You might have heard the name Shyluz being thrown around a fair amount on the blog. If you aren’t aware, this is the fictional setting for the first ChargeReal book, a deep dive that will detail its geography, and political intrigue but more importantly how it can be used for wargaming.

However, before we can play in the Republic of Shyluz, Shyluz must first be created. And created from scratch – although Shyluz does share a border with Bazistan, simply dropping the pieces I have for Middle East/North Africa into it wouldn’t really be suitable, especially seeing as I picture Northern Shyluz being closer to a blend of rural Russia and the Caucuses in terms of its visuals and feel. This means I have a lot of work ahead of me.

First up, and most important for a wargamer, is building the actual troops that will be fighting there. I’m still working out the exact details of what a Republic of Shyluz platoon actually looks like (playing the latest ArmA 3 DLC has me thinking about commando mortars), but I have nailed down exactly the look and vibe I want for them. With Shyluz originally a part of the Tsardom to the north but now looking to form its own national character, The book captures Shyluz at a moment where, having won a civil war to separate from its Tsarist masters with the help of its industrial neighbour Rettung, is now transitioning from using older Tsarist weapons and equipment to different generations of the German-inspired equipment – both the battle rifles provided during the civil war and more modern assault rifles.

On the practical side, as I mentioned in the first article I’m building up Shyluz’s infantry around the Combat Octopus Bundesher. These were some of the original figures released by the Combat Octopus Patreon and as such are a little on the smaller side, especially when put next to other manufacturers. I ended up increasing the body, legs and weapon by 105%. However, due to using the heads from the very latest set of releases (the Russians in Chechnya) I left them at their original scale so they would fit. The Russian helmet and watch cap combination help to make them feel different from the original inspiration while also making them look slightly more rugged and old fashioned, perfect for a force still being upgraded to meet the modern day.

Long-time fans of the blog may remember I did some Shyluz figures way back in 2021. They were done purely using the German parts and still live in my display cabinet. They are really the genesis for the new project, with elements I came up with during their construction definitely going to be going into the final book as part of the lore.

One thing that isn’t staying the same though is the paint scheme. Shyluz has changed from a mostly desert country to one with a bit more green in it.

So far I’ve only done a single test model (the rest of the first section are in various shades of green) but this is what I’ve come up with. With a paint list featuring Straken Green, Waagh Flesh and Deathworld Forest, it’s definitely green. Some mostly horizontal streaks of Zandri Dust offset the main colour but it does little to defend against the extra green of the plastic G3 foreend and stock. I’m looking forward to seeing how the full squad looks, but I’m happy with the feel so far.

I’m also already planning a few mods. The releases from CO come with the G3, MG3, G36, MP7, MP5, MG4 and PZF-3 (enjoy that tasty alphabet soup). I’m currently using the G3 and MG3 but it would be good to expand out the options for small arms in the 7.62mm family. A G3 with some kind of optic would fill the gap that an SVD while a sustained fire option that is slightly more man-portable than the 1940s design of the MG3 would be a good variation. These will require a little 3d sculpting work, but would be a good addition to the force, as well as allowing me some more variation when detailing the platoons you’ll play with.

Speaking of platoons, the ChargeReal Researchers over on the Patreon will be getting a post over this long weekend that will give some more details as to the rough organisation. If you want to take a peek, now is a good moment to jump in.

To go with the ground troops, I’ve been experimenting with some vehicles – more specifically helicopters. With Shyluz being a land of mountainous valleys where the road network away from the urban areas varies from dirt track to not at all, helicopters are vital to allow the Shyluz military to respond to rebel groups and cross-border insurrection. Wanting to be able to run the Shyluz infantry as Airmobile troops, I’d ideally have several airframes in 1:50 scale (to match my vehicles) to drop on the board when the troops arrive. Plus, it would look pretty awesome in the battle report.

