MattW - Sweet Sixteen is a wrap!

 Sweet Sixteen is a wrap! 

Another painting challenge complete, a big thank you to Curt and Sarah for hosting a fine event this year, the last rapid fire event felt like a blur, with posts every 15 mins or so on Friday night. A big thanks to the minions, as I was in two time zones several times I missed the cut off by a day either side…..

Bryon Bay bit of the holiday 

I set a very modest goal this year of 600 points as I knew I would be on holidays skipping the European winter. This winter we were Australia for two months laying around a pool relaxing over the challenge. I did not reach my goal for points this year as the holiday homes and hotels had no where really suitable to paint….. well that’s my excuse. On the home front I finally moved into my painting room and I think in six weeks the chateau renovation on the third floor will be finally complete (painting, fabric wall insulation, then decor happening for the coming five weeks) which will mean my library will finally be back in place and my hobbit hole will get a rebuild. 

We are taking bookings for 2026  at Wargames holidays/ L’Hotel de Hercé . If you and your partner or a couple of mates are looking for a personal Normandy battlefield guide, a wargames or historical cultural holiday in west France, Normandy, Brittany or Pays de Loire please consider us. We have 21 tours and 60 Battlefeild sites locally from Caesar to ww2. 

On the painting front, my desk looks like a bomb zone when I commenced cleanup yesterday about 4 projects did not make it to the Final Cut, 4 hours packing stuff away into project drawers and I will compete a few pieces this week …. For the 16th challenge really happy with my 20 odd Judge Dredd additions including some early figures from the Citadel 80s collection, LOTR, Napoleonic, ACW and ww2 pieces. 

My favourite piece I completed, Treebeard Merry and Pippin

Half of the Hurley gang

Me raging about construction dust in the painting room

After two weeks on the Gold Coast eating Banana’s and mangoes 

The oldest thing I painted circa 1983 a Paranoia/citadel blue trooper

Perry dragoons, fifteen years in the project drawer at least 

A gift of figures whilst in Oz by my mate Greg, actually received love early

My Christmas gift was a Halfling Bloodbowl team, as yet unnamed any ideas? 

Somehow I think this is what I would look like in a gridiron outfit

I had big plans of completing my 9th SS 20mm…. Not to be

Cheers everyone I am looking forward to next year

Cheers

Matt

From MattW - last Post WW1, WW2, modern (45 points)

 Ww1, ww2 and modern 

Last post for the challenge, I have quite a few bits that did not make the last charge as I run out of enthusiasm after my airbrush decided to have a hissy fit so I had the afternoon off …. A big thanks to Curt, Sarah (for putting up with this craziness), all of the minions, and fellow challengers. 

So I finish with some 20th century wars armour. 

First up the venerable Ww1 1/76 male MkV from Airfix plastic, weathered and splattered with mud. This kit is a gift to a mate in Australia for his birthday later this year. 

Next up a 1/72 sdkfz 251/1 from plastic soldier company for my ww2 collection maker up for my 9th SS project. 

Finally a Swedish 1/72 resin kit armoured car from Gecko for my Cold War Swedes.

3 x 20mm vehicles @15 points 

 Total 45 points 

Squirrel 
Ww1
Ww2
Cold War 
Total 3 squirrel points 

Cheers
MattW  

From Millsy:

Cracking brushwork Matt. I particularly like the the camo on the 251/1 which has a really convincing depth to it. Even so my favourite would have to be the Gecko with is just wonderfully weird. It looks like someone liked the look of a T-34 and thought "I can do better. A LOT better".

45 more points closes out your Challenge nicely. Thanks for sharing your work with us this year.

Cheers,
Millsy

JohnB: Tuesday Terrors: "sinews of war" the final cut - 3No. - 1/72 Opel Blitzs (45points)

This is my last post concerning the WW2 era forces that populate my Fauxterre fantasy games.

This time straight from the production line are some real world Opel Blitzs by Plastic Soldier Company. A post by another challenger last week, shows the same vehicles after a bit of campaigning.....

I had some fun fitting the windscreens which fouled the really exact fit of the models - something thats impressive until you mess it up with a mod. Anyway its fine in the end. I might even skip some shading although windscreens wipers might be added later.

I did paint the driver and assistant because they are so visible.

This time round I chose anew paint for me vallejo "Olive Brown" I gave it two coats over black undercoat/prime. I used contrast colour browns on the wood truck bodies and over yellow ochre for the canvas hoods. I might need to dry brush the hoods to reduce the shade a bit.

so its 3 vehicles at 15 points each for 20mm (1/72) or 45 points. not sure that different forces (german) vehicles gets me a squirrel?

