Tag: 1/72 plastics

Meandering May

First up Partizan Show yielded a surprise purchase and a first for me. I ordered a 3D printed castle from Iron gate scenery.

It duly arrived this weekend hot off the printer.

It goes to show that sticking your latest production front and centre plus offering a show discount for bulk buy can turn heads.

In my case one who had no budget and no plans for acquiring yet more scenery.

Well the deed was done so to speak.

Painting is quite another thing. Talking of which ……

My medieval figures painting has ground to a halt.

Quite simply I have been enjoying the sunny outside weather.

However reading has been ticking along and so has the acquisition pile.

As it stands springing into summer will no doubt continue the outdoor interests. Don’t hold your breath.

Tags 1/72, 1/72 plastics, 20-25mm, mercenaries and their masters, miniature figures, miniatures painting, painting figures, painting miniatures, tumbling dice miniatures, wargames, wargaming

miniatures painting

Afterglow Part II

Quite simply real life was followed by Armoured April and Medieval May as well Mayday May!

End result my Danish and Schleswig cavalry not to mention some Prussian hussars now sit glumly on the shelf.

Never mind it means it will be a quick piece of work when I need them to get them shipshape.

They are

B and B miniatures Prussian dragoons posing as Schleswig Dragoons. 20mm scale metals.

The rebels in Schleswig drew heavily on Prussian support but still chose their own uniforms

Newline Belgian napoleonic dragoons posing as Danish Dragoons. 20mm scale metals.

Redcoated dragoons are essential for 1848

Hat 1:72 napoleonic Prussian hussars posing as 1848 Prussian hussars – they had just gone retro around 1845!!!

Strelets 1:72 Russian 1854 Crimea war lancers posing as Danish Guides of 1848.

These newline metals are true 20mm chaps

These will make the “portrait” at some point no doubt.

1/72 scale figures wargaming

My no1 son got a bit frustrated with a fujimi kit and I offered to repair it – yep it was tight fitting flexible tracks so loved by modellers. As it happened one of my 50p practical wargaming articles was about just this issue – advocating dumping them in favour of homemade ones of a paper spine and transverse thin plastic sheet pieces….the 1990’s….

Nope I just dug out a mini stapler and moments later I had a secure connection. Gone are my days of heated screwdrivers creating rivet heads much as sometimes I could get them perfect. Yet they still tore apart …..huh hmmm.

Trouble with stapling is you have to get the tension just right – too tight and the wheels snap, too loose and it looks all wrong.

I had to smash off the upper hull to get the tank track out from misglued parts when it first arrived for repairs….

Needless to say I cracked some idlers.

And of course being a fujimi kit no1 son had also lost patience with the minuscule parts…… sometime later I am crawling around on the carpet looking for those very same parts – I look up and see my medieval hordes glaring at me!

The Tank commander is nervous as nearby are lots of soldiers armed with edged weapons and no paint on them…..

Anyway not satisfied with fixing no1 sons Kv 1a than I get the same model in the bring and buy for him and he says as I am doing a good job on the first one I can just make the other one from scratch……..

The Newark bring and buy bargain….. maybe

Not medieval May but “Mayday” May perhaps.

At least he does his own painting.

Tags 1/72 plastics, miniature figures, wargames, wargaming

miniatures painting wargaming

Afterglow I – AHPC16

I have had a successful third year in the analogue hobbies painting challenge.

I kicked off with some Fauxterre 1930, trucks 1/60 scale lledo models

This year the challenge was less heavy on a theme and returned to a greater focus on the painters choice.

The theme was about rebellion and resistance – 3 subjects and in my case the first was 1848 Hungarians rebelling from the Austro Hungarian Empire (Hat 1/72)

In my case that focus on figures paid dividends as I got plenty done.

A second theme entry was the Duke of Berwicks Irish Regiment (strelets 1/72) the wild geese

In fact it’s my most productive AHPC so far. The constricted theme helped.

More Fauxterre 1930 trucks by PSC in 1/72

Tumbling dice 1/72 English civil war figures – Covenanters made my third and final theme submission

These Covenanters were painted in standard block method

King Stephen was painted with contrast paints

A scratch build of an 1848 Hungarian steam engine using 2 Airfix Stephenson rockets in 1/72

I had made the steam engine for AHPC15 but it missed that boat because it was only part finished by the end of the challenge

This was a garden rescue figure – games workshop era elf – another contrast paint excursion

40mm Vikings by Irregular Miniatures who retired their business this Spring

I used a combination of block, contrast and washes for these figures

Two “days past” OO gauge railway model transporters carry as it happens John at Just needs varnish gifted Renault tanks for Fauxterre 1930

https://justneedsvarnish.wordpress.com

Johns Renault tanks have some campaign colour while most of my AHPC16 trucks are fresh from the factory

1/76 Airfix Morris tractor and bofors anti aircraft gun

At this point the challenge entered its last month and you can see entry photos prep seriously declined…….

