Posts made by Spitfire38

_If you are coming to this thread by way of the A&A.org homepage, welcome! I’m so glad you found it. I hope that the article, and the information contained in it helps current or aspiring painters. Please feel free to ask questions about anything and everything, request tutorials, or comment on how you do things.

Hello everyone!

I have been on this site for about 2 years now, partly for strategy talks, partly for painting ideas and resources. There are a lot of great painted pieces out there (I have mainly looked at Allworkandnoclay’s and Viracocha’s), but I have not stumbled upon a thread that includes a tutorial or explanation of HOW to paint pieces. Hopefully this thread can be a resource for anyone interested in painting their own sets or for anyone who has any questions regarding painting.

I have been painting since I got my first 1942 set 2 years ago; I finished that and have moved onto my global set. My work has progressed from my first crude brown and maroon T-34s to my newly finished AVG Flying Tiger with shark camo and Chinese roundels  :-) I would call myself experienced, but not an expert or professional. I find time between school and my job to paint, so it gets done based on how much time I have.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have! And constructive criticism is appreciated as well.

I’d like to start with the tools and paints I use. I’ll be posting some pictures and advice soon._

@wwestpro:

@Spitfire38:

Quick Alpha +3 rule question. Does the US still have the 30 IPC bonus during wartime? (for just europe, and for global) thanks!

Krieghund has answered this question for me already (I’m in the same situation).  Basically, there is no definite answer yet because they haven’t finalized the rules for global.  Once they do, they can narrow it down for pacific and europe only maps.

What I have been doing is using Alpha 3 and giving the US only 20 IPCs more to balance it out a bit.  You’ll find that the US is way too strong with 30.

Thanks…20 IPCs sounds like a good “bid”, or inverse bid/penalty I guess  :lol:

I’ll have to try that. I’ll let you know!

@wwestpro:

@Spitfire38:

Quick Alpha +3 rule question. Does the US still have the 30 IPC bonus during wartime? (for just europe, and for global) thanks!

Krieghund has answered this question for me already (I’m in the same situation).  Basically, there is no definite answer yet because they haven’t finalized the rules for global.  Once they do, they can narrow it down for pacific and europe only maps.

What I have been doing is using Alpha 3 and giving the US only 20 IPCs more to balance it out a bit.  You’ll find that the US is way too strong with 30.

Thanks…20 IPCs sounds like a good “bid”, or inverse bid/penalty I guess  :lol:

I’ll have to try that. I’ll let you know!

Ok thanks. Currently I only own Europe, so that is the one I am most curious about, but it is good to know about global as well. Thank you!! I’ll look for that thread

Quick Alpha +3 rule question. Does the US still have the 30 IPC bonus during wartime? (for just europe, and for global) thanks!

So the official rules for alpha +3 take out the 30 IPC bonus? so just original income + NOs?

@wwestpro:

EDIT: I also noticed that the US no longer has the NO of +30 IPCs in wartime.  Is this a mistake?

Yes, I would like to know the answer too… I often feel that the US are overpowered and it would be interesting to see what would happen without the 30 IPCs.

What exactly is the difference of the Union Jack infantry as opposed to your regular British roundel troops… I know both insignia are acceptable, but do you use it for differentiating between Europe and Pacific?

Beautiful work by the way… an oasis in a desert…you haven’t been on in a while!  :-)

Thanks man!

@450thMSAF:

can i buy some nice work man :-D

thanks! Well, I’ve been interested in selling my work, so it’s definitely a possibility!  :-D Send me a personal message if you’re interested so we don’t clutter this thread.
@450thMSAF:

how hard was it to make

well… I’ve gotten to the point where it is easy for me. But it took a LOT of practice. I fully painted a 1942 set before I got some really good results.

@Gargantua:

1.  Not alot of information is presented in your example :s  If it was JUST cruisers, I might trade 10 ipc planes, for 12 ipc cruisers, and the transports after they die  - OF MORE IMPORTANCE however, is killing his ground units in normandy,  he would have to take 2 turns to return the transports he used, to America, to bring more forces….  costly in time.

Well he had 3 “fleets” of 3-4 cruisers, 3-5 transports, and a BB in one, an AC in one, and 2-3 destroyers in the other. So he had a pretty much continous flow… at one point I got smart and strategic bombed the normandy naval base, rendering it useless.

