Latest Cold War Progress

Since the Autumn, i've pretty much been concentrating on the Cold War. The UK screening of Deutschland 83 helped maintain this into the new year, and so far I'm still "in the zone" with it. I've been working on both sides simultaneously; for the BAOR, I've been working on a Battlegroup Command base, for higher level games. The figures are from the ever dependable hand of Matt at Elhiem, with some subtle tweeking by yours truly (since my fictional Cold War is viewed by the rose-tinted goggles of the ARRSE forum...)

The Base consists of the CO, in obligatory Barbour jacket. No one tells the CO he's improperly dressed, though the RSM may gently hint at it... he's acompanied by the Ops Officer; no idea if this is the correct 1980s terminology, but he's represented here in all his Silvermans Trolley Dash glory- SAS Smock, Tropical Comabat Trousers and DILAC hat. Well ally. Also present is the Adjutant, wielding a map and compass (the most terrifying sight in NATO), an officer from the RAC element of the Battlegroup and the RSM, pointing out to the ruperts that Ivan is in fact that way, oh yes, and Pvt MacAuslan is on jankers again, for pissing in the stew.

The plan is to have them clustered around a table strewn with maps, Thermos flasks and fags...

Left to right- Ops Officer, RAC Officer, CO, Adjutant, RSM.

On the other side of the IGB, I finally managed to get the four remaining figures in the first Russian platoon finished. I never intended to do two platoons, but Elhiem released a flurry of new Soviet Riflemen poses, and I simply must posess all the pretty things...

Hope to get the BAOR base finished for the end of the month...

Cheers
Iain

STARLIGHT! BAOR Medical Elements

Finally got the medical elements for my BAOR force finished, ready for the deadline of The Guild's "Ambulance" Group build.

Both are old JB Models pieces, with the Saracen being converted from the APC version. I'm quite pleased with how these have come out, though I am now more convinced than ever that decals are the work of the Devil...

I should be getting on with S&S Models lovely re-mastered CET, but after last weeks Lion Rampant game (snaps of which can be seen here), I can feel myself getting drawn back towards mediaevals again...

Cheers
Iain

The Bloodhound Gang

Some of you remember this from back in March-

“All I need now is to find a recent version of the venerable Airfix Bloodhound…”

from this post...

But now look what I gots me!

Unfortunately, it arrived a wee bit too late for me to make a start on it for the current Guild terrain build, but at least now RAF Ost- Tötenbraut is one step closer…

Cheers
Iain

Reconnaisance Musings...

Finally got the S&S Fox finsihed and based, and took the opporchancity to knock out a base for the Ferret while I was at it.

The Fox is my entry for the current "Armour" build over on The Guild.

CVR(W) Fox Armoured Car

Ferret Armoured Car

Now, I've got some Russian infantry and some 28mm F&IW artillery to try and get finished before the end of the month, to meet the deadline for the first entry of the 2014 big build...

Onwards and upwards, I suppose...
Iain.

Fox Nearing Completion

Progressing at my usual glacial speed with the Fox, however, it is now slowly getting there!

Optics finished, decals sourced and applied, and then glossed, awaiting an overall coat of matt.

Things then went slightly awry with the matt varnish, with a load of frosting appearing in the recesses; however, after an initial burst of cursing, swearing and general anger management issues, I did discover that scraping away the worst of the build up with a dental picker and then a liberal scrub with white spirit seemed to solve the more minor bits. The remaining large areas will just get a repaint and a much thinner (think drybrush) coat of varnish. Thankfully, these are confined to some of the tyre treads, under the wheelarches and in the jerry can stowage, so shouldn't take long to sort out...

All that remains after that will be to summon up the enthusiasm to get a base done...

Cheers
Iain

Latest Painting Progress

Over the last couple of weeks, I've largely been confining myself to working on the Cold War and French & Indian Wars periods, and trying not to get distracted, now I've got the S&S items below finished to a standard I'm happy to pass on to the guys.

As a result, the CVR(W) Fox is getting there, slowly but surely...

