Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I really like the US Vietnam style and think making imperial guard modeled after them would be awesome. The Cadians look just like the US troops from vietnam. However, I don't think my army is the right type to do this. I have a lot of vehicles and barely any bodies. My standard army has 6 tanks (3 basilisks, 1 manticore, 2 LR demolishers), 2 valkyrie/vendetta, and about 60 bodies.

I'd love to have a bunch of valkyries and troops inside them like vietnam huey's with door gunners and a ton of bodies.

Now, I know I can do whatever I want with my army, its mine, such on and so forth. BUT do YOU THINK that with so much artillery and tanks, that this fits the idea of US in vietnam?

The US Army used lots of artillery and tanks in Vietnam.. You don't hear about to many tanks being used in Vietnam but they were there. Do a little research on the infantry and mechanized units used in Vietnam. Model your army after one of them.

I think the Catachans are better for a Vietnam theme,
but that may be because all my knowledge about the Vietnam war comes from unrealistically silly over-the-top movies (read: Rambo)

 Chute82 wrote:
The US Army used lots of artillery and tanks in Vietnam.. You don't hear about to many tanks being used in Vietnam but they were there. Do a little research on the infantry and mechanized units used in Vietnam. Model your army after one of them.

Thanks for pointing that out. I did a little research and you were definitely right, Im going to be doing a lot more research on it! Thank you again.

I am still interested in what others think of their personal view of the Vietnam war (me personally, when thinking of vietnam, think of huey's and troops slogging through the jungle).


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Iron_Captain wrote:
I think the Catachans are better for a Vietnam theme,
but that may be because all my knowledge about the Vietnam war comes from unrealistically silly over-the-top movies (read: Rambo)

Idk, watching Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocolypse Now, they all look like cadians to me, but like I said, thats me, and I am interested in what others views are (especially those who dont have much knowledge on the subject like you and I Iron).

They used Hueys and infantry slugging through the jungle on search and destroy missions.. But on missions like the Iron Triangle they used Hueys, Paratroopers, and Mech infantry to flush out the enemy. In the battle for Hue City in Vietnam tanks were used to destroy the enemy from buildings. There are different Units in the US Army.. There are light Infantry Units like the 82nd Airborne to heavy mechanized units like the 4th Infantry Division. So the sky is the limit. Hope that helps a little... RLTW..

I think a U.S. army circa Vietnam style IG would look great on the table and you could always get vietnam soldier heads from another site if you were gonna go that rout

Do you want a vietnam style army or a vietnam stylized army? Because if you want something resembling the reality, then you should run a mostly mech army. It's only if you want a hollywood version that you should bother feeling bad that you're not dropping commandos with helicopters.

Because saying that the americans fought in vietnam by choppering troops in and holding hilltops would be like saying that the germans only fought world war two with submarines or that the napoleonic wars were settled mostly in egypt.

Hollywood exists to lie to you for money, after all...

 Ailaros wrote:
Do you want a vietnam style army or a vietnam stylized army? Because if you want something resembling the reality, then you should run a mostly mech army. It's only if you want a hollywood version that you should bother feeling bad that you're not dropping commandos with helicopters.

Because saying that the americans fought in vietnam by choppering troops in and holding hilltops would be like saying that the germans only fought world war two with submarines or that the napoleonic wars were settled mostly in egypt.

Hollywood exists to lie to you for money, after all...

I wouldn't say to lie, dramatize things maybe, no different from the Tales of Heracles or the fact that there's spirits in the Nile that need to be pleased constantly.

A quick note, should you choose to go the chopper route; I play IG with almost no GW models (well, I did before my whole kit n kaboodle got stolen) and easily the most comments I get are on my counts-as Valkyries, Vendettas, and Vultures. I use Huey Iroquois, Hinds, and Apache models respectively. in 1:48 scale (I believe, it's been forever since I've looked at the boxes), the wingspan of the blades is within 1/4" on each, and the models are each at least very close (if not a bit long at times) to the length of the appropriate FW model. I used them along with Starship Trooper Infantry and dudes on quad bikes to play a stylized Elysian Drop Troops army.

