Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Midgard
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Puddle Pity Party
I notice a lot of folks borrowing trouble over puddle bases.
Some people really get their girdles in a twist over them, going to all sorts of complicated lengths to hide them.
- Plastic wood
- Spackle
- Modge Podge
- Glue and sand
- Miliput or Green Stuff (!$$)
- Sprue Goo (which I gather is plastic sprue dissolved in plastic cement, can you say "hazardous material"?)
- Clipping them off
These 15mm 3d printed figures all have rather thick bases. But I think I hide most of them fairly well. |
Glue, sand, paint |
Extra faff with sand and flock. Is it worth it? |
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Battalions on Parade!
Full battalion with squadron of armoured support |
Three rifle companies, plus Support Company with Mortar, Anti-tank and MMG platoons. Squadron of Centurions and attached AVRE in the back. |
82mm Mortar platoon |
Anti-tank platoon |
Centurion of Queen's Liebgard Kampfgruppe moves to the frontier |
Tartarian Motor Rifles skirmishing |
Battalion of T-54s, Battalion of Motor Rifles |
Three companies of Motor Rifles |
"Hmmm... those are new." He focused the telephoto lens on some tanks rolling past sporting long barreled anti-aircraft guns.
120mm Mortar Company |
Brigade HQ including BTR-152 artillery command post |
T-54 battalion and BTR transport behind |
While waiting on more Quar I reached a milestone this week and have enough infantry stands completed for each side to field a battalion of three rifle companies, plus supports in O Group or Seven Days to the River Rhine. Or a full company in I Ain't Been Shot, Mum.
Monday, November 11, 2024
Marching in Threes to the Crucifixion
Carrying their crosses by the numbers
they advance by sections, bayonets fixed,
to their muddy Calvary.
All the shining beautiful youths,
a perfect innocent holocaust
offered upon the altar of our sins.
Sunday, October 27, 2024
More Troops Mobilized!
Tartarian Motor Rifle Company/Platoon |
Mantovian Rifle Company/Platoon |
While waiting for more Quar to arrive from Don's 3d printers, I cracked on with another batch of infantry for my Mantovia Cold War project.
Dedicated Anti-tank teams/sections |
To keep some balance I did a unit of Tartarian Motor Rifles and a unit of Mantovian infantry. I also did the Mantovian Support Weapons; 3x 81mm mortars, 4x MMG teams, and a couple of Carl Gustav stands for the AT Platoon.
Look closely and you can see the Observer's and the No.2's FNs lying beside them. |
Machine Gun Platoon |
For the Mantovians, and to retrofit the first unit, I did stands with either a rifleman and a machine gun, or a soldier with a Sterling SMG and Carl Gustav, just for variety and a reminder that the rifle sections/platoons have some organic AT capability.
Rather fast and dirty paint job. But from a couple feet away they look the business |
Mortar Platoon with transport |
If I go really low scale like Chain of Command, then their presence and exact location will be important.
A section in IABSM, or a Platoon in O Group |
The Mantovian Support Weapons didn't make the first shipment. They were in production when Don's resin printer died. This second lot arrived with their supports still attached, which trying to clip off was interesting to say the least. I think the pile of discarded supports was as big as the pile of figures. And I inadvertently clipped off some MG bipods. Oops. I doubt anyone will notice. But more FN and AK barrels survived the trip.
Whether these are sections or platoons or companies depends upon the rules I'm using. Honestly I'm not sure what a stand of infantry in Seven Days to the River Rhine equals.
Another unit of Mantovians, and another unit of Tartarians plus the Tartarian's 120mm mortars, are up next.
Then I'll have 3x units and supports for each side and can maybe try a game.
Of something....
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Sabotage!
ISABELSTADT (Reuters)- In a daring night time raid, Tartarian "Specialinas," commandos from the специална група за действие (spetsialna grupa za deĭstvie - "Special Action Group") struck at a battlegroup tactical headquarters, destroying two radio vans.
The British liason commented while observing the removal of the wreckage, "Sneaky buggers! Fortunately there weren't any casualties or anything of intelligence value. Well, we'll have a new Tac HQ up and running soon enough."
This escalation in tensions has been met with less sanguine reactions from western embassy staffs, who are amplifying efforts to reinforce the small mountainous country, best known for it's cheese.
When asked if Mantovian Special Forces, the Gebirsjaegern ("Mountain Rangers"), would be striking back, Field Marshall Remisch, Chief of Staff, replied with a terse "We cannot comment on ongoing operations."
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I was tidying up last week and moving my Mantovian and Tartarian troops into their forever boxes, when I discovered a puddle of grey goo!
Note cracks in underside and warping of the radio cabs |
Toxic spill! |
Obviously, there was a pocket of uncured resin that broke, leaking its sticky mess. I had already submerged all the trucks in isopropyl and drained them before painting.
Only one stand of infantry got some resin on its edge, fortunately. That should be easy to clean up with some isopropyl and brown paint.
More are being printed in Las Vegas at time of publication, along with an upgrade to the Königliech Mantovisch Luftwaffe which being kept secret for now.