Scourge of the Partisans

As a friend of mine has a bag of Gebirgsjäger ready for me, why not add a small force to fight the Partisans, and allocate some top of the line equipment to them?

 

The S-Models Pz. Kpfw 35S739(f) is a really nice model. Main body is quick enough to build, then some fiffly plastic parts and finally some Photo etc, my first ever. If you take your time these bits aren't terribly hard to add. I used a toothpick, a drop  of superglue and my round punches to roll the photoetch with and it came out ok I guess. It should look nice in grey, and I need to practice that on something (not this model!).

As I am aiming for this:

 

...I might need to add a antenna pot for a German radio to the turret as well. Who knows. For now she is going in the ready for paint pile, and her unbuilt buddy back in the stash.

Things are going to change around here. Well, they have already tbh.

Right, the 30 day challenge is over, and I've spent almost the entire week after clearing, cleaning and sorting. Atm my room looks like this:

 Hobby Desk and 10 little Moppe. I have 13 now, plus 4 precursors and 3 non Ikea ones of about the same size :) The Alex is one I picked up on saturday for 30 euros after taking a small break when cleaning and seeing a FB post pop up in a local salesgroup. As these cost 100 euros new and are perfect for painted miniatures storage, I jumped on it. And the grey Helmer will be joined by a white one that I will pick up tomorrow afternoon. Yes, that will mean the entire table is blocked....it's the sacrifice I'm making to make sure I max out on storage space in what little room I have. As all 3 cabinets are wheeled I can just roll them aside when  I want to paint or use the airbrush....I don't like doing either in front of the PC anyway, I need to focus and the light is better on that end. For now, the 3 cabinets will be just for the small for sale stuff so I can just grab it when it is sold and put new stuff in that is listed, all in one place. The yellow labels are bits I need to sort into sell, trash or store.

 Computer Desk (+ Hobby Desk while running Netflix or Youtube) with Red cabinet that houses all of my Airbrush stuff (airbrush, paints and compressor plus all the tools needed). Doubles as a mobile tray to put my keyboard on when doing hobby stuff in front of the PC. My main Whiteboard is on the right...I still need to mount up 2 rails beside it so I can store my games mats there. To be quite honest I might remove it altogether.....I'm not using it for any real purpose, I just stick on stuff I find interesting. Might replace the half size half width cabinet with a half widt full size then, and a topper, and shelves next to it to have a better place for my printer and other stuff to clear my PC desk some more. I would like to get my PC off the floor.

 Storage Cabinets with Daily Notice Board for home, training, sales etc. The one of the right has all my spare parts and resin and metal kits waiting for me, the left one is mostly plastic kits now.

 Battletable / Holding Area for sold items or items that need to be photographed for sale. All that stuff needs to be gone this week, completely cleared just like the floor.

 Random thoughts whiteboard - needs to be stripped down this week in preparation for brainstorming the next term after the holiday. Too cluttered as well. Yech.

 3 of my 4 Alexes and my PSC/FtF and S-Models stash. having the black boxes upthere  is not perfect but it will have to do for now. The rails are for adding storage space above the door, as I can fit 6-7 Pappe upthere and that would be perfect for my collection of houses and foamscenery (current and future).

Storage Cabinet and Paint Cabinet. Also Blog Whiteboard with my planned topics and my Hobby Whiteboard with things I need to buy or sell (long term planning). Storage cabinet is a unsorted mess that does not have the highes priority right now but it is a mix of finished, unfinished and God knwos what stuff that is an eyesore to me. The Purchase board (or better said the "I'd like to have" - Board makes it very easy to put my needs on a board. I'm perfectly happy waiting for a convention where a certain trader will attend, or add up things over time from a single seller so I can do a more economical order (shipping cost wise).

I've worked my ass off this week, Kim is extremely happy and she really hopes I will keep everything as clean as possible. As do I! I have to put up some sort of Clean Desk policy that triggers me when either I get in the room, want to leave it or both. I'll work on that tomorrow. Something else Kim is very happy with is this:

This is attatched to the door to my Hobby room. Stemming = Mood. Green, yellow or red smiley. I think it speaks for itself. This way Kim knows how I'm feeling before she comes in, if she comes in at all, as I'm not very good at communicating how I feel (yes, odd, innit? I have no such trouble Blogging about it, but, I'll be damned if I can manage that face to face with my wife). Underneath I write down my goal(s) for that week. Simple, a tad childish even, but it seems to work.

