Off the Workbench - Mike: 28mm VBCW BUF Assault Troops.

A small batch of 7 x 28mm VBCW BUF Assault Troopers was finished off this week.

The completed group of seven Assault Troopers

These little guys were kit bashed from Wargames Atlantic WW2 Italians and WW1 British, with a dash of bits from the spares box. The exception is the prone Bren Gunner, who is a spare figure from the Wargames Atlantic WW2 BEF set.

Left to right  - NCO with Tommy Gun, Rifleman, Bren Gunner and another Rifleman

Having Italian leggings and jackets gave these figures some additional flare, I have added British backpacks where possible but as I ran out of these I pressed a couple of American packs into service. I have given them all British Helmeted heads, apart form two who have jaunty BUF caps on instead, albeit with tin hats suspended from their belts.

Left to right  - Rifleman, Bomber with Grenades & Shotgun, Tommy Gunner and a Rifleman

Jackets have been painted with a speed paint mix to give a dark grey finish, trousers are British Khaki and Puttees are blue - a nod to BUF colours. I have kept the tin hats green but have added a BUF 'Thunderbolt' badge to the front of each.

Close up of one of the Riflemen and the Bomber,
note the bandolier with shotgun cartridges and the BUF Thunderbolts on their helmets

As Assault Troopers, these guys have a potent mix of Tommy Guns, Grenades and Repeating Shotguns to give them a real punch in Hand to Hand fighting but maybe a little under powered for longer range fire fights...

Friday Night Games - Steve's Imaginations Campaign.

Some pictures from the game put on at Rupert's venue on the 21st & 28th August. This is the first of Steve's land based Imaginations Campaign and was fought with figures from Steve's collection using adapted Shako rules.

In what was to be a glorious victory for the forces of Frankfart the Hangoverian army was forced to retreat back down the road to the town of Shneezalott and back over the boarder back into Hangover.

This glorious victory was ably assisted by the experimental "Flug Luftschliff one - "Mephistopeles" whilst on flight trials out of the very secretive "Stench Works" based deep in the heart of Frankfart.  

Scaring the willies out of both Fankfart and Hangoverian troops alike,  it flew over the battlefield raining vast amounts of bombs onto the petrified Hangoverian troops killing thousands of them in the process with these weapons of mass destruction.

Well, okay, it didn't actually kill anything but why spoil a good story by telling the truth!!  

Off the Workbench - Mike: Sci Fi & VBCW

This post starts with the completion of 6 x Human Army personnel, armed with blasters and including an RPG team.

The figures are based upon WW2 German infantry in winter suits, they came from the front of a magazine and were donated to me by Grahame. I had no use for them as WW2 figures but they have been adapted to join my ever growing ranks of Sci-Fi figures.

The RPG Team.

The heads, arms & weapons are all spares from Northstar StarGrave and Wargames Atlantic frame that I have used in earlier projects, these sets come with lashings of spares so it is good to get to use  them.

Two Army types with Blaster variants

And two more little Army men (and woman) again with blaster variants.

Next up is a batch of 11 x VBCW Regular Infantry to join my swelling factions for this game. The figures are basically the Wargames Atlantic BEF set (I purchased 2 x frames to see what they are like). They are lovely figures and I have now decided that these guys will be the Regulars in my VBCW force and the WW1 figures that I have been painting up to now will be redesignated Territorial Army types.

4 x Regular Riflemen, all with Lee Enfields

Another view of the above showing that one is a designated 'Bomber'

These guys have the 1938 webbing and Battledress uniform, so I can justify these as being Regulars as they have the new kit. The WW1 types in my collection with the older webbing pattern and older tunic types can be justified as territorials. Note: I remember seeing my Granddad in the photo when he was in the pre-Ware TA and he was wearing WW1 uniform & kit.

5 more riflemen, these all have the unadorned Bordie helmets

And another view. Note the Lee Enfields with a bayonet attached
have come from the Wargames Atlantic WW1 infantry set!

Regular Mortar team

The Regular Army Mortar Team, will need to be expanded to include a No.3 but that is an excuse for me to get some more of these lovely figures.

Currently I have some BUF Assault Troopers on the workbench and some civilian militia to build in the near future, not to mention the need to complete some rather nice Norhstar 1672 Musketeers!

Off the Workbench - Mark: WW2, SCW & VBCW

Latest toys about to !eave Mark's workbench! Just awaiting a final varnish by all accounts....

Various aircraft suitable for eth SCW,
believe some of these are heading towards Phil's collection

A whole bunch of WW2 & VBCW miniatures and vehicles.
WW2 kit is 20mm whilst the VBCW is the more fabulous 28mm scale!

Newly arrived as Chez-Mark, A WW2 German Gun emplacement that will be a centre piece for a Commando raid game in the future.

Another view - this is in 20mm

Seems the current plan is for this to represent the Austratt Fort in Norway. The game will be set in 1945 with a what-if scenario of what if where Garrison doesn't surrender to Norwegian resistance and British paras sent to liberate Norway.

Off the Workbench - More 28mm VBCW figures

Well this has been such a terribly hot couple of weeks here, it has been hard to do any painting. The paint drys almost before you can get it on the figures!

Nevertheless less I have persisted and created 15 new VBCW figures in the last 10 days or so. When it was too hot to paint it was perfect for kitbashing and drying the old plastic glue.

Completed (well almost!) Squad,
thinking Anglican League but still wavering...

For this post, I offer a squad of 10 militiamen plus 5 more Regular Army. The Regulars are all based upon Wargames Atlantic WW1 British so I won't go into too much detail there.

And another view

The other10 man squad are based upon 1 frames of Perry Miniatures Zulu Wars British! I have used WA WW1 heads to provide 1939s tin hats, backpacks from various British WW2 frames by Perry Minis and Warlord Games. I also sourced the arms and weapons from various frames if British WW1 & WW2 infantry to provide Lee Enfields, a Lewis Gunner and an Officer with pistol.

Back row brought to the front

I gave these figures a grey uniform with Khaki webbing and pads and brown leather gaiters,  I think this gives them a quaint anachronistic look...

The Lewis Gun team

I haven't  yet committed to which faction these guys will belong. Possibly the Anglican League or alternatively Royalists.

NCO pointing the way and a rifleman

When I decide armbands and shoulder designations of the appropriate colour will be added.

Officer & rifleman

Although my main aim is to have a Socialist flying Column built into a tabletop army list, they'll need some opposition!

Two riflemen

Final two riflemen, one wounded

% more Regulars to join the team

The regulars pictured above will bulk out my existing force, his group includes a second Lewis Gun team and a Bomber alongside two new Riflemen.

A Bomber and on right Lewis Gunner No.2

Quick shot of the Lewis Gunner and supporting Riflemen

Off the Workbench - Mark: More 28mm VBCW

   And they keep pouring off of Mark's Workbench - more 28mm VBCW figures and vehicles! These are all repurposed eBay purchases.

British Regulars.

2lb Anti Tank Gun, drew and truck

Socialist Militia, supplied with Russian uniforms and equipment

US Sailors making an intervention in the UK...

Various militiamen

Two Naval Motor Launches