From MilesR: The Week 11 Statistical Update - so good 'cause it goes to 11!

 Here we go - the most exciting post of the day! the almost bi-weekly statistical update!  Even more impressive, this update has rather foolish charts and pretty colors to distract the gullible and influence the weak willed - trust me I'm a Financial Services Professional and I know how to use "graphics as a lethal weapon"

On with the show - the first chart shows total points by almost bi-weekly status report and our final estimated tally of 63K points at the conclusion of the Challenger.  Holy Crap thats two weeks way - you'd better get painting you bastards!

  If we look at the distribution of points by scale we can see that 28mm continues it's rightful dominance in this years challenge.  In other words all is right with the world.  Sadly, I do need to point out a growing discrepancy in the data - the ever increasing purple stain of the "other category".  What's driving this resurgence in the other segment - a new and exciting miniature scale?  Nope,  it's seems that one of our minions is a secret data anarchist who insists on entering data in banal totals of points rather than using the brilliantly elegant scale segments provided for in the "spreadsheet of wonder"  Who is this fiend that scoffs at analytical correctness and shockingly rounds to the nearest whole number.  Certain legal agreements preclude me from naming the fiend and pointing out his secret hide out in the great white north.  No I can not name this person cough, cough curt, cough cough....

All of you must be wondering how AHPV VI "Seis Grandes" companies with its past incarnations.  Well we're setting the record for the number of active participants but may fall slight below last years total point output.  One should bear in mind that this years challenge is both two weeks shorter than last year and has one fewer bonus round.  If we look at a efficiency measure of points per week AHPC VI is clocking in at 4,893 pts per week vs last years 4,340 pts per week - that's a 13% improvement in productivity.

Our last graph is a time series that show painting points by day the last 11 weeks.  What can we gleam from this chart - probably nothing, but you people seem to clamber for pretty pictures so here you go.  Stand and gaze slack jawed at the pretty blue dots.

Enough with pictograms and lets get to the real data to chart of doom:

KPI's:
Weeks Completed		2	4	6	8	11
Weeks Remaining		11	9	7	5	2
Participants w/ a Submission		41	61	67	67	70
Total Submissions		98	231	359	478	590
Total Points		6,392	18,328	30,252	39,812	51,599
Participation Rate		47%	69%	76%	76%	80%
Average per Submitter		156	300	452	716	737
Avg per Submission		65	79	84	100	87
Submitter % of Target Completed		16%	34%	51%	77%	82%
Projected Points
Submitters		38,352	54,984	60,504	60,889	60,872
Remaining Bouns Rounds		12,300	10,250	7,750	3,750	2,500
Non Submitters @ 25% / wk8@10%		10,075	4,056	2,370	780	241
Projected Total Points		60,727	69,290	70,624	65,419	63,613
Figures Painted
28MM
Inf		927	2,042	2,983	3,657	4,319
Cav / Art		34	140	326	386	471
Vehicles		19	40	67	74	82
15MM
Inf		14	239	568	867	1,293
Cav / Art		3	25	106	193	230
Vehicles		20	28	62	100	143
6MM
Inf		208	1,153	1,372	1,932	2,124
Cav / Art		106	180	234	315	362
Vehicles		97	133	136	191	205
Score Distribution
28MM		82%	67%	63%	48%	53%
15MM		3%	4%	6%	6%	8%
6MM		6%	6%	4%	3%	4%
Bonus Round "Bonus Points"		0%	11%	11%	9%	10%
Other Scales		9%	13%	16%	33%	24%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%	100%

Hmmm, what do we see here

Total projected points for "Sies Grandes" is estimated to come in at 63K - I think thats a fair guess but will require a little extra effort form all of you out there in painting land - so lets get cracking, I would so hate to be disappointed in you.

We did pick up 3 participants bring the total number of submitters up to a record breaking 70.  As for the forlorn 18 without a submission we can only hope they find some form of solace.

