LeeH: My Winter War Soviets are ready for the offensive!

So, how do I wrap up this year’s Challenge? If I’m being totally honest, I didn't get quite as much painted as I originally hoped. My "to-do" list was definitely more ambitious than my "done" list! But you know what? I got the essentials finished, and in this hobby, that’s a win in my book.

Despite the slower pace, I managed to hit two major milestones: My personal 600-point target was officially crossed, and I'm happy with that. Of course, no competition compared to the top of the leaderboard, but I'm happy with what I got done.  Second, I completed everything I wanted to get done, meaning my Winter War Soviets: These guys are complete and will give me plenty of options when list-building for games of Bolt Action or Chain of Command. They were the missing piece for my collaboration project with RayR, and I’m thrilled to have them ready for the table.

The dream now is to get my Soviets and Ray’s Finns into a proper scrap. However, we’ve got a bit of a "one in, one out" policy happening right now. We have a few urgent projects that need to be cleared off the workbench before we can play with these guys. Our big focus for the immediate future? Two 1812 Retreat from Moscow games. We're working on a skirmish ruleset with a friend, and alongside this, Ray and I want to run a big battle with our collection for a demo game at Broadside in June. Once we have these playtested and polished, the second half of the year is looking very clear, and very wintery!

From LeeH: Last of the Winter War Soviets

My Soviet forces for the Winter War have taken rather longer to finish than I originally planned. That, I should admit, is entirely self-inflicted. Taking on several projects at once seemed like a splendid idea at the time—right up until I discovered the universe had stubbornly refused to add extra hours to the day. Still, today’s additions mark the final figures for the force and give me a healthy range of options for my Soviet army in Bolt Action.

First up are a pair of Light Machine Gun teams. Some of the LMG squads I painted earlier are sculpted advancing between positions, and I wanted the option to swap them out for deployed figures once they reach cover. These crews are operating the 7.62mm DP-28 light machine gun, a gas-operated weapon that became the Red Army’s standard squad support gun and remained in widespread service until an improved version appeared in 1944.

I’ve also completed another 50mm mortar team, armed with the M1938/39 mortar. The main reason for adding this crew was flexibility: I now have the option of fielding a second mortar in support of the infantry when the scenario calls for it. In reality, the weapon had its limitations. Its range was fairly modest and its explosive charge was roughly comparable to that of a hand grenade, which meant its battlefield impact was often underwhelming. As a result, it was gradually replaced by the far more capable 82mm mortar.

Finally, there’s some much-needed anti-tank capability in the form of the 45mm M1937 anti-tank gun. Finnish troops nicknamed this weapon the Piiskatykki (the “whip-gun”) because of the sharp crack produced by its high-velocity rounds. It was the Red Army’s standard light anti-tank gun during the Winter War and proved effective against the limited armour available to the Finns. Ironically, when Finnish forces captured these guns, they were more than happy to turn them around and put them to good use themselves.

With these final additions completed, the Winter War Soviets are finally ready for the table... assuming, of course, I can resist the temptation to start yet another project before the paint on them has properly dried.

5x28mm Prone = 12.5pts
7x28mm Foot = 35pts
1x28mm Gun = 10 pts
Total = 57.5pts

From DaveD . Another project gets to table ready state . A useful top up in capability there too Lee.

From MartijnN: Even more Early War French (90 points)

Well, I have been painting but not getting much finished. However, today I have yet more early World War II French.

First there is a Somua tank. This is  a Warlord model, partly resin and part metal. Though it is a simple model to build, there were some metal parts which did not have an obvious place to go to, so that took a bit of researching. However, in the end it was simple, of course. I like this model very much, which it's adventurous colour scheme. I did take inspiration from illustrations and photographs, but did not copy any exactly. I am, however, pleased with the end result.

Next, there is a Schneider half-track. No, not only the Germans had half-tracks! This is 3D printed, the files coming from BattleCat. A very nice model, and even though the paint job is nothing complicated I also like how this came out.

Then, I painted some bits and bobs that I needed for my very first Bolt Action game yesterday at the club. They are all Warlord figures, the office with his attendant, the Hotchkiss machine gun in metal, and the anti-tank rifle and the light mortar teams in resin. 

