From PaulSS: Waaagh!! Fusty Ruckers gets some air support (36 points)

 

It's been at least three years since I painted anything new for Waaagh!! Fusty Ruckers, indeed it's a project I started back at Challenge XII 

Anyhow, I'm getting over the Bronchitis that laid up any chance of getting anything finished done for last week and I decided to grab an Ork Burna-Bommer that's been languishing in the pile of shame for at least eighteen months. My colleague is playing 40K at Adepticon and wants to borrow the Orks so this was a simple restart.

The kit can be built as either a Dakkajet, Blitza-Bommer, Burna-Bommer or Wazbom Blastajet, but I decided on the end to make it up as a Burna-Bommer, for no gaming reasons but aesthetically  I liked the build. 

I'm not sure why but it reminds me of the Blackburn Buccaneers that used to practice low level runs over our house when I was a nipper. 

Having chosen the rusty look for my Waaagh! it means that even though I've painted nothing in years I can easily slip back into the colour scheme.

I added streaks of soot all over, but especially around the engines and the Skorcha missile racks. More streaks of exposed metal and dust completed the look.

I even went as far as leaving the cockpits glazed and painting the pilot and grot gunner.

One 40mm vehicle, one 40mm pilot and one 20mm gunner should net me another 36 points and get me back on track after missing a week.

TeemuL: It is good to see an Ork vehicle which is not bright red. Your Burna-Bommer looks very well used and dusted, the bright cockpits and crew create nice contrast and draw the eye to them. By the way, isn't it nice to paint some bigger minis, too? :)

From DaveD: still it snows (82 points)

 Having hammered the terrain production , it is on with adding troops . As usual all items are 15mm.

First up Sherman’s - 76mm gun versions including one Easy 8 . 

I recently picked up some other 3d printed pieces suitable for my rear echelon area guys, who will have to  try and delay the advancing Germans, or try to bug out successfully. I always like engineering assets to drive scenarios. The hardest part of these was getting drivers and passengers in under the canvas roofs - 3d printers should offer an option to have them printed in situ.

Telegraph truck and M32 Armoured recovery vehicle .

A GMC Wrecker and covered M3 half track 

Dodge and Ambulance .

Water trailer, and new stores type scatter .

Most of the stuff for this week only arrived in the post last week , so it has been dealt with quickly . 

Points 

Vehicles 9x8 =72 + 4 for the trailer piece 

Passengers/crew x 5 = 3 points as one is a full figure standing in the back 

Even better , the first game has been had this week. So everything should have got the “run away” thing out if its system .  

Game 1 - Here they come -, after initially over running the OP’s and an MG team the poor quality US troops managed to delay the advance for more turns than expected and cost the Germans a platoon and half of infantry .

The M10 reinforcement turned up just in time to brew the big nasty Panther up ..

Enough time was bought to let the HQ team bug out . A great game was had with good friend MartinC

TeemuL: Good to hear you got your first game played! Excellent additions, some a bit more unusual, some more usual, but all good to have on the board. Spreadsheet says 82 points, so we'll go with that.

From KenR: 1/700 HMS Havock (40 points)

 

Top tip, don't try a complex camo scheme when you are short on time !

I just missed the posting deadline this week so to keep on track of a ship a week I'm hoping to do two this week, here is the first HMS Havock.

HMS Havock is the fourth of 5 H Class Destroyers at Narvik, launched in 1936 and spent some time on the coast of Spain during the Civil War. Part of the Norwegian Campaign she was third into Narvik Harbour and scored hits on the German Destroyers Z22 and Z18. She performed bravely in the action, repeatedly turning back towards the enemy to protect other damaged British ships.

Havock went on to have a distinguished career in the Mediterranean being damaged numerous times. She sank on route to Gibraltar for extensive repairs which couldn't be completed in Malta. 

The ship model I from IBG Models in 1/700 scale and I have completed her in a later camo scheme for recognition on the table. The rising sun scheme is quite rare on British ships but was used on Havoc. So that's another 40 pts to the total.

HMS Hardy the last of the H Class is an especially difficult kit, so with little spare time again this wee k I've started HMS Cossack a Tribal Class Destroyer which has no photo etch! Hopefully that will be done this week.

TeemuL: I'm sure many readers were shocked last week, but "The Ship of the Week" is back on track this week, and maybe even the second one. Havock looks great as the others, thanks Ken!

