Catching Up with the Painting

As I write this paragraph, five more Italian infantry (for the surprise bonus extra squad in Chain of Command) are out in the garden being spray-varnished. Having already added the Bushwhacker and Churchill tank (see below dear reader), I realised that I really needed to hurry up and get this post out of the door before my painting progress made it longer than an undergraduate dissertation.

The last two plastic 'Mechs from my Lance Pack (of four)

In better news, that rarest of all events on this blog, the completion of a box of something, has occurred. The Command Lance I bought while drunk that time at Clash of Kings 2018. These last two are in super-easy one-colour schemes, the Cyclops in SLDF-issue brown, and the Cataphract in ambiguous Davion/Liao green. I just realised I forgot to show the numbers and other markings, but they aren't great so I'm not fussed.

Eridani Light Horse Bushwhacker. I'm very happy with the crest, but much less happy with the focus on the second picture.

The Bushwhacker (in metal) is a semi-tribute to it being the starting 'Mech in Mechwarrior 3, but rather than the fairly dull gunmetal skin default to the game, I've gone with the Eridani Light Horse colours I have adopted, brown and yellow, this time the yellow being applied in a sort-of disruptive pattern. I'm actually pretty happy with how it went. 

WIP Mad Dog (Vulture to you Spheroids) and 2 more finished barbed wire sections. 4 more to go...

The 'Mechs currently in the painting queue are a Vulture/Mad Dog and a Commando. The Vulture has the base layer and a highlight, but I've given up completely on my original idea of winter camoflage and decided to paint the top bit white fading to grey fading to blue. The Commando is going to be white with red patches, but I was a bit sloppy with the initial blocking out so I'll want to clean that up before presenting to the public.

I'm finally getting back to the Italians, these will make up my extra "scout squadra" for chain of command

Back in WWII, I've been trying to collate my unpainteds into a pile of things I *definitely* need for my much-advertised El-Alamein Chain of Command pint-size campaign. These, surprisingly enough, do not include the Cromwell shown below in all its dubious historicity. According to my source, while British tanks did have the black splodges on them until Summer 1944, I have yet to find a picture of such a vehicle in continental Europe that isn't uniform brown. Despite this lack of primary source I've persisted as first, there may have been vehicles that they didn't bother to repaint immediately and second, patterns look much better than just uniform colour.

Top view of the Cromwell to show off the hedge-cutter attachment and the air-recognition star

Front view. Compared to the Airfix transfers, my DIYdecals look even worse...

Extra side view

Actually present in North Africa in 1942 was the Churchill tank, although not the Mk VII available in Airfix kit form. Fortunately, the only noticeable differences are the shapes of the side hatches and turret, so I think putting desert camo on there is entirely artistically justified. The "Girls und Panzer" markings are less justified, but I've got a theme going now so you're stuck with it.

Yeah, I've run out of things to say now. Catch you in 6 months for the next update!