From Barks: Gladiators (Swords & Sandals)(56 points)

I'm taking the studios very literally this year. Nine arena combatants that I got to experiment with Jugula- I've yet to play a game. Fortunately for my wallet, these are soft plastic 1:72 from Italeri. They took Contrast and Speedpaint quite well. If I was to go further, I'd shade and highlight the metal.

9x 20mm figures (36 points)

Swords & Sandals set (20 points)

Another great entry, Barks. Jugula sounds like an interesting game, so hopefully these figures will give you a chance to try it out. The figures look nicely detailed for soft plastic, though I must say that the bear looks tiny.

From DaveD - Thwump, thwump, thwump. 1/48th Ch47A Chinook (65 points)

 Ok, so this must be todays bonkers post . I have spent all the last week working on one model to add to my Vietnam collection. We did a big game that JamesM and MartinC played in after Xmas where we used our full complement of US air assets - 4 Huey Slicks and a Skyraider and we (well maybe just me!) still want more -go big or go home being the group motto . Over the last year I have picked up a range of larger scale aircraft models one of which was an Italieri early model Chinook used in Vietnam . It’s a big beastie . I get these over my house and you always hear them before you see them . 

With these 1/48th kits it’s a balance between full on scale model nerdery and making it more wargame suitable where it needs to be stored , transportable and gameable . To do this the rotors and 20mm cannon  have been magnetised so are removable for storage and transport. The tail door opens and closes with magnets . It has a 50 cal and  gunner added to the tail door  again it can be removed when needed. There are two metal door /window gunners added. The kit came with plastic 50 cals for those and these were switched out for metal M60s (less likely to break} and gunners from The Assault Group helicopter crew set . This also supplied the two figures for pilot and co pilot figures. As ever doing these 1/48th kits I continue to learn and improve - its a bit of a different skill set , with more patience required .

You can just about make out the crew behind the windscreen 

As this wasn’t going to be a model that just sits on the ground I needed a heavy duty flight stand solution (it’s going to be needed for another of the stash too - no it’s not a B52 honest )  - this was created from an old metal shower rail tube and wall fixing that can be pushed up into the model and comes out of the base. There will be 3 height option , very low, medium (as shown) and high that will be cut from the tube . The base  is made from MDF from the stash and some milliput at the moment .I still need to add a load of extra weight to the base and then texture and foliage etc - but as that’s not being used for  scoring I will catch up on it when they arrive. 

 the rotors and guns removed and tail door closed for transportation 

It will soon be seen over one of our large tables - of course Bob from the group says I need to do a shot down version ! Jeez -it never ends 

Points :-

1/48th vehicle - 30 points I have gone for a 54mm sized vehicle for this as it’s mahoosive!

5 crew they are all full figures - 25 points 

I couldn’t fund a planet with big machines drat! 

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Wow! That is a tremendous bit of kit, Dave! After reading your description of its build and various modifications, I have to take my hat off to you mate.  I like your specially designed flight stand for this beast, but you and the missus must hate the lack of privacy and all the water on the floor. :)  I'm also admiring the shots with all the lovely terrain - that is some fabulous work by you and your crew.

Aaand, it's in proper 1:48 scale (y'know, just sayin').

I'm going to give you an extra 10 points for the extra work you've put into the build, Dave. Brilliant stuff!

Now, you just need to mock up a crashed version...

- Curt

From ForestP: 70 20mm (1/72) Early Imperial (1st - 2nd Century BC) Roman Infantry [Istvaan V] (308 points)

Hello, all! My name is Forest, and well, this is my first foray into the Analogue Painting Challenge. It's honestly been quite some time since I've done any painting, so I figured this would be a great way into getting me back into the more creative side of the hobby.

I suppose a little introductions are in order before getting to the niceties of the photos and so on, since I'm an unknown here. I've been wargaming since the late 90's, early 2000's when I first discovered the hobby at a gaming convention while going to college. I initially just painted the odd fantasy figure to go with playing role-playing games, but got bit hard by the historical bug after meeting Doug Kline (of Battlefield Terrain Concepts) while I was in graduate school in Virginia in 2004. I've been gaming horse and musket ever since.

Fast forward to today, and I'm an Army psychologist in the Kansas City area that rarely gets a moment to take a breath between work and home responsibilities. Realizing that self-care is something that I teach my patients, but rarely engage in myself, I decided the hypocrisy needed to end. So, long story short, this challenge has given me an excuse to take care of myself... and paint some miniatures from my pile of lead and plastic. My goals are modest this year, with an intent to finish 500 points worth of figures and terrain/scenics. 

Today, I bring you my first painted miniatures in a few years. Daunted by the thought of diving headfirst into my pile of unpainted 15mm Napoleonics I decided to polish off some 1/72 Italeri Early Imperial Roman Infantry that I've had laying around in boxes for about a decade.

