From Kerry T - All on the table - AHPC XV round up

 Morning, afternoon & evening all

Its been a more relaxed week this week because I haven't frantically been trying to get things on the table and though I've still had the brushes out, they're working at a more leisurely pace. I'm certainly not missing the rushed weekly basing sessions and am looking forward to returning to my habit of basing en masse when I run out of room on the desktop!

First things first and most importantly a big thank you to Curt & Sarah for organising the challenge once again and allowing me to take part in this, my fourth challenge. What a fantastic concept this is and I so wish I had discovered it years ago. I'm envious of those of you who've been in all the way through. Secondly a huge thank you to the minions, especially the awesome articulate Aussie Millsy for his diligence and kindness in minioning my work and coordinating our twice weekly chats where as many as 5 or 6 of us down-underers have chewed the fat. It has really added something special this year. Last but not least, my fellow challengers for their unwavering support and encouragement. Very many thanks to you all, the camaraderie is fantastic, its what makes the challenge

I set myself a target of 2,500 points with the aim of reaching 10,000 career points and am pleased to say I made it and though my score was higher with bonuses I actually managed to knock off 2,500 points worth of figures.

The completed host with 2 extras!

I'm embarrassed to confess that I dropped a clanger this year at the end and miscalculated the time that the challenge finished here in NZ. Rushing home late on Thursday night I thought I had a few hours left and put up a post only to have missed the deadline! Curt there's a draft post sitting in the queue which needs to be deleted please. If only I'd tried to tackle 6 not twelve hobilars I would have finished in plenty of time!

Here they are -zero points but they want their moment of fame!

See the red thing in the distance not quite finished, I needed another 20 minutes - sniff!

I just had to dry brush its spines and claws - another sniff!

I've always used the challenge to beef up my Italian Wars collection. No Gendarmes this year but some Landsknecht pike, characters, command and artillery. The intended Milanese units got bumped down the queue

The Emperor Maximillian

Warlord Games looters

Foundry big guns

Artizan pike to complete an already painted pike block

Over the Christmas holiday I painted up a load of horses and quietly drove myself bonkers churning out cavalry in the early part of the challenge but I put a big dent in the ECW leadpile

A mix of Empress and Bicorne horse

I should get around to playing FKP rules now

The other main theme for me this year having bought a resin printer, was printing, prepping and painting some of Medbury Miniatures STLs for the Scottish wars of Independence and 100YW 

Victrix knights with LBSM transfers

Medbury Miniatures, Footsore and Antediluvian Scottish pike /spear here

Then there were a few other odds and ends along the way

Little man with a big banner

Artizan Black Guard Moorish infantry and horse

Finally TAG Polish Hussars because I'm a butterfly

With very many thanks for your encouragement and support again this year, I've had a great time and hope to see you next year again

Valleyboy

From Kerry T: King Charles doesn't make the cut & Rupert's not a bear (550points)

 Morning, afternoon and evening all

I didn't manage an entry last week as I bit off more than I could chew (well more than I could base actually). 

Being a slow learner I nearly did the same this week and am posting now instead of doing the paperwork I planned to do this afternoon. Pictures  and post first, paperwork later, you see I do have my priorities correct.

In the past 2 weeks I've continued to paint ECW cavalry and things were going well until I decided to add more yesterday. That's why old King Charles didn't make the cut..

Here he is with Astley (Jacob, not Rick) still on the workbench

I'd managed to finish the Queen's Lifeguard and the Queen's Regiment of Horse last week(or at least they're the flags I've given them) but didn't have enough time to base them

Bicorne miniatures armed with swords

That's fine I thought, I'll add another regiment in the week and base them both up for this week, saving a little time and mess on the basing part 

Bicorne Miniatures with pistols

Then however, not satisfied with my haul of 48 horse I had a bright idea late on Saturday lunchtime to add some command, so I did! After all its a long holiday weekend here in NZ so with Monday off I'd easily get all my remaining Empress Miniatures Command figures done. What could go wrong...

