From Anthony O: Grey Beards, Mortars and Desert Pirates (230 points)

After a light on week last week I have come through with a wrecking ball this round, well of sorts anyway. I put a big effort into building a Dwarven Regiment as both an allied unit for My Kingdom of Men force and also to be the centerpiece regiment for my actual Dwarf army. I also continued with my BEF by adding a mortar team and then painted a few Long Range Desert Group vehicles in anticipation of some nice desert action in V4 FoW.
 

 

Dwarf Regiment - Games Workshop

I put these guys together from my bits box with the intention of padding out my Dwarf army and to also have a more colorful unit to act as an Ally to my over the top bright Kingdoms of Man army for Kings of War. They are all from GW and are just fantastic miniatures.

I decided to make them look like veteran greybeards, something to inspire fear like that saying about being careful of those with grey beards in an industry where men (or Dwarves) die young. They are also one of the first multi based units I have done and include the full 20 troops that make up a regiment.

BEF Medium Mortar - Warlord Games

A few weeks ago now I painted up two Universal Carriers and now I am adding a medium Mortar team to the mix for Bolt Action. Mortars are a must have in every army I take and the BEF are no exception.

Long Range Desert Group - Battlefront

I was given these miniatures recently by a friend who had too many and knew that I was interested in the LRDG. I had painted a 1/56 patrol up (which recently donated to a charity raffle) and as such he gifted me these and more so I got stuck in with relish. I am in such awe of these gentleman and love bringing these miniatures to life.

So that's it for this week, next week should see a bunch more Team Yankee with a horde of Russians crowding the painting desk.

By Paul and Alan: Wow! Another stunning submission Patch, yet you still classify this as a "light week"! :-)

The Dwarves are great, I love the dioramic basing for the mortar but the LRDG vehicles take the cake (especially after seeing your lovely 28mm ones last week).  Looking forward to seeing what you do in a "productive week!".  

230 points including a few bonus points for the banners and all the little extras on these great figures.

From EvanH - Doctor de Bruse - 28mm Plague Apothecary (5 points)

One more for this week - while nowhere near as imposing as the Orc Chieftain, and nowhere near as much work, this little fig from Casting Room Miniatures is a gruesome delight.

I present, for your edification and enjoyment, Doctor Lividus de Bruse, late court physician to Duke Delius of Marchmont (deceased).

I've always had a liking for the more lurid aspects of history, and plague 'doctors' like this chap, their beaked masks filled with dried flowers and sweet-smelling herbs to prevent infection (because everybody knows that bad odours, or miasmas, cause disease, right?) roamed the affected neighbourhoods of European cities during the various plague outbreaks of the 16th and 17th centuries.

I'm pressing him into service as an Apothecary for Frostgrave, since I need some more specialists for when I bulk up the warband.

I've given him a colour scheme redolent of disease and injury, with yellows, greens and purples to heighten his already odd appearance, and I've added a belt pouch and dagger from the Frostgrave Cultists box.

He's ready to roll, or will be when the PVA/Bicarb snow mix dries (I had to get this done before the heatwave tomorrow!).

So one 28mm figure is a princely 5 points towards my total, and another contribution towards my Frostgrave Duel with the estimable Mr Mills. Yay!

I really should be working on the next Bonus Round, but I ran out of some crucial materials which will need to be chased up asap, which is why this guy got pushed up the list. Will I be able to get my terrain entry finished in time? Who can say?

Stay tuned, viewers...

Ev

By Paul and Alan: great fig which has induced flashbacks to Dan Brown's "Inferno".  Combined with the bright colours on the robes, that mask is pretty creepy!

From EvanH - The Big Fella - 28mm Orc Chieftain (10 points)

I'm back from the Apple Isle and ready for more painty goodness!

I love Tasmania. The scenery is breathtaking, the weather is cool, the beer is great, the seafood is brilliant, the cheeses are amazing, and the stonefruit are the best I've ever had. I can state categorically that sheep's milk whey makes an excellent vodka, as well as forming the basis of a delightful vanilla liqueur, and quinces are an excellent and flavourful addition to cider. 

All that stuff about oysters being an aphrodisiac is rubbish though; I ate a dozen and only eight of them worked.

