IT WW2 Volkstrum 20mm

And just for a change here are some 20mm Volkstrum (Late war German home guard). I painted theses for Tim at the wargames club who has purchased the moulds etc. of the WW2 IT Miniatures range.

Here is a link to his web site and where they can be bought.  (Click this link to travel to web site )

At the end of the war Germany was short of troops. As such it recruited from the old, the young and the less than fit. Additionally it did not always supply the Volkstum with full uniforms.  Some were supplied and at other locations some uniforms were not. Tim asked me to have these mostly in civvies clothes and also on urban city bases. Consiquently a lot of brown and greys resulted.

These figures would also make very good partisans or even useful for the Jewish revolt in Warsaw.  In fact that strikes me as a very good game idea loads and loads of close terrain and maybe even a captured Hetzer!

The molds are old and the sculpts show it. Not in the casting I have honestly had worse from GW or foundry, but in the 2 dimensionality of the sculpts.  Which is to say that while there is nothing much wrong with the sculpts they are by no means as anatomically correct as current sculpts.

So if you are looking for Volkstrum or partisans or want to do the Jewish revolt. These may well be the figures for you.


The armbands can of course be repainted to represent a different faction. No point having German armbands if playing another faction so the simple swap of colour and you are good to go.

The WW2 IT MINIATURES figure range is quite large. and figures can be ordered seperatly which does allow for quite a variation of troops so perhaps if you have a look you might find what you are looking for.

Having never seen a game of the Jewish revolt and also KNOWING that Tim looks at my blog it is perhaps a show game for the future. I shall just leave the idea open and see if he comes back to me.

That is it for today thanks for looking and with any luck the thunderstorms did not keep you awake all last night.

Just a final note.

I had a game of Shako at the club yesterday and was completely out played. So well done Matt and I am NEVER playing Shako ever again.... JK

Matt played well and soundly beat me. I have no excuses but I will complain about it for ever more

Nice one mate.

Or I won and was brilliant, the most awesome tabletop general ever. (MY nose may be growing as I type this but it is true none the less.)

I will let you decide which is the correct story. Hee hee.

Catch you all later Clint

Progress (2 steps back)

At the moment it if 2 steps back for one step forward. However this will change very soon. Since yesterday I have (working in an unventilated garage) given each hex tile an undercoat. This should get them all to the same colour. (Fingers crossed we will see how it dries)!!

Yes there are issues. I had to paint over the existing flock which has left some bumps. Also as I had previously varnished some Wadis they are some what smooth. But at least they are all now the same colour. And Being the same colour is an excellent place to start. The Previous version (shown on the right) was a mix of colours. Now as you can see it is all one colour. This means that I am able to make some more tiles as well and they will fit in perfectly.

The next stage will take a while so no more quick updates.
I have to purchase enough flock in desert colours to add sufficient vegetation everywhere. While this WILL be time consuming I am not even tempted to do any work on it until at least 2 weeks.

That is it for today. Thanks for looking

All the best Clint

I am inspired

Yes this is a LONG term project bought back to life. NOT a new project but 25-30 years old!

Yes that long ago I started planning and working on this project, now It has finally got the go ahead... yes it could have gone faster.

1/200th or 10mm wargaming western desert.

Most of my old stuff in Skytrex and I do not think is still even produced. Let me know if It still is. I may well place an order. Not that I want much at all.

What I like about the Western Desert in WW2 is many fold. Firstly no single side had all the advantages. There was no big heavy tanks and as everyone used anything they could get their hands on no side can claim equipment superiority.  As see to the right a British tank being used by the Germans. Captured  use of trucks was of course far more common with a typical convoy having British, Italian and German trucks no matter the owners nationality.

In the next few weeks/months I will be re-making my desert boards I purchased the paint this morning! Here  is a pic of what it is currently like. I know not everyone like hex boards but they should work very well for the PBI rules I intend to use. As you can see several different sand colours were originally used as one "tester" pot ran out I switched to another. But instead I have purchased a 2.5 litre pot and intend to create them all in the same shade of desert.

This inspiration has come from several sources and the strong desire to actually finish this project.

I have raked out some of my OLD (Very old) figures and while the Infantry are just no good several of the vehicles are.

I have 1 0r 2 Companies of British 8th army infantry ready to start as well as Lee's Honeys, Valantines and a number of German vehicles as well. So while I will inevitably do some updates at least you know what I am working on when all is quiet!

Bengal Lancers (2)

Yes I have finished the Bengal lancers shown 2 posts ago. These had less wobbly legs and as a consequence have remained upright. (The others have been adjusted and now also stand upright as you will see in the last photo.)

