From AlanD - Fallschirmjaeger (160 Points)

Back in January 2016 I bought a Warlord Games starter army of Fallschirmjaeger from the good people at War and Peace Games, planning to paint it up for Bolt Action and Chain of Command. I think the plastic WWII figures from Warlord are a pretty mixed bag, ranging from the caricatured Japanese Infantry, through the ape-like US infantry, to the really quite lovely British infantry. The Fallschirmjaeger might be the pick of the lot so far, a really great set with lots of options and natural, realistic poses. The only real downside is that they are really aimed at Normandy, while a few extra bits like StG-44s and regular infantry helmets would make them usable right through to the end of the war. Of course, if you have the box set of German Grenadiers, you can easily interchange the parts.

Here they all are in a little more detail.

I gave a couple of soldiers captured British weapons, inspired by a well-known photo of a Fallschirmjaeger in Italy nursing a Bren gun.

It took the inspiration of the Challenge to get me finally painting this lot. The 'splinter B' camo worn by the Fallschirmjaeger is a swine to paint, and I had to spend several months meditating in a monastery lost deep in the Himalayas before I felt confident to face the task.

If you are inclined to have a go at painting 'splinter B', I recommend the approach explained by Ruben Torregrosa in 'Painting War: WWII German Army', although if you are a purist you should note that 'splinter B' is not quite the same as the splinter camo used by the Wehrmacht on Zeltbahns and other early camo uniforms. 'Painting War' doesn't differentiate between the two, but does give some really good suggestions on how to simplify the splinter pattern so that it works in small scale. It is still a swine though.

Anyway, I ramble. These 32 figures will form the core of my Fallschirmjaeger army. After tackling the 'East' bonus round I will return to Fallschirmjaeger again and give them some heavy weapons. For now, 32 figures should give me 160 points.

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Lovely work Dux! I agree with you on the porcine nature of the fallshirmjaeger camo, but your stay in the Himalayas was well-spent as these chaps look terrific. I've always admired the 'Painting War' books from afar, and heard great reviews, but have not picked up one yet - maybe the SCW issue would be a good start...

I really like your adding of some groundwork to their helmets for additional camo - I'd tried something similar for my Viet Minh infantry, but I think yours came off better. 

160 points for you sir! Great job. 

Now, I recommend you return to your monastery retreat and meditate on being kind and understanding to those unfortunates who do not hand-paint their shields or banners. I know, it will be a struggle - I suggest self-flagellation with a 10/0 brush to encourage spiritual focus... ;)

 

From PaulOG - Wasteland Raiders and Red Devil Jeeps (130 Points)

Two contributions from me this week, for different projects underway:

Wasteland Raiders

No, these are NOT Chaos Warriors (though the figs are indeed the venerable 2004 GW sculpts).  You can easily tell by the way their shields have been meticulously scraped clean of the characteristic 8 pointed star icons and most of the skulls, right? Right!

These are the beginnings of my first ever Fantasy army: a  Conan-esque "Riders of Doom" / Game of Thrones Wildling inspired raider force.  These rather ominous looking chaps deliver two 6 Heavy Foot units for Dragon Rampant; one with 2 handed weapons and one with Shields (and led my a Sub-Leader with a Standard Bearer and a musical/signalling Horn blowing chap).

Yes that shield/banner device is indeed the Yellow Sign of Cthulhu mythos fame.
No, they aren't wearing yellow.

Behold: the colourblind Knights of the Yellow Sign!

Painting wise, they were undercoated black and then I fell into the pitfall of enjoying painting all the lovely details and spending far too long on them - not good time economy from a points perspective, but I am pleased with their "just in from the wastelands" appearance.

Banner and shields are of course hand painted to avoid the unpleasantness than Alan unleashes on those who utilise shield decals, which are (and I quote verbatim) "evil and the work of the Devil" (as he is fond of exclaiming loudly into perpetrators' ears...)