Activity did pick up the last two weeks and I suspect there will be a bit of frenzy getting to the close.

In closing, I'll leave you with the following chart - draw your own conclusions...

Sour Cream - it's a killer in so many ways.

From ClintB - 28mm Socialists VBCW (40 points)

Yes I have finally started the socialist factions for a very British Civil war. Just a small start of 8 figures all I believe are "Empress Miniature" from the Spanish Civil war range although one or two might be another range from a different manufacture. Possible for the Irish Civil War.

 There should be yet more socialists next week as well as I am starting them late today.

Of these one has a shotgun one a mortar and one some dynamite the rest including the woman in the "Mono" are all rifle armed. And the rifles are a mix of weapons.  For those that do not know the Spanish Civil War a "Mono" is a boiler suit and could be worn by any side and was quite common in militia units. Clothing is a mix of styles and fashions but I have tried to keep a red theme throughout to reflect the socialist party.

It is interesting to see a mortar as at the start of the SCW there were only 6 in the whole country and then mostly in Morocco. So I am inclined to think this was a donation from a friendly nation. There are of course more in the VBCW but this is still more than likely a donation from one of the communist nations. But the details are up to the players to create so your guess is as good as mine!

Thanks for looking and with luck just one more post this week from me. 

Arise, ye workers from your slumber
Arise, ye prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now slumbers
And at last ends the age of cant!
Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, arise!
We'll change henceforth the old tradition
And spurn the dust to win the prize
So comrades come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale
Unites the human race

Sorry folks - couldn't help myself! What's that? You expected me to start singing The Red Flag? Well, if you insist...
This batch makes a nice start to your Socialist faction Clint. I'm guessing we'll see the rest next week.
That will be another 40 points - you've certainly been busy this week!

From LeeH - 6mm AS42 Scout Vehicles (

Another return to the desert for my latest submission to the challenge. Unlike the Chevy's used by the LRDG the Italians designed the Fiat SPA-AS42 "Saharan" specifically for the desert. The result was an armoured scout vehicle that was fast and agile with a very low profile making it ideal for taking advantage of every bit of terrain cover.

Five Fiat SPA-AS42

The AS42 was built around the chassis of the AB41 armoured car but with a completely new hull. The large central open cabin allowed plenty of room for a range of weapons to be mounted including the Breda 20mm AA Gun and an assortment of heavy calibre automatic weapons. In theory it could hold a crew of 5 and had a maximum range of 300km (extended to 1500 with extra fuel loaded). More than a match for the trucks of the LRDG.

Designed in mid 1942 it was in service within a few months and proved to be an effective and popular vehicle. Some vehicles even saw service with the Fallschirmjäger-Division Hermann Göring after the Italian Armistice. They continued in use throughout '44 and '45 as reconnaissance vehicles on the Eastern Front, in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Some feature additional crew

Right time to be cheeky. Five vehicles should net me 10 points but there are also four crew (2 Breda gunners and two standing crewmen) inside for an additional two points. Even I'm not brazen enough to claim for the five drivers as these are cast as just head and shoulders and hardly count as separate figures.

More nice additions to your Italian force for the North Africa campaign. That's another 10 points in the bag Lee.

From TeemuL - Curtgeld (25 points)

Someone might ask a question, how is he a risk-taker, daredevil or gambler? I found this handy quote from his biography on imdb.com:

"Peregrin Took (nicknamed 'Pippin") is a Took and that should be description enough."

Pippin might not be a risk taker, he is not a gambler, but he surely is a daredevil. Who else would volunteer for mission, quest, thing and then say:

Great! Where are we going?

Let's see, what else he did. Stole the palantir from Gandalf. Sneaked in to a secret council. Charged Uruks. That sort of things. In the books it is even clearer, that Pippin is the action while his comrade Merry is the thought. And what would Pippin be without his companion, so I'm presenting Merry as well. They are both from the Breaking of the Fellowship box, so those cloaks are supposedly regular cloaks, not elven cloaks.

