Sino-Japanese War 1937 - 1945 - Chinese Infantry WW2

Something a little different for 2026 and the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War Project.

Lots more to come but I thought I would start with a small section in a bluish-grey uniform, this was common in northern China with Khaki dominating in the South. The Nationalists appeared to have a patch work of uniforms due to the lack of centralised manufacturing so the plan will be to paint up a number of sections each in a different uniform shade. This will tie in with the mix of kit ranging from British, French, Russian & even German kit in the early years of the war.

These are all 3D prints from Kyoushuneko Miniatures and my first large collection of prints instead of metals or plastics, they have a reasonable range of sculpts but with a choice of 4 different heads in some of the packs and with a snip or too on the others you get quite a range to put on the table.

The greatest challenge is sticking them to the circular base as they don't print with a moulded base- Super glue is your friend here. They can be a little brittle in some areas but they represent great value for money when being printed locally.

They take the paint really well and have just the right level of detail without to many buckles, smaller elements that are missed when on the table.

For this cohort these were the colours used.

Uniform - GW Russ Grey 

Helmet - Foundry STorm Green Shade 27A

Blanket Roll - GW Eshin Grey /GW Straken Green

Boots - Black.

Sword Sheath = GW Catachan Flesh

Flesh - GW Kislev Flesh

Rifle/chin strap - Foundry Chestnut Shade 53A

Nap sack - Foundry - Rawhide Light 11C

Webbing Foundry - African Flesh Light 126 C

Wash - Warpaint Fanatic - Soft Tone.

Aztec Warband - Wargames Atlantic

Purchased back in January the Aztec's finally made it to the paint table.

It's amazing what the thought of a new project does to give you a nudge to get things cleared more on that in the coming weeks.

The Wargames Atlantic Aztec's go together really well with plenty of choice on the sprues for the various warrior classes. At this stage I went for a mishmash of types, but will fill out the ranks as the units expand.

The aim will be to use an adapted version of Lion Rampant, their is an excellent series of articles on the - I Live with Cats: Queztalcoatl Blog with a home grown rule set Queztacoata Rampant it will be great to give them a runout in the coming weeks once the last of the box set is complete.

   

First up a group of skirmishers these are commoners, perhaps their first battle or levied troops who have not been involved in action before. Issued with missile weapons to harass the enemy. A skirmish unit in Lion Rampant.

Next up a more experienced class of warrior allowed to carry the macuahuitl as they have proven themselves in hand to hand combat.

Finally a group of Telpochyahqui warriors - young men who have been successful in taking a captive,  a warrior was allowed to wear the ichcahuipilli, a quilted jacket, some carry the Chimalli a shield without feathers.

Just so I remember when the next box appears from the family....

Painting Guide.

Spear Tips - Gun Metal Blue

Tong or padded Jacket - F Raw Linen Light 30C, Boneyard 9B, Rawhide Light 11C, GW Corax White, GW Rakarth Flesh.

Bag & Quiver - Moss Shade 29A

Sling & Spear Binding - GW XV88

Stone - GW Dawnstone Grey

Spear, Arrow - GW Mournfang Brown

Club, Bow Shaft F Bay Brown Shade 42A

Insight of Shield - Chestnut Light 53C

Flesh - South American Flesh Shade 119A, Hight 119C

Wash - Army Painted Soft Tone

Next up 10 more warriors - As a child of the 70's I can't get past Animal Kwackers :-)

Uniforms of the American Revolution - Massachusetts Regiments -10mm Pendraken

This has probably been on the bookshelf for the best part of 25 years!!!

Finally a chance to turn inspiration into table top figures with the last of the current Pendraken Miniatures for the current phase of the AWI Project. 

Working on the early phase of the war I figured I would paint up a number of the Massachusetts Regiments using these plates as inspiration. 

I am really pleased with how they turned out and in this scale a couple of packs from Pendraken gives me at least 5 regiments for Rebels and Patriots. A strain on the eyes to paint to many at this scale, not that any of my gaming group can see them on the table top.... :-)

In the more common blue coats, two battalions under Colonel Patterson

Members of the 12th Continental Regiment in Dark Brown Tunics.

