From BenF: Там, где мы, там — победа! 6mm 1980s Soviet Naval Infantry (135 points)

So, by the time this post goes up i'll be with my wife in the maternity ward in the process of having a baby! This is our first, and we don't know if it's a boy or a girl so its doubly exciting. I daresay that the frequency of my updates will slow down a tad over the next few weeks as we all get into our routines. That said, i've got some '80s RAF and French ground attack aircraft at 80% complete, along with some Soviet odds and sods. So, if I do manage to grab a half hour of painting here and there I should be able to finish these off.

For this entry, I've completed a Soviet Morskaya Pekhota, or Naval Infantry force. With their sharp black uniforms worn over blue and white striped sailors shirts, and a lineage stretching back to the times of Peter the Great, the Naval Infantry were the original elite of the Soviet forces. Indeed, the VDV airborne adopted the sailor's shirt as a sign of their own elite status. Despite this status, and in common with many marine forces, the Naval Infantry did not enjoy the latest and greatest of technology. The little bit of Cyrillic in the title means 'Where we are, there is victory!',  the motto of the Naval Infantry.

First off are the command stands, one for the Tank battalion and an overall Brigade commander. I wanted these to give the feeling of moving off the sandy beaches of the Baltic or North Sea. Vehicles and figures are all Heroics and Ros.

Next off, the 112th Independent Naval Tank Battalion. Unusually for the Soviets Naval tank battalions appear to have had a mix of equipment. Six bases are the T-55AMVs, the upgraded version of the 1950s era tank with ERA and a tube launched anti-tank guided missile to bring them into the 1980s. The PT-76 tanks on the other hand are relics from the past with a 76mm gun and thin armour. They are amphibious though, which is why they were used. Finally, there are three bases of TO-55 flame tanks. I've attempted to paint an approximation of the Soviet naval flag on the TO-55s and PT-76s, and I'm relatively happy with how they turned out.

Next up is the teeth of the brigade, two naval infantry battalions. For CWC, these have 8 bases of infantry, one base with a 9K115 Metis ATGM, and one base with the 9K34 Strela-3 MANPADS anti aircraft missile. All figures are from Heroics and Ros, and wonderful sculpts they are. Andy kindly put together a mix of figures with helmets and berets which works well for these elite troops. I was a few Strela armed figures short, so I will add in a second SAM base at a later date. I've also included an extra ATGM base, as well as two bases of the earlier 9M14 Malyutka ATGMs so I can field these as an early 80s formation.

Next we have the transport for the infantry, BTR-60BPs from CinC. Lovely little vehicles, and I really like that the turrets are separate which allowed me to make the vehicles less uniform. I've got 12 vehicles, enough for a battalion and a half. I'll be adding another six BTRs at a later date to make up the two battalions worth of transport.

And here's a picture of one complete battalion, the 877th Independent Naval Infantry Battalion. I've got almost enough for the 878th as well.

The Naval Infantry also used the 2S9 'Nona-S' Self propelled gun-mortar in place of the usual 120mm mortars, so here are brace of them from Heroics and Ros. The Nona-S was based on the air-portable BMD chassis, and had originally been designed for the VDV, however the naval lads soon appropriated some and i'll have two of these supporting each infantry battalion. I'll be getting another one from Andy to finish off enough for the entire force.

As with all amphibious forces, engineers play an important role clearing minefields and obstacles and tackling fortifications. These two bases of engineers are armed with the devastating RPO-A Shmel, a shoulder launched thermobaric flamethrower. Their transport is in the form of the PTS-M amphibious trucks. All Heroics and Ros.

Next, some serious fire support. These are two GHQ BM-21 Grad self propelled rocket launchers, the descendants of the WWII era Katyushas.

As the Naval Infantry was to operate in concert with the Soviet navy, I've provided some rotary aircraft which could operate from destroyers, as well as some fast air from one of the Kiev class carriers. The Helos are the unconventional two rotor Kamov Ka-29TB Helix-B armed assault transports. These are from Heroics and Ros with Hurlbat/Lazerline rotors. I managed to spill CA glue on one of the rotor discs, and will need to order a replacement. For one, I scratch built a 23mm gunpod on the left side. The fast air is the Yakolev Yak-38M, a VTOL aircraft known as the Soviet Harrier. This is a Heroics sculpt with bombs added from the bits box. I think i'll add a friend for him at some stage, as I really like the unique blue/green colour scheme.

So that's it for this entry. The total for this lot should be:

98 x 6mm figures = 49 points
39 x 6mm vehicles = 78 points
Total = 127 points.

My next entry will be after baby is due, so not sure when that will be, but it will consist of some 6mm French, USAF, and RAF aircraft.

Look at that Helix! Look at it! I'm drooling over all your 6mm entries, and this is another micro-modern mega-treat. I'm awarding a bonus 8 points for:

• Handpainted naval flags
• Antennae
• Scratchbuilt gun-pod
• Painted glass effects
• Getting your twin rotors on and separate!
• Because I'm a softy and you're having a baby imminently.

Barks

From ValeryN- Two Dianas (16 Pts)

So, I'm slowly starting to "roll in" to IX Challenge. For a start, a little work - "Two Diana". This is not a novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas:

but two self-propelled artillery pieces from the Rommel African Corps.

The "Diana" was a conversion of the Sd Kfz 6 5-ton half-track tractor mounting the captured Soviet 7.62cm gun (FK 36(r)).

605. Panzerjager-Abteilung had its anti-tank ability strengthened just before Rommel’s attack on the Gazala Line in late May by the arrival of the Diana.