But I'm back in the hot and humid confines of Sydney now, and I went to the painting desk first thing upon my return to finish off another fig from Scibor's Monstrous Miniatures, an ostensibly 28mm Orc Chief, who, at 55mm in height, certainly lives up to the 'Monstrous' tag. As soon as I saw this model on the website, I had to get it. Scibor Teleszynski's work is excellent, and this is one of his best sculpts so far. Six hours later, here's the result.

You can't rush this!

I went for a cooler colour scheme than the canonical GW Goblin Green. It makes him look a bit more grim and forbidding, or at least I hope so!

The skin was basecoated with the discontinued Citadel Foundation colour Orkhide Shade (because it was good, of course, it had to be discontinued - thanks GW!), a dense dark green at the blue end of the spectrum, worked up through Vallejo Scurvy Green and with successive additions of Citadel Hawk Turquoise and Space Wolves Grey to the mix. 

I decided to work with a wet palette to help with the blending of colours, and when the weather is hot, it's the only way to go if you don't want your paint drying out before you've finished. Given the heatwaves we've had to deal with recently, this will probably become a fixture on the work bench for the duration of the Challenge!

The leather loincloth was worked up from Citadel Scorched Brown, through Vallejo Game Colour Beasty Brown and Citadel XV-88 (that's light golden brown for those of you playing at home) and on to a final drybrush with Citadel Bleached Bone. A wash of Citadel Agrax Earthshade over the surface tied the layers together.

Hair and whiskers were basecoated black, highlighted with Vallejo Model Colour Black Grey and a light overbrush of a dark blue. Citadel Space Wolves Grey provided the final highlight for strands of hair and beard.

This is one of those sculpts that cries out for a patient approach, and repays it many times over. I am glad I took my time with this one; while this pace will never get me an army anytime soon, it's allowed me to finish one really imposing figure to a standard that I'm happy with.

I don't know what this will be scored as, 28mm or 54mm, but it's just one figure so it's not going to set the world on fire!

Maybe he needs some friends? I'll have to see what I can dig out from the hidden valleys on the northern slopes of Lead Mountain...

Stay tuned!

Ev

By Paul & Alan: Not sure your Tasmanian tourism advertising has many of our international viewers sold, but I've definitely enjoyed a few trips there over the years too.

You've done great justice to a fantastic sculpt.  I love your choice of colours and your blending technique is top notch!  Given his size, I've scored him as a Cavalry fig - 10 points!

From Sean M: Some stuff (31 Jan 17)

You might detect a lack of enthusiasm in the post title, and I'm not going to lie. This gets pretty brutal. Ever start on a project, then regret it almost instantly? Well, then, let me present to you 16 of Wargame Factory's finest 28mm Celtic Slingers.

I feel bad for even making you looks at these. The poses on these guys is so awkward, it's like watching me dance. Curt was at one of my wedding receptions, so he can vouche for that. The details on the face are so soft that there was nothing to bite into. The difference between these and the Ashigaru from the "East" theme is night and day.

I may have shot myself in the foot by putting all of the good poses in the warbands, and there are no Old Glory or Warlord figures in this batch to break up the monotony to make me dig deep for these guys. No amount of alternative facts are going to polish these turds.

However, here is a batch of something a bit more refreshing to the palette.

Here is a squad of GW's finest, Deathwing Terminators. They even did battle on Monday, as I introduced my kids to the gateway drug call Space Hulk. I'm that kind of dad...

I have not hewn close to the "Codex", preferring to paint the chest eagles red vice green. More aggressive, I should think. And of course, as it is GW, there's a skull chained to a chain gun. <get it?> I am a lot happier with this effort, GW does make some very nice and crisp plastics, although one of those blokes is pewter.

A little less input this week, but I have finished the "Movie" theme entry, and I have started work on the Curt Geld, although, as a guy on a farm, that might mean something different.

I'll leave that with you.

I do realize that there is an doom like shadow crossing some of the frames. Although very "End Times", it isn't actually that chunk of skull that carries my brain casting a shadow. Oh, no...

It's Tesla, our newest house cat; named by my eldest, as he is all smokey and mysterious. Not bad name association for a nine year old.

I'd like to thank all of those who have taken the time to comment, and bemoan the state of rural internet that makes it a 5 minute ordeal to load each of your posts, and much longer to comment. I try my best when I'm in town at a hot spot, but that is not very often as of late.

Sean.

