From JamesM: 15mm Polish and Canadian tanks [History] (84 points)

Hi folks,

I've been picking away at the lead pile recently, having struggled a little with painting motivation since the start of the challenge. I decided to pick a few things I really wanted to paint, in an effort to get me going. So I returned to my roots, and decided to paint some tanks. 

First up, some 15mm Battlefront resin and metal Sherman DD tanks. I'd had some of these on order from Battlefront back in July 2021, and the order got cancelled. I needed the last two tanks in order to make up a full squadron, so spent a long (long long) time scouring Ebay. Thankfully at the end of last year I got lucky and picked up two new kits, while the last two unpainted models were also dug out.  

The Duplex Drive Sherman was equipped with propellers and a inflatable canvas screen, allowing it to 'swim' very slowing through water. Unlike the rest of my vehicles, these have been based with a beach style scheme. These tanks will be part of my Fort Garry Horse squadron, although markings are light due to the placement of the screens. 

The last image shows the four recently completed tanks, with the central vehicle being one I'd finished quite a while ago. 

While waiting on decent weather to be able to spray varnish the DD tanks, I started work on some A30 Challengers for my previously completed C Squadron, 10 Pulk Strzelcow Konnych (10th Mounted Rifle Regiment), 1st Polish Armoured Division Cromwell force. While these tanks weren't used in Normandy, the Poles did use them later in the NWE campaign. Adding these vehicles to my collection was a bit of a no-brainer, allowing me to represent other Cromwell forces, or use this Polish force later in the war. 

These are some of the new 15mm Battlefront plastic kits. I added a range of stowage and other bits to them, deliberately spreading the amount between very little and a lot. Some of the images from the Netherlands make these vehicles look like wild west caravans, loaded down with 'stuff' and uparmoured with various tank tracks. As my Cromwells are pretty lightly stowed, I've gone for a spread. 

Decals are my normal mix - using the last of my Polish Armoured Division markings. Otherwise, I matched the decals to my Cromwells. 

Lastly, the above photos show the new Challengers alongside one of my older, previously painted Cromwells. 

This entry marks my first 'withdrawal' from the Library, specifically from the History section. Awarding an additional 20 points. 

The eight tanks contribute 64 points (8 x 15mm vehicles). This gives a total of 84 points. 

TeemuL: 84 points it is! The new tanks look very good and if painting those has helped you with your motivation, then all the better! I've been thinking about basing my 15mm tanks, too, but so far I have not. The tanks vary so much in size, that finding a proper base might be difficult. What is your secret, do you use ready made bases or do something yourself? Are all the bases the same size or are they different for different tanks?

Back to tanks and painting, you have done a great job picking up the edges, they really pop up nicelym but still do look real. Good selection of colours, probably due the experience, I guess. I hope your motivation stays up and we see more from you!

Thor's Day's Bears and Strikes

It's Thor's Day again and it seems everyone is hibernating like this bear. Well. not everyone, but many of the Thor's Day crew and many other participants, too. It is quite quiet mid-Challenge now. Many Finns might be sleeping today, too - or at least they are not working. There are lots of strikes today, planes, trains, ships, busses pretty much do not move, hotels and supermarkets are mostly open, but with limited staff and so on. You might remember, that last year (and couple of years before) we had a very popular young female left wing prime minister. Well, last spring we had election and our current prime minister is an old right wing male again and with his side kick a angry very right wing female minister of finance they have decided to cut pretty much everything to reduce foreign loans and "while everyone is affected by these hurtful cuts which wouldn't have happened, if left wings would have been reasonable" in practice most of the cuts affect the poorer part of the population. And while the government is also trying to make it more difficult for example to strike, many and more striking, because there is not really an option. So today we have lots of demonstrations, protests, rallies (however you call them) and a quite general strike. Most likely some got really drunk yesterday and are now sleeping...

:bear:

BEAR

The feeling when you just want to sleep all winter.

Sometimes, when the long dark winter seems to stretch endlessly ahead, you just feel the bears have a point in hibernating.

----- End of Finn talking about Finland -----

Like a said, it might be quiet day, but there is something!

