Thinking Out Loud

3mm wargaming for WW2.

Many moons ago I started to game using WW2 3mm models on 10cm hexagons, and occasionally on the 6cm hexagons developed for my 2mm Napoleonic and 1700 period games.

I decided to base them as platoon strength on 15mm x 20mm bases, treating one base of 1 vehicle or 5 figures as a platoon, which has worked so far. But recently I have started to play 3mm games using 1” gridded boards, some with fixed terrain. The 20 x 15 bases do not fit well.

So I am faced with three alternatives:

1. Reduce individual model bases to 15mm x 10mm with 1 vehicle or up to 5 men. I could no longer fit labels with unit information beneath, merely a small ID number, but the bases would fit into the terrain.

2. Create 20mm x 20mm bases with up to 3 vehicle models or 10 men per base. In close terrain, representative markers would be needed, or individual bases as in option 1. Strength reduction would need small markers, which I abhor.

3. Make a base up to 25mm x 25mm that could accept bases as option 1, with casualties reduced as necessary.

The main issue is identifying tank types, or the nationality of infantry at arm’s length in this scale, but with a unit ID list it is not insurmountable, and I am planning to use rules that broadly categorise types for combat purposes.

In 3mm I do not care that a 75mm gun firing tungsten-headed AP shot is firing at 37° at hardened armour of 48mm thickness. It’s an AT gun shooting at a medium tank, or even 2 AT guns firing at 3 tanks.

I think I have decided on option 1, using the thinnest possible bases, probably transparent, with option 3 as a reserve. This means rebasing all my 3mm WW2 models as needed for upcoming games – and maybe using tweezers for moving models, thus more varnishing for protection.

Ah, well. Something to keep me occupied. Here are the first batch, with some additional models, waiting for some trial rebasing material to arrive. At the rear are 20mm x 15mm bases. At the front, some trial 12mm x 10mm bases.