Final post for 2017 (Waffen SS)

My final post of 2017!
        It's being a productive few weeks hobby wise despite both Christmas and the New years festivities being in full swing.  My Waffen SS are growing rather rapidly, they are another mix of both plastic and metal models.

 the metal figures are mainly from the sturmbattalion Charlemagne and also from the Waffen SS box set. The plastics are from the new plastic box set, they are all cracking figures. 

 The uniforms are a good mix of camo smocks, and good old pea dot. The choice of heads makes them even better 

 so that brings my post to an end and almost time to usher in a new year! 

 So thanks to everyone who's visited my blog and all the best for the coming new year 

All the best Russ 

Waffen SS support weapons

I am on a roll! I've just completed my next batch of Waffen SS for my slowly growing collection! A couple of mortars and a MG team. So straight in with the pictures

 The figures are all metal but have the separate heads so at least you can vary the look of them! This is something I have always liked, it gives you a little more variety and sometimes changing the head on a figure can really enhance the look of a figure or even break the look. 

 Both mortar teams have the same figures but changing the heads, the type of camo and even slightly different positioning of the figures can make all the difference.

 the MG team changing over a overheated barrel also helps to add more character! 

 it took a while to get the MG in the right position, but once in place it looked spot on.

 I'm hoping to add some armour over the Christmas holidays but only time will tell! 

So thanks for looking 

Cheers for now Russ

Bolt Action Germans based.

I took the bull by the horns and finally got my Waffen SS based. It's the first time I used the dish type bases. I'm normally pretty OCD about things so mixing the new and old flat bases I thought would be a real issue! But I can honestly say it hasn't bothered me much at all. So on to the figures!

 first ten up, all figures from the plastic Waffen SS box set. The mix of weapons is spot on for me, the variety always appeals to me. The more choice the better as far as I'm concerned from the choice of heads, weapons and poses is perfect for me. Least with plastic multi part figures I try not to have two figures look to similar. 

 Next squad a true mix, plastic SS & panzer grenadiers, metal SS and a mix of sturmbattalion Charlemagne! They all sit nicely scale wise and the fact that the metal figures are the same size makes them even more of a win. I have in the past tried not to mix metal and plastic figures due to the very fact that they are vastly different sizes! 

 just to prove they work here are the four panzer grenadier's painted as SS, they may not be 100% accurate but for my humble collection they are good enough, after reading how much pea dot was used in the later years I wanted to mix in more pea dot uniforms. So going forward there are more panzer grenadier's to be built and painted as Waffen SS.

 finally the figures from the sturmbattalion Charlemagne, I've got two box's of these and they are coming in very useful. The Arm insignia is easily removed with a file or craft knife so it's no real issue! 

So my venture back into BA is well and truely underway, the mortar teams and a MG team are on the paint table waiting for me to grab any opportunity that comes my way!  That about rounds things off, so thank you all for looking feel free to comment and catch you all again soon!

Thanks again

Cheers for n

Warlord Games Bolt Action Waffen SS

Once again WW2 has drifted into my hobby time, I picked up the warlord games German grenadiers a while back! I built a couple up but that's as far as it went. No paint was split on these little guys, until a few weeks back! Then what was a slow start slowly picked up speed. Before I knew it I had ordered myself the Waffen SS starter army, and a few bits that my wife got me for Christmas. Bless her! Apart from making me wait till Christmas for them I can't complain.

 the first batch of panzer grenadiers where painting up half and half. The three I painted as SS where really a trial run on attempting the camo after a while away from painting WW2.  I wasn't a 100% happy with them but it was a start! 

 side by side two of the figures from the panzer grenadiers box painted as both Waffen SS and a Panzer grenadier. I think they worked out rather well. 

 painting these certainly gave me a good go at several different styles of camo! 

 With my interest spiked I couldn't wait to get my first proper Waffen SS finished, they are not the quickest figures to paint but here they are 

 I wasn't inspired at first with the figures, I can't put my figure on it but maybe it's just me. Then out came the clippers and glue and I started to put them together! My opinion changed almost immediately, sometimes grey plastic just doesn't look inspiring. They started to look like proper Waffen SS in their smocks, at that point it seemed to click and inspiration flowed. They looked even better once the paint started to flow. So on to the mix of the figures, I think they work a treat, I've always been one for variety and this is one way to get that! 

So thanks for looking guys, feel free to comment and catch you all soon again with my next posting

Cheers for now Russ 

Brutes from Hell

I've finished up my latest commission, two hellbrutes! Both nasty looking beasties for sure. I've done a minor conversion on one so his leg is raised as if he is striding forwards. I think it's worked but the proof is in the pudding so on to the pictures

 the usual liberal daubing of blood to complete the look! They are in keeping with the rest of the chaos force, classic red and gold and the accent colour of sotek green. The purple tongues work a treat and show's up the blood better than I expected 

 the combination of machine and flesh really hammers home the Chaos theme, the puddle of green slime leaking from the barrel adds that bit more colour to the grey rocky base. 

 Next up the hammer, once again classic chaos! Well in my mind anyway, the huge hammer just ready to pummel its enemies into the dirt and rock. 

 once again the combination of flesh and machine integrated! The blood pumping around its machinery pipes and veins! 

 the terrible twosome back to back. 

 and finally side by side! 

So thanks for looking guys 

Feel free to comment

  Cheers for now Russ 

The 54th Massachusetts (Glory)

My latest recruits have arrived, I'm sure they will need very little introduction the 54th Massachusetts. One of my favourite ACW films, "Glory" the story of the 54th. Great cast and pretty enjoyable watch! So on to the figures

 the lighting today was terrible and so was my photography, I really don't think I've done these guys justice. Between the lighting and the figures looking way to glossy I think it's a bit of a fail! 

 Robert Gould Shaw or my version leads the gallant 54th on the battlefield, small conversion but nothing special. The sash and the shoulder bars are greenstuff but other then that the figure seemed to fit the part really well. 

 I added small details such as different colour blue trousers and different colour skin tones to add that bit more variety to the unit. 

 The figures are Dixon miniatures and despite a couple of greenstuff additions they are pretty much as they came! I know that's not like me but they hopefully tick the  right boxes.

So thanks for taking the time to read, and catch you all again soon 

   Cheers for now Russ 

The 5th US coloured cavalry

I have being busy adding some more troops to my slightly neglected Union forces. Once again there are some conversions besides the obvious head swaps! They are Dixon miniatures and why not they are such nice figures. So on to the minis, standard cavalry figures with a head swap, it went pretty well and no major glaring gaps missed so I reckon it's a win

 These guys risked it all and the 5th paid for it pretty severely, as did most of the coloured troops who signed up for the blue suite. 

 Even though they are Union troops I still like to give a bit of a varied look to them. IE some jackets without the yellow trim and various coloured blanket rolls. 

Im guessing most civil war buffs have seen glory, the 54th will be added to my collection but it only seemed fair after adding the 26th coloured infantry a while back that I added some cavalry. 

 I have tried again to improve my lighting set up, it's getting there but there is still room for improvement.

 The bugler's arm is a plastic addition and the greenstuff sergeant's stripes but that's about it on these guys. Once I had done the heads I was keen to get painting and get these guys finished.

So thanks for looking, feel free to comment and catch you all again soon 

Cheers for now Russ