I decided to take on the insane task of painting my Axis & Allies board game units and I’m about 4.5 years into it. I have the fmg Italian set as well as the Europe 1940 second edition. The FMG set has the SM-79 as a heavy bomber and the 2nd edition set has the SM-79 as a tactical bomber. Any advice on whether I should paint the tac or the heavy? Here are some of my thoughts supporting each selection:
Reasons to use the SM-79 as a heavy bomber choice:
Use the SM-79 as a tactical bomber choice:
I’m leaning towards using it as a heavy, but I haven’t played the game yet (waiting until at least all the pieces on the board are painted), so reasons such as ‘Italy is more likely to buy 2 tacs than 3 bombers’ and other arguments related to gameplay would be considered. Also, some people may have ideas out of left field that I hadn’t considered. Since I’m painting the pieces, I could also use German heavy bombers and tac bombers that the Italians also used in the war to add additional choices.
I think the more choices you have the better, but this is just my opinion. You can use the smaller one as a Tac and the other as a Heavy Bomber.
When you do both you can have different camo schemes for each one.
It really is just a preference thing. you can even make up your own plane identification. Call it something besides a sm. 79.
You really have multiple decisions you can make.
I hope that helps! I’m sure others will have different opinions. That is what is awesome about this website. :-)
John
Thanks John, I’m sure it’s subjective and what would be best for one would not be best for another. I know that I’m not that familiar with gameplay in the 1940 games and whether tacs or heavys are more likely to be purchased by Italy, but people may have other advice as well that I hadn’t thought of. The way my brain is, I would be bothered by seeing a small Sm.79 tac bomber right next to a big Sm.79 heavy bomber, even though most people that played with me wouldn’t know the difference… unless there were other Italian aircraft that looked similar: if so, I could sand/clip/glue plastic parts to make that fighter look like another - I did this to turn the A&A Pacific (1999 version) Yamato into one of the Japanese hybrid battleship carriers, so I’m sure I could do something similar here if a similar looking aircraft existed.
Thanks John, I’m sure it’s subjective and what would be best for one would not be best for another.�  I know that I’m not that familiar with gameplay in the 1940 games and whether tacs or heavys are more likely to be purchased by Italy, but people may have other advice as well that I hadn’t thought of.�  The way my brain is, I would be bothered by seeing a small Sm.79 tac bomber right next to a big Sm.79 heavy bomber, even though most people that played with me wouldn’t know the difference… unless there were other Italian aircraft that looked similar: if so, I could sand/clip/glue plastic parts to make that fighter look like another - I did this to turn the A&A Pacific (1999 version) Yamato into one of the Japanese hybrid battleship carriers, so I’m sure I could do something similar here if a similar looking aircraft existed.� Â
To be honest, I’m the same way. I was trying to make it easier on you, but if your like me and want it right, then I would make it a medium bomber, in other words a regular bomber. That is what is on the Wikipedia, but we can hear from others as well, what they think :-)
I use the FMG SM 79 as a transport and the stock SM79 as a bomber. If I paint them I will paint the larger one as a transport either way. That’s just me though I hope it helps. Now that I have my airbrush kit a whole new world of painting is on my horizon so I may be churning out some units soon.
I use the FMG SM 79 as a transport and the stock SM79 as a bomber. If I paint them I will paint the larger one as a transport either way. That’s just me though I hope it helps. Now that I have my airbrush kit a whole new world of painting is on my horizon so I may be churning out some units soon.
I’ve seen those air brush kits, but don’t know much about them. Can you explain how it works and what paint you use with them? :-)
Thanks,
John
Well that is a whole bunch of questions and answers rolled into one. Essentially I bought a compressor and air tank with a set of airbrushes. As far as paints go you can use pretty much any kind as long as you can keep them thinned enough for the paint not to clog the airbrush.
That’s the short answer. The long answer I’ll need to work on and probably post a video link.
Here’s what I bought: http://www.ebay.com/itm/IWATA-HP-C-PLUS-AIRBRUSH-w-COMPRESSOR-KIT-Createx-Hobby-/141572913099?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20f66737cb
Here’s a quick video of some airbrushing a miniature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQejZJp2TlI
I decided to take on the insane task of painting my Axis & Allies board game units and I’m about 4.5 years into it. I have the fmg Italian set as well as the Europe 1940 second edition. The FMG set has the SM-79 as a heavy bomber and the 2nd edition set has the SM-79 as a tactical bomber. Any advice on whether I should paint the tac or the heavy? Here are some of my thoughts supporting each selection:
Reasons to use the SM-79 as a heavy bomber choice:
- This bomber was the same size in real life and performed similar roles as the Br-20. Since I plan to paint the Br-20 as a heavy bomber (In addition to also painting the P.108 as another option), it might not make sense to have a much smaller SM-79 tac bomber flying next to a much larger heavy bomber that in reality would’ve been approximately the same size.
- The FMG heavy bomber version looks a tad better than the Europe 1940 second edition tac bomber.
- The FMG BA.65 is probably the best looking out of any of the FMG/HBG/1940 tac bombers, so it may not be a tragedy if that’s the only kind on the board for Italy.