Members of the 14th Continental Regiment in Cream

Members of the 18th Continental Regiment in Cream Jackets, unbleached linin breaches.

Flags by Maverick Models, who have a great range in a range of scales including a number of unknown regimental colours to give units plenty of variety on the table top.

This gives the Americans some valuable reinforcements with some trained units to help stem the British advance, I need some wagons for the proposed Lexington & Concorde game and some additional buildings but this project is really coming together.

I quite fancy some German Grenadiers and what would be an AWI game without Tarleton's cavalry.

May Day & the AWI Project hits the paint table.

May Day and whether that is the Celebration of Spring or International Workers Day it's a day on the brushes and the start of the American War of Independence project, still plenty to do with the Crusades but I set myself the goal of starting this in the Spring.

 Chatting through with a number of gamers in particular Steve over at Wargames With Toy Soldiers: 1685 - 1985 (wargameswithtoysoldier1685-1985.blogspot.com) I opted for Rebels and Patriots as a rule set and Pendraken Miniatures in 10mm

The American War of Independence has been on my wish list since I first got into gaming, back in the 1980's and saw AL Pacino's Revolution. I had a bunch of Front Rank Figures but never enough for a full game and at that age limited funds to complete the project. 

In recent moths the hankering for 'bigger' games lead me to look for something else beyond large skirmishes. Rebels & Patriots seems to hit the mark my plan is to break the units down into various bases types, Regular line spread across 3 square bases for a unit, skirmish units on pill bases and command/officers on a circular base.

Lots of chatter on various forums about how to paint them, with gamers painting them on lolly sticks or on their terrain base. I opted for basing first my concern being that once painted trying to get the basing done afterwards might land on the completed figures.... Let's see

On the Pendraken site their is a usual paint guide for the British Line, my painting guide is here.

Tunic - Foundry Scarlet/Scarlet Light

Trousers/Webbing - White

Cartridge Pouch - Black

Boots/Hat - Black

Cuffs - Yellow Ochre

Musket - Chestnut/Silver/Brass

Flesh - Foundry Palomino

Soft Tone - Army Painter Wash.

The Soft Tone wash really brings out the base colours, followed by a touch of highlighting to the whites and yellows.

The first two units should clear the paint table over the next couple of days just in time for the flags to arrive from Maverick Models - maverick-models.com/default.html

I am quickly learning to take a step back and to not look to closely at the detail as it's the unit effect that will have the impact, the prep takes longer than the actual painting of the units which makes for a refreshing change.

Afrika Korps - Vehicle Painting Guide.

After several weeks away finally some time on the brushes and some German vehicles for the Western Desert. These take me right back to being a kid with Airfix and Matchbox figures, playing out Commando Comic stories.

There are plenty of Afrika Korps Painting guide out there on the interweb so here's my take. Transported from Western Europe many of the vehicles retained their dark grey finish before being given a paint job of dark yellow sand, the harsh conditions often meant that the yellow oaint chipped off which showed the grey colouring at the points of wear.

In the interest of time I undercoated them with a Army Painter sand followed by a light spray of Army Painter Skeleton Bone to give the vehicles some shade.

Once dry using some foam from the various blister packs I dabbed a black grey mix on the areas of most likely wear and tear, the edges of the hull and front and sides in particular, this gave the vehicle an in campaign feel.

At this stage it looked like I might have over done it.

But the addition the of decals in some cases on the grey patches and the adding in of the details such as spare fuel or water tanks, entrenching tools etc. I opted for a brown for the tracks with a metallic dry brush to give it that worn feel. 

Once dry the entire vehicle gets a flesh wash with a 70/30 water mix to give some areas a little more density, adding in some strong tone to the mix when it comes to the track areas. These was to give that dusty feel, once dry with a large paint brush and a very limited amount of Vallejo dark sound mixed with white I dry brushed the entire vehicle.

All done.

Really pleased how these turned out, the 251/10 was from Warlord late war with the tire on the front, but it fits the bill, the 222 was from the Gentleman's War Starter Set which is a lovely piece of kit.

