'Christmas Money' Purchases - What Have I Bought So Far in 2026?

    Spoiler Alert: A 2026 purchases from Hobday & Hicks and their Warhost line of 28mm Elves

To make things easier at Christmas for my elderly mother, we agreed awhile back that her gift to us would be money. That way, my brothers and I can buy whatever we want or need with it rather than asking her to run around time and find things for us. I found over the years, though, that I would deposit into my checking account and then kind of forget about it. So, sometimes her gift kind of just went into the general slush fund. To remedy that, I've begun making dedicated purchases (hobby or otherwise) and mentally ticking it off against the amount she gave me.

One of my first purchases of the year was a pair of 3'x3' cloth battle mats. I was looking for fleece ones made here in the U.S., and ended up going with Cigar Box Battle Mats. Since I seem to have settled on a 3'x3' playing area for my 28mm Vietnam games, I wanted one to use for that so that I don't have to keep using my 3'x4' neoprene one and blocking off the last foot. I decided to go with the one called The Shadow Deep -- obviously intended for the fantasy skirmish game of that name. I liked the dark green wilderness look of it, though, so figured it would be a good general purpose mat usable for a variety of periods. I'm not sure what material the cloth is, but it is not fleece. It has a bit more sheen and reflectivity than I'd wish, but it is still a good gaming surface.

About the time that I was shopping online for this mat, I had finished up the two medieval buildings -- the Duncan House and Watchtower. I loved how they turned out so much that I became interested in doing a medieval or fantasy town skirmish. Simultaneously, I began also  looking at mats that would be good for a nice city board. I ended up liking another "Shadow Deep" mat called Blood Moon best.  It has a good look of a crumbling stone surface to it -- not perfectly-maintained cobblestones. More of a decrepit town street, which I liked.

    Resin printed "Bullet Impact FX" from Green Stuff World for my Vietnam 'Pin Markers'

The next big purchases were part of a day trip up north to Michigan. My friend Mike S needed to pick up some painted miniatures from the amazing Ted Bender. The speed in which Ted gets entire armies done is mind boggling. When Mike told me he was planning on going north to pick up some figs, I pitched the idea of including a stop at the Michigan Toy Soldier Company. They have an amazing selection of modeling, painting, and basing needs, as well as carrying a number of figure lines and some rulebooks. My main purchase there that day was the Green Stuff World 22mm tufts that I used for my elephant grass for Vietnam. I also picked up a couple packets of leaf scatter for various bases to add to the ones I'd gotten for Christmas from Jenny. 

    'Plants & Vegetation: Xanadu' -- more resin pieces that I will try out on my next Vietnam figs

While shopping, my eye was caught by a couple other scenic items. Green Stuff World has started making what they call "Resin Bits" -- various scatter or basing items. Two in particiular caught my eye. The first was the pack called Bullet Impact FX. I felt these would make excellent Pin Markers for my Surviving 'Nam rules that I am writing. The next was a pack of tiny resin jungle plants called Xanadu. For my 28mm Vietnam figures, I would often glue on parts of plastic plants to the base. However, in gaming, many of these have popped off. Flexible plastic is notoriously resistant when it comes to being glued into place. I thought that maybe these resin ones would stay in place better for future miniatures for this project.

    U.S. Army Dog Handler from Gringo 40s -- I will be painting these up as gifts for veterans I know

And what was that about "future miniatures" for Vietnam? Well, I have a local friend who is a British citizen who goes back to the UK regularly for visits. I'd asked him to pick up some miniatures for me the next time he was overseas so that I could avoid the whole tariff and shipping expenses. My friend agreed, and I put in an order with Gringo 40s for some of their 28mm Vietnam figures. According to my friend Jim, they mix well with the larger Crucible Crush Black Sun range which make up the bulk of my miniatures for this project. So, I'll be getting some NVA miniatures to complement my Viet Cong, as well as some specialty ones that I needed like snipers and downed air crew. I'm also picking up two of their U.S. Army Dog Handlers with German Shepherd. I have two friends who were sentry or scout dog handlers in Vietnam. They came to my middle school's Veterans Day celebration for many years. I am going to paint one up for each of them, hopefully depicting them and their dog. I figured they'd appreciate the gift. To hear them tell their stories, check out my YouTube Veterans Recall interviews with Ed Reeves and Tom King.

    28mm Elves from Hobday & Hicks' 'Warhost' line -- I ordered an army of them from Badger Games

So, what else have I bought? Well, now that the Bonefish Band is all painted up for games of Dragon Rampant, I could buy another 28mm fantasy army, right? Our group is having a lot of fun with the rules. If I ever wanted to do demo games at a store or convention of DR!, it might be a good idea to have at least one other fantasy army painted up. Right?? Glad to see you agree! So, I went on a hunt for 28mm fantasy elves that evoke the Lord of the Rings/Tolkein mythos. No punk rocker elves for me! Someone on Lead Adventure Forum suggested the Warhost line from Hobday & Hicks. They are carried domestically by Badger Games, who I am a big fan of, too. Once I sat down and sketched out an army list for the rules, I couldn't resist going online and ordering them. They arrived yesterday as I am typing this. So, look forward to seeing some Tolkein-style elves on there, soon! 

