From StuartL - Currahee! - Overdue & Returns + Sarah's Library Cart (100 Points)

Hello all,

    My first of two posts today is covering the Overdue and Returns section. During last year's challenge I decided to finish off my US Airborne for Bolt Action that I had initially started during 2020's quarantine challenge. About this time last year, I posted up the final set of minis for my army, or so I thought. When it came time to post, I realised that I had missed a few figures and support weapons. D'oh!

    So here, finally, I have the end of my Bolt Action army.

   

    These have all been painted using the same paints (Vallejo) as my previous entries and represent the last few models from my army case. All of the figures are from Warlord Games' range of minis. Some of the barrels on the guns are very fragile and bend or snap easily. The kneeling figure with the carbine on the left side of the picture has had to have his weapon repaired with a barrel trimmed from a plastic kit after the metal piece snapped off.

    To support my force I have an MMG Team, a Light Mortar Team and an Observer (taken from the mortar team). The MMG gunner in the rear has also had a barrel replaced due to the very soft metal used for the minis.

    These figures will go on to join the models already done and should be the end of the army. Of course, no army is ever really finished, so at some point I might add in some armoured support to represent the US forces that pushed inland from the D-Day beaches to link up with the airborne troops.

    With those figures out of the way and the first section of the challenge library completed, it is time to move on. Another short hop on the library cart should see me into the next section where there is a statue to paint.

    This rather stern looking woman is from Reaper Bones' range of NPC's. I foresee her giving an adventuring party a hard time for the lack of proper morals and poor manners.

For scoring:

11x28mm minis (2 prone) = 55 points

Overdues and Returns = 20 points

Sarah's Library Cart = 20 points

TOTAL = 95 Points

From Millsy: Good to see I am not the only one painting Bolt Action stuff this year Stuart. Seeing your wonderful European theatre stuff is a pleasant change from all my sand and sun I have to say! I've been replacing barrels too for the same reason and although it is extra effort up front it pays dividends down the track.

Lovely work on these, both the uniforms and the basing. I'm sure they will provide Jerry a real challenge hiding amongst the hedgerows and springing the odd surprise especially with a nun in tow to rap a few knuckles with a ruler!

100 points for your total including an extra 5 for the barrel swaps. 

From AlanD - Boring Skirmishers for To the Strongest! (100 points)

Phew! It is a relief to get some figures painted after a very busy few weeks in the 1:1 scale world!

Happy New Year to everyone, and it is a pleasure to be back in your company for another year. Special thanks to Curt, as always, and to the Antipodean master minion Millsy.

As the title says, I've started off with some somewhat dull bases of skirmishers to flesh out my Roman Republican army for To The Strongest! I have come to love these rules over the past year, as a way of getting lots of toys on the table andd have a very fun game in a reasonable amount of time. Most of my hobby focus in 2023 was painting an army for Pompey the Great, to be pitted against Paul's Caesarians. The legionaries have been done, so I'm just finishing up the army with some Hellenistic cavalry and light troops.

The skirmishers here are from Relic Miniatures. They are quite nice, but definitely a bit spindly and undernourished looking next to the likes of Warlord or Foundry. Anyway, I didn't feel inclined to lavish too much time on them by doing mad things like paint shield designs, but they are done.

They are a new acquisition to Pompey's army, I recently acquired them to paint, and TTS! has been a newly acquired hobby focus, so I'm claiming 20 bonus points along with the 80 for 16 x 28mm figures.

From Millsy: Great to see to the Strongest! getting some traction down under Alan! I have a Numidian army ready and waiting to face your Romans when you are up for a game.

Your skirmishers are anything but boring mate, especially with the wonderful basing and range of tunic colours lifting them up. Keep em coming, I am keen to see what comes next! 100 well earned points.

From KentG: 28mm Napoleonic French, French knights, library bonus historical (820 Points)

Well a week has gone by so fast a happy new year to everyone.

I have been really enjoying the many varied and wonderful posts over 

The past few day and I’m sure there will be many more to come.