Red Devil Jeeps

Another of my hobby objectives this year is to add to my 28mm Brit Para force, which I completed as part of my first challenge back in AHPC IV.  I really love this army (but JamesL's Germans generally don't) and am keen to add some some force options that I didn't do the first time around.

First up is a pair of Para Jeeps which come from the Brigade's Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron, but can also be used to tow the Para's Light Howitzers and 6pdr antitank guns.  Fitted with Lewis guns, they can be very useful for a flanking movements and to throw some suppressing fire about in rear areas and cause havoc generally.  Jeeps are by Warlord Games, crews are by Artisan Designs and I've added a bunch of other stowage and gibbons from my bits box.  LMGs are modelled in a "stowed but ready" configuration for playing/storage longevity.  Yes, one of the Paras is toting a captured MG42 - to offset the captured Brit weapons that some of Alan's new Fallschirmjäger are carrying (which will also be posted today) and because its such a cool weapon!

Tip for Commonwealth types (standfast Canuks): note that the Jeep is an American designed vehicle.  Thus, the driver is on the Left hand side. Don't go into automatic and superglue your drivers into your more usual right hand side driver's position.  Yes I felt sufficiently purist (or sufficiently pressured by one called Alan) to remove said drivers, fix the paintwork and then re-glue them onto the designed -as opposed to proper! - side.

Overall, that should be 60 points for the 12 Raiders, while the Para jeeps are 2 x vehicles + 6 full crew figures for another 60 points: adding a modest but pleasing 120 points to the pot.

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Wow, what a wonderful set of contrasting miniatures!

Those raider chaps are very imposing fellows. I love their dark brooding armour and the 'King in Yellow', er, Purple shield device. I had know idea that Alan was such a free-hand fascist - he would be in good company with our PeterD. Honestly, I hate working with decals, but I can't deny their usefulness, especially if you're not talented with fine detail brushwork.

That is an excellent brace of Airborne jeeps. I really like the muddy undercarriage and the various stowage. (The trooper with the MG42 is brilliant.) Historical note: These vehicles were not armed with Lewis guns, but rather Vickers K LMGs. It is a common misconception due to them both having drum magazines, but the Vickers K had a tremendous rate-of-fire (similar to the MG42) which their crews loved.

Also a small correction on your assumption about Canadian vehicles/driving: except for a few small municipalities in the early 20th century, Canadians have always had our steering on the left hand side of our vehicles and we drive on the right - like the Americans (and, well, most of the sensible world). ;)

130 points for you (including a few for your Cthonian shields and flag), Paul. Terrific work, Mate!

From MilesR: WWII Italians and Allied Transport (325 points)

 I've focused mostly on 28mm WWII this week.  My favorite gaming theme has been the Mediterranean Theatre and I've been missing one major player - Italy.  Well that blot on my record is no more!  I finished up a nice little Italian force.  The miniatures are all 28mm metals from the Perry line as is the CV35 Tankette.  The M13/40 tank is a resin model from Blitzkrieg.

 There are 17 figures painted with tropical uniforms (the back two rows) and 19 in standard uniforms.  Hmmm, Perry sells these guys in boxes of six so why isn't it 18 each?

 I painted the officer with the cap (next to the light machine gun team) in the wrong uniform and I'm to lazy to change it now.

 My Italians have some armor support in the form of a M13/40 tank, complete with its dual hull mounted machine guns.  The Blitzkrieg models are very well cast - not as good as the Trenchworx stuff, but a very close second.

 and a CV-35 Tankette.  This is really just a mobile machine gun nest but I couldn't resist the model.

How small is the CV-35?

Pretty darn tiny!

 Next up is an Italian Elephantino Anti-tank gun - light mobile and effective in 1941 but not so much after that.

 Again these are Perry metals and superb.

 Switching sides a bit - some Allied transport in the form of a M3 Half-track and a Whire Scout Car in 28mm.  Both models are from Trenchworx and are superb - just a joy to assemble and paint up.

 The White Scout car has a yellow circle and white star indicating its was part of the Sicily campaign.  The Halftrack has more generic markings.

