More 28mm WWII Undercoating - US Infantry, US Paras, 1940 BEF Brits and French, Japanese

Just to complete the full story (or is it?) of the "Spray Can Day" event!

Wargames Atlantic British 1940 BEF and a few (6) Imperial Japanese Infantry from Warlord Games: 

Wargames Atlantic French 1940 Infantry:

German Late War Infantry - Warlord Games: 

US Paras - Warlord Games: 

US Infantry - Perry Miniatures and Warlord Games: 

Left with empty spray cans! Job well done!

The Big (28mm) Napoleonic Build - Attacking The (British) Plastic Kit Pile - The Great Assemble

Recently I spotted a large pile of British Napoleonic 28mm plastic figure boxes in the loft, a "hidden sin" of mine. I must have been collecting these over the last ten years. I decided that the "Great Assemble Project" was about to begin (see below, Victrix Highlanders started the adventure - Centre Company boys): 

One box lead to another, then another (see below, Victrix Highlanders, Flank Company boys):  

In the end there were "legion" (see below, Perry's British Nap Infantry done as British Peninsular Infantry, 40 in total [36 normal and 4 riflemen])

In review, Victrix Highlanders Flank Company (see below, 60 in a box): 

Continuing the review, Victrix Highlanders Centre Company (see below, 60 in a box):

Not forgetting the Wargames Atlantic British Rifles (see below, 32 in a box but I made 24 and donated 8 to a good cause - still you only need a few): 

Assembling is one thing, but painting them is another - hmm, I need to keep the forward momentum going. Undercoating (weather permitting) by mass spray painting (White) was deemed the only sensible way forward (see below, luckily the weather was kind to me, let it snow!): 

Missing from the camera rollcall were yet more Victrix Peninsular British Flank and Centre Companies (104 figures in total, 52 each pack). All told, including a few "gifted" figures I already had assembled, there are just over 300 Napoleonic British Peninsular foot. These form a "future painting project". I plan to do the painting in batches - for Sharp Practice (TFL) and/or One Hour Skirmish Wargame Rules (John Lambshead). Building up and getting games in at the same time. 

Footnote (Confession): Launching into the build (as in Perry's Nap British) I had the funny feeling something was not quite right (see below, in my defense - there were two types of head to choose from and I chose my starting point at random):

So, I had inadvertently started to put the Waterloo heads on. The Shakos are different, no feather. Did I really care? It was one of those wargaming itches. I argued the toss with myself, then as there were only nine made so far, decapitations were made and heads were swapped, we were "all" off the to Peninsular. If they have to appear at a later date at Waterloo, I can also live with that!

The Start of my "Sharpe Practice" French Collection - A Simple Man of the Line

He is a Perry 1812 to 1815 lad and has been cut from his spue and undercoated (see below, from these small beginnings huge things are expected): 

Viva La France! Well until Waterloo.

Battleground 2017: The Haul

Slightly overdue in coming ...

I was quite sensible (well to my strange mind) and all these purchases made a sort of practical sense to expand and fill out my existing collections. Firstly I acquired some Britannia Miniatures 20mm British Paratroopers from Grubby tanks so I could cover the Order of Battle for a Chain of Command "Red Devil" Para Platoon and therefore have no real excuse for painting up a WWII 20mm platoon in metal. I bought three - two man Bren gun teams, one - three man Vickers HMG, two [wait for it as this bit is a tongue twister] - two man: two inch mortar and one - three man: three inch mortar (see below, D-Day and Arnhem "we are go"):

Next came something sensible, Perry's Renaissance Light Horse, so I can expand my Renaissance Impetus army building project (see below, I think this was a "sensible" purchase - mug of coffee not included):

And finally the mandatory "mad saw it on the day purchase and could not say no" three WWII Soviet late-war JSII 20mm pre-made and painted plastic metal assembled kits (ones that are usually given as the toy part of a magazine offering .. Del Prado or the like). For three pounds each I could not complain or say no but in a way I was good in limiting myself to three (there was a big box of them), knowing I also had two JSII plastic kits already made but needing to be painted in the loft (see below, "Uncle Joe" says hello):

As a bonus ball I was honoured by Renko giving an early Xmas present from a bookstall of (another) Bismarck book. This comes recommended as the author "knows his stuff" (see below):

All in all a nice bag of goodies and all of which should find a good use and home in my collection(s).

