From MarkG: 28mm Railway Tracks (50 Points)

My first, and rather mundane, terrain entry; a set of 28mm railway tracks.

These were part of my effort to create a Russian Civil War Armoured train set, though they will have much use for other WW1 and WW2 wargaming scenarios. 

2 Metres in length, composed of seven sections, each 28.5cm long and 6.5cm wide. In creating these I was very much inspired by an article that appeared in the Lardies 2014 Xmas Special by Pat Smith "Building the Deutsche Reichsbahn."

The tracks are from Sarissa Precision. I used model rail ballast to fill out the base, and then mix of cheap paints from the hardware store and stationary shop (all tones mixed from basic black, white, brown and beige bottles). Painting them was straightforward enough, but time consuming, starting from dark brown layers, through mid gray, to stone gray highlights, and rust for the tracks (a drybrush of Vallejo Cavalry Red). Ballast though is a devil to paint if you don't want to completely drown and warp the track and base.

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The tracks look awesome Mark, and having worked with ballast before I can sympathize with how much of a pain it is to paint!  Mainly because for model trains it is not usually painted, or even glued down a lot of the time, but rather just laid in, which obviously does not work for our uses.  

As for painting time, it sounds like you spent a ton of time on them, but I have to judge based on an average paint job, not the great job you did.  I am going to award 7 points per strip because I think if I was to soak these in glue first to make painting easier, each strip should take a bit more than painting a figure.  Not sure how you did them, but I would paint the ballast area quick and dirty and messy, then paint the ties and tracks after neatly.  Therefore 7 strips  would come out to 49 points but I am going to round it to 50 points.  Great work.

- Byron 

From BenitoV: M8 Greyhound (20 points)

I had the opportunity to undust the airbrush this week, coinciding with a visit to my parents' summer house where I have all my airbrushing stuff, making a quick work on this M8 Greyhound that sadly sitting on the desk for a few years now.

The M8 was an ubiquitous light armoured vehicle at the front of the  the US and British tank spearheads in the Second World War units, seeing service since 1943. They were mostly allocated to the scout units of the armoured divisions, but also served in independent formations attached to infantry divisions.

According to Wikipedia more than 8,000 units were built of different variants during and after the war. It saw service well into the 70s in different world armies, including the Spanish Foreign Legion while patrolling the former Sahara colonies.

I painted the vehicle in a dark US Army green base; and for the panelling, I mixed the base colour with  a desert/sand yellow colour. The final step was the weathering using some AK pigments (European light Earth and Truck rust).

The model is an old 28mm resin and metal Warlord reference, that was replaced a few years ago by a new plastic reference. Quality is not too bad but the upper HMG ring over the turret (soft metal) was very feeble and difficult to affix to the turret.

You may notice that I did not add any crew. Unfortunately, I thought I had some spare models US tankers in my lead pile, but not, so I'll have to print or buy and add in the future.

This M8 in 28mm will add 20 points to my Challenge score this year. 

     

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I always enjoy your WWII work Benito, especially your efforts with vehicles. Beautiful work on this M8. Even though there may have been a few aspects that were challenging, you really did a spectacular job on the painting and weathering of this workhorse (faithful hound?). Well done!

- Curt & Huck 

   

From BenitoV: Panzers Marsch! ... and a Troll (60 points)

Changing my focus from the Ancient period of previous entries to Second World War now: a few bits and pieces from other yet-to-complete projects lining up for painting.

Firstly,  a Panzer IV with the short barrel and the grey color scheme typical of the 1939 to mid-1943 period. 

 

This is a critical armoured support asset in my German Army Blitzkrieg-period unit for Chain of Comand 

The tank is a Rubicon plastic model at 1/56 scale Pz IV D/E. This is a brand that I favour over the Warlord/Italeri range for the quality of the moulding and the attention to detail. It includes for example the piece displayed as the flag for aerial identification over the tank turret.

