6mm WW2 Soviet infantry painting guide - Keeping it simple

 Unhappy with my previous platoon of Soviet infantry I wanted to go greener and brighter. Again, I wanted them to better reflect how they look in Sudden Strike. I wanted a uniform green colour that stands out a little more from the darkness of the table. Here is how I did it.

These are the vaguely recent (as of 2025) Heroics and Ros Soviet infantry in SUMMER UNIFORM.

I painted the figures on strips, which was not a good move, it made basing them harder. On some of the stands you can see shiny copper coin glow through. Next time I paint any I will base them and prime them first. Then paint the base sand yellow - with no coin showing through. I will then follow these steps:

Step 2: Flesh - I was not careful at all.

Step 3: Uniform - I used a colour called Russian Uniform from Vallejo.

Step 4: Weapons and boots black. No wooden stocks at this size. If any paint from boots goes on the base then sobeit.

Step 5: Washed the miniatures with Citadel: Agrax Earthshade. Did not bother washing the base.

Step 6: Painted their helmets Vallejo Russian Green.

Step 7: Painted bayonets with Citadel: Runefang Steel.

Step 8: Flocked the bases. Covered entirely with flock. Painted the rim of bases Vallejo German Grey.

Step 9: Seal miniatures with a matt spray. 

Two different types of light. I really like how these Soviets have turned out. So much better than my first batch - they were too dark. These guys were so simple to paint. The shiny bayonets really help them pop off of the table. 

Heroics and Ros Wehrmacht and terrain

 I have made some more progress over the Half Term break. 

My son made these industrial terrain features by just glueing a bunch of junk from my junk boxes onto some MDF squares. The MDF squares I bought at 2012 Gencon thinking they would be perfect for basing 20mm miniatures on for Crossfire (a ruleset I have yet to play). I based three stands of infantry and then removed them. Since then I have used these squares for gun teams and 6mm terrain bases. 

The ruin is leftover parts from some MDF 6mm Normandy buildings that I bought in 2016 when making the jump over to 6mm. The rubble are various beads and flock from cheap Chinese trees. It looks okay. The other building is a repaint and redecoration of something I built in 2016. It is made from baby food squeezy pouches - the lid part. I wanted to see what it looked like not for desert terrain. 

Here we have the Heroics and Ros late war Germans. There are enough here for 6 infantry squads. Each platoon in Battlegroup contains 3 squads and 3 MG teams. I have enough MG teams for two platoons with more on order. I would like to field an entire company to be honest. I painted these up in a couple of sessions and am working on making my system more efficient. Tutorial to follow.

Heroics and Ros 6mm progress.

 Hi all,

Having not done much in a while I had the opportunity to sit down for two evenings and make progress. My wife was out in London for the day on Saturday, so after a busy day tiring the kids out and having a great time with them and some friends, I sat myself down Saturday evening and started trying to smash out some infantry. 

I painted the green onto quite a lot of US infantry (helmets) and then their gear I painted a lighter green, then washed them. Unfortunately I squeezed too much green paint out so found a bunch of other things to paint. 

I then cut the US infantry off their strips and attached them to bases - this damaged the paint on some of them which has helped me decide how best to paint up my figures now. 

On Sunday night I painted the bases (bare coin) with my sand colour and then covered with flock. I like the basing system I now have, but an improvement will be made by doing the following:

1. Glue unpainted miniatures to bases.

2. Prime the miniature stands white.

3. Paint the bases sand.

4. Paint the miniatures - I think this will be slightly slower as they won't be on strips, but I won't damage the paint removing from strips to put on bases. 

5. Flock bases.

6. Brush the loose flock off of the miniatures.

7. Seal with a spray.

Here are my almost finished miniatures:

I now have a second platoon of Soviets, maybe even a third. You can see some individually based figures - I had originally avoided doing this because most squads don't survive doing down to one man, but I thought I would just in case. And who knows...maybe they will see service in Five Parsecs from Home.

This equals 6 and a bit squads of US infantry. I just need more BAR teams to allow me to field more platoons. I will likely be buying a few strips of BAR teams in my next order - along with some more heavy brits and some Soviet LMG gunners. 

A couple of PIAT teams, a sniper team and some other infantry. I have a couple more stands to make. I want to be able to field 2 platoons but can't quite do that yet. 

Germans on the move!

 I finished a group of late war German transport vehicles! I wanted them to be able to mount FHQ units, infantry squads and other small units in vehicles if needed, thus I painted up a load of Sdkfz 251s, Opel Blitzes, Kübelwagons and some other vehicle that I ordered and I think counts as a "Heavy car" in Battlegroup language. 

One thing I decided was to not bother doing any sort of camo job on the Opel Blitzes, Kübelwagons and the "Heavy car". It just wasn't worth it. You can see from the picture that they all look totally fine. They will do and are very obviously German.

