This big project is chugging along in the background but I've been sidetracked recently, so will make for that today by assembling the limbers for my artillery and an armoured train. I actually have an armoured train built and painted for the Reds, which I put together over twenty years ago, but this one will be a completely new train using the Peter Pig resin models. It will have the locomotive, two artillery wagons and a flat car, so plenty of punch!
The T-55 and T-64 tanks for my two AK47 armies are now painted, ready for basing tomorrow. They're still a bit shiny from the matt varnish coat but that will dull down over time, as they dry out. I'm pleased with the end result and looking forward to using them in the next AK47 battle, whenever that happens up at the club
This 15mm post-colonial skirmish project has been hanging about for a few years now but will get a reboot over the half term holiday, as I'm on a roll with my 15mm AK47 stuff and really enjoying the painting. I recently discovered the Wars of Insurgency rules, which would work well for this, so have some impetus to get on with a painting test run for the British infantry platoon.
However, I'm thinking of relocating the action to a fictional East African ex-colony, where the government is facing a nationalist insurrection and has called on the British for political and military support. The response has been the deployment of a small contingent from a soon to be amalgamated West Country regiment and a few shady special forces SAS types.
I've re-sprayed a strip of eight of the figures in a Citadel Death Guard Green basecoat and gave the layer paints to get them started, which will be a change from using a black undercoat. It may of may not go to plan but, if it goes tits up I can always strip them back and start again. The vehicles just need finishing off, as they're three quarters painted already.
Should be fun!
The T-55 and T-64 tank reinforcements for my AK-47 armies are making good progress, with the blocking in, camouflage and ink washing completed. It's onto the detailing and weathering tomorrow and I'm hoping to have them finished by the end of the weekend.
I'm joining in with a four player Cruel Seas game at the club next week, in which I'll be one half of the Axis side, taking my S-Boote along for their first action. Strictly speaking these represent the 5th S-Boote Flotilla based in the Channel Islands c1943-44, but the game is set in the Med, so they will be a bit out of place. I've only played the game a few times so will have to brush up on the rules beforehand but I'm looking forward to not being sunk for a change!
I only have two tanks in my Superpower Backed army for AK-47, despite two more being a potential upgrade in the political manoeuvre phase, so thought I might add a few more, just in case. My first idea was to get some PT-76 light tanks but all the options are quite expensive, even going down the 3D printed route. I then remembered that I have some plastic T-64 tank sprues from the Team Yankee starter set, as used by UNITA in Angola. These are slightly smaller than Peter Pig models but should look fine next to the Old Glory / Skytrex AFV's that make up the rest of my force. I'll dig two or three if them out when I get back tonight and will glue them together to paint up alongside the T-55's I've started on for the Dictatorship army, as long as they aren't way out of scale.
I've had a change of plan for the next air wargaming project, which means that my Bag the Hun Arctic Eagles scenario writing project will now be mothballed, at least for the moment. Instead, I'm going to have a go at wargaming the Border War between Angola and South Africa, using the Wings at War core mechanics and Tumbling Dice 1/600th scale models, I've now assembled all of the aircraft models required and have ordered sets of markings from Flight Deck Decals, so it's just a matter of painting the aircraft, starting with the Cuban / Angolan forces. No rush yet but I'm hoping to get this project started in the next two or three months.
I've made a start on the two T-55 tanks for my AK-47 dictatorship army, with an overall wet and dry brush in Foundry Phlegm Green shade and Phlegm Green, followed by a light dry brush with Foundry Drab light and Phlegm Green light. This should match the other tanks and vehicles in the army, if I've followed my notes properly. I'll block in and dry brush the tracks next then do an overall ink wash to add some shading. I'm hoping to finish them off over the weekend.
Here's the last of the models for my South American Chile Vs Argentina'What If? ' naval project. The Argentinians have two obsolete El Plata class river monitors, using a slightly modified model from the Victorian Ironclads range, together with the two more up to date Libertad class riverine battleships.
The Chileans have the armoured cruiser Chacabuco, replacing the stand in model of the Japanese cruiser Yoshino that I had already painted. This is a smashing little model and definitely more accurate to than the one I painted up previously, which won't go to waste as I'll use it for a future Sino Japanese project.
Last but not least, the Brazilians get a look in, just for kicks, with the armoured cruiser Admiral Barrosso, sister ship to the USS New Orleans which is the model I've used from the Tumbling Dice range. I'll add all of these to the workbench alongside the ships I've already started on.
