I've just seen Matt of
The Wargames Table Blog's excellent post on some beautifully subtle
Chain of Command Jump Off Markers (Pic below) and it set me to thinking...... I'm going to be doing my Chain of Command forces for the North African campaign using mainly
Perry Miniatures and i wanted something just as subtle for my own Jump Off Points. It's easy to picture a burned out tank or a rusty piece of kit left to rot in the desert but they would in all likely hood be too large for the bases which have to be reasonably small from what I have gathered(?).
Matt's lovely Jump Off Point Markers:
I've been racking my poor brains and I just can't think of anything but sand!! I suppose I could have a discarded 3" Mortar but that seems like an awful waste of the rest of the pack. Would a rusty Universal Carrier fit? I just don't know at present......
I am open to ideas if anyone out there has any?
Bye for now.
I haven't a clue how the game works (though I do have the rules book) but aren't the JOP just tokens that are immediately removed from the tabletop at the beginning of the first turn? Or are they used as 'blinds' as well?
ReplyDeleteIf they're just tokens then I'd say don't waste time and money on something nonessential - If you really must then use Afrika Korps / 8th Army badges to tart them up.
If they're to serve as blinds too, and represent hidden movement, then an easy option would be to use the Perry Muslim Civilians from their Crusades range. There's six figures in that pack, I don't know how many you'd need, but it would give you some choice - even if you only made two JOP using the civilians it would be something different.
Perhaps instead of an abandoned vehicle you could use some discarded equipment on the markers - jerry cans, oil drums, ammunition cases?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd thought of that but wanted something really subtle- desert debris.... an abandoned vehicle would take up too much space on the marker I think(?).
DeleteThanks though :>)
Darrell.
A Minefield sign! That's an iconic image from the Desert war.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the Durham club used Minefield signs to mark well, minefields or at least where they might be :>)
DeleteDarrell.
I'm with Tamsin - discarded helmets, rusty rifle, dead fire and billy can etc etc.
ReplyDeleteYeah, discarded helmets, rifles etc could work.
DeleteDarrell.
I went away and looked up what these JOP are for, so I've a better idea now - Is your emphasis on subtle?
ReplyDeleteHow about these:
* Camel dung
* Broke road sign (the post snapped off and the rest of the post and sign laid on the ground - face down if necessary).
* Barbed wire (if placed on a small circular base and possibly featuring some debris that has blown into it then it shouldn't get mixed up with any actual terrain item).
* Scrap metal from a British cruiser tank - painted two-tone camo with the blue colour.
Camel dung..... LOL I draw the line at Googling "camel dung"- probably end up on some very weird porn site!! LOL :)
ReplyDeleteI like the other suggestions though Roy, especially the bits of tank/AFV. Good ideas. [thumbs up] ;>)
Darrell.