Red Devils on the prowl

I actually wanted to start this post ranting about the latest update to the Blogger Dashboard...
but it being Christmas Day and all I decided to save my breath. But I'm in all honesty considering to stop using Blogger. It became a pain in the butt to work with on the tablet and thus I'm considering different possibilities for the future. Also I want to apologize for a lack of comments on your collective blogs. I'll try to make good for that in the next few days. But that's enough of my whining for now, so on to the miniatures I'd say!

A bridge too far?

I hope you don't mind my rather pathetic title for this post but honestly no matter how hard I tried nothing wittier sprang to mind.

Fallschirmjäger crossing a river near Monte Cassino - May 1944

Final Fallschirmjäger installment... for now

I would never have guessed it when I (re-) started work on my Fallschirmjäger force for Bolt Action, but I actually managed to paint up all the figures I had sitting in the lead pile for this particular project. Well, the white metal ones that is. I've not yet decided if I'll go down the plastic way for future reinforcements or if I'll bite the bullet and stay with heavy metal.
At the moment that doesn't matter that much though, as the force is at about 1600 points now and as such more than fully playable.

As mentioned in previous posts I'll be using the Fallschirmjäger Theatre Selector from 'Duel in the sun' for this force and as such there were several choices I still needed to round out my force.

The Landsknecht experience

As I only recently finally finished the Panzer IV I owed my good friend Chris, it was about high time to finish the figures I had agreed to paint for Curt as well.
We do have a small trans-atlantic miniatures exchange program running where he paints one or two miniatures per year for me and in exchange he get's roughly the same number from me.
We don't have a set topic for the miniatures we paint for each other. It's more a combination of what we do want to paint and what the recipient would like to get painted.

During last years Challenge Curt started work on a wonderful "Italian Wars" project and also painted up a spiffing and quite extraordinary piece of equipment called "The Death Bell of Breugel Bosch". If you haven't seen it already I strongly urge you to have a look at this rather inspired and twisted take on renaissance artillery. Well, be it as it may, when I first saw it I knew what I wanted to paint up for Curt. If only had I known what I was in for...

Panzer IV Ausführung H

With the the next incarnation of the AHPC (a well known acronym for Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge) already looming on the horizon I thought it about high time to start paying my debts from  last years challenge.

Fallschirmjäger advancing under cover of a Panzer IV - Italy June 1944

15mm Battle of the Bulge 76mm Sherman tanks

I've recently bought into 'Tanks', the newish game by Battlefront Miniatures, and thought it to be the perfect opportunity to continue work on my 15mm 'Battle of the Bulge' project.
In order to make up a full platoon of 76mm armed Shermans I bought another plastic sprue of this rather superb kit. Unfortunately my digicam seems to be about to quit service slowly but surely, so the colour balance in todays pics is heavily on the yellowish side. Also it looks like all the fine weathering with streaking, rust and so on didn't come through on the pics...

More Fallschirmjäger support weapons

Despite some rather busy weeks at work I've still managed to continue work on my my Fallschirmjäger platoon in the form of some more support weapons. The Fallschirmjäger list released in the "Duel in the sun" supplement for Bolt Action doesn't allow for support in form of vehicles and heavier anti-tank guns than the odd 3,7cm PaK 36 or schwere Panzerbüchse 41. Thus when wanting to field this list I'm rather limited when it comes to anti-tank capability. At least till the new Armies of Germany supplement for Bolt Action 2nd Edition is released in November that is.

Russian Civil War - Kornilov Command Stand

No, no Fallschirmjäger this time... yes, promised!
For various reasons, both private and job related, I didn't have much spare time lately. So progress on the Fallschirmjäger came to an abrupt halt. You know how this works: Finish line in sight you simply HAVE to switch to another project for fear of actually finishing a project, or at least as close to finishing as we wargamers will ever come with any given project. Instead I finally finished the basing for a White Russian command stand I had sitting around for quite a while now.

3rd Fallschirmjäger Squad

And again another squad of Fallschirmjäger is ready to join the ranks and defend the rubble strewn streets of Italy against the allied juggernaut.

More Fallschirmjäger - 2nd Squad

With the summer rather unexpectedly having returned to middle Europe work load increased significantly. The combination of work and sweltering heat led to a drastic drop off in painting mojo. But I got a second eight man Squad for my fledgling Fallschirmjäger Platoon off the painting table.

More Green Devils incoming! - Heavy weapons

Following on from last weeks 'sPzB 41auf Gepanzerter MG-Träger Bren 731(e)' I've done up a few more Fallschirmjäger which now are awaiting their first deployment.