"We The People" (or AWI revisited)

I find myself taking "up arms against the King" in defence of his subjects against the misguided  
rule of administrators and beauracrats intent in lining their own pockets with the hard earned monies of loyal subjects. [Editor's note: It is early AWI.]

Until this injustice is resolved and his Majesty comes to his senses I am tasked with the destruction of a small fort, called George, and the capitulation of its garrison. The "operational committee game" will provide scenarios for "others" to tactically follow through with the "Higher Cmmand's" (three undiscovered great minds of the enlightenment) lofty instructions.

Naturally this means time to go straight up into the loft to the tin marked "AWI" which reveals the Perry AWI British Infantry project .. see previous AWI work.. only one of which is painted though (see below):

These being the "Badies" temptation rests on my shoulders to go get a box of "Goodies" but only if I complete the British Project first .. talk about carrot and stick.

28mm 8th Army Progress

After many a cut, glue and splice "The 8th Army" boys have taken form (see below):

I decided to follow the basic "Order Of Battle" pattern as per the Perry's literature for 37 out of the 40 figures. That gives me three basic infantry sections (NCO, Six rifles, Bren Gunner, Loader, Rifle) and a command section (Junior Officer, Senior NCO, Radioman, Boyes AT Rifle and Loader, 2" Mortar Man and Loader). In Chain of Command terms the extra body in the Perry's list is the Radioman however pair him up with another Officer type figure and you have a nice FOO team, that leaves two "extra figures". The choice seemed relatively straight forward as the most useful piece of kit in the British Infantry platoon arsenal is the 2" Mortar to lay down additional covering smoke. Another one of these please!

This necessitates a slice and slice of plastic as I had to convert the laying down Bren team to be "walking with the Bren" so I could make the second mortar unit. All is well that ends well though, next up is the painting job ;)

28mm WWII Perry Plastic 8th Army Bren Team

Something I said I would never do .. (see below, 28mm WWII Perry 8th Army Bren Team):

But they are "very nice" Mr Kipling! The intension is "just" to build up a platoon of the 8th Army to combat a platoon of the DAK in Chain of Command .. watch this space!

Gone Plain Bonkers .. WWII Scale Creep

I promised myself never to do this but put a simple bit of temptation my way and after twenty years of resisting the fatal lure I go bonkers and get a 15mm WWII army. Three in fact, US, German and Russian (the Brits had all gone otherwise it would have been four)! All from a local hobby store(?) called Boyes (rather a department store with local managers discretion to add esoteric collections here and there) selling off a large part of their 'toy line' as 'dead lines' (boo hoo). I guess it must have been a bit like the Hobbycraft experimentation with FoW and GW stuff (now dead). Well at a third of the RRP price or less the PSC 15mm (£5 a box) was too good a 'steal' and I even succumbed to their half price (£10) Perry's WWII 28mm Plastics lure, again put a hole in my wallet (blown the toy budget for the first six months of the year). That means I have the insane "biggies" of 28mm too (just two packs, one DAK and one 8th Army, for a skirmish in the desert).

Once started you cannot stop (see below for some pocket money Zvezda Russian tanks that appeared in my shopping trolley!):

Why?

I have a perfectly good unpainted hoard [and then some] in 20mm (1/72 or 1/76 if you like), in fact I also have micro scale 1/300 (or 1/285 if again you like) plus a 1/200 (Skytrex Action Force) vehicles and infantry and 10mm Pendrakon infantry.

Madness .. how can I defend the indefensible? I claim "hobby insanity"!

The Defence's case rests on "being sociable" as I have wargamer friends who collect in the respectable 15mm range and model in the 28mm for skirmish (Chain of Command) games. 20m WWII gaming seems to be a rather niche area, accessible to all but people seem to move on from it (though not grow-up). Well there's another two (or should that be five) 30 Day Challenges ahead of me for this year ;)

PS Fear not Paul I will get round to finishing off the Fairey Battle in time for the hundredth anniversary ;)

Impetus: Renaissance Man (of Pike) "Wish List"

My Italian Wars (and maybe Charles V HRE versus Imperial Swiss) Renaissance Army for Impetus "needs" the following:

Four little Harquebusiers (Sk unit) [needed for Charles V versus Swiss] which are almost finished, just a few facial details and their 'jackets' [figure mid-section] to address (see below):

Four crossbowmen (Sk unit) [for the earlier Italian Wars period], thus allowing for various Order of Battle permutations (see below, not really started yet).

