A WW2 Strategy Game - R.U.S.E.

I recently purchased a WW2 RTS (Real Time Strategy) called R.U.S.E. created by French game producers UBISOFT. This game offers the opportunity to play as a host of combatants that fought during WW2. On the console versions the campaign focuses around the North African and European theatres, where as the PC version gives added campaigns in the Asian/Pacific theatre. I will focus on reviewing the console version available on PS3 & Xbox 360.

Front cover of Ubisoft 2010 release - R.U.S.E.

The nations available to the player in R.US.E. include the allies; Great Britain, France, the U.S.A and the Soviet Union. The Axis nations available are Germany and Italy.

The weapons and units available are accurate for the time but can be somewhat limited, for example if playing as the Germans, Luftwaffe fighter units available include the Messerschmit ME-109 from 1939 onwards, then in 1945 the ME-262 becomes available completely skipping the FW-190. Never the less, the units are quite satisfying and famous tank units such as the Sherman, Tiger, Churchill and T-34 are available as well as many others. Famous aircraft units include fighters such as the Spitfire, Mustang, Hurricane and ME-109, bombers include the B-17 and Avro Lancaster as well as the Heinkel HE-111. Unit classes are broken down into Infantry, Artillery, Tank & Anti-Tank as well as Aircraft and Special Units.

Game mechanics focus on taking control of various oil refineries located on the map that crucially fund your war machine as well as the use of  "R.U.S.E Cards". R.U.S.E. Cards allow the employment of deceptive tactics including the use of radio silence in a sector of the map, placing a camouflage netting over buildings, launching fake offensives as well as disguising units etc.

The ability for the player to zoom in and out of the map is quite impressive. Zooming in shows you individual units on the field. When zooming out units appear as counters, that are distinguishable by their colour and ensign that are placed on a commanders table miles behind the front line.

Zoomed into unit level,German armour is given the order to assault allied positions.

An allied general overlooks the North African battlefield.

The solo campaign/storyline is relatively weak in my opinion and is only really useful for training the player in the art of playing the game, understanding units and the different ruses available and when to use them. The most enjoyment I got was from the skirmish battles which can be set up as you desire. You can select maps, allies and opponents as well as the time limit and period of the war in which you wish to fight - 1939, 1942 or 1945.

Game graphics are pretty poor especially when zoomed in to unit level and the controls can be somewhat awkward, especially for beginners. However, on a more positive note, once the mechanics have been mastered this game can be quite refreshing and rewarding. For a WW2 strategist there is no better feeling than having two concealed six pounder anti tank guns mangle oncoming German Panzers in the Egyptian Desert or scrambling Spitfires to the front to intercept screaming Stuka's over the skies of North Western Europe.

For anyone with an interest in WW2 strategy this is a quick and easy way to set up a battle with a decent WW2 spin. Try a battle in 2-player mode or against your AI opponent on hard difficulty providing an intense challenge. I suggest sourcing this game on ebay or other online shops as finding copies in the game shops can be quite difficult.

This game is definitely worth a look for any WW2 enthusiast, I rate it 7.5/10.
I will write another post shortly on the real ruses used by the combatants during the Second World War which are quite impressive and required a lot of imagination and effort to prepare and utilise.

Link to the R.U.S.E. Official Web Site 

US Sherman's assaulting German positions.

The Latest Additions

Here are the latest fruits from my bidding war on eBay. I have long been searching for some of these goods and my main area of concentration this time, was the German Army.

I set up a small winter diorama to display the new purchases, I hope you enjoy the post. 

1. A Britains LTD Kubelwagon & PAK - 40 Anti Tank Gun. 

This is a relatively difficult item to source and is generally expensive. I got it for €28.56 including postage from the UK along with a Britains US Army JEEP including driver, which was thrown in.

Unfortunately the driver and MG-42 gunner are missing along with the spare front wheel which seems to be a normal feature on the Kubelwagon used by German forces during WWII. 

German Kubelwagon & PAK - 40 outside Stalingrad, Russia during the winter of 1943

T-34 Killer 

The PAK - 40 is in great condition and is a quality piece of kit, that attaches by a spring mechanism to the Kubelwagon. It seems to be smaller than 1:32 scale however and is somewhere closer to 1:35.

Here's the Britains LTD US JEEP. The axles seem to be damaged on this. So I'll probably use it for parts. The spare wheel on the rear is detachable so I will use it on the front of the Kubelwagon as the two models have identical wheels.

