Painting, history, oh my...!

[redben]

Are we doing these in this thread? While we're whipping out our degrees, mine is in Ancient History (or will be in two days time). I'd be happy to write up a short guide to bronze age through MIR (Middle Imperial Rome). Just a quick overview of rulesets and minis companies.

[Caiphas Cain]

Well I'm only a year away from getting a high school diploma, so...

I think I'll participate in the thread. I've got eight 20mm modern marines and a Bradely to paint. It's hardly an army, but hopefully it'll grow. The biggest foreseeable problem is photographing the miniatures I would think.

[Lars Porsenna]

Since we're talkin about degrees, I have a history degree too, specializing in the European Middle Ages!

Damon.

[GomezAddams]

I'm currently studying for my second *smug face* This time in ancient history with the open University. Which is what I should be doing right now... bah!

[mrtn]

I think this is a good approach. The bulk of the post should be about which companies provide background information, produce minitures for the given period and who publishes rules sets all with handy links.

I agree. The gist of a conflict you can get on wikipedia or similar, but the main manufacturers of rules and miniatures you can't.

[DeadInTheHead]

Dreamweaver's topic asking for information on painting Napoleonic Uniforms got me thinking that a collection of links + bibliography for each era would also be a good idea.

http://www.warseer.com/forums/showth...ainting-guides

[Codsticker]

So.. back on topic.

June 1st is approaching, and f2k's Tale of.. thread is here. We may as well use that thread as the sign up thread if we have some genuine interest.

[f2k]

I'm hoping to have a proper sign-up thread ready within a few days. Or should we just use the old one as Codsticker suggested?

In any case, as you can see I survived the hospital-trip (though I certainly didn’t enjoy it) and I’m now home and trying to get back to normal life.

I’ve been studying some of the Flames of War books but I’m still slightly undecided. 563. Heavy Tankhunters with their motley assortment of wacky, but not really competitive, wheels. 78. Storm Company with lots of fortifications and heavy guns. 3. SS ‘Totenkopf’ Panzergrenadiers with the humongous rocket-assisted mortar equipped Sturmtigers. Or how about, as dark outsiders, a Security Company which is just about as far from the regular Wehrmacht as you can get, being badly equipped, badly trained, and very very cheap points-wise...

Arghhhh...

I can’t be the only one who wants to do too many armies all at once...

[Codsticker]

In any case, as you can see I survived the hospital-trip (though I certainly didn’t enjoy it) and I’m now home and trying to get back to normal life.

What...?

Or how about, as dark outsiders, a Security Company which is just about as far from the regular Wehrmacht as you can get, being badly equipped, badly trained, and very very cheap points-wise...

Arghhhh...

Sounds like too many models to have to paint to a deadline to me.

[f2k]

What...?

As I wrote earlier in the thread, I had to go to hospital last Friday so I didn’t get a sign-up thread done before that ‘cause, quite frankly, my thoughts were somewhere else.

Brrrrr... I HATE hospitals, doctors, and needles...

Sounds like too many models to have to paint to a deadline to me.

Oh yes...

The basic requirements are three Security Platoons of seven infantry stands (plus three optional trucks) each.

They do have some interesting troops though, having access to a Sturmtiger platoon or an armoured train. Also, they are, as far as I know, the only German troops having access to the German equivalent of the Soviet Commissars – namely the German Field Police.

I do think though, that it’s an army best played at 1000 points or below. It’s probably going to be struggling above that level, once the expensive Soviet heavies comes rolling. As far as I recall, the original Warsaw briefing was designed for games around 600 to 800 points maximum.


Then again, it could be worse. I’ve been looking into making a mid war Soviet Strelkovy infantry horde. Man, the sight of 100+ infantry stands on the table, all (nearly) fearless due to the commissars. But painting some 500 15mm. infantry models...

[Ben]

As I wrote earlier in the thread, I had to go to hospital last Friday so I didn’t get a sign-up thread done before that ‘cause, quite frankly, my thoughts were somewhere else.

Brrrrr... I HATE hospitals, doctors, and needles...

Preaching to the converted there. I've been in A&E twice in the last ten days and my GP had what seemed like half a pint of blood off me on Friday for tests. I'm so much more squeamish about needles than I am about the time I partially severed my thumb. On the other hand I'm signed off for ten days as I'm not able use machinery etc I'll actually definitely get the first month in on time as I'll be at home and able to get it done.

Oh yes...

The basic requirements are three Security Platoons of seven infantry stands (plus three optional trucks) each.

They do have some interesting troops though, having access to a Sturmtiger platoon or an armoured train. Also, they are, as far as I know, the only German troops having access to the German equivalent of the Soviet Commissars – namely the German Field Police.

I do think though, that it’s an army best played at 1000 points or below. It’s probably going to be struggling above that level, once the expensive Soviet heavies comes rolling. As far as I recall, the original Warsaw briefing was designed for games around 600 to 800 points maximum.


Then again, it could be worse. I’ve been looking into making a mid war Soviet Strelkovy infantry horde. Man, the sight of 100+ infantry stands on the table, all (nearly) fearless due to the commissars. But painting some 500 15mm. infantry models...

Are there any choices that would be common to all three (like trucks, infantry, AA gun, AT guns?) that you could paint up in month 1 to give you more time to decide?

And if this is a twelve month tale a Strelkovy infantry horde would be 9 or so stands a month. The only concern would be that it would get boring doing loads of infantry.

