Adventures on the Wargames Table

A change is as good as a rest, or so they say.  So here’s a few more troops for my North African WW2 collection. All Perry metals; a Vickers with a couple of extra figures, a 2” mortar team and a spotter with binoculars to accompany my radio operator and make a FOO team. Here’s a couple of closer pics. Made a nice change from all the ACW and SP2 stuff I’ve been working on recently.  Also, on the painting table at the moment is a 2lb AT gun.  Painting recipes can be found on the Painting tab above.

More British desert war troops join the ranks!  Some support options for the main platoon this time.  An ad-hoc sniper team and a Universal Carrier. After doing a bit of research I decided to try a caunter style camo pattern on the Universal Carrier.  The colours are Foundry Night Sky and Foundry Rawhide. The dismounted Bren team and Officer/NCO with Thompson SMG.  The latter figure was painted previously so has already been included in the painting challenge total. I had a couple of figures spare from the Perry's plastic box set so I made a Sniper team.  I tried to find something suitable to represent the telescopic sight but in the end it was too fiddly.  So perhaps in this scene he's asking his assistant to pop back to base and pick it up? That’s another 45 points bringing the painting challenge total to 350 points.  Thanks for looking!

The British began the desert war with the QF 2 pounder AT gun but by April 1942 these were being superseded by the QF 6 pounder which was much better able to defeat advances in German armour.  Naturally my chaps needed one too.  This is a Warlord kit. Another 25 points for the painting challenge.  So that’s 280 points.

I’ve had a few requests to show the British Desert War collection so far.  So, “meet the gang, coz the boys are here , the boys to entertain you ...” 🎶😉 ( Okay, I know that was Burma, not North Africa! ) Plenty more to paint though.  Thanks for looking!

With all three sections ready it was time to turn my attention to the HQ group and then start on some support weapons.  So here is the Lieutenant, the Platoon Sergeant, a Boys Anti-tank Rifle team and a 3” mortar. The AT rifle team are Perry plastic whilst the rest are Warlord metal figures. Here’s the Lieutenant enjoying a cuppa and a good pipe!  I really like this figure and it was great fun to paint. A very dynamic figure for the Sergeant, rushing forward Thompson SMG at the ready!  Sergeant Jack Tanner perhaps? 🤔 A closer view of the 3” mortar.  This can be used as is for BA, whereas in CoC mortars are off table so the crew will be used to help man either a 6lb or 2lb AT gun. The platoon HQ includes an AT rifle team, so here they are.  The earlier phase of the desert war has quite a lot of lightly armoured tanks and scout cars so these weapons can prove very effective. That’s another 40 points (counting the mortar itself as an ordina...

The third section of my platoon is complete! Bren team. Corporal and Rifle team.  To make the leader easier to spot on the table I’ve added a dark red clump of foliage.  Only the section leaders, platoon sergeant and CO will have these So that's another 50 points for the AHPC bringing the total to 215 points.  Next up, the rest of the HQ and some support weapons or teams.

I’ve had a few queries about how I’m storing my (mainly plastic) DAK and 8th army, so here it is. The figures are based on 1p coins - the magnetic ones 😉 Box liners:  https://www.charliefoxtrotmodels.com/collections/miscellaneous-tokens-templates?page=10 Magnetic sheets:  https://magneticdisplays.co.uk/magnetic-displays/lightweight-range/mag-sheets-200-150 The box liner is designed to hold the figures in place using 4mm rare earth magnets.  They are quite powerful and that’s great for metal figures as they’re heavier and more robust.  But the plastic figures are obviously a bit more delicate and I could see the rifles, bayonets, etc getting broken as they’re removed.  So I ordered some lightweight magnetic sheets.  These hold figures well but not too well if you see what I mean. The larger based figures are stored like this. The compartments are made with little strips of sticky backed foam.  The bases have some thin “steel paper” on the ...

More 8th army ready to take fight to Rommel's men. The second section Bren team "I see you found the bipod, Eric" ... "Shut up Stan!" The Radio Operator, which I’ll probably use as a FOO in CoC or part of the HQ team in BA I really like this figure as it’s packed with character (Warlord Desert HQ pack). That’s another 55 points for the challenge bringing my total to 125.  So it’s about a third of the way through the challenge and I’ve reached the halfway point for my target!  There’s a few things well underway on the painting table too.

The first full section for my Desert British are ready for action! Corporal and Rifle Team Lance-Corporal and Bren Team For the painting/basing recipe please have a look here .  That's another 50 points for the AHPC bringing my total to 70.

The first of my 8th army roll off the production line.  That’s really how I view this painting project; a production line.  But in a good sense, as it’s quite enjoyable.  Here are a light mortar team, a medical orderly and a junior leader. These first figures are really a ‘test’ in that I’m figuring out which colours to use for the various items of uniform and kit. Base colours before the wash They are very much painted in the “three foot away on a nice gaming table” style 😉 and I’m very happy with that. Paint recipe: Flesh - Foundry 5B Shirts, shorts & helmet - VMC Iraqi Sand Helmet also in Foundry 11B Webbing - 11B or English Uniform or Dark Sand Bags - 11B or Dark Sand Jumper - English uniform Socks - 11B Puttees (?) - Iraqi sand Can use other colours for socks, puttees? Weapon stock - GW Scorched Brown Boots and weapons - black Wash with Agrax Earthshade, then highlight with original colours.  Webbing can be painted in Iraqi Sand w...

It’s that time of year again... Here are my 8th army figures ready for painting as part of my unofficial entry in to the 10th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge!  I’ve set myself a very modest target of 250 points. This consists of Lieutenant  Platoon Sergeant 2” mortar team Boys AT rifle team 3 sections of 10 men, each including a Bren team This is a basic platoon for Chain of Command.  Most of the figures are Perry along with a Warlord command pack. For support there is Medical orderly (with stretcher!) Boys AT rifle team Forward Observer (chap with a radio) Universal Carrier with a JL and a Bren team The figures were prepped recently and I’ve just completed the basic groundwork.  I also have an AT gun and some armour waiting in the wings.