Soviets and Germans

Well I finally think Summer is here! The sun has been shining all weekend, there’s not a cloud in the sky but the weather is still only just heating up. It’s still warm enough to get some priming done outside in the shed but it’s then a rush to get it back inside before the coldness of the wind gets to the box. But hey I’ll take that to pouring rain and no chances to get anything primed which has been the case the past few weeks. Once the summer properly hits I’m going to plan to “stockpile” models for the winter months and get everything that I can primed and ready for painting. This way I’m not sat twiddling my thumbs looking at a cabinet full of grey plastic rather than a cabinet full of canvases ready for colour.

I've had a bit of a rejig in my two cabinets as alot of the Gaunts from my Nids had taken over a second shelf and it was all looking rather messy. I've decided my shelf for the Nids will only have the big creatures which are going to be a focal point of my army. Lets be honest for a minute I don't really want to see hundreds of gaunts filling up my cabinet looking over-crowded and messy. I've relegated these to a padded box to keep them safe and out of way. I think this week I'll spend quite a bit of time getting the Skeleton Bone spray on all of them so they're all ready for the red, green and dipping.

Bolt Action Soviets

So what's gone on my other shelf that I've got clear? Well I thought it was finally time to dust off the Bolt Action Soviets and get them out of the packed container and onto a shelf so I can base them in the next couple of days. I was planning on getting these done over the weekend but other things (explain in a bit) took up alot of my time and when I did have some painting time I made a start on my newly primed Schutzen platoon.

So Thursday I managed to get the remainder of my Volksgrenadier company primed! Rather than trimming down the bases now to fit in my Kerr&King bases I've decided to stick all the men on lollipop sticks with PVA glue (who knew that Metal would stick to wood with PVA) and then prime them. After painting I can them trim down the bases to get them fitting rather than wasting a lot of time now getting them trimmed before priming.

Command (Back) and Schutzen (Rifles)

I've got three different batches of painting in the upcoming weeks, the remainder of my Schutzen (rifle) platoon which consists of four stands. My command team which consists of my Company Command stand, 2iC stand and three Panzerschreck team stands (got to love that Anti-Tank). I've also primed up the special warrior character Major Siegfried Moldenhauer, I won't be using him at all but for a two character stand seemed a waste to keep him in a box never to see the light of day.

Sturm with a few Urban Bases

 Finally I've got my Sturm (Assault Rifles) platoon which is going to be the biggest project to do. I'm going to keep these seven stands until last. I want to get my Schutzen finished off and then the command which shouldn't take too long. Once they're all done and based the Sturm will be focused on and then all my infantry will be completed! After that I want to build my Pak40s and Flak43s however I've yet to order the relevant Kerr&King bases for them so I'll need to get them sorted in the next few days. After that's finished I'll decided whether the Plastic Soldier Company Heavy Weapon teams can be used for my Volksgrenadiers. In the list I've created I need the HMGs but I'll also be making the mortar teams just incase I need to change things around. If they don't look right against the rest of the army I'll be ordering the GE944 HMG Platoon in Winter Uniforms. The Mortars can wait until everything else is bought and painted which looking at my list will only be the Light Artillery Battery and the Infantry Guns! Not too bad when I look at everything.

Anyway the other things which took my time away this weekend, my fricking car. I ended up getting a puncture just as I was coming home on Thursday night, I thought I'd leave it until Friday morning when it was light before work. Got the nuts off fine but then there was a different sized nut that was circular. After looking on the internet I found out it was a Wheel Lock Nut to deter thiefs, apparently the car should have the special key somewhere, looked in every knook and cranny and could I find it? So looking on Youtube I found out how to remove it with a socket and hammer. Though just as I got the socket on the lock the collar of the Lock started rotating meaning I couldn't get it off. Thankfully the socket came off and after numerous calls to garages I've got a mobile tyre guy who can remove these types of locks coming tomorrow morning to remove it and fit a new tyre. It's an expense and a faff which I didn't really need this weekend, it also meant I couldn't make it down the club which was really annoying as I had a 4-Player game of Triumph and Treachery planned and had to cancel on Saturday when I got in from swearing at the car.

So yeah an expense I didn't really need, no models are being bought this month unfortunately but hey it's probably for the best, time to get my paint on!