Where's Millsy?

No relation. Really.

G'day Peeps!,

Just a quick note to advise I won't be minioning this week due to Mrs Millsy hitting the big five-oh. There's a pretty darn good chance I will be tired and emotional so you're in much safer hands with Curt and the other minions than you would be with me :-P

Avagoodun and see you next week!

Cheers,
Millsy

From JasperO: low budget fun on Babylon 5 with some T34s (72 points)

Tamsin asked me on my previous post where the “lovely vehicles” (her words) were. Well, here they are. The Red Army is often portrayed in (older) books and movies about WW2 as a giant sledgehammer, rolling forward with hordes of cheap T34s racing out to meet the German defenses. I believe that idea has now been discredited thoroughly, but I’ll happily claim it today to claim the score for Babylon 5.

Today’s offer consists of two T34s. One (the one with the tank commander) is the Rubicon T34/76 with the later turret that comes with the T34/85. That kit comes, fortunately, with two /85 turret tops that each have a commander’s cupola. I carefully cut one out of a spare and attached it to the M1943 turret to make it into the final version. TL;DR: I glued some plastic on other plastic and stuck a Rubicon plastic commander in it, and provided a saw from their new Soviet Stowage set. 

This T34 is one of the earlier Rubicon plastic sets, somewhat simple, but far more detailed than the Warlord Games offering. It is only let down by the very simple tracks, and the driver’s hatch in the front hull which requires a lot of filing and putty to fit well. The Warlord T34 is equally old, quite a bit simpler (but with nicer track details) and comes with a very specific rounded late model turret , a somewhat odd choice. For some added interest, I painted two tank rider figures, ready to defend the tank from Panzerfaust-wielding ambushers, or jump off and take the fight forward. 

Two tanks, two-and-a-half figures and the Babylon bonus should net me another 70-something points, I think!

From DaveD

Very nice T34's - always one of my personal favourites, and a fine job you've done 

From GrahameH. 15mm Australian Vietnam -342 points

 Haven’t posted much this year as other things keep getting in the way. Anyhow I have managed to get a few things done. I have finished my Australian Army for Vietnam, which consists of two battalions of infantry and supporting units for the Rapid Fire Rules, but the basing allows them to be used for any rule set really.

I have pictured the two battalions in their barracks (box) but only taken proper pictures of one battalion as they are much the same. I have also had a go at making some jungle.

The jungle. 

:

Found how to make these on the Storm of Steel U tube channel if any one is interested. It was a bit hard putting these into “6” cubes but gave it a go. So there was about 4 and a bit so I have said 80 pts. 

Australian Infantry. 

All are 15mm made by Battlefront except for the HMG and dog teams that are Peter Pig. Each infantry battalion consists of 48 figures. There is also a Brigade HQish of 7 figures consisting of a CO, FOO and a medic.

The First Battalion 

The Battalion consist of 5 companies of riflemen. 3 Australian and 2 New Zealand.  Each company consists of 6 figures. The picture shows three companies and the CO stand. 

The next photo shows the Support Company consisting of a mortar, HMG, dog handler and AT team. The Dog Handler is from Peter Pig US Vietnam collection with a head swap. 

Finally the Brigade HQ 

The last few figures are a rifle squad for the Bn  HQs and a flamethrower team. I have painted 4 APCs to provide some transport/support. Only three are photographed as the 4th awaits basing so I will show that one later. Again the APCs are Battlefront with a bit of kit basing on one and some stowage added. 

From left to right. A normal M113, a M113 with gun shield add and finally with a T50 turret. I decided to paint one of each type. The Australian didn’t have too many APCs in Vietnam.

To complete the collection are four Centurions tanks, again from Battlefront. Probably too many but I had them so they were painted. 

That is it so points.

Terrain 80pts

1st Battalion 48 figures = 96 pts

2nd Battalion 48 figs = 96 pts

HQ 7 figures = 14 pts

3 x APCs = 24 pts

4 x tanks = 32 pts

Total 342

From DaveD

Grahame is barraging the scoreboard today alright . I wondered when we might see some Aussies from you. Oh Centurians - so very tempting - a grand day Grahame

Ready Friday. GrahameH 15mm US Armour and Artillery Vietnam - 204 points

 Just adding to my Vietnam collection. The infantry and marine infantry were painted before the challenge so now just adding some support units. These are again for Rapid Fire, but could be used with any rule systems.

