Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays and All the Best for the New Year

 

Thank you to everyone who has viewed my blog,

All the Best for the New Year,

Peter 😃

WW2 1/56th scale M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer

 This M18 Hellcat Tank destroyer is a welcome addition to my U.S. Armoured platoon, the kit is made by Blitzkrieg Miniatures, mostly airbrushed except for the stowage items, AK Interactive weathering pigments were used to give it a weathered effect and gunmetal on the bare steel. This is a resin cast model, personally I think they're most suited for wargaming rather than the plastic kits which are a bit light and fragile. The vehicle comes with a choice of 2x turrets and 2x seperate barrels.

The decals were supplied by Warlord Games, there is no 18 ton bridging disc decal so I used a 13 ton decal and modified it. The crew were also supplied by Warlord Games. Crew in open top M18s seem to wear the usual steel helmet unlike the tank crews.

The whip antenna is a single acrylic paint brush hair.

Next will be the U.S. Infantry and  company supports.

All the Best,

Peter.

28mm Early Imperial Roman Equites Singulares

 This will be the last cavalry unit of my Early Imperial Roman Army. An elite unit of only 6x figures, I've decided it is a tad too small, so I may order some more minis from Aventine and either increase it to 12x or 18x figures the maximum allowed by the 6th Edition WRG rules I'm using.

I thought the hexagonal Black shields and banner were an interesting change, setting the Equites Singulares apart from the rest of the Roman army.

Anyhow there will hopefully be a M18 Hellcat tank destroyer finished next from Blitzkreig miniatures.

All the best and happy painting,

Peter.

28mm Early Imperial Roman Praetorian Guard Cohort

 The penultimate infantry cohort, I wanted these Praetorian Guards to be colourful, with bright blue shields, off-white tunics and scarlett plumes I may continue to add a bit more colour definition on the banner if I have the time.

The Officer is a slight figure conversion with the cast on head replaced.

Comprising 24x Praetorian Guardsmen, these and the Urban cohorts were the only troops allowed to be garrisoned in Rome in strength.

'Aventine miniatures' supplied the figures, 'littlebigmanstudios' the shield and standard decals, the grass tufts were home made. I still think Aventine figures are really reasonably priced so they are always first on my buying list.

Also I have finished 6x Equites Singulares, I wasn't sure how they'd look so I may buy some more boosting the unit to 12 figures, so I'll post these next.

All the Best,

Peter.

WW2 1/56th scale M8 Greyhound Armoured Car

At last I have a U.S. M8 Armoured Car finished providing a reconnaissance capability for my US Amoured infantry platoon, the pics don't show the colours properly as usual, I should get a proper camera. The Crew member is a Perry miniatures figure, the M8 is a Blitzkreig Miniatures vehicle with stowage from DeiWaffenkamer, decals from warlord Games.

The colour scheme is mostly U.S. Olive Drab with weathering from various 'AK Interactive' earth pigments. I may run Dark steel powders over the gun to give it a more gunmetal effect.

 Anyhow I have finished the Early Imperial Roman Praetorian Infantry Cohort which I'll upload pictures over the weekend.

All the Best,

Peter.

WW2 1/56th scale M24 Chaffee

 The M24 Chaffee light tank is a new addition to my World War Two U.S. Platoon for 'Rules of Engagement'. Finished last week I waited to finish the ruin, cobblestone roads, roadsigns and tank crews mounted and on foot before taking a few pictures on my phone.

The Broken window is plastic from a blister pack, cut with a scalpel.

Dismounted Tank crew by Warlord Games.

The M24 Chaffee model is made by 'Company B', the tank commander is from 'Perry miniatures.'

The roadsigns are made from very thin plasticard, the signpost is an old paintbrush squared-off.

The dismounted tank crews are a mix of Warlord Games and Perry Miniatures.

Anyhow that's it for now, next will be an M8 Greyhound Armoured Car.

All the Best,

Peter.

28mm Early Imperial Roman Emperor's Command base

 New off the painting table today are these Aventine miniatures comprising a Roman General's command base, the jeweled crowned head was in the pack, one of a choice of two heads for the general, so I thought I might as well make it an Emperor on his horse. The second figure is a Praetorian commander, the third figure the Emperor's personal standard bearer. The Standard is a hybrid conversion combing a winged victory & wreath to a vexillum standard.

Based on a 80mm round base, using filler (spackle), grit and tea (Fairtrade) for the ground textures, painted in various greens and light browns, I added some home made tufts and a bush. I thought I'd pick a off-white theme for the tunics and scarlett pteruges to make them nice and bright. The Emperor wares his traditional purple cloak because why not :)

Next in the Roman painting saga will be a cohort of 24x Praetorian Guards with command. My 'World War Two' U.S. platoon has a new M24 Chaffee finished this week, I may feature a new post on it, depends on the pics really as it was very dark today.

By for now,

Peter.

28mm Early Imperial Roman Equites 2nd Cohort - circa 193AD

 This is the 2nd of the Auxiliary Cavalry Cohorts, whereas the Equites Singulares will be the final cavalry formation of the Army. I picked blue shields to contrast with the yellow of the previous cavalry unit the 1st Cohort Equites, I wasn't sure about the blue colour at first but the look tidy together. 

Shield transfers are supplied by LittleBigMenStudios.com, Figures by Aventineminiatures.co.uk & Aventineminiatures.org, painted by yours truly. I had a problem acquiring Testors Dullcote varnish so I now use Humbrol matt varnish which seems to be fine.

 

 

 

Based on a frontage of 20mm per figure these dudes are heavy cavalry mostly in chainmail armed with a sword and spear.

Anyhow I getting stuck into some more Romans and I've started my World War 2 U.S. Armored troops and German Wehrmacht Panzer Grenadiers probably Panzer Lehr, so there will be a mix of stuff on this blog next.

Happy Painting,

Peter.

WW2 1/56th scale 28mm British Command & Dispatch rider.

I spotted these on Artizan designs website as new additions (to me anyway) to my British WW2 collection, there are 3x packs: 1 Infantry command, 1x Airborne command and 1x motorcycle dispatch rider. All metal miniatures except the motorbike which is resin, the radio operators come with a seperate radio each.

Also finished on the painting bench was an Airborne Jeep from Warlord Games, for some reason these new jeeps from Warlord are considerably bigger than their older range, I will say I was a bit miffed at the size discrepancy.

Motorcycle Dispatch rider mounted and on foot.

The sandbag Sanger is by Baueda minis

Britsh Infantry Command.

British Airborne Command.

British Dispatch Rider, Signals Corps.

Any how the Aventine Romans have arrived so I'll be able to progress with my Roman Early Imperial Army.

All the Best,

Peter.