Today’s models are from what I think of as “The Staircase Collection” – the models I see every time I go up or down the stairs. I picked these up several years ago when Battlefront started running out of things to publish and re-released the smaller individual mid-war books as compilations and adding in what in previous editions were known as “Mid-War Monsters”. Of course, the re-release boxed set came with two tanks while the unit can be taken as 2-3 (the previous release had three). I found all this out when I opened up the box and started learning about this particular tank. This left me with a couple of choices. Just paint the pair (I knew it’d always bother me that little bit). Buy another box (not happening). Or see if there were any decent, free STL files out there that Flippy could work with (Bingo!)

So now, before scrolling further down, I’d like you to look at and compare the two TOG2 models you see before you in the images above. One, an STL file available to anyone at any time for free. The other, a premuim-priced metal and resin kit from one of, if not the biggest 15mm WW2 model producer in the world. Which is which?

That was a loaded question, obviously. The higher quality sculpt is of course the free 3D print. This one is from a sculptor called TigerAce1945, included in his Allied Super Heavy Pack. The Battlefront model was an absolute pig to put together. A model that on the face of it looked like it would/should be simple, but the tracks were in two parts on each side (casting length limitations @BF?) and they simply didn’t fit together very well at all. I ended up standing outside in the cold filing lead away with a metal flat file until I was finally able to make them dry fit for each of the four tracks. Once I had them glued, they naturally also needed quite a bit of putty to fill the large gaps. The final result was fine, but it’s still a pretty simple, plain slab of resin and metal. The 3D print on the other hand was a smooth, easy print resulting in a much more detailed model that weighs less than a 2nd Edition 40k Marine Dreadnought.

What is the TOG II, anyway? It’s basically an experimental tank that never made it to combat, TOG being short for “The Old Gang”. The weird panels on the sides are hatches that were placed over where the side sponsons were originally going to go. But, you know, the TOG II never had sponsons fitted, and the one remaining tank just has those hatches, so following that – so does the one in Flames of War (and World of Tanks, etc). I’ve added a pretty good little video at the end of this post if you’re interested in learning more. In game terms, these are “Wild Card” units that with your opponent’s consent you can include in your FoW force for a bit of ahistorical fun

The paint scheme came from my googling of the tank and finding a nice little video from On Tabletop where he paints his model in the “Mickey Mouse” camo scheme. Since these go into the Mid-War British list, this means my models need to be painted for the desert, rather than in the green and black the MM scheme usually appears to be in, which is also why I chose not to use the pretty good looking three-colour camo scheme of the Tank Museum’s TOG. I also picked up some of the new AK Real Colour markers, and so decided to go with a theoretical camo scheme for this paper panzer – a light olive green “mickey mouse” camo over desert pink, but rather than the dark colour being applied solidly on the top I used it to break up the colours. A few decals added that make some sense according to my limited research, and some aerial recognition roundels on top, since any RAF aircraft in support probably won’t be all that used to what these things look like from above.

Ultimately, these tanks never fired a shot in anger, so I treated them like a fun little side project in terms of the painting with an ultimate aim of making them look a bit less like something that escaped a Warhammer 40k game and a bit more like something that could have theoretically been sent over to fight the DAK in North Africa.