Category: workbench

Painting the decks

Painting the decks of my Prussian Blucher Class Dreadnought for the Dystopian Wars reminded me why I never liked making Airfix ship models as a kid and why I don’t usually play naval wargames in the first place! Painting ships is really fiddly, especially the decks!

I painted the decks with Vallejo Tan Yellow (912).

The next stage was to give the decks a wash of Citadel Shade: Agrax Earthshade.

I did wonder if I ought to add any metallic, as in copper or bronze parts to the model. The stats for the model include the Tesla Coils and there is the prow of the ship too. Or do I keep it more traditional naval, in both colour and appearance? If you look at the marketing picture for the model, it is quite “normal” in appearance with minimal shiny bits!

Drybrushing the Tracks

Having given my Steam Tank model a basecoat, I drybrushed the tracks with Boltgun Metal.

Once I have finished painting the model I will add some weathering to the tracks. Simon did point out that he felt the tracks on the tank were a little “flat” and I have to agree with him. You really need proper linked tracks with this kind of model, and especially one at this scale. The tracks on the Tunneller are much better for example. Maybe a potential conversion project for later (or on another model of the Steam Tank).

Dystopian Wars Airfield Set

This set contains three medium-sized hangers, two zeppelin towers and one communications building.

This was very much one of those impulse buys, saw it, decided to get a blister, rather than buy something else, or something useful. I was inspired recently by those Dystopian Wars pictures that I posted to the blog.

You get two very nice looking airship towers. These are stone and steel towers that can be used to moor your airships, so perfect for the Prussians.

You also get a radar tower.

Not sure if they would have radar, even in a technologically advanced Victorian society, as we find in the Dystopian Wars, but then again, there is this model.

In the blister are also three aircraft hangars, big enough for fighters, but too small for the big bombers you can get.

As with virtually all Dystopian Wars castings these are very clean and no flash.

Prussian Empire Arminius Class Frigates

The Dystopian Wars is a miniatures games from Spartan Games. The Prussian Frigate is a simple ship with a single turret and aft Tesla weapons. Squadrons of Frigates are often used to screen larger ships, combine their fire against enemy ships, and sometimes chase down vessels that have submerged below the ocean waves.

There are six models and they come in a single blister pack. The first stage will be washing the resin models and giving them a white undercoat.

These are very small models, but are very well detailed.

Check out the Dystopian Wars Workbench.

MkIIb Land Raider

I seemed to have spent ages painting this model, so I had a look at it the other day to see what I need to do next.

Actually I have done a fair bit to get the basecoat finished now.

The next stage will be to give the model a thin wash to bring out the detail and darken the shadows. The tracks have been painted separately.

This Forge World MkIIb Land Raider is a Grey Knights vehicle, with a desert camouflage for use with my Daemonhunters force.

95th Rifles

The models I am using for the 95th Rifles are very detailed and one of the aspects of a white undercoat I do like is how it brings out and shows off the detail.

Though there aren’t many models in this unit I’m painting, there are a number of officers.

I am thinking that when I do finish painting them and have a game, the scenario would be that a group of officers are separated from the main force, or are on a hunting trip and are then attacked.

I still don’t know which opponents to get for them, probably French Voltigeurs.

15mm Ruined Café

I painted the front area of the Total Battle Miniatures 15mm Ruined Café. For this part of the model I decided to try out the Citadel Texture paint, Astrogranite.

I am not that impressed. It did cover fine, but not sure if the “texture” adds anything. I am not too worried as I don’t acrtually expect to use that part of the model that much.

Olympic Class Troop Transport

The Olympic Liner is one of the largest passenger ships ever created. Built at the Proctor & Mercer Shipyards in Middlesbrough, these impressive vessels have carried people over the seas in style since 1861. A main selling point is the advanced technological design, and claimed robustness of the ship’s hull. However, the outbreak of world war saw many of the Olympic Liners refitted to fulfil the role of a troop carrier. With its pioneering keel design, the Olympic Class Troop Transport cuts through the water at high speed, allowing it to efficiently deliver thousands of troops to war zones around the globe.

It comes in a blister and is a one piece resin model with metal masts. I gave the model a wash to remove any mould lubricant.

One of the things I did need to decide on was, did I paint it in “peacetime” colours, in a similar style to the promotional picture, or did I paint it in wartime colours (as on the datacard). In the end I decided to go with the civilian colours, black hull and white superstructure.

Undercoating the Partisans

Having based my Bolt Action Partisans I gave the models a white undercoat.

These are very nice miniatures and there is a nice range of poses and characters within the band itself.

Though there is a “Soviet” feel to the partisans, I have decided to go down a French Forces of the Interior (Forces Françaises de l’Intérieur) or FFI force. Though I think some of the figures could be used for some 1920s gangsters games, look at the bloke on the right of this lot.

I am not too sure about the female partisan, as someone said to me, that bloke’s wearing a skirt!

I have been thinking about “transport” and armour for them. Tamiya do a 1/48th scale Citroen Traction 11CV which would work really well I think. As for armour I am tempted by the Bolt Action Char B1 bis and paint it up in FFI colours.