On the Workbench: Update on terrain, German armour & vehicles, 1/1200 naval.

It has been a busy week on the terrain front. Having started by creating new desert terrain pieces and upgrading my existing boards, I have gone full-on upgrading pretty much all my collection. This has delayed the playing of my next N.Africa battle but hopefully not for long.

My room has been taken over with terrain boards in various stages of 'upgrading'.

Continued....

All my coastal beach sections are getting the same treatment by painting the sand areas to make them a little more realistic.

This is the comparison with the completed beach section on the left. 

Using the same process as the desert terrain, I paint a base colour using Wilko tester pots, left to right - 'Soft Hessian' to which is added 'Nutmeg Spice' and Artiste Acrylic 'Antique Gold' which creates a variation in colour. When dry they are drybrushed first by 'Coastline' and then 'soft latte'.

Before and after photos of the two rocky mountain sections.

15 sheets of 40mm thick polystyrene sheets arrived this week and I began cutting several into 18" x 18" and 18" x 9" boards compatible with my current terrain system. They will be desert one side and flocked green on the other. In time I intend to add terrain features such as a harbour for 6mm, additional coastal sections, islands etc.

I started preparing the boards by painting them with spare household emulsion that had been cluttering up the garage. Filler was also used to fill in any imperfections along the edges.

Several of the boards sanded with bird sand. This side will be painted 'desert'.

Left to right top row: Opel Blitz truck, Wespe 105mm, 3 x Jagdpanzer IV
Bottom row: Kettenkrad, Kubelwagen, 2 x Sdkfz 251/Ausf B HMG
All Heroics and Ros

The next batch of WW2 Germans have been primed. I decided that while I was in the mood to paint some WW2 stuff I would get a little ahead and start painting vehicles for the XXX Corps Breakout scenario from the Market Garden Rapid Fire scenario book. The drooping barrels on the Jagdpanzer IV's and now been straightened! 

Next up for 'refitting' is the 1/1200 scale WW2 'H' class destroyer HMS Havock. Another vessel I painted in the 70's. I will paint in slow time alongside other projects.

Completed this week:

Aside from various scenic items, the following were completed -

This is all the German vehicles required for the 'Battle in the Woods' scenario taken from the Rapid Fire scenarios book "Market Garden". I am now awaiting H&R to update their German infantry range. I have not yet decided whether to base the vehicles. I can see the reasons for doing so, especially as it will bring them up to the level of based figures. The problem I have being that I have always thought it looked odd to see vehicles travelling along a road with bases slung beneath them. I will leave them for now as bases can always be added later.

A before and after for HMS Troubridge. A 'T' class WW2 destroyer. It was not an easy one to paint given that 70's moulds are nothing like as detailed as those of today. On the whole though it proved to be enjoyable given that it is over 40 years since I painted a WW2 vessel in this scale! I decided not to paint camo on this occasion as it was a case of relearning the painting technique on ships. So basics first!

I will be away for the weekend so this will be my last post for a few days.