Which colour is closest to Australian Battledress 1941? What colour is Khaki anyway!

I spent all night overthinking did I paint my 40 troops the wrong colour.

Trick question- AFAIK there IS no correct color. I cannot find ANY colour photo of Australian troops in Libya in early 1941. The black and white ones just show a very dark colour with very light helmet and ammunition pouches. 

All the reference book covers are drawn in pencil have different colours, as does every British Battledress 1937 on the Internet. I know this is probably accurate, but it does not help my overthinking about it.

I could mix colours, but I really do not want to do that for 40+ troops.

The Vallejo English Uniform I did as a undercoat is very dark and close to the Satchel brown, but I personally think that's too dark. I suspect my Zhenital highlight is too bright and should have been done from above and not 45 degrees to the rear.

I think the second one below is going to be closest, which is fortunate as that's what I'm going to do anyway. Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Strong Tone wash over Warrior Skin.

I did that and concluded the Great coat needs to be darker, so repainted all of them in Satchel Brown. So the battledress is mostly pants only  apart from 1 Sargent with a SMG and 3 officers.

Further tactical thoughts about my Bolt Action army

I've given some thought to yet more theory-crafting for my Bolt Action army.

Everything I've learnt about the desert, historical warfare and wargaming is you need to be mobile. Not the entire army, but enough you can advance to cover, take objectives and flank the enemy.  You still need someone to get the enemies attention, but movement and flanking win battles.

Unlike Glory is Fleeting, in Bolt Action you can bring on reserves ANYWHERE along your deployment zone and flank ANYWHERE on one side or the other. To me, using this is priceless. Being able to being on a reserve where I need it is very powerful, even if it's delayed for 1-2 turns. And I suspect most games your opponent won't have a clue what you're bringing on, or where. 

And I can keep an element of surprise (which is VITAL) because the enemy won't know if it's coming on my deployment zone OR the flanks outside theirs. Granted it can't be till turn 3 or  , but they can still come on from my reserve instead of the flank if needed. 

But I don't think I have the manpower to put my entire carrier platoon on a flank march. But I have three of them. So one squad would deploy as my reserve. Either to come in from an unexpected angle, support the main units or be a counter attack. The other two (including the Platoon commander) would come on in a flank - ideally behind a smoke barrage as cover so they can spend a turn moving FAST before dropping of their infantry for close enough assaults. If the 1st one is still around, it can also move up to support the other two, so should ideally come on near where the flank units will. 

The anti-tank equipment squad of engineers would move with the platoon commander, company commander and anti-tank rifle team. Having the Co Coy means both carriers can be snapped too to get on the same turn AND deploy their infantry if needed. The AT rifle is going to need flank and rear shots to hurt any tanks too.

I have thought of making the Engineer Carrier platoon a Recce platoon instead. Not so good at building assaults, but more survivable and would make more thematic sense. And I can get a very powerful SECOND Artillery spotter, which I really should have as British. However, it means I need to lose a Matilda II and the company commander (and get a light tank VIC instead). Being able to call in a 3rd or 4th artillery barrage as the infantry go in sounds very very nice. I would probably use the Rifle Platoon Artillery spotter to drop smoke for where the flanking carriers would come in with the light tank. I will need to test it out in some solo games.

The 1st list would have the two Matilda's working with the Rifle Platoon to hold the line and engage enemy tanks.  The 2nd would have just one Matilda II, but both have one carrier with a squad to reinforce the rifle platoon.

Both army lists below the line.

First Speedpaint layer on 40 Australian early 1941 infantry

I have 40 Australian Infantry from Slave 2 Gaming's Bardia set. Metal miniatures with rifles, bayonets and platoon support weapons. I have also have 3 Warlords Games British Officers to do. The last 10 are all in shirts and shorts so will be done later (or are objective carts).

I started with an undercoat of Vallejo English Uniform spray can and then I'm trying for the first time a Zenithal highlight with Vallejo Bonewhite spray can. I want them to be lighter when I look at them, and as that will be their backs to me on the battlefield as they advance out of the darkness of the dawn with the sun at their backs (if advancing west to east, which they did NOT do at Bardia, but did do after Tobruk), I did it from a 45 degree angle behind them, rather than on the traditional 90 angle from the top, because none of my paint jobs are good enough up close. Best I can do is looking at them from 6 feet away on a tabletop.

After spray painting the 50 infantry from all angles, the Vallejo English Uniform spray can is almost empty. 

I used an Army Painter Regiment brush. I'm not good at this and I'm splitting it already :(. I DO very much like the fact it's a triangle so you can put it down without rolling away like Citadel brushes do! I won't be buying the Citadel ones and unless I have no choice. Flat based ones are so much better to use. 

I did use a Citadel Wash cup which has got some ribbing on it and slots to try and sharpen the brush and a Citadel Figure holder to actually hold the figure in place. Trying to do it with just my hand was a lot harder. These are indispensable. Also used is a Citadel paper palette as I have read that Speedpaints and a wet palette do not work well, the Speedpaint is wet enough as is.

I choose to the battledress uniform and great coat in Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Warrior skin....but looking at there results maybe should have chosen Ruddy Fur. I didn't do the ruddy fur as it's listed as being a bit red more than brown. The paint went on VERY smoothly. I never want to go back to normal acrylic paints again. Citadel Layer paints take FOREVER compared to these speedy paints that go on once and you're done. Also, I don't need to thin my paints or use a wet palette! A huge time saver!

