Lend-lease Churchill

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Originally posted 20th January 2014

Those of you who visit regularly will know that I am in the process of painting a whole squadron of Churchill tanks: 19 vehicles if you include the full HQ Troop. 

Boxes of tanks from PSC come in fives (although they also do single sprues if you need just a single tank etc) so the four boxes I bought at Warfare left me with one left over. 

This I painted up as a lend-lease tank sent to the Soviets. It gave me a chance to practice painting a model from start to finish, which was very useful in terms of finding out if the spray paint I was using would melt the plastic (it didn't) and such things as checking and then repainting the road wheels not in black 'tyre' colour but in 'rest of the tank' metal colour - doh!

So here is my single lend-lease Mk III Churchill from PSC (with Battlefront Soviet tank commander). Lovely model but, as always, the turret was a pain to put together. I'm just glad that all my British Mk IVs have the cast turret! BTW, note the way the varnish has frosted the (very thin) gun barrel...must remember to watch out for this when painting the '19'.

WW2 British Tanks: Great Sources of Info

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Originally posted 20th January 2014

Now I am not normally particularly fussed about making my tanks from specific units: I use the same Panzers for every theatre they fought in. With the Churchills, however, I am endeavouring to paint up one specific unit: C Squadron from 4th Coldstream Guards, part of 6th Guards Tank Brigade. This is mainly because Dom's Decals provide a sheet with the names of all the C Squadron tanks on them, so I don't have to go mad painting the little blighters' names myself!

I thought, therefore, I'd share some of the research I used when deciding which unit to paint up, all of which came via the excellent TFL Forum.

June tank returns:

http://niehorster.orbat.com/017_britain/44-06-06_Neptune/Land/z_tanks_44-06-22_21AG.html

A complete list of British tank names (this is incredible!):

http://mmpbooks.biz/mmp/tables/Vehicle_Names_V3.pdf

The Armour in Focus page of the Churchill tank:

http://freespace.virgin.net/chris.shillito/a22new/

And, finally, the FOW page on Churchill tanks in Normandy:

http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=404

TFL Painting Challenge: First Entry from Mr Clarke

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Originally posted 16th January 2014

Updated again. 

Achievements from Mike Whitaker; munsterfan8; Thomas Nissvik; the Mad Padre; Jason Ralls and (shock, awe) the big man himself, Mr Richard Clarke!

And Kev (Fat Wally) has signed up as well, although he says he's only going to enter the stuff he paints for himself. I say no! Enter it all!

Anyway, as I know what's good for me, today's picture is from Mr Richard Clarke: a rather nice Panzer III from the Western Desert.

TFL Painting Challenge: Updated Again

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Originally posted 14th January 2014

Updated again. 

A couple of new participants:  Stumpy and Alexandros. That makes thirty-six people striving to increase their productivity!

And this weekend saw achievements from Benito, Mr Hodge, myself, Stumpy, Jon Yuengling, and Manuel Llano, with Manuel and Stumpy breaking their ducks.

Today's picture is from Stumpy: a Soviet T-35 with converted T-70 ammo carrier and three T-26 escorts. All in 15mm.

TFL Painting Challenge: Entries Flooding In!

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Originally posted 9th January 2014

More participants and more achievements for the 2014 Painting Campaign.

Additional participants (in no particular order) are Ralph Plowman, Joakim Ström, and Steve Parry-Harries, 

Lots of achievements as well. Top of the list has to be Warrior In The Attic who has managed to complete three Napoleonic French foot units plus officer and artillery. Lovely paint jobs worth a stunning 607 points. 

Other achievers are Jon Yuengling, two T-62 15mm tanks; Dick Bax, two 20mm Universal Carriers; Mike Whitaker, two 15mm anti-tank guns; and Jason Ralls with thirty-two 15mm Napoleonic British infantry and their mounted officer.

Napoleonic Foot from Warrior in the Attic

TFL Painting Challenge: More Entries

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Originally posted 7th January 2014

More participants and more achievements for the 2014 Painting Campaign.

Additional participants (in no particular order) are Mark Luther, Leif Eriksson, & Richard Danziger.

Matt Slade smashes his duck with 96 points for some gorgeous 28mm horse, with the Mad Padre right behind with 76 points mostly for nasty German pulp types. Richard Danziger scores 24 points for some lovely 95th Rifles, and Chris Stoesen re-bases a platoon of Italian infantry for 21 points.

