Back to the Paras...

It's been a while, but here's another para update... Thanks to the box I got from Laffe and Thomas, and which contained more than a platoon's worth of figures plus some supports, I can now complete a full company, with bataljon and brigade level supports.

So, what have I been doing since the last update:

Company CO, mix of Blitz and SHQ

A bunch of 12 paras from Blitz

Another batch of paras from Blitz (11 of them, 4 NCOs, 2 snipers, an ammo bearer for the PIAT and some riflemen)

A PIAT gunner from the Blitz PIAT pack

The Kubelwagen and the Jeep are from Academy, the crew is all SHQ
(Jeep and its crew were in the box from Laffe and Thomas)

A flamethrower team, all SHQ figures (kindly donated by Laffe and Thomas)

3 JoPs for CoC - all from Blitz's "Para supplies pack"

Another JoP for CoC. The models are TQD (actually Polish paras, but the difference is minimal)

75mm pack howitzer (Airfix) and crew (Blitz)

More paras on the painting table now:

• 4 more jeeps (another Academy one, the Airfix one, with the trailer, and the two from S-models), with around 18 SHQ crew
• Airborne Morris (SHQ) and 17lb AT gun w crew (Blitz)
• 2 more JoPs: 2 paras w trolley and an HQ set (4 officers and a radio operator around a table) (both from SHQ) 

Vadavoom.... (well, sort of...)

Some pictures of jeeps I've been doing for my British Airborn...

Comparison shot of Laffe's jeep and the new Airfix one

The new Airfix "Airborn" jeep - it comes with a trailer and a 75mm pack
howitzer. Plus some stowage. I've added an undocumented option that's on the sprues
Vickers LMG.

The new Airfix "Airborn" jeep package

I've now completed the jeep I got off Thomas, who got it off Laffe. Probably it's the Academy one

I've also almost completed another 24 paras, some quick pictures here, better (hopefully) pictures when they're all done. That's over 100 paras now, plus the jeep, the 6lb and the Vickers.

Blitz minis

Blitz minis

Still more paras

Jepp, you've guessed it... Another batch of a dozen paras completed. More crew for the guns, including some junior leaders. A padre. A 2" mortar team. And finally a Forward Observer team. Mix of AB and SHQ figures.

This gives me a total of 80 paras now, a full platoon, and parts of a second platoon. Plus supports, a.o. a 6lb AT gun and a Vickers MMG. 

Next: even more paras - just over 30 Blitz figures. These are the remainder of my 2nd platoon, some extra supports and some extra crew. And I've primed the jeep that was in the box I got off Thomas and Laffe.

More paras

Still working on my paras, even if I haven't been able to do much lately. At least I've managed to complete my Vickers MMG team and a 6pdr AT gun with crew.

I've got my hands on some Battlefield / Blitz paras to flesh out my 2nd platoon, and they are very nice and well researched figures. Hopefully I'll be able to get some shots of them once I complete my last batch of my original AB/SHQ/TQD lot.

Thomas has kindly donated me a box of AB and SHQ paras that he had lying about (I think he got them off Leif originally), and another jeep, and they will be used to create a 3rd platoon, which will take me to full company strength. The jeep will do nicely to complete a full recce squadron. 

SHQ Airborne 6pdr and mixed crew of SHQ and AB. SHQ Vickers w crew.

The 6 pdr from above. I've added some ammo boxes. I've also embedded a dice frame for the shock dice into the base.

The same from a slightly different angle

Padre in progress. I think this is an SHQ crew member (AT or howitzer), to which I've added a scarf stole with tissue and white glue.

Johnny Frost

Apart from painting my Frostgrave warband, I've also completed some more paras this week: 

SL (double based) for the 2nd platoon, crew for a Vickers MMG and 6lb AT gun. These are a mix of AB, SHQ and TQD

And some more supports in progress (they're actually almost finished, but I haven't made more recent pictures of them):

6lb AT gun with crew in progress (I tend to base some crew with my guns). The gun is SHQ; the crew AB and SHQ

6lb and Vickers in progress. On the base for the Vickers you can see the slots I left for the crew. Both Vickers and 6lb are SHQ

More paras for Arnhem...

