The 1st Swallow of Spring - Soviet Scout Carrier

The first of the vehicles put together with the 15th Guards Mech insignia. The Swallow emblem has more or less worked in my own highly amateur style.

For the carrier I wanted it to reflect the same approach I used when putting together my scout squads - looted German equipment, additional stores and a mix of head gear including a ushanka. The passengers are posed pretty chilled out as in the kit but their SMGs are close to hand as is a panzerfaust. The vehicle has its tarpaulin on the rear but also has an additional crew shelter bolted to the flank, spare Jerry cans on the rear and the squad’s personal equipment and med stores are in another bolt on canvas pack.

I swapped out the Brens from this Warlord kit with a pair of MG42s - clearly in game these will be normal LMGs as per the Fortress Budapest book. I am tempted to swap out the pintle MG42 for a dushka at some point but will give it a game or two before making the call. I see this wagon being used for a small squad of rota razvedki which will be used to seize a key point then defend with the support of the carrier which will work as a fire support truck (leaving one of the squad on board to fire the pintle MG42).  With only a four man fire team on the ground they be vulnerable but if taken as veterans and put in a good position they should still achieve the desired effect.

All in I really like the Warlord Universal Carrier kit. Easily assembled and glad it came with crew (wrong nationality but head swaps are easy - just don’t look at the webbing closely).