Today's photo is a close up of some of Matt Slade's horse:

TFL Painting Challenge Update

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Originally posted 6th January 2014

I'm pleased to be able to add some more names to the participants in the 2014 Painting Campaign, and to record some more achievements.

Additional participants (in no particular order) are Craig Ambler, Derek Hodge, WillieB, Pingu, Dave Humm, Mike Whitaker, Jon Yuengling, Topi Mikkola, John Thomas, Jim Catchpole, John de Terre Neuve, Dick Bax, Warrior in the Attic & Chris Stoesen.

There have been some big scores notched up already. Jon Yuengling earned 144 points for his twelve 1/6000 ships; Mike Whitaker achieved 106 points for his 106 WW2 British Infantry; and Jason Ralls and Craig Ambler both managed about 60 points for 15mm figures again.

There have been some lovely photographs sent in as well. I'm going to feature two today. First up, Jason Ralls' British WW2 tanks; next, Benito has recorded his first points with a 28mm Italian LMG team.

Q13: Vornid Army List

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Originally posted 6th January 2014

I've mentioned before that one of the frustrations of 15mm sci-fi gaming is the fact that some brilliant ranges are incomplete, in that they might have a good selection of infantry, but they have no support weapons or vehicles.

One range that is a case in point is Khurasan's Vornid range of plantmen. Great infantry, nothing else. People weren't buying them, so the range wasn't expanded. Fair enough, but it means it's difficult to use them on the tabletop, as more rounded opponents take them apart too easily.

I've already expanded the Vornid army list with the addition of GZG support weapons crewed by Fungoid mushroom men (also from Khurasan), and Slishian Big Men and gunners from Hydra, and can now report I've found a source of vehicles as well in the form of Ravenstar Studio's Horrid range.

These are, well, horrid, as you'll see from the first additions, below. Ordering them involves e-mailing Ravenstar, but if you want a source of most unpleasant sci-fi creatures, with guns, then the Horrid are worth the trouble. Just to give you an idea of scale, the tanks below are over six inches long: this is Starship Troopers territory!

To the left are links to the updated Vornid Army List, the updated Vornid Gallery, and the updated 15mm Sci-Fi Manufacturers list (where you'll find a link to Ravenstar Studio's blog). Below are the Chitin Two-Gun tanks!

TFL Painting Challenge: The First Entries

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Originally posted 5th January 2014

The first few entrants into the 2014 painting campaign have registered, with some already submitting their achievements.

So far, the following have signed up, with their current points total in brackets afterwards:

Bairos, Vidal (20)

Bloggs, Fred

De Smedt, Koen

Gilbride, Chris

munsterfan8 (17)

Nissvik, Thomas (16)

Padre, Mad

Ralls, Jason

Vera, Benito

visbellica (30)

The TFL Painting Challenge Launches

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Originally posted 4th January 2014

The end of the year saw the customary collection of posts where Lardies listed their gaming achievements in 2013.

Most prevalent was the recounting of how many figures had been painted over the last twelve months, with posters gasping in amazement at the achievements of some members (especially the professionals) whilst bemoaning their own sad efforts!

Thus was launched the idea of a 2014 TFL Game-Ready Campaign or TFLGRC for short. It's a way for Lardies to collectively track what they have painted over the year, hopefully as a spur to self-improvement and an encouragement to greater productivity. 

Details of how to take part are in the links to the left or in the Contents column, as well as the links to where you can see who's managed what so far.

So pick up those dust-covered brushes, bite your thumb at your lead mountain, and join us all in the TFL Game-Ready Campaign!

Q13: Praesentia Army List

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Originally posted 3rd January 2014

I've finally got around to completing the Praesentia army list for Q13, based on the superb range of figures from Critical Mass Games.

I've been wanting to do these for some time as I am strongly tempted to make them my next sci-fi army purchase. They are the first Tech 4 army to be included within the lists, and have some excellent chrome to make them complete. 

Here's a picture of the box set showing the basic robot infantry force with Praesentia Big Men and various drones for support.

AAR: Three for IABSM

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Originally posted 1st January 2014

Those of you who regularly visit VL (bookmark us now!) will know that I love finding and collecting After Action Reports from all over the web. I especially like seeing how other people interpret scenarios that I have either written of played. So I was very happy, yesterday, when I found Whisperin' Al's blog which has several AARs for either IABSM or CDS.

Here's the first batch covering scenarios from the Defence of Calais and Sealion scenario packs. Lovely photographs of well set up tables and nicely painted figures. More to follow.

Coulogne

Coulogne Redux

Rearguard at Pevensey