These are required to screen my army's infantry frontage as they advance like all good pike armies do. More of the same Harquebusier are needed to make another full Shot unit (see below):

I also need to build a third rank of Pike [for the Charles V Spanish Coruna using old GW Empire Spearmen] (see below, note the interested" hand of a small child in the background):

This formation needs to be festooned with a unit of nasty (for the other side) skirmish "Dopplesoldners" (Sk with Impact) (see below):

Finally there is the the HRE himself with courtier (see below):

Longer term I'll need more pike, a third at least. I have one from the Perry's excellent plastic range to make a full pike block (see below):

I think these will be much quicker to paint than pike block number four, made from Wargames Foundry metals (again another full pike block, but will be a labour of love so to speak) whcih I have in a box in the loft. In anticipation of this I am in the process of creating another "front pike unit" with lowered pike and leader/swordsman types. Here they are in the first stages after undercoating is to give them a rough base colour (see below):

Once I have 'bulked out' the infantry the plan is to return back to the cavalry wings ;)

AWI Brtish Infantry "Rethink and then Repose"

Well I have been looking at the Perry AWI British Infantry on my bathroom shelf (my prime 'painting project viewing' position, despite the wife's protestations) for quite a while now and I have come around to the unsavory conclusion that I did not like the back rankers "poses". They were a little too lackadaisical for my liking. A bit 'camp' Boy Scout not really meaning anything, just lumbering along holding a musket in one hand. Luckily the Perry box has a huge amount of variant poses, so after a few surgical 'arm breaking' they were recast with more menace (see below):

Looking at the spares still left in the box and I see that I can do the same again for the other regular line unit, maybe short by one pair of arms (the six lights in forage camp were already advancing menacingly). All-in-all still worth the faff for the end result, especially as I will have have to contend with Renko's elite 'well painted' troops when I finally get round to playing agame of Muskets and Tomahawks.

One Man in Red the rest in er, Grey?

The WIP "group photo" (see below):

The Airfix Grey Primer has been applied to all the "tri-corn" hats (14 lads in total, excluding the casualty figure)

British "Bob" (Part 4) Wait Until You See The Whites Of Their Eyes!

Facing front (see below):

Facing rear (see below)

Done (bar the basing)!

Notes to Self: 

The musket got the traditional three brown treatment (Vallejo Game Colour: Charred Brown shade, Beasty Brown base and Leather Brown highlight). I also painted his canteen strap (something the tutorial didn't do but was on the Perry's painting description) Vallejo Game Colour: Beasty Brown and highlighted with Leather Brown. The musket strap was painted Vallejo Game Colour: Stonewall Grey and highlighted Dead White.

I then used Anita's Acrylic "Metallic Black" (a versatile oily smearing colour) paint the musket, bayonet and where the buttons were (never done buttons before!). I used Vallejo Gun Metal for the metal bits. Now for a bit of Brass. The water bottle brass bits, the musket brass bits and the bayonet sheath. A tip here was to first paint the area with a mid-brown (Vallejo Game Colour Beasty Brown) then paint the metallic on top of that. Anita's Acrylic "Classic Gold" with a dab of Anita's Acrylic "Silver" to highlight was placed on these areas (including those pesky buttons).

Returning to the face I "dotted the whites of the eyes" (he is 28mm after all), Vallejo Game Colour: Dead White, Imperial Blue (Iris) and Black (Pupil) not that you would necessarily notice! Then a few touches of Vallejo Elf Skintone to highlight and touch up any mess.