From the back/top it's very light brown, but from the front where the highlight didn't go, it's a lot more dark. I think it will look better once I put a dark wash over the backlight areas. I shall have to try a mid-brown wash and then a strong wash to see the impact.

50 infantry base and Zenithal highlight

First figures

Front and Back in Warrior Skin.

Asking DeepSeek AI how to attack and defend with a British WW2 Platoon in the desert

Asking the hot new open source AI DeepSeek:

Attacking:

I am a British platoon commander in world war 2. I have 2 tanks, 3 Bren gun carriers and can call in artillery support. How do I attack fortified enemy position in the desert.

Attacking a fortified enemy position in the desert during World War II as a British platoon commander requires careful planning, coordination, and effective use of your limited resources. Here’s a step-by-step plan to maximize your chances of success:

---

1. Conduct Reconnaissance

• Objective: Gather intelligence on the enemy position.

• Actions:

  • Use scouts or Bren gun carriers to observe the enemy fortifications, identifying machine gun nests, anti-tank positions, and weak points.

  • Note the terrain: Look for cover, elevation, and approaches that provide concealment for your tanks and infantry.

  • Identify potential artillery targets (e.g., bunkers, mortar positions, or troop concentrations).

---

2. Plan the Attack

• Objective: Develop a clear plan to neutralize the enemy position.

• Actions:

  • Divide your forces: Use your two tanks and three Bren gun carriers to create a combined arms assault.

    • Tanks: Use them to suppress enemy positions and provide direct fire support. Their armor can withstand small arms fire and provide cover for advancing infantry.

    • Bren Gun Carriers: Use them for mobility, flanking maneuvers, and to transport infantry close to the enemy position.

  • Artillery Support: Coordinate with your artillery unit to soften the enemy position before the assault. Target known strongpoints, machine gun nests, and any anti-tank guns.

  • Flanking Maneuver: Use the open desert terrain to your advantage. Attack from an unexpected direction to divide the enemy’s attention and force them to fight on multiple fronts.

---

3. Execute the Attack

• Objective: Overwhelm the enemy position with coordinated fire and movement.

• Actions:

  • Phase 1: Artillery Barrage

    • Call in artillery fire on the enemy position to disrupt their defenses and morale.

    • Time the barrage to end just before your assault begins to minimize the enemy’s ability to recover.

  • Phase 2: Suppression and Advance

    • Use your tanks to provide suppressing fire on enemy positions while your Bren gun carriers and infantry advance.

    • Keep your infantry close to the tanks for protection and to exploit any breaches in the enemy line.

  • Phase 3: Flanking Attack

    • Use one or two Bren gun carriers to flank the enemy position, drawing fire and creating confusion.

    • If possible, dismount infantry from the carriers to assault the enemy from the rear or side.

  • Phase 4: Assault the Position

    • Concentrate your forces on the weakest point of the enemy position.

    • Use grenades and small arms fire to clear trenches or bunkers.

    • Maintain momentum to prevent the enemy from regrouping.

---

4. Consolidate and Defend

• Objective: Secure the position and prepare for counterattacks.

• Actions:

  • Once the position is taken, quickly reorganize your forces.

  • Set up defensive positions using the captured fortifications.

  • Be prepared for enemy counterattacks or reinforcements.

---

Key Considerations

• Communication: Maintain clear communication with your tanks, Bren gun carriers, and artillery support. Use radios or visual signals if necessary.

• Ammunition Conservation: Ensure your tanks and infantry have enough ammunition for the assault and subsequent defense.

• Casualty Evacuation: Plan for the evacuation of wounded soldiers during and after the attack.

• Flexibility: Be prepared to adapt your plan if the enemy responds unexpectedly or if the terrain poses unforeseen challenges.

---

Example Scenario

• Enemy Position: A fortified trench line with machine gun nests and an anti-tank gun.

• Your Plan:

  1. Call in artillery to target the anti-tank gun and machine gun nests.

  2. Advance with one tank providing direct fire support while the other flanks with Bren gun carriers.

  3. Dismount infantry from the carriers to assault the trenches while the tanks suppress remaining resistance.

  4. Secure the position and prepare for counterattacks.

By combining firepower, mobility, and surprise, you can overcome a fortified enemy position even with limited resources. Good luck, commander!

 

Defending:

I am a British platoon commander in world war 2. I have 2 tanks, 3 Bren gun carriers and can call in artillery support. How do I defend my position in the desert from a German Panzer and Infantry attack.

Defending your position in the desert against a combined German Panzer and infantry attack requires a well-coordinated defense plan, effective use of terrain, and leveraging your available resources. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you organize your defense:

---

1. Assess the Terrain

• Objective: Use the desert terrain to your advantage.

• Actions:

  • Identify natural defensive features such as ridges, depressions, or rocky outcrops that can provide cover and concealment.

  • Position your forces to maximize fields of fire while minimizing exposure to enemy fire.

  • Create kill zones where you can concentrate fire on advancing enemy forces.

---

2. Organize Your Defenses

• Objective: Establish a layered defense to slow and disrupt the enemy attack.

• Actions:

  • Tanks:

    • Position your two tanks in hull-down positions (where only the turret is exposed) to provide long-range anti-tank fire.

    • Place them to cover likely enemy avenues of approach, such as gaps between terrain features.

    • Ensure they have overlapping fields of fire to support each other.

