Able Archer/ RFR rules (?) - Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 in 20mm (part 12) - The best heavy metal from both sides arrives

In the last few months the best armored machines from both sides - Russia and Ukraine/NATO- started to show on the battlefield: the Russians introduced the T-90M  in increasing numbers, as they have the industrial capability to do so, and the Ukrainians received from Germany and Portugal 21 Leopard 2A6 taken from the stocks of each armed forces. Excluded here are the Leopard 2A4 and the Swedish Strv122. 

The T-90M is the state of the art of the Russian tanks (not counting the T-14 Armata, very expensive and with problem in ist production). Its based on the T-90 series, derivative of the T-72 series, but solving an old issue with the automatic loader for its 125mm rounds by displacing the ammo store and carousel to the back as many of the western designs did, and introducing newer armour and engine, a remote-controlled HMG and other details like a new telescopic mast and so on. 

The models are Modelcollect (left) and 4D quick builds (the two to the right). Years ago the way to have contemporary Russian vehicles in 1/72nd scale was to buy Modelcollect which at 25 euros each was a good way to go bankrupt, specially when you want always big units. The 4D models, ordered through Aliexpress cost around 3 (!) euros each and don't owe much to the Modelcollect as a finished product. If you take pleasure of the model building, then you are at ease with the Modelcollect series, filled with parts that fit marvelously, but, if you want a quick (and cheap) build still with detail then you go 4D, which has nowadays the same quality as PSC, Armourfast and alike. 

When first showed up, 4D was intended for kids to play with some 20 or so models from WW2 and modern periods, all with the same ugly wheels in both 1/87ish and 1/72 scale. I bought a big pack with all of them but could only use some 3-4 and these only after placing new wheels and tracks. Well, for around 1 euro each it was not a problem and in fact I'm around a AS-90 SPG from 4D which turned out nicely - after new wheels and tracks, of course!

The German Leopard 2A6 is considered one of the best tanks in the world surpassing all opposition - east and west - in many events and military shows. Even so, some 16 (Oryx) to 31 (Weeb Union) Leopards 2, all variants combined were already put out of action. This variant was apparently concentrated on the 47th Mechanized Brigade.  

The models are Altaya die-casts of the Leopard 2A5, with the shorter gun. In order to make the gun larger, up to the A6 variant size, an extra piece of EverGreen styrene was added and everything was disguised with GreenStuff in the form of camouflage netting. I did the same to my Portuguese Leopard 2A6´s of the Brigada Mecanizada and to my nowadays Germans. The camouflage was left as it was and the only additions were the stencilled crosses and the usual antenna and stowage.  

Finally some Marders for the 82nd Airborne Brigade joined the group. In fact only the one to the left is the correct variant for Ukraine, the Marder 1A3. Both models are die-casts. The colour applied on the Marder fleet by the Germans recently seems to be a plain medium green and not this NATO camouflage, but this older scheme was also spotted in Ukraine in some units. 

Next: More Russo-Ukraine war. 

Impetus Rules - Mohacs 1526, part 8 - Hungarian Clipeati and Armati in 20mm

Extra Impetus Nº3 mentions 4 heavy infantry stands each of Clipeati and Armati for a sizeable Hungarian army of the Mohacs period. The problem here is that generally the Clipeati formed the shield wall from were the Armati, probably armed with pole weapons, would fight in a somewhat tight phalanx. The extra Impetus separates both types of heavy infantry but I prefer to use them together in the same stand. In the future, if I see my life in danger in a game or so, I can always divide the stands differently between Clipeati and Armati. 

The Clipeati and Armati figures really look nice together and you can deepen the Impetus spirit of nice big  stands that look like dioramas. 

The figures used are some very nice Caesar copies ordered from China through Aliexpress. For just some 3 euros you get 200 1/72 figures in a poly bag which is obviously a great value for what you pay. The plastic is harder than poly figures and holds the paint very well. The figures were copied from some of the figures of the two boxes of  Caesar XIII and XV century Medieval European Knights. I only used here the ones from the XV century as they are closer to the Hungarian heavy infantry of 1526, even if not a match as there were also some different helmets and pieces of equipment on those day´s Hungarian army. As pole weapons are necessary for the Armati many of the figures were converted as pikemen. In the above picture you can see the original figure (armed with sword or an halberd) sided with the converted one armed with a pike plastic made of a broom stick. Many of the halberdiers were left with its weapon as its a very probable weapon of the Armati. 

