From JP: Scottish Structural Madness (100 points)

I have always been a fan of George MacDonald Fraser, starting with the MacAuslan books, moving on to Flashman and then, eons ago, The Steel Bonnets - a history of the Border Reivers. Something about the Border Reivers bit deep and I have come back to the topic a number of times in my wargames years - usually ending with dissatisfaction with the rules or the figures and selling them. 

Flags of War launched a dedicated set of rules and figures for the Reivers some time ago. I took the plunge with their Kickstarter. I still had the sheep, pigs, Angus cattle and dogs waiting patiently to be allowed out....

A couple of years ago I had also made a sizable investment in Grand Manner buildings, they are one of the best miniature building firms in the market. Their Border range is significant: walls, cottages, stables, and not one, but 2 kinds of Bastle House... 

My logic was that they would also serve for Fantasy and D&D gaming, as well as Sharpe Practice.

This is a Bastle House - a fortified border 'manor' of the Elizabethan period, livestock on the ground floor and humans above, usually. Very hard to assault... look Ma, no windows (or hardly any)! It provided refuge when your neighbour came calling with mal-intent.

Over the past 18 months I painted much of the building order, but bogged down  with the 2nd Bastle House. It sat ignored as it represents a time investment that I prefer putting into figs... So, as I am dragging out challenging items that have languished on the shelf...  and as it might even fit into Overdues and Returns...

Other than the bone undercoat, the Bastle House is painted by hand, 7 layers of paints and washes for the outside walls alone, as well as the inside (which is a bit more roughly done). Yes, I am a Luddite as I have no idea how to use an airbrush.

Stage 4 looked like this:

After a few stiff Scotches and many more hours, we have this, 8.5 inches wide, 6.5 inches deep and 6 inches high :

The inside has a dirtier ground floor for the livestock, a second floor with wooden floor, slate chimney and white washed walls affected by smoke. 

So, I am hoping to claim :

 -  4 x 6 inch cubes                = 80 points

 -  Overdues and Returns      = 20 points

Total                                      = 100 points

I realise that the depth is only 6.5 inches, but as there is both an inside and an outside as well as a 1st floor...

Thanks for looking folks and do read The Steel Bonnets!

From Millsy: I think this may be my favourite terrain entry of 2024 so far. Such an evocative period and you cannot go past Grand Manner kit for quality and detail. I'd love a painting tutorial on how you did these JP as the stonework is spot on, just the right blend of hues, and the attention to detail is superb. Definitely worth 100 points from my POV! Love it.

From RossM - 15mm, 20mm and 28mm figures - (96 points)

A mixed bag here showing the varied projects that are nearly always on the painting table in some way or another.

First up are 5 Arab swordsmen in 15mm, the manufacturer is unknown although recon it to be Minifigs. One of these was painted prior to the start of the Challenge no idea which one it is now

Next up are support elements in 20mm for the D.A.K that where started at the beginning of the challenge. With no real crewed weapons here these count as infantry figures only.

Now there are a few different 28mm figures. Greek skirmishers from Wargames Foundry for Mortal Gods and a piece of scatter terrain from Grand Manner for the same.

A Moor command stand for ADLG in 28mm. The standard bearer and command figure have been painted to join the religious type on this stand. The figures are from Gripping Beast and there will be more from this range on my blog later this year. The flag originally had a green trim and green triangles on the inner panels however, as red and green should never be seen this was over painted in a muted red to fit better with the colours on the figures.

Some armies are just never finished and the Late Romans would be that one for me. These figures from Gripping Beast have been gathering dust since being prepped for last year's Challenge and never made the painting line. Well that has now been rectified and all that is needed now is a game for them to be used in.

The scores so far

5 x 15mm infantry - 10 points
6 x 20mm infantry - 24 points
11 x 28mm infantry - 55 points
1 scenery piece (1.5" radius and 1.5" tall - 10.6 cubic inch or 5% of the 6" cube) - 4 points

The running total

440 points - 88% of the Challenge total

This is beautiful and eclectic submission. Loving the basing and the pile of pots is worth more than 4

From DarrellH Battle of Shrewsbury 1069; Interior Buildings II

Darrell H

Buildings are roughly 5" x 4" and  3.4" x 3" so 30pts

This time just a quick post with a couple of Gripping Beast resin pieces from their Dark Ages range I have completed for the Sherwsbury 1069 game which all going well will be at Partizan II in October this year. Again, these pieces were bought many years ago and I just never got around to painting them up. They are pretty basic castings and solid pieces but this does not diminish the aesthetic look and will not hinder the game.

The upright wooden superstructure and outer structure of the pieces were painted using a craft paint that is more or less the equivalent of Vallejo Model Colour German Cammo Black Brown (perhaps a little lighter) and highlighted up using craft paint creams and finally with Vallajo Model Colour Ivory.

The thatching was done in exactly the same way but starting with a craft paint of a lighter hue and highlighted up a few steps higher in tone than that of the wood.

these are very nice, Shrewsbury is starting to look like a nice place to fight a battle. It's about 1.5 cubes so 30 pts

Martin

Battle of Shrewsbury 1069; Watchtower Interval! (80 points)

Darrell H

About 12" in diameter (so 12" x 12") and over 12" high- 80pts(?)

