“The Bulk Of The Infantry Forces Manning The Fixed Defences…”

“…Were static divisions, comprising two infantry regiments of variable quality...”

These seven plastic 15mm miniatures are sold by “Battlefront Miniatures” and can be found inside the company’s “Hit The Beach” starter set for “Flames Of War”. The figures consist of a Unit Leader MG42 team and a MG34 and K98 Rifle teams. Both of these stands will form the start of a second Panzergrenadier Platoon for my German Beach Defence Company.

As with all my other “FoW” German soldiers, the figures were initially super-glued onto wooden strips, before being primed in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were then ‘picked out’ predominantly using “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal, Buff, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades.

“…Supported by three attached Ost (East) battalions made up of former Soviet soldiers.”

In addition, I had the opportunity to give one of the infantrymen a foliage-covered helmet, which was initially pigmented with “Vallejo” Heavy Green and shaded using a splash or two of “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green. The leaves were then delicately dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Green, before being ‘highlighted’ with Heavy Sienna and a smidgeon of Heavy Grey.

With my latest entries for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) ‘in the bag’, I have found some extra hobby time to continue experimenting with my technique as to how to paint the Epic 15mm scale infantry strips by “Warlord Games”. Over the past twelve months I have rather embarrassingly only ever managed to finish just twenty of the Nottingham-based manufacturers America Civil War soldiers, as I have found their diminutive size and maze of straps, belts, pouches and firearms to be real time-consuming obstacles for my brush-tip to overcome.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - These ACW Confederates are slowly having their details 'picked out'

However, having pre-ordered some infantry from their Epic Battles: Waterloo range, including those recently advertised as part of the line’s second wave, I am determined to identify a much simpler method of getting my mass ranks on the tabletop. To that end I have been dallying with a strip of ACW Confederates in the hope that blocking out their main colours before working on their multitude of finer details might provide a faster method of getting them finished.

Sadly, this has actually proved to be the opposite, as it seems much easier to me to simply pick out the odd bit of coloured uniform here and there over a “Citadel” Abaddon Black prime, than it is to carefully trace out all the water bottles and belts later on. In fact, the only thing this current strip of soldiers has confirmed, in my mind at least, is that doing their shoes first and trousers next is definitely the way I’ll be going when my British Line Infantry arrive…