One of two boxes that I've had languishing on a shelf for a decade.

I started off mounting them on craft sticks and priming the lot in black before working on a simple paint job that won't win me any contests, but I figure they'll look just fine on the table.

Simple blocking of colors because I intend to use a wash.

I forgot how meditative this whole process can be.

I actually primed the lot on New Year's Eve, and started painting around 0900 on New Year's Day as part of my resolution to do more wargaming this year. I had intended to just do a little each day until finishing the lot next weekend, but next thing I knew it was early evening and I was nearly done with the blocked colors, with some smaller details picked out.

After dinner, I decided to push on and complete all the painting minus the wash I would put on the following morning. Below are the miniatures with the wash on. I finished around 2300. Now that's a good day of painting.

I had no intention of finishing painting in a day and a half, but here we are.

After simple basing (for Warhammer Ancients Battles), flocking, and sealing with a matte sealer I present to you my 70 Early Imperial Roman Infantry.

Two sets of command elements (8 foot, 2 mounted).

Half of the infantry (30 figures) ready to advance with pila at the ready.

The other half (30 figures) holding shields aloft in a testudo formation.

Close up of my two mounted officers (please provide suggestions for names)

Close up of one of the command elements

A better view of the individual infantrymen

So, there it is. My first entry to the challenge is done, and it was far easier than expected to get back into that meditative painting state. I chose to start at Istvaan V because I associate 1st to 2nd Century BC with the assassination of Julius Caesar (a betrayal if there ever was one). In summation, my points are calculated as follows:

68 x 1/72 (20mm) foot @ 4 = 272 points

2 x 1/72 (20mm) mounted @ 8 = 16 points

Istvaan V (Outer Ring) bonus = 20 points

Total = 308 points

Well, now that I've gotten over my initial trepidations of returning to painting, it's time to dive headlong into this challenge. I think I'll work on a regiment of 15mm Grand Duchy of Warsaw infantry next, and may if I decide to go hog wild work on my 15mm Alamo (it's huge). I may have underestimated what I will paint with the 500 points... Of well, but to underpromise and overdeliver, right? Oh yeah, Happy New Year!

Forest

From Millsy

Welcome to the Challenge Forest! It's great to have another debutant with us this year, and what a debut both in terms of quality and quantity!

These are just awesome mate. You can't argue about the value of 1/72 miniatures but I often forget how good they can look when painted well, especially something like a Roman whose uniform and equipment looks so good en mass. Nice choice of theme for Istvaan V too, very appropriate.

Bring on 15mm Napoleonics please. I have a soft spot for the French and especially their allies so really keen to see what you bring to those chaps.

From FrederickC: Ruined Hamlet, Stone Bridge, and early WW2 Polish Army (177 points)

This is my first post of my first year of participation in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, so bear with me if I screw a few things up. My submission for the first week of painting consists of a mix of figures, vehicles and terrain, mostly in 28mm scale to be used with Bolt Action. Other than the armoured car, which is from Ace Models, the rest are from Warlord Games.

 

I started painting an early WW2 Polish army two years ago, and wanted to flesh it out with a few more support weapons and vehicles. For this submission I have completed a Polish 10th Motorized Brigade Squad, a Polish Army Medium Mortar Team, a boxed set of Polish Army Marksman, Anti-Tank Rifle, and Light Mortar teams, and a Polish Vickers E 6 ton Tank, all from Warlord Games. All are 28mm or 1/56 scale with the foot figures cast in metal and the Vickers 6-ton cast in resin. The armoured car is actually a 1/48 scale plastic model of a Soviet FAI-M light armoured car by Ace Models, a company out of Kyiv, that I picked up from a local hobby store. I painted it in Polish camouflage to stand in as a proxy for a Samochód pancerny wz. 34 light armoured car.

Polish 10th Motorized Brigade Squad

Polish Army Medium Mortar Team

Polish Army Anti-Tank, Light Mortar, and Marksman Teams

Polish Vickers E 6-ton Tank and FAI-M Armoured Car

The Ruined Hamlet consists of four models of a Ruined Farmhouse in hard plastic from Warlord Games that I bought during a sale of 'four for the price of three'. They can now be purchased individually, or as a 'Ruined Hamlet' box of three. Each set consists of a two story building plus a one story shed. While they are quite generic for 'somewhere in Europe during the last 400 years', they will work best for either WW1 or WW2. Assembly can provide some variation as to how the walls fit together, but I would say that there is definitely a 'preferred way'  that results in a 'best fit'. Once all the buildings and rubble piles were glued together, I mounted them on bases made from some pieces of scrap 3mm Masonite board onto which I had scored lines to look like floor boards. I then glued down some coarse sand around the walls to blend them into the bases. Once everything was painted, I added some flocking along the edges.

