IN and OUT: Airfix WW2 1/72 Infantry Kits that I Won't Buy

The CrossFire game has sparked a sudden, reinvigorated interest in the 1/76, 1/72 and 20mm figures I have. Up into the loft and to the back of the shed rummaging around in dusty boxes. In particular I am interested the plastic ones in those classic 40-50 figure packs. In themselves sufficient to make the bones of a scratch CrossFire foce. We are in a glorious age and are literally spoilt for too much choice (Airfix, Italeri (old ESCI), Revell (new) and Revell (old - Matchbox[?]), Valiant, Plastic Soldier Company, Caesar Miniatures and IMEX, HaT, Walterloo 1815 and others).

I first look at Airfix's offerings and use them as a benchmark "to at least get over their standard quality level" but I hold a list of WW2 Airfix figure packs that are simply "no goes" for me:

It is a short list:

• British Commandos
• British Paratroopers
• Russian Infantry

Why?

Because I think they are long overdue a remould as they do not match the (high quality) 1/32 figures of the same names. The better 1/72 kits are a direct match with their larger cousins.

In fact I wonder about the British Infantry and British Infantry Support Group in 1/32 scale and how come when Airfix brought out a new mould for the 1/72 scale infantry they didn't just use them in a smaller scale?

Answers on a postcard please ;)

Painting 1/200 and 20mm WWII British Infantry (Continued)

The 20mm "Platoon 20" British Infantry box, with the middle rank of figures now reaching the "all" under-coated phase (see below):

When I have the above figures completed I will have the 20mm "attacking infantry force" for the 'Fire and Movement: Battalion Attack" ready to Rock-N-Roll. Meanwhile I am also painting the 1/200 BEF 1940 Infantry Brigade's "third battalion" (see below, in a Spearhead battalion OrBat): 

Destined for a rearguard action somewhere in France circa 1940 against the Panzers. Courtesy of the 20mm painting guide the above 1/200 boys were the first BEF 'small guys' to receive a proper "green helmet" to go with their uniform.

Naturally I will now have to go back and 'adjust' the other two infantry battalions accordingly. Small steps but at least it is forward progress ;) 

February Painting Tray: More 1/200 British Infantry (Skytrex)

These were collected some time ago now, but bless them, the little chaps have been calling at me ever since I quickly rustled up the Vickers HMG for the "Fire and Movement, Battalion Attack" game I am (still) planning. (Note: Am I the only one out there that hears 'little lead people' talking to them?)  

It may seem a tad overkill but I am using Vallejo paints (British Uniform Green 70921, Khaki Grey 70880 and Khaki 70988) to colour them up. The figures themselves had been previously painted but it is in my nature to 'unnecessarily' repaint second hand stuff when I get them,if at least just to fit in with the existing collection. The figures were became liberally splattered with the "basing brown" as I based them (cardboard 40mm squares and "tooth-brushed" modelling clay) so I applied a fairly watered down (three parts water to one part paint) Anita's Acrylic Metallic Black  to give the creases a little depth.

The plan is, "when I finish" these is to then go and pop back to complete my Platoon 20, WWII metals (A HMG , Mortar section and some odds and sods), started ages ago .. with the intention of putting a Crossfire Scenario on.Hmm, I seem to have had lots of intentions ;)

Footnote: I should add these are the final "infantry bits" (as in the third battalion) of a 1940 British BEF Infantry Brigade I am basing up for Spearhead/BGC. The 25pdr field guns, two pounder ATguns, Bofor 40mm AA guns, motorised transport and MkVI Light Tanks are patiently waiting their turn :)  
  

The Troops Assemble: "Battalion Attack" (Mk I)

A small but perfectly formed little game:

The troops needed for the WWII infantry (rural battalion attack) have been assembled (see below), nineteen infantry stands in all:

The Attackers: A British Infantry Battalion (circa 1944):

• 'A' Coy (3 Platoons)
• 'B' Coy (3 Platoons)
• 'C' Coy (3 Platoons)
• 'D' Coy (3 Platoons)
• HMG Support Platoon
• 81mm Mortar Support Platoon (Off Table)

