I believe the Enigma was just the first Gulf-war but I wouldn't know. Personal thought is that the Iraqi army was pretty much decimated after the first war and they never had the money to re-build

Hi Chris,

Sounds cool can't what to see what you do with it!! Certainly a kit I want in the stash!! Lol

Mike, I'm not really sure where I'll go with it. I think it's safe to say that the color green will factor heavily in to its paint scheme. The kit comes with markings for five campaign applicable vehicles;
North Vietnam Army 1971-75
Croatian National Guard, Croatia, 1991
Yugoslav Peoples Army, Croatia 1991
Somali Army, Somali-Ethiopian War 1978
Angolan Army, Namibia 1980

One of the things I wanted to do was stay out of the Middle East. I wanted to keep it in the NATO vs. Warsaw Pact. But I have to admit that I'm starting to take a shine to the African nation options. I bet with a little work the kit supplied NVA Sapper figure set could be made to look like militia fighters.

Alex, Sounds like you have lots of great choices straight from the box!!From a personal point of greediness I would love to see something from the African side of things & how you get figures as I have been thinking of doing a T55 at some point in African wars with lots of militia.

I don't know anything about the masses of wars in Africa but I'd have to guess you'd end up doing one from a besieged government. Maybe something captured by a militia? Will be interesting to see what you decide on.

I'm angling towards the Somali vehicle. Part of the appeal in that choice is the militia forces. I would have loved to put it in Liberia or Sierra Leone, because both of those have produced some peculiar choices for kit.

Like This One

Sounds very very interesting indeed Alex

Oh well the link pooped. It was a picture of a African militia fighter wearing a nautical life preserver. It's a shame there isn't a forum where peopel have posted a wide collection of similar pictures.

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Wow Alex, their is some rather ominous looking lean mean clothes wearing machines in that link!! I really thought the "person" in the red top to toe burga looking get up decked out with Rambo ammo belts & a hollow mg 42 just looked magic!!!

There's some great pictures in there. By the way, some flowery language, potentially offensive content, and some pictures there that might be considered not safe for work. I should have put a NSFW label on the link.

Lucky I was checking on my phone then

Some truly odd pictures on that link..... Especially like the one of a lady walking along so casually with an AK and her baby, you'd swear the AK was a purse.....

Those African civil wars certainly make for some interesting infantry concepts for sure!!!

Hi Guys,

Well only well only 10 more sleeps to go!!! LOL well at least in my part of the world [/url][/img]

Here is what I will be working with!! Now I just have to hope i have added the photo ok it been awhile lol

Cheers Mike

Hello Mike,

I have decided to withdraw the serb/croation M-18 Hellcat after some thought. Im going to find somethng soviet built as i had the M-18 for another dio project and decided to hold on to it for that. I would love to do a T-72, T-55, or a cool BMP. Ill see what i can come up with. Only a few more days man!!!

Gary

Hey Mike,

What about one of these?

http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/trp01588.htm

http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/trp00379.htm

http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/trp00380.htm

I really like these! What-cha think?

Gary

I built the ASU-85 for the TD/SPG Campaign. If I hadn't used it there, I'd have used it here. It's not your typical vehicle and it looks nice on the shelf next to the other AFVs. Looks like a Soviet Hetzer. Straight-forward little build. Not 100% accurate though.

Alex, thats my favorite of the three and ive been needing an excuse to buy it! Do you know where it may have been in action? Serbian/Croation war or other?

Gary

As far as I know the only two operators were with the airborne units of the Soviet Union and Poland. It saw limited service in Afghanistan by the Soviets. I was surprised that they didn't find themselves in the arsenals of other nations after the Soviets and Poles withdrew them. I could see them in some Middle Eastern armies as SPG/TDs until the first Gulf War or even in some African Nations up until the present.

I may sound like a moron, and it wouldnt be tha first time, but was the soviet/afgan war considered a proxy war?

Gary

Hi Gary,

All three look cool to me!! But I must admit all post war soviet stuff is really cranking my case lately....ohh my poor German stuff will have to stay in the wardrobe a bit longer lol.

I would consider soviet astan as a proxy war same as the us in the nam, as both were "invited" to help.

If you wanted to do something a little different I have a couple of photos of a knocked out PT76's in the only according to the blurb US vs NVA armor on armor battle in about 67 or 68 I think.

Mike

Gary, I'd consider Astan as a proxy war. You could also consider it as a civil war as the Soviet backed Astan government/troops were fighting against the Astans fighters backed by the US.

Mike, I saw a thing on that fight at Ben Het the M48a3s and the PT-76s. There were also some NVA T-54s & T-55s, M1967 APC, and a BTR50 (AA version) captured by ARVN forces during the Spring Invasion of '72. If anyone is interested, pics can be found in "Armor In Vietnam: A Pictorial History" by Jim Mesko. Lots of ARVN vehicles shown as well. Good way to think out of the box.

Alex,

Now that sounds interesting, I didn't know that their had also been an ARNV vs NVA tank battle.

So im good to go with any of the three kits ive proposed?

May i ask what you mean by Astans? Is that another way of saying afgans? Just curious. Thanks fellas!

Gary

Hi Gary,

Yep you sure are good to go & Astan is just short for Afganistan, I think just shortened a'la Nam lol

Cheers Mike