Semper fifteen!

Peter Pig 15mm USMC. These have been sitting in my lead pile for ages, despite being a crucial part of my modern gaming needs. I summoned up the guts to get into them, and am very happy with the results. Want... more...

I'm not in a position to comment on the time period they're appropriate for; I'll be using them as USMC and US Army from 1990-2005ish.

The tufts are from Noch- I use them to mark support weapons that grant extra dice for 'Force on Force'. It is a bit of a struggle to ID the SAWs (let alone the M203s) at gaming distances, and these make it easy.

Keen eyes will note that the leader figures have M203s but no tufts- I'm using them just as assault rifles, they're too busy directing the battle to really add their extra firepower. That's my position, anyway.

First Bull Run

I used Battle Cry with solo rules based on posts on boardgamegeek. Roll a D6 and compare it to your command value- if it is more then draw and play one card. If it is equal or less, then draw two and play the best card. 'Probe' cards allow you to draw an additional card next turn. 'Fight back' gets played at the first opportunity. Simple!

I played the first scenario- First Bull Run, 21 Jul 1861. The Rebels got a lousy series of cards and the Union beat them to Henry Hill. JEB Stuart had a very lucky escape on the left flank. The Union took the hill, but at considerable cost. The Union won 6-3. History changed!

Setup

Game end

Battle Cry Diary Day 4.5- finished!

I just ploughed ahead last night and got them done by 11pm, so I put on the matt varnish and went to bed. This morning I took some photos and played a solo game- great fun!

All the figures

I'm really please with them- I can't believe what a difference the matt varnish makes (Testors Dullcote).

Johnny Reb

If I was really keen, I'd trim down or touch up the edge of the flags where the stickers still show white. Also, I'd bend the flags a bit.

Yankees

Overall, I'm really impressed with the utility of the dip for a project like this one. I got these on Wednesday night, prepped and primed them and did up a few test figures on Wed/ Thurs, then got into them on Fri and Sat and they were done by late Saturday. I've never painted so much so well so fast.

Union Artillery

Cavalry

Confederate Artillery

Infantry

General Officers

Edit: and it goes nicely into the box as well:

Battle Cry Diary Days 3-4

Well, I've leapt into the painting. I got a bit of feedback from my previous post, and went for a very slightly darker grey for the Rebels, and stuck with the darker blue for the Union. Then I just sat and painted. I took all the shortcuts- no buckles or buttons, few straps, no beards, horses and hair all the same colour, etc. And I've churned them out. The base painting is finished: all they need is dipping, flocking, varnishing and base touching-up. And the sticking on of flags. I intend for them to be done by lunch tomorrow.

For a purely gaming project, I've been impressed with the speed this has gone down. I'm hoping I don't muck up the dip. I'll post detailed pictures when they're done.

Battle Cry Diary Days 1-2

Another grasshopper gamer change of pace! I received my copy of Battle Cry yesterday, and am planning to smash out all the units quick-smart. I will be using my dip experience from my WotR painting.

I've already shown my preference for painted boardgame pieces here, here, and here.

I know very little about the ACW. I can name the famous battles, but who won them, and which side Jackson or Lee fought for, are a mystery to me. Battle Cry nicely scratches an itch by being a self-contained game using the first iteration of Richard Borg's Command & Colors rules, which I have really enjoyed for Naploeonics.

I'm just going for a quick and functional paintjob here. All the units will be identical; no different trousers for the Southerners from me, no fancy flags, all very vanilla! I do want it to look right to my eyes, however, and have done a quick trial of coats and trousers for both sides.

I prefer the darker blue (right) for the Union.

I think that the pale grey Confederate trousers (left) look better than the blue-grey or same-as-my coat-grey.

These will eventually get flocked and matt-varnished. The figures are a firm plastic, akin to plastic cutlery. I was expecting something softer and more rubbery, but was pleasantly surprised. I haven't done any deflashing, and didn't have to straighten any flags or rifles. Nothing was broken.

122 figures!

I prepped them by a quick wash in soapy water, then sand was PVA'd to the bases, and finally stuck to tongue depressors and sprayed Army Painter Leather Brown.

Less typing, more painting! And Ken Burns in the background.

15mm Blaze Away characters

These six 15mm figures are from Blaze Away miniatures.

I've painted the figure on the far left as a Marcinko-esque PMC leader. The next two I'll be using as Ardistani National Police.

Richard Marcinko

Afghan National Police

The guy in shorts is some sort of Aussie/ Kiwi/ South African contractor, and the man in black is a ringer for the bad guy in 'Black Hawk Down'.  On the right, an officer for my Ardistani National Army.

Mo'alim (Black Hawk Down)

The figures are a good match for Peter Pig.

Situation deteriorates in Ardistan

Just some staged photos to spur me on to do more terrain for my 15mm not-Afghanistan project, Ardistan.

Buildings by Gamecraft and painted as per my previous post. HMMWV from Irishserb, lonely Marine from Peter Pig, distant Taliban from QRF.

I still need a little flock around the building bases. I was thinking of adding doors, but am too lazy. I still need to make a lot of walls and scatter terrain, as well as a few more Gamecraft building compounds and ruined buildings.