Quar Fidwog Command

 The Fidwog Command set adds the Cadier, the Quar's default pack animal to the range of figures available in plastic.

The diminutive Fidwog use them as mobile machine gun carriers, one quar guides the cadier, the other operates the M8-c MMG.

Crusader Musician

 Musicians in all armies provide motivation and communication.

This crusader (built from the Crusader Command set) has a stringed instrument.

Quar Fidwog Specialists

 Wargames Atlantic have recently released a Specialists set for the Fraedarl Overseas Department (FOD).

The box contains two sprues.

Each sprue builds three Specialist FOD Rhyflers and three Miners

The Rhyflers can be Lancers, anti-tractor specialists that use thrown explosive lances to disable enemy tractors. In the close confines of the Karst country, this tactic works.

The Rhyflers can also be Marksquar, long range precision shots to eliminate officers and machine guns.

The miners, armed with shotgun and pickaxe are demolition, excavation and close combat specialists.

Miner with shotgun. I need to add his trusty pickaxe.

Of course the fearsome reputation of the miners was slightly soiled after one party dug their way under a Crusader camp and came up under a latrine.

Crusader Ailthean light tractor - basic camoflage

 The painting of the Ailthean continues.

I decided that a disruptive pattern would break up the vast flat areas of the side of the turret.

Most of the vehicle was masked, leaving an area to be sprayed. Colour Forge Ghoul Grey was chosen.

Masking round the rungs of the access ladder was the hardest part.

Some of the spray got in under the masking.

This does show where the rungs and the access panel handle still need some tidying up.

The large flat space below the top hatch just calls out for a Crusade Flying Squirrel army badge.

Crusader Ailthean light tractor - basic colour

 

So the Aithean has been base painted.

The track units and the body were undercoated separately. Inverted, they were sprayed with Citadel Chaos Black. The right way up they were undercoated with Citadel Mechanicus Standard Grey.

The treads were painted with a mixture of Vallejo Black, Vallejo Black Grey and Army Painter Chaotic Red from a wet palette. A redder mix was used for the exhaust.

Literally facing off against a Coftyran Chyweethl.

Crusader Ailthean light tractor work in progress

 Work in progress on the Crusader Aithean tractor.

There is an issue with the front of the turret/body, there appears to be a large depression, not sure if it is a moulding issue or a mould issue. It looks like a giant thoumbprint.

It has been filled with Milliput, but needs some further smoothing.

The join in the tread units is rather obvious and has needed a lot of filing and filling.

Coftyran Chyweethl Tractor - base painted

 So the Chyweethl tractor has received its base colours.

It was given an base paint of Citadel Macragge Blue (no Chaos Black undercoat).

The treads (peds?) are Vallejo Black.

Joins between the tracks, gun barrel, bearing surfaces and the bolt heads on the individual 'feet' are Vallejo Black Grey, as was the base colour of the exhaust pipe.

The glass in the view ports is Citadel Warpstone Glow.

The underside, which will give an opportunity to test some pinwash techniques.

Though this will be an Out of the Box paintjob, there will be some weathering.

I have the second kit, which will be a more weathered and battle weary one.

Crusader Ailthean light tractor

The Crusader Ailthean light tractor is the second injection moulded tractor from Wargames Atlantic.

Though the Ailthean tractor uses a more conventional caterpillar track system, unlike all of our tanks, it has its engine in the turret, in some ways resembling the arrangement of diggers. Though it has a turret (unlike the Chyweethl), to traverse the turret, the drive has to be disengaged so it cannot traverse and move.

The kit comprises one large and one small sprue.

The large sprue has the main body (basically the turret, crew, stowage and the piece that joins the tracks and the body.

The second sprue just has the two tread units.