From IanW: SYW French Infantry (74 Points)

I started the week with plenty of time to get these finished but I knew it would run close as I was at York for the wargames show on Sunday. Little did I know I would not touch a brush for two days as I suffered rather from the stairs at the show.

My computer has also died so can not give the usual run down on the regiments as I have yet to look for my usual site on Cath's computer.

First up Regiment 6, La Marine and first of the light grey coated regiments I will be doing for The Boy. I went with Vallejo Sky Blue which I inked and then brought back up with a mix of Sky Blue and White as I found the sky blue to be a little darker than I wanted.

This and the next battalion are the last of the none turnback figures I have for the French so the next few battalions will be those with turnbacks then I will have to buy more figures for his other regiments. I bought him one grenadier battalion and two heavy cavalry at York so these may figure before the challenge finishes.

The Boy choose this regiment for the flag and who can blame him? The light blue cuffs and waistcoats seal the deal for me. This is Regiment 16 Dauphin, adding a spot of panache to his collection of flags. Having well over 100 he can really add some interesting standards to his force once he has enough basic units.

I really like the detail and pose of the Lancashire Games officer, though I do need to find some suitable alternative command figures that will fit in as I want to be able to have them looking a bit different.

So that's another two battalions for The Boy's growing army. On the walk home from school we discussed what he wanted painting next (expecting cavalry) for him to say more infantry. Not that these will be next up as I have a fancy for a couple of Prussian battalions next.

All four battalions painted over the last three weeks, if I was to keep at these I could get a sizeable army done fairly quickly but I like to jump around a little so I don't get bored of what I paint. It has been a bit of a production line kind of few weeks but I have strangely enjoyed it.

So two battalions each of 18 figures for 72 points. Not enough to match Tamsin but we still have over a month to go so I may just catch her LOL.

Great, more SYW, and this project is starting to look great in their massed lines. And what a flag on the Dauphine regiment! Very jazzy, a fine choice by your lad.  

Positive thoughts on the side duel Ian: you can chase down the Queen of Points Bombs, surely? You just need to get three of these entries in for each one of hers, and ease off  on those Prussians! ;-) 

Phil

From KenR: 15mm SYW British Artillery (44 Points)

The first of two mini entries (posted second, oops - ED) for me this week is this battery of three guns for my SYW British Army.

The figures are 15mm Minifigs which I purchased last year when I bought all the Command Packs for my Saxon Infantry. Classic old school 15s.

At 2pts a figure and 4 for each of the guns I make that 36 points for both my Grand Total and my SYW Side Duel.

Unfortunately the Side Duel has not gone well for The Yarkshire Gamer, after a slight case of overboming from Tamsin and Ian I am rapidly losing touch with the leaders, I have a couple of units of British Cavalry on the go at the moment but they will be a while whilst I switch production to SCW for an upcoming refight of Jarama, I think the towel has gone in !

Great guns Ken! What's the caliber on these, do you think? It's unfortunate you're drifting behind in your side duel despite chipping away at this project, but these will make a fine addition to your force, supporting the infantry you've entered in the Challenge so far.  

I count sixteen minis and three guns, for a total of 44 points

Great to hear we'll be getting some more SCW in the challenge too - what scale are you working in? 

Phil 

From KenR: 28mm AWI Queens Rangers Hussars (60 Points)

And my second small entry this week is this six figure 28mm unit for my AWI Collection. These guys are from Perry Miniatures and represent the Cavalry arm of the Loyalist Queens Rangers.

The figures are to Perry's normal high standard, I bought these years ago when they came out and it's good to see them based and ready for action.

No problem with painting these guys after the painters block I had with the British Light Dragoons. As these are basically one colour I wasn't stretching the limits of my palette at any time.

A nice little unit, which at 10 points a piece should give me another 60 which is I think just over my initial target. As it was my first entry into the AHPC I wasn't sure on what to set as a target so I am glad to reach my original goal. Plenty of time left so with my Jarama painting I am looking upwards at 1000.

A great first entry for Friday: a fine upstanding band of AWI cavalrymen. The uniforms are pretty low-key compared to your earlier cavalrymen, but very nicely executed with just enough detailing to make them interesting. The leader chap looks a bit excitable, compared to the rest of them, all more casual with their swords shouldered.  

Many congratulations on meeting your target too! That's a great achievement with a month left to run. Best of luck making 1000 points over the coming weeks. 

Phil

Friday Minion Behind Schedule

Good 'morning' everyone! Friday minion, normally so punctual, is behind schedule*.

But, no worries, we'll catch up I'm sure. 

