Finished Unit – WW II US Paratroopers

The ones out of the Open Fire box set. Not entirely happy with the outcome, seems to be a little less definition than I usually get. Perhaps try a darker ink wash next time (I have the box set company to do), this one was Vallejo wash (200 – sepia) I find black too dark, maybe should try a mix of the two or perhaps finally give Army Painter a go.


Command


MMG Teams


Bazooka Team


The full company

What I’m Working on Now

Having succumbed again to plastic envy this time in 15mm I’m painting up the US paratroopers from the Open Fire! starter set for Flames of War.
I think they saw me coming…

What I’m working on now

More Huguenots…

Warfare Miniatures

Finished Unit – Duke of Schomberg

Got round to basing the gallant Duke and adding a friend. Will he spot the Jacobite cavalry in time???

Warfare Miniatures

What I’m Working on Now

Commander for the Huguenots, he will be representing the Duke of Schomberg on the table top – just don’t let on what happened to him!

Warfare miniatures

What I’m Working on Now

Been bit by the bug of another period which has resulted in yet more metal to fill my ever straining shelves. This time I put the blame squarely on the League of Augsburg who ran a Beneath the Lily Banners weekender recently in Derby, pictures of which can be found at http://www.leagueofaugsburg.com/gallery/gallery-39-391.html.
The setting was Ireland 1690 and I fought mostly with the Huguenots that weekend who acquitted themselves well and I succumbed to a figure-crush. The result a few packs of Warfare miniatures (available on the League of Augsburg site) and another project!
The first test piece is below:
Warfare miniature

Finished Unit–1815 French Foot Artillery

Hot off the brush, a 6lb cannon battery. All figures are Perry.

The full battery ready to go!


Loading…


Firing!

Command having a chat with an infantry officer.

Ultramarine Gallery

The inevitable blue marines known and reviled throughout WH40K. Next project is Green Marines (you know who!).
All models are Games Workshop/Citadel except the cobbles which are Battlefront.
The whole army… blue, blue electric blue that’s the colour of my marines…


The command team…



Dreadnoughts



Tactical


Drop Pod



Terminators


Predator


Vindicator

Building an Empire Army Part Three

Test Piece - Hand Gunner
So having had a bad experience with Army Builder Uniform Grey spray paint I went back to the drawing board and gave a Citadel Chaos Black undercoat followed by a light spray of the grey.
This immediately highlighted what I’d thought had happened, because the figure was grey already I had simply put too much of the Army Painter spray on and obliterated the detail – nothing to do with the product, all me own fault! (as usual).
I had decided that the Empire units should come from Reikland having been seduced by the bright white uniforms and how bright they would look compared to Orc or Skaven armies (and forgetting how difficult white can be).
Games Workshop have published several guides recently in White Dwarf and their new Painting Citadel Miniatures book and both sources were used. However, having been unable to persuade the other half that mortgaging the house to buy the entire new range of paint was a good idea, there is a fair mix of the old and new paint ranges. Unless specifically stated all paint is Citadel.

White Uniform:

• Army Painter Uniform Grey Undercoat.
• White Scar for layering.
• Praxeti White for highlights.

Bag:

• Calthan Brown base colour.
• Snakebite Leather first hightlight.
• Tausept Ochre edge highlight.

Hand gun:

• Barrel: Bolt Gun Metal, Chainmail highlight and then coated in a Nuln Oil ink.
• Stock: Scorched Brown with a Dark Flesh Highlight.

Black areas – Chaos Black with an Adeptus Battlegrey highlight.
Red areas – Mechrite Red followed by Blood Red Highlight.
Base: Blackfire Earth with a Snakebite leather highlight. The foliage is MiniNatur tufts with blossoms early fall.

So one down… an army to go…

Napoleonic French Gallery

A quick summary of the small (ok minute) collection so far…


7th Dragoons – Perry, GMB Flags



Imperial Guard Grenadiers – Victrix, GMB Flags



54th – Perry, plastic with a metal officer (oblivious to rock!), GMB Flag



55th Line – feeling the cold – Perry, all plastic, GMB Flag



Napoleon and friends – Perry

Building an Empire Army Part Two

Test Pieces

Unfortunately disaster strikes almost instantly. My favourite guy with the hammer did not survive an undercoating of Army Painter Uniform Grey. Guess I was too heavy handed most of the detail was obliterated as can be seen in the photo.