First Support for the Marines. This is a “Battalion Landing Team” and consists of a tank Platoon = 1 x M48 Tank, a Antitank Platoon = 1 x Ontos and a Amtrack Platoon of 2 x LVTP5s (Peter Pig - I had four so they all got painted). It is also supposed to have a 105mm gun but I have added that to a Battery that is shown below.

The M48 (Battlefront)

The Ontos (3d printed by Butler Miniatures)

Someone asked me about what I thought of the 3D printed miniatures from Butler. They have got a lot better, but they still have the printer lines. I don’t tend to dry brush or wash my vehicles so they line don’t really show, but if you did I would suspect they would show more. However, they make models you can’t really get elsewhere so sometimes there isn’t a choice.

The 2 x Amtrack Platoons (Made by Peter Pig)

Next up is the Artillery Batteries each gun has a crew of four and I have added a command group and FOO to each battery.

The 105mm Battery (Battlefront)

Then the Big Guns 155mm Battery

Some more armour support next with a HQ unit and 2 squadrons of M48 Tanks (Battlefront)

And finally, I decided to start painting the Armour Cavalry so 3 Sheridan Tanks (Battlefront)

So that is it. Points time 

14 x vehicles = 112

6 x artillery pieces = 24pts

34 x figures = 68 pts

Total = 204 pts

I think there was a dust storm when I took the first pictures. They happen in Vietnam I am told. 

From DaveD

More lovely green and Vietnam mud and dust . I do like the look of the Nam stuff in 15mm . I agree with you BPM just worth it for odd stuff as you say 

From DougM: Arrakis - a Dry and Dusty place, enlivened by restless Natives (415 points)

I have had my Arrakis submission ready for a week or so, I was just hoping my 'Arid' mat would arrive from Tiny Wargames in time to provide the groundwork...  but sadly, not yet, so here they are. I am also waiting for a flag to arrive... so a bare staff in the meantime I'm afraid.

A contingent of mutinous Sepoys, Badmashes and Wallahs, all based (in my usual style) for Sharp Practice 2 on one penny coins, magnets and Warbases MDF sabots.  

The figures themselves are from AW Miniatures, who just before Christmas were running a very generous 30% off sale, and so I picked myself up this lot. Arguably they are not as finely detailed as some other manufacturers, but when you are painting en masse, they have a ton of character. And this is my first experiment with Contrast Paints, and I have to say this have worked really well. 

I actually said to myself that this was the force finished...  ha!  Then of course realised I fancied adding some Bengal Light Cavalry and an Elephant to tow the artillery...  so hopefully I get them finished before the Challenge ends.

I'm claiming Arrakis as this basing says dry and dusty to me.. !  Next cab off the rank, their British opponents. Now, who makes a good Flashman figure? 

Points = 

77 x 28mm figures @ 5 = 385

1 x 28mm Artillery @10 = 10

Planet Bonus = 20

Total = 415...  and definitely another Squirrel...

From DaveD

AAAh a Friday kaboom - very nice . Finished ... finished .. oh yeah ... lets see those Nellies... cracking work Doug love em . You can find "Flash" Harry in the Giants in Miniature range 

RayR's Challenge

Ray has successfully navigated the perilous interstellar shoals of the Challenge 12 Quadrant, arriving at the very core of this complex set of worlds. Thus he has earned a final Challenge from the Snowlord!

Now what Challenge might be suitable for Ray? We could just banish him to shed, I suppose - but that appears to happen regularly already - hardly a real challenge. We could send him on some errand or another related to badgers, but that would simply prompt tiresome legal action on by the Badgers Rights Association, and not get any more figures painted. Deciding on this called for careful analysis...

