tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post1317311674662016783..comments2024-03-23T03:20:51.709+13:00Comments on A Fist Full of Plastic: M48 Battle King Refurbishment.Uncle Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-32006042526605591452013-06-25T00:29:48.829+12:002013-06-25T00:29:48.829+12:00Only if I could track down enough first release Ba...Only if I could track down enough first release Battle King M-48s, Chieftains and Weasel Armoured cars with reasonable existing paintwork! <br /><br />Unfortunately they are thin on the ground here so the odds of me finding enough to field a playable force are a little low!<br /><br />I do plan I being somewhat more colourful with the next technical clan I do up though!<br /><br />Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-33883120149867450782013-06-24T23:40:14.855+12:002013-06-24T23:40:14.855+12:00I rather liked the metallic green! Perhaps you co...I rather liked the metallic green! Perhaps you could have (yet) another faction in that colour?Tim Gowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561988214539953646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-69632202346532895072013-06-15T15:20:38.827+12:002013-06-15T15:20:38.827+12:00thanks for the information. prices I see can vary ...thanks for the information. prices I see can vary quite a bit. being new to this hobby in comparison to the rest of you I still need to learn quite a few things about costs so the information really is appreciated.<br /><br />anyway many thanks.<br />Daisy Gowan Ditchburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07476802587483833107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-90767624863703280872013-06-14T20:52:40.575+12:002013-06-14T20:52:40.575+12:00A good price is one you are happy to pay :), and t...A good price is one you are happy to pay :), and that can vary from person to person, and budget to budget. <br /><br />I would expect to pay around NZ $5 to $15 for a used play worn Battle King. If you buy bulk groups, you will spend more, but the unit cost will go down.<br /><br /> While you can pay up to NZ$50 for ones in much better condition, I would only do so if you are collecting them. Many of the ones that are up currently at the NZ $20+ mark simply aren't worth it. <br /><br />If you are prepared to pay NZ$20 for a diecast you are better off ordering back issues of the Combat Tank Collection. Most stationary/bookseller places should let you order individual magazines from them.<br /><br />Your points about wealthier nations being able to afford better equipment and having a better arms industry was covered by my remarks over a nations (real or imagined) background being able to determine what will be in a nations ToE.<br /><br />Of course, the advantage of an imagi-nation is that you can create the background that provides the reason why Grustak has both BMP-1s and M113s in its army. Even fudging dates things were invented is possible if it's your campaign. Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-61944164662751250692013-06-14T19:09:05.158+12:002013-06-14T19:09:05.158+12:00Brian what would you say a good price would be?
a...Brian what would you say a good price would be?<br /><br />anyway my main concern is how to possibly get stuff on the cheap. which outweighs pretty much every thing else. so if they are quite expensive I guess I'll make do with other stuff. <br /><br />I guess also the thing about equipment is not only time but type of nation some slightly wealthier nations may be able to produce their own spare parts for some older things and even add upgrades (Poland did that for old Soviet era tanks)<br /><br />but I guess really its down to what you want to add in, so long as its not ahead of its time I guess. anyway off to read your new post.<br /><br />Daisy Gowan Ditchburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07476802587483833107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-14089409687071282952013-06-14T11:39:02.347+12:002013-06-14T11:39:02.347+12:00If I do anything like this, it would have to be on...If I do anything like this, it would have to be one of two ways: my own moderns gig, in which case I'll need two armies; or as part of someone else's, such as your Harad thing, Brian. <br /><br />Were I to choose the latter (supposing you were agreeable in the first place) then I would be more than happy to accept whatever restrictions you deemed appropriate. I wonder if I could have a chopper-borne contingent...?