SOTR: Time to up the arms race

The Secrets of the third Reich rules allow you to add armour to your force. I have looked in the appendix of the rule book (which contains the stats for armour) and it appears that you gat a lot of bang for your bucks. 

On the basis that it appeared rude not to take advantage of the ability to field armour, I set about researching what tanks I would like. The stats appear to indicate that the best soviet tank that I could choose (for the points that is) is the T34/85. To match the scale of the figures I needed a 1/48 scale model. A quick search on the web showed I could buy them for around £10.00 GBP each, and before I knew it I had ordered two.... Guess that is what happens when work allows you access to the internet in your lunch hour.

I brought Hobby Boss models, and when they arrived I was very pleasantly suprised. The kits have an enormous amount of components and allow you to model to a level of detail that typical wargame manufacturers would never give you.

The models have assembled relatively easily, once I decided not to bother with any of the inside fittings of the tanks, however the tracks are far too complicated given the type of use and the cost of the kit.

It took me just under two days to assemble and greenstuff. Now to have a go at painting a green tank....

Secrets of the Third Reich: Soviet HMG

Soviet Heavy machine gun completed and based...

I opted to construct and mount the entire set before painting. In hindsight (which as we know, is the only sensible way to look at anything) it might have been a better idea to paint each chap individually and then assemble. Getting to all parts was tricky at times.

I have tried to repeat the ameba pattern on the rear of the cloaks. I'm not entirely happy with the final look on these. Now I've seen the photo above, I'm even less happy. Time to get the brushes back out and have another go.

I'm quite happy with how the gun guard came out. I also added a 40 gun case (with emblem removed) and that fits quite well. I used Silfa grass on the base (I have a large stock of it) and that appears to fit with the general look.

Secrets of the Third Reich: Soviet HMG - WIP

Time to expand on the soviet SOTR force with the addition of a Heavy Machine Gun.

To get the model to work properly I had to raise the front gun shield with some plastic card and green stuff. It is a shame, because the rest of the model fits together very well. This change makes this element a little more fragile and I worry about the rough handling all my models get.

I was a little unsure if all these models should fit onto the single base or if the leader should be modelled seperately. After a little web research and a few trial fits I have gone this squeezing them all together.

Time to undercoat and paint.

Secrets of the Third Reich: Finished Siberian flamethrower

After nagging from my work colleague to update my blog, here are completed photographs of the siberian flamethrower dude. He will act as an enforcer within my soviet HQ squad. I have decided to go with a fairly basic skin colour scheme and have retained the green colour scheme of the remainder of the force.

I am aware that I cannot have a flamethrower upgrade as an enforcer option, but I had brought the figure before I read the rule-book.

The chaps head looks a little small for my liking, but regardless I am quite happy with how he turned out. In the WIP posting, I had a small spade on the base, but I got so fed up with it keep falling off that I have removed this.

Secrets of the Third Reich: Siberian flamethrower

Back from holiday and its time to get my paint brushes out again. The original intention was to use this chap as an enforcer in the HQ section protecting the command. unfortunetly I did not realise that I could not equip him with a flamethrower. Shame, it would have been a great idea.

I've got him now, so I may as well paint him up. I have taken the spade of a Chimera, but its fell off three times again, so if it falls off again, that will be the end of that.

The parts fit pretty well together, but I have supplimented the fix with pinning and green stuff..

Secrets of the third reich: Soviet survivor platoon

I have no completed my first platoon for Secrets of the third reich (SOTR). The platoon is a Soviet survivor platoon which contains;

A Sergeant

Corporal

PTRD Anti-Mech rifle

...and 5 privates armed with PPSH-Ks

I believe that they look a lot better painted. Helmets are taken from the Berlin or bust range of figures and the grass is a mixture of Silfur and GW.

I have attempted to use an ameba pattern on the capes, but I'm not convinced that I've got it quite right.

Time to move on to the next unit.

Secrets of the Third Reich

One of life's little rules should be "do not start a new game system until you have mastered all the ones you currently play".

Then again it is said that rules are for breaking....

Yes, you have guessed it, I have been tempted by the thought and sight of shiny new metal, not to mention the smell and touch of a crisp new rule book. I do like the smell of a new rulebook, it smells of potential victory.

So the latest rule system to find its way onto my shelf is "Secrets of the Third Reich" (SOTR) and the latest army is Soviets..

SOTR is a game system from West wind games and is based in Europe in 1949 with the assumption that the second world war is still ongoing, must European and some American cities have been "nuked" and almost every army are now using zombies and some have ventured into werewolves, mechs etc.

It is a platoon level game and looked quite fun when played by a few guys at my club.

I opted to go for the Soviets mainly because no-one at the club was using the Russians and partly because I always like to use the underdogs.

First glance at the rules indicates a game system built around a bit of fun. The artwork is generally poor and the rulebook looks difficult to interpret in some areas so I am not sure if they could ever successfully be used in a Tournament. However, having said all that it looks fun and played quite well....

So a few Russians have been based in readiness for undercoating and painting.

The figures are all westwind and are quite nice. The heads are supplied separate from the bodies, which in theory should give a fair amount of variety. In practice there is not a broad enough selection of heads to choose from so they all repeat quite quickly. I have therefore brought a head pack from Berlin or bust game system (also west wind) to make up the pack.

Not all heads appear to fit the bodies very well, but it does not require a lot of work to get them in soundly.

The figures are roughly 26mm scale and look quite fun. Time to see how well they paint up.....