We have a good spread of submissions today, well done Friday Crew for getting your sh*t together. KenR has two entries, in 15mm and 28mm, MartinN a stunning Roman command stand, Grahame is finishing yet more armies (are you ever not finishing them, Grahame?), IanW offers his weekly SYW fix, there's the latest in Fred's Pulpy saga from Sander, aaaaand more old school fantasy goodness from Keith. Such awesome! 

Right, with the immense task of the intro post done, it's time to go out for lunch, See you again in a couple of hours ;-)

Phil

*being behind schedule is actually normal behaviour for Friday minion, I'm not sure how this past month has been so organised. 

From JezT - Venetian Crossbow (40 points)

Hi All

Just a few bases of Perry Miniatures Venetian Crossbow to keep the points ticking over - 8 figures so 40 points. Actually although small in points value this is a memorable paint job as they have been on my list to do for a couple of years and joining the challenge has helped me to complete them!

When I finally started they were very easy to do. I think the distinctive paint job red and white colours for Venice really helped - you are then on a strict painting schedule and no thinking required. Have based as a skirmish and T shooter unit as per Impetus rules. The final picture shows them with some earlier Venetian archers as wanted to match the colour scheme to fit in with them.

Cheers Jez

They look splendid, Jez! Skirmishers are my favorite sort of troop as recon/scout is my job. Ignore them at your peril! ;)
I was unaware that Venice used red and white, but most of my Italian War knowledge comes from Nicco Machaveli, and that is mainly the hows and what fors. They look sharp with the leatherwork and equipent though. I also like your terrain in the shot. I do craft my own scratch builds, but PDF saves so much money and time and looks nice when based proper.
I am glad you procrastinated with them so they could make an appearance in AHPC too! you have almost encirled the Snowlord now as well! ;)

From AaronH - 32 ECW Pike and Shotte - The Red Regiment(165 points)

This entry is another pike and shotte regiment for my small and really, really slowly growing ECW army. I've gotten one foot regiment done each year for the last three challenges, which means the next one will probably wait until next year. This is probably down to the fact that there's not much chance I'll be playing with this army any time soon.

This is the red regiment. They were going to be yellow, but I felt like painting red.

This one is at full strength, though it is all Warlord Games plastics. When I was plucking models from the prime pile I just didn't grab any of the metal Foundry models I bought as fillers.

As always with these models, painting them is something of a chore. There is a lot of detail and every time I think I'm done with them I find another color that needs to go on at least sixteen models.

For the most part I like to paint the trousers a different color, which I'm fine with as they wear out first. On the other hand when I see reinactors they are dressed top to bottom in their colors. Honestly I think they look like they are wearing pajamas. Battle Pajamas.

I am not a fan of the angled or horizontal pikes but I find that one angled pike on the two command stands doesn't get in the way and gives me those extra unit fillers I need.

This set comes with both a drum and fife option for the musician but I used the fife on the green regiment.

One of the disturbing things about my photography is that my camera sees better than I do and I find all sorts of small things I missed on the models. Just look at that glove. Or rather, don't. There's nothing to see here.

These are based four to a 40mm base. It gives me flexibility in how they look on the table; and it's how I started the army, but for future armies I think I'll be buying some of Big Red Bat's bases. I love the way these look and his new ones are cut in such a way that you can stick two of them together seamlessly to make a bigger unit.

The chap with the shortened weapon is due to my wife deciding that the only possible place to play with the doberman was next to my painting table.

These 32 models give me another full regiment of foot. Once I complete a command stand I have enough to play. A brigade of three foot and one horse regiments along with two guns. I don't think I'll have the heart to paint another of these this challenge, though some horse might make it in before the finish.

Huzzah! They look smashing in red, Aaron! don't worry I didn't view the glove I wasn't supposed to see...I also have an Oliphant that can attest to the destruction of canine play and exhuberance!
I was going to go 20mm for ECW/Protestant- Catholic War, but I am liking these Warlord figures and Foundry does make some excellent figures for plusing the regiments up too and providing leaders. Hopefully you will be able to get a game in with these fellows soon, my group is WH40k only so I know how hard it is to get in a historical game in. from pike tips to bases, very fine work!
Have that drummer pound out the advance!

From PeterD Hanoverian Pontooniers (30 poimts)

Another week in February, another small post from me.  This period is my heaviest work wise but the end of the tunnel is in sight.  Of course it would help if I didn't have 7 projects in various states of completion on the workbench, all of them started since the Challenge began.

The six guys who do all the work and the blowhard who watches them.

I have a group of 6 Hanoverian Pontooniers from the Seven Years Wars for the engineer  Drumpf to order around.  I gave the lace work of the light dragoons and highlanders a rest for a bit and worked on some support troops with less detail required.  

It need to be a YUGE bridge boys, the best ever!