The Attacking Stands:

'A' and 'B' Coys (see below):

'C' and 'D' Coys (see below):

HMG Vickers Support Platoon (see below):

Note: The attackers have a 2:1 numerical advantage, an indirect mortar attack per turn, a static "indirect" HMG shoot plus an initial artillery barrage (that can 'suppress' but not 'kill'). The latter factors could be thought of as a 'column shift' making it approximately equivalent to a 3:1 attack requirement. The defenders are also in "hasty defenses" rather than permanent fortified emplacements and subject to an improvised battalion attack on a spotted weakness on the enemy front line before it gets reinforced.  

The Defenders: Two Understrength German Infantry Companies (circa 1944): 

• '1st' Company (3 Platoons)
• '2nd' Company (3 Platoons)
• 81mm Mortar Support Platoon (Off Table)

The Defending Stands: 

'1st' Company (see below):

'2nd' Company (see below):

All the above figures come from Skytrex's Action 200 range (1/200). The above British OoB can be made up from 4 x British Infantry Packets (A010) + 1 x HMG Packet (A013), while the Germans OoB can be made from 2 x LMG (A031) Packets. In total (excluding P&P) it would be under £13.65 by their website, so for a "game" it is a fairly cheap affair in terms of toys.

My Figures: 

I just gutted the infantry companies from a 1940 Infantry Battalion I had set up for a Spearhead/BGC organisation and quickly painted up (and I do mean quickly) a Vickers MMG stand. The Germans were just LMG's I had 'surplus' from my "early war" 1939-41 1/200 "German Panzer Division" project I have (a bit like a DBM army spawning many a little DBA army).1/300 would be equally attractive for the "small squad" look (though each stand is supposed to represent 40 troops).

Likewise 15mm or 'old fashioned plastic' 20mm (in 3's or 4's) would be an equally attractive representation, maybe on slightly bigger bases. To bulk up the counters to represent the platoons into "four squads and leaders" (just for visual appearance sakes) I have my eye on using piles of my old Squad Leader counters (though I might have to use the "Russians" rather than the British counters as I don't remember 'Crescendo of Doom' having an excess of British units).

A Battle to be Played: "Over and Over Again"

This is my WWII (land) project for 2013. 

It is a battle scenario based on Phillip Sabin's "Fire and Movement" game in his book Simulating War. It does not require that many figures or a particularly large board. In many ways is resembles the "portable wargaming" craze that has been sweeping the varios CoW (Conference of Wargamers) blogs (for example see Bob Cordery's blog "Wagaming Miscellany").

The scenario Phillip Sabin's poses is of interest when I think back to the mid-1990's when I was feverishly collecting (at that time exclusively 20mm) WWII toys. I was left with an awful sinking feeling that after I had painted and based them (at that time for the Command Decision rule set, a project that in itself is still "not complete" and an active never ending Work In Progress [WIP]), I still didn't or wouldn't know what to do with the "toys". Not just the mechanics of the rules (hard enough), but a sensible way to set things up. Yes there were scenario's ... but did they really make any sense? What for a battalion's purpose was a sensible sort of fight (and yes I know war is not fair).  

By this I meant "What was a realistic battle scenario" in terms of space and time?". What was a common battle the rules were meant to control and simulate. All the 'command and control' commentary in Designers Notes describing commanding Divisional strength table top formations (which I personally is over reaching Command Decision) didn't help me nor did the interesting aspect of rates of fire. I needed a simple scenario to blood myself on infantry combat.