I attempted a rescue job but he was just too stubborn.
That had been a straight undercoat of Uniform Grey for  the next test piece a hand gunner (somebody who can be hidden in the rank and file – lesson learned) a Citadel Chaos Black coat was applied before the Uniform Grey which was used sparingly. So far ok, next post should see him finished and details of his paint scheme…

What I’m Working on Now…

French Artillery… all Perry

Soviet Gallery

Some shots of the Soviets in action… well on a green table somewhere at least!
T-34s – Ones on the road Plastic Soldier Company, other and terrain  - Battlefront



Strelkovy company – Battlefront



Sniper teams – Battlefront



HMG company – Battlefront


ISU 152’s (with a T-34 in the background) – all Battlefront

What I’m Working on Now…

It is an unwritten truth that anybody who dabbles in Warhammer 40K eventually ends up with the ‘blue’ marines…

Ultramarines – 3rd Company.
All miniatures by Games Workshop

Building an Empire Army – Introduction

Finally after years of resisting I’ve succumbed to Warhammer and decided that I need to build an army. The first major decision is of course which one? It ended up being a choice between the Orcs and Empire. The Empire won out as I have always been intrigued by the mix of pike and fire arms plus I’d actually spent the past couple of years building and painting an Ork army for Warhammer 40K.
There’s only so much Goblin Green a man can take.
Anyhow first up on the list is always some characters, that way I can make decisions on colours and heraldry and then let them permeate down into the rank and file.

The two on the left are from Citadel’s Empire Generals plastic set and the one on the right is Markus Wulfhart from the Citadel Finecast series. All ready for some undercoat.
And would you look at the size of the chap in the middles warhammer? What’s not to like?

What I’m Working on Now…

More French and another unit started a while back Imperial Guard Grenadiers, should be a worrisome sight for any Allies I eventually manage to paint up. I have the figures but they’re sat in boxes!

Victrix plastic Napoleon’s Old Guard Grenadiers box set.

What I’m Working on Now…

It’s been a month with a French feel to it. This week the 7th Dragoons, finally got round to basing them:

Complete with elite company in bearskins(just love those).

     

All miniatures are from the Perry’s French Dragoon plastic box set.

What I’m Working on Now

Soviet infantry from Battlefront… the human wave cometh!

What I’m Working on Now

Some nice machine guns for the Soviets. Battlefront again.

What I’m Working on Now…

Games Workshop drop pod for my Ultramarines. Nearly done.

What I’m Working on Now

Some good old French infantry, destined for a Belgian field somewhere.

Figure is Perry Plastics.

What I’m Working on Now

This week it’s French Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard.

Base colours and wash done… hopefully details will follow soon.
Figures are Victrix plastics, mistakes my own.

What I’m Working on Now

This week its a Prussian command group. Never done Prussians before.
It shows!

Prussians are Perry, there’s a Victrix grenadier poking his head out in the background!

Battlefront and Plastic Soldier Company T-34 Side by Side

Until recently I was a Battlefront acolyte when it came to Flames of War miniatures mostly because I could buy them in proper rule friendly company proportions. But like many others I’ve recently been tempted by the Plastic Soldier Company (PSC). Ashamedly this is not due to quality but price and the natural toy soldier addicts desire to field as much hardware as a table will take without collapsing.
So here are a few pics of PSC and Battlefront models side by side. PSC models are on the left.

As can be seen the PSC’s T-34’s are a little smaller. Not noticeable unless side by side so mixing units is probably out. My feeling is Battlefront’s tanks have more detail or at least the detail is more recessed than PSC’s making the paint job a bit more effective (I like inks). There’s a weight differential too, PSC’s are, naturally, much lighter but I guess I could get used to it.
On the plus side for PSC the models are much easier to assemble and have good enough detail to keep me happy, these are for wargaming after all not a painting competition. Also with both 76 and 85 turrets in the pack there’s the opportunity to have one squadron double as both mid and late war variations.
And then there’s the cheapskate in me looking at the price…

Picture – To be honest the crew of this Puma aren’t too concerned whether those are Battlefront or PSC T-34s (PSCs on the left). Terrain Battlefront.