This might get a bit Technical

Just to help out my buddy Ferry a bit :)

(click on the pic for a bigger size)

I have more in storage, just not in easy reach, so this will have to do for now.

1. S&S Lada Riva saloon car. Super generic resin car, fits in everywhere and as everything. Taxi, police car, civillian, car, target car. S&S even makes African and Arab half figures to glue on the windows for a drive by. S&S Lada Riva Currently retails at 6.50 UK Pounds. Single cast with 4 metal wheels. Casting is typical for S&S, so be prepared to fill in the air bubbles with some greenstuff. This one is painted as a Yugoslavian decoy for aicraft.
2. Same S&S Lada Riva saloon car, this time painted up as generic TV crew car, fitting for any warzone since the 70's
3. JB Models (now Airfix) Landrover. Plastic kit, you can buy a verson with a hardtop or a soft top, and they come with a trailer, which is supereasy for loads of armies. Price varies from a couple of euros second hand right up to some stores asking as much as 15 euros for a single kit (which is a bit ridiculous ans a proper diecast can be had for half that). Again, super generic, as a civvy, Technical or as these 2 WIP's, British Special Forces rides for the Cold War.... I really should finish those someday, even though I'm no longer in big scale Cold War conflicts, they would be very handy for TW:2K
4. Same as 3, but with AT asset, The other one will get a minigun, thx to a former SAS friend who wants to remain anonymous.
5. Hobby Den Toyota 4x4. I have a ton of these, all based up and ready to go, just paint them black, add a magnet in the back so I can slide on a Back off sign in Arabic, add a magnet in the roof so I can put a MMG/HMG/Minigun/Grenadelauncher on it. They are meant for my Blackwater project, but can double as unmarked black cars for any location and any faction, be it intelligence, government, drug lords or warlords, anything goes really. Very affordable too, these are currently priced at 6,50 euros for a single resin cast with 4 resin wheels.  Hobby Den 4x4 Toyota  Bryan also does a Technical version of the same vehicle, I reviewed that back in 2012: Hobby Den 4x4 Technical
6. This SUV is made by Britannia/Grubby Tanks, and would be a very good deal at 6 UK Pounds each, as it comes with 2 Taliban and a 12.7mm Dhssk. It has 4 metal wheels and the veicle itself is a single resin cast. Therein also lies the problem, as in the last few years I've been let down by the terrible casting quality from Britannia's caster. Having said that, this is a very smooth model, nothing like the hard cornered armoured vehicles, so it could be less affected. Although sold as Taliban, there is nothing stopping you from using this as a Special Forces ride. Afghan Technical
7. RH Models aka Liberation Miniatures Technical. Very nice ride, but due to getting my entire country blacklisted by our benevolent Dictator Rolf Hedges, no longer available to us. Included for completeness.
8. Britannia/Grubby Tanks M35 truck. Really old casting, upgraded with a aluminium tubing exhaust to bring it up to M35A2 specs, and a miscast BRDM-2 hull, cut down, added in the back, as a makeshift convoy protection vehicle for TW:2K. I didn't like the way it was going with my add on door armour, so took that all off and forgot all about it. Suitable from Vietnam up to present day, as a Government or Rebel vehicle, easily converted and less costly then the Academy M35 truck. But yeah, their current castings are shite so order at your own risk. Britannia/Grubby Tanks M35 truck
9. ICM ZIL or Jiefang truck - I picked up a dozen or so of these way back when shipping was still affordable for less then 4 euros per truck. Pretty generic truck, multi role use, civillian to military, plastic so easily converted by adding drop in loads or a baby wipe tarp.
10. RH Models Saxon. Also added for completeness, I picked up some second hand ones for use with TW:2K and was surprised a few years ago when Ukraine got about 2 dozen from the UK to help with the war effort.....and that was the last thing I ever heard or saw about them. Not really a Technical but makes for a great militia/marauder vehicle.

Now, there are a lot more Technical suitable vehicles available in 20mm. I've made a order with the Hobby Den as well as some samples to paint up for their shop,  and like I said, I have loads in my stash I need to dig out as well, but that is for a next installment.

Now, comparing these to diecasts, the diecasts are of course much cheaper, especially when bought second hand. The wheels tend to be a bit of a let down, but you can always rip them off ond base them on suitable resin wheels. Shape wise, they tend to be a bit hit/miss, I've got more then a few who look suitable but when measured up, turn out to be way oversized. Caveat Empor, bring a 20mm fig with youy when shopping, I say.

Hope you find this helpful.

The Guild D-Day Speedbuild: C-47 with a twist - finished? and other ramblings

With little time to spare, I completely burned out and posted the following 4 pictures for the competition.

I posted it on a few forums too to finish my running topics, but I have not had the nerve yet to read the replies. On the one hand I just have bitten off too much then I can chew, but to be fair, with better focus that might have not been the case.