  • Bren Gun Carriers:

    • Use the Bren gun carriers as mobile reserves to respond to enemy breakthroughs or flanking maneuvers.

    • Position them in concealed positions where they can quickly move to threatened sectors.

    • Equip them with anti-tank rifles or grenades to engage enemy infantry or light vehicles.

  • Infantry:

    • Dig trenches or foxholes for your infantry to provide cover from enemy fire.

    • Position them to cover dead zones (areas your tanks cannot fire on) and to engage enemy infantry.

    • Set up machine guns (if available) to provide sustained firepower.

  • Artillery Support:

    • Pre-register artillery targets on likely enemy approach routes and assembly areas.

    • Use artillery to disrupt enemy formations before they reach your position.

---

3. Establish Communication and Coordination

• Objective: Ensure all elements of your defense can work together effectively.

• Actions:

  • Use radios, runners, or visual signals to maintain communication between your tanks, Bren gun carriers, and infantry.

  • Designate fallback positions and rally points in case your forward positions are overrun.

  • Coordinate with higher command for additional support if needed (e.g., air support or reinforcements).

---

4. Execute the Defense

• Objective: Repel the enemy attack while minimizing casualties.

• Actions:

  • Phase 1: Early Engagement

    • Use your tanks to engage enemy Panzers at maximum range, aiming to knock out or disable them before they can close the distance.

    • Call in artillery fire on advancing enemy infantry and vehicles to disrupt their formation and morale.

  • Phase 2: Infantry Engagement

    • As the enemy infantry advances, engage them with small arms fire, machine guns, and grenades.

    • Use your Bren gun carriers to flank and harass the enemy, forcing them to divide their attention.

  • Phase 3: Counterattack (if necessary)

    • If the enemy breaches your position, use your Bren gun carriers and infantry to launch a localized counterattack.

    • Focus on isolating and eliminating enemy penetrations before they can consolidate.

---

5. Consolidate and Prepare for Follow-Up Attacks

• Objective: Maintain your defensive position and prepare for further enemy action.

• Actions:

  • Reorganize your forces and redistribute ammunition.

  • Repair or reinforce defensive positions as needed.

  • Be prepared for a second wave of enemy attacks or airstrikes.

---

Key Considerations

• Ammunition Conservation: Ensure your tanks, infantry, and artillery have sufficient ammunition for sustained combat.

• Camouflage and Concealment: Use the desert terrain to hide your positions and avoid detection by enemy scouts or aircraft.

• Flexibility: Be prepared to adapt your defense if the enemy changes tactics or finds a weak point in your line.

• Morale: Keep your troops motivated and focused, especially under heavy enemy pressure.

---

Example Scenario

• Enemy Attack: A German force consisting of two Panzer III tanks and a platoon of infantry advancing on your position.

• Your Defense:

  1. Position your tanks on a ridge to engage the Panzers at long range.

  2. Use artillery to target the enemy infantry as they advance.

  3. Deploy your Bren gun carriers to the flanks to harass the enemy and prevent them from outflanking your position.

  4. Engage enemy infantry with small arms fire and grenades as they close in.

  5. If the enemy breaches your line, launch a counterattack with your Bren gun carriers and infantry to push them back.

By using a combination of firepower, terrain, and mobility, you can effectively defend your position against a superior enemy force. Stay disciplined, communicate clearly, and adapt to the situation as it unfolds. Good luck, commander!

 

Meeting Engagement:  

I am a British platoon commander in world war 2. I have 2 tanks, 3 Bren gun carriers and can call in artillery support. The enemy is moving into position as I advance forward into a Meeting engagement. How do I fight them?

A meeting engagement is a fast-paced, fluid battle where both sides collide unexpectedly while on the move. As a British platoon commander with 2 tanks, 3 Bren gun carriers, and artillery support, your goal is to seize the initiative, disrupt the enemy’s plans, and gain the upper hand. Here’s how you can fight effectively in this scenario:

---

1. Assess the Situation

• Objective: Quickly gather information and make decisions.

• Actions:

  • Identify the enemy’s strength, composition, and direction of movement (e.g., infantry, tanks, or a mix).

  • Evaluate the terrain: Look for cover, high ground, and key terrain features that can be used to your advantage.

  • Determine the enemy’s likely objectives (e.g., seizing a hill, village, or road junction).

---

2. Seize the Initiative

• Objective: Act decisively to disrupt the enemy and gain control of the battlefield.

• Actions:

  • Tanks:

    • Use your two tanks to establish a base of fire. Position them on high ground or behind cover to engage enemy vehicles and infantry.

    • Focus on neutralizing enemy tanks or armored vehicles first, as they pose the greatest threat.

  • Bren Gun Carriers:

    • Use the carriers’ speed and mobility to outmaneuver the enemy. Flank their position to create confusion and force them to divide their attention.

    • If possible, dismount infantry from the carriers to seize key terrain or attack the enemy from an unexpected direction.

  • Artillery Support:

    • Call in artillery fire on the enemy’s likely assembly areas, routes of advance, or concentrations of troops.

    • Use smoke rounds to obscure the enemy’s vision and disrupt their coordination.

---

3. Execute a Coordinated Attack

• Objective: Overwhelm the enemy with combined arms tactics.

• Actions:

  • Phase 1: Suppression

    • Use your tanks and artillery to suppress the enemy, focusing on their heaviest weapons and vehicles.

    • Keep the enemy pinned down while you maneuver your Bren gun carriers and infantry.

