Monday Again!

The Clash - Gates of the West

OK all, it's Monday again and that means more old man music. This week it's one of my all-time favourites - "the only band that matters" - plus a couple bonus tracks from the two frontmen's post-Clash projects.

What can you say about the Clash? Formed in 1976 in London by Mick Jones and Joe Strummer (we won't mention the previous band Joe was associated with), the classic lineup also included bassist Paul Simonon (he taught himself to play the bass in three weeks!) and drumming genius Topper Headon. Their eponymous first album was released in 1977, followed by "Give 'Em Enough Rope" in 1978. But their magnum opus was certainly "London Calling" released in 1979 and named by Rolling Stone as the greatest album of the decade (the 1980s that is). Infused by ska and reggae as well as rockabilly and traditional rock 'n' roll, every song on this record is a banger. The song linked above, "Gates of the West", is from the band's 1979 EP "The Cost of Living", released just about seven months before London Calling.

London Calling was followed at the end of 1980 by a triple (!) album (sold for the price of a double album, Sandinista! Although I personally love half of the songs on Sandinista!, a lot of it is half-baked rubbish (the "dub" versions of other album tracks for example) and although the band had always been "political", the triple album was even moreso. The album was followed in 1981 by "Combat Rock" featuring the charting US single "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"  Unfortunately the answer was the latter, as after a half-hearted 1982 release (of which the less said the better) the band broke up for good. 

But the animating minds of the Clash, Strummer and Jones, carried on! Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite in 1984. After a time that incarnation broke up and in 1991 Jones formed its successor "Big Audio Dynamite II" releasing their debut album "The Globe", which spawned this hit:

Big Audio Dynamite - Rush

Joe Strummer wasn't idle either. He formed a group called the Mescaleros and they were also great!

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Get Down Moses

(You might recognize that tune from its great cover by ska band the Interrupters). Sadly Joe Strummer died of a congenital heart defect in 2002. He is missed! 

So if you've made it down this far you're probably interested in the painting this week. First off an apology from me, SteveA's Space Marines were a late entry last week and I didn't get to them, so they're first up this week. Next are some very nice Austrian Napoleonic mounted officers from NormS. And that's it, an easy start to the week - a short week for many of us in North America as today is a provincial holiday in many provinces as well as Presidents' Day in the USA.

Have a better one!

Dallas

KentG - Feudal Japan Terrain (75 pts)

Still working away on my 3D printed buildings, to go with my

Japanese project, still having lots of fun. They look a little to cute 

But oh well, can’t wait to set them all out

This first building is the biggest so far and it’s one of the best

The detail is very cool

Size 240 wide 230 long 165 high

Once again I painted the bottom of the water bowl

And filled it with glue which works perfectly as water.

This is the smallest so far but very cool print.

 

I added a little extra vegetation which adds some colour 

Brings it to life

140 wide 110 long 120 high

This next one’s a little slap stick, two misprints from two buildings.

I chopped the roof in half built a balsa wood centre

Not the best but still gives me another building

Then finally a bridge which is a little small but will add the look

Of the table

180 wide 190 long 95 high

Bridge 150 wide 50 long 100 high

The dimensions of each model is under each picture of it.

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Wow Kent!  Even more awesome looking terrain, and more to get jealous over for most of us!  All of these are great pieces of terrain, that probably took WAY WAY WAY too much time!  There area. lot of great things to look at here and once again I love all the extra little details you are putting onto them, like the extra plants and flowers.  Great work, and you really need to post up some pictures of all of them together at the end showing us what your table looks like!

As for points, still not 100% sure how to deal with all of these, as there is a ton of detail, but being filament prints I can see that a lot just has to be done as simply as possible so that you don't see all the print lines and faults with them.  That said I am going to keep with much the same as the previous posts, but I know I might very well be under rewarding them based on complexity, but am trying to keep it as even as I can to everyone.

Therefore, the new biggest building I am going to award 35 points for, 10 points for the new smallest and simplest on, 20 for the misprinted one (that looks great with the fix), and 10 points for the little covered bridge for a total of 75 points.  Amazing work here Kent!  Keep up the great work!

- Byron

 

PhillM - 20mm building by Raventhorpe (10 pts)

20mm Raventhorpe building

This was painted with emulsion paints and then finished with Vallejo colours.

I always struggle with buildings- an unexplained painters blocky that they are difficult to paint and mainly I think this is besides of the windows .

