T70's Light Tanks and Refurbushed Soviet Armor...

I finally finished painting up these Soviet T-70 light tanks from Plastic Solider Company.  I love these two man little AFV's and they are a nice addition to the usual T-34 and KV mediums you uusally see on the battlefield...
(click on any photos for larger images).

 

I roughly used the colors suggested by the Battlegroup Kursk rulebook in their T-34 painting tutorial section(with the exception of starting with Vallejo's Dark Green Primer over Black). I know Soviet armor would have been a bit of darker green but I like the look of the lighter hue on 1/72 scale tanks in terms of bringing out the details of the models.   From primer to highlights here is what I used(applied via airbrush)...

Primer: Vallejo Dark Green Primer
Basecoat: Vallejo Russian Green Model Air
1st Highlight: Vallejo Interior Green Model Air
2nd Highlight: Vallejo Interior Green Model Air + White Model Air
3rd Highlight: Vallejo Hemp Model Air(applied via detail brush to seems/details)
After applying the basic greens I applied a generous glosscoat of Vallejo gloss to the models.  In reptospect, I applied too many coats of this because I lost some of the detail on the rivets when I went to pinwash.  After glossing, I gave the tanks a wash of Vallejo Umber Wash and pin-washed with Reaper Brown Liner.  I really want to experiment with oil paints for washes as often suggested online but I am not brave enough yet as I have worked only with acryllics. 
After matte-coating the models(again Vallejo) I applied some sublte mud/exhaust effects with the Tamiya weathering kit.  I also went back and painted up the headlight and gave it a glosscoat. 

I also refurbished some very old models that have seen heavy abuse on the wargaming table over the years.  Both had some broken bits and lousy paintjobs but I believe I have them ready for the gaming table again.  First, my Pegasus Hobbies(I think) Su-152.  The slogan on the side(in Russian) reads "revenge".

and my old BA-10(pretty sure it was UM Models)..  The BA-10 is missing a headlight and I had to borrow a spare wheel off the side for road use, but...you know, "battle damage".

Here are the three together.  Note how the heavy SU-152 dwarfs its lighter comrades...

As far as the future, I have some T-34's in the works as well as some Panzer III's. 
Happy wargaming everbody, and thanks for viewing...
~Gareson

Panzer IV's to the Fore...

Well it is still the early stage of painting these Plastic Soldier Company Panzer IVH 1/72 tanks(tracks/tools still unplainted, no washes, no pin wash, no weathering, no higlighting...yet) but I like the way the basecoat color and camoflauge looks so far. 

This is my first time every using an airbrush(outside of the practicing I did on some 'junk' tanks) so, given my noobiness, I am fairly pleased.  I used Vallejo Dark Yellow Primer to begin followed with Vallejo Dark Yellow Model Color as a basecoat(which I highlighted with some beige put into the mix).  The camo colors(brown and green) were Vallejo Model Air colors.  They say that you don't need to thin these to spray them in your airbrush I found the brown a little chunkey and splattery...so I had to go back to apply a little thinner to the cup; it's possible I didn't shake it up well enough before hand.  The green was fine right out of the bottle.   I wanted the camo patterns to have a bit of a faded look so I went back over the whole think with a heavily thinned layer of the Dark Yellow basecoat. 

So now I will move into the detailing stages.....I am excited to see how the whole thing turns out.

On another note, my Plastic Soldier Company order of Pak38 50mm AT Guns just arrived as well as my Battlegroup Kursk rulebook...yay!

German Heavy Weapons Teams

I completed a small number of PSC(Plastic Soldier Company) German Heavy Weapon Team figures...

Still love everything that this company touches, and their models are a joy to paint...

Panzerschreck Team

 

Mortar Crew with 82 and 120mm Mortars

German MG-34 Heavy Machine Gun Crew

On deck I have some small terrain elements, more Russians, and several tank models in the works as well as the rest of the figures(not shown) in the PSC German Heavy Weapons set.

