From SimonG: The Final Squaddies! Finishing my 1980s BAOR in 10mm (32 points)

While my progress overall in this challenge has been slow I am delighted to actually have been able to finish something and to finally bring to a close my 1980s Cold War Gone Hot project in 10mm -- something I started way back in January 2021!

Cpl Kitchener Wants You!

As before these are 10mm TimeCast Miniatures which I love. This time there are four squads of 8, for a total of 32 based in pairs.

I can never stick with the same technique so this time around I added the black lines in the DPM camo pattern using a 0.05 unipin fine line which worked absolutely wonderfully -- I use a mix of unipin and copic fine-liners and find them indispensable for detail work like this or for edging heraldry.

Black lines added with .05 pen

Anyway, here are some other close ups. I ended up doing the 58 pattern webbing in a different shade to my last batch, oh well there was some variation in the field!

As before these are based on 2mm East Riding Miniatures MDF bases with a mix of Geek Gaming Rugged Fields base ready and my 2mm autumn static grass. The labels are laser printed, covered with sticky film and then stuck onto 2mm brass strip.  Also, apologies that I haven't cleaned up the base edges which I still need to do!

It is great to have finished this project after 4 years -- here's a view of the complete British force ready to make its debut on the table.

So that probably does it for me for this challenge as I've got a lot going on over the next week so don't feel able to start on another painting job -- while I have again failed to achieve my target I am pleased with the work I've done, making progress on several fronts and actually managing to finish a project, and complete my two vignettes!

TeemuL: Targets are something to aim for, but it is practical to look behind and see what one has accomplished. You have a nice list for that and now you are ready to play a new theater, good luck!

10mm minis are comfortable to calculate, since one is 1 point, so 32 to you. Any camo in that scale is difficult, but you have done a great job! The labels are clear, just finish those base edges before the first game and before starting the next painting project. ;)

From SimonG: Wrap Up, Or A Mixed Bag (In Many Ways!)

It's once again time for my wrap up post and the one time a year I have to struggle with taking a selfie without holding my stupid phone at arms length (which btw always gives terrible results). It's also rather a shock that the picture that comes back is one of my father (but that's another story!)

Who is that guy? And why does he smile so oddly?

The Final Array

Anyway this is now my fourth challenge and while not a terribly high scoring excursion it has allowed me to embark on two exciting new projects. The first is the expansion of my existing Jewish Revolt 28mm skirmish project into a full scale Impetus based large battles setup with figures from Victrix.

I though it would be nice to show the figures alongside some key references. In this case they are of course Josephus' "Jewish Wars" but also Jodi Magness' recent study of Masada and how this has echoed down the centures, and finally Martin Goodman "Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations".

My other and completely new project was another Impetus army but in this case in 15mm for the Albigensian Crusade. All figures are from Khurasan.

The references here are Jonathan Sumption's first publication "The Albigensian Crusade" plus "The Perfect Heresy" by Simon O'Shea and Sophie Thérese Amblers "The Song of Simon de Montfort" to show how the experience of Simon the elder influenced the younger.

Finally I am close to finishing up my 10mm 1980s Cold War project with figures from Timecast.

In this instance I've shown the figures alongside two rule sets for the period -- Sabre Squadron and Battlegroup Northag -- all I need now is some terrain and I am ready to go.

Finally I wanted to share my secret for detail work at all scales -- a really good set of magnifying visors -- and I can heartly recommend The Donegan Optical OptiVISOR - I use the 2.75X No 7

So with no more to say I will offer up invocations and thanks to the lord and lady of the challenge -- Curt and Sarah, to my scholarly minion Sylvain (I hope my errors in erudition didn't embarass you too much), and all the others in the Monday crew who seemed among the most valiant posters and commentors and a great group to work alongside.

I also wanted to say how much I appreciated the theme for this year’s challenge. Libraries are sorely under appreciated, especially here in the UK, and I wish I was still in Portland, OR which has a great program of building new libraries to serve all the local communities and where I was able to make a donation. 

My calendar is now marked for November 20th 2024 and I am already making plans for the next time -- see you all in nine months time!

From SimonG: A Bevy of 10mm BAOR Battle Taxis [1980s Studio](94 points)

Having been treated to a limo ride last week we wind up in the 1980s studio and what better subject for a epic film then the perennial Cold War Gone Hot scenario and the brave boys of the British Army of the Rhine.

FV107 Scimitar

The subjects this week are a mix of (mostly) Timecast with some (the Peak turrets and the Land Rovers) Red3 10mm models.  A side by side comparison of the FV432 hulls on the Timecast vs the Red3 show the former are both more dimensionally accurate but also more detailed on the surface -- the only area that lets the Timecast resin casts down is the track area, in particular lack of detail and missing a drive wheel.

