Month: October 2015

No Updates this week due to busy weekend airsofting and watching American Football.

Managed to get two games of Skirmish Sangin in and wrote an AAR of one over on the Skirmish Sangin forum at https://www.hntdaab.co.uk/blog/2015/07/27/aar-street-fight/. Apart from that, no other changes. The list stands as it did in update 6.

This weekend should see some activity.

So the Russians turned up. Four operators in modern gear with AKs (both full length and carbine), four low profile agents in civvies and one female agent (with a certain haircut that should be familiar to fans of a certain Captain America film) in a leather jacket. Overall, I’m a big fan of them. The low profile guys should be easy to paint while the female agent should be pretty fun (as long as I get the correct paint for the hair colour). However, the operators should be a little harder. I would really prefer to not paint them in more multicam (one man can only paint so much) so I’m looking at Russian SURPAT which may end up being more of a brown mess (as opposed to the green mess that is my attempt at ACU).

In addition to painting new stuff, I actually went back over my older models and drybrush black areas. This is for two reasons. A, the raw black areas look terrible. B, as time goes on I need to update the models to the latest standard of painting. Overall they all look better, the Brits especially gain due to the black helmet bands and large spaces on the L85. In the process I did notice places where the brits had lost some definition due to crap under coating job so I may potentiall need to strip a few and repaint. Maybe once the challenge is finished.

Finally, as you can see at the top, I’ve finished painting all my Taliban fighters. 17 guys, all painted, drybrushed, based and varnished. There is a lot of brown and black so I tried to mix it up with some lighter, more vibrant colours. The Radio DishDash guys are especially nice with a level of detail closer to the Empress sets than Spectre. From painting them, I’m very excited about the upcoming Kickstarter models. Its also nice to finally finish painting a complete set of proper OPFOR. Mercs are all well and good but sometimes you need to paint what’s on the evening news.

So how is the lead mountain currently standing? Items in italics have changed since the last update.

Painted, varnished and based – 117:

• 38 Empress – Modern British Infantry
• 14 Spectre – UKSF (of various types)
• 6 Spectre – Task Force Operators (painted as SAS) + 1 Spectre Dog
• 10 Spectre – AK armed contractors
• 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (being used as US Special Forces)
• 11 Spectre – Task Force Operators (being used as US Army Rangers
• 2 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
• 1 Spectre – African Soldier
• 1 Empress – Armoured Troopers
• 4 Empress – US SEAL Team 6
• 8 Spectre – Task Force Contractors (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
• 17 Radio DishDash –  Taliban

In the process of being painted, varnished and based – 55 :

• 1 Empress – Dog for Counter-IED Team – Based, needs painting
• 1 Spectre – Dog – Based, needs washing
• 1 Empress – Warrior IFV – Basecoated, some green painted
• 4 Spectre – African Soldiers – partially painted
• 14 Spectre – Insurgents – Based, some colours painted
• 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits – being painted in parts
• 1 Spectre – UKSF (ghille suit with M4)
• 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (Converted with Shemaghs)
• 4 Empress – PLA Special Forces
• 3 Empress – Armoured Troopers
• 7 Spectre – Task Force Contractors (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
• 4 Empress – US Frogmen
• 5 Spectre Covert Action GRU
• 4 Spectre Direct Action GRU

Basecoated with Basing Material– 36:

• 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits
• 2 Spectre – Hostages
• 5 Hasslefree Miniatures – Modern Troopers
• 8 Spectre – SMG Armed Contractors
• Spectre – 1 VIP and 3 Bodyguards
• 6 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
• Spectre – Female Contractor (Salute 2015 model)
• Spectre – 1 Agitator and 1 Bodyguard
• 6 Spectre – African Locals
• 2 Spectre – Deniable Assets

Basecoated – 1:

• 1 Spectre – Contractor (being converted)

Not Arrived – 28:

• 8 Radio DishDash DELTA Force
• 12 Radio DishDash US Army Rangers
• 8 Radio DishDash Somali Gunmen

Total Models: 238

Models finished (Based, painted and varnished): 117

Percentage of collection finished: 49.2% painted

A very productive week. I got two sets of operators painted and finished but more importantly all but one of my figures is properly based up on sand and painted tan. This means that I can put the PVA glue and sand away for a while and focus on the painting.

As for what got finished, we have passed the 100 models done mark. I’m not 100% happy with them so I might go back at some point to make a few minor tweaks. My attempt at UCP on the Empress figures looks okay but a little bit too light.

So how is the lead mountain currently standing? Items in italics have changed since the last update.

