Figure Review - Main Force VC Rifle Platoon

Lacking a supplier in Victoria, I ordered my pack of figures from Dragonfire Games in Brisbane for AUD$35 and Dragonfire Games doesn't charge for postage, which was great.


The product code fore the Main Force VC Rifle Platoon is FPV014 for those wanting to order a pack or three. The picture below is from the Flashpoint Minatures web site. As bases are not included with the miniatures, i also purchased a pack of FoW bases from Dragonfire Games.





In total there were 39 figures in the pack:
2 x Officer standing with rifle slung
4 x VC with RPG
4 x VC with RPD Machine Gun
4 x NCO with arm raised
25 x Rifleman in various poses

This works out at around .90 cents (well .897 cents) a figure.

Looking at the photos on the Flashpoint web site and forum, i am not sure if i am meant to have two officer figures

There is a little bit of flash to clean up which isn't a problem, as this is easy to clean up.
I am very happy with the figures, especially after getting over the shock of how small they were... i am used to 20mm and 28mm figures.

The paint i was going to use to paint them has dried up, so i will have to buy some more paint before getting stuck into them, which i am keen to do.

Figure review - USMC Rifle Company HQ

I picked these up (once again) from Olympian games for AUD$30. So whats in box FPV016... (This is the official Flashpoint Miniatures pic, which has used Flames of War bases.)

The first thing you have to understand is that a Company HQ is relatively small, so a large portion of the pack is dedicated to casualties. Just how many I didnt realise, as its a large percentage of the blister.

Figure wise you get (all with helmets unless otherwise stated):

• 1 Officer standing, firing pistol


• 1 RTO with M14 (same figure as the Rifle Platoon)


• Leader figure with M16 (same figure as the Rifle Platoon)


• Marine with M16 signallign with clenched fist


• Marine, bare head with M16 (same figure as the Rifle Platoon)


• Medic, unarmed (same figure as the Rifle Platoon)


• Standing wounded, bandaged head, unarmed, bare-headed x 3


• Standing wounded, bareheaded clutching left chest x 6


• Lying on one side wounded, clutching chest, bare headed, unarmed


• KIA facedown on penny sized circular base x 10

Thats 26 figs for $30, or A$1.15 per figure.

Once again the figures are well detailed and crisply cast. There is very minimal flash and mold lines.

Overall, the figures are very nice, but I cant help feel that this pack is less value for money than the rifle platoon. The figures are of the same high Flashpoint sculpting standard, but of the 26 figs, 20 are casualties which I didnt expect. Thats sufficient casualties for more than a company with every squad having one, so I guess that game requirement is covered off! So the figs are necessary for the game and do give me the Company HQ, but if its firepower and figures on the table you want, this pack isnt what you are after.

USMC Painting Update

My leathernecks are coming along well with all the figures now basecoated and some detailing completed.

I started off by dividing them into squads and fireteams, which I find a bit more manageable to arrange and not so daunting to paint.

Here is the Platoon HQ stand - 2Lt, RTO and Medic

And 1st Squad (the other two are done as well but look pretty much the same)
Squad Leader and Fireteam 1:
and the other 2 Fireteam stands:



Some detailing (eg flesh washes) and basing yet to be done, but you get the idea and now you can see what the figs are like.

Colours Used
Basecoating order and colours:
1) Medium drybrush with Coat d'arms 226 Olive.
Maybe a little too bright up close, but I think it looks just right from a normal gaming distance
2) Flesh: Coat d'arms 214 Suntanned flesh and 216 Negro flesh on about 1/3 of the troops.
3) Reblacked boots and weapons using Tamiya: XF-1 Flat Black
4) Weapon colouring using very old (15years!) GW: Bolt gun metal for M16 centre sections, grenades, M79 barrel and tops of M14s. yes, its too bright up close, but you can see it from 3 feet away
5) Ral Partha Dunkel Brown for M79 and M14 furniture.
Detailing
Because I preominantly use drybrushing techniques (because I am lazy), it means not too much detailing is required, and I'm doing wargaming standard figs not character figs (not that I am capable of super detailing anyway!)
Very light drybrush with GW Burnished gold for M60 bandolier ammo belts
Comments and suggetsions welcomed as always!

