From MartijnN: Walking through Belgium and a limo ride (Sarah's Limousine/Historical Drama)(122 points)

Last week found us at Under Construction. Although I could easily spend the rest of the Challenge there, that would obviously not do at all.  However, as Western is now a blue pass area, I did not have a clue for Black & White and was not yet ready for High Adventure  (then again, who ever really is?), I had to call on Lady Sarah's excellent Limousine Service to bring me to my home ground, Historical Drama. As my fee I offer this 3D printed 40mm figure. It's from a Kickstarter by the very talented Iain Lovecraft, Desert Adventures, although I painted her more in European style. I used Contrast paints for her, striving for a ton-sur-ton effect. She looks better in real life then on my very amateur photos.

Thus we arrive in the Historical Drama studios. A few months ago I visited my former club in Holland, and one of my friends told me about Blood and Valour, an American rules set for the Great War. They had had great fun with it, and it didn't require masses of models. Fired by his enthusiasm I of course bought the rules, and having leafed through them I thought them worth having a go at. Now I am primarily interested in the early war period, and although the rules are focused on the later phases of the war there are rules for 1914. So, after looking online for suitable models, I ordered some figures from North Star's Great War Miniatures series and from Wargames Foundry. Unfortunately, they don't really match, the Wargames Foundry being more accurately 25mm and the GWM figures decidedly largish 28mm. On the table, though, I think they can be used together if not in the same unit. North Star have a far greater range and more variant poses, but the WF are definitely better figures. I think I will stick with GWM, if I need more (what do I mean, if? Though there are enough in my lead pile for a decent game, I should think). I decided to paint some of them in the Challenge, and thought they fit this theme neatly, what with the new Netflix version of All Quiet on the Western Front hitting the screens recently (though I have not yet seen it). For these fellows nothing was quiet though, stomping their way through Belgium and northern France in the August heat of 1914. Two squads and a command group, 15 in all.

The obligatory group shot for the post-war reunion

An officer and two gentlemen

Great War Miniatures: six different poses

Wargames Foundry: three different poses

The two side by side, GMW in the middle

They were again mostly done in Contrast over a black undercoat and an airbrushed white ink zenithal. After much dithering and tribulation (and with some trepidation) I decided on Gryph-Charger Grey (yes, I know, but GW, you know) for the uniforms. For the leather I used Army Painter Speedpaint Hardened Leather (duh). Agrax Eartshade, a few highlights on the skin and a light drybrush did the rest. Even though correcting mistakes is a nightmare with most Contrast and similar paints, and even though I managed to throw a pot of Blood Angels Red over the nearly finished officer at some point, I'm quite happy how they turned out.

So here we are:

Scores:

1x 40mm @ 7points = 7

Sarah's Limo= 20

15x 25/28mm @ 5 = 75

Historical Drama = 20

Grand total 122

And a squirrel!

Fantastic looking Germans, Martijn, though I would suspect that a post-war reunion will have a very low attendance. The mixing of makers is a common question for a lot of hobbyists, but in real life people aren't all to scale either. I applaud your decision to paint up both sets of minis, they look good in the group shot.