I don't know what it is but WWII, especially Germans in WWII, always gets my creative juices flowing. So I made the most out of it and immediately got going on some heavy weapons to go with my other stuff.

Green Devils on the prowl

As some of my regular followers might remember during last years Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge I (re-)started an old pet project of mine: Fallschirmjäger.

As it's always the case it has taken me a while to get back to that project but finally I got in gear and added a little something I wanted to do for a long time already.

Picture taken from beutepanzer.ru

Green Devils on the prowl

As some of my regular followers might remember during last years Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge I (re-)started an old pet project of mine: Fallschirmjäger.

As it's always the case it has taken me a while to get back to that project but finally I got in gear and added a little something I wanted to do for a long time already.

Picture taken from beutepanzer.ru

Summer Sale in Moiti Towers

It's time to get rid of some old stuff again. I will continuously update this site so  make sure you check back here every once in a while.

If you're interested on anything on offer here just send me a mail at:
moiterei[at]web[dot]de

Here a few general rules:
- Prices are in Euro and open to discussion.
- Prices don't include shipping.
- Postage will be applied at cost. Due to bad experiences I will only send as signed for.
- If you need any additional pics or information contact me via the e-mail address stated above.
- Items on sale are sold as seen on the pictures except when stated otherwise.
- All items will be packaged as best as possible. But due to lazy post men and other imponderabilities I simply can't guarantee a save arrival with the customer.
- If you're ready to pay for it I do ship world wide

1. Imperial Army Bundle consisting of the items listed individually below
Miniatures and tanks are painted to a good standard. Should you need additional pictures just send me an e-mail!
500,-€

2. Imperial Guard Command Squad consisting of:

- Sergeant armed with bolt pistol and chain sword

- Medic with las rifle

- Banner bearer with las pistol

- Vox operator

- Heavy flamer
40,-€

3. Imperial Guard Veterans Squad consisting of:
- Vox operator with las rifle
- 3 veterans armed with Melta
- Support weapons team with rocket launcher
- 3 veterans with las rifle
80,-€

4. Valdor tank hunter
unfortunately the turret mounted heavy stubber is lacking for some reason.
150,-€

5. Leman Russ Exterminator painted as Commissarial Command tank with hull mounted las cannon
80,-€

6. Chimera with turret mounted twin heavy bolters and hull mounted heavy bolter
60,-€

7. Leman Russ Demolisher (old white metal edition) with hull mounted las cannon
85,-€

8. Manticore with hull mounted heavy bolter. The launch device is fully movable.
80,-€

9. AT-43 (OOP) rules bundle consisting of:
- German rules book
- English Operation Damocles initiation booklet
- English U.N.A. Army book
- English ONI Army book
- English Red Blok Army book
- English Operation Damocles Campaign book
- 3 AT-43 rulers
20,-€

10. DUST Warfare 1st Edition:
- Core Rulebook
- Campaign Book Zverograd
20,-€

11. DUST Collectibles:
- DUST Sourcebook
- DUST Wars Comic
3,-€

12. Freebooters Fate:
- German rules book (korrigierte Ausgabe)
- Gaming Cards

Book and cards as good as new
20,-€

13. Games Workshop Craters complete
package was only opened to check content
10,-€

14. Flames of War rules bundle:
- FoW 2nd (?!) edition (Old edition)
- Atlantik Wall source book
- Cassino source book (OOP)
- Blitzkrieg source book
- Fate of a Nation expansion

Books as good as new
40,- €

15. Tobsen77 Libelle
in original packaging
10,-€

16. Barrage Miniatures Italian Motorlance Landing Craft 28mm
Note: Miniature for scale only!
10,-€

17. The Plastic Soldier Company 15mm Russian bundle consisting of:
- Russian Infantry in summer uniform
- Russian Infantry heavy weapons
- Russian ZIS 2/3 anti tank and field gun

all boxes are complete only a few figures of the infantry set were cut from the sprue and base coated
35,-€

18. The Plastic Soldier Company Allied M5 Halftrack box (5 vehicles with british crew)
10,-€

19. Foundry Great War German infantry advancing with Pickelhaube
5,-€

20. Schilling Figuren 28mm ACW Confederate soldiers with wounded
1,-€

21. Warlord Games resin 28mm Churchill AVRE tank
tank is assembled and base coated, afaik no parts are missing. No crew figures included.
20,-€

22. Citadel Warhammer 40k Terrain piece with abandoned chimera (OOP)
Sandbags and various equipment items were added, gaps were filled. For more pictures send me a mail.
15,-€