(as a final note, here is a WIP shot of some of the minis above...No, I do not paint my nails with Vallejo Model Colors...it's how I take some paint off my brush when I pull too much off my wet pallette!)

(1)Winsor and Newton Series 7 (2) Minis Blue Tacked to Old Paint Pots (3) Colors Log (4) Thumbnail Paint Thinning
Happy Wargaming Everybody!
~Gareson

Soviet Anti Tank Power vs. Panzer 38T's

While I am putting the finishing touches on my new modular terrain boards(something I've wanted to make for years), I thought I'd throw up some pics of some "newer" minis in my painted collection of 20mm WWII figures(in group shots)...

First up, various Soviet T-70 Light Tanks, 45mm Anti-Tank Gun and Crew, Anti-Tank Rifle Team and a light Russian mortar in the background.  All miniatures are from Plastic Soldier Company.

The second shot shows some of my German infantry from Plastic Soldier Company.  Also in the shot is a 75mm Infantry Gun by Zvezda(from their Art of Tactic line) with the crewmen being Fantassin/Warmodelling.  The Panzer 38T light tanks are from Pegasus Hobbies. 

As I type my brand new Pak 38 German anti-tank kit is on its way to me from the U.K.(couldn't wait for U.S. stores to stock it so ordered it directly from PSC).  So excited to get this new kit...



Also, my wife is being kind enough to build my Panzer IVH and Stug III kits from PSC in the meantime!

Thanks for viewing, happy wargaming everybody...
~William

A Few Germans and Soviet ATR Team...

Here are some Plastic Soldier Company Germans that I painted up....great figures with wonderfully casted details and clean lines....

 

And a Soviet Anti-Tank Rifle Team(Plastic Soldier Company)....

Soviet Anti-Tank Guns & Crew

Ever since reviving my enthusiasm for WWII miniatures one of the great pleasures has been discovering the fantastic line of plastic figures made by Plastic Soldier Company.  They are a pleasure to paint, easily customized and show real originality in terms of poses. 

(click on photos for larger images)
Here are my Soviet 45mm Anti-Tank guns with crewmen...

In reality each gun is crewed by four men but I haven't gotten around to painting more as of yet.  In fact, eight of the figures are from the artillery set and four are from the Russian Heavy weapons set intended as mortar crewmen(but I thought they mixed nicely).

Here is a shot of the crewmen without the guns...

The four figures on the left are from the 45mm AT gun set by PSC and the four on the right are from PSC's Russian Heavy Weapons set.

Finally, here is a shot of a 50mm Russian mortar and crewmen...

I've been painting 28mm Warmachine figures for so long that adjusting down to painting 20mm plastics is a bit of a challenge but my brush control is slowly adapting. 

Thanks for viewing...
~Gareson

Fallschirmjager HMG's

I picked up some Platoon20 German Airborne HMG's and crews. The nice little pack came with an officer as well. Here you can see the result...

This should just about finish my Fallschirmjager force. At some point in the future I'll pick up some light arty. crews and maybe a recoilless rifle crew, but for now I will move on to other armies(maybe, just maybe, the Brits will get some love from me one of these days!).

Nine in the Nick of Time

Well I finally finished painting a few more figures. These G.I.'s complete my 20mm American force for now but I'm sure I'll do more down the line. They are a mixture of Fantassin(War Modelling), Sgt.Majors and Sojers.

The five figures below are the Sojers models. I'd just recently purchased some to see if I liked them and I must say that I do (click on the picture for a larger view). Though the poses are a bit simple, the figures are crisp and detailed- easy to paint! I especially like the prone BAR gunner and the rifle grenade-armed figure.

Well they are done just in time for our Blitzkrieg skirmish game tomorrow. I also recently finished several rural structures that I will show in the blog in the coming days.