Another trio of fine looking vehicles John.  Trucks don't last long on table, but they serve a vital role and I love to see them included.  And yes, I've counted opposing sides as two squirrels.  Hope that we see more before the end of days.  

 

PeterD

JOHN B: Tuesday Terrors: Off the production line for the Front - 1/72 PSC Valentine Tank (15points)

This AHPC has been a productive one if a little light on scratch built modelling. However I have made quite a few kits.

This kit is one of many Plastic Soldier Company models I collected as part of my Fauxterre project. Basically its between the wars nearly mechanised where those things I have read about and liked get to the table. So thats interwar biplanes, low gun capability tanks or simply the obscure technology that does not feature as late war - no super tigers or jets or overwhelming air power and industry.

Here is a simple example. Its the valentine which actually served the Allies (British and Russian) yet also used by the Germans. Its funny but the Germans were always short of tech/equipment so alongside all their fancy inventions often built in limited numbers you get the enemy kit recycled.

This is a plain Mk1 Valentine so has a 2 pounder gun which the British soon found to be of little use being not High Explosive capable and yet the Armour Piercing round soon could not penetrate the enemy armour. It is just off the Fauxterre production line and destined for the Rugian/Gombardia wars.

I think it looks quite confident! I have found doing camoflague a bit of a struggle during the challenge so tend to do the vehicles as built with the idea they get the camo added during or after an actual table top encounter. I mean I don't know yet which theatre they will be operating in.......... Points total is 1 x 15 points = 15 points and no squirrels

Nice work on this Valentine John, but you're a month or so late....Your camo less paint scheme works well given that you haven't decided on a theatre.  I've enjoyed your plastic kit vehicles over the challenge.  

 

PeterD

From ROBERTT 15mm TANKS [40 POINTS]

Here are some tanks.  I am working on catchy or humous titles, maybe next year.  Ever since reading of the use of a Valentine Bridge Layer at Imphal in Burma I have wanted one.  Bunker Miniatures have a 3D printed version which I snapped up.  It arrived with hardly any supports or flash and was a thing of beauty, and then I froze.  It has been on my painting table for nearly half a year, looming at me and filling me with dread.  What if I got it wrong and messed up?  I don't think I have but it took this challenge to get me to lick my paint brush and get on with it.

The other 4 tanks are 1 A9 Cruiser and 3 A10s for the BEF.  I have recently started collecting a British force for 1940 in France but lacked any tanks.  I swapped these ready made but not painted from my regular gaming pal Andy.  I gave him some beautifully painted desert A10s that I had picked up with the intention of painting over them with bronze green.  He called me a heretic among other things and so we swapped.  I think they are from Plastic Soldier Company.  I know that Andy complained bitterly about the thirteen parts that required assembly for the turret alone. (I think it was thirteen, my memory is failing.  I know it was too many).  I have not painted any unit markings on these as my hand is too shaky and I wouldn't be able to see them on the table anyway.

Without further ado, lets get on with the show.

I have always based my vehicles ever since my previous tanks' barrels broke when travelling and I find them easier to pick up.  Also it means that I cannot place my armour "wheel to wheel" which is a pet peeve of mine.

I realise now that I should have given the bridgelayer its own centrefold spread, but hopefully you can spot it. 

If my maths is any good, I count 5 x 15mm tanks = 40 points.

From DaveD  . 15mm tanks right up my street indeed . Always nice to see engineering vehicles always a good scenario plot point. Or share the PSC over engineering issue - less is more - 40 it is !. 
 

From JohnB: The Sinews of War Continues! 3No. 1/72 scale CMP trucks (45points)

I have been busy painting during this challenge and while not making models, my weekly offering has been sidetracked because I chose to do this years THREE BONUS THEMES. I have now completed the three bonus themes and posted them. First - Empire - Hungarians 1848 1/72 Hat figures.

Second - Toy Story - Duke of Berwicks Irish Regiment (wild geese) from the back cover of "Charge or how to play wargames" These were Strelets 1/72 Austrians (from War of the Spanish Succession) figures

Third - Rebels - Tumbling Dice 1/72 ECW Scots Covenanters - Colonel de Bois Regiment of Foot

I had not realised that they get corralled away from the weekly posting. Anyway here is my next offering to the Tuesday Terrors which just happens to be more Sinews of War in the shape of another 3 trucks. Somewhere in deepest Fauxterre.......

This time they are 1/72 plastics from the Plastic Soldier Company. The CMP truck was according to the box blurb a chevrolet manufactured mostly in Canada for British Empire forces.

Now which way do we go??

The canvas covers, drivers and wooden bodywork got a sepia wash finish but otherwise the paints were used straight out the pot. Yet on this occasion instead of using my usual Vallejo paint selection out of the blue I dug out some of my old citadel paints - still going strong (these are pre 2012 era). And I do think the Knarloc Green is very suitable for these trucks.

