's commission from one of our own.
Combined Arms! Ever since a copy of the Combined Arms rules fell onto my desk, I've been wrapped up in trying to decide which nation I'd like to play in our Warlord games HQ Combined Arms campaign. Most had already chosen their faction and were well on their way to completing their chosen forces, but nobody had chosen the Italians…
Being the subject of our latest Bolt Action plastic infantry kit, they were a no-brainer. Looking over the release schedule, I could see that we've also got other Italian releases coming soon and more on pre-order. Brand-new models and sculpts – perfect.
I set about gathering my forces, turning first to the naval aspect, the Victory at Sea Regia Marina starter fleet was more than adequate to kick me off, and they came together beautifully. This was my first time painting ships, and at the start, I was slightly nervous about how good they would look when I'd painted them. The models, however, really lend themselves to ease, and with small amounts of detail work and weathering they looked amazing, and I managed to paint all of them over one weekend – a big tick!
The plastic Italian Army & Blackshirts were my next grab and, like other more recent plastic kits, their assembly was simple but there are stacks of options for posing, giving a very varied-looking force. The scope of the kit is also wide – it is perfect for use in the Western Desert, the Eastern Front, or Italy itself, with only the paint scheme being the major difference. There are even options to field Blackshirts with their trademark fezzes – so many choices.
As we don't currently have any Italian aircraft in our Blood Red Skies range (although they are on the way!), for my Regia Aeronautica component, I've grabbed a box of German Messerschmitt 109s which I've painted in Italian color schemes, and freehand-painted the markings.
I'm really excited for all three elements of my Italian force coming together, and I already have plans for what I want to get next! Heavy weapons and vehicle support for my ground troops, more destroyers for my fleet, and one more squadron of Messerschmitts to complete my air force!