Lehr in Winter: The Army Painted (Capstone 2)

Well hey there dear reader. Today I'm going to bring you the second part in my capstone series. Why am I calling it a capstone series? Because it's been 6 months since I started playing flames of war, a little more than 4 months since I started blogging, and a major of goal of my early FOW hobby life is about to be reached. My first tournament, NOVA Open which is run by the keeper of the fine blog Itty Bitty Soldiers.

In the last post in this series I went over how I came to decide on the army I'm going to run for the tournament. Now for the fun part. The army itself.

As I said I went for a winter scheme which I created on the vehicles by priming the models in the early war version of German Armor Grey, then essentially washed with a very wet Menoth White from the PP series. This created the opposite of a capillary effect, with the paint shrinking up on it self and creating some cool looking patterns. Over this I did a heavy dry brush of white, followed by fine lining in black ink. The I did the details to taste.

Below is my first real attempt a an army with a cohesive look and theme. I've been painting for a good long time at this point, but flames is my first 15mm game and Late War Germans were my first 15mm army. So, while I think it turned out well, very well in some parts, there is certainly room for improvement and I'm all about constructive criticism.

So there it is, 1750 Panzer Lehr winterized. 

3 short Panzer Grens, 88's, Rockets, Mortars, Tigers, Attached MG's and Panzerschrecks

First Platoon, with HMG attachment

Second Platoon, with HMG attachment. Tank hunter teams are Peter Pig Panzerschrek's in Long Coats

Also Second Platoon

Third Platoon, with HQ Panzerschrek's

Thrid Platoon Close Up

More infantry close ups. 

Extreme Close Up!

Neb's

It's short brown Citadel grass patches and long brown Silfor Static Grass

Especially liked that the moulding on the commanders had didn't get lost.  

Nebs got the red waffenfarbe of artillery (which I think is right.. .right?) 

I had some fun with the vallejo basing balast. You can really do some great things with it. Here I added drag marks behind the nebs. I especially like the way the ones on the middle and right turned out. 

Heavy Mortars with 2 observers and command

Turns out, from some research I did, mortar shells were painted red or grey for explosive or smoke. 

I went with Green Waffenfarbe (like the panzergrens)

These observers are actually from the artillery set, but I totally dug the radios so I used them here. 

88's with Heil! on the left one and 7 kill marks on the right. 

Command team, looking especially dapper. 

I tried to add some extra camo on the barrel and it turned out okay. But not awesome. 

It's stripped down paper towels, slathered in heavily watered down PVA glue then wrapped around the barrel. Turns out to be a bit to fibery for it's own good. 

The snow starts as a light base of Mourn Mountain Snow from Citadel then Galeforce 9 snow flock is added over top once it's completely dried. 

Of course, the extra crew for ROF 3. 

My two winter tigers, Hilde and Katje 

From the top

These were based in the Dunklegelb Flames of War Primer (German Armor Mid/Late War). The a heavy wash of PP Menoth White. 

Then heavily dry brushed in white, before being washed again over the zimmerite  and and some other parts in a 3 to 1 mix of devil mud and Vallejo Middlestone. 

Black lining was then done with Secret Weapon Soft Black

Before a final layer of  very wet white was applied over the flat surfaces to give the black lining and other shading extra pop. 

So there it is. I'd love to hear all ya'lls comments!