I took advantage of the few days off I had to enjoy some rather long 

painting sessions This time we have French French and more French
Mostly Napoleonic but also French knights all 28mm and all 

Perry Miniatures A mix of metals and plastics 

First off the rack one of my favorite's, dragoons, I have

Another 3-4 boxes of these so we might see some more. 

these chaps are the 22nd Regiment

Next up French hussars I wasn’t sure I’d get these completed but another 

11 hour painting painting session saw them across the line

Next up there ADCs, 

this is the first time in all the French armies I’ve painted that I 

have done these and I must admit I really like these minis

There are three infantry Command figures,

 one of the photos is at the bottom of the page. I have already done 

way to many of these, so who knows what I’ll do with these chaps

Then we have imperial guard, these are Perry metals first time 

 painting these chaps in Perry metals always used victrix 

but I really like them and man the bases have some weight to them

Now for the artillery this is the final add on to my French 

guns which I already have 14 Done before the comp started,

I love artillery, way too much fun, not sure I need 

22 guns but what the heck

First up a 6pdr for my guards division 

This is the horse artillery, I love these figures, 

really are beautifully sculpted 

Then we have 2 x 6pdrs and 1 x 12 pdr for my guards division 

Just need to paint the division now.

Next up 2 x 6pdrs to add to my artillery park

Now for the 2 big boys in the toy box

 2 x 12pdrs with the larger crew 

Oh to much fun

Another command figure that decided to pop in a different place, 

Don’t know about you but painting command figures always seems like

The best part of painting a new army

Then we have 12 French knights 

These chaps will head out the door to their new home tomorrow 

These are Lovely Perry plastics, it’s so much fun painting the heraldry 

Always a challenge but so satisfying when you pull it off

So for points we have

• 42 x 28mm cavalry for 420 pts
• 60 x 28mm  infantry for 300pts
• 8 x 28mm artillery pieces for 80 pts (not sure had a check looks like 10pms each)

• Library history 20pts for the French knights

        Total 820pts

From Millsy: If there's an ideal way to start work as a minion in 2024 then curating THIS monster post is it. What a points bomb Kent, and such quality to go with the quantity! Having chatted a couple of times over the last week whilst we painted I had some idea what was waiting in the wings but that did nothing to diminish the wow factor when I opened this up to review.

I won't even try to pick a favourite unit from amongst such an array of quality work but will make special mention of the dragoons, ADC with leopard saddle cloth and Imperial Guard all of which really faire flotter mon bateau.

Congrats mate on a stonking 820 point bomb which blasts you past 1000 points and your initial target to boot!

Friday Minion Millsy Reporting for Duty

G'day All!

Friday Minion Millsy reporting for duty with the promise of a cracking start by the Antipodean crew plus selected hangers on. Given the time difference and my duty of care for a couple of those who live in the "frozen north" posts will be scattered through Friday night and into Saturday morning my time.

Thus far we have a healthy mix of submissions from five different challengers:

• KentG launches a MAHOOSIVE points barrage to show Ridley Scott how to do Napoleonics properly
• GeoffreyT tears up the library (but not his library card, thankfully!)
• PaulO'G marches out some big men in big coats and even bigger hats
• StuartL convinces nobody (including himself) that any army is ever "finished"
• and AlanD takes a couple of mates and a flag for a walk

Stay tuned, there may yet be more!

Cheers,
Millsy the Minion

From BruceR: AWI Colonials (70 points)

This is my first post of the new year and I hope all have a great and prosperous new year.  I was away until the 2^nd so, I come to you from the middle of the prairie 3.5 hours from home and 45 minutes from any community, where my son manages, on his own, a cattle herd.  So, I try to help him out when I can.  As this is  slow time I’m spending the time feeding cows and making sure all is in order, while he takes some time off in the warmer parts of the US.

Relaxing, being alone, with 4 dog helpers and 3 horses, to compliment the 300+ angus.  I did manage to bring a mobile paint station, of course forgetting a couple of high-end items. Tufts for basing and reading glasses.  So, submitting without my usual grass and tufts, and painting with bifocals. 

Other than that, sitting in a fireplace heated room with 4 hounds around me painting, is not so bad.

I’m trying to work some of my backlog and this submission is a group of AWI colonials (ungrateful colonists to those across the pond) from Brigade Games.  I did some of these either last year or two challenges ago and as always didn’t paint them all.  Actually, they were primed.  There are 14 of them with 5 figures I’ll use as lights with the chain cap and round hat. I've chosen to use the standard blue jacket with red trim.  We use Sharp Practice 2 to play games and I've amassed to full forces for each.  

As mobile I hope you forgive the photos and lack of ground grass.   

A sampling of my charges

The group painted in relaxation.  Lighting is not the best.

I'm here until Sunday so imagine I'll get a couple of more figures done this week as it gets dark here around 4:30.    

Points:

14 28mm at 5 pts  =  70 points

TeemuL: That looks quite inspiring painting view, too bad you forgot your glasses and some other tools. Those colonials look very nice, without tufts they might be fighting in more arid environment, perhaps?