Decal Day

I know things may seem a bit crazy, what with two blog posts in one day, but last night I got caught up* on decalling (or is it decaling?), and here are the results:
The Halberstadt CL.IV is from CinC, the other two are Goblintooth's.

Close-ups of some:

My patrol boats for Vietnam got their stars:

And some of my 25mm foot knights got aligned (kind of randomly, I liked the decals):
* I didn't do any Vietnam helicopter decals, as I realized I don't have the low-viz decals some helicopters need, and nobody makes "UNITED STATES ARMY" decals in 1/600. I've put in an ask to Dom's Decals, hopefully they can be made, otherwise I'll have to just go ahead and pretend they're there. They were pretty low-viz anyway (black on olive drab), so maybe no one will notice, specially once the rotors are in place.

English Civil War in 2mm Plans

For the past while I've been planning to get into the English Civil War in 2mm, and landed on the Polemos rules, although I'm keeping some options open to use others. After doing a "buy one of everything in the Renaissance range" order from Irregular last spring, here's what I landed on for 2mm figures. All go onto 40x20 (inf. and cav.) or 20x20 (command, artillery) bases.

Shot: 3 x BG31
Shot Heavy: 3 x RBG-3
Mixed: 2 x RBG-6
Pike Heavy: 2 x RBG-9A + 2 or 3 RBG-12 + 2 x RBG-11
Pike: 3 x RBG-9
Cavalry (Swedish): 2 x 2 x RBG-16/18
Cavalry (Dutch): 3 x 2 x RBG-17/19
Cuirassiers: 4 x BG-11
Scots Lancers: 4 x BG-10
Mounted Dragoons: 4 x RBG-22
Dismounted Dragoons: 3-6 x RBG-11 + RBG-35
Artillery: 2 x RBG-29 or 30 (if needed, limbers of BG-25/26)
Commanders: RBG-24 and/or 25
Clubmen and Levies: BG-23
Irish: RBG-11 + BG-3 + BG-23
Highlanders: BG-3 and 23
Scottish Archers: ABG-12
Scottish Horse: BG-11
Frame Guns and Very Light Guns: 2 x RBG-26

Now for another order to Irregular! I'll start with some basic forces for each side, rather than jumping into one of the bigger battles. So 30 cavalry and 30 infantry bases per side, plus artillery, commanders and a few odd units. The Scots Royalist and Covenanter forces will have to be a future effort.

Now Charlie Can Surf

A blitz over the weekend got my NVA base forces done. Now the NVA, VC, and Americans all have companies ready, and I can live without mortars and a few other bits and pieces for a while. Once they're sealed I'm at the next stage - actually playing with them! This is the first real project I've gotten to the gaming stage.

The whole company as seen from above (can you hear the Wagner?):
The company head on:
The company HQ (left) and Commissar (right). As the biggest Big Men in the company, I added the little red badge to their sun helmets. But no more!

A bunch of views of the various squads/fire teams:



And some views of the MG teams (one blurrier than the others):


Snipers and a two-man base (another Big Man or to turn the LMG into a HMG):
The rocket teams:

Sneak Peak:Still a work-in-progress, but the first Indian artillery piece is underway. The gunners need to be painted, and the dirt needs a wash in brown. The redoubt is meant to be portrayed as a hasty redoubt, made of dirt and wood. The redoubt as Irregular makes it is better suited for a permanent (stone) position, but I don't really see that for 18th century India.

Just Like Harvesting A Bison...

I didn't let anything go to waste on these thrift shop corduroy pants (Old Navy pants at that!). I was in to scrounge around to miniatures stuff, found a diecast 1930 truck perfect for pulp gaming, and these pants - perfect for 3mm plowed fields. Normally corduroy seems like like 15 or 28mm terrain, but these ridges are really small and tightly spaced.

I figure I'll use them bare for plowed earth, and with a bit of flocking for low-lying crops. I have a whole 'nother plan for corn.

The photo above is what was left of the pants after cutting off the legs, pockets, pocket flaps, etc. etc.

Craft Store Elephants

In a fit of madness, two posts in two days! Here are some craft store paper elephants that I've done up in two different styles:

Gate guardian elephants for India, either my 15mm 18th century project, or 28mm pulp. Now I just need a gate!

And of course, what temple, palace or ruin would be complete without a sapphire-eyed golden elephant. Maybe it's just gold plate but filled with gems (or vipers), maybe it's solid gold, but that's for the adventurers to find out.

The figure is a 28mm post-apoc guy from EM4 - he was handy for showing a sense of scale.

Hey Joe, Me Paint You Long Time

After a ridiculous period of being ignored on my painting table, I finally finished my 3mm American forces for Vietnam (for eventual use with Too Fat Lardies' Charlie Don't Surf). All I had to do was their webbing, gear, grass highlights, and then shrubberies, but that took a year. Well, it only took about 6 hours, but it took me a year to get to those 6 hours.

Anyway, here's the outcome. As always, you can click on the image to see a bigger version, although be forewarned, like other small scales, these don't necessarily look better when viewed unnnaturally close up.

First up is an overview of my US company. It's still missing its mortars some additions for the Marines - an additional fire team per squad and bazookas. I have them, borrowing from O8's WWII US packs, but they are only prepped at this point, not mounted. So here they are on parade:
Here's the command unit, lead by Captain "Duke" Spaulding with his black hat and swagger stick, along with a FAC team (big base), sniper (lone fig. on small base, pointing his rifle at you), and FO (small base):
Next are the MG teams, five in firing positions, three on the move. If you look closely, you should be able to see the brass of the ammo belt sticking out here and there:
One shot of the medic teams. Each platoon gets its own base, and when representing the Marines, they get a company level medic (big base). As I mentioned long ago in a Work-in-Progress update on them, I've painted them as a bit of a diorama, each soldier is wounded a bit differently.
Although I wonder a bit if I didn't go too far and make them a bit bloody.
Here's the 2nd Platoon, from the helicopter view:
2nd Platoon head on:
1st Platoon:

1st Platoon showing the coding system I use on the back of the bases. 1st Platoon is "white" and then a second colour for each squad. Each squad consists of two bases.
Additional forces - spare two-man teams to turn the MG bases in to HMG's or squads, a spare squad, and three more Big Men.
Last year I ordered some civilians from Microform Models. As they're used in architectural modelling, they came with a peg in the bottom that was about as big as these figures themselves. That works for architects, but I needed to cut off the pegs, and ended up using them as figures! These are two views of the same three bases:
I painted them differently than my VC units, just to distinguish them a bit, although I realize in reality the VC deliberately dressed like civilians.
My first, and still only, O8 palm tree, designed as the "Lone Palm Tree" to play some role in the "Affair of the Lone Palm Tree" someday. More terrain bits are coming when the figures are done.
And for a change of pace, before clearing the decks for Vietnam, I did a first coat for my 2mm Cathedral:

What's up next? Well, I started on the NVA last night, got their flesh added, and figured out which paints work best as their uniform colours. I hope to do them in less than a year!

I also have to add to the three main forces - VC need a couple Big Men, NVA need Big Men, mortars, HMG's, D-30 howitzers, and the US needs the aforementioned bazookas, mortars, and some vehicles (already based).

Then I need to get into terrain, finish up my jungles and bamboo forests. I'm also hoping for some more Vietnam pieces from O8 - gun trucks, bunkers (American sandbags, VC/NVC dug outs).

I also have enough pieces to do a ARVN company, and a CIDG/A-Team unit, although but there's no rush on them right now. I actually feel like figuring out my 3mm Civil War plans...