...as are the Perry Miniatures artillery crew for the butterfly gun.

And after last night's game, which can be seen here over on Bobinantes Boreales, it's clear that the sooner the Butterfly Gun makes it onto the table, the better!

Latest Cold War Doings

Since the last update, I’ve been cracking on with some more Cold War offerings from both Elhiem and S&S Models.

One of the first Elhiem releases of the new year (and on the swanky new site) was CWR 18, Soviet Support Weapons. This nifty little booster pack provides an SA-7 Grail SAM operator, a soldier armed with a couple of RPG-18 disposable anti-tank weapons (handy for increasing the pose count in one’s infantry squads) and also a sniper firing his Dragunov SVD.

I decided to use the RPG-18 soldier in the first BMP dismount team, so he’ll be based as normal, however the SA-7 operator will be double based with a No.2, mirroring the BAOR Blowpipe team as an AD element, and the sniper will also be double based with a spotter, to be used as an actual, dedicated sniper weapons team, as opposed o the platoon marksman in the 3rd BMP team, who also has an SVD, but is based singly. To highlight the difference, I decided that the “proper” sniper and his spotter would be in camouflage smocks and trousers. This necessitated adding a hood to the figure with some green stuff (sacrilege as it is to bugger about with Matt Hingley’s sculpts…)

All three are now finished and ready for basing. Camouflage pattern on the sniper's overalls is the "solnechnye zaychiki " or "sunshine rays", sometimes known as "sun bunnies". Just need the second figures for the sniper and SA-7 teams, who will be provided courtesy of the Soviet NCO pack, which has a couple of suitably pointy figures…

Next up, S&S Models’ CVR(W) Fox Armoured Car. This chap will form my entry to the current Guild “Armour” group  build.

Unfortunately a few rogue air bubbles had attacked some of the protruding detail on my example, so this was rebuilt (to the best of my somewhat meagre abilities) with green stuff.  Then added some stowage, a mixture of things from Elhiem and Kingfisher (current holders of much of the old CMSC range, minus the figures, which seem to have gone to Friendship Models), and the Fox was ready for the paint shop.

I’ve now finished the basic painting of the vehicle, and I’m now on to the fun bit; the detailing! Picking out all those little bits and pieces of contrasting colours that should make an otherwise drab paintjob stand out a bit…

Next job will be trawling through my stock of old decals to find some suitable markings, before mounting it (and the Ferret from a few months ago) on a suitable base now I’ve acquired some from Warbases.

Cheers

Iain

Playing Catch Up!

So, first post of 2014, and happy new year to all! Hope Santa was good to you all, and delivered copious amounts of lead, resin, plastic and MDF, and suitable quantities of medicinal alcohol...

I went back to work just before Christmas, so painting productivity took a somewhat inevitable nose-dive, as did actually posting up pictures of what I had got done!

So, after the Armageddon that was Hogmanay nightshift, here's a little round up of what has been done over the last few weeks...

The "Friend & Foe" group build over on The Guild drew to it's conclusion, and I actually managed to get my entries finished in time. The results of the build can be seen here.

 The MILAN team got it's base;

And was joined by a spotter/ command element

(Who still require an aerial for their Clansman set)

On the other side of the Curtain, The Soviet Motor Rifles saw the command squad finished

and joined by the BMP dismounts

A bit of variation on the uniforms on two of the figures, to emphasise that ever-reliable Soviet supply chain...

Rather pleased with how these tree stumps have come out, I must admit. They're old Woodland Scenics metal pieces I aquired years ago, before the infamous fire, so I'm using my few remaining items sparingly!

I've got enough figures in the stash to get another BMP squad done, and then it'll be onto some support weapons for the Sovs (to match the BAOR ones I've got) and then, hopefully, some appropriate vehicles to mount 'em all in.

In other news, I have aquired some scenery, which will hopefully add some sufficiently "80's Germany" flavour to proceedings, but rather more on that later...

Cheers, and all the best for 2014...
Iain