German Tank Colours

Hi All,

I've been asked a fair bit recently about which paints I used on the King Tigers and Sturmtigers that I finished last week, so I thought I'd put it all down in writing for everyone.

Well, unfortunately it's as not as easy as just listing one paint for each colour, as I've recently taken to mixing paints to achieve the desired colours I want, and that's exactly what I've done with both the King Tigers and Sturmtigers.

I use Vallejo paints, mostly Vallejo Model Colour (VMC) and some Vallejo Game Colour (VGC).

As a reference, the Mobelwagons in the top photo behind the Sturmtigers were painted with non-mixed paints, these being Iraqi Sand, Reflective Green, and Chocolate Brown. You can see the difference in vibrancy, especially in the Dunkelgelb, between the mixed and non-mixed paints. There's no right or wrong when choosing paints, just personal preference.

• For the Dunkelgelb (Dark Yellow) I mixed the following...

Iraqi Sand (VMC 70.819)

Brown Sand (VMC 70.876)

Moon Yellow (VGC 72.005)

Now I don't have a precise mix ratio as I like to add paint until I'm happy with the colour, but as a rough guide it would be approximately 50/30/20. I add the Moon Yellow to brighten up the mix a bit, so that the Dunkelgelb doesn't look to drab and dreary. 

If I want the Dunkelgelb to not appear so stark, I'll substitute Middlestone (VMC 70.882) instead of the Brown Sand, as I did with the PzIV's below.

• For the Olivgrün (Olive green) I mixed the following..,

Olive Green (VMC 70.967)

Russian Green (VMC 70.894

Once again there's no precise ration, but it's approximately 70/30. I like the tint of the Olive Green, but it's far too light to be used by itself, so the Russian Green is added to darken it up a bit. Any darker green can be used for this I guess, I tried Russian Green first and liked the result.

• For the Rotbraun (Red-Brown) I mixed the following....

Red Leather (VMC 70.818)

Cavalry Brown (VMC 70.982)

Scarlett Red (VGC 72.012)

As before, the approximate ratio is 50/30/20. The Red Leather and Cavalry Brown make a decent red-brown mix, but is a bit too light for my liking, hence the addition of the Scarlett Red. It darkens the mix but still keeps the mix between red and brown to a nice ratio. 

A few more tips and tricks that I use...

A- I airbrush all these paints. You can brush them on, and many painters get great results doing so, but for me I prefer the speed and ease of the airbrush. 

B- I wash each tank after airbrushing, usually with Nuln Oil Shade from Citadel (Games Workshop). I don't thin it down, but I carefully observe each tank and use a brush to remove any excess wash, watching to make sure it doesn't pool anywhere it shouldn't. 

C- I then drybrush each tank using Pale Sand (VMC 70.837). I use a medium sized broad headed brush and go fairly lightly over the tank. As well as picking out the edges the drybrush will dampen the Olivgrün and Rotbraun slightly, tying the different paints together.

D- Decals! I run a slight drybrush over the finished decals also so that they wont appear so shiny. This can be with the Pale Sand or any other Dunkelgelb type colour.

Well I hope this little guide is of some help to you guys out there. If you have questions don't hesitate to ask! :)

Cheers.

Mat.

  

King Tigers

Hi Guys,

Just finished off (well, mostly finished, apart from spare tacks and the tank commander) some King Tigers. These are Battlefronts non-zimmerit version.

I decided to try my hand at a hard edge camo, using blu-tack as a masking agent. I'm satisfied with my first attempt, and learnt quite a bit through the process.

As on most of tanks, Doms Decals were used. The quality of these decals are great, and the Balkenkreuz are perfect, unlike Battlefronts versions, where the white parts seem to be off centre.

Anyway, these guys will be for Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506, hence the turret numbers positioned around the Balkenkreuz as this configuration was particular to that battalion. Company number before the cross, vehicle number after.

Hope you enjoy, and thanks for looking.

Cheers.

Mat.

Table Layouts

Hi Guys,

Just a quick post to show you some of my recent table layouts I've recently used for games.

The grass mat is from Games Workshop (the cloth backed variety, though not sure they even sell this anymore), as is the modular hill
The rivers, roads, railways, ploughed fields, walls, orchards, and 3 of the houses are from Battlefront
The other buildings are from Kerr & King
The trees and hedges are home made
The wheat fields are cut from a door mat.

Hope you enjoy, and thanks for looking :)

Cheers.

mat.

