28mm Perry 8th Army figures

Still getting on with these. Easy to paint and look good when finished.

Work in progress (WIP)

Under coated ready to start top coat.

I believe that Vickers Teams and Mortar crews are in the pipeline (metal I guess) soon. This will mean larger Bolt Action armies will soon be possible.

28mm Zulu War - Rorke's Drift

Thanks to my lovely Wife, i received Warlord Games Rorkes Drift basic set for Xmas!

A lifelong fan of the film Zulu, I'd admired this kit since its release. So actually becoming the proud owner was like a dream come true.

As a small child I'd been taken to see the film at the cinema and from then on, that's all I was interested in. Our then neighbours, retired Government officials from Rhodesia, had connections with the South Wales Borderers and made us aware of the superb museum in Brecon which contains actual items from both this battle and Isandlwana. They also hold most of the VCs won on the day, well worth a visit. http://royalwelsh.org.uk/regimental-museum-of-the-royal-welsh.shtml

More recently I discovered that one of the Rorkes Drift VC winners is buried only 6 miles from where I live. Private Robert Jones was buried in Peterchurch after he took his own life, unable to cope with the nightmares he'd suffered since the action. I drive within yards of his grave every day on my way to and from work!

Just finished the resin barricades today. Very good quality items, easy to obtain a very good finish, really look the part.

The fortified wagon is a nice touch.

So far I've only started assembling the hospital building. An mdf item by 4Ground it goes together very well - shame the doors are an optional item? Still got to suss out the teddy bear fur for the thatch.

It comes with some Empress metal character figures (historical ones) and a lot or Warlord plastics.

I've also managed to get myself the Film Character figure set from our local model shop, which are nice figures and a lot of fun.

15mm Flames of Warhammer starter set - Shermans

Altogether 6 M4 Shermans, 2 Sherman Fireflies, 3 Stug IIIs, 2 Pak40s, a V1 on its launch ramp and over 100 figures all for £45 from Firestorm Games in Cardiff - bargain!

Mini-rule book and starter scenery consigned to the "perhaps I'll read later" pile.......I'm read to start assembling my horde.

Only 12 parts.....should be quick and simple.

Not the best part fitting model I've ever made.......

The only way to get a decent fit is to use the world's supply of mini clamps! Even then I still needed filler either side of the glacis plate.

No such problems with the turret.

Each model comes with a choice of three commander figures (useful to identify commanders etc) and a lot of stowage - bed rolls, wheels, track etc.

Altogether not too bad. They aren't as crisply sculpted as say a PSC model, in fact they look like they're tooled from one of their resin masters. I think they'll look more than serviceable once painted up.

28mm Perry 8th Army

Fifteen assembled so far out of 38. These have been spray primed in white after mounting on washers and texturing the bases with pumice.

Nice variety of convincing poses are possible. With every imaginable infantry weapon of the period included in the kit. Tommy Guns, SMLEs, Brens, Boyes AT Rifle, rifle grenade launcher and 2" mortar. 

Brings back memories of Lionheart '84 and carrying a totally pointless 2" mortar (no ammo availabe) around Germany for two weeks!

Perry 8th Army figure Assembly

About 1.5 hours tonight while watching case histories and I've assembled one sprue's worth of figures.

Very little cleaning up, no flash - the preparation of the parts is quick and easy.

I've chosen to mount the figures separately to ease casualty removal. Therefore I cut the provided prone figure base in half to give each figure their own base.

The finished figures have been superglued to the steel washers and tomorrow when they're dry, I'll texture the bases with Vallejo Grey Pumice.

Time for bed now.......

28mm Perry 8th Army

Well I know I haven't posted anything for quite a while, but I've been a bit busy with other things.....

The recent release of the Perry Twins 8th Army miniatures in 28mm really caught my imagination and got me going again.

The figures so reminded me of the Airfix 54mm polythene figures my late father painted and gloss varnished for me 40 or so years ago, that I couldn't resist them.

With 38 figures in the box ( enough for a 1-to1 rifle platoon) they are a bargain. With a game such as Bolt Action you've a ready made 500 pt army in a single box for just £18. Easy assembly -certainly compared to any Warlord offerings - they offer a great deal of variation from the parts supplied. I guess if you wanted they'd make good early war Brits with the battle dress trousers and rolled down sleeves formed from milliput or similar?

I painted up a solitary figure just to try out the colour scheme so once happy, I can get on with the rest.

(All Vallejo acrylics)

Helmet - light tan

Uniform - Iraqi sand

Webbing- midstone

Socks - English uniform

Washed with vallejo sepia wash and dry brushed Buff.

Mounted on 25mm steel washers so I can keep them in a magnetised Really Useful box. Again a bargain from a local metal work suppliers £3.25 for 100.

Now to get on. With the others.....