Points wise I think I get 3 vehicles at 15 points each = 45 points in total and like all my submissions so far I think I can claim some squirrels as the earlier trucks were corgi toys models at 1/60 scale?

Well thats it for now - not sure what might appear next!

Sorry about the confusion on the Theme Rounds John, but yes they have their set days, own tab and are officiated by the Snow Lord.  I've left your photos for the next two rounds as teasers, and you are appealing to my old school heart on both counts.

I always like to see transport on table, and that's a great looking trio of soft targets that should be very useful.  I confirm the 45 points, but you'll have to taker the squirrel count up with the Squirrels Finder General.  I've tagged the post so that he can find it more easily.

 

From TeemuL: Green(ish) Squirrels in Four Acts (135 points)

I have had this flu or something for over a week now. It has prevented me to do my work or participate in my other hobbies (judo and boy scouts), but has allowed me a lot of time to paint minis. I'm not able to work 8 hours a day, but I can paint several 30-45 minutes sessions in a day, so I have managed to paint quite a lot during this week. But let's forget the flu and let's focus on the minis and squirrels. There will be things that should be green and are green, things that should not be green, but are green, things that should be green, but are not and finally a small bonus thing that should not be green and is not green - just to round up one squirrel.

We start with green things, which should be green. These are SU-76s for Operation Bagration and these are from Plastic Soldier company and are assembled as late variants. Painting these vehicles were quite easy and straigth forward, they are basically all green. I might be bit "lazy" with my historical references, but these were actually just green mean machines, so no shortcuts here.

I did some highlights and then covered them in dust and mud, there is a long way to Poland. Exhaust pipes were painted brownish orange, they oxide very easily. The markings are "authentic", my reseach told me that Soviet forces were not like Germans or other countries with strict rules for numbering, they were basically anything that commander wanted. I guess it makes it difficult for the opponent's spyes, when even the Soviets can't figure out what the numbers mean!

But I saw some photos with similar markings and went with these, at least there is an indication that they are from the same unit. P was a simple choice as a letter, since it is written in same way in Cyrillic alphabet, too. Finally I glued them on MDF bases (from Warbases) for easier storage - there is a magnetic sheet on the bottom. The bases are green, with green painted sand and green tufts, Operation Bagration took time in the summer 1944.

There are two crew members on each vehicle, but since I glued them first and painted second, I will only claim points for half the minis - the lower parts are just mess of green, blue and black paint. I chose blue overalls on them, I've seen some evidence, that these were used. There are also two heads on two of the vehicles, but really hard to count them for anything. 5 15mm vehicles for 40 points and 5 infantry for other 10 points, total of 50 points and squirrel for 15mm WW2 Soviets.

Next we have those things, that should be green, but are green! We step in to the world of "Post World War 2 Alternative History" or "Imaginations", weak minded should close their eyes and scroll down a bit. Some of you might remember my Wars of Insurgency project I started two Challenges ago (probably) and I've been adding things every now and then. A short explanation. We are in the alternative history (or universe) after WW2 and there is something happening in the old colony of Delmonteland. There is a power vacuum and several factions are eager to exploit/expand/exterminate the area. There are of course locals, there are private armies, neighbouring countries, super powers directly or indirectly, union of countries and so on. Delmontenland is especially rich in blood oranges, their juice is their primary export.

I have not created a back story of these guys yet, but they are properly dressed in green uniforms suitable for Delmonteland jungles, they seem quite professional (or at least professionally equipped) and ready to fight in the heat of the jungle. Maybe a private army of some rich local or just pawns of some super power in disguise?

I painted their clothes green, I was thinking about adding some camo effect, but liked their green so much, that I didn't want to. They remind me of my plastic army men of my childhood. I added a yellow round on their caps/helmets and yellod dots or stripes on their left arm, insignia or something. Their equipment are simple brown, I used two different tones to get some variation. Rifles are brown and metal, while submachine guns, bazookas etc are black.

I gave them my usual Delmonteland basing, sand pained green and then all kind of green things to emulate the jungle they are. Quite happy with them. You might wonder why these look familiar, but strange, of why these should not be green? Well, these are actually Perry Miniatures plastic DAK, so they should not be green! In my twisted (and open) mind I found them perfect sculpts for jungle fight, light summer uniforms, caps and sun helmets...

Wars of Insurgency rules put a lot attention to bazookas and machine guns, much more than WW2 units do. So I have ordered some bazookas from Warbases and glued three of them for these guys. The crouched position fits nicely here, they are listening orders or looking for a good view to fire. Here you can see the yellow marking quite good, too.

A close up of a mortar team, yes that tiny thing there! Two coats of green lighter green for highlight and a green wash does wonders! Here's one of the rare hard helmets in this group.