Next Step(s): 

Now I have to figure ways in which to increase the production efficiency as I need to paint another sixteen figures for my basic "Muskets and Tomahawks" force but my current three hours a figure is not going to work! The timescale for this project is the end of February and I do have a life outside wargaming ;)
 
I do like the instructional videos from Wargames Strategy and Soldiers, I an eyeing up their "How to paint a British Cromwell Tank" next

British "Bob" (Part 3) Perry's AWI British Infantryman

Facing front (see below):

A look from the rear (see below):

I thought he was looking "too neat" in the trouser area so I gave him a Vallejo Brown (Umber Shade) Wash. Following the painting tutorial I gave "Bob" a "Royal Blue" set of facings (Vallejo Game Colour Imperial Blue, highlighted with Vallejo Game Colour Magic Blue) and trimmed with a bit of nice white lace (Vallejo Game Colour Dead White).

The cartridge box, water bottle, shoes, bayonet sheath and hat got a basic Vallejo Black. To this Vallejo Game Colour Stonewall Grey was mixed in and lightened with with for highlights. The bedroll on "Bob's" back started as base colour of Stonewall Grey and was lightened again with white. I put a little white lace trim on his hat to make him look the part.

Redcoat Tutorial
Currently 13:41 through the 17:13 video

That leaves the gun, buttons and small other shiny bits to contend with .. to be continued .. one more session I think. My only negative thought is that he looks to Xmas decoration Nut Cracker Suite and may need a matte varnish?    

British "Bob" (Part 2) Whites and Reds

Again trying to religiously follow the YouTube tutorial instructions, but subbing in equivalent paints from my collection, (for tutorial see previous post) the 'Whites and Red' were added. Though if I am honest, I am not sure I have mastered the layering of (diluted) white paint yet (in my case Vallejo Game Colours and Anita's Acrylic White) so I may fall back on another 'brown wash and then white highlight' to try and add some more depth and tone (see below):

The 'reds' were a three layer Vallejo Game Colour classic: shade (Gory Red), base (Bloody Red) and highlight (Hot Orange). So far I think he looks a tad bright (see below):  

The only other paint used was Vallejo Game Colour Bone White to differentiate the side slung linen bag from the white trousers, adding a touch of white for a tiny highlight. So far 09:15 minutes through the 17:13 minute total.

PS: For all WW2 fans I am itching to start putting together Matilda "number nine"

"British Bob" (Part 1) the Perry British AWI Figure is Primed and Ready to Undergo the YouTube "Painting Tutorial" (WS and S)

Primed with Airfix Matt Grey Primer (see below):

Painted up to the same level as the start of the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy painting tutorial on YouTube (see below):

Painted the flesh in my classic three tone (aka GW fantasy) schene using the Vallejo Game equivalents (Dark Fleshtone, Dwarf Skin, Umber Shade Wash, Dwarf Skin, Elf Skintone) and the hair white (Bonewhite and Dead White).

Note: This is my painting scheme, I intend to revisit the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy tutorials to see how they do "flesh"

This takes me to 2:57 of the 17:13 minute long video .. to be continued

AWI/FIW Painting Progress

The Perry British Infantry (AWI/FIW) are now all assembled, in a deeper project tin to accommodate the raised rifles (see below, Foxes biscuits if anybody was interested):

The final total in their "type" groupings:

Triangular Hat:

• 12 Line Infantry
• 1 Standard Bearer
• 1 Officer
• 1 Casualty

Cocked Hat:

• 12 Line Infantry
• 1 Standard Bearer
• 1 Officer
• 1 Casualty

Forage Cap:

• 6 Light Infantry
• 1 Sergeant

Mitre Hat:

• 1 Drummer

The Plan: 

Thirty seven of these figures stay in the 'new' Project Tin (the 'old' Project Tin now being full of spare parts and spare colour reference sheets) and go away into the loft (out of site out of mind of my wife). "British Bob" (see below) has been selected to get the full painting treatment as per the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy You Tube video. 

So "British Bob" goes into the current WIP Project Tin, alongside a 1/76 WWII Airfix British Matilda II tank.

Next: Out with the Airfix Primer Paint

British Perry AWI/FIW Redcoat: The First Dirty Dozen and Some (Assembled)

Tried my hand at assembling the Perry AWI British Infantry (see below, please excuse the long range shot):

Just under half-way through the packet. The idea being to base up two units of Regular Line (12 each) and one unit of Light Infantry (6), an Officer, a Drummer, Standard Bearers (2) and the two dead figures for casualty markers.

