From MilesR: More 10mm Russo Japanese War Madness (828 Points)

 I've been quiet for a few weeks due to work obligations - I know, I know, my priorities are out of whack.

I have been steadily working away at my 10mm RJW project.  All of my figures are from Pendraken.  The left and center columns are mostly Russians and the right one is Japanese.  The artillery in the back is Japanese too.

Column 1 has 5 bases of Naval Infantry, 1 Siberian and 2 European Infantry divisions of 12 bases each and a 12 base Cossack division in the back.  There is also a lone base because I can't count.

Alongside them are 13 Maxim MG bases

In the center are 4 12 base European Russian Infantry divisions.

On the Japanese side there are 2 regular Infantry divisions followed by the Japanese Guard in their distinctive blue uniforms.  There are 9 bases of misc infantry which will start to form out the Japanese reserve Kobe brigades.

9 Hotchkiss Machine gun bases and 9 Japanese cavalry

Lastly 5 Japanese artillery batteries made up of captured Russian 77mm guns

Here are the minis that have been painted earlier in the challenge still boxed up from there return from the club and their first playtest.

First test game of my RJW rules

There are WAY too many markers as we were testing different rule concepts.  I have learned the bitter lesson that just because one can make lots of different markers with a laser cutter doesn't mean one SHOULD make lots of different markers....

With this submission, I'm closing in on "done" with the miniatures for the RJW project - I still have some Russian artillery to finish up and maybe another division of two for each side.  It is good to be over the hump!

The tally for today is:

Infantry 136 4 man bases =                            544 points

Cavalry 21 2 figure bases @3pts/figure =     126 points

MG teams 22 @ 4pts each =                          88 points 110 points

(1 figure +1 gun and crew) = 4 5pts each

Artillery 5 2 gun batters 11pts each =             55 points

(2 guns plus 5 crew)

Total                                                                 813 points

No wait - I just realized that some of my infantry bases only have 3 figures not 4 and I have no idea why!

Adjustment  for 7, 3 figure bases = -7 points

Total Points 806 Points

Well, you may have been quiet but you are back with a vengeance, Miles! What a bomb. Another impressive amount of RLG's, very nice indeed.  I love the photos of the game in progress, they really show the mass effect of these  small scale figures. Fabulous! And you are giving me a run for my money too, having me extract all the precise amounts of  single figures, cavalry and  equipment from your rather inimitable calculations. Not to speak of your inimitable formatting... However, I think your MG's with 2 crew are actually worth 5 points each, so after much triangulation, adding, subtracting and dividing that's 22 points extra for a total of  828. Congratulations, now get your priorities back in order and another such submission will see you shooting past your target soon!

Martijn

From GregB - Sons of Horus Whirlwind Artillery Tank (20 Points)

Here comes some more hope! A Whirlwind Scorpius, ready to fire in support of The Warmaster's noble Space Marines...

I've been away from the Challenge for a couple of weeks now, owing to the disruptions caused by a move to a new house. I'm thankful to report the relocation to Toronto is mostly complete - or, at least, the macro-parts of it are, in that I am now in Toronto, and my stuff is also in Toronto, mostly at the same location. Still a lot of unpacking etc. to go through, but I am desperate to get some hobby stuff in so here we go. This is a Scorpius-variant Whirlwind artillery tank, a 28mm multi-part resin-and plastic model once sold by Forge World, another re-paint project for my Sons of Horus collection from GW's "Horus Heresy" setting.  

Assorted lenses and scanners - no doubt the turret is equipped with the latest in 5G tech - to ensure the rockets arrive on time and on target.

We all know the kind and benevolent Horus Lupercal, Warmaster and last of hope of humanity for liberation from the yoke of tyranny beneath the so-called "Emperor", is a figure of hope. But, you know, sometimes "hope" needs to be backed up with "high-explosives", and whenever that combination is called for the Marines in his legion can count on vehicles like this.

It would have been smart to put a decal of some kind on that rear hatch...but I have no idea where my decals are right now...

Wall-hugging tools like Rogal Dorn and his VII Legion might run around building this-and-that, but the Whirlwind Scorpius ensures none of these walls are too much of a barrier, raining a steady stream of high-explosive guided munitions down on the heads of the fools dumb enough to simultaneously reject the obvious majesty of The Warmaster AND wear bright yellow to a battle. Backed by this sort of artillery, we can count on the XVI Legion Astartes to keep hope on the march through the galaxy at a brisk pace.

Ready to fire!

