Zirrian's WW2 blog of various scales (15-20-28-54mm)

[zirrian]

Well, as most of us, I have a tendency to jump around with projects...but for December, I want to do something from start to finish - a 1/72nd scale US Rifle Platoon plus support weapons. The aim is a 1000 points Bolt Action army, solely consisting of infantry with vehicles added later or taken from my shelf as I have a few painted stuff already. I want to use PSC figures for the most part, with conversions where necessary - and oh boy, it's necessary with these...why 9 of the figures needed to have a BAR? Why both of the SMG poses use a Thompson instead of a Grease Gun, and why are they almost useless? Why no M1 Carbine? The other kits have some really nice options for interchangeable weapons like in German set you can arm some with MP40s or rifles...or the Soviet kit has practically perfect distribution of weapons and maybe one useless pose. And what's more important, the other boxes have enough stuff for a platoon. Okay, maybe the Brits don't, as the 2" mortar and the PIAT was integral, but still...from this kit, you don't get enough riflemen to have 3 squads of 12. Swap out 2 BARs per sprue for Garands and you're set. But if converting it not up your alley, then you have to get at least another sprue. But I digress.

As for the current state of the project:


I got an army's worth of figures if not more from a friend. I de-based them this afternoon and my thumb really hurts. They'll be remounted on 25mm rounds, or bigger where needed. At the moment I want three 10-men squads (as I have 2 2-men bazooka units and a 2-men sniper unit, one can argue that this keeps it a full platoon), 3 .30cal MMGs, the aforementioned 2 Bazooka teams and a Sniper team, a medium mortar, a medic, an air/arty observer, platoon HQ (2 men) and that's about it. I need to assemble the .30cals and the mortar. As the weapons themselves are rather bad in the PSC sets (shame on them), I'll borrow them from the "oversized" Valiant kit that are still smaller than the ones supported here...I want to get everything ready by the 1st of December, so I only need to paint them. Also I'll add various bits like backpacks from Valiant, and add GS bandoliers and such as they are really lightly equipped.

And for my other in-progress WW2 US stuff, three AFVs:


The Priest needs crew, all of them need weathering and basing plus a healthy dose of matte varnish. The Stuart is from PSC, the M4A1 from Revell (a secondhand model - no idea how or why the barrel is not straight) and an Italeri Priest.

Also, an older finished vehicle - as it turns out the only WW2 US vehicle I've done is another Revell M4A1.


For the vehicles part, I have a whole lot of Shermans, including some Easy Eights for the later parts, but for the moment, I want to make a third Revell M4A1, and after that, not sure. Maybe I'll make a poll.

Hope you'll enjoy this venture and I'll have the stamina to finish, and ACTUALLY play a game with them in January!

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Interesting project. I look forward to seeing how it goes.

Are you basing them individually on 25mm bases?

[vodkafan]

This photo is the first time I have seen PSC figures....must say not too impressed, although I really like their vehicles.
I would have gone all the way with the Valiant ....but good luck, I am interested to see how they turn out.

[zirrian]

Interesting project. I look forward to seeing how it goes.

Are you basing them individually on 25mm bases?

Yep, one dude per base, with the exception of weapon teams like the sniper, the bazookas, and I'll put the observer with his radioman on a bigger base together as well.

This photo is the first time I have seen PSC figures....must say not too impressed, although I really like their vehicles.
I would have gone all the way with the Valiant ....but good luck, I am interested to see how they turn out.

It's nothing to get your heart racing, but they'll be pimped enough to make them look nice. My aim is to make them look like Pegasus' D-Day Rangers (a set I need to get...well, after this project, I'll grab at least two I think), figures that look like soldiers burdened with gear, and not chaps on a Saturday afternoon stroll with a rifle.

I have a lot of Valiant minis...I like painting them, but their scale bothers me immensely. There are rumours around that they'll re-do them in actual 1/72, which is something I'd really like, and would pick them up again. The US figures were really close in scale to be excellent, and the bits from that set can be used for a lot of things. I'll probably paint up a platoon of those as well (have half a dozen figures ready anyways), but I might base them for Rapid Fire/Ostfront.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Thanks.

I have not seen the 20mm figures, I have some 15mm on 20mm radius Renedra bases and the 28mm Russians. I look forward to seeing what they look like painted and en masse.

[MartinR]

I agree that the weapon mix in the PSC set is a little.... odd.

I found it pretty simple to just cut down the excess BARs into Garands though.

[vodkafan]

AARGH this thread and another Valiant thread on here has made me drag out all my 1/72 stuff out again to look over.  It was safely all boxed up for the last 5 years...

[zirrian]

AARGH this thread and another Valiant thread on here has made me drag out all my 1/72 stuff out again to look over.  It was safely all boxed up for the last 5 years...

  Glad to be of service

[vodkafan]

Glad to be of service

Oh man this is not to be taken lightly. I am having one of those huge rumbling shifting upheavals of total scale shift. I thought I had finished with 1/72 for ever now the madness has started again. I thought I was back on the virtuous straight and narrow of 28mm, now it's like where will it end? Is reality really real? Am I gay? Can I travel through time? Stuff like that. 

[zirrian]

Oh man this is not to be taken lightly. I am having one of those huge rumbling shifting upheavals of total scale shift. I thought I had finished with 1/72 for ever now the madness has started again. I thought I was back on the virtuous straight and narrow of 28mm, now it's like where will it end? Is reality really real? Am I gay? Can I travel through time? Stuff like that. 

The big advantage of 1/72 is that it's not THAT big of an investment not in time, nor in money. That's why it's my favourite scale.

And now for an update - on the road to December I've dug out some Valiant spares, replaced the three .30cals (man, the Valiant MGs look a lot better - the water cooled version is really nice from PSC tho), gave most of the figures backpacks from that set (which already improved their looks a lot), now I only need to find 8-10 more backpacks and break out the putty. Then bases to be made, then undercoat, and hope it'll be done before the 1st of December.



Also included a .50cal MG that was already assembled, so I'll slap it on the project's bottom and do it too. I'll need to borrow a mortar from the Italeri Elite Troops (they did not differ that much from US mortars...), plus find my Renedra 30mm round bases for the bazooka teams, forward observer and casualties. Also, I'm considering doing rifle slungs for the figures...if anyone has a good tutorial, or tips for it, please share them!

Till next time!

[vodkafan]

Good start. The packs do improve the looks of the PSC figures no end. Talking of mortars, am I correct in thinking that the mortar in the Valiant US set is the 60mm company level mortar, not the 81mm?  It is very small compared to the 81mm mortar in the German set.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Good progress.

So how are you going to clean up those coins?

[Arlequín]

Well done and I salute your commitment to making silk purses out of sow's ears! 

One small criticism; the .50 cal looks the size of a 20mm auto-cannon, I'm guessing that was borrowed too?

[Orctrader]

Interesting.   

...the Valiant MGs look a lot better - the water cooled version is really nice from PSC...

Do the Valiant and PSC figures mix well together?  Could you just buy a box of each? 

(I've never seen either in the flesh...er...plastic.    )

[vodkafan]

Interesting.   

Do the Valiant and PSC figures mix well together?  Could you just buy a box of each? 

(I've never seen either in the flesh...er...plastic.    )

Here is a pic of Valiant compared with Esci And Revell....the PSC (vehicle crew) figures I have had in my hand were same height as the latter two but less thin, so kind of in between  those and Valiant

http://www.miniatures.de/britain/esci-valiant-miniatures-revell-scale-comparison.jpg