Modern - USMC CAAT Team Completed

90% there as usual on these.  NATO 3 Colour scheme used in the same way as the AAV and M1A1s

I used Vallejo Air for the first time on these and managed to fit the wrong nozzle to the airbrush when spraying so the pattern is bigger than I wanted.  Ran out of wire for the SINCGARS antennas so needed a trip to the model shop over the weekend.  Happy with these so that is all the USMC forces completed for Road to Baghdad.

Modern - USMC CAAT Team

My Peter Pig order arrived the other day.  I wanted a mix to give me the most flexibility. PP ranges always have little touches which show some thought has gone into the models and the ranges.  These are no different. You can order the HMMWV with any one of three weapon options: 40mm AGL, TOW, M2 HB. LMG.  you can also order separate weapons either as complete packs or using their special ordering service.  I ordered 2 TOW and 2 Mk19 AGL and a separate pack of the M2. This should give a reasonable mix to represent the USMC CAAT from 2003.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are at least two rear compartment options as well which make mixing the unit up even better.  I also found that in the M2 pack as a closed hatch as well as the four crew mounts.  The M2 packs and the Mk19 crew also have separate heads which really lets you play around with the look of the unit.

Modern - MOPP Suits

One of my USMC squads will be in MOPP suits. The ones from Peter Pig are modelled in normal fatigues, but it did nt take much effort with two blobs of green stuff to add a hood and a respirator haversack on the left leg.  painting BDU isn't something I have done in a while and I forgot the sequencing hence these look to brown. Next ones will be done the right way around: Yellow Brown, Beige Brown, Green then Black squiggles

Modern - USMC in Iraq 2003 - M1A1s

Following up from some cracking modern games the other weekend, I decided to sort out my USMC forces. I have the rough equivalent of a platoon and to differentiate between squads, one is in desert camo with coyote brown web gear; one is in desert camo with green/BDU web gear and body armour and the last squad will be in MOPP gear with desert helmet cover and boots.

To support the platoon, which is mechanised in AAV-7P Amtracks I am adding a CAAT section and a pair of M1A1 Abrams.

I didn't fancy metal M1A1s as they do take a while to clean up and I would still want to add detail to them. So, I picked up a couple of the Zvezda hot wars kits.  These are similar to their art of tactic range for WW2 but are in hard plastic. There has been speculation that the M1A1 kit was sent for tooling too early and the model does have inconsistent levels of detail as you can see below. The turret is very basic while the hull has some good detail but then doesn't have any detail on the side skirts.

I added a M2 and an M240 from Peter Pig's M113 kit and added a BF M113 cupola. Out of scale but it gave me something to mount the M2 on without scratch building the whole mount and I had two left over.

I then added the Combat ID panels and the frame on the turret from Plastruct rod, before drilling out the antenna mounts.

 I also separated the track pads.

I now base all my vehicles so spent Saturday morning texturing and painting 6 bases for the Amtracks as well as the Abrams.

All the vehicles were mounted in one session and then left to dry.

Need to add some stowage and generally make these untidy plus an odd bit of touch up is still needed.

Modern USMC Update

I have reached the 90% mark on the AAV-7s, they are now all in NATO 3 Colour with green EAAK panels.  It means that I can use them for a couple of other ideas that I have and not just for early OIF games.

In the first picture you can see the steps I went through to add the rear antenna mounts.  As you can see from the schematic of a South Korean variant, there should be two of these on both sides but I have only modelled the one.  I have now scavenged some square plastic rod for the two square mounts which sit further forward on the hull and will get around to those as the mood takes me.

In terms of Marines, I have gone part way in getting three squads painted up.  I have done one squad in MARPAT with Coyote Brown web gear; One squad in MARPAT with Woodland body armour and green webbing and the last squad, which has been started, will have some green stuff hoods added and will be in MOPP suits.  These are just to give you an idea

Modern USMC AAV7

Brian (Irishserb) sent me a set of four of his resin cast USMC AAV7s which are absolutely fab.  These are the first models I have had from Brian and I am very impressed.

