From PeterA - 2nd Post - A Norwegian Leopard and some Modern Brits (60 Points)

For my second entry today I have some figures for my Cold War in Norway project, inspired by the TV series 'Occupied'.

This is set sometime in the late '80s/early '90s, a time when the Norwegians were equipped with the Leopard 1A3. Although this Revell kit is of the Leopard 1A5 I am quite happy keeping my inner rivet- counter suppressed, especially when it came in a kit with a Leopard bridge layer at a 50% discount! I see this big cat as part of the Norwegian brigade North, fighting in deep snow, so unlike my Challenger, I avoided the pigments and just went for snow effects in the running gear and in places on the hull.

To finish off, I have completed a second section of British infantry, as well as a 3-man platoon command element (the rest of the HQ and the third section are still in the painting queue). Like the first section, they are in a mix of DPM and snow coveralls and are all from Liberation Miniatures.

HQ element

Fireteam A 

Fireteam B 

All together 

So 11 figures and 1 tank in 20mm should net me 59 points, to go with the 80 for my Bolsheviks, making a grand total of 139 points to add to my total, which is nearly half-way to my Challenge target. It's now time to focus on getting my entry together for the 'Mercenary' Bonus Theme for Saturday - maybe I'll actually make it this time!

---

Another splendid entry Peter. I'm blown away by that Leopard Tank, I really love the camo pattern and the weathering effect you have employed. No rivet counter here so I don't have a problem using a very similar tank to represent another (heresy to some, I know). Sometimes you just have to paint what you've got and hope no-one notices! I'm throwing in an extra point for the camo bringing this entry up to 60 Points. 

Lee

From PeterA - 28mm Bolsheviks (81)

After a rather paltry effort (1 figure) last week, I managed to get a bit more done this week.

First up is the second unit of 11 Bolshevik Infantry for The Back of Beyond. Like my previous effort, these are all lovely Copplestone Castings figures and paint up pretty quickly.

They are joined by a command element of officer, Commissar and standard bearer. I know that the latter was pretty unlikely to feature to close to the sharp end, but he does add a dash of colour to a rather drab unit! The Commissar figure is one of my favourite poses, calmly 'encouraging' his charges forward for the glory of the Revolution!

And here they all are together.

I also did an officer and Commissar for my first unit - pictured here with the already completed standard bearer.

---

Splendid work Peter, I'm glad you were able to get more done this week (I note a second entry in the queue as well!). These are nice castings, with plenty of character in them. I may have to take a closer look at this range myself. 
Sixteen figures in all will earn you 80 points plus an extra for the standard. Nicely done sir!  
Lee

From RayR - Donnybrook: 25mm Heroes & Villains (50 pts)

My second entry for today and we have 4 x 25mm Commanders, for my Donnybrook shenanigans.

Here we have Bonnie Prince Charlie, from the very new range of figures from Ian over at Flags of War. He's a great sculpt with no flash what-so-ever. I've never bought a figure that fits so snug on his horse.

Charlie boy will be winging his way over to my Dad's figure collection and will join the other figures I've painted for him as pressies over the years. 

Next, we have the ill-fated John Graham, the Laird of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee or Bonnie Dundee as he is more widely known.

Dundee (not 'crocodile') is another great figure from Reiver Castings and shall lead the lines as a hero in my Highlander Donnybrook games.

Lastly, yet more figures from Reiver Castings, some leftover figures from the Gentleman Horse regt from a few posts ago. These three shall be used as heroes & villains for any of the armies I've painted up so far.

English, French, Irish Jacobite, Scottish Jacobite, Sedgemoor Rebel or Commander or town elder in the wilderness of the America's.

5 x 25 Horse should earn me 50 points?

