Winter StuG III

1/56 scale plastic StuG model - kit from Warlord Games.

As Dallas noted, I have been on quite the painting tear with a 28mm WW2 project.  I got started on a late-war winter German force last December, and the project has come along nicely, starting from zero figures to include a platoon of infantry, some support and even some Hanomags to ride around it.  It's more than enough for a nice game of "Bolt Action" - but there is one element missing - some AFV support.  This new model will address that.

An iconic piece of WW2 kit...the unique front silhouette of the StuG.

This is a plastic StuG III from Warlord Games - it is a 1/56 scale kit (sigh).  I have painted it up in winter colours to match the rest of the force that I have put together so far.

The plastic kit has lots of nice detail, but if you look closely at the bottom right I could NOT get the hull sections to sit together smoothly...f*cking plastic models...I always mess them up...

I don't plan to do a lot of tanks or anything in 28mm - I play other scales for that - but they still needed at least one to feel like my first phase of this new project was truly accomplished. So here we are!

Dallas does seem to have a lot of Sherman tanks, so I might need to add another AFV of some kind...

I left the schurzen plates off of the model, as there was no reasonable way to mount them and expect that they would not be immediately snapped off on the gaming table...

This kit was relatively straightforward to assemble, although I still found a way to struggle with it. That's just me...any normal hobby human will find this kit easy to build. BUT there is one exception to that statement: it's the schurzen plates. I really wanted to have those on the StuG, but as you can see, the Warlord model has flimsy plastic connection points. These closely mimic the real way those plates were mounted, so model is realistic. But in terms of wargaming-table logistics, this approach is delusional, as they would snap off the second someone tries to pick up the model.

Anyway, it looks great without the plates, and I might figure out a more robust solution later.  So I built the plates, but have left them to the side for now.

75mm gun will help take on enemy armour...

I threw my usual painting recipe for winter AFVs on the model...as I have said before, I like my winter vehicles to look like a mess, because winter IS a mess - a total f*cking mess. F*ck winter. Snow is pretty on Christmas Cards (and there are days like that), but anything that drives or moves through the winter will be mucky in no time at all. I like my vehicles to reflect that.

Here is the vehicle along with a couple of the infantry models painted during the recently completed AHPC X.

I wanted to start with a StuG for the Germans because StuGs look cool and they were a pretty common AFV (insofar as AFVs were available to the Germans late in the war).  I tend to neglect StuGs in my WW2 collections in other scales, so I thought I would start with this iconic vehicle in 28mm. My late war Germans now have some AFV support, and are ready for a game...whenever that might be possible...

Ready for action on the table! I'm sure it won't get knocked out on the first turn or anything like that...I mean, when has that ever happened to newly-painted vehicles, right?

As you have seen elsewhere on the blog, Dallas has been really beefing up his collection of 28mm US forces in winter kit, so at some point we'll be able to have a really awesome game of "Bolt Action" set during the Battle of the Bulge, which is something I've always wanted to try! Who knows when that game will take place...but in the interim, collection escalation is always a lot of fun. 

Thanks for reading, and I hope all are safe and healthy out there.

Painting Challenge Submission 14 - 1/56 Scale Hanomag APCs for Winter WW2

1/56 scale Hanomag APCs - models from Warlord Games "Bolt Action" range.

More output for my late WW2 winter Germans.  I have painted up a nice basic force of infantry, but they will need some vehicles to get around the gaming table.  These Hanomags should do the trick - they are 1/56 scale plastic kits from Warlord Games "Bolt Action" range (and I think Italeri is involved somehow too).

Seated plastic figures to be used showing some troops are embarked.

When I started this project, one hobby quirk I needed to make peace with is the use of 1/56 scale models in 28mm gaming.  I laugh at how consistently the gaming world insists that 1/56 scale is the "proper" scale for 28mm figures. So many manufacturers go to the length of adding "1/56" right after "28mm".  And yet, even the most cursory observation on any gaming table shows the link doesn't hold up.  A better scale would be 1/50 or 1/48...

The 28mm infantry look huge compared to the 1/56 APC...oh well.