Interesting Thursday

I'm on holiday this week, so no history lesson today. I'm up in the north now, but it is rather nice here. There's snow (about 50cms) but temperature is quite nice (about -10 degrees Celcius) and it is mostly sunshine and mild wind. There are some exceptions, of course, but nothing dramatic. No Northern Lights (yet). But we have been snowshoeing and skiing with my son, couple of photos from our trips below.

--- In other news ---

We have plenty of posts today, too, I try to get them all published. :)

From SylvainR: Experimentation with 28mm Great Demons for D&D (40 points)

 

Without hesitation, I would qualify myself as a "serial painter", as I love painting the same kind of miniature many times, as demonstrated with battalions of 6mm WW2 infantry and tanks that I posted on this blog for the Challenges. Even when I paint D&D figurines, I tend to used the same painting techniques and color patterns on a group of figurines, like I did on the four "sword giants", which makes them look like brothers, if not quadruplets. When came time to paint the four great demons of today's post, I was thinking that I should take this opportunity to experiment and try to paint these as different from each other as possible, as a personal challenge to my serial painting handicap.

Regarding the first demon, I figured out at the very end that it was actually the Minotaur, as I realized, while painting the base, that it was a miniature labyrinth. It's a big guy; the tip of his halberd towers at 15cm, dwarfing the cleric beside him. I wanted "to paint a demon as dark as possible". So the skin is pure black with dark grey highlights. All metal parts are Tamiya "Bronze" with Tamiya "Dark Copper" highlights. All leather parts are Citadel "Scorch Brown". There is barely enough contrast to distinguish the various parts of the miniatures, but somehow I'm happy with the result.

For the next resident of hell, featuring a wingspan of 23cm, I opted "to paint a demon only with Tamiya metallic colors". I applied gold and copper tones on the skin and wings while keeping the silvery colors for the weapons. The result is far from a masterpiece, but I like it. Besides, I can now brag that I have a "Golden Demon"(tm) on my shelves...

For the next evil fellow, the order was "to paint a demon only with Citadel inks". The fact that the sculpt offered lots of crevices indeed made this miniature a great candidate for inks. I also did a light brown wash to enhance the volumes. The end result is a little too shiny to my taste, but when comes Spring (when the temperature is, finally, above -20oC), I will go outside to spray this guy with dull coat.

Finally, for the last infernal dude, the challenge was "to paint a demon pink". Somehow, the model I chose for this painting exercise looks more "naked" in pink, which is disgusting. I used spots of green and washes to make the skin look like it's rotting is some areas. Disgusting! Wait, is that a snake coming out of "les fesses"? Disgusting!

I have to admit I really enjoyed this experimentation exercise, but at the end I had to make some concessions to my inner "serial painter" demon and applied burgundy to all the bases and enhanced the details with a pink dry brush. As well, all the demons' eyes (including the snake's) are green.

Points claimed:

4 x 54mm foot figurines at 10 points each = 40 points

Total = 40 points

Thanks for reading!

****

"Golden Demon" indeed Sylvain! Some great painting all around, and well done for pushing at your own boundaries and trying new approaches. As a "serial painter" myself (I glance at a nearby shelf heaving with 30k Space Marines as I type this) I certainly know the sense of comfort and relaxation that comes from painting a familiar miniatures. But it is great to step out of one's comfort zone from time to time and try new things. 

Demons and monsters are great subjects for this sort of thing, being in that they are often so unique. You've done fine work here, with a wide assortment. And yes, your final demon is sufficiently disgusting that he might fit in perfectly with the Chaos gods of GW's various settings. 

That's 40 points for you sir!

GregB

From MartinN: 3rd Century AD Roman Legionaries/ Limbo (70 points)

This week too I'm running with the Middle Imperial/ Late Roman theme from last week. This time I've brought with me a base of Legionaries, which can clearly be dated to the first half of the 3rd century by their old style semi-cylindrical shield. Also the broad leather balteus, from which the Spatha was suspended, which had by then superseded the earlier Gladius short sword. Most of the Legionaries are sporting the -in my humble opinion- rather fashionable Niederbieber type helmet, also dating to the 2nd to 3rd century. As for armour they're wearing a hodgepodge of Lorica Squamata (scales), Lorica Hamata (chainmail) and the rather famous Lorica Segmental (banded metal strips), that is featured in so many Hollywood movies.