The Scenario:

A infantry battalion is on the "attack", against a half a battalion of infantry under "hasty defensive positions", as in using cover rather than entrenchments. The attackers are a full strength whereas the defenders are deemed under strength (roughly 2:1, 13 attacking stands to the defenders 6 [all stands representing platoons]). Good or lucky intelligence has directed the attack against a sector that "should give" or "could hold" depending upon the tactics and skill of the attacker (plus a bit of "lady luck"). The defenders are trying to cover a kilometer wide frontage and can call upon an indirect fire base (medium 81mm mortar) while the attacker has the luxury of an initial artillery barrage (25pdrs or 105mm howitzers), then a mortar and indirect machine gun fire bases. The additional support assets seem to tip the odds in the attackers favour but there is a large random element of "battlefield terrain" creates a good deal of uncertainty (as it is generated new each time). The duration of the attack is deemed to be abut "two" hours which translates into about 12 x 10 minute turns. The "board" is twelve hexes wide (the kilometer "battle zone" of the defending battalion) and six hexes deep. The determination of victory is determined in an attritional manner of "unbroken" units on the enemy baseline at the end of the twelve turns. Thus it is assumed that the full battalion "should be able to dislodge" two companies out of 'hasty positions'. .

Starting from this more board-game orientated description I plan to take "the scenario" for a long walk, starting with Sabin's rules and then through the various rule-sets I possess, varying nationalities and periods (early, mid and late WW2). Initially from Simulating War the attack is envisioned to take place in 1944, Normandy/France, with a British Infantry Battalion advancing against a composite, scratch force of German Infantry, reduced from an initial battalion and supplemented by "a series drafts" of replacement sections and platoons that 'keep making up'the numbers up.

Kit to use:


The battles should be suitable for my: 1/300, 1/200, 20mm, 1/72 and 1/76 toys (but not all at the same time), heck I might even start things off with my old Squad Leader counters

Rules to Use (Initial List): 

• Fire and Movement (Phillip Sabin)
• Command Decision II/II/I
• Spearhead
• Battle Group Commander 
• CrossFire
• Great Battles of WWII
• Squad Leader

Watch this space ...
    

The Joy of New Airfix - Italian Infantry

Back from the half-term trip to see the grandparents. Not much painting done but I took a few kits to make for the road-trip, attacking the plastic pile. During my shuffle through my unmade kits I found this little gem.

Not strictly a kit but the Airfix Italian WWII 1/72 infantry box set. To be perfectly honest I was not expecting that much from the contents but I was more than pleasantly surprised :)

Excellent clean figures, good poses, well detailed and smartly sculpted, not what I was expecting from Airfix, thinking back to the 1970's moulds still in use.
 

OK, these may be old figures to some, but anything post-2000 is a rediscovery for me. I plan to mix them with my Esci/Italeri 1/72 Alpine Itailians too for a better mix of poses and weaponry.

Two nice useful links.

One to an excellent example of how they paint up.
Quite inspirational.

Another reviewing the pack (of note, according to this site these Airfix figures are also being marketed by Waterloo 1815 and HaT!). I agree with the ratings given, (9's and 10's) and even the harsh one  (of 4) on the number of different poses, although I would also add quickly that they are all good and usable on table.

Meanwhile I have continued in a bit of a model making spree, the mountain of unmade kits has suffered a major reduction. I seem to go in spurts of one type of activity rather than finishing a specific project.

Another interesting company: The Plastic Soldier Company

More plastic model voyeurism
As recommended from the ww2modelzone blog

The Plastic Soldier Company

Some intriguing Russians on the way :)
If only I had the time to sit down and do things :(

Partisans

The painting brushes have stayed firmly rooted in the jam jar so far in February. A few figures have been meekly looked at but the room (man cave) is just so full  of clutter at the moment some serious sorting (nay a good Spring clean) is needed.

Nevertheless I have increased my stock of figures. I gave in to some long standing "figure lusting" and ordered via Hannants (UK) some plastic figures that had continually caught my attention. My only defence is that one packet in particular was of a limited edition and soon sure to disappear. They are:

And:

They came and I was amazed at their quality. Already pre-cut from the sprue in a resealable plastic bag which is nice, minimal flash (if any) and the most complete range of partisan figures I will ever need. Excellent detail. Already I am looking forward to painting them :) 

I'll have to schedule them in straight after the Platoon 20 WWII British Infantry figures. I am eyeing Caesar Miniatures for additional purchases for their more standard infantry ranges. They certainly give the more expensive metals a good run for their money!

