I got into making game pieces almost by accident. Back then, I couldn’t find what I wanted for one modification and thought it couldn’t be that hard. In reality, it was a lot more work than I thought. Thankfully, I enjoyed the challenge and started making more for fun. Furthermore, it put me in touch with a few other gamers who gave me some more ideas over time. I do hope this will bring you as much joy as it did me and these fellow players.
Before I show you my realizations, I have to give the most special thanks to The Plastic Commando on YouTube. This gentleman and I had many discussions on what could be designed for WWI games and many ideas are his. His channel shows a great deal of things about the Axis and Allies 1914 boardgame. For instance, you can find his new pieces before and after he paints them (he does an amazing job). In addition, he discusses potential rule changes he would want to implement. This is a great way for you to see how you could do it. Finally, you can even find a full game he plays over several hours with his new units and rules ! That’s why I suggest you check out his videos to get some ideas. It’s worth the time !
Options for Units
If you are looking for units to add to your game and aren’t sure where to start, I can suggest the ones that I designed myself. You will find them below with a link to my Shapeways shop where you can purchase them. If you can’t find anything you like, you can also check out a few of these good suppliers. These are personal shoutouts I freely give as I think they do good work that deserves recognition :
My Designs
Trucks
The early 20th century saw the beginning of motorization in many armies. As such, trucks were used to carry men and supplies around, and some were also fitted to serve more specific roles. You can find different models here :
Armored Cars
As soon as cars were invented, people started thinking of ways to put weapons on them. One of those experiments created fast, armored cars bristling with machine guns to surprise their enemies. Many variants saw the light of day, and you can find a few models here :
Trains
Trains were very useful in the Great War era, since it was the main method of transportation at the time. There were also armored trains that served as mobile weapons platforms to assault or defend and fully dedicated artillery trains using massive guns to smash the enemy into oblivion. If you are thinking about adding railroad power to your game, you can look up these models :
Artillery
Artillery went through a lot of transformations early in the 20th century. When tanks came around, a way to bring the artillery forward with the advance had to be designed. This was the birth of the first self-propelled guns :
Ships
Many ships of various types were used in the first conflicts of the 1900s. They filled many roles from ships of the line to escort duties to raiders to even, yes, pirate ships ! If the seas are your battleground, the following units may be quite useful for you :
Fortifications
Many cities or natural features have strong defensive value and have been reinforced throughout the ages with fortifications to make them even more formidable to any attacker. They can be the lynchpin of victory… or defeat. You can find some of these great strongholds here :
- Coastal Defenses (2 models available, second one here)
- Fortifications
- Flak Towers
Buildings
It’s not just about the military, it’s also about the economy and resource management. Therefore, you need to make sure your war industry is fully supplied and firing on all cylinders. You can also use these to mark the industrial area for game rules:
- Factories (2 models available, second one here)
- Water Towers
- Air Base Towers
Can’t Find What You Wanted ?
Look up the people I mentioned at the top of this page. There are also a few miscellaneous items that I haven’t listed here that you might like in my Shapeways shop You can also reach me by sending me a message there. The possibilities are endless and I may just end up bringing your idea to life !