  • Phase 2: Flanking Maneuver

    • Use your Bren gun carriers to flank the enemy, attacking from the side or rear.

    • If possible, dismount infantry to assault enemy positions or seize key terrain.

  • Phase 3: Assault

    • Concentrate your forces to overwhelm the enemy at their weakest point.

    • Use grenades, small arms fire, and tank support to clear enemy positions.

---

4. Consolidate and Prepare for Counterattacks

• Objective: Secure your gains and prepare for further enemy action.

• Actions:

  • Reorganize your forces and redistribute ammunition.

  • Establish defensive positions to repel any enemy counterattacks.

  • Be prepared to call in additional artillery support if the enemy regroups and attacks again.

---

Key Considerations

• Speed and Surprise: In a meeting engagement, the side that acts faster and more decisively often wins. Use your mobility and firepower to catch the enemy off guard.

• Flexibility: Be prepared to adapt your plan as the situation evolves. The enemy may react unpredictably, so stay alert and responsive.

• Communication: Maintain clear communication with your tanks, Bren gun carriers, and artillery support. Use radios, runners, or visual signals as needed.

• Morale: Keep your troops motivated and focused, especially in the chaos of a meeting engagement.

---

Example Scenario

• Enemy Force: A German platoon with one Panzer III tank and two squads of infantry advancing toward a key hill.

• Your Plan:

  1. Use your tanks to engage the Panzer III from a hull-down position, focusing on disabling it quickly.

  2. Call in artillery fire on the enemy infantry to disrupt their advance and force them to take cover.

  3. Use your Bren gun carriers to flank the enemy, attacking from the side while your tanks and infantry provide suppressing fire.

  4. Dismount infantry from the carriers to assault the enemy position and seize the hill.

  5. Consolidate your position and prepare for any enemy counterattacks.

By acting decisively, using combined arms tactics, and leveraging your mobility and firepower, you can win the meeting engagement and gain the upper hand. Stay aggressive, stay flexible, and keep your troops focused. Good luck, commander!

Finished painting 2 Matilda II's - my first Bolt Action minatures

It's taken several days but I've finished my first Bolt Action units - two Matilda II tanks. Painted as late 1941/42 desert. Technically they should be in Caunter Camouflage but that's way too hard for me.

Every paint and shade below the line for my future reference. I used the Vallejo undercoat spray can because no one seems to sell the Army Painter undercoat, and this was a better colour I think. I used mostly Army Painter Speedpaintd 2.0 for the base layer and Citadel dry's for drybrushing (because I have had them for years before, and no one else seems to sell dry paints). Finished in the Vallejo Matt Varnish.

Adding a wash to desert Matilida II's

I added a wash of Army Painter 50% Light tone and 50% Quickshade Wash Mixing Medium. I'm not really sure I needed to use the wash medium. It's supposed to make the wash more transparent, which I suppose is what I wanted as these are supposed to be dust covered tanks.

 

 

Still drying. They are very shiny

 

All done

I've also reorganized my painting setup now I have enough Speedpaints 2.0 to start:

Top level : Citadel Dry paints

2nd level: More Citadel Dry paints, Citadel Gold layers. Citadel medium. Citadel Texture paint. Army Painter Matt Varnish

3rd level : Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0

4th level: More Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0. Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 medium. Army Painter Speedpaint 1.0

5th level: Army Painter Quickshade washers and mediam

6th level: Army Painter Warpaints

Bottom level: More Army Painter Warpaints. Superglue, Superglue faster spray, Plastic Glue. Citadel Orange ink. Citadel brown washer and brush cleaner.

Undercoat and base coat of Matilida II's in the desert

I got all but one Army Painter SpeedPaint 2.0 from https://khaki-green.com.au/ so I can start painting! Yay! One bottle was not in stock but it's being sent the same day everything else arrived. I'll need to use the 10% discount it came with next time to get some more colours to replace the old warpaints and speredpaint 1.0 I have.

 Undercoat (called Primer these days for some reason):

Undercoated Vallejo Bonewhite Spray Can

I started with an undercoat of Vallejo Bonewhite. I found it very easy to spray and put on, though it was a bit windy. It looked a bit thick when drying initially but came out fine.

Base coat:

I spent some time looking at Google Earth to see the colour of the sane around Bardia. Turns out it's either red or yellow depending on when the photo was taken.

Left tank is the wing-man tank, right tank the command tank, currently not painted beyond undercoat

The left one is painted in one coat of Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Pallid Bone. I found the paint very thin, practically a wash, but that worked out fine for what I was using it for.  It might not work for me when doing the infantry. Technically the tank's supposed to be painted in Caunter Scheme but that's WAY too advance for me, and by the time the tanks were in action with dust and sand it was covered up anyway and barley visible. By the middle of '41 they gave up trying to paint the dazzle camouflage and just went all sand anyway.

Turret painted on the right, unpainted on the left

I broke off one of the headlights from the command tank, and getting back on was very very hard. I dropped it once, and found one of the missing headlights for the other tank! So at least that has one headlight, even if's unpainted lead I tried to cover with the Pallid Bone.

The one on the left looks a bit darker, I did that one first and I'm not sure why. Maybe I needed to mix the bottle again more before doing the second one.

Next up: Paint details like the shovel, blankets, grenade launchers , lights front and back, exhaust and treads.

Two Matties put together. A review of Warlord Games Australian Matilda II (resin)

I've always liked the Matilda II from my days in World War II Online. Big green slow and armored. 

