Adventures on the Wargames Table

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!

A wargames table always looks better with some scenic “clutter” to make it look a bit more lived in.  What could be more appropriate for North Africa than a pair of camels?  These iconic beasts are from North Star miniatures.  The chap looking after them is a Perry figure. Some work in progress pics.  Base colours then washed. For the highlights on the bales of cloth I used the original colours plus one or two highlights most of which were Foundry colours. Another 25 points for the challenge.  Total now standing at 305 points.

The British began the desert war with the QF 2 pounder AT gun but by April 1942 these were being superseded by the QF 6 pounder which was much better able to defeat advances in German armour.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.

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.

More scenery!  As the war ebbed and flowed across North Africa, both sides regularly stopped to build new defensive lines as their opponent’s supply lines became longer.  Here are some (resin) barricades by Javis, from Model Scenery Supplies again. A long while back I picked up a pack of Pegasus Hobbies sandbags.  However, I always felt that the finish whilst okay, could be better.  So, to get them to match in with my existing scenery, I sprayed them and applied the usual recipe with the addition of a very dilute wash of Agrax between the Tan and Dark Sand layers. Here's the rest. Finally, I have some Javis stone wall sections painted up in the same style.  These might be slightly better suited to other Mediterranean theatres such as Sicily or Italy but they'll be fine I'm sure. All of these pack nicely in to a 6 inch cube so that's another 20 points for the painting challenge. Total now stands at 165 points.  Back to the figures next.

I fancied a change from painting the 8th army figures so I turned my attention to some rocky outcrops for jazzing up the battlefield - not to mention giving the chaps somewhere to take cover! These (the five pieces in the foreground) are resin items from Model Scenery Supplies , under the category War Terrain, thank you to George for the tip.  They're made by Javis and I'm very pleased with them.  Painted as per my usual desert basing style - see 'Painting' page link under the blog banner if you're interested. Tip - a couple of these were slightly warped when they arrived so, to fix this, I soaked them in very warm water for about 10 mins then used either some small G clamps to hold them flat to a bookshelf, or simply put a book on top.  An hour later they were cool and, most importantly, flat and level. These just about fill a 6 inch cube as per the Painting Challenge guidelines so that's another 20 points bringing the total to 145 points.

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.

Here are my final entries for the Painting Challenge. Another 18 Austro-Hungarian infantry which equates to 90 points so my total is now 514 points, just passing my target of 500 points. Hooray! Some close ups. Officers waiting to signal the start of the "Big Push". All Scarab figures apart from the two-man flamethrower which is Renegade. Hope you like them.

With only a few days to go until the end of the painting challenge here are the 18 figures I need to complete in order to achieve my goal of 500 points. All block painted and ready for the wash. Any and all encouragement much appreciated!

A quick update for the Painting Challenge. Here's another six Austro-Hungarian infantry. Plus a couple more casualty figures Have reached 424pts but I'll need to get a move on to reach my target of 500pts before the end of the challenge.

Here's my next 'bonus round' entry. A few characters from two rather different points in history. First, in chronological order I suppose, is Brasidas, a very warlike Spartan officer standing over a fallen enemy. You may also note that he's the figure from the front cover of the War & Conquest rulebook. Second, moving forward approx 23 centuries, we have none other than the Red Baron! Third, is Ernest Hemingway - or rather a figure inspired by the man. (This one is actually painted up in A/H colours ... but shh!) Finally, here's Erwin Rommel who served in the Great War on the Italian front with A/H Alpine Troops. All these beautiful figures are available here from Scarab Miniatures.