28mm Japanese Bunker 2

 I had a few hours to spare and so I thought I would try another machine gun bunker for our Pacific game. 

You can see our first full Pacific game video by clicking here...

  

So I bought a set of mdf 2mm bases from Etsy and got out the blue foam and hot wire cutter.

                                        

 This blue foam (about 50mm thick) was cut to the same outline shape and painted.

So I then cut in a shallow centre for the bunker...using the wire cutter. 

Just as if they had dug it out between two rocky / jungle hills. Like a saddle effect/shape.

I used a little engraver (I don't have a Dremel)  to shape the blue foam into wooden logs and removed the bottom section to allow me to place the gun slit and the HMG and 3 japs inside. I also made a log door to the rear.

Then out came the plastic aquarium plants, flock, static grass,  clump foliage,, cork chips, sand and reeds. 

In fact everything was thrown at it! 

Plants were lightly dusted / painted with other colours to make it more realistic. 

I also placed in 2 magnets into the base (using no more nails) to allow removal / storage for a couple of palm trees. The trees also have magnets superglued onto the base.  

The trees are plastic but each tree is actually 2 (sometimes 3) trunks tall. 

We wanted these to look right so we doubled up the trunks with spare trees.

The magnets work well and are almost undetectable - in fact so good you need to move the tree trunk along the edge to find the magnet LOL.

Not a bad look for a half days work.

28mm Special Navel Landing Force

 

Continuing with our Pacific theme.

We have a packet 28mm Special Navel Landing Force (SNLF) and 3 pks of Imperial  Japanese Army for our Pacific game but I fancied another batch of the SNFL so I took the opportunity to purchase a box of SNLF.

But whilst searching I also spotted a £15 box of IJA  - a bargain I thought. So I got both ! and intend to paint them all up as SNFL.  

The thing I like about the Warlord Games SNFL is that the box includes a metal pack - with 30 extra heads and metal gas masks. This allows me to build a lot more kit bashed figures (30 extra Japanese heads means 30 extra foxhole guys).

So my first step was to think about the paint for a green version of the uniform. I had used traditional paint (Model color, Vallejo  etc.) before but I had seen some online videos of contrast painting the SNFL which I thought looked interesting.  

You can see our full video by clicking here...

So here is the results of the first batch (I placed some holes into an enlarged flag to give it a battle worn look. 

I also tried out modifying a plastic Russian anti tank rifle to a Japanese Type 97 automatic 20mm cannon just to mix it up a little. Because you don't get this option in the Warlord box - I think Warlord sell it in metal separately. But I had spotted a conversion in John Bonds wargaming blog that inspired me - he did a version on his blog section - Japanese Infantry Support - check it out.

 

The other element I wanted to include was a sniper. 

So I forged around my bits box again and found a Russian scoped rifle. 

As these soldiers tended to be fanatics I tried to ensure the "flags and headbands" were in abundance (green stuff additions to helmets and and bare heads). 

So ...the contrast paint - I like it but I think I will dry brush these figures with a little paint to bring out a little more detail and wash them with the good old Agraxearth shade.

But the pictures look a little more green and glossy than the actual models.

I did like the officer...

and another squad of SNLF trench... 

So thats the SNFL completed for the moment. 36 troops, 13 in trenches and a Mortar team.

 Below: back right the Russian arm throwing the petrol bomb was used to get something a little different.

I just 3d printed the mortar ...then used the US infantry arm set that have the binoculars (from bits box), then placed some ammo and rifles around the base.

  

Still have a few heads, arms etc.  to use up...maybe more trenches.

28mm Japanese Bunker

 28mm Japanese Bunkers

So I was trying to use up some of the bamboo rods I had acquired from the pound shop (I had bought these to make a tower / look out post -see an earlier blog entry) and I though I will do some mini bunkers and walls for our Pacific game. 

See previous video and Pacific posts.

                              

First coats done but still needs some paint touch - up but getting there..

