28mm US Airborne from Artizan Designs

[bigjackmac]

All,

Yes, the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, or something to that effect...  I can't even remember the last time I played a game and posted it; I could look it up to know exactly, but let's just call it a couple years.  In the past couple years I've played a few games by myself, trying out new rules or new setups, but was hasn't happy with them, and I've played a couple games with my boys but didn't take any photos, so I decided not to post anything.

Most of my time has been spent painting and, once again, I've been painting like a madman.  As you can see, once again, I've jumped head first into a new scale...  28mm this time.  It started as a dabble.  I set up a 15mm skirmish game with some WWII US Marines, and I just got to staring at it and thinking "ya know, most folks skirmish in larger scales," and I was looking online and they just looked so cool, and Warlord Games had come out with these plastic 28mm multi-pose troops that looked pretty cool, so I sprung for some 28mm US Marines and Japanese.  As usual with me, once I started I couldn't stop.


I wasn't really ready to post and tell the world about my adventure into 28mm stuff, but I figured I owed it to Mr. Nick from North Star Military Figures.  Nick has been absolutely fantastic!  I'm a bit picky when trying to put forces together; North Star Military Figures (https://www.northstarfigures.com/).  I'm huge into WWII, of course, and his lines of figures from Artizan Designs and Crusader are excellent.  He's got an option for a platoon deal and I've made the most of that (four times now, already looking at another two or three!), and he's been extraordinarily gracious in working with me to get exactly the poses/figures I want and so I figured I owed him to spread the good word, let everyone know how great his products are and how great he's been in helping me out.  So, without further adieu, let me show you the platoon I've completed.


A platoon of troops to represent the 82nd Airborne, all from Nick's Artizan Designs figures.  They're metal, nice and chunky, great sculpting, great detail, great proportions, and great variety of poses.

A few looks at some of the wonderful castings:







On a side note, everything (well, almost everything) you see here was painted up using the new(ish) "Contrast Paints," which I've really fell in love with, and which I think make me look like a much better painter than I actually am

In any case, another thanks to Nick, and if you'd like to see a lot more photos, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2025/04/28mm-us-airborne-from-artizan-designs.html

V/R,
Jack

[pierre the shy]

Welcome back to the fight Jack, hope you're well.

Your 28mm stuff looks great, the contrast paints really suit them   

Look forward to seeing what plans you have for them in due course.

[Steve J]

Welcome back Jack and a surprise move to 28mm games, but as long as you're happy, that's all that matters !

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great to see you back, Jack. Stonking work.

[Techno 3]

Welcome back, Jack !

[bigjackmac]

Oh my goodness, it warms the heart tee so many of the old familiar faces still here!  Greetings everyone, I hope all is well!  And thanks for all the kind words, but believe me if you haven't tried them, I'm not that good a painter, it's the Contrast paints themselves!

Yeah, as with most wargaming stuff I do, not sure why I got into 28mm and not sure what I do with all the 6mm, 10mm, and 15mm stuff I've got lying around. Sometimes I still pine for the simple days when I'd kick out four batreps in a weekend with my carpet hills, walks and buildings sprayed khaki, and my trusty 10mm Pendrakens

V/R,
Jack

[fred.]

Welcome back Jack. We'll forgive you for going too big scale wise  

Contrast paints are great! I use them for a large percentage of all that I paint now. 

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Fred, and yes, I'm way out there now with these absolutely GIANT minis

I don't mean to utter anything blasphemous here, I'm certainly a huge fan of 10mm, but it's the nostalgia; messing with 28mm figures actually *feels* like I'm a kid again playing with toy soldiers

And the Contrast paints are absolutely awesome, never could have done it without them.

V/R,
Jack

[paulr]

Hi Jack welcome back

Great figures    great painting    not the best scale

[bigjackmac]

Paul,

Hey buddy, good to see you, and thanks!  And yeah, I know (about the scale).

I guess I just have a need to keep painting; I bought and painted every force I could think of in 10mm, then did it in 6mm, then did it in 15mm, now doing it in 28mm... Someone please put me out of my misery

V/R,
Jack