The tank commander on the other hand is a 3D resin printed model from Trenchworx German Tank Commanders series. These are superbly sculpted models and I have also acquired a few of its 2WW AFV range to print and paint in 2023.

 

The complementary batch of 2WW minis in this post are these Fallaschirmjager minis, an officer and a sniper team.

 

The models are also 3D printed,  from the Eskice range in 28mm. They are a little bit cartoonie and not 100% historically accurate (for example the trench spade of the officer, the odd jumping boots or the gas mask cannister, not used by the paratroopers in jump missions) but I found them original and fun to display on a table.

 

See for example the sniper model grabing a wartermelon in the rifle to attract enemy fire to reveal its position.

The color scheme is that of early war as well, with the jump suit in field grey/ gray green tones. These will be part of the force for a Crete campaign planned in the club for mid 2023.

 And now moving to a complete different topic... 

"Dawn take you all, and be stone to you!" said a voice that sounded like William's. But it wasn't. For just at that moment the light came over the hill... William never spoke for he stood turned to stone as he stooped" The Hobbit - Chapter 2 Roast Mutton

And here we have William in its last act before converting into rock

 

I have painted this venerable metal troll model from the Ral Partha stable acquired in the early 80s, at a time when I was playing D&D and Warhammer Ancient Fantasy. I thought it was a good candidate for the Black & White studio, removing the old paint layer and providing it with a new life.

 

I have used three layers of grey to paint the monster (in all senses of the word, as it is a towering 40+ mm height) in its last act before attempting to munch the poor captured dwarfes.

 

If my maths are correct I shoud be adding 60 points to my Challenge score:

• 1x AFV @20 points = 20 points
•  + 1 x tank commander in 28mm = 3 points (not a full model)
• + 1 x FJs officer @5 points = 5 points
• + 2 x FJs sniper team (prone) @2.5 points = 5 points
• + 1 x Troll 40mm @7 points = 7 points
• + Bonus Black & White Studio = 20 points 
  
•  = Total 60 points

I should also be awarded 1 point in the Squirrel duel with the German Early War Army entry (33 points)

 

 

Lovely work on the Panzer and the Fallschirmjager, Benito! Nicely done with the troll as well.

Tamsin

From BenitoM: Sprinting to the Finish Line - Canadian Army Leaders (20 points)

 My Sunday wargame group unexpectedly had a few members KIAs and the weekly game was cancelled early this same morning, so I decided to do a final sprint and paint the four leaders for my Chain of Command WW2 Canadian infantry unit.

 

The models are from Warlord's British & Canadian plastic box that, as I have said several times, offers an almost infinite choice of poses and equipment.

 

The total leaders needed for the unit are in fact five (2 senior leaders at HQ platoon and 3 junior leaders taking care of each of the three squads). Unfortunately I got short of one model but I have already ordered a couple of Empress blisters that will fill the gap and will also provide of a surplus of commanding models to lead some of the support options.

 

Hence, final-final entry in this year's Challenge and 20 additional points to my scoring statistics (4 x 28mm models @5 points each)     

 

Top notch work as always, Benito! You can never have enough leader figures, in my opinion!

Tamsin

From BenitoM: Boarding Sarah's Yacht Destination Arda (25 points)

I'm back to my galatic exploration duties and will board Sarah's Yacht for the second time in this year's Challenge. My destination this time:  the misterious World of Arda

I'm paying my ticket today with a second wailing woman model, that will be part of the support option offered in the Infamy Infamy! Germanic lists.

This is a 28mm scale model of the Wargames Foundry Germanic Women blister. Nice sculpting full of character as most of the Foundry's minis.

The entry will add 25 points to my Challnege scoring:

1 x 28mm model @ 5 points + Bonus planet@ 20 points

From DaveD - Another fine addition indeed.

From BenitoM: WW2 Canadian Rifle Team (30 points)

Trying now to sprint and to achieve a decent scoring relative to my Challenge target, I spent the weekend painting the last of the three rifle teams of my WW2 Canadian infantry unit  for Chain of Command.