Painted, varnished and based – 108:

• 38 Empress – Modern British Infantry
• 14 Spectre – UKSF (of various types)
• 6 Spectre – Task Force Operators (painted as SAS) + 1 Spectre Dog
• 10 Spectre – AK armed contractors
• 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (being used as US Special Forces)
• 11 Spectre – Task Force Operators (being used as US Army Rangers
• 2 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
• 1 Spectre – African Soldier
• 1 Empress – Armoured Troopers
• 8 Radio DishDash –  Taliban
• 4 Empress – US SEAL Team 6
• 8 Spectre – Task Force Contractors (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)

In the process of being painted, varnished and based – 55 :

• 1 Empress – Dog for Counter-IED Team – Based, needs painting
• 1 Spectre – Dog – Based, needs washing
• 1 Empress – Warrior IFV – Basecoated, some green painted
• 4 Spectre – African Soldiers – partially painted
• 14 Spectre – Insurgents – Based, some colours painted
• 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits – being painted in parts
• 1 Spectre – UKSF (ghille suit with M4)
• 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (Converted with Shemaghs)
• 4 Empress – PLA Special Forces
• 3 Empress – Armoured Troopers
• 9 Radio DishDash –  Taliban
• 7 Spectre – Task Force Contractors (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
• 4 Empress – US Frogmen

Basecoated with Basing Material– 37:

• 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits
• 2 Spectre – Hostages
• 5 Hasslefree Miniatures – Modern Troopers
• 8 Spectre – SMG Armed Contractors
• Spectre – 1 VIP and 3 Bodyguards
• 6 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
• Spectre – Female Contactor (Salute 2015 model)
• Spectre – 1 Agitator and 1 Bodyguard
• 6 Spectre – African Locals
• 2 Spectre – Deniable Assets

Basecoated – 1:

• 1 Spectre – Contractor (being converted)

Not Arrived – 37:

• 8 Radio DishDash DELTA Force
• 12 Radio DishDash US Army Rangers
• 8 Radio DishDash Somali Gunmen
• 5 Spectre Covert Action GRU
• 4 Spectre Direct Action GRU

Total Models: 238

Models finished (Based, painted and varnished): 108

Percentage of collection finished: 45.4% painted

I did it again. I bought some more models. The new Spectre Russians just look too perfect and I need some Russians for a campaign I’m planning. So I picked up 5 covert GRU Operatives (also good for Russian gangsters or arms dealers) and 4 Direct Action GRU with a combination of AKs and AKSUs.

On the other hand I did good and got some Taliban painted, based and all ready for wargaming tomorrow. There is a lot of brown in painting them so I tried to add a few coloured details to match with the pictures. They will get their first game going up against my friend’s Bundeswehr which should prove interesting.

I also finally chose which models I will be receiving from the Day of the Rangers kickstarter. Rather than my original plan of all the US characters, I decided to get a nice mixture of models. Two Delta teams, three sets of Rangers (two normal and a command team will let me give a squad leader to Ranger chalk and some other figures to make Air Force personnel) and two sets of Somali gunmen means I can get out and play some of the scenarios in the book. I also picked up two sets of counters for Skirmish Sangin to make playing the game a little easier.

So how is the lead mountain currently standing? Items in italics have changed since the last update.

Painted, varnished and based – 96:

• 38 Empress – Modern British Infantry
• 14 Spectre – UKSF (of various types)
• 6 Spectre – Task Force Operators (painted as SAS) + 1 Spectre Dog
• 10 Spectre – AK armed contractors
• 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (being used as US Special Forces)
• 11 Spectre – Task Force Operators (being used as US Army Rangers
• 2 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
• 1 Spectre – African Soldier
• 1 Empress – Armoured Troopers
• 8 Radio DishDash –  Taliban

In the process of being painted, varnished and based – 48 :

• 1 Empress – Dog for Counter-IED Team – Based, needs painting
• 1 Spectre – Dog – Based, needs washing
• 1 Empress – Warrior IFV – Basecoated, some green painted
• 4 Spectre – African Soldiers – partially painted
• 14 Spectre – Insurgents – Based, some colours painted
• 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits – being painted in parts
• 1 Spectre – UKSF (ghille suit with M4)
• 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (Converted with Shemaghs)
• 4 Empress – PLA Special Forces
• 4 Empress – US SEAL Team 6
• 3 Empress – Armoured Troopers
• 9 Radio DishDash –  Taliban

Basecoated with Basing Material– 3:

• 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits
• 2 Spectre – Hostages

Basecoated – 54:

• 4 Empress – US Frogmen
• 5 Hasslefree Miniatures – Modern Troopers
• 8 Spectre – SMG Armed Contractors
• Spectre – 1 VIP and 3 Bodyguards
• 6 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
• Spectre – Female Contactor (Salute 2015 model)
• Spectre – 1 Agitator and 1 Bodyguard
• 15 Spectre – Task Force Contractors (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
• 7 Spectre – African Locals
• 2 Spectre – Deniable Assets

Not Arrived – 37:

• 8 Radio DishDash DELTA Force
• 12 Radio DishDash US Army Rangers
• 8 Radio DishDash Somali Gunmen
• 5 Spectre Covert Action GRU
• 4 Spectre Direct Action GRU

Total Models: 238

Models finished (Based, painted and varnished): 96

Percentage of collection finished: 40.3% painted