Plastic soldiers take me back - I had a huge army of 1/32 scale Airfix plastic soldiers when I was a kid, and my friends and I had amazing battles with them. But how I envy todays kids as now you can pit your soldiers up against a zombie hoard!

Obviously, I get the feeling these are going to be snapped up by adult collectors, which is a bit of a shame. But they do look fantstic and would make for a superb game against a small force of troops.

Ah, to be a kid again!

Link: The Walking Dead Zombie Army Men - Gentle Giant Ltd (USA) $14 per pack. 

Finished this last week, though it is just a bit of a practice model really where I was trying out a new painting technique. But still, another toy tank to add to the collection - this model is based on the WW2 Soviet KV-2 tank...

What was particularly nice about this one is it is one of the rather amusing tanks that you also get in World of Tanks - the Troll Canon. The big 152mm gun can really score you some impressive hits and is a nasty surprise for the big bully boys who think that because they are higher tier in a game nothing can damage them...Think again sucka!

My third finished model (having said that I do have a half dozen in various unfinished states)! This time I've tried my hand at a winter white wash camo on this Soviet SU-122M(3).

Just finished this model, it's a simple little SU-85 tank destroyer. I'm think I'm starting to get somewhere with my modelling and painting and am quite pleased wit the effect I achived here. It's what I was after, a nice grimey and bashed up war horse!

You can check out how I made this model on my new model related blog if you are interested: Kit Noob - Armourfast 1/72 SU-85 quick build and weathering experiment

Inspired by my love of the Soviet tank destroyers in World of Tanks I am having a go at this lovely little SU-85 model by Armourfast.

I finally finished my first model at the weekend, an Armourfast 1/72nd Sherman M4A3. This was a bit of a practise model which I used to try out painting techniques I had read about before I attempt to finish off my main project - my Armourfast M4.

I'm quite pleased with the results of my first completed model, even if it is just a test bed. Meanwhile I have put the finishing touches to the base coat of my real project...

The practice Sherman has helped me work out how I will handle the above M4, it's shading, highlighting and weathering finish. Roll on the weekend so I can get down to starting the last phase in it's paint job.

Got the decals on last night - all very traumatic as these are custom decals and if I screwed them up it was kinda a big deal. It was all very nerve wracking as I applied them!

I went for something a bit more colourful than the usual US Army insignia. I had seen 'Tonto' - US 4th Army, 37th Tank Battalion, 1944 - modelled elsewhere and really liked the Native American motif.

Above: The Armourfast M4 consists of only 7 parts and has the a minimum of detail.

Armourfast makes 1/72 scale 'fast build' kits primarily aim at wargamers. Their models comprise of the smallest number of parts and very basic details and they are designed to be cheap and allow the gamer to build up a fleet of vehicles quickly. They are not usually considered 'good enough' - in terms of detail or accuracy - for the scale model aficionado but I decided to see if I could push the envelope and super detail their basic M4 Sherman tank.

Well, I'm half way through but I'm quite pleased with the results so far. I've added quite a lot of additional detail and improvements such as the applique armour plates, rear stowage (most of which I scratch built) and the tools.

You know you have reached the status of scale model geek when something like this drops through your letterbox - as this packet did with me earlier today...

This is a set of two 1:72 scale ultra-detailed Browning .50cal M2 barrels (yes, JUST the barrels) which I will be using to improve a couple of my Sherman M4 kits.

Tragic!

Managed to get the decals done this weekend. Just don't seem to be able to get enough time to do this new hobby so it's very slow going. But very enjoyable when I do get a hour or so to myself.

Just the wheels and tracks to sort out and then the final weathering paint finish (which should make it look more realistic).