I have already "sinned" as I ignored the sage old advice of "always wash in soapy water" (which I might regret later) but intend to go straight to the Airfix #1 Grey Primer, then try to copy this excellent painting tutorial on You Tube:

You Tube AWI Video

If mine come out half as good I will be well happy!

What Next Project Wise: French Indian Wars (FIW) ... Really(?) 28mm (Plastic)

Well another new project, there is however a certain level of perverse logic to it (honest, there is if you look hard enough).

"Somebody else started it first " (a kind of "big boy did it and ran away" excuse) at the local club. It being the French Indian Wars (FIW) using the "Tomahawks and Muskets" rules  (recommending them very, very highly as a 'must play' game in the process) AND I can also recycle or promote the recently acquired AWI troops for the (long, long) way off AWI Project, aka the (Perry) British Infantry figures I impulsively purchased. These are "good enough" (i.e. Red Coats with Triangular Hats and Forage Caps etc) so be a ready to go starter without having to do a botched conversion job. The AWI project, rightly enough is still deemed long term, requires formations, whereas FIW is individually based "skirmish warfare" so at some point of time ahead I might curse myself with a "re-basing job". However I will have some short-term fun. Ultimately I will have Indian, Militia and French troops too, but we'll start with the traditional British Redcoats.

;)

Troop Formations:

• Line: 8-12 Figures
• Grenadier: 8-12 Figures
• Light: 6-12 Figures
• Officer: 1 Figure

There are 38 Figures in a box but this includes two casualties, a drummer and one (or possibly two) standard bearers (although with all the spare parts included these could easily be fixed up as simple troopers). This implies about 34 useful combat figures. Therefore formations of :

• 12  (Line ) + 12 (Line) + 9 (Light) + 1 officer  = 34 combat troops!

The Drummer and Standard Bearer to somehow fit in too.

Note: No Grenadier types are includes with the basic Perry Plastic, so I have two Regular Line and one Light Infantry formations. Handily there are three types of head gear, one suitable for light, two for regular so this is a nice trick for distinguishing different units on the tabletop.

All the above is a good enough excuse to assemble these goodies into a post-Xmas "2015 Biscuit Tin Project Box" (see below, for this previously unheard of level of organisation and planning or rather the ability to do a quick clear away when the wife comes home unexpectedly with the shopping, with everything looking much more tidy than usual):

These troops will be individually based and painting "Redcoats" of any period is a step into the wild for me, a "free from fear" bit of experimentation (hopefully)! Though I am not expecting this to be a "fast project" but a January and February (perhaps even into March) diversion ;)

Thoughts on a AWI Project (Part II): "The Slow Gathering of Hosts"- First Purchase, British Infantry

"These are not the Colonials you are looking for!", but I bought them anyway. Somebody else had snaffled the Mel Gibson lookalikes but thanks to Mark Urban's tome I had enough interest to put these in my shopping basket (see below):

The figures can be assembled in so many different variety of headgear a multitude of options exist, however on the back of the box it says these are "Centre Company" or "Hat Men". A closer look at the Perry's Web-Site mean revealed that the sexier stuff is available in metal (doubling the cost from £0.50 a figure to roughly £1.00), such as Mark Urban's 23rd Welch [sic] Fusiliers.

I shall try and steer away from the metal, but certain infantry troop types, cavalry and artillery will lure me there in due course ;)

Hmm, yes I seem to have been bitten by another "shiny madness bug"!

Thoughts on an AWI Project: Part I

Source of Inspiration:

Recently caught the last hour of Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" on television and was impressed with the look of the 'brown coated' militia and the blue-coated American militia in the battle scenes. That "twitchy painty" feeling started tingling in my bones. What to do? What to do? Wait and see if it passes? I can at least gather my thoughts ... and ask for advice from fellow bloggers.

Potential Rules: 
http://legio-wargames.com/#/loose-files-awi/4537113783
http://www.caliverbooks.com/Partizan%20Press/partizan_BG.shtml

28mm Figure Ranges: 
Perry's AWI Hard Plastics

Reference Material: 
Mark Urban's: Fusilier (reading at present)

References for other introductory books appreciated?