From TeemuL: Riddles in the Dark [Children's book] [Self Help] (100 points)

While figuring out which could be the fourth section to enter and finish, I wonder back to the section one and finish the "Children's Book" section with these resin minis from Games Workshop. These are of course Bilbo and Gollum from the "Riddles in the Dark" blister for the Middle-Earth Strategy Game and they are based on the world famous children's book Hobbit or there and back again. Professor Tolkien used to tell this story to his kids and eventually he wrote it as a book and got it published. Adults like this book, too, and especially it's sequel Lord of the Rings, while some hard core fans like the prequels, like Silmarillion or the Book of the Lost Tales.

Like I said, this minis are resin and because they are quite small, they are very light and different to work with after painting some metal minis or larger plastic ones recently. In the end the painting process was rather simple, although it took a time to get there. Bilbo has brown pants, green shirt and red coat and that's about it. Gollum has pale skin and brown loincloth. The third object is Gollum's boat next to a rock with remains of fish. I tried to paint the rock next to the boat and the one on Gollum's base with some green to get a mossy effect, but I think there is too much, at least in the photos.

In general there is a basecoat, wash and some highlight/drybrush here and there. The basing is my standard brown without the tufts, since the scene is located underground and I guess there is little plants.

And then the fourth section, which will be Section 6. I head straight to the Self Help topic. I guess most of us (if not all) have been stressing about the unpainted minis and what to paint next, feeling bad about buying new minis, while there is a mountain waiting to paint at home. Some Self Help is needed, while the support from other's is important, too. I have learnt that, instead of looking at the whole mountain, just take a look at the smaller detail and forget the rest. For example take a one box of minis, assemble, prime and paint it, then take the next one.

It might be useful to have two or three boxes open at the same time, each "project" in different stage or perhaps each project needing different techniques to finish. That way you can switch from one project to another, if one of them is not interesting at the moment or has some drying paint and you still want to paint. Just switch the project and continue.

One of my goals in this Challenge is to empty-and-finish several miniature boxes, which links nicely to this Self Help topic once I understood it. It gives me pleasure and makes me happy to have one box or unit or whatever completed and I can move to the next one. For example these Type 97 Te-Ke tanks from Battlefront are my only minis for 15mm Pacific War and I find it extremely unlikely to have any gaming use for them in the near future, but I still wanted to paint them after buying them from a sale several years ago. Now they are painted, the box is empty and in general I will have more storage space and more painted minis, which makes me feel good about myself. Naturally I have bought more minis this year than I have painted, which makes me feel not so good in general, but these small moments of happiness is all what counts, right? Self help and self deception, ok?

Type 97 Te-Ke tanks were used by Japans in the WW2 and compared to the late war beasts in Europe these look rather small. In fact they were used for scouting and recon. The box comes with two different turrets for each tank, most commonly with a machine guns, but some 37mm guns were used on some. I have painted the both options, the first two photos show the MG versions and the bottom two show the 37mm gun versions. Unfortunately one of the guns (second left) snapped at some point and it looks a bit odd now. There are also 5 tank commanders in total, each roughly a half mini.

I was prepared to paint a characterful yellow cross camo, but my very quick look at the refenrence told me, that the yellow cross was not used in the late war, so I just went with the three colour camo with khaki as a base colour and dark brown and dark green as additions. I gave a brown wash and pale drybrush in the end, but they look may be a bit too dark, I don't know. Anyway, they are finished now and my happiness factor has went up a little. I didn't paint any identifications on these, since I know next to nothing of them.

Here is the map showing my progress.

And here is my collection of empty boxes during the Challenge. I hope to add at least one more.

Then the points:

2 hobbits (historically scored as 28mm minis) is 10 points

1 boat is about the size of a hobbit, so may be 5 points? It is a vehicle, so 20 points? :)

5 15mm tanks is 40 points

5 15mm half men is 5 points

5 extra turrets may be 5 points?

2 library locations is 20 points 40 points

Total is somewhere in the region of 105 points regarding how my minion likes to score the extra turrets and the boat. :)

 

TOTAL = 100 points

 

 Sylvain: As usual, your location bonus topics are very well chosen and well argued. Your brush work on these models shows great mastery, especially the camouflage pattern on the Japanese tanks. I am sure that this newly painted core collection for the Pacific will have a domino effect and soon you will acquire more tanks and soon you will start petting them and whisper to them: "My Preciousss..."

