No I am not talking about King Leonidas 1 and his brave 300.
But rather Master Chief Petty Officer John-117!
Now I have to say that I am totally new to the Halo universe, having only watched the first three episodes of the Paramount TV series. I am not a devotee of computer games and so have never played any of the Halo series of games either.
I am completely hooked after just these three shows, so much so that I have scoured the google universe looking for some 28mm figures. Most have just been conversions from other figures like GW Spacemarines, but I finally found some from Digital Artist Giorgio Donato. Unfortunately they are Digital files, but I have been lucky enough to have a gaming friend with a 3D printer who has agreed to print them for me.
Spartan Group 1
Spartan Group 2
Here are the final prints after a few trial and errors! Thanks Chris!
The bases are from another 3D file.
As they have worked out I will look at some of Giorgio’s Covenant models to match them against. He has a great range of these with some samples below.
Covenant Elite
Grunts (1)
Elite Councillor
Elite Councillor Honour Guard
Elite Honour Guards
Elites Group (1)
Elites Group (2)
Elites Group (3)
Grunts Group (2)
Grunts Group (3)
Grunts group (4)
Grunts Group (5)
Prophet on Chair
Rtas ‘Vadumee -Special Ops Commander
Shade Turret
Arbiter
Yapyap the Destroyer
Ymir – Warforged Sorcerer
There is also a range of USC and “Brutes” (whatever they are). If you are interested in this genre it is work taking a peep at his website. I will let you know how the printing works out.
I will try and pick them up from “the printer” tomorrow and get them painted before Easter. Well that’s the plan anyway.
The Soviet BA-10 were used in large numbers throughout WW2. The Finnish Army knew the BA-10 and BA-10M armoured cars as BAF C armoured cars.
This was the most common heavy armoured car type captured by the Finnish Army from the Soviets and also the most common heavy armoured car in Finnish use during World War 2.
Most of these were captured during the Winter War and first year of the Continuation War. The Finnish Army captured up to 25 of the armoured cars and turned them on their previous owners as soon as they could make them serviceable.
The Finnish Army noted the BAF C as the most advanced version of Soviet armoured cars, but it’s all terrain mobility was still considered poor and engine too weak for the vehicle.
By 1943 the original 52-horsepower GAZ-M1 engines of all BAF C armoured cars in Finnish use were replaced with new 95-horsepower Ford V8 engines.
Although Bolt Action rules still consider them captured vehicles with the unreliable rule, by 1943 they should be considered a Finnish conversion with full maintenance support.
Nowadays the Finnish Armour Museum in Parola has the only remaining armoured car of this type used by Finnish Army – Ps.27-12. This is the one in the video which was on display for the 75th anniversary of Finnish Armour.
BA-10 supporting a Jaakarii infantry squad.
The Rubicon kit went together very well and was a pleasure to put together. I chose the kit option with the rear tracks that was fitted during winter for moving in the snow and mud.
I have been asked how I painted the “Sturmi” that I posted about yesterday. The method is very simple as is most of my painting. I do not have an air brush so for the BA-10 I used spray can paints.
First I sprayed it with Tamiya TS3 dark green and then lightly with TS28 a slightly lighter green.
I then used TS3 sand.
As this is for the “Winter War” I then sprayed it with a cheap flat white undercoat to represent the white paint hastily applied in the field. You don’t need to worry about how much of each paint as this averages out over a number of vehicles.
At this stage I glue most of my vehicles on a suitable sized base. In order to avoid “bleed through” with the white snow flocking I sprayed the base flat white first.
The next step is to apply a red/brown wash liberally over the whole vehicle.
Pick out the “fiddly bits” and apply a light white dry brush and the vehicle is Finnish!
“Sisu” is a unique Finnish concept. It is a Finnish term that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. Sisu is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain that courage. The British would call it “Stiff Upper Lip” and in Oz we would say being “Cool as a Cucumber”!