Three 1/72 plastic soldier company Opel blitzes

1/72 plastic soldier company Valentine tank

Hat miniatures 1/72 World War One British lancers

Just for fun I returned to using static grass without applicator.

Mardav printed 20mm Italian support group

These Italians got a mix of craft paints, contrast paints and dry brush to get the green I wanted- they too are rookies with shiny new helmets

Left to right antitank gun, medium machine gun and a light mortar

My idea for “afterglow” is mainly centred around what nearly got painted during the challenges. In this case 1:72 strelets War of the Spanish Succession, French Dragoons which were fun to paint. I really like the sculpture work in this range – the wild geese Irish also being from that range.

The uniforms were done in Vallejo yellow ochre topped with deep yellow while the bags and cuffs were done in Oxford blue

The horses received coat d’arms chestnut brown followed by citadel contrast gore grunta

My 1700 era armies are based in a toy soldier style – these are perry bases from the 28mm box sets

Paint What You Got ran in parallel to AHPC and I aim to post about an “afterglow” for that too.

miniatures painting wargaming

Paint what you got part 5: the last knockings*

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 1st Mar 2026
8 Comments on Paint what you got part 5: the last knockings*

I got distracted yesterday – the last day of “paint what you got”. Instead of knuckling down with some final painting I legged it to Newark for Hammerhead. That’s Newark, Lincolnshire, old England.

Anyway I did finish a few more pieces although there is no “painting portrait” show as such.

Only joking – that’s a hammerhead participation game.

So “Paint what you got” has been very productive with a lot of miniatures stuck in the paint queue making it over the line.

I finally finished B & B miniatures Prussian limber. 20mm Franco Prussian war figures. Sadly the business shut its doors last year I think?

Then there are 3 wagons from Irregular Miniatures 20mm ranges – I think these were all ACW. I have a couple Hat miniatures ww1 French artillery men on them.

In the background two types of cavalry but from the same company. Strelets are a Ukrainian company who make plastic injection figures.

I quite pleased with the cavalry as they look a bit brutal in the raw plastic

In this case the figures are from their Crimean War series – British Dragoons and Russian Lancers.

I had only minor tweaks to the models before a paint job transformed them to 1848 Prussian Dragoons and Lancers

The lancers are 5th Westfalia

The dragoons are 3rd Neumark

I have a very good funcken uniform book for 19th century European armies. It covers the transition from coatees and shakoes to frock coats and casque type helmets.

*the phrase last knockings as well as knocking off at the end of the day relate to the end of something – a task, process or activity and completion.

wargaming

Fragment 26/1

Last year I started some posting ideas around bits of things which did not really make a post but when combined with others could justify a post in their own right.

After the first two fragments of 2025 things sorted of dried up a bit. Or rather my focus was on specific miniatures or gaming posts.

I am going to have another try this year and ironically the first driver is the same as last years – magazines. And with further irony the second idea mimics fragment 25/2 – books.

However to kick off 2026 fragments I am going to mention painting challenges. These have kind of taken over my painting activities to the extent that three define my painting year.

First up is “paint what you got”. Now this challenge by Dave Stone works for me because it drives me to dig out what I have either half painted or abandoned. It has proved its worth.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/tag/mid-19th-century-wargames/page/2/#:~:text=The%20Painting%20Portrait%2025a%201848%20Bavarians&text=The%20portrait%20approach%20should%20enable,a%20ball%20topped%20pin%20head.

Second is the Analogue Painting Challenge. I took this on at no14 and so I am on year three.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/tag/fantasy/

This challenge has caused problems in that it got my ideas flowing and instead of reducing the lead mountain I ended up scratch building models during the challenge as the “themes” caught my imagination.

On the positive side I have found a use for those magazine freebies and indulged in my recycled household junk heaps to create spacecraft.

Klim class Intra planetary trader from AHPC15

I also think it propelled me into painting a background for my model displays – retiring the painting pedestal in favour of the painting portrait. In fact I even produced a sci-fi background last year.

Ahpc invariably overruns well into spring so now absorbs about half my painting year!

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2025/04/26/the-painting-portrait-25k-ahpc15-leftovers/

The third challenge is Dave Stones scenery season which runs over the summer. Or in my case summer into autumn. This has proven a godsend as scenery production was nil and an ever increasing list of kits, models or ideas were tying me up in knots.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/category/scenery/

So three challenges which basically cover the whole year of my painting activities.

Maybe in another fragment I will say something about the impact of these challenges on my painting activities themselves.

wargaming

Paint what you got Challenge Pt2 – Citroen Avant

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 2nd Feb 2026
7 Comments on Paint what you got Challenge Pt2 – Citroen Avant

ACE models seem to have reputation for accuracy and detail. This was my first kit by them.

The kit went together well and I am happy with the result.

Yet the glazing element was not modelled- you got some paper outlines to make your own.

