Modern Combat

To finish off what has been a very productive painting weekend I decided to paint up one of the 8 SAS Moderns from Empress that I have. I don't really have a clear plan as to what this model and the others like it that I have are for. I'm thinking of using these guys to start a small force for Ambush Alley modern combat skirmish games, or equally these guys could be fighting in a zombie apocalypse games.

The model was great to paint and I'm pleased with the finish.

Mrs Miggins

I have to say I really enjoyed painting this Empress figure from their Spanish Civil War range. I decided to paint this model as though she had dropped everything to defend the home. I liked how the dress turned out and I like the contrast with the webbing and hat, oh and the very un lady like boots.

The figure comes with an oil drum which the LMG is braced on, as I didn't want to base this up to look like a street scene I decided to pop some reeds in front of the drum as though it was abandoned near a hedgerow. I need to prune the reeds and probably add a bit more to make it look more wasteland/hedgerow like.

I'll be adding this to my Big Game 3 force, one of my favorite models, and favorite paint jobs.

2 Section

Well I have spent today finishing the 2nd of my 4 man RAF sections. These four will be joining the first section and Wing Cmdr Burleigh as part of my Wittering Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). The majority of the force will be made up of militia with a squad or two of RAF gunners. I think the RAF squads will be made up of 10 men in the end but I find painting in batches of four easier so I have a couple of left over guys to paint at some point.

In other news my order from Empress came so I have 8 of their great modern SAS guys to paint along with a small selection of their Spanish Civil War types who will be painted up as militia for either my Big Game 3 force or my Wittering LDV force.

1 Section

Just completed my first section of 4 RAF gunners for use in my new force. I quite like the finished effect and it's only taken me two afternoons to complete them, just need to base them now. I still have another section to paint up but I think I will do that another day.

Wittering Defence Force

Received  a selection of Artizan miniatures today. Enough for an infantry squad and this officer chap. I've painted him before but as an Infantry officer for my VBCW force. As I have completed the force I need for the game in November I thought I would make a start on my own force which is based around RAF Wittering. Wittering was home of a training squadron until the mid 30's when it was converted into a fighter base.

In my alternative history the base having been cleared of the training squadrons and personnel is awaiting delivery of aircraft and new fighter squadrons when the civil war breaks out in 1938. The base commander who I have decided to name Wing Commander Burleigh (no relation) does not hold with the views of the BUF and Mosley so decides that Wittering will remain under his protection and not BUF control. Accordingly he has raised a small local defence force out of the skeleton base crew and local volunteers.

I'm going to flesh things out a bit at some point but for the moment the above model is Wing Commander Burleigh in battle dress, the plan is to paint up my other new squad in similar RAF colours. The rest of the force will be militia as the base is understaffed.

Flying the Flag

Finally got round to adding a flag to my standard bearer. As I'm playing as the SFF in the Big Game 3 in November I knocked up an appropriate flag in photoshop. For the uninitiated (which includes me) the symbol on the flag is the flag of Somerset. I just photoshopped it down to size and added the text. the flag pole is just a paper clip painted black. My wife's comment was that the flag's a bit big, or to be more precise "if it was any bigger it would be a tent". Personally I think its fine, any smaller and it would look (in my opinion) like a big hanky, besides you want the enemy to know who you are, don't you?

Somerset Freedom Fighters

Well here it is my completed force for VBCW for use in the Big Game 3 in November. The picture quality is a bit rubbish i'm afraid as I struggled to get good quality pictures of  large groups of miniatures.

The Cmd Platoon consists of 1 Officer a standard bearer (with standard to be added) 3 dispatch riders and a HMG Team. 1st and 2nd Platoon is made up of 10 Rifles, 1 Officer, 1Sgt, 1 LMG Team and 1 Bomber per Platoon. My Third Platoon, thanks to the fickle roll of the dice is under strength. Therefore it is made up of 1 Officer, 1 Sgt and an LMG Team.  All I need to add now is some sort of transport.

What I like about collecting a 28mm force for VBCW is that I can use the same miniatures in a number of other periods, be it WW2, WW1 or VSF, which is handy for a lazy sod like me.

In other news my wife discovered there was a Hobbycraft centre near our town, resulting in a shopping trip where I had to resist the urge to buy 90% of the shop. Sufficed to say my stocks of foam board, balsa wood and other bits and pieces have been renewed.