[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"faction-/factions/bolt-action-soviet-union":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":370,"description":371,"extension":372,"faction":373,"heroImage":374,"hex":375,"intro":376,"lastUpdated":370,"meta":377,"navigation":378,"path":379,"seo":380,"stem":381,"system":382,"__hash__":383},"factions/factions/bolt-action-soviet-union.md","How to Paint Soviet Infantry (Bolt Action)",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":360},"minimark",[9,19,24,32,36,39,82,96,124,142,146,237,241,244,282,286,306,310,352],[10,11,12,13,18],"p",{},"Soviets are the fastest full army in Bolt Action to get onto a table, because the uniform is one colour worn by everybody and the kit is simple. There is no camouflage to pattern, no regimental variation to research and no bright facing colours - a rifle section is khaki-olive cloth, brown leather and a rifle. That makes them ideal for ",[14,15,17],"a",{"href":16},"/guides/drybrushing","batch painting"," large squads, and it means the small decisions - how warm the khaki runs, where the one red accent goes - carry all the character.",[20,21,23],"h2",{"id":22},"the-signature-look","The signature look",[10,25,26,27,31],{},"The gymnastyorka tunic and trousers sit in a khaki-olive band: greener than British battledress, browner and duller than American olive drab. Against that, Soviet field kit is warm brown ",[28,29,30],"em",{},"leather"," where the Germans use blackened straps, and that warmth is the tell - the moment a Soviet's belt and pouches go dark, the figure starts reading as German. Helmets and vehicles go a distinctly greener 4BO protective green, and the only saturated colour anywhere is a cap star or a collar tab.",[20,33,35],{"id":34},"the-khaki-olive-uniform","The khaki-olive uniform",[10,37,38],{},"Undercoat black or dark brown.",[40,41,42,51,62,68],"ol",{},[43,44,45,46,50],"li",{},"Basecoat Vallejo Model Color ",[47,48,49],"strong",{},"Russian Uniform WWII",", two thin coats. This is the reference tone for Red Army cloth and worth owning even if you paint nothing else Soviet.",[43,52,53,54,57,58,61],{},"Shade with ",[47,55,56],{},"Agrax Earthshade"," in the folds, or Army Painter ",[47,59,60],{},"Military Shade"," across the whole garment if you want it to stay green rather than warming up.",[43,63,64,65,67],{},"Layer ",[47,66,49],{}," back over the raised cloth: the chest of the tunic, the tops of the shoulders, the front of the thighs.",[43,69,70,71,73,74,77,78,81],{},"Highlight with ",[47,72,49],{}," mixed two to one with ",[47,75,76],{},"Green Ochre",", then a final sparing catch of ",[47,79,80],{},"Iraqi Sand"," on shoulders, elbows and knees.",[10,83,84,85,88,89,91,92,95],{},"For sun-bleached summer 1943 onwards, add ",[47,86,87],{},"Khaki"," to the base instead of ",[47,90,76],{}," - it takes the tone browner and drier. For a darker, wetter Leningrad look, deepen the base with a little ",[47,93,94],{},"Camouflage Olive Green"," and stop the highlight one step early.",[10,97,98,99,102,103,105,106,108,109,112,113,116,117,119,120,123],{},"Citadel equivalent: ",[47,100,101],{},"Death Korps Drab"," basecoat, ",[47,104,56],{},", layer ",[47,107,101],{},", highlight ",[47,110,111],{},"Karak Stone",". Army Painter Fanatic: ",[47,114,115],{},"Olive Drab"," shaded ",[47,118,60],{}," and highlighted ",[47,121,122],{},"Command Khaki",".",[10,125,126,127,130,131,134,135,138,139,141],{},"Speed route: undercoat ",[47,128,129],{},"Wraithbone",", one coat of Citadel ",[47,132,133],{},"Militarum Green"," contrast or Army Painter Speedpaint ",[47,136,137],{},"Mummified Grime",", then a single edge catch of ",[47,140,76],{},". This is the army where the one-coat route genuinely holds up, because there is no pattern for it to flatten.",[20,143,145],{"id":144},"leather-helmets-and-metal","Leather, helmets and metal",[147,148,149,164,175,192,217],"ul",{},[43,150,151,152,102,155,108,157,160,161,123],{},"Belt, Y-straps, pouches and boot uppers: ",[47,153,154],{},"Flat Earth",[47,156,56],{},[47,158,159],{},"Beige Brown",". Keep it warm and mid-toned. Officers' map cases and holsters can go darker with ",[47,162,163],{},"Chocolate Brown",[43,165,166,167,170,171,174],{},"Boots proper (sapogi): ",[47,168,169],{},"Black Grey"," highlighted ",[47,172,173],{},"Neutral Grey",", or brown leather for reservists and militia.",[43,176,177,178,116,181,184,185,187,188,191],{},"SSh-40 