From JamesR - French Line Grenadiers and Random Minis (84 points)

Hello,

I've managed to paint half a small unit of Perry plastic French Grenadiers.  Here you can see the 13 of them marching somewhere.

Another angle of them still marching.  I frequently force march my French, because I am a cruel emperor.

I only painted two poses; the ones in their supposedly great coats.

The Perry plastic box has four poses of marching Grenadiers (or Voltiguers); I'll paint the two poses without said coats on, next.  There are two back pack options which will give the finished unit eight minor model variations.

 

I painted a few other minis too.  Some sort of thief or assassin, most likely from Ral Partha or Grenadier.  A John Conner model of unknown origin, whose face I ruined with drunken highlighting. It says John Conner on his base.  There's also two LotR GW Rohan leaders.

I found the two Rohan in a FLGS bits bin.  Eowyn's sword is managled and Eomir's is missing.  I'm going to pretend it's the invisible Elfin blade, Loirleilei.  Loirleilei is only mentioned once very briefly in the Silmarillion, one of the really awful back chapters that no one really reads, trust me.

From the back, it looks as it Eomir is waving a chocolate ice cream cone.  I've been meaning to give a friend this little terrain piece for many moons.

No!  The evil bad assassin is going to kill humanity's last hope.  Stop now, or you'll go on a forced march!

John's wearing a dark gray polyester twill blend two piece tactical combat suit.

John has a cute little robot head on his pre-manufactured base.

love and kisses,
Baconfat


From Curt:

James you always provide great work and an enjoyable read (though your 'love and kisses' closings makes me twitch a bit).  You know there's few things worse than an assassin who is both evil AND bad. Or perhaps you meant he's bad in the sense that he's not very good at being an assassin?  One thing for sure is that a polyester/twill two piece is BOTH bad and evil...

Also, I see that you've met your Challenge points target. Congratulations!  Now, go take your boys on a celebratory forced march, you cruel, heartless emperor you.  (And when you return let me know what you'd like to target for our last few weeks.) 

From DavidB - Something Big - 54mm 40K (50 Points)

So, a few weeks ago I found these fellows while spelunking for the rest of Blue Platoon. I really do not remember how I got them, I just recall that I shelved them as I did not like how my conversion of the Sgt Stone model went. It wasn't the whole conversion, but how I couldn't match up his hands in proportion.

I'll add the 7th insignia later after I get more ink for my rapidiograph pens. Sgt Stone was an impressive model(I have another to build stock) and I matched him up with a cyborg head from the guard bits that were also used extensively with these models. He is the command squads scout and has multiple knives, a warclub, and lasgun.

I used the gasmask head and backpack for the melta gun conversion of Sgt Dorian Black.

Any time you carry some special weapon in the military, you also get to carry all kinds of other special stuff...it probably started with the Romans! ;)

Sgt Black got the pointing arm swap from Major Jaxom. His knife came from the butchered Sgt Stone model. Major Jaxom got another arm and a hand swap for the inferno pistol. he also got the spiked power maul to keep the lads in line.

The trooper with the lasgun was converted from the other Major Jaxom model. But had the other Sgt Stone knife added and selected bits from the guard accessory bits.

I do have the Inquisitor rulebook, but I never played it with the 54mm figures, we just used our 40k stuff which we have a lot of. They are really nice models, but I have very recently discovered that they are very hard to find and very expensive. These fellows will probably just hang out in my display case as they are very fine sculpts, but have no foes.

I went with the red shoulder pads as the Major shares the same style patrol cap as Red Platoons leader(the col Schaffer model)

I did the piping on their body armor in blue to denote Infantry, The yellow cuffs denote command squad. Perhaps I should source some Cadian styled stuff to represent the 7th in epic scale.

"Run Away! Giants!"

a preview of the next submission and a scale indicator...

a note to Curt- I cannot take credit for the flock on these fellows as my 13yr old daughter did them while I flocked the other stuff, she really wanted to help. All the brushwork is mine. Also Nobody selected my challenge of including Native Americans in their forces...Here be another tribesman you cowards! ;)

From Curt:

Wow, I haven't seen these Inquisitor models for years - awesome! I can't imagine the price they must command on eBay these days. Yikes.

