US Halftracks and German Big Cats

I just shipped off a batch of commission stuff.  I didn't bother taking pictures of everything because the rest of it was pretty standard US infantry and some jeeps but here are my favorites from the batch.

 Dicker Max

 Sturer Emil 

  These are just bog standard US halftracks but I thought it would be interesting to put them up here because they are the Point of Contact pre-painted stuff.  They actually paint up surprisingly well and have some pretty crisp detail for $25 a box.  The only issue I see it that the tracks and .50 Cals are a slightly more rubbery plastic.  

Next up is a couple of batteries of German arty with winter basing.  I also have a ton of German trucks and tractors to go along with the batteries.  They are supposed to be winter themed too but I'm not sure if trucks, or guns for that matter, were whitewashed.  If anybody knows please comment.  

After those I have a platoon of Germans and a platoon of Americans on individual bases to paint up for 15mm Chain of Command.  From the customer I have a bit of 6mm Cold War stuff headed my way to try out and see how long they will take (I've never painted 6mm before) so I can give him a better idea of pricing for painting more.  I'm really excited for these as I've always been interested in trying some 6mm moderns.  I have some experience painting moderns in 3mm so hopefully some of the techniques will carry over.  

Been Awhile...

I've kinda let this blog fall by the wayside these past couple of years.  I've been busy with school and work and really haven't had much interest in taking the time to post here.  However, I recently decided that since I'm still spending a lot of time painting and modelling, mostly on various commissions, I might as well post whatever I'm working on up here.  Besides, posting here will give me something to do between classes (or during the more boring ones) other than check Facebook or Reddit.

Anyways here are some pictures of commissions I've worked on recently:

First up some tanks from a US commission I finished up awhile ago.  

 Some US Jumbos 

 These guys really paint up really well (with the exception of the track of which I have had mediocre casts in all four of the boxes I've painted thus far)

 Some M4A3 lates 

 Aaaand the Easy Eights.  These guys are hard not to make look badass.  With the amount of US stuff I paint, I've done something like 25 of these bad boys and they're always my favorite of the batch.  

 Some DAK Germans.  I tried using edge hi-lighting instead of dry brushing on these guys and I really like how much it made them pop.  I also used the hi-light color to underline some of the larger chips and scratches and that really brought them out.  I can definitely see myself using this edge hi-lighting and the paint chip lining this going forward.    

 These Italian Semoventes and armored cars are part of the batch of stuff I have on the painting table right now.  This was my first try at Italians and I found the color tricky to get right - I think mine are too yellow.  Let me know what y'all think 

 Google told me that Italian tankers had a blue-grey uniform so that's what I went with.  Not sure if its right but I like the splash of color it brings.  

 And here's the state of the painting desk right now. 

 In the back are some US half-tracks and jeeps that are more or less done - all they need is some pigment for the tracks and wheels.  This was my first time painting those pre-painted 15mm figs.  I'm not sure what they're called but they come pre-painted inboxes of five and are made, at least partially, with a rubbery sort of plastic. 

On the left are the Italians which just need some varnish.  The US infantry and gun teams just need some basing.  

The two big German tanks are a Sturer Emil and a Dicker max.  These are really cool tanks and have been fun to paint to far.  Thus far I've done the airbrushed panel hi-lighting, the edge hi-lighting, the chipping, underlined some chips with the hi-light color, and painted the road wheels rubber.  I did forget to do the decals before chipping which is unfortunate but it's such a hassle to gloss for the decals as it means I have to break out the airbrush to hit the model with matte varnish before proceeding with painting.    

Veeeery Tiny Battles

Its been quite a while since I posted but here we go!  Battlefront recently came out with their Arab Israeli War supplement, Fate of a Nation.  While I was interested in playing some AIW and was wowed by the new models, I knew I couldn't afford a reasonably sized army.  My solution was to do it in 3mm! I'm sure not many people are familiar with this scale.  It sounds stupidly tiny and it is!  However the available figures from Picoarmor  are amazingly detailed and super cheap (15 tanks cost just $4.25).  By using 3mm I was able to buy two sizable forces for just over $40.00.  They also paint up quite quickly and look best with high contrast.

There are a ton of pictures but I figured people are likely not familiar with 3mm so it can't hurt 

 Israeli M51 Isherman platoon.  They are based on FOW small bases to give you an idea of scale

 Priest Artillery battery

 Tiiiiiiny Spotter Jeep.  It's based on a penny...

 closeup of a Priest

 M3 TCM 20 AA halftracks

 M3 D mortar halftracks 

  Dassault Ouragan (actually an F-86 but picoarmor doesn't make the correct jet so I chose the one that best resembles the Dassault)

 T-55 company on the prowl

 UAR Mig-17

 Pt-76 and BTR-50PK recon platoon (based on US pennies)

 ZSU-57-2 AA

 SU-100Ms

 T-55 Company

122mm M-30 Howitzer Battalion 

Battle Report

I was able to throw down a quick game with my little brother.  the only thing i changed about standard FOW rules to account for the scale was to change the artillery template to a 3x3 since the models occupy less space.  It would be easy ti fit an entire T-55 company under the 6x6 template.  