I can never decide between the light blue shading or leaving them black with grey shading.

Once finished they have been gloss and Matt varnish.

Points I will leave with Byron .

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Hello Phil,  

This is a great looking little building and you have painted it very well. I am having to guess about the size a bit as you did not put in any measurements or pictures with any figures to go from.  I am guessing about 4"x3"x3" but if I am way off, please correct me.  I am solidly with you on the painters block for windows, I struggle with the same thought on all of my windows as well, but generally go with a dark blue faded to light blue centre, like you did as I think it looks the most natural.

There is a lot to paint on this building with all the textures and the exposed timber framing so even though it is 20mm scale I am going to guess at least the 4-6 hour range to paint and award 10 points.

From PaulSS: Medieval Crossbowmen - 60pts

 

This week, I've been working on more additions to the Baron's War collection. 

These are the rather lovely Medbury Miniatures 3D prints sold in the UK by Garrison Miniatures on eBay.

The detail is exquisite and the prints are lovely, with just a single mis-print in these 12, but you'd hardly notice!

I am getting gambeson fatigue though, all twelve of these have them and the next entry that I'm working on also has loads of them!

The chap on the right in the above pictures is the aforementioned mis-print, it's hard to tell but he has no left forearm at all!

Twelve 28mm figures is another 60pts to my total, as mentioned more gambeson wearing entries next week!

From DaveD. Great perseverance on this project Paul . Nice to see a little other colours on these too that brighten the look .bit of a rum do with the misprints ,I assume that’s off set a bit with availability and price . 60 it is .

AdamC: Rock Formation (5 points)

 

I think I found these at a local event called Junk in the Trunk, they were extra prints that a 3D printer enthusiasts had.  Being a budget Wargamer I grabbled them.  

At first I thought they might work as islands but I think they are a little too narrow for that 

I suspect that they will dress the edge of the table or be used to raise terrain higher, they will find a use. 

They are about 3 inches high and 4 inches long.  I have a 25mm miniature here for scale.  I'd estimate my painting time as 45 minutes to an hour.  They are alternating layers of Black, Dark Gray, Black wash, Light Gray, Dark Gray... repeat. 

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What a great little find Adam.  Sure they are simple, and fast to paint up, but I can see them being used as islands, like you said, or as rock formations, or even simply to mark edges of table area.  If you wanted you could even add some flock as moss or some vine type growth to them to spice them up a little,  maybe not if you want to keep them usable for the most options, but still a possibility,

Seeing as they are super fast to paint up though, I am awarding 5 points, buts I feel that's still pretty good for the small amount of time needed to get them ready.

- Byron

From LeeH: Another Soviet LMG Squad (60 Pts)

This week, I finished my fourth Light Machine Gun squad for my 1939 Winter War Soviets, which means I’m finally within sight of the end of this Bolt Action painting run. Four squads lined up together give the force a real sense of cohesion. On the table, they look like what they’re meant to represent: mass infantry built around automatic fire.

Soviet infantry tactics of the period leaned heavily on firepower at the squad level. The light machine gun was the anchor, with riflemen supporting it rather than the other way around. In theory, this created a base of suppressive fire that allowed advances by weight and momentum. The Red Army’s pre-war doctrine emphasised aggression, coordination, and overwhelming force. In open terrain, backed by artillery, that approach could be brutally effective. On a Bolt Action table, four LMG squads make that doctrine tangible—steady, grinding pressure rather than elegant manoeuvre.

The reality in 1939, however, was far messier. The army that invaded Finland had been badly damaged by Stalin’s purges of the officer corps in the late 1930s. Experienced commanders were removed, imprisoned, or executed, and their replacements were often younger, less seasoned, and understandably cautious. Initiative became dangerous. Junior officers learned that independent action could end careers (or lives) if outcomes were unfavourable. The result was rigidity. Orders were followed, sometimes blindly, even when local conditions demanded flexibility. Against Finnish forces who excelled at small-unit tactics, mobility, and exploiting terrain, that lack of adaptability proved costly.

With this fourth squad complete, the core infantry element of the army is ready. I’m still waiting on an artillery crew and gun to round things out, and I have a handful of spare figures that may end up as smaller specialist teams if I can find a home for them. For now, though, these LMG squads capture both the theory and the tragedy of the 1939 Red Army: a force designed for massed firepower and relentless advance, but hampered by structural weakness and fear at the command level. 

