Sunday, 3 April 2011

Making plans

Planning: Ukraine, Summer 1941
When it comes to the modelling/wargaming side of this project, where to start is a big question.

I have amassed a fairly large collection of World War Two figures and vehicles over the past decade.  Having recently sold all my 15mm items I am left with 20 and 28mm from which to chose.  Due to a number of reasons (not least the commonality of "scale" with my ImagiNation terrain) I think I will most probably opt for the latter.

As the thorny issue of scale has been broached, I will get it out of the way at the very start!  Unusually, I flip-flop a bit in this area.  It is patently obvious that 1:48 / 1:50 is technically too large for a realistically proportioned figure of 28-30mm height.  However the majority of 28mm figures are caricatures having heads and hands that are overscale and a physique that is too stocky.  Thus I would summarise my approach to be a pragmatic - "If it looks OK then go with it"

My plans for the Kampfgruppe are modest.  A couple of Sdkfz.251 halftracks, a Marder III and a Kübelwagen should do the trick.  Perhaps if I am feeling flush I will work in a Panzer IV G as well.  The period I will be modelling is the winter of 1943/4 and the theatre Western Ukraine/Galicia.  Dark days for the Ostheer but very interesting from a gaming and model-making perspective.

For infantry, I suspect I will use the large number of unpainted Artizan types I have lying around supplemented with some of Bolt Action Miniatures' plastics.  I am not a great fan of the BAM metals as they seem to be a disparate bunch - some showing great sculpting whilst others look very odd.  That said, I haven't really been perusing WW2 ranges lately and things may have improved under Warlord's ownership.

Anyway, that's a fair summary of the plan.  The terrain is being worked on in conjunction with that of my other project - simple "Isbas" (peasant houses) and a few outbuildings.  These I intend to make into masters for casting but that is a different story.

To follow, postings describing the models to be used - then a new feature that should prove popular...

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