The Russians are Coming!

When BF released their plastic T-34 box, I bought one just to see what it was like. BF have a winner here. The models practically fall together, detail is excellent. decals and magnets are included and all for $9 per model. The assorted gun barrels are much sturdier than the Plastic Soldier Company equivalents, which is a good thing - perfect to-scale modeling is all well and good but these are toys for table top gaming, not static display models, so they need to take some handling.

I used White Ensign Model's "WW2 Russian Green" to airbrush these models, over a mid-grey primer. I had an urge to experiment with shades, so I made up a batch that was lightened with a sandy yellow and sprayed this over the models first, then went back over them with straight-up Russian Green, leaving the lightened colour on all the raised areas - hull and turret edges, and so on.

I was surprised at how pale this paint shade turns out to be. Some internetz reading tells me that current opinion is in favour of this much paler green for WW2 Russian tanks and that the darker green we used to associate with said tankovy was an error, a later colour, an expedient variation because of paint shortages in late '41 or early '42 (the famous "use the tractor paint, comrade" approach), or a combination thereof. Whatevs, as my teenage son says.

The models looked to light and bright, so they received all-over washes with GW Devlan Mud and Badab Black into the engine grills. After that was drying, I looked at the decal sheet, couldn't make up my mind (too many options!) and then justified a lack of action by saying "decals should have gone on before the washes".

The last couple of batches of vehicles, assorted things in German Gey, were weathered with airbrushed browns on the undersides, chassis, and lower areas to simulate earth and dirt. The T-34s weren't, because the wash was pretty dirty already.

And yes, the 76mm turret with commander figure does not sit on the hulls because I managed to get the magnet reversed, despite multiple precautions. Oh well.