 

I took away points from the boat and the turrets but gave back some for the location. A fair trade in my opinion :-).  

 

From TeemuL: Bagration Germans [History] (158 points)

Instead of the lovely old metal miniatures, today I present rather new plastic miniatures. Here we have a German Panzergrenadier Company HQ and two Panzergrenadier Platoons with Panzerfausts and Panzerschrecks. Models are from Battlefront Miniatures Hit the Beach box for Flames of War. I painted the Panzer IVs and Tank Hunter teams before the Challenge, but here are the main components. You might also recall my last week's entry of 20mm WW2 Germans in winter uniform, this time this are 15mm WW2 Germans in summer uniform, ready to make a fighting retreat against Soviets during Operation Bagration or die trying. We have a small East Front campaign planned for the first months of this year and now I have the starter force ready. I'm planning to buy some mortars and more vehicles, but at the moment I have painted all my Germans for this project. Of course plans change when contacting reality and after a game or two I might want something else to bolster my forces.

The miniatures are painted following the Splinter Pattern Camouflage instructions provided in the Colours of War book. There are little bit different shades of green and brown, when I tried to find a proper compromise between "reality" and "looking good." Some of them look quite right, there's Reikland Flesh Shade painted over the camo to tie the colours together. The base colour is khaki. Pants and helmets are dark grey with a quick highlight of light grey. I painted the grenades dark yellow, but I guess I should have painted the Panzerschrecks yellow, too, instead of black. I guess I can live with that... And still claim history points for these. :)

The bases are rather simple, painted green and then some green sawdust and couple of tufts. It should look quite ok for summer in Ukraine and be generic enough to be usable on other theathers, too.

In the Library I have completed Sections 1 and 2, but before moving on, I'll get back to Section 1 and claim 20 points for History topic. What's next, we'll see.

I did say something about not posting old metal minis, but I finished the Germans during the week and I had then time to do something else during the weekend... I picked up a nice couple from the primed collection, going with the good old method of elf and dwarf. They were both on 25mm round bases, but then I realized, that the dwarf might actually see some action on the gaming table if he had a square base. The traditional 20mm base was too small (no scale creep here, dwarf if from 1988), so I decided to use the Old World base size of 25mm. Most likely these two won't see any adventures together, though...

The elf looks a bit odd, chain mail, sword, fancy poncho like cloak, and bare legs. It took me a while to find him and actually he is a half-elf fighter mage, which explains his odd equipment. He is Julie Guthrie's Personality 804 by Grenadier. Most of the colours on him are what I had on the palette, which gives him a little fantasy feeling. The red on his cloak is freehand, I wanted something looking magic there. White blue hat completes him.

The dwarf on the other hand is a no nonsense dude, heavy armour, heavy axe and bare head, some pouches to carry dwarf bread and tools to keep his axe sharp. He is completely business oriented and his business is chopping heads, I guess. This lovely character is from 1988, Grenadier A294 Dwarf Companion by Nick Lund, also sold in blister pack 906 Fighter and Companions. He is almost just chainmail and beard, but in true 80s spirit, I gave him a red axe shaft and colourful pouches and blue boots.

The green base is the wrong colour, I used my trusted Coat d'Arms Goblin Green while painting the bases of Germans and I didn't have the exact same colour anymore and was unable to mix the correct tone. So I went with Army Painter Greenskin.

64x 15mm minis (2 pts) = 128 points

History topic = 20 points

2x 28mm minis (5 pts) = 10 points.

Total = 158 points

Sylvain: Awesome work on these Germans, especially the camo pattern on their uniform. The two platoons look ready to assault (or die trying). And I also like your vintage metal figurines. Where do you get those? Is there a vintage miniatures mine in Finland? Keep the pace, the Monday Crew needs all available men to the front!

From JamesM: 15mm German Armoured SS-Armoured Cannon Platoon (48 points)

Hi folks,

I've been continuing with my 15mm German half-track project, and this week have six Sd.Kfz. 251/9 Ausf. D vehicles from the 12th 'Heavy' kompanie of III/26. SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, 12SS Panzer Division.

The 'mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagen (7,5 cm)' (Sd. Kfz. 251/9) was created as a supporting vehicle for the mechanised infantry units of the German army and SS in mid 1942. Armed with an 7.5 cm K. 37 L/24 gun (the same 'short' 75mm gun that had been mounted on the early StuG and Panzer IVs, but later designated as 7.5 cm K. 51 (Sf.)), this vehicle lends some heavy direct firepower. In FoW terms, these vehicles are still dangerous to most allied tanks in the Normandy theatre. 

