Back in the saddle

 Right, the GI's are on track and can wait for a few days till I clean all the bases.

Grabbed some scenery for 28mm Stalker I had been working on before the move. I finally found a proper star punch at the Goodwill a few weeks back so I put that to good use (and found out my big round punch is on it's last legs so need to keep a lookout for those). Used that for the monument (basically a sports throphy with the tacky symbol (literally a sticker) and the much too big base removed). Will be painted concrete and weather paint as just another of the gazillion ones you see around Russia. LOS blocker and all that.

Also finished the sanding work on the 15mm Gazebo dome. And then decideed to fill in the MDF connectors between the panel sides as well but that's for another day.

 

 

 I picked up a resin ruin for a fiver, what turned out to be a Conflix model. Could have fooled me, the cast is so crappy I took it for a fishtank model. It's really weird on the inside, where the mould was, very haphazard and rough sharp casting remains. I took a bit of time and plugged in foam inserts in spots I want to fill up, and added hot glue to fix that all in place so I have a good base to start Milliput work sealing up the openings I don't need and add a bit of a platform on the inside where I do need it. Not that any 28mm model will fit inside, but picked this purely up as decorative scenery, and with 2 or maybe 3 exit/infil points for monsters or what not. Cut and sanded a base for it and glued it down with hotglue cause did I mention the thing is warped too? Hotglue is the great equalizer and a lot cheaper than epoxy for this. Gaps on the base will be filled in with Milliput as well. No rush on this one, will come in handy for Frostgrave, Silver Bajonet, the Last War, my Quar, Mordheim. Eventually.

I picked up several of of the SP Guard Houses. Simple kits, cheap, with great conversion potential.

 

When my built one came out of storage I noticed the roof was badly warped. I looked at ways to fix it but in the end decided not to bother and just make a new roof. I've got the skills and the tools, and in an hour I punched out this. Scrap foam, ribbed card and a strip of plain cardboard forma  cereal box. Didn't go all out for the panels, I can just paint them that way. Added a star was well, but won't paint it too overly Russian. Red star and some baby blue details. A few scrap Russian newspapers around, and when I finally get furniture for it that can get the same treatment. Roof can be reversed to change the look a bit, always nice to increase usability. I found some proper thick transparancies so might even glass the windows.

And cause I could, I grabbed some 15mm railing that I cut of from the 15mm factory add ons and changed that into a steel grate door with kick panels. Just need to find my bag with fine metal chain that hasn't popped up after the move (yet) to put a chain lock on that door. 

The side is open and will stay that way, I have a seperate fence planned on that side.


Today was a good day :)

Painting some 6mm testers - Syria, Ukraine, Soviets

Did some testers tonight to get some ideas out of my system. 

Pic 1: L: Ukranian BMP-1 captured by Donbass Seperatists with Ukranian graffiti painted out. M: Ukranian BMP-1 R: Ukranian Militia Buggy 

Pic 2: L: Syrian Dalek (custom conversion) R: Daesh VBIED Pic 

3: My test for Russian Green (which I'm happy with) 

Everything you see is based on photographs, no fantasy here.

Edit: Pictures I copied for Ukraine. Fo course, I immediately found more than the first pic I had to use....just means I will make another one with a proper conversion

Yellow 09

6mm Scotia MiG-21 "Yellow 09" fighter bomber ready to drop some FAB's on Capitalist Forces somewhere in Germany (or insurgents in Afghanistan). 

Not a very good model, the wings are superthin, the tail fin looks like it once broke off, was crudely fixed and then used as a casting master, and comes with empty racks. Added bombs that looked half decent FAB-ish, reset the tail, did my best to make the wings appear level. Copied the scheme off of a MiG deployed in Afghanistan...didn't get thye colours exact but she looks the part. Used the always excellent I-94 decals, in this case first by decalling in white, and overlaying them withthe same decal in yellow, else the yellow is just drowned out. The stars should have white borders....but I don't have those, so there :). It was a fun, if exhausiting build to get her where I wanted it to be, and someday she will be joined by a buddy in the Air Defence role.

