Bolt Action Plastic T-34/85

For my birthday I got a very useful kit for my Soviet Army, (thanks Colin!). The Bolt Action T-34/85 isn't one that would have picked myself but it will be very handy for future BA games where some German player just must have his kittys. (Panthers or Tigers). I've heard there is a T-34/76 turret available on its own somewhere. Anyone?

Everything fit nicely but I got a good tip about bogging the surface.

I did some butchery of the mudguards as it's a lot easier with platic kits vs resin.

Waiting on final detail and tank riders!

Soviet Naval Infantry and SU-76M

Finally got some completed Soviets to show after months of back burner work. I also have some completed pics of the SU-76 I got on Poochs suggestion. Very cool model as I mentioned back a bit. The Naval Infantry models are a mix of all of the Bolt Action ones and a few Black Tree Minis as well I think.

1st and second squads will be joined by a third and costed as tank riders. The partizans are the free conscript squad. I also have a Maxim and a 82mm mortar in the works.

1st Squad

2nd Squad

Partizans

SU-76M

SU-76M crew compartment

Bolt Action Armour WIP

I've been doing some modelling between writing and enjoying the summer. I obtained a couple very useful models for my lists, one you've seen already. The other is Warlord Games' very nice resin SU-76M. It has a quality of resin that I like quite a bit, it's softer and more pliable, perhaps to help remove it from the mold. Most resin kits that I've used in the past are very brittle and require a huge chunk of material to be filed away. As the resins are supposedly very bad for you I am loathe to do it every time. My imagination I'm sure.

Warlord Game's SU-76M. Copper wire mods look great. 

An easy mod that really helps is replacing the corners with wire. I had some laying around from another resin kit, the Verlinden V-100. Which incidentally had a ton of flash to get rid of. Anyway quick work with the pin vise and voila. (For you completeists, the observer's periscope and radio are missing. No big deal for me, I doubt that they all had them.) It does come with two very good crewman, but no head for a driver.

Tamiya and other stowage. The plastic Soviet box is very useful!

 One other bonus of the Verlinden V-100 was the excellent stowage. Very nice tarps. How is that for a line? I also had a bunch of Tamiya stowage from the very handy 1/48 Jerry Can kit. The icing on this cake is probably the weaponry assortment in the Soviet Infantry plastic box. Very useful and fun to help craft your crewmen's gear with. I plan to grab a twig to use for an extraction log on the right side of the assault gun.

Rubicon M5 with random stowage and M1919 MG. Note missing empty case hatch.

The Rubicon model needed a ton of help as far as I was concerned. I am used to better detail with Tamiya and felt the need to compensate. The Tamiya Jerry Can kit helped, as did the leftovers from the V-100. The SU-76M freed up this multi-use M5 to focus on the Pacific. Goaded on by other former Marines I am going for a 1943-44 camo scheme as well as a katana and a ton of stowage. I've also modified a Warlord M1919 to fit along with a TAG infantryman to serve as a veteran TC. (This kind of thing rarely happens in real life...) I may make a tarp over the M1919...

Mostly Tamiya with some random bits from Pooch. Hmmn , needs paint.

Next up is very fun stuff. Camo painting the Stuart to match some photos. Shading the SU-76M to the proper green, or I may camo it up as well! Now I need a Tamiya M4A2 next to convert into one of the very cool looking, specialised USMC tanks from Operation Detachment or Iceberg.

28mm WIP Partisans and others

Just to let you all know that I have got some things done. Or rather that I've started on a few things.

I still need decals for my M10, whereas my Stuart just needs some non-denominational numbering and stowage so it can be Russian or American depending on who shows up.;-) Because I just got an SU-76 I may make the M5 more recognisably Yank. (ie with the M1919 AA MG)

This is my partizan recce team

My Black Tree partizans are looking pretty good and are nearly done now. They will do double duty as well, being part of my Russian WW2 list and the Nemesis RPG I'm running now.

Partizan demolitions team

There are some cool personalities in their sculpts. Some could be from further west.

Partizan overwatch team

Delta Green, thanks Keane!

Generic agents in macintoshes. One hard man with a shotgun. Not sure of manufacturer. I have a few more to go of these as well as some Hasslefree armed civilians to go with them. Skirmish Zombie?

Wizard for Frostgrave

I found this in my pile of very old RPG minis. I think it's an old Reaper mini, but not sure. Welcome to my new Frostgrave army, as yet unnamed, selected or played.;-)

[Bolt Action] Soviet Naval Infantry, help wanted.

