Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: retrovertigo on February 12, 2022, 08:57:36 PM
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Hi everyone. I'm a long time lurker/forum stalker, and just recently resolved to sort my life out and actually make a profile to contribute something of my own.
Over the last few years I've played an unholy amount of Battlegroup in 28mm (yeah I'm one of those people...) but more recently I've made the effort to learn the rules for Chain of Command (after years of owning the book) - I'm somewhat invested hobby and personal interest-wise, in the Second World War as you can imagine.
Hopefully I can post up regular updates on my hobby stuff, at the moment I post the odd thing on Twitter but the limitations of it have got me to missing the benefits of a good old fashioned web forum instead. Anyway without further ado, here's some stuff I've done or that I am working on!
First up my current 'new' project is a '41 British/Commonwealth Western Desert Force, with the intention of playing a campaign based in Tobruk using the Battlegroup rules. My force is modeled on the standard infantry division order of battle, with the intention of offering the options later to use it as an armoured division too.
Kicking things off, I'd been fascinated with some of bizarre/eclectic hardware used in the desert in the planning stages of the project. One thing that had caught my interest was the unarmoured transports that British officers routinely barreled around the desert in. Ordinary station wagons or similar being repurposed into staff cars on the front lines, seems simultaneously barking mad and yet such an obviously British thing to do that I absolutely had to have one for my forward headquarters unit to use.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51876657802_103d9389d1_o.png) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3ar1w)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51876657792_2c6621c065_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3ar1m)
As luck would have it, Perry do this exact thing in resin - it's a Ford C11ADF, 4x2 staff car.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51877622916_1d0f3d8990_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3fnUq)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51877939894_bca7e1ab48_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3h18y)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51877622891_68be563c86_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3fnTZ)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51877700688_28e6345ba4_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3fM2j)
Beautiful resin model and cast from the Perrys, with crisp metal extras. I added in some addition stowage behind the rear seats (that no one will ever see!) but other than that it was a nice quick and easy paintjob. In retrospect I wish I'd tried my hand at doing some rolled up canvas window blinds, but that a trival issue I think.
It carries three command staff around but most of the time it will be deployed as you see in the photo with Major Marmaduke Darling puffing on his pipe in relaxed contemplation of the battle in front of him! I have a 3d printed drinks cabinet on folding legs to add to this little vignette when I get time.
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Well that's a cracking way to start forum life.
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A couple of things for me absolutely scream WW2 NORTH AFRICA in the British arsenal - the little QF 2pdr anti-tank gun, and the beefy 25pdr on the turntable mount. So of course I had to paint one of each.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51877956514_9e9c6a2c73_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3h657)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51877639486_ba629c99af_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3fsQ7)
Not exactly something that will strike terror into the heart of my wargaming chum and DAK commander from across the table, but should at least scare a few Panzer III commanders into hiding under their seats as it's little shells smack off their armour... even if it's unlikely to actually blow any of them up!
Something with a little more umpf is the 25pdr field gun on that trademark turntable, firing platform.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51877639696_6b0427a7d8_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3fsTJ)
The gun itself is not attached to the base - firstly so I can enjoy swiveling it around mid-game whilst uttering a range of curse words in my best 1940's Tommie lingo, but also so it can be placed behind a forthcoming Quad and limber for games where it is part of a mobile force rather than a static defensive position.
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That’s great Retro, charmingly disheveled and dinged up. One of the things I love about Battlegroup is the use of other vehicles like support, command and supply. They add real character to the tabletop. There’s a later desert (Torch I think) Battlegroup campaign pdf that is quite fun and could easily be ported to the slightly earlier period. Those guns are excellent and will be welcome support for the poor foot sloggers.
Looking forwards to seeing more,
BALM
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That’s great Retro, charmingly disheveled and dinged up. One of the things I love about Battlegroup is the use of other vehicles like support, command and supply. They add real character to the tabletop. There’s a later desert (Torch I think) Battlegroup campaign pdf that is quite fun and could easily be ported to the slightly earlier period. Those guns are excellent and will be welcome support for the poor foot sloggers.
Looking forwards to seeing more,
BALM
Thanks! And funny you should say that...