I have been putting together a 28mm WW2 Finnish army for several years. and now that it looks as if I might be able to get a few Bolt Action games in I have realised that the army I have built so far is great if it is facing early war Russians but cannot stand up very well during later years of the war, particularly the second continuation war.
The problem with Finnish vehicles is they don’t have any of their own! Well not quite true!
In June 1933, the Ministry of Defence placed an order for three different British tanks; a Vickers-Carden-Loyd Mk VI tankette, a Vickers-Armstrong 6-ton tank Alternative B, and a Vickers-Carden-Loyd Model 1933. Vickers also sent a Vickers-Carden-Loyd Light Amphibious Tank model 1931.
All 4 tanks were put through a set of tests, but the Light Amphibious Tank performed so poorly in the trials that it was returned after only 17 days. The two Vickers-Carden-Loyd models were put into training use and the Vickers-Armstrong 6-ton tank was chosen to replace the obsolete FT’s as the main tank of the Finnish Armored units.
Thirty-two 6 Ton tanks were ordered on the 20th of July 1936 with the delivery spaced over the next 3 years. Due to budget constraints, all models were ordered without tank guns, optics or radios. Unfortunately, due to issues, the deliveries were delayed and the first 6-ton tanks didn’t arrive in Finland until July 1938 and the last came soon after the hostilities between Finland and the USSR ended in March 1940. Finland started the war with only had 32 obsolete Renault FT’s, 26 Vickers 6 ton tanks (all without any weapons) and two training tanks, a Vickers-Carden-Loyd Model 1933, and a Vickers-Carden-Loyd Mk VI.
In Bolt Action games terms this means that the only tanks at the start of WW2 available are Vickers Light Tanks and FT17’s which are not listed in the “armies” book. They Vickers were supplied with spare parts so do not suffer from the unreliability of captured vehicles.
Until mid 1943 the only additional vehicles that could be obtained were some Sturmgeschutz Ausf.G type, with the long barrel.
In all, about 59 StuGs were obtained in two batches of 30 and 29. The first batch were rushed into battle, and within a few weeks, claimed no less than 87 Soviet tanks for only 8 losses… The Finnish nicknamed them “Sturmi”, for “Sturmgeschutz”, and often protected them with extra logs.
A “Sturmi” on patrol with “Sissi” troops
By 1944, only 15 Panzer IV Ausf.Js were delivered to the Finnish Army. These were of simplified construction, but with the best armor of the series and the long KwK 43 75 mm (2.95 in), well capable of taking on the T-34 or the KV-1. Again, the Panzer IV’s are not listed in the armies books.
As you would have gathered by now I have decided to add a Sturmgeschutz Ausf.G to my Finnish forces for later war games.
It is important to note the use of the Hakarista or Finnish ‘Swastika’ on military equipment due to the confusion in its application.
Finland first adopted the Swastika on the 18th of March 1918, thanks to a donated aircraft that arrived earlier that month from Swedish Count Eric von Rosen (who used the blue Swastika as his personal symbol). The Hakaristi became a national symbol from that moment, being used on everything from the Medal of the War of Liberation, the Mannerheim Cross, tanks, aircraft, and even by a Women’s auxiliary organisation.
Its use on tanks came on the 21st of June 1941, with the official orders being that it was 325mm in height, had short end arms and white shading to the right and below. It was to be put on both sides and to the rear of the turrets or equal if no turret. However, there is evidence of artistic license with the color appearing as blue, black, longer arms and even without arms at all.
Over the next little while I will add an armoured car and some transport vehicles. The later is important as I can then think about some heavier ordnance, like a 75 PTSK/40 to add to my Pak 36, and will be able to transport troops quickly if there is no snow to use my skies!
I have been thinking about picking up some Wargames Atlantic Partisans for some time. Today I was in one of my favourite haunts the “House of War” in Croydon, Melbourne to pick up some paints. Sure enough, out I walked with two boxes of the Partisans.