So no time really but had to get a project of some kind going. Haven't painted anything since finishing up my ANZAC's for the Great War exhibit diorama. I've actually spotted a couple of the minis I painted. Which I didn't expect, but I realised that there were a few sculpts that I painted all of.
Anyhow need some help.
Here's what I have;

Mixed Black Tree and Warlord sculpts. 

The partisans are all Black Tree, as is the Maxim.

thats two 12 man Naval squads, roughly 9 Ppsh41, 2 Mosina and a DP each. Just one officer as well as a maxim gun with crew and a PTRD.
For support I have 12 partisans with papasha as well as a couple sniper rifles.

I figure I should get a Zis-3 and a 82mm mortar. Flamethrower?!
But what else do I need?
More troops?
Tanks?!
I'm very jealous of Craigs M3 armoured car.

Any ideas are appreciated. People with the Soviet books chime in!
Jamie and Craig I'm looking at you.;-)

[Impetvs] Those bloody Byzantines Again

Had another throw down with Jamie and his disciplined crew of Romans. In this case of course they are the Holy Roman Empire of Byzantium. We ran half of our usual strength in an effort to speed up the game on a school night. So just 300 points in one command each.
I had four Cav-Med, four C-Light and three Foot-Light units, average command and a poor general.
Maximus had a single C-M, five(?) F-M (experienced and green), four F-L (archers and slingers) and a ballista.

The Byzantine baggage

All we knew was there was some very nice stuff right there for the taking. Gold, weapons, slaves, you name it...

Bulgarian baggage

We also intended to keep the dirty Holy Roman mitts off of our pigs and women!

Pecheneg and Bulgarian light cavalry leading the mediums

Ingeniously stacked up in the middle! C-L's in front and C-M's behind.

Those Bulgar nobles know how to dress

I usually run six of these quote medium cavalry endquote. So today I was feeling a bit thin.

Slavic javelinmen covering our right flank

Love these units, good staying power, a decent ranged attack at close. Cheaper than cavalry.

Impetuous medium cavalry

This unit is always scary but my C-L's were able to shoot them to death when they attacked and their support faltered. Then we ate them and their horses...

Maximus!

I can pretty much guarantee that I will attack Maimus on sight. He has invaded our lands like some kind of codependent. We require his head on a spear.

Medium (or heavy) infantry in Jamie's distinctive checkerboard formation

It's a good tactic with these units it make them very hard to isolate or finish off. Also he can springboard off of them pretty well.

Dirty slingers from Rhodes probably

Jamie is often very dangerous with these but tonight he wasn't having his usual luck.

Slavic peltasts push up the right in support

My Slavs got hammered by the archers and the ballista on my right. They held pretty well, making decent rolls and only slowly losing VBU.

The Khans wingman smites some Roman medium infantry

My C-M's weren't shy jumping forward into the Roman lines multiple times after they were prepped by Composite B fire from the C-L's. (So disrupted usually.)

He likes to lead from the front. Just outside of the frame...

Here he is at it again! I think he popped that unit as well, but soon after we took a few hits from those pesky Roman infantry.

Some seriously battered cavalry

By closing time we had both seriously put the boot into each other but I had killed more points worth.

So finally a narrow victory against Maximus!

Thanks Jamie very fun game! I thought that you would get a report out first. Sorry about eating your equestrians.

[Sangin] Radio Dishdash Taliban minis

My aggressor forces have been sadly lacking for some time. I recently however got these three 'leftovers' from Pooch. These are by Radio Dishdash and are very cool sculpts by Ebob, the same sculpter who has done their excellent modern ANZACs. Like those minis his experience really shows with excellent scale and proportion. Perhaps more important is the sense of action in the poses, even the walking sculpts have a very good animated look to them.
The details are great as well, with appropriate clothing, weaponry, and accessories.;-)
The costumes are the usual mix of shalwar kameez, woolen vests, sandals, turbans, beards and light weaponry!

With an armored tactical vest underneath his woolen vest.

He is usually going to be the boss. Need to finish the base as well.

The PKM is always around as well.

I have repainted this turban, don't worry folks! Got it, basing required...

This is what I am talking about. Action shot!

He will be a tactical leader type, just look at that pose! Great sculpt!
They have ten different models so far and I will be getting more.

First batch is done, working on the second.

Note black boots and lighter mattock handle were both corrected.

[Sangin] BMNT (Beginning of Morning Nautical Twilight) Local Raid of Opportunity

So Simon and I hadn't played Sangin in a bit so we decided to have a go. First off he showed off some really cool new Empress minis he has for his Bad Guy (tm) pile. Russian 'Green Men' as well as generic Central Asian baddies. Of course some of these could substitute for various Special Forces or Allies or whatever. Your definition of baddie may vary as well.;-)

I showed off Despatches 2.