Note to self: Painting and basing Revell German Panzer Grenadiers

Preliminary Steps:

• Wash plastic figures in hot soapy (detergent based) water to remove any water repellent grease/residue left over from the plastic injection process, dry on towel. 
  
• Need to cut back bits of "spoiler flash" with a very sharp craft knife, the Revell kit is good/excellent but it does suffer from fine flash lines that are best removed or will simply bug you at a later stage (you have been warned)
• These are plastics so required the PVA treatment, I watered it down but it may pay to be braver and have a thick mixture. Cover the whole figure, it pays to have a clean washed figure to avoid PVA grouping and not giving a complete coverage
• PVA is left to dry. As it dries it shrinks and gives the plastics added rigidity.
  
• Undercoating with a solid black sealer (Games Workshop Chaos Black), although I await my first Xmas trip to Halfords (ubiquitous UK car/autostore shop) for some tough car [cheaper] undercoater!
  

Shade Painting Scheme

• Undercoat of Tamiya Dark Green XF-61
• Vallejo: German Field Gray - (102) 70830 over Uniform Area
• Black (Games Worshop Chaos Black) Straps and Boots 
• Vallejo: German Pale Camo Brown (144) 70825 Bags and Sacks and Waterbottles
• Anita's Acrylics Metallic Black for Weapons
• Anita's Acrylics Bark Brown for Flesh areas (this has replaced my GW Dark Flesh)
  
• Games Workshop Scorched Brown for Gun Stocks 
  
• Tamiya Dark Green XF-61 undercoat left for shade of Helmet and Gas Mask Container
  

Base Painting Scheme

• 50:50 Mix of Vallejo: German Field Gray (102) 70830 and Vallejo: Green Gray (101) ??886 for Uniform Areas
• Boots and Straps GW Chaos Black and GW Codex Gray dark gray mix
• Bags, sacks and things German Pale Camo Brown (144) 70825 now mixed with Vallejo: German Camo Biege (103) 70821
  
• Shiny metallic bits GW Bolt Gun (I try to keep it to a minimum, but the brush can slip) 
• Mix of GW Tanned Flesh and Vallejo: (18) 70955 for the flesh parts

Highlight Painting Scheme

• Vallejo: Green Grey Green Gray (101) ??886 for Uniform Highlights
• Touch of GW Codex Greu for variation on blackish things
  
• GW Bestial Brown for Gun Stocks highlight
• Flesh highlight of Vallejo: (18) 70955
• Bags, sacks and things highlight Vallejo: German Camo Biege (103) 70821 (Note: I should really go back and put a distinctive dark line on the water-bottle or perhaps do it a different colour) 
  
• Helmet and Gas Mask Container highlight of Tamiya Dark Green XF-61 and Tamiya Yellow XF-3
• Final fine black line touch up to add back in any strapping details that have been inadvertently lost 
  

Fine Details (omitted at present)

• As I have the Flames of War German painting book I have teh potential to attempt rank insignia and other crazy things, as yet beyond my initial ambition. I may revisit this at a later date.
  

Varnishing the Finished Figure

• I should do this but currently don't because I may come back and do some crazy insignia
• Debating in my own mind whether it should be a one matt step or a two step (gloss then matt) process, I obviously need to try both and compare the results
  

Basing

• Cheap PVA (kids art stuff) and sand mixture (literally the local beach and DIY mortar stuff)
  
• Two stabs at it, first time leaves ridges round base of figure, second time to balance it up
  
• Daub on cheap watery acrylic brown (leave to dry overnight)
  
• Cheap watery black (leave to dry overnight)
  
• Brown wet-brushed on leaving plenty of black gaps
  
• Lightened Brown wet/dry brushed over the top
  
• Highlight Cream dry brushed on sparingly
  
• A third to a quarter of the base covered with watered down PVA then dunked in a scenic flock container
  
• Static Grass if the base is big enough, two or three slightly watered down PVA globs followed by a dunking

German Supports and Officers

Two nice bits from the Revell Panzer Grenadier box is their representation of the MG teams. Six two man teams per box, three static and three moving in nice animated poses:

The officers give good variety, particularly the observation "V" binoculars which is a classic for a higher command base, one per pack, but with three other officer types make a very useful four in the pack (one shown below, you can spot the other two in the First German Platoon).