5 more lancers with their distinctive turbans.  These were easier to paint as I have now gotten into the swing of it. Just in time to finish... such is life. No complaints that is just the  way life goes sometimes.


 One figure is a musician with a bugle while the other 4 are lancers. I was unsure what colour to do the lanyard/cording on the bugle but settled on blue in the end to match the turbans. If you know other wise PLEASE let me know so I can change it.

I gave Matt the choice of all brown horses and he selected a variety of colours. Some Regiments in history like the "Scott's Greys" were known to have horses of a set colour. Other regiments used whatever they could find. But even if Matt had said just one colour there would still be a variety of tone/colours and markings which would make each one different.

I am not unhappy with a variety of horse colours as it does allow for greater diversity. As you can see I have used a wide variety of colours from palomino to a dark grey. I have mostly stuck to various browns though as you can see in the last picture.

A tiny bit of tidying up still to do. But they are finished for the most part.

That is it for today. all the best and another post in a few days.

All the best Clint

Mommy iz a Sombie too!

 Well I was gonna go to a car boot sale today but I am not going so here is a Sombie instead!

The figure is 28mm by mantic part of the Walking Dead game. As I showed an older gentleman last time here is a younger lady.

I went for pink jogging/Yoga trousers and a light green top. Not spending so much time in a gym I am not convinced these are the colours a young lady would pick to work out in. The Pink trousers I get and the lime green contrasts nicely and that is why I selected it. They are more likely I think to be in another pink top. But too much pink people is just not good.

I do realise I only have 3 figures painted for this at present, but It is getting done. I promise to do more as soon as I get the chance and the painting table gets a little bit clearer.

So just another zombie. No big lots of historical figures or any Bengal lancers or any WW2 stuff. Although they are all on the painting table as I type this.  With luck something finished either today or tomorrow night.

That's it for now have a good Sunday.

All the best Clint

Bengal Lancers (1)

There will be a second Bengal lancer post. BUT they are not even undercoated yet so I can't show them.

Here however are the first 5. 4 lancers and an officer.

Firstly forgive the angles of some of the horse. The legs are thin and bend VERY easily. As such they are both hard to keep straight on the base and hard to transport and store. So just assume they are upright.

The second Pic is just the lancers. Again the lances are separate castings and are flimsy so they also bend a lot. The figures Are Foundry 28mm and are of course for Matt and his colonial collection. As mentioned above I have another 5 to do (yes there will be a group shot) which should make a full or at least a nearly full unit.

For colours I went for those shown on the Airfix model kit. If they are wrong and you know better PLEASE get in touch. Needless to say at the scale the turbans were not so easy to paint, but I did have fun painting them. Not sure I got them exactly right but at least they are close so that is good enough for me.

I am informed by Matt that there will need to be about 100 more Burpas painted before a game. So erhm... gulp! That will take some time. But that a game is planned for the future.
 
 Overall I did find them a paint to paint well not paint exactly but at least a pain to assemble. But now they are done I am quite happy with the result.

next up (hopefully on Sunday) there should be a zombie. But for now here are some Bengal lancers for all the historical among you.

All the best Clint

Grandad iz a Sombie

yes I Know I spelt it wrong. here Is my latest Zombie. Part of the Walking dead game by Mantic.

One of the things I did Like about the Walking dead is the Zombie Child in the first episode. I would like to see more (NO NOT A ZOMBIE CARL). So in that vein I was delighted that the Mantic game has a mix of both male and female and old on not so old.  Therefore I painted this zombie up to be one of the old ones. Killed in the first few days.

Not played the walking dead game yet but I have plans in a couple of weeks, I really do need to get them all painted up pretty soon.

Also shown is a pic from the back. Plenty of gorge/blood and guts. Maybe his own maybe that of other people. His cardigan was repainted as I did try it in a pale green and then mucked it up. I am just being honest!

All the figures in the Mantic game are hard plastic and I have yet to see one repeated. So I am very pleased with them as it stands. I already have players asking to play Darrel Or Marl or Neagan or The Governor bus as I have yet to purchase them I don't see it happening for a while.

Anyway I apologise for not posting on Monday, Time just got away from me. I still have a lot on the painting table in a multitude of scales (10mm, 15mm, 20mm and 28mm). So I have no idea what will be next.

Until then all the best and take care Clint

Burpas again.

Well this batch of burpas are now finished.
Matt has already seen the pics and is happy so all is OK at my end.  Partly I am sure because they are either all Artizan or Foundry figures and they sit together quite nicely. Of the two I prefer Artizan to paint but not by very much at all.