helmet: ",[47,179,180],{},"Uniform Green",[47,182,183],{},"Nuln Oil",", highlighted with ",[47,186,180],{}," plus a touch of ",[47,189,190],{},"Green Grey",". This is 4BO protective green, the same colour a T-34 should be, and it deliberately reads greener than the tunic.",[43,193,194,195,116,198,200,201,203,204,116,207,209,210,213,214,123],{},"Mosin-Nagant stocks: ",[47,196,197],{},"Flat Brown",[47,199,56],{},", highlighted ",[47,202,159],{},". Metalwork ",[47,205,206],{},"Gunmetal",[47,208,183],{},"; Citadel ",[47,211,212],{},"Leadbelcher"," into ",[47,215,216],{},"Runefang Steel",[43,218,219,220,223,224,223,226,229,230,233,234,236],{},"Faces: ",[47,221,222],{},"Basic Skin Tone",", ",[47,225,56],{},[47,227,228],{},"Medium Fleshtone",", a touch of ",[47,231,232],{},"Light Flesh",". Weathering here can be heavier than on other nations - a thin ",[47,235,56],{}," glaze over the whole face reads as a long campaign.",[20,238,240],{"id":239},"winter-and-the-telogreika","Winter and the telogreika",[10,242,243],{},"The quilted telogreika jacket is browner than the summer tunic, and painting it a different shade is what makes a winter squad look like a change of season rather than a change of paint.",[40,245,246,258,272],{},[43,247,248,249,251,252,108,254,257],{},"Basecoat ",[47,250,87],{},", shade ",[47,253,56],{},[47,255,256],{},"Dark Sand"," along the quilting seams. Catching every seam ridge is what sells the quilting - it is a drybrush job, not a layering one.",[43,259,260,261,264,265,267,268,271],{},"Over-whites go on top: ",[47,262,263],{},"White Grey"," basecoat, shaded with thinned ",[47,266,56],{}," in the folds, highlighted ",[47,269,270],{},"Off-White",". Leave khaki showing at cuffs, collar and hem so the figure does not turn into a paper cut-out.",[43,273,274,275,116,277,279,280,123],{},"Ushanka fur flaps: ",[47,276,159],{},[47,278,56],{},", drybrushed ",[47,281,256],{},[20,283,285],{"id":284},"the-red-accent","The red accent",[10,287,288,289,292,293,296,297,299,300,302,303,305],{},"One small red note per figure and no more. Cap stars, collar tabs and the odd Guards badge in ",[47,290,291],{},"Carmine Red",", highlighted with a hint of ",[47,294,295],{},"Flat Red"," at the top edge. On banners and vehicle slogans use ",[47,298,295],{}," as the base with a ",[47,301,291],{}," shade, and freehand the lettering in ",[47,304,270],{}," rather than pure white.",[20,307,309],{"id":308},"tips-and-common-mistakes","Tips and common mistakes",[147,311,312,318,324,334,346],{},[43,313,314,317],{},[47,315,316],{},"Brown leather, not black."," It is the single fastest way to tell a Soviet from a German at table distance.",[43,319,320,323],{},[47,321,322],{},"Keep the helmet greener than the tunic."," Two related but distinct greens is correct and stops the figure going monotone.",[43,325,326,329,330,333],{},[47,327,328],{},"One red thing."," A star on the cap is enough. Red collar tabs, red stars ",[28,331,332],{},"and"," a red banner on the same model is a costume, not a uniform.",[43,335,336,339,340,342,343,345],{},[47,337,338],{},"Vary the khaki, not the recipe."," A drop of ",[47,341,87],{}," or ",[47,344,76],{}," in the base on different models covers wildly inconsistent Soviet dye lots for free.",[43,347,348,351],{},[47,349,350],{},"Do not clean them up."," Mud to the knee, dust on the pack, a grubby face. Soviets are the one army where over-weathering is hard to achieve.",[10,353,354,355,359],{},"When the palette is settled, ",[14,356,358],{"href":357},"/tools/scheme-generator?color=4B5320","open this scheme in the generator"," to swap brands or push the base browner for late war.",{"title":361,"searchDepth":362,"depth":362,"links":363},"",2,[364,365,366,367,368,369],{"id":22,"depth":362,"text":23},{"id":34,"depth":362,"text":35},{"id":144,"depth":362,"text":145},{"id":239,"depth":362,"text":240},{"id":284,"depth":362,"text":285},{"id":308,"depth":362,"text":309},"2026-09-03","How to paint Bolt Action Soviets - khaki-olive gymnastyorka tunics, warm brown leather kit, 4BO green helmets, the quilted telogreika winter option and red star accents.","md","Bolt Action Soviet Union",null,"#4B5320","Khaki-olive cloth, brown leather and one small red star",{},true,"/factions/bolt-action-soviet-union",{"title":5,"description":371},"factions/bolt-action-soviet-union","bolt-action","i0-9btM-0i9lderHVjwE95AAPjjBE0Ne5s-R-sH7FPU"]