This vehicle is a mix of resin and plastic model components, but as with so many models in my collection, this vehicle is now available from GW as a full stand-alone plastic kit. Naturally, my response is to finally be provoked into painting and/or re-painting my pre-existing models, but I do expect I'll paint up one of the newer all-plastic models at some point. Maybe for the lonely losers on the loyalist side of the equation? Can't have them pouting, after all...

Another properly re-painted model to sooth the screaming hobby monkey...

Scoring-wise, this is a 28mm vehicle, and it counts for 20 points. Is it ROMANTIC to imagine the steady rain of high explosive rockets raining down on the heads of the Imperial Fists and other loyalist schlubs? I mean, it would certainly look pretty...but we have only 20 points nonetheless :)

Now I completely understand the trials and tribulations of moving house, but is that a reason to go absolutely ballistic? Of course it is, and I am very glad you did, Greg. Now that is some great gear to teach those misguided miscreants an explosive lesson. A fabulous model once more. Good that you and your stuff are mostly together again, but it's a pity about the decal... Seriously, a very fine piece of work, albeit only for a measly 20 points. That's what it is, but glorious points they are and those who are of the true conviction don't care about the cost, no? Well done!

Martijn

From SarahHC: Sarah presents Local History and the return of Elfio with more Book Stacks (50 points)

Hello Everybody!

Today I present Lady Francis Simpson, star of my very favourite animated Canadian Vignette. 

'Canadian Vignettes' were a series of short animated history clips, along with the nature shorts 'Who's Who of the Hinterland' and the live action re-creations of 'Heritage Moments' which were staples of Canadian TV in the '70s & '80s. 

Watching these short documentaries (most around a minute, perfect Canadian Content to include within TV commercial breaks) as a kid growing up these were really fundamental to a whole generation's sense of Canadian identity. Grab your popcorn, enjoy the film! 

But back to Lady Francis ... Francis Simpson of London, England was married at 18 to her older (cousin??) husband Lord Simpson, Governor of the Hudson Bay Company. In 1830, the couple and entourage traveled from London to Montreal, then an arduous journey by canoe and portage from Montreal to the Red River Settlement in what is now Winnipeg, Manitoba. Lady Francis and her travelling companion Miss Reid were the first European women to have travelled. 

What is really remarkable, is that Lady Simpson brought her PIANO from London to Fort Garry ...the first piano in the territory! I believe the piano is on display at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg and Lady Simpson's journals are at the Hudson Bay Company Archives/Manitoba Archives (where Curt worked as a young archivist many moons ago).

I struggled to find a suitable a suitable figure for Lady Francis. The figure I selected does not have the correct style of dress for the 1830s, the skirt should be puffier with hoops, and larger sleeves. For the sake of comfort on her long journey in canoe, I assume she will have foregone with the hoop skirts as a space-saving measure .. haha! However, head wear was large, feathered and elaborate...so this figure was promptly downloaded from MyMiniFactory. 

I choose pink as homage to the short film and pink in 1830s was a highly fashionable colour for day dresses. (Wow! Pink is a hard colour to paint, and the dress is bit of a mess, I used Vallejo Rosa Pink as the base colour and then Citadel contrast Volupus Pink) The piano, another 3D print from MyMiniFactory, was fun to paint, except for the sloppy black keys (don't look too close). The piano is a simple print, I tried to add some design flair by attempting to paint trompe l'oeil flowers on the front and added a brass rail to hold sheet music.

Elfio (previously scored) has become something of a pet amongst the Librarians (he’s verrrry fit and does like to work out) … he has begun to organize the back log of books, unfortunately Elfio is now sorting by colour …. all ready to be loaded on to a book cart (that's coming soon)!

Five more stacks of mysterious books, (possibly aesthetically dangerous books for Elfio) books to be used as scatter/decor.


Points tally:

Lady Simpson (54mm) & Piano (local history location): 20 + 20 = 40 Points

some more book stacks: say 3 points? 

Total = 43 points

Thanks for coming in for a visit!

- Sarah

Excellent work, Sarah! Now that's a lady worthy of milady in her resplendent pink dress. A very interesting backstory too, I really don't envy those porters lugging a piano along. Let's hope Lady Francis had a repertoire sufficient to while away the arduous long hours in that canoe! Trying not to be the proverbial thrifty Dutchman here too much, while obviously still keeping up our national reputation (if not that for consistency), I'll score the stacks of books at 2 points each, so rounding up the total for today to 50.

Martijn

From PeterD: Pict Cavalry (45 Points)

Another small post from me as I crawl towards my goal.  It's February, we've had mostly sucky weather recently (grey and above sloppy underfoot), I've got a heavy teaching load and a ton of February blahs....   