The only omission for a complete OoB is the lack of a mortar unit, which I will make up from a metal manufacturer (SHQ and I think Drew's Militia in my case). As I mentioned earlier painting the plastic figures has a very different feel to the metals, namely the flatter feel to the detailing and less voluminous feel to the figure. The Revell boys show off their stuff below:

I think we are about ready to cook (as in all the figures are ready for it) with that first Cross Fire Normandy scenario I was mentioning (when I get to play it is another matter).

First Revell German Infantry Platoon

Moving into a defensive position for my Normandy 1944 game is the first platoon from the German Revell plastic miniatures box. These are the very same Panzer Grenadiers from an earlier post. Below is the Cross Fire OoB for a Platoon.

They were a painted with a mix of Vallejo, Anita's Acrylics and Games Workshop left overs, a product range I am running down and moving away from. From the many different painting guides and resources I finally managed to arrive at a scheme that I thought worked and persisted with it through the figures for the platoon for a consistent look. I found painting plastics more subtle than painting metals, we'll have to see how it pans out for the rest of the company. I do seem to have a lot of plastic Germans lined up.

A slightly better picture, with the macro (close focus) enabled this time  :)

The plan now is to expand this platoon up to a Cross Fire company sized OoB, with the eyes on the prise of a long, long term goal of a battalion in 2010. However with even just this one platoon painted I have enough for that Normandy 1944 scenario I a framing in my mind.

Inspiration for these Revell Germans comes from another blog the Miniature Zone

British Platoon 20 Support Weapons Came Today

Oh happy times the Postie brought me an early Xmas present today, a package of shiny things from ERM, the finishing touches to the late-war (Platoon 20) British Infantry Company project (plus a few spares that always come in handy).

All shiny, virgin and untouched, soon to be changed!

First up on the blocks will be the Vickers HMG and the deployed 2" Mortar Team, the rest to follow on later. Next stop, paint a few Germans circa Normandy 1944 and then a bit of Cross Fire carnage!

:)

British HQ section and a few "Odds and Sods"

The previous British were all Platoon 20, to that I can easily testify as I can remember buying them. However in my unpainted "silver legions" collection I found these WWII Brits, a curious set of seven unidentified figures (see below) which I think fit nicely into the Platoon 20 range, adding a bit of pose variety.

Front:

Back:

I "think" I picked them up ages ago when I bought a bargain lot from a now defunct model shop in Edinburgh called Mac's Models, which used be on the prestigious Royal Mile leading up to Edinburgh Castle. Does anyone recognise them and can they name the manufacturer (at a guess I was thinking perhaps Drew's Militia, but my feeble Googling has not found a positive photo match)?

Brit late-war (Cross-Fire) Infantry Company Project Status: This leaves me now wanting a HMG and a deployed 2" Mortar team. (Note: I have a few chaps carrying a 2" mortar tube, for me these are good enough to use as normal foot soldiers, as is the Bren gunner, I really want a depolyed crew for visual effect.)

Time to get the order form out :)

Stop Press: Order en route from East Riding Miniatures: A Vickers HMG, a 2" Mortar, a 3" Mortar and a pack of advancing rifleman (ordered and dispatched the same day). Tony from ERM also assured me the metal now used is of a much superior mix and is not brittle.

:)

Third Cross-Fire Platoon of British Tommies

Coming hot on the heels of the Americans I shipped my third platoon of late-war British Platoon 20 infantry into the wargame ready box:

Front facing:

And rear:

The process and poses are becoming very familiar to me now which tells its own story. Just the company HQ and heavy weapons section (Vickers HMG and 2" Mortar Section) to fill out now. A Normandy moving off the beaches to take a German strong-point scenario is forming up in my mind, specifically for Cross-Fire.