Bombing up

I really, really prefer 3mm aircraft for air gaming. Easy to mod, paint and finish. But for my 6mm Russian Army (still in a fetal state) I want matching airsupport, so I have some Heroics and Ross stuff. The quality....ehm....varies? But hey, have to work with it, so.....

Magnetised as always, and I used 1/300 WW2 air ordonance, modifed for the modern aircraft, pinned in place etc. A lot of work for someome with functioning hands, pure unadulturated fun for me. But hey, when I have an idea, you know what happens......

MiG-21 now has 4 FAB bombs
Su-25 has 2 droptanks on the inboard stations, and 2 rocketpods on each wing for now. Might make yet another rocket pod for both wings, or dual or quad bomb racks, or load up on something else. Depends what my hands can handle, really.

Why go the easy way when you can take the hard route?

Britannia has quite a few sculpts I like. But when the owner died nothing new appeared and the range is in dire need of some upgrades.....so I'm making my own.

At least Britannia is something I can match my skill level in sculpting to, fortunately.

All conversions off of the same bike, and a NVA gunner turned into a WW2 Soviet one

October Main Goal, side dish and focus points

I plan to put these down every month from now on, to refocus myself again and again. So bear with me :)

Main Goal - Clean, build and base as many Technicals as possible to clean out the stash I have right now. Get them ready for primer. Paint 1 or 2. Goes with M4/M5

Side Dish - Clean, build and base as many vehicles for the Cold War Soviet Recce as I have in stash right now. Get them ready for primer. Try to base 20 troops as well. Get them ready for primer. Goes with M3

Focal points:
-Clean and sort all incoming 2nd hand Liberation Miniatures
-Sort out items you want to use Instant Mold for, I have a few sticks coming in later this month. Do some more research on how to properly use them. You might want to drag up the old box of Lego for them.
-Technical weapons. Sabot them or not? Look at the pro and cons.
-Keep selling! Get rid of the uwanted tat.
- Pre orders for Crisis. Go over the list again, do I really need this in the next year? If not, drop it.

Focus Points

For the rest of the year, besides selling stuff, I wil focus on 20mm.

For my own sanity, I have a checklist.

W1. WW2 Germans (Early-Mid-Late)
W2. WW2 Russians (Early-Mid-Late)
W3. WW2 British (Late)

M1. Cold War Dutch Mechanised (1980-85)
M2. Cold War British Special Forces (1980-85)
M3. Cold War Soviets Recce (1980-85)
M4, Lebanese Civil War, various Militias
M5. Mogadishu, African Militia
M6. Yugoslavia Civil War, Serbians and Croats
M7. Taliban

SF1. Stalker Project
SF2. Modern Mercenaries

I've sold off Vietnam and I will not be doing Sci-Fi for a while.

Of my Projects, only W1 Mid-Late and M1 are in a gameable state and have opposition in this country to game with/against. W1 should be updated with another German Infantry platoon and more vehicles (loads in stock thanks to PSC). M1 has a fully painted vehicle fleet but the infantry is unpainted. I will not be working on these this year.

W1 will be updated when I have a game planned and need new kit. Most likely Late.
W2 will keep the focus on Late due to the number of T-34/85's based and built and converted and ready for paint.
W3, being 2 British Infantry platoons plus support was my project for the last half year, which sadly tanked due to my increased dosage. I've pushed these on towards 2015

