IHMN Japanese Infantry

I have been over the past two years slowly painting and basing figures for use with "In Her Majesty's Name" (IHMN). Even slower than this process has been my updating of this blog with that progress. 

The basic Infantry Section

IHMN is very flexible in its approach to creating teams of adventuring bands for use in the game. One of the supplements for the first edition of the game "Sleeping Dragon, Rising Sun" (SDRS) provides a basic list for a group recruited from the Japanese Army. 

I tried to replicate a uniform that captures the feel of the IHMN period rather than a perfect match for the Boxer Rebellion.

I did consider using the Red Box Japanese Infantry from their Boxer Rebellion range (PSR Review here), but I was rather unimpressed with the figures. instead I opted for using the metal Japanese Infantry from Stan Johansen Miniatures' Boxer Rebellion range (click here for more details).

A hastily formed firing line.

The Japanese lists in SDRS offer a number of possibilities for adventuring groups that allow a nice mix of traditional elements, modern elements (products of the Meiji restoration), and weird 19th century mad science elements. I am already starting on some steam powered walkers to supplement this Japanese force. 

Infantry cautiously advancing

IHMN also allows for the addition of Sumo Wrestlers to some of the Japanese lists, so I thought that these painted old Grenadier 25mm Sumo Wrestlers would be a prefect addition to the force mix.

Grenadier Fantasy Lords - First Series Set 178 Sumo Wrestlers

Even more imposing when provided with effective leadership!

I also think that the size difference between the 20mm Infantry figures and the 25mm Sumo Wrestlers helps create the fell that these wrestlers are at the top end of the human size spectrum - even to the point of being the beneficiaries of  cutting edge scientific discoveries from the University of Toyko that have surpassed the efforts of Dr Jekyll's original formula.

More Figures for Duke, Elector, King

 As a means of avoiding painting up more figures for my V&B 100 Days Campaign, I have continued to produce V&B stands for use with Duke, Elector, King (DEK).

Blue coats and yellow facings inspired by the box art of the Airfix Washington's Army set

The figures used are primarily from the Airfix British Grenadiers set (PSR review here). The blue coated ones had previously been painted in an attempt to represent grenadiers from Napoleon's Imperial Guard. The quality of the paint conversions ranged from bad to ok in quality, so I decided to repaint them as generic 18th Century Fusiliers with blue coats and a variety of facing colours.

At this stage I am leaving the flag as a plain block colour

Rear quarters view from the front

The process involved painting out detail such as splashes of red paint on the shoulders to represent epaulettes, repainting details such as white belts, and touching up missing paint from coats, muskets and bearskin hats. 

I kept the red facings for this stand

I also took the opportunity to base up some skirmish stands in order to use up painted figures that I hadn't been able to justify using on regimental stands as either they were left overs from creating a previous stand, or to use them would require me to paint additional figures in the same paint scheme

A mix of Airfix and Atlantic figures

The first of these skirmish stands has been painted and based in a similar style to the first of the fusilier stands above. The prone musketeer is from the Airfix Washington's Army set, while the kneeling rifleman is from the Atlantic Davey Crockett set (PSR review here). 

The view from the rear

The second stand consisted of to figures that I painted up, but didn't use in the production of my first stand for DEK (click here for details). It also gave me the opportunity to use more of the autumn leave flock that I like!

The third skirmish stand consists of three of the Airfix British Grenadier figures painted with forest green coats and trousers with green facings.  The webbing and pouches have all been painted black. The paint job on these three figures had largely flaked off so it had to be entirely redone.

A trio of not riflemen

The green coats and trousers, coupled with the black leather equipment, makes me think of British Riflemen of the Napoleonic Wars. I suspect that AWI British Legion units may also have been an source of inspiration for the original painter.

The black works well with the green

The final group of figures painted and based up is the last of my Lucky Products Hessians that I started painting back in 2013. The first group I painted up as Grenadiers of the Hesse-Cassel Regiment Von Rall (click here for details).

Lucky Products AWI Hessians

This group I decided to paint up in a similar style but without the stripped mattress ticking breeches of the previous group. I did decide to paint the drummer in reverse colours though. While Hessian troops of the AWI didn't have their musicians in reversed colours, I felt that it would be quite pleasing for an imagi-nation force.

While not the prettiest of sculpts, they do have a certain charm

If I ever get more of the Lucky Products Hessians I would be tempted to paint them as 18th Century Persian or other eastern, troops as the mitre of the Lucky Products figures would lend itself to a paint conversion to other similar conical headgear.

The entire group (almost) 

I still have some additional stands to repaint - both blue and green coated regiments - and once they are completed I can start work on painting tricorn infantry stands.

Figures for Duke, Elector, King

Recently I have been reading on other blogs (such as Neil Patterson's Aufklarungsabteilung, and David in Suffolk's The Ragged Soldier blogs) about using a Frank Chadwick designed board game called 'Soldier King' as a campaign engine for tabletop games for battles between 18th century imagi-nations.

