Since being a small lad, wonderful RAF WW2 aircraft aside, WW2 armoured cars were always my favourite model kits to put together. Sure, I had a small collection of tanks, but the models that captured my imagination were the Daimlers and Staghounds and Humbers used by the Commonwealth forces during (And after) the war.
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| Some Staghounds from some Kiwi regiment or other. |
Recce units are in my opinion some of the bravest sonuvaguns out there - driving around ahead of the main force to find enemy emplacements and formations in small minimally armoured vehicles, sacrificing heavy armaments and armour for speed and (Most times) maneuverability.
In Flames of War, recce units have some cool and handy abilities to set them apart from other units that allow them to break off from combat, hide in cover better, reveal tricksy enemies to make them easier for your platoons to fire upon, make it harder for enemies to drop ambushes and they also get an extra free movement at the beginning of a game. These rules make for a very versatile and useful unit. Staghounds themselves are pretty well armoured when compared to other AC's and can withstand small-arms and even some smaller caliber gun shots too at a stretch. (The models themselves are almost the size of a Sherman tank to boot!)
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| A Ford Lynx from the Canadian 12th Manitoba Dragoons. Love all the stowage on this thing! |
My latest offering from the painting table is [again] for my Canadian Armoured Company (4CAD), the Armoured Car Platoon. This consists of two Staghound I's and a Ford Lynx (Which looked so similar to the Daimler Dingo, no-one's produced a model to represent them.) with an option to switch out the 'Dingo/Lynx for a 3rd Staghound. I've got just the basic set-up, though I do plan on getting a 3rd Staghound in the future so I have the option to play them armour heavy.
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| Still have to add weathering and cut down paperclips for the coax machine guns. |
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| From behind, showing stowage (From the Guards Armoured Recce and Open Fire boxed sets.) |
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| Without a doubt, Battlefront Minis decals are too big for 15mm. But them's all I had so that's what I used. |
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| The oilcans on this one were inspired by a cool pic I found of a real Staghound with exactly the same oilcan stowage on front. I also cut down decals to fit around the stowage here on both the hull and turret. |
Next up on the painting table.... I have no idea to be honest. Okay, I do - commissions. Promise. Really.
Looking good Dai, love the stowage. I've got my own recce to do now I've finished those damn flails! Did you ever get that parcel?
ReplyDelete@MTH - Thanks mate. Get some pics up of those flails already!
ReplyDeleteNope, no sign of that parcel as yet. :/
They look great. Have you used them in a game yet? I love using recce myself.
ReplyDelete@ Cameron - Not yet, looking forward to the opportunity though.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff man - really dig how those turned out!
ReplyDeleteI've never experienced recce used in a game - somehing I'm keen to rectify - but I also have a softspot for armoured cars...albeit not the wallet for them!
ReplyDeleteI can't belive that size difference though!
@Mord 7th - Glad you like 'em mate. One day, I plan to have a whole company of Armoured Cars!
ReplyDelete@ Drax - Recce mate is essential in my mind. Lifting Gone To Ground so that enemy units are easier to hit is very much needed. As to cost, try looking at Old Glory sculpts - you can get 3 cars for a very reasonable price and that's usually enough for a full platoon.