Painting "Middle-Eastern" Faces & Hands

For my Turks, Arabs and Sikhs I have settled on a Three layer technique that seems to look the best to me.
(I usually prime these figures with Tamiya Dark Earth or Dark Yellow spray paint)
1. GW Foundation Paints Tallarn Flesh (a sort of Dark pink) is generously applied.
2. Thoroughly coated with GW Ogryn Flesh (a dark brown) wash.
3. Dry brush with GW Bronzed Flesh; More for Turks, less for Arabs and Indians.

To me the results look better than any of the other color combinations I've tried. You can see this approach used on the Turkish Bombers I featured in an earlier post.

On the painting table? You ask...

Finishing a section of Turkish infantry and another 2 Turkish Cavalrymen; prepping a section of Sikhs and NCOs (including a lewis gunner); Budhoo are patiently primed waiting to loot whoever happens to be weakest...

New figs in my collection

Some new Figures. The Bombers are from the Woodbine Design (Gripping Beast). The Lancers are old Minifigs colonials (or at least that's what they were described as) that I bought (painted) off of e-bay. They are really small (true 25s) but to me they have lots of charm. I glossed these figures up to accentuate the "toy-soldierness" of them.

A Game (from May 2008)

Here are some (bad) photos from a small game we (me, Mazz, Todd & Mike) played in May. This was a last minute affair that pitted a platoon of British Regulars, a platoon of mixed Indian Infantry and a Rolls Royce AC against about half that number of Turks and Asienkorps who were coming to the aid of an isoltated Turkish field piece. We used the Price of Glory rules.

Essentially the scenario was Brits cross the open while the Turks set up defensive positions along a wall.The Brits had little choice but to charge head long at their foe.

The first action was a duel between the AC and the Turkish gun. This ended when the Asienkorps scored a couple of critical hits against the car and killing all the crewmen inside. This is the second game where this has happened and I think it's unrealistic.

The Regulars advanced in an orderly fashion against their German opposites while the Indians attempted some fire & movement, dodging in and out of the "dips & folds" laying down fire with a lewis gun. This culminated in an attempt by some Gurkhas to charge a Turkish section who were operating from a shell hole. Big mistake. The Turks, with lots of supporting units to draw on, slaughtered the Gurkhas whose support was all "just out of range".

The turning point had come, and the rest of the Indian/ANZAC platoon was whittled away by fire from the Turkish defenders. I called the game just as Mike and Todd were coming to blows. But there was no chance of the British forces dislodging the enemy.

What can I say. Should've used a pre-made scenario of some sort. Oh well...
Also, in P-O-G Shellholes are much like theor real life counter parts. If you're defending get into them, even if other cover is available.

figures shown are: Battle Honors Turkish Cavalry, Battle Honors WWII Punjabi Infantry, Copplestone Turkish INfantry and a Matchboc Rolls Royce AC.

Weekend Reading...

I took my son to get vaccinated on Friday and, needless to say, barely left the house after that. Cranky ain't the word for it. During naps I put in a little bit of time reading some selections from my favorite books on WWI, the Official Histories (in this case Military Operations in Mesopotamia, vol. I and the Epilogue to Military Operations in Egypt and Palestine, Vol. II part 2). First I realized that there, in the afore-mentioned epilogue, all along, were the answers to some of the questions I've had regarding the application of "Western Front" tactics and advances to the Middle-East. I suggest you read the epilogue entitled Infantry Tactics if you get a chance. Nothing radical but enough to help me in regards to scenario design.

I also read the account of the Battle of Shaiba (http://www.1914-1918.net/meso_bat3.htm) in 1915. Stirring. I think this may be my "favorite" battle thus far and is inspiring me to take a slightly different tack in my painting. I just bought some old painted minifigs Indian Lancers ad I'll be adding some more, either Brigade games or Castaway Arts (prob'ly both). But... the Budhoo are on the table and you should be seeing some painted Bedouin on the page in the near future.
I'll be reading more Mesopotamian stuff, for sure.

A new green from Soapy's Blog-- Gawd yes!

Me want... A Gallipoli Brit in serge. Green by Soapy. H*ll yes!

Link to a cool Gallipoli game report

http://www.mikehobbs.co.uk/?p=957
Here's a link to a really good after-action report of a game recently played using the Warhammer Great War rules. I can only salivate with envy....

Focus on the Microwave, Please.

Notice how my phone focused on the Microwave? Well, at least you get the idea... Turkish Bombers from the Woodbine Design Company. Great figures that are full of character. I got some Kiwi ANZACs too. I'll eventually upload real photos.

Dulcote Disaster!

Be warned, at the very bottom of the Testors Dulcote instructions it says "Avoid using in very high humidity". Now I know why... I sprayed my Turkish Cavalry with this wonderful matte spray in our Sub-Tropical Summer air and boom! a fine white film is now covering my figures! Yikes! I've mostly saved them... but that's a hard price to pay, ruining several weeks work in a few minutes.