And for once when I have the opportunity to take photographs in the daylight, there's fog and overcast... Well, these are better than in complete darkness. The cloaks are actually grey, but look quite bluish in the photos... But I'm happy that the eyes and the buttons on the coats are neat.

They both will be going to Canada, un-based as instructed. 20 points for Pippin and 4 points for Merry (28mm character without basing). When I calculate my points (adding the Defensive Terrain, L'amour and Nautical bonus round points) I should be well above my 500 points by now, so let's aim for 750.

Oh yeah, I promised a better photo of those German Shepherds. Back to the camera and quick photos:

I did say there was another Curtgeld in the queue, and what a fun pair of halflings Teemu has produced. Very nice painting and thanks for sharing the extra pics of the dogs.

From BrettM - Tanks, half tracks and Zombies! (297 points)

I have had a lot of projects going on and just not the time to take pics and sit down to upload them. So here are several that I have been meaning to get up. First up the rest of my German box set Ramsch's Charge

Using the airbrush I made the camo lines a bit to fat. Then used the wrong wash I believe as this looks more dirty/brown wash as apposed to black wash I meant to use. I have gone back and forth and like it but realize its not "historically" accurate. However I think it would actually camouflage the tanks pretty well in trees etc.

Just a close up of all the commanders in the tanks and the passengers in the Half tracks. 

Next up is the last of the Grimballs Beats set. The final 3 Pershing tanks

Nothing much to say about these other than damn they had some long barrels on those guns! I painted these the basic US WW2 color and added some drybrush mud around the tracks. 

I thought the name Lil' Joe was appropriate for this beast of a tank compared to the Sherman. Tex..cause "everything's bigger in Texas" and Porky cause well its a big tank

Last up that has nothing to do with WW2 unless you are doing some weird world war 2 like Dust is some Kings of War Zombies. 

I do enjoy painting these Zombies from Mantic. Now though I have plenty for Kings of war so it will be on to skeletons and other undead units.

 and one more pic

Point wise I have come up with the following 3 Pershing tanks =18 points 12 German vehicles = 72 points. 6 infantry in the half tracks =12 points and 39 zombies = 195 points. I did not count the commanders in the tanks as didn't know if those counted or not. Total points 297

Blimey, that is a large and varied entry. Nice work on the tanks and half tracks; the zombies look suitably gruesome.
The tank commanders do count for points, but as vehicle crew are only half points I'll just leave things "as is" and accept your points calculations. The same applies to the half-zombies! Well, it's my last tour of duty as Tuesday Minion after all.

From MichaelA - A Stanley Baker's Dozen (65 points)

Excuse the nod to the late, great Sir Stanley Baker in the title and let us move swiftly on to this paltry entry - no points bomb here sadly.  As the Challenge enters its final fortnight, I'm still some way off hitting my personal target of a 1000 points and a country mile away from making any sort of impression on MartinC's, now seemingly unassailable lead in the 'Cetshwayo Challenge'!

Still not one to give up before the end, I've managed to get a few more of my Zulus painted at the weekend and can at least raise my personal tally a tad more; these then are 13 x 28mm Zulus.  12 of them are hard plastic from Warlord Games, with the addition of a metal Induna from Empress Miniatures.  This last miniature will be my forfeit miniature and destined to join Martin's ranks of fearsome warriors in due course.

So where does all this leave my side duel with Martin?  Well a 151 Zulus to the good, Martin is looking in pretty good shape, but let us not forget the generous handicap system that is in play - Martin has to paint four for every one I paint.  So current standings in the 'Cetshwayo Challenge’ are - MartinC 151 - MichaelA 84.  Getting closer, but still a long way off!

Drink it down, you Zulu warrior,

Drink it down, you Zulu chief, chief, chief,

Drink it down, you Zulu warrior,

Drink it down, you Zulu chief,

Chief,

Chief

Chief

Chief...

