Adventures in camouflage land, WIP2

Work on my French Paras continued over the weekend. This is just such brilliant fun!
Painting these guys has simply been the best painting fun I've had since...painting their Viet Minh opponents a while back. They are more fun than Dust Tactics figures and that is saying a lot, I can assure you!

So, some pics. I am still getting used to the camera on my new Samsung and all of these were taken indoors in lamp-light, but I hope they will at least show the progress made.

 Note that the gaiters and carrying straps are grey because they are not yet painted while the rifle stocks are grey because I am working a way of painting them to reflect the fact that they were made from aluminium.

Any suggestions on how to paint oxidised aluminium are appreciated!

I also based the LRDG that has been sitting untouched on my desk since October last year. The basing material is white acrylic paste mixed with MIG African Earth pigment. I think it is too red for the Libyan desert and will need some paint or wash, but it will be perfect for the DBP figures as the soil in the Viet highlands look close to this.

Adventures in camouflage land, WIP1

Last night, I started painting the camouflage on my French Paras for the Indo-China war. This will be fun, however it turns out!
So, what am I trying to achieve?

Basically, this. Troupes AéroPortées modéle TAP 47

I have tried sorting out the various versions and iterations of the TAP47 and realised that even if I can sort out the differences between them, I will not really be able to reproduce them in 28mm anyway. I will instead settle for trying to make sure that a casual observer will be able to tell if the figure is wearing TAP47 or for example Denison:

Since the French troops in Indo-China used lots of WW2 surplus, both British Denison and USMC camouflage uniforms were present.

So much for the references. On to the pictures of my WIP.

Base coat of Vallejo Carne Muerte, then horizontal green stripes. I used Feldgrau for this test because I had no properly green colour. We'll see how it goes.

Next horizontal and vertical brown stripes and blotches. I used Vallejo Mahogany. 

Gondorians done, Frenchmen started

I actually managed to finish some figures last night (ok, they still need to be varnished) and started on some new ones. The finished guys are Veterans of Osgiliath that I got in a trade a few years ago.

Three down...

I also got started on some French Paratroopers from Red Star for the Indo-China War. These promise to be as much fun to paint as the Viet Minh troops I did a while back. Paul Hicks is a bloody genius! 

 ...three to go as can be seen behind the five French guys.

On the subject of Indo-China, I have just received one board game about Dien Bien Phu and have gotten confirmation that another one is now ready for shipping. There will be reviews of these as soon as I have played them.

Secret Santa time!

It is time again to sign up for Secret Santa, presented by Ian at The Blog With No Name
I took part last year and got a lovely LRDG truck that, I am ashamed to say, is still not built or painted. Maybe I need to get my skates on and finish last years present before this years arrives.

Anyway, go to Ian's blog, read the rules and sign up. It really is great fun!

One small step for Africa, one slightly smaller step for Gondor

I finished two figures for the 28mm North Africa project, one LRDG guy and one DAK. Both are Perry, but the LRDG guy has a Warlord Celt head...or maybe a GB Dark Age one, I can't remember.

I also finished a squad of Gondor Militia for my Dux Gondorum project. More about them on that blog.

Stonehaven Miniatures pop-up terrain

As you may remember, I took part in a kick-starter from Stonehaven Miniatures for a range of pop-up paper terrain. Last week they sent out test-versions of the various designs for us to play with and comment on. The hexes in the final versions will be a foot across, but the ones below are printed at A4 size so just about half that. I have printed and built the first two models, the gazebo and the fort.

Here is what they look like:

 Both hexes, folded in half

Both hexes, held together

 As above, but turned to the side

 Both hexes folded out

 From the side

 Close-up of the gazebo with roof closed

 Gazebo with roof open

Close-up of the fort

 The gazebo, being folded

The fort, being folded

The question follows, of course:if they are paper, will they support miniatures? Yes the will! These test examples are printed in my laser printer onto 170 gsm paper intended for photo albums. As I have no suitable metal figures available, I've used the card deck from Dux Britanniarum The Raiders to demonstrate. This is a standard card deck. Remember, the final product will be bigger and on stronger paper.

 Placed across, the roof does not even bulge

Placed the weak way, the roof bulges but holds

In summary, I am really excited about this. It has been a blast building these and I really look forward to the final, full colour version promised for November. It really will be a battlefield in a box!

A resolution and the resulting agony of choices

I did not make a New Year resolution this year, since the one for last year was about as useful as a chocolate frying pan. Now, however, I will make a part-year resolution:I will buy no new minis in 2014!

The reason I am able to convince myself that I have any hope of actually sticking with this and going 5 months without a purchase is that I have so much already that I want to paint and more coming in. The stars seem to be aligning for the end of 2014 as Kickstarter Delivery Season. I have taken part in five Kickstarters so far:
1, Torn Armor. That ran into trouble with a dodgy partner, but seems to be on track now with the board game part at least arriving later this year.

2, Baker Company Winter War. This was delayed by a broken spin caster and a victim of it's own success. Gav must have been working round the clock since it funded. I already have the first wave of minis and a tank, and more vehicles and troops will arrive later this year.

3, Mars Attacks. Mantic hoped for August delivery and the components have indeed left China with August looking difficult but September hopeful.

4, Dust Babylon. Battlefront hoped for August delivery. Not looking very good as the pledge manager is not out yet, but I remain confident in delivery...later this year.

5, Stonehaven Miniatures Pop-Up Terrain. I opted for the colour PDF version and they are saying November for that.

This is three years of Christmas spending finally coming all at once. It will be a busy winter.


Quite apart from the stuff coming in, I have stuff waiting that I really want to get painted. I'll make a list and return to it after Christmas to see if I actually finished any of it. Note that this list is written from memory during coffee break at the office. Lots of stuff is waiting but not on the list.

1, a dozen Rangers for Dux Gondorum
2, six Veterans of Osgiliath for Dux Gondorum
3, six French Paras for French Indo-China
4, a Panzer IV for GuP
5, a Schwimmwagen for my Ostfront project
6, a Ford truck for LRDG
7, a Sherman for GuP
8, a whole bunch of 6mm ACW from Baccus for TCHAE and Longstreet
9, plastic Warriors from Gripping Beast for Dux Gondorum
10, Finnish and Soviet troops for Winter War
11, livestock for Dux Gondorum
12, three busted Panthers intended as terrain features
13, a Jeep for my Brit Paras, or possibly LRDG
14, a Flak 36 for Ostfront
15, a Sd. Kfz 251/10 for Ostfront

And finally there is the Secret Project! Lots of hobby bloggers I follow do Secret Projects from time to time. I have started one that is intended to be a pleasant surprise for my gaming group during a games day around Christmas.

That's it. If you read all the way here, you truly are a gaming nerd and I salute you!