Taking Advantage Again - Figures and Painting

Chinese infantry - picture from GZG

Although I placed a recent order from GZG a few weeks ago, they are having their classic buy four get one free offer through Halloween, so I decided to take advantage of no VAT, a low exchange rate, and the offer of a free pack to add to the Moongrunt project.  Five packs of figures on their way from Old Blighty to the United States for $19.99 which includes shipping.  A pretty good deal!

With the forces I am organizing, I needed some additional Chinese to create more squads which will give the Chinese a larger force, which in my mind as based in some history seems logical.  I will have enough figures for four squads of Chinese to go against four fire-teams of Marines.  

Khurasan DEVGRU painted by Micropanzer

With my inability to leave figures lying about on the dining room table in various stages of painting (for some reason the wife likes to have the dining room table cleared for dinner...go figure!), I have decided to hire out a professional painter to complete the Moongrunt project.  As I really like the style of the painted figures I have purchased from Jason at Micropanzer, I contacted him via Facebook to see if he was doing any commission work.  Within a few minutes I had a reply to my message that indeed he was getting back into the painting business, so once I receive my pending order with GZG I will come up with some sort of scheme ideas and send the figures off to Jason.

Moongrunt Ratings for Tomorrow's War

Chinese Lunar troops - picture from GZG website

I have mentioned the GZG Moongrunt figures on previous posts, and finally got around to buying some recently.  They are crackin' good figures (as really all the GZG figures I have seen or purchased are), and they beg to get on the gaming table.  While looking over various sci-fi rules to use, I have decided to go with the tried and true Tomorrow's War by Ambush Alley Games.  I thought at first that the tech level aspect that is within TW might have caused an issue, but making the assumption that both sides have the same comparable technology, I can ignore the tech level aspect altogether.

I did rate the Chinese as having a heavier support weapon and better defense in their pressure suits, but this is offset by giving the U.S. Marines better morale and unit capabilities.  I kept the Marines with a four man fireteam, leading to a thirteen man squad, while using a three man cell organization for the Chinese.  It will take some play-testing to see how the ratings and unit organization balance out, but as it stand the Marine fireteam will throw up to nine dice (if using their grenade launchers) while the PLA will throw eight dice (again using their GLs).  

Here is my organization.  Please feel free to comment with suggestions!

People’s Liberation Army Space Force

PLASF Basic Attributes

Confidence Level: Normal

Supply Quality Level: Normal

Body Armor: Type 28 Armored Pressure Suits (2D and may not use rapid movement)

Troop Quality/Morale: D8/D8

Typical Unit Attributes

·         Cavemen CASEVAC

·         Poor Initiative

PLASF Cell

2 x Riflemen with ZH24 Laser Rifle/Grenade Launcher (Lt AP:1)

1 x Gunner with ZH34 Heavy Pulse Laser (Hvy LWS AP:3/AT:2)

PLASF Squad

1 x Squad Leader with ZH24 Laser Rifle/Grenade Launcher (Lt AP:1)
1 x Gunner with ZH40 Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher (Med AP:3/AT:3) (uses d6 for attack dice)

3 x PLASF Cells

United States Marine Corps Extra-Planetary Expedition Force Luna

USMCEPEFL Basic Attributes

Confidence Level: High

Supply Quality Level: High

Body Armor: M31 Protected Pressure Suits (1D)

Troop Quality/Morale: D8/D10

Typical Unit Attributes

·         Designated Marksman

·         Old School

USMCEPEFL Fireteam

1 x Fireteam Leader with M225 Laser Rifle/Grenade Launcher (Lt AP:1)

1 x Rifleman with M225 Laser Rifle/Grenade Launcher (Lt AP:1)

1 x DMR with M225 Laser Rifle/Grenade Launcher (Lt AP:1)

1 x Gunner with M237 Rapid Pulse Support Laser (Med LWS AP:2/AT:1)

USMCEPEFL Squad

1 x Squad Leader with M225 Laser Rifle/Grenade Launcher (Lt AP:1)
1 x Gunner with M222 Multi-Role Portable Rocket Launcher (Med AP:2/AT:2) (uses d10 for attack dice)

3 x USMCEPEFL Fireteams