And yet...while 1/50 and 1/48 options exist, they are either too much fuss (complex model kits with too many parts), too expensive (the rare Solidos - they are pricey now) or made of resin that is difficult to work with (check for "#flakegate" over at the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge).  1/56 scale is the least-bad option, and because so much of the hobby industry remains committed to this group hallucination, 1/56 scale offers the most options in terms of available vehicles to choose from. Thus I swallow the blue pill...1/56 scale is perfect for 28mm!

AA MG mounted on the backs of two of the APCs. 

The Hanomag is an iconic piece of German WW2 kit.  They built thousands of these things, but there were never enough to meet the enormous demands created by all-out war on two fronts. They would typically be found among one of the battalions of the Panzer and Panzer Grenadier divisions, and among "favoured" units.  These are 251/Ds, later models of the basic troop carrying half tracks, apparently easier for German indsutry to build.

Bring on the winter muck!

Don't look too closely...the license plates all have the same number. I wish Warlord would vary their decal sheets...

I suppose one can go too far when it comes to weathering vehicles, but when it comes to winter AFVs, as far as I'm concerned one cannot go far enough. Winter is beautiful, but the pristine white snow lasts for so long as you stand still and never move...winter conditions are somehow still muddy, dirty and - yes, it's true - somehow even DUSTY.  I know this, I have grown up with it. Here in Winnipeg we in peaceful times in a city with concrete roads, and yet in the winter my red truck turns grey about 72 hours after any snowfall, and a grey-brown about 15 minutes after any thaw.

Vehicle 412, ready to roll out.

Another view, showing the optional embarked infantry models.

These vehicles would be driving through mud, on dirt roads, then snow...seeing snow, dirt, and even rain (it happens in the winter, after all). Plus, it's a war!  The white-wash would have been applied in a hurry, at a depot or rear area, probably with one eye on escape as the Russians could arrive at any moment...I want my winter German AFVs to "look the part", and so I have mucked them up here.

Tried to put some muck and snow inside the halftracks.

Open-topped vehicles are always an extra challenge in large scales...after all, you can see inside them! I tried to muck up the inside a bit. I also painted a few of the seated infantry figures that came with the kits, so as to use as markers to show when an infantry unit is aboard the APC.  I see that Warlord sells winter MG-34 gunners for the Hanomags...wish I had thought to order some.  Oh well.

Out for a walk in the forest with my dogs - it was so nice to see the sun!

Some more WW2 items are still clearing the painting desk before other subjects pop up - stay tuned for more, and thanks for visiting!

BMP-2 Re-Paint - 1/56 Scale

BMP-2 from Sloppy Jalopy

Last year we moved to a new house in Winnipeg.  I am now finally getting around to unpacking some parts of my collection from storage (a.k.a. the big pile in a room downstairs) so I can display them on some new shelves. But as we have all experienced, transportation of our gaming figures, particularly vehicles, can be dangerous. I was disappointed to find that one of my BMP-2s from Sloppy Jalopy had experienced a "transportation failure", and was in a few pieces when I unpacked it.

Before the repaint - the cannon had been knocked off the turret, and bent a little...

I had painted these vehicles several years ago....2007 to 2008 timeframe, I think.  While I was re-attaching the gun barrel to the turret last week, I thought it would be fun to try and upgrade the paint job a little bit.  I originally painted this model along very "Soviet" lines - everything was a dark, military green - and the treads were metal.  No flash, no camouflage, just green cannon fodder for the front lines.

Close up of the damage

These vehicles have typically seen action in Afghanistan games - because they are 1/56 scale (i.e. the wrong scale for anything) they have seldom been used in our Soviet vs. NATO games as they appear comically small on the table next to the (allegedly) 1/48 scale Kitech tank models that served as the basis for the original Soviet armoured force as part of our insane modern build-up.

Finished re-paint - the 28mm motor rifleman is from Mongrel Miniatures

I have been doing some Osprey reading lately, and found many references and pictures to camouflage patterns being applied by Soviet troops to the BMPs in Afghanistan.  I decided to throw a quick cammo  pattern on the tank, as well as some other small improvements.

Rear view of the re-painted model.  You can see from this photo why 1/56 scale sucks with 25/28mm models...or for anything, for that matter

For cammo I stippled a layer of "Tallarn Sand" from GW's new paint range, and stippled a layer of "Rakarth Earth" (also from the new range) on top of that, before yellowing it again with a bit more Tallarn Sand.  After the cammo was down, I did a lot of black-lining to try and bring out more features on the vehicle.

