From RichardM: Sudan first British infantry and another cavalry regiment (192 points)

This week’s efforts have been exclusively British.  I enjoyed painting the Hussars so much last week that I pushed the 21st Lancers up the painting queue and past the various native troops that had been prepared and awaiting their turn on the painting table.

So we start with the 21st Lancers.  Nothing too much to say about them other than they painted quite easily.  I did experiment with putting some lance pennons on - but making, cutting out the swallow tail and gluing them on would have been a punishment the Spanish Inquisition would have been proud of.  So I stayed with the small red tassle (or something) that was cast at the top of the lance.   

Then we move to the first of my British Infantry - two battalions worth.  

Before we progress I am reminded of my first post here where I noted I was mixing up the units that appeared in theatre and was not building for a specific year or campaign.  In keeping with this relaxed approach,  I know the British stopped taking their colours into the field a few years before the Sudan campaigns started - in 1881 during the Boer War.  However, colours are colours and they make these units stand out - especially the khaki on the desert bases.  After all, I am going to be playing a game - not making a documentary :)

So first we have the 1st Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment.  They are dressed in khaki and will be the way a few more units are painted.  A bit of googling showed me that the Regiment was formed in 1881 from an amalgamation of the 65th and 84th Regiments of Foot.  As I could easily get my hands on Napoleonic Wars colours,  I picked those of the 65th which were the most pleasant to my eye of the two.

Then we have the first of what I plan to be two battalions of red coated infantry.  These ones are the 1st  Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment.  This regiment was formed from the 38th and 80th Regiments of Foot (as well as various Militia units) and I've used the colours of the 80th Regiment here as I could get my them easily.  While the British Army had largely switched from sending the red coated troops into battle, the rush to get units into the Sudan meant they arrived in various uniforms.  It is reported that this battalion wore red coats at Battle of Kirbekan on 10 February 1885.

Finally, a few shots “setting the scene” with work done over the past few weeks.  Going to need more ‘bad guys’ and resting camels when the square gets four sides.

I will need to do some of the Beja Warriors for my next post to keep the balance up - maybe some native cavalry / camelry and perhaps something a little special (if I can find them)

Points

24 * 10mm cavalry -  72 points

120 * 10mm infantry - 120 points

Total 192 points

From Millsy:

Another addition to your growing colonial collection is always welcome Richard! One of the joys of the Challenge for me is completing whole armies / projects in short order and it's clear you are on the same road with your 10mm efforts.

They look so impressive en masse but then you look closer and they look amazing on a per model basis too. You clearly have the understanding of what looks good at this scale and the talent to make that happen.

Another 192 points brings you just shy of 2/3 of your inital target. Nice work mate!

Cheers,
Millsy

From GeoffT: More Indian WW2 figures (40 points)

Hello Challengers,

I have not posted much of late, but for a good reason, last week I was away at Cancon, Australia’s largest game convention, participating in The Lard Zone.

Uncharacteristically, I came back with only a few extra miniatures, the small haul did include these miniatures from Eureka, that I am adding to my Chain of Command India force for Malaya, as we start the Jitra campaign next week.  

Eight 28mm miniatures = 40 points, and enough figures for a squirrel.

Kind Regards

Geoff.

From Millsy:

I'm really enjoying seeing this collection grow Geoff. Your skins tones on the Indians always hit the right note for me.

It's great to see an often neglected arm of the Commonwealth forces getting some love as they were both numerous and valuable to the Allied war effort.

Nice work mate. 40 mores points it is!

Cheers,
Millsy

From StephenS: It's historical... (25 points)

G'day,

Last week I signed off by saying next up in my queue was something historical in nature. Well, it was a busy week and I didn't get to hit the brushes as often as I would have liked. Also, to be fair, what I did finish painting is historical, in 'a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away' sort of way...

I present the 'Tx-225 GAVw Occupier Combat Assault Tank' (rolls right off the tongue) from Atomic Mass Games for their Star Wars: Legion game. It serves the Empire, and may have appeared in one of the newer movies. It is a 32 mm plastic miniature, that to be honest, is not the prettiest looking tank I have ever painted. 

But a tank it is, and it is painted, so better looking than an unpainted tank on the shelf. Alas, it is missing the head that should be poking out of the drivers hatch. An especially unfortunate disappearance as it occurred after I had helpfully glued the hatch open. It may turn up again, probably amid many mutters of 'if it wasn't screwed on...'

All up, that should be a tidy 20 25 points for the tally.

No predictions about what will be up next this time.

Cheers,

Steve

From Millsy:

This thing is an absolute beast!

I've been tempted to add one of these to my collection a few times and been put off by the size and cost. I'm seriously rethinking that now having seen yours mate. You've absolutely nailed the right level of drybrush / highlight and the driver looks really nicely done too.

20 points seems measly for something this big so I'm adding a 5 point bonus.

Cheers,
Millsy

From Kerry T: Hold, hold, hold - Scottish foot (100 points)

Morning, afternoon & evening all

I've often made comments in the past about what I call my wandering ill-disciplined brush. Today's entry is an example This leaves me to wonder how the mind works, or perhaps more specifically how the mind of a wargamer works (or doesn't). 