M1 will be picked up in 2015, and I have to do test samples to get the vehicle paint right again. Hopefully, in 2015 SandS will release the YP-408 so I can motorise my infantry towards 1975-1980. A F-16 has been aquired for airsupport.
M2 my Special Forces haven't been toutched since 2011, but I have 2 more special Land Rovers ready to be painted, I just need crew. Also need to make debussed crew. For small Skirmish games.
M3 is a new project, I want to get a small Recce force done, nothing major, as 2 of my mates already have sizeable Soviet forces, and I want a few of my own. I'll probably start his year.
M4 Already did some work on these, I want to do generic stuff first that can cross over to Mogadishu before comitting to one or two militias. As there is no opposition here locally this is a skillz and fun project. (my opposition being in Ireland and Portugal)
M5 I will focus purely on the Africans so I can eventually do AK-74 with them as well. No local opposition so again Skillz and Fun.
M6 Several vehicles converted, I need to test out JNS green before I will commit. There are long term interested parties that probably won't commit till I have a decent force (and they paint much quicker then me) Skillz and Fun cause the opposition is in the USA!
M7 Taliban. 2 people I know have Modern Dutch I can fight against. I want to focus purely on Infantry, I have a bag of Liberation, when those are done I will order Elhiem. 2015

SF1. Really long term ans I don't even have rules for it, more a labour of love and excuse to expand The Junkyard.
SF2. Modern Mercenaries. Also meant for AK-74 but modelled after Blackwater. No opposition, Skillz and Fun.

The list looks rather extensive, but I will try and focus on one project plus 1 back up project a month. Everything has their own box or drawer, so after that period they are easily stored untill taken out again. Each month I will see what tickles my fancy and do that, that way I dont have to worry about getting bored.

I really don't want to be running 12 different projects on my table at once, so this is a better way. A bit OCD, I admit, but quite maneagable.

A extra plus is that I have most projects in stock, so I don't have to spend extra money on figures, instead saving money for future scenery expansion.

Not another monument....continued

Some progress

15mm PSC T-34 on top, magnetbased. Started weathering on the numbers, painting concrete should be next. Paintjob on the T-34 should be simple green with black tires and tracks. Also, it seems I was mistaken about having a spare T-34 in 20mm scale so I'll need to order one from Will at a later date, unless anyone has a PSC T-34 spare that they are not using and are willing to sell?

Not another monument...

Yup, another one.

No prizes for guessing what goes on top :)

Changed the base a bit as I didn't want to have to fill this one with roof lead to prevent it from tipping over (actually, my roll of roofing lead is running low and a new one costs 25 euros which I don't have to spare as Crisis is coming up this weekend, so call me cheap). But a bigger base also means a larger LOS breaker :)

I glued in a magnet in the inside, cause this one is going to be another dual version. I'll be picking up a 15mm and a 20mm T-34 from PSC this weekend, tart em up monumentally, and a magnet on their underside and the magnetic pull should keep it in place.

After this, I need to make a hammer and sickle type monument that is scaleless, and 3 of them should be enough to turn any old city I make into a Soviet one. Easy peasy me thinks.

Monument 2.0, a WIP

Since I'm scaling down my Stalker game to 15mm I have a few scenic objects in my collection that are too large. Since there will be a few weeks before all of my deliveries are in, I ordered a 1/100 aircraft kit from Hong Kong that managed to get here in 3 days time (free postage) and this will be getting the same treatment as the 1/72 MiG-21 that I made earlier.

Since the base was made in such a way that the aircraft is removable for transport, I just need to build another aircraft with a rod inside it, which I have just done.

Now I just need to let everything dry before I can paint the whole plane metallic and get started on weathering it. And that should not take a whole lot of time.

At Crisis I will pick up a PSC 15mm T-34 sprue so I can build another monument, and after that I just need to make something special for Pripyat in 15mm, and then it is on to the models and buildings.

Russian decoy guns for Kursk, Part 1

I'm having a small factory line here....producing decoy guns for the Russians players for the game in August, based off a original schematic. I'll be modifying it in places to make it more wargamers/builders friendly though. Doing this on a practically 0 euro budget as well.

They are not hard to build and add a little character. I'll leave it to the Russian players to use them or not. More progress and details soon.

