Re: Field Marshal Games Pieces Project Discussion thread

You missed:

@FieldMarshalGames:

The point is I want to do a DIFFERENT unit.  As it has been mentioned above, you can always mix your stock units to have more types!

As for the Italian bomber, Jeremy either didn’t recognize that the AA50 bomber was a Betty retread, or there was a disconnect with the sculptor on the image and what plane it actually was.

It was obviously always the intent that any retread shared unit mold would be revised for a nation specific unit mold, solving the AA50 problems of the russian navy, the italian navy, the italian airforce, transports, artillery, etc.

As the project has grown (it was originally for AA50) and there has been more input from the community, I think that Jeremy has become more open/interested/committed to finding iconic units that haven’t yet been represented for diversity.  Obviously there will be a repeats - I doubt there is a suitable german carrier besides the Graf Zeppelin.  But I think striving to fill gaps in representation (FW190, Hurricane, P51) and not limiting the project to remolds of the BF109, Spitfire or Hellcat/Lightning will make a more interesting collection and each of those planes were as important or more important.  The Scharnhorst was a beautiful ship, the japanese had far more important carrier classes, the yamato class was hardly a workhorse and was rarely engaged, so why treat the OOB molds as the “iconic” weapons just because they were the biggest and baddest of the technology.  Bismark had ONE engagement, Shinano was sunk during trials, and the Yamato rarely left the Sea of Japan.

I can’t speak to armor, but I imagine there have to be equally deserving units to mold and I think more people are interested in working these into games with their existing units that aren’t mismolded rather than doing a blanket switch.  The Italians DID use the BF109, after all.

Ahh yes. Thanks.
Actually I had it in there at one point but removed it as Jeremy was speaking about the Liberator and I already had a quote capturing his intent with that.

Anyway, I guess time will tell what FMG produces and until then wish lists will run amok, be bumped, be forgotten, be regurgitated etc.

#647

About the Italian bomber.  When FMG first showed the new sculpt for the Italian bomber and it turned out looking like the G4M Betty like WOTC did in the Anniversary game, there was a lot of discussion about it and questions about what Italian plane to use.  After quite a bit of back and forth discussion, Jeremy finally came out and specifically said FMG is making the SM 79 for the Italian bomber.  The one that they already made I believe they are going to use for the Japanese bomber because it looks just like the G4M.

The bomber FMG showed was the G4M betty…so it will be the japanese bomber. There was an error because they used the AA50 italian bomber piece to create the mold, and it turned out that piece was the same as the japanese bomber… courtesy of WOTC…

So the italian bomber will be the Savoia Marchetti SM79.

@Dagon81:

The bomber FMG showed was the G4M betty…so it will be the japanese bomber. There was an error because they used the AA50 italian bomber piece to create the mold, and it turned out that piece was the same as the japanese bomber… courtesy of WOTC…

So the italian bomber will be the Savoia Marchetti SM79.

This is correct.  I expect the new sculpt to be complete by the end of the week, along with the Italian Sub.

@FieldMarshalGames:

@Dagon81:

The bomber FMG showed was the G4M betty…so it will be the japanese bomber. There was an error because they used the AA50 italian bomber piece to create the mold, and it turned out that piece was the same as the japanese bomber… courtesy of WOTC…

So the italian bomber will be the Savoia Marchetti SM79.

This is correct.  I expect the new sculpt to be complete by the end of the week, along with the Italian Sub.

Wow… I’m all giddy, my brushes and paints are shaking in anticipation!  I’m still loving the truck!

Are we to expect an italian halftrack unit or only the truck?

@Dagon81:

Are we to expect an italian halftrack unit or only the truck?

There will be a MecInf unit…  It will not be a Halftrack however as Italy did not use Halftracks very often (uless they were given by Germany).  There will be a unit that will clearly signify the MecInf unit… but it is not a Halftrack.

@FieldMarshalGames:

I wanted to use this for the NEW AA Gun re: Bofors 15CM .  It is the only weapon used by all Axis and Allied Nations in the Second World War.

Thoughts?

The AA gun used by all sides during the war was the Bofors 40mm L/60 gun. The only exception was the Soviets who used a 37mm Bofors gun.

