From FrederickC: Early WW2 German Kradschützen and one more Circle of Paradise [The Wise] (285 Points)

Talk about sliding in under the wire. This morning I managed to finish off my last submission for this year's AHPC - two squads of German Kradschützen for a total of 28 men on 24 motorcycles or in sidecars for Bolt Action.

Kradschützen, vorwärts!

These are all 3D prints using STL files purchased from MyMiniFactory of German motorcycle troops either as single bikes or bikes with sidecars. Of the various sources for 3D prints I have seen, I thought these did an excellent job of rendering the Mauser Kar98k rifles and the M35 helmets. Where they fall down a bit is in depicting the standard German ammo pouches, which look more like the German Army flashlight. A few figures even had them positioned where the flashlight was often hung from the Y-straps. There was also in figure that had pouches for MP40 magazines (yeah!) but was still equipped with a rifle (boo!). Also the motorbikes don't quite look like either a BMW or a Zündapp, primarily in the position of the muffler.

All the bikes were mounted on popsicle sticks using PVA glue. They were then primed with Vallejo German Panzer Grey Surface Primer using an airbrush. Painting was done primarily using Vallejo acrylics (Army Painter colours indicated by AP) as follows: faces and hands - Flat Flesh; jackets - German Fieldgrey; trousers - AP Uniform Grey; canteen covers - Flat Earth; gas mask canister - Luftwaffe Camo Green; helmets - Charcoal Grey; belts, jackboots, ammo pouches, and bike tires - Black; rifle stocks - Beige Brown; rifle slings - Mahogany Brown; metal weapons parts - German Grey; motorbikes - German Panzer Grey; motorbike seats, and goggle straps - AP Leather Brown. When all was done, the figures got a coat of Army Painter Strong Tone Quick Shade. Once the Quick Shade was dry, the bikes were mounted on bases that are either Warlord Games cavalry bases, or larger ones cut from old plastic restaurant gift cards.

The final figure for my final entry is an old school West End Games Star Wars figure of Obi Wan Kenobi to represent the Circle of Paradise - The Wise. This figure has been sitting primed black in a box with other Sci Fi/Star Wars minis along with Luke, Darth Vader and the Imperial officer I did for an early submission. He was painted with Vallejo acrylics (Flat Flesh, Dark Sand, Chocolate Brown, Stone Grey, White) followed by Citadel Reikland Fleshshade on the face and hands, Army Painter Mid Brown Wash on the robes and cloak, and Army Painter Blue Tone on a white base for the light saber. 

 “Who’s the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?”

             - Obi-Wan Kenobi

 

“An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.”

“Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”

The points being claimed are as follows:

29 x 28mm foot figures @ 5 points = 145 points

24 x 28mm 'mounts' (motorcycle or sidecar) @ 5 points = 120

1 x Circle of Paradise - The Wise = 20 points

Thanks for stopping by. See you at the afterparty.

 

Sylvain: Especially for me, because I have an acute interest in the period, it's always a pleasure to read your posts about early WW2. I like your precise observations on the accuracy of the models. And I also enjoy the final result, a neat little formation of bikes that will buzz around some helpless French or British (or Dutch, or Belgian, or Norwegian). And Obi Wan is just like the mythic character we all love. Excellent last (?) post!