Empress Miniatures commanding Bicorne Horse

I've neglected the garden again in the past few weeks but I felt guilty and did a touch of weeding yesterday and some fruit picking today

Hey Ken look what I've got

These took an age to pick- I should have been painting

Unfortunately the task I set myself of another 9 mounted figures was too onerous and going out to a party yesterday afternoon thinking I could finish painting them after so many glasses of grape juice on my return was a non starter. Coming home late last night I hurriedly stuck several unfinished command figures onto a multibase and applied the grit. That's when Charlie and Astley got the chop and consequently today I've spent most of the day trying to highlight figures and made a start on Prince Rupert and his horse while he was attached to a large command base. It finally dawned on me that  there was no way I'd get to the other two figures.

Prince Rupert and hangers on

Do you think I could find my remaining ECW flags this afternoon? 

These were originally intended to accompany the King and Astley 

Empress Miniatures assorted command

So the King will have to wait a while I think but that's not a bad thing in retrospect because I'll now have a chance to add a different mix of figures for his command base and get some new flags.

Thankfully, late this afternoon, despite the added hassle of painting some flags the whole parade has managed to get to town

Showjumping ECW style

and again

What's that creeping around the corner of that house?

The whole shibang, all the ECW cavalry I've painted in the challenge to date

That's enough ECW cavalry I think for this AHPC, I need a change

I have  another 48 more ECW cavalry figures to paint, including those by Bloody Miniatures but this will do for now I think as I can't face painting any more buff and need a change from painting horseflesh.

So in summary

2 x 24 units of 28mm ECW cavalry  @ 10 points = 480 points

7 assorted mounted 28mm ECW command figures @ 70 points = 550 in total

No Squirrels

Side challenge

21 of the cavalry have a cuirass so another 105 can opener points

Many thanks and best wishes

Valleyboy

From Millsy:

Another cracking cavalry entry Kerry! Beautifully painted as always and looking the absolute business on your amazing table.

I'm particularly impressed by your command stands which have a load of dynamism to them. The composition is great and the large bases give them a real diorama feel. Lovely work all round!

PS. When can I pop over and pick some fruit? That lot looks delicious!

Cheers,

Millsy

From Kerry T: London Lobsters - Sir Arthur Haselrig's Regiment of Horse (240 points)

Morning, afternoon and evening all

I think I said in my last post that I was going to produce a number of generic regiments of ECW horse that could be used for either side. Why then have I just finished and photographed one of the iconic units of the ECW, this time a Parliamentarian one? I don't know, I just had the figures!

The "London Lobsters" were a cavalry unit raised in 1642 by Sir Arthur Haselrig, a Parliamentarian politician whose attempted arrest with 4 others was apparently one of the sparks in igniting the ECW. It seems being an armoured unit, equipped with the Cuirass they were one of the few Parliamentarian cavalry regiments who were able to stand up to the Royalist horse early on in the war. It is said that at Roundway Down, Haselrig was shot 3 times but each round failed to penetrate his armour. At this time full armour was rare and had largely been abandoned costing perhaps almost four times as much to equip as an ordinary unit of horse.

The actual figures are those produced by Empress Miniatures 

Charge

I do like the sense of movement conveyed by the Empress sculpts but for some reason I can't say that I really enjoyed painting these. I'm not sure why, I know I was frustrated as my fingers kept wiping off the paint at the end of many of the horses tails and their ears. I'm not sure how many times I touched these up while they were on their bottle tops.

The riders are a mix equipped with both sword and pistol, prepping them was bit tiresome, particularly the bit where you attach the sword arm with either pistol or sword. I made a few mistakes here as some riders with pistol still have one in each holster but I think I just about removed the resting sword from the scabbard in those waving their swords. A few of the scabbards that you thread through the sashes  broke but I didn't replace or repair these (life is too short) but I did pin a few horse tails that broke off. Neither did I bother replacing the tack above the stirrups that was missing on a few figures.

Didn't have printed flags so these area quickly cobbled together

How come this horse looks so white in this photo?

