In my last microarmor post, I was hoping that I could paint up a platoon of tanks (or self-propelled guns, in this case) in under an hour, but those hopes proved to be ill-founded.
I did manage to finish my platoon of Stug IIIgs, a couple of Sdkfz 11 prime movers, and two more Pak40s in an evening’s time, though. That’s  unparalleled speed, in my miniatures painting history! I’m pleased.
I got a little overzealous with the balkenkreuz on a couple of these guys.
I thought this was a nice touch: a pack of GHQ micro-armor (at least this pack of Stug IIIg’s) includes a couple of variations on the unit contained therein-notice the sections of track mounted on two of the Stug turrets (well, they’re not really turrets…fighting compartment?).
For now, I’m planning on going with un-based vehicles. We’ll see how that works out as a gaming solution. I’m a bit worried about bent barrels during games, as they’re quite fragile.
These Sdkfz 11s come with full body-length canopies, and I was going to do one of the miniatures with the canopy deployed. Unfortunately, I didn’t do any test fits, or I would have realized that having the deployed canopy would require trimming the collapsed canopy from the base model.
No way I was diving into that after finishing painting. These guys will drive in the weather.
Incomplete, but not forgotten
Here are the two deployed Pak 40s, based on pennies with tinted matte medium serving as basing material and adhesive.
We’ll see how the basing turns out. None of my normal ground materials are going to work in their usual manner. My model railroad ballast that I typically use for ground texture looks like boulders strewn across the face of Mt. Doom at 6mm scale.
The gunners were fun to paint. Three colors (skin, uniform, and helmet and boots) and an ink wash, and you’re done.
Comments
Those tiny tanks are so incredible cool, but I especially love the halftracks! Well done :-D
I have to force myself not to start collecting a new scale!
Hah, well you can see I failed to resist the lure of yet another scale! Flee before you fall prey to the same trap.
This scale can be painted to a very high level, and the terrain can look incredible in a different way: You get more of a 3d map feel, than a sense of being on the ground, if that makes sense. Or at least that’s the impression I get from looking at battle reports.
I’m just hopeful I can actually get a game off the ground at this scale!
These models look great and very well painted. A friend of mine has eastern front micro armour armies and I absolutely love gaming with them whenever we get the chance. what rule set are you thinking of using?
Thanks! I’m going to be using “I Ain’t Been Shot Mum” by Too Fat Lardies, which is a 1:1 set of company level rules. Well worth checking out! The ground scale even matches the miniature scale, if you use 6mm minis.
I’ve got a copy of that set but haven’t picked up the card set needed to play. It looks like quite an interesting rule system though. My own WWII project is north west europe using 1/600 scale minis (known as Pico armour in the US) from oddzial osmy. I’m a huge fan of tiny miniatures and you can’t get much tinier!!
I have yet to play a game of IABSM, though I have played their skirmish rules for WWII. I like the focus on the role that leaders play, and I enjoy the writing style the author uses, as well. I’ll be making my own cards, when the time comes. I need to paint up a company of Brits and make some terrain first, though.
I have some 1/600 WWII aircraft, but I’m not brave enough to tackle the armor and infantry at that scale!
There’s a blog on wordpress I saw recently with self made sets of cards for IABSM. It’s called Last Hussar’s barracks. They look very cool and have sets for British, Soviet, US and German. heres the address if you interested http://lasthussar.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/i-aint-been-shot-mum-cards/
I had actually ‘liked’ that post a couple of days ago as a bookmark for myself. They certainly are nice cards!
HI There, My name is Kirk and my friends call meCcaptain.. I too have been uin the “wilds” of Searcy, AR after 30 some yrs in metro Atlanta. Ive been doing micro armor since 1980 and ROCO minitanks and 1:72s before that. Ive been here 5 yrs and swore on bibles that I was aklone in collecting or gaming .. Iv have about 1200 tanks, afvs, artillerty, B1s B2s B 52s , ships, gum\nships F22’s F 35s and all the assets to make modern war..in miniarture. plus some 600 1:1250 ships, 300 1:2400 ships, and about 1000 15mm figures from the British reconqest of the Sudan-circa 189s.. I even have a large game table w twerrain,,,but alas no gamers here in Searcy. You probably live in one of the “Hip” areas of this state, like My Little Rock softball teammates,,or maybe in Fayetteville, where civilization begins agin…
Hi Kirck,
Yeah, Searcy would be very tough! You guessed it, I’m in Northwest Arkansas. I thought I was alone, but have recently discovered a half-dozen historical miniatures wargamers, so perhaps there’s hope for you, too.
Have you tried putting out flyers at the local library? Maybe there is a history club, of some kind you could put feelers out to?