From KenR 28mm - WW1 Mesopotamia Indian Battalion (190 points)

No surprise this week as I get firmly back on piste with the next full unit for my WW1 Mesopotamia collection.

This week it's a new battalion of Indian Infantry to join the forces of the Empire.

"Is it time for Tea yet, Tristram"

A full battalion under our rules is a 2 Fig HQ, shown above, who would initially in the Campaign would have been British Officers who had lived or were born in India who understood the language, culture and religious needs of their men. Later replacements from Britain lacked this knowledge and morale in those units often dropped as a result.

Added to that are 4 x 8 Fig companies and a HMG base of 3 figures plus the MG. My last full battalion submission was for 190 points and so this one, with the same number of figs should equal that.

The figures come from the Woodbine Design Company range which is an offshoot of Gripping Beast. The Indian figures come with a selection of two head types, the "Hindu" head as shown on these figures or a bearded "Sikh" head with a flat top turban. In fact it wasn't until I started research into the period that I realised how many official turban types there were in the British Army at the time.

So plenty more for Woodbine to get cracking on instead of the new version of SAGA.

I got into a bit of groove with these and have cracked straight on with a Battalion of Sikhs. With three weeks to go I am happy I will reach my target, some A9 Cruiser Tanks after the Sikhs and then hopefully some Mesopotamia Cavalry before Challenge End.

As ever, an extremely informative post to accompany the eye candy!  I'll bet the morale did drop when officers came straight from the rugby pitches of Eton into commanding the local battalions.... I dread to think about what the troops must have made of their new officers, so here's hoping those two you've painted survive for as long as possible!

Really nice stuff on the painting, this lot will look great alongside the others I'm sure and I'm looking forward to a shot of all of the painted figures together..... next week perhaps?

190 points is exactly what I make it too, excellent work!

From RossM - 15mm Undead and 28mm Retro Chaos Warriors (104 points)

This is the second entry to this year's challenge and continues with the themes in the first entry.

There are quite a few pictures here so please bear with the post.

Three character stands for the 15mm Undead from Alternative Armies. Two major characters at the back and one minor at the front.

Next are four stands of heavy foot spearmen which in Basic Impetus Fantasticus are the backbone of the army - sorry about the pun.

Below are another four stands of heavy foot protected, this time with out spears but with more armour through out.

Moving on now to the retro 28mm Chaos Warriors from Citadel and strictly speaking only the left and right figure are Chaos Warriors. The central front figure is from the C01 range and the rear centre figure is Sir Cador Celestor from the Warrior Knights of Law set.

Sir Cador Celestor

This figure has lost some of its detail through the ages and the colours just aren't right. Completed for now although the cloak colour could possibly change post challenge.

Another preslotta Chaos Warrior and he appears to be a variant figure from one found in the C35 range in Citadel Compendium 2.

Cedric from Compendium 3

At the time of this figures release I didn't manage to pick him up and always wished I had. Move the years on by approximately thirty and an late night eBay purchase and here he is.

So that concludes the second entry to the challenge and adds a few points to the tally:

15mm Cavalry: 2 - 8 pts
15mm Foot: 38 - 76 pts
28mm Foot: 4 - 20 pts

Total - 104

Half way to personal challenge and time is now starting to close in.

Cheers for now.

What a fantastic selection!  I do like the undead chaps - my personal favourites are the bearded skeleton wizard (!) and the chap with the bagpipes.... the mind boggles as to how he gets the puff to blow through it!  Mind you, he is an animated skeleton walking around, so perhaps we just have to suspend our disbelief  little further ;)

Those classic Chaos chaps are a real blast from the past, right up to the hex bases you've given them!  Great painting and I think the pink cloak will allow that one to cut quite a dash whilst wandering through the Realms of Chaos.

104 points looks good and well done on getting halfway!

From Anthony O - Stoessis Heroes (15 points)

As a change up I have a small but interesting submission this week. Three 28mm miniatures from Stoessis Heroes. This small company specializes in characters and has an amazing range covering World War 2 primarily.

I am not sure I even need to introduce Kink and Shultz from Hogans Heroes. He has done a great job in sculpting them and I loved painting these two. They will form part of  a Bolt Action army and actually give me a great excuse to roll badly as they will clearly see nothing.

Next is David Stirling, the founder of the SAS and an iconic figure for those interested in WW2.

These guys will make great additions to any WW2 force and I will have a lot of fun in pushing them around a table.

Wow, these chaps are chock full of character and quite a departure from the dusty legions of bone you've been treating us to recently.  Cracking job on these, the paint schemes really fit them brilliantly.  Putting the first couple into an army on the table should certainly add some fun, but the best of the three for me is David Sterling - brilliant rendition of such an important figure.

15 points it is.

Chilly Thursday

Well, looks like the snow is swirling around the UK today, so perhaps time to break out the snowy figures and use it for inspiration?

Fairly light slate so far for the Thursday crew, but they do have form in submitting later in the day so watch this space!