So, there you go -- thank you, mom! Of course, these purchases mean that after a solid month of having a great Miniatures Painted vs. Acquired ratio, it was time to throw some challenge into 2026! Speaking of work to do, what else is on my painting desk? The six Battered markers (orc casualties) inch closer to completion. I have done the flesh base coat on the Crucible Crush figures for Majestic 13. And I plan on spray painting a couple more medieval buildings this afternoon, if the weather cooperates. These are ones I bought at Advance the Colors 2025 from Sword & Scabbard Games. Stay tuned -- lots more on the way!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 95
  
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 24

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Terrain painted in 2026: 17

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 2
  
• Scatter painted in 2026: 24 

 

Big Red One Escapes Viet Cong Ambush in 'Perilous Paddies'

    The Big Red One crossing an area of rice paddies when the Viet Cong spring an ambush on them

I created this scenario for my Surviving 'Nam rules after reading a book called The Boys of '67: Charlie Company's War in Vietnam by Andrew Wiest. The author calls the incident from the book, which I was replicating in this scenario, the company's baptism of fire. It was the first time C Company took significant casualties during their deployment. I realized that was not necessarily a good omen for my squad of the Big Red One that I am following through their year "In Country!" The scenario has the squad tasked with crossing a series of rice paddies, entering a treeline, and passing through to ford the river. Historically, the moment the point squad got into the middle of the rice paddies, the Viet Cong, deployed in the woods around them in an arc, opened up on them and riddled their ranks.

    The squad at its jump off point about to enter the board and begin wading through rice paddies

For my adaption, the players must send one fire team across the paddies towards the woods until the ambush is sprung. The other squad elements may hang back, as they typically did so that the entire group would not get caught out in the open. Woe to that the poor group on "point," though! However, last mission was a bit of a watershed for my squad, though. A number of soldiers who had yet to miss a mission became Veterans - one third of the way through their tour. In game terms, this means they not only activate one number better on 1d20, but also receive a new "trait" which gives them some kind of bonus. Despite being under strength (four per fire team instead of the full strength five), and also with two new FNGs in the ranks, they are ostensibly more experienced and effective. Would that help them in this ambush, though? We shall see!

    M60 gunner Cpl. Boston & his assistant Pfc. Warfield head towards a Vietnamese tin shack

Looking at my squad, I decided that newly-promoted Sgt. Frey and his fire team would be on point. His most experienced soldier, Cpl. Carter, had rolled the trait called "Point Man." This would allow me to discard one Event Card per turn if he's at the front of the formation. Plus, this would be the first mission for the other fire team leader, Cpl. Cassidy. The new sergeant felt this mission looked too hairy for Cassidy to cut his teeth on, and took one for the squad. He volunteered his own team to be out in front and exposed. He recommended to 2nd Lt. Fickell that he and his radioman head towards a Vietnamese hut on the far left, which had a great view of the rice paddies and woods. If anything bad happened, he'd be in a sheltered place to call in fire missions. On the opposite flank was a Vietnamese tin shack. He suggested to Cassidy to send Cpl. Boston and Pfc. Warfield, the M60 gunner and assistant, to use that as a covered firing position. The rest of the squad spread out along the paddy dikes and thanked their lucky stars they weren't in Frey's fire team as they began sloshing through the ankle deep water towards the distant wood line. Frey spaced his men out in V-shape, and told them to be ready to take cover if they came under fire. 

    Sgt. Frey's (bottom left) fire team is on point for this mission & head across the rice paddies in a 'V'

They hadn't progressed far into the paddy when the shooting began. As each soldier splashed faced down into the shallow water, they heard the crack of rounds going overhead. Frey grimaced. The V.C. had done them a favor and sprang their ambush way too early, he judged. He and his men were still fairly far out and the fire they were receiving was inaccurate. He risked raising his head and could see what looked like two bunkers with machine guns firing at them -- one straight ahead and another to their right. The wood line all around the arc facing them was lit up with muzzle flashes and the sound of AK-47 fire. Definitely some serious shit!

    To the squad's left, V.C. riflemen open up on the Americans from the Western woods

Behind him, Cpl. Cassidy cursed as the ambush was sprung. He yelled for the lieutenant and radioman to hustle into the hut. Then he raised his M-79 grenade launcher, popped in a flechette round and sighted in on the closest squad of V.C. blazing away at them from the left. BOOM! Cassidy grinned, "Got you bastards!" Several of the dark clad figures fell to the ground, and he could hear screaming. "Get off your asses," he yelled at his team, "put some rounds downrange." Around him, the new team leader saw several raise their heads and fire off bursts at the closest bunker. The machine gun inside kept firing, though.

    Even more dangerous, a bunker conceals a V.C. machine gun team in the North woods

On the far right of the line, Cpl. Boston dashed to the tin hut, took cover, then popped his head back around the corner. "Aww, shee-yit!" his shoulders slumped. He was out of line of fire of the closest bunker's firing slit. The stocky black soldier put his head down and sprinted back towards the rice paddy, passing up his assistant gunner Warfield who had been following him. Boston hurtled the paddy dike, steadied his M60 on the top of it, and squeezed off several bursts at the bunker. The machine gun inside went silent, but he guessed he hadn't killed the gunner, and had instead just suppressed him for a moment.