Still, they have negligible armour themselves - and being open topped are particular vulnerable to artillery and mortar fire.  

I've painted the six vehicles which (according to a full order of battle) would be assigned to the heavy support company of the battalion. For this, the hull numbers 443-448 have been used. 

Painting wise, I went with the same recipe as my other half-tracks. I used the Skytrex decals for the side and rear hull numbers, as the smaller ones I had used for this previously from Doms Decals didn't cover the number range I required. License plates and division symbol were also added. 

Foliage was added using seafoam 'branches' and leaf flock. Basing has been done to the same style as the rest of my 15mm Normandy collection. I focussed this on the front of the vehicles, where foliage might have been added to camouflage the vehicle in a hedge or treeline. 

For camo on these, I kept similar colours to those used before, but in a different camo pattern. I'm afraid I don't have the skills currently to airbrush, so the camo pattern is a little heavier and harder edged that I would have liked. However, at tabletop distances it will work. 

A close up of some of the unit

These models are 15mm Plastic Soldier Company kits (PSC) with the PSC upgrade sprue used to convert them into the 251/9 versions. Crew will be painted and added at a later date. 

This units completion leaves 12 more vehicles to finish on my planned Order of Battle (with 34 half-tracks or associated vehicles painted since November). 

Points wise, 6 x 15mm vehicles (8 points each) = 48 points. 

Lovely little half tracks James, it's nice to see these support vehicles with the 75mm gun.  As you say, they pack a punch but can't take any in return.  The decals, came and accoutrements look really good.  Well done.

From JamesM: A mixed batch of 15mm Battlefront Grilles (32 points)

Hi folks,

A second entry this week, but a similar theme. I present four Battlefront resin and metal 15mm vehicles, in the form of two '15cm Schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf. H' (Grille Ausf. H) self propelled infantry guns, and two '15cm Schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33/1 auf Selbstfahrlafette 38(t) (Sf) Ausf. M' (Grille Ausf. K) self propelled infantry guns. Catchy names! Hence they most often go by the name Grille (Cricket). 

These are basically two versions of the same concept, using the same base Czech Panzer 38(t) tank chassis and 15 cm sIG 33 infantry gun. 

Grille H

Grille K

I ended up with both versions due to happenstance and lack of clarity in sources. Someone gave me a single Grille K model, and so I bought another to be able to field a pair. Then Battlefront brought out the newer version of the Grille H, and the old v3 Flames of War books puts this version in Normandy. My own research seems to show that 12th SS Panzer may have had both, with some Grille K's being delivered as the campaign went on. Either way, I figured they were cool little models and I would find a use for them. 

I treated these in a similar way to my half-tracks, using the same paint colours. For camo patterns I go with the whole 'Schmidt has been told to paint the camo on, but he's meeting his French girlfriend in two hours and only has a mop' method. I keep camo patterning within platoons the same, but each platoon has a different style. The camo is then dulled down with a stipple of the base camo colour. 

Hull numbers have been added to the superstructure sides (514-515 and 524-525), along with German crosses, divisional markings to the front and rear hull numbers on the Grille H. Decals are a mix of Skytrex and Dom's Decals. I also weather down the markings a bit, just to make them a little less fresh looking. 

These vehicles would be from the 5th Company of III battalion, 26 SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment, 12th SS Panzer Division. 

I added foliage in keeping with the other models in this project, but also as one of the models was dropped and damage caused to the fighting compartment walls. Some hasty repairs resulted, and the damaged area covered with some foliage!

Some Tamiya weathering product has been applied, but other than that I've gone light on weathering. I may go back and add some soot to the gun barrels!

I do have gun crew for these models, and they will be painted and added post challenge. For now the models are table ready!

These four 15mm vehicles clock in at 32 points. 

I've heard it said that the baddest gangstas all sport a Grille!  Wonderful looking kit here James, love the basing, weathering and quick camo job which might actually be quite effective.    Having spent long (happy) hours researching RN naval camo, I know that what's on hand tends me the most frequently applied coloration and whatever they feel like they feel like that still fits in general guideline the most common pattern.

