The packs have some interesting sculpts available. Each has a female character and a variety of armaments indicative of how the partisans were armed. If you want to add more firepower without converting anything, you can always add British regulars as commandos operating in support of the partisans.

Here are two pictures of the first pack of figures:

I will walk through the painting of two of the models to show how you can paint these to a better than average standard.

1. The first thing you need to do is decide what type of base you want to mount them on. The SOTR1949 rules are flexible enoughto allow you a wide latitude in base sizes and types. I have used the rounded baseshere as they match what I have already done. You can buy these bases in bulk from Fantization.I mounted all of mine on a slim piece of plasticard to plug the slot in the base and raise the miniature up a bit so the bottoms of his shoes were level with the bevel (ouch, that did *not* come out sounding well!)

2.  I have found that parakeet gravel or something similar in consistency provides for n exaggerated surface that enhances dry brushing. I used white glue on the base and dipped each miniature in the gravel and allowed it to dry. I followed up with a thin coat of white glue and water to ensure the stuff stays on the base and does not flake off. The white you see is from a Reaper Master Series (MSP) brush on primer. It's the boss! Of course, there is also a black brush on primer available.

 

 6. There are several different techniques used in determining where highlights go. One is the GW way which is to take a static point of light and rotate the figure around it. This leads to highlights along all of the folds, raised areas, and so on. It works wonderfully well to show details on gaming figures. Another way to do it (ad one I learned at ReaperCon - thans Sue Wachowski!) is to look at the miniature from the top down (or wherever the light source is) and look for areas that will be illuminated by the light source. In the pictures below, you can see the tails and upper arms of the  coat are highlighted as are the shoulders. On the skirt the upper level of the buttocks, the area where the skirt flares out at the bottom, and the line of the legs are highlighted as well. The picture on the right shows the hat and where light will hit on it - the bill, the peak in the center, and the front of the ca. It's worth pointing out that lighter areas on cloth or fabrics are larger than those on metals.

 

 

7. The remainder of the clothing is painted in the same way. You might notice the shine on the female figure, particularly in the grey areas. This comes from using drying retarder in the paint to lengthen the working time (again, I use MSP retarder). The berets on these figures arehandled differently than the hat shown above. Given the angle of the beret and lack of a central peak I highlighted from light to dark down the edges and from the top closest to the light source to the centers of the berets. I like the look but you may find you'd prefer a different procedure. If you find the shine is a distraction, you can spray a light coat of matte varnish (I use Dullcote) on the figures between each step. This will give you a better feel for how the shading will look.

 

 

 

8. The gravel on the base is covered with either a black or dark brown diluted paint. I then drybrush the gravel with a mix of medium to light browns, greys, and red-browns. The dark color base brings out the other colors more than a dark green would. I use GF9's flock for my bases. The containers are easy to work with and there is a substantial amount in each for your money. I use super glue dabbed on in random places followed by sprinkling flock on the base and pressing down on it.

 

 

 

9. I don't try to do Non-Metal Metal techniques on my gaming miniatures. It's a lot of work for little return on the game table in my opinion. On miniatures painted for competition it's a different story. I do try and put some lighter streaks in the wooden stocks and outline the areas between bands on the rifles or between pieces of the weapons. I'll also place a few highlights on elevated areas of the weapons to accent them. Most gun barrels and fittings are coated in a matte surface to prevent a soldier from giving away their position but it looks odd on miniatures so I use gunmetal or steel colors.

 

 

 

So there you have it. Eight fighters for France painted, based, and undercoated. This is a great set from West Wind and if you have an interest in SOTR or WW2 you should add these to your wish list.