Now to get them on the table.

Dispatches from the front XXVII - Care Packages & Testers.

The first dispatch of 2023.

The desert campaign is progressing at pace, but a distraction arrives in the post. Fighting over the same land a mere 832 years earlier. An excellent kickstarter campaign from Footsore Miniatures with their latest release for the Baron's War rules.

I may have gone a little OTT with my backing, sooooo much lead and a resin fort, enough to keep me going well into the summer of 2023....

I am looking to strike a balance between the Baron's War campaigning option but also recreating Standard Games Outremer from the 1980's. 

With a couple of projects now in the pipe I need to focus but the urge to get these on the paint table is strong despite a growing pile of WW2 Western Desert forces for the Exporter Campaign.

On the subject of Exporter reinforcements arrive from the Perry Twins in the shape of more Vichy French and the crew for an 88, as if the Allies did not have enough to worry about.

On the painting front the first of the German's clear the paint table, these are from the Gentleman's War set from Warlord Games and bolstered by several freebies donated by club members, plenty more to do which will eventually bring the number of German squads to 8 plus supports.

I was a little uncertain as to the right palette so tried a couple out, I am really pleased with the results, I wanted a mix of the Olive Green Tunic for some and the locally bleached tunics to blend in with the desert terrain for others.

Both were dulled down with with an Army Painter flesh wash, the mix of tunics should look great on the table top and give that lived in campaign feel.

For those interested this is the paint guide.

Tunics, Caps - Vallejo Iraqi sand or Vallejo Yellow Green.

Helmets Gasmask Container - Vallejo Green Ochre.

MG Strap, Rifle Pouches - Foundry African Flesh

Boots, Water Bottle - Vallejo Flat Earth

Gaiters, Water Bottle Top, Entrenching Tool Cover - Vallejo English Uniform

Webbing, Bread Bag and Shirt - Vallejo Stone Grey

Rifle - Foundry Tan 13B

Flesh - Foundry  125C Med Light Flesh

Bayonet, MG - Black

Operation Exporter - Allied reinforcements - Indian Troops.

Hot off the heels of the Vichy French, a few more Indian Troops to bolster the Commonwealth forces. These came within the Carrier Patrol from Warlord Games.

Another 10 man section, containing an NCO, LMG team and 7 Privates, the carriers will follow once all the Infantry are complete. 

The Warlord sculpts are some what bulkier than the Perry offerings. Height wise there is little difference but the Perry castings are thinner and slightly better proportioned to my eye.

Wandering around the desert can be dangerous who knows what could be hiding under rocks or in the scrub. I found this viper in the spares box, which could come in handy.

For those interested this is the colour guide used for the Indian Infantry.

Helmet - Vallejo Dark Sand.
Tunic - Sand Iraqi Sand, Dark Sand Highlight

Leather Jerkin Brown Mahogany Brown.

Jumper - VJ English Uniform

Webbing & Pouches - VJ German Camo Beige

Socks - VJ Flat Earth

Anklets VJ English Uniform

Boots - Black

Flesh - Foundry Butter Fudge Shade 55A

Rifle - Foundry Tan 13B

Haiti - Spanish Officers

Finally managed to get these off the paint table, they must have been hanging around since the summer. Having painted up a couple of Spanish units in recent months, these two Front Rank officers will represent Brigadier Joaquin Garcia y Moreno and one of his senior commander in the campaign. 

Whilst browsing the web I spotted this plate the other day.

I quite fancy a unit of Dragoons with a couple of head swaps to create some of the black forces but honestly can't face any more cavalry right now.....

Yet more Spanish - Trent Miniatures Black Militia

With the varnish just about dry the Spanish Black Militia make it to the table top for the battle between the Spanish regulars and the rebellious slaves of Princess Amethyste.

The full battle report should be up this weekend.

Some great castings from the guys at Trent, at the moment only enough to make up an Irregular skirmish unit, but eventually I will paint up the remaining 14 to give me a couple of militia stands.

Let's hope the curse of freshly painted figures can be broken... :-)

Next up.... something a little more modern.