Airfix British grenadiers painted as something different.

While both blogs contain useful information with regard to the use of 'Soldier King' as a campaign engine, Aufklarungsabteilung has more detail with regard to using it with Volley and Bayonet.
In the comments on the Ragged Soldier post, Neil mentions that rather than use 'Soldier King' as a campaign engine, Frank Chadwick's gaming group created ‘Duke, Elector, King’ a V&B campaign system that was designed to fight battles between 18th century imagi-nations (more details can be found here).

I like the Autumn flock but don't really use it much. 

I have painted and based these Airfix British Grenadiers for use in ‘Duke, Elector, King’ despite not having determined what nation they will serve. The paint scheme was loosely inspired by the uniforms of Russian Grenadiers.

The use of Airfix figures has been inspired by the comment made by Glenn some time back that with the release of the British Grenadiers set (PSR review located here) and the Washington's Army set (PSR review located here), Airfix had provided Wargamers with two very useful sets of generic 18th century infantry.

A view from the rear

As I have been fortunate enough to acquire a number of figures from these sets from Glenn, using them as the basis for several imagi-nation armies would seem to be a logical employment of them.

 

Potentially I may designate these as light fusiliers and justify the headgear by means of cunning backstory.

I also have a number of painted and partially painted paint conversions of Airfix AWI British Grenadiers into French Napoleonic Imperial Guard Grenadiers that I obtained from Glenn. These figures I hope to be able to convert back into 18th century troops in blue coats for use by another yet to be named imagi-nation.

Unknown Metal Figures - Help needed

 Recently I purchased a bulk group of 25mm Science Fiction themed metal figures off eBay. Currently they are sitting happily in Pennsylvania as as the time of writing there is no regular mail service between the USA and NZ. 

This means that I am relying on pictures alone to identify the figures and don't currently have any idea of what codes could be on the base of the figures. Fortunately the internet has been useful in identifying quite a few of the figures.

125 Old school metal figures

I have managed to identify a number of the figures as being from the following ranges:

• Foxelles (Steller Amazons) and Space Ducks from the Archive Star Rovers range
• SGT Block, Harley D, and Big Jim Johnson from the Iron Wind Metals Post Modern Aftermath range
• JD2 Judge Anderson & Bike from the Citadel Judge Dredd range
• Various figures from the Grenadier Models Paranoia range
• Most of the figures from the Grenadier Models Gamma World range Adventurers box set
• Most of the figures from the Grenadier Models Traveler range Adventurers box set
• Most of the figures from the Grenadier Models Secret Agent range Agents and Spies box set
• All of the figures from the Grenadier Models Secret Agent range Mercenaries box set
• VFW30 Gandemar, King of the Dwarfs from the Minifigs Valley of the Four Winds range
• Assorted Valka Spacewomen from the Minifigs Science Fiction range
• Various Central Galactic Force Troopers from the Minifigs Space Warrior range
• Various figures from Heritage Galacta 25 range

However, a number of figures allude my identification so I am hoping that if I post pictures of the mystery figures with a nice red ring around them, readers might be able to assist with identification.

Unknown Set A 

Figure A1 Soldier in green fatigues?

Figure A2 Large Robot. Update: It could be Garrison Miniatures Star Troopers range ST12 Humanoid Robot

Figure A3 Spacer in blue jumpsuit. Update: It could be GG-20 Mercenary, Standing w. Assault Rifle from the Ral Partha Galactic Grenadiers range.

Unknown Set B

Figure B1 Not James Bond type?

Figure B2 Kneeling Sniper?

Unknown Set C

Figure C1 Agent with pistol and cane?

Unknown Set D

Figure D1 Vampire slayer with  wooden stake?

Unknown Set E

Figure E1 Knight or Robot with dual swords?

Unknown Set F

Figure F1 Large Robot. Update: It could be Garrison Miniatures Star Troopers range ST12 Humanoid Robot

Figure F2 Large Robot.  Update: It could be Garrison Miniatures Star Troopers range  ST1 Trooper in Powered Battle Armor with Missile Launcher

Note that both figures are missing their weapons

Unknown Set G

Figure G1 Man in Cowboy hat with SMG?

Figure G2  Soldier in green fatigues?

Unknown Set H - Woman with RPG on cast hexagonal base

Figure H1 Woman with RPG on cast hexagonal base?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. 

Some ZSU-57-2 SPAAG For You

 A couple of years ago I ordered some ZSU-57-2s  from S&S Models (product located here), with the intention of painting them up in a way that would let me us them as a support element for a range of forces. 

Note that there are only four road wheels, as opposed to the T-54's five.

Recently, as part of an effort to finish off a number of projects that have been left half done on my work bench, I decided that they would be the next models to complete. 