But to spill the beans a bit, last week I was diagnosed with Depression, and seeing this is my third time in 7 years I kinda know how it goes, and it ain't pretty. I truly don't care about anything right now, hopbby, wife, kids, myself, nothing. I spend 2/3's of the day in bed. When I do have bursts of energy it pisses off my wife and confuses the heck out of the kids, so I just go to my hobby room and paint there for 3-4 hours straight while watching Youtube tutorial (and Fallout 4) videos. Since this is my third time, and my docter is super worried I've been labelled Priority and have my intake tomorrow. There is a bit of discussion whether to admit me for a short period so I'm away from everything or have me over 1-2 days a week for therapy and meetings. To be honest I don't care what they choose for me, I just want to get rid of this black hole that is inside me and swallows everything, from energy to feelings. I mean, I don't even care about painting right now, and I love painting. I've been on a downhill slope ever since losing my job and it is spiralling out of control ever since the news that my knee damage is permanent, and I just don't see the light at the tunnel anymore.

It sucks, but that is the way it is. Having said that, I've managed to snap out of it 2 times before. I have every intention to do the same thing again this time. But I want to ask them to treat it differently this time. Dark moods are a part of me ever since I was a kid (but I never was a Goth or anything) but I never discussed that with my family cause I knew very well what they thought about people that don't fit in their little world. I did find out pretty quickly that being by myself and/or with others and doing hobby related stuff meant it got pushed back. For quite some time I didn't have issued with it anymore and I kind of forgot about it. I have the hobby (gaming, painting) to thank for that.

So what changed? I'm not sure. When I got older I started to run into more and more people who don't accept my hobby as being something a adult should do. That it is a waste of money. I stayed friends with people who either like or have the same hobby, and tried to get rid of the ones who disapproved of it. Problem is, the disapprovers in my inner circle are my next of kin. My dad in particular has expressed more then once that he would come over, dump everything in a trash container and that would solve the problem once and for all. They see my hobby as a problem, as a disease, a money pit. I've long since given up the fight to change their views. I hardly ever show off painted stuff on my own FB page and keep it mostly to closed FB groups, a few forums and my Blog.

So why am I telling you all this? Well, I've never been the best in expressing myself verbally. I can talk long stories but sometimes it is hard to tell where they start and where they end. It's hard to explain the problem when I myself can't understand my own problem most of the time. Does this mean I have no more love for the hobby right now. No, it does not. That I don't care about it right now does not mean I do not love it. It is just that 99% of it gets blocked and only 1% actually manages to get out.

Like what I painted in between painting burst of the C-47. A local friend of mine commented that he would like and try to revive the cancelled 2012 Afrika game and see if we might get 3-5 players and have a small campaign with them. Even in my blocked off state, this triggered something as I had spent a lot of time on the background of my faction, the mercenaries called Zwartwater, and gathered quite a bit of kit for them. Also, this happend just at the moment I was watching a documentary on Netflix called "Only the Dead"

During the chat I saw this on my screen:

A press SUV in Iraq, 2003

.....and I wanted to paint that. What I normally do these days, is that I see something I think of interesting to buy, paint and have, I just copy-paste the picture, print it, and stick it on my whiteboard.

This months "Things I wanna have" list

But I did not want to paint another SUV, as I already have a Press SUV/Armoured Car (see ZNN
I gave it away to Bryan of the Hobby Den, then painted another one which I still have not finished (just needs varnish) for my own collection). I did however see, while cleaning in the attic.....

The attic. Welcome to hell/heaven and my Nemesis!

...a built, based and washed Lada Riva from SandS

And then magic happend, as I got through my numbess and painted my little heart out. I even cut apart white bar decals to represent the tape used to mark the vehicle with TV. I kept the clourscheme the same. And this is what I got:

Just so passing gunships know what you are.

Plenty banged up

Oops, missed that bit of gloss paint next to the window, will remidy that

As much as I love them, SandS casts are rough and usually have plenty of air bubbles to clean up. Since I paint up most of my stuf as bangers, not always a problem, but sometimes it is just bloody annoying. But for the price he charges I really can't complain. He asks 6.50 Pounds for these and I get my Guild discount on top of that, and then some when I order up a bit more. Thinking about ordering up 4 or 5 more to paint up as Iraqi/Afghani taxi's. Also thinmking about planting a money tree. Hah!

And while I was at it, I even made rules for it in Battlegroup (Moderns).

Press chit. This replaces a 1. When pulled, play on enemy unit and put a Press vehicle/3 man team on the table.
1-2 Unit too busy to fight cause they are recording messages for Mom and Dad. - no action next turn
3-4 Unit goes all out and puts up a show for the Press - Free action next turn
5 Unit is portrayed badly in the eyes of the Free World and loses D6 BR
6 Press is unwelcome. Place chit on enemy unit instead

Optional: If you have a translator team you may add or subtract 1 from your roll.

Right, tomorrow after the meeting I will come back home, clear my hobby desk, give it a good cleaning and the decide what to do next. Taking a week or so off doesn't sound so bad right now.

Gravedigging

Cleaning up means going through the stash and finding projects started a long time ago and projects that never went beyond the "Buy stuff" phase (it also slows cleaning down a lot). I've used a lot of Chinese take-away boxes to store small projects, with some in bigger storage boxes or (in the case of my Yugoslavia and British Normandy forces projects, a moving storage box).