Been painting steadily on my paras for Arnhem and Normandy (we are planning to play TFL's Von Luck campaign soon). Finished another section and a sniper, platoon HQ and some supports (flamethrower team, two extra PIAT teams), as well as  some more riflemen.

Figures are a mix of AB, TQD and SHQ,

A rifle section and a sniper

Various supports (flamethrower team, 2 PIAT teams), some extra riflemen and half the SL for the 2nd platoon

Platoon HQ (Lieutenat w radio operator, platoon sergeant, 2" mortar team, PIAT team), and some riflemen

2 pdr Portee

More desert ;-)

Here's the answer to yesterday's question: it's a 2 pdr portee on a Morris. It's Company B's model, ordered through The Wargames Command Post, which gave me a nice personal service (Bob is a fellow Lardie, it turned out).

I've assembled it, and glued the 2 pdr on, although that is maybe a mistake and I might have to pry it off again. We'll see. The crew is loose, and Company B as well (the gun crew isn't included in the set, although the truck driver is).

My WIP has been growing the last 2 weeks, 6 vehicles (including this one), 5 guns (including this one) and 42 figures. Time to get painting, I guess...

???

Anyone recognise what this will become once assembled?

More tonight, perhaps some pictures of my latest converted infantry and the rest of my WIP line-up...

More WIP

Got my Mathilda II from Warlordgames this week, and put it together. Seems to be a nice enough model, but I really like the new plastics that are appearing more and more over resin - the plastics fit together nice usually. Warlord and especially Rubicon are doing good work.

Oh, and I added a second plastic (Warlord) Pz IV to the WIP box as well :-)

And soon my Morris Portee and crew will be here and be added to the queue as well. High time I started painting again (this week has been most about making pictures, cleaning up and assembling stuff).

The state of my desert campaign

Tonight I gathered my gear together to make some (still not very good) pictures, so I could send them off for the TooFatLardies painting contest, hosted by the aimiable Robert Avery. This gives me a good idea where I am with my troops for the desert - and that is pretty close to completion. I'll finish the WIP items, add maybe an additional section of DAK, convert some DAK engineers and a medic, and perhaps snipers for both sides.

Below are the pictures and some info.

DAK Platoon (43 figures)

• 2 officers and 1 NCO 
• 3 sections @ 12 men each 
• AT rifle team (2 crew) 
• Extra LMG team (2 crew) 

DAK supports (1 tank, 1 motorcycle, 1 AT gun, 12 figures)

• Panzer III 
• MC combo w 2 crew 
• FOO team (2 crew) 
• PAK 38 and 3 crew 
• AT rifle team (2 crew) 
• 50mm mortar team (2 crew) 

British reinforced platoon (46 figures)

• Platoon HQ: 1 officer, 1 NCO, AT rifle team (2 crew), 2" mortar team (2 crew) 
• 4 sections @ 10 men each 

British supports A (1 weapon and 11 figures, 1 converted)

• MMG w 5 crew 
• Company officer w radio operator 
• FOO team (2 crew) 
• Extra officer 
• Medic (converted: headswap and some other minor stuff) 

British engineer section (10 figures, 4 converted)

• NCO 
• 3 teams of 3 men (4 have medium conversions done, e.g. scratch built mine sweeper or wire cutters etc...) 

British supports B (4 vehicles, 4 crew)

• Crusader tank 
• Universal carrier w 3 crew 
• Dingo scout car 
• Morris CS9 w 1 added crew (minor conversion from a standard infantry figure) 

4 Jump off Points

I also have a piece of terrain, an oasis, which I wrote about earliler on http://dalemunk.blogspot.se/2015/04/oasis.html

I have a total of 126 figures (not counting vehicle crews where they are only halves), 5 or 6 have medium conversions done. 2 tanks, 3 armoured cars/carriers, 1 motorcycle w sidecar, 1 weapon, 1 AT gun.

All vehicles have added stowage (the Pz III is getting it right now, it arrived yesterday). All are 28mm, most figures are Perry miniatures (mainly plastics with some metal sets thrown in). One of the British officers is TFL's own Hugh Jarce. Most of the vehicles and the AT gun are Warlord Games, apart from the carrier which is Perry again, and the MC combo which is Offensive Miniatures. The Jump off Points are TFL.