I put together the 2  Matilda II Australian Army resin kits I got from Warlord games. It was not a happy experience :(

 

The resin on the front does not go well with each other, there appears to be large gaps either side of the front part. 

I lost two different headlights :(

I put the commanders cupola lid on upside down. Twice. 

The sand shields inside the tracks are metal and all bent :(

Now putting it together IS easy, at least the 4 resin parts. The rest of the tank, no so much. It does not come with instructions and I could not find them - I had to ask on r/boltaction where they are. The one picture is not clear and includes items like mud guards I didn't get(!).

But there were quick to put together. However, they are nearly $20 more expensive than the plastic one on warlordgames.com. They do have a lot of nice detail on them, but I wish the little parts were also part of the resin kit.

I can use them through the entire war - The Russians even had 200 or so left by the time Berlin fell! 

I give it a 5/10. 

Left one will be the command tank. It does show how small these turrets were, no wonder they couldn't get a bigger gun in there.

Note the large gaps in the front

Assembled my first Bolt Action infantry, and undercoated

I got most of these infantry years ago but Bolt Action V3 has got me to put them together.

Most of the infantry is all from https://www.slave2gaming.com/ from their 28mm Australians at Bardia range. I seem to be missing one of the squad commanders with SMG but that's OK. I should buy 2 more Vickers MMG's and 2 Stokes mortars.

After playing around with my list for the 99th time I have all the infantry figures I need, and some left over. I still need to put together 2 Warlord Games resin Australia Matilda II's. The actual battle had English ones but close enough. 

The infantry and my soon to somewhat replaced paints

This is all because I had a great half uncle who was in the Australian 6th Division 2/2 Field Park company - the combat engineers. This is a...play to win list, so does not follow correct historical order of battle. But it does match the theme. I think in real life the engineers wouldn't have been in the Universal carriers of the Divisional cavalry but it's close enough for my fluff, or moved past the initial barbed wire, anti tank ditch and minefields. I'll need to read the company's battle history I downloaded from the AWM eventually to see what they actually did.

There's also some Warlord Games Snipers, Australian Radio/spotter crew, some objective carts, British officers, a wounded carrier (come to think of it, that would make a good medic!), and  a pinup called Jesse from a Kickstarter. 

I found they only had mold lines on the bases that took some filing off. Unfortunately nearly all of them have bayonets ready, and they BEND ALL THE TIME.  I expect they'll snap off before their first battle and look bad doing it with just the bayonet lug left.  I don't know how to fix that :( The paint on the undercoat's coming off of them already. 

I should have put some sappers equipment on some of them, but I have JUST enough to work as my rifles AND my engineers. I think I will get some more advancing infantry later and make them the more obvious engineers, 1 squad of whom will have satchel chargers (aka anti-tank grenades).

Pictures below the line:

Weapon and commander coding colours for Bolt Action infantry stands

I saw a Bolt Action tutorial series on YouTube (that I now cannot find because there are SO MANY now that I've watched) that had painted the edge of the infantry bases different colours for each type of solider- Squad leader, squad heavy weapon, basic grunt.

I think this is an amazing idea considering all the infantry is painted very much the same and deliberately so.

There does not seem to be any historical or current practice of a colour for each type of unit that I can find. I'm thinking of a different one for Platoon Commander, Squad commander, SMG, LMG, Light Mortar, Sniper, Anti-Tank weapon, because these are the hardest to tell apart. Larger weapons are are a lot easier to see and tell apart.

I don't think I'd want to paint the entire edge like the video did, but just a stripe or stripes of multiple colours on the back edge of the base plate as I'm the one who will care about it the most. The rest of the plate should match the terrain the army is based on (green for Europe, dark green for Pacific, pale yellow/brown for Africa, and white for the Eastern Front)

I know British Armour for example would have different colours for platoons or companies, but this is just for infantry.

Using video game rarity, which is the style these days for everything:

White: The most common rarity color

Grey: A low value color

Green: A middling value color

Blue: A middling value color

Purple: A high value color

Legendary rarity colors 

Orange: The highest value color

Colour Coding stripes on the back of each infantry's base:

Base Colour: Rifle

Grey: SMG

Grey and White: Assault Rifle

Grey and Blue: Automatic Rifle

Blue: LMG

Purple: Mortar 

Purple and White: Grenade Launcher

Light Green: Anti-Tank

Brown: Sniper

Red: Flamethrower

Orange: Artillery Spotter

Yellow: Air Spotter

Red and White: Medic

Black: Assistant

Weapon Colour and Black: Weapon team assistant

Bronze: Squad Commander 

Silver: Platoon Commander

Gold: Company Commander

Looks like I'll need to buy some Army Painter Speedpaint Metallic's now, along with purple, blue, light green, red and yellow.

My painting guide for Australian 6th Infantry Divison, early 1941

Google is fucking useless these days so I have not found anyone who used Speedpaints 2.0 for what I want them for. 

What I worked out from watching the Youtube video's below this one.