The figures themselves are a mix of Armorum & Aquila Miniatures, which by now are rather dated but almost the only commercially available figures for the 3rd century. Then there's a single Wargames Atlantic miniature from their Late Roman Legionaries set. The set fits the 3rd century almost perfectly with the inclusion of the Niederbieber helmet, but I find the details on the plastic rather soft and the Spathae much too large. That said they paint up OK. Also included are three heavily converted figures from Victrix Limited' Late Romans. To make them suitable I gave them heads from Aventine Miniatures, sculpted on the broader Balteus and designed and 3D printed  Spathae/ appropriate scabbards and Pugiones, the famous Roman daggers. Despite being noticeably larger than the other figures I do think they work together rather well. Shields are a mix of Aventine and A&A.

Painting wise I tried to give them a somewhat uniform appearance by using broadly the same colours, without painting them all the same. Personally I find it highly doubtful that Roman Legionaries ever wore anything approaching a uniform. For the shields I went with free hands and frankly, I had a blast. While at first I found it a rather daunting undertaking, I quickly realized I quite liked the look. So much so that by now I have more of those shields already painted than Legionaries waiting in the painting queue. First world problems I guess.

As some of the figures were already started before the challenge, in fact they had lain partly painted in my cupboard for a few years already, I'm claiming the Limbo bonus for this bunch.

So what do we have here?

Eight 28mm infantry plus the Limbo Bonus should give me 60 points plus whatever our dear minion is prepared to throw in for the hand painted shields and conversions.

***

Well Nick, I have no doubt that I speak for all Challengers when I say "holy crap, this looks f**king amazing!" Your brushwork is, as ever, top shelf stuff. The conversions are amazing - and you know this because, absent you telling me/us about the conversions, we would not realize they were present, so seamless and smooth does everything look. 

In particular I am impressed that you managed to squeeze Victrix models in there. While I appreciate the quality of the Victrix sculpts, their giant size has turned me away from making purchases as they seem to loom of every other type of sculpt out there. 

Seeing your Romans always inspires me to say "one, day, I'll paint some Romans!". One day...

I award 10 bonus points for hand painting shields (!!), conversions and general amazing-ness. 

70 points for you in total!

GregB

From BruceR - Shift to WW2 28mm BEF (40 points)

What’s great about AHPC? Getting stuff done. I purchased these last year at AdeptiCon as I enjoy playing WW2 games with early war as a favorite. Had done up a squad and blocked in another and was drawn away a few months ago. So why not get after them. These are Crusader miniatures. Thick in body and gun barrels. This makes them easy to paint and sturdy for the table top. The faces are not the greatest but helmets cover most of these. 

Here are support options. Leader, AT rifle, crew, and light mortar done in an effort to allow a game of Chain of Command game in the future. 

I used a rattle can base coat Vallejo light brown, blocked in flesh, light green for webbing, dark brown for wood items and black foot wear.  I next wash them and highlight all with the same color mixed with Iraqi sand.  Some static grass and tufts.  Done  

I was able to get another 17 90% done while ranch sitting for my son. Few hours a day feeding the herd and the rest cooped up as minus 17 does not lend itself to the great outdoors. So paint. No static grass and tufts at hand so will wait to submit them next week. 

I hope everybody is staying safe with the winter trials we are experiencing and getting paint on figures. 

Points

8 28mm @5 pts per     = 40 pts. 

Thanks for looking, Bruce. 

***

Great work here once more Bruce. You are right - getting stuff done is, indeed, one of the great past of the AHPC! Your workman-like approach has paid dividends on these lovely sculpts. I'm with you on the Crusader sculpts - whatever might be lacking on the faces, the sturdy bodies - and gun barrels - more than make up for it. 

Your early-war BEF look great - that's another 40 points for you!

GregB

From JamieM - Kings Of War Salamanders (150 points)

 Nice and simple this week, two regiments (or one horde if I stick them together) of salamanders for Kings of War, along with two salamander heroes.

These will go into my Forces of Nature army with the elementals I’ve already painted as part of the challenge.

Not my most inspired or detailed paintwork, but they’re certainly functional as a unit and I’m going for them as a whole look instead of being super detailed individually.

I like to take the opportunity to multi base for Kings of War as I think it looks great and should allow me to set up and play nice and quickly when I start getting games in.

Simple maths this week, 30 x 28mm figures for 150 points this week.

***

Have to say Jamie that when I first saw the title of this post, I was thinking "oh great, he's back at some 30k stuff!". These were not the "Salamanders" I was expecting...

But they look cool all the same, and "Kings of War" is a fine game. Rather distressing to think of "nature" amassing such armoured forces, but they look great, particularly in the big mass/horde as you have them here. That is a fine 150-point bomb for you!

GregB