 Lastly a group of 12 LRDG infantry in 28mm.  These are Perry sculpts and I'm very sad to say the casting was just awful - there was extensive clean up and I still missed a bunch of the tailings.

 They still paint up easier but I think the molds were wearing out when these boys were cast.

So heres the full show - not bad for a weeks worth of work.  It did feel good to painting up a batch of historicals.


I need to clear my workbench up and will set up a better spot for pictures.

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A wonderful MilesR-signatured points bomb. Your productivity never ceases to astound Mr. Reidy - it's just amazing. 

My first model tank was an M13/40, so this brings back some fond memories. The CV-35, while cute, was historically a bit of a joke during the period. I've read that many captured models were relegated to towing small artillery pieces as their captors thought that was all they were good for.

Sad to hear about the Perry's LRDG figures, though I too often have issue with the number of vent tailings and bent appendages/barrels on their metal models. Still, they clean up nicely and you've done a great job on these raiders, Miles.

You've become very adept with your vehicles, Mr. R. I really like the weathering on all of these jalopies you've treated us with. Seeing yours reminds me that I need a White scout car for my Indochina collection.

And with 325 points (!) you move back into first place in the points standings. Well done, Miles!

From SylvainR: 15mm WW2 Soviet (159 Points)

I was delayed in my painting endeavors this year by a very pleasant family vacation where the temperature, by number, is similar to Regina, except for the presence of that pesky "minus" sign.

Anyway, here is my first submission of the challenge, a group of support weapons and a tank to help the Soviet fight the "Great patriotic War". All the miniatures are from Battlefront.

Here is the story behind this group of miniatures. When I moved to Regina to my first serious job, in 1998, I decided that it was time to put all my crazy wargaming years behind me. However, in 2006, I was introduced to Curt and after 8 years of abstinence, the 'Devil' tempted me and I started spending both my money and my time on miniatures and games. And I was (and still am) so happy about it!

The first army I painted for my "comeback" in 2006  was a mid-war Soviet infantry battalion for the Flames of War rule set. Curt painted some Germans to match my group and we had a few games. Then we tried other games and painted other miniatures. I still have some unpainted infantry laying around since 2006, and this year's challenge is the opportunity to finish them at last!

In the lot, here are ten heavy machine guns teams, mounted on wheels for transportation. Nothing fancy for the base: a simple dry brush and some flock. It seems to fit the soviet style: spartan and efficient. This is worth 80 points (3 crew at 2 each plus a machine gun worth 2 points).

There are also six 45mm anti-tank guns, four are the 1937 model while two are of the 1942 model, with the longer barrel. This is worth 72 points (4 crew at 2 each plus the guns worth 4 points).

The tank is a T-34-57, so not your usual T-34-76. You will note the longer gun barrel. Not many were produced, but it's always handy to have one around, especially when the German bring heavily armored units.

I like to base my ships, but I prefer to let my tanks blend with the scenery. Thus I have to subtract 25% for this unit, which is worth 4 points instead of 6.

Expect to see more Soviets in the next few weeks as I clean up my unpainted miniatures boxes.

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Ah, it's great to see you with us Sylvain, and returning to us with this great entry of WWII Soviets!

I'm no great fan of FoW, but these can be used for many other rule systems. In fact after seeing them here I have a hankering to see them in an upcoming game of 'Crossfire'.

I didn't realize your were practicing a form of 'wargaming celibacy' before we met. Well, I'm delighted to have ensorcelled you back to the fold. I can't imagine our gaming group without it's Francophone component - Sacré bleu! it just wouldn't be Canadian.  :) 

I'm not going to subtract any points for the lack of basing for the vehicles as I know many who don't in this scale and larger. I'm also giving you an extra point for the brave Soviet commander rolling to his 88mm doom.

Welcome back to the Challenge, Sylvain!

19 more to bring into the fold..