23 Vehicles in Unit Order

FV104 Samaritan

Land Rover 1/2 Tonner

These all painted up quite easily -- rattle can matt black as an undercoat then masked with blu tak and airbrushed on the bronze green then on to details, rust on all of the 432 exhausts and some weathering.  

FV432 (Timecast)

FV432 Peak Turret (Red3)

FV 438

Striker, Samaritan, FV432 OP

Land Rover 1/2 Tonner

Land Rover 110

Scimitar

The "fancy" touch being the hand painted Union Jacks on each of the tracked vehicle front left mud guard -- don't look too closely but the effect works from a distance!

Hand Painted Union Jack!

My unit markings are printed and laminated then stuck on brass strip which gives a very neat result.

Finally I used some internet references for the reflection effect in the windscreen and windows on the Land Rovers -- again a new trick for me but it looks good from a distance.

Points wise this is 23 10mm vehicles for 69 points plus the 20 point bonus for the 1980s subject.  Next stop into the Blue Zone via another limo ride to a Swords and Sandals subject!

Excellent work on these 10mm vehicles, Simon. I'm awarding you some bonus points for the hand-painted Union Flags and the windscreen reflections on the Landies.

Tamsin

From SimonG: 10mm British Mid 1980s Armour for Terra (56 points)

The cryptic reference to NWOBHM last week brings us to Terra and some examples of cold war military hardware -- two generations of British main battle tanks the Chieftain and Challenger.

I was a little perturbed working on these models for my Cold War Gone Bad project (Sabre Squadron or Battle Group Northag rules) in light of the current hot war in Europe -- my original interest in this period had been when living through it in my teens and collecting an extensive collection of GHQ 1:285 scale modern armour.

These particular models are from Timecast (the Chieftain Mk 10s) and Red3 (the Challenger Mk 1 and the Ferret).

Painting was pleasingly straightforward with a base green laid down by airbrush and then painted black camouflage (given the hard edges on the design this seemed easier than airbrush) and assorted dry brushing and some minimal weathering. Unit markers and number plates (or rather impressions thereof) are hand painted. I always need to relearn which brushes to use on vehicles rather than people!

Funny discovery when researching the camo scheme was that I could be the proud owner of a Chieftain Mk 10 -- not sure I have the room for something like this however, it's not exactly a vehicle you can take out for a spin on a Sunday down the high street!

The most time consuming part of these models is the basing -- identification markers are laser printed, sticky plastic covered and then stuck on 3mm brass strip -- fiddly but ultimately worth it I think. 

The Timecast models are resin with metal detail while the Red3 are all metal -- each has it's pros and cons, I think I prefer the Timecast which while less detailed seem to capture the essence of the vehicle a little better. The Red 3 figures are pretty crude -- Timecast are leagues better (see my Soviet examples from last year) -- ideally I should have done a head swap on the commander in the Ferret as he's a real "block head"!

I think that should be another 80 points (12 10mm vehicles at 5 points each plus the 20 point bonus for Terra) towards my now unobtainable target! Nevertheless it's been a fun few months of diverse painting.

_____________________________

Great work on these 80s era warhorses, Simon. I always liked the silhouette of the Chieftain, though I find it hard to believe one can buy one for personal use.  Then again, by all the Russian kit being towed away by Ukrainian farmers, the market may be in a glut soon and prices will be even cheaper (though the cost to fuel one....).

Speaking of cheaper, I'm afraid your math is a bit off with the 10mm vehicles as they are 3 apiece. Sorry bud. :(  Now, where is this inflation when you need it, eh?

- Curt 

From SimonG: Soviet Steel for The Armoury (55 points)

Rather than paint another fantasy figure, or a plated knight for the Armoury I here offer up the pointy end of my Cold War gone hot Soviet GSFG force -- a Guards T64B tank company.

Once again these are Timecast 10mm pieces from their Cold War '84 range. Nice resin bodies with metal details and some very nice touches such as the indent for the gun barrel opening, making drilling the barrel out a cinch. Other things are more bothersome, in particular the top mounted machine gun that needs clipping at the back to sit comfortably. Overall though very nice pieces and they look the part.

Soviet armour is rather boring colour scheme wise so I elected to include the Guards Insignia on the IR projector. Initially I made up some tiny (1.5mm diameter) transfers but these simply fell apart when I tried to apply them. So I instead hand painted the designs, Im pretty pleased with how they came out -- interesting how you can abstract a design down to a couple of splotches and still have a good sense of what it should be. The numbers are also hand painted. Once again I'm using my numbering scheme for three troops of three tanks plus the command vehicle. The lettering is sequential with my BMP company and with other support vehicles I'll get too later.

So another 50 points for my total -- ten 10mm tanks at 3 points each plus 20 for the chamber.