Paints are Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0/1.0 unless noted:

Undercoat:  Vallejo English Uniform primer

Zenithal Highlight: Vallejo Bone White primer

Battledress: Warrior skin

Great Coat: Satchel Brown

Leather Jerkin: Hardened leather

Skin: Tanned Skin

Slouch Hat: Camo Cloak

Blanket: Camo Cloak

Water bottle: Camo Cloak

Helmet: Pallid bone

Shirt/Shorts: Pallid bone

Ammo pouches and webbing: Pallid bone

Backpack: Pallid Bone

Puttees: Ruddy Fur

Gas mask bag: Howling Sand

Socks: Algae Green

Boots: Fire Drake

Rifle: Dark Wood 

Grenade/2" Mortar: Gunner Camo

Bayonet Handle and scabbard: Grim Black

Rifle/Bren/AT Rifle metal:  Grim Black

Bayonet: Broadsword Silver 

Gun Sling:  Pallid Bone 

Gun butt: Citadel Balthshar Gold (I don't have any brass)

Pants/Shirt Wash: Mid-Brown Quickshade

Great Coat Wash: Strong Quickshade

Skin Wash: Flesh Wash Quickshade

Blanket Wash: Military Shader Quickshade

Slouch Hat shade:  Military Shader Quickshade 

Base: Sand PVA glued and painted in Pallid Bone, with a Wash of 50% Light tone and 50% Quickshade Wash Mixing Medium, Dry Brush with Citadel Hexos Palesun

I got my Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0. Or at least, SOME of them

After much forethought and planning I decided I wanted to replace all my (so far unused!) Army Painter Speedpaints for Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0, which don't have the re-activation issues of the mark I's.

I spent a lot of time trying to find somewhere in Melbourne who sells them, without too much luck :(. Army Painter themselves does NOT list anyone in Melbourne who has them. This is fucking useless - I WANT TO GIVE THEM MONEY

I had searched the internet for sometime to try and find the colours other people use for 1941 Australians and came up with nothing because Google is fucking useless now.

But I found 2 Youtube videos - one of English uniforms 1937 pattern that I read the 6th Division was wearing, and another one of a Tobruk reinactor . 

I knew The House of War has them, so instead of waiting 2-3 WEEKS for delivery (that was the estimated time span!) I headed off in the rain to get some.

And found they only had HALF of the Speedpaint 2.0, and none of the mediam I would need if I want to use the Speedpaint Mk I's :( :( :(

I got what I could, but they didn't have the Army Painter spray cans.

I asked why and was told a strange story. Apparently, they blow up.

What I said? Blow up!? How?!?!

Apparently multiple customers were just standing there and suddenly the can would open and paint would explode everywhere. So they don't carry Army Painter spray cans anymore.

I carefully avoided the Citadel ones and looked at the Vallejo. And wouldn't you know it, they have English Uniform in a spray can! Exactly what I needed! This way I can spray paint the figures and just block in the rest and do Zenhital shading from above with a sand colour to do the helmet at the same time!

So that worked out for me.

I also got some beach sand as I'll need some kind of sand for the bases. They didn't have a darker sand but I can wash this afterwards to make it more orange red. I was disappointment they didn't have Sand from North Africa,, they seemed to have it for a dozen other planets. I actually have ACTUAL SAND from both Utah AND Omaha beaches! And I got some objective sized oil drums and THE BRIEFCASE I need to paint as red and blue. We must protect the briefcase of intelligence from the enemy spy you see.

I needed some glue too. I asked the person behind the counter which of the DOZEN Superglue's I need for metal, I think they picked one randomly. 

I asked when they might get more Speedpaints:

I can't tell you.

You can tell me, I'm a customer.

No I mean I don't know.

You don't know if you're getting more Speedpaints?

No I mean I don't know when they might arrive.

How can you not know, didn't you order more?

Yes but it's up to the distributor when we get might them.

I would like to give these people money but they make it very hard to do so. I took the wrong day to  not try drinking.  Looks like I need to order online anyway. :(

I need to write down what I got and I want I still need.

And after all that, I got home and it's raining too much to do undercoating anyway.

Crate review system for wargames

 There is a very old review system that says the sooner you see a crate in a game, the worse it is.

Game developers have known the answer to the first question since the early 1980's: ammo and health can be hidden inside crates or sometimes barrels.  As often happens, the answer to the second question was hidden in plain sight within the answer to the first.   All games contain crates, therefore all games can be judged empirically on those crates.    

Once we came up with that insight, the actual formula for the world's first completely unbiased review methodology was a trivial matter of applying our many hours spent watching actors portray scientists on television to our hatred of crates.  Games can be rated and compared based on the shortest amount of time it takes a player to reach the first crate, which represents the point where the developers ran out of ideas.  This number is measured in seconds and is called "Start to Crate" or "StC".  The smaller the StC, the worse the game.

Crates!

These came from https://www.battlefieldaccessories.com.au/ where I bought some backgrounds...which I cannot find now :(

They were stupidly hard to put together. I went through 4(!) tubes of old and blocked up superglue bottles to do them. I tried wood glue but that was a complete failure.My fingers are covered in superglue.

One of them (the top one) is not square and I couldn't get the lid on correctly, but it does add some character.

I would rate these 3/10 of to put together and  8/10 for looks once done. 

Future plans for Bolt Action - The 2nd battle of El Alamein.

I haven't even started my first army but I know what I want to do for my 2nd. A mid-war Commonwealth army of the 2nd battle of El Alamein.

What draws me to it is I can use some of my 1st Bolt Action army, and it's a combined army of nearly every Commonwealth nation. Australia, New Zealand, Indian, Scottish, British, Polish, Free French, American Armour (including Sherman's(!), Crusaders, Grants and Matilda's) and others. I feel like I would need 1 platoon of each for a full multi-national army. Not very historical, but it would work as a theme.

