Bataillon X Z.b.V

[Westfalia Chris]

Yo!

At Tactica, I got a number of West Wind Models of the SotTR range, and I want to use this new thread to showcase them since they are not really part of the Wolfenfels project (which is actually finished, now that Tactica is over...).

I got the Panzer Mecha, the Sarge, and two packs of Gasmask heads which I´ll use for some US Rocket Corps and Sondertruppen conversions.

The heads are very nice, but the mecha have some problematic areas; the Panzer Mecha missed three pewter parts (none of them essential since I wanted to convert it, anyway, so I didn´t want to bother either Battlefield Berlin or West Wind), while the Sarge as a rather obvious mold mismatch on the legs, but I´ll be able to repair it in an hour or so. Maybe add some extra armour along the way. The Sarge will be built pretty much "standard issue", but I omitted the Panzer Mecha´s MG Pod arm (the pod being one of the missing parts) and replaced it with a Nebelwerfer made from plasticard and tube.

The tank commander is a BAM figure, but the kit included a nice, if a bit too futuristic driver.

The base is supposed to convey a "Pripyat Marshes" look. I´m thinking about adding some young birch trees, to make it look as if the walker just stalks through a copse - what do you think about that?

[Operator5]

- what do you think about that?

I'm thinking that Tactica was only this past weekend and you have the figure assembled and painted far too quickly.  ::

I'm not sure about the trees being added. I think it might be too much on the base.

[PeteMurray]

My God, do you Germans not sleep?   I mean, that's not even the stock kit. You built a fricking Nebelwerfer!

I will stop posting now from shame, as this forum is clearly for people who actually paint and build things.

(Addendum: No trees on the base, plzkthnx.

[Westfalia Chris]

My God, do you Germans not sleep?

Sleep *snore* is overrated! *rzzzzz....* ::

Naaah, assembled sunday evening, painted on monday afternoon and evening.

  I mean, that's not even the stock kit. You built a fricking Nebelwerfer!

I cheated on that one - I used the one I built for the second Sharkit light Kampfgeher since I had always thought it to be a bit too large/heavy for the slender bot. It looks far better with the more tankish-looking WW model, and I guess I´ll build a Panzerschreck rack for the other.

[knoxville]

the Panzer Mecha missed three pewter parts (none of them essential since I wanted to convert it, anyway, so I didn´t want to bother either Battlefield Berlin or West Wind)

My Sarge missed a part, too! What's up with you WestWind?? How can you forget a fucking machine gun??  :x  :x  :x  Anyways, I converted mine, too.

Nice work Chris, looking forward to the others

[Westfalia Chris]

My Sarge missed a part, too! What's up with you WestWind?? How can you forget a fucking machine gun??  :x  :x  :x  Anyways, I converted mine, too.

Now that´s really bad, because that leaves quite a gap beneath the canopy hatch, doesn´t it? The Panzer Mecha missed the Gun Pod, the hatch and the gun mount... ah well, what the hell. Looking forward to see yours painted.

Oh, and the trees are off-limits, now. There´s almost complete unison in that I should the hell leave them off. But I guess I´ll add some more reeds to the swampholes.

[Rugland]

Great. I really like it a lot.   And you are really fast. All of the new stuff i bought at the tactica is still in its blisters.   :cry: I guess i am not the typical german.  :roll:

[Westfalia Chris]

Great. I really like it a lot.   And you are really fast. All of the new stuff i bought at the tactica is still in its blisters.   :cry: I guess i am not the typical german.  :roll:

I guess there´s sensible Germans, teutonically-efficient Germans, and lovable madmen... ::

[Driscoles]

Straffern da belten und ran ans Werk Grenadier !
Klasse Arbeit !
Great as the Dusen Jagers and Ufo Tassen and the Castle !

Klack Klack....Jawoll  :mrgreen:

[revford]

It looks great, the tank commander is a nice touch, putting over how huge it is.

There was a bit missing from mine too, I sent West Wind an e-mail and got a replacement in the post a few days later.