Sturmtigers

Hi Guys,

Just finished off a pair of Sturmtigers for my Germans. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out, though I doubt they'll bring much to the table performance wise. But, it might be nice to have something to scare my opponents out of buildings  ;)

The Mobelwagons in the background are near completion.

Next up will be some King Tigers, then it'll be the Luftwaffe's turn, with an Me-262 and Fw-190.

Cheers, and thanks for looking.

Mat.

The "paint one platoon a week" challenge, plus bonus Jagdtigers!

Hi Guys, been a little while since my last update, but I'm back with a vengeance! 

I'm glad to say my gaming and hobby mojo is sky rocketing at the moment, and I've decided to strike while the iron is hot and set myself a challenge. Simply put, it's paint one platoon each week. Not too hard when you thing about it, between 3 to 5 vehicles or 7 to 9 stands of infantry. I think the vehicles might be easier to accomplish, but I'll push myself with the infantry. When I want a bit of an easy week I'll just paint a plane or an independent character vehicle. 

I've set myself this challenge for two main reasons. One, to work through the backlog of unmade and unpainted stuff I have, and two, so I can use all this stuff in games!

Anyway, week one is done. I painted up three Jagdtigers. I love German armour, and the Jagdtiger is one sexy tank. 

Well, pictures below.

Jagdtiger 111

111 from the other side

Jagdtiger 112

Jagdtiger 101

Group shot 1

Group shot 2

Group shot 3

4th Armoured Brigade Modelling Update

Hi Guys, just wanted to give you a quick modelling update for my new project.

Well, the 8 tanks I started on the weekend are just about done. I'm just waiting on the decals to arrive to finish them off. I've also ordered more of the Plastic Soldier Company Sherman II box sets, along with one of their M5 Halftrack box sets.

So, until the decals and/or the other boxed sets arrive I can go no further. But fear not, I have something to keep me busy. I happily agreed to paint my friend Dave's British tanks for him, right up to the point of detailing (He can finish that off). He's got a bunch of Sherman V's, M10's, Cromwell CS's, and AVRE's, so I'll be a busy boy.

Anyway, here's a couple of quick pics of my Sherman II's and Sherman Firefly Vc's taken with my phone. I'll take proper pics with my camera when they're fully finished.

Thanks for taking a look. All comments and criticisms are welcome.

Cheers guys.

Mat.

New army project

Hi Guys, Mat here (Blackwolf), to talk about my new army project.

Well, it's been a while since I last posted something on this blog. Sometimes life gets in the way and the hobby takes a back seat. I'm happy to say my love for FoW never left, and I have been able to keep up with the hobby, buying Battlefronts books when they have hit the shelves and pouring over their website each week, as well as a lot of the fan blogs out there. Finding time for the hobby again has come at a great time, coinciding with the release of the new D-Day compilation books. How excited am I! As well as the 9.SS-Panzer Division now officially in the books (See earlier posts about my SS army), there are now lists for British Independent Armoured Brigades!

The Battlefield

Hi Guys, Blackwolf back again, this time with some pics of my battlefield. My scenery has appeared in a few posts already, as its been used for a recent AAR, and was one of the tables set up for the Breakout mini tournament we ran a few months ago, but I decided to give it its own photo shoot! ;)

When I first started making my terrain, I had a 'Dutch countryside' theme in mind, as our group of FoW'ers were all building Market Garden forces. In the end, I think it could represent either Dutch or French countryside, as its fairly generic. So lets take a look :)

LAAR: 12.SS-Panzer vs 3rd Guards Tank Corps

Hi Guys, Blackwolf again bringing you another light AAR. For a change neither Griddon or myself are playing! A couple of our friends and clubmates, Rob and Andy, are keen to enter the world of FoW, so what better way than to lead them through a battle. Although the game was played down at our local club, the Western Suburbs Wargames Association, the terrain was supplied by yours truly, as were both forces. The battle would feature a Panzergrenadier company from 12.SS-Panzer Division vs a Guards Tank Battalion from 3rd Guards Tank Corps.

The Lists

Andy's SS-Panzergrenadier list comes straight from Earth & Steel.

12.SS-Panzer Division – Fearless Veteran

HQ - Upgrade both to Panzerfaust/SMG's, plus 2 Panzerschrek teams

SS-Panzergrenadier Platoon - 3 squads + Panzerfaust upgrade

SS-Panzergrenadier Platoon - 3 squads + Panzerfaust upgrade

SS-Panzergrenadier Platoon - 3 squads + Panzerfaust upgrade

SS-Mortar Platoon – 2 sections

Light SS-Anti-Tank Gun Platoon – 3 PaK40’s

SS-Rocket Launcher Battery – 3 Nebelwerfer NW41’s

Heavy SS-Anti-Aircraft Gun Platoon – 2 FlaK36’s + extra crew

Field Fortifications – 2 Minefields, 8 Barbed Wire Entanglements, 2 HMG Nests

Rob’s Guards Tank Battalion is from Hammer & Sickle.

