20mm Soviet tankodesantniki platoon for Chain of Command

I painted these in the spring already but haven't gotten around to taking photos of them. The tank rider platoon is a nice, small project for chain of command and especially in 20mm as there are just a few figures to paint. They can't field three tanks in Chain of Command obviously but the plastic soldier company box includes three and there are even turret variants for each so I decided to paint them all for completeness.

As for playing them, the tank rider platoon is a risky pick in CoC. Up close, they have lots of firepower because of all those SMG's, but they can't shoot anything at a distance (especially if they lack the support points for armored support in the scenario). Their limited numbers also mean that they can't really take a punch so you need to handle them carefully.

I had a hard time finding a good shade for the uniforms. I wanted green so that was no mistake, I just couldn't get the shade to look like the pictures. Well, that's the kind of cloth that was produced when these guys were issued their uniforms and there was plenty of variation!

The plastic soldier company T-34 box has complete variant turrets so you can change between a couple of versions which is really nice! Some trouble getting the tone right with these as well.

I still need to do a couple of low-tier supports for these and later paint a bunch of riflemen so I can field a rifle platoon as well.

More reinforcements for my Germans / SHQ miniatures vs. PSC size comparison

Getting some of the support options for early war Germans can be a bit tricky in 20mm. I want to be able to game Barbarossa in Chain of Command so I need at least the small 50mm mortar and preferably the Panzerbüchse 39 AT rifle. My Germans are mostly Plastic Soldier Company, who don't stock what I need, but my friend tipped me off on SHQ miniatures. Their site is antique and they don't have photos of everything but delivery was fast and shipping costs reasonable. Oddly enough the figure bags were labeled "WARNING: these pieces contain lead". I though we're not supposed to have actual lead in our lead pile anymore in the EU? I'm not complaining though, a bit of the ol' Pb makes the figures more durable as they will bend rather than break, and painting and varnishing them will seal the metal inside a protective layer anyway.

Panzerbüchse

An engineer team with a flamethrower. A scary weapon in  CoC!

The 5cm Granatwerfer is a standard support weapon in early war platoons.

The models are nicely detailed (especially after painting up those horrid Strelets Finns!) and fun to paint. But will they blend in with Plastic Soldier Company 20mm´s?

The answer is.. not perfectly. The PSC models are slightly taller and plenty bulkier. I think they work in a pinch however, and blend in when looked at from a "wargaming distance". It'll help not to mix them within units also.

I definitely like the models and anyone looking at getting an all metal 20mm German force should give these a look. I have some more stuff from them in The Pile(tm) but didn't paint everything straight away.

Reinforcements for my 20mm WW2 Germans

Chain of Command is played using a typical infantry platoon plus a variety of support options to give the force some color. I haven't had many support options yet and I've been borrowing my opponent's Germans so far. This latest batch remedies that and gives my Heer rifle platoon some much needed help.

A radio operator to act as a forward observer, a panzerschreck for those late war engagements and a sniper which is quite handy in CoC.

Two MG34's with a drum magazine and a tripod mount. HMG's to add firepower to my force. Note that some of these weapon teams require additional riflemen, which I need to do more of if I field a lot of these at once.

A medical orderly and some walking wounded.

A Pak36 to keep enemy vehicles worried.

A Panzer IV, which starts to be a bit heavy for Chain of Command, but might see the field if there's an abundance of support points in a scenario.

I found a Dragon models halftrack in the bargain bin of a local toy store and grabbed it. In CoC it will be more useful as a machine gun nest than a transport but you never know.

Building the halftrack took quite a while as Dragon models are really detailed and valued by military modelers. Even the inside compartment was fully detailed even though it is really hard to see inside once the model is complete.

So there you have it, more meat in the grinder.

20mm WW2 German platoon complete

I now have 40 something infantry for my WW2 Germans from Plastic Soldier Company. I bought these to take part in WW2 games some of my friends play and now I have enough for a "platoon plus" sized game. Four squads of infantry including both moving a shooting versions of their machine guns, a truck, a Flak 88 and a Stug. Plenty enough to have fun with.

I'm glad I've managed to "complete" a couple of projects this summer. It means there's room for new ones! And yes, the word "complete" should always be in quotation marks as far as miniature projects go as you never know when you decide to expand! I know I want to add a few odds and ends to my krauts, even if the core is done.