[Westfalia Chris]

No. 2, the "M203 Sarge". Nice design, sloppily executed - mold mismatch and again two missing, but uncrucial parts (ominous "tracks").

Botched the placement of the Recoilless Rifle, though - RTFMATDTO!



Still have to finish a commander figure and the Armoured Division Badge.

But I still wonder why they used a water-cooled m1917 instead of a .50cal...

Now, I´m thinking of converting one of my two Chieftain Models´ MkVI light Tanks (still unbuilt since Crisis!) into a Death-Ray-Carrier (you know, RADAR´s original design requirement). What do you think (the other would be modelled and painted a more serious North Africa or Greece scheme)?

[Grimm]

I like all these ww2 Mech stuff but I want to see a big game with them .
will you do it some time ?

[Westfalia Chris]

I´m currently thinking about what rules to use - since we mainly game with Warhammer Panzer Battles, writing rules should be rather easy, but I´m unsure if they´ll fit into the scope of the game. I´m currently thinking of scratching a Russian one (not dissimilar to Neldoreths excellent model, but looking more T-34 than Aerosan) to battle the German one on a ruin table using Bommels Russians (if I can overcome his "nonhistorical" scepticism, that is ::).

Or Germans vs GIs, I´ve got enough minis for that.

However, I don´t think I can adequately fit either bot into the LOTOW rules - far too much destructive potential.

[Westfalia Chris]

Right guys! Got into a swapmeet with a gaming buddy recently and walked off with a pack of West Wind "Mechgrenadiers". Yesterday evening and today, I painted them, since I felt inspired by the movie "The Boys from Brazil" (don´t ask).



For the paint scheme, I chose a "Zeltbahn for Dummies" for the jackets and a slightly more greenish Feldgrau for the pants; the body armour and respirators were picked out in dark yellow. The "wood" on the assault rifles is artistic freedom (read, I didn´t really think about it, but I like wood rifle casings).

I like the general style of the figures, especially the body armour, but the Separate Head System is... peculiar, to be polite. The heads look a bit biggish, but the overall look is okay, methinks. The small pics show the miniatures at ~100% size at 1024x768px.

[Westfalia Chris]

Hiya!

I was really, really inspired by Pappa Midnight´s take on the Vulkan battlesuit, so when a friend came over today for a little painting and chatting, I decided to rework my original model seen here and make it appear a bit more "front use", not the prototype tested at Wolfenfels.

I want to organise my WeirdWar2 stuff as a "Special Service Batallion", "Bataillon X Zur besonderen Verwendung". I´ll either go for NBC-protected APCs, either SdKfz 251s or Kätzchens, or flying saucers for rapid insertion (tending towards the latter - the saucers are less work than making Kätzchens from cardboard... ). One "Bär" to a squad of three "Wolf" powered armours.

Anyway, here are the reworked "Bär" battlesuits. I replaced the original heads with WestWind SHS respirators/field caps. I know, less protection, but I guess the vision improved. I painted the chest plate field grey to "lighten up" the overall, very dull panzer grey look (see the link on top of this message).



Just the original model with a new head and a slight re-paint. The red lens on the center chest is supposed to be an IR searchlight to work with the goggles - I know, those weren´t really read, but it looks good, and I´m really happy with the lens effect this time.

Then, I decided to convert one more of my six Vulkans for the Nazi war machine, this time giving it some AT punch: a double RPzB54 "Panzerschreck". Scratchbuilt from plastic tube, card, strip and rod, with silvered wire for the rear protection hoops.



All nice and shiny for the Ausführung "R" (Rakete). Buuut... how to reload? Then I realized I´ll have to make a "support trooper" as well. Maybe a Maschinenmensch robot assistant, or a "Wolf" variant with full-use manipulators in place of the Kraftfaust 98/43. Oh, it´s such a hard life. ::

Now, however, I´ve gotten a bit unsure about that Gatling gun. Originally, I had conceived it being a stockpiled Revolverkanone from old Imperial Navy stocks, reworked for electric firing. Just looks a bit too un-WW2 to me. Maybe replace it with twin 20mm Flak cannon?