is!
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| Army and Navy auscam... USN picture from Wikipedia. |
On one hand I know modern military vehicles tend to avoid national markings that constitute an nice aiming point for the enemy, on the other hand I think such markings help telling a story which is all about my toy soldiers are about at the end of the day! Yet I like to keep things simple and nicely stylized (i.e. one or two colours in simple patterns, not elaborated heraldic devices)... So far I'm thinking single black Commonwealth Star (the seven pointed star on the Aussie flag; I know, Oceania isn't just Australia!) painted on the pinkish-tan part of the camo (just like the kangaroo on real-life ADF vehicles).
Indonesian Republic:
Brigade Models just happens to have released Indonesian Republic vehicles in 15mm so that's a no brainer!
Brigade Models just happens to have released Indonesian Republic vehicles in 15mm so that's a no brainer!
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| Picture for manufacturer website. |
What I'd love to see to go with these are 15mm version of BM Squadron Commander Indonesian fighters (or just one of them - the attack fighter make more sense but I like the interceptor better - but I guess such minis aren't good sellers in 15mm) for CAS!
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| And it would make a great not-Naboo starfighter for not-Star Wars too. picture from manufacturer website. |
Quickly googling the Indonesian Military (TNI) leaves me with the feeling that they wear some sort of Denison pattern (they call it "blood vines" or something) or DPM (although they roll out a digital pattern too, see comment about camo fashion here above), love facial camo and flashy berets. So I'm thinking some brushstroke camo and facial paint with the odd red beret (I know it makes no sense to camo your face and then wear a read beret, but it will look cool on the gaming table).
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| Picture from Dita Alangkara found on The Guardian website (scandalizing reading about female recruits humiliating virginity test in the TNI). Guns look like FNC by the way, go Belgium! |
There isn't a specific Indonesian line out there... I though about the GZG Islamic Rebublic, but keffiyeh isn't the look I'm going for! Browsing some more I found GZG early NAC that comes in three variants (helmets, berets "royal marines", and bush hats "gurkhas") and would nicely mirror the OUDF ones (they're both from GZG early period and the "well-fed" 15mm scale). Sounds like a plan!
Some more googling for a vehicle camo scheme I found a fairly conventional "amoeba" pattern in two tones of green and one of brown with the brown being a more reddish one than usual (pro-tip: when looking for ground vehicles camo scheme, google helos, ground support and transport planes)... Indonesian jets are in a two shades of gray scheme that will do nicely for the starfighters!
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| TNI C-130. |
Finally, for vehicle markings, I'm thinking a low-vis variant of the TNI roundel: a simple black pentagon with transparent (as in the colour of the hull camo can be seen in the middle) center.
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| TNI Su-27. Picture from The Avionist blog. |
Edit: I don't remember where I first saw the idea but I think it's a great one, some games have a fog of war system where units aren't put on the table until detected, before detection some sort of marker is used to indicates the possible presence of a unit... Well, instead of markers what about a base of local critters? Much better than some cardboard chit, no?
To me "Indonesian critter" equals "Komodo dragon" (they don't live in Papua New Guinea, but frankly I don't care...) Turns out Splintered Light Miniatures makes them!
Painted by Stéphane over at Les figurines de Cité-en-jeux (nom provisoire).
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