20mm Fallschirmjäger command

As I've had a lot of "giants" (20mm +) on the painting table recently, I decided, while I'm on a roll, to try and complete the figures I have for my 20mm Fallschirmjäger brigade for Rapid-Fire.  These are a mixture of mainly Airfix and S&S models (the rifle grenadiers and AT rifles), the latter purchased at the WWS show back in 2013, which have lain at the back of the cupboard with a Gesso undercoat since this time last year.

First up, all the command units, in front 3 6-figure battalion command units, rear left a 6-figure brigade command unit and rear right a 2-figure observer team (FAO or FAC).

The brigade command company - just noticed I still have to do some detailing on the brigade commanders hat.

A new photo of the CO with better detailing on the hat

One of the battalion command companies, with the observer team behind.

The command groups one more time.

That pretty much completes the basic infantry units for the brigade.  I've still got to pick up some HMG and mortar teams for heavy weapons companies and I still have to decide how I'm going to crew my PAK 37s with Fallschirmjäger crews - I'll probably have to pick these up from S&S at the next show I get to.

Thanks for looking.

Saga hearthguard

Two more units of hearthguard painted up for my Anglo-Dane warband.  Each is armed with spears, the first with round shields.

The second with a mixture of round and kite shields.

All completed figures so far, an Anglo-Dane warlord, an Anglo-Saxon warlord, one unit of hearthguard with Dane axes, and the two units of spear armed hearthguards.

A colourful bunch, very pleasing to see on the games table.

Thanks for looking.

British 16th Air Assault Brigade in 20mm UAV team

Here is a Desert Hawk II UAV with spotter team from Britannia Miniatures.  These guys were part of a package I received in the post from Richard P, along with a coupe of Warrior ICVs and a load of 6mm Timecast modern scenery for the next big CWC game at Broughton next year - thanks Richard.

The UAV comes with a small hole in the base, which is ideal for mounting on a wire base, which I've painted a light sea grey.

These should be ideal for eliminating out of contact movement by insurgents in our Force on Force games.  My British troops should be getting their first outing in an Afghanistan-based scenario in a couple of weeks at the club, so looking forward to that.

I've been working on a mixed batch of projects recently.  I've almost finished another two units of Hearthguard for my Saga Anglo-Danes.  Still got two units of warriors and a unit of skirmishers to wrap up to complete the 6 point warband.  I also painted up some Israeli infantry in 15mm from a job lot I picked up on ebay.  Finally, as I've been doing a lot of 20mm figures recently, I dug out my 20mm German paratroopers and have been finishing of the three battalion commands, plus a Brigade command and observer team.  That will complete all the infantry for my Rapid-Fire brigade, although with no heavy weapons as yet.

Thanks for looking.

20mm Taliban reinforcements

The rest of my Britannia Miniatures haul from WWS at Donnington Park.  Some much needed Taliban reinforcements for my insurgency campaign and to fight in Andreivia.

First up, three sniper teams.

An observer team for calling in mortars and rockets or triggering IEDs.

A hand held SAM missile team.

Three Taliban leaders.

Three RPG armed insurgents.

Three figures armed with PKM mgs.

Insurgents armed with AK47/74s.

More AK47/74 armed insurgents.

And yet more.

These were painted in the same way as the heavy weapons in the previous post.  They provide enough Taliban figures to put on table for game start up, plus a reasonable number of reinforcements to bring on during the course of each game.  These should be in use on Thursday in a FoF game, when they are going to be hunting a broken down Russian tank on the outskirts of a village, although I strongly suspect the Russian relief forces will be doing their level best to whittle down my insurgents.

Thanks for looking.

20mm Taliban heavy weapons

At the World Wargames show at Donnington Park I picked up some reinforcements for my Andreivian Turk/Taliban forces, a mixed bag of heavy weapons and AK infantry with light support weapons.  These are Britannia Miniatures Taliban from their Afghanistan range from Grubby Tanks.

First up a pair of DHsK 12.7mm HMGs in the AA role, each with three crew.  These Dushkas (Sweetie or Dear) will be providing some much needed air cover as well as some fire support in the ground role where needed.

These are three DHsK 12.7mm HMGs in the ground fire support configuration, again each with three crew.

Finally, three 81mm mortars, again, you guessed it, each with three crew.

I've used a variety of fairly drab Vallejo colours for these, mainly NATO black, basalt grey, blue grey, English uniform and Iraqi sand, with some combat jackets in US cammo green, cammo olive green and Tamiya NATO green.  Some dark reds, olive greens, white and yellow break up the more dreary colours.  All are washed in Army Painter strong tone with 2 coats of Vallejo matt varnish.