@Gargantua:

• Also, don’t leave static defenses….  10 guys in Normandy that get wasted by air and bombards, is a bad move.  BUT, If you sit in paris, give it to him for free, and counter attack… you get to waste HIS 10 men that he lands instead.

Haha that’s exactly what I did! I had been contemplating it in my mind, but this is the first time I actually had the chance to try it. It worked pretty well. I counterattacked and won, but then he shifted to Operation Torch, and I hadn’t been holding Gibraltar well enough.

@Gargantua:

3.  Yes this allows for a successful Russian Campaign - That is methodical, deliberate, and monitored.  A successful Russian campaign is best accomplished by matching dollar for dollar - OR BETTER, the amount of units heading east vs what Russia is sending at you.  Try to threaten the north via ships in the baltic, whilst pushing heavy south  (Romanian / Ukraining IC’s).  Italian Air cover will provide you with some interesting oppurtunities, if you read under the global section my “Axis Arrow Head” speech.

All right, I’ll read that. I think I’ve been going about Russia the wrong way… I always push hard on Leningrad. Is that bad, or should I go for tboth, or just go hard on Stalingrad?

Again thanks!!

@sargon:

Question: If Germany takes London on turn 3 and the Italians strategic bomb the naval base in Gibralter and render it useless how can it ever be rebuilt? Assume America lands a force there. Can the USA rebuild the naval base even though it belongs to Britain? Or, does London have to be retaken and only the Brits can rebuild the base?

mjtlaw

Only the British can rebuild it, so yes, it’s a good idea b/c it is rendered useless for the Americans  :wink: same in Normandy

Really? I thought it was liberated, even if the capital is gone.

Hmmm. interesting tactics- I like them!

A few questions- these are by no means refuting your tactics, just a few situational questions.

1. In the last game, my opponent landed his troops in Normandy, and his naval force was almost completely cruisers… no subs or anything. (The reason I couldn’t compete with his navy was because I was pouring troops into Russia) Any ideas on how to counter?

2. I didn’t know subs could go into the Med even when hostile forces control it… is that in the rules?

3. Will this strategy allow for a successful Russian campaign?, cause without the Russian VCs, you can’t win; unless you take America or Ottowa.

Thanks for the great advice… it appears to be a feasible strategy and very IPC friendly  :wink:

This campaign involves completely ignoring Russia… you can’t carry on a major US assault and commit to Operation Barbarossa IMHO

@special:

Bombing USA?? From where?

Exactly… first of all, bombing the Americans automatically declares war on them, allowing them to enter early, and unless you can definitely crush them, that’s the last thing you want to do. Second, you would have to have a really large fleet to protect a few ACs with Tacs on them against an American fleet. I don’t mean to poke holes in your plan, but I don’t see how it’s possible.

Hey, advice needed. Does anyone have a feasible strategy to repel the American landing forces? I’m talking about long term, not just smash their initial invasion but with heavy losses… they have another 10 troops coming next turn! I just ended a game at Round 6- we never got a chance to finish; I was the Axis. The only reason I was able to hold most of Europe (I ended up losing Rome) was because I had taken England on G3 and Italy ran wild all over Africa and the Middle East… they were up to 45 IPCS a turn w/out NOs. I can’t figure out a way to hold your VCs in Europe (Berlin, Warsaw, Rome, Paris) against the Americans while still mounting a successful campaign to take London, Cairo, Leningrad, Stalingrad, and Moscow. You can’t win w/out taking 2 of Russia’s cities, which is hard with the Americans sapping support from the west… any ideas?

Thanks guys!
@Imperious:

You can get 1/700 scale decals for the planes and save time making all these roundels.

I have looked at I-94’s decals and thought about it… the only ones I have trouble with are the Russian stars. I enjoy hand painting the insignia and I feel like it makes it look more uniform when it’s all paint, but like you said, it would definitely save some time  :lol:

@Lozmoid:

Question to you and to any other painters - do you ever paint the underneath of the aircraft?

Yes, I do paint the undersides, as I am sure most of the other painters here do. I paint the USAF, Luftwaffe, and Italian airforce with gray undersides, while the RAF and Russian airforce have robin blue undersides.

I have also painted the British navy, and I really like how they turned out, but I haven’t been able to get any pics yet. I’ll try to post those soon, as well as the US infantry.

all right, I set up a thread in the Europe forum (cause it IS my Europe set after all  :wink:)

Desert stuka, italian greyhound fighters, and then some brit infantry from my 1942 set

and MORE USAF olive drab