I did take out some time to do hobby stuff as well. Cobbled together a Pegasus T-34/85, gave it a metal barrel, and didn't use the outer roadwheels but replaced them with the T-55 roadwheels from the PST kit. This way it represents a T-34/85M and it and the second one I will build this week will go straight into my Yugoslavia box. The second box of 2 T-34's will be built as is and will go into my Lebanon pile as PLO tanks. It nees some work before it is finished, like handrails and a mount for a .50 cal.

Second thing I built is the Italeri Church I picked up a couple of weeks ago. It is BIG! Then again, it is a church, so what do you expect. It works for quite a few spots around the Mediterranian, though mine is intended for Yugoslavia (WW2 and Modern) as well as Italy (when we get there book wise). I glued the entire thing shut and did not close up the windows for a change. It's suitable dark inside that it just looks lack and that is fine for me. The bell tower roof lifts off so you can put a figure in there if you wanted to. Might look nice in pictures but not really needed right now. I finished filling all the slits today and I just need to magnetize the spot where the cross will fit. The kit one is very weedy and will most likely break by just looking at it. I'll make a second mounting point on the bell tower top, then make and base 2 crosses and magnetise the undersides. That way, if someone knocks it it will just come off without breaking.

And that is it really. I could start about the Photobucket thing again, but when I started looking at my older Blogposts a ton of the mostly older ones are completely gutted so I will have to look into it. Eventually.

And with final note, I've been soda free for over a week now. My body stopped asking for it after a few days and I now have more energy, but as soon as I feel a bit sad or stressed I can practically hear my brain screaming for it. That should be gone in another 2 weeks. This time I will not make any exceptions. No soda what so ever, diet, sugerafree or whatever. Atm it's just tea, water and water with a couple of drops of syrup in it and nothing else. I'm not even having sugar in my tea, or milk.....I've become so uncivilised :)

And a second, final note, as my PC tends to pack up around once or twice an evening I've been on the hunt for a second hand Gaming PC. Not because I want to game, but those tend to be much better equipped for the needs I have for a PC that a standard office desktop like the one I have now just cannot handle. After complaining to Kim about my PC for the 1000nd time, I went online to Marktplaats and found a single one with very nice stats (as in way, way better then the wreck I have now) and managed to talk him down to 200 euros. 5 years old, good enough for the next 2-3 years I guess (hope). it's abit of a drive, but I can pick it up on tuesday evening. Fortunately I sold 100 euros worth of storage boxes last week so at least half of it is funded......it just means I have to list even more stuff this week to make up for it.

Right, a test exam tomorrow to see how well I know my stuff, and then I have the rest of the week to train myself before the final exam before the holiday starts, and after that only 2 more exams and them I'm done :)

Last of the many ( I hope)

I visited a local fellow kitbuilder (aka hoarder) who is liquidating his 1/72 collection and I brought him some of my surplus 1/35 stuff. In the end, I can say we were both pretty happy with our trade..

I picked up the following:

 Partially started Skyhawk, with upgradeparts for the extended exhaust for the Israeli's. Goes into the 1982 Israel pile.

 Toss up between a Iraqi or a Argentinian bird, purely planned for display purposes.

 Decals for the Gazelle helo, so I'm now sorted for the Syrian, Iraqi and Yugoslav ones.

If I can find a cheap box of these, I always snatch them up. With additional plastic bits they become lovely.

 For the burned Russian convoy.

 My favourite 222

 For my Overlord British

 Even though it has rubber tyres, I picked it up anyway. I'll either wreck it or trade it.

 Will this joing my future French of the German Polizei Units? Who knows....

 Straight onto the Israeli pile.

 Extra AAA for the Desert Brits or the BEF.

 Will be a civillian aircraft, I think.

 Another Russian wreck.

 For Iran-Iraq.

Other then some outstanding orders with the Hobby Den, Grubby Tanks and some second hand trades, I'm kind done with buying/swapping/trading (not selling though!). I'm going back to building stuff several nights a week to make a dent in the pile in the atic, as well as more scenery, courtesy of a new friend:

After getting interested in these a few years ago, but never having the money to buy one, I've been looking on and off for one for the past 2 years. 6 months ago Erik and decided to put a little more effort into it, and tonight I picked up this beauty at half retail. The receipt says it was bought last week, and the owner bought it to try it out, and felt he could find something better, so bought a 700 euro model with all the trims and fittings possible, and put this one up for sale. Jay me.

I will invest in some add ons for it, to make easy and consistent angular cuts and straight cuts with thicker foam. For now I will just play with it for a bit.

Spendthrift

Depression sucks. To feel better I spend money on stuff I may or may not need or at least I manage to convince myself it is a good investment for the future.