Acting on the Snowlord's benevolent behalf, I have consulted carefully with an assortment of astro-navigational aids, studied and analyzed assorted data and ephemera, and evaluated the options. Based on this studiously careful assessment, I have determined Ray's Challenge shall be thus:

Ray, I love your Siege of Vienna project, and I think it needs a further boost! We know what prodigious, sandbag-levels of painting you are capable of...therefore, to appease the Great and All-Knowing Snowlord, you shall paint TWO more units for this project - one for the Ottoman side, and one for the defenders of Vienna!

Good luck Ray!

GregB

From LeeH - Mounted French Foreign Legionnaries in Greatcoats - (36)

I took last week off for a short winter holiday in Dorset and batteries refreshed, here I am, back in the mood for more French Foreign Legion. Actually, my enthusiasm for the period has been reinvigorated with some holiday reading. Conquest of the Sahara by Douglas Porch is an excellent book that paints a vivid picture of the landscape, the people within it and the wonderfully ridiculous and haphazard colonial ambitions of the French Third Republic.  

This week I have a unit of Mounted Legionaries, looking very hot in their dark blue greatcoats. Once again these are Blue Moon 15mm sold by Old Glory. 

The first mounted troops allowed for faster travel and gave the Legion a chance to finally engage with agile Arab horsemen. Initially, every man had a horse but these were soon changed to Mules (with better endurance, if slower than horses) with one mule between two legionnaires. On the march, one man would ride while the other trotted alongside. They would swap positions every hour and this enabled the mounted companies to cover much more ground. 

For reasons that elude me, I couldn’t get a proper Matt finish with my usual spray varnish so I ended up giving them another coat of Galaria Matt Varnish by Winsor & Newton. I don’t often use a brush-on varnish (I've had a few bad results in the past) but this stuff is very good and finally achieved the result I had been looking for. 

Points:
9x15mm Cavalry = 36 Points

From DaveD

Still the desert goodness continues . good to hear your holiday did you some good !

From GrahameH. 15mm Aztecs (Essex) -252 points

 I was going to be disciplined this year and just paint one army, the Aztecs. Then I thought Naaaah, and painted some Vietnam stuff instead. However, I did paint some Aztecs. All are 15mm and are Essex figures.

First I painted three units of Common troops with a few “suit wearer”. Each units is 24 figs strong. 

Some archers (21 figures)

Some skirmishes (9 Figures)

Finally some Jaguar Knights (24 figures)

Points total = 252pts.

Right back to painting green 

From DaveD

Thats a lots of various colours other then green at least Grahame. A splendid display of Aztec good ness. Now get back to painting green.

From BenitoM: 2WW Canadian Rifle Team (30 points)

I have been a few weeks AWOL because of work overload and only last weekend I was in a situation to put again my brushes and acrylics back on the desk. The disruption means that I'll need to narrow my focus and have decided to finish first with my WW2 Canadian unit for Chain of Command

Today I bring the second of the rifle teams. Remember each of the 3 platoon's squads squad in this game are made of two teams: a LMG  (Bren gun) team and a rifle team.

 

As in the previous posts, these are plastic models from the Warlord's WW2 British and Canadian multipose box. Very good sculpting, no flash little lines to work on the models; and the multipose alternatives offer almost infinite variations.

 

The entry has no bonus extras attached and is worth 30 points (6 x 28mm models @5 points each). 

Plan now is to conclude painting the last remaining rifle team and afterwards the four team leaders. With this I'd cover the core unit force to be put on the table as soons as the Omicron variant incidence falls to safer levels (currently hoovering around 600 cases per 100k inhabitants) and I can return to play at my local club.

 

from DaveD

Another great addition to your forces. I am looking forward to seeing the total output shot . i hope its not too long before you can get them on a table 

 

From MikeF - World Eaters Contemptor Dreadnought - Cybertron - 40 points

 This week I'm backtracking to the Great Abyssal and moving to Cybertron. For the planet I completed a World Eaters Legion Contemptor Dreadnought from Forgeworld. Contemptor dreadnoughts are basically robots, except they have the remains of a space marine floating inside controlling them. There's no coming out after you've been installed so you basically become the operating system. This dreadnought is armed with a heavy flamer and assault cannon.

28mm vehicle + Cybertron = 40 points

Thanks for visiting.

From DaveD 

Now does a marine get any actual choice in that installation I wonder!