From ByronM - 28mm Modern Militia and Terrorists (90 Points)

I had plans for a big submission this week, and started work on several different items, however they all went to crap by me getting sick.  Despite being off work for 2 days, I felt so crappy most of the week that I just couldn't get much finished.  I couldn't even focus enough to do any fine detail work, so the things I did get work done on are all base coated. basic colours, and washes.  That means that next week's submission should be pretty big (assuming I get better by then).

In the mean time, here is a small submission to keep my progress going this week. The entry is an amalgamation of some left over African Militia from Spectre miniatures and some Islamic Terrorists from Spectre as well (Sorry Curt, those words probably just got this blog flagged by the CIA, FBI, and more).  The figures themselves are awesome as usual from Spectre, lots of detail on them and accurate (if thin) weapons.

Total there are 18 figures here, all done to a very basic table top level.  Essentially a base colour, wash, highlight, some very small details.  Since all of these miniatures will be on, and then off the table so quickly, I just couldn't justify a whole lot of time on them (as is evident in the pictures).

To play the games I want with them, I need about 40-50 Terrorists or Militia facing 4-8 special forces troopers, so I tend to spend time on the spec ops guys as they will be the focus of any game as they stick around for the whole time (normally). 

On the table though with them swarming around my Middle East city terrain, they really get the right image across and work very well.

Oh well, more to come next week.

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These they are very nice Byron.  I think the fellows in the bright jackets, ball caps and blue jeans nicely convey that they are a mob of irregulars/civilians.

I look forward to seeing them set within a block of your excellent buildings, trying to chase down a group of 'operators'.

90 points to add to your tally, Byron. Well done and I hope you're feeling better.

From SteveM: 15mm Soviet Tank Killer Company (30 Points)

Scale : 15mm (1/100)
Mfg : Battlefront Miniatures
Product : sbx31
Material : plastic

Paints: automotive primer, Vallejo Model Color, Winsor &Newton Oil, AK enamel washes, AMMO paint, AMMO pigments, gloss varnish, matt vanish
Details: 5 tanks

This time I decided to paint some WW2 Soviet tanks.  After doing some research on them and found out the SU-100 started service in 1944 and was liked by the Russian crews.  It was able to destroy almost every German tank on the battlefield until the King Tiger arrived in 1945. In looking up some stats there were between 2335 or 2350 produced depending on source material. Production ended in July 1945.  Production was restarted in 1947 in Czechoslovakia as there was a large offensive in Manchuria and many were transferred there.  The SU-100 remained effective on the front lines until 1957.  The tank was used by Soviet friendly countries and the Warsaw pact until the end of the Cold War. They saw service in Korea and Vietnam and many other locations.

 Like the other posts so far, I added battlefield weathering.  Simple green tanks but tried to make them not looking like toys.  I think it worked out well.

regards,
SteveM.

Saturday morning here in the UK, but I'm going to squeeze this one in as I think you had it drafted late on Friday. Update: Looks like Friday Minion made a boo-boo and didn't hit 'publish' last week - apologies Steve. 

Plain green Soviet armour can come across a bit flat and uninteresting, but not so here: really fine weathering on these hulking beasts makes them really look the business. 

Five 15mm tanks, for 30 points.  

From SteveB: Goliath Necromunda (70 Points)

Due to a back problem I haven't been able to paint much, but have managed to get most of my Goliath Necromunda gang done. Only 5 more to do after this batch.

These were painted to a tabletop standard, I I think they turned out well.

I had a lot of fun with these guys, tried out some different skin tones.

So 14 finished 28 mm models I believe is 70 pts.

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Great work Steve! These brutes will make a wonderful Goliath gang. I quite like that you gave them different skintones, reflecting a wide cross-section of the Hive's population. One's eye is always drawn to the guys with the Heavy Bolter and Heavy Stubber - those boys are real brutes (as they'd have to be to tote those hunks of ordinance). 

I'm also really admiring your basework. The decaying masonry, detritus and rubble are a great touch. 

70 points for you, sir! Well done.