2 0 1 4 - 0 7 - 1 6

[15mm IABSM]¶
North of Caen¶

When I placed my order for South of Cherbourg, I also had a look at the Peter Pig buildings, but decided to first look around, as there must be a lot of suppliers for those. After some googleing, I didn't find many I liked, so another order with Peter Pig was needed. Along with the buildings, I also gave their hedges, low walls and hay stacks a go.

To enliven my terrain I added some sheep, pigs and dead cows - well, the latter ones don't actually enliven the terrain... Also, some street signs, furniture, petrol station pieces and an urinal was added to the order.

The models I ordered before (US Army and Wehrmacht) are for the second scenario from the rulebook. So I thought, the Lardies certainly had their reason for putting scenario one first... and I would not need anymore Germans, all covered already by the second scenario. Just some British soldiers...

Again, only one week from ordering to delivery, great service!

Published 2014-07-16 23:12:00

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2 0 1 4 - 0 7 - 1 5

[15mm IABSM]¶
South of Cherbourgh¶

All the single based Americans are ready based, the other models glued for painting.

Published 2014-07-15 23:51:00

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2 0 1 4 - 0 7 - 1 3

[15mm IABSM]¶
South of Cherbourgh¶

I added plaster to all the bases to hide the cast on bases of the models.

I then started to remove the flash on the Americans, and noticed the quite long machine gunners. Fitting them to the washer size I put the Wehrmacht support teams on, they were to long. So I needed bigger ones.

On these, the lying models fit. Bigger diameter on a washer also means bigger height, they are 2-3 times as thick as the washers the other models are based on. When the bases are painted and have static grass added, this is hopefully not optically disturbing.

As I want all my support teams on the same size of base across the nations (makes it visually more pleasing in my mind, and helps in quickly identifying the type of model during a game), the German teams needed to be re-based. Good that I thought of that before applying the plaster... But plaster and PVA glue are easily removed with a knife from the metal washers.

The bigger washer size also allows me to put all the five crew models on the same base. This is more consistent concerning casualty removal as well. With the smaller size base I would have had two models on the base and three on individual bases; the first three casualties would have been removed with the single based models, the second to last with a marker on the base... With all models on the base, all casualties are shown with a marker on the base. For this I plan to put a frame on the base, where a micro dice fits in. Also, all models on one base is visually more pleasing and allows me to create small mini dioramas. Need some ammo crates...

While reading more of the rules in detail, I read the section on Big Men again. Then I wondered, how to mark the individual Big Men on the table, and how to easily distinguish the Levels during a game. So far I also just based the models individually on the same size of washer as all the common men. Could be difficult to spot during game play... So I removed some more models from their plastered bases (really should have thought of that before), now the plan is to base each Big Man with an additional number of men to get a number of models equal to his Level on a larger sized washer. The larger sized washer makes them more easily discriminable from the ordinary troopers, the number of models shows the Level quite easily. The following pictures show a Big Men with the maximum Level of IV the rules allow, a bit cramped but still works. As most Big Men are Level II or III the space is more than enough.

To distinguish the different Big Men and to allocate them to a distinct card in the Game Deck, I will glue small stones to the bases and paint on them a letter which can be seen from the rear (so normally for the owning player) and make cards which say "Allied Big Man A".

Here is the whole Kampfgruppe grouped by squad, the models in the upper right are spares. The Big Men models (I am short some, need to order some more riflemen after having decided to have the Level represented by the number of models on the base) and the support teams (again, I need some more models to get all the crews up to five) are glued to the wood strips for ease of painting, five models on base around a mortar would have made some areas on the models unreachable with a brush. The pile of plaster in the front is from the bases where I dismounted the gun crews and Big Men models.

Ready to be rinsed in warm soapy water and then base coated.

Published 2014-07-13 00:23:00

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2 0 1 4 - 0 7 - 0 8

[15mm IABSM]¶
South of Cherbourgh¶

All the Wehrmacht models are freed of flash and glued to their bases. For the bases I used washers; on one side for the extra heft, on the other to allow magnetic storing. All models are based individually, with the exception of the radio operators that come cast as pairs, and with the exceptions of the mortars and tripod mounted MG 42s, which are based as two man teams on a larger washer. The rest of the crews is singly based to be placed alongside.

Published 2014-07-08 23:44:00

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[15mm]¶
Corporate Marines¶

The landing gear is done, extended to allow ground contact even with a passenger cabin attached. In the pictures you can see the Green Stuff I used to fix the wood sticks in place and give a base on which I added Miliput after it dried to sculpted the final form. Still needs sanding.