So that's it. My French, partly reserve infantry just inexperienced as I, fought the German veteran paratroopers to a standstill. Fair to say though, that it was my first game and my opponent's second, although we had an experienced games master. Many mistakes were made and much fun was had by all, and we could all very much live with the resulting bloody draw. I am already looking forward to my next game, but I will have some more infantry to paint first!

Pointswise, we have:

2x 28mm vehicles @20 = 40

5x 28mm @ 5 = 25

6x 28mm prone or half @2.5 = 15

1x crew-served weapon @ 10 = 10

For a total of 90 points.

Thanks for looking!

Martijn

 

Another excellent addition to your French WW2 army Martijn and again the camo scheme is very well done!  Great to hear that the force has already expierenced combat on the tabletop as well. Perhaps next battle you could snap some pictures to show them in action as a whole? 

Cheers Sander 

From LeeH: Another Soviet LMG Squad (60 Pts)

This week, I finished my fourth Light Machine Gun squad for my 1939 Winter War Soviets, which means I’m finally within sight of the end of this Bolt Action painting run. Four squads lined up together give the force a real sense of cohesion. On the table, they look like what they’re meant to represent: mass infantry built around automatic fire.

Soviet infantry tactics of the period leaned heavily on firepower at the squad level. The light machine gun was the anchor, with riflemen supporting it rather than the other way around. In theory, this created a base of suppressive fire that allowed advances by weight and momentum. The Red Army’s pre-war doctrine emphasised aggression, coordination, and overwhelming force. In open terrain, backed by artillery, that approach could be brutally effective. On a Bolt Action table, four LMG squads make that doctrine tangible—steady, grinding pressure rather than elegant manoeuvre.

The reality in 1939, however, was far messier. The army that invaded Finland had been badly damaged by Stalin’s purges of the officer corps in the late 1930s. Experienced commanders were removed, imprisoned, or executed, and their replacements were often younger, less seasoned, and understandably cautious. Initiative became dangerous. Junior officers learned that independent action could end careers (or lives) if outcomes were unfavourable. The result was rigidity. Orders were followed, sometimes blindly, even when local conditions demanded flexibility. Against Finnish forces who excelled at small-unit tactics, mobility, and exploiting terrain, that lack of adaptability proved costly.

With this fourth squad complete, the core infantry element of the army is ready. I’m still waiting on an artillery crew and gun to round things out, and I have a handful of spare figures that may end up as smaller specialist teams if I can find a home for them. For now, though, these LMG squads capture both the theory and the tragedy of the 1939 Red Army: a force designed for massed firepower and relentless advance, but hampered by structural weakness and fear at the command level. 

12x28mm Foot = 60 Points

From DaveD.  Nice winter additions Lee , are you starting to get snow blindness yet ? The whole force will be looking like a proper mass when we see it . 60 it is .

From MartijnN: Silver Bayonets and Bold Action (82 points)

No, that's not a typo. These vehicles are indeed for the game Bolt Action, but I consider myself taking up any 28mm WWII game at all, as quite a bold action, as I have often said that my wargaming interests do not stretch beyond 1918. I have dabbled in 6mm Western Desert, and still have armies for that, but I can't remember when I played my last game with them. Sometime in the last century I think. However, I recently joined a local club (The Tin Soldiers of  Antwerp, known for organizing the Crisis show here in Belgium), which of course I should have done years ago, and Bolt Action is quite popular with them. To keep somewhat in the spirit of my self-imposed time limitation, though, I have opted for an early war French army. These two tanks are the first units of my new army. A Char D-1 infantry tank and a Renault F35/39 light tank. They are the first 28mm vehicles I have ever painted, I believe.

I like the fancy camouflage patterns the French used. Apparently, once the war truly started they switched over to a more practical scheme, as the originals did not do very well what they were designed for (that is, camouflaging). But I just applied the rule of cool. And contrast paints.

Infantry tank Char D-1

Renault F39

Anyway, I am very happy with how they came out. They are Warlord models, which are OK (though not great) but ridiculously overpriced. I did buy a French starter army from them, which provides good value, but I also found some digital sculptors online who produce STL's for some very nice figures, equipment and vehicles, so my printer has been running pretty continuously. I hope to finish some more during the Challenge.