12x28mm Foot = 60 Points

From DaveD.  Nice winter additions Lee , are you starting to get snow blindness yet ? The whole force will be looking like a proper mass when we see it . 60 it is .

From MattT - Serbian Nobles ( 55 points )

Another small addition to my slowly growing Ottoman army. This time its some Serbian Nobles. Figures are from Claymore Castings with a couple of head swaps to make the unit look a little more eastern. 

I am in awe of people who manage to paint freehand heraldry. While I'm very happy with my standard of painted miniatures I know my freehand could improve. Surprisingly I am happy with the two headed eagle but I struggled to get the shapes of the helmet correct, and I gave up on a bow and arrow design. I just couldn't get the lines fine enough. More practice required before a tackle the 100YW.

5 x 28mm cavalry = 50pts

From DaveD . Lovely clean work there Matt. Freehand work on heraldry is not to be undertaken taken lightly . I think you have done a fine job here . 55 for you .

From Mike W - 28mm Daleks & Renaissance Crossbowmen (140 Points)

This week I have a rather strange mix of Sci-Fi and historical Renaissance Crossbowmen, all in 28mm, the crossbowmen are part of a larger batch that I hope to get completed by next week's post, for the time being here are 7 of the little guys.

The Dalek batch completed this week

I have described the painting proess for the daleks in earlier posts and these follow the same steps. I have gone for a retro silver and blue scheme for these guys, just because I like the colours. these may not be entirely 'historically' accurate but fit in with the vibe of other Dalek models finished by club members.

Close-up of some of the alien fiends....

Just for the record thats about 960 little blue hemispheres painted onto these guys! plus 40 little orange lights... Luckily I don't give up easily.

And another view!

The 20 x Daleks are for an upcoming club game set during the Dalek Civil War, thus the need for large numbers of the robotic menaces!

A slightly different angle

The specials! 'Brewed-up' Daleks at each end.
A Warlord Games miniature second left with truely retro bodywork
and a battle damaged Dalek second right.

As with previous year's when I have done Daleks, I have included a couple of casualties. This is the result of using bulk buys of cheap plastic dalek figures, where some of them inevitably end up arriving broken or with parts missing.

I have painted these up as regular Daleks but then used the whispy packing material used by Perry Miniatures (and others) and teased this out to represent smoke. Some yellow and orange paint plus daps of super glue keep this all in place and make a good representation of a Dalek 'Brewing-up!'!

One with rear damage, a Warlord Games mini

And one with frontal damage, from front cover of a magazine

The next group is of 7 x 28mm Renaissance Crossbowmen, this was a group of figures I obtained from eBay, they aaaare 3D printed figures which were sold en masse, at a discount, as they didn't have any heads. I supplied heads from Games Workshop, Wargames Atlantic and Warlord Games renaissance figures.

First seven of these 3D Crosbowmen

Another view

and the final view of the week

Once 'whole' the figures were undercoated in cream and then I used various speed pains and regular paints to dress them before a wash of watered down Dark Tone from Army Painter. Once dry they were varnished and bases flocke diin my normal manner. I have about a dozen more of these little guys to get completed over the next couple weeks.

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SQUIRREL POINTS

+1 28mm Renaissance Crossbowmen

BIG STOMPY ROBOTS OF DEATH  POINTS

+20 for the Daleks

POINTS

20 x Daleks @ 5 Points ea.                                                                  100 Points

7 x 28mm Renaissance Crossbowmen @ 5 Points ea.                          35 Points

TOTAL                                                                                                 135 Points

From DaveD. Wow talk about tormenting yourself with dotty Daleks and then renaissance . That a fine output indeed . Good job on the kitbash on the figures . All that dotty work deserves a little reward so 140 it is .

From AdamW: 'Hot Fez' - a Turkish barber on every corner - 15mm 220 pts

 I managed to finish painting these last week, but didn't have time to get them based and flagged up till after the Sunday deadline.

A simple entry of  some more Turkish/Ottoman troops for Balkan war. One unit in the blue uniform and the rest in khaki.

A mix of manufacturers, mainly minifigs with a few other odd unknown figures mixed in. All bought from other peoples lead piles.

Now I have to decide what to paint next.  Life is somewhat busy at the moment so it may be another two weeks before the next entry.

Apologies for the short write up, but this entry was a bit of a grind to get units done rather than something exciting :)

Points

6 units of 18 =108 15mm figures @ 2pts = 216pts

From DaveD . That’s another great mass from you .The mix of figures works well . I will call this 220 .