Whoops, sorry - reverted to my student drinking days there. For those who haven't experienced the delights of a British student union bar (or the bar of any British sports club), the chant I just posted is frequently used to accompany persons downing pints (proper ones of 20 fl oz, not those teeny American ones of 16 fl oz!) or, more commonly the "yard of ale", given that most students at my college would have drained their pint before you'd finished the first line! And that includes the women! Well, it was an agricultural college I did my degree at :)

But back to Michael's post. That is a very nice set of Zulus, exquisitely painted as always. I'm going to add a few extra points for the handpainted shields. 

By my reckoning, that leaves Michael with 12 days to paint another 17 Zulus to win the "Cetshwayo Challenge". Can he do it? Stay tuned folks!

From ClintB - Curtgeld. "The overconfidence of Youth! " (20 points)

My risk taker is the "Overconfidence of Youth!" I will be doing another risk taker for the bonus round so this is Just my Curtgeld. And I hope he likes it.

The figure is of course a 28mm Foundry Street violence figure on a resin base. As Curt did say he liked the bases on a previous AHPC entry of mine it just made sense to put this on a base as well. By doing so I was able to raise the front wheels and let the skate board do a wheelie. But If I lifted the front too far the figure really did look awkward and unnatural as to get the pose right I would NEED to re-sculpt the front leg. As I am no sculptor re- sculpting the legs was not on my to do list so it is a shallow wheelie. But It looks good enough but from the photos you will just have to take my word for it.

The clothes colours are just what I see on youngsters so it was not a huge leap to get it right. Orange was selected for the hoodie as it really does stand out. In the same manner the deck is yellow only because when I was growing up I had a pacer and they were yellow with red wheels so this does also hark back to my youth until I got an aluminium deck and really started to make a mess of the slopes in the back allies near me. And the metal board did seem to hurt more if you ever clipped your ankles.

Dark blue jeans white trainers with red laces and a green and black sack on the back. Typically nothing matches or looks good and is all peer pressure lead. NO there is no Nike swoosh on the trainers I just know someone will ask!

Are Youths risk takers? That is for you to judge. All I can say is I did have bags of confidence in my actions and abilities and almost no thought of my own personal safety or vulnerability. Yes I could have done a cowboy playing cards or a dozen other risk takers yet for me the whole thing did just seem to be an expression of unthinking youth.

And yes there will be a different figure for the bonus round now. This has been painted for a few weeks now as I waited to get my next risk taker! I picked it up at the Cavalier show last weekend.

Hope you Like it Curt it is in the post on Friday. So should be with you in a week or two I should think. I will put in a couple of extras just for you Curt, nothing so exciting but things I know you would like and have commented on in this challenge. Best wishes Clint

Our first piece of Curtgeld for today (there's another in the queue) and what a great interpretation of the theme.

The orange hoodie is really vibrant - great work Clint. As for all Curtgeld, this will give you 20 points.

From RayR - 28mm Crew of HMS Ruby (45 points)

Can't believe this is only my 3rd entry into the Challenge proper?? 

And NO, they're not the same figures I entered into the last bonus round!

They're all Foundry figures, infact they were painted the same time as the chaps 

from HMS Badger Dragon and are the other half of the Foundry packs.

I did wonder why one of the packs I bought from ebay had what looked like tight curly hair??

Now I know why...Doh!

And there was me, as I was painting the buggers up, thinking, perhaps
I should paint one of these as a coloured chap??

 These rouges should earn me 45 points!

I'm currently in 49th place, thanks to the last bonus round.
And have a few things up my sleeve to hopefully get me up to my 500 point mark.....fingers crossed!

Clint! What have you started? Now Ray is trying his hand at poetry! Stop. Please. Stop.
This bunch of nautical reprobates will indeed earn you 45 points. Very nice painting Ray!