Aussie WIP

Spurned on by my relentless harassment, my mate Owen has revitalised his 15mm Australian infantry force he has had sitting around for a couple of years.


Here you can see an Infantry section and the Plt HQ and he has used foamcore for the bases. The figures and vehicles are both from Peter Pig,'s 15mm Vietnam range "The Men of Company B", which you can see here:
http://www.peterpig.co.uk/range1.htm

Now get on with it and finish off your painting and basing mate!

Aussie WIP

Spurned on by my relentless harassment, my mate Owen has revitalised his 15mm Australian infantry force he has had sitting around for a couple of years.



Here you can see an Infantry section and the Plt HQ and he has used foamcore for the bases. The figures and vehicles are both from Peter Pig,'s 15mm Vietnam range "The Men of Company B", which you can see here:
http://www.peterpig.co.uk/range1.htm

Now get on with it and finish off your painting and basing mate!

Leathernecks prepped

My USMC riflemen platoon have now been cleaned up and undercoated in black.
A rather boring stage, I havent bothered with photos.

The flash came off quite well and it only took me about 2 hours total to do all 45 figures, which isnt bad (for me). The mold lines are quite small and the majority of the flash is restricted to a few figure poses, the others being almost completely flash free.

So I've divided them into their Squads and fireteams, and tomorrow the jungle gree and olive drab come out for basecoating. I think I shall use a chestnut coloured "dip" mixure for the wash. At least I'll try it out on the first few figures and see how it goes.

Figure Review - USMC Rifle Platoon

The ANZAC figures are lovely, but in all honesty I couldnt play a main Australian force and still be impartial! So, I'm starting with a USMC platoon which I got from Olympian games the other day (Aus$40).

This is the official Flashpoint Miniatures pic, which has used Flames of War bases.

First impressions:
Good quality figures, dynamic poses, moderate levels of flash so some cleaning up required. Figs are quite detailed, including the obligatory helmet containers, bandoliers and crisply detailed webbing.

What you get: 45 figs - thats Aus$0.89 per figue - good value for such detailed figs

All in hemets unless otherwise specified

Leader standing with arm raised, M16 x 2
Leader standing and pointing, M16 x 3
Medic (no weapon) x 1
Radio Operator talking on radio, M14 x 1

Marine, standing and leaning forward in firing stance, M16 x 4
Marine, braced in standing firing position, M16 x 4
Marine, walking sighting over M16 x 3
Marine prepping grenade, M16, x 3
Marine walking forward, bare head, M16 ready x 4
Marine walking M16 x 3
Marine, running with M16 ready, x2
Marine, patrolling with M-79 blooper x 3
Marine, kneeling and firing, M14 x 3
Marine, patrolling, bare head, M14 x3
Marine, patrolling, M14 x3
Marine, standing and leaning forward in firing stance, M14 x 4

.

The figs match the USMC platoon organisation - 3 rifle squads, each with three 4 man fireteams and a squad HQ of 2 men, plus a Platoon HQ of 3 which makes it quite distinctive. Note that the USMC dont have M60 MGs in a rifle platoon (unlike the US Army or ANZACs), they are retained in the Company Weapons Platoon. To offset that, they are 'Gung-Ho' and can reroll morale tests during assaults.

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The downside:

I'm not really keen on the "Marine, walking sighting over M16" pose, but then again, thats only 1 pose out of the lot and 3 minis in total so not bad at all. The bare headed faces also look a bit bit or overly featured, but on bare metal its hard to tell (and not that I am a wonderful facial features painter anyway). Overall, only two very minor negative aspects to some good figures.

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Now to start cleaning up the flash and get them prepped!