3^rd Guards Tank Corps – Fearless Trained

HQ – 1 T-34/85 with Cupola

Gvardeyskiy Tankovy Company – 9 T-34/85’s with Cupolas

Gvardeyskiy Tankovy Company – 9 T-34/85’s with Cupolas

Razvedki Platoon – 4 squads (1 Flamethrower team) with Universal Carriers

Decoy Tank Company – 2 Captured Panthers 

List writing and tournaments

Hi guys, Griddon here. In the wash up from Breakout and in subsequent games and list building activities I've started to wonder a bit about my approach. I thought I'd muse the subject for public consumption ;)

Breakout was our first tourney and running it gave us a good opportunity to stand back and watch some of the games. I think until now Mat and I have been comfortable in our own small meta pushing round pretty historically accurate and fluffy lists while learning the game and having some laughs. After Breakout I realised that this approach probably wouldn't wash in the FoW tourney scene unless I liked getting walloped in every game. (And believe me, I don't! :) )

FlaK 36 Battery

Hi guys. Blackwolf back again with some pics of my finished FlaK 36 Battery.

I've been wanting to add these bad boys to my German forces for a while now and finally got around to it. It just seems no German force is complete without them! ;)

I've put more effort into this platoon than previous ones as I really want to improve my painting. In the past, infantry received a basic base coat plus wash, and maybe a quick drybrush. This time around I went back and did highlighting too, mainly on the uniforms and skin. The vehicles received a little extra treatment as well, with chip marks and scratches being tested out (just a few). I like the way the chips and scratches turned out, so will continue with the same method for future vehicles.

Anyway, on to the pics... as always, comments and criticism welcome! :)

Breakout: Feedback on the Campaign Element

The Breakout mini campaign was run and won last weekend and Mat has already given you the photos from the event. I had a blast seeing the players have a good time and seeing the campaign evolve. Someone asked, ( Thanks Braexen ) so I figured we'd tell you our retrospective thoughts about how the campaign system we used went. 
 

"Breakout" min campaign/tournament results

Hi guys, Blackwolf here with a quick report and heaps of photo's from a small one day mini-campaign/tournament that we ran over the weekend.

In conjunction with the Western Suburbs Wargames Association, we at Bunker3030 decided to dip our feet into the fun looking pool that is tournament organization! We wanted to make it a little different too, so we added a campaign element based on Operation Goodwood, once again pitting the Allies in a desperate struggle to take Caen from the Germans.

The campaign element featured a map of Operation Goodwood with three 'axis of attack'. With six players per side, two from each side would fight on each axis, with the results determining if the Allies would push on, or if the Germans were able to hold their ground. Players were swapped between each axis so no one played each other twice.

By the end, history repeated, with the Allies romping home, encircling and capturing Caen, as the Germans withdrew, battered and beaten.

Beginner with a Panzer Co...

Hi Folks,

DiceHex here with some excuses for not finishing my Normandy Table! I got pretty distracted by my first FoW army project!

I have a background in 40k and other GW games, and I became pretty exited at the prospect of trying a painting project which was very different to what I was used to. I bit the bullet, after months of talk, and purchased a fairly balanced panzer company.

Soviet Guards Tank Battalion - Finished!

Hi, Blackwolf back again, with a look at my completed Soviet Guards Tank Battalion.

I showed some sneak peaks of this force a while ago back in this post. Well, after quite a while of procrastination, I've finally finished it. It had been staring at me from across my hobby desk for quite some time. Basically, at 1750 points, its the HQ T-34/85, 2 companies of 9 T-34/85's, a Decoy Tank Platoon of 2 Panthers, and a full Rota Razvedki Platoon with Universal Carriers including a flame thrower team.

LAAR: 9.SS-Panzer vs 15th Scottish (Operation Epsom)

Hi! Blackwolf here again with another AAR. Once gain its Griddon vs myself, Britain vs Germany, in an epic struggle to claim Normandy and all its fat cattle. The game took place at our local club, the Western Suburbs Wargames Association. My 9.SS-Panzerdivision ‘Hohenstauffen’ boys were pitted against their familiar enemy, the lads of the 15^th Scottish Division.