    Another squad of V.C. in the northern tree line along the river -- the squad's objective

Back in the paddy, Frey yelled back to his new M-79 gunner gunner to move up along the paddy dike and start pumping out rounds. He turned back towards the enemy and sighted at the nearest patch of woods. There was one! He squeezed off a round and saw a V.C. thrown backwards. "Gotcha, asshole!" He glanced over at Cpl. Carter, up on point. He was firing off bursts at the enemy until an avalanche of shots impacted all around him. As the point man ducked down behind the paddy, he was showered in mud and water. He saw Pfc. Otis dart by to his right and take cover behind the same dike . He fired several bursts at the bunker, and Frey swore he saw one of Otis' tracers go directly through the firing slit. The machine gun paused in its firing, then resumed again after a few moments. The volume of fire from the woods and the other bunker shifted to Otis, though, who was also showered in splashes. Frey saw him hurled backwards and yell out. He rolled around a bit then lay flat with just his head above the water level of the paddy, calling out that he'd been hit. "Damn it," Frey cursed. "Medic!! Frank, get your ass up there and check on Otis."

    Another bunker and a V.C. rifleman in the Eastern woods on the squad's right

The sergeant smiled as he saw Frank sprinting through the paddy. Man, that guy was fast! The medic plopped down next to Otis and began checking him over. Frey noticed his new FNG staring wide-eyed over the embankment. "Johnson - fire some rounds, dammit!" He watched the newbie sight along the short barrel and pull the trigger. The grenade sailed well past the V.C. he was aiming at and exploded in the woods beyond. "Okay, now bring it in a bit." Johnson loaded another grenade and changed the trajectory. This one exploded way in front of the V.C. in the woods. Frey drawled, "It's okay, Johnson...we got all day. You have them bracketed - focus!"

    2nd Lt. Fickell & radioman Cpl. Byars shelter in a villager's hut as they try to call for a fire mission

Behind Frey, Cassidy was ordering Cpl. Tatum to sprint into the nearest woods and get within grenade range of the bunker. Tatum shook his head and splashed off in that direction, pausing at the last paddy dike before the open ground. "Maaan, why that Chuck gotta pick me for the job?" He missed his friend and previous team leader, Griffin. He wouldn't have ordered Tatum to do something so Gung Ho -- he would have done it himself! On the other side of the line, assistant gunner Warfield had the same idea, though. He shouted for Boston to cover him and sprinted towards the woods that the right-hand bunker was located in. He crouched down as he got out of the enemy machine gun's line of fire. Whew -- made it! So far. He reached into a pouch attached to his web gear and pulled out a fragmentation grenade. He looked at it. "I ain't pulling your pin just yet -- I remember what happened to Hawk!" Warfield began to creep closer to the woods, M16 in his left hand and grenade in his right.

    Cpl. Cassidy's perfect shot with his M-79 grenade launcher takes out several V.C. in the West woods

Meanwhile, Frey saw where Tatum was heading and guessed his mission. He aimed at the last of the muzzle flashes in the closest woods and fired off a long burst. He replaced the magazine, satisfied the muzzle flashes or AK sounds did not recommence. He looked back to his right just in time to see Johnson pump his fist and grin ear to ear as his third round landed in the middle of the V.C. squad he'd been firing at. "Good shot, Johnson! We'll make a soldier out of you, yet..." Another shout from the paddy drew his attention. Pfc. Elliott crouched and pointed, "Boston is down!" Frey cursed and yelled for the medic. Apparently, the M60 gunner had lost his duel with the machine gun in the right hand bunker. 

    Team leaders Cpl. Cassidy in center & Sgt. Frey to his left lead from the front & direct their men

"Somebody put a smoke grenade in front of that damned opening!" Up ahead, he saw Carter rummaging through his equipment and then hurl the grenade. It flew true, but landed short of the bunker opening. Still, purple smoke began to shoot up and slowly spread over the area. He chuckled as Carter shouted "Purple haze!" and mimicking Jimi Hendrix's guitar riffs. "I want fire on that bunker straight ahead now!" Frey called. He saw tracers impacting around it, but the machine gun kept up its fire. The squad was pinned down by the V.C. all around them, but they were beginning to kill some of the enemy. Suddenly, there was the whistle of incoming mortar rounds. He saw them explode beyond the bunker, then slowly walk their way forward until a solid hit sent dust and leaves flying everywhere, obscuring their view. "Well, it is about time you got into the battle, L.T...!" he mumbled.

    Cpl. Tatum sneaks into the West woods after his comrades have gunned down most of the V.C.

Frey looked over to check on Tatum's progress and saw him slipping into the hopefully now V.C.-free woods. On the other flank, Elliott was splashing towards Boston. He paused, confused, as Pfc. Otis sprinted past him towards the rear, screaming something that sounded like "F-ing snake!" Frey chuckled. Well, at least that meant Otis was okay! Spec 4 Frank was moving towards Boston, too. Frey heard splashing to his left and saw Cassidy shouldering his M-79 and firing a grenade off. Another V.C. in the woods was tossed backwards by the blast. Cassidy grinned. "Not who I was aiming at, but what the hell...?" Suddenly, he grabbed his shoulder, and cursed, crumpling to the ground. "God damn it -- I'm hit!" Frey ordered Johnson to go check on the stricken team leader. Johnson stumbled through the paddy water and sank to his knees next to him. There was a sharp "Thwack" and Johnson pitched forward on top of Cassidy, also hit. 

