Reading the main rule book it says you don't need the helicopter model. But do you need them for transport purposes. Gun ships I understand that they are off the board but pick up and delivery is it better to have a model? Isaw someones post about a big Mogadishu scenario and they had helicopters. Should I plan on some slicks for Nam? Some loaches?

For picking up and dropping off on the ground, it'd be best to have a model, since it can be targeted as normal, might get knackered and be stuck there for the remainder of the game, and so on. For gun runs and fast-roping, there's no need for a model because it won't be spending time in the table-top battlespace and any crashes are assumed to happen outside of the game area.

Of course, a downed helicopter as a game objective is another reason to have a model, but I imagine helicopters that need rescuing in an area hostile enough to make for a fun game aren't in a state of intactness that the same model could pull double duty.

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Wargamer's Cleavage - Shane's wargaming blog

Well, since I also have been working on Tropic Lightning (Flames of War's Vietnam supplement), I have a bunch of slicks and a couple hogs. If I expand to later events, I will need a couple Cobras and 2+1 loaches. One loach to crash and burn as an objective marker, the other two for use as AOPs or whatever.

To me, having the helos helps with the setting.

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Platoon Sergeant to his new 1stLT:
Sir, I like to do things the easy way, and I hear you like to do what works... Let's just toss the book now!

They might not be necessary, but they look good on the table.

Simon

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100% All Natural Urban Bunny

Correct! And for me the main cause to get some helicopters, Nam or Mogadishu without helis? Unthinkable!

Greetings
Wolflord

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"My officers are the first out of the airplane door and the last in the chow line." James M. Gavin

"There must be some way out of here, said the joker to the thief."

It would be easy enough to print or glue top-down images of the helicopters you need for a game, and then replace them with models as you can. The positive side of 2-D cards is that you can keep the troops on them until they are off-loaded.

Tom

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Tom Oxley
OD Green Old Fart
FoF: RtB, EF, AV, CWGH, DotR, BW, DMA, Fal, C-SOM, SOG

I will agree with several other posters and say that even if they are not necessary, they do make the game look better!

If it's cheap enough, it doesn't need to be necessary.

This was on sale in the UK this week, and cost less than a pint of beer! Of course, it had to be mine (but as all my soldiers are Brits, I've no idea what I'll do with it).

Or Rhodesia without a couple Alouettes?

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When in deadly peril,
When beset by doubt,
Run in little circles,
Wave your arms and shout.