There actually was a 15cm Bofors gun (152mm), but it was a naval gun designed in 1939 to be fitted on light cruisers.

@Lozmoid:

As for German SPGs, I think either the Hummel or the Wespe. I believe the Stug III was an Assault Gun, and the Elephant (or Ferdinand) was a Tank Destroyer.

The line between Assault Guns and Tank Destroyers became increasingly blurry as the war progressed, actually. The Stug III was an Assault Gun but ended up destroying its fair share of tanks. They also had the Nashorn, wich was a Tank Destroyer, and was supposed to be replaced by the Jagdpanzer IV. But some, like Guderian, believed that the JgdPzr IV was unnecessary, since the Stug III sufficed in the role of destroying tanks. Talk about confusing. Then throw Elephant and Jagdpanther into the mix…

Try reading up on the subject of german Tank Destroyers and Assault Guns, you’ll end up with more questions than when you started.  :-D

The ITALIAN halftrack shown was very uncommon in the Italian Army.  There is another vehicle that they more commonly used for their motorized units (Besides the truck)…  There were more than 20,000 of these built and were used in all Theaters where the Italians were engaged 1936-1943.

Not a halftrack or a bike…  Likewise JAPAN also did not use halftracks often and used one of these also.

The Italian halftrack was limited to Northern Italy RE: “The Breda Typo 61 was used by Wehrmacht in North italy.”

I love armored cars! Good job FMG!

Sounds like FMG did their homework.  Still, what is it?

Would it be the Autoblinda AB43, by any chance?

I think the Autoblinda AB 41 was produced in much greater numbers than the 43. FMG?

OK sorry but using an armoured car for mech inf just ain’t working for me…  :-(

IMTO if you can’t fit a section of PBI inside it then you’re outside your arcs methinks.

#657

I am afraid this is all getting out of hand!    :-(

I thought this all began with a simple desire to supplement the AA pieces with additional units
becz Hasbro refused to sell us those addt’l units we wanted or needed.

Now it has morphed into this seemingly byzantine monstrosity of additional units for which there is no use in the game unless you add house rules.
Think about it, we are being asked to buy a product for a game in which there is no use for those units!!
Our group of AA players has no use for “house rules.” They freaked out when I replaced Ottawa with Cairo as a victory city!

I am not real thrilled at this prospect.

I just wanted some addt’l units; simple and cheap and I was not expecting they had to have all the bells and whistles;
and historicity that you all here are demanding.

These demands will result in a $100 gold plated diamond toothpick with a silver carrying case for goodness sake.

I just wanted more toothpicks at a reasonable price. I did not need them made out of mahogany with a silver carrying case.

After enthusiastically supporting this project, I see my interest waning.

I am just not going to be paying $20-$30 per country for it looks like half the units I’ll never even be needing nor wanting.

Just the basics at $8 a sprue.

@Shakespeare:

I am afraid this is all getting out of hand!    :-(

So Bill, what you’d like to suggest to FMG is: crank out their Italians in two lines; the canonical units as a base set and an advanced set with pillboxes, trucks, commanders etc.

Then the Germans as two sets, the Japanese as two sets etc. etc.

Can’t really speed up production by just going for base or advanced as it might alienate part of their consumers…

So really it’s just re-package them and maybe get more sales since then they’ll broaden their appeal and make each set less expensive?

#663

From the list of pieces that will be included in each national set, there are only 3 that are not used in A&A games – Commanders, Transport Planes and Trucks.  I would hardly call that “half” of the pieces.  The Half-tracks (representing mechanized infantry) and TAC bombers are included in the newest A&A games:  Pacific 1940 and Europe 1940.  Furthermore, I would point out that as the A&A games evolve, they have added new units so perhaps future A&A games will include Commanders, Transport Planes and/or Trucks.  In Battle of the Bulge, they actually DO use trucks as well.  Remember, the original A&A games didn’t have destroyers, cruisers or artillery.

Also, FMG is not making these pieces JUST for A&A.  They can be used for many other WW2 games as well, some of which DO use the “extra” pieces.