---

Five excellent horse will indeed earn you a tidy 50 points to add to the 70 you got earlier today. I like your Bonnie Prince Charlie, it is a very nice looking figure. You allude to one of the benefits of buying figures on the first release, namely reduced flash and mould lines. Inevitably later casts will fit together less well resulting in minor defects which can usually be cleaned off with a bit of effort and a keen eye. Lovely job on these mate. 
Lee 

JamesM - 15mm D7 Armoured Bulldozer (10 points)

Hi folks,

Having been distracted this week by prepping for a big game and re-vamping an Anti-Tank platoon I first painted 5 or so years ago, I did manage to get one model painted:

This is the second one of these I've painted for my collection. The first was also done a few years ago and was significantly darker, so I gave it another highlight as well:

As the older one was marked up for one of the Assault Engineer units of 79th Armoured Division, (149th Assault Park Squadron Royal Engineers - one of the Brigade assets of 1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers), I marked the new one up as the Royal Engineers 239 Field Park Company, 51st Highland Division. You can see what time does to static grass, and how my painting has got a lot lighter over the years!

Decals include the WD number on both sides of the hull, as well as identification stars.

The model is from Skytrex, and includes the 15mm crew figure I painted the other week with my naval crew but didn't claim points for. He's just the upper torso, so I've only claimed half the points.

This model has already seen some action, having participated in Sunday's v4 Flames of War game - doing some ad-hoc earthworks to help vehicles over an embankment!

So 1 x 15mm vehicle = 8 points, and .5 of a crew figure = 1 point. Total of 9 points. It may take me some time to get to 750!!!

---

Nice dozer. I have seen one of these running at a Living history show and they are a really hardy piece of kit. The guy that owned it said they were easy to maintain and solidly built meaning they just go on and on. I've scored full points for the driver so this entry is worth 10 points in total. 

Lee

From MartinC - Another Army Finished (240 points)

OK, so that is a lie. Not a total lie as I have finished all the combatants. My 1st ever entry in the challenge (think it was number 5) was a 28mm Union ACW regiment. I have now reached the end of my ACW collection and have a division of Union and a division of Confederates, 30 regiments I think. When I have a spare afternoon and enough space I will get them out and photograph them. They do get played with as one of my wargaming buddies, Matt, has a similarly sized collection. Generally, we fight to a draw as we have so many figures that nobody can break through. need a bigger table.

Enough waffle. I have painted my final 2 regiments, one of each. They are a mix of figures, metals and Perry plastics as I was using up the last of my unpainted figures.

Confederates. No particular regiment. Originally the plan was 2 brigades but they it grew and became too chaotic to keep a command together. One of these flag bearers was already painted, a cowboy with one leg in rebel uniform.

Union, same command structure as the rebels but none of these are monopedal. 

That is 47 x 28mm figures = 235 pts plus flags.

I have some limbers to paint, need to buy better horses first, and some vignettes to paint but that is it. Really that is it. Stop collecting when they don't make tables big enough to play on.

---

Nicely done Sir! Very impressed with the double flags waving above them. I love the fact you were looking for a one-legged Union soldier to add in... next time a pair of clippers and some greenstuff? I'm adding four points for the flags and an extra one for making me chuckle, bringing this entry up to 240 Points. 

Lee

From RayR - Donnybrook: 25mm Jacobite Artillery & defenses (70 Points)

Firstly, thank you to all you lovely lot out there who voted me into second place in the "Sport" bonus round. I had a lot of fun creating the figures and have been asked what rules I plan to use to play Lacrosse with them. I don't know how to play Lacrosse, never mind make rules up for them!!!

Another week has passed and I've been very busy with the brush!

I've stayed with the Jacobite Highlanders again this week, but have gone for the simpler form of artillery.

All the Highlander figures are like the Horse in my last post from Reiver Castings, while the artillery is from Parkfield Miniatures and Wargames Foundry.

There are 7 x artillerymen

And 2 guns

Also, there are a few packs of Trade Goods from Crooked Dice that can be used as hastily built barricades or defences.

Not sure what points they're worth Lee?

7 x 25mm  35 points

2 x artillery 15 points??? (Should be 10 points each, but one's a tiddler?)

5 x various trade goods ?????