As far as Flames goes, I'm a big enthusiast for having some elements that turn up in a lot of lists as a flexible core (in the core miniatures case) and then specialised stuff to customise it to a specific list (in a correspondingly marked case) so depending on what you want to play you grab a couple of cases on the way out to the club. I suppose you can do that for any army, though 40k or fantasy needs so many models you're talking about a suitcase sized model case if you've got a tank or drop pod list.

[f2k]

Preaching to the converted there. I've been in A&E twice in the last ten days and my GP had what seemed like half a pint of blood off me on Friday for tests. I'm so much more squeamish about needles than I am about the time I partially severed my thumb. On the other hand I'm signed off for ten days as I'm not able use machinery etc I'll actually definitely get the first month in on time as I'll be at home and able to get it done.

Arrrghhh...! Please don’t talk about blood. I ought to call my doctor soon to get the final results of my recent examination and to get more medicin. But last time he started talking about wanting to check my blood...

Are there any choices that would be common to all three (like trucks, infantry, AA gun, AT guns?) that you could paint up in month 1 to give you more time to decide?

Depending on just how much you’re into the details, a lot of this could be reused.

A Security Platton and trucks, for example, is just regular Whermacht models. The same goes for much of the SS.

And if this is a twelve month tale a Strelkovy infantry horde would be 9 or so stands a month. The only concern would be that it would get boring doing loads of infantry.

Sat down and made, strictly for fun, a mid war Strelkovy horde. Or perhaps I should say psudo-horde as I could easily have pushed more bodies into it, but I did want a few toys to play with...

HQ
Batalion HQ
- Anti-tank Rifle platoon
- Sapper Platoon
- Pioneer Supply horse-drawn wagon

Strelkovy Company
Kapitan and Rifle Platoon x 3
- Upgrade all teams to Rifle/MG
- Komissar
- Light mortar team x 3

Strelkovy Company
Kapitan and Rifle Platoon x 2
- Upgrade all teams to Rifle/MG
- Komissar
- Light mortar team x 3

Shtraf Company
Kapitan, Komissar, and Shtraf Platoon x 2

Flame-thrower sections
3 Flame-thrower sections

Strelkovy Mortar Company
Kapitan and Mortar platoon x 2
- Observer team

Strelkovy Heavy Mortar Company
Kapitan and 3 Mortar platoons
- Observer team

Anti-Aircraft Company
Kapitan and 2 Anti-aircraft platoons

All in all, 1745 points and 117 stands (97 of which are pure infantry, 19 are infantry-gun teams, and 1 is a horse-drawn carriage).

The entire army hinges on the Shtraf Company which allows it to always be the attacker.

The smallest Strelkovy Company, along with the mortars and AA-guns will dig in near any objective that I might need to defend in my own deployment zone. The infantry will form a protective screen around the mortars and the AA-guns will protect the position from any aircraft that might drop by.

The Shtraf Company will form the first human wave, advancing across the table at double speed. Behind them the large Strelkovy platoon, with the flame-throwers, zappers and anti-tank rifles will form the second wave, ready to pounce on whatever survives the first wave.

Now, had I wanted a true horde I would have gone with an Opolcheniya army. However, the whole idea with this is to create a horde of infantry that will not run under any circumstance. Thus, the fearless rating of the Strelkovy horde is preferable as it will ensure that they won’t run, even when hit by lot’s of firepower.

What about tanks then? Well, that’s what I have the sappers and flame-throwers for. The problem is that with so many stands on the table, I’m not sure I can get a line-of-sight from anti-tank guns in the rear and to enemy tanks. So I count on my infantry to take out tanks in close combat.

Now, whether or not it would actually be interesting to play with and against? Somehow I doubt it... It basically has two modes of operation: digging in and not moving an inch or running full tilt across the table.

As far as Flames goes, I'm a big enthusiast for having some elements that turn up in a lot of lists as a flexible core (in the core miniatures case) and then specialised stuff to customise it to a specific list (in a correspondingly marked case) so depending on what you want to play you grab a couple of cases on the way out to the club. I suppose you can do that for any army, though 40k or fantasy needs so many models you're talking about a suitcase sized model case if you've got a tank or drop pod list.

I completely agree with you on that.

However, I’m really a big stickler for detail and so everything, including the core, will get marked for the appropriate era, army, and theatre of operation. And using, for example, the 78. Sturmdivision in Normandy, when it actually served on the Eastern Front, bugs me...

[f2k]

I’ve posted the sign-up thread here.

[sakura_ninja]

I have an interest and models

I love reading about the napoleonic era, Acw and WWII, and I happen to love the look of the period and models available.

Not fow though, I don't the models at all, poor quality and toooooooo small.

[Ben]

There are 28mm WWII available from a variety of manufacturers, but Warlord games do plastics and army deals.

The WWII range

http://store.warlordgames.com/28mm-w...tion-101-c.asp

[sakura_ninja]

Yeah I know of warlord, nice stuff, haven't had a chance to buy any of the WWII stuff yet.

[Ben]

I'd pick out what rules set you want to play and what force. You don't have to have the first thing done till the end of June, so that is plenty of time.

[sakura_ninja]

I'd pick out what rules set you want to play and what force. You don't have to have the first thing done till the end of June, so that is plenty of time.

I don't think I'll even be around for it, it seems ttauri has it in to get me utterly banned for doing less of what people do everyday, but seems to ignore what they do and pick on the new girl, strange way to get kicks.

[Codsticker]

I don't think I'll even be around for it, it seems ttauri has it in to get me utterly banned for doing less of what people do everyday, but seems to ignore what they do and pick on the new girl, strange way to get kicks.

Sorry dude, but the Helpdesk is thataway.

Codsticker

The Warseer Mod Squad