Panzers and Crusader

This update is lurking around since last sunday, pictures taken but no text. So sorry for the delay. I was busy building tanks and armoured vehicles last weekend. I prepared the latest kits from Warlord Games for Bolt Action, the new Panzer IV Ausf. F1/G/H and the SdKfz 234/2 Puma.

The Panzer IV is a great kit, improved a lot compared for example with the Sherman. I took the chance and build the DERP Tier 5 from World of Tanks Version, Panzer IV Ausf. H with 10,5 cm KwK L28. Fear my HE-Shells! I modified the Sideskirts, a bit tricky but i think worth the time.

And on that same weekend i build the Panzer IV from Rubicon as well, here seen with the complete german tank family that they currently offer. Have to say, the Panzer IV is the black sheep in this trio. The plastic is inferior to the first batches i got and the fitting was tricky. Worst part where the heavily bend skirts. But i'll go into detail on that in the upcoming review. Never the less, love the Rubicon Tiger.

So what's currently going on in general? I started with the A Song of Fire and Ice / Game of Thrones audio books. Quite nicely done, some not that small differences between the books and the tv-show, especially around the characters. But its a nice thing to listen to, while sitting at the cutting mat, cleaning mold lines and assembling miniatures.

I continued working on the spanish crusaders for SAGA and Lion Rampant. I do like the sculpts from the perrys, but the casting of the pewter miniatures is mediocre. A lot of flash and strange moldlines (right across the face, seriously?), but still usable. Just needs some work done.

So i cleaned all the infantry and put them on bases. I need 8 more minatures for my Guerreros and a bit more cavalry, to be set up for Lion Rampant. I guess i'll make a third warrior unit with armed pilgrims and 2 monks, that will give me a total of 24 warriors, that can be 3 units of 8 for Saga or 2 units of 12 for Lion Rampant. About the cavalry, i currently have 2 units of 4 Knights, which is okay-ish for Saga, but only one mounted for Lion Rampant. My biggest problem is the lack of different mounted sergeants, Perrys offer only one set of 3 mounted sergeants. I might fill them up, by using Turcopoles. And i need a elite unit of Knights Hospitaller, using the Perry Command and Sword blister making them  Order of Calatrava. You see, i use custom rounded 25x50mm bases, thus using larger 50mm round bases for the important characters, like the warlord and special character.

A short "arrangemet rehearsal" on the bases. As the bases are rather large and the miniatures are true-scale, so there is space to build something. I gave each of them an additional infantry figure to their base. The one you see below will be a bearer of the Dukes personal banner. As glueing miniatures ontop of cork can be fragile, i gave them plastic card sockets and will build with cork and filler around them, to give it the distinctive cantabrian look (very green, some parts look like ireland).

The bearer of the warband banner was modified as well. I got rid of the spear or lance, as it gave me not enough space to let him wield a proper banner. I replaced it with a plastic pike from the Perry War of the Roses sprue, but might be going for some metal rod, so its more sturdy. I am still doing research for the banner, as i haven't found something that suits me. Using the cantabrian coat of arms isn't going to work, as they were designed post 1250, so i might use the yellow-red stripes, add the cantabrian stelae or labaru along with Alpha and Omega, like the roman legions used to do in that area. I'll put up a mock-up in the next update.

Today is friday, tomorrow i am heading for the HdR Szenario, so watch out for an update around sunday / monday. As long as World of Tanks or Industrical Craft 2 doesn't hold me in its firm grip. Have a nice weekend.