Sunday, 14 February 2021

Reinforcements - WIP

After being delayed by a book*, on Friday I got started again on the various troops that I bought recently from Pendraken. Work continued on Saturday and I now have 3 fully completed units, one nearly finished and one getting there. As ever, I've gone for the 'impressionistic' approach - i.e. don't look too closely.

Continental Infantry regiment finished and American Militia unit  needs base finishing

Soviet riflemen (8 bases), Finnish bicycle infantry and 3 Panzershreck teams


Finnish bicycle troops. I may add some highlighting on the jackets  as the grey appears too dark.


The rest of the acquisitions are in various stages of painting. One unit of ECW foot needs their bases texturing, painting and flocking.

I've gone for purple this time. I've decided I have enough now to do one of the rare purple coated regiments.

Further down the queue are two more pike blocks, one musket block, 3 bases of dismounted dragoons and 3 foot command bases. All undercoated and flesh painted. Then come 3 AFVs undercoated. Still untouched are the AWI British light dragoons which I'm mulling over how to base. I don't think that they are going to arrive in time to help the British infantry tomorrow.

Not a bad effort in the time taken.

Postscript: I went over the ECW foot unit and dry-brushed them with Vallejo Magenta. I’m much happier with them now. And the unfinished troops will be almost complete tonight. I need a good run-up on the AFVs. I have NEVER painted any before.


* Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. The memoir of a US helicopter pilot in Vietnam. I've not read anything on the Vietnam War before and I'm finding this difficult to put down. I've got more interested in the conflict through watching Ken Burns' epic documentary series (much of it 3 times over). I have another thick 'survey' book of the whole war plus one on the war of liberation against the French in the 1950s. These were part of two large carrier bags full of history books my sister and brother-in-law was getting rid of. They were up in London recently and dropped them off on their way home. It was nice to see them but frustrating it was just a quick chat at the door given the prevailing situation.



20 comments:

  1. You are making good progress. I like the look of your regiment of Foote.

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    1. Thanks Jon. They’re looking a bit dark. I need to lighten them up. I’ll see how they look when the bases are done because that black spray paint doesn’t help.

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  2. The units look good and your "impressionistic" approach is not obvious from the photographs, and certainly would not be when viewed on the wargaming table.

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    1. Cheers Peter. Oh there’s definitely ‘splodgy bits’ in there. Especially from when I get to the stage I want to have done with them.

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  3. Great work on these figures. I particularly like your bicycle troops.

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    1. Thanks. I’d have preferred them to be riding the bikes, but it’s a pretty specialist thing at this scale so ...

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  4. A nice mix of figures and I hope to get back to painting, as it's been too cold in our kitchen to paint of late. The book sounds good and nice to receive some history books like that:)

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    1. That and the fact that half of the kitchen is in an extension that doesn't have an insulated roof (1960's build), so stays really cold comparatively speaking at this time of year.

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  5. "Not a bad effort in the time taken" - agree there. You don't struggle with your concentration switching between projects?

    Tony S

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    1. No problem at all with the concentration. I tend to take a fairly mechanical approach to panting. I prepped everything together, sprayed black undercoat on them all together, dabbed flesh on them all together.

      If anything the variety helps. Although having non-uniform troops like the militia gets a bit confusing.

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    2. How’s your Operation Barbarossa stuff coming along?

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    3. Surprisingly well (for me). I've painted almost everything I bought. Done some more terrain items too. Not managed a game with them yet though.

      I've recently started on some 15mm Hallmark League of Augsburg figures. An old range but proper 15mm and period accurate models I think. I intend to use Twilight of the Sun King rules for those.

      So a pretty productive winter so far.

      Tony S

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    4. Excellent. Be nice to see some pics.

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    5. I'll email some to you.

      Tony S

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  6. Chickenhawk is cracking, he also wrote a follow up which I have yet to read. In a similar vein and also un-putdown'able, I'd recommend Dispatches by Michael Herr. last year I also read the truly monumental Max Hastings book on the entire war.. stunning piece of work...

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    1. Cheers Steve. Now my main painting effort is complete (bar the tanks and cavalry) I can pick the book up again. I know I said it was un-put downable but.....

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  7. Great progress, they look splendid and rapid! I'd second dispatches I remember it being excellent, In Country was another one too I think?
    Best Iain

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    1. I’ll look into them when I’ve made my way through the other books. I could do without something too gripping at the moment as I had a late night finishing Chickenhawk.

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