I have several releases from Bobmack3d that include helicopters, giving me some wonderful MI-24 Hind and MI-8 Hip models. These are designed for printing in resin (along with a pile of AFVs to go with them) but there is one problem. Putting the helicopter and all it’s parts into my slicer and working out the printing time left me with an estimate of 30 hours. That is a very long time to run a resin printer for and frankly, a print that long has far too many chances to screw up thanks to the 101 factors that can affect resin. It also locks out my 3d printer for other things, such as printing troops or terrain.

Well, seeing as my Neptune 4 seems to be working rather well, I decided it was time to do a little experiment. Taking the 28mm model from Bobmack3d, I scale it up to 112% and began investigating how to print it. Using the default supports on the single piece files for the body wasn’t really going to fly (they leave marks on the material that would be plain to see from underneath) so instead I cut the model up into several pieces – vertical cuts behind the engine intakes and at the back of the passenger compartment before a horizontal cut through the cockpit. This meant I’d be able to save as much detail as possible although it added a construction stage at the end that (because I hadn’t included locator lugs) added the possibility of .

I’m not 100% finished on this experiment but so far I think it’s a success. I have attempted to print some of the smaller parts (such as the wings or the turret) on the FDM but frankly due to a mixture of factors they just haven’t worked. I’m currently running an 8-hour print for the wings, armaments and countermeasures so we’ll see how that goes but assuming it works it sets out a possible pattern. It currently stands at 8 hours to FDM print the main hull (11 hours if I put all the files onto a single build plate) while the Resin printer seperately spends 8 hours to prepare the detailed parts. The final thing to do is work out how to do the rotors but that’s a problem for another time.

Then of course we get to look at the other helicopter in the Shyluz arsenal – going to need some troop carriers to lug these platoons around.

Finally, we need to start building the maps to fight through. I’ve already printed and painted up the farmhouse and barn used in the last Shyluz game but two buildings are not enough for a village. I’ve dived back into the Patrick Miniatures Soviet village and pulled out the larger Dacha structures. Although these lack interiors, they should be fit for the purpose of building up the villages of Northern Shyluz. I will however do some tweaks – some will be within the slicer, flipping building parts to tweak some of the designs. After that, I’ll start adding modern elements such as TV dishes or solar panels, as well as some larger tweaks to the actual models.

The next step is to add some of the smaller details to the terrain collection. The first parts will be roads and fences, linear obstacles that will be key to setting up areas to look like more than just a collection of buildings. There will also be some more feature buildings for setting up the towns and villages – I’ve already grabbed a church from the Polish village set, and I’m already eyeing some shops and services that would be useful points of interest.

Overall, I think I’ve made a good start on setting up this brand-new setting. The fact I’ve been able to get some games in already is a good sign, and I’m still excited about the possibilities of building up this terrain and forces. It’s also doing the job I wanted it to – pushing me to learn new skills and try new things which is always a plus.

Stand by for a future update on Shyluz, unless you’re a Patron at the ChargeReal Researchers tier in which case we’ll be taking a look at the platoons in a post coming soon!

In 2021, I started developing a fictional world to set my wargames in. After writing up a starter post, detailing some of the Bazi nations and then actually getting a few games in, I took a little break to work on Gunslinger and its real-world but future setting.

Well, now I’m back, planning to develop my setting further and (more importantly for you, the reader) actually get the information out there. I’ve always been a keen reader of Osprey’s series of books, with copies filling my shelf and PDFs my Google Drive – what could be a better goal for how to get the information about my wargaming setting across?

The question I asked myself was where to begin? I’ve already started talking about Bazistan but that’s a major power, so pulling on that particular thread tugs the whole damn map, requiring reference to other areas of the world that have not yet been explained and a larger amount of maps and other documentation. Ideally, it would be somewhere smaller, still playing a vital part in the world but providing a slightly more gentle introduction to the setting. Perhaps more importantly, it would need to be a nation that I have some rough ideas for figures to use for it. At which point I went all the way back to the very first ChargeReal game I ran…

“It is said in ancient times that the people of Shyluz built fortresses among the mountain tops of their land so that they could challenge both the forces of humankind and those of the Gods. In the present day, after centuries of rule by outside forces to both the north and south, The Republic of Shyluz now finds itself proudly independent, supported by a partner nation Rettung that more than happy to supply it’s neighbour with increasingly modern equipment alongisde other support.