Kursk T-34's

Checklist for updating the PSC T-34's

For 10 tanks I need:
- Drill 10 gunbarrels, 10 machinegunbarrels and 20 exhausts.
- Molest 40 fenders, front and back.
-Bend 30 handrails for the turrets
-Bend 60 handrails for the hulls.
-Create 10 headlights.
-Update 3 tanks to type 43.
-Create 10 antenna mounts.
-Get 3 commanders.
- Build or cast a X amount of box fueltanks

For 2 wrecks and 2 German ones this list mostly repeats itself, but the captured ones will get a Notek headlight and other Germanic upgrades (command cuppola, rommelkisten) and the rest will be done in the painting phase.

Russian

German

I decided to do the first 2 wrecks using the full tank, and when I start the third I will only need part of it (turret) to get the right look.

Though my order still isn't packed or sent, so God knows when I can get cracking on that.

GMG Weekend: Kursk

My next trip to Ireland, in a little under 4 months, will be to fight on the German side in a big Kursk bash.

For this, I've sorted my to do list into 3 sections; German, Russian and Scenery.

Scenery wise I will be adding a few wrecks to my collection, maybe make another windmill and do various Russian farmyard stuff.

German wise I don't have a clue yet, I've requested, and have been granted, a spot on the German side, but listwise we are a bit in the dark to what we can and can't use. Personally I'm hoping to build me a few of the PSC Panzer IV's this time, and if I can make them H's even the better as those will be useful for Normandy as well. Having said that I have a small stash of Wills beauties so G's or even F's are not a problem either.

Russian wise, well I'm not on their side, but I will be handing over a full T-34 company to the gamesmaster. They might use it, they may not, who knows. And that is what I have started off with.

4 boxes of PSC T-34's (The 5th is in backorder, should be here next week-ish) gives me a starter of 12 T-34/76 1943. Of this lot 2 are for the Germans, the other 10 are Russian. Of these, 3, including the CO, are with the command cuppola which I made from surplus hatches left over from the Pegasus T-34/85 Fast build, with some modification. 1 of these will be a OT-34.

As soon as the last box arrives 1 will complete the 10 tank Company and 2 will be turned into wrecks.

Everyone will get banged up fenders front to back,  replace the cast one wire with brass, make either a Notek or a normal headlight plus pots for the removable antenna to go in just using left over sprue that I will carve up. None of this lot will get the round fueltanks, a few will get square fueltanks, most will be without.

Looking forward to getting these finished and ready for paint tbh.

Old Shelter

Shelter off a Military Wheels AS-3 truck kit. I picked up 2 of these trucks cheaply at Crisis. I'll propably do something with the chassis and maybe build the other one properly, who knows :)

Fits in with the scrapyard, Fallout as well as Stalker. Decal is from TL-Decals.

Fire in the North - The Navies - More Soviets

Managed to get quite a few bits started this week, based, cleaned and updated 2 Alligators (removed 2 cranes, trimmed the funnel, added cargo hatches and masts), a Kresta II ( new guidance radars, new missile mounts (still way oversized sadly) and trimmed off the shopper and put it on a base so it looks like it is about to land) as well as a start on a Udaloy and HMS Fearless (trimmed and opened up the stern so I can place a few landingcraft around and in it. When and if I find them, can't find the little blighters anywhere! And yes, I know she's not a Soviet vessle :)

I've added more ships to my wish list, some Yank destroyers as well as more Soviet landing craft, and it looks I'm in the market for some of Odzial Osmy's Ka-25 helos to round off this part of the fleet before I go and start stuff like the Kiev and the Moskva. Need to get more NATO done before that anyway, but I'm missing a few bits for that as well so a mini order to Navwar might be in order. But first sell more stuff to fill up the wargames chest.

I've been doing plenty of other stuff as well, mostly 20mm, but I'll divulge more about that next week.