European Ruined Hamlet

The Stone Bridge is manufactured by Italeri, but marketed by Warlord Games. It comes as a 6 piece hard plastic boxed set that goes together very smoothly to give you a single arch stone bridge that would work on any battlefield in Europe for the past 500 years.

 

Single Arch Stone Bridge.

 

 The points being claimed are as follows:

19 x 28mm foot figures @ 5 points = 95 points

2 x 28mm vehicles @ 20 points = 40 points

453 cubic inches of terrain @ 20 points per 216 cubic inches = 42 points

I was considering claiming for the Caprica (Outer Ring) bonus with the theme of 'Doomed' in mind. Let's face it. The Polish Army in 1939 was definitely doomed, but we will save that for another entry.

 

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First, welcome to the Painting Challenge, Frederick, it's great to have you with us!

It's wonderful to see you adding to your fine WWII Polish collection. I quite like the whacky looks of that armoured car (cool camo!), and give it additional kudos for being in 1/48th scale (I dislike the accepted 'clown-car scale' of 1/56), though I realize this opinion is highly subjective (I await your comments, Nick). :)

Those Renedra plastic building sets are terrific, so versatile, and you've done a great job in their assembly and basing.

All in all, an excellent first volley towards your points target. Good work!

- Curt

From TeemuL: Line infantry variations (77 points)

I had a pleasant Christmas Eve and Day (in Finland the Eve is more important, Santa comes during the evening and everyone relaxes, so the Christmas Day is very peaceful - 25 centimeters of snow caused some outdoor exercises and our son needed some assistance with the new Lego kit, but otherwise I had quite a lot of time to paint) and here is my second post. No planets this time (where did the Napoleonic planet disappeared, which was in the early map?), but 2 Squirrels should do the trick.

First two bases of Austrian Infantry from Italeri. They should have white uniforms, but I have taken rather grey approach - historically inappropriate, I guess, but I'm just getting into historicals, so don't crucify me yet, you would lose a prospect, if you'd do that!

I haven't played any Napoleonic games (yet), let's say I'm practising to paint smaller miniatures and learning multibasing and so on. There's not much availability on these models here in Finland, so when I noticed couple of boxes in a local store, I just took what was available. I painted some of these earlier in the previous Challenge or in Vaccination Challenge, so they might look familiar. I have only two more bases to paint, so I might paint them during this Challenge.

They are painted mostly with Contrast paints using the box cover as a guide. There are 4 models on a 40x40 mdf base, which has a small magnet hole with a magnet. GW texture paint to hide the plastic bases, not perfect.

Wrong end to be...

 

The second batch is for a new game, Sludge Wargame. The rules were published this year and one guy in our small group got interested in it and soon the rest of us were making orders to Perry.

For a while we have been more and more frustrated to the GW's rule cycle, where new set of rules comes out before you get properly in to the old ones (ignoring Blood Bowl LotR/MESBG here), not to mention battletomes, codexes, campaign books etc, so we were easy prey for something new. It could have been anything, but the stars were aligned and we all got interested in this.

This is probably a new game to lots of, so please google for more information. It is a skirmish size game with very flexible and generic units in a World Gone Bad. Basic instructions are to grab some Perry sprues and build some cool looking units, and that's what I did.

Foot Knights combined with ACW Zoauves. This is cannon fodder with firearms, they have a hard hat and body armour for protection, but since they are fighting in mud, they want to stay otherwise light. That is my backstory anyway.

Yellow and brown remind them of the good old times, golden crops and fertile earth. I took the extra pain to paint striped pants. So yes, there are varied shades of browns and yellow with dirty looking metals and some dark green here and there. I have more of these to paint, so I'll give some more background in the future, may be some thoughts of the actual game as well, if we get that far...

8 20mm miniatures, 32 points

9 25mm miniatures, 45 points

77 points, two Squirrels

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Sorry Teemu, The Death Star took out Marengo in early December with the re-edit. :)

'Sludge'. Hmm, this sounds very similar to the 'Turnip 28' rules I've recently seen here, I wonder if they are the same? Anyway, I really like how these composite figures turned out. Is this basing what is recommended in the rules - it looks great. Anyway, I look forward to seeing more 'Sludge' units from you Teemu.

- Curt

From TeemuL: Austrians (32 points)

Very quick last post. I started painting some 20mm Napoleonics in the last Challenge and continued in the Quarantee Challenge and finally managed to post something for this Challenge as well, keeping into the spirit of the original Challenge I.

8 Italeri Austrian infantry, the box cover unit. They could be more white, I'm not entirely happy. But I'm not knowledgeable on this era either, so they'll work for my shelf army. Painted with Contrasts and finished very quickly. 8x4 points for 32 in total, no side challenge points.