US Paras from Forged in Battle

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As some of you may know, I have started putting together a company of US Paras, plus supports, in 15mm.

The MMG Platoon proved a successful test paint, so I decided to bite the bullet and get on with the first of the big paints, the first platoon.

Being a bit sick of painting Battlefront figures, and wanting to spread my cash between manufacturers, I decided to get my first Airborne platoon from Forged in Battle. I like their vehicles, their infantry is metal, and some of the poses I'd seen in various images looked very good.

Well that platoon is now finished, and very pleased I am too. The poses proved excellent, the castings were almost totally flash free, and there wasn't a dud figure in the pack (Battlefront take note!). Here they are:

As you can see, they have taken the paint very well indeed.

For those interested, my painting method was as follows:

  1. Undercoat (spray) in white
  2. Two (2) coats of GW Agrax Earthshade brown wash to bring up the detail (so that I could see it) and provide creases. When painting, try to leave as many creases in place as possible i.e. every step is effectively a kind of highlight.
  3. Highlight face and hands with GW Dwarf Flesh
  4. Top highlight face and hands with GW Kislev Flesh
  5. Paint the helmet straps (one set) GW Balor Brown (leather colour)
  6. Base coat the uniform Foundry Drab Shade
  7. Highlight the uniform in Foundry Drab
  8. Top highlight the uniform in Foundry Drab Light
  9. Base coat the helmet in Vallejo Extra Dark Green
  10. Paint the boots GW Mournfang Brown. Brush from back to front as this leaves just the suggestion of wash colour where the laces would be. Didn't work on all of them, but looks like laces on enough of them to be worthwhile.
  11. Highlight the helmet with flecks of  Vallejo US Dark Green.
  12. Base coat any rucksacks in Vallejo US Dark Green.
  13. Base coast the wooden bits of the guns in GW Rhinox Hide
  14. Highlight any rucksacks in GW Loren Green
  15. Paint all webbing and the second helmet strap in Vallejo Green Grey
  16. Highlight any helmet-strapped medipacks in Foundry Moss Light by painting three vertical lines on them
  17. Paint the metal bits of any guns in GW Abaddon Black.
  18. Paint a square of GW Abaddon Black on the left upper arm as the basis of the Screaming Eagle patch
  19. Highlight the wooden bits of the rifles in GW Skrag Brown
  20. Very lightly highlight (barely at all) the metal bits of the guns in GW Leadbelcher
  21. Paint a triangle of GW Ceramite White on the black patch to represent the eagle's head
  22. Paint a dot on GW Sunburst Yellow at the tip of the triangle to represent the eagle's beak
  23. Glue to 5p pieces as bases: I like to mount my figures individually and use squad sized movement trays
  24. Glue coarse sand onto the bases. Undercoat in a thick coast of GW Rhinox Hide. Highlight with GW Balor Brown. Paint the edge in GW Castellan Green. Add GW Glade Grass flock.
  25. Seal with Army Painter anti-shine.

Phew! That's twenty-five steps for each of the 32 men (three squads of ten and two Big Men), but worth it as I'm very pleased with the results. Here's my favourite figure:

Now onto to platoon two, for which I have figures from Battlefront.