You want your army to truly look "pulp Vietnam style? Forget the Valks and Vendettas my friend, go find a local hobby/RC store and buy some Apaches and Hueys in an appropriate scale for literally a fraction of the price. Here in Northern California, Michaels has them for around $20 a piece, which you can then combine with their generous coupons to buy a full squadron of choppers for the price of one Vendetta.

Might not be legal in a GW sanctioned tourney, but if it's for the greater badassery, then I say go for it. You'll always have people that complain, like one Chaos player at my FLGS purposefully proxies in powerful vehicles he doesn't have anything close to (i.e. Storm Raven by putting a flyer base on the board) whenever he plays against me simply because my models aren't GW. But then I'd turn around and the rest of the game store would clap me on the back because the idea of Starship Troopers rapelling from Hueys and running around amidst a flurry of 4-wheeler "Tauros" madness was just too fun to not enjoy. A Vietnam era army of any style? You'll get some good rep from that no matter where you go with it.

Im no expert on the Vietnam war as its something i havent looked into very much but when i think Vietnam war i think: Helicopters, Fire Support and Rolled sleeves. Victoria miniatures does some parts i think will match the theme. Some very cool possibilities but too bad you cant have off board artillery. Elysian Drop Troops might be the way to go rules wise but normal guard will do just the same.

I second the notion on Catachans, they're much more jungle-y than Cadians. Ask guys doing real jungle fighting today, they'll tell you that they just put on their clothes and ammo rigs, no armour (you cook yourself else). So the catachans are much more jungle-y than cadians.

Valkyries are quite fitting and maybe lighter vehicles like the taurus or something. I just don't see a leman russ driving through dense foliage and tons of mud without getting bogged down. Sure, in Vietnam a lot of tanks were used but not really in the jungle operations. Cities and open ground are an entirely different story.
With a little bit of camo netting and some leaves here and there even a baneblade looks sufficiently jungle-ready though.

I think you'd definitely be fine, even with Cadians.

The US Army used lots of tanks to help with cityfighting and to attack/hold the less dense areas of jungle.

Artillery, too, was a common theme - US units would regularly call in covering artillery fire during an ambush or defense, and of course would precede the attack with a preparatory bombardment in many cases. To say artillery was omnipresent might be a bit much, but not by lots.

The Valkyrie/Vendetta is, of course, fluffy as hell for transport helicopters. But the Vulture is PERFECT for attack helicopters, and the Thunderbolt with bombs is perfect for close air support.

You should probably clarify whether you want something that approaches actual US tactics in Vietnam or if you want some mean-looking bunch of Rambo/FMJ/Platoon/Apocalypse Now guys with rolled up sleves, bandanas, sweatbands, napalm and rock&roll.

You can tie a lot together with theme and scheme. Different soldiers with different specialties in 40k guard armies can loot a lot alike. The commissars will likely not be too worried about the drop troops "buttoning up" and looking spiffy because they will know that them looking loose (catachan models) will give them higher morale. On the other hand, the guys back under his direct view where officers are more likely to "wander by", the commissars will be a lil more strict on uniform (cadian style).

I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to mix and match to what you think looks good. I have catacham, cadian, feral ogryn, even used chaos marauders as a base for my rough riders where each unit type has it's own theme based on it's role. To be honest, so long as you give them all the same basic paint scheme/basing, they will fit together surprisingly well once done.

Air cav was huge in Vietnam. It was the first wide spread use of the doctrine.

Your best bet, army list wise, I would say is to use an Imperial Guard primary detachment for your tanks, mech infantry and artillery, and then use an Elysian allied detachment for your air cav reinforcements.

Yes. But only, and only if, you play "Flight of the Valkyries" when deploying.

Cadians look NOTHING like US Army in 'Nam...

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Yes. But only, and only if, you play "Flight of the Valkyries" when deploying.

actually have another thread asking how to program a small speaker to do just that! However, I may play "fortunate son" instead! I can decide!!!

That would be suitable, yes

 Ryan_A wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Yes. But only, and only if, you play "Flight of the Valkyries" when deploying.

actually have another thread asking how to program a small speaker to do just that! However, I may play "fortunate son" instead! I can decide!!!

just use a bluetooth speaker synced to your phone.