20mm PLO - small pictorial of a recent order

These are the latest 20mm PLO I picked up from RH Models (aka Liberation). Picture of each with the code so I can remember what I have painted later and know what else to order.

 

Always almost flawless casts, and cheaper than many others!....something many producers should learn tbh...life is too short to fill dozens of holes before you can paint.

 

What I will be working towards to, so I need to find 2 beret guys in my stash and sculpt them kefiyehs. Also need to find some spare M-16s

 

PLO COM - 7 man command group

 

PLO RPK - 3 man RPK LMG

 

PLO 14A - Young Lions (aka kids) with RPK

 

WEA48 -  4x PKM on pintle mount...very handy for pick ups, guard towers and upgrading APC's

 

PLO RPD - 3x RPD LMG

 

PLO SNI - 3x Dragunov sniper

 

PLO PRO SNI - 2x prone Dragunov snipers

 

ARA DICT - 2x Arab dictator, 1 with kefiyeh and medals, 1 slighty taller. Guy on the left makes a perfect Iranian officer.

 

PLO RPG - 2x RPG-7

 

PLO PKM - 3x PKM

 

PLO DRIV - driver for jeeps, trucks etc
PLO 145 - seated gunner for AA guns

PLO STPKM - standing PKM gunner for pickup, truck or APC

 

PLO AK47 - 10 guys with an AK

This might get a bit Technical

Just to help out my buddy Ferry a bit :)

(click on the pic for a bigger size)

I have more in storage, just not in easy reach, so this will have to do for now.

1. S&S Lada Riva saloon car. Super generic resin car, fits in everywhere and as everything. Taxi, police car, civillian, car, target car. S&S even makes African and Arab half figures to glue on the windows for a drive by. S&S Lada Riva Currently retails at 6.50 UK Pounds. Single cast with 4 metal wheels. Casting is typical for S&S, so be prepared to fill in the air bubbles with some greenstuff. This one is painted as a Yugoslavian decoy for aicraft.
2. Same S&S Lada Riva saloon car, this time painted up as generic TV crew car, fitting for any warzone since the 70's
3. JB Models (now Airfix) Landrover. Plastic kit, you can buy a verson with a hardtop or a soft top, and they come with a trailer, which is supereasy for loads of armies. Price varies from a couple of euros second hand right up to some stores asking as much as 15 euros for a single kit (which is a bit ridiculous ans a proper diecast can be had for half that). Again, super generic, as a civvy, Technical or as these 2 WIP's, British Special Forces rides for the Cold War.... I really should finish those someday, even though I'm no longer in big scale Cold War conflicts, they would be very handy for TW:2K
4. Same as 3, but with AT asset, The other one will get a minigun, thx to a former SAS friend who wants to remain anonymous.
5. Hobby Den Toyota 4x4. I have a ton of these, all based up and ready to go, just paint them black, add a magnet in the back so I can slide on a Back off sign in Arabic, add a magnet in the roof so I can put a MMG/HMG/Minigun/Grenadelauncher on it. They are meant for my Blackwater project, but can double as unmarked black cars for any location and any faction, be it intelligence, government, drug lords or warlords, anything goes really. Very affordable too, these are currently priced at 6,50 euros for a single resin cast with 4 resin wheels.  Hobby Den 4x4 Toyota  Bryan also does a Technical version of the same vehicle, I reviewed that back in 2012: Hobby Den 4x4 Technical
6. This SUV is made by Britannia/Grubby Tanks, and would be a very good deal at 6 UK Pounds each, as it comes with 2 Taliban and a 12.7mm Dhssk. It has 4 metal wheels and the veicle itself is a single resin cast. Therein also lies the problem, as in the last few years I've been let down by the terrible casting quality from Britannia's caster. Having said that, this is a very smooth model, nothing like the hard cornered armoured vehicles, so it could be less affected. Although sold as Taliban, there is nothing stopping you from using this as a Special Forces ride. Afghan Technical
7. RH Models aka Liberation Miniatures Technical. Very nice ride, but due to getting my entire country blacklisted by our benevolent Dictator Rolf Hedges, no longer available to us. Included for completeness.
8. Britannia/Grubby Tanks M35 truck. Really old casting, upgraded with a aluminium tubing exhaust to bring it up to M35A2 specs, and a miscast BRDM-2 hull, cut down, added in the back, as a makeshift convoy protection vehicle for TW:2K. I didn't like the way it was going with my add on door armour, so took that all off and forgot all about it. Suitable from Vietnam up to present day, as a Government or Rebel vehicle, easily converted and less costly then the Academy M35 truck. But yeah, their current castings are shite so order at your own risk. Britannia/Grubby Tanks M35 truck
9. ICM ZIL or Jiefang truck - I picked up a dozen or so of these way back when shipping was still affordable for less then 4 euros per truck. Pretty generic truck, multi role use, civillian to military, plastic so easily converted by adding drop in loads or a baby wipe tarp.
10. RH Models Saxon. Also added for completeness, I picked up some second hand ones for use with TW:2K and was surprised a few years ago when Ukraine got about 2 dozen from the UK to help with the war effort.....and that was the last thing I ever heard or saw about them. Not really a Technical but makes for a great militia/marauder vehicle.

