Last year I posted here about two Italieri ISU-122s that I’d completed for the 2013 Analogue Hobbies Challenge. Shortly after painting them, I learned the hard way that Dullcote does not interact well with pigment. While the models weren’t ruined, exactly, most of the pigment turned a wintry white and I had to redo them. A little heartsick, I put them in a “To Do Later” box and sort of forgot about them. Then I dug them out while working through a pile of Britannia 20mm Soviet infantry, including a half a dozen tank riders. Finishing them off gave me the motivation to pull out the ISU-122s and get them back into shape.
I like these Britannia figures, and their combination of uniform items - greatcoats, fur heats, etc - matches the Italieri AT gunners I showed here previously, making them perfect for a winter/spring 1945 assault force on the Reich’s cities.
With only six figures, total, that doesn’t allow me a whole mob of tank riders, but it does suggest men who have been detailed to ride with the assault guns and protect them from snipers, Hitler Youth with panzerfauts, etc. I figured the easiest course was to glue them to the tank models, since otherwise they would only fall off when in use and rattle around in boxes when not in use. For game purposes we can decide whether the figures are in play or not in play.
I won’t count the two tanks towards my 2014 totals, since really they were finished and blogger last year, but I will count these six tank riders.
These figures bring my 2014 totals to:
28mm Mounted: 13
28mm Foot: 22
28mm Artillery: 1
20mm Foot: 26
20mm Artillery: 2
20mm Terrain Pieces: 1
15mm Foot: 26
15mm Terrain Pieces: 3
6mm Buildings: 2
Kilometres RunL 621
Blessings to your brushes! MP+
Tanks look appropriately weather beaten and well worth the effort to resurrect them.
ReplyDeleteNice stuff, Padre. Tank riders are an interesting crew and the models look no worse for wear with the Dullcoat.
ReplyDeleteLoving work Michael, the additions of the tank riders really bring the bases to life.
ReplyDeleteI think I have the same figures unpainted Mike. I thought they were krap but am looking at them now in a new light.
ReplyDeleteCheers.
The figures help, but even without them, you have resurrected these vehicles pretty well it seems to me, Their battered and battleweary appearance marks them as veterans of long standing...
ReplyDeleteThanks chaps, all comments and encouragement much appreciated. Paul, I agree, I was impressed with how those figures painted up and added to the overall impression. I'm glad you might be giving them a fresh look.
ReplyDeleteIon - indeed, I like the impression of the long hard road from the steppes to the lair of the fascist beast, with the tank riders looking warily for snipers and hoping against hope they might get home. Battleweary indeed.