Fitted with captured Soviet guns, six of these vehicles arrived in late January 1942, and three more in February.

These models were partially collected from me for several years, so, unfortunately, the gunshields were lost. But even in this form, they will replenish my German army on the "Flames of War" gaming system.

Great work, Valery! Russian guns on German armour in North Africa to back up the Italians- a very cosmopolitan entry. I like the weathering, and wouldn't have noticed the missing gunshields if you hadn't pointed it out. 15mm AFVs are now worth 8 points, so that is a satisfying 16 points!

Barks

Monday's Children are out of place

Today's theme is 'out-of-place'. There are several WW2 desert-related entries including Moroccans fighting for France, pilfered Soviet guns fighting for Germany, and Tommies fighting in Tobruk. Continuing our out-of-place theme, we've got Scotsmen in Texas, naval forces on land, and brains in jars!

Happy Monday, all!
Barks

From Curt: Warbringer Titan 'The Crucible of Terra' (40 Points)

I thought I'd sneak in an entry before the hustle-bustle of the new week begins.

Late this past summer GW reissued 'Adeptus Titanicus', a game which caused a bit of a stir for some geeks of a certain vintage. The new ruleset is great homage to the 1988 version - easy to learn, fun to play and very evocative of the Horus Heresy/Titanicus backstory. 

Perhaps the biggest drawback to the game's launch was the high cost of the models (actually, still very much a problem) and the weird way GW decided to release the various 'classes' of titans. The initial uber boxed set included only the largest, the Warlord, and the smallest unit, the Knights. This  in turn made it virtually impossible for players to fully appreciate the tactical nuances of the game as the hulking Warlords usually just stood in place, trading long range fire while the Knights usually got plastered somewhere in the middle of the table. It took a few months for GW to get its act together and release both the medium Reaver and the scouting Warhounds, but in the midst of that gap many of us Titanicus nerds were looking around for alternative models to fill the ranks. For me Thingiverse came to the rescue as there were several gifted designers who had come up with great versions of the various titan classes, especially the Warhound and alternative Warlord weapon loadouts.

During one of my searches for possible stand-ins I came across Nuclear Shrimp Games, a small company based out of the Ionian Islands in Greece. These talented guys are doing some wonderful stuff with their own 'Black Earth' range, and also creating a few alternate 'not-GW' designs in the margins. On top of some impressive 28mm stuff, they also have two titans which are scaled on the large side of 6mm. One is an excellent Ork Gargant, and the other is an amazingly close rendition of an early 'Mars Pattern' Warlord titan, reminiscent of the 'Imperious Dictatio' engine from Dan Abnett's graphic novel series 'Titan' (1999).  Loving the comic series, I immediately ordered one of these bad boys to add to my collection. 

'Imperious Dictatio' from 'Titan'

What arrived from Greece was a relatively clean, but complex resin kit. I would say that it's not for the faint of heart, as it involved a good bit of straightening and filling to get it ready for priming (in fact it's has eaten up a lot of my hobby time since the start of this year's Challenge).

In addition to the main titan chassis, I also picked up a selection of optional weapon loadouts. 

'Jeeves, I think for today I'll go understated. Let's have the Apocalypse Missiles, Hellstorm Cannon and Plasma Devastator...' 

I really like the ridiculously huge Power Fist (as big as a super-heavy tank!) and the rather rude looking Void Missile launcher. 

The titan's power fist next to a Falchion super-heavy tank. Silly but fun...

'Accept the Imperial Truth, or I'll fire these honkin' huge suppositories at you...'

Yup, it kinda cracks me up. Each of these weapon options required a some creative trimming, drilling and magnets to allow the ability to swap them in. 

Something a bit preposterous...

...and something a little less ,um, striving.

'Be honest, do the missiles make my @ss look big?'

Byron kindly provided an appropriately shaped MDF base and I tarted it up with some wreckage and a parked Rhino (probably some Blood Angels trying to find a place for a  decent cappuccino).

'I heard there's a guy named Franco that needs sorting...'

For points I'm thinking that due to his size and silly weapon options, this fella's worth the equivalent of two 28mm vehicles. 

So there you have it, my newest, stompiest titan, 'The Crucible of Terra', ready to blow the Arch Enemy to smithereens, or at least punch them hard in the owchie parts.

Thanks for dropping in, folks. Paint hard and have a great week! 

The Votes Are In for the 'Reconnaissance' Theme Round

Hi All!

The votes are in for our 'Reconnaissance' bonus round! We had our largest group of entrants for a bonus round to date, which was a real feast for the eyes. I thank all the participants for their entires.

First up, for our Honorary Mentions, we have:

Benito's 'British Armour Leading Forward'

Millsy's 'Lumpin Croop's Fighting Cocks'

PaulO'G's 'DAK Kradschutzen Recon Patrol'

Bravo! Great work lads!

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In Third position, for 25 bonus points, we have:

Stefan's stupendously stompy 'AT-ST' for Star Wars: Legion'

In Second place for 50 bonus points:

Byron's excellent 'Recce from Two Eras'

And, in First Place, for 75 bonus points and a gift certificate from Warbases, we have Nick's (aka MartinN) stunning 'Bavarian Uhlans'

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Congratulations guys and a big THANK YOU to all our participants for making this Bonus Round such a great success! Hoo Yaah Team AHPC!

If you're interested in seeing the voting results they can be found here.

Now, I hope you're all busy working on your submissions for our next theme round, 'Sport'. All entires are due by midnight this Saturday - I will have the gallery up next Sunday.

Cheers!

Curt