I gave the crew a mix of brown and black headgear.

The resin turrets, hulls, and track sides cleaned up nicely and the white metal components were nice casts with a minimum of flash to clean.

Despite having been replaced in Soviet service by the ZSU-23-4 Shilka in the early 1970s, the ZSU-7-2 soldiered on in other armies. The Wikipedia page here has information on both previous and current operators.

Of course, in addition to the obvious Anti Air role, the ZSU-57-2 is capable of engaging ground targets. I suspect that will be their major employment on the tabletop as the twin 57mm guns look to be useful against targets such as soft vehicles, and troops occupying buildings. This fire support role was their main use during the wars in Yugoslavia (click here for the history of the ZSU-57-2 in Yugoslavia).

The business end of a pair of ZSU-57-2s.

 

Now that these have been completed, I will need to find another project to finish so that I can continue procrastinating about painting figures for Volley and Bayonet.

Skytrex Warsaw Pact Troops

 Some time ago I purchased a large number of Skytrex Firefight 20 figures from the UK. While long out of production these figures still have a great deal of character and their sculpting style lends itself well to my style of painting.

Armed with a mix of AK-47s, SVD-63s, and RPKs

The purchase was made up of from a variety of their modern ranges, including:

• Dogs of War
• Vietnam War (both North Vietnamese and US Forces)
• Cold War East Germans
• Cold War Soviets

I like the look of these larger stands with prone figures.

Unfortunately there wasn't quite enough of the East Germans or the Soviets to make a reasonable stand alone force. So I decided to combine the figures into one force and paint them all in my usual Soviet paint scheme.

Crew served support weapons.

One of the nice things about this selection of figures is the number of support weapons that is present. I was particularly pleased to discover two packs of  AT-3 Sagger ATGMs

Close up of the Sagger stands.

When these figures were produced information on Soviet and Warsaw Pact produced weapon systems was hard to get and was often based on blurry photographs and speculation.As a result the detaails and scaling of some of the weapon systems are a little off.

AGS-17 stands.

The biggest error is in the size of the AGS-17 Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGS). It is rather larger than it should be. I did debate replacing them with a more accurate version, but I decided against it as it would have involved a great deal of effort removing the weapon from the gunner (it is a one piece casting) for ultimately marginal benefit.

82mm Mortar stands.

The mortars are most likely meant to represent the model 82-PM-41 82mm mortar a WW2 era system that soldiered on in the Cold War. While the 2B14 Podnos 82mm mortar had entered service during the 1980s, the bipod for that weapon attaches further down a much longer barrel, so it is very unlikely to be intended to represent that weapon system. 

Other support weapons include a couple of RPG-7s and a pair of SA-7 Grail MANPADS.  The SA-7s are rather chunky and held at an angle suggestive of being an anti tank weapon rather than an anti aircraft weapon.

Also included in the selection were two figures that could be used in Command Decision as command stands, and three figures that could be used as radio stands or as FO/FAC stands.

 

Overall I am very happy with how these figures have turned out. I can only hope the rest of the figures turn out as well.

Soviet Anti-Tank Rifles

 I am currently attempting to finish a number of unfinished projects that are overdue for completion. This weekends effort was finishing off some WW2 Soviet Anti Tank Rifles (ATRs) of which some had been lurking around uncompleted since at least 1999 - if not even earlier!

I have started using larger bases than the standard Command Decision base for some prone figures and support weapons - particularly where the figures the protection a larger base can provide. 

Esci Russians converted using resin Leva Productions parts

The first two stands  use figures from the Esci Russian Soldiers set (PSR review here). Two prone LMG gunners had their DP-27 LMGs removed and respectively replaced with  PTRS-41 and PTRD-41 ATRs from the Leva Productions WW2 Russian Pioneer Equipment set  that also contains dogs with anti tank mines, demolition charges, flame throwers, and various other combat engineer stores. (Henk of Holland has details on Leva Productions and other Leva sets)

Spot the Clone 

One of the figures on the right hand stand is a scaled down clone of an Airfix 1/32 scale Russian. I have a number of these Hong Kong produced figures spread throughout my Soviet forces.

More ATR stands

Since I was already doing some ART stands I figured I could paint up some metal figures of unknown manufacture that I acquired in the early 2000s but had done nothing with. I had enough to make four ATR stands - each equipped with a PTRS-41. 

ATR stands or AMR stands 

I hope to be able to integrate these stands into both WW2 Soviet and postwar Soviet/Russian equipped forces as either ATR stands or as Anti-Materiel Rifle (AMR) stands. Post WW2 both the PTRS-41 and PTRD-41 ATRs have seen service, with the most recent use being in the current conflict in the Ukraine as an AMR (click here for more information). Given that, it would also seem very likely that they would be used in that way by various forces in Twilight 2000.