• James provides us fine examples of both Polish and Canadian tanks
• MartijnN does a tour around the Library and somehow ends in last week (story in two parts)
• MartinC is bit like a bear, a quiet week (for him), but still some US cavalry and manga
• Bruce has been out in the wild painting Zulus

From JP: Ral Partha's Idol Theft! [New Acquisitions] (65 points)

 This is a new acquisition, I have long been a fan of Tom Meier's vignettes and thought I would never find them again. Enter Jacob, owner of Ral Partha Legacy, who has allowed me to revel in my teenage delights of D&D!

I will start out with an unabashed shout out for Ral Partha Legacy. Jacob sent a parcel of vignettes from the US to me in Belgium. UPS didn't do a great job and it went walkies - permanently. Jacob diligently tried to track the parcel down, when UPS just shut the file, so to speak, Jacob recast the three vignettes I ordered and re-sent them to me at no cost (we are still wrangling as I want to contribute and order more!). They arrived two weeks ago.

The castings are superb! Clean, fine details, animated and each tells its own tale. Thank you for the superb service and perseverance Ral Partha Legacy. Firms like this allow me to continue enjoying the hobby.

I puzzled how best to assemble/paint the model - 7 pieces and all 25mm - super fine detail, a tiny bit delicate. I played around a bit with it and came to the conclusion I really should paint each part separately and then assemble them. Sounds obvious, but I have bad experiences from painting parts and putting it all together afterwards, even with good prep work.

I decided that the idol should be painted, as I have seen in India, that was key to adding extra life and colour. There are no washes, only brush and dry brush - I was afraid washes would take away from the end result. Here is the outcome:

I am still hunting for a base that is 65mm in diameter as well as a 'dome' to put over it - if anyone has recommendations, pray tell!!!!

Points... not certain! I'll give the following a try:

6 x 25-28mm figs 

(2 whole humans, 2 whole skeletons and a number of partial skeletons)    30

1 x idol as a 40mm figurine                                                                           7

1 x hobbit as a 15mm fig (on top of the idol if you missed him!)                 2 5

New acquisition                                                                                            20

Possible total:                                                                                                59 62

Once again - I would not normally get off my duff to paint a vignette so quickly - so thank to the Analogue for pushing me along!!

It's your stand-in minion Martijn again. Wow, JP, what a fantastically cool vignette! I am very happy you got in the end, for I would not have wanted to miss this contribution for the world. Great choice, and great painting too! You have managed to bring the whole scene to life, and I love the painted idol! I think you are being modest on the points side, a 28mm hobbit is still a 28mm hobbit, and I will round your total up to 65 for special coolness. And even that seems a little skimpy for this magnificent entry. However, that's what it is; 65 points for you. Well done!

N.B. Please mark your entry in the title, I almost missed it. And a map would be nice to!

 

From PhilH: Mooning about the Fantasy and Children’s Sections

When I visited with the Snowlord, he kindly introduced me to the whimsical fantasy skirmish game Moonstone. Turns out he has solid taste in games and it’s super good fun: a surprisingly tightly-designed tactical game with deep gameplay, unique models, many of which are daft as a brush. There’s also a decent community at my local store and a good friend bought in, so I’ve been collecting the Leshavult faction, playing and painting quite a lot of it in recent months.

So, for my next two library locations, a couple of Moonstone characters. I expect you’ll see a few more from me before the Challenge is out.

 

First, the faun wizard Gloom. His signature is to Shadow Walk about the table, so I tried to work with the light of the lamp as the focus for the miniature, and the rest of him dark and shadowy. He’s my choice for the Fantasy section.

Second, the delightfully dorky Jackalope. Being fluffy and cuddly it will be my submission for the Children’s section. It’s also quite vicious on the table.

I leave it to my esteemed minion whether the Jackalope counts as a monster, Gloom as a 28mm foot miniature and two locations makes ?..  

Another fine submission, Phil! Gloom is great, and the osl effect is pretty convincing. I like the dark, muted colours and the contrast with the lighter parts. Well done indeed!  The Jackalope is very good as well, perhaps not the best gift to comfort a child of a nervous disposition, but a fine paint job. As I hear that it measures about 35mm to the top of the hump, I will not score it as a monster, but I’ll consider it a 40mm figure; so 7 points. You may be walking rather close to the edge here, but I suppose, with a little imagination (which is not something I am particularly know for), it might be seen as “something darker for the children”. Which brings you another 52 points.