Note the wheels on the JEEP & Kubelwagon are identical

The Britains LTD Diescast JEEP's are quite easy to source and are much cheaper in comparison to the Kubelwagon so I'll keep an eye out for these in future.

Overall the Britains LTD models are very nice, diecast models that are very well made. Perhaps they look a bit outdated in comparison to the newer manufacturer's models such as the Forces of Valor range. It has to be taken into account that these models were produced in the 1970's and have most certainly stood the test of time. The Kubelwagon will make a nice scout/reconnaissance vehicle for my German Army. Here's my review of Britains LTD models -

Quality : Very good quality, strong models - 8.0/10

Detail : A little weak in this area, no gear-stick etc - 6.0/10

Scale : Sold as 1/32 but it's probably a bit smaller, PAK - 40 is definitely smaller - 7.0/10

Fragility : Extremely sturdy and well built, tough models - 9.0/10

Overall : 7.5/10

2. Unimax 1/35 PAK - 40 75mm Anti Tank Gun

My German Army up until now had a severe lack in anti-tank guns. I searched for PAK - 40's online and found them expensive with the cheaper alternative being model kits that require building and painting, such as the Tamiya model PAK - 40. 

Eventually I came across an eBay seller in Hong Kong selling plastic PAK - 40's that have been built and painted, produced by a company called Unimax. Retailing at around €10 including postage, these were a bargain so I purchased two.

As Soviet tank production increased, so did Germany's need for effective Anti-Tank guns

German positions come under attack in the freezing Russian winter, 1943

I would like to highlight that the Unimax PAK - 40 is extremely delicate, so if you consider adding these to your collection make sure to handle with care. I broke the tow hook off the back just taking it out of the box! Good job I bought 2. Despite them being 1/35 scale they fit the 1/32 scale well compared with the TSSD Long-Coat German Infantry soldiers above. Here's my review -

Quality : Excellent, realistic paint scheme, gun rotates smoothly & easily - 9.0/10

Detail : Fantastic detail, even shows rivets on armour plating, handles & the elevation hand-wheel - 9.5/10

Scale : Works with 1/32 really well, not perfect but not bad at all - 7.0/10

Fragility : The one downside, the tow hook is extremely delicate, handle carefully! - 5.0/10

Overall : 7.6/10

3. Airfix 1/32 Scale German Hanomag Personnel Carrier

As the new set of war-gaming rules develop I feel there will be a need to safely deliver shock troops to the front lines quicker to acquire key positions. This is where the Sd.Kfz.251 Hanomag comes in. Originally designed to transport Panzergrenadiers into battle, over 15,000 were produced throughout the war in a few different variants, the 251 being the most common.

I paid €20 for this model and it is an original Airfix model from 1971. Unfortunately it is missing the MG-42's but hopefully I can acquire spares over time. It's in very good condition considering its age and came in the original packaging which was a nice bonus. Classic Toy Soldiers (CTS) now produce these models (CTS-726A) that retail at $16.95 but if your outside the USA consider the postage!

Panzergrenadiers are rushed to the front to repel the Red Army's advance

German troops engage their targets from their Sd.Kfz.251

Overall this is a nice piece of kit considering it is a 1971 production, It can hold 6 to 8 54mm sitting troops without their base stands. It is made of durable plastic and the front wheels rotate. I hope to get a CTS version soon to compare the difference. Here's my review -

Quality : Very good quality considering it's age - 8.0/10

Detail : Very good detail as expected with Airfix, window slits, seating, lights and compartments are easily distinguised - 7.5/10

Scale : Sold as 1/32 by Airfix and certainly fits the scale well, probably slightly under scaled though - 8.0/10

Fragility : Very durable and strong plastic, it will last another 40 years - 9.0/10

Overall : 8.1/10

4. Italeri 1/32 German Elite Troops

Where have these been hiding, these troops are fantastic! The pack includes 16 figures including a very desirable panzerschreck (Raketenpanzerbuchse) soldier. The equipment of the troops represents late war infantry equipped with a variety of weapons including the StG 44, MP-40, KAR-98 sniper and an MG-42 with a drum magazine minimises the need for a soldier to act as a belt feeder.

I still haven't opened the plastic inside yet, so when they're off the sprue's I'll post more pictures up. The fact that they're in a tan plastic will need to be addressed as well. I highly recommend these troops and I will be looking to Italeri for more troops in the near future.

