On The Bench - Modern Soviets - Rocket Battalion

To help my BTR Regiment out on Thursday I thought I would paint up the integral Divisional Soviet Rocket Battalion this afternoon.


Here's some photos starting with the models primed.......

9K52 Luna-M (FROG-7) SSM Mobile Missile - Chemical & Nuclear Capability

9K51 Grad BM-21 Mobile Rocket Battery

Models based, de greased with 99.9% alcohol and primed Vallejo white with Evolution airbrush.

After leaving to dry for around 20 mins the models are painted using a thinned down Vallejo Russian Green for the rockets and a Coat D' Arms Russian Green for the Frog 7 (I wanted a different contrast on this model)

Citadel Null Oil wash is applied to the base coat to create shadows...

Once the ink dried I highlighted using Vallejo Russian Uniform mixed with a ochre yellow to create a subtle contrast effect. Wheels and windows all painted in black then Vallejo Earth brown applied to the bases and allowed to dry. I have airbrushed a thin coat of gloss varnish to protect the finish. I'll do another matt top coat tomorrow and finish off by pva and sand to base the models up.

These rockets are 122mm and have 40 tubes in each model. 200" range on table with AT = 4 and AI of 7 Check out the you tube link... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVm1unyKLtg

This is a tasty missile. It has a 700" range and it's AT=4 indirect with an AI of 8 with a conventional warhead. Can't wait to try this out against Mark on Thursday.

Check out the You Tube Link..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL5C19s_uzE

A productive afternoon's painting adding some more flavour to my Russian Division

Modern Soviet Infantry

Some pictures of my first lot of painted and based infantry for modern spearhead.

Figures are H & R,....


I have loads more stuff in work in progress which I'll post as and when I get stuff finished.

Modern Spearhead - Soviet Project

Today after a lot of thought I decided to go for it and order the Modern Spearhead rule book.

As I have a soft spot for Caliver books (not) I ordered the rules from the USA for £30

Yes a few quid more but that's that...............

Orders also placed with Magister Militum for a few packs of Soviet Infantry and heavy weapons and steel 30 x 30mm bases from precision wargame supplies.

I am going to give Scotia Grendel a go this time for my vehicles and other bits so it should be interesting to see what these look like in the flesh. On their website their tanks and command vehicles look very nice so a change of direction from H & R.

If I am desperate for anything I will no doubt have to order from Mr Captain Crap Kirk but we will cross that bridge as and when.

Went for GHQ infantry much the same as my WW2 British 3rd Division. I like the figures.

I'm not going to go full steam on this project but I think I should have enough stuff table ready by Summer.

Winter War Germans and Russians

I have spent the last few months painting and rebasing both Russian and German armies for the period 1941 -1945 but specifically for war in winter (October to March). 

This turned out to be a bigger undertaking than first thought as AFV's changed continuously through this period (as did the artillery) so it required that each period also had the necessary vehicles for each period which significantly increased the size and scope of the project.

Essentially its ended up with some 22 boxes of 6mm stands (roughly 11 for each side) which contain troops, heavy weapons, artillery, trucks, SPG's and tanks. 

Based for Spearhead (3cm square bases) and given a winter basing of my own concoction (a mix of white paint, PVA, ground granite (sparkly!) and bicarbonate of soda (body and 'clumpiness') it smooths over the talus underneath.  Finishing touch is a sprinkle of green foilage to simulate a bit of vegetation poking through.

I've also worked on some 'Stalingrad' style ruins with rubble-strewn roads separating ruined buildings and including parks and open areas to allow some tactical situations to develop.  In addition, I'm working on finishing a winter river but I don't know whether to 'freeze it over' or leave it flowing.

Anyway, here's the pics of some of the units.  I've retained enough Russian units to also do a spring / summer campaign if required but that's for another time...

Ruins with rubble-strewn roads and open spaces

A more aerial view of the same

German STU's on a winter board

The boxes of units for both sides.  Some just need finishing touches to the bases

Summer Russian tanks - bases just need drybrushing and finishing off.

Russian troops - riflemen (left) and SMG's (right)

Russian support weapons - HMG's, mortars etc/

Close up of Russian Ski-troops in white camo 

More Russian troops in Winter uniform (including brown overcoats for many)

Russian Summer Troops (box 1)

Russian Summer Troops (box 2)

German Heavy Tanks (some finishing touches required).  

German medium tanks (again, some finishing touches required - essentially creating units with the same camo scheme for each unit so they can be easily distinguished 'in the field')

German Waffen-SS troops in camo smocks

Russian 'secret weapon' - Katyusha Mk4 (actually a missile from Warhammer 40K Epic chucked in for fun!)

German early war medium tanks (Panzer III's mainly).  

German troops in various attempts at winter camo 

German trucks. 

German APC's - box 1 of 3

German troops with colour coded bases to denote unit and type

Armoured Train

A fully armed and armoured diesel powered scout will act as recon for the main armoured train.

I got a few things finished over Christmas and this H&R Soviet armoured train was one of them.  In anticipation of our next operational game set during the Barbarossa offensive, I will be giving the Russian players one of these to give them some tactical flexibility in compensation for their poor command and control.

The layout can be altered by the players and changed during the game if the train is taken off table for one turn!

The train has nine components; 1x engine, 2x turreted artillery cars, 2x Katyusha and AA cars, 2x ammo cars and 2x track/engineering cars.  In addition, as part of the unit, there will be a recon rail car, 2x engineer units and a cavalry recon element allowing the artillery components to bombard adjacent tables.  The train will require no orders and can move 12" a turn.  The track will repalce the road on 1C, 2C and 3B.  The train can be configured in any way the players want and ammo is unlimited as long as the ammo cars are not destroyed.

Aircraft and indirect artillery will attack random cars on a D10 which will ascertain which part of the train is suppressed/destroyed.

I need to work out defence levels for the elements - any suggestions?

ILYA MOUROMETZ V (russian wwi bomber)

Mark gave me this bugger to paint some time ago and having stared at it a number of times through the plastic bag I have to say I didn't fancy it and it kept getting thrown back into the 'to do' box. Too many struts.

However our recent foray into WWI convinced me to let this monster out of its incarceration and attempt to put it together and paint it.

Never in the field of war gaming has so many swear words been hollered at one miniature or for that matter at an absent Shakespeare ,however I finally managed to keep the fecker together and I am quite pleased with the out come.

Unfortunately I am well aware that Russ will break this in retribution for the Gotha affair.

Now I have to paint the sodding fighter.

Corps Blimey!!!

Reinforcements have just arrived for my WW1 Russians in the  form of Corps/Army artillery

it was acquired from the western imperial powers (irregular).

 GWAH15 Austrian commander

 GWF23 French 155mm Howitzer

 GWR14 Russian 15cm Howitzer

 HA5 British 60lbs

 HA4 German 21cm short howitzer

HA3 Naval gun on field mounting