There are eight sprues with four figures per sprue. The value at 32 figures for AU$55.00 was certainly there but there were some issues. These include:
No guide – Warlords have a brochure which shows which arms goes with which weapon;
No heavy weapons;
Only enough rifles for half the figures;
No shotguns;
Pistol holsters a bit over size;
Limited pose varieties – only four.
The pluses are:
Very cheap;
Lots of head variety;
Plenty of sub machine guns for later war partisans;
Easy to put together (once you work out which arm goes with what);
Only head, arms and sometimes a weapon needs to be added;
Plenty of hand grenades;
Bren light machine gun.
Once I arrived home I decided to put together a 12man late war partisan squad as a sample.
I came up with this Bolt Action 12 man Partisan squad at 174 points.
Leader with sub machine gun 13pts.
Two men with sub machine guns 26pts.
Partisan with Panzerfaust 15pts and one with rifle 10pts.
The Panzerfaust is from the Warlord Games Fallschirmjaeger box set.
Bren Gunner and Loader at 40pts.
The Bren Gun came from the box but I used the Commando “Bren gun barrels and accessories pack” to add to the loader.
5 Partisans with rifle at 50pts.
As an after thought I decided to add an Anti Tank Team with PIAT.
PIAT and Loader with rifle 28 or 40pts.
I used the PIAT, PIAT bomb case, and PIAT bomb (in the loaders hand) from the Warlord Games British Commando box which have been set aside for my “Dr Who UNIT” figures. The Warlord Games figures are slightly larger but the arms fitted OK.
I have a sprue of British 8th army figures that was “stuck” to a magazine which has an anti-tank rifle which I will try and convert.
There is lots of scope to customise figures and I pleasantly surprised to plan and put these guys together in a couple of hours.
As an side Irregular Miniatures have some excellent figures in their Very British Civil War range that can be added to the Partisans. The figure sculptures are just OK but are very cheap!
WW1 17pdr
Light Mortar
Vickers machine gun
All in all the Wargames Atlantic are well worth the purchase! As this was just a quick exercise the rest will wait until I start working on my Very British Civil War project.
As I said in yesterday’s post in the gangs of Rome civilians (the mob) play an important part in the game. The mechanism used is an excellent one and I have blatantly copied and added to my pirate rules. For those interested in these you can download below. There are pirate gang files I can also supply if you are interested.
In the gangs of Rome civilians (the mob) play an important part in the game. They can be aggressive and attack you or might even be coaxed to attack your opponent. You can hide from your enemies amongst the crowd and then come out across the board from another mob. The are grouped five to a base although mine are based individual and can fit on a larger base giving me greater flexibility.
Tomorrow I hope to paint the last of my civilians giving me a total of thirty civilians or six “mob” bases.
“Step into the streets and alleyways of the ancient Roman Empire. Those streets have become rife with carnage and unrest in these uncertain times. Gangs of brutal Fighters are used as weapons to exert the will of their paymasters. These paymasters, known as Domini, are ambitious heads of Roman households; as such a Dominus you begin your story in troubled times…
Gangs of Rome is a new skirmish game from War Banner in which you will use unique fighters, pitting them against the gangs of rival Domini in both campaign and scenario play to earn influence enough to manipulate your way into the Senate. Then, as a Senator of Rome, you will be granted the power destroy your enemies with methods far greater than the sword.
So hold on to your sandals and watch your back, Dominus!
Things are about to get bloody…“
—description from the designer
These are the first of my Gangs of Rome figures. I am starting with the civilians which are an integral part of the game.
This was a pain in the back side to put together but I am really happy with how it came out. I think it makes an interesting terrain piece for my sea port and railway yard.
It reminds me a bit of “Bill the Steam Shovel” that was on the ABC’s “Mr Squiggle” program when I was growing up!
These cranes were self propelling and did not need a locomotive.
An English made crane at Port Augusta in South Australia.
Next is the handcar (also known as a pump trolley, pump car, jigger, Kalamazoo, velocipede, or draisine) that is powered by its passengers. They are mostly used as a railway maintenance vehicle. This one is a typical design consisting of an arm, called the walking beam, that pivots, seesaw-like, on a base, which the passengers alternately push down and pull up to move the car.