As a footnote, my number of completed Brits now outstrips my novice camera skills of trying to fit them all into one shot, so the wide angle company advancing will have to wait until the above wargame comes to pass. Time also to start work on their opponents, Revell's plastic Panzer Grenadiers!

Note: I received email confirmation Tony from ERM that the Platoon 20 figures now use (and have done for quite a long time) a better mix of metal to avoid the previous incarnation's tendency to be a bit brittle. This is good news for people as clumsy as me.

Valiant's GI's Passing Out Parade

The excitement was tangible, the final dry brush of the base and ceremonial flock complete, the first sprue of Valiant 1944 GI's (all sixteen) were wargame ready. Squeezed in for the camera below, front facing:

And back:

True I have already spotted some catch up jobs to do. I don't like the helmet straps (green instead of brown) and I didn't pluck up the courage to paint the US flag on the sleeves of the jackets, as per the Flames of War painting guide description. These can wait for another day (if ever).

They are colourful and playful enough for my liking :)

First batch of British Infantry finished :)

Keeping this post very simple, so here it is my first British Platoon (Crossfire) or Company (Command Decision) of my late war British wargame force. Double plus good. Even going as far as putting a bit of staged scenery in the picture :)

I've already started on the second platoon/company (delete as applicable) so I have high hopes of having a tabletop wargaming force in the near future if I keep this momentum up. It is quite amazing in that I have been collecting 20mm WW2 kit for ages (since 1992) but I always have put off doing the infantry bit, when it should have been first up as it was/is the "Queen of the Battlefield". Note: When I exactly know what I want (ie which regiment) I will come back to them to do unit insignia markings, shoulder flashes etc.

I hear the Metal Goblins banging there drums in protest (see previous posts for an understanding of my ramblings here) but what the heck I'm enjoying doing these Tommies.

Flesh Highlights, Webbing and Blanko

Well if that title doesn't get some interesting Google hits (and hey ho possibly some wargaming converts) nothing will ;)

The determination is still high to press on to completion with the British Infantry. The colour scheme seems to be coming together nicely. Flesh highlights, webbing, shiny metal bits and assorted bits in the kit.

Eyes to the Front:

Eyes to the Back:

A long time coming but I am very happy with the first Cross Fire Platoon or Command Decision Company (delete as applicable). All that needs to be considered now is how to do a bit of flocking :)

The British (Infantry) are Coming (in batches of twelve)

Buoyed up by my success with the American infantry, I decided to take a crack at some of their Allied counterparts. An assortment of thirty Platoon 20 (now East Riding Miniatures) infantry have been lying around for at least the last five years, defying all my efforts to paint them. After several false starts I believe their time has finally come :) 

Inspiration crossed with a certain amount of practicality, as with the ability to preview the British Infantry  Painting Guide online I spotted an overlap between the colours in the US Paint Pack and the lone bottle of Vallejo English Uniform (the green/brown British Khaki battledress) I had already purchased. You could tell I had bought the latter sometime back by the shear amount of shaking I had to do before I got a good mix out (or rather, leaving me with a very painful sore wrist).

The clean up and base shade has been completed. A basic copy of the colours to figures, followed by a thin black wash. This was partly because if previous painting attempts had left a lot of noise on the figures and I wanted to bring some form of uniformity to the group. The state of play is shown below: 

Next will come lighter base colours and then true highlights, plus picking out interesting things like entrenching tools and other equipment from the packs. Apart from my painting guides I have the ERM examples to go on too, I just wish there were a few more.

Note: From the background you can probably hear the disgruntled chatter of my Metal Morian Goblins at yet again they have been overlooked in favour of WWII! Don't worry they'll be back :)

The first batch of Valiant's GI's painted: Saving Private Ryan?

