From PaulSS: More 2nd Battalion, Kings German Legion Light Infantry (90pts)

With packing for the move back to the UK, my output has been severely curtailed this past week or two, but I have been steadily plodding along and this week completed the remainder of the 2nd Battalion, Kings German Legion Light Infantry that I have on hand.

The first three figures are mounted up in light order to make up a sixth stand of the unit I did a few weeks ago.

Here they are added to that initial group of five bases:

I then started doing a few bases in skirmish order, firstly a group of six with muskets.

Next a group of six skirmishing with rifles. To be fair, and checking different sources I'm not entirely sure if during the Hundred Days if the 2/KGL Light were entirely equipped with rifles at that time or not.

The last trio of figures are an Officer, Sergeant with rifle and another leader with rifle to use in our Sharpe Practice games.

Hicksy has certainly sculpted bags of character into all these figures.

I initially planned to do just a unit of 2/KGL Light for our General de Brigade games, but combining the troops done in the last post with these I can now field a very reasonable starting force for Sharp Practice of four leaders, three light infantry groups with muskets and two light infantry groups with rifles, so quite a bonus result!

18 28mm figures will add 90 points to my total.

28mm Napoleonics Duel Totalizer: 28 mounted, 137 foot, 3 guns, 1 boat.

Lovely job with these Paul. If I ever do a Napoleonic force, the KGL will have to be among them after their numerous appearances in the Sharpe novels!

Cap'n Wednesday

From Guy B: [The Pit and the Pendulum] Medieval Norse (145 points)

When I thought about swinging blades and something terrifying, I naturally thought of the Vikings. These seaborne marauders struck fear and terror into their enemies. The models here aren't dark ages, however. They are Medieval Norse.

Imagine these grim and well-armoured battle veterans swinging their great ages... only a few infantry would be brave enough to stand against them.

The models I used were primarily Fireforge Scandinavian warriors, with additional parts from their Byzantine, Russian and Crusader plastic sets. I even took a head or two from the Gripping Beast sets to add in variety.

The primary colours I chose were red and yellow, representing the closest I could get to Norwegian heraldry colours of the time. Some of the great axes are bardiches, these do date from the 14th century but similar weapons are known from 1250, so I thought 'what the hell!'.

The shields are loosely based on Norwegian heraldry, namely national colours and the noble house of Römer, with a distinctive white and black diagonal on the shields.

These will be based up for Lion Rampant, and perhaps for larger battles if I can get more painted. I like Lion Rampant as the armies are achievable in a reasonable timescale. I have done some multi basing, in case I use them with other systems.

So now I have the start of a Norwegian army for Largs (1263). I make it 25 models @ 5 points each, plus the 20 point bonus. 145 points methinks?

A mighty crew of fearsome raiders to be sure! I do like the compatibility of the Fireforge sets, and you've done a great job with these Guy! 145 points it is

Cap'n Wednesday

From PaulSS: [Knights Solar] Sir Thomas and Sir Dennis (35 points)

The Duke of Wellingtons staff was chock full of aristos, so it was quite easy to turn up a couple of "sirs" for this challenge.

Knights Solar:  A chamber for painting Knights of all kinds, and their knightly deeds, loves, pastimes and quests.

The figures represent Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton and Major-General Sir Dennis Pack and are from the Wargames Foundry "The Duke of Wellington and Staff" set.

Sir Thomas does not appear to sit on his horse too well, maybe it's the injuries sustained a couple of days earlier at Quatre Bras. 

Both however were delightful figures to paint up

A mounted and foot 28mm figures with the location bonus will add 35 points to my target.

28mm Napoleonics Duel Totalizer: 28 mounted, 119 foot, 3 guns, 1 boat.

Done! Nice job Paul

Cap'n Wednesday

Naval Arms Race up date

 

Miles finaly unleaded the boadside we've all been expecting he now leads  in number of hulls and is 3rd in points behind Noel and myself.  Don't miss stays as you tack into harbor here at the end. 

French Ordonnance Pike Guerre de Bretagne Matthew Williamson 50 points

 French Ordonnance Pikemen

Started to complete some foot this week for my own project for the Guerre de Bretagne, some French ordonnance pikemen from the Perry plastic mercenaries box

10 x 28mm figs @ 5 points = 50

cheers

Matt

Very nice Matt - those pikes would be handy for boardings!

Cap'n Wednesday

From LeeH - Angry Nuns and Onion Johnnies

A couple of days ago my long-suffering wife passed by my Operations Room and asked me what I was working on. I showed her my newly acquired 15mm nuns and there was a barely perceptible rolling of the eyes... I can't blame her, sometimes I look at what I'm painting and wonder what the hell I'm doing! 

As with last weeks civilians these models are all from Peter Pig. They don't really have any game value except as interesting vignettes on the edge of a demo game but I wasn't going to let that stop me. First up we have several angry-looking nuns in fearsome headgear. A couple look like they are going to hit the Germans over the head, although the jury is out on whether they are wielding two-by-fours or baguettes! 

Then there are three men pushing wheelbarrows. Nice simple models to paint and because the contents of the barrow could be farm equipment or personal items, I can either use these in the fields or with my refugees. 

Finally, there are three Breton Onion Johnnies in the traditional blue and white striped jumpers and bedecked in strings of strong-smelling onions. I have visions of using these as the perfect spies, cycling around watching everything and being roundly avoided by the Germans because of the smell!