I've got another unit of 4 Pict Light Cavalry based for my To The Strongest Late Roman Britain project. Figures are mostly a mix of two Gripping Beast plastic kits,  Late Roman Light Cavalry and Dark age Cavalry.  Heads, shields and weapons are from the GB Pict infantry kit and the rolled cloaks came from a Victrix Roman infantry kit.

These were in the queue since last May.  After priming I found that I'd made the Proverbial Porcine Posterior on assembly (I like alliteration a lot!).  Eventually I filled the most glaring errors and decided to ignore the rest.  They look ok when one applies the two foot rule.

Four cavalry in 28mm is 40 points with no bonus rooms.

  

Nothing to be bored about here, I should say Peter! I think they look great, even up close. Nice to see some kitbashing too, it makes them look very individual and characteristic. I've thrown in some extra points for the shields and the creative alliteration alteration. Well done!

Martijn

From MarkB: Austrian Cuirassier and Nosferatu (41 Points)

 

Hi all, 

It has been crazy here with work and life in general so it took me longer then planned to get these miniatures ready for you all to view.

 

First up is a 28mm Nosferatu miniature that I will use for a miniature game that I am play testing.  

And last but not least are more 6mm Austrian Cavalry. this time it is 3 regiments of Cuirassier. We have the 1st, 4th, and 6th regiments. These are being painted up to add to my miniatures that will be used for General d' Armee. For now the first version of the rules but soon there will be a second edition. 

For the points I should get:

36 x 6mm Mounted miniatures at 1 point each = 36 points

For one 28mm miniature at 5 points = 5 points

Grand total = 41 Points.

Take care all and see you again soon.

Great Mark, I really like your pale-faced Nosferatu and you really should be telling us more about this game of yours! The Austrian cuirassiers also look very much the part. Excellent job! That's another 41 points for you.

Martijn

From SimonM: Ben & Victorian Policeman by "Black Tree Design" [Local History] (43 points)

This 28mm metal single-cast figure is sold by by "Black Tree Design" and is available as Code DW151 - Ben from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. Sculpted to represent "an able seaman on a shore posting", the miniature is clearly based upon the First and Second Doctors' companion Ben Jackson, who first appeared in Ian Stuart Black's 1966 BBC Television story "The War Machines".

Initially primed using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, the Royal Navy sailor was subsequently heavily dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal and given a healthy dose of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then painted his trousers with a lick of "Two Thin Coats" Marine Blue, darkened them down with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later applied some rough highlights, courtesy of dry-brushing (more) Marine Blue by "Two Thin Coats" across the clothing's folds.

Finally, I dabbed some "Vallejo" Gold onto the buttons of Ben's duffle coat, before carefully applying some "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Vallejo" Pale Grey to the top of his cap. I did also consider providing actor Michael Craze's character with some sort of jumper, which looked liked it was poking out from under the top of his coat in the 'official' paint-job. However, the figure itself didn't look as if it had any such garment on, so I simply stuck with the open neck look - which is how the time traveller actually appears on the small screen.

Alongside Ben, I have also pigmented another 28mm figure from "Black Tree Design" and their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. Available as Code DW415 - Victorian Policeman, this model is based upon the constables seen in Robert Holmes' 1977 BBC Television story "The Talons of Weng-Chiang".

Originally given a coat of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, the "Peeler" was treated to a couple of layers of "Two Thin Coats" Marine Blue and a good dousing in Oblivion Black Wash. He was then enthusiastically dry-brushed with (more) Marine Blue by "Two Thin Coats", before having all of his buttons and belt buckle spotted in "Vallejo" Gold and a smidgeon of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

The British Bobby's cape chain and helmet badge were later 'picked out' with a little "Two Thin Coats" Sir Coates Silver and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst the Policeman's wooden truncheon was given a blanket of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also traced along the lines of the stout fellow's facial lambchops with some "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

Considering that Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the rest of His Majesty's Naval Base, the D-Day Museum and the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower are just a couple of miles away, I thought this figure of Ben Jackson wearing a vintage (Sixties) sailor's uniform would make an excellent submission for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge's Local History Library desk - especially as the fictional able seaman himself was based at Portsmouth according to the 1968 "Doctor Who" Annual. In addition, Explosion specialises in the history of Royal Naval uniforms, and even goes so far as to mention the duffle coat and cap Ben is sculpted wearing as being an example of a sailor's "working dress" following the Uniform Regulations of 1856 in its excellent "Researching Your Items: Identifying Uniforms" pamphlet. 