I tried to do some camo on the Sdkfz 251s but gave up. I am definitely unhappy with how the couple turned out - the stripes are just too thick for my liking, and the handful of stripes I liked I struggled to replicate - I think I just need very little paint on the brush...or a thinner brush? Hard to find one that thin though.

This Sdkfz 222 has a little camo. It is okay. Servicable. I think I would rather it have some camo than not. 

I am mostly pleased with how these all turned out though and am looking forward to getting them into action. 

Amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics. US 6mm

 Here are a few more vehicles, that I finished over the course of this week. If you paid any attention to my previous post then you will see my musings on paint jobs. I went with US Dark Green. The soft tops and tilts are British Uniform - a generic canvas sort of colour. 

I like the cartoony look of having blue windows at this scale. With the jeeps and trucks I worried about how they have no doors and are open sided, but due to molding needs they are filled in. How would I paint them then? I think it worked decently to be honest. 

These Chaffees are the new mold. They are pretty gorgeous. I had fun painting them and look forward to them dying quickly to some Panthers...

Painting up some 6mm WW2 British infantry and armour.

 After allowing myself to dilly-dally and not bother doing much, I finally have a platoon plus some support of British infantry. I also have some armour. I was basically unsure about what colour to paint the armour and exactly what to paint on the infantry because I felt like the soldiers would just blend in with their bases, which is kind of what happened. 

I found this link from A Bridge to War blog which gave some interesting tips on painting 6mm WW2 infantry and armour. It goes very much down the "it can all look the same when looking down at a table" route and does enough to make the figures look different while also being simple to paint. 

Infantry

The infantry were essentially primed in a light grey. This differs from that link, but it is all I have for now. I then used all Vallejo paints and painted them in the following order:

Flesh - Light flesh.

Uniform - British Uniform

Helmets - US Dark Green

Weapons - Beige Brown, then Black

Washed with Citadel Agrax Earthshade

Gear - Russian Green (I only painted canteens and a pouch or two)

Light drybrush of Sand.

The original link just paints weapons black. It also primed with brown, which made the need for British Uniform paint layer unnecessary. 

I am pleased with how they turned out. I should have probably painted boots also, but couldn't be bothered. I would have painted them black if I had thought about it.

Armour

I convinced myself I needed Bronze Green to paint my armour, but ended up just painting them US Dark Green, washing with Citadel Nuln Oil, drybrush with Desert Yellow. They look fine to be honest. I have painted up some KV1s and a KV2 using Russian Green, which is noticeably lighter, but after washing with Nuln Oil I literally can't tell the difference between the two colours! 

The link above has inspired me to paint up some Waffen SS though. I had always thought they were too difficult to paint up in 6mm and was just never going to play them. 

Next up, some US logistical vehicles. Then some German trucks and half tracks - they are just waiting for some more colours and a flocking. 

Christmas Haul - The ground sloggers have arrived!

 I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the following purchases:

1x late war German infantry (new casts)

1x 1944 British infantry (new casts)

1x 1944 British infantry support weapons (new casts)

1x US infantry (new casts)

1x Soviet infantry (new casts)

a few Achilles TDs, GMC trucks, M20 car, Whites scout car, KV1s and a KV2. 

This was to fill a few holes in terms of vehicles, and having transport for command units etc. 

The quality and poses of all of the infantry are top notch. They really are gorgeous. Some flash, but not much. They are also easy to clip off from the sprues. Now, having begun the process of attaching British figures to bases for painting - I immediately regret this decision. I should have painted them on the strips and clipped them off for basing. Oh well. It has been a few years since I have really painted any H&R infantry en masse. 

I also had the following situation - the British infantry (and all other nations) are in strips of 5. The infantry pack came with 10 strips. There are no indentifiable Bren guns on these strips, whereas in the old US infantry packs there is definitely a BAR armed figure. I panicked! How was I going to properly equip my infantry sections? I have soviet infantry who are armed with generic looking small guns which I am happy to fudge into rifles. But in reality I want the Bren guns to be featured. Then I opened the support weapons pack and there are a few teams that I thought were sniper teams...but maybe the scope is actually a top feeding magazine? So I decided that these are my Bren teams and that will be that.

I also have one large mortar, a few 2" mortars, six PIAT teams, some men who look like they are throwing grenades? There is a strip of men lying down with binoculars - one of whom I have already enlisted as a sniper spotter. Flame throwers, mine sweepers, and a strip of figures holding long, thin explosives perhaps? Bangalores? I have honestly no idea what they are meant to be. 

I wish there were some command strip thrown in. I will remember this for my next order. As it stands I can make things work with infantry stands and hoping I can remember what stand is what when on the table.  