Now, I have been aware of the game The Silver Bayonet for quite some time, but again, that was nothing I thought I could be interested in. Weird sh***, as some would call it. However, once again this is popular at the club, and people are quite obviously having a great time with it. As a warband numbers only eight figures, I thought I'd give it go and bought a unit of North Star Austrians for the game.

I found these a lot of fun to paint, something out of the ordinary and I like how they turned out. I am less enthusiastic about the cuirassier officer, as the right arm came separately and I quite dislike that with metal figures, but he is still OK. I struggle with white uniforms in any case, but I have not found a way yet to do them satisfyingly with speedpaints, so I had to fall back on acrylics. It did not turn out completely like I was hoping for, but let's say he is acceptable.

 

Cuirassier and Hussar

 

Coachman and Highwayman (Think I would rather not let either of them drive my coach)

 

Doctor ("trust me, I'm the doctor") and Tactician

 

Irregular and Woodsman

So there you have it, two new projects (as if I needed those). 8.5 28mm figures for 42 points (let's not go down the .5 route, and the tank commander is not only half a figure but a very simple one too), and two 28mm vehicles for 40 points. And two squirrels!

8.4 28mm foot @5 = 42

2x 28mm vehicles @20 = 40

Two squirrels

Total 82 points

Oh boy Martijn, those are a lot of "first times" for you here! Great work all round, I specially the FT's since they are your very first 28mm vehices and still have turned out gorgeous! Painting white is one of those old problems we painters face but we should meet up one time and we could exchange tips and perhaps the good people here can help you? 

From LeeH: Soviet Tank Hunters and T26/M1931 (100pts)

I narrowly missed last week’s submission deadline by a matter of hours, so this week turns into a double offering: more Soviet infantry and a tank. 

First up is another twelve-man Light Machine Gun Squad, the nearly finished unit that never quite made it onto the blog last time. All that stood between them and glory was drying basing and a final layer of snow, but time ran out. One of my quietly declared New Year’s resolutions was to stop saying yes to every new project that wanders past. That resolution has already collapsed in a heap, leaving me busier than ever. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it does add another tick to the ever-growing “suspected ADHD” column.

Next on the bench is another tank for my Soviet forces. This time it’s a T-26 Model 1931, the distinctive twin-turret variant armed with machine guns. Unlike my previous T-26 from Rubicon, this one is a 3D print from Danger Close Studio. Aside from some minor clean-up around the tracks where the supports had been, it’s an excellent print and blends in seamlessly with my other vehicles. Historically, the T-26 Model 1931 was heavily influenced by the British Vickers 6-Ton and was intended as an infantry support tank. Its twin turrets, usually mounting DT machine guns, offered impressive firepower on paper, but in practice proved awkward to command. That complexity eventually saw the design abandoned in favour of more practical single-turret models.

Finally, there’s a Tank Hunter team. This unit consists of two men armed with the 7.62mm PPD 1934/38 submachine gun, a design based on the Bergmann MP18/1 and fed by either drum or box magazines. They’re supported by two riflemen, with the NCO hefting a Molotov cocktail. The Molotov was a small conversion, using a plastic piece from the Warlord Games Soviet infantry sprue that recently appeared as a giveaway on the cover of Wargames Illustrated, which couldn’t have been better timed. On the tabletop in Bolt Action, Tank Hunters are nasty little specialists, with rules that allow them to double their attacks in close combat against vehicles, making them a serious threat despite their size.

In short: a delayed update turned into a productive one, with a finished LMG squad, a characterful early-war Soviet tank, and a converted Tank Hunter team all joining the ranks. Progress may be chaotic, but it’s definitely moving forward.

Scoring:
15x28mm Foot = 75pts
2x28mm Prone Foot = 5pts
1x28mm Vehicle = 20pts
Total = 100pts

From DaveD . The winter coolness continues . Your forces are building up nicely . The twin turret tank is interesting , but of course entirely understandable it didn’t meet the requirements in the end . I have one in the Back of Beyond stash too. Hopefully Ray has his can openers handy . Grand stuff Lee . 100 it is