23. Heer46 Panzerjäger 50t E-50
Set is complete
10,-€

24. Heer46 Panzerjäger 75t E-75
Set is complete
10,-€

25. DUST Tactics Allied Walker bundle:
- Steel Rain
- Hot Dog
- Rattler

No cards included

additional turrets for Steel Rain, Hot Dog and Cobra as well as muzzles for 3 Hot Dogs and gun barrel for 1 Pounder included. Actually I don't really now what walker that f****ing floating kit belongs to but I suspect it was the Rattler's. It was carefully removed and no parts are missing.
30,-€

26. DUST Tactics Allied Infantry 33 miniatures bundle:
- 3 Guys with flamer
- 2 guys with bazooka rocket launcher
- 3 guys with HMG
- 7 guys with pump guns
- 15 guys with rifles
- 3 heavy armored infantry with rocket packs and grenade/ rocket launchers

27. Grind house Games  Incursion Board Game
The game is complete and in mint condition. It was only ever played once.
15,-€

Zombicide Survivors

August is almost upon us and somehow it seems to me like 2016 is going to be the "Can't get my finger out" kind of year. Well, it's how it is and complaining never has changed anything, eh?
So here's the latest progress in my uphill struggle against the lead mountain:

These fellas are from the Zombicide board game made by Guillotine Games. Some might remember my earlier takes on some of the survivors from the original core game.

The well dressed chap in the middle is Bill the former prison director, a special promo miniature. Most (or all?) of the Zombicide characters are modeled after famous movie characters. But as I almost never watch any TV I unfortunately don't know on whom this figure is based.

The two other guys are from the "Angry Neighbors" expansion. Being companions (i.e. NPC's) rather than actual survivors I based them on clear acrylic washers to make it easier to distinguish these from the rest. The fellow on the left is dubbed 'Gunman' and I felt it appropriate to make him look like an elderly member of a biker gang.
The companion on the right runs under the label 'Handyman'. Being a craftsman by profession I simply couldn't resist the temptation to paint him up in my companies colors.

So that's it for this time. Have a nice sunday!

SAGA - Anglo-Danish Hearthguard

Not much of a progress on the painting front lately but at least I got another point of Hearthguard for my Anglo-Danish war band for SAGA done.

Caesar ante portas...

... or at least some of his infantry. Some of you might remember the beginnings of this project during this years Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. It has taken some time but now I've finally finished my first stand of legionaries, along with some barbarian light cavalry, for my Caesarian Romans.

Having already finished all those bases requiring a relatively low figure count, like Cavalry and Skirmishers, I got somewhat intimidated by the prospect of painting a whole base of heavy infantry. Especially as I already knew I wanted to recreate that look of massed ranks so closely associated with the ancient way of waging war and with the Romans in particular

Painting US armoured vehicles

I've postponed this little tutorial for much too long now. Primarily because, as it's so often the case, I forgot to take pictures of some crucial steps. But as Pat is waiting for it I thought I might just as well crack on and cover the missing steps in an upcoming guide. On the other hand there are already so many excellent tutorials, books and youtube videos out there, covering just about anything, one hardly needs me to explain every step in minute detail.

As it's always the case, this tutorial isn't meant to be exhaustive or THE way to do things. Thus feel free to add your own thoughts, criticisms or questions in the comments below.

Step 1: Primer
I think it comes hardly as a surprise but we'll start with the first and in my humble opinion, most important step the priming of your model. Maybe I should add I generally wash the miniatures before painting thoroughly using water and soap. This helps to wash away any residue of mould release or grease that might still stick to the model from the casting process or assembly and thus help to make the primer stick to the model readily.

To make the painting process easier later on I didn't fully assemble the Halftrack. The different parts were now given a thorough coating of Vallejo Black Surface Primer. Then the model was left to dry over night. I never instantly start painting the model after the primer as (in my opinion) the following coats of paint will hinder the primer to settle completely.

Step 2: Basecoat
After a good few hours (at least 12 I'd say) we can go on and spray the model with the base coat. It doesn't hurt to let the black base coat shine through in the deepest recesses either.
The model was sprayed using A.MIG-925 Olive Drab Dark Base. This paint is from the AMMO by Mig Jimenez range of paints and, for example, available in a set called Wargame US Armour Set which comes quite handy as it contains base coat, first and second highlight, as well as three other paints for camo, in one handy little box. The paints are especially made with the high contrast needed for wargaming models in mind. Despite being advertised as usable by brush and airbrush I wouldn't use them by brush as they won't cover as neatly as by airbrush and the contrast would be to stark in my opinion.

