Cyanight's Customizations

@Cloudesley Infantrymen will fit on the roundels – so it’s easy to keep track, and I place them next to the board so everyone can see them to strategize

I’ve started work on some low cost customization for Europe 1940 2nd edition (and will include pacific 1940 2nd edition when I get it). I was able to get some player aids from https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/21752/game-aids-a-a-1940-global-2nd-edition. I’m also going to implement a resource system into the game, that will introduce resource costs for units (such as steel to buy tanks). Also, there will be an upkeep cost for units, eg: Each tank you have mobilized will cost a certain amount of oil per turn. This is to make the game more realistic, and to discourage unit spamming. I also plan to add more units to the game. That’s all for now

Thank you for the positive feedback! I forgot to say that in the previous post, and it’s very important that I do. It’s very encouraging and motivating to get good feedback, and we certainly appreciate it. The above mentioned four Essex class carriers are complete, a long with several other ships of the US Navy, so its time to update the thread. Just ships by FOlewnik in this post. More aircraft are almost done but I haven’t put magnets in them yet (so not really done), so no aircraft pictures this post.

We’ll start with the two “odd men out” of the HBG sculpt Baltimore Class Heavy Cruisers. Why “odd men out”? Because in the below picture we have on the left, the USS Unnamed Baltimore Class Cruiser Wearing Measure 31a, Design 9C, and on the right is the USS Columbus (CA 74), which wasn’t commissioned until June 8, 1945. The cruiser with the long name is wearing a design that was never used, but was taken from a period design found at https://www.wikiwand.com/en/World_War_II_US_Navy_dazzle_camouflage_measures_31,_32_and_33:_cruisers. The USS Columbus is wearing a Measure 12 Modified designed by FOlewnik to match the pieces we’ll be using for the US Atlantic fleet. These will get aircraft added, but at the time of the photographs the decals on the wings of the aircraft were drying.
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Next up are some metal destroyers from GHQ. Below on the left, the very brave USS Johnston (DD-557) painted in MS-3_/6D as it looked when it was “Sunk by Japanese Warships off Samar October 25 1944,” and next to it is USS Van Valkenburgh (DD-656) painted in camouflage Measure 31, Design 9d. All Wartime photos taken from Navsource.org, a great resource for US Navy history buffs.
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Below, the real USS Johnston shortly before her final battle, and the official design sheet:
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A great wartime picture of the USS Van Valkenburgh, which is the same on both sides:
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Now on to these two. From GHQ, USS The Sullivans (DD-537) painted in Measure 1, and the HBG sculpt light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12) who always wore Measure 2 throughout the war. If I can get FOlewnik to put the Shamrock on the first stack of The Sullivans when he puts the scout aircraft on the Marblehead, as seen in the below wartime photograph, I’ll come back and edit the post.
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The post previous to this post showed four Essex Class sculpts from HBG getting prepped and started with a base coat. Those are now completed and I had too much fun playing with them and the aircraft (that are complete so far) while I was taking photographs. I’m pretty sure I didn’t make any wooshing sea or aircraft noises or FOlewnik would have laughed at me. I was tempted though, and here’s why:
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Above we have the first of the Long Hull Essex Class, USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) on the left looking as she did after her April 1945 refit from suffering a Kamikaze Attack on January 21, 1945, and USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) on the right. The Bunker Hill is wearing Measure 33, Design 6A, of which Navsource says, “Her port side camouflage pattern was the most intricate design applied to any carrier.” One glance can confirm that!
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The final two Essex Class carriers are the USS Essex (CV-9) herself, and the USS Bennington (CV-20). The Essex is wearing a unique pattern, Measure 32v6, Design 10D, adapted from a destroyer pattern specifically for the long hulled Essex. The Bennington is painted in Measure 32, Design 17A.
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Finally, some group pictures just for fun:
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Thank you for checking out the post! If you liked it, please click the little heart. I’m trying to figure out why our post is only rated with a 2 when it seems it should be a bit higher if the other likes are any indication.

I know this is quite old, but I would love an SVG file of the map at a decently high quality (high enough to distinguish roundels and text). If needed, you can email it to me.

What a great idea Der Kuenstler. I was feeling intimidated because I don’t know how to post pics here of what I’ve been up to the last couple of weeks since I dusted off my games and brought them out of the closet. I’ve been inspired to customize a room in my house by all the great people on here who have been so passionate about doing their own customizations and it’s been a lot of fun for me at a time when I’m not able to do much else. I’ve still got a little ways to go but so far the Great White Northern Bunker is coming along nicely and there’s lots of time to finish it before the long hard winter and the impending march to Moscow begins…or when I return to work…whatever comes first.

Very nice indeed.

@Tall:

**––They’re already great,…and on their way to being “PREMIUM”

----You know, I wonder if I my desire for ultimate detail on my units might not be partially to blame for everyones’ “detail addiction” of late. If so I’ll take my ‘bows’ for enfluencing you (in the smallest of ways) in your future endeavors, and I’m anxiously awaiting your future “Premium” works.

Tall Paul**

If you wish to believe that then good for you. Fact is a lot of us don’t have the money to pay for a professional painter let alone a team of them. Fact is, some of us don’t have a whole lot of time to devote to it, but we do learn as we go and so our products keep getting better.  Yes the units you receive may be the best of what any of us could achieve, but like my earlier argument, comes down to time and learning.

Following up:

I went out and bought a can of chrome spray-paint from a Blick arts-and-crafts store, and did a few tests on some B-17’s…

I’ll post pictures if anyone wants to see them.  It looks great.  Nice, even coating… very lustrous.  With some added details I think my late-war aircraft are going to look amazing.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.