I left all Clipeati armed with swords just because they look as if they are somehow dealing with the shield. The shields were made of slightly curved plastic from 1Kg yogurt buckets. This is an highly simplified form of the shield as generally the heavy infantry Hungarian shield had a vertical boss all along. They were colored with photocopies (the ones red chequered or with the Hungarian coat of arms) or hand painted like the tri colored ones. 

The back of the shields were painted brown and were kept standing just with one piece of plastic. Not sure if one or two legs hold these pavesi type of shields but like this it became simpler. 

Another 4 stands of archers were also made in order to finish the 8 that are mentioned in the lists. The flag of this one came from the Russian XIX century Opolchenie. Not the happiest union as there aren't many orthodox people in Hungary.  

Next: Maybe a return to the nowadays Russo-Ukrainian war. 

Aztec army in 20mm for Impetus rules

 

In 1991 Revell released the Aztec box. It was the days in which the hobby was starting to go away from WW2 and Napoleonics and diving into different periods. Revell gave a big push in this direction. The main historical opponent of the Aztecs and the Triple Alliance were other Mesoamerican cultures (the Spanish arrived only in 1519) like the Mixtec and Zapotec more to the south of nowadays Mexico and bordering Guatemala. With this in mind I gathered 10 boxes of Revell Aztecs not only to make an Aztec army but also to have enough figures for a Tlaxcala army for instance. Reading about Aztec warfare is also a fascinating issue with elaborate marching procedures, tactics and different colors and equipment (uniforms if you wish) according to each of the seven types of infantry and even different colors for smaller groups of around 400 men. In this picture you can see more or less the equivalent of a xiquipilli (regiment or division) of 8000 men taken from the calpulli (original clan areas). Impetus rules doesn't care about this but if you want to wargame with specific orders of battles (not easy though...) up to the battle of Otumba or the final fall of Tenochtitlan, each base can represent 400 men (one xiquipilli total) or 800 men (two xiquipilli). Most of this large group was painted for decades by now but recently I rebased them according to the Impetus stands. 

Starting with the lower infantry you can see five bases of novice soldiers who still did not captured any prisoner (for sacrifice, obviously). They are armed with spears or the famous maquahuitl, both with obsidian blades. Mixed with the Revell there are also some 30 Atlantic Egyptian conversions. The only few changes on the Atlantic figures was the addition of a misang on the top of the head in order to represent the head knot and the replacement of the Egyptian shield with a round one. The maztatl (crotch loin cloth) was simply painted upon.  

These skirmishing archers and slingers are mostly Revell but each base includes a Mixtec influenced atatl made from an Atlantic conversion. For the atatl you just need to glue a spear on top of the hand weapon and it will look the part, at least on this scale and bend the arm for a more throwing attitude.  The closest archer on the right side is also an Atlantic conversion. 

Regarding archers most of the stands have pairs of an archer and a shield bearer in typical Tlaxcallan style but most probably also used by Aztecs. Once again there is a mixture of Revell and Atlantic conversions.

This group can be a number of different types of infantry from the papalotl (three captives) up to the cuachicqueh (seven captives). Frankly all these types are not very well represented in the Revell box which prefered more generic poses missing specific headdress and back banners. One day I may take a number of mohac style heads of the WW2 US paratroopers from both Esci and Revell in order to make proper cuachiqueh. 

Now into the military orders. The famous Eagle warriors have three different figures and that includes a commander with the back banner. This kind of brownish color seems to have been used but recent investigations gives a wider variety of colors to be used. 

Another military order was the Jaguar. Nowadays I see them in blue in many representations but years ago I saw them somewhere in jaguar colors. Again three positions in the Revell box that, if placed carefully can give animated stands. 

These warrior priests were the only group made recently and are all conversions using Revell figures with the conical hat on top. 

The Osprey image that inspired this last group. 

The conversion is simple: take out all headdress from the figures; roll a small piece of GreenStuff with the fingers up to become the shape of a cone; place a tiny piece of super glue on the head; stuck the cone on the head; and, finally, pull a bit of the GreenStuff to the neck area for the figure to have a neck guard. 

As I painted four boxes of Revell Aztecs it gave twelve commanders that were simply painted with no conversions. The only stand that had an extra was the commander of the army, a tecuhtli, that received the company of this crazy naked berserker dying to capture prisoners for sacrifices, or being killed in the process due to the absence of the heavy cotton quilted vest. The figure is another Atlantic converted figure. 

Next: more Impetus stands but with a return to Mohacs 1526.