Definitely the weirdest vehicle I have modeled is this, Bergepanzer III recovery vehicle. In Battlegroup you have a VERY slim chance of this thing actually fulfilling it's job in a game but nevertheless it's an absolute auto-take in larger games, purely for the flavour it adds and of course the hilarity of trying to get it to a stricken tank without getting blown up itself!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51878281470_8aea412d16_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3iKEN)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51878281460_b68d4c142e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3iKEC)
It's a Warlord Games plastic Panzer III hull, with a resin a metal addon kit. Sadly the resin superstructure was so badly warped and miscast it went straight in the bin. I ended up scratchbuilding my own, using matchsticks for the planking, bits of blister pack plastic, and some cardboard from a cereal packet. Crewman is a modified passenger from the plastic strips of soldiers Warlord Games sell for their German trucks. Came out pretty well I think considering I have zero ability with scratchbuilding etc! Poor Wolfgang there is the butt of a running joke when we play as he is yet to successfully salvage a single tank in game - probably why he looks so depressed...
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Nice job on the vehicles and those guns. I particularly like the Ford...
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Welcome, and some very nice work to introduce yourself!
That is a nicely eclectic mix of kit you have! Battlegroup does a great job of bath tubbing WWII elements down so you get some of the higher level kit on the table, while it still feels very much like WWII.
We’ve not tried CoC for the desert - partly due to time taken to get figures painted, and partly due to pondering how best to play an infantry focused battled - Tobruk though should work well with the defences giving more cover and structure to the game rather than an open desert engagement.
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Over the last few years I've played an unholy amount of Battlegroup in 28mm (yeah I'm one of those people...) but more recently I've made the effort to learn the rules for Chain of Command (after years of owning the book)
A man after my own heart!
I am really enjoying your vehicle painting and will enjoy watching your thread develop.
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Welcome, and some very nice work to introduce yourself!
That is a nicely eclectic mix of kit you have! Battlegroup does a great job of bath tubbing WWII elements down so you get some of the higher level kit on the table, while it still feels very much like WWII.
We’ve not tried CoC for the desert - partly due to time taken to get figures painted, and partly due to pondering how best to play an infantry focused battled - Tobruk though should work well with the defences giving more cover and structure to the game rather than an open desert engagement.
I'm initially sticking to BG for the desert, purely as the quantity of tanks dictates it! However my near-future plan is for an Italian platoon specifically to allow me to play CoC with my Brits at a skirmish level. I think moving it East will open up some terrain opportunities that might suit CoC a bit more than open desert?
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Couple of collections of WIPs I'm prepping:
First up is a British/Commonwealth carrier patrol for Battlegroup - Bren, mortar, and command carrier. Mortar carrier isn't quite right for the theatre but I'll cope! Added some extra stowage, hung some haversacks on the sides and generally tried to convey the impression of a patrol used to being out in the open desert.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51879266559_78bc7a5da6_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3oNv6)
Next up is an eclectic collection of bric-a-brac.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51879030088_6be7ee2b06_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3nAd1)
Desert well was a resin piece I picked up from Vapnartak last week. It's going to be an objective for the Tobruk campaign, doubling as a bit of scatter. Drink cabinet again can be used as an objective marker (you can't command a battalion of infantry in the desert without a sherry or two) or JOP for CoC. I haven't decided if the surrendering German will be for Africa or Europe, but along with the RAF pilot will be an objective marker for BG. Pill bases with ammo crates are going to be a bit of decoration to be honest, I plan to arrange them around any of my desert gun teams - you always see mounds of crates and spent shells around gun teams in photos so really wanted to add some of my own purely for the look of it.
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I love Wolfgang and his Bergepanzer III, although he does look sullen and a bit sad from the first picture: like he’s on the naughty step!
Fred I totally agree, with a little common sense and thought you can put a reasonably representative force onto the table and still play a fun game. I’m very interested to see what the new platoon level game Piers is working on currently will be like.
Thank you for posting, I look forward to more progress and hopefully some game pictures in the future.
