Berlin 1919 Kickstarter Brings 28mm Freikorps Miniatures to the Tabletop

Three palettes that almost nobody has on their hobby desk right now: late-WWI feldgrau with private-purchase leatherwork, a distinctive blue-green Schutzpolizei teal, and the earth-toned improvised kit of street-fighting workers. That is what Des Tranchées aux Barricades is offering with "Berlin 1919, Part 1: Spartacist Uprising and March Battles," a Kickstarter that went live March 29, 2026 with close to a hundred 28mm miniatures covering Freikorps infantry, Schutzpolizei units, armoured vehicles, and artillery.

The France-based studio's figures are sculpted by Greg Girault, with vehicles designed by John Hart. Painted showcase models were handled by Romuald Arrénault and Figurines Fred, and the campaign is run by Romuald and Jean-Baptiste. Having passed initial funding and unlocked its first stretch goal, the project ships as a hybrid of STL downloads and physical resin 28mm prints, targeting both home-printing hobbyists and painters who prefer to work from cast models straight out of the bag.

For the core Freikorps uniform, the correct palette sits in the transitional late-WWI feldgrau range: a green-grey that reads almost olive rather than the more familiar blue-tinted early-war tone or the greener WWII shade. Vallejo 830 German Field Grey makes a serviceable base. Pool Agrax Earthshade into recesses, then highlight back with successive lightened passes before addressing the leatherwork separately. Freikorps kit combined issued webbing with private-purchase straps, so variation from near-black to mid-tan on belts and pouches reads as historically correct rather than inconsistent. A grey zenithal prime is the right starting point here, and Girault's separate interchangeable heads let you vary headgear and skin tones across the 28-figure Freikorps pledge pack without sourcing additional models.

The Schutzpolizei set presents a different problem entirely. The Schupoblau uniform is a dark blue-green closer to teal than any stock "police blue," and it wants a Prussian Blue base with a small addition of green rather than a straight blue. Black leather boots and belt equipment anchor the figure visually. The Schupowagen Daimler DZVR 21 armoured car, unlocked at the first stretch goal alongside a dog handler, MG 08 heavy machine gun, and five Schupo infantry, gives vehicle painters a compact subject with panels wide enough for oil dot filtering and careful edge chipping.

On time: eight Freikorps at a solid tabletop standard using zenithal grey primer, a single Nuln Oil pin wash, and blocked highlights can be finished in a day. Taking one figure to display level with carefully layered feldgrau, separated leatherwork, and hand-painted collar insignia is a two-day weekend project. No transfer sheets have been confirmed for the campaign, so plan on freehand insignia or deliberate omission.

For STL backers, verify whether files ship pre-supported before pledging. Unsupported multi-part files add manual support placement and gap-filling to the pipeline, and that overhead compounds quickly across a large infantry set. Physical-model backers outside France should inspect shipping tiers and VAT costs carefully before committing.

The vehicle range is a serious draw. John Hart's Daimler-Krupp Plattformwagen carries a five-man crew sculpted by Girault. The 7.7 cm Feldkanone 96 neuer Art field gun is another Hart design, with Girault handling the crew figures and Figurines Fred painting the campaign preview models. The Marienwagen II half-track is reserved for Part 2, scheduled for June 2026, which gives backers who want a manageable first commitment a clean stopping point before that second campaign opens.

Des Tranchées aux Barricades previously ran a "Revolt in the Desert" Kickstarter covering the Arab Revolt, so the studio has a track record in niche historical subjects delivered through the same STL-plus-physical hybrid model. Berlin 1919 is the most ambitious project in their catalogue so far, and for painters drawn to research-led work, the subject depth here is considerable.