From MartinC And So I Face the Final Curtain (636pts)

So this is it, the final post of Challenge VIII. It's been an odd one. I started with a new very time consuming job, a spectacular bout of the the actual flu and no real plan of what to paint. My lead pile was full of stuff I don't want to paint and my mojo was off. I've ploughed my way though it and am within 10% of last year's total, with these and completed my ACW collection started a couple of year's ago and painted a significant Russian Civil War force.

There have been some great highs. The Mr Lee figures I discovered are brilliant, sponsoring and participating in the challenge is good business, I've gotten into WW2 Flames of war with a British para force, still hate tanks, thanks to James. I'm really taken with 15mm and will paint some more - as good as 28mm and less annoying than 10mm. I need to find a period though.

Overall the standard of painting by this year's challengers has been the highest ever and the output from Kent, Noel, Byron and Miles, to mention just 4, has been earth shattering. How Kent paints Naps so well and so quickly and so brilliantly is terrifying. I thanks must go out to Sander for being a great minion, there is not maths with this entry - just trust me.
So how did I finish this show. Like this

For Christmas I got a Norman army, mix of Black Tree, Foundry, Conquest plastics and some 2nd hand ones

30 mail armoured spearmen

Some nice shield patterns

10 mail armoured axe men - less good shield painting

6 crossbow men

Command figures. I have 20 more mounted knights to paint but wasn't in horse mood

17 bowmne - don't you just love prime numbers

8 slingers

I started my Napoleonics, for the 1st time, with some Portuguese infantry. Obviously they needed some support so I painted up their most obvious allies - some Russian Cossacks. 

12 Cossacks - these are actually for a Napoleonic Persian excusion. Have a couple of infantry regiments to paint

My Flames of  War British Paras needed some transport. 

7 jeeps and 2 Universal Carriers (artillery HQ) I added lots of stowage

I'm always on the look out for a bargain and picked this up for a tenner

FT17 tank - VBCW

One of my main interests remains colonial and I've had this foundry piece for ages. It's a stunner

Litter carrying wounded Brit

Finally Miles and I were supposed to have a side duel - Cornwallis vs Washington but Miles only finished his yesterday so probably too late for a proper vote. Miles has a good excuse, he was reprrducing the Western Hemisphere in 28mm. I suggest that we leave it to curt and the Minions to decide whose is the best

Foundry Cornwallis figure. The Brits took so much baggage that the army was described more as picnic than an army. So I added a slave bringing drinks to the General

The final tale of the tape

80.5 x 28mm infantry = 402.5

14 x 28mm mtd = 140

9 x 15mm vehicles = 54

7 x vehicle crew = 7

1 x 28mm tank = 15

1 x 28mm litter = 10

 Total= 628.8 plus any shield and banner bonus

Thank you all

From DaveD guest minion - Another classic MartinC mixed combo post. Cracking stuff, the mass of spearman look the part , so a little top up of extra effort points gives you 636.

Well done on another fine challenge Martin - a final total of 3844 - your points total will show a bit a later