More 1:72 Almoravid early medieval infantry. Spear and sword armed infantry, and skirmishers with javelins.
I have carried on the same limited pallet, which helps create a coherent look on the table.
Not sure why they are holding their spears pointing backwards, but I like the skin tone I have acheived.
These skirmishes are possibly my favourite unit. I quite like the effect of the simple shield design, which to me suggests the relative status of the unit.
I wondered if these javelin throwers needed more colour.
And then I thought, yeah nah, just finish them.
Coming soon: the beauty parade. I’ve finished the first box of this this little excursion.
So, come at me christians. I’m ready to defend Iberia.
Sometimes you just need a hole to hide in. Ever since machine guns were a thing (and before, probably) infantry have dug trenches, foxholes and other earthwork defenses.
Adding the option for a few of these on the table will be very handy for many attacker-defender scenarios in Bolt Action, and likely other games.
Some armies even come with the option of always being able to deploy with trenches or other defenses. Both the Italians (which I don’t have, yet) and the German/Hungarian Budapest Pocket Defenders have this option.
I kept painting simple with a few layers of dry-brushing with a limited palette. Detail is minimal, which made painting fast and means they will work on any battlefield from the US Civil War and into the Grim Dark Future. Which is fine with me.
These models are all resin from Anyscale Models. They are worth checking out, especially for vehicles you might find hard to find elsewhere.
Engagement with the hobby goes back and forwards just like the war waged across the Libyan plain. What better way to get back into painting than a few 15mm tanks as the start of an Afrika Korps force?
They are mostly Plastic Soldier Company. Assembled and, with the help of a rattle-can, base coated many years ago.
A Panzer III troopPanzer IV, including one up-gunned to the longer barrel thingy and a Zvezda model with a different base coat lurking the backgroundResin field cars from Battlefront Miniatures
Like many hobbyists, I like to have opposing forces. I still might do an Italian force, but for now I’m a step closer to having the start of a DAK force that matches my desert themed Australians.
Everything to date
I have no idea when this DAK force will get finished or what I will ultimately add, but that doesn’t matter. These are done and that makes me happy for now.
I’m not sure about you, but I love to buy random kits and 15mm scratches this itch nicely, since you can often pick up a model for less than $20. Usually with only a few parts and quick to paint I find they can be a pleasurable thing to do between larger projects.
And that is why I now have a Matador truck from Zvezda. I’ve done it in desert colours because all of my other British in 15mm are themed around North Africa and there is a remote chance it will be used one day.
In the meantime, it means one more mini in this world is painted. And for today, that is enough.
The creators of Konflikt 47, Clockwork Goblin, have released a selection of their weird war designs in 15mm resin. I posted my tesla turrets late last year. And now it is time for the German walkers.
I picked up a Thor heavy panzermech. They are a beast. A king tiger on legs.
And a zug of light walker, panzer spinne.
I have one of these in my 28mm Turkish army. While I’m unlikely to get more in the larger scale, I can see these four in a supporting role for the Thor similar to the Panzer III accompanied early production Tigers.
I used a paint scheme inspired by Normandy in 1944, which will match a much older 15mm German force that I have.
The models are great. Crisp, clean molding and good fun to paint. I suspect that Clockwork Goblin will add to their range over coming months. And that could prove to be very tempting.
Back in 2018 I wondered what sort of army Turkey would have in the weird-science, alternate history world of Konflikt 47. And, here is my answer.
Staying neutral as long as possible, Turkey enters the war late, signing as part of the Axis with Germany. With the real and fictional history only diverging in 1943, I felt this was a great opportunity to field a wide range of armour and other units, representing an under-prepared Turkey scrambling to respond to the seeming unavoidable Soviet invasion from the east and north-east.
I have chosen to restrict the number of units with weird technology. This reflects the junior partner nature, and likely German skepticism of just how committed their new ally is to the cause. In particular, I have no horror causing units which are such a distinct feature of German lists.
I swapped the heads of the Italian heavy infantry. I ended up with this set accidentally when I grabbed the Italian instead of the German box. Always take your reading glasses to the hobby shop. There is little chance for confusion, as this is a distinct looking unit in the force. Tougher than ordinary infantry they are still susceptible to anything that have armour piercing capability. If you can get them into cover near an objective they will be hard to dislodge.
The core of most armies are ordinary, regular infantry squads. With a few fezzes added, they are armed as late-war Germans. One squad has an LMG, but under my home brew they don’t get the Hitler’s Buzz Saw special rule, so no extra shot, leaving them with the same number of shots as other armies.
The second compulsory infantry choice has assault rifles and a panzerfaust.
Not all units are first-line. I will use these WWI Ottoman Turks from Woodbine Design as inexperienced troops.
Germany have deployed observers. Their role is to train and advise their new allies in battle spaces impacted by weird technology. Veteran observers have the special rule, Weird Tech is Expensive, which allows Turkey to field (selected) units with weird technology. These miniatures are Gebirgsjäger from Black Tree Design.
By keeping the colour palette restricted I have helped to give a more cohesive look to what is otherwise an intentionally disparate model selection.
A Panzer IV in Turkish livery. The decals are 1:48 modern Turkish air force and have come out great.
The Panzer IV-X is funky science version of the Panzer IV. The turret is a simple swap with the ordinary Panzer IV. So, while I can’t field both, I have the choice to field either in a game.
The Allied nations had hoped Turkey would join the war on their side. Part of this process was access to the Lend Lease program, where Turkey took delivery of a wide range of different tanks, all in small numbers. This included Valentines. This model is from Rubicon.
Every army needs officers. These figures are all from the Woodbine Design first world war range. They are lovely minis, full of character.