    Meanwhile, spurred by my poor activation rolls, the V.C. activate & pour fire into the Americans

On the squad's far right, Warfield had almost reached the woods when he heard Vietnamese voices shouting. Suddenly, a squad of black-clad V.C. darted around the trees and between him and the cloud of purple smoke. Thankfully, their eyes were focused on trying to locate his buddies in the rice paddy through the thickening cloud. He could see their expressions, their eyes wide and jaws clenched with fear. Probably what he was doing right now, too, Warfield thought. He froze, hoping the V.C. wouldn't notice him. Crouching slowly down, he pulled the pin and counted. Then he underhanded the grenade at the lead soldier. It bounced once, twice, and rolled still. He ducked, watching, as it exploded exactly when the squad had run to center themselves over it, completely unaware. His ears rang from the explosion and he stood up and began running back towards the rice paddy. He risked a look over his shoulder and saw all five V.C. soldiers sprawled on the ground, some motionless, some writhing in obvious pain.

    Squad's mid-game positions -- note Cpl. Tatum infiltrating on left & Pfc. Warfield on the right

As he neared the dike, he saw Lt. Fickell across the paddy burst from the hut and shout to the squad, "We're pulling back, people! Grab the wounded and fall back! Choppers are on the way to rocket the Hell out of this place!" All across the paddy, soldiers were helping their comrades to their feet and assisting them in moving to the rear. Another smoke grenade popped and sent out expanding, yellow tendrils of smoke, covering their rear. Warfield shook his head when he saw Spec 4 Frank half carrying his friend Boston through the paddy. Warfield ran over and wrapped Boston's other arm around his shoulder. Together they carried him, splashing through the shallow water. Pfc. Elliott jogged past them and held up Boston's M60, "I got his hog, Warfield..."

    BOOM!! Squad's one & only fire mission finally arrives and inflicts damage on the North bunker

Frey watched the squad leave, sending out long bursts of covering fire, and counting as each man left the paddy. When Tatum ran past, Frey turned, and waved at the lieutenant. He and his radio man had been spraying M16 fire back and forth through the trees. "Let's go, L.T.! We're the last ones..." The three jogged off, crouching down to present as little as a target as possible. Frey shouted to Lt. Fickell, "Well, that could have gone worse. Good job with the fire mission, sir!"

    Point man Cpl. Carter tosses a purple smoke grenade to block the East bunker's field of fire

As Sgt. Frey said, that scenario could have easily gone worse for my squad. I rolled high enough that the pre-battle phase, which I call "Countdown to Contact," ended after my squad members had proceeded forward for only one turn of movement. This meant we were still at fairly long range for the V.C. However, with two bunkers with machine guns, they had us outgunned for the moment. That wasn't helped by losing M60 gunner Boston for one turn of fruitless movement that put him outside of arc on the bunker. He raced back and was able to suppress one of the bunkers, but the V.C. were un-Pinning at a high rate and the machine gun was quickly back in action each time. Speaking of Pins, my point man Carter and his buddy Otis collected so many Pin markers from the fusilade of shots directed their way that I seriously wondered if they would ever be able to act! 

    The smoke causes a V.C. squad to leave the woods & advance - much to Pfc. Warfield's surprise!

However, Sgt. Frey (and I) soon realized the key was to follow the mission's objectives. The squad is permitted to pull back once they inflict as many casualties on the enemy equal to their own numbers (13 U.S. soldiers, so 13 V.C. casualties were needed). So, when firing at the bunkers proved to be a difficult shot, we switched to targeting the two V.C. squads shooting at us. Still, one thing was holding my guys back -- our crappy activation rolls! It was amazing how many guys who should succeeded on a 6+, 7+, or 8+ on our 20-sided die would rolled two failures! Time and again, we'd pin the machine gun team in the bunker only to have it un-Pin on an Event Card drawn because of someone's failures. When the "All Hell Breaks Loose" card came up, and all V.C. on the table activate, it was nerve-wracking rolling all those dice to avoid my guys being hit!

    Focused on the rice paddy, the V.C. don't see Warfield or the grenade he tosses into their midst!

The lieutenant's fire mission came in much later than it probably should have, all but silencing one of the bunkers. Cpl. Tatum, sneaking in the woods, did the third and final hit with one well-aimed shot. We had to resort to a smoke grenade to block off the line of sight of the other bunker when my M60 gunner went down, though. The moment that saved the squad, bringing our casualties inflicted on the V.C. to above 13, was when Pfc. Warfield tossed that grenade into the middle of the V.C. squad in the open. They were relocating because the smoke blocked their line of sight of any of my men, and Warfield hit them at just the right moment. Finally, I could pull the squad back, and limit the losses we'd suffered.