The Lone Wolf

Stalingrad 1943, a lone German Panzergranadier waits inside the perimeter of a derelict building. Isolated and aware of his situation, he waits...

Clutching his captured Soviet PPSh-41, he know's his end is near. Yet he waits, outnumbered 20 to 1.

Soon the might of the Red Army will approach.

Thousands of miles from home, facing hunger and frostbite in temperatures of -30 Degrees Celsius his comrades of the 6th Army have been surrounded. 450,000 soldiers marched into Stalingrad, only 10,000 returned.

The Vietnam Battle Set

In my first post "My Story" I spoke about the Vietnam Battle Set I received at 8 or 9 years of age. Today I dug out as much of the original set I could find. Unfortunately alot of pieces were missing like the tan jeeps and trucks but I still have the majority of the soldiers plus the tanks and a few other bits.

I put together a small battle scene between the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) which are actually 1/32 scale Airfix British 8th Army remoulds and the US Army which are Airfix US Paratroop remoulds.

Enjoy.


Somewhere in Vietnam 1970, US forces prepare to attack the NVA positions and send out an attack column. The NVA are relatively well dug in and await the assault.

The NVA gunners lie in ambush, awaiting orders to open fire, when they spot a silhouette in the distance, "FIRE!"

As the column approaches the NVA defensive line, the front recon Jeep swerves as a blast from an NVA gun emplacement tears into the troop transport truck behind them.

Direct hit. The US troops scramble out of their vehicles and prepare to engage whilst trying to navigate the confusion and chaos. Most of the troops in the truck have been killed or incapacitated. The troops radio back to their lines "This is Bravo Company we've been hit, multiple casualties, troop transport is out, requesting medevac".

The G.I's find cover behind their vehicles and begin to lay suppressing fire on the NVA positions while the tank opens fire.

The tank misses it's target and the NVA gun opens fire again hitting the tank on the turret and knocking it out of the fight.

NVA reinforcements poor onto the field as the US troops are outnumbered and out-gunned and eventually defeated. 

Back at the US defensive line, the G.I's have received the distress call and prepare for an NVA counter offensive. Small in number and unable to help their fellow troops, the G.I's prepare to fight to the death and request back up.

Two sentries guard the entrance and wait nervously. They are half expecting to see retreating G.I's from the assault that left no more than an hour ago. 

But none return....

As predicted the NVA launches an infantry assault. 

The two American sentries are startled as shots ring out from the tree line. One sentry is hit in the chest as the other returns fire.

The injured G.I falls to the ground and attempts to crawl back to his lines, his comrade kneels in front of him and empties his magazine into oncoming NVA troops.

The brave G.I takes out as many as he can but know's his fate is sealed. The NVA push on through the gate lead by a young officer determined to crush the US position. The US Lieutenant gives the order to open fire as every man picks his target.

Casualties are high and several US troops die in the ensuing combat.

NVA casualties are also high and when their officer is shot, the fatalities mount and the NVA turn and flee whilst others provide suppressing fire.

The G.I's have gallantly held their position and await reinforcements.

THE END

Scale of the US Paratroops

As mentioned before the remoulds in this pack are considerably smaller than the original Airfix figures,

I took a few shots to compare -

The Airfix figure (left) is spot on 54mm whilst the remould is about 47mm. Another example -

The difference in size isn't actually that much, if you take into account men in real armies could be anywhere between 5ft 6' and 6ft 6', these guys can work together just fine.

This is the first of the battle scenes lined up for the blog, this one was a little off topic being about Vietnam, but I wanted to keep the original set together and play it out as the original pack intended. Both sets of troops have since been re-drafted into the Allied Armies ready to take on their Axis opponents.

You may have noticed many of the cheaper soldier packs come with WWII miniatures that are used to represent different factions at different periods in history, such as this Vietnam set. Feel free to post up your experiences with the cheaper soldier packs and how the manufacturer's attempted to sell them off.

Keep an eye out for my next post showing a range of recently purchased 1/32 scale WWII troops and vehicles from ebay.

Dave

Sir Douglas Bader

The Influence Behind My Collection

Looking back as far as I can into my memory bank, it is evident that my fascination with WWII started with "Reach for the Sky" a film spanning the career of Douglas Steuart Bader in the Royal Air Force played by Kenneth More.

