Road to ETC - Team New Zealand Part 2

Road to ETC - Team New Zealand Part 2

Link to part 1

So with the list pretty much decided I had to build the damn thing.  The physical build of the army was not as straight forward as I thought with some models simply not being available.

Infantry

For the Infantry I used  Forged in Battle Miniatures  These sculpts were simply gorgeous and took paint really well.  They required minimal clean up and the poses were nice and varied.

I used two different type of packs to give me the variety: Dismounted Cavalry in Helmets and Early War Polish Rifles 

Additionally I also used the Polish Anti-Tank Rifles to provide the AT rifle teams

The Mortars were provided by the 81mm Mortar pack

While I am not above mix and matching figures I like the way that using the figures form a single manufacturer tie the infantry platoons together really well.

Gun Teams

Here I took the easy way out and went down the Battlefront route, hey the Early War sale last year helped as well!

I needed 4 gun platoons for my Gunbrella so I went for four packs of 37mm wz.36 guns each pack gives me a complete platoon.  The sculpts were again lovely and required minimal clean up.  Unlike some gun models these went together very well which given my sausage fingers when gluing models is saying something

Recce Teams

Again I went the Battlefront route as the blister was purpose built.  The Motorcycle Platoon made me really nervous before I got it as I had bad memories of putting together the Kradschutzen platoon for my DAK army which was an absolute nightmare given the amount of components.  However these were completely different and went together in a flash. 

Armoured Teams

Battlefront did everything I need here.  The 7TP model was a good casting but a bit of a nightmare to track down in the UK.  For just 3 models I had to go to 3 different retailers with the last model only arriving a week before my first game.  However they went together well and were a pleasure to paint.

For the TKS Tankettes http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=2467I went for the Battlefront blister again.  As I was going to be using Roman Orlik this was a no-brainer.  I was really surprised by how dinky these models are!  They really are small and have a tiny footprint, ideal for ambushing!

Trucks and Staff Cars

For the army as it currently is I need 10 Polska-Fiat 621 Trucks.  The only source I can find of these is from  True North Miniatures  and I am really not taken with the pictures and the reviews I have seen of these make these look really fiddly to put together.  Given that they won’t be on the table that much as soft skin transports are utter death traps for infantry caught in them I am not wedded to the idea of using the 100% correct model.  Also the thought of spending £90, once I factor in shipping and customs charges, on something that isn’t really used makes me feel uncomfortable.   So the alternative is to use the Zvezda Zis5 Truck which looks close enough and a third of the price.

On the staff car front I am rather stumped I need 3 Polski-Fiat 508 Trucks and I simply can’t find a source.

Anyway that’s enough chat here’s some eye candy of the completed army (minus the transports)