These figures are from the Perry AWI range and packaged as American Drag Rope Men, meaning that they are infantrymen and civilians drafted in to do the man handling of artillery pieces.  I am continuing to mine this excellent range of figures and morph it to fit my Seven Years War needs.  I partiulary like that these chaps have obviously been doing some seriously hard labour and are taking a well deserved rest. 

There appear to have been no rank and file engineer troops like sappers and miners in the Anglo-Allied army I am modelling.  However, Hanover maintained a corps of Pontooniers which makes sense given the large rivers in the Electorate.  I figured that these could be used as a group of Engineers for my Sharp Practice games.  Also the ropes that these lads are carrying would fit with the job of build a pontoon bridge or various other engineering tasks.

I am loving these period Hanoverian illustrations.  Pontoonier flanked by Engineer and artillery trainman.

Uniform wise they wore the lovely blue coat that they shared with Hanoverian artillery along with a blue waistcoat and buff breeches.  This is represented in the centre figure from this period illustration.  The Perry figures come in various states of dress suited to heavy work.  Two are in waistcoats and tricorns and the rest in shirt sleeves, and all have discarded their gaiters.  Furthermore, three of the figures in shirtsleeves are wearing floppy hats which I have painted to represent straw hats.  I figure that I can use the four figures in shirt sleeves as civilian labourers as well.

I got your YUGE bridge right here!

What does this idiot want now? I am late for my yoga class and I really need some downward facing dog.

With the white shirts and buff breeches, painting got rather monochromatic so I used heavier shading on these figures.  I also figured it gave the impression of sweat and dust stained clothes from heavy lifting and shifting.

Drumpf is a pre-existing condition, so that's six foot figures for 30 points.

Nice group of labourers, Peter! I appreciate COBs(civilians-on-the-battlefield) because they are there in the real world. For miniature games, I find they add the Murphy Law to best laid plans as well as providing objectives and conditions for the troops. I appreciate the troops dressed down for the hard labor too. More British troops died sacking Washington in the 1812 war to heat injuries than actual combat. Ruck Marching in multiple layers of wool and linen apparently increases core body temperature! ;)
Now their coffee break is over, off to work for 'is Lordship they go!

From Michael P: Pulp Heroes and Heroines (30 points)

Five 28mm characters for pulp gaming.  The one on the right is by Reaper, the others are all Pulp Figures sculpted by Bob Murch.

Reaper's Brigitte: Naughty French Maid.  Code name Bijou, she will do inside work collecting HUMINT from senior Nazi leaders, especially those with a fondness for the flying helmet, the limp piece of celery, and the feather duster.   The sculpt is by Werner Klocke, and I certainly did not do it justice.  The only thing I am happy about is the hand painted tile floor.

Very cheeky!

Major Paul "Puncher" McPhail, Chief of Staff of Project Alice, a top-secret British counter-intelligence and dark ops organization tasked with monitoring and thwarting Nazi investigations into the occult.

Bob absolutely nailed British-style mess kit.  This is almost exactly what hangs in my closet (minus the monocle).  First bald figure I've painted, that was fun.

The Major's niece, Fiona Harmer, sometime of St. Hilda's College, Oxford, ace researcher and crack shot.

I tried to add some colour and texture to the hair to offset the drab clothing.   

Sandy McGonnigle, Major McPahil's batman, gamekeeper and bodyguard.  I spent way too much time on this figure, but it was all fun.

Mimi LaRocque of the Resistance, a ginger with an attitude.  I love her outfit, which seems almost military, but I decided on a civilian paint scheme, to suggest a student, perhaps?  Who can resist a girl with a gun in a hat and tie?

Thank you for looking.  I hope that one of these three ladies might become the choice of the lovely Sarah.

Blessings to your brushes!

MP+

Sorry for the delay, Padre! this is one of my favorite thursday submissions and not just for Bridgette's <ahem> obvious charms... I'm certain the Nazi crew is very distracted by her work! I like the whole crew including Sandy's Tartan, cap and scarf. very nicework there. Mimi and Fiona are very well done too. I quite like Mimi and her ginger hair with that sharp jacket. The Major has a wonderful group working for him! I piped you for the fancy base that Bridgete has...yes I did see that!

A brief interlude...nada delay!

It is Thursday!
I wish I could rave about the Superbowl, or how grand my vacation was, but I missed them both due to illness. I think it was the Nurgle marines fault!
I've been Ko'd since Sunday. Today was my first day without body aches and just in time for some wonderful entries in store you all.
I'll be sure to get them up in a bit, after a brief nap, taking kids to school, drinking, coffee.... and no body aches!
I do have a couple of appointments, but nothing too pressing to delay Michael,  Peter, and Aaron for too long. Hopefully the rest of the Thursday gang will be along shortly!
If nothing else, I'll check out what the bug made me miss! ;)