Furthermore, due to Portsmouth Central Police Station being in a similarly close proximity, I thought my Nineteenth Century Policeman would equally hit the criteria for the Challenge's Local History Library desk. The original station was actually established in Albert Road in 1872, so harks right back to the Victorian Period when officer's wore the famous cape, tunic and custodian helmet depicted on my miniature - and a display mannequin wearing this uniform is currently on show at the local Hampshire Police and Fire Heritage Trust Museum. Indeed, funnily enough, Portsmouth City Police grew in size due to the Royal Navy's presence in the town getting ever larger (and the city resultantly increasing its number of public houses to over a hundred and fifty), hence I thought a two-pronged proffering for this bonus challenge was rather appropriate.

Furthermore I've also managed to complete a second Myrka figure by "Black Tree Design". This 46mm long metal miniature was painted in precisely the same manner as my first one - predominantly using "Vallejo" Heavy Green and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. However, I did apply a gloss varnish to the maritime monster, and thought it made it look so suitably water-logged, that I went back and gave my other model a coat too.

Lastly, I've finished an old 15mm scale Orange Adder Combat Car by “Alternative Armies”. This infantry support variant can be purchased as Pack Code IAF035D from the company’s "The Ion Age" range and comes armed with "a 50mm Grenade Launcher in a turret mount."

Just prior to being super-glued to a Large "Flames Of War" plastic rectangular base by "Battlefront Miniatures", I gave the underside a generous application of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black. The entire vehicle was then slapped in "Vallejo" Dark Grey, shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil" and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Dark Grey.

I next 'picked out' all of its wheel trims, any visible/reachable undercarriage or axels, as well as its main weapon with a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil". Before carefully applying some "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Vallejo" Pale Grey to any lights I could see. 

Three x 28mm scale foot figures = 15 Points

Local History Books Bonus = 20 Points

15mm scale Vehicle = 8 Points

Total = 43 Points   

Another pair of nice figures, Simon. I like the policeman, he has a very martial and determined look about him. The armoured car looks also good. And who would not want a pair of Myrkas watching the garden pond? As for the Local History bonus, with the background you have provided us here I think that is well deserved, well done!

43 points added to your total.

Martijn

From MartijnN: The Tuesday Tomes, Volume VI

Past weekend was the weekend of Carnaval, a Roman Catholic tradition that is upheld both in The Netherlands and Belgium. It is the festive period before Lent, usually starting on Friday and traditionally ending on Ash Wednesday. Many of you will know about it, as it is celebrated in many Christian denominations.

Carnival in Aalst (B)

In The Netherlands, it is only really celebrated in the Roman Catholic parts of the country ("south of the great rivers", which is a common expression in The Netherlands, usually expressing some wonder or mild ridicule about anything happening in those parts which were not part of the former official Republic of the Seven Provinces but ruled directly from The Hague) and in some Eastern parts of the country). Protestantism frowned upon Carnival, and as the North was mainly Calvinistic it is much less of a tradition there. However, in the South it is really a big thing. In Limburg the focus is more on getting dressed up and showing one self to the others, often in very elaborate, elegant and expensive costumes, just a little more classy perhaps, while in Brabant it is truly a folk festival with dancing, lots of alcohol, eating and much public merriment, dresses often limited to a simple "boerenkiel"or smock. Often, towns adopt an alternative funny name during Carnaval, mostly incomprehensible to anyone from above the great rivers (like me), Den Bosch becoming Oeteldonk for instance. There are more similarities than differences, however, and nowadays many northerners come down south for a few days to have a good time (although, according to many locals, they are simple incapable of entering into the true spirit of Carnaval). In most places there are long processions of floats, which are often very funny, creative and elaborate and have been worked on for many months.

In Flanders, there are some very famous Carnivals, like that in Aalst which has a well-deserved reputation for having the best floats in the country, but surprisingly it does not seem as widespread a tradition as in the southern Netherlands or in the German Rhineland. Yes, the kids dress up for school, and there usually is a party, but for the most part it is nothing like in the south of the Netherlands, where official public life virtually comes to a standstill during Carnival. You'd better get your groceries beforehand!

Our Tuesday Crew have a true Carnival of goodies for us this week. We will see at least:

- From SimonM: Ben and the Law, second edition;

- From MarkB: Riding with a Vampire

- From PeterD: A Pictish Proverbial Porcine Posterior

- From GregB: Whirlwind Progeny

- From SarahHC: Elfio's Return

Enjoy!