From PeterA: FAA British Paras (96 points)

After a short break for the festivities, I hope you are ready to resume your Safari around Challenge Island. Today we will be reaching the second stage on The Path of History - Millsy's Millpond - which is famed for its fascinating collection of antiquities thought lost in time. If you look carefully, you should be able to see a small collection of FAA British Paratroopers, although their Denison smock camouflage can make them a trifle difficult to spot.

These figures were apparently released into the wild sometime in the early 1990s as part of the SALUTE programme (long before it relocated to Excel in London). These are particularly rare as they are from the original native British stock; alas they have now been all but superseeded by their American cousins since FAA relocated across the pond. Nevertheless, we are confident that this group of 14 is actually part of a larger group that will push numbers up above 30 - perhaps, if we are particularly fortunate, more will be spotted before the end of the Safari in March.

Now, if you have all finished taking pictures, we will be moving on to our next port of call - Benito's Brook!

I hope everyone has had a good Christmas and is enjoying the festive season. For my next entry we have 14 FAA WWII British Paras in 20mm. These were bought at a SALUTE show sometime in the early 1990s (I have no idea which one, possibly pre-EXCEL, but who knows?). They were bought along with a first edition of the Rapid Fire WW2 wargames rules, but have then languished in a plastic bag at the bottom of the lead pile ever since, as other shiny things competed for my attention. But the siren call of WWII (my first wargaming period - thanks Airfix) pulled me back and I have slowly been getting together forces for Operation Market-Garden. I dug these out and got some Battlefield paras to supplement numbers; to be honest the latter are much crisper castings and I have focused on getting them done first. So finally, with the incentive of the Challenge and after only 25-ish years, I have got around to painting (some!) of them. 

So 56 points plus the 30 for the task plus 10 for the backstory should net me 96 points, and two stages in the Challenge Island Safari Tour completed.

_____________________

These look terrific, Peter. I have a soft spot for 20mm WWII as, like you, I was introduced to it during the late 80s / early 90s with Rapid Fire. (Does anyone still play those rules? I have an urge to dig them out and give them a go again). I think you've done a great job on the Denison camo and I like the early autumnal look of your bases, apropos for Market-Garden.

As to points, we typically give half points for prone figures, but I'll pop it back up for the mortar. 96 points it is!

-Curt