Monday 13 October 2014

Bolt Action: Defenders of Berlin


I attended SELWG's London show at Crystal Palace this weekend and took the opportunity to buy myself a new themed army.

I decided to create a battlegroup based on the doomed defenders of Berlin in April, 1945.

So what to buy?

First up was a King Tiger tank. This is a must have model. The monster is symbolic of the last stand of the Third Reich and will supply a much needed firebase to anchor the defence. I chose the Tamiya 1/48 model because they are just perfect and good value at around £25. The 1/48 scale really conveys the brooding menace of the beast.

Next I popped around to the Warlord Games stand to buy a squad of SS Charelemagne, the French Fascists from Vichy. At £15 these models are great and really look the part right down to the tricolor shield. This is my elite veteran unit to do the biz as necessary.


From the same stand I picked up a box The Last Levy, twenty models for £29.50.  Aren't they wonderful? I love the slightly comic-book look. The box includes a Golden Pheasant (party boss) as leader, a Bund Deutscher Mädel Medic, a sniper with a gun that shoots around corners, a two man AA team with shoulder-launched AA missiles, a squad of Hitler Youth and two squads of Volkssturm. Bloody useless the lot of them and so great fun to play.


And finally also from Warlord a Kriegsmarine squad also for £15. Naval ratings were flown into Berlin, some still in U-Boat leathers, to act as last ditch infantry. They were keen but untrained.

The total cost was about £85, not bad for an all metal individual model and Tamiya detailed kit army in 28 mm. I will add the odd model from my collection to fill out the ranks as necessary but this is the core.

Okay, I won't paint them up this nicely but I will do my best. I will put up squads as I finish them.

17 comments:

  1. Loads of individual character in that bunch. Very nice.

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  2. Some lovely looking figures there and price wise not too bad at all.

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    1. The value is what struck me. They are keenly priced for indivisdual figures.

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  3. Very nice group of figures. Makes an interesting chance from the usual and one I'm tempted to buy myself now.

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  4. Great Escape Games do a nice 4 figure set of Hitler Youth with Panzerfaust which would fit in well!
    Cheers

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  5. "...and took the opportunity to buy myself a new themed army..."

    Of course you did! Research! It's for research! :)

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    1. Absolutely. You don't imagine I buy this stuff for my personal gratification, do you?

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  6. Very cool indeed John - I have wanted to do a "Last Levy" force for awhile but haven't gotten a round to it yet, apart from a squad of Kriegsmarine.

    I'll watch this with interest!

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    1. OK Paul, I don't promise to paint them as well as the display figures, though. :)

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. Sorry John, I deleted the last comment because it looked as if I had forgotten the English language. I say again its a nicely built Tiger II, The price for 1/48 has climbed horribly though. I had once considered them as an alternative to 1/35 but they aren't worth it anymore. A Maus might make an interesting add on in a what if game.

    Tom Willoughby

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    1. 1/35 is too big for 28 mm wargame figures so we are stuck with 1/48 or 28 mm vehicles, unfortunately. I must hasten to say that the Tiger is a stock photo. I haven't built mine yet. :)

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