I raise the subject really because I find myself now  having completed  a unit of Scottish spearmen from the "Wars of the Bruce" range from the  Antediluvian Miniatures range. What's so special about that? Err, well the project actually started with a plan to do the Wars of the Roses (1455 to 1487). So how come I find myself offering an entry from the Scottish Wars of Independence (1296 to 1328 & 1332 to 1357).

It all started a few years ago when "Never Mind the Billhooks" was gaining in popularity, when seeing other gamers' efforts, I felt the attraction and bought a load of Perry plastic and metal figures for the period. Now there is an overlay between the WOTR and the Hundred Years War  (1337- 1543) and my mind suggested that with a switching  I could do both, perhaps using many of the same figures.

How did I get here though? - well I think its a combination of factors really

1 The joy of painting and staying productive by flitting between periods - what I mean by my ill-disciplined brush

2 The inevitable cry of " Oh look shiny". Thus the siren call of miniature figure ranges as you browse the net. This time it was the Antediluvian Miniatures range,  Claymore Castings, Perry Miniatures Agincourt range, Footsore Miniatures Baron's war range and lastly the Medbury Miniatures STL range. Oh yes and flags the twin calling of Flags Of War and GMB flags, I've always been a sucker for flags. In the main though I blame the figures, hence in the past seeing Artizan Landsknechts and Artizan Moors along with the Arab irregular cavalry in the WW1 range have led to a weakening of the will and thus new projects

3 A degree of megalomania... I started off intending to paint some English and French, then thought oh I could add some Scottish, Welsh and Irish.....

4 Media -In the past films like Lawrence of Arabia, The Last Samurai, and Kingdom of Heaven have led to the start of new projects. Then there are books or more recently audiobooks, essentially historical fiction (I listen while I paint) - Griff Hosker, Harry Sidebottom, David Gillman, SJ Turney & Christian Cameron whose words have filled my imagination with visual images of tabletop figures and before I know it my wallet's been opened and my brush is off on another wander!

I suppose a medieval purist will be having kittens now, figures from the Baron's war through to early/mid 100 years war are likely to come together to form my intended armies.

I could go on I know but this is by way of explanation of how I find myself here, with these....

Antediluvian Miniatures Wars of the Bruce range spearmen and knights

Based in 5s on 120 x 60 mm Warbases 2mm bases

I just love the action in these figures and was astonished by how good the  painted examples on the Antediluvian site look and so I was hooked. 

Spearmen on this base with a figure from the command pack at the back

They need something behind them I think though, more depth

Aonghus Og Mac Dohmnaill of Islay"s banner

Wasn't sure how many figures to add per base, 6 might have been better

Flags of War banner - a Scottish Saltire

The nearest base shows the knights rather than spearmen

My troops always run away

Used army painter on these, they're a bit shiny though

Well there we are, I'm not sure where I'm going with this project, all over the place as usual. When collecting I didn't really plan the units but I think in the long run I'll try and mix different figures into each unit using a mix of Claymore, Antediluvian, Footsore, Perry and Medbury. The Front Rank I have I think will have to be kept separate. There's an inspirational thread on the Lead Adventure Forum by Gareth Lane or Lord Raglan https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=135278.0 that I've followed

I'm not sure what I'll do for rules yet and a measure of my flutterbyness is that I've bought flags for 100YW French, English and Scottish along with flags for Bannockburn (1314) and Otterburn (1388). I'll just have to see where the butterfly takes me! I think WOTR is going to have to wait

So in summary

20 x 28mm Foot figures @5 points = 100 points

1 Squirrel

9 x 5 - 45 Can opener points

With many thanks

Valleyboy

From Millsy,

I was hoping to see these after you mentioned them on our regular paint and chat sessions!

They are absolutely smashing and the large bases to the front make them both safer for opponent's minis but also add a real sense of theatre. The fact enemies will be pushed back away from the pikemen reflects the way the weapon works and I love it.

The basing itself is great too and has a really compliments the colours of the padded jacks and surcoats. Lovely work mate and another well deserved 100 points.

Cheers,
Millsy

From KentG: 28mm cavalry (320pts)

Well here we are back again, this time it’s all cavalry 

The funny thing is I had said that after the last challenge 

I wouldn’t be doing much cav well you can see how that plan worked 

Out. There’s three different lots of cav, not sure what I was thinking

All those hand painted shields took way to long especially 

The checkered pattern

These first 12 are Spanish Jinetes by Gripping Beast

Not the most detailed figures but they still really nicely

Next up just because who needs more detailed shield yip me

So here Gallic cavalry by Gripping beast again I actually really enjoyed 

These 

 I had a lot of fun painting these next 8 figures by

Bloody miniatures, the detail on these English Civil war minis

Is so really nice and great to paint

Black is always a fun colour to paint

As most if not all of us know, but I’m 

Really pleased with the result on this chap

No flag on the pole here the new owner of

These figures haven’t made up his mind yet.

So let’s total up for the week 

32 x 28mm cavalry @ 10pts each 320pts 

Which means I’ve hit my target for this challenge 

From Millsy:

A wonderful batch of cavalry Kent, all beautifully painted as ever and with a great mix of coats colours on the horses which adds so much interest and variety. 

My initial though was the shield designs were decals and then I read your copy. These are absolutely brilliant mate, particularly the checks which are an absolute bugger to get right regardless of scale.

This 320 point cavalry bomb blasts you through your original 1,500 point total and we're not even halfway! Please let me know your revised total and I will update the roster accordingly.

Cheers,

Millsy