The Red Tide Advances

Some further progress on the Soviet Motor Rifles! Actually quite chuffed with how these guys have come out (after a bit of a shaky start). Looking forward to getting enough of 'em done for a game...

The Platoon Command Pack is now finished. In game terms I only need the лейтена́нт and his radio operator (who will for all intents and purposes just be a rifleman, but the radio on his back adds to the "HQ" look...) for the Command section; the marksman and rifleman with the UGL will find themselves part of the 3rd Motor Rifle section. Also, the radio-operator's backpack still needs an aerial adding.

The first four of the BMP dismounts just need based now. Still to add a further rifleman and gunner with an RPK.

Rather pleased with how well this arm shield came out! Can't see me replicating that any time soon...

Apologies again for some of the blurry pictures. It's not yer eyes, honest!

Cheers

Iain

Latest Cold War Progress...

Spent this week so far adrift in a sea of snot, Lemsip and Humbrol, as I've been loaded with the cold since Sunday. Which was marvellous.

However, I have thus been able to get some work done on the painting front. Firstly, as you may have seen over on Bobinantes, I've got the first four Soviet figures ready for basing:

These are from Elhiem's Cold War Platoon Command pack CWR08, and very nice they are too. The pack features a Platoon Commander, radio operator, marksman with Dragunov SVD (somewhat nonchalantly smoking a cigarette) and a trooper with an underslug grenade launcher on his AK-74. All are clad in the standard Soviet khaki uniform.

I've also managed to get the BAOR MILAN team finished...

...and ready for basing:

Again, figures from Elhiem's Cold War range. With the addition of a spotter team/ command element (currently undercoated) that should give me the 10 figures needed for the British side of the current Guild "Friend & Foe" group build. The Soviet side will be the Platoon Command, plus the 6 dismounts for a BMP-2 (which is itself somewhere in the pipeline).

So far looking like I might have all that finished for the 21st!

Cheers
Iain

I Ain't Dead Yet

Been nearly a month since I've managed to get anything done worth posting, but I've finally made some progress with things!

I've now got the Platoon Command section finished and based, and I'm about halfway through the MILAN team

The MILAN team will be mounted on a single base, similar to the Blowpipe team previously. Gives me an excuse to make little mini vignettes! They'll eventually get some transport aswell, either a 423 or a Spartan MCT...

Finished Platoon Command-

And I spent far too long trying to get this right-

OK, so it's not really period correct for the mid 80s, but it looks impressive, and since I'm representing a fictional regiment (to cover a multitude of sins), I can write it off as a regimental affectation (i.e. they're flash gits)...

So far, Combat Team Alpha of the Queens Own Atholl Rangers Battlegroup looks a bit like this-

Still requires a third section, and FV432s to carry them all about it. Also to be added imminently are some support weapons in the shape of MILAN teams, 81mm Mortars and SF GPMGs, and a CVR(W) Fox armoured car. I also intend to add some armoured support in the shape of some CVR(T) Scorpion and Scimitar, as well as some MBT support. Hopefully I can persuade the powers that be over at S&S Models to do a late mark Chieftain with Stillbrew armour...

In other news, I've also made a start on their opposition, the dastardly Sovs of 3rd Shock Army...

Spurred on by the Friend and Foe group build over at The Guild, I've so far been working on the Elheim Command Pack containing a platoon commander, signaller, sniper and trooper with an underslung grenade launcher attached to his AK-74

Quite happy with the colours so far. The figures give a nice contrast to the BAOR infantrymen, with the Soviets' archaic WW2 style fatigue uniforms contrasting with the modern DPM combat uniforms of the British. I intend to do some of the figures with mismatching tunics and trousers, reflecting the ever-dependable Soviet supply system (I don't think there was a Soviet version of Silverman's?)...

I took my inspiration from the Soviet Motor Rifleman pictured on p60 of the "Cold War Gone Hot" Force on Force supplement, with his red colar tabs, epaulettes and arm shield. I was keen to include these, as it gives some sort of definition to the figures, and breaks up what would otherwise just be an endless sea of khaki. While officially, on combat uniforms, these would have either been deleted or replaced with olive green versions, most Russian soldiers wouldn't have been given sufficient uniforms to have seperate "field", "combat" and "parade" versions of the same tunic, so I kept them on, for the aforementioned artistic reasons [wankspeak mode off].

Hopefully should be able to get these and another 6 finished in time for the end of the group build...

Cheers
Iain

SITREP- Mechanised Infantry Platoon Command.

Work has continued on the platoon command for the BAOR force. Figures are once again from the ever dependable Elhiem 20mm range.

In the process of finishing the basing for the Signaller, medic and mortarman, and just doing the webbing now on the subaltern and platoon sergeant. Hopefully they should be finished in the coming days, and I can crack on with the MILAN teams, and also the Soviets (one of which I've made a start on... just a colour test, honest!)

I'm quite pleased with managing to get a decent looking red cross on both the medic's armband and his rucksack!



These will all go towards the current Guild "Friend & Foe"  groupbuild.

Cheers
Iain

More BAOR

Well that's the S&S Ferret finished off and hit with a shot of Daler-Rowney matt varnish. I've been left with one or two little pin-pricks of white, just in the deep recesses where a lot of the varnish has gathered. I can live with that (I think), but may go over them at some point in the future...

The decals for the number plates are spares from the old JB (now Airfix) Bedford MK refueller, and the "4" on the bridge classification plate is just a random "4" denoting a decal number cut from a 1/35 Warrior kit... All that's missing (and again, might be added in the future) are a Union flag on the front mudguard and a convoy marker on the rear centre line.

Quite chuffed with how this has turned out, I'll add a base when I source a suitable one from Warbases.

Over on The Guild, there's another group build on the go on the theme of Friend and Foe, which requires either two opposing sets of 3 vehicles or 10 figures, so I've decided to use it as an excuse to get some more of the BAOR infantry done, and make a start on the Soviet opposition.

So far, nearly finished these three from the BAOR platoon Command; Signaller, 51mm mortarman and Combat Medical Technician

Got the Platoon commander and his sergeant undercoated, and the remaining 5 on the British side will be made up of a MILAN team and an observer/ command base for the MILAN Section.

The Russians I'm still waiting on arriving from Elhiem, and will be composed of a Motor Rifle command element and a Motor Rifle squad.

Cheers
Iain