You did a great job on them David (and so did your daughter with the groundwork). The Native American indian conversion is suitably ferocious. Also, I really like the Union cavalry uniform colours you gave them - they just need a yellow trouser stripe and a blonde, long-haired officer to properly send them off to their doom. 

From AdamC - 15mm ACW Dismounted Cavalry (68 Points)

These are Bluemoon 18mm figures that will serve as my dismounted cavalry troops for my Union Longstreet Army.

The troops have too many men using pistols for my taste but they do make it easy to see which unit is dismounted cavalry and who is infantry.

 The Bugler with his yellow lace tunic was a bit hard to get right but really looks cool.

 The color guards bearers are carrying flags from four States.

 Pennsylvania

 Rhode Island (this one will also work as a good generic flag)

 This is the guidon of a Massachusetts Cavalry regiment

This butterfly flag is for a New Jersey regiment its a rather interesting embalm for a military unit.


From Curt:

I agree Adam, for dismounted cavalry they have an inordinate amount of pistols being brandished but you've done an excellent job on them. I especially like the 'tour' of the four state banners, particularly the butterfly motif from the boys from New Jersey. What is the background to that I wonder?

From AlanD - 6mm ECW Royalist Horse (54 Points)

Very unproductive week here at Casa Homunculorum. We're in that start of the school year time where most evenings are taken up with meeting and greeting new parents and other treats for the socially anxious. 

I did manage to get six bases of Royalist Horse finished for Man Cave Paul's army. Little 6mm horses are soooooooo cute. 

Not sure I've really nailed painting 6mm. I'm fine with the detail, but overall the figures don't seem to 'pop' as much as others (cough, Tamsin). Any hints? 

Anyway, here they are, ready to sell their lives dearly in defence of the precious values of birth, wealth and privilege. Note the scruffy battle line as they discard any semblance of discipline and order and charge at something that looks like it might be a fox. Oh, and that's 54 figures, which I think is 54 points?

From Curt:

Lovely work Dux! I like how you've based these in ragged lines as it gives a much more natural feel to the units. If there is one thing I can suggest for painting these little fellas is to amp-up the colours and lighten your palette as their smaller scale benefits from brighter colours. If you go 'too historical' in their colours they will have a tendency to blend into the groundwork. Just my two pfennigs. :)

From ByronM - Back to the Great War and My Painting Desk (95 Points)

Wow, it has been a while since my last post, other than the fortnight challenge pieces.  Sorry for the lack of output during the Challenge, work has been extremely busy and stressful, and its been hard to get motivated for more than the challenge pieces (which I have been having a lot of fun with).

Anyway, last year I started working on some Great War 28mm figures for both Canadian and German forces.  I finally got back on track and got 2 more rifle sections completed for the 10th Battalion force that I am working on.  Just 1 more section to go on them, hopefully to be done before the end of this Challenge.

Here they are, 2 sections each of 8 riflemen and a Big Man.  Also included is another command figure that I found sitting around for my 16th battalion, you can see him in the background with his glengarry hat.  The colours and uniforms are the same so I included him in this batch of painting, making a total of 19 models. 

Most of the figures are either Great War or Musketeer/Footsore, both of which are excellent quality, and almost exact matches for scale.

I haven't had time to create cards (or even research names for the officers) just yet, but will sometime soon so that they can be used in the Through the Mud and the Blood game.  These 19 figures should give me 95 points, and bring me a little closer to my goal, which I have been slacking on.

Also, since everyone has been showing off their painting areas, and asking others about them, I figured I would include mine here.

To try and keep everything organized, I initially made shelves for my paints, however over time I collected too many and they were 2-3 layers deep and I could never find anything.  So when I got the laser cutter last year, I decided to make some paint organizers that fit into the shelves and allowed me to see the paints and grab them easily.  Some are different sizes, as I was playing with the design a bit, but I just kept the test cuts anyway as I like the little space at the end of each row for other shaped bottles.

Also on the table is a pair of miniature stands I did up, to mount figures to instead of holding them by the base while painting them.  For years I have used dowel, but just rested them on the table, and a few times have had them fall over and chip figures.  Problem solved.