Andrew
BALM
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Very nice work and a great collection taking shape :)
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When I was mulling over my Africa campaign force, the tank I knew I absolutely had to own was the good ol' Matilda "Queen of the Desert" infantry tank. I opted to paint it in a less common variation of Caunter, and in retrospect wish I'd gone for something a bit less BROWN, but I'm pleased how it came out regardless. Wasn't sure of the merits of adding rust or streaks to this one so left them off - internet photo paranoia to blame for that one, nothing worse than fretting about being told off for your mistakes!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51877717253_f0d3019963_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3fRWV)
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Considering adding a second Matilda, but this time the 3" howitzer CS variant. We'll see once the Valentine platoon is completed!
This week progress has stopped on models as I focus on getting terrain and defences done for next week (not that we need a huge amount of terrain lol ).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51884160389_c888eb9aca_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3PTgt)
A real mix of stuff so far - an old Citadel plastic molded hill I have textured with sand and repainted from cowpat golden yellow; resin craters and entrenchments from the ever excellent Ironclad Miniatures; plus some pre-painted bases of palm trees I got off eBay that I've de-flocked and repainted to suit. Frustrating that the exact same paint recipe has yielded slight differences in colour, but I think spray on Zandri Dust and out the pot are clearly not the same tone, plus the difference in texture depth/sand has meant some pieces have picked up sandy mid-highlight off the drybrush more intensely than others.
Still to do: 30"+ of barbed wire bases, a pair of big entrenchments from Ironclad again, and I need to make a 30" anti-tank ditch (this will be a foam shape laid under the most excellent fleece mat from Geek Villain.
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Your stuff is looking brilliant mate! Such attention to detail. Great work!
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Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
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This is a fantastic thread. Your models look superb.
Like you, I love all the oddments you find in the early war in the Middle East. A friend and I are starting a new project for Chain of Command with this in mind: French and Australian forces for Lebanon in 1941. You know things are curious when an R-35 is the apex predator!
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So far so good. Really like the Matilda. When I (eventually) get around to doing 8th Army and DAK, and Matilda will be on the list...
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Muchos gracias everyone who has commented :D
Alongside my Africa campaign project, is an ever expanding later-war German force. Initially put together to fight across France and the Low Countries circa 1944, it's also now being pressed into service to defend the Rhineland in March campaign using the Battlegroup Fall of the Reich campaign book. A couple of months ago I started adding in some of the larger and later examples of German armour to compliment a core of Panthers and Panzer iV's I've been using for the France/Holland stuff.
First up was a Tiger II. This took me ages to finish, not because it was a hard one to paint, but because it wasn't going to see regular use in the non-1945 theatres except the occasional massive 1000+ pts battles and so motivation to get it finished wasn't that high. Oh, and the fact I repainted the camo three times. Anyway, here it is!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51876674832_956ca8b9cd_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3aw59)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51876674847_9545871157_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n3aw5p)
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In the same vein of stalling progress, a fortnight ago when I was doing the Ford staff car I randomly decided to add in a few German vehicles to the batch paint, unsurprisingly they aren't any further forward than in this photo lol
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51888570695_80bf4afe06_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n4duie)
Jagdpanther that will get used all over Europe and a command (proxy with extra aerials) Sd.kfz 251 halftrack, and the plastic paperweight that is the Jagdtiger! That will get an occasional runout in Germany '45 but may mostly end up as a piece of scatter terrain having expectedly conked out/runout of fuel by the side of the road somewhere.
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Work continues on the terrain for North Africa Battlegroup.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51901801054_96b5d00441_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n5oidS)
First a few odds and sods - Scatter/objective marker well I picked up from Vap; a drinks cabinet for my Brit/Aussie commanding officer ...or an objective marker/jump off point; and three piles of ammo boxes as scatter to accompany my gun crews and to add a bit of 'something' for the 25 and 2pdrs emplacements.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51901569778_75cfc8d0c0_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n5n7tm)
And the first round of terrain and defences for the Tobruk campaign. Games will be largely open tables with undulating rocky earth, so don't need a huge amount. I've also made a cardboard anti-tank ditch to lay under the excellent fleece mat from Geek Villain, from Amazon cardboard boxes and hot glue (so cheap as chips). I did look into doing it properly with foam and what not, but it will only get very occasional use so this will do - a test run with it and it looks really good for the time spent on it if I do say so myself!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51902134230_1e682d7468_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n5q1gh)
I went for a very chaotic, tangled, messy barbed wire (that's a WIP for a close up) rather than a neat row of even coils. Looking at photos of the Tobruk defences, I tried to mimic that nightmare looking web of wire and posts:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51901814009_cb391d70cb_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n5on5e)
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Stunning work and do like the barbed wire too.
