From IanW - 6mm Three Pike Phalanx's by Baccus 155 points

OK Challenge junkies, pay close attention to what Ian is about to describe.  We may have a new record benchmark in challenge madness.  I am (almost) speechless due to the task involved and the end result.

I actually started this project in last years Challenge and will be submitting a few more units before this challenge finishes. These three blocks brings my total phalanx's to eight, I now need to restock as I aim to paint up at least a total of twenty before I call them done.

Each block has at least 96 figures, that's eight deep and twelve across, I have added one mounted and one dismounted commander making a total of two hundred and eighty nine foot and one mounted for 147 points. Baccus supply their pike in four options, pike at advance, pike with two ranks at charge and two at advance.

Both these poses have the option to be open handed or pike included. Now anyone who has wargamed with pike troops knows the issues with lead pikes, imagine the issues in 6mm, so open handed is a good option.

Of course this means you have to add your own pikes, I toyed with the idea of pins but Dr. Mike convinced me to use bristles from brushes. These are great to work with as the bristles bend but bounce back and you have no worries about the paint coming off though it does take 30-40 minutes per block to glue the pikes in place.

Click on the image to see how well the pikes sit in the hands, Baccus have done a great job of sculpting them so as to make this possible.

The detail is very crisp and looks the part rather well. I have started to add die wells on the bases as it stops the dice falling of the bases when playing. Unfortunately on these units the well has to be at the front or else the pikes hang over the front of the base. Each unit is 60x60mm.

All eight blocks together, actual blocks were eight men deep so this formation would be something similar to what they would have looked like. So with these finished I make a two pronged attack on the 6mm and Bronze to Steel side Challenges. Next up some Companions and Napoleonic cavalry.

Ok Ian, you individually mounted pikes in 288 6mm figures?  And you specifically asked for open handed figures so that you could have this privilege when the 6mm figures with pikes in hand option was available.  That's absolutely mental, but I love the result!

This is one of the most stunning wargames armies that I have ever seen.  You can pick out individual helmets in the phalanx and the pikes just look so right.  I get to add in a few bonus points when I see fit and I am rounding up your score to 155.  Well done!