CoC Italian Desert Patrol Markers WIP

As mentioned in my previous post I already have quite a few painted 15mm Italians for North Africa (for which I can't take any credit), so this seemed like the most appropriate place to start building my Patrol Markers. Flicking through the Chain of Command scenaios it appears that six markers is the most I will ever need (for Scenario 5: 'Flank Attack'), which is emminently managable.  With this in mind I started picking suitable miniatures out of my KR case, and put together the following:

An unbuttoned Autoblinda 41 scouting ahead.

Two L3/35s and a brave/foolhardy tank commander.

A broken-down L6/40 with unhelpful driver. Camouflage needs finishing.

A parked Autoblinda 41 and radioman.

A Fiat CR.42 Falco - ace model, but still need to work out how to mount it.

 

 

By far and away my favourite is this little L3/35 cresting a dune...

Look at him, going as fast as his tiny running wheels will carry him.

 ... which is my attempt at a homage to this fantastic Italian propoganda picture.

If only there had been sand dunes on the Eastern Front.

The markers themselves are 60mm bases which have been textured with wood filler sculpted into vague dunes, then had the wheels of the vehicles dragged through it to create some tyre-marks, and finally had very fine sand dumped on them whilst still wet. This has adhered to the filler to provide a suitably textured surface. These will then get some coarser sand and the odd bit of gravel stuck to them with a bit of a PVA to make some more stoney ground, and then I intend to undercoat and paint them - though I am sure Darren will suggest I don't need to. Add the odd bit of yellowed static grass after painting for parched and dried up vegetation, and I'm away.

Of course these markers are best suited to the Fucilieri, but I intend to do some more appropriate to the Bersagilieri later on - with a suitable focus on Motociclisti, but I'm also thinking of putting in some Auto-Sahariana in AS.42s, as I'll mainly be fielding them to counter the SAS and LRDG. More on them - and the other British and Commonwealth forces - later.