Christmas Haul - British armour and support. German transport.

 I recieved a large lot of British armour and other support vehicles for Christmas this year. I also got some Chaffee tanks, some Opel Blitzes, Sdkfz 250s, an Sdkfz 222 and a few Kubelwagen. The idea was to get my already existing German infantry more mobile - they can now be Panzergrenadiers or just infantry in trucks. The trucks can also count as supply columns for my Tiger II. The 222 is specifically for recon for Battle of the Bulge. Chaffees are just because they look nice, but also for some more US light tank options. 

The idea behind the British vehicles was to go with the infantry I was hoping to get from my secret santa. Turns out they bought me some Lego instead. That will be fun to build, but now I need some British infantry. I will have to put an order in for some more I guess. 

You can see a couple of Sherman Firelies here, and then three each of Churchills and Comets. Plus a Challenger for funsies. I also got a Humber and a Staghound for recon. The Quad is to go with the 25Pdr that I haven't put together yet. The other vehicle, I can't remember what it is called is to tow things.

Here I have three Cromwells, a 95mm armed Centaur, a 17pdr and two 6pdrs. You can also see unbased Kubelwagens and Jeeps. I intend to base some of those with infantry in order to make some command stands. 

All of these are Heroics and Ros. I am largely impressed by the sculpts. The 17pdr looks absolutely beastly. 

WW2 Soviets - Irregular Miniatures

 So myself and siblings have an annual secret Santa. This year we drew names, my brother Alexander from The Players' Aid immediately messaged me to ask me what I wanted. I said WW2 soviets. A week or so later we cancelled the whole thing, but he still got me a soviet armoured division pack from Irregular Miniatures. Now, my 6mm WW2 collection is exclusively Heroics and Ros, so I was interested in seeing what a different manufacturer looked like. Well here are some images of them. No comparison to any H&R figures yet though. 

T 34s. Some with commanders, some with one rider, some with multiple riders, some with nothing. Guns are all mostly bent, but that is easily fixed. The wheels and tracks look a little rough, but then it is 6mm. I will hide that with mud. I don't know how they compare to the H&R miniatures.

Trucks. Good. Three 76mm Zis 3 guns (I think). They also have their crew moulded to the gun which I think i prefer to buying them separately. I love the look of those giant guns also.

This looks enough to be a good platoon with an extra squad. I have four Maxim MG teams, what look like four sniper teams, four mortar teams and two command teams with a mounted figure. I like the idea of someone on a horse. I might have some AT Rifle teams, but am unsure.

They all seem to be SMG armed infantry. So that is fair enough, but I want rifles. At the end of the day, it looks like I will be making a purchase from H&R anyway: the superb looking Summer Russians, some early war tanks, and some 45mm ATGs. It won't be £67 worth of Russians though, which will save me some cash. Or...give me more money to spend on other miniatures...desert stuff for example to go with BG Tobruk.

The command strip. It excites me with the prospect of 6mm horse mounted figures. I want to get some ACW dismounted cavalry from Baccus for my 6mm Sci Fi collection. There is also a new set of mounted militia over on Brigade Models, specifically for Sci Fi.

Just a close up.

Battlegroup Overlord - US infantry attacking a Wehrmacht defensive line.

 I managed to get a good game in of Battlegroup Overlord last night. It is such a great set of rules. I pitted a US infantry platoon against a Wehrmacht platoon with support to see if I could finally get a German victory in one of my games. I promised I wouldn't fudge any dice rolls.

US Battlegroup:
1x US infantry platoon, upgraded to regular.
1x MMG team. (The platoon itself is the only thing that gets upgraded to regular when you do the upgrade. I have been playing this wrong the whole time)
1x Bazooka team

1x M4 Sherman platoon, with one upgunned to a 76mm.

1x M8 Greyhound - to try and win the scout battle.
1x US Recon patrol (a normal infantry squad and a normal BAR squad, but with the scout rule).

They also have 2x 81mm mortars off board, and a pre-timed 105 barrage.

Wehrmacht Battlegroup:
1x infantry platoon, upgraded to veteran.
1x HMG MG42 team
1x Panzerschrek team
1x Pak 40 with a loader team

1x Puma
1x Panther
1x Jagdpanzer IV

A recon flight shows the lay of the land. US infantry attacking from the north. Germans hold a line in the middle. There are three objectives: the copse on the hill; the farm house in the centre; and the farm complex on the left flank.

As the Americans have more recon units than the Germans, the Germans are forced to already pull a chit towards their Battle Rating. I also think the Americans might have been supposed to pull a chit also as the Germans are sitting on the objectives.

The Puma scout car prowls on the left flank, ready to advance and spot for any other German units. Ahead is an MG42 team along with an infantry squad. They are covering the road and field. A Pak 40 covers the road and open ground on the centre and right flank.