I had a chuckle over the comments on  your "due to happenstance and lack of clarity in sources"  excuse.  I'll have to borrow that for some of my over completeness purchases, like trying to build every Allied destroyer that served in the Med in WW2.

From JamesM: 15mm Battlefront German half-tracks (24 points)

Hi folks,

Following up on my flame-thrower vehicles a couple of weeks ago are a trio of Battlefront resin and metal 15mm Sd.Kfz. 251/1D half-tracks. These vehicles will be the tractors for some Pak40 guns.  

These vehicles form part of the 4th (heavy weapons) Company, III battalion, 26 SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment, 12th SS Panzer Division. Painted as part of my project to represent those units involved in the fighting south of Caen in early August 1944, but really representative of this unit from the battles immediately post D-Day. 

Decal wise, I've used Skytrex hull numbers (423 to 425) alongside Doms Decals rear numbers and side crosses. Doms Decals also provided the registration plates and divisional sign. 

In keeping with my other half-tracks, I've also added some light foliage using seafoam sprigs and leaf style flock. I tend to go quite light with this stuff, as too much care really detract from the model (and it's fragile on a gaming piece). I gave the finished models a light dusting to the lower hull of Tamiya weathering product. 

At least one of these models was a bit of a rescue job, and is a little rough. However, you can only tell by looking closely, and it will (hopefully) pass the 'looks ok from 1 meter away' rule. 

Crew, internal stowage and towed guns will be added at a later point, my aim was really to get the models table ready before revisiting in the future. 

Total for this entry would be three 15mm vehicles @ 8pts each = 24pts. 

I am really enjoying your Normandy vehicles here James.  Can't do 1944 Germans with out some form of halftracks and these ones look great.  Very nice nice basing on them.

JamesM: 15mm Ward LaFrance Wrecker (9 points)

Hi folks,

Yet another wrecker truck for my collection completed during this challenge, this time a much larger vehicle in the form of a American Lend Lease Ward LaFrance Wrecker, which is shown here in British service. This one is decalled up to be from the 'Light' Aid Detachment of 33 Armoured Brigade.

The model is, I think, an MMM Models 15mm resin kit. It was an eBay purchase and had a lot of damage which was repaired with the use of plasticard. There are still a few bubbles and missing bits, but it will do!

It's also a pretty massive bit of kit, being longer than a Sherman tank - the base it's on is actually a longer than standard 'FoW Large' size. The model didn't come with any crew figures, so I've just left it driverless for want of any specific figure and the cabin being a tight squeeze.

A single 15mm vehicle = 8 points.

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A very interesting vehicle. I've not seen one of these before so I had a look at my reference books but then I realised I had seen one, in the flesh so-to-speak, at a military vehicle rally several years ago. I feel your pain though at a less than satisfactory model bought from ebay. I've had a few purchases like that myself. Having said that I think you've done a good job of bringing it up to spec so I'm going to throw in another point for the 'conversion' work you have done. 

Lee 

JamesM - LCA Passengers (part 2!) (90 points)

Hi folks,

A final push to get this lot done before the end of the challenge!

Another three LCA's worth of Canadian troops, which finishes off my flotilla of landing craft. Again, these are 15mm Battlefront miniatures which came with the LCA's. I've painted them up in Canadian uniform colours (or my approximation of them), to go with my Juno beach theme.

Just to prove that I have in fact painted the whole lot (practically a company worth of infantry figures):

A total of 72 figures in this lot, at one point per figure (they are cut off at the thigh, unfortunately, low enough to capture the webbing and water bottles!).

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Oh these are wonderful. And they really do complete your LCA's from earlier in the Challenge. These will look spectacular as part of a D-Day / Juno game. 

Points wise I sort of agree with your reasoning for reducing the points, but as you said the majority of the detail is still on the figures, above the cut-off point. It's really only the lower legs and bases that are missing. Hmmm, tell you what, I'm going to treat them as whole models but take a 40% off so 72x2 equals 144 less 40% (rounded down, -57) gives you a total of 87. And then I'm going to throw in three more points because you've bothered with details that most people won't be able to see once they are in the LCA's! 90 points total sound fair to you? 

Lee

From JamesM - 15mm Quad Tractors (32 points)

Hi folks,

My second entry for this week - a set of Battlefront 15mm Morris Commercial C8 FAT (Field Artillery Tractor) - commonly known as 'Quads'.

Yes, yet more trucks...

These are marked up as part of 128 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. This unit was one of the three 25 Pdr equipped artillery regiments of 51st Highland Division.