Pz IV

A small addition to the WIP box...

Warlordgames plastic Panzer IV, done as the F1 (there are options for G and H in the box as well). Assembled, waiting for the paint brush... Considering buying a spray can of dark yellow or dark sand to see how that works. 

The Pz III and the MC combo are now ready (apart from the decals and stowage that should arrive this week). Pictures of these later this week, when they are done.

Work in progress - still Desert focused

Just a quick update, pictures to follow...

On the painting table right now (all 28mm):

• Warlord Games Pz III (only needs some dirtying up and some highlights, plus stowage and decals which are underway) (note, I cut down the barrel to represent an earlier version than the J)
• Offensive miniatures DAK MC combo w 2 riders and MG34 (only needs some drybrush on the base, as well as decals and some stowage)
• Warlord Games Pz II (undercoated black)
• Warlord Games Sdkfz 222 (undercoated and got his first layers of Vallejo Dark Sand)
• Offensive miniatures British Breda AA gun w 3 crew (assembled)
• Perry Miniatures DAK MG34 in MMG role w 4 crew (assembled, crew undercoated black)
• Perry Miniatures DAK PAK36 w 3 crew (need to convert 2 more crew and a JL) (assembled, crew undercoated black)
• Perry Miniatures British 2 pdr AT gun w 3 crew (need to convert some additional crew) (assembled, crew undercoated black)

Next:

• Warlord Games Mathilda 2
• 60 pcs of stowage from Debris of War
• Warlord Pz IV Zug (3 tanks), I'll do them as F1s for the DAK
• Some 28mm buildings from Gripping Beast for our Dux Gondorum project and some 20mm tanks and AT guns (see my previous post on this)
• There is also a Morris 2pdr Portee on the way from Company B/The Wargames Command Post, with some additional crew. Company B seems to be the only ones that do the 2pdr portee, unless I wanted to convert, but that would probably involve a lot of carving in the truck... 

New painting projects

Now that my desert stuff is running towards completion (for now), with only some DAK engineers and loose bits to convert, and some German vehicles to paint (a Pz II, a Pz III and and Sdkfz 222), as well as a Zug of Pz IV to assemble and paint, I'm looking at other stuff again.

One club project is Dux Gondorium, a Middle Earth variant of Dux Brittaniarum. I'm going to assemble some Conquest Norman Knights as Rohirrim cavalry , probably later to be followed by some other suitable Dark Ages infantry (looking at Saxon Miniatures, probably their Arthurians or some Saxons...), and/or some Gripping Beast plastics. I've also recovered some Gripping Beast Dark Age houses and a church that I bought ages ago (probabaly last century...), and that I'll paint as scenery for our project.

I've also a while ago assembled some PSC 20mm Universal Carriers, and years ago an SHQ Stug as well as a Pz III and even 2 Armourfast Stug IIIs. These have now been sprayprimed, together with some 20mm SHQ AT guns, and I plan to start painting these, as well as som PSC Late War British. And a lot of 20mm Late War Germans I have (SHQ, Platoon20, Shellhole scenics). And I'll probably paint some more of those Valiant fallschirmjäger that I started on before Christmas. I've still not decided whether I'm going to use those for 20mm or 25/28mm games. Perhaps both ;-)

Anyway, here's a quick picture of the sprayprimed stuff...

Oasis

I forget to take further pictures while working on my oasis, so can only show the final result here now. But construction went like this:

• I cut out a rough shape from cork matting (IKEA used to sell this as placemats, but have stopped carrying them, although I'm sure other shops still do)
• I smeared out beige caulking all over the cork, also built up the rim where the water would be, I let it sit for a couple of minutes, then spread sand all over it and pushed it in (a messy job)
• I then let that dry for several days before painting it dark brown
  
• I wetbrushed with sandcoloured acrylics, then drybrushed with the same with added white. A final drybrush with almost pure white (just a touch of sand in it).
• I let that dry a couple of days again, then washed with Army Painter Soft or Strong Tone (I can't remember...).
• I then poured in Vallejo Still Water, and added more after 24 hours. It then sat a couple of days in our spare room and all looked well.
• As we were having guests (my dad) over for a week, I took it out to the garage (heated and dry), where it then sat for a week, When I was going to take it in again, most of the Still Water had become cloudy/white. Luckily after a couple of days in the house, and pricking a few tiny holes in the top layer, it all became clear again. My guess is that the bottom layer wasn't fully dry when I added the second layer and that that condensed when I put it in the garage. It then dried out completely when taken into the house again and the couple of small holes helped with that process

This is what it looked like at GothCon, with palm trees and some bushes added

I feel it turned out well in the end, but I would do some things differently now...

