20mm WW2 Russian Zis 2 and 3

The Plastic Soldier Company ran a VE day sale recently, which convinced me to add some artillery to my WW2 Soviet forces.  I picked up a pack of the Zis2/3 guns and completed two as Zis 2 57mm AT guns and two as Zis 3 76.2mm divisional guns.  I gave the crews of the Zis 2s helmets and Zis 3 crews field caps.  Each gun is based with three crew and I based each fourth crew member and boxes of ammo individually, three per gun, to represent the additional crew option in rules like Battlegroup.  Each sprue comes with spare wheels and barrels to make either gun variant, as well as individual shells, shell cases and small arms (rifles and SMGs).  I have plans to use some of the spare barrels to make into log-built field defences, using bamboo skewers and balsa offcuts.

The Zis 2s, waiting for the fascist armour.

The Zis 3s.

Great models, relatively straightforward and intuitive to assemble, despite the lack of instructions.  A good regular asking price, but in the sale an absolute bargain.  I also have the 45mm AT gun pack to assemble and I'll probably do the same with that kit and assemble 2 as 45mm AT guns and 2 as 76 mm infantry guns.

Thanks for looking.

20mm Police medic and casualty evacuation

These are from RH Models multipurpose range wearing PASGT helmets.  One medic in smock with first aid kit, the other carrying a wounded colleague.  I painted these up to fit in with the UK riot police figures that I have, see link.
http://sedimentswargameblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/more-20mm-uk-police.html

Thanks for looking.

20mm Cold War British Paras

These are some spare Falklands/Cold War British in berets that I received from RH Models, some left over after I finished my Royal Marines and some that were freebies from Rolf (thank you very much!) sent to my wife, who had ordered various bits of kit as a pressie for me (thank you too!).  I painted these the same way as my other Cold War Brits, but painted the berets a maroon colour by mixing a little bit of blue into flat red.

Kneeling/crouching radio operators.

Kneeling Carl Gustav launcher and assistant.

Troopers armed with Sterling SMGs.

Standing Carl Gustav team.

Various NCO/officer types.

A GPMG gunner and NCO type.

Not sure whether I'll do a full platoon in para berets or just mix these with guys in helmets to show they are a unit of paras.  Beret types would be more useful for Winter of 79 scenarios to show they aren't in full battle kit.

Anyway, thanks for looking.

20mm Modern Russian Spetsnaz AT-4 Spigot team

I've had these on the workbench for ages, but got round to finishing basing them along with the WW2 Russians.  These are from RH Models and provide an ATGM team for my Spetsnaz forces.

A nice sturdy model of the AT-4, easy to assemble and the usual RH Models style.  I tried something different with these, applying a dark sand camo over the Russian green uniform with a sponge to give a speckled effect.  Not sure it shows up too well in the photos, but looks quite good on the actual figures in the flesh.

Thanks for looking.

20mm Zvezda Soviet Motor Rifle AT-7 team

Continuing the Soviet/Russian theme from my last post; basically while I can still find the Russian Green and green grey paint pots, this is the Zvezda Motor Rifle AT-7 team.  Three figures, the AT-7 gunner and two assistants with spare rounds armed with AK-74s, one still carrying spare rounds on his back, the other has dropped his spare rounds next to the AT-7 gunner.  Minor assembly required but nothing too tricky.  Based and primed using my usual style, they are painted with a khaki grey wash, Russian Green body armour, helmets, AT-7 and weapon tubes.  NATO black boots and AK-74s.

Correction added; AT-7, not AT-4 (duh!).

As ever, thanks for looking.

20mm WW2 Soviet infantry

The possibility of a 20mm WW2 game at Gauntlet in July has given me the impetus I needed to dig out all the Works £2 diecast vehicles and the Plastic Soldier Company infantry that I bought in one of their sales a while back.

These are nice figures.  You get 57 in a box for anything between £10 and £15 here in the U.K.  They are hard plastic and come on three identical sprues, which need cutting carefully to free the figures.  Some assembly is needed (sticking on heads and arms mainly) and they can be stuck with poly cement or superglue (I used a Superglue this time).  I based them on 20mm square mdf bases from Minibits and undercoated them using Vallejo pale grey primer.  Uniform is a khaki grey wash, webbing and greatcoats in khaki.  Light brown for leather cases and ammo pouches.  Russian green helmets, NATO black boots and weapons, the latter dry brushed basalt grey, and beige brown for rifle stocks and entrenching tool handles.  The figures are very uniformly kitted out with greatcoat wrapped around their torsos, usually a leather case and ammo pouches, belts and Y shaped webbing belts.  Some wear helmets and the rest wear side caps, except the senior officer, who wears a peaked hat.

First up, the three figures carrying DP28 LMGs over their shoulders.  

Assistant LMG gunners, unarmed except for spare ammo cases.

Deployed DP28 LMG team in the prone position, wearing helmets.

For a bit of variety I did a team in side caps.

Advancing figures with rifles at the ready.

Throwing a stick grenade, armed with a PPSh-41 SMG.

Junior officers/NCOs/observers with pistol and binoculars.

Standing figures firing PPSh-41 SMGs.

Advancing carry rifle across body.

Similar pose with the PPSh-41 SMG.

Unarmed female soldiers, suitable for medics or command/communications groups.

Kneeling firing rifle in helmet.

Kneeling firing rifle in side caps.

Standing firing rifle in side cap.

Running with PPSH-41 SMG.

Senior officer pointing with binoculars and holstered pistol.

Kneeling firing PPSh-41 SMG.

Rifle advancing in helmet.

Crouching with rifle at the ready.

Really nice poses that should mix well with both metal and other plastic soldier manufacturers.  Good value with 19 different poses plus some variability through relatively easy head swaps.  I'll probably look elsewhere for additional troops as I like a bit of variety of poses and I don't think I'll have much use for the unarmed female figure - different if she was armed or operating a radio or some other more useful pose.  I like the look of the Italeri and Pegasus figures, so will probably add packs of these if I go as far as building up a company.  I have a pack of the PSC heavy weapons, which I'm in the process of assembling.  These are proving to be rather fiddly, especially the Maxim HMGs, which don't seem to fit together too smoothly - in fact they are something to be a real pain in the ass, but I'm sure they will be worth it in the end.  Plus, in the pack you do get 6 AT Rifles (3 deployed and 3 moving), 3 50mm mortars, 3 82mm medium mortars and 6 Maxim HMG teams, 3 firing and 3 moving.  More of these in another post.

Thanks for looking.

20mm Ferret MkII armoured car

This is the 20mm Ferret MkII AC from RH Models.  I got it ready for Crisis Point although in the end it wasn't needed.  The hull is a resin casting and the wheels and turret are white metal castings.  I painted the vehicle in Vallejo reflective green, NATO black wheels, MG and straps, beige brow and gunmetal tools, sky blue vision ports.  Wheels and MG are dry brushed basalt grey and the whole model is washed in Army Painter strong tone ink diluted 3:1 with flow enhancer.  Weight marker is flat yellow, canvas rolls are English uniform and olive drab.

This was a joy to put together and easy to paint.  No air bubbles and very little excess resin to cut or file off.  I'll probably finish the turret with a pair of REE magnets to hold it in place.

So, it can provide a command run about for cold war gone hot scenarios or it can patrol the streets in the Winter of 79.

Thanks for looking.