Flames of War Projects for August

 August was a great month for me and the hobby.  I painted lots of stuff and managed to get in a few games as well.  August saw a return to Flames of War late war.  Late war has been a very limited period for me, even as it is the most popular period for FoW.  This has most been due to my primary opponent not really caring for the period.  Over last couple of years my gaming group has been changing and LW is not the main period for me for WWII.  This meant I needed to get my collection updated to be able to hang in this very competitive period.

The German army provided the most options for me from the dead-lead pile so I decided to jump back in with them.  The first thing on the agenda would be some AA.  Allied air is way more likely in LW than MW so this was a must have.

Sd Kfz 10/4 Platoon

I painted a couple of Sd Kfz 10/4 Light AA halftracks.  These are the Battlefront resin and metal models from the MW box set.  These are the same models they have had in production for years and I really like them.  They are easy to build and paint.  I have two more that I will paint on Panzer grey for my MW armies.

Next up is a platoon of 251 halftracks.

Sd Kfz 251D

These are the current LW German halftracks from Battlefront.  They are plastic models and are very nice.  I acquired these assembled from a local gamer as part of a collection I purchased a few years ago.  It was not the most precise build but after painting they turned out pretty good.  These have already seen battle as part of my Berlin training battalion army.

Over the years I have collected a number of LW Panther tanks from Battlefront.  These are the ausf A and are the old resin and metal models.  Several are from special characters, back when that was a thing with FoW.  I decided to paint up the first four in the collection for a Berlin Panzer Training Co army.

Panther A

Panther A

These are the first models where I used the Vallejo pigments.  After my normal paint process, I applied dry pigments to represent dirt and dust.  I really like the look and plan to experiment more with these pigments.

To support the Panthers I also needed some standard PzIVH tanks.  These are the back-bone of LW and have plenty of MW uses too.  Not sure why it took so long for me to paint these up and add them to the collection.  These are a mix of the old Battlefront resin and metal models and the current plastic models.  The resin ones are a salvage project that I have been working on for a number of years.  They are real Frankenstein tanks with parts from PSC PzIV.  The plastic models were pre-assembled as part of the collection with the 251 halftracks.

PzIVH Command

PzIVH

PzIVH

PzIVH

Sadly, the resin models are really showing their age.  They serve the purpose, in game terms, but I will likely replace them with plastics soon.  In nearly all cases the BF plastic kits are superior to the resin models.

Finally, we have more items painted specifically for the Berlin Panzer Training Co army.  Normally, PzII tanks would not be in a LW list, but Berlin changes that.  These are a mix of the N and M variants. They are plastic models from Battlefront.  They will definitely be doing double duty in my MW armies.

PzIII N and M

Twenty-six models all together.  Not a bad couple of months.  Sadly, I have slowed way down on painting production for the last couple of weeks but I am trying to get one more Napoleonic Russian battalion done.  Just need to push through the slump and get back on track.

A Gift From An Old Friend - Part 2

 The second half of the items I have inherited from Al is this amazing AIW Jordanian collection.  Like the Israeli collection, this army is all Battlefront models.  This is almost exactly the Jordanian army I was planning to build.  A clear case of be careful what you wish for.

M48 Company Command.  These are proper M48 with the 90mm gun.

M48 Platoon 1

M48 Platoon 2

Centurion Platoon 1

Centurion Platoon 2.  These are the old BF Centurions with the metal tracks.  They are heavy!

Duster AA Platoon

M113 Mech Infantry platoon.  Need to fix a few of the HMGs on the APCs.

The full Jordanian Army.

Maybe I will host a game with this complete army battling Al's Israeli army in a no point free for all.  Just blow up a bunch of stuff.

A Gift From An Old Friend - Part 1

 I recently inherited my friend Al's beautiful Fate of a Nation Israeli army.  I say inherited deliberately as Al recently passed away.  This is not how I wanted things to turn out but I am honored to have this collection.

Al was an avid gamer and one of the nicest people I have ever known.  This army was in his collection for a long time and I think he painted most, if not all, himself.  The models are all Battlefront.

M50 Platoon 1

M50 Platoon 2

M51 Platoon 1

M51 Platoon 2

Magach 3 Platoon 1

Magach 3 Platoon 2

AMX Company

Sho't Platoon 1

Sho't Platoon 2

M113 Mech platoon.  A few of the infantry stands have gone missing.  I will need to see what I can do to fill out the ranks.

Miscellaneous items.  Over the years some items have been lost. I might have some extras of these in my unbuilt pile.

The complete army minus three Ouragan aircraft that are in really rough shape.

A couple years ago, when Al was down-sizing, I picked up a lot of his unbuilt models.  I don't even remember what all I got.  Needless to say, between this collection, my existing collection, and the unbuilt stuff I have a really huge Israeli army.  I will gradually work to touch-up and repair these models and to base and weather them to match my existing force.

Al is the second of my long-time game friends to have passed away in the last few weeks and it is very sobering.  Neither was old enough for this to be expected and really, they should both should still be around enjoying life.  I need to re-evaluate my own life because I ain't getting any younger myself.

I have plans for a memorial game using Al's models very soon.  Stay tuned and stay healthy!

Hero Rifle Compnay

This is the first of my Soviet infantry for mid-war and late war Flames of War.  These are the older metal Battlefront miniatures.  This is the Hero Motor Rifle Company.  These guys are pretty much like everyone else's infantry in Flames of War as opposed to the more typical hoard infantry of the Soviets.  This unit includes two AT rifle stands.  In the current edition these should be mounted on the large base.  i really have no idea why they moved them to the large base but I decided to keep mine on the medium base that they came with.  According to BF this is an approved solution.