<br /><br />H'mmm...Archduke Piccolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533325665451889661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-2092671299482822852013-06-14T00:09:06.146+12:002013-06-14T00:09:06.146+12:00Gowan, all the tanks above were purchased on Trade...Gowan, all the tanks above were purchased on Trade Me. Part of the trick for hunting for stuff though is knowing what is out there to look for, and what is a good price for it. Some of the battle King stuff on Trade Me is massively overpriced (even as collector's items), or is simply not suitable for 1/72 gaming. <br /><br />As to your advice on building a moderns force, two key things to bear in mind are the timeframe the army is going to be operating in. An army for the 1970s is going to be a very different beast from that operating in the 2010's. Some items simply will have worn out. In the 2010s it is very unlikely that any WW2 era tanks will still be usable as anything other than bunkers due to the difficulty in maintaining them.<br /><br />The second consideration is how suitable will the force be for gaming with others. If solo gaming this isn't an issue, but if you are building a force to fit into an existing campaign with other players then it is major consideration. If the force is too weak then it won't be fun to play - if too powerful then it won't be fun to play against!<br /><br />What the force is consists of is fairly easy to figure out if it is a real world force, or part of an existing campaign, as both of these will provide a background for why something is there. <br /><br />Of course playing in someone elses background can be quite limiting - as they might not want you to have particular items in your force, but that's the price you pay for playing in someone else's backyard. Their imagi-nation - their rules and conditions apply. in theory, the trade off is that the background is interesting, engaging and entertaining enough that you are happy to accept their restrictions.Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-45933122757512559882013-06-13T23:43:58.109+12:002013-06-13T23:43:58.109+12:00Ion, on your building up a moderns force, it sound...Ion, on your building up a moderns force, it sounds good. We should have a yarn about it soon. <br /><br />And as to your haul of Army Men - well done on the new additions!Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-61006613923182958942013-06-13T23:39:01.019+12:002013-06-13T23:39:01.019+12:00Ok, what I did first was to first clean and degrea...Ok, what I did first was to first clean and degrease the tank - using warm soapy water and an old toothbrush. I then rinsed the tank to get rid of any soap residue. The tank was then dried by the logburner. Once it was fully dried a couple of days later, I gave it a spray coat of Dulux spray primer. I then drybushed it with sand coloured paint, painted the commander, and gave it a brown wash. I then painted the tools on the side<br />Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-56596207019382172632013-06-13T23:29:53.337+12:002013-06-13T23:29:53.337+12:00I don't know Sean. A hatch is certainly one po...I don't know Sean. A hatch is certainly one possibilty, but I am tempted to install a new commander. Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-64950356679094441462013-06-13T23:28:39.296+12:002013-06-13T23:28:39.296+12:00Thanks Nick! I think it looks so good because the ...Thanks Nick! I think it looks so good because the metallic green looks so wrong!Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-33685739203765211042013-06-13T23:27:36.252+12:002013-06-13T23:27:36.252+12:00Hmmm.. I wonder if that was deliberate on matchbox...Hmmm.. I wonder if that was deliberate on matchbox's part? It is a good paint scheme - I am very tempted to keep it!Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-58849221417333575632013-06-13T23:24:26.140+12:002013-06-13T23:24:26.140+12:00Yeah, I have a few things that I wished I had kept...Yeah, I have a few things that I wished I had kept as a kid too!The playworn ones pop up on Trade Me every now and then, plus heaps are always on E-Bay, but the UK shipping costs can be quite high!Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-78828386004523922582013-06-13T23:21:38.549+12:002013-06-13T23:21:38.549+12:00Grey primer, Vallejo 70819 "Iraqui Sand"...Grey primer, Vallejo 70819 "Iraqui Sand", and a GW brown wash deserve the bulk of the credit!Uncle Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00975932783227453858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-7964375896011580362013-06-13T19:43:26.112+12:002013-06-13T19:43:26.112+12:00I also want to know what you did to the tank! (and...I also want to know what you did to the tank! (and where I can get hold of this sort of stuff)<br /><br />Great stuff Brian! the tank looks brilliant! and if your wondering why I am commenting on Ion's comment its so I can actively encourage him to do some moderns... which I shall now proceed to do...<br /><br />DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!.