The core of the force is now finished and the only reamining models are the different NCOs (junior leaders) commanding each squad and the Platoon officers (or Senior leaders). 

 

I have some additional supports planned but are not too critical to deploy a game. This will happen as soon as the COVID rates fall to some safer levels (Madrid's current incidence ration is 390 but worth mentioning is plummeting from a 3,400 peak in mid-January) and I can restart attending our club on weekends (I stopped visiting the club in mid-November).

 

As most of the other minis in my force, these are part of the Warlord's multipose British and Canadian Infantry box. Excellent sculpting (nothing to do with the earlier plastic releases) and enough variation of equipment and parts to let you build literally hundreds of individualised models.

With this entry I will add 30 points to this year's Challenge personal score: 

6 x 28mm models @5 points each = 30 points

Planning now next moves which will involved shifting to a complete different period and do some additional exploring in the Challenge Quadrant, unearthing 

Those riflemen look fantastic, Benito. You seem to have left your last sentence unfinished, though - unearthing what?

Regardless, I'm sure we're all looking forward to your next project(s).

Tamsin

From BenitoM: 2WW Canadian Rifle Team (30 points)

I have been a few weeks AWOL because of work overload and only last weekend I was in a situation to put again my brushes and acrylics back on the desk. The disruption means that I'll need to narrow my focus and have decided to finish first with my WW2 Canadian unit for Chain of Command

Today I bring the second of the rifle teams. Remember each of the 3 platoon's squads squad in this game are made of two teams: a LMG  (Bren gun) team and a rifle team.

 

As in the previous posts, these are plastic models from the Warlord's WW2 British and Canadian multipose box. Very good sculpting, no flash little lines to work on the models; and the multipose alternatives offer almost infinite variations.

 

The entry has no bonus extras attached and is worth 30 points (6 x 28mm models @5 points each). 

Plan now is to conclude painting the last remaining rifle team and afterwards the four team leaders. With this I'd cover the core unit force to be put on the table as soons as the Omicron variant incidence falls to safer levels (currently hoovering around 600 cases per 100k inhabitants) and I can return to play at my local club.

 

from DaveD

Another great addition to your forces. I am looking forward to seeing the total output shot . i hope its not too long before you can get them on a table 

 

From BenitoV: Canadian Infantry Rifle teams (30 points)

This week I'm still avoiding additional intergalactic travelling and have concentrated in my core Challenge project again, the WW2 Canadian Infantry platoon for Chain of Command.

 

I have concluded in time for posting the first of the three rifle teams included in the platoon TOE. Each of the three platoon's squads is made of a Bren gun team and a rifle team. All Bren gun teams have been completed and now my focus is on the rifle teams as well as the different leaders.

 

The Chain of Command rifle teams in the British and Commomwealth armies for North Europe comprise 6 privates at full force. This probably was true at the time of the Normandy campaign, but in Zuehlke's book on the Scheldt campaign it was crytal clear that by September/October 1944 the Canadian division were sorely depleted and and in need of additional manpower. Platoons likely had a coupe of squads at ebest and not always at full manpower by then.

 

The models shown in this post are all from the Warlord's plastic British and Canadian Infantry box in 28mm. The multipose possibilities are almost infinite and combined with the wide array of equipment, helmets, heads and webbing you can easily personalized each and one of the 30 models included in the box.

The sculpting detail and the manufacturing quality areexceptional too, nothing to do with the earlier plastic releases and particularly the first British infantry box.

 

Thanks to the 6 models presented in this post I will add 30 points (6 x 28mm @5 points each) to my Challenge score. Having passed first third of the context, I reckon to be slightly behind my plans to achieve the 700 points target. Still early to concede defeat but not happy with my progress so far.  I will need to catch up in the next weeks.

From DaveD

No Surrender Benito! you will get there . These lads are another fine addition to your Cannucks well done