The Normans within the Motte and Bailey at Shrewsbury in 1069 were safe and sound from the excesses of Eadric the Wild and friends. As added protection and to give early warning of any oncoming attack I am going to include a watchtower on then hill. The piece is too nice not to utilise! Though an imaginary scenario it is not inconceivable that in the three years since the Norman invasion, with much of England only nominally under control of William I of England that early warning outposts would be built to keep one eye open for potential trouble makers. In other words that's my excuse and I am going to use it anyway! :>)

The tower will be under the control on Eadric's Anglo Danish force and manned by his Welsh allies under Kind Bleddyn and Rhiwallon. More on the history of the revolt in a future post.

The tower was painted up in the usual way. The upright wooden superstructure and outer structure of the pieces were painted using a craft paint that is more or less the equivalent of Vallejo Model Colour German Cammo Black Brown (perhaps a little lighter) and highlighted up using craft paint creams and finally with Vallejo Model Colour Ivory. This time I tried having a darker tone on the thatch as I wanted some contrast between the 'painted' wattle and daub and the actual thatch. The wattle and daub is just Miniature Paints Earth (I don't know if they are still around[?]) and highlighted up with Ivory. The spikey bits on the parapets are Vallejo Model Colour Beige highlighted up again with Vallejo Model Colour Ivory.

Hopefully I will have a terrain tile ready at some point to sit these pieces of terrain up in a decent setting.

That's a great looking watchtower and definitely makes a change from all those wall sections. I think scoring it as 4 terrain cubes is about right.

TamsinP

From DarrelH: Battle of Shrewsbury 1069; Interior Buildings I (20 Points)

Due to having to the time constraints of having take extra care of the "oldies" in the family the Shrewsbury game has been cancelled for Partizan in May this year. Instead it will be featured at Partizan II on October 11th later in the year.

Anyway, I have found time to continue work on painting some of the buildings that will act as either the suburbs of Shrewsbury or stand stand inside the Motte and Bailey.

This building was scratch built by me many a moon ago and a resin castings were made that was made by Stronghold Miniatures with the agreement that for a number of castings I would agree for the model to become part of their catalogue which I was more than happy to do. To be honest I am not even sure if they are still in business. I've still got half a dozen resin castings that need to be painted.

I have included a pic of the painted scratch built model as well but please be aware that this is only for a comparison shot; I'm not after extra points :>)

The Resin Casting:

Resin Interior:

Scratch Built Interior:

____________________________________

Wow, Darrell, this is very impressive. Having your building 'master' made into resin copies is such a great (and enviable) approach to doing a large town setup like Shrewsbury. The structure looks great and has wonderful texture to it, which I think would be excellent for mass assembly and quick drybrushing. 

This looks to be around a 6 x 6 structure, so let's go with 20 points.

Well done Darrell, and good luck with your upcoming medieval urban planning project for Partizan II.

Curt

From DarrellH - Battle of Shrewsbury 1096; Curved Norman Outer Wall III (20 Points)

Yes, the excitement is now tangible as I present to you a section of a Curved Norman Motte and Bailey Outer Wall! I know! It's so exciting! :>)

Seriously though, I've actually had great fun painting up these resins thus far and have some village type buildings ready cleaned and undercoated ready for some action with the brush.

I'm going to start working on the terrain tiles that I have ordered from Panel Systems which I will talk about a little in a future post. To start with I am just going to go for a tile that is very plain; the theory being to build up your skills slowly. Not to jump in feet first as I have been known to do. These will make a nice surface in which to position the buildings on for photography as opposed to my workbench which is kind of, well, a work bench.....

And of course, the now ubiquitous attention to detail!

***

If there is one thing I like better than well painted miniatures, it is well painted terrain!  Great job here Darrell, this is really great looking!  The base work is great as are the walls themselves, super clean looking work here.  And yes, that shield is a really nice added touch, and hand painted patters to boot!

I for one can not wait to see some pictures of your completed terrain project here!

- ByronM

Battle of Shrewsbury 1069: Norman Outer Wall II (20 points)

Darrell H

20 Points 6" terrain piece

The tension mounts as yet another terrain piece is finished and ready to be put into the field! This time it is yet another part of what will represent the Motte and Bailey outer wall at the Battle of Shrewsbury 1069.

Again, the large part of the painting was  done with hobby paints from a craft store as they are decent enough if you give the terrain a gloss then matt varnish is stops the paint from shipping about 99% of the time. From the dark craft paint, which I described last time as like Vallejo model Colour German Black Grey, when I meant to say German Cammo Black Brown! If you're painting up terrain for the fist time (you might be; there's a first time for everything) then please don't waste your money and paint on using paints that you would use on your miniatures unless you cannot get the paint you want and you really have to. The browns were painted and dry brushed up using various light creams and light greys to hopefully achieve the effect of weathered wood and a grey-ish soil. I have put some static grass on the models and I will be adding some grass tufts but that will have to wait as I'm saving all that I now possess for the bases of the miniatures.

Yet again, I got a little carried away with adding the fine details. The crossbow, quiver and shield could easily have been dry brushed a brown with a little colour added to the shield perhaps but I think that it's the details on a wargames table that make all the difference. Or at least I am trying to convince myself that this is so!

I'm currently working on a corner piece for Shrewsburys walls and I have a few buildings that I bought and one that I scratch built a while back that a mate cast in resin for me. I still have the original which is nice!

Another fine and well detailed section of wall Darrell - I'm sure there will be many more posts like this over the coming days/weeks.

TamsinP