From DaveD - Bolsheviks, Workers, command and guns! (105 pts)

Well I started this years challenge with Bolsheviks, have painted Bolsheviks most weeks , so it seems appropriate to end with Bolsheviks . 

Here we have the glorious workers militia from the Putilov Arsenal . They are mobilised  to protect the revolution - and keep the new tank working ! 

Figures are from Eureka- and very nice they are too - I may need a few more of these boiler-suit clad lads in due course .  

Next is the mounted commander again from Eureka. I must add top marks for their service last week, ordered to delivered in 4 days which has let me turn these around . With the horse being on its rear legs I have added in a thin piano wire support into its abdomen. 

Finally of course the peoples proletariat at the great Putilov Arsenal have been busy producing naval weapons to equip the next generation of Bolshevik craft . The keel has been laid on it and it’s under construction but not launched yet . 

The great Bolshevik vessel the “Kickmartinski”is used to test the new weaponry in all it glory 

So for new weaponry I have  two 6 pounders, two 3 pounders, a single 1 pounder Pom Pom, and two torpedo tubes - these are a mix of 3d prints and some Bob Murch pulp stuff .. These are all fitted with magnets so they can be exchanged on any vessel I have, or even dismounted for shore use .

‘Peace, Land and Bread” comrades ! Not sure there will be much of the first going on , but one can wish eh !

Points 

8 infantry - 40 points 

1 mounted - 10 points  

5 guns - 50 points 

2 torpedo tubes - I suggest 5 points 

Phew - it’s been a good one . I met my usual challenge objectives of posting  before Christmas and then post every week, a few thousand points is a good tally indeed. Thanks to Gregg for the weekly minion  - hopefully he’s seeing Bolos in his sleep .😆. Thanks to The back room minions and our host Curt of course. Time to go and give my brushes some cleaning TLC 

I shall see you in the wrap up . 

From Millsy:

Another wonderful batch of Back of Beyond goodness Dave! I've really enjoyed following both yours and Martin's efforts and I see he gets a mention here as well. Your modular approach to arming the gunboat is really cool and I will have to pinch that idea for a project of my own.

Cracking work mate, both here and right across the whole Challenge. Thanks for sharing you work, it's always great eye candy and has plenty of puns and other goodness packed in.

105 points to close your Challenge out. Nice work.

Cheers,
Millsy

From DaveD - Landship Mark V - Bolsheviks (20 points)

Well it wouldn’t be a Thursday without me doing something for my Bolshevik army. So to keep that Thursday tally going here is some armour for my Bolsheviks . In the form of a British Mk V tank . The Brits shipped around 70 as part of their intervention effort to bolster the failing Imperial Russian forces They were used around Archangel and in the Southern front area.  Some were destroyed to stop them falling into enemy hands but some were captured and repurposed. The Brits used them with the Whites in 1919 attacking Tsaritsyn - eg Stalingrad , now Volgograd. Well my Bolos have acquired one.

Some were used in Tallin in 1941 against the Germans and were shipped back to Berlin as prizes, and after 45 ended up back in museums in the Soviet Union.

This is a big old beast. Two guns and four MGs. Very useful. Unrealiable as hell.   Even more so in the back of beyond.

 

This only arrived in the post on Tuesday, so it’s been a quick turn around. 

This is a 3d print piece that had the rails on the top to stick on and that was it . A dark olive green Tamiya  rattle can and green olive paint pen for the paint job , Black grey for the track's , then an oil wash and dry brush of beige brown. I added some tubing to carry a flag that can be removed or swapped out .  I found some large stars in the decals stash and added these then painted the hammer and plough emblem in the middle. 

I will look out for a suitable figure to use as a commander as one stood out of the  hatch waving a flag would look cool. 

What better than to use the imperialist's weapons against them. “Workers of the world unite!”

Points 1x 28mm vehicle - 20 

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Indeed it doesn't feel like Thursday without one more addition to this fabulous project. The silhouette of these armoured vehicles is notorious, another iconic piece of kit that really "makes" a period and setting jump out on the table. Your description of the work implies that this was something of a rushed job, and perhaps it was by your standards, but it looks terrific. 

Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose except everything as the bolshevik filth steal all you have and kill you and everyone you love! Hmm...maybe they had a different slogan for the flags...I definitely need to try this as a project next year!

Another 20 points comrade Dave! Excellent stuff.

GregB

From DaveD - Bolshevik Cavalry , Maxims and Infantry (135 points)

This week's offering is yet more addition to my growing Bolshevik army. Anyone would think this was supposed to be this years project - but it wasn’t. But hey ho. It’s got them done. Most of these only needed basing this week, good job as I have been floored with the lurgy over the weekend and early part of the week.

First up 6 lancers . I made the lances from a suitable gauge piano wire cut to length and the point created with a carborundum disc attached to the mini drill . These have had a little solder work done to make sure they are attached properly in hand - no superglue failures here , in some cases it is also tacked to the stirrup .Lancers without a means for them to keep hold of the the thing grinds my gears , so I have created the strap around the lance and then around the arm using some garden twisty wire strpped of its plastic covering. This wire is flexible and strong for its thickness, its  also nice and cheap.

And now with the rest of my 1st Cavalry Army 

I feel I want to double this at some point , but not for now.

I had previously made up a single tail pennant to add to some of the lances . So I thought a horseshoe with the number inside would do nicely. 

 

I have also designed a full standard for them 

 

Again these are Copplestone Castings 

Next up is a Maxim gun for the sailors .