By Paul & Alan: We all have some Wargames Factory figures in poses like that and they serve their purpose as rank and file.  But serving up your kids a plate of Space Hulk goodness with lashings of awesome sauce is fantastic Dad action - great job!  Have 105 points as a just reward :-)

Watch out Curt - that machine is going to make your eyes water!

From Barks: Jabba's retinue (50 points)

Star Wars Tuesday is back! Here's Jabba and chums from the latest Imperial Assault release.

Since taking this pic, I've added gloss varnish to Jabba's eyes and slobber.

The Gamorrean Guards are classic pig-faced orcs and such fun to paint.

The Weequay are nice generic scum and villainy.

Paul & Alan: "This Bounty Hunter is my kind of scum, fearless and inventive"
Nice job Barks - the Gamorreans were always my favourite from the scum palace and you've pulled off Jabba beautifully! 50 points will be added to your bounty

From JamesL - Lorraine Schlepper and friends (25 points)

Another small contribution, this time to add some firepower to my LW Germans in Bolt Action.
First up is the excellent Warlord Games kit for the 155mm heavy howitzer armed Lorraine Schlepper converted tractor

The Germans converted a number of captured French artillery tractors into self propelled anything towards the end of WW2, and one of these designs included mounting their heavy howitzer onto a lightly armoured cab.

This Warlord kit is superbly detailed, with the crews jacket and helmet stowed away, cartridges protruding from their stowage in the floor, and rivet work around the hull.

I've painted mine in one of the many camo schemes used by the 21st Panzer Division in Normandy, in order to fit in with my Bolt Action force. Next up is the last of my units that I had painted for my recent CanCon Bolt Action tournament army, a Veteran SS sniper team.

Another excellent kit from Warlord Games, the sniper is in a very purposeful prone position, and even has some clever hat camouflage to protect against enemy heavy machine guns (cue PaulOG ). Bravo!- ED

I tried a variant of the Oak Leaf camo for the sniper himself, and kept his spotter in Spring, whilst having the sniper wear a combination of Spring and Autumn Oak Leaf.

I finished these chaps the night before CanCon and they went on to earn their keep throughout the tournament

Paul & Alan: Nice job mate - that Schlepper is wonderfully detailed and clearly the effort you put into those snipers' camo paid off on the table!  Congrats on making the top 10 in the CanCon Bolt Action tourney- great stuff!  Enjoy the infamy of being "That guy who brought an 88...."

Tuesday Minions reporting in!

The weekend still lingers and its not yet hump day, but Monday is gone and there is the promise of an adult beverage at the end of the day! Let's say goodbye to January in style :-)

From DaveD - Thundering Hooves.. (402 points)

Its been a week of horseflesh and riders (well the horses were done 3 weeks ago with oils) to complete the FINAL (honest....) unit for the Mahdist forces. This is 39 Baggara cavalry and a mounted commander to add to the existing 32 - so a total of 72 cavalry.

they are all Perry miniatures. Each of the spear carriers has had a flattened sharpened short spear soldered in the riders hand to make them more durable as the supplied spear is way too bendy and thick. So these lads have a tendency to "bite" you - or get stuck up your finger nail if you don't treat them with respect!

I decided to do some more colourful and detail work on the commnader figure with a bit of an intricate design on the horses barding.

So added to the exisitng force of 32 - it takes me to 72 Baggara cavalry - and with the 82 Camels and riders take me over the initial project aim of 150 mounted for the army.

The full horse mounted cavalry forces

and the whole army completed over the various challenges all laid out...

with a short video review too

...and yes I now might as well have shares in the Really Useful Box company, Having just packed them all away it takes the following

2 x 11 litre deep boxes for the mounted
8 x 7 litre for the foot
1 x 4 litre for comman and guns

MilesR: Give me a minute while I pick my jaw up off the floor..... What a huge mounted points bomb and the assembled army is really an amazing accomplishment.  I tip both my hat and tropical drink to you, Sir!  I added a few points for the banners

"Is That All There Is?" - MartinC (120 Points)

Miles has a grueling work session and so we have to post a day early. Capitalism is hard. That coupled with a week of  casting and making my own figs, and an 8 hour gaming session in the wargames dungeon today (the best game I've ever played, and probably the biggest) - pop over to my site in the next couple of days or to Matt's for the Sealion write up.
With the excuses sorted on to the figs. I've "completed " my Mahdist forces with these 24 Perry figs

Such a small post (120 pts)  warrants a small post and a suitable (and very very banned) song.

