Our Social Media team might be the luckiest people in the world – they get to spend time scouring the internet for gorgeous armies, and chatting to the talented painters and modellers behind them. Recently, Sean Kotch turned up with an absolutely cracking Konflikt ’47 Axis force – and here he is to tell you all about it!
Konflikt ‘47 wasn’t really on my radar until the first details about the new edition started circulating. Around that time, I was spending a lot of late weekends hanging out and painting on my friend Tiki the Hutt’s YouTube livestreams. A lot of the folks there were heavily into K47, which definitely piqued my interest. Initially, I just wanted to paint a few minis rather than actually play, but once I started hearing rumours about changes to the lore, I was hooked. And, to be fair, Mordian Glory may have played a small part in nudging me over the edge too.
That shift in the lore really cemented my choice of army: the Axis. The shrouded, possibly occult origins and motivations of the Green Vault completely gripped my imagination. I’ve always loved anything tied to secret societies and the occult. Add in the horror vibes of the Schreckwulfen and the classic Nachtjäger, and… well, I ended up spending far too much money. And I haven’t really stopped since nor do I plan to, at least until I’ve got one of every platoon type fully fleshed out and painted.
That whole occult, secret society angle has driven both the theme and painting style of the army. My regular troops all wear fezzes (found in the Waffen-SS plastics) like some kind of deranged lodge. I’ve used camo schemes inspired by animal prints, suggesting they operate out of a hidden base somewhere in Central or South America. Maybe they’re pursuing obscure relics, or conducting experiments too dangerous to carry out back home. Probably both. They’re almost certainly searching for entrances to the Hollow Earth… or clues to the location of Atlantis.
That theme naturally fed into the painting style: moody and shadowy. I use purples and violets for shading to give everything a slightly unnatural feel. Ice Yellow acts as a universal highlight colour, helping tie the whole force together visually. The combination gives the army a kind of eerie, storybook illustration vibe, which I really enjoy. To keep things interesting, lighter units and vehicles use a leopard-style camo, while heavier elements lean into a ringed octopus pattern. I’ve got plans to introduce another scheme soon, I just haven’t quite settled on what yet.
It’s been a genuinely fun project from start to finish. The Schreckwulfen and Nachtalben in particular were an absolute joy to paint clean, uncluttered sculpts that really let the style shine. I’m especially pleased with how the Tiger II X turned out. As for characters, my favourite has to be the converted Hans Hoch. There’s something about the contrast between the bright green Rift energy effects and the muted camo that just works. Plus, he’s got a fez and a moustache, and I firmly believe everyone should have both.
I’ve only managed a handful of games so far and lost all of them. I’m looking forward to losing plenty more, ideally in some big, ridiculous games. For me, the result isn’t nearly as important as putting on a spectacle, something that’s fun to play and just as fun for others to watch as they walk past.
Looking ahead, that idea of creating memorable, cinematic experiences is going to keep shaping the army. I’ve also got an artillery platoon waiting to be painted. But before that, I should really get my Wotan finished so we can throw down a proper Walker Wars game. Realistically though, what I probably need is to learn how to paint at warp speed like Warlord’s own Chris Bilewicz, who I’m fairly certain isn’t entirely human! (He is human, just really, really tall. We had to check when we hired him. -ed.)
Want to follow Sean’s example with an Axis force?