Martijn

From DaveD: "Ayo Gorkhali!" - & German WW2 kit , terrain bits (518 points)

 I haven't just been painting 10mm Old Guard - oh no. So having shown you a taster before Christmas with 6 skirmishers - it is time for a proper DaveD sized unit of Ghurkas !

These lads are going to do duty in the Soudan as part of the Indian army detachment - as a 48 figure unit with 18 skirmishers and also in the North West Frontier as two smaller 24 figure battalions and skirmishers . Martin says he wants to see them up the Hindu Kush with his back of beyond stuff soon.

They are from the Perry Victoria's Little Wars range. I have them based a little looser on a wider base than my normal close order infantry to reflect their open order rifleman deployment. 

MartinC and I have a game booked in Feb to test these lads' mettle. 

Scoring for these, its 60 fresh 28mm fig = 300 points and hey - that also puts me over my initial target . I will take it up to 1500 I think. 

I also had a “Tiger” in the to do pile - no not a tank a proper Tiger - it will be added to the Vietnam collection -

I already  have the PBR so it will be used for a “Don’t get out of the boat !” Scenario. It’s made by Gringos40 , 1 28mm = 5 points 

Next up comes the transport for my 15mm Normandy 44 collection. My Panzer Grenadiers have been without their own dedicated transport for too long  - it’s been sitting there prepped with Dunkelgelb for a few years so it’s now it is time to fix that.

Classic Hanomag 251’s x 8 with MG , 1 with Pak  and 2 mortar support . A couple of 250’s , 2x 20mm AA half tracks , a couple of tractors for my previously completed 88’s , and a Kubelwagon with some officer passengers . There are 18 of these vehicles and 46 passengers/crew  and drivers . Most of these are Battlefront kits with extra stowage added.

 

Aerials added from my trusty fishing line stash.

While I had the airbrush out to do the usual German 3 colour camo back in December  I added a couple of Tiger tanks that had come my way ready built from James M , they just needed a paint job.

So 20 x 15mm Vehicles = 160 points and 46 , crew/drivers/passengers etc= 23 pts = 183

While I was at it I had two 3d printed log covered MG bunkers so I did those as well , 1 point for them as they are each 2x1x1 so 4 cubics .

This I think pretty much completes my German forces for Normandy, maybe just need a bit of SP Artillery at some point .well put it this way the storage box for these is full , so if I get any more it’s going to be a big top up to make it worthwhile . JamesM of this parish and I are intending to do some D Day games again this year - well as it’s the 80th anniversary why not eh . 

So the natural extension from summer ‘44 is into the winter - and the Battle of Bulge . I have the stuff sourced for it - it’s seasoning in the lead pile . 

I have decided to start with some of the basic terrain first . In the stash I have a load of Woodland Scenics tree armatures , so I have completed a test on a few trees , using rubberised horsehair to make the branches /foliage part . Overall pleased with a first attempt . 

MartinC has completed some Finns recently for 7DTTR / TY - so I think this might also be a winter off shoot project and allow my Soviets to crush those as well .

Size of the group is 5x5x3 = 1/3 of a terrain cube = so call it 6 points 

28mm , 61 = 305

15mm Vehicles  x 20 = 160

15mm crew /passengers /drivers x 46  etc = 23 46

Terrain bits = 7 

Back to the jungles of SE Asia next I think and the 10mm stuff or maybe the Hindu Kush , we shall see where the muse takes me. 

huzzah! 

Huzzah indeed! In true Davidian style another points bomb. And what's not to like here? However, when pressed I might say that the Ghurkas are my favourites. Now that's what you can call a unit!  Very impressive. But the German armour is also very fine, and the trees nothing to be ashamed of in the least. Very well done, and ever onwards to the new target! Which you are appraoching faster than you think, as the infallible Spreadsheet of Doom still awards your 46 15mm half figures 1 point each. So 518 points!

Martijn

From PhilH: Researching Armour and AT at the History section (85 points)

Continuing my amble through the first section of the library with more support options for WWII Fall of France. I focused on the core infantry platoon and some supports in Challenge XIII, then in the spring blitzed through a peloton of motorcycle recce troops.

I have a few more bits for the project in the stash (and the Germans prepped and waiting patiently in the queue), and the French were are lacking armour. First, a Warlord Games 47mm Antitank gun. A chunky  threat to see off those panzers.  