Now, there are a lot more Technical suitable vehicles available in 20mm. I've made a order with the Hobby Den as well as some samples to paint up for their shop,  and like I said, I have loads in my stash I need to dig out as well, but that is for a next installment.

Now, comparing these to diecasts, the diecasts are of course much cheaper, especially when bought second hand. The wheels tend to be a bit of a let down, but you can always rip them off ond base them on suitable resin wheels. Shape wise, they tend to be a bit hit/miss, I've got more then a few who look suitable but when measured up, turn out to be way oversized. Caveat Empor, bring a 20mm fig with youy when shopping, I say.

Hope you find this helpful.

Getting my mind off things - so why not plan a bit?

With Kim back in the hospital :( and the kids with various family members I'm trying to get my mind off things, and what better way for me then to plan my hobby out.


As things are progressing on my village/city, I think it is time to look ahead for a moment, what I have and want and plan a purchase/trade of miniatures to populate it.


Somalia/AK-47
Since the chopper hunt is in full swing, I'll cast my gaze on troops. Delta's, Rangers and Somali's. aka small (20-25 troops), medium (30-40 troops) and large (50+ troops). For Delta's it will most likely be Liberation, Rangers could be Elhiem and/or Liberation and the Somali's can be from various companies. I'd like to do the D's this year, Rangers and Somalis can come in next year. That is if I find any that is. Vehicle wise I'll focus on Technicals and a crashed Black Hawk. Little Birds would be nice for air support but they are pricey. Kits for the helos and Hobby Den for the vehicles. Since my AK-47 nation will be based on Somalia and Nigeria this gives me another reason to work on it.


Afghanistan
I've got a bag of Liberation Taliban ready, I'm just lacking in civillians (but SandS does great ones). I will not be doing any coalition troops, I'll focus completely on the Taliban/Northern Alliance for the Soviet occupation and up to the current day. Since I have so much ready on hand for this, it should be my nr. 1 priority really. But somehow it isn't. It is not like Taliban are hard to paint or something.


Lebanon
I've collected plenty of books with tons of pictures, and I'm stoked to do this. I'm finding the Hobby Den to be a perfect supplier of suitable vehicles for this one. Will be mostly ones and two's as I don't have any collection of miniatures yet, but love to convert Technicals :)


Iraq
1990's up to now (I will not get back again into the Iran-Iraq war other then air war gaming) and purely aimed at scenery. atm I have no interest in painting miniatures for it.


Sci-Fi
Anything goes. Plenty of bits to make add on parts with, and quite a few near modern troops are suitable for it. No rush though, more a in between bits project due to the lack of real 20mm sci-fi Infantry and armour other then conversions.


Pulp
Fortunately, for Pulp, you don't need many figs, so I'll be picking stuff from the sparesbin mostly. More for fun then anything else, though playing Pulp Alley would be nice with them. And I think I need a few mummies :)


WW2
No plans yet. That might change when the Battlegroup book is released though. Scenic wise can be combined with Pulp. Edging towards the Germans again but I might just do 2 300 point forces once I get back in the painting saddle. Long term.


Most of these projects will be because I'd like to have them, finding opponents for them is unlikely for most other then Afghanistan.