A German Liaison officer and his interpreter. As long as the interpreter is alive, the officer gets to use his German national rule to add an extra unit to the number he can Snap To. Liaison officers also have the Weird Tech is Expensive rue, so are an alternative to an Observer squad. Next project might need to include some practice with faces.
Support squads include a Pak 38.
Which has a Kettenkrad as a tow. This is another Rubicon kit.
A sniper and his spotter.
A medium Mortar.
A medium machine gun, another set from the Woodbine Design Ottoman range.
An anti-tank gun. By the late war these were mostly useless against most of the common armour. However, these heavy caliber rifles have found a role on the Konflikt 47 battlefield as a specialised sniper targetting heavy infantry and lightly armoured walkers.
Perhaps my favourite model is this Spinne Light Panzermech. Silly and wonderful in equal measure. In game they are reliable reconnaissance vehicles, suitable for rough terrain.
A feature of the Independence War in the early 1920s were irregular fighters that fought both for and against the emerging Republic (and sometimes both). I have included a unit of irregular cavalry, reflecting local resistance to the invasion of their homeland in 1947.
In addition to the painting and modelling, I have written a home brew army list. A draft version is posted here.
There are heaps more pictures in other posts. You can find them by using tags, especially the tag Turkish Army. My next goal will be to get them onto the table.
Back in 2018 I had an idea to build a Turkish force for Konflikt 47. I accumulated most of the models I wanted, and there it sat until May last year when I picked up it once more.
One of the first units I started was a cavalry squad of irregulars. Which then sat on my desk until it was the last unit left unpainted. Well, I picked up my courage. Picked up my brush, and now, I have finished! Seventy-odd fighters, several tanks, and support units. Phew!
Kit-based, based on the Perry’s US Civil War cavalry
In my home brew army list, irregulars have the special rule, The Hills Have Eyes. This means the local area knowledge of the irregular units prevents opponents from outflanking. This rule is one of the Bulgarian national traits re-named, and I think brings some nice flavour (and options) to the list.
I will do better pictures, and get a beauty parade together. But I’m a little bit excited at reaching this point and wanted to share this with y’all.
The first two day Bolt Action tournament in Melbourne for a long while ran as part of Conquest over Easter. It was ace and a genuine pleasure to roll dice with gaming friends once again. Some I hadn’t seen since last Easter (or before)! Winners and pictures of the fabulous tables and armies can be found on FaceBook. Search for Cast Dice page for heaps of photos. Bravo to Leigh and Brad for a terrific weekend.
As you might have expected, running an army for the very first time in an actual tournament was a steep learning curve. Partisans don’t get quite as many toys as many other armies, so you need to consider how co-ordinate your units to achieve mission objectives.
A large squad of Nationalist Chinese militia. They died in droves but held on to secure an objective.
I played five of the six games, lost two and had draws in the other three. All but one was a close affair, but in the end I couldn’t do enough to pull out a victory. Very historic, I guess. Without support from regular troops, Partisans rarely fared well in a stand-up fight.
A Soviet T-26 Tank in Chinese service.
Brad used this beautiful Nationalist Chinese as a gumby army. We played a mission called Nuts!, where there are 5 objectives: one in the centre and one in each table-quarter. Up to half your army can start on the board.
Partisan Guerrilla fighters ambush veteran Chinese fighters, catching them in the open.
I gave Brad trouble early on, but they just kept coming and in the end contested or held all the objectives.I placed my bombs poorly and spread my army too thin to support each other. Lesson: make a plan and focus on the mission.
Ben’s Soviets are are terrific and balanced army. Top-notch painting too.
Ben and I fought to a draw in turn 6. A 50% chance of a seventh turn didn’t occur, which would almost certainly have been a victory to the Soviets.
The Soviet barrage falls on target
Half of my army spent most of the game heavily pinned and down, ceding the initiative to Ben on one flank. But while I couldn’t shoot, dug-in troops are also hard to shift.
Lesson: don’t be afraid to go down or take a rally order to keep unit in the game.
Elizabeth borrowed this fine looking Sherman from Tristan for the tournament
Elizabeth and I fought each other to a draw in one of two missions unveiled on the weekend. In Punch Through there are 4 objectives deployed in a cross 12″ from the table centre. Each player can move one objective up to 6″ (possible the same one). Every one starts off the table, with at least half your army arriving in the first wave.
The British kept on coming but neither of us could keep enough units together to secure an objective by the end of the game.
Lesson: use the bombs to control a fire lane or protect a flank; don’t just spread them out.
The only Axis power I faced on the weekend was Johnathon’s late war German list. The mission was No Man’s Land, straight from the rule book. His veterans were rock hard and steadily took a tally on my grab bag of inexperienced units, leading to my second loss in the tournament.
Lesson: use your army special rules or you just leave points off the table.
Supply Drop was the other new mission on the weekend, and one I think will become a favourite. It is a variation of the classic Kittyhawk Down (itself inspired by Thunderhawk Down from Australian 40K circles). No objectives start on the board. On turn four, three objectives drop from the sky. They land in a straight line through the middle of the board, with the angle of the line and the distance apart randomly determined.
I played long-time buddy Consto, who had a marvelous looking veteran US force (a mix of rangers and paratroopers, plus a Sherman).
Captured inexperienced tanks are pin magnets. The R35 made me laugh the whole weekend.
The objectives landed near perfect for me, taking pressure off my units as the paratroopers made a dash for their own baseline, leaving me in control of my own. A cannier player might have sequenced their final turn orders differently to grab a win. In the end it was another tight draw. Highlight was an IED taking out a veteran paratroop squad trying to dig me out of the centre of the board.
Lesson: Air Support can be random, including having it make a bomb run on your own units. But so sweet when it works.
Faith&Steel 