Another MG42 squad hold the centre, while the Jagdpanzer IV lies in wait behind the hedge. Another squad, a Panzerschrek team and another HMG team cover the right flank. The HMG team is atop the hill, in the cover of the copse. The Panzershrek team, however is pinned by a pre-game bombardment.

The advance US forces consist of the recon patrol advancing up the left flank, the M8 Greyhound in the centre there, along with the command squad who are taking cover behind the farm complex. A squad and BAR team advance up the right.

Turn 1

The opening shots ring out as the BAR team hugs the hedge line and opens fire at the German infantry. One unlucky Gefreiter is caught in the open. The GIs advance further behind the cover of the woods. The Jagdpanzer IV lies in ambush.

The Greyhound advances with the recon troops and takes a shot at the Puma, scoring a direct hit! It bursts into flames and will remain there, a funeral pyre for those unfortunate enough to not escape. This is an excellent start for the US attackers.

However, while manoeuvring again, the M8 hits a landmine! Luckily it does no damage, only shakes the crew who take some time to recover their morale.

This was the chit the Germans pulled for the loss of the Puma. This seems to happen quite often.

The BAR team gets caught in a crossfire by the infantry squad and an MG42. The squad is wiped out. 

I forgot the rule where you can retreat from fire. Also, the Panzerschrek team will remain pinned for ages, because I don't want to risk pulling a chit for just one unit who don't even have a job right now. There is no armour for them to kill, apart from the Greyhound.

The Wehrmacht infantry on the left flank attempt to pin the Greyhound but fail.

Turn 2

The US recon squads open fire and wipe out the MG42 team. More success for the US forces. Meanwhile the Greyhound rushes up, past the defending infantry in an attempt to hook around and wreak havoc in the German rear. The command squad take shelter inside a barn to better coordinate the attack.

The US squad on the right flank advances further towards the hill, in order to take the objective, take the hill and try to lay down fire against the flanks of the German defenders.

Worried about their flank, the remaining German squad manages to pin down the US recon infantry! It is an incredible feat!

Worried about the Greyhound, and with no other targets, the Pak 40 crew turn the gun and readjust their position. They then send a shot at said Greyhound...

...blasting it to pieces. The unlucky crew didn't even know what happened. Mearnwhile, the Jagdpanzer IV still lies in wait, waiting for juicy targets.

Turn 3

 The US commander calls in a few rounds from the 81mm mortars. While the spotter round lands way off target, the Pak 40 team and forward infantry squad come under fire. The infantry make it through, but the Pak 40 gets destroyed, many crew are lost with the remaining men running away!

The US infantry on the right flank assault the advancing German squad! It is chaos in the woods, heavy casualties on each side. The Germans are wiped out, while the Americans who are left completely lose the the will to fight, break and run.

On the left flank the recon squads lay down withering fire on the German infantry, killing a few and sending the rest running. Things are not looking good for the Germans, especially with US reinforcements beginning to enter the combat area.

This was making me sad. Another German defeat on the way.

Shermans come onto the battlefield. One advances up the right flank and attempts to use HE to dislodge the MG42 team. However, they were well dug in and avoided taking loses.

A high velocity round pings past an advancing Sherman. They react by trying to drive into cover, but a second round punches through the side of the hull, setting the tank ablaze. His platoon mate, the Sherman 76 advances up past the burning hulk, trying to get into cover also.

I feel like I may have missed a turn here. I struggle to believe the game ended in Turn 3.

The German Panzershrek team, finally unpinned (for a 5 chit!) advances up the side of the hill to engage the Sherman. The team bravely takes aim, fires, and blows the Sherman up. Panzerknacker indeed. 

This now brings the US commander dangerously close to his BR. A loss on either side could pretty much break either side.

The loss comes as the Jagdpanzer IV engages the third Sherman, destroying it with ease. The remaining US forces begin a fighting withdrawal, while the German commander takes breath and appreciates how close his Battlegroup came to having to retreat themselves.

Good game this. I am glad the Germans won. I had fun with my Jagdpanzer IV. Although, it only has six shots! I might need to look into resupply units now. The off board mortars were fun and did a lot of damage. It was also nice to see a Pak 40 in action as I had yet to use one. Now to finish up my 88. 

It was quite straight forward setting this game up and playing, although I was quite slow because I needed to refresh the rules after six months. I want to aim to play a game at least once per month. I liked making army lists, although with my limited miniatures, there isn't loads I can do. And I don't really want to have games larger than a platoon or so. 

I have this ever growing shopping list of miniatures that I want to buy, but that is all on hold for a while. I have to do that scary thing where I, as a miniature painter, I paint the miniatures that I have, and don't buy new, shiny things on a whim.