Next, the 3D printer whirred into action to run off a Panhard 178 armoured car, affectionally know as ‘PanPans’ to support the recce troops. Except when one is 3D printing, why print one when you can print two?! So here’s two PanPans for twice the fun. 

These are nice 28mm 1/56 scale files from the Fighting Vehicles Patreon. The turrets are a little tight, just noticed that one on the left needs a bit of forcing down. 

I am fond of French armour design and just added a little stowage to bring them to life. Fortunately I remembered to order some French roundel decals before Christmas, and pinched the others from kits I have in the stash. 

I am keen to hunt down appropriately scaled stls for other French armour, especiallythe commonplace Renault R35. 

A crewed weapon, four crew two of which are prone (40 25) two vehicles (40) and the location bonus makes a lovely 100  85 points. 

Replacement minion Martijn here, as Greg is attending to other duties. I love those early war French, Phil! The camo on the equipment is very well done and the 3D printed Panhards look absolutely great. Well done indeed.

Unfortunately, your math is a little off. Prone figures traditionally score half the points and the gun 10, so that's 25 for the gun and crew,, added to the two vehicles and the location bonus makes a still very respectable 85 points for you.

From AndrewB: Gladiators and Scratchbuilds, Oh My! [Oversized Books, DIY, Lady Sarah's Cart] (180pts)

Ladies and gentlemen! Last week, we ended my post with True Crime!  This week, I’m hitting Oversized Books with some wildly giant 54mm gladiators from Irregular Miniatures!   These five I originally purchased just to see if they were something I’d enjoy painting, and could use for virtual games so players could more easily see who their figure was vs others (plus, I hear folks like gladiator movies).  They were quite fun to paint, had lots of room to try out some highlighting, which promptly disappeared under a wash(gonna have to change something next time).   In any case, I’ve ordered several more, which you may see before the end of the challenge!

The sculpts aren’t the most modern or absurdly detailed, but they lead to a good clean figure that I really enjoy. Oversized Books places me with two items from Section 6 complete, so that lovely lady gladiator’s gonna hop on Lady Sarah’s Book Cart and take me over to the lower rotunda, for a delightful crack at the DIY room!   

Oh boy, did I DIY my face off with these!   I have a bunch of the anthropomorphized rabbits made by Thomas Foss over at Skull and Crown Strategems, which are delightful to paint up, and supremely fun models to boot!  They needed a place to live, however, and simple holes in the ground for warrens wouldn’t do at all for such sophisticated and warlike creatures.  I decided to make them a few semi buried warrens, which you can see here!

As you can see, the rabbits enjoy the finer things, with little porches and back walks   Three of them likewise stack quite well into a 6x6x6 shipping box, so I’m in luck for both transport and scoring!  

Next up, the rabbits need some sort of communal buildings for governance and defense!   So I put these together!  

These guys are also entirely assembled from cut up cereal boxes, and should provide some semblance of security for the rabbit village from marauding humans, etc.  these were a bit more challenging than the warrens obviously, but were a fun break, and turned out better than anticipated!  I’m still debating what to put on the floors of the towers, maybe you all can provide some suggestions!  I believe I’ll probably add a few clumps of brush, and maybe some flowers, but at least the flowers will have to wait to see how the figures all turn out first   These are oddly shaped, but surely fill a box and maybe two thirds to a half of another, so we’ll go with that.  

As always, the basing materials come from Geek Gaming.  I can’t get enough of these things!

In terms of scoring, we have the five 54mm figures for 50pts (hot dang!), as well as three and a half cubes of terrain for 70pts!  We hit the Oversized Book section, as well as Lady Sarah’s Book Cart, and DIY, for another 60pts, for a total of 180pts this week!  Can’t slow down! 

Also, finally remembered to add my progress picture!  Gonna be a long slog to hit every section. 

 

 Hi Andrew, it's Assistant Junior Library Assistant Martijn stepping in here, as Greg has unfortunately been detained elsewhere. Some great gladiators you have brought us! They really look the part. I suppose "Oversized" is relative, but hey, I'll grant you your bonus. "For those things that are better when bigger", it seems like you intend to use them that way. However, your DIY project is awesome! Very creative and well executed. I must confess I had to look up the word "warren", so I did learn something today. You have not provided measurements, but I'll trust you on you word so 180 points it is.