More Britannia infantry reinforcements to follow.  Thanks for looking.

Spetsnaz in 20mm

This weekend I managed to finish my Under Fire Miniatures Spetsnaz figures (UFM Mod Rus 5).  These have been hanging around on the edge of my painting table since I picked them up at WMMS back in Feb/Mar.  I slotted them in between the British and Taliban figures I'm working on for our Force on Force campaign at the club.

All five figures, three with AK74s, one of these with a UGL, one RPG and AK74 and one PKM LMG.  They are wearing the sphere helmet, although the middle figure has added a full face plate.

AK-74 with UGL figure - he is carrying a slung LAW as well.

The RPG figure with slung AK-74.

AK-74 figure with face plate.

Running AK-74 figure.

PKM LMG figure.

Rear view of the figure group.

These are really nice figures.  I'll probably pick up some of the other packs in the range and be watching the web site to see if any new codes are released.  They are painted in Vallejo Russian green with dark sand spots, helmets are brown violet, boots and weapons in NATO black dry brushed basalt grey.  Wooden kit is English uniform, RPG and LAWs are in Russian green.  All were washed in Army Painter strong tone diluted 2:1 with acrylic thinners.  Hood lining was picked out in dark sand.

Thanks for looking.

15mm Peterpig USMC

I've been tempted by the Peterpig USMC figures from their AK-47 range for ages.  Our interest in  Force on Force and Tomorrows War gave me the spur I needed to pick up a few packs and give them a try out.  I've painted them up for desert operations with a light brown base coat, English uniform for boots and body armour, black for weapons and goggle straps.  All washed in Army Painter strong tone.  Then an Iraqi Sand dry brush of packs and webbing, azure blue for goggles, basalt grey dry brush for weapons and US dark green for AT-4s and Stinger.

The complete force, two platoons, each of three sections with a section leader and two fire teams of four.  Each platoon has a command section of 5 or 6 men with officer, radio operator and medic, plus one of the platoons has a hand held stinger team added.  Each platoon is supported by a HMG and crew, and a sniper team.

1st platoon.  Each fire team comprises a SAW, M16 with UGL and 2 M16 troopers, although one M16 trooper in each section also carries an AT-4 weapon.  Two of the sections have a designated marksman in place of an M16 marine in the fire team that doesn't have the AT-4.

2nd platoon.  The sharper eyed of you may have noticed some of these marines wear US dark green body armour and carry green equipment pouches, so are better suited to Mogadishu than Afghanistan, but for my purposes, they just add to the rag tag look of infantry in combat.  This platoon isn't as well equipped as 1st platoon with only two sections carrying AT-4s and no designated marksmen.  The HQ section also lacks a stinger team.

1st platoon fire teams with AT-4s and section leaders.

2nd platoon fire teams, only the front and rear teams have AT-4s.

1st platoon HQ section.  Stinger figure is a conversion from the SAM teams package head swapped with a USMC figure.

2nd platoon HQ section.  I quite like the medic with his blood bag.

1st platoon HMG and sniper teams.  I'm going to buy another HMG pack and convert them to AGLs as well, should be a case in this scale of trimming the barrel shorter and adding a round ammunition drum.

2nd platoon supports.  I still need to finish the spotter for the sniper team.

1st platoon designated marksmen in 2nd and third fire teams (right hand figure next to section leaders).

1st platoon fire teams with AT-4s carried by far right figures.

2nd platoon basic fire teams, each team (left to right) comprises figures armed with an M16 with UGL, SAW and 2 M16s.

These are nice figures to paint, lots of crisp, raised detail.  I was really pleased with the final result.  I'll have to pick up some Hummers and AAV-P7s to get these mobile, plus some helicopter gunship or fast air support.

I fielded a platoon of these at the club last night in a game of Tomorrows War, where they were doubling up as DPRG forces in the first practice scenario on p99 of the rule book.  A good game, my DPRG troops took a real pounding from the high tech USMC troopers in the scenario, but managed to distract them from the goal of rescuing the downed pilot meaning that they couldn't get the pilot off table by the end of turn 8.  We then played the 2nd practice scenario in the book, with a couple of USMC Perkins tanks ambushing a troop of 5 DPRG tanks (my Pound Shop bargains).  In that scenario, my tanks took a pounding but managed to knock out both Perkins tanks.  However, by game end I only got one tank off the table with 3 knocked out and one stuck on the edge of the forest, so lost as I didn't get enough off table.  Both were quick and fun games with some interesting tactical challenges.

As ever, thanks for looking.