A couple of early shots WIP.  Don't know if I want to do them in Tan or NATO 3 Colour so might go 50/50 and do them all NATO 3 Colour overall but mix and match on the armour plates

Two are going to have the NATO 3 Colour over the armour panels.  I might go back and only do one with the overpaint and do the other one with green panels

The last two haven't got very far yet, I just wanted to see what they come up like

Regards

Modern Combat - Painting US Marines

When I first did my USMC, it was for a game based in Somalia and as such was a mix of the 3 colour desert camouflage uniform. Since researching Ambush Alley and more Operations in the Contemporary Operating Environment ld me to look again at digital uniforms.
First project was for MARPAT (MARine PATtern). Not having a piece of material to hand and trying to remember back what the MEF wore linked to some browsing pages on the net (where colour depth is always a problem) I came up with this page to try different methods until I can find something That Looks About Right (those of you who browse my pages will find that a common phrase. At this scale the best I can hope for is the look of the camouflage, it won't be right because of the figure and the size and shape of my paint brush).

Undercoated and read to start.

Version 0.A
First up on my batch of 7 specimen models. There appear to 4 shades of colour on MARPAT (Which characterise it).

• The base layer very very light tan/brown
• Intermediate layer of very light brown
• Medium brown
• Darker Brown

With a white undercoat that will be washed I came up with the idea of:

• using white as the base layer - It will pick up the pigment of the wash
• Gray as the intermediate layer - Again it will take some pigment and show up darker than the base layer
• Medium brown. Very light colour probably have to be something like Calthan Brown from GW
• Dark brown. Probably take the Vallejo choclate brown

So first figure then. Painting sequence will be:

• Hands and Face (as all my figures the first thing that happens).
• Weapon in black
• boots and web gear in Tau Sept Ochre
• Light Grey in big splodges
• Calthan brown small patches
• Choclate brown very small patches (almost dots)
• Sepia Wash to blend it all together
• Orange optics (if needed).
• Gloss Varnish
• Decals (not too sure at this scale but will give it a go (I like a challenge). Stars n Bars on the Right shoulder (I need to do some research about unit markings).
• Possible second coat of varnish (if decals are used)
• Dullcote

Results 0.A. Took two figures and just washed them over. As a result I will used the Mud wash, the sepia was too yellow and I needed a gray/brown. Secondly my first go through used Tau Ochre for the boots and gear. This is two orange even with the wash so will go down to Yellow/Middlestone for the next run.
 Version 0.B (Lessons Learned) From the first run through keep everything the same except the pieces in BOLD. Painting sequence will be:

• Hands and Face (as all my figures the first thing that happens).
• Weapon in graphite
• boots and web gear in Middlestone
• Light Grey in big splodges
• Calthan brown small patches
• Choclate brown very small patches (almost dots)
• Devlan Mud to blend it all together
• Orange optics (if needed).
• Gloss Varnish
• Dullcote

Go back and add the green equipment, and do the optics properly. Also need to do the googles and strap in black; and finally do some research on smoke grenades and these models should be finished to game with.

Okay then happy with Version 0.B. Need a bit of feedback from the Ambush Alley professionals and go from there.

 
The intermediate colour does look a bit too gray so will have a look, but I am happy with these. The problem with modern camouflage is that it is designed to make you blend in, we as gamers like our figures on the table to look at. So a balance has to be struck. These will be based before I go to work this morning (one benefit of having a dog that needs to go outside at 0630).

While I might be happy to start with, some of those who populate the ambush alley site put my efforts to shame. The shots here of the ACU scheme are fantastic. So I am going back to revisit this!!!!!!! (I AM happy with the silfor though).

Modern Gaming - US Forces - Dog Team

I wanted something a little different for my US Forces for Ambush Alley and Force and Force, so I tried out the idea of a Dog Team.  Both models are PP and "just" needed to be posed.  The dog lead was added from a piece of thread painted black and then highlighted with GW chainmail.