Sweetwater Forum - Miniature Exchange

The little sparetime I had over the last couple of days I used to get the figure done I recieved  for the `Miniature Exchange` on Sweetwater Forum.
For the `Miniature Exchange` you get a figure to paint from another chap taking part and send a miniature of your choice to somebody else. As I never did any kind of comissional painting it was a nice challenge to paint up something I didn't choose myself.

So I ended up splashing some paint on some sort of cowboy... I have to admit I really have no clue what make this figure is. As I never really was into this whole Wild West kind of thing, except playing cowboy and redskin in my childhood, it was completely virgin soil for me.
Therefore I hope the result is ok:

 

 

Thank you for watching!

Rush for Berlin 5: German Reinforcements

As spring has finally arrived in Germany too, it has been a bit quiet around here. Mainly because the workload increased, but also because I got a bit lazy over the last weeks.
So I needed about two weeks to get the next seven guys for my Luftwaffenfelddivision done.

I decided to paint up some more footsloggers to get a bit pf variation in my list.
So three soldiers with StG 44, three soldiers with Panzerfaust and a Medic are done.

First the hole bunch:

Rush for Berlin 4: Sd.Kfz.251/1 Ausf. C

After some kind of painting-frenzy I finished my first AVF for Operation Squad.
After having seen it already on Tactica (though I didn't had any money left) I had to get one of the new plastics Sd.Kfz.251/1 Ausf. C, also known as Hanomag, from Warlord Games.

First of all I've to say it's a great kit! Easy assembly, no irritating mouldlines and quite crisp casting.
The pieces fit together perfectly and building this kit is definitely lots of fun... even for me being all fingers and thumbs as I hate more sophisticated kits.  I think I'll have to get the plastics T-34 for my russians, too. Hopefully Warlord will release some other plastics kits in the future.

Now on to the pictures:

Rush for Berlin 3: Luftwaffen Felddivision

As this week my order from Artizan Designs and Miniaturicum finaly arrived I instantly started painting.
Painting a Luftwaffenfelddivision (Air Force-Fielddivision) is something I wanted to do for a long time. With my Soviets recently finished for Operation Squad I decided to give it a go.

First of the mandatory 500 pts. Squad:

I ain't been lazy Mum!

This week I didn't realy paint up some project related stuff as I (once again :-/) lost a bit focus.
So I ended up painting two "Imperial Arquebusiers" by Freebooters Miniatures a nice & little german company. The figures belong to the "Freebooters Fate" Fantasy-Tabletop. Don't know if it's that well known outside Germany though here it has a ever growing fanbase.
The figures themselves are simply great. The casting is absolutely crisp, almost no mould lines, though therefore an almost unbelievable richness of detail. At least way more detailed as a common painter as me could ever paint^^.
I painted two other Fantasy Pirates too but I just don't know the manufacturer as these were bought by my wife in one of these '...these are soooo cute' moods. IIRC the figures belong to a discontinued range. They are nice sculpts too, though they are not as detailed as the Freeboorers ones.

At first a pic of all of them:

Rush for Berlin 2: Soviet Support Weapons

These are ready since sunday, though I haven't had the time to take pictures of them. Originally intended for 'Secrets of the third Reich' or 'Rules of Engagement' these were sitting in my drawer unpainted for quite some time. I never was quite happy with the old sculpts. Nevertheless I decided to paint them up in order to use them for 'Operation Squad'.
I was totaly surprised by how they act painted. Especially the ZIS-3 Crew turned out quite well (at least in my oppinion^^).

Unfortunately my cam seems to get older as it's not able to catch the colours right. The ZIS-3 Crew comes closest to the actual colours. Have to get a new one soon, I think.

The whole bunch consisting of ZIS-3 with crew, 82mm mortar and Maxim MMG. All figures from the Bolt Action range by Warlord Games.

Rush for Berlin 1: Soviet Rifle Squad for Operation Squad

As I urgently :-) had to buy the plastic Soviets from Warlord Games at Tactica I  decided to start a soviet rifle Squad for Operation Squad.
First I was not too keen on the box as I have the German plastic Infantry too and I don't like it. The arms are too slim, the weapons too tiny and the bodys too clumsy.

So I was realy surprised with the new Soviets. The weapons seem to have the correct size (at least they don't look like toys), the arms are well proportioned and the casting is crisp.
Painting these guys was sheer fun.

Ok, let's start with the pictures:

First the 500pts. Squad as a whole

Impressions from Tactica 2013

This weekend Mike (http://dreispitz.blogspot.de), Chris (http://christopher-bunkerhill.blogspot.de/), Franz (Sorry, no Blog^^) and me made a trip to the Tactica 2013 in Hamburg.
The weekend was great and we had a lot of fun.
We met a lot of nice people and the atmosphere was very relaxed.

Beside the traders (where I almost not only spent all my money but my soul^^) there were lots of great looking tables. Unfortunately because of the overflow of impressions I didn't manage to take pictures of all the tables though all of them would have earned it.
And for those I photographed I don't always remember who made them :-)

So now on to the pictures!

First of all the amazing "Adventures in Bruegelburg" table using the Bruegelburg Miniatures Range by Lead Adventure Miniatures.

Fall of the western Empire 11: Late Roman Warband ready for battle

These days I finished the last three mounted Palatinae/ Advocati and now I'am finally done with my Late Roman Warband. Unfortunately I've forgotten to take pictures of the last group of Comitatenses I completed last week.
I have to admit it was hard to stay focused especially in the last few weeks particularly as I normaly am some kind of project hopper.
I don't think this project is realy finished for long but it feels great to say so.
As I started the warband I never would have believed that I'll need four months to get 54 figures done but better late than never.

At first a groupshot of warband in all its pride:

 

If I'll have enough sparetime after our trip to Tactica this weekend I`ll try to get some better pictures done.

Fall of the western Empire 10: Comitatenses!

Yesterday I finished the first eight Comitatenses for my Warband. They were sitting on my shelf almost finished for some days now as I was to lazy to give them the final varnish and do the basing.
Anyway... 5pts. ready two more to go.