British WW2 - 15mm, I have made a start

After sometime away from the painting table I have managed to paint a few British WW2 infantry. These are the Plastic Soldier Company (PSC) figures I picked up from the Exeter games show back in May. 

The top image is of 5 out of ten infantry figures I have done - the PSC figures work well with the base coat wash and highlight. The gun and ammo is a 3D print (there is another one), the crew figures are PSC figures - I think they are from heavy weapons teams figures which were in the pack that I picked up. 

The bottom 3 bases are a Bren, Piat and 3 inch mortar team - I have a 4 inch mortar, a vickers team and another Bren team to add to the force.  Plus more infantry sections …

I have enjoyed these as they are simple to paint with pretty good results. 

Morts

Stugs

I have repainted some STUGs for the WW2 games I might play in the future (I real need a room that has a table set up in it, so I could play games over a couple of weeks … but that really needs a lottery win, so isn’t likely to happen). 

I think they look pretty good - but I have to decide if am going to numbers on them. The ones I have are on the sheets in the picture, which look a little big for them to be honest. They are BPM 15mm numbers, but I don’t think they will look right. Perhaps I will look to see if Victrix 1/144 will fit better. Then they will need varnishing and some weathering. 

Morts 

Shermans finished - at last

The decals arrived from Bulters Printed Models - nice they are too - although each you have to cut each individual symbol out as they are printed on one sheet, probably why they were cheaper than the FOW ones - but I do have lots of choices. I haven’t used the divisional markings - I was hopping the 4th or 8th Armoured Brigade - but they weren’t on the sheet. 

The 4 British tanks - pretty pleased with these. Put stars in circles on the rear deck - which is generally how the British displayed the allied star. 

The US tanks with stars on the turret - put on the weight symbols - I only did light weathering on the tracks and hull. 

Better paint some Germans next - probably stugs (as I have 3 to repaint from dark grey to the classic Normandy/late war scheme). 

Morts

Shermans Painted

I have finished painting the Sherman tanks I put together at the weekend. Two British and two American - just waiting for the decals to arrive (should be tomorrow).

The darker green British M4A1 Shermans with sand guards. The jerry cans are stuck on the front guard, as I saw this on pictures from Normandy when I was checking if the British used the cast hull M4A1 model. These are probably a bit too dark … but nevermind - I might have to get a Churchill tank.

I think these M4A3 Shermans have come out rather well - so hopefully that bodes well for the other 6 or so tanks I have to paint - I am looking forward to finishing these off with the decals and some light weathering. 

Morts 

Sherman tanks

So I have been struggling with Sherman tanks - especially with having painted the 3D printed Firefly and Cromwell. In the Hit the Beach Set you get 8 Sherman tanks - all with cast hulls M4A1s, which the British didn’t use that much … I also had 2 M4A3 hulls from the Tanks set I picked up - So I was thinking of using the M4A3’s as the basis of a couple of British Shermans - again the British didn’t use that version very much either. 

However, I did find this https://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=6634  

So I decided to make 2 British M4A1- with sand-guards for the 8th (or 4th) armoured brigade. Top picture. The US Sherman tanks won’t have sand-guards when I build them.

While I was building the British Sherman I thought would tidy up the M4A3 Shermans which came with the tanks. The bottom picture shows an up armoured Easy8 (like Fury) on the right and a standard M4A3. 

Morts 

Some painting done - WW2 and Kill Team

 Been busy so I hadn’t varnished these for a while or done anything else with them.

The Sherman Firefly and Cromwell 3D prints I picked up a while ago (not as far back as the plastic tanks, but hey Ho). I might have picked a too dark a green for them, but in my mind British Tanks were always a darker green than American tanks. I’m happy with them, just need to get some decals to finish them off.  Actually need decals for the Germans and Americans too. 

Also varnished these 5 Corsairs (still need to base).

The Way Seeker - the psychic for the team. 

A gunner with blaster (I think, but it might be a wraith cannon) and a Shade Runner. 

A soul Weaver and a warrior (based on a guardian body, but with arms and head from the Corsairs kit).

I am going to have to write the type of warrior on the base somewhere, because there are too many to remember. 

Just 5 Corsairs to go and the team is ready for action. 

Morts

So a little update … things sold and bought

After looking at the pictures on the blog - I sold off the Mantic dragon as it was too big compared to the other dragons I have, so I moved it on - made a bit of profit on it. I also moved on the Oathmark rules as I hadn’t played them and the units are based on multiples of 5, whereas all my existing stuff are in units of 12 for infantry or 6 for cavalry. So I will put that down to an incompatibility issue. I also sold a couple of other bits (excess 54mm fantasy and 1/72 cyclops), so the figures I have kept are even better value. 

Unfortunately this did mean I reinvested in some other stuff.

I pick up some more Ad Mech Skitari - 9 bodies and bits (I have some spare head etc from previous skitari builds and 5 on sprue but they might go on eBay at some point). 

I also picked up a Firefly and Cromwell 3d prints. 

Got them pictured here with some Flames of War Shermans I pick up in the Tank eBay bargain earlier this year. Happy with the models, scale well with the FOW stuff. Now to paint some …

Morts

Tanks - An eBay bargain.

So during COVID I picked up a copy of Hit the Beach - the Flames of War starter set. Which is still almost mint in box (well on sprues), and a Zvesda Tiger 1, so I could play world war 2 games. This is also why I picked up the Airfix Battles game, by Modiphius. Obviously this project has been on the back burner for a while … as are most things at the moment. But the plan is to start it off once the Age of Reason stuff in 15mm is complete - by the year of the year. However despite it being on the back burner, I have been looking at adding to the forces - but the little tanks and stuff come in at about £6 a sprue or so, anyway I was perusing eBay when I came across this ….

The old Tanks starter set - not fully completed with cards - I haven’t got the German cards, but I have the British cards (no British tanks mind you) - but I do have the rest of the bits and bobs - tokens, woods and dice. But I wasn’t buying it for the game. This set came with 9 tanks!

I have been on the lookout for some Stug IIIs and now I have 4, and another Panzer IV (so now 4 in total with the hit the beach set). Really pleased to have picked up a Panther and Jadgpanther - them Germans really don’t need anymore tanks! For the allies the 2 Shermans here make a grand total of 10. I’m not sure if I will keep all the Sherman/Stugs/PzIVs - we will see. Of course the this mission creep means that I now want a Firefly, Cromwell and Comet and some British infantry. 

A good purchase for about £14 including postage - a right bargain!

Morts

A small package arrived .....

With some of the money from the Lord of the Rings clear out - I have reinvested in a new period for me! World War 2 - with the battlefront complete starter set in a box - HIT THE BEACH.

At just over £30 (From Firestorm Games - delivered in under 24hrs!), I think a bit of a bargain.
11 tanks (8 Shermans, 3 mark IVs), 2 guns, 90 infantry, a bit of scenery, dice (20) and a set of rules!

I am actually thinking of using the Airfix battles rules if I am honest, but I might give Flames of War ago.

Not totally sure when I will get around to starting this new period, but 15mm seems a much better scale for armoured warfare than 25/28mm - I can use some of the early 18th Century buildings and stuff, which is nice.
Got a couple of other things in the post, which I will show when they arrive.

No more figure buying for me - apart from 3 Wargods of Olympus Demigods when Black Pyramid get some stock in! Also I have spent a fair amount of the money raised from the clear out on a dropper post for the bike and the better half’s birthday present. But I’d also rather like to get a couple of extra units for my fantasy human army (another cavalry unit and a 2 handed weapon unit - but yet to see the figures for the job at the price point).

Morts