Hero SMG Company for Flames of War

The next unit for my Flames of War Soviet project.  This is the Hero SMG Company.  This is 7 stands plus the commissar team.  This unit can also be used as the Armored Reconnaissance Platoon.  The unit was build with my mid-war army in mind but it will also be usable for late war as well.

The figures are all the older Battlefront metal models and are pretty good.

Maksim MG Company for Flames of War

My Flames of War Soviet project is mostly comprised of older metal and resin models from Battlefront.  I have had most of this stuff for many years.  Even with such a large collection there are some gabs that have been filled with Battlefront's new models.  Case in point is the Maksim MG Company.  These are the new, soft plastic models made especially for the v4 release.  These are inexpensive at abut $15 for 6 teams.

The problem with this set, however, are many.  First off while this might be an inexpensive set it is also cheap.  The sculpt quality is poor.  The casting quality is also poor.  The materials used are difficult to work with making it hard to fix issue like mold lines and flash.  The worst issue for me is that these figures are NOT 15mm figures.  These are much closer to HO scale or 20mm figures.  In fact, these remind me a lot of cheap Chinese copies of old 60's era Airfix plastic soldiers.  These are the worst wargames figures I have ever bought and it is wasn't for the challenges of getting replacements right now i would not be using these.

New BF plastic on the left and old BF metal on the right.

I will be replacing these with better figures as soon as I can.  If I can find the old metal Battlefront MG teams that match the rest of my infantry that would be ideal.  Otherwise it will either be Old Glory or Peter Pig to the rescue.

Soviet Guards Heavy Tank Regiment

My mid-war Soviet project for Flames of War is progressing.  This is the core of a Soviet Guards Heavy Tank Regiment equipped with KV-1s tanks.  The KV-1s tank is kind of interesting.  It is the tank nobody wanted but they got anyway.  The biggest drawback of the KV-1 was its poor gun.  It had armor that made it one of the toughest tanks in the world but the gun was just average.  The army wanted a tank with just as much armor as the KV-1 but with a better gun.  What they got was a tank with less armor and more speed but the same gun.  In Flames of War terms you have an interesting tank.  It is better armored than the T-34 and only slightly slower.  The guards designation gives better crew stats.  The same 76mm gun as the T-34, however, means it has the same challenges in killing enemy tanks as the T-34.  While the KV-1 is all but invulnerable to most German mid-war tanks the KV-1s can, potentially, be killed by a PZ III to the front.  If the points were cheaper for the KV-1s it might be more of a value but as it stands I'm not sure this is the best tank for the Soviets in MW.

These are the new Battlefront plastic kits and they are very nice model.  The kit can build either the KV-1, KV-1s, or the KV-8.  It is a good value and an easy build.

Soviet Katyusha Battery for Flames of War

Like almost everyone I am not getting any gaming in at all.  Shopping has dropped off as well.  When I do buy stuff it's not hobby related.  Fortunately, I do have a decent inventory of projects and I am plugging away at them.  My Flames of War Soviet army is growing and now has a Katyusha Rocket Battery.  These are the older resin and metal kits from Battlefront.  The trucks are molded straight to the scenic bases.  These were a real pain to build and paint but in the end they look pretty good.

Soviet 45mm Anti-tank guns for Flames of War

The next Coronatine project is done.  Today we have a pair of Soviet 45mm anti-tank guns for my ever growing Flames of War mid-war Soviet army.  These will likely see table time with my Soviet infantry, one that gets painted.  I am not sure how useful these will be generally.  The AT8 is limiting but they should be useful in ambush as well as defensive fire against tank assaults.

The models are metal models from Battlefront.  One thing I find interesting about this gun is the chassis design is German and basically the same as the PaK-36 gun.  The Soviets did not like the 37mm German gun so they mounted their own 45mm gun.

Soviet Anti-tank Rifle Company for Flames of War

More progress on my Flames of War mid-war Soviet collection.  This is the new Battlefront bendy plastic Soviet AT rifle models.  They are not very good.  I say that as a modeler and a painter.  These remind me of the old Airfix HO/OO models from when I was a kid, except these have much less detail and character.  When I put on my gamer hat I say these are just fine as game pieces and the price is right.

Soviet ZIS-3 Guns for Flames of War

Productivity has slowed a bit in March but I am still working towards my goals.  The next unit for my MW Soviets is done - ZIS-3 76mm battery.  These are the old Battlefront metal models with the resin bases.  The bases are just OK but everyone seems to like the dead cow.  I have heard these are a must have for the MW Soviets but just looking at the numbers I'm not sure.  I can't wait to experiment and see if they are worth taking.

Flames of War Objective Markers

This is my last project for Finish it February 2020!  Here we have 4 objective markers for Flames of War or other 15mm games. 

3 Battlefront and 1 Baueda

The ammo dump.  The most generic of the objective markers.

Fortified command post.  This is a Battlefront model I believe.  This will be great for WWI or WWII Soviets.

It has some nice little details but I think it needs a figure.  If I do that, however, it will be a little less flexible.

This is a Baueda objective marker and it is my favorite of the bunch.

It has loads of little details.

This one will see table time for Normandy games.

The desert command post.  Another Battlefront model.  The guy in the shelter is British.

This will be the last desert objective marker.  I've got loads.