KG Peiper Finished

We had a goal this summer to finish a 1780 army before December. Mission -accomplished-.

I was really interested to learn about the Ardennes, the different camouflages, what was used, who did what, where and when. While on paper the German army looked very potent, the odds were really against them. They might have shattered the Allied front but things went bad and luck was rather on the US side, giving the Allies enough to time leverage on their heroic defense.

Of course, there is more to paint but in terms of points and playability, I am there. 1765 points:

Platoon	Qty	Unit	Points
Headquarters
SS-Kampfgruppe Peiper HQ  p.11	2	Panther G	325
Combat Platoons
SS-Panzer Platoon  p.11	4	Panzer IV J	300
SS-Panzer Platoon  p.11	4	Panther G	655
Support Platoons
Gepanzerte SS-Panzergrenadier Platoon  p.12	1 4 6	Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team Sd Kfz 251/1D half-track Panzerfaust MG team	270
Fallschirmjäger Platoon  p.17	1 9	Cmd Panzerfaust Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team	215
Company Points:			1765

www.EasyArmy.com

Source document: Devils Charge

The remaining stuff that are going to be painted so I can field fun armies:

• 2 x Tiger II
• 3 x sdkfz 10/5
• 3 x pumas
• 3 x Wirbelwind
• 2 x Volkgrenadiers platoons

For the rest, we will see. I don't want to fall into a burnout again

2 x panther Coy HQ and 4 x panther platoon

The models are from Plastic Soldier company, the figures are from Peter Pig, one is from Battlefront. I was quite disappointed that Battlefront did not come with more interesting figures for the Ardennes (besides the Volkgrenadiers that look very good!).

1 x German Paratrooper platoon

 I broke a bit the uniformity of the bases with the snow, but this platoon is a pure indulgence and anyway who cares?... The figures are from Forged in Battle with customs great coats added with green stuff.

Pz IV platoon

 The models are from Forged in Battle. What I like about them is that there is almost no assembly to be done, nearly everything is cast in resin with a minimum of metal parts to be glued. A huge time saver in my view as I prefer painting than gluing. After some research evidenced by pictures, the PZ IV in KG Peiper add white crosses instead of the classic black and white.

Panzer Grenadier platoon

 The figures are from Battlefront, the sdkfz 251 from Plastic Soldier Company and vehicle crews from Battlefront, Peter Pig. Accessories are from Battlefront, Plastic Soldier company and the canvas covers from Heer46. I like very much the dynamic poses of the figures, they do look like aggressive fighters in a middle of an engagement. The only down point, and it is not the first that this reference is problematic, is the faces of the figures, almost nothing to work with, blobs of metals. I suppose it has to do more with the factory than the sculpting.

2 x objectives

These are "old" objectives that I had painted at the start of my Ardennes journey. The left one is from Peter Pig, the right one is made of a Kerr & King resin base and Battlefront figures.

So what have we learned?
the good:

• Outstanding books (Panther in the mist, The battle of the Bulge now and then, Battle, A time for trumpets)
• Plastic Soldier Company is definitely a force to reckon with
• Forged in Battle as some sweet gems worth taking a look
• Life colour paints were a nice surprise, a bit thin, but interesting to work with
  

the improvable:

• Battlefront has been evil chaotic in the past few months but I am ready to give them a chance after their improving PR and interesting new stuff (Open fire set with plastic, Volksgrenadiers)
• Osprey books, too short to be of the type of value I am looking for
• The damn Dunkelgelb (german dark yellow) is still an elusive color and I still haven't found a reference I am happy with.
• Not to ever use mat varnish in a spray, always apply with a brush, always