The guns for this unit were painted a while back, but the transport for the guns is lagging a bit behind!

A 4 wheel drive vehicle capable of towing the gun and it's ammo trailer over rough ground, although pretty underpowered and small for the equipment carried. These vehicles were in service in 1939 and served in the British army until 1959, were used in every theatre and widely exported.

4 x 15mm vehicles = 32 points!

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Another nice batch of vehicles. I've painted quite a few of these myself over the years (albeit in 6mm) so I have a soft spot for these truck. Probably not the best of their class but they did the job and they did it for a long period making them an important vehicle, especially given their export value. 

Lee

From JamesM - 15mm Crusader AA tanks (19 points)

Hi folks,

A couple of Crusader AA tanks for your perusal.

These are support for my 24th Polish Lancers, 10th Armoured Brigade, 1st Polish Armoured Division tanks. Some of which featured in previous AHPC entries.

As usual, these are decalled up for the unit, as correctly as I can. This includes the blue diamond tactical marking on the rear of the turret, marking these as belonging to the HQ Squadron of the unit. Each tank regiment would have had six of these tanks to provide AA cover.

Armed with twin 20mm cannon, these are 15mm Battlefront models. Each has a figure in the turret, with the command model having a radio aerial. Yellow panels on the rear deck are air recognition panels, something I replicated throughout my Polish unit as a nod to the many 'friendly fire' incidents they suffered from the RAF and USAAF. This also helps easily distinguish this unit from my other similar units.

Two 15mm models = 16 points, with 2 crew = 2 points, for a total of 18 points!

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I love me some tank! Even if they are only fitted with AA guns. Actually, these sort of vehicles proved very effective, especially in fast-moving actions. The ability to bring air protection right to the leading edge of an assault could prove very useful indeed. In some ways, it's a natural development of the all-arms / blitzkrieg concept and shows that tactics were continuing to develop as the war progressed. 

I'm adding an extra point to acknowledge the attention to detail in the form of the correct decals for this unit and the use of an air recognition panel which was used quite a lot but isn't often seen on wargame vehicles. 

Lee

From DaveD - 9th Airforce P47S & blast markers (34 points)

Another bit of progress for my 15mm Normandy 44 project. This time the introduction of air power for my US forces. - well JamesM needs something for his  Flak Korps  to shoot at other than Shermans

JamesMs lads need to get used to this view of the Jabo's - dakka,dakka , dakka...

These are P47 Thunderbolts made by Battlefront - two of which were fine. One of them had lot of problems with bent wings. Even with the persuasive powers of hot water and the  hair dryer the resin won't fully comply. I have made contact re getting a replacement - but for now its doing flying duties - it can be turned into a terrain piece when its been replaced.

I need to get hold of some of the taller flights stands as these are hedge hopping at the moment!

I had a mare with the supplied decals as they they were incredibly brittle and just fell apart - even with at the application of decal solutions etc - in the end I popped down to Pendraken Miniatures HQ (8 miles away) and picked up some from the I94 range they sell - they worked just fine!

hand painted invasion stripes - a fun job! I also want to add some propellor spinners - however I will wait until I have some more aircraft sorted (there are some on the way ) and order them up in a job lot. 

despite the hassles - I think these have come out pretty good - need more!

I have added a thinned satin varnish to the main panels which gives a very slight shine to the bare metal look . 

I couldn't pass up the chance to make up some blast markers from battery operated flashing tea lights - I got a box of 24 from china for a relative pittance. The casings of the lights were painted black , then I hot glued on some cushion filler and teased it into shape - a couple of sprays of grey and black and they are good to go. They are large markers for 15mm but for bombs I think they will be fine, They will also of course do duty in other games and genres. I have been looking at cutting the light casing down to make smaller markers and this is perfectly do-able so perhaps later in the challenge I  will get them done. In terms of size they take up about 1/2 a 6 inch cube box.

we do like a good KABOOM!

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Guest minion Byron here again, wow these are great looking planes Dave!  I am not much of a plane buff, but when I first looked at these they remind me of the US T-28 Trojan, maybe simply because of the low wing layout.  I wonder if the T-28 was derived from this earlier design.

The paint job is tremendous especially the hand painted stripes!  Steady hands there and a stunning result.  

I also really like the blast markers, very simple and easy to do but oh so effective.

Great work and I really hope to see more in the future.