As it stands now, I will thrown out or sell nothing of those. They are almost exclusively 20mm projects and I mean to get them finished someday. For now, I'm more then happy just to check the box, slap a label on it and put it back in storage, noting down what projects I have.


I've been keeping my eye on the forums as well, looking at bits I could (not "must" or "want" but "could" !) buy at Crisis, with these projects in mind. 3 Months to go till the show, but having a list of stuff way in advance makes it easier to see if I need to come up with more funds, or, more likely, be realistic and remind myself there will be a Crisis next year.


Today this meant noting down a lot of stuff from Thormarillion. A poster on the LAF was looking for suitable statues for Frostgrave and the company was linked as having good stuff. And they sure do. For my Mordheim graveyard I have a wanted list of 4 statues on plinths, a fountain and more graves which they filled in nicely. They also do very nice and affordable Crypts. Going over the rest of the site I found a nice piano and a gramophone player that should be nice and suitable for the 28mm I will start on soon. Whether I will add them to my list depends on how far that project will be when I need to order stuff.


I also found a small box of 20mm contractors for the 2012 Afrika project (the boys from Zwartwater). Since these will fit very well in AK-47 I will revive that project and put everything I have in a single box (vehicles, helos and troops). I might even get some headgear for them as a motivator. <grin> I'll restart them as plain Blackwater though, easier. Just need to clear out my old Photobucket and get the pics listed in the new one properly.


Fortunately, there is plenty of stuff that can go, which makes Kim happy, and she was kind enough to drop all of my 2 cent pieces off at the bank today to trade them in for a few rolls of shiney new 5ct pieces/ That means I will have more then enough bases to start the 28mm Germans with. Which still have not arrived yet..... not that it matters, the room isn't nearly clean enough to get started.


Tonight I'll have another lot of kits to list, plus I need to find the sci-fi doors I made for Elhiem....kind of misplaced the envelope for him, and those should have left last week!


Also tonight, I will go on a small detour and trade a modern Hind-D kit for a Hind-A kit. I like the glasshouse on that one and I have plenty of Hinds as it is. I'll put the a into the AK-47 box for the Communist Block.


Finally, I have added a new Blog to my listing, Dad's Guys. It is a new Blog but he posts well painted Liberation Miniatures and labels each picture with the correct codes so you can finally see what you are ordering. God bless him.

Translator Team transport, Zwartwater

Finished the transport for my 4 man Translator Team. Wanted to give them something with local flavour and not an armoured car, so took my alltime favorite, the Britannia Beetle and used that. Added a skibox and extra headlights for looks. I don't think the team will be quite happy driving this rickety thing, but at least they blend in more :)

Skibox is custom made, extra headlights come off a truck kit, Beetle is converted stock model from Britannia/Grubby Tanks. Decals letters are from I-94, licence plates from a Leopard 1 kit I think. The text in the picture means My day is a bad day (though not 100% if I spelled that right)

Khin Hla, Red Team Leader, Zwartwater

Finished the 3rd member of Red Team for the 2012 Africa Big Game, Khin Hla .

Khin Hla, from Myanmar, is a political refugee serving with Zwartwater. He is the teamleader of Red Team, a softspoken but commanding man. Not much is known of his past as he keeps to himself, and he is very sensetive about his old and worn red scraf he wears. He has upgraded his M4 with a 100 round C-Mag, bipod and red dot scope so to better support his team.

Model comes from the Generic SF/Contractor pack from Wartime Miniatures. I've added a MG-13 ammo drum from I think Elhiem as well as the bipod from it.

Father Bernard Arduro

Father Bernard Arduro from the Order of Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel

Father Bernard was teaching at the local school when he was abducted by a local militia for not giving high enough grades to the son of their commander. During 3 days of torture he received multiple fractures and lost his left eye. On the 4th day the local authorities raided the militia compound and rescued him, in the process wounding him even more and killing over half the miltia including the commander, despite pleas from Father Bernard to end the bloodshed and to surrender.

He feels he has failed in his duties as a Christian by not preventing so many deaths, but hopes to atone himself by raising the commanders son (which doubles as his driver) and being a voice of peace between the various warring factions.

The model is from Mutineer Miniatures, Christian Militia Command. I removed his sidearm. For the Big Game 2012 he will function as part of my Translator team. I don't expect him to live long.

Chen Lu, Red Team, Zwartwater

Finished the 2nd member of Red Team for the 2012 Africa Big Game, Chen Lu.

Chen Lu is a Chinese national recruited in the Zwartwater Special Forces some time ago. He prefers to use his late fathers AK with a full set of Norinco red phenolic mags (which will propably make collectors cry). His stay with Zwartwater is sanctioned by the Chinese Government, which is rather unusual.

Model is from Wartime Miniatures, Iraqi Police/Paramilitary. I need to get a few more of these for my fireteams as I don't want all of my contractors to look like Special Forces with gizmo's coming out their ears. The only change I made is tripleclipping his AK with a few bits of plasticcard and a strip of paper for the tape.

Now there are only 35 more to go for this unit :) (Flocking will come later when they are all done)