I blame John...

Also resold by Italeri

So when John came over to play some Signal Close Action last night, I showed him some of the USMC stuff I have been doing, and he posed the question: "Do you have an OpFor?"  errrr...  well... no.

This led to looking up websites, checking plastic figure availability (amazingly limited for Cold War period Warsaw Pact)..  and identifying that the ESCI Russian Special Forces (Spetsnaz) were really the only decent option.

Unless you went for the Orion 'Chechnya' period figures - which you would need a couple of boxes of, and look to have some very weird poses. (Including a man urinating? what the?)

Some bizarre figure choices ruin otherwise a good set.

So this morning, I idly looked up the online pricing for a suitable Spetsnaz force..   

S-Model do the airborne BMD fighting vehicle…  2 models for $16 + postage.. same seller has the ESCI figures for $11.95..   plus a T64 from Modelcollect.. 

Pricier at $23, but shipped free.. 

and you can’t do without the iconic Mi24 Hind attack helicopter…    $18 inc postage on ebay for the excellent Zvezda kit from a seller in Lithuania..  

Aaarrrrgggghhhhh… too shiny. I have no willpower. Thanks John.

My pocket is lighter, but I will have a matched opponent…  now all I have to do is postulate an American Marine landing somewhere desert’y in 1980 opposed by airborne Spetsnaz forces..   the T64 will have to be a blow in…    

 

Maybe the Spetsnaz have been sent to support the Socialist Yemen regime, with the T64 offloaded at port..   the Saudis ask for help, and a Marine MAU is sent to help..  ok.. there’s a scenario.

And this morning the postie brought me another LVTP7 (the dragon model from Hobbyco in Oz, a special at  $6.95) plus a diecast CH46 transport helicopter all the way from Poland. USMC Transport won’t be an issue…