The Israelis:

P'lugah Tan'kim

Confident

Veteran

                                                                                                        Tank Company                                                                   Israeli                                                      AIW

Tank Company

Platoon	Qty	Unit		Points
Headquarters
P'lugah Tan'kim HQ - p.3	1	M51 Isherman		100
Combat Platoons
Tan'kim Platoon - p.4	4	M51 Isherman		365
Tan'kim Platoon - p.4	4	M51 Isherman		365
Tan'kim Platoon - p.4	4	M51 Isherman		365
Weapons Platoon
Mortar Platoon - p.5	3	M3 D (120mm) with Hull MG		145
Support Platoons
Self-propelled Artillery Battery - p.7	1 1 2 1 1 4	Cmd Rifle team Staff team M3 A half-track Observer Rifle team Jeep M7 (105mm)		285
Anti-aircraft Platoon - p.8	2	M3 TCM-20		85
			Company Points:	1710

www.EasyArmy.com                                                   Source document: Fate of a Nation booklet

The UAR:

Kuteybh Debabh

Confident

Conscript

                                                                                                        Tank Battalion                                                                     UAR                                                       AIW

Tank Company

Platoon	Qty	Unit		Points
Headquarters
Kuteybh Debabh HQ - p.13	1	T-54 or T-55		55
Combat Platoons
Debabh (Tank) Company - p.14	10	T-54 or T-55		445
Debabh (Tank) Company - p.14	10	T-54 or T-55		445
Weapons Platoon
Debabh Air Defence Company - p.15	2	ZSU-57-2		95
Support Platoons
Scout Company - p.17	1 6	BTR-50PK PT-76		150
Self-propelled Anti-tank Company - p.19	5	SU-100M		145
Artillery Battalion - p.18	1 1 1 12	Cmd AK47 Assault Rifle team Staff team Observer AK47 Assault Rifle team 122mm M-30 howitzer		220
Air Support - p.19	3	Sporadic Air Support MiG-17		155
			Company Points:	1710

Staff team	16"/40cm	1                    2	6+	Moves as a Heavy Gun team.
		Aircraft
Aircraft	Weapon	To-Hit         Anti-tank	Firepower	Notes

MiG-17	Cannon	3	10	4+	Fast Mover.
	Bombs	4	5	2+

www.EasyArmy.com                                                   Source document: Fate of a Nation booklet

 The mission was hold the line and the Arabs were defending. They put the AA, SU-100s, and Pt-76s in reserve and held both T-55 companies in ambush.  This left them with just the Artillery on the table.  

 The Israelis deployed a Sherman platoon on each flank and one in some scrub in the center.  Their artillery was placed in the back right corner, the mortars and AA on the large hill on the left flank.  

 Sherman platoons move up on the flanks

 Israeli mortars smoke the artillery observer

 T-55 pcompany pops up from their defilade positions of the ridge

 ...and following an innefective Arab artillery bombardment, decimate the Sherman platoon on the left flank

 The Israelis then smoke the bejesus out of the T-55s to cover the hasty retreat of the lone surviving Sherman

 The right flank Sherman platoon crests the ridge, bringing the objective into sight

 But the Arabs counter by wheeling the smoked T-55s around and rolling the other company out from their ambush positions behind the hill

 Combined fire from the T-55 company and a run by the Arabs Mig-17 leaves only two Shermans on the ridge

 Israeli mortars get the first Israeli kills of the game by killing two guns

 A smoke bombardment protects the remaining Shermans from half of the T-55s while they take shots at the other company.  They are only able to bail two.  

 The lonely survivor of the left flank Sherman platoon races forward to threaten the left objective but T-55s race back through the smoke to counter him. He is in for some trouble when the smoke clears next turn...

The middle platoon of Shermans arrives in the ridge to reinforce the blunted attack.  

At this point my little brother decided he was bored and refused to finish the game.  However with most of their armor burning and not a single T-55 destroyed, things are looking grim for the Israelis.  I think the mission and terrain really suited the Arabs here.  Being in a very good defensive position with two ambushes allowed the Arabs to overcome their limitations.  This was a tough match-up for the Israelis.  The front armor 7 on the Isherman is just not up to attacking T-55s.  I think they would perform much better firing at the T-55s from defilade positions at long range, thus mitigating their weak armor.  The priests were pretty much useless against the Arab tanks; taking air support instead would have made a huge difference for the Israelis.  

Maybe these Sho'ts will give the Isrealis a better shot at attacking the Arabs?

Until Next time!