From BenG - 20mm Württemberg Horse Artillery (23 Points)

Hi, all! Another year, another Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge!

Most of you have jumped out of the blocks with entries already, but I am starting slowly with a very modest target of 400 points. As I don't have the pressure of getting a corps ready for our big January game, I'm taking it slowly with what I really want to focus on, this time it's my Württemberg project.

I had a battalion of infantry half done when the starting gun was fired, so I can't enter them in the challenge, but my first battery of artillery made the cut! The gun and figures are all 1/72nd plastic from HäT set 8232. The ammunition carrier has a head conversion using the metal conversion heads from Franznap after I used several artillery heads in a conversion experiment to produce some Bavarian cavalry for last year's Borodino project.

I was a bit heavy handed with the varnish shading, so the uniforms are a lot darker than I was hoping for, but I'm happy with overall result.

From Curt:
Welcome back Ben! It's always a pleasure to see your work in 20mm (1/72) plastics. This gun team looks wonderful and I particularly like your signature smoke from your portfire artillerist. What is the game this January? Leipzig or a battle from the 1814 campaign? Judging from seeing last year's Borodino game this one should be a feast for the eyes as well.

This gun team will give you a base of 20 points but I'm giving you some extra for the head swaps.  Well done.

From BrianB - Dreadball Orx Team (46 Points)

This is my first official entry although I did submit something for the cold round as well. I started off with an Orx Dreadball team as part of my personal goal of trying to get 4 teams painted for the holidays. I kinda feel like I really should of started with some LotR figures however seeing all of the excellent recent entries from Tolkien's world.

I wanted the team to look like their gear was well worn and beaten up but I'm not real sure how well it came across. I also kept away from the the typical green skin as I wanted them to look more Sci-Fi and less fantasy in space. Other than that, five of them have had some conversion work done on them to change up their poses. I've never been very fond of having 4 out of 8 figures looking exactly the same and out of the box there are only three poses. This way they are a little more unique as a team. This 8 man team should be 40 points.

From Curt:

Welcome to the Rumble Brian! These bruisers look wonderful and are obviously raring for a match. I particularly like how you've weathered-up their equipment and chose not to give them the typical Greenskin green skintone. 

I'm going to give you a few extra points as a couple of these lads look rather huge in relation to their squadmates (40mm perhaps?), so 46 points total. Great work!  

From ClintB - 28mm ACW Union Infantry (60 Points)

Here we have 12 American Civil War Perry plastic miniatures in 28mm. These are the first Perry Plastics I have tried and I must say they went together well despite me having more thumbs than fingers. I have no delusions about creating a huge mass of these as I want to try out the rules "Songs of Drums and Shakos" (and before you say anything I do realize they are Napoleonic skirmish rules).

Each mounted single as befits a skirmish set of rules on 25mm MDF Bases. They are not intended to be any particular regiment but generic troops as I want to keep any games flexible. As all the troops come in a variety of  poses and wear a variety of uniforms I have attempted to give them a campaign look with different hats and patches on some of the clothes. When I do some "Rebs" I will take that further.

But for now 12 single based Union Infantry with no flags, drums or any other paraphernalia. Just standard generic troops. Nothing more.

From Curt:
These Damn Yankees look wonderful Clint. I really like how vibrant your colours are for both their uniforms and basing - they'll stand out very nicely on the tabletop. I'm about to use 'A Song of Drums and Shakos' for my 1812 Retreat collection so we'll have to exchange notes on our experiences. I have high hopes as the rules look quite interesting.

Byron's First Entry to This Years Challenge (138 Points)

This year I have gotten off to a slow start with the painting side, having fallen behind on prep work before the challenge started.  I have spent a bunch of time the last week getting figures cleaned, together and primed and ready to go for future weeks, so more to come soon.

Anyway, here is a small first entry that covers cleaning up a few things that have been kicking around for a while and that I meant to get to a while ago.

First up are a few figures to add to my 15mm Canadian / British force for Chain of Command.  Here are two sniper / spotter stands, and a HMG section.  I got these done last weekend for a game this week teaching some friends the game.

Also finished up are three units of British / Canadians for All Quiet on the Martian Front. These figures are apparently HO scale (about 18mm) but are actually slightly bigger.

All of these being small scale are painted up really quickly to just a base tabletop quality. Some base colours, inks,  quick highlights and weathering powders, and then based. Nothing special.

From Curt:
Great work Byron! 15mm is actually a great scale for skirmishing as long as you can easily differentiate the troop types/roles which both you, Greg and I do with using different shaped bases. It's a very economical way of getting into the hobby and looks great on the tabletop. I find the long rectangular bases interesting for your All's Quiet figures. What is the purpose of that in the rules? Is it to allow greater density in assaults similar to Epic 40K?

I'm going to count the AQOTMF as 20mm castings as they tip closer to 20mm.  So, 138 points! Well done.