This is the best TV documentary I've found of it - made 50 years afterwards and on location. Gives a great demonstration of the actual terrain of the battle. There is video of the actual buildings like Rommel's headquarters I can copy and build, the trees, ground and villages.

The pieces to camera of the soldiers is a bit naff but I hope/assume they are actual writings from the battle. It could have used some Axis accounts but it goes through a lot. 

 

I give it a 4 out of 5 starts.  5/5 for a TV doco, but You Tubers can do it better, but can't go on the actual location!

All my usable paints in one place

After much digging I'm put all my (non-citadel base/layer) paints into my newly built Warlord Games Large Paint Rack. They just fit.

I have not sorted the colours yet, but I have done them by type.

Top level: Uncommon Citadel drybrushing, Army Painter mediums and varnish, spare Army Painter  wash, citadel gold base and texture.

2nd level: Commn Citadel drybrushing

3rd level: Army Painter paints black, dark and brown, Army Painter Metallics

4th level: Army Painter paints other colours

5th level: Army Paint Speedpaints V1, spare Citadel Nuln Oil

6th level: Army Painter washes

Bottom level: Citadel washes, Paint Brush cleaner

Left side: Army Painter brushes at the front, old worn brushes behind, tweezers

Right side: Large brushes, modeling tools

I do want to swap the Army Painter paints and Speedpaints V1 with all Army Painter Speedpaints V2 - I am not a good or patient painter and I just want to my troops on the ground as soon as I can. I got the Army Painter Speedpaints V1 but never got around to using them before the V2 came out which apparently do not have the problems the V1 do. 

Most of the Army Painter paints came in the starter pack, the Warlord games paint set for Black Powder Civil War, and Warlord games fast deployment set. 

I put away my old Citadel Base and Layer paints. I always hated and was not good at using layers, and using a wash (and dry-brushing important figures) is more than enough for me, so I kept the dry brushing ones. I suspect they have all dried out though. Also I don't have gold metallic base in Army Painter so kept those ones too. The Citadel pots are very messy to use and dry out way too easily compared to the drop bottles too.

I liked using the Games Workshop ink washes, but they are probably too thin compared to the Army Painter washes. They are more colorful though, so kept them in the rack.

What sucks: I seem to have thrown out all my spray paint undercoats, so can't paint anything!  :(

Putting together the Warlord Games Large Paint Rack, a review. The instructions missed a bit!

Many years ago I got the Warlord Large Paint Rack. Now I need somewhere to keep all my paints and brushes instead of an old GW citadel project box. The GW one seems to no longer exist, or at least the horrible no good bad GW web site (which is impossible to navigate) seems to no longer list it. It IS handy as it's portable but won't fit all the army painter paints I have currently.

I just needed wood glue and some tissues to remove excess glue.

One piece broke off that didn't matter, and I broke one of the side brush stations but it's connected in many places so should be OK. I broke it when I was test fitting a piece and stopped trying to fit things. Uh oh.

The big mistake I made was the instructions say the BOTTOM level is blank, but does not say the TOP one is blank too. So I glued the wrong one right at the top. It shouldn't matter much though, but it was annoying to find that out at the end.

Review: 

The instructions weren't clear at the start and I put one part in the wrong place. Beyond that it's ok. I just hope it's strong enough for all my Army Painter paints.

 

Apart from breaking 2 pieces and the one unclear instruction, it was fun to put together and a lot easier than trying to get plastic (or oh god metal) figures together. I would like to get some MDF North Africa campaign buildings and do them too. 

8/10.

Tipped sideways. The bottom most layer is the wrong one and should have been the 2nd blank one.

The very top one should have been swapped with the 2nd top one. The top one has two notches for the base plate with holes in it, but I missed that in the diagram :(

A Bolt Action army list for Conquest 2025

So Cancon is going on in January and I won't be able to get there, little lone have a Bolt Action army ready.

New goal is to have one ready for Conquest 2025.

In a tournament, history needs take a bit of a back seat. I've been watching a lot of battle reports on YouTube, but one of the best is here from Lessons from the front. 

Watching his video's I've concluded you need two units of anything to shoot anything. One unit can pin something, but you need two to actually stop it. Granted, outnumbering your enemy is always a good thing to do, and one to avoid happening to you.

I've got two Matilda II's to work as a pair. With only light AT guns they can't stop mid or late war tanks but they can pin them.  If I had a 1250 point army I would make them both veteran  to ignore light penetration attacks. Enemies shooting at them need to be aware there are two of them and will be much more weary of them, more than they probably should be. Their slow speed means they MUST work with the infantry, which I consider a plus. You can't tear off and advance without your infantry cover if you can't move faster than them!

The Rifle Platoon is only 2 squads of 8, and lack a 3rd reserve platoon. I would get another one if I could, but it's a base line of infantry with the light mortar and medic supporting them. I regret not being able to get stretcher bearers but the medic is always going to be a low priority target. I need to keep him more than 4 inches away from the rest of the platoon but within 6 to have a 1-in-6 chance of saving someone. The mortar should be targeting enemy prepared positions like AT guns or MMG's on the line of advance, or popping smoke where the Bren Gun Carriers will be coming in from reserve on.

The sniper team should always be deployed in front of the Rifle Platoon - he is their scout and will allow them to move up into cover or objectives.  I may swap it for a company commander, I need some practice games first to see if putting the Coy Co with the carriers and getting 4 units to move and attack is better.