(Scoring: 8x15mm Foot + 6x15mm 'Mounted' = 40 points)

Great characters - Nice job Lee

Cap'n Wednesday

From Mike W, Clearing the Decks! (98 Points)

Having just received my final challenge from the Snow Lord himself - I thought it was time to clear some space form on the workbench to get these Mexican Cavalrymen done. Truth is they are already started but space is required to get them properly finished.

The finished unit of Arrow Boyz with protective Grottling Shield Holderz in front!

The right of the line

One of the biggest units nearing completion is a group of 16 x Orc Arrow Boyz, the second half of the batch that I completed the other week. As such there are no command figures just a whole bunch of Orcs with bows.

The left of the line

To fun it up a little I have included a small unit of Grottling Shield Holderz...

.. Whilst the Orcs are totally Warhammer legal, the Grottling Shield Holderz are a 'House' unit that makes the whole thing even more fun. Basically its a group of Goblin who's only job is to hold shields in front of a unit that normally wouldn't be allowed to get the benefits of such cover, such as Arrow Boyz or units with two hand weapons etc..

Close-up of four of the Orc archers

Points wise we charge the cost of a shield for the protected unit plus 1 point for each unarmoured, near naked Goblin. When shot at the protected unit gains the benefit of shield protection and for each hit inflicted, on a die roll of 4, 5 or 6 the hit takes out one of the unlucky goblins, rather than the targeted unit.

For such house units each benefit must have an equal and opposite negative so if the Shield Boyz take casualties, the unit throws a die and if they score less than the number of casualties lost, the unit runs away.

Four more Orcs, the second from left is a Goth, hence the blue hair...

Also as with any Greenskin unit they are subject to animosity - so the unit they are protecting may just get annoyed with  them and kill them as well!

The orcs were all already undercoated in black and so it was a matter of blocking in colour, in this case grey, brown or black and then adding distinctive variants to add flavour to the unit. In this case I did one Orc with a Red kilt and a couple with maroon shirts and different coloured hair.

Penultimate group of four, I gave one guy red hair, just to be different

Skin was washed with green ink and then detail added around mouth with reddish gums and off white teeth. A watered down Army Painter Dark Wash was used to add tone to the clothing.

Last Four Orcs, the one on the extreme left has the kilt, although it is hard to see.
All the studs are a pain to do, I use a silver Sharpie pen and then fix overspill with thinned black paint.

Bases were covered in a sand and electrostatic grass mix and the figures given a matt varnish finish. 

The Grottling Shield Holderz, were old HeroQuest?? figures that I found in the bits box, undercoated white and painted a lighter green, given a light green wash and then highlighted by again dry brushing the base light green. Each was given a light brown loin cloth and shields were sourced form the Orc Box. I gave each a small round base to highlight their non standard function and added fine sand and electrostatic grass mix to finish. Shields were washed in Nun Oil.

The Grottling Shield Holderz, I'll have to make some more of these at some point!

It seemed grossly unfair to award myself the same points for a Grottling as an Orc - given their size difference, so going for 3 Points each on these little fellows.

POINTS

16 x 28mm Orcs @ 5Pts ea                      = 80 Points

6 x Grottling  Shield Holderz @3 Pts ea  = 18 Points

TOTAL                                                      = 98 Points

Just 4 Skullz!

Done! The Goblin shield bearers are a clever idea :-)

Cap'n Wednesday

from RayR - Sarah the Sorceress - Sarah's Choice - Old Hag - 25pts

 

For the final time this Challenge I call upon her Highness Sarah the Sorceress to transport me from

the Graveyard Beach down to Level 4 and the Alter of the Snowlord.

The Altar of the Snow Lord: In this final chamber our very own Snow Fiend will select a challenge for you, as a tribute to the painting Gods. 

Not much to say about the Old Hag really?? She's a 25mm Front Rank figure and will blend in with the million other civilians I've already painted up over the years.

I did paint up a few female figures early on in the Challenge, just incase I needed them for the Sarah the Sorceress transport duties. Lucky I did, as I'm running out of time to get something painted for my Alter of the Snowlord post and I don't even know what its gonna be yet!!!

5 points for the Old Hag

20 Bonus points for Sarah the Sorceress

Done! 

Cap'n Wednesday

From: AngusW - 28mm Kevin - The Orcs Pit - 21pts

The Orcs pit might be scruffy, dirty and unpleasant this is why, young Kevin the Snotting.

Rummaging through what I have left from my 1980's era GW figures I found a snotling. I stripped the original paint from Kevin using detol, and repainted with the citadel paints I have circa 1986. Kevin's luminous green skin is Citadel's 'Bilious Green'.

I should have done a before and after picture as it's not that different. The only obvious difference is his loin cloth is now a more manly green, from pink it was painted 30 years ago.

Kevin (as his is only small I scored him as 10mm 1pt) + The Orcs Pit (20pts)

What a cheeky little bugger - off to the Crow's Nest with him!

Cap'n Wednesday

Cap'n Wednesday's return - with a friend!

Its almost time to think about wrapping up this 2021 adventure, and it would be remiss of me not to share a pic of the second most famous captain to come from these Antipodean Isles - Captain Blood!

In fact Errol Flynn's 1935 portrayal of this swashbuckling hero was the second on the silver screen, but the first with sound.

At 1:50 you can see what happened to sailors who failed to achieve their AHPC targets in those days. Tough times indeed!