From BruceR; More bayonets with armor support project complete (160 pts)

With Winter stubbornly refusing  to give up to Spring, I opened the dungeon to my gaming chums.  I've only played a few Chain of Command games and would prefer this to Bolt Action, but I'll play what the group enjoys and that is Bolt Action.  So Last Sunday and this past Saturday we played BA.  4 wheel drive required to get to my house (in town) Saturday, but most of us have 4 wheel living in the North.  So, with playing I naturally gravitate to the pile of opportunity for the period played (WWII).  Back to my Italians.  I had the command and one squad left of the Great Escape Games and knocked them out.   

The view of the drift outside the dungeon on Saturday morning.  About 5 foot, so why not game and paint.

Continuing on with my Russian Front Italians.  To crank these out, I've again used contrast for a bulk of the miniatures.  Some flesh highlights and few others to get the end result.  I did make the choice to vary the soft caps, setting a background my lads had freed a supply of Russian winter head gear.  The green sets off the grey of the uniforms IMHO.  

Squad #3 (some of the command got mixed in the squad photo)

Squad leader sporting a magnifico mustache, directing the LMG.   

The platoon leaders Mario, Luigi, and Franco.  These miniatures are great.  I love the faces and different poses.  Yelling is a prerequisite of any good officer/NCO.  One is reaching into his goodie bag and the other working the slide on his side arm.   Great figures.   The tufts are gamers grass.  

A gaming buddy, who moved from the great white North, built Italians a few years ago and gifted me some of his extra armor so why not.   I did try to spice up the photo a bit with back ground.  

These were base coated with a lighter green base and hit them with diluted (with Windsor Newton thinner) burnt umber oils.  The oils are applied and immediately whipped away to leave the weathered and grimy look.  I than highlight with sponge.  Some brown added with the makeup brush to give Russian road dust.  No decals so had to hand paint the markings.  

One Carro Armato M13/40 and one Autoblinda AB41.  Both old Warlord resin, so minor gluing and building.  Much to my taste.

The same chum gifted or threw away to me a box of Warlord infantry.  When I opened the box I found they also had Bersaglieri heads.  What force does not need some elites.  I wanted them to look a little worn so used some non-feathered heads.  These I painted in my old way of black undercoat.  Block in the colors.  Wash with either Agrax or Army Painter Strong Tone. Highlight with the basic color and done. 

Who doesn't like Elites sporting feathers and big bushy mustachos?

NCO with LMG and loader.  Corporal reaching for a lucky strike.  

Assault section.  Loading, firing, charging, and lobbing grenades.  I read Italian grenades were red.  Helps the figure pop, even if not correct.  

  

I hate to see the challenge end, but I'm really tired of winter and will welcome spring.  Hopefully my group gets time to play some Stalingrad games allowing me to get the Italians on the board.  Always fun to play with what you paint.   Project complete.  Many more to come I hope.

Points.

24 28mm @ 5                    =  120

2 28mm @ 20 AFV's         =    40

Total                                        160

Great looking work on these Italians, they look positively chilly. The armoured car and the tank came out very nicely, I should try that oil wash technique myself some time.

- StuartL