This section will cover my Thud Ridge forces, which are compatible with Downtown (always a bonus).
With the starter pack I started off building a USAF force first, until I noted that the A-7 in the starter pack didn't hit the USAF until late so I started a USN force in parallel. In my spares box were a couple of skyraiders (both with and without ordinance) from Korea which were pressed into service for both the USAF rescue package as well as the USN ECM effort. From this point I realised that I didn't know a lot about either of the US Services in sufficient detail and my library is steadily growing.
After a while I concentrated on the USN after reading about how "poor" the USAF fighter effort was (USN assessment of fighter capability, which was so negative the USN were actually going to lend some F-8 Crusader pilots to teach the USAF ACM, but to be honest the USN F-4 Pilots weren't much better until the USN decided to conduct a review of perfomance). The second reason was that Vietnam era USN aircraft markings were striking and give life to the models and with a bit of care really make a difference to the game.
USAF Aircraft
My USAF forces currently comprise enough aircraft for a reinforced strike package.
- Pair of Wild Weasel F-105G
- MigCAP of a pair of F-4C/D
- Strike Group of 4 or 5 F-105
- Recce unit of a pair of RF-4C (Downtown only needs the one)
- Rescue Forces are two pairs each of of HH-53C and A-1 Sandy (these are Thud ridge pairs. Downtown uses the same number of models).
In the wings are F-4Es for the later campaigns.
I have added a pair of B-52 and F-111 but the latter did most if not all of their work at night which I dont think transfers well to Thud Ridge
USN Aircraft
I initially based my USN force on USS Ranger which is a large deck carrier capable of launching an alpha strike but have enough left over to allow a force from one of the "smaller or 27C" carriers as well. This has now moved on and my second carrier is the USS Oriskany. As a result of a conversation I am in the process of making up a decal set for the Crusader units on board (as CVW-16) as well as some of the more straightforward tail art for the A-4 community.
They no longer have to rely on the USAF to pick up any downed crews as I have now done both a Seasprite and Seaking for CSAR.
DRV Airforce and SAM forces
You can only have a maximum of 6 SAM bases in the standard game of Thud Ridge. Downtown however uses a huge map and allows an large number (depends on the scenario) so at present I am slowly adding CinC miniatures (1/285th) SA-2 models on 40mm bases to represent these, we are now upto about 15 bases of these absolutely fabulous models. My MiG 17 are nearly all finished.
Targets
If you every need inspiration on what a marker can look like have a look here http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j17/wayswatcher/3mm%20Mustangs/
This guy has some of the most beautifully painted aircraft I have seen. Targets haven't been on my list to do so please wait out.
Thud Ridge Table
The ridge needs a simple table arrangement. When you go through all the options in the book you end up with an arrangement something like the diagram below. Some of the earlier rule sets actually had a diagram but not so for Thud Ridge.
or 
If you have a USN only force obviously you use the table with the South China Sea (Yankee Station); if you have USAF only or a mixed force (which the game permits) then the table is the land portion of North Vietnam (in any of the route packages you wish but MiGs were only found in Pack 6).
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