    Time to go! The squad begins to gather up the wounded & get ready to pull back from the rice paddy

What were our losses? Pfc. Otis turned out to be okay -- the bullet had hit a piece of equipment and knocked him backwards. I did have three wounded to roll for -- Cpl. Boston who was "Messed Up" and had to be carried from the field; Cpl. Cassidy, who was Lightly Wounded, and my FNG Pvt. Johnson, also Lightly Wounded. Both Johnson and Cassidy rolled "Bad Luck -- soldier returns for next mission" (a little bit of grim Vietnam humor). Their wounds were light enough they could be treated back at base. I was nervous about Boston, though. He was easily my most effective soldier the squad had. His traits were "Gung Ho" (which meant he activated on a 6+ as a Veteran) and "Handy With That" (which gave him a +1 to shooting rolls with his M60). Losing him would be a huge blow. However, I rolled high enough on the chart that he would be out for only one month. Woo-hoo!!

    Squad leadership ensures all soldiers are out of the rice paddies before exiting themselves

The squad has now survived five months "In Country." Frey's team lost no one, but will still be under strength one until Cpl. Hawk comes back in July. Good news, though, Cpl. Kern returns to duty next mission, relieving Cassidy of being team leader -- which he didn't like anyway. That brings that team up to full strength. We will need a new FNG assistant gunner for a month (Warfield will carry the hog for a mission). Speaking of him, for a little bit of storyline, I decided that the medic, Spec 4 Frank, saw Pfc. Warfield's heroics with the grenade. He wrote it up very colorfully for Lt. Fickell, who has decided to put him in for a Bronze Star. Will he get it? Hopefully, he deserved it!

    Illustration done by Andrea Sfiligoi of Ganesha Games -- possible rule book cover?

I had a lot of fun with this mission and am really enjoying playing these games. The way the dice rolls and event card deck naturally ebb and flow, with good rolls, bad rolls, and same with cards, really make the game unpredictable. You feel like all Hell is breaking loose at times, and at other times are praying for that 20 on an activation roll (extra action) or the next Fire Mission card. You cheer when one of your guys plops a grenade down in just the right spot. Fun stuff! 

So, how close are these rules to being published? Well, I want to include 12 scenarios for a year's worth of missions. I have some more to write up and play test before I have 12. So, once that stage is done, I'll be ready to begin layout. Stay tuned for more adventures of the Big Red One in Vietnam!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 6
  
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 24

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Terrain painted in 2026: 2

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Scatter painted in 2026: 16 

Elephant Grass, Take 2 (Three??)

 

    One of my 28mm Vietnam figures trying to find his way through my 3rd version of elephant grass

My readers here on my blog gave me a thumbs up on my first attempt at elephant grass for my 28mm Vietnam. Over on the Lead Adventure Forum, though, some commenters echoed some concerns that I had about how my first few bases came out. The blades were too wide. It was way out of scale. The stalks of the "grass" didn't mimic what pictures of elephant grass from Vietnam depicted. So, I decided to do a "Take 2."

    Snipping off the cat tail itself, I thought these O Scale JTT scenery products might work

 

The more I looked at the JTT Cat Tails scenics handing from their hooks at Hobby Lobby, the more I thought they might do a better job of looking like grass instead of some random jungle plant. Yes, I would have to cut off the one brown cat tail amongst the green stems shooting up, but that would be easy. I figured that four of them would look right on one of the 1.5"wooden discs. So, I flocked up one of the discs first, then drilled holes with a pin vice where the stems of the plant would go. 

    

    I trimmed off part of the bottom stem & put 5 plants per base, filling the gaps with JTT bushes

After putting four of them a disc, I decided the ground area looked pretty blank and I would need more vegetation on the disk. I added some of the green bushes I used in the first attempt at elephant grass, placed in between each stalk and also in the center of the disk. Next, I added green flocking tufts in the gaps between the bushes. I showed it to Jenny, and she echoed my concern that it looked a little bare. Plus, she said the fact that the cat tail piece went straight up then suddenly flared out halfway up looked odd. It didn't look like long stems of grass. 

    This view from above shows how there are 3 levels - grass tufts, JTT bushes, & the trimmed cat tails

So, on version 2.1 I cut the cat tails down and also added in a fifth piece in the center instead of a bush. I still put the buses in between each cat tail piece and the tufts between them. I liked it a lot better. I dry brushed the tips of the stems the same Maple Sugar that I had done the plastic plants in my first attempt. I showed it to Jenny and she agreed -- definitely better. Neither her nor I were happy about the very "stepped" appearance. You have the flocking tufts that go up a certain height. Next you have the bushes that go up higher. Finally, you have the cat tail pieces which go up more than twice as high as the bushes. if all those stalks were intermixed amongst each other, that might look okay. However, I still wasn't 100% sure this was my elephant grass solution.

 

    I had never heard of 22mm tall grass tufts! I like how lush & dense they are (& easy to make!)

Enter Version 3 -- or at least 3.0, haha! I visited Michigan Toy Soldier with my friend Mike a day or so later. Mike had to go up to Michigan to pick up some painted figures from the amazing Ted Bender. I pitched a visit another hour and a half north to the store as part of the trip, and I'd go along and buy him lunch. He agree. Well, at the store, which has an amazing selection of modeling materials and paints, I found 22mm high tufts from Green Stuff World. Think about that. The minis I'm using for Vietnam are 28mm. These tufts are almost as tall (and would be based on a wooden disk). I took one look at them and grabbed all three blister packs of them they had hanging from the pegs.

