'Armour' from MarkG: Austin-Putilov Armoured Car

This is my first entry to the challenge. Given it's the centenary year of the Russian Revolution, and the start of the Russian Civil War, I thought that this would be a good theme for my Painting Challenge efforts this year.

The model is a 28mm Austin-Putilov armoured car from Brigade Games. Mostly resin, with lead alloy wheels, suspension and HMG's. I've painted it as the "Sokol" (Eagle) car in Bolshevik service. This is my first effort in this period, and is inspired by all the fabulous Back of Beyond / Setting the East Ablaze games that I've seen in various blogs, especially those by Steve Langan and The League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers.

I decided to keep the base colour in Russian Green, so that this can be used from the start of the civil war. As the war progressed, most armoured cars turned out by the Putilov Works in Petrograd (for the Bolsheviks) were painted in what appears to be naval grey. After the Izorski-Fiat it was probably the most widely used armoured car in the civil war, seeing service in nearly all armies (red, white and national).

More vehicles, figures, buildings and terrain are in the pipeline for this fascinating period. Hopefully they will be posted up here very soon.

'Risk Taker' from MarkG - 'Old Blood and Guts'

I decided to pick General Patton for my Gambler/Risk-Taker submission. I think it fair to say that he took a good share of risks during his campaigns in WW2, especially in the relief of Bastogne.

I have an abiding memory of when I was seven, our school thinking that it would impart some kind of moral fiber, being herded into the assembly hall to watch the film Patton. I'm not sure it imparted anything, other than an appreciation of what a towering actor George C. Scott was; the opening scene is a classic: Patton (film) opening scene

The figure (which seems to be modelled on this scene) is from Warlord games, and has crisp details which paint up well.

This will also be the figure that I will be sending to Curt as my Challenge participation fee. I hope he likes it.

'Antihero' from MarkG - 'Oberst Steiner'

For the last themed round I decided to revisit one of my favourite childhood films, The Eagle Has Landed; German Fallschirmjager masquerading as Free Polish Paratroopers in an attempt to kill/kidnap Churchill from a sleepy Norfolk village. Memorable as well for the first outing of our favourite Texan, Larry Hagman as the hapless commander of the American unit billeted in the village.

Now I generally don’t paint Germans (to be more precise, WWII Nazis), though I’m willing to make the exception for Oberst Steiner, a rugged veteran of many campaigns who has no truck with the Nazis. I’m sure the character’s name is more than a nod in the direction of Sam Peckinpah’s Sgt. Steiner in Cross of Iron, though this one seems a bit posher, (though Caine’s accent is infinitely preferable to the music hall attempt at an Irish accent by Donald Sutherland).

The figure is from Warlord Games, and paints up very well, and probably could be used for an early war Fallschirmjager commander. I’ll probably pick up another one for myself, as this one will be winging its way to Canada in the next few days. I must say, that the figure has given me some strange thoughts about putting together a Chain of Command scenario for this...