Merkel’s Marauders

This is a helter skelter of a project. I was looking for some allied troops to join my Brits in our Jihadistan campaign and given how everything seems to be seppo-centric wanted something which wasn’t Yank. Then Lead Adventure Miniatures brought out some modern German Marines which are delicious, I decided to add a little support to them with some Eureka.  I picked both up at Salute and away I went.

Next was a visit over to Lead Adventure Forums where Cherno was very helpful in explaining the kit of the modern Deutsches Heer as well as offering up a sample of their desert camoflage “Wüsten” which is almost a peadot in style. So I set my paintbrush fluttering and put around one hundred touches on each figure and very happy with it I was too. My favourite detail was the commanders Ramms+ein bandana (top left). Then I came to varnish them and they whited out, as if they’d been posted to the North Pole. I set furiously to them to get the white varnish off, then had to touch them up and aside from taking some poor photos off them lost interest and enthusiasm. I’ll come back to them eventually, but brush varnish on such a detailed paintjob next time. Great figures, decent pj, poor varnish… grrr!

 

Junk Rock

This piece developed from me wanting to do a Steptoe & Son styled junk yard. After some small thought I decided the scope for the use of that as a scenic was rather limited so instead tried a piece which was all junk but suitable for a whole range of periods, so from the 1930’s through WW2 to modern day and beyond.

It started with the shell of an old diecast Rolls Royce, but that might date it too much so it was time to put it on blocks and cover it with a tarpaulin. The steam tractor wheels were ripped off a diecast which didn’t fit 28mm, and the barrels are the damaged ones from Fenris. Most of the other parts are from the scraps box.

The rust is far too many shades of reddy brown, progressively mixed lighter and topped off with pastels. The great thin about pastels is how you can grab a couple of vibrant and perfect rust shades for a couple of quid and the effect is lovely. The big problem is they’re pastels.

If you haven’t used them before be prepared to get covered in them, and ready to varnish quickly before the colour spreads – which it will given half the chance. Once varnished clean everything involved including yourself but also watch out for everything you touched, like the nozzle of the varnish. Otherwise it’ll sit there waiting for you and suddenly you’ll have it on your fingertips just as you’re handling another paintjob. You have been warned!

The leakage from the barrels is a dark grey paint mixed with PVA. This has a nice gloopy quality to it as well as a fine shine.

A Very British Civil Forum

An interesting development for VBCW players has recently surfaced – the creation of a forum dedicated to the genre and very neat it is too. VBCW originated over at the Gentleman’s Wargaming Parlour but recently there’s been some issues with it’s performance, slugging out and sometimes not being available at all. A couple of eager players decided it might be best to find a space uniquely for the delightful what-if which is VBCW, and what a space they’ve created. There’s categories galore making everything easy to find, and its just the thing to create a whole new pile of interest. Well worth a visit, and you can do so here. Well done to all involved.

Broadside 2012

It was off to sunny Sittingbourne for the youngster of the gaming show scene held at Swallows leisure centre. Broadside is only in it’s second year but it’s quite sizable with plenty of games and tons of traders. It’s deffo worth a visit especially given the variety of games on offer. It’s also a great opportunity to meet Posties Rejects a strange wargaming cult with a reclusive leader who brainwashes young and impressionable gamers into playing historical games and giving up the more modern vices like roleplaying… think Moonies with dice.

The usual rules apply for the pictures, if you’re the organiser or one of the gamers involved in this cracking little show then help yourself to any image for your own use, a credit would be appreciated.