Fire in the North - The Navies - Boris Chilikin WIP

Just a quick shot of the progress on Boris. updated her a bit with brass wire and trimmed off the mould lines as good as I could.

Wondering what I am going to do with the 2nd Boris I have. I keep reading it's a spin off off a civillian tanker, but sofar found no imagine of a supposedly civvy one. Ah well, nothing wrong with keeping her in stock. I can always turn one into a wreck later.

Fire in the North - The Navies - Soviet tester done

Right, finished the tester, noted down the steps and colours used.

These colours work for me for the "Evil Empire", so this part is done. I won't do the base till I've got a fair number of ships painted so I can factory line them. I will give a wash again to the turrets, they are a bit dull, and I need to highlight the deck, and try to decal the bow. Other then that, I think it is a good standard.

Now I can wait for the order to arrive and paint other things :)

Oh, and for the real size:

Fire in the North - The Navies - Starting the Soviet Navy

For this gamebuild, I'll be focusing my efforts on the Soviet Navy as well as a few NATO ships and merchants.

While watching paint dry on the Isuzus (doubt they will be done tomorrow) I updated the paint trial ship for the Soviets, a Sovremenny class Destroyer.

(yes, thats a 1 euro cent coin)

Quite a few updates on the model, the model looked like it had just 4 SSm instead of the 8 seen in pics so used plasticcard to replace them , quite the differerence. Now they actually look like SSN-22 containers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS-N-22). Also chopped a bit off the main mast, added radars and some additional mastwork. Also replaced the main guns with a bit of brass (should really be double, but this is the thinnest brass wire I can get) and trimmed the barrels off the 30mm AA guns....just not visible and no need to represent them.

Painting them should not be too hard, a dark shade of grey and 2 tones of brown red for the surface, 1 or 2 details picked out in near white. If I still have a sheet somewhere, I'll number them, as I've stopped adding nametags to the rear. No need for the enemy to see what you got and if I can't remember what I'm sailing I'm fighting the wrong battle (it's not like you will have 50+ ships on the table, for the average game 5-10 is more then enough)

Already put out an order for a few Destroyers, Frigates and landing craft for the Soviets as well as a small British fleet with additional NATO ships for Piers. I might add a few severely converted or even scratch built merchants to the fleet, maybe build another carcarrier, we'll see.

May Games 2011 - Cold War, Part 2

 And the attack continues....

British troops scramble into their positions.

Russian Mechanised Infantry pushing up through the middle of the board, ready to support either thrust.

The helicopters leave.

And another airstrike decimates the German defences.

While the Bolkow takes a fatal hit and explodes above the city (either the SA-8 or the Shilka took it out, can't remember)

And the Russians push on.

 

 

 

 

 

And on.

Infantry dismounts and floods the city:

The defence is valiant but largly ineffectual, being slowly pushed back.

When another airstrike hits.

And the recce unit captures a abandoned medical Fuchs (well, more like looting it actually)

On the left flank, the Bundeswehr units that remain surrender, battered into submission.

NATO command is worried, they are unable to hold the city and the British defenders start to withdraw.

A Russian victory!
Will this be their starting off point for another offensive? Will the British hold next time? Or is this just a temporary setback?

Frankly, the Russians don't care right now, and start hauling back whatever isn't tied or bolted down.

All in all, a very nice game, I finally got to use my support vehicles, getting rid of damage really helped out in the offensive. I was helped by Piers apalling dicerolling, the defenders did their best but had trouble hitting and killing. Like the AVRE tank missing the house 50 meters in front of it. oops.

My favourite unit of the game? A tie up between the recce (driving between 2 Leopard 1's at top speed while being fired at by every Bundeswehr unit in sight required a set of brass ones the size of bowling balls I reckon, and then capturing the NATO medical vehicle on top of that) and the ground attack MiG-21 drivers who consistently hit with guns, rocket pods and bombs. So our allies were actually good for something