Some thin brass rod snipped into small pieces and added  as spent cases 

Finally a last unit of infantry in the classic budenovka hat . 

So with the sailors it gives me 6 infantry units, 3 MGs, 18 cav, 2 field guns with transport and command, commisars etc . I have some slightly out of period other vehicles, which will do service for now until I replace with something more in line with the period in due course.

It’s also proving difficult to get them all in shot now 

Points - all 28mm

6 x Cav = 60

Infantry x 13 = 65

1 gun = 10

Total 135 

Just my newly arrived Tachankas to sort . 

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More commie bolsheviks! It's like rats...there is never just a one or two...I expect nearly every Challenger will relate to your sentiments about how these figures were not intended to be a main effort for this edition of the Challenge, but it just sort of worked out that way. Those often end up being the best projects! I have certainly loved watching it come together, and the crammed-in group shots at the end just underline what a triumph it is. 

Some fantastic work on the lances and small conversions. I would never go near soldering gear myself (for reasons of public safety) but I totally relate to having that maddening feeling of a missing little bit for the kit - in this case, the rest for the lances. It's the little things in this little hobby of ours, right?

Well done Dave!

GregB

From DaveD - Bolsheviks (!), Sailors, Command & Lewis Gunners (63 points)

Post number two for the day sees me feeding the beast that is my Bolshevik force. 

First the command group for the sailors of Torpedo Odessa. Painting the guy with hooped vest was “fun” . I have added on my own designed flag of crossed anchors.

Next are 4 officers figures. 

Finally it is unit support weapons in the form of Lewis Guns. Enough for 4 units to have an LMG each. These are cast without the bi-pod so I kit bashed a couple with some garden twisty wire that I stripped the plastic off , wrapped around the  barrel and then hardened with a dab of solder . Not perfect , but good enough . 

All 28mm Copplestone once more lovely to paint. Just the one more lot of Bolo reinforcements to come, a maxim for the sailors, another infantry in the pointy hat and some lancer cavalry - well that’s the plan at the moment. The good news is the order has arrived !

12x5 =60 

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Does one EVER have enough Bolsheviks? I'd ask Comrade Lenin, but I'm not sure I would get the meeting...

Great work Dave! I have really enjoyed watching this project gallop along, and I know a lot of your fellow Challengers have as well. I have also seen a number of other "Back of Beyond" themed entries and projects, and I suspect your work here is helping to drive that along. 

Fine job on the flag, and very nice to come up with the bipods for the Lewis Guns. Those are such cool-looking weapons...the large barrels give them a near-sci-fi look. I'm tossing in three extra points for the hand-painted flag and the faffing around to come up with the bi-pods. Perhaps they were not much to paint, but even minor messing around with a solder project is worth a couple points :)

GregB

From DaveD - Bolshevik Cavalry, Campaign Characters and Vehicles (112 points)

The last of the current tranche of Bolos is the mounted arm. Six new cavalry to add to various mounted command that I have will make a unit of 10. 

The latest six figures completed to round out the unit to 10. 

The usual oil wipe method on the horses which was done pre-Xmas.

 

Joined with their mates this time 

 

And here is their first battle 

They then ended up besting  the opposition and being in control of the opposition baseline 😆

That’s  them a long way across the board - Huzzah - harassing Andy’s artillery - run away Andy!

Here is the full force so far . I am waiting the last few packs of things being delivered. Ok, maybe two orders worth now, having just added extra Bolshevik Lancers. 

And on a positive note my next order has just been dispatched, so more to be added to the paint pile. 

Next are a couple of characters for my ongoing "BoB" Campaign. 

Comtesse Renarde - The White Vixen. Born in Lille to lowly stock, became a courtesan in the Romanov court. Last seen heading east to Omsk with a stash of stolen jewels sewn into her corset. 

Randolph Winchester Jr . Scion of an American arms family. He’s been in search of Yetis in Tibet, but has his sights set on racking up his tally of Bolsheviks. 

Figures are by Ironclad Miniatures which are now part of the Pendraken stable and will be going back into general production shortly. These are some truly great character minis in the catalogue. 

Next is a 3d printed truck, carelessly left around by the Brits. 

I have also picked up a 3d print of a Schneider 155 "Long Tom" artillery piece . That will also do duty with my Bolos. I need to sort out some extra crew - the ones show are for the smaller field gun. But for now it gives me an option of more bang for my rouble if I swap it out.

3d print from Actual Size Miniatures 

And finally, HMS Nessie. For our current running BoB campaign the British Persia force had shipped a submarine across land , it has now been assembled and launched into the Caspian Sea. Well so far it had only been rumoured. Now it exists. 

This is a 10mm resin set just going back into production at Pendraken. It’s 200mm long. 

Scored :-

6 x 28mm Cav =60

1 x 28mm gun = 10 

28mm Foot x2 = 10 

28mm Vehicle = 20

10mm large Vehicle/Vessel=12

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This project has been a real treat Dave! As I mentioned at the outset of the Challenge, any game system where you can mow down Bolsheviks is one I really need to take a look at. Your cavalry looks really sharp and I know they will continue to make an important contribution on the table top - after all, the Kulaks won't run themselves down, right? 

I also enjoy the back story of the two characters - while the whole notion of the "imported" submarine is just terrific. 

Slight points correction - comes out to 112 points, but all good - I suspect you'll continue to blow past the painting totals as things continue. 

GregB