If you'd like to use a brush on paint I'd probably go for a 1/1 mix of Vallejo Model Colours (VMC) 887 Brown Violet and VMC 889 USA Olive Drab. For the highlighting steps I'd just mix in VMC 819 Iraqi Sand in increasing quantity.

Step 3: 1st Highlight
The first highlight was applied using A.MIG-927 Olive Drab Light Base. I made sure to not cover the whole model but only the middle of the different panels letting the base coat shine through  in between the panels.

Step 4: 2nd Highlight
Generally the contrast achieved in step 3 is sufficient, but as I'm the kind of painter who likes his toys to pop while still doing heavy weathering  A.MIG-929 Olive Drab Shine was now applied. The contrast created does look quite stark now but believe me it'll look just fine when hit by the following weathering. Again I leave my model to dry over night. This will help the paint to properly stick to the base coat, or at least that's what I like to think.

Step 5: Detailing, Decals and first weathering
You might notice that's quite a lot for just one step but frankly here's where I forgot to take pictures for the first time. So we just to have make do with what we have, I'm afraid.

The wheels as well as the rubber rims of the road wheels were painted using VMC 995 Dark Grey followed by a thinned wash of Army Painter Dark Tone Wash (Beware: Wash! Not the Dip stuff).

The tracks were then simply dry brushed with VMC 983 Flat Earth followed ba a wash of Army Painter Strong Tone Wash.
You can leave the tools like shovels, picks and fire extinguishers in olive as they were often oversprayed in the factory but I like to paint mine. This helps to create some interesting spots of color in an otherwise quite drab model. You can use what ever color you see fit.

Before applying the decals the model was sprayed using gloss varnish and left to dry over night. The gloss varnish will prevent the decal rims to be visible later on. When the decals were dry a layer of Vallejo 73.213 Decal Fix was applied and again left to dry for a few hours.

Using a sponge or part of a blister foam little dabs of A.MIG-929 Olive Drab Shine followed by more generous dabs of VMC 822 German Camouflage Black brown were randomly applied to the vehicle with an extra focus on parts that may see special wear in the field. Some extra scratches were then painted using the Black Brown. The larger dabs and scratches were then given a 'lower rim' (don't know how to explain it better) of Olive Drab Shine with a tiny amount of VMC 819 Iraqi Sand added. This honestly quite tedious step gives the scratches a certain 3D effect.

Step 6: The filter
On this model I, for the first time, didn't use enamel based filters and weathering products but went for oils. A few years ago I got hold of a few water soluble oil paints (frankly I really dont know how this magic works) by Reeves that lay all but forgotten about in my drawer. A more or less random mix was now pulled out to see if they're of any use for what I had in mind.
From previous search on the inter web I knew to try to avoid bright greens and blues as these seem to not blend in too well.

Small dots of paint were now applied all over the vehicle with a special focus to add the brightest colors to the top of a given area. The result does look  somewhat clowny as you can see below. More suited for a children's birthday party than for war.

A brush dampened (not soaked or even slightly wet! Dampened!) with water was now used to remove the paint working vertically from top to bottom. You can stop this process whenever you're happy with the results or even go on and add a second layer of paint dots. The aim is to slightly alter the base colour and make it look more interesting. Not quite sure if it's all that visible on the pic below but now the once plain olive colour has a slight brownish, reddish or even orange tinge in some places. Leave to dry for at least 1-2 days as the oils need quite a while to fully dry even when almost completely wiped away.
To protect the progress so far the model was given a (last) coat of gloss varnish.

Step 7: Weathering
A heavily diluted wash of Reeves Burnt Umber paint was now applied to rivets and recesses. Give the wash about 3/4 of an hour to dry and then remove excess paint brushing with a damp (can't emphasize this enough) from top to bottom. You can also create rain streaks using white oil paint with this method. As before you can repeat the process as often as you want till you're satisfied with the result.
The tires and lower parts of the vehicle were now carefully dry brushed with VMC 983 Flat Earth. One can also use pigments but after several more or less successful attempts I'm still not really comfortable with it as it quickly can ruin the whole model.

After the oils are completely dry a coat of matt varnish is applied both to protect the paint job and pull all the effects together.

As you can see it took a while to complete the model due to drying times. So it's generally best to do a few vehicles at the same time to make it worthwhile.


I hope this little guide was of some help or interesting to some of you. As mentioned above feel free to add any tips, critics, questions etc. in the comments below.

Have a wonderful sunday and till next time!