    Looking down, you can see how much thicker they are, plus they have a little lighter yellow color, too

I took it to the counter and explained what I was looking for to the store manager. He opened one of the blisters up and I pulled out the painted figure I'd brought along from the Crucible Crush Black Sun range. We both agreed that the flocking looked good coming up over his chest. Honestly, I had never seen a tuft 22mm tall! Actually, Green Stuff World carries four different colors of them. Thankfully, all three they had hanging on the peg were the same color! I picked those up, along with a number of other scenic items. They didn't have any of the miniatures that I was looking for, so I didn't come home with anything but flocking or scenic items.

    I bought mine at Michigan Toy Soldier, but your local shop might be able to order them

For Version 3.0, I simply did my normal flocking job on three wooden discs. Once that was done, I opened up a pack of the 22mm tufts and found that the diameter of each piece was a bit smaller than I thought. I ended up having to put four tufts on each circular 1.5" base. I did the math and the three packs I bought of these tufts would cover 16 bases (4 pieces of elephant grass terrain?). That should be enough for just about any game. I am still thinking of dry brushing the tops of these stems of grass with the same Maple Sugar color. I'm curious to hear what my readers and those on the Lead Adventure Forum think, though.

    One final look at Version 2 -- which do you like best? Version 2 or 3??

    

Which version do you like best? I really want to hear your vote! The original, very tall but broad elephant grass? The stepped Version 2 using the JTT Cat Tails? Or Version 3.0 with the 22mm tufts? Please respond in the comments if you have time -- I would certainly appreciate it!

 

    For those who don't know, here's what it is SUPPOSED to look like...

Meanwhile, what else is on my painting desk? The next batch of orcs (and armored troll) are very close to being finished. You will probably see a post on them within a day or so. I also have more terrain besides the elephant grass that I am working on. I have the crashed spaceship sections primed and ready to be painted on my desk. Once I get this batch of orcs off of the table, I will have room to work on those. So, they're next, then my penultimate group of orcs. Woo-hoo! Almost done with another painting project!!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 6
  
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 15

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Terrain painted in 2026: 2

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Scatter painted in 2026: 5 

Rescuing a Downed Chopper Crew in Vietnam (Scenario Playtest)

    Pfc. Carter of the Big Red One searches a patch of jungle for the missing & injured helicopter crew

After the flurry of playtests of Surviving 'Nam in November, things have been kind of quiet here on my blog about Vietnam. I have been busy writing the campaign rules section, as well as researching the squad organization for the various nationalities that helped South Vietnam resist its communist insurgency. However, I still need to get some scenarios play tested, so it was time for another solo game. I had been wanting to get the Big Red One back out into the field for awhile, and see how Cpl. Frey and the boys are progressing in their year-long tour.

    In the 'Downed Airmen' scenario, two wounded crewmen are in one of the six interior terrain pieces

With the loss of Lt. Cooper and Cpl. Kern in the Perfect Ambush scenario last month, the platoon needed some reorganization in leadership. A new "butterbar" lieutenant, 2nd Lt. Fickell, was given the platoon, while Pfc. Griffin was promoted to corporal and given charge of Cpl. Kern's fire team. They also received a new "cherry" from stateside in the form of Pvt. Elliott to bolster the squad's ranks. It was none to soon, as Lt. Col Meyer called Fickell and his NCOs together with an urgent mission for the squad. A helicopter had gone down in their operational area due to enemy fire. Weather had closed in soon afterwards, and the aerial rescue had to be scrubbed. It was up to the Big Red One to truck it out there, as close as the roads could get them, and beat the bushes to try and find any surviving crew.

    My 'chopper down' terrain piece I created for my post-apocalyptic games stood in well for this game

The scenario called for a heavily-wooded board. In the center, I placed a crashed chopper model I'd created for my post-apocalyptic games. The wounded crew would be either in that terrain piece or one of the other five on the interior of the board. It would be a race against time, though, as the V.C. were assumed to be actively searching for them, too, wanting to take them prisoner. "Keep your asses moving, Fickell - you understand?" Lt. Meyer stared at the new lieutenant, then at each of the team leaders. They all chorused affirmatives or "Yes, sir!" Cpl. Frey took Fickell under his wing and suggested parceling out the M60 team to his team, and that he and his radioman, along with the medic Specialist 4 Frank, go with Cpl. Griffin -- the newly promoted leader for the other fire team. 

    Cpl. Frey (center) moves his fire team up quickly through the clearings in the thick jungle tabletop

Frey and his men deployed in the gap between wooded sections on the left while Griffin and his group did the same on the right. Each sent a point man quickly forward, with the rest following behind slightly more cautiously and grabbing cover where they could. Frey motioned Pfc. Carter towards a patch of jungle giving hand signals to move fast. Carter nodded and jogged towards the trees. Frey motioned his bloop gunner Cpl. Janowicz to take cover in the trees to their left, while the machine gun team of Boston and Warfield were sent into the trees to the right. The FNG Elliott stood staring wide-eyed into the dense undergrowth. "Elliott!" Frey hissed. "Go with Carter." The terrified soldier nodded, his eyes wide, and moved off slowly after Elliott.