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It all looks brilliant!
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Your barbed wire is excellent and a must have in defensive games (or as scenery) but even more so with desert warfare and the big open flanks. Your prepared positions are great too (again needed in this theatre desperately).
For Torch you need some prickly pear cactus, if you can, as there were formidably dense patches that would have stopped all but determined engineers with too much time/explosives on their hands. I’m struggling in 15mm to find them but you can get them in 28mm or at least looking appropriate.
Thank you for posting
BALM
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Hi This is some really nice stuff - well out together and beautifully painted. Looking forward to seeing more
who makes the Major Marmaduke Darling figure? One I'd love to add to my drinking tea collection.
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Lovely, all of it.
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Thanks for the kind words everyone.
Your barbed wire is excellent and a must have in defensive games (or as scenery) but even more so with desert warfare and the big open flanks (it feels more open again playing in 15mm but at least the 6” of wire look bigger compared to the chaps). Your prepared positions are great too (again needed in this theatre desperately).
For Torch you need some prickly pear cactus, if you can, as there were formidably dense patches that would have stopped all but engineers with too much time/explosives on their hands. I’m struggling in 15mm to find them but you can get them in 28mm or at least looking appropriate. These Italians have got themselves a cactus fort (and the barrel is elevated slightly so when I look at this picture I presume they are waiting in ambush over watching a ridge - but imagine the spiky vegetable shrapnel when the patch comes under fire though).
Thank you for posting
BALM
Good lord that looks like a health and safety nightmare all right! We may branch out into Torch at a later date, for now it's very much early war N. Africa though.
Hi This is some really nice stuff - well out together and beautifully painted. Looking forward to seeing more
who makes the Major Marmaduke Darling figure? One I'd love to add to my drinking tea collection.
He's part of the Warlord Games 8th Army HQ pack >>> https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/british-8th-army/products/8th-army-hq?variant=31469292027984
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Great job on the barbed wire entanglements 8)
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We played the first Tobruk campaign game last night from the Battlegroup Tobruk book. A couple of sections of Aussie's with a single HMG and 2pdr had to hold out for five turns against an Afrika Korp pioneer platoon with Panzer III and Panzer IV support :o Strongpoint 19 was the chosen point of attack on the Tobruk Red Line and it had to be held at all costs.
For those of you who know the Battlegroup rules, you can appreciate what a task that is to keep a 7BR total intact for that long! The Australian 9th Infantry Division troops had an anti-tank ditch, barbed wire, two minefields, and a range of dugouts and trenches in which to shelter and pray for their reinforcements to arrive as dawn broke.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51902984387_0b409b9e17_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n5umZa)
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As if by some insane miracle, the plucky blokes held firm with the help of some deadly early mortar barrages that stalled the pioneer advance on the minefields and barbed wire, and some frankly titanium coated sandbag entrenchments!
Turn five the Aussie reinforcements arrived and after a couple more turns sent the Germans packing into the desert, as Panzer III's burnt and pioneer corpses littered the sand.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51903950511_986fc22d99_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n5zjbt)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51904036023_714d5a7da4_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n5zKAP)
Great opening game, with the Germans plotting a swift second attack as the sun rises on Tobruk.
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That looks like excellent fun (and very aesthetically pleasing) I love the BR system as (as it happened here) it can lead to some real nail biters.
Seeing your progress and results is very inspiring, thank you for posting.
Andrew
BALM.
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Fantastic terrain! I'd love more pics from your games!
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Hurrah for the diggers!
Also loving these paint jobs, wow, how did I miss this thread earlier. Beautiful stuff!
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Well done for all of this! Those were some scrappy Diggers!