I think the plumes should really be orange as well

Not a great photo but does show the headgear variants

Gratuitous horse's arse picture

To be honest I'm glad these are completed and in the next week I think I'll be back to Bicorne Miniatures ECW cavalry. I'm beginning to regret painting so many horses in the first week of the challenge now! I think I need a change!

So in summary

24 x 28mm mounted figures at 10 points each = 240 points

No bonuses - 1 Squirrel

120 in tin can side duel points 

Thanks for looking

Best wishes Kerry (Valleyboy)

From Millsy:

Another absolutely amazing ECW post from your Kerry. Like last time I've been hearing about these for a few weeks on our chats and once again they are even better than I had imagined!

Such a great range of horse colours, the visually striking mix of red and rebel orange and all capped off with great basing and photography once again!

240 superb points mate. Can't wait for what's next!

Cheers,
Millsy

From Kerry T: Men in Buff - ECW Cavalry (240 points)

Morning, afternoon & evening all

I hope you all had a good new year and have a great  hobby year to look forward to.

For the this my third entry and for the first few weeks of this challenge I had planed to try and knock off some English Civil War cavalry. I'm painting both Royalist and Parliamentary forces for the ECW because I'm largely a solo gamer. My main inspiration came from Simon Miller and his blog and a few years ago when I got an unexpected windfall (my annual bet on a golf tournament at my home club) I bought some Empress Miniatures ECW figures with the winnings.

Since then I've added figures, mainly infantry but then you do need  a fair few cavalry I'm told for ECW. In the main infantry regiments are close to 40 figures strong and cavalry around 24figures. My aim is to use For King and Parliament but I'm also intrigued by the prospect of Never Mind The Matchlocks.

This year I sold a  "never would be used" painted Prussian SYW army and have since used the proceeds to buy some ECW cavalry from Empress Miniatures, First Corps, Bicorne Miniatures and lately Bloody Miniatures.

I painted more than 100 horses over the holiday period as I prefer painting these in large batches. Hopefully than means I can produce a new unit in each of the coming few weeks.

Given my last post was Men in Black, I now give you men in Buff - does this mean they are Buffoons?

Bicorne Miniatures Dragoons

Though these Dragoons carry the colours of Sir Henry Washington (Royalist) my intention is really to use my cavalry generically for both sides - call me a Philistine if you like. There used to be a great web based ECW resource that I used for coat colours but sadly it seems to have been lost forever now. If anyone has any web ECW sources they recommend for painting I'd be grateful. Consequently I have no idea if the coats match the flags!

Another Flags of War ensign

Only 12 figures strong at this stage

The second unit are definitely a Royalist unit though -The Kings Lifeguard of Horse. 

The Dragoons show the Lifeguard the way

Again only 12 figures strong and with a mix of sword and pistol

They're no longer down wind of those smelly dragoons

This way to ye old tavern

On the way home from the tavern, lets charge that house

Finally, never ever ride next to an officer, especially if he's been to the tavern

Its not easy to fit 3 Bicorne horse on a 60 x60mm base

so look where the officer's pistol is pointing!

The Lifeguard are also Bicorne Miniatures and will allow me to open myside-duel challenge for         the title Masterchef or Chief can opener. 

Unlike the Dragoons they each wear a cuirass/breastplate over their buff coats and thus I claim 60cans/points and 1 squirrel

No breastplate only a mold line!

Thus in summary

24 Mounted 28mm figures @ 10 points each= 240 points

Best wishes

From Millsy:

Oh my, these are just gorgeous Kerry! I've been hearing about these on our regular chats and it has certainly whetted my appetite to see them completed. The wait has more than been worth it too.

What a wonderful collection of mounted troops and representing the rightful King as well. It's great to see a Royalist lifeguard unit, and also one of the lesser known in Washington's Dragoons. I can almost hear the thunder of hooves as they charge and rout the rebels before following them off the field.

Let me also compliment you again on both your table setup and your photography. Both are superb and prove the perfect backdrop.

240 well earned points mate!

Cheers,
Millsy