    As Pfc. Carter prepares to search a patch of woods, Frey positions his fire team in cover

On the other side, Griffin sent Pfc. Tatum and his M79 bloop gunner Pfc. Cassidy into the patch of woods to their front. He followed behind, while motioning the C.O., his radioman, and the medic into the trees to their left. "No use all of us getting gunned down in an ambush," Griffin thought, and then followed his two point men. He had been reluctant to take on leadership of the team when Kern got injured. However, the platoon sergeant told him that, before he was medevaced out for his "Da Nang Holiday," Kern had recommended him for the spot. Griffin shook his head. He guessed it was the least he could do for Kern, who had always treated him as a valuable member of the fire team. Griffin scanned the trees ahead. "Come on, flyboys, where are you? Let us find you and get the Hell out of here!" he whispered.

    In a stroke of luck, Carter finds the two wounded crewmen in the first patch of jungle he searches!

Frey's head jerked up when he heard Carter's voice from the trees ahead, "Jackpot -- got 'em! They're injured, but okay." The corporal mouthed a silent "Holy Shit!" How could they be so lucky as to find them in the first patch of woods they searched? Sure enough, the injured crew chief had seen Carter coming and called out to him quietly. He was crouching over one of the pilots, who was in obvious pain and would need help going anywhere. The crew chief looked like he might be able to limp out on his own. He told Carter to bring the pilot out and motioned to the crew chief to come towards him. He frowned as he saw the crew chief wincing with every step -- his back probably got badly wrenched on impact. Frey motioned the FNG Elliott to help Carter with the pilot.

    As luck would have it, the Viet Cong squad arrives in a nearby stand of trees just as we find the crew

"Heads up," Janowicz whispered from beside him, "we got company." Frey heard them too, now. At least a squad of V.C. were moving through the vegetation in the woods up ahead and to the left. Frey stayed in cover instead of moving to help the crew chief, and crouched surveying the woods. He saw movement -- there they were! He could tell by the excited chatter that Charlie had been seen his men, too. Frey aimed at a shadowy figure and fired off a 3-round burst. There was a scream and he saw the shadow fall. Beside him, Janowicz snapped his bloop gun's barrel shut, sighted, and pulled the trigger. While the grenade was on the way, the handy Janowicz was loading another, raising it, and firing it off, as well. Two flashes of orange brightened the jungle and more screams indicated he was on target -- as usual, Frey thought. Janowicz had probably bagged more V.C. than anyone else in the platoon. He was glad he had him on his fire team! 

    Another V.C. squad and rifleman arrive fortuitously on the far edge of the table

The V.C. in the woods began to fire back, wildly, obviously shaken by the sudden deaths of their companions. Suddenly, another burst of AK-47 fire rang out, but from behind and to the left of he and Janowicz. More and more bursts rang out and he could hear the angry bees of their rounds in the trees over his head. Both he and Janowicz hit the dirt, looking over their shoulder trying to locate the new enemy that had outflanked them. Just as he was about to yell for Boston, he heard the rhythmic bursts of his M60 gun, hosing down the patch of woods where the AK-47 fire was coming from. Their shooting stopped momentarily, but soon started up again. Janowicz yelped in pain and mouthed, "Muthaf -- ow! I'm hit!!" Frey raised up to shoot again at the first batch of V.C. Boston probably couldn't see them with the a thick cluster of trees in his way. He hoped the M60 gunner and his assistant could keep the new V.C. off of his and Janowicz's backs. He shouted for the medic, not exactly sure where Spec4 Frank was in all of this mess.

    The V.C. are also hunting for the downed crew and would come running when the shooting started

Tracers streaked through the woods, both from the squad and returning fire from the V.C. He heard more gunfire coming from where Griffin's team was, also. What had looked like a cake walk was fast becoming a snafu. A bullet smacked into the tree just about the corporal's head and he ducked. Looking up, Frey saw Pfc. Otis race through the clearing to Carter's side. Together, they began moving the pilot more quickly back towards the shelter of the woods while sniper rounds whistled through the vegetation around them. He saw the crew chief still standing there, wincing, and Frey yelled at him to get a move on. The trooper began to slowly hobble after Carter and Otis. Frey squeezed off a 3-round burst and saw another V.C. fall. There was the whistle of incoming mortar rounds overhead and several flashes as they impacted in the V.C.'s woods. "Get some, L.T.!" Kern whispered.

    An overhead table view showing our positions and where the V.C. arrived just as we found the crew

There was a rustle of vegetation to his right as Spec4 Frank darted up to take a look at Janowicz's wound. He bandaged the cursing bloop gunner's thigh. When he tied it off, he tapped him on the helmet. "You should be good, now," the medic said. Janowicz nodded, grimaced, and let Frank help him to his feet. Together they two began to shuffle back towards the rear. "BOOM!" What the Hell? Frey cursed and turned around. Both the medic and Janowicz were down. One of them must have tripped a booby trap. There was another whistle and a mortar round impacted near Frey, showering him with dirt and leaves, but luckily no shrapnel. 

