Sturmabteilung and the Afrika Korps

[Edward]

Probably not the most obvious pairing, but after a decade away from the hobby I'm returning to table-top wargaming with a couple of different systems (one sci-fi, the other in the Weird War II genre). I'm looking for decent books (fairly cheap) that will give me a good set of clear, colour pictures (drawings possibly better than photos) with a range of WW2 (and just before) era uniforms. In particular looking to start with the DAKs, SA and D-Day-era Soviets... If anyone would point me in the right direction, I would be most grateful.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Probably not the most obvious pairing, but after a decade away from the hobby I'm returning to table-top wargaming with a couple of different systems (one sci-fi, the other in the Weird War II genre). I'm looking for decent books (fairly cheap) that will give me a good set of clear, colour pictures (drawings possibly better than photos) with a range of WW2 (and just before) era uniforms. In particular looking to start with the DAKs, SA and D-Day-era Soviets... If anyone would point me in the right direction, I would be most grateful.

As I said in another post, I highly recommend anything published by Osprey, particularly their Men at Arms, Elite and Warrior series. They cover a wide range from ancient times through WWII and all the way up to present day conflicts around the globe. Some model shops should carry them.

 

[DesertDan]

I'll second the "Osprey" books (if they have them over there.). I was into medieval re-creation for a very long time and they were always a good resource.

 

[Story]

http://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=110&art_id=1722

http://www.artizandesigns.com/guides/GermanAfrikaKorpsWW2.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRbduiGNIOQ

http://www.afrikakorps.org

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I'll second the "Osprey" books (if they have them over there.). I was into medieval re-creation for a very long time and they were always a good resource.

Osprey is based in the UK. I believe they're in the Oxford area.

 

[Flicka]

Osprey books are good, although I mainly have 17th and 18th century stuff by them. They are most often usually available (used) via amazon trading pretty cheaply.

Couldn't you have picked WWI instead? I'm right smack in researching the campaigns and spying in Mesopotamia/Persia/Central Asia and the Russian Revolution. We're taking Niedermayer, The Swedish Gendarmerie, Bolshieviks and Brits... Very interesting era. Much more obscure (and therefore promoted by me as a hipster) than WWII.

Anyway, what is it you're playing? I know several people who play table-top games, but I always stuck to good old-fashioned role playing, being unable to manage strategy, but fond of acting (I came very close to becoming one, actually; childhood dream and all that).

 

[Rathdown]

Probably the best uniform book was that published by the USA during the war. Referred to as JAN-1 (Joint Army Navy manual 1) it show the uniforms of all nations engaged in the war. It was reprinted several years ago, and you should be able to find an on-line copy if you search around.

 

[TomS]

I'd look into the Osprey books, they are good...

 

[Edward]

Thank-you folks. Stroy, thanks for the links - I'll be sure to check those out.

Thank-you all for the Osprey suggestion. I have seen those in the past. They were in my mind as I have seen them before, but I could not for the life of me remember that name or the series. I'll be following those up.

Osprey books are good, although I mainly have 17th and 18th century stuff by them. They are most often usually available (used) via amazon trading pretty cheaply.

Couldn't you have picked WWI instead? I'm right smack in researching the campaigns and spying in Mesopotamia/Persia/Central Asia and the Russian Revolution. We're taking Niedermayer, The Swedish Gendarmerie, Bolshieviks and Brits... Very interesting era. Much more obscure (and therefore promoted by me as a hipster) than WWII.

Heh. Well.... maybe if I move to another system later on.... Some of my guys will be wearing Pickelhaubes, if that helps!

Anyway, what is it you're playing? I know several people who play table-top games, but I always stuck to good old-fashioned role playing, being unable to manage strategy, but fond of acting (I came very close to becoming one, actually; childhood dream and all that).

I was a teenage Dungeons & Dragons freak.... Not role-played for years, but that was very much my "in". I loved it. Might go there one day again too. For now.... My game of choice back in the day was Warhammer 40K (far-future set dystopia). Games Workshop have turned it into a hobby for little kids - and very rich little kids at that in the interim, and it no longer appeals for many reasons. Two systems caught my eye. One is the Mantic Games Warpath game. Set in a dystopian future where the galaxy is ruled not by a totalitarian empire or anything approaching the nation states of old, but by a vast, faceless Corporation, facing off against factions within, human rebels, and the various alien races it has antagonised (there is a space orc race in this system which the humans first armed, trained, used.... and now must fight. Real shades of Caliban in there). I am planning a large corporation force and wanted to base their uniform colour schemes loosely on SA and DAK. Pure flight of fancy, really. Won't be any Swastikas on them, though...