I think because it’s a car and to be honest a small car sold in a standard sized kit box and at a standard price (excepting low cost vintage airfix/hornby) the omission of some glazing or say a driver feels a bit mean. Maybe we are spoiled by airfix in terms of content.

Back to the vehicle I have given it a simple green finish and have yet to decide on transfers/markings.

I made my glazing from some delicatessen hard plastic packaging. Was it German sausage or French charcuterie – I can’t remember!

I scratched the rear window to imply it’s cracked while I added some cardboard wipers to the front screen – again these are a feature of the vehicle yet omitted by the maker.

So another Fauxterre 1930’s vehicle joins the growing car park.

Tags 1/72, 1/72 kits, 1/72 plastics, 20-25mm, miniature figures, miniatures painting, paint what you got challenge, wargames, wargaming

wargaming

Paint what you got 2026

It’s that time of year in the uk when the short days encourage indoor hobbies like wargames and there is no better way to improve your figure painting volumes than by joining a challenge or simply painting with friends online or face to face.

This years “paint what you got” has me trawling the paint queue rather than the metal/plastic mountain.

https://wargamesculptorsblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/paint-what-you-got-20252026.html

So first up are these Danish Guardsmen in their 1848 finery.

By 1849 they had swopped the late napoleonic style red coatees for dark blue tunics following the fashion set by Prussia and Piedmont in the early 1840’s. However they kept their bearskins.

So these figures show the twilight of the “Napoleonic style”.

I used British grenadiers from Strelets Crimea range. These are 1:72 plastic injection mouldings. The style is squat and bulky – note Strelets figures vary by sculptor.

Generally plastic injection figures look far better painted so don’t be put off by your visiting plastic soldier review. Indeed the reviews are candid but then again Pauls Bods blog https://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2021/03/vikingsaxon-shield-wall.html shows you that even the most unpromising figures can be transformed through a decent paint job. Pauls Bods site has numerous plastic examples of exemplary painting.

Finally strelets are an Ukraine company and continue to produce a vast range of figures and have done so throughout the Russian invasion.

So as we approach yet another unwanted anniversary go buy some Strelets, preferably at your nearest bricks and mortar model shop.

Tags 1/72, 1/72 plastics, 1848 Danish, 1st Schleswig Holstein War, 20-25mm, mid 19th century wargames, miniature figures, miniatures painting, paint what you got challenge, painting figures, painting miniatures, strelets, strelets 1/72, wargames, wargaming, Wargaming Nineteenth Century Europe

miniatures painting

Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge 16

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 16th Dec 2025
4 Comments on Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge 16

So AHPC16 is upon us – well the 21st December is storming towards me far too fast.

In previous years – well the last two to be exact – first year I started preparing on the 21st way too late and then last year did prepare one primed unit beforehand but held off having a plan before knowing about the themes which then derailed me with a sci fi bug.

I found I was doing stuff (deciding about theme models or simply digging out figures to clean and prime) but not actually painting colour – much before the January deadline loomed into view!

So this year I started my plan in November!

And I have primed some of the planned pieces.

And I decided to ignore the theme and just see what came along.

And lucky me this years three themed pieces have fallen nicely into place within my plan.

Declining Empire should see some planned 1848 Hungarians appear

Childhood toy memory fortunately gets the wild geese treatment from the 1700’s

And rebels hopefully will see some Covenanters appear before the various deadlines

Alas last years failed star of my show might fail to appear yet again. As its anniversary related this is a constant theme – I started my 28mm stoke field armies in 2015……still not much progress ten years on!

And now I have scenery options nudging their way into my plan.

I was hoping to get some more Fauxterre 1930 kit done.

Then there were the 1848 Hanoverians, 1848 Neapolitans, 1700 French Dragoons, 1848 Roman infantry all crying out to be on the plan – the list goes on and on.

Way too much of course for this painting snail, which having done a plan shows so well. It means the exercise has proved its worth already.

However real life is very very busy right now so I might fail on all fronts!

The optimistic wargamer marches onwards……

1/72 scale figures

Fauxterre 1930: up, up and away

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 3rd Nov 2025
9 Comments on Fauxterre 1930: up, up and away

Fauxterre 1930 remains a work in progress, no gaming for eons and painting units seems endless. This could be because I get distracted!

In this case distraction of the aviation sort occurred at a couple of wargame shows.

The Other Partizan in 2024 fielded a luscious blue biplane. A suitably inter war affair still includes cavalry and tech like biplanes although I think this demo game was Russian Civil War era.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2024/10/15/the-other-partizan-2024/

Then there was Recon 2023 where Height 518 demo game saw the Italians losing again to the Greeks in a 1941 Balkans encounter.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2023/12/11/recon-2023-at-pudsey/

I was gifted an old second hand biplane and eventually it ate my brain and had to be made. And thus triggered me digging out a bricks and mortar store purchase – another biplane.

Of course these models offer little to an empty wargaming battlefield!

This has been my Fauxterre experience – lots of distractions.

Anyway first up lots of make photos