Quite simply I enjoyed painting these tremendously and I will be seeking out the other Valiant packs, especially the British. :)

It was also very good fun to work with the Vallejo paints and mixing Vallejo with other paint ranges I have lying around. I am afraid I break the Vallejo doctrine of only using "distilled water" and I think the state of  my water jar in general would make them shudder, particularly at the irregularity of its changing to clean and the murky deposits at the bottom.

Anyway back to the GI's, these first eight figures are the "complete/whole" figures from the sprue needing no construction work done on them (FYI: Sixteen figures to the sprue, four identical sprue to the box, 64 figures in all, a nice generous amount). As hinted at the remaining eight figures require a bit of glue in assembling which of the multiple pose/variant parts (different satchels, heads and things to attach) you would like to use. These first eight I used as virgin, although I will doubtless tinker with those that follow on. Put it this way your 'spares box' will start to bulge. For some reason these first eight (see below) I associate strongly with "Saving Private Ryan". Not quite Rangers but good enough for me:

I think I will probably stick with individual bases, though people may shake their heads when I try and play CrossFire or Command Decision with them. The objective is to base up enough for a Command Decision battalion (which is roughly equivalent to a Crossfire company). I accept that they are chunky and large when next to other manufacturers but I forgive Valiant because the figures are so nice. I guess my challenge is for that not to happen on my wargames table (too often).

Painting techniques:

I used two different methods but with the same materials. The results of method one are shown below to the right, that of method two to the left. Note: Remember I did not need to PVA these boys as the plastic is really hard! A++

Alas the picture does blur when you click in, I still have to work on taking decent infantry shots :( 

Method One was my standard approach:

Base Coat Black (GW Chaos Black), Base Shade areas as per the Flames of War US Infantryman Painting Guide (Click into product to see a slightly blurry version of the guide [Vallejo Paints]), subbing colours from GW and Anita's Acrylics as required (remember I do not possess the Quartermaster Set, nor see the need to) and then highlight up the Vallejo paint with a cheaper Anita Acrylic (see the various paint squares I have on transparent ex-stationary items). The result is not bad (I'd actually say petty good as it pleasantly surprised me), though perhaps a tad heavy on the shadow lining. I did seven out of eight of the figures that way.

Method Two was a throw away approach:

I was playing around with a figure I had not yet undercoated and basically was slapping on the Vallejo paint still left on my brush. I followed method one but then gave it a relatively weak black wash (Anita's Acrylics) in the cracks and crevices. Annoyingly I think it is as good as or even better than my more time consuming method one. The shadowing is much less pronounced. It seemed that much quicker as I was prepared to put the paint on much rougher. There maybe an important moral here ;)

Any comments appreciated :)

German Late War Infantry, not quite Panzer Grenadiers

Another sample PVA primer experimental batch was carried out on the Revell opponents to the US Infantry  (see previous post) as shown below. Slightly repeating myself, the loss detail was slightly disappointing but for wargame figures they will do. Note to self: Next time, apply less PVA, watered down more.

Looking at the painting scheme it seems a little too green, not the field green-gray I was expecting. I will have to double check this. Again lots of other bare plastics of this type exist in my collection and they are a target for a factory style painting approach some approaching winter's day/night. Also shown, albeit with an early war paint scheme, is a  Esci Hanomag 251/10, though please note it does have the added (almost unique amongst my model AFV's) attraction of decals ;)

While posing the above photo I was reminded of a quibble I have with the Command Decision rules, particularly in 20mm, namely you are expected to have a Half-Track vehicle for each stand in your mechanised company. Not only is this expensive but it creates a visual problem when some twelve figures could be inside it and only two pop out of it. Scale wise there is an issue as in 20mm the half track takes up far more room than it should. In 1/300 or 1/200 it is on the same size base as that of infantry. Hence I am tempted to abstract this sort of transport from the individual stand level up to the company level. It also stops over aggressive use of Hanomags and American M3 Half Tracks being pointed machine gun facing the enemy pretending to be a light tank.