Ingredients finally sourced.

Inspired, initially by this blog post, I have been trying to hunt down reasonably priced LED tea lights. I have been looking for the best part of a month. Amazon and Ebay all seem quite pricey for what I want them for. I found 3 for £1 on the Poundland website, and 6 packs on ASDA's website. However, they were not in my local branches. I have been on multiple occasions to find them, without success. What does a man have to do, to make burning vehicle markers, and just have fires burning all over the place?

Finally, last night, due to a desperate need for shower gel, I popped into ASDA at around midnight. I had been out, and had needed the RAC to come out and start my car...I don't just go shopping late at night for giggles. On a whim I checked out the candle section...and to my amazement, there they were! In all their glory!!! I picked myself up three boxes, because I don't know when I will see them again, a cheap pillow, and am now ready to get going.

US Infantry, lighting still sucks.

So I changed the angle of my lights, in an attempt to get better photos. I don't think it really worked. I am a little annoyed. But here is what I have so far:

This is my Platoon Leader, with a radio operator, and a runner.

Here is one of my bazooka teams, sneaking up on a target.

Below is another bazooka team.

Here is a MMG team on the move.

This is half of my squad, with the BAR team.

Here is the second half, with the NCO there.

Teaser.

I am excited to have finally finished almost an entire platoon of US infantry. I have another squad to paint up, and a 30 cal. Unfortunately, due to a badly placed light, and my own laziness, the photos are all too dark. But here is the command section. More to follow tomorrow when I take new pictures.

Armourfast Firefly

In my desire to have more armour for my British forces (turns out they didn't use the Sherman 76) I ordered two boxes of Armourfast Fireflies. That should give me enough to mix in with any Cromwells and boring old M4s. I can't see myself needing more than this. 

I like Armourfast. Their models are easy to put together, and you can knock out a few of them very quickly. They are, however, plain. To combat this, I put together some stowage, and wrapped some camouflage netting around the gun. At some point, I will get some British markings, but until then, I will leave it as is.

2013 in Review

Happy new year, folks. It has been a wild one. I threw myself back into this incredible hobby, moved to the Czech Republic for four months, returned and got engaged.

Regarding this hobby, I had no set goals in place. I hoped to enjoy myself, get some gaming in, and let my creative flair flow. I wanted to build a German and Allied army to enable myself to host a game. I purchased a copy of Bolt Action, giving me something to base my armies on, while also following the Battlegroup rules. They look very interesting, but I am not confident enough about my armies to feel that I could put on a good game.

Thus far I have completed a serviceable German platoon. I have a pair of Panzerschreck teams, an MG42, a couple of mortars. I need to put together a few LMG teams in firing positions, and some more heavy weapons. This will happen as and when I can bring myself to paint Germans again...so, so painfully boring.

I also have my British platoon. I have enough support weapons, apart from on board heavy mortars. I am considering re-basing them though, as I discovered static grass far too late for these chaps.

I am on my way to having a Russian platoon, and also a US infantry platoon. The problem with the Americans is that they are Valiant infantry. They are very large. I love how they look. I love the poses I have come up with. But in reality, I think they will look silly when combined with other infantry. I dislike the pose of the 30 Cal. firer. I would like more prone infantry.

My armour collection has grown enough that I can easily support a game of Bolt Action.

The question now remains, what next?

My main goal is to get more games in. Having thought about it, there seem to be two obstacles in my way: I need to find people to play with, and I need more scenery in order to host a game with my own resources. Finding people to play with should be okay: the local wargame club puts on the occasional Bolt Action game in 28mm... I suppose I could try and put on some 20mm ones. I could try and get my father to play. My brother would be up for a game, but he lives in London. I could probably get enough games in. I actually put Bolt Action as a game on my Boardgame Geek 10 by 10 challenge, to encourage me to play it at least 10 times this year. 

The second issue, scenery, is one I will be also solving. My resources will probably move away from building up armies (apart from some German support weapons), and become more about creating scenery. This will involve painting up my Kickstartered Modular buildings, creating a French Village, and somehow creating a butt tonne of Bocage. The final one is the most problematic. I am still searching for the perfect method.

I will provide regular updates as I search.

I wish you all a successful new year.

An Exciting Engagement.

I know this is a little outside the norm for this blog, but I have excellent news, and thought you may find it vaguely of interest. I got engaged tonight and am absolutely buzzing.

Operation: Build a Village part 2.

Progress. Following the advice of Thomas, I ordered 1000 coffee stirrers to use for the window frames and doors. I must say, I am happy with the door lintel. The window frames aren't amazing. I tried inserting them actually into the holes I cut, but wasn't too happy with how that turned out. I will investigate other options. 

I am a complete convert to bird sand though. I love the texture it has given. I applied PVA quite thickly on the front facade of the building, making it rougher than I intended. But the other sides of the house look just fine. I can't wait to decide upon a roof, then find a cork board to base it on.

Last of the Volkssturm

Previously I posted half of the Volksturm I had painted. These men had been bought and roughly painted with enamel paints, before I made the switch. As such I had left them alone while I painted other soldiers completely in acrylic. Having returned from Czech with a bag of small change, I decided to base the remaining men, and bring them up to finish, what with the fantastic looking Battlegroup Fall of the Reich coming out. I painted the Panzerfausts a better colour and then shaded them.

I decided, however, with this group, to base them with grass, instead of rubble. I like them. Luckily I have enough that I hopefully won't have to mix the two groups. Unfortunately, I do not know the suggested unit sizes for Volkssturm in Fall of the Reich...

I am excited to get my hands on those rules.

Operation: Build a Village.

So I have completed my German platoon. I have a serviceable British force, although I may be re-basing them with static grass. All I need now is a butt-tonne (an old imperial measurement somewhere between a butt-load and a heckovalot) of scenery so I can run my own games. 

Part one of this project is to make some buildings. I am experimenting with 5mm foam board for this farm house. Cutting out the doors and windows was a little messy, but I can neaten them up, I imagine. I suppose now I need sand or something for the walls, so a trip to the beach must be planned. I also need to decide on materials for the roof too. 

I have five A4 sheets of 5mm foam board. One has been used for this farmhouse. The others will be used for various other buildings. This should tide me over in terms of having a village to attack/defend.

The next stage will be to figure out how to make good looking bocage in enough quantities to completely cover a table.

If I never have to paint another German, I will die happy.

I have decided I do not like Germans. Why did they have to have such an array of multicoloured equipment? To paint these 24 infantry, forming my generic German platoon, it feels like it has taken an eternity. I was faced with other delays too: experimenting with static grass, trying to remember which colours I used on the first batch of infantry, and so forth. But in the end, I have finished them. They are wargame ready. I may well re-base the first group of infantry, you can see a couple mixed in here.

Static grass! I am now a convert. Never again will I need to mix up a tub of various model railway flock to come up with something acceptable. They just look so much better.

Next up is to secure myself a photography tent. Lighting is dreadful at this time of year.

The platoon, in all its glory. I have enough men for three platoons of 12, the maximum in Bold Action. Of course I doubt I will ever field such strength. I am looking to secure myself some of the Battlegroup rules too.

I am very pleased with them. They look great.

Radio team. I don't really have any officer to put in charge. Sad face.

I am loving their bases. I have attached the men to Czech 1 Crown coins.

Next up: Hopefully some Valiant US Infantry, although I am missing a couple of colours, so they are on pause until I can find them. My local Modelzone has closed/is closing. I haven't had a chance to swing by and check if they are open still. They were my primary source for Vallejo.

I also have an Armourfast Firefly half painted, some German armour in need of a spray job, and various other repaints to get on with.