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Had a break from the desert to clear some of half-started back log from Europe. I've a Soviet project underway not to mention some 21. Panzer vehicles coming from Mad Bob Miniatures, so wanted to get a few other things out of the way first.
First up was a surrendering German soldier, that I've put on a 40mm base with a Tamiya 1/48 signpost as an objective marker.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51911745914_fe3f2b814a_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n6ggtY)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51912044905_e1cef47f52_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n6hNmZ)
Next I've had a bunch of vehicles sitting in gloss varnish and enamel wash for weeks, so I pulled my finger out and got an Sdkfz.251/3 completed. It's actually just a regular 251 with a pair of aerials added, I'm trying to locate a suitable radio set to add to the interior but it will do for now as a panzer divisionHQ transport for Battlegroup.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51911424741_b6852ea224_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n6eC1v)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51910460487_c6824cae63_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n69Fnr)
I've added a metal MG42 gunner from Warlord as I think these vehicles can look a bit weird without passengers. I've got a couple of seated crew to add once I've solved the radio issue. The umbrella antenna or Sternantenna isn't exactly correct but gives the impression of one which is good enough for me - the later version of 251/3 had them instead of the far more conspicuous frame antenna's that I'm sure made them stand out a mile to circling aircraft.
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Great stuff mate, yet again!
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Very nice job on the half track. Agree they always look better with crews aboard :)
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That game looks awesome. It sounds like it was a real thriller too!
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what a nice collection
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Nice job on that 251. Well done!
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Thanks everyone :D
Couple more bits done tonight. First up is a downed RAF pilot from Warlord Games, as an objective marker for Battlegroup.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51916450796_7521841a76_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n6Fo5C)
Next I cleared another long term malingerer from my painting queue, in the form of a Rubicon Jagdpanther. This will see action on both fronts, soon as my newly constituted Soviet platoon gets some paint on it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51916450761_d0c19e51db_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n6Fo52)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51917070470_3a2aa36fee_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2n6JyhE)
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Thanks for looking.
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Great work yet again!
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Exceptional looking models and set-up! The looks is very iconic and inspirational to dial of my Africa terrain. Thanks for posting.
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Super job on the Jagdpanther :-*
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I agree that Jagdpanther looks great, love the spare wheel on the hull.
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Very nice paintjobs on the 251 and the Jagdpanther :)
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Great job on that Jagdpanther. It sure looks the business!
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Really like the Jagdpanther's finish.
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Thanks everyone ;)
Another day, another German AFV without a turret. This time the monstrous Sd.Kfz 186 Jagdtiger.
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Quite liked painting this one. I went camo-free on this one to represent something rushed straight into combat in the closing battles of 1945. Not sure how often it will see the tabletop as an actual fighting unit, but when we finally kick off our Fall of the Reich campaign it will see some use abandoned by the roadside or wedged in a ruined building, as scatter terrain.
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Couple more vehicles cleared from the unfinished pile of shame lol
First up a pair of Mad Bob Miniatures 21. Panzer vehicles: a Pak40 Somua half track, and a 15cm Geschützwagen Lorraine Schlepper.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51994793078_3572fab272_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2ndAUvC)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51993731512_31e2374385_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2ndvsWL)
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A pair of really great models, lovely detail on them and arrived needing almost no prep beyond a bit of glue. I need to do some crew for them next so they don't look abandoned...
After that I also finished a Wurfrahmen 40 aka Stuka zu Fuss. Model is Rubicon, the crew are some Artizan models I've been using for a couple of different models are crew (my Pak40 etc)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51994793098_0fefe0ffcd_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2ndAUvY)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51995006569_f810f843e7_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2ndBZYv)
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I do like your paintjobs. I especially like the smokey look of the camo spots though as well as the very careful chipping and weathering. Great work!
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More good stuff. Those AFVs look great!
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Nicely done 8)
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Love your Mad Bob Minis.
Are they 1:56 scale?
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A fantastic thread ... what a great way to introduce yourself to LAF 8)
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Wonderfully painted minis, sir !
Love your Mad Bob Minis.
Are they 1:56 scale?
I have some models from Mad Bob for my french army, and yes, they are scaled in 1/56 (but they have a 20mm range too).
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Brilliant work, you keep moving from strength to strength.