More Gebirgsjaeger from Battlefront

/

Originally posted 26th June 2012

More Gebirgsjaeger from Battlefront. Some of my initial enthusiasm has worn off, but I still think they are very finely sculpted figures. I'm almost sure two sculptors did the range: most of the figures are amazing, but there are a few that are more blobby mannequins!

First off, I'm loving this Big Man. Full of character and paints up really well.

Next, here's the first infantry zug completed. I particularly like the standing LMG team, far left in the middle squad as you look at the picture:


Note that I've changed the way I base my infantry. Rather than singles on 5p pieces, I've used doubles on 2p pieces, with a five-2p-piece movement tray allowing even quicker deployment. The 2p coins do come out of the movement tray for casualty and in-cover deployment.

And finally, here's a group shot just to let you see some more of the sculpts:

Right: on to the mortars now!

Gebirgsjaeger from Battlefront

/

Originally posted 9th June 2012

Even if I am now buying all my tanks and other vehicles as plastics from the likes of PSC and Zvezda, I still have a soft spot for the Battlefront infantry. Some of it is far from perfect (British Paras!) but some of the ranges are exceptional...including the relatively new Gebirgsjaeger.

I've only just started painting them up, but here are the infantry guns and an FOO:

Zvezda SdKfz 251 Half-tracks

/

Originally posted 4th June 2012

Buying all the vehicles you need for an armoured infantry company is always a painful experience, whatever nationality you're collecting. My late war Germans need half-tracks, but the thought of buying four per platoon caused my wallet severe palpitations!

Step forward Zvezda! They do a lovely little SdKfz 251/1 that I managed to pick up at only £2.99 a go. With P&P, my nine models cost only £30: a bargain considering what purchasing them from other manufacturers would have cost me.

The models snap together easily in about five minutes...once you have the knack of it. You need to take care you don't bend the front axles when popping on the wheels, and the curious thread-through, over-and-under body construction took me a bit of time to figure out.

So, how do they look? well, judge for yourselves:

PS  I know these are the Ausf. B so technically early war...but who's going to notice once they're on the tabletop!

PSC British Shermans

/

Originally posted 20th May 2012

As those who read this website regularly know, I have recently really got in to buying my WW2 tanks in plastic from either the Plastic Soldier Company or Zvezda. 

It means that I can afford to buy tanks by the squadron as opposed to the platoon with, in my opinion, no loss of quality either.

Here's my latest set of paint jobs:  a good part of a late war British armoured squadron armed with Shermans and Fireflys. Again, I can only say how easy they were to put together (once you get the knack of it) and how beautifully they paint up.

Are plastic tanks the way forward? Well, all I can say is that Battlefront have just released plastic Panthers. Better late than never, eh?

Plastic Soldier Company Shermans

/

Originally posted 2nd April 2012

Next on the list from the Plastic Soldier Company were some 76mm Shermans with wet stowage (i.e. the ammo was kept wet rather than dry).

 

These built very nicely indeed: even the usually tricky tracks were not too much of a bother. Lovely kits that take the paint very well: almost too well, as they have come out looking a huge amount smoother than their Battlefront metal and resin equivalents.

Here are some shots of the platoon, and one so that you can compare the Battlefront and PSC tanks.

Here are the Battlefront versions:

And the PSC ones again:

Incidentally, I still prefer to game with the metal and resin tanks from Battlefront (there's something comforting about that weight!) but the PSC plastics are just so well priced, and so much fun to put together and paint, that I think that I shall definitely keep buying them...especially where I need ten to twelve of the same tank.

Next up: the Brits. Some PSC Fireflies and normal Shermans. Two boxes worth! 

Panthers from Plastic Soldier Company

/

Originally posted 25th March 2012

Here are my latest tank models from Plastic Soldier Company:  a Zug of Panthers.

Although up to now I have focussed on the early war period and tended to buy Battlefront tank models, with my movement into the later war period I have expanded into using other manufacturers. These Panthers, along with the Panzer IVs, are plastic models from Plastic Soldier Company, and three out of four of the SdKfz 7/1s are from Forged in Battle. 

The reason?  Simple:  expense. I can field five tanks from PSC for at least half the cost of the Battlefront models: worth it when you're buying tanks by the Zug even if in principle you prefer metal to plastic!

One thing to note, however, is that the track assemblies can be a real pain to put together. If you look closely, you can see the difficulty I had in matching the top and the bottom of the track up properly on the bits right at the front and back. I don't understand why they can't just cast the whole track area as one piece, like Battlefront do. It would make life much easier!

Here's another shot of the Panthers:

Plastic Soldier Company T-34s

/

Originally posted 3rd March 2012

Buying Battlefront tanks can be an expensive business, so recently I've been augmenting my collection by adding platoons of Plastic Soldier Company 15mm tanks to my core Battlefront platoons.

Next onto the building/painting table were the T-34s...or, as I should say, the T-34s and the T-34/85s, as each kit comes with two turrets and guns allowing you to field both. That's one hull and two turrets per model : damn good value if you ask me!

Building them proved easy: even the track assembly wasn't too difficult (unlike the flipping Panthers I'm working on now which are a right pain in the arse). Painting them was equally easy.

So, in summary, PSC T-34s (and 85s!) are highly recommended, even if their weight (or lack of) does take some getting used to

Deployed as T-34s

Now deployed as T-34/85s: same body, different turret

LCVPs from Battlefront

/

Originally posted 12th February 2012

Here is the LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) set from Battlefront. The ships are nice models, and paint up well, but the infantry-being-carried were bloody awful: badly cast with none of the usual detail.

Incidentally, the infantry come in strips of four half-bodies. I mounted six strips in two rows of three on a thin base so that I can either have the LCVPs full of men, or empty, or put a vehicle in them.

These three are now all ready to carry the Rangers ashore for the fourth scenario from the Sicily pack: Gela 1!

Autocannon de 75mm

/

Originally posted 19th November 2011

Some Battlefront French. With the launch of the Blitzkrieg book, they brought out all these weird and wonderful units...and these are a prime example. These are Autocannon de 75mm mounted on De Dion trucks. I'm not sure how long they'll last on the battlefield, but I do love the look!

Later War Germans

/

Originally posted 13th November 2011

I've started posting pictures of my later war Germans. I hate painting camouflage, and prefer playing the early war period, so have avoided any figures like these before...but I got tempted by the Plastic Soldier Company Panzer IVHs (pictured below) at £15 for five tanks. 

Painting the pea dot camo was a bit of a pain, but I'm fairly happy with the results. Now to work out how to do the earlier stripey patterns!