From AaronH - 28mm Uruk-Hai Crossbows (40 Points)

This is the final entry of Uruk-Hai for this challenge season, if for no other reason than the rest of my unpainted models have at least one color put on them already so are ineligible for inclusion in the challenge.

These eight were a bonus group for me.  They were not part of my plan, but since I'm ahead of schedule I threw them on the table.

There are six crossbows.  These are scary in game since they hit at twice the strength of a normal bow.  They have good range but can't fire if they move.  In keeping with the rest of this army they are brutal and hard hitting.

There's also an Uruk-Hai captain.  These are some of the very best generic captains in the game.  The eighth is another pike.  I would have rather painted a sword but they were all started and then left to sit for ten years.  They'll have to wait another few months.

These were easy models to paint.  The GW metals don't suffer from the sudden loss of detail that their plastics do.  It was pretty clear what each part was supposed to be, meaning less repainting was necessary.  With these eight models done I've got three warbands worth of painted Uruks, which is a great start to the army.

From Curt
Great work Aaron. Please refer to my Paint Balrog reference in the next post...

From AaronH - 28mm Uruk-Hai pikement (40 Points)

This post is eight more Uruks for Isengard.  These are eight pikes, one of the stronger features of the army.  I actually don't play with them as much as they warrant because I hate the pikes in game.  I don't mean the rules are bad.  I hate that I am always stabbing myself with them or knocking them or other models over because of them.  The physical limitations are frustrating.

These models were painted in the same way as the eight swordsmen.  They don't have the shields, obviously, so no white hand on these lads at all.

There are actually several different poses here but you have to look closely to tell.  There are also leveled pike versions but those are even worse on the table so they'll be painted as a last resort.

These models actually have a lot more detail on their backs than on their fronts.  They tend to suffer less from sudden loss of detail than the swordsmen did as well.  They are rewarding models to paint, which is good considering I have another 24 or so to get done, but that's for another day.

From Curt:

Another wonderful unit Uruks Aaron - bravo!  I remember admiring these models when they were first released and you've done them great justice here. I look forward to seeing the hedge of pikes once you have the other 24 done. 

(Cracks whip like a paint-frenzied Balrog...)  :)

From AdamC - Dark Age Warriors (31 points)

These are Wargames Factory Plastic, the Viking Huscarls figures they were a bit of a pain to put together but painted up pretty well once I got them together.

There are six in total a new elite group for my Dux campaign if I ever hit the point were I need more men then John can supply.

These high swinging as men are were a pain to put together but I like how they look its easy to imagine them crashing into an enemy shield wall.

I am pleased with how this shield came out a simple geometric patter looks a little like a d20 now that I see it as a picture.  I think this one went together best it looks the most natural.

 

Man on the run!  Rushing to the fight!   I tried to do a hammer of Thor image on this shield it came out reasonably well.

  

Notice how all Viking look the same HA HA.This dragon shield didn't come out the way I would like it looks a bit like it was done by a 4 year old but I figure Vikings have 4 year-old children maybe this one let his kid paint his shield. 

Finally we have the 6th man with his banner taken from Ray's website.  I have taken the Red Wolf banner as Cuthwulf's (my Saxon warlord) banner. So I used it again here and it looks pretty good.  Another simple shield design. Rather than a second weapon I gave him a horn.  If I need herald character at some point I have one. So I think this gives me 30 more points.  I will be a little while (other than the cold entry that is already in) as I work some painting.

From Curt:Good work Adam. I like your shields (even the self-described 4-year old motif) and it's always good to see Ray's banners getting some air. 

The First Theme Round ('Cold') Is Now Up!

Well, I'm a bit rusty after a year away but I finally got all the hamsters spinning all the wheels in the right direction.  I'm happy to announce that the first theme round is now ready for viewing so please, click on over to the Theme page, view all the wonderful entires and cast your votes. Top three get extra points and a treat from the Snowlord (me).

As a reminder to all the participants, PLEASE send me your theme entries by Saturday before midnight (my time CST). I had to spend an inordinate amount of time adjusting for stragglers today. Not a huge issue but I will be suitably ruthless next time (roars,  claws air, gnashes teeth, etc.)

As for myself I returned to a project I started last year, the 1812 French retreat from Moscow.  I managed to burn some midnight oil (actually, like, a tanker of midnight oil) and got these three cavalrymen done for today's launch. Poor lads look cold and rather harried. Well, I guess that's what happens when you holiday uninvited in Russia...

Anyway, enough blather! Go visit the Theme page and enjoy the gallery!

From Jake - 28mm WWII German Infantry

KALT

This is my first entry for this years painting challenge. I was inspired by TFL's Operation Winter Storm, The Drive For Stalingrad December 1942. So I started with four winter Germans from  the Artizan range.

It was also a good chance to try out the crushed glass I obtained from the Scenery Workshop

The Panther from Corgi is a bit out of place because the production of the Ausf D only began in January 1943. But is such a lovely model and the only German winter vehicle I got. What would have happened if it had been available for Operation Winterstorm?