Recommended Viewing;

the original film I received on VHS & a newer DVD release.

For those of you that aren't familiar with the name, Sir Douglas Bader was a young British Pilot Officer in the RAF who lost both legs in a flying accident in 1931. When war broke out in 1939 and after much perseverance Bader was reinstated as a fighter pilot. During the Battle of Britain he held the title of Squadron Leader of No. 242 Squadron, a mainly Canadian outfit that flew Hawker Hurricanes. 242 Squadron claimed 62 kills during the battle and Bader was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Image: Sqd. Leader Bader on the wing of his Hurricane.

In March 1941 Bader was promoted to Wing Commander and had 3 Squadrons of Supermarine Spitfires under his command (Sqd. 145, 610 & 616). The commander obtained his personal identification markings "D-B" on his Spitfire giving rise to the famous radio call sign "Dogsbody". Bader was shot down in August 1941 and imprisoned in the infamous Colditz Castle after making numerous escape attempts. The Castle was liberated in by US forces in 1945. At the end of the war Bader was given the honour of leading a fly-past of 300 aircraft in victory over London. Bader's final score was 20 and 4 shared enemy aircraft destroyed, 6 and 1 shared destroyed and 11 damaged.

 

Image: My 1/72 scale Corgi die-cast model Spitfire MKIIA

 baring identification markings "D-B"

The movie is relatively old at this stage and is shot in black and white but the story is so inspiring and has had a big impact on my life and view on things. In hindsight this film and the story of Douglas Bader has been the inspiration behind my attempts to join the Army and he is one of my hero's. In the words of the legend himself - 

"Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do this or that. That's nonsense. Make up your mind, you'll never use crutches or a stick, then have a go at everything. Go to school, join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible."  

Click here to visit - The Douglas Bader Foundation

My Story

From some of my earliest and happiest childhood memories I remember setting up large scale battles with my plastic troops.

It all started at about the age of 6 or 7, I remember my Gramps telling me the story of Douglas Bader, RAF Battle of Britain Ace and his escapades after which he presented me with the feature film "Reach For The Sky". Fascinated by his story, my interest in this part of history grew. Some time later I visited the RAF museum at Hendon, London and as a gift received a pack of 1/32 scale German Whermacht Matchbox remoulds of which I still have today. From this pack of about 10 soldiers, I grew a collection which stands at about 2,000  figures today.

Click here to visit the London RAF Museum

It wasn't long after this that I realised I wanted to be a fighter pilot in the RAF and set my targets high. As the years went on I had realised that it might be a bridge too far and settled with the idea of joining the army. When I reached 10 years of age, I fell ill with Type 1 Diabetes and my dreams were dashed but I still had hope that I might be accepted. In 2005 aged 17, I applied to join the Royal Marines where I was required to undergo a medical in Belfast. This was never to be and I didn't even make it to the medical as I was informed over the phone that Type 1 Diabetes automatically barred me from entry to HM Armed Forces.

Anyway back to the soldiers. As a kid you don't seem to have much appreciation for detail or scale but from early memories I remember noticing scale.  I received a Vietnam battle set which came in a cardboard box containing a plastic battleground map with approximately 60 x 1/32 soldiers, tanks, trucks, cannons and small Jeeps. The Vietnamese soldiers were actually British 8th Army, Airfix remoulds in tan. The American's were US Paratrooper, Airfix remoulds in dark green. However the US troops were noticeably smaller than the "Vietnamese" counterparts, perhaps 1/38 scale and a much poorer mould. This is possibly where my fascination stemmed with scale and indeed accuracy of figures, tanks and vehicles.

Throughout this blog, I will be examining and discussing the many 1/32 scale soldiers available, whether they be branded figures such as Airfix, Matchbox or Britains or the cheap remoulds found in different shops. I'll take an in depth look into tanks and vehicles used by various armies throughout the Second World War as I try to blend them into my armies.

Along with this, there will be reviews and recommendations on great WW2 movies, documentaries, books, computer games and war-gaming rules (one of which I am currently developing).

Please feel free to comment and make contact if you have interest in the subject and most of all, enjoy!

Image: British Paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division with their Horsa glider prior to being dropped into occupied France as part of Operation Deadstick, D-Day 1944.

Click here to see a post about the "Vietnam Battle Set" - Skirmish between G.I's & the NVA.

Click here to read a post about RAF ace Douglas Bader.