The Lists

For a bit of fun, I decided to write my list from the ‘Panzerregiment Bake’ PDF from the Battlefront website (You can find it here).

9.SS-Panzerdivision – Confident Veteran

HQ – 1 Panther

Panzer Platoon – 3 Panthers

Schwere Panzer Platoon – 3 Tigers

Rocket Launcher Battery – 3 Nebelwerfer NW41’s + 1 PaK40

Gebirgsjager Platoon – 3 squads + Panzerfaust upgrade

Griddons list was the same as from our last AAR (found here), from Fortress Europe.

15th Scottish Div - Confident Trained

HQ

Rifle Platoon – 3 Squads

Rifle Platoon – 3 Squads

Rifle Platoon – 3 Squads

Anti-Tank Platoon – 2 6 pdr’s

Machine-Gun Platoon – 2 sections + carriers

Tank Platoon – 3 Churchill VI’s + aplique armour

Tank Platoon – 3 Churchill VI’s + aplique armour (only on 2)

Anti-Tank Platoon (SP) – 4 M10C’s

Field Battery, Royal Artillery – 4 gun sections

The Germans are go!

Griddon here. I finally did it. I decided on a list and I'm sticking with it. Thought I'd share my final list with you guys and a quick sneak peak of how the painting is going.

So the list I have decided upon is from Fortress Europe. It's designed as an  Eastern front list to suit my terrain table.

HQ - 2 Panzer IV H
Combat - 4 Panzer IV H
Combat - 4 Panzer IV H
Support - 4 Brummbar
Support - Panzergrenadiers, 1 x Panzerfaust, 6 x MG + Transports
Support - 3 Pumas
Support - 3 Nebelwerfer 41s with Pak38

Beginners Guide to the German 3 Digit Numbering System

Hi!, Blackwolf back again with a quick and easy guide to the German 3 digit numbering system found on armoured vehicles for people getting stuck into the hobby for the first time, or building up their first German force (good choice!).

Firstly, a brief word on the late war Panzer Division organisation to help us understand how these numbers work. German Panzer Divisions were generally made up of 1 tank regiment, 2 infantry regiments, and a number of supporting battalions (artillery, recce, pioniers, ant-tank etc). Now, lets focus on that tank regiment.

German tank regiments consisted of 2 tank battalions (Numbered I and II in roman numerals), and each tank battalion usually consisted of 4 companies. All the companies in the tank regiment were numbered consecutively from 1 to 8, with companies 1-4 in I.battalion and 5-8 in II.battalion. Occasionally, some lucky tank regiments received a 3rd battalion (III), usually equipped with something exotic, such as Tigers (so so lucky). If so, the company numbers continued on sequentially, 9-12.

Beginners: Late war lists ready to go!

Right. Continuing the Flames of War for beginners theme I wanted to write a couple of 'starter' lists for the Late War period. In this post you'll find some introduction to the lists, the lists themselves and some discussion about the selections. I've also made your shopping experience pretty easy if you want to actually go ahead and buy that exact list. Cut, paste, email your LGS and ask for a quote!

Ok, for starters, it's tough to pick a book for the lists. Each Flames of War source book is specific to a time period in the war. Blitzkrieg deals with Early war. Eastern Front and North Africa deal with Mid War and pretty much everything else is focused on Late War. I've proposed the use of Fortress Europe as it's a good starter source book before but for specific reasons I'll explain further on, I think Turning Tide and Earth and Steel are wise investments for the new Late War players.

Review: The Plastic Soldier Company 15mm Panzer IV

Alrighty then! Griddon here and I'm pretty excited to give you a review of 'The Plastic Soldier Company' 15mm Panzer IVs.

I hadn't heard much about this company until a few weeks ago when I listened the guys on the WWPD podcast talk about the T34s the company makes. They gave the kit a pretty positive review. (I can't remember the episode number but maybe one of the guys will chime in below and help us out!) When I went looking I found out that they also made PzIVs. My German project needs at least ten PzIVs so I figured I'd give them a go. Straight off the bat, they are a solid value proposition. Delivered to my door by the fantastic Irresistible Force here in Australia for $30 AUD per box.

Each box comes with five injection moulded plastic sprues with one Panzer IV per sprue. The Plastic Soldier Company have been very smart about how they went about making this kit and the box is capable of making four variants of this popular tank.. The PzIV Ausf F1, PzIV Ausf F2, PzIV Ausf G and the PzIV Ausf H. I'll be making the PzIV H for my late war force but that leaves me with five kits and I hope to use them for an upcoming mid war army.

The sprue