Starting with a group shot that show them all together  I think the colours work as a whole unit. rag tag enough and yet also a uniformity at the same time..

 We have a cannon and crew, 4 crew in all. While there are all 4 in the first picture in close up one (with ramrod) is behind the others. I did offer Matt the choice of natural colours on the gun or a bright decorated design.  Clearly he chose the natural colours But I think a bright decorated design would also have fitted but be harder to paint from my point of view. His choice entirely and I am happy with his choice.

Lastly we have 3 extra figures to complete this batch of figures.

Not much more to say except. Have a goiod weekend.

All the best Clint

SHOPPING!

Yes and not in wargames shops.

In the envelope all the way from China is a pack of "Fimo". I have not seen Fimo in the UK for a dozen or more years. So for the price of £3.49 including postage I ordered it from China (Via eBay). For those not in the know Fimo was a clay that you fired in the oven. Like "Das" but finer smoother and with a more plastic quality.  I am not at all worried about the colour and I am sure it is cheaper to import it from China than to try to source it locally.  I am sure to show my "attempts"  with this in the future so get set for disaster!

Additionally I acquired a grass matt from a kitchen shop. This is for rough ground in my pacific war games. Again the princely sum of £3 and as it is 10 inches wide a single pack should be more than enouh to represent rough jungle in the pacific. If it had been 12 inches wide it would have been better but what does 2 inches matter in a game of PBI where everything is measured on a grid!

In the wargame shop I had an interesting chat with a guy on how to paint figures as he is now in the process of writing a book on the Subject.

This Batch of Burpas are now finished and the Photos sent to Matt so he can suggest any changes he might want to make. Assuming no changes. (there usually is not) I will show them on Saturday.

best wishes Clint

Another 9

Yep still working on Burpas for Matt. and here are another 9.  Quite a colourful bunch. And now started my next 7 as well so matt's force should be growing quite nicely.

Yes I will do a group shot of the lot painted this time when they are all finished, so expect that on Saturday.

But for now just 9 more 28mm colonial figures. They are a mix of Foundry and Artizan, just like last time. And are mostly armed with muskets and daggers, although there is an unhealthy amount of swords smattered in as well.

Close ups of them in groups of 3. Nothing too special about either the painting of the figures but very suitable rank and file to bulk out the armies which with luck we will see on the battlefield (table-top) soon

With luck I will see you all again soon. Until then take care have fun and I for one must get some sleep.

7 Burpas more

Yes 7 more 28mm Burpas. A mixture of Artizan and Foundry so I am told. All painted for Matt and all for the North west Frontier of India. As such I have tried (this time) to paint them in more muted colours and nothing too bright and flashy.

The second pic is more of a close up, but without having moved the figures. This allows both you and me to see them in more detail without the need to handle them too much prior to varnishing.

While the third picture shows their backs and gives you an all round look at them. As always there are more to do and I hope and expect to finish some more by Tuesday (Another 9 are started so expect them soon.)

So with luck see you all again on Tuesday.

A mixed bag

yes a real mix of projects today. Yet one thing they do have in common is the photography is terrible. Not making excuses it is just one of those things where nothing has worked!  Oh well.


So starting with some air support for my Japanese in 15mm. This is an Academy 1/144th scale Japanese Zero. The model was just a couple of pounds on eBay. It was easy to put together. But not all that easy to paint. The actual colours went on OK no problem there. The problem comes when trying to get the right colour green. Let me explain. Aircraft modellers will tell you tat the correct Japanese green for Aircraft is a bit of a mystery. Because the colour faded so fast when applied there is no definite answer to what the "Proper colour" should be. Indeed white may be as authentic as green as the colour faded and bleached in the tropical heat. Yes you do see some Navy planes painted white, but army planes as far as I am aware should be green. So this may well be the wrong colour green. But I will not be getting a Munsel diagram out to find out. It is close enough for me in a game where it only appears occasionally

Then we have some 10mm Spanish Civil war regular army light machine guns. I will be also doing some militia LMGs as well but this gets them finished for the regular ARMY. So that is one side finished for Bayonet and Ideology. Although you can hardly see them the figures are Pendraken and in army uniforms. Green clothing but with grey helmets.

Finally here is a single Pic of my first figure from "the Walking Dead"  game finished. A single walker.  the figures are very nice and I will be doing more as soon as time permits. The figures are hard plastic and paint very well. Each of the Walkers is different so the first thing you need to do is work out how long they have been dead and paint the skin appropriately. Therefore I will be painting a variety of skin tones to represent those killed very recently and those killed during the out break.

Well that#s it for today. with luck my get up and go will return soon and I will be able to carry on with gusto!

All the best Clint