I also have a pair of oak drawer units that my dad made for me. They hold all my tools, decals, flocking, magnets, and more.  I even have two more tucked away in my miniature closet to keep other bits and pieces in that are not used that often.  They help keep everything organized and appeases my OCD.  He has even made a few for friends in the past.

And for Curt, who likes seeing whats coming up... This was taken while my Satan figure was in progress, as well as these Canadians.  However, if you look on the painting rack, there are a bunch of 28mm French Napoleonic figures in progress (although they haven't progressed much further).

Anyway, hope you all like the figures, and my painting space.


From Curt:

Wonderful stuff Byron! Those Great War Canadians look absolutely brilliant. Such clean lines and great shading - your typically excellent brushwork. I really look forward to seeing these fellows on the tabletop when I come out to visit next. 

Your painting desk is a thing of wonder as well. I have the same lights (Costco rocks) and can attest to their brilliance (literally). I also like your various organizational drawers and dowel holders. And I may have to get you to make me some of those paint dropper slot thingys - they're the absolute dog's dangles.

From AdamC - 15mm WWII Bazooka Teams (8 Points)

So these were painted for last week but I had not had the chance to finish the bases.

Nothing to fancy here just standard US uniforms mostly mid-war colors and gears. The Bazooka is the US AT weapon for infantry men and needs no introduction any one who plays us infantry or faces US infantry know there is no such thing as too many Bazooka Teams.

One of the guys has a leather jacket just to a slightly different look

I am racing to see if I can get my stuff for this week finished but it will be close.  Until then we have 4 15mm figures for 8 points. A true point spit-wad if ever there was one :)


From Curt:

Ah, but these 8 points were  just enough for you to pip past Ian for 8th place, so no mean victory there! Good job on these.
 

From DaveD - Sudan Campaign Field Hospital (30 Points)

Well after the predicted madness that has been February so far, things are easing off (I apologize to the other Challengers for my lack of comments over the few weeks as it has been epically manic), and I can start winding up some painting again.

That kind chap Millsy sent me a present in way of consolation for our last little challenge , some rather fine 6 man bell tents from Grand Manner. I decided to make these into the field hospital section. They are now complete and of course score zero points. To complete the field hospital we have the Ambulance camels (by Redoubt )and another Medical Officer tending a casually ( Empress Miniatures Zulu war set,that only needed the cuff detail removing). So minimal points,but the Man Cave is once more a hive of productivity.

 So its 1 28mm figures, 5 casualties, and two camels.

So Mrs Mills..2500 ... it was a mere flesh wound - "The Black Knight " never surrenders!! 3500 it shall be!

I will leave you to contemplate the strains of "Thin Lizzy".. The Boys are Back...

I am off to twirl my brushes..and do a stock up of bases and tufts - again!

From Curt:

Oh wow, those stretcher bearing camels are brilliant! Love em. Again, more wonderfully evocative terrain from Grand Manner - while his taste in music is questionable, that Millsy fellow is a fine chap indeed.

A 3500 point challenge?! Cripes, okay Mr. Mills are you in for a final dash to the finish?

From AnneO' - Two Bots are Better than One (10 Points)

Why are two bots better than one?  Because two bots earns me 10 Pulp points, whereas one bot would only earn me five.

These two bots were speed paints, which is something I've never done before. But with the Slump Monster lurking about, I had to act fast. Therefor I slammed these two out in one hour and didn't give a fig about how they turned out.

They are from Bombshell Miniatures, stand at 28mm and were sculpted by Patrick Keith.

As you've probably noticed the second bot is missing a hand. I suspect that Kitty Fang knocked it off the painting table. It's too cold for her to go out of doors so she is inside drinking my paint water, laying on my brush mat and generally making a nuisance of herself.

These figures are worth 10 points.  This gives me a total of 30 Pulp points. Now I don't know how many points I will earn for my last Themed entry, but I'm not counting bonus points for this duel.


From Curt:

These may have been fast Anne, but they still very good. I particularly like the teal/blue glowing panels on the lower bots 'ankles'. 

Hmm, so where are we at for our Pulp Points?  You have 30, I think I have 25,  how many does Simon have? Hmm, I sense I better get a wiggle on or I'm going to get completely smoked in this challenge!