New Project: Conflict in the USA

My process of beginning a new project works something like this:

1. Accrue inspiration from various sources - in this case; the graphic novel series DMZ, the computer games Modern Warfare 2 and Homefront and the film Red Dawn.
2. Search for miniatures that may be applicable - consider what terrain would be needed and what kind of costs I would be looking at. I settled on 15mm for the scale and squad-and-light-support-level for the game size. 
3. Start to build up resources for it - for this project I ordered various packs from QRF. I wish they did some mixed packs, but I now have spares if I decide to build the forces a bit bigger.
4. Begin modelling...
5. Start playing? Heh, like that ever happens...

I'm finally at Stage 4 on this project - it's been in my head since the end of last year, when I was reading a lot of DMZ. The basic storyline is that there is a second US civil war, with the Free States of America rising up against what they see as a tyrannical government. The series is set in New York City, which becomes the DMZ/No Man's Land between the two main sides. The city is given the "Beirut" treatment - split into numerous zones by the main opposing forces, neighbourhood militias, the UN, the private corporations (one in particular - "Trustwell" - think Blackwater meets Halliburton) and so on. 

I imagine the gaming side of this to play very well into a map-based campaign, with the various factions fighting for control of a particular neighbourhood. To begin with I plan on building squads and transportation for the USA, FSA and "The Ghosts" - an ex-Special Forces faction who are based in what used to be Central Park. To that end I ordered various packs from QRF's US infantry (with troops in Arctic dress for the Ghosts) and a couple of packs of Spetznatz, to possibly act as one of the militias.

I've also picked up various vehicles from a local £1 shop. Unfortunately, I didn't have the troops at the time to compare the Humvees to, so they are too large for the project. The deuce-and-a-halfs seem fairly perfect though and should be great once repainted.

These vehicles were also from the £1 shop. Again, these seem to scale great alongside the 15mm troops. The Ford pickup would make a great Technical and the Lincoln Navigator seemed like the perfect vehicle for a protection detail supplied by the Trustwell PMC.


I have yet to decide whether to keep all of this in NYC or branch out into the rest of the war. A recent post over on the great Winter of '79 regarding some new smalltown US cardstock terrain that is in production was rather intriguing. I also need to order a pack of the great looking troopers from Armies Army to fit the role of PMC. 


If you have any thoughts or suggestions on this, please feel free to leave a comment! It feels nice to finally take the plunge into 15mm, which is a scale that has seen an amazing amount of growth over the past couple of years! I also have a pack of the alien mercenaries from Ground Zero Games that I plan on working on sometime soon - it could be good if I proxy the USA troops as early Colonial Marine-sorts...

So many ideas, so little time!