This last photo is an example of how you can tell stories with miniatures, which are assembled in hurry and in bad lightning. Quite cleverly the set comes with bare heads, you can glue cap, hard helmet or sun helmet on them, to get a lot of variation. The guy on the right is most likely scared like in cartoons or shot through his cap. The guy on the left is probably just scared... These are 28mm minis, 10 standing, 2 prone, so 55 points in total - that mortar is not a crew served weapon! Also "Post WW2 Alternative History Squirrel" (I would like to see some squirrel sculpts of these...)

Okay, on we go. Next we have things that should be green, but are not. From history to alternative history to pure fantasy! I have long had a dream of metal Imperial Guard (Astra Militarum) army in WH40K - the vehicles will be an exception, of course. It is difficult to choose which minis you want, because you want them all. So some years ago I started my project and decided to include all the different minis with a background story. These are not really a fighting force, but a promotional unit used for propaganda, rising morale and boosting up drafting. Think about a huge LARP, where there are spectators watching how the brave soldiers of the Imperium beat the Chaos and Xenos threats (which of course don't exists) with fixed bayonets! If you can imagine this, then good for you. So far I have been painting Mordians, Cadians, Valhallans and some vehicles, but now it is time for Catachans - you know the guys in green with red bandada?

But of course these aren't green, they are a wild tricolor of red, yellow and blue with black weapons! I have painted all my Imperial Guard minis with this uniform, so they will all look good together. Someone might ask why choose such a striking uniform, even in the grim dark world of WH40K. Just think about the backstory and you will figure it out. But I explain it anyway. These are not real warriors in the warzones, these are basically actors in a play and specatators want to see the actors, right? It would be boring, if all the good guys are camouflaged in the terrain, would it?

In general I have decided to paint yellow jackets, red pants and blue helmets, but it went a bit tricky with these half naked guys, but I guess I managed it. Following my strong contrasts I have picked up details like water bottles or pouches in contrasting colours. And I have painted these with Citadel Contrast colours, quite clever!

What do we actually have here? We have an autocannon team and a mortar team with a sergeant. I have followed my inconstant choice of bases and the heavy weapons are now on 40mm round bases with one crewman and the other is on 25mm base. In the past I have sometimes put them all on the same base or all on separate bases - despite my dream I'm not likely ever play WH40K with these, so the base sizes won't really matter - on the other hand, some of the bases are most likely the correct size!

I'm not sure, but I believe there are Perry sculpts, because this is the only skull in the unit! Looks quite messy in the photo, but is slightly better in real life. That will be 25 points for the warriors, 1 skull and "Warhammer 40K Imperium" squirrel.

This has been a long post, but there is little left. I wanted to round this post with final and boring section, a thing that should not be (I hear Galadried in my head everytime I write this stuff) green and is not green. We stay in the WH40K universe and add to my earlier post from December.

Here is a Chaos Space Marine of the Magma Hounds chapter. Magma Hounds is not created by me, I found it on internet while searching for Renegade Chapters, because I didn't want to invent my own. I wanted a Renegade Chapter, not one devoted to Chaos God or Gods, a bit different and one with no special rules. I painted a group of these for Kill Team (when the current ruleset was in first version) and even played with them. In December I painted that old Dreadnought in these same colours and I realized that "Warhammer 40K Chaos" squirrel is just 5 points away, so I dug up an old metal body and glued some hands and backpack. Not necessarily the Codex look, but these are renegades, so anything goes.

His pose looks a bit strange, at least from some angles, but I guess it would not be too hard to figure our (or build) a diorama, where he would be spot on. Note also the skull on the gun.

So the colours are gold and purple, they work together very nice. And they look even better together, when both are covered in purple wash like I have done here. Purple gives a nice tone to bright gold and naturally ties the two colours together. Very simple. Note the skull on the backpack.

Here's a comparison photo with the new guy and his older friend. Apparently I went mad back then and put those minis on larger bases, but this new one is on the original 25mm base. This one Chaos Space Marine will give me 5 more points, 5 skulls (gun, backpack, both knees and belt) and completes the "Warhammer 40K Chaos" squirrel.

In total 135 points, 6 skulls and 4 squirrels (7 in total)! It was a long post, next time something else and something shorter!

 

Now Teemu please do not apologize for making a long post. We all like to see and read posts like these that show us what our compatriots in the Challenge are up to! Now let's start with saying that I do hope you get rid of that pesky blessing of faher Nurgle soon, get away you foul flu! With that out of the way, I really enjoy your "alternative historical project" a lot, but the GW Catachans are the cream of the crop for me, I also really appreciate your backstory for them which enables you to get so many brilliant figures in one project. 

 

Cheers Sander