We had a quick bash up in my garage with my limited terrain, but I think we have reasonable cover and terrain options etc. I am working on more.;-)

We each had 650 points or so with Simon defending and leaving half off table to arrive in a hilux within a couple turns of shooting starting.

I was arriving and placed within 6" of our ride the Afghan National Army Commando, Ford Ranger. We had to assault the compound. 80

Pre-dawn Predator surveillance indicates that Taliban aligned fighters are present.

US SOF mentored Afghan National Army Commandos debus in the neighborhood.

Immediately the government Ranger is spotted, then the ANA left flank security comes under fire!

Simon immediately spotted my single ANA left flank security and started popping off at him.

Being pipped right out of the bag isn't surprising so they go to work.

Everyone else started moving into position quickly. PKM and RPG to the roof for base of fire and left flank support. US SOF moving up towards the right. ANA NCO consolidating with his soldier on the left.

Left flank secure, base of fire onto the roof, pop smoke and rush...Go, Go. Go!

Once the SOF troopies are on position smoke goes over the hedge to cover their movement since firing is already going on.

Realising the size of the attack, the guard pulls back to the gate.

I think it was around now that Simon thought I was going to bore him to death with all my creeping around outside of LOS (line of sight).

ANA support weapons covering the objective as well as the left flank from the roof.

There was a lot of happy jawing going on as well, not noticing the time slip away...

USSOF working up the right flank. They know there is someone covering it but can't spot him!

Their PKM gunner on our right gets up to move to a better position and gets spotted by our PKM gunner on the roof. One long burst later and he's not getting up. Our ANA roof overwatchers continue their vigil.

ANA NCO and his driver won't be shown up by fancy pants Yanks! 

My ANA NCO was actually a Veteran as well as an NCO. Of course he was quite keen! His rifleman dutifully followed his impetuous charge.

A very surprised flank guard staring death in the face!

The tactic is the much vaunted technique attributed to the USMC, "Hey diddle diddle, straight up the middle!" Historians know that in fact it is from the British Great War Playbook.

Sometimes a well timed charge works...

Fun game Simon. When your reinforcements show up they will introduce a real headache. Too bad we couldn't finish. Next time!
Huzzah bro!

[Fallout Skirmish] 'The Reavers are Here for Their Pound of Flesh.'

I have always loved this genre. I guess growing up in the cold war this was our pressure release. "We're all gonna die! But the survivors will be really screwed. Cool."

Then there was "A Boy and His Dog", "Mad Max" and "The Road Warrior". Digging deeper will get "The Omega Man", "Damnation Alley", "Soylent Green" and the Planet of the Apes series. It was thick as thieves and overlapped into reality, with real life survivalists as well.

Of course we ran tons of games, mostly RPG's, in this genre. The Morrow Project and Aftermath were both good. Often we went back to Traveller for the rules set and made up whatever we wanted to happen. Car Wars eventually provided vehicle vs. vehicle rules.

When Jason, Jamie and Andy mentioned this ages ago, I was like *lightbulb!* and began scrounging for raw material.

We're a happy family. We're a happy family. We're a happy family.

My idea was to have a gang of seriously depraved lunatics, the bad guys to foil the assorted solutions that the Brotherhood of Steel and the New Californians had come up with. Less control, more violence, more sex and more drugs. Equals win basically! Unless of course you mean tactically winning on the board, I mean't having more fun in your short, short life! They take more drugs than a touring funk band!

The Engineer and the Boss, one reeks of petrochemicals the other of too much perfume and petrochemicals.

'Siiid! What about the goodbye drugs!"

 Bad Music for Bad People. These represent a rotating cast of drug addicted manics ala Manson or Frank Booth. Re-purposed Shadowrun minis that I've had for over a decade.

'Loser' wants revenge for calling him a cannibal in high school.

 Nerdist, with Loser logo on shoulder and an autocannon!

'Vlad' has a ridiculous fake accent and a sword!

 'Vlad' the Impaler with a chain pistol and a sabre!

'Big Black' will frickin kill you. And you and you.

 The King, aka Big Black Soulstealer...

These maniacs should not have a weapon like this! Think  'killbot', 'Killy Killbot' in fact.

 I really like the idea of this gang having this hanging around, semi-sentient uncontrollable as yet.
They have no idea what it is or how dangerous it is. Neither do I, It isn't paid for in points yet so doesn't exist!

Nice old fashioned hovercraft. Somebody has access to petrochems! And a 'Ma Duece'.

 I love these old model hovercraft but I wish I had some Mad Max cars...sniff.

[Yes, I am all over Mad Max Fury Road like a bad rash. Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron et al, bring it!]