Ardennes Offensive

[leopard]

Since I appear to have gained an SS force, mostly for Chain of Command but perfectly usable in Bolt Action, figured I'd start a thread about them.

As yet the officer in charge is an unknown hero, have a Lt to lead the basic platoon plus a Captain in overall charge... This as there is enough of the swines for two platoons with the support spread out.

Indeed just totalled the value of the stuff, and if you ignore the force selector its about 2k3... with only one vehicle in the mix.. ouch.

Plan is a nice winter theme, bases will be a mix of snow and mud and hopefully a decent paint job, hopefully..

Force build up is intended to be reasonably historical so they have the MG42 even though its not overly worth the points in Bolt Action, better than other factions LMG though. Squads are at the minimum size, basically bought and run as fire teams, lots of fire teams, backed by a single slightly larger formation with assault rifles, the odd panzerfaust lurking then a mix of support stuff but most of it infantry based. Figured games with stuff dug in get dull, so hopefully this lot all being vets and pretty much all being stuff that moves should help dig them out.

Suitable names will be developed as they earn them.

Anyway, current status:
Panzer IVH in progress, a WiP pic is in the WiP thread
about 30 models assembled and based, waiting primer and the arrival of a paint guide book, aimed at 1:35 scale models so will see what of it I can use, hopefully these dastardly swines will look decent when done.

Rest is in blisters still, will get the first batch done which should be a small usable force on its own, small but far from cheap, has to be circa 1k just the stuff above..


There is also a somewhat smaller American force being put together.. found some nice greatcoat models though sadly not a full range of them, may have to try my hand at a few conversions.

The thick plottens

[Baldie]

My EW greatcoats can easily fight in the Ardennes.
May be around eight years until I paint em.

[Josh]

My holiday read was ardennes 1944 hitlers last gamble,
I recommend

[leopard]

My holiday read was ardennes 1944 hitlers last gamble,
I recommend

Ordered, from the reviews looks a good read, ta for the heads up

Book on painting SS has arrived, had to order a few more colours as this has an interesting way of doing the skins that looks worth a try, designed for 1/35 scale models but its mostly drybrushing and washes/glazes so should work on 28mm as well, will see how it goes. The method here actually looks if anything easier than layering and should look better as well as a practical way to shade and highlight the camo..

Shading and highlighting camo in 28mm.. madness, madness I tell you.

Oh and the Panzer has gained its white wash, doesn't look as good as the Sherman but not yet black lined and with the lighter base will need the mud to make the effect work.. All that time (well an hour) putting camo on it and you can hardly tell..

[leopard]

Mini supply drop today, however not anything useful, or more specifically stuff that would be useful if the other stuff turned up first..

Plus side that book has arrived and looks a suitable door stop to keep me going for a while.

Anyway, a start has been made on the army.



Assembled, stuck to 25mm steel discs (which grip the mag sheet in the box better than a coin will, given these are metal models this seemed a good idea), bit of filler then primed, then the airbrush utterly dismantled and scrubbed, then primed again properly, two coats, followed by a coat of actual black paint as the guide I have noted this as a good starting step since they work up from a solid black.

[leopard]

Also have some Americans for this, not sure what unit they will be from but they are not currently carrying unit markings so probably doesn't overly matter.

Artizan models, greatcoat Americans, and very nice they are as well, and nowhere near as cartoony as the photos on the website make them out to be.

First up, the crew of "Slightly Vexed", starting with the driver, Benny


The Gunner, Wingnut


Loader, Spider


Radio Operator, Kyle


Commander will be a greatcoat model when disembarked, not yet painted

All together with the M4 they call home



Then on to the unit themselves,

Riflemen


Submachine gunners


Browning Automatics


Group Photo


Nice models, painted a bit differently to my usual methods, black base, pre shading with white then glazed layers for the flesh and cloth colours, metals a more conventional layering.

Bases are meant to represent a frosty muddy earth effect far too early on a morning. Will eventually gain a bit of snow. The twelve infantry took about 8 hours in total, four tank crew a few hours Friday evening as a test for the colours. All in all a lot faster than I expected and they have come out I think pretty nicely. Another 12 on the go, which is the sum total of my US forces to date, not quiet enough riflemen for a single squad but can sub one for a carbine or SMG easily enough. Still just one squad though.

[Baldie]

They look very good.

[leopard]

Too dark for picces, need to get myself a photo light box really, also need to get somewhere to put it.. one of these is easier than the other.

Anyway, the Americans are now all done, 24 of them plus the tank crew, just need varnish which will be done on Saturday before they get brought up, something about a bank apparently.

Made a start with the Germans as well, a single SS squad so far started, skin tones done, bit more involved than the Americans but they look a bit better, and unshaven to boot, such a disgrace, will be boots without polish next.

Hope to start the camo this week and may have the option to use them at the weekend as well, well there will be enough of them.

[Baldie]

The Reds are ready to face down the filthy enemies of the glorious motherland when they are finished.
Failing that they will take on the SS.

[leopard]

SS will be a decent sized force, actually building it for Chain of Command, so need three full size squads with historical load out, plus the HQ then whatever as support. Have the CoC lists for Soviets as well...

The way support works a Soviet attack on a German position could be a big game, Soviets would roll 2d6 for how many 'supports' they get and add the delta in force quality, which would be +9 here... ouch, the 2d6 roll is capped at 10 but even so, potentially 19 support units (squad of bods is generally three of four support points, something like an IS-2 is normally 10 or so).. The Germans meanwhile get half the 2d6 roll.. and thats it.

So while both forces start as roughly the same size, though the Germans a lot better quality and better equipped the Soviets get to bring a few mates from the pub to lend a hand.

Ran up the force for Bolt Action, can to over 3k...

Just need to get the hang of the camo, made a start and have a guide book thats offering a few unusual techniques, if the first bods come out right will do some WiP pics of the stages, the skin tones have come out very nicely, mix of drybrushing, layering, washes and pin washes - plus a stroke of genius for painting the eyes and not looking like they are on drugs - the eyball is painted the skin highlight colour, so its a light colour but not too different from the skin round it dropping the cartoon look nicely.

Tempted to get a couple of 1:35 kits from Tamiya and have a go at a display model