From PeterD More War of the Pacific Ships (18 points)

Another set of 1/2400 ships from Tumbling Dice for my War of the Pacific project.  As obscure as this war is I've found a small community of bloggers indulging in the same project.

The two ex-USN Monitors

First up is the last of the Peruvian ironclads, the monitors Manco Cápac and Atahualpa (those Inca names are tough to spell).  These were ex-USN Canonicus class single turreted monitors which were built too late to see service in the ACW.    They were sold to the Peruvians, fitted with fore and aft sailing rigs and minimal superstructure and relocated south and around the Cape Horn (this being before the Panama Canal).   Must have been one hell of a rough journey given the low freeboard.  

This shows the completed ships vs the original.  It also shows the sea bases included by Tumbling Dice and how they fit on my 50mm long pdf bases.

Once in Peruvian waters they were used for coastal defence and fought the Chilean fleet  in the final phases, including a duel with the Huascar after her capture, but were eventually scuttled to prevent capture.

One of the originals, as much of a bodge as my models.

The models are admittedly complete bodges.  TD doesn't make a Canonicus class monitor so I used a pack of the USS Monitor model, which was 20% shorter than these ships but it was the closest available.  I added the rig from spare fore and aft sails from one or the other TD packs of ships.  My best guess is that they came from the two Cochrane class ironclads, which I modelled mostly unrigged as they removed as much rigging as possible during a mid-war refit.  The final models are nowhere nearly being replicas of the two ships.  But they look like Civil War monitors with rigging and rudimentary superstructure attached, which is exactly what they need to look like.  If any one cars to model exact replicas Spithead miniatures makes them in 1:1200.  i didn't go that route as I like the cost and space effectiveness of 1/2400 and couldn't figure out how to order anything from Spithead.

Chileans at sea

Next up is a squadron of Chilean unarmoured ships, or Cruising ships in the Victorian vernacular.  There's no specific models for these in the TD range, so I sued whatever models looked about right based on period photos, rough dimensions available and models on hand.  We have the corvettes O'Higgins, Chacabuco and Mallaganes, all of which had an active part in the war.  

Last of all  is  the schooner Covadonga which had a history rivalling the Huascar's.  originally Spanish, she was captured by the Esmeralda (still on the work bench) and brought into Chilean service.  She had a key role in the Battle of Punta Gruesa where she outgunned the Peruvian ironclad Independencia,  who then ran aground and was lost.  Covadonga was sunk later in the war while on blockade duty by a rowboat rigged as a floating mine.

The original Covadonga.

Points wise that's six 1/2400 ships for a whopping 18 points.  Finally I'll leave you with the following video.  My wife and I are huge fans of Carol Burnett and I can't say the name O'Higgins (Higgins or Wiggins) without releasing my inner Mr. Tudball.

 

Our first entertainment of the day! And what lovely ships they are too. It's certainly fascinating to read about this little-known war. You missed one of your usual labels, but don't worry - I spotted the omission and added it for you!

TamsinP

From PeterD 18th Century Nobles for Sarah's Balloon Ride (70 points)

I have two 28mm figures from Front Rank to serve as both my balloon ticket and my entry fee.  I don't have a whole bunch to say about these.  I really like Front Rank's figures, they paint up really nicely, and I had fun doing picture searches of Reynolds and Gainsborough portraits doing research on them. 

I'm not sure that Mademoiselle is having any of Monsieur's nonsense.

I intended these to be any generic Europeans.  However my better half (who has costume knowledge) informed me that the gold was more likely to be found on the French.

Funny perspective here.  It looks like M. is down on one knee from this angle.

Another stop on my island tour.

And another merit badge for my sash

I offer the above proof that my wife and I had a glass of prosecco last night in honour of the balloon ride, and because it was dang cold.  Unlike others in the Challenge I know where the champagne flutes are kept.

Points wise I believe this scores as

• 2 28mm foot figures = 10 points
• Curtgeld bonus =25 points
• Sarah's Balloon Service =30 points
• Bonus for prosecco =5 points
• Total 70 points

Two other notes.  I will leave it to Curt to choose the short straw to see who gets these figures.  Also I would like balloon transport to Sanders' Sanddunes please.



That's a great vignette to pay your fare for the balloon ride and your entry fee for the Challenge. 

TamsinP

For Thursday From PeterD 28mm Buildings (20 points)

For the first post from me this week I have two 28mm buildings, MDF kits from Sarissa.  I have a number of the Sarissa kits and I'm very happy with them.  They go together nicely (other than the odd user error), look the part and paint up nicely.  A pleasant evening building these and another pleasant evening painting them up.

I didn't show it, but the roof lifts off and there is a removable upper floor.

First up is a farmhouse from their English Timber Framed range.  I figure that similar buildings existed in Hesse and Westphalia in the mid 18th century.  I built the kit straight out of the box, as there was enough detail that no add on bits were required, the only change I made was to add black yardstick behind the windows to hide what lies within. 

I do like the  details like the brick work.

I hemmed and hawed on priming, and went unprimed in the end which I think was the right choice.  The details are lightly etched and I didn't want to fill them in with primer (I can have a heavy hand with the spray bomb).  Paint wise I found that a light touch and various degrees of thinning with water did the trick.  It's all one coat, except for a wash over the brickwork, and only four colours - red oxide, unbleached titanium, carbon black and raw umber.   

This is a very tall piece but can be dissembled for storage or transport.  The blades come off, and the building lifts off the pedestal (and swivels on this).  The main structure has two stories plus a roof that lifts off.

Next up is the post windmill, which seem to have appeared all over Western Europe in the black powder years.  IIIRC, having a windmill in your village tended to put you on the map back in the day.  Ligny and Valmy had prominent windmills on the battlefields.  This kit was actually built last spring (it appears in my challenge 8 wind up photo), but it took me until now to get the bottle up to paint it.  I used only three colours for the actual windmill - raw umber and carbon black, with only a touch of unbleached titanium to lighten the woodwork on doors etc.  

The base has stayed in the same place but I rotated the windmill.  I like the stairway and the crane.

Point wise, i used the rough dimensions on Sarissa's site, converted mm to medieval king's body parts and came up with figures that the farmhouse is 49% of a 6" cube and the windmill is 46% of the same cube. if the minion's feeling generous he can round this to 20 points for a full cube, if not then it'll be 19 points.

These will be used for Black Powder wargaming (and yes Ray unlike yours my figures actually appears on table).  We didn't define whether terrain counts for the BP side duel, so I'll ask for my fellow duellists call on that one.  Not that it'll matter as both Ray and Alex have paint bombed me into submission this week.

                                                                       

Lovely pair of buildings, the windmill is particularly impressive and I think you definitely went the right way with washes so that you didn't lose the details. 20 points for this post!
All the best Iain