I painted in the "glass" on the search lights and the vision ports.  These things seldom look like real glass on actual tanks, but I like adding this effect to models as it makes the ports etc. really pop and gives you a clear idea of what they are supposed to be.

I need one of those lighting studios for these pictures....

I used floral wire to add an antenna on rear of the turret, and repainted the canvas section around the 30mm cannon on the turret, using GW "Snakebite Leather" as a base and "Rakarth Earth" as a highlight.  I also re-painted the AT-4/5 launcher on the top of the turret with a different colour of green from the armour of the vehicle, as many of the references I have seen on line over the years show something similar.

Last step was the weathering powders - as this vehicle is fighting in Afghanistan, I wanted it to be plenty worn, so I was heavy with the dust and rust on the tracks, and lots of dirt over the engine vents.  I blackened the tip of the 30mm cannon as well to give it the appearance of use against the Mujahideen.

I left the original decals I used for the tactical numbers (from a GW Cadian decal sheet of yore) in place, but the weathering faded them out a lot, and I like the look of it.

Overall I was very pleased with the results, and it did not take long at all - just about an hour.

Now that I have more vehicles from Imprint - which are 1/50 scale - my Sloppy Jalopy BMPs may yet make an appearance in a game versus NATO or other opponents on the Fawcett tabletop.  I have four BMPs from Sloppy Jalopy - three BMP-2s and a solitary BMP-1.  At some point in the future I may give them a similar re-paint (or something different, perhaps, who knows).  But that can wait for now, as progress on the Golan Heights Project continues....progress report pending very soon on that...

Fun With Size And Scale - 1/56, 1/50, 1/43, 25mm and 28mm

Tanks on parade - from left, Force of Arms T-55, James Bond T-55M, Kitech T-72

A poster on TMP the other day asked if anyone had a comparison shot between some vehicles from Red Star Miniatures and some vehicles from Sloppy Jalopy.  I have some from both, acquired in my various rummagings in modern gaming, so here are a few pictures to help with the comparison for anyone who is wondering.

Like all such posts on TMP, this one elicited a discussion arc that seems to flow the same way - scale is not a size, the differences are slight, no they are not, etc.  Just look what happened to this guy when he floated a discussion on 1/56 vs. 1/50 - in short, don't bring it up on TMP unless you want to accumulate stifles and derision.

I'll save my editorial perspective (worthless as that is) for the end.  In the meantime, here are some different pics of the different kits that have seen action with us and our 25-28mm modern and ultra-modern gaming.  Apologies for the unpainted vehicles...

To help a little with the perspective of a gamer, I added some painted infantry to the shots - a 28mm "Chemical Commie" fro Eureka, a 28mm VDV trooper from Mongrel, and a 40mm Russian Federation infantryman from HLBS (from a line that I believe is no longer available....)

BMP-2s up first....the painted one is 1/56 scale from Sloppy Jalopy, and the unpainted one is 1/48 scale from HLBS*...

Sloppy Jalopy BMP-2 on left, HLBS BMP-2 on the right

Another comparison pic without infantry - no question the HLBS stuff is bulkier/heftier...

From left, a Mongrel Miniatures 28mm, a Eureka 28mm and an HLBS 40mm figure in front of the Sloppy Jalopy BMP-2

Same troops in front of the HLBS BMP-2 - you can see it fits nicely with the 40mm trooper - look OK with the others, but maybe a little big...

Now some BTRs....the unpainted BTR is a BTR-80 in 1/50 scale from Imprint, and the painted one is a "Russian die cast" from E-bay, allegedly 1/43 scale...

BTR-60 on the left - one of the die-cast ones that seem readily available on Ebay; the Imprint BTR-80 is in the black primer....these models are very, very close in size

Troops pose with the Imprint BTR-80....the 40mm lad looks a tad large...

Now some BRDM sized vehicles - a 1/43 scale (allegedly) from "Russian die cast" on Ebay, and a 1/56 scale BRDM with an AT-5 Spandrel launcher from Sloppy Jalopy...

