Into the Woods

It is very rare that a project is ever actually finished, but this little group of figures from Black Tree Designs is pretty close. I’m calling it done, as I’m unlikely to add to this particular group, a band of brave members of a home army somewhere in occupied Europe.

An ambush about to be unleashed

From their dress and weapons they seem to be based on Soviet or some other eastern European partisans. I like the character of BTD miniatures. No Hollywood poster-boys, but ordinary, I-don’t-have-a-dental plan people doing their best.

As civilians I tried to avoid too much uniformity

The poses are varied and dynamic – I don’t think any repeat

SMG get stuck in

I experimented with eyes, something I don’t always do. Some more practice is required, but I guess we all start somewhere.

In addition to LMG for the squads, I also have some sniper teams as support.

And, by way of some veterans, I have an escaped tank crew. Not sure what these GI are doing so far east. Perhaps they got lost on a drunken binge and didn’t know where to stop. I’m sure there is a comic with a plot like that.

I don’t ever see myself fielding a partisan force in a conventional Bolt Action game. To make them into a competitive force I would need to add quite a bit of material that partisans only rarely had access to. Moreover few pitched battles were ever fought (outside Yugoslavia, perhaps). I know about Warsaw. Awe inspiring and aweful but not a modelling project for me.

I do think that partisans will be great for smaller games, especially with a dedicated scenario: a demolition gone wrong, a hideout being attacked or an ambush.

Deep in the forest, tanks, artillery and planes are rare, but I think playing some games where an LMG is the heaviest weapon the table might be interesting.

D.