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 . 

From DarrelH - Late Roman Cataphracts complete ! 65 pts

Late Roman Cataphracts Complete!

What a month! I'll leave it at that.

Painting time has been slim on the ground of late and varnishing conditions much less so! It's actually rained for more "40 days and 40 nights!". ) One could not make it up. I did manage to get the back rank of my Late Roman Cataphracts finished which, given that I have to spray the last few layers of varnish on, the indifferent rainy conditions, along with other stuff was quite a satisfying achievement. I'm usually much more prolific, but hey ho.....

I hope you enjoy them. They were painted with deliberate rapidity, so are not my finest- but they will certainly do for a game or twenty! I actually do not have very much time to talk/waffle  except to say that I've got another cavalry unit on the way as well as some back rank Archers for a unit (started two years ago but stopped in their tracks by the only disastrous varnishing accident I have had in my life!) It was bad, see quick pic below:

That was the one and only time I have ever strayed from my current varnishing technique! (Ed from DaveD - ooh that’s nasty )

Late Roman Cats:

Unit Finito!

Cheers. Here's to a hopefully more complete post next week!

From DaveD , great to have some work again from you . I hope your real life travails are progressing . Certainly the weather in NE has been too wet ! Let’s call this 65 pts ,

from RayR - Ottoman Turk - Tufekci & Sekban - 15mm 100

 

It's back to my one true love, 15mm for this post. Yes I paint a lot of 25's, but 15's are best! 

I posted my Challenge plan, back in December, part of that was trying to paint up, are figures for a scenario In Barry Hilton's book A Taste for Victory, set during the Relief of Vienna in 1683, there's a lot to paint up, but I'm gonna try my best to get as much painted up as I can. 

 Ottoman Army under Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha

1st Line (Independent Commands)

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

Irregular Tribal Raw 12 figs

2nd Line indie command

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs XXX

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6f XXX

Timariot Sipahis Blade, Lance Drilled 6 figs XXX

Timariot Sipahis Tribal, bow/carb drilled 6f XXX

(Already painted before the Challenge)

3rd Line indie commands 

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs XXX

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs XXX

Sekban musket, loose Raw 12 figs XXX

Tufeckci musket, loose Drilled 12 figs XXX

Janissary Brigade & Brigadier

Janissary Orta All Musket Drilled/Elite 12
Janissary Orta All Musket/Flintlock Drilled/Elite 12

Janissary Orta All Musket/Flintlock Drilled/Elite 12

Janissary Orta All Musket Drilled/Elite 12

Reserve & Brigadier

Sipahis of the Porte Blade, Lance Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Sipahis of the Porte Blade, Lance Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Vizier's Guard All Musket, Flintlock Guard 6 

Great Gun Drilled 1 model 

Great Gun Drilled 1 model 

Holy League under King Jan III Sobieski

Polish Cavalry Brigade

Lipka Tartars Tribal Cav now Raw 6figs

Pancerni Bullet, armour Drilled 6 figs

Pancerni Bullet, Lance, armour Drilled 6 figs

Hussar Banner Blade, Lance, armour Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Polish Cavalry Brigade

Lipka Tartars Tribal Cav now Raw 6figs

Pancerni Bullet, armour Drilled 6 figs

Pancerni Bullet, Lance, armour Drilled 6 figs

Hussar Banner Blade, Lance, armour Veteran-Elite 6 figs

Imperial Cavalry Brigade 

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 12 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Veteran-Elite 12 figs

Bavarian Cav Brig

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 12 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Drilled-Elite 12 figs

Saxons Cav Brigade 

Dragoons Regt Dragoons, Flintlock, Drilled 6 figs

Cuirassier Regt Bullet, Armour Drilled-Elite 18 figs

Field gun 1 model

So here are my first 4 units, 2 units of Tufekci, one in red.

and one in blue

Then 2 units of Sekban in mixed uniforms, the first mainly in red,

the second mainly in green.

Most of the figures are from Essex Miniatures, but for some reason Essex don't sell command figures for either of these troop types, so I ordered some packs from Lancashire Miniatures, they are slightly bigger than Essex miniatures so i cut them from their bases and they now match in better.

I found the flags online, they are for the earlier Muslim armies in Spain, but trying to find info on Ottoman flags for the period has proved difficult.

I'm painting up some cavalry next, so look out for them soon.....fingers crossed!

So to the points...

48 x 15mm figures @ 2 points each makes 96 points!!

From DaveD . Well back from the frozen wastes Ray . That’a decent plan to work to and some nice colour on the units .lets make that 100 for the flag work