Die cast BDRM on the right, Sloppy Jalopy BRDM on the left

This BRDM seems bulky for the 28mm lads, looks OK with the 40mm chap - the vehicle is allegedly 1/43 scale

The Sloppy Jalopy model is very compact compared to the Russian die-cast, but looks fine with the 28mm models - a bit small for the 40mm trooper

Finally, a little fun with some tanks...the T-55 is 1/56 scale from Force Of Arms, the T-55M (with reactive armour) is actually from a James Bond toy series, and is 1/50 scale, and the T-72 is a Kitech kit, which is (very allegedly) 1/43 scale.  The scale of the Kitech kits needs to be taken with an enormous grain of salt, given that ALL Kitech models have an undercarriage of exactly the same size, with the same road wheels!

Troops in front of a T-55 from Force of Arms models - tank is 1/56 scale

This 1/50 scale T-55M is a James Bond toy - from Ebay

This T-72 is allegedly 1/43 scale, from Kitech - back in the day when we first went nuts on moderns, we were picking these things up in bulk orders for like $5 a model...

I have snipped and whinged numerous times about 1/56 scaled vehicles.  The tall foreheads (particularly on TMP) will smack you down, lecture you on how you are wrong, not the models, that it is scale creep with the castings etc. etc. All of this may be true - but 1/56 scale just looks off - it's too tight - just odd - I call this the "1/56 effect".  But they are still nice models.

1/43 scale on the other hand looks fine for the tanks - but then I am basing this on a Kitech kit - who knows how close to "correct" the overall model is, and what scale it really is.  But I can't have my Russian infantry ride in 1/56 BMP-2s with 1/43 Kitech tanks on the table - the BMPs look way too small, or the tanks way too big, or both.  I will replace my Kitech tanks over time with Imprint T-72, T-80s and T-90s.  But you can't beat the price of those old Kitechs when we got them....and we have had some very, very fun games with them.  The Kitech tanks are still the only model I have ever used a hammer to assemble.

I have found that 1/50 "looks" the best for me when it comes to 28mm gaming.  The HLBS stuff looks awesome, but I suspect it was scaled to match their larger 40mm figures.  I don't have Red Star figures, but if they are a little bulkier - i.e. "heroic 28mm" - then they should look great with the 1/43 stuff and OK with the 1/50 stuff.

For all my subjective blather, however, it depends on what is available.  You will have your own opinion, and may very likely agree with the majority on TMP who would find my perspective uppity, ignorant and full of delusion (and you may be right). Sloppy Jalopy and others have put a nice 1/56 stuff out there.  Meanwhile, Imprint is expanding a range of 1/50 stuff.  The HLBS stuff is excellent. too. Take your pick, fill your boots, and roll some dice! Screw the scale.
*******
UPDATE - *Correction - July 11, 2012 - the HLBS models are 1/48 scale, not 1/43 scale as was originally stated in this post.  Sorry about that! GB. 

Quick Diversion - 1/50 Scale BTR-80, 80A and T-90

BTR-80A (left) and T-90 MBT (right) from Imprint Models

A slight diversion - some APCs and MBTs from Imprint Models.  Amid the patchwork of sculpts and ranges you need to rummage around in order to game in modern settings 28mm, Imprint Models is a must-stop thanks to its collection of properly scaled modern and ultra-modern vehicles (they are 1/50 scale, so they look good with 28mm scale models, as opposed to the more widely available 1/56 scale models from places like SandS, Sloppy Jalopy and elsewhere).  Imprint also has a great collection of vehicles you don't typically find in 1/50 scale, especially for the Russians (Imprint's BMP-3 is a favourite vehicle of mine).

BTR-80A pieces prior to assembly

T-90 bits prior to assembly

Bob at Imprint has been gradually adding to and expanding his offerings.  Recently he just added the BTR-80 and BTR-80A to his lineup.  I have been looking for new and improved transport for my Chemical Commies - and also looking for an ultra modern AFV/IFV model that might fit in properly with a new faction I am working on for our Spacekrieg setting (more on that another time).  I ordered these hot of the presses from Imprint, and built them the other day, together with a pair of T-90 MBTs which had arrived in a previous order.

Helpful arrow sculpted into model so morons like me don't put this piece of the BTR-80 on backwards...