More next time and some hand made figures

MilesR: Who doesn't love a submission with Perry figures - and these are painted up so nicely

AdamC- Frosgrave Gnolls and Vikings (155 Points)

 Here we have the balance of the Frostgrave Gnolls box.  I did them all up as hand to hand fighter there are 14 in total(20 Per box)

 First up we have 5 armed with some sort of hand weapon and shield.  I went with a plain wood color for the shields and then did patterns of random red lines and shapes on them.  I wanted to suggest they meant something to the Gnolls with out going for anything that looked to human.

 The box set has a variety of weapons from a scimitar like sword, two different hand axes and war clubs.

 Here are seven more Gnolls all armed with either two weapons or with two handed weapons.  Again we have a great variety form two handed axes and swords to a spear weapon that looks a bit like a shortened glave.

 I tried to vary the colors of their clothing to give them a colorful appearance. For basing I've gain gone with something that might suggest subterranean ground with some sort of moss or mold growing on it. I plan to combine these twelve figures into a single unit of offencive Heavy Foot for Dragon Rampant or a I could make them two units of Elite Infantry.

The officers.  I intend to use these two with their two handed swords as a command unit in Dragon Rampant. I'll use the Elite infantry template.  Having two figures is handy as it means I can remove one to indicate the unit is below half strength.

The rear view of the figures.  For this shield I wanted to indicate that he had pick it up from some human soldier and then decorated it in Gnoll fashion.  So that 14 figures in the 25mm scale for 70 points and possibly a few extra points the shields if the beneficent Monday Minion is so inclined.

 Next up are a new bunch of Vikings that I picked up last year a Huzzah.

 I'm not sure who made these but they are (excepting a few awkward poses) very nice figures.

 I plan to use these guys for Saga and this fellow will be be a banner man with a unit of Hearthguard or Warriors.  The Flag is one of the many excellent examples provided by Ray on his excellent blog.

 Basicly you give up one fighter for the ability to recover more quickly from fatigue.

 The guy on he left is one of those awkward poses... I'm not sure what he is doing with his weapons but at least he's heading at the enemy.

 One of the issues I had painting is the copious amounts of chainmail, there is only so much you can do with bare metal.

 Everyone always talks about how much fun raiding is.. no one ever talks about the hard work of carrying off the loot

 This is a great figure who will be useful in games were carrying off loot is important

 Front and back of two warriors with spears and an extra weapon

 Hand Painted shields

 Sword armed warriors.  I really like the fellow with the fur lined vest.

 The guy on the left with the hat is also nice break ups the sameness of the outfits.  Again these are hand painted shields.

Last up is my great hand painted shield "failure"  I was going for a running horse but it came out looking more like a rabbit so I have embraced it with a little Monty Python homage. This is a very dangerous man as indicated by his killer bunny shield.

Now for something very different Regiment Von Shepard.  Readers of my blog may have some familiarity with my Imagi-nation The Grand Duchy of D'Argent.  Well I decided some time ago it was time to create an enemy for them.  Thus the Draconian Empire was born.  I'm populating this a fictional Holly Roman Empire with regiments commanded by gaming opponents of mine and they are getting input into their uniforms.

 My friend Frank Sheppard wanted his unit to look like the 60th foot/Royal Americans.  I was happy to oblige his anglophilia and even borrowed some Early 18th Century English flags for the regiment.

 The Figures are Old Glory15s Hanoverians very nice sculpts that paint up quite well.

 I took the flags from War Flag my go to source for inexpensive (free) flags.

I've got several additional Draconian units coming up as I really need to get cracking on 15mm Seven Years War side challenge.  This first 32 points volley for 16 figures gets me on the board but I am way behind

Points 25mm figures
14 Gnolls = 70 point
10 Vikings = 50 points
120 points in total plus a few possible extras for the hand painted shields if the beneficent Monday Minion is so inclined.

Points 15mm figures
16 infantry = 32 points


MilesR: Nicely varied entry - I really like painting up the plastic Gnolls for Frostgrave.  I threw in an extra point for the shield and 2 for the flags, bringing your net to 135!