I'm not requesting that days fit around me or "us" I was one of the airborne that played as dutch at Josh's game and had great time doing so. For me fighting along side your mates is one of the things I look forward too.
But when anyone asks about my kit and guns and what to get etc. I tell them not to bother doing a U.S impression for the simple fact that you won't get as much chance to use as other impressions and the hate that seems to be directed towards the U.S.
My point was people were saying "stop getting kit, & go out and use it!" - well unless your U.S.... although again I can eat my words as 60% of the announced games so far this year have allowed u.s. and can only hope it continues.
Stu
I think anyone who thinks there's Yank bashing going on needs to have a long hard think about themselves.
The only kit I've got is American airborne. I've had it for eight years. I'll borrow kit or go partisan to attend other events as I don't really want to spend on more kit.
People are suggesting that new players don't buy US airborne kit as a first loadout 
(as it is VERY limiting on the scenarios) but go for generic US infantry - not don't buy US kit full stop!
Logically if we consider there were *three* major players in WWII then anything over 33% of games allowing only US/BRIT/RUSSIAN kit is fair?
The only kit thats going to guarantee you a game every time is German 
I think you've also got to bear in mind that the united states was only in the war for about 3 years and only one and a half of those in Europe so less scenarios are going to feature them. A 1941 commando raid would be ludicrous if it had US airborne in it as the US were neither in the war or had airborne forces at that point if you get me?
I'd always recommend people to have two basic kits an axis one and then either a US or a UK one line infantry one to start... that way you'll *always* be able to play in any NWE game (sometimes it might need a bit of rejigging if the scenario if Polish and you need to get a new beret badge etc) as US line inf kit is the same as us airborne glider troops kit.
What tends to happen though is that people (and quite reasonably) get fixated on one impression and spend hundreds of pounds on stuff they dont need to 'collect the lot' which could probably be better spent on a 'back up' impression for those occasions when the side you want to do either isnt on the list or sells out really quickly.
I only did brit airborne for years but it was really limiting so branched out with a basic german impression to get to know more players from the 'dark side' and it was probably a better investment of £150 than the £500 i spent on a lee enfield that i hardly ever used!
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
People are suggesting that new players don't buy US airborne kit as a first loadout
Dave beat me to it here.
Yup, if you buy a US m42 jump suit set it pretty much limits you to Huskey, D-day and some of the post d-day mop ups.
An m43 set lets you do the Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.
Thats like only *two* major operations for each of those sets of kit, it is very limiting.
If you get US mustard/wool trousers, leggings, an m41 jacket and an m1 lid you can do pretty much anything the US did in europe from 42 to the end of the war as, like i said, glider borne 101st and 82nd (and the others) all wore infantry gear!
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
The only kit thats going to guarantee you a game every time is German
For now! 
The only kit thats going to guarantee you a game every time is German
For now!
Mmmm, our plans for later in the year won't get you a place in German kit!
Civvies on the other hand will be welcome!
Or you could do like me and just buy all the Allied kit and no Axis kit at all...
Ok, all right I have Japanese and am tempted by Finnish. 
nah, you know Italian is where it is at
Yeah but the Finns weren't actually fascists.
The Italians were rubbish fascists.
And the entire Finnish Army is L33T...
Or you could do like me and just buy all the Allied kit and no Axis kit at all...
Ok, all right I have Japanese and am tempted by Finnish.
Although the point surely is being able to do this with your mates and not need a new uniform every time
The cheapest way of getting yourself into most games has to be going axis followed by a 'basic' impression for both UK and US, russian kit is nice but at the moment probably more limiting on its own than US airborne.
And japanese... well yeah we're inundated with pacific theatre games at the moment
But you can throw it all back to 'why cant i just wear this (brit para/usmc/ polish etc) at a game outside of my impressions scope, surely it's only a game?
Yeah to a degree it is and while it might seem 'stitch counting' to say 'no denison smocks at this game as its 1941 and they havent been invented yet' its just that for a *lot* of players the visual of the game *is* important. Otherwise we'd just allow DPM para smocks instead of WWII denisons.... its the same cut, its the same purpose, its *nearly* the same camo, just a bit darker and smaller shapes etc.
It reminds me of years ago when we were doing 'operation wotan', a joint us/uk commando raid on a german technical facility, one of the players was quite upset they couldnt play as a US marine in iwo jima kit (despite the fact no usmc fought in europe) , they couldnt see that although their kit was cool it didnt fit the story and was as appropriate as some of the german guards turning up in Afrika Korps kit.
Anyway we digress.
I can see why some people might find it frustrating that few games have a truly 'free for all' approach anymore but as i always say this is an evolution brought about by the *majority* of players who want tighter rules and the organisers adopt those that work.
Look at it like football. when it started out you could have over 100 people side playing from one end of a village to another and there was no offside rule... over the years its turned into a regulated game with an even playing field (of sorts) and a code of rules.... has that made it a better game or should we go back to C17th century rules so we can all play at the cup final
(im joking there btw in case anyone missed that and goes 'its NOT THE SAME!!!')
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
While they might not have been fasicsts per se the Japanese were totally massive despotic racists so i think we're drawing fine lines here
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
And the entire Finnish Army is L33T...
I'd be the exception.
Anyway I seriously doubt we'll ever have a battle I could use it at, so it's not getting collected!
Look at it like football. when it started out you could have over 100 people side playing from one end of a village to another and there was no offside rule... over the years its turned into a regulated game with an even playing field (of sorts) and a code of rules.... has that made it a better game or should we go back to C17th century rules so we can all play at the cup final
Yes we should - the Ashbourne Shrovetide football event is huge fun and free and miles away from the overpaid nancyboys and overpriced stadia seats and boring matches of professional foorball.
nah, you know Italian is where it is at
One of the few uniforms where you can play on both sides. Sometime even during the same game. 
I agree CW, it makes football sound alot more fun to me.
nah, you know Italian is where it is at
One of the few uniforms where you can play on both sides. Sometime even during the same game.
You can with Finnish as well! Though not in the same game... heh.
OK, I did the maths. Last year 10 games ran and two were cancelled.
Of those ten games, they worked out as follows:
US vs GE, four
BR vs GE, three (one with a partisan option)
US and BR combined vs GE, two
RU vs GE, one
So, if you really want a game, get a German uniform, otherwise at 60% of games US is a winner, Brits at 50% of games and poor old Russians at 10%.
Which is why I haven't spent tons and tons on my Russian impression, but have the option of four different German impressions.
Cheers
Martin
"Mistakes in the initial deployment cannot be rectified" Helmuth von Moltke
Toys: AGM MP40, Cyma M1A1, TM M14/G43/SVT40, TM VSR/K98, SnS No. 4, ASG Sten, Ppsh.
Arnhem3,Gumrak,Campoleone
OK, I did the maths. Last year 10 games ran and two were cancelled.
Of those ten games, they worked out as follows:
US vs GE, four
BR vs GE, three (one with a partisan option)
US and BR combined vs GE, two
RU vs GE, oneSo, if you really want a game, get a German uniform, otherwise at 60% of games US is a winner, Brits at 50% of games and poor old Russians at 10%.
Which is why I haven't spent tons and tons on my Russian impression, but have the option of four different German impressions.
Cheers
Martin
so clearly no anti US bias at all then.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