The BTR-80 is the latest version of the Soviet Union's line of ubiquitous eight-wheeled APCs to see large production and export.  It is an upgrade on the BTR-60s and -70s that served as the main combat troop carrier in the bulk of the Soviet motor rifle divisions. BTRs don't attract as much wargaming glory or mystique as the tracked BMP-1,-2,-3 series, but the wheeled APC was a much more common vehicle in the Soviet/Russian inventory.

The BTR-80A is a variant with a turret featuring a 30mm cannon, capable of elevating to engage helicopters, or enemy in buildings/high ground.

BTR-80, with MG and smoke launchers on the turret

BTR-80A, with 30mm cannon in the turret

BTR-80A from the side - the 30mm turret has a near-futre vibe for sure...

The T-90 is the most modern of the Russian combat MBTs in any kind of widespread service/export.  While pictures of things like the "Black Eagle" and other bits of kit flit around the 'net, the T-90 is actually in service with Russia and some other countries, such as India (where I think it is actually manufactured under license).

T-90 turret right out of the bag - very little flash to deal with - great sculpt and great casting

The T-90 is typically derided by pedants and anoraks on wargaming sites as "just a re-branded T-72", and in fact the T-90 is a continuation of the T-72 MBT.  Gamers note the poor performance of the Iraqi T-72s in the Gulf Wars, and assume the T-90 would perform just as poorly. I don't think Iraq deployed the best available version of the T-72, or had the best crews, and were forced to use home-industry ammunition, so to write off the T-72, much less the T-90, because of the Gulf Wars seems premature to me.

An assembled T-90 from Imprint Models

Whatever it's combat merits (and let's be thankful the world has not had to find them out...), the T-90 i easily one of the coolest-looking tanks out there from a wargaming perspective.  The ERA, funky smoke launchers, "Shtora" missile jammers, low profile, massive main gun, remote operated MG an wide variety of bits and lenses on the turret and elsewhere give the T-90 a definite ultra-modern, even near-future feel.

T-90 MBTs ready for the priming booth (a.k.a. the garage)

The Imprint models are resin castings, with some metal bits for gun barrels and other small features.  The kits are highly detailed, but are easy to assemble.  My small criticism is that on the Imprint tanks I have worked with is that the turrets does not connect to the hull in a clear, durable fashion - something I really appreciate in a wargaming model.  The T-90's turret sits relatively comfortably in a shallow depression on the hull, but will need a peg or some funky work with magnets to be ready for prime time on the gaming table.

Despite this minor criticism, these are beautiful models overall. The BTR-80 is gorgeous, with top-notch casting quality and very little flash.  They are very easy to assemble, practically idiot-proof (see the picture above, where a direction arrow is sculpted on).  Since I am an idiot when it comes to putting vehicles together, this is a very, very good thing.

BTR-80 platoon - ready for the priming booth

The Imprint models are not cheap by a long shot, but you get god quality product from them.  If you are looking for ultra modern vehicles, or even vehicles to take your "Tomorrow's War" faction to battle in style, I recommend them highly!  Don't let the resin deter you either - these are solid quality castings, not like the random quality you get from Forge World.

I am not sure what paint scheme I am going to attempt on these vehicles - particularly the T-90s.  I may need to attempt (shudder) an airbrush pattern. But the next time the Chemical Commies hit the table, they will arrive in style, and backed by the latest in Russian MBT goodness.  I'll be back with the painted versions for show on the blog in a little while.  Now - back to painting 15mm Golan Heights...

15mm Sci-Fi - "Red Faction" Infantry, Single Bases

Group shot of a platoon of 15mm "Red Faction" troops from Khurasan - vehicle from QRF

In the midst of making a big push to finish a bunch of Austrian Napoleonics, I'm continuing to fiddle with 15mm sci-fi.  I painted up some "Red Faction" 15mm sci-fi infantry from Khurasan Miniatures, and I found that I loved the castings so much that I decided to base them individually, instead of the group basing we have been using so far for our 15mm sci-fi.   I have finished a platoon-worth of guys and one test vehicle - here are a few pictures.