Use the SM-79 as a tactical bomber choice:
- This will allow me to add variety to the Italian player’s choices of tac bombers. If I choose to go with this as a tac, the player can choose between (or choose both) the FMG BA.65 or the SM-79 instead of having the BA.65 as the only choice.
- There would still be 2 Italian bombers to choose from and add variety to the board.
I’m leaning towards using it as a heavy, but I haven’t played the game yet (waiting until at least all the pieces on the board are painted), so reasons such as ‘Italy is more likely to buy 2 tacs than 3 bombers’ and other arguments related to gameplay would be considered. Also, some people may have ideas out of left field that I hadn’t considered. Since I’m painting the pieces, I could also use German heavy bombers and tac bombers that the Italians also used in the war to add additional choices.
How many FMG Italy sets do you have? My main concern would be that one set contains only one BA 65 Tac, and a player might probably purchase more than one (though, Italy is pretty poor as nation go and might not purchase one in some games).
Well that is a whole bunch of questions and answers rolled into one. Essentially I bought a compressor and air tank with a set of airbrushes. As far as paints go you can use pretty much any kind as long as you can keep them thinned enough for the paint not to clog the airbrush.
That’s the short answer. The long answer I’ll need to work on and probably post a video link.
Here’s what I bought:Â Â http://www.ebay.com/itm/IWATA-HP-C-PLUS-AIRBRUSH-w-COMPRESSOR-KIT-Createx-Hobby-/141572913099?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20f66737cb
Here’s a quick video of some airbrushing a miniature:Â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQejZJp2TlI
Thanks Tolerone for the answer and links. :-)
If you do buy an airbrush kit from TCP global via eBay make sure you really pay attention to what actually comes in the kit you’re buying. The way the ad on eBay was orginally shown was that I was getting three cheap Chinese made beginner airbrushes in the set. I didn’t get them. I did get the Iwata airbrush though and the original price was $200 more.
Basically there web department didn’t do a good job editing thier ad on ebay so it was a fair deal but it wasn’t this closeout deal I thought I was getting.
Main thing is that I got the airbrush compressor with a tank and a pretty good airbrush as well as some good accessories. The paint looks to be really “low rent” and not all that great and I probably won’t use it.
I plan to get a Badger Patriot 105 and some Modelaire paints next payday and really get to work.All and all I got a pretty good set-up for a decent price but there’s a lot to learn and research to do when it comes to airbrushing.
If you do buy an airbrush kit from TCP global via eBay make sure you really pay attention to what actually comes in the kit you’re buying. The way the ad on eBay was orginally shown was that I was getting three cheap Chinese made beginner airbrushes in the set. I didn’t get them. I did get the Iwata airbrush though and the original price was $200 more.
Basically there web department didn’t do a good job editing thier ad on ebay so it was a fair deal but it wasn’t this closeout deal I thought I was getting.
Main thing is that I got the airbrush compressor with a tank and a pretty good airbrush as well as some good accessories. The paint looks to be really “low rent” and not all that great and I probably won’t use it.
I plan to get a Badger Patriot 105 and some Modelaire paints next payday and really get to work.All and all I got a pretty good set-up for a decent price but there’s a lot to learn and research to do when it comes to airbrushing.
Yes, I assumed there was a learning curve. Thanks for the information. I might look into it in the future, but I have spent enough on supplies and decals for now. :-)
Iwugrad & Others,
––Perhaps I might assist you by pointing out a few things.
----Whatever decisions you make concerning your A&A unit collection are HIGHLY PERSONAL ones, so whatever YOU decide on are what’s right for you.
––I should also point out that you would do well to remember
that this is a GAME and let that knowledge guide you to YOUR decisions.
––IMHO, I chose the following units for my Italian Air Force units:
C.202……Fighter …(single engine)
BA.65…Bomber, Tactical, Dive …(larger single engine)
BR.20…Bomber, Medium …(twin engine)
P.108…Bomber, Heavy …(four engine)
SM.79…Air Transport …(two or three engine)
----If you like you can check out pics & discussion concerning MY Italian Air Force on their thread:
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=26237.0
––Or you can check out MY Entire collection of painted A&A units at their thread"
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=29550.0
Tall Paul
How many FMG Italy sets do you have? My main concern would be that one set contains only one BA 65 Tac, and a player might probably purchase more than one (though, Italy is pretty poor as nation go and might not purchase one in some games).
I had purchased the full FMG Italian set, so there are several of each, I would have several Tacs with that set. Since I don’t use air transports in my games (sounds fun though), I plan to use the SM 79 as a heavy bomber option. I’ve toyed with the idea of making a ‘super heavy’ as a tech-up choice, where Italy would ‘unlock’ the p. 108, the US would unlock Superfortresses, Germany, UK, and Japan would use the multi-engine bombers that are sold on historicalboardgaming.com. Thanks all for the input as I hashed this out.
Iwugrad, do you have any pieces painted that you can post pictures. You will need about 20 posts for the administrator to open up privileges for you to post any pictures.
I can’t wait till you have something to show us.
Good luck on your set! :-D