GothCon status

My Desert Rats for GothCon are nearing completion... All are assembled, converted and painted, just about half need their bases done. And if there's time they need to get a coat of matt varnish, as some are a bit glossy (due to the Pledge ;-)).

1 full platoon with:
Platoon HQ: 1 officer, 1 NCO, 1 AT team (2), 1 2" mortar team (2)
3 Sections, each @ 1 NCO, 1 Bren team (3), 6 riflemen

In support:
1 FOO team (2) - conversions from the standard plastics Perry box
1 Vickers MMG (5)
1 Universal carrier (3)
1 medical orderly
3 engineer teams: demolition team (3), mine clearing team (3) and wire clearing team (3) - all conversions from the standard plastics Perry box
1 company commander w radio operator
2 jump-off points for CoC

I have a Crusader Mk I, a Morris CS9 armoured car and a Dingo scout car on the way... Hopefully they get here soon, so I can complete them in time.
!Update: they arrived today (16 March) :)

My oasis is also getting along. I built it at our terrain day, but started painting it today. Dark brown basecoat. Once dry, it'll get drybrushed in several layers of ever lightening sand colour. Then it needs green flock, and some bushes, maybe even some reeds. Then the water pool in the middle will get a green-grey wash, and after that I'll fill it with 2 or 3 layers of Vallejo still water.

And finally, I have my first Germans ready painted, as we discovered we were a bit short on German infantry. About half a section of DAK and a platoon commander.

Where there's rats...

Look what's all of a sudden, as if by miracle, appeared on my painting table...

MG firing from the shoulder, inspired by Laffe ;-)

Desert Update

Basecoated the remaining desert rats tonight, and I've started the basing process on the others. They should be all done by the end of the week. Then for some Germans ;-)

Some quick (bad) pictures:

Hugh Jarce, the 2" and AT gun teams, as well as the MMG main base (2 loose figures are in the pic below), the FOO team and the Company commander's base.

Senior and junior leaders (on hex bases), the medic (the one with the red cross armband ;-)) and some troopers (on round bases - actually 5 eurocents)

The TFL jump off points.

Bases are a mixture of various decorative sand and stones that IKEA used to sell. Stuck to the bases with diluted wood glue (white glue). When dry, they will be wetbrushed with cheap sand coloured artist acrylics, then drybrushed after adding white to the same. Depending on how they look after the first wetbrushing, I might add a wash (soft or strong tone) and a drybrush with sand in between.

Oh, and I watched Arsenal beat Utd in the FA Cup 1/4 final while painting :-)

Penguin Terrain Day

We got together last weekend to build some terrain for our demo/participation game at GothCon. We found out we have very little desert terrain (although we discovered Jocke's 20mm houses are very useable).

So we set out and managed the following:

• 6 HE/smoke markers. Thomas glued these together with his brand new glue gun (and burnt his fingers in the progress), I then took them home and spray painted them.

• 4 sand dunes that I bought from Amera and that we painted
• a temple ruin, also from Amera, that just needs some finishing touches
• plenty of sangars and sangar walls
• an oasis of cork, caulk, sand and stones, that needs painting now
• based 13 palm trees (I'm now washing and drybrushing them)
• plenty of rocks and cliffs and loose rocks
• our battle mat - we had high ambitions to make one with caulk and sand and paint it. but we lowered our ambitions and just painted a beige bed sheet ;-)
• No pictures of most of the stuff, but I have some action pictures, from left to right
• Henrik painting sangar walls
• Jocke cutting cork for more sangars for the MMG and AT teams
• Thomas glueing smoke markers (and his fingers). Note his brand new glue gun! ;-)