With summer break nearly upon me I must plan what I wish to make while on vacation. Here are some things I am considering:
20mm(1/72) Jagdpanthers & M10 Wolverines(ordered and on the way)
15mm Romans-finish DBA Army
15mm Carthaginians-purchase and complete DBA Army
20mm WWII Tommies-purchase and begin
20mm(1/72) WWII British Armor-purchase and complete
and I am considering...British Commandos, US Airborne, British Airborne
We'll see what happens!

Soviet Armor Arrives...

I recently received some Soviet tanks that I built and painted up for 20mm Blitzkrieg games. first up is a SU-152 Assault Gun. This super heavy tank had a 152mm gun- though it had a notoriously slow rate of fire(the charge and shell were loaded seperately); in our game it therefore can fire every other turn. That being said, it is a beast that has thick armor and delivers a punch. Soviet tank crews liked to paint slogans on the sides of their tanks...thanks to my Russian exchange student, Anton, I have accurately depicted the expression "Revenge" on the side of the SU-152.

These SU-85 tank hunters were simple emplacements of the 85mm gun on the T-34 chasis. Before the arrival of the 85mm-housing T-34 turret, the SU-85 beefed up the killing ability of Soviet tank divisions against heavy German armor. The slogans on these two tank hunters read, from left to right, "To Berlin!" and "Tiger Hunter" respectively.

Battle for Seelow Heights

For club's next scenario a pitched battle for Seelow Heights(1945, Eastern Germany) was fought. Hoping to stem the Red onslaught, the desperate remnants of the Fallschirmjager attempted to hold a hamlet against a Soviet advance guard armored force.

The forces arrayed were:
Soviets: 2xT-34 (76mm),2 xSu-85(85mm), 1 xISU-152(152mm), 2o Infantry
Germans: 1xPanzer IV H, 1x88mm AA gun, 20 Airborne Infantry(elites)
(reinforcements arrived later: 2xPanzer VI Tiger(88mm))

The shot below shows the battlefield(yellow numbers will be alluded to in later photos).

The German objective was to hold at least one of the buildings in the center of town by the end of the game. The Soviet goal was to eliminate all German infantry in these buildings; they grouped their assault into three major thrusts with armor and infantry allotted to each.

The Germans chose to layer their defense with infantry spread amongst several buildings and they placed their "88" in the town center to thwart armor attacks that might come from their left and center.

Soviet forces in the rightmost thrust begin to move out.

Another contingent of the northern(right flank) thrust.

To the left(South), an imposing ISU-152 assault gun and tank riders traverse tall grass as they approach the German positions.

A Fallschirmjager signals to a comrade that "Ivan is near!"

At point 1(see first picture) the Germans draw first blood...thought the ISU-152 immobilizes the Panzer IVH, it returns fire and sets the Soviet behemoth ablaze(and unfortunately it was still loaded with tank riders who share the tank's fate).

Soviet forces make an early run with their center thrust and fight their way into a building near the center of town.

Undeterred by the loss of the ISU-152, an SU-85 pushes in on the German right flank.

Soviet T-34's on the right blast away at the crew of the 88 and eliminate this German threat.

But enough time has elapsed for two German Tiger tanks to approach from the west, catching the T-34's in a difficult position.

A Tiger positions itself for a rear armor shot on a T-34(note the unfortunate Soviet infantryman in clear line of sight of the panzer's foreward-mounted machine gun).

The Soviets mass remaining armor in the center of town but they have lost most of their infantry to German riflemen and armor- they no longer have the strength to eject the Germans from the town.

These German troops are caught in the street by an SU-85 which tries to back over them...they easily sidestep the slow-moving threat.

These Russians have reached the "Deutsche Heroes" pub, but there simply aren't enough Reds left to take the West side of town.

Aftermath: General Zhukov purges the advance guard of its commander(can you say "gulag"?), but plans to throw even greater numbers at the Germans tomorrow and to be in Berlin within a week are put into action.

From their Berlin HQ, German propaganda personnel broadcast praises of the "Seelow Jagers" who blunted the Russian advance.