I have found with the putting together of Sarissa and TTCombat railway pieces that they seem to suffer from the same rail gauge fiasco that Australia did until 1962. Up until then Australia had three different railway gauges and passengers had to alight at the various state borders and take another train fitted for the difference in gauge.
The different tracks at a ‘break of gauge’ railway station at Peterborough, South Australia, now part of the Steamtown Heritage Railway Centre.
It seems that Sarissa use “narrow gauge” and TTCombat use broad gauge! I will now need to make the Gotham Grease and Gunk railway siding a “change of gauge” station!!!!
I have about six feet of Sarissa “narrow gauge” that I will now have to put together. For the moment their carriages are just sitting on the sleepers of the TTCombat track!
With the railway kit distractions now completed (except for the Sarissa track) I can move back to other projects.
Well hardly as sleek, fast, or as powerful as the real life ten-wheeler Engine No. 382, known as “Cannonball”, that with its engineer were immortalised in the ballad of Casey Jones.
When I was growing up in the early sixties there was not much choice on TV, and after school Casey Jones was one of our favourites. Starring Alan Hale, more famous for his role as the skipper on Gilligan’s Isle, he had roles in hundreds of Westerns, and in later life opened a restaurant and a travel service.
Some time ago I picked up these trains from KMart, the same store I bought the ruined 1/43 scale cars from last week. Even though two were meant to be 1/43 scale and one was meant to be 1/60 they were all a bit small, and so I have yet to find a use for them. I can see the grandchildren ending up with them next visit.
Here you can see the difference between “cannonball” and the others.
Anyway back to Gotham Grease and Gunks “Cannonball”.
All of these models are from Sarissa Precision’s railway section. I am pleased with the outcome but building them was by far the pleasure I had hoped. Poor 4pt printed instructions did not help. Like most of Sarissa’s models they were all too detailed with small parts, but that is a pet bugbear of mine. If I want a detailed kit I would go for a plastic model not a “chunky” mdf one!
Since having a “Triang” train set as a child I have always been a frustrated railway modeller! Now I have one! Even if it is just made of wood and is a static display!
Finally after having these models for two years “I am a steamin and a rollin”!
Regular readers of my posts will know that this is a strong interest of mine and that I am an avid reader of recent publications. Unfortunately it is only now that we are gathering the true picture of what occurred on the early Australian frontiers.
This book by John Connor is the first thorough expose on the history of frontier conflict in the first fifty years of settlement. It should be noted that conflict existed for a further ninety years beyond the coverage of this book and some would say continues to this day!
It details how initially the British army had difficulty fighting the native inhabitants despite their experience in frontier conflicts in other theaters. It was only with the arrival of sufficient horses that they were able to gain the upper hand.
From the Swan River to the Hawkesbury, and from the sticky Arnhem Land mangrove to the soft green hills of Tasmania, this book describes the major conflicts fought on the Australian frontier to 1838. Based on extensive research and using overseas frontier wars to add perspective to the Australian experience, ‘The Australian Frontier Wars 1788-1838’ will change the view of Australian history forever.
Written from a military perspective, the book acknowledges the violent warfare that took place on Australian soil between colonizers and various Indigenous nations.
The opening chapter of the text is particularly enlightening and it looks at pre-invasion warfare between various Aboriginal nations, and explores the tactics and techniques utilized by Indigenous warriors before widespread contact with Europeans.
Connor’s frontier wars fit within the general pattern of British Empire wars against indigenous people in all the main colonies. Everywhere the British moved into the lands of indigenous people and in one way or another displaced the original owners. Everywhere the indigenous population densities were lower or much lower than those of the incoming colonists. As in Australia later, fights over food, led to frontier wars. Population pressures and displacements led to competition and violence with First Nations Peoples raiding European crops and herds and burning frontier settler houses.
A really great read if you are interested in this period of Australian History.