However, the Time of Strife may be over but all is not peaceful for this republic in the mountains. The Great Road of Friendship built by Tsar Nikolev and Emperor Al-Bazi to connect the Imperial Tsarist lands and Bazistani Empire still carves it’s way through Shyluz lands from North to South, providing a key transport route between the two nations that both seek to control. The wild mountainous lands outside of the populated core are still home to various factions that arose during the civil war against the Tsarists, using their remote location to fight against both the Republican government and assist those seeking to strike the empires to the North and South. Finally, the Great Game of spies and mercenary groups continues on, bringing other stranger forces to nations close to the Greater Powers of the world.

It is into this situation that the Republic of Shyluz Armed Forces (RSAF) find itself. Emerging from being an element of the Tsarist forces, they are mid-transition from the old ways to the new doctrine and equipment that Rettung can provide. However, the RSAF finds itself more than willing to protect their country, with Airmobile Infantry and Scout Cadres hard at work among the ancient ruins that pierced the sky.”

As you can see, we’ll be taking a look at the Republic Of Shyluz, a nation freed of its imperial master in the past but now sitting between two great powers that seek to control and influence it. A land of mountains scraping the sky and riches below the surface, while its forests and isolated valleys allow for the existence of forces outside of government control, each with their own agendas and plans.

For players, it can play host to all sorts of missions, from covert encounters between small special forces groups and small-scale counter-insurgency operations to large-scale force-on-force engagement, within a landscape ranging from mountainous valleys and forests to the largely urbanised sections around the capital and major roadways. It’s a great starting point, providing plenty of hooks to begin playing all within a reasonable-sized setting.

The roughly planned project features for this project are:

• Basic information on Shyluz’s history and society
• An overview of Shyluz’s current defence situation and challenges
• Basic Structure of the Republic of Shyluz Armed Forces (RSAF)
• Focus on the platoons of the RSAF Airmobile Infantry, RSAF Scout Cadres, RSAF Mechanised Forces and RSAF Internal Security Forces
• Details of the various Libertalian (we’ll talk about them in the future) and Covert forces involved in Shyluz
• An updated version of the Al-Baawaba Patrol Generator, updated for the Shyluz situation and designed around the type of fighting that is ongoing in the “present day” of the ChargeReal

The end goal of the project will be wrapping it up into a PDF that will be freely downloadable once all elements are completed, with printing options to be investigated depending on demand. However, patrons (especially those at the recently rebranded “ChargeReal Researchers Tier” will receive the first look at all pieces that are going to be produced as well as an element of input into some specific details. Finally, Patrons will also have their names included in the PDF, thanking them for their assistance.

This will not be a quick project, with lots of elements to bring to it before it’s done. I’m already a chunk of the way through the basic planning and sketching out the elements, but I’m excited to get to work on the next stages, especially as it involves assembling some new models and getting some games in. If you’re interested in helping out and seeing development details early, then the ChargeBlog Patreon is going to be the home for all the latest updates as well as an element of discussion. In fact, they have already got some extra details on what gameplay stuff will be included in the book, as well as some additional thoughts.

I’m beginning on my end by preparing the infantry troops, as this is the focus for most of the games I play and will be shared between both the Airmobile Infantry and the Mechanised Infantry formations. These are done by taking the Combat Octopus Bundeswher, using the G3 and MG3 arms and then adding the heads from the Russians in Chechnya kits that came out recently. I’ll do a more detailed post on these guys soon, as well as some painting details. And then I can get onto all the helicopters I’ll be needing…

I’m really excited to get started on the project – the ChargeReal has been living in my brain for far too long, and there are too many exciting opportunities to bring a new slant to Ultramodern gaming. It’s also going to be a good excuse to get more stuff built, painted and played with, as well as give you the reader something exciting to follow along with. It’s going to be a fun adventure!