<br />The French would be a marvellous choice! the UAE uses the French Lecrec, so it highly possible that they'd have sold some tanks to an Arab nation. especially if it were a former French colony. could be very interesting indeed. Also your T-34's (if you have any) could make an appearance as they were kept for very long periods of time, famously they were used in the 1990's in the Yugoslav conflict.<br /><br />if your wondering about equipment and arms just follow your nose to begin with, many modern armies have equipment from varied nations especially those that are none to wealthy. in Oronegro's case I went for US equipment for the infantry with a mix of European equipment elsewhere. there's still a chance I may give some British stuff, for a bit of unneeded patriotism on my part and to mix things up a bit.<br /><br />Naturally though, you might want to ask Brian a bit more about desert moderns (good thing this comment is here then) as I know little about that. though I may expand to include them... Oronegro may soon grow in physical size and there is a chance it may soon get a colony of its own... somewhere you may not expect, but it will help build the story.<br /><br />anyway just my advise... and my attempt to convince you to experiment with some modern stuff.Daisy Gowan Ditchburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07476802587483833107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-8280922376349955932013-06-13T10:43:25.801+12:002013-06-13T10:43:25.801+12:00Hi Brian -
Heads for tank commanders might be got ...Hi Brian -<br />Heads for tank commanders might be got from some infantry figures, I guess. The King Tiger tank commander, Lt. Roland von Kaputkopf, will probably obtain his cranial transplant from a DAK man.<br /><br />I do like the refurbished paint job, Brian. Was it simply a paint over; an undercoat applied over the 'here-I-am' green; or did you strip the original paint off first? <br /><br />All this arm twisting I'm getting about doing something in the moderns line is wearing down the resistance a bit, such that I actually have a small all-arms force in mind - something about Brigade strength. It's called the Pan-Arabian Legion (PAL - working title), a battalion or two of infantry (some armoured, some motorised), a company of MBTs, a company of LRVs (or maybe a self-contained Recce Group), and a support group comprising Arty, AA, and AT weaponry.<br /><br />Equipment undecised. I was thinking vaguely French, with AMX30 MBTs, but I'd need to know they could foot it with other, contemporaneous, types.<br /><br />Whether I do follow up on this will depend on how I progress with all my other projects. That has not lately been promising.<br /><br />It was not helped by my picking up 100 'Army Men' type soldiery from Farmers in Northlands for 8 bucks (packs of 25 for $1.99, 13 green and 12 tan). These were the same design as the blueish-green fellows I bought at Countdown a year or so ago. The Jono's World project is very much alive. Damned if I can find any arty, though. Have to make it, I reckon.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Ion Archduke Piccolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15533325665451889661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-86069733460601686522013-06-12T10:31:05.424+12:002013-06-12T10:31:05.424+12:00I like your repaint. What plans for the decapitate...I like your repaint. What plans for the decapitated tank commander? Model a hatch?Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15428727065347379281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-72927108352603340562013-06-12T10:04:13.227+12:002013-06-12T10:04:13.227+12:00That Chieftain is doing a passable impersonation o...That Chieftain is doing a passable impersonation of one of the Chieftains of BATUS or Wainwright in Canada! The were sand/olive.<br /><br />HughHugh Walterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10689023221814673819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-13173873605982405902013-06-12T06:21:26.009+12:002013-06-12T06:21:26.009+12:00Great stuff! What a transformation!Great stuff! What a transformation!Mr Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04569778659084947268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-69883310262038703682013-06-11T23:02:45.815+12:002013-06-11T23:02:45.815+12:00That looks great, wish I could find the couple I h...That looks great, wish I could find the couple I had as a kid now:)Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06718729719551125559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345470195229914785.post-51676388804806179632013-06-11T22:50:42.188+12:002013-06-11T22:50:42.188+12:00Very very nice repaint job Brian!Very very nice repaint job Brian!Rodgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14447816347472085277noreply@blogger.com