This project is now on hold until I finished the design of the cabin and have it 3d printed.

Published 2014-07-08 23:39:00

15mm | Khurasan Miniatures | Old Crow Models | OpenSCAD | SiFi

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[15mm IABSM]¶
South of Cherbourgh¶

Having seen a WWII movie recently, my interest in that period got revitalized - what a surprise... shouldn't watch any movie that gives you wargaming ideas...

After watching the movie I browsed the web a bit, you know just for fun, not looking for any specific stuff I might buy... seriously. I came across a very positive review of I Ain't Been Shot Mum version 3, and thought (after verifying what was said there with other online reviews), well, just buying a PDF rule book is not bad, one can never have enough rules... What I read I liked... And Scenario number two (South of Cherbourgh) didn't need much figures also... Peter Pig has nice ones I always wanted to have, right? Oh look, it isn't even that expensive all in all... I ordered last Monday, and yesterday the parcel arrived - great service!

As this is just meant as a small side project, I am sure it will not take long to complete... you know...

Published 2014-07-06 22:55:00

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[15mm]¶
Corporate Marines¶

The decision concerning the armament of the Raven has been taken - I just used all the available weaponry :-)

For the lander, I built a very clever and sophisticated contraption to get all the sides equal. I then cut from tooth picks the extensions, inserted into small holes I drilled.

Concerning the cabin, I started to design my own in OpenSCAD, I am not very far until now:

I am toying with the idea of doing side doors instead of rear doors, but let's see how this turns out.

What also irritates me with the landers is the chin gun, which has one relatively big barrel. With the gunship, I see it as a grenade launcher or small howitzer. That VTOL has reapid firing weapons mounted on the side sponsons. But for the landers, having only the chin guns, I wanted some kind of gatling, chain gun, whatever. So I also designed one. Let's see how this will print, especially with the ring near the front I am not sure as it is not supported from underneath, so probably the printer will have a problem with that.

Published 2014-07-06 22:42:00

15mm | Khurasan Miniatures | Old Crow Models | OpenSCAD | SiFi

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2 0 1 4 - 0 6 - 2 8

[15mm]¶
Corporate Marines¶

Next project are some reinforcements, to bring the Corporate Marine Platoon of the Humming-Top Corporation up to full strength. At the moment, they are under staffed. The second squadron is short some men, the platoon leader does not have a vehicle of his own, and some air support is still missing.

The missing Marines will be done from the following Khurasan pack, giving me a platoon medic, and enough models to fill the gap in 2nd squadron: The second medic who will have its case painted like an ammo case and the wounded model. The two SAW gunners are spares.

The Lieutnant and Boatswain will be joined by the medic and are short of a transport. This will be the Khurasan Armoured Light Utility Vehicle. The two turret options (minigun and missiles) got a magnet inserted, so are changeable from game to game according to mission requirements.

On to the air support. This comes in form of a gunship and three transports. The gunship is the Raven Gunship from Old Crow Models. It is build completely, I only need to fill gaps with green stuff and decide on which weapons to glue on in which configuration. I have available two gun pods, four rocket pods and two missiles.

The transportation duties will be conducted by the Crow Landers. The following picture shows one without the passenger cabin, more on that later. The models have three skids on which the model rests, one under the chin and one at the end of the wing extensions. I am not sure if I did something wrong (can not think of what that would have been), but the wing extensions do not extend enough downwards so that the models tilts backwards, see following picture,

It should sit like this in my opinion:

Also with the passenger cabin put in, the skids on the sides do not touch the ground.

I am not exactly sure what to do, but probably I will cut of the skids on the wings and insert some rods or whatever to get them further down.

This is one of the passenger cabins (without the rear door) - which I do not really like. They are completely enclosed, with no windows...

...and putting minis beside them they look a bit small.

I will either build my own, or extend them sideways with a new front, thus enlarging them and allowing me to add some windows.

Published 2014-06-28 13:01:00

15mm | Khurasan Miniatures | Old Crow Models | SiFi

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2 0 1 4 - 0 6 - 2 1

[SiFi]¶
Free Trader Crew¶

The models are done, all bases finished.

Published 2014-06-21 23:31:00

15mm | Ground Zero Games | SiFi

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2 0 1 4 - 0 6 - 2 0

[SiFi]¶
Free Trader Crew¶

The rest of the crew (Engineer, Ambassador, Preacher, Doctor and Teenage Girl) is done. Only the bases on all of them are missing the finishing touches.