Grab RKX’s Merville Battery Assault British For WW2 Wargaming

RKX Miniatures are on Kickstarter right now to fund the production of a set of new 28mm 3D printable World War II wargaming miniatures based on the British Paratroopers that took part in the Merville Battery Assault.

Merville Battery Kickstarter // RKX Miniatures

This project will focus on producing the miniatures for the infantry, weapons teams and vehicles that would have been used by the British Paratroopers during the Normandy Invasion and the assault on the Merville Battery.

The team visited Normandy last year and was inspired by the visit to the Merville Battery, which is seen as a pyrrhic victory for the Allies and a failure of intelligence. The paratroopers were tasked with taking out the guns at the battery, which would otherwise fire down onto the beach landings. It turns out that the World War I guns that the Germans were using might not have even been able to hit the beaches in the first place.

In addition to that, even though the attack went ahead, the paratroopers didn't strike at full strength and a lot of their equipment was missing after the drop. Despite heavy casualties, they did secure the guns, only to then be moved on to their next objective. This meant the Germans could recapture the guns and use them before they were eventually driven off by the Allies.

It's a fascinating scenario with plenty of back and forth between the Allies and the Axis. It seems like a scenario primed for the tabletop and, therefore, the miniatures from this campaign.

Merville Battery Core Files // RKX Miniatures

As mentioned, the focus of the campaign is on the British Paratroopers assaulting the battery. That means that you can get your hands on a Platoon HQ, Parachute Section, Weapons Teams, the Gliderborne Section and, as the campaign rolls on, the Modular Airborne Jeeps, which look super cool.

The miniatures from the set have been modelled as the Allies intended them, not based on the reality of the day. For example, the Jeeps and Weapons Teams alongside the Gliderborne Troops never arrived for the assault. So, you could dive in and tell a different story around the Merville Battery, where the Allies did get the troops they needed that would have made the difference.

Add-On Options

As well as the Free Promo Figure that you can print and test out, there are also some great add-on options from the folks at RKX Miniatures.

Commandos Add-On // RKX Miniatures

For example, you can get the Commandos who were sent to recapture the battery once the Germans had reoccupied it. You could also expand your army to turn it into a force that would have been built up in the wake of D-Day as the Allies pushed deeper into France.

Commonwealth Add-On // RKX Miniatures

If you're coming at it from the other side, you could also build yourself a Fallschirmjager force as they were very present during a lot of the D-Day Invasion skirmishes that played out. They might not have been at the Merville Battery but if you're playing something of a What If? scenario then they'd be perfect.

Fallschirmjäger Add-On // RKX Miniatures

This also shows off the extensive range of miniatures available from the good folks at RKX and as if that wasn't enough, there's plenty more to check out over on the Kickstarter page for the campaign. Delve into some of the stretch goals, more of the add-ons and some of the additional thinking behind the project from the creators.

Is this a scenario and a force that you'd be tempted to pick up? It seems like it would be great for smaller World War II skirmishes in particular, perhaps with the use of games like Bolt Action, V for Victory and Chain of Command.

What do you think?