---

Nice one Ray, I like a bit o artillery. I'm feeling generous today so I'm awarding 10 points each for the guns, even though one is small. Its a 'crew served weapon' regardless of its size!. As for the various trade goods do I treat them as elements or as terrain?? In the end, I've gone with the former and I've awarded 4 pts each for the large elements, 3 for the medium one and 2 pts each for the small elements giving you 15 points in total for this assortment of baggage/terrain. That brings your total up to 70 Points.

Lee

KenR - 28mm Italian Wars Swiss Polearm (125 Points)

And finally Ester (over 50s only will get that !) entry numero trois.

A unit of Polearm Swiss from the Canton of Uri. The figures are Perry Miniatures but just for a change, the flags are home printed from a scan of some flags in a Wargames Mag years ago which have been overpainted.

I have painted a lot of these figures before in the pike blocks but rather than arming them with a Pike these have two-handed Polearms often referred to as Halberd. They are based 6 to a base rather than the 8 figures which go on a Pike base. With the 6 figure base I stagger the front and rear ranks so that the rear ranks are visible between the gaps in the front rank, for me it makes the unit look "fuller".

I have extended the depth of the front bases by 10mm to 60 x 60 just to accommodate the front ranks and their levelled Polearms.

24 x 28mm Foot at 5pts is 120, a couple of flags at a point apiece for 122 points for both the main total and the Renaissance Side Duel.

I have rattled through my Italian Wars project so far this challenge, looking in my to-do box I have 4 Infantry units left (a 48 fig Pike Block, 2 24 figure units a Sword and Buckler & a Papal Guard plus an 18 figure independent shot) and 5 Cavalry units (3 Gendarme, 1 Stradiot & 1 Lt Cav) so there is a good chance the Project will be done by the end of the challenge. However, the York show is coming up and new toys will definitely be brought home.

---

I think we should call this the KenR Hour! I'm blown away by not only the fact that you can get so much done but its also such good quality. This halberd /polearm unit looks very formidable. I had never considered the Polearm to be an effective weapon - it looked so unwieldy - until I saw a reenactor give a demo at a living history event. Not only did he make handling the weapon look effortless (practice, practice and more practice) but when he gave a demo against some plate armour he opened it like a can of spam! Now times that by 24!!!

I'm throwing in some bonus points for the quality again, and for the flags bringing this up to a respectable 125 points. 

Lee

KenR : 28mm Italian Wars Stradiots 1 (63 Points)

Post number 2 of the week are these 6 x 28mm Stradiots armed with bows from the good old Perry Miniatures. My goal of a unit of Cavalry per week remains on track with these bad boys.

I have gone for a real ragged look on these figures, plenty of colour variations but considerably muted compared to the Gendarme, the horses are quite interesting with their ribbons hanging down from the horse furniture.

The eagle eyed amongst you might even spot a Bradford City scarf on one of the figures 😎.

The Stradiots where the main source of Mercenary Light Cavalry during the Italian Wars, they were first recruited by the Venetians in the late 15th Century for their conflict with the Turks. Coming from Albania, Greece, Serbia and Dalmatia they fought using a variety of weapons (these have bow) using hit and run tactics and could be quite effective against the less manoeuvrable heavily armed Gendarme if commanded well.

Fierce in battle they were known to remove heads as proof of an enemy kill being paid a ducat per head. The flag is from Pete's Flags and represents Pietro Duodi commander of the Venetian stradiots at the battle of Fornovo.

6 x 28mm Cavalry at 10 pts a piece plus a flag for 61 points, claimed for both my main total and the Renaissance Side Duel.

Next week I will be back to the Gendarme.

---

More stunning Italian wars figures Ken. I have to say I'm really enjoying this project as it develops. Each week I'm looking forward to the next instalment and I can't wait to see what you'll do next. I really like the colour pallet you have used on these, colourful but not outlandish, muted but not dull. Nicely done sir. I'm going to add a couple of bonus points on these to acknowledge the quality bringing this entry up to 63 points.

Lee