RFR/ Able Archer- The Ukrainian Mechanized Brigade of the 2022/23 Russia...

In this one you can see a good part of the heavy ground weapons of the Ukrainian Mech Bgde in three periods: - the initial ex-Soviet and indigenous Ukrainian equipment; - the big lot of equipment from eastern NATO countries used in the Kharkiv/Kherson offensives - the latest batch of western NATO type of equipment used in the 2023 summer offensive. I forgot to mention the three BMP-1U Shkval converted from Fabbri die-casts. Go to the blog to see more information on how these were made and also more some technical information.

Able Archer/ RFR rules (?) - Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 in 20mm (part 14) - The Russian BREM-K recovery vehicles

The BREM-K is the standard Russian recovery vehicle for towing the wheeled series of the BTR-80 and similar or lighter vehicles. It's a relatively numerous vehicle in the nowadays war in Ukraine and you can find plenty of  images in the web and full articles about it. 

I had a number of BTR-80 leftovers after building a number of regular BTR-80 and converting others to the BTR-82A variant. This BREM-K didn't look too difficult to convert besides being a normal company of the basic version. 

Due to a number of added details and absence of its heavier guns this version of the BTR-80 becomes quite different from the basic one. 

The figure is another Orion soft plastic figure. 

The basic materials for these conversions were:

- 3d printed replacement wheels

- plastic card tubing and plate

- metal parts from HO trains

- WW2 Tiger front wheels from Hasegawa.

Many parts are over simplified but after painting the result is OK. 

The winch became a bit too thick but at least is unbreakable :). 

 

The front needs a coulter-stop for fixing the machine on the ground when working. 

For extra strength some of the supports of the winch in the turret are metal parts.  

Next: a video on the nowadays Ukrainian army. 

Anglo-Zulu War 1879 in 20mm - The British army at Isandlwana (part 2 and final)

 

Just a few more stands made recently to finish the British army at Isandlwana. You can see them "in action" on the last video. 

These two blurred figures represent the 50 or something Natal Mounted Police. I already had the Natal Carbineers made in the same way and these just had some more colour.  

These two figures were converted from the Esci standard bearer that you can see to the right. The arms were bent with a lighter and two rifles were glued to the arms new positions. Also some spikes were drilled into the helmet as typical with the NMP. 

The Rocket battery was still missing as well as its "limber", the Esci Alpine´s donkey with a Revell Confederate figure as its driver. 

Again two of the figures were heavily converted with the exception of Major Russell. 

The Hale Rocket system was made from pieces of plastic cut and glued until it looked OK. 

Just in order to have and officer in their striking blue jacket I made one last stand of Natal Native Horse. All figures are converted Confederates from Revell and A Call to Arms.

The 3rd and last NNC company was made from the original Esci Zulus with added plastic card shields. Only the officer is - again - a Confederate Esci figure. 

I also finished some more 200 Zulus figures, many in plastic card shields and central spines made of pieces of broom sticks. This kind of shields are also the ones on the previous NCC figures. 

Next: BREM-K vehicles for the Russians in Ukraine. 

The battle of Isandlwana 1879 in 20mm

In this video you have both the Zulu and British armies at the battle of Isandlwana. Everything is plastic with mostly Esci and a few A Call To Arms and Revell conversions. The Esci Zulus don´t have enough shields on the box so plenty of them were made from Evergreen plastic card. Some corrections: I mention the release of the Esci colonial sets at the end of the 80ies when in fact they were released in 1984 (thanks PSR) and I call ´regiments´ to the six stands of British infantry when I wanted to call them companies, obviously (five from the Ist battalion/24th foot and one from the 2nd).