Sadly it makes more sense for the Engineers to be in the Bren Gun Carriers as they are the best assault troops I can get early war anyway. With them with usually go the Anti-Tank Rifle team with their platoon commander. They will come in with their 3 carriers from reserve

If I had another 150 points for 1250, I would get a Company commander, a 3rd rifle platoon of 5 men to be in reserve and come on where needed, both Matty's becoming veteran and make the engineer commander inexperienced. The Coy Co would go with the engineer platoon.

Each platoon should have 2 units shooting at one target ideally. Hopefully having 2 units doing one thing at a time will help the command and control. Rifle Platoon advances, Tank Platoon supports then, Engineer platoon flanks the enemy and assaults enemy strong points at point blank range. 

Problems I can see - I am low on infantry with only 4 squads (2 of which are small) and not many weapons teams either. I must use my armour as direct infantry support to allow them to survive long enough to take objectives and then hold them. The carrier platoon needs to move fast and provide support for the infantry but also avoid attacking tanks head on at all costs.My army is fairly mobile (if slow with the tanks) and needs to use that to it's advantage to get flank and close range shots on enemy armour. The engineer's will often need to debus at point blank range of the enemy position to get enough fire on the enemy too. 

I need to get some practice solo games to see how it goes.

 

Total Points: 1099

Order Dice: 16

Platoon #1

*Version 3 - British - Armoured Platoon 1100 Conquest 2025 engineers assaulting Bardia

Command Vehicle

Matilda & Valentine Infantry Tank (Version 3 Rulebook page 241) 155Regular Qty Vehicle   Weapons Type Range Trans Shots DV Pen Special 1 Infantry Tank Mk II Matilda Mk II Tracked - 9+ Slow     Turret-mounted light anti-tank gun 48" 1 +4 HE (1")     Co-axial MMG 36" 6 n/a

Cmd Vehicle Options

Command Vehicle rule (v3) (Version 3 Rulebook page 188) 10 Command Vehicle special rule

Vehicle

Matilda & Valentine Infantry Tank (Version 3 Rulebook page 241) 155Regular Qty Vehicle   Weapons Type Range Trans Shots DV Pen Special 1 Infantry Tank Mk II Matilda Mk II Tracked - 9+ Slow     Turret-mounted light anti-tank gun 48" 1 +4 HE (1")     Co-axial MMG 36" 6 n/a

Platoon #2

*Version 3 - British - Rifle Platoon 1100 Cancon enginners 2 matties

Platoon Commander

Platoon Commander (Version 3 Rulebook page 234) 40Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 Platoon Commander 1 Infantry (equipped as modeled) - -  with Pistol 6" 1 n/a    with Rifle 24" 1 n/a  with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault

Infantry

Infantry Section (Version 3 Rulebook page 235) 95Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 NCO with Rifle 24" 1 n/a 6 Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a 1 Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader) 36" 4 n/a

Infantry Section (Version 3 Rulebook page 235) 95Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 NCO with Rifle 24" 1 n/a 6 Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a 1 Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader) 36" 4 n/a

Medic

Medic (Version 3 Rulebook page 234) 23Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 Medic Medics  with Pistol 6" 1 n/a

Forward Observer

Forward Observer (Artillery) (Version 3 Rulebook page 234) 86Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 Forward Observer (Artillery) Infiltrator 1 Infantry (equipped as modeled) - -  with Rifle 24" 1 n/a  with Pistol 6" 1 n/a    with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault

Sniper

Sniper Team (Version 3 Rulebook page 238) 52Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 Sniper Team 36" 1 n/a Team (2 men), Sniper, Infiltrator, (Sniper has a rifle and a pistol, spotter has a pistol)

Anti-tank

Anti-Tank Team (Version 3 Rulebook page 237) 25Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 Anti-tank rifle team 48" 1 +2 Team (2 men)

Light mortar

Light Mortar Team (Version 3 Rulebook page 238) 30Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 Light Mortar team 12-36" 1 HE Team (2 men), Indirect fire, HE (1")

Platoon #3

*Version 3 - British - Engineer Platoon

Platoon Commander

Platoon Commander (Version 3 Rulebook page 234) 40Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 1 Platoon Commander 1 Infantry (equipped as modeled) - -  with Pistol 6" 1 n/a    with Rifle 24" 1 n/a  with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault

Engineers

Infantry Section (Engineers) (Version 3 Rulebook page 235) 59Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 4 Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a 1 NCO with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault Engineers Engineers

Infantry Section (Engineers) (Version 3 Rulebook page 235) 59Regular Qty Weapons Range Shots Pen Special 4 Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a 1 NCO with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault Engineers Engineers

Transports

Bren Carrier (Version 3 Rulebook page 248) 75Regular Qty Vehicle   Weapons Type Range Trans Shots DV Pen Special 1 Bren Carrier (Boys AT) Tracked 5 7+ Open-topped, Turn on the spot Tow: Light or medium anti-tank gun     Forward-facing Boys anti-tank rifle 48" 1 +2 Front arc     Pintle-mounted LMG 36" 4 n/a Flak, 360 degree arc

Bren Carrier (Version 3 Rulebook page 248) 50Regular Qty Vehicle   Weapons Type Range Trans Shots DV Pen Special 1 Bren Carrier Tracked 5 7+ Open-topped, Turn on the spot Tow: Light or medium anti-tank gun     Forward-facing LMG 36" 4 n/a Front arc