Right.

<sigh>

So, what have I done this time? Since the mother of all bandages on my finger is preventing me from getting a decent grip on a fresh blade I've been spending a wee bit too much time on Marktplaats and the local FB groups.

So today this arrived:

Academy Blitz Fuel Bowser for the airfield scenario, the Schwimmwagen is a nice bonus. GMC came with it as a lot, going into the spare bin. Desert Bf109F for the Afrika campaign, Karas for the Poles, Morane 406 for the French and a really, really old Revell-Esci Panzer 3M that I'm not sure if I'll use for parts or just sell on to a collector. Some of these kits are older then me.

Also arrived today was a trade in for some Warhamster crap. 4 more Concord books.

 I'm not into Gulf War Brits, but I am into Iraqis and this book has a ton of stuff on them. It's abit dusty and the price sticker is proving to be a downright arse to remove, but I can't complain for about the wealth of pics.

The next book is one I've been after for ages.......

 Whenever I wanted it, I could not afford it, and when I could afford it, no one was selling it. It's not in very good shape sadly:

 But man, is this a treasure trove or what? Perfect for my Yugoslavia collection.

 And I learned something new. I can use my spare M38 jeeps and lightweight Landrovers for Croatian forces. Yeah, pity about the state and the spine giving way, but this is a keeper.

This one however is not! I hadn't realised I already own this one....

So basically I now have 1 copy each of After the Storm: Iraqi wrecks and Fortifications, and Armor of the Afghanistan War.

If anyone wants them, I'm asking 10 euros per book, plus shipping, just shoot me a PM on the Guild or a message here on my Blog.

Take care everyone :)

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.

Battlegroup Dispatches Issue 1 released!

Finally!

 Battlegroup Dispatches Issue 1 has been released!

http://ironfistpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ATT_1380660299696_Dispatches-1.pdf

Content:

Battlegroup Partisan

Partisan Army List

New Vehicle Data

Gebirgsjäger Army List

Painting British Infantry Uniforms for the ETO, 1944-45

Kampfgruppe Phillips, Normandy scenario

Hell in the Bocage, Normandy scenario

Pimp My Panzer – StuG III stowage box

‘On to the Dneipr’ new Battlegroup Kursk vehicle data

A bit for every rulesset released sofar plus a full armylist if you want to game Yugoslavia
in 1943! I'm liking that list a lot cause I like ambushing convoys like no other, which makes 
you set up a game with a very limited figure count and rulesrestrictions and can be played
in an hour or so as a precursor to a normal wargame. The paintingguide makes painting 
British Infantry easy-peasy....just add effort and job is godun. The 2 Normandy scenarios 
are a nice addition and something to try out for me when my 6mm armies are further
along the line, or my daughters have grown up, whichever comes first :D Pimp my Panzer
is something that I hope will be a frequent addition in the dispatches....tips and tricks like 
that are always handy to know. On to the Dneipr adds vehicle data for mostly post Kursk 
vehicles, but lets you include a T-70 company for Kursk as well. Imagine 10 of the little 
ones buzzing towards you....attack of the gnats!

On the whole, a nice read, plenty of food for thought and the eyes, and well reccomend. Issue 2, whenever that will be released, is already highly anticipated!


In case further downloads for Battlegroup interest you, go here: ironfistpublishing.com

JNA M36 WIP finished

Right, slight deviation from my regular plans, a little sidestep to Yugoslavia. I've found a few locals who have plans to game Yugoslavia in 20mm and me, having a small collection of stuff collected for this period, has decided to hop in.

Received a box of Armourfast M36 in the mail last week as I wanted them as Yugoslavian M36's. Decided to make the following changes to make it passable as a JNA one and also a more detailed one.
-lamp brackets (ended up oversized but very recognisable)
-lifting hooks
-gun sight opening
-armoured roof
-step hold on the front of the tank hunter
-a strip of paper to it look like the tank without the muzzlebrake, which was common

What I decided not to do:
-change the engine decking and the rear vent (JNA ones were converted to T-55 engines)
-add track detail
-add the slopes to the top armour
-create a new muzzlebrake

Just need to mount the .50 on each and she is ready for Russian Green basecoat.

Coming from JNA stocks, most have seem to be used by the Croats, though the Serb (militias) used a few as well. Since my primary focus is on the Serbs,. both will be in weathered JNA green with just a number.

Though one of them is likely to receive a look like this:

I'm assuming here this one is Serb as I think I see their sign on the lower hull, and the vehicle it is passing is carrying the Eagle. Just have to enhance the picture a bit to get the writing right.