Wednesday Workbench 28 April

 

An empty workbench? Well, that's only because I haven't actually got anything being crafted or painted right now. I decided to take yesterday and today off to catch up on reading. However, this evening I did make a start on something:

In case you need some help figuring out what I will be doing next, I have drawn the outlines for some hills on various thicknesses (25mm, 50mm and 75mm) of XPS foam. Tomorrow I will be cutting those shapes out and starting to carve them. 

Some of these will be "desert" hills, others will be grassy.

Finished: 28mm WW2 Polish Paras

 

My prediction held true and I did get the second batch finished today.

Senior Leader

Junior Leader and Bren Team

Rifle Team

2" Mortar Teams

PIAT Teams

These are all from Warlord Games.

Obviously eighteen figures isn't enough to field a full platoon of Polish paras. If/when I do so, I will simply bulk them out with helmeted figures from the rest of my collection, ensuring that each section or support team has at least one chap with a grey beret (I'm now trying to remember if I have a full 6 pounder crew in helmets...).

The Polish Airborne's Synchronised Hopping Team

Paint Table Saturday 24 April

 

I've made a surprisingly good start on the first batch of Polish paras - I've only got the metals and bases left to paint. I should be able to get that done tonight and have them varnished tomorrow. That will allow me to make a good start on the second batch and hopefully have them finished on Monday.

I won't be doing a "finished" post until both batches are complete.

I'm not sure what will be hitting the table after these. Maybe some terrain?

Finished: US Para HQ and 60mm Mortar Squads

 

If you recall my Wednesday Workbench post, I did indeed finish them today!

HQ Squad

Platoon Sergeant, Lt, 2nd Lt plus rifleman

60mm Mortar Squad

The HQ squad figures are all Crusader; the mortar squad are all Artizan apart from the kneeling chap with carbine which is Crusader.

And that is it (for now) for my US Para force. All in, I have painted 90 figures in slightly over 3 weeks (which included a few days of painting breaks). At some point I will be adding rank insignia decals and tufting the bases.The decals will have to wait until I next place an order with Warlord.

My next project will be more airborne troops, this time some Polish paras for my Arnhem collection. The first figures are out on the table ready for me to begin painting them:

There are just eighteen figures for this mini-project, which I will paint in batches of nine. Conveniently nine are in berets and nine are in helmets.

Wednesday Workbench 21 April & Podcast

 

I decided to take a couple of days off painting and only made a start on the final batch of US Paras this evening. So far I've only done the flesh; with just ten figures in the batch I should be able to get the buk of the painting done tomorrow and have them finished on Friday.

Podcast

A few days since publication, but a bit quicker than the last one I posted links to. In this episode we discuss whether ACW rules should include bonus factors for the quantity and style of facial hair of the respective commanders or whether it is even worth gaming the period at all. Adam makes the mistake of asking how I would paint the white caparisons of Teutonic knights, rather than asking how I think he should do so. Also the usual garbage the less than magnificent seven are famed* for.

* if having 2 or 3 listeners can be counted as "fame".

Finished: US Rifle Squad 4

Another day, another "Finished" post and it is more US Paras. You may be getting almost as bored of these as I am, but never fear - there is only one more batch to go after these!

Squad Sergeant & LMG Team

Rifle Team

The Sergeant and the chap with a carbine in the LMG team are from Crusader; all the others are from Artizan.

Given the quite different styles of the Crusader and Artizan figures, I am considering a reorganisation of the figures so that the main platoon is all Artizan, with the support squads being all Crusader. As it is unlikely that i will ever field two full platoons, I may rebase the HQ squad figures as Jump Off Points.

Finished: US Para Rifle Squad 3

 

Well, that's two "Finished" posts in two days, if only because I forgot to post the previous batch on Thursday.

Squad Sergeant & LMG Team

Rifle Team

The LMG gunner and loader are from Artizan, all the other figures are from Crusader. I've made a good start on the next batch - the fourth rifle squad and should finish painting them tomorrow which means they'll be varnished and ready for posting on Monday.