The other system I am getting into (and which will be the first, now, for which I will be putting together an army) may be of more appeal to Floungers. Secrets of the Third Reich is set in 1949. In this world, striking back against the Allied D-Day operation, the Nazis launched a horrific nuclear and chemical attack, with the result that much of Europe is in ruins. Almost every major city has been bombed out, the war has dragged on, and no side is particularly noble.... The chemical attacks resulted in zombies (which can be fielded by Nazi or Soviet forces). There are also all sorts of retro-futurist mechanical technologies in play - power armour, walking tanks, and so on, all the result of reverse-engineered technologies initially captured by the Nazis and then in turn by the Allies (four broad allegiances are options in the game - Soviet, Reich, British, American). Oh... and the old conspiracy theories about the Nazis dabbling in the occult are reflected in the presence in the game of vampires and werewolves (options for the Brits, too). The very archetype of the Weird War Two genre. Very pulp fiction, it appeals to me in a way that the pure historical stuff doesn't so much - maybe because it puts it within the realm of being a fantasy, and I'm not just playing soldier over something where real people died terrible deaths? (Very much in my mind at present, as our church a couple of weeks ago marked the death of one of our regulars who was with the Brits in Afghanistan.) Definitely a dieselpunk type world, but with the added flavour of the horror genre. I'm starting that one with a Soviet force, but I hope to expand into all of them eventually.

Probably the best uniform book was that published by the USA during the war. Referred to as JAN-1 (Joint Army Navy manual 1) it show the uniforms of all nations engaged in the war. It was reprinted several years ago, and you should be able to find an on-line copy if you search around.

Oh! That sounds worth having for all sorts of reasons! Thank-you!

 

[DesertDan]

Sounds like you would enjoy reading Larry Corriea's "Hard Magic" series.
I wonder how many of us here are gamers or ex-gamers. I was hard core in my youth. Started playing D&D when the first basic rule set came out and had been dabbling with the "Chainmail" rules before that. Played alot of the Avalon Hill wargames too.

 

[Flicka]

I mostly played GURPS (with all sorts of settings) and Shadowrun. Cyberpunk, oh yes! And I GM:d Pendragon quite a bit, and was coerced into playing some Vampire. D&D too, but not that much. I was a late bloomer.

 

[DesertDan]

I really like the GURPS game system. I haven't had much opprotunity to play in it but I did do quite a bit of adventure design with it.

 

[Flicka]

I really like the GURPS game system. I haven't had much opprotunity to play in it but I did do quite a bit of adventure design with it.

I still tend to describe stuff in GURPS terms. Like "that has got to be at least a ten point disadvantage!" :lol:

Oh, and I forgot - I know a guy who is completely into miniature painting and used to compete in it. He won the European championship at one point, I think. I had no idea it was something you could compete in but apparently it was dead serious. They should have had that at the Olympics!

 

[Edward]

I remember Pendragon! Yeah... And Runequest.... I first discovered the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a RPG... Runequest, Call of Cthulu, Warhammer Fantasy Role Play, Dragon Warriors, Tunnels and Trolls, Toon.... Happy memories.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Even though I was never heavily into role-playing games, the one I did like was the steampunk-themed Space 1889.

 

[Justin B]

Hi, my name is Justin and I'm also a gamer. I've played almost every RPG system there is up to and including Amber (shudder). I worked for a Games Workshop store as their in-house painter and game instructor. I'm currently playing Axis & Allies miniatures and War at Sea. Just finished building a 4'x8' table for it as well.

 

[Flicka]

I remember Pendragon! Yeah... And Runequest.... I first discovered the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a RPG... Runequest, Call of Cthulu, Warhammer Fantasy Role Play, Dragon Warriors, Tunnels and Trolls, Toon.... Happy memories.

Call of Cthulu, I played once or twice. It was all down to what you could get someone to GM. For a while it was all White Wolf. Werewolf, Vampire, Changeling, Mummy... Never really caught on with me for some reason.

I made a whole module/fantasy world for GURPS as an exercise when I studied history and history of religion. I never played it myself but my then bf GM:d it quite a lot. It was a lot of fun making - if I didn't write hist fic, I'd so go for fantasy. Or, I dunno, something-punk. Steampunk, dieselpunk or something. Like cyberpunk with better clothes and less computers.

One day, possibly.

 

[DesertDan]

Ha, I still have the 'Toon rulebook.
D&D, Gamma World, Traveller, all the Steve Jackson games. Even when I quit playing I would buy gamebooks that interested me and study their gameplay/character gen systems, still do to some extent. Have whole boxes full of them.

I'd probably enjoy being a game designer but with computer and console games being all the rage, I don't think there is the market for it anymore.