New Year and hopefully more updates (and comments)

First – Happy New Year to all blog readers!

It has been a quite a long time since I updated any new material (read: pictures) to blog. This is very unfortunate but there is progress ongoing behind the scenes. Some time ago I bought couple of new resin buildings from TBM and they have been at my painting desk now.  That is true that there has not been very much progress but terrain building is ongoing.

I also planned to create couple of smaller terrain items, e.g. fences and bushes to be used at my Eastern Front table, but they are still at planning phase  – materials are laready purchased but no real progress.

The blog has its 3rd birthday at next week (counting from the first post) and hopefully I manage to invent something special then. But if not – the birthday is used as normal – working with terrain, miniatures and similar. Thanks for everyone who have send comments and private messages – it is good to know that at least someone reads my texts

 

Flames of War: Start of my eastern front soviet village.

I have investigated different forums something like half a year now and planned that how I create my own eastern front village. Flames of war offical forums is an excellent place for inspiration and examples of high quality terrain.

I investigated couple of alternative plans, one that I create buildigs from scratch, second where I used some ready templates that I print with color printer and third where I buy ready unpainted resin houses. The cost goes similar way where scracth build is almost free, and ready resin buildings cost something like ~20€ each.

Even ready resin buildings are expensive – they are mainly very high quality. I do not have much money to waste on this hobby but  I have even less free time and therefore I decided to get couple of ready resin buildings and build my eastern front village at ready made pieces.

I compared different products at net and decided that I buy buildings from Total Battle Miniatures.  The first one I painted was Barn with Timber roof.

Here are couple of pictures at painted model with my soviet troops to see size.

And from another angle:

The model is actually very good quality, details are nice and the roof is removable. Therefore there is possibility to put troops inside the barn.  One can place one small base to tower, the actual barn can hold 3-4 normal troop bases.

I planned to paint also the inner parts of the building but then I found myself lazy and leaved the inside black.

Next I plan to complete couple of another buildings from TMB and also some woods/forests to “hide” my village…

Flames Of War : Soviet Army part 9.

It has been a very long time since I last updated the blog but there is a good reason… I changed my workplace and therefore my internet connection was changed to another operator and everyone knows that unless one is not willing to pay double fees, you have to wait the transfer time without the connection (Which was at my case almost 4 weeks)

But meanwhile I have tried to progress my soviet army and also there has been some terrain bulding ongoing…

First of all – I have noticed that my soviets need more tanks (Can there be enough tanks?) Originally I planned to purchase more T-34′s but then I noticed Plasticsoldier company’s nex Shermans. I decided to buy those because I have been very hapy about PSC’s quality.

So below there is picture about my Lend lease sherman company:

Also single picture about Company Command tank:

I also planned to create my own objective markers, because currently I do not have any markers for Soviet army.  I planned to create couple of supply dumps that can be the objectives. I created the one as test piece and when I get more large bases I create three more.

and from another angle:

I have also couple of Heavy Soviet tanks at painting table as well as couple of terrain pieces – I planned to create eastern front Soviet village, since majority of the games will happen at eastern front. But more will follow when painting is completed…

Flames Of War : Soviet Army part 8 (BM-13)

Last couple of weeks has gone so fast that I have not had any time for Flames Of War – not army painting or playing. This weekend I managed to go to my “miniature cave” (even I have terrible flu) and finish my BM-13 company. I already had one Katyusha painted as reference and I tried to paint all BM-13 similar way.

So… Soviet army proudly presents: Guards Rocket Mortar Company:

I am very habby about this unit – I used the Zvezda models instead of Battlefront models and to be honest – I think that these Zvezda models are even better that Battlefront ones. I also wanted to have full battery of Katyushas, four of them sounds somehow too small… When Soviet army goes for war – quantity goes over quality…

I think that soon I have to take new “Full Army picture” because Soviets have so much new stuff that has not presented at army picture…

Flames Of War : Soviet Army part 7

I have expanded my Soviet army now couple of times with Artillery – first with 120-PM-38 Heavy Mortars and second time with with ZIS-3 and 122mm howitzers at Artillery Battalion. Between those expands I added one company of T-26 light tanks but now I get back to roots -  the latest purchase for Soviet army is BM-13 “Katyusha” Rocket Mortar Battalion…

I have planned to have full company of these (8 pcs) and I have now painted one as test piece. So here it is:

Picture 1:

Picture 2:

Picture 3:

The model I have used is manufactured by Zwezda. I decided to use this model couple of reasons; it is much cheaper than Battlefront model and also because my Soviet army is basically builded up by using alternative manufacturers… So this Zvezda fit is very well… Also the crew is from alternative manufacturer: they are from plastic soldier company.

So as said earlier – I am planning to have total 8 of these in my army. These seems to be nice adding since I can use these BM-13 rocket mortars at Late War games as well as Mid-War games. I do not know how effective these are – but the models are cool and “devastating Bombard” rule sounds cool I still need to model Command team, Observer team and Komissar team. So it most probably seems that I have to order another battalion HQ blister from battlefront…

(Finnish translation will be added later…)