Under Fire Miniatures Cold War Range - part two

So having painted the previous order of Bundeswehr and Soviet figures, I ordered the next batch from Under Fire Miniatures.

Pack RMR1 - Platoon command, comprising sniper with SVD, Radio Operator, Platoon Commander and grenadier with BG-15 underslung grenade launcher attached to his AK-74.

Pack RMR-3 Light support, comprising two with AK-74 and two with RPK clip fed light support weapons.

Pack RMR-4 with three AK-74 and one RPG-7.

Bund-2 Platoon command, Radio operator, Leutnant,Medic and Marksman with 'scoped G3.

Bund-3, Support, comprising Panzerfaust 44, MG3, slung Armbrust and firing Armbrust.

The last pack I ordered was the Rhodesian SAS RhSAS1. This has two RPD Light Support Weapons, one SLR and an AK-47.

They will probably get new heads and be used as miscellaneous troops. The packs will come in useful as well.

Under Fire Miniatures Cold War Bundeswehr Infantry - first four figures

This is the first set of Under Fire Cold War Bundeswehr figures completed.

These are four Bundeswehr troops armed with G3 rifles.

The figures were undercoated black with Citadel Chaos Black followed by PSC German Field Grey.

The webbing and packs are Vallejo USA Olive Drab.

The figures were dry brushed with Citadel Dry Nurgling Green.

The figures were then shaded with Citadel Athonian Camoshade (it came out a bit shiny so I used some Humbrol 49 acrylic varnish).

Twilight 2000 reference material

Twilight 2000 was a role playing game published by Games Designers Workshop (GDW) originally in 1984. It is set in a post nuclear world where World War Three happened.

The original timeline reflects its Cold War period origin. Of course, the fictional timeline  diverts from our own politically with the fall of the Soviet Union. The weapons and tactics that would have been part of the conventional war differ not only because of the loss of the threat of the Soviet Union but also due to the real world conflicts in Kuwait/Iraq, Somalia and the Balkans.

So what reference material is available? There are the original source books by GDW but that is not really enough to identify modern figures and vehicles, nor how to paint them. Well you have to make a decision about what is the base background. 

My thought is that without the conflicts listed above, that there would be a no major developments outside those effectively predicted in the source books. So there are the signature "future" weapons such as the M1A2 Giraffe.

This means that the choice of factual source  books should be limited to either those published at the same time as the game, or those that cover the period before the major divergence.

The company Tankograd publishes a number of books about exercises that took place in that period, such as "Key Flight '89" which was the last BAOR Cold War exercise.

There is also a book on the 1987 Franco-German exercise "Bold Sparrow".

There is also a few books on the vehicles in use in this period, such as the ubiquitous M113, specifically that used by the Bundeswehr. I have an Empress one that will be used by the Under Fire Bundeswehr troops for Twilight 2000 games.

Osprey published a number of books in this key period, their old Vanguard range is no longer available, but occasionally turns up in charity shops and other second hand sellers.

Their Elite series includes books on Warsaw Pact forces (Elite 10), Soviet Army (Elite 12 - originally titled "Inside the Soviet Army Today"), The British Army in the 1980's (Elite 14), Nato Armies Today (Elite 16) and Tank War -Central Front (Elite 26).

The Canadian Major looks like an extra from a car insurance advert...

Under Fire Miniatures Cold War Range

Under Fire Miniatures have begun releasing a range of 28mm Cold War period miniatures. They have ranges covering Soviet, German Bundeswehr, West German Polizei and East Germans troops.

I ordered a pack each of the Soviet, Bundeswehr and East Geman NVA. They arrived in a jiffy bag with the individual packs taped to a card insert, which was a nice touch.

Soviet Pack RMR2 comprises one NCO pointing the way, two PKM machine guns and an AK74.

Bundeswehr pack 1 comprises four troops armed with the G3 rifle.

The East German pack NVA1 comprises a platoon commander, radio operator, a sniper and an RPG7.

There is some mould lines, especially noticeable on the helmets, but that can be removed with careful filing. Some of the barrels are slightly bent, but I have straightened the them with no ill effect.

The following photograph shows the first three (one from each pack) on bases with an Empress Universal Soldier in woolly hat for scale.

Now to finish the bases and start the painting.