Command group - Lieutenant in the middle, a medic on the left, and a communications dude on the right

Switching up the basing scheme will likely make some of the fellows' heads explode (sorry, Dallas). At one time, Dallas had a collection of 15mm WW2 stuff based individually and he switched to the group basing. Of course, at the time we all piously agreed that such a move made perfect sense, and individually based 15mm infantry models were silly...I think he has some Space Demons mounted on single bases, though, so perhaps he did not quit the single-based 15mm entirely...

Normally I'm up for causing a little trouble, but in this case I am genuinely not trying to cause headaches.  The group basing works very well for 15mm sci-fi, and I'm not about to go and rip my already painted troops off of their bases. I just really, really like the Khurasan 15mm figures, and since they are unlikely to every be available in 28mm (although we can hope), I thought I would try 15mm single bases.

Red Faction fireteam - one SAW (in the middle) and a LAW-rocket-style grenade launcher (back at left)

At the end of the day, it doesn't represent much of an incremental investment - one or two packs of figures turns into quite a few guys.  I figured we can use these for systems such as FUBAR, Tomorrow's War (assuming we can ever figure out the rules), or a 15mm version of Space Krieg, our in-house skirmish rules system.

Another fire team

So far I have four five-man fireteams, a three-man command group, a mortar and a sniper.  I have more figures painted, but I ran out of bases. For bases, I opted for Litko over the bases from Irregular Miniatures.  After a couple of tests, I found the ones from Litko easier to work with, even though orders from Litko tend to take an ice-age to arrive.

Mortar team and a sniper

Khurasan has a comprehensive selection of vehicles available for the "Red Faction" too, but I'm not wild about the Red Faction APC - just doesn't float my boat.  So I thought I would try for something a little different, and use a 15mm scale BMP-3 that I had lying around.  The BMP-3 is one of my favourite vehicles, and already has - in my subjective opinion - something of a sci-fi look to it. We'll just call it a BMP-300. 

The BMP-3 is not commonly available in 15mm - in fact, QRF Models has the only one I could find, and I had ordered one as a test model about a year ago (for a project that did not go ahead).  So rather than junk it (which had been the plan - see below) I primed the sucker up and gave it a coat of paint.

Close up of the BMP-3 model from QRF - quality of the casting was very, very bad

I had been nervous to order from QRF.  QRF has a very, very wide range of models available, and the proprietor is constantly on TMP pledging to have this-model-or-that-model out very soon. To his credit, the new models seem to appear regularly, and there seemed to be a number of positive reviews of QRF stuff from other TMP folks. But I have always been suspicious of figure companies with web sites that have few pictures, tons of pictures that won't load, and an "enlarge" feature that opens the picture in a separate window so that it is SMALLER than the original picture.  In this day and age, considering how much one person can do with an iPhone or comparable widget, a lack of product photos and a mickey mouse web site is simply inexcusable in my view.

When I received the model, my fears were confirmed. The quality of the casting was very poor. The mold lines were awful. The tread assemblies were a mess - had to be bent back into shape, and had all sorts of holes.  Fortunately, black primer and paint hide a great number of sins.  The regular retail price is 6.00GBP (that would be $9.50 Canadian at today's prices) for a single vehicle - not an epic cost, but enough that you expect decent quality. This was very frustrating.




Red Faction dismounts near the APC...not sure if this will work out scale-wise...

 I'm not sure about the scale either - you can look at the picture and judge for yourself. The BMP-3 can allegedly hold eight fully armed motor riflemen. I don't think the "Red Faction" infantry are too far gone from current motor riflemen, and when you see the model, there is now way that eight men are in there (I like to call this the "1/56 effect"). On the other hand, Soviet/Russian APCs seem to be notorious for horribly cramped spaces, so perhaps I am over-reacting. I may mount the vehicle on a base to improve the perception of size relative to the infantry.

So I'm not sure if I will go with more QRF models to round out the APC line for these fellows, look for other BMP-3s in 15mm, or just give the "Red Faction" APC a try....I'm a big fan of the BMP-3, so in the end, I might just plump for a few more of them, and hope the black primer will hide the weak quality of casting of these vehicles.  It could be the quality of the casting at QRF will have improved over time too - you never know.

I'm working on some "OPFOR" for these fellows too - watch for more postings on the blog soon!