Afghanistan Compound for 20mm Moderns

Adding to my 20mm Modern Warfare project is this 3D printed Afghanistan Compound by 3D Print Terrain.  This was available from one of their many kickstarters or can be purchased on their website.

I will be doing an article for Paint all the Minis that expands on how this compound came to what it is in these photos.  I will put up a link to the article once it is published on their website.

This thing is huge!

3D Print Terrain Afghan Compound

The detail is lovely for a 3D print

The compound was textured with a mix of PVA glue and Tile Grout

Australians commence clearing the compound

The Taliban have other ideas

The Compound is fully Modular and magnatised

Even More Bad Men

Next up is four more Elhiem 20mm Taliban.  Again... I love these sculpts!

I am pretty happy with this paint job.  I think I have improved on painting 20mm figures.  8mm makes such a difference between these chaps and 28mm figures.

These Taliban guys are carrying LMGs.  According to the Elhiem website there is 1 x RPD, 2 x RPK and 1 x PKM.  If anyone can help identifying them that would be great!

Additionally, February has been a decent month for me with 36 Miniatures painted and zero received.

Elhiem Figures Taliban - Wonderful Figures

Elhiem Figures Taliban LMGs

My two favourite sculpts and paint jobs so far

More bad men

More Taliban hitting the table.  This time I have painted Elhiem Figures lovely 20mm Taliban.  These guys carry an AK-47 and will add to the cannon-fodder of my Modern Wargaming journey.  One of them is laying a suspicious package... could it be an IED?

I only took 1 picture of these latest chaps

A Few Bad Men... and a Good One

Continuing my 20mm Modern project.  I have painted up 4 Taliban RPG operators and a Mercenary/CIA/Special Forces Sniper.  All the miniatures here are from Elhiem.  I have said it before and I will say it again, Elhiem Figures are exceptionally good!

The Taliban RPG operators can be put in teams of 2.  I rushed these a little but for 20mm and being teeny tiny, I am pretty happy with the results.

20mm Taliban RPG Operators by Elhiem Figures

An Elhiem Figures Taliban RPG team.  I like the one on the right.

I like the one on the left aiming down sights.

This is featured on the back of Ambush Alley's Force on Force Modern Rule Set.  

Elhiem Figures has created a limited edition miniature based on the above.

I painted him as a Mercenary or Special Forces Operator

20mm DEVGRU Sniper Team

The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group aka DEVGRU or Seal Team Six is something I will be painting in 20mm.  Elhiem Figures make a fantastic range of these in 20mm.  They are detail packed and really look the part.

I will be painting mine with their digital desert camo pattern.

To start off I painted a DEVGRU sniper team.  I chose this first as it was for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge IX themed round Sport.

I just love the idea of Navy Seals in the 'Ghan.

I found these chaps a joy to paint.

20mm Elhiem Figures DEVGRU Sniper Team

20mm Taliban - The First Batch

Following on from my previous article about my 20mm Australian Platoon, its time for the Taliban.  I need an opponent afterall for my Aussies in the 'Ghan.

Elhiem Figures is perhaps the leading authority on 20mm Modern Miniatures.  The detail is insanely good and a joy to paint.  I love these figures!

The Taliban are easy to paint and the variety of colours available keep it interesting.

Taliban in Mixed Clothing with AK-47 Rifles

Taliban With Assault Rifles

Taliban IED Scouts

A Taliban Motorbike

20mm Modern Australian Platoon

So over the past couple of months I have been painting some 20mm Moderns.  I have decided to go with Elhiem Figures and their terrific modern range.  The range is excellent and there is loads available.

I really like their Australians.  I did a very quick photo shoot as its been ages since I show cased anything!  I really love 20mm.  Such a sweet spot between size and detail!  I can get far more figures for cheap and I dont have to worry about the storage woes of 28mm.

Up next some Taliban... Stay tuned.

An Australian Section Negotiates a poppy field in Afghanistan

A typical Australian Section.  2 Bricks of 4 make a section, 3 sections make a platoon.

Some command options

Australian Riflemen with Grenade attachments to their F88 Steyr Rifles

Australian Diggers with F89 SAWs

MSS with a variety of weapons

The Aussie Digger with his F88 Steyr

20mm Modern Australians by Elhiem Figures

Moderns has been something I have wanted to do for a while but I couldn't pull the trigger.  A few friends were doing it in 28mm and Playing Spectre but the game didn't really appeal to me.  I am slowly losing the battle of Storage to 28mm in particular terrain.  28mm Buildings really do take up lots of space.

Motivated by something I wont quite yet reveal, I decided to go with 20mm for a few reasons.  The first being the amazing and huge range from Elhiem Figures.  The sculpts are awesome, well proportioned and the range is extensive.  I was particularly fond of the Australian Range.  The other reason for going for 20mm is storage and size.  I can have lots of buildings for a fraction of the storage space 28mm takes up.  My terrain will mostly be 3D printed and there is also a massive difference in print times between 20mm and 28mm.  The 20mm miniatures have that sweet spot for detail in sculpting that you can not get in 15mm.

Finally 20mm is terrific value for money! The figures a significantly cheaper than their 28mm bigger cousins.

I have painted up the first 4 of many Modern Australians for Afghanistan.  In 2014 the Australian Army went from their Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform (DPCU) to the Australian Multi Camouflage Uniform (AMCU).  I thought AMCU would be hard to paint however it was quite simple.

I was inspired by Jack Sarge's 28mm Aussies and adapted his recipe with a slight change. How I paint my Modern Australians is as follows:

All Vallejo Colours

Base Coat
Uniform - Iraqi Sand
Steyr - Green Grey
Gloves - Gunship Green
Boots/Knee Pads - Khaki

Wash with Army Painted Strong Tone
I then went over everything with highlights with the same Base Coat Colours

For the Camouflage I painted on the Following
US Field Drab, Yellow-Green, Russian Uniform WW2 then small dots of Cam Olive Green

20mm Modern Australian Infantry by Elhiem Figures

28mm USMC (Warlord Games) comparison with 20mm Modern Australians (Eliem)