                       

Making it - So out came my mini hack saw and I started cutting. I wanted just to experiment with a small low two man bunker (one with a small profile) and some "palm tree" like walls. 

So I cut the rods into sections. The walls had to be no bigger than than the palm trees we are using - but other than that anything goes...then hot glued them together. 

Below: the unpainted ones...

The bunker with an HMG sitting on sandbags (green stuff)  and two extra heads from my parts tray. and some plastic foliage..

I wanted the walls to look well weathered - so I added some ground foliage this will help melt it into our mat.

I wanted them to look rough, aged and uneven. But regular enough to butt together.

So the walls ended up four rods high with some shorter cuts on the ends (4 off). This meant the 28mm figure could use it as cover. They can be used in any format - in parallel or a single long line (with a bunker?).

Now the thing I was testing and unsure about was whether it would fall over easily and then might need a base of clear plastic - I did not want to raise it off the mat with foamboard or mdf. But to my amazement they actually stood up without an issue. We will test these out at our next Pacific outing. 

No base is required. So it will blend in nicely. You could even place gaps in it for gun ports.

These are really cheap to make and provide a second line or outpost surrounding perimeter for next to nothing.

Then I did some smaller spider hole like ones I had tried these before..

But as usual I got a little carried away and did 16 eek!

Step away from the hack-saw! LOL

But you get the idea...Japanese troops to be inserted!

ohh well better get some more rods then...

28mm Afrika Korp

Well this is a bit of of a departure (from the Pacific Theatre)... mainly because the Wargames Illustrated Magazine had a freebie gift this month and I got spue of German Afrika Korp.

                                     

Its a Warlord Games spue and has 6  figures to build. I haven't built any of these figures before so I did some research on the build and paint colours - as usual there were variations galore on the internet. The magazine also provides you with a list of colours but I felt that that was a little bit safe and I wanted to try something different.

So I opted to try out some contrast paint colours. This is how it went...after a white base primer.

                   

I have to say the head variations on this set are excellent. The face covering and goggles look the part.

Citadel contrast colours - the main green was Militarum Green and the yellow brown Skeleton Horde.

                   

I tried chipping and weathering the helmets up. .But I like the look of the contrast paint...it shades nicely then with a wash of Agrax Earthshade then a quick light dry brush of Iraq Sand. Its done.

                  
                                 ...and then did the arms bands and shoulder boards.

 

So I didn't do the helmet insignia as I thought it looked ok as is...

Overall I liked the effect of the contrast paint I think is makes the final figure a slightly lighter colour. I found that when using contrast paint -- less is more. Build it up in layers.

But I like it.   

CLAYMORE SHOW

 The Claymore Show at Edinburgh was great on Saturday....this is the first show in Scotland for years!

Show

I saw a nice looking Singapore game by Gothenburg Gamers. They were on 28mm scale and lots of teddy bear fur and headstones...yes headstones   AKA tank traps! They had some nice troop conversions on the board.  It was great to see some games in action again.

I bought some 28mm WW2 Japanese figures from Assault Group (for our Pacific Game) - I have to say these are great figures. I got some flamethrowers and a HMG type 90,  I also got some pack mules just to make up a supply train from Colonel Bill.

I did a small bunker to place the HMG into (just bamboo rods cut up and glued onto a base, added flock and usual "fish" plants). Looked quite good when I finished it.

You can see our full Pacific Game video by clicking here...

Its a jungle out there! LOL

I added some spare parts (rifle, pistol, boxes, sacks etc.)

Above: The pistol is on the left bunker wall- for when it gets to hand to hand.

The stubborn mule is being pulled by a Japanese handler. I contrast painted and washed the mules instead of painting them just to see how they would turn out. I have still to re flock the base after gluing in place the handler. I have still to detail the mules faces....

 I did some more work on the mules face, reigns and groundwork....

The other Assault Group figures were Flamethrowers.

and I did some Warlord Plastics

Used some green stuff around this guys helmet...and made the flag look battle worn.

 Remember to check out our Stalingrad game.