    Frey watches as Carter carries the wounded pilot from the woods, with the crew chief limping along

"Warfield," Kern yelled to Boston's assistant, "I need some help here -- both Frank and Janowicz are down!" Bandoliers of M60 ammo jangling, Warfield sprinted to the medic's side. He shook him, and turned him over, then started to chuckle. "Man, you are the luckiest SOB ever, Doc! You ain't hit at all...again! You just got your bell rung!" Frank shook his head to clear it, and checked each of his limbs to confirm it was true. Once he realized he was unhurt, he turned to Janowicz. He turned him over, eliciting a yelp from the bloop gunner.

    Hearing that Frey's team has found the airmen, Cpl. Griffin (right) sets up in woods to cover them

"Doc, did you really step on another tripwire?" Janowicz groused. "What is that, three missions in a row?" he tried to laugh but it turned into a hiss of pain. "Get me up and let's get out of here!" The two once again struggled to their feet, though Janowicz seemed to be in more pain than before. He leaned on the medic who directed him to the rear. Frey gave a thumbs up to Warfield, who sprinted back to Boston. Frey stood and jogged to the limping crew chief and took one of his arms and threw it over his shoulder. "Let's go, buddy. Let's get you guys back to base!"

    A V.C. sniper pops up due to an event cards drawn in response to my soldiers' activation failures

Firing had died down as the V.C. in close proximity had all been killed or suppressed. He could hear shouts in the distance, which meant more were on the way, though. Yeah, it was definitely time to go! As they moved back down the trail towards where the truck had dropped them, he did a quick head count. Everyone was there, but Griffin appeared to be hurt, too. He was being supported between two of his team members, and didn't seem to be conscious. His head lolled with each step Cassidy and Tatum took. So, Janowicz and Griffin appeared to be the only wounded besides the helicopter crew. They'd had worse missions, sure. But god, he hoped those two would be okay! They were squared away soldiers, and their loss would hurt the platoon seriously.

    Bloop gunner Cpl. Janowicz is right on target, as usual, with his aim against these two V.C.

This game was relatively short compared to some of my other play tests. The Big Red One was very lucky to find the helicopter crew in the very first of six patches of woods they had to search. I also rolled well to get them three Countdown to Contact turns before the Viet Cong arrived. As soon as we found the helicopter crew, though, the doo-doo seriously hit the fan. Still, my die rolls in general were good. The M60 gunner Boston probably took longer than he should have to suppress and kill the V.C. that outflanked us. Lt. Fickell had himself a hell of a first mission, though. He shot and killed two V.C. riflemen and then accounted for two more with a Fire Mission. Griffin was out of action and looked "messed up" early in the shooting on his flank. Luckily, Cassidy (whose bloop gun had quickly accounted for a V.C. sniper that was troubling Frey's team) and Tatum were on hand to drag their new team leader back to the rear.

    Holy crap! An outflanking V.C. squad appears in the same patch of jungle as both Janowicz & Frey

Now, would my luck hold for two more rolls? I needed to roll for the recovery of the wounded Griffin and Janowicz. First, I rolled for Janowicz. "Lightly wounded" is +4 and "Made it off table" is another +1 (you want high on the roll). I picked up the 20-sided die and rolled a one! Noooo! Janowicz scored a "Million Dollar Wound." That leg must have been worse than it looked. The squad will miss Janowicz big time as he was flown back to the States to recuperate from his wound. They were called "million dollar" because they were bad enough to keep you out of Vietnam for the rest of your tour, but caused no debilating permanent injury. I rolled low for Griffin, too, who "Lost a Limb." Crap! All those good rolls throughout most of the game and suddenly my dice go cold right when it matters! That was two squad members gone for good!

    INCOMING! V.C. mortar round lands perilously between a half dozen U.S. soldiers

Lt. Fickell and the platoon sergeant would have to put their heads together and figure out how to piece things back together in time for the next mission. There was definitely going to be some promoting to do to fill out the ranks. And speaking of which, all of the original survivors who hadn't missed any missions due to injuries would be promoted to Veterans after this game. That means they activate on 7+ instead of 8+ for each action. They would also receive a second roll on the Trait chart (which are positive bonuses to accomplishing certain tasks). So, even though the squad lost its deadliest shooter in Janowicz, they should see an increase in effectiveness. 

    The badly wounded pilot has almost been carried to safety by Pfc. Carter and Pvt. Elliott

The mission was a lot of fun to play. The idea came from Bob, one of my U.K. play testers. I made some tweaks to it and will make a couple more after this play through. Surviving 'Nam continues to be fast, fluid, and full of unexpected twists and turns. I'm having a good time following the adventures of Cpl. Frey and the boys. The rules seem to flow well and provide an entertaining game that creates believable results. I am going to keep playing through scenarios (and hope my play testers do, as well) and give it that final push to write the last of the rules. Then it will be time for editing and proofreading.

    Spec4 Frank, the medic, has been a magnet for booby traps -- here he triggers another one!

Stay tuned to see what's next for the Big Red One's fifth mission in their year in Vietnam!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 6
  
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 6

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Terrain painted in 2026: 2

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 0
  
• Scatter painted in 2026: 4 

    Cpl. Griffin, in his first mission as fire team leader, is carried off the battlefield unconscious

    The squad exfiltrates through the elephant grass and has almost reached safety of the board edge