From TomM: MS-07B Gouf

The latest addition to my Future War Commander "Open Market" aka Gundam force, the good old Gouf mass produced mobile suit.

While more close combat orientated then the ZAKU, to which it lost out to become the suit of choice for the Principality of Zeon, it is often a suit used by officers and aces.

The model itself is a 1/400 scale Gasaphon (capsule toy) made by BanDai in the same sort of soft plastic like the various Clix systems, and has been repainted from it's pre-paint (albeit correct) colour scheme and based to be used on the tabletop.

While 6mm is actually 1/300, these models look far better with the terrain often used for those games, and they can serve perfectly as well in the Mobile Suit Gundam skirmish game, something I`m looking into trying out solo one of these months.

Now to pick one of the many classes in the armylist to represent it with...

From Curt: 'Baba Yaga' - John Wick @ 1:05:48

Hi All!

When I saw that Spectre Miniatures had issued a limited edition figure of John Wick I knew I had to snap one up. While I've not been especially enamoured with the overall trilogy (silly assassin meta and increasing bloat), I really enjoyed the first movie's brutal simplicity.

While I was cleaning up the figure, getting it ready for priming, I was trying to recall what Wick's shirt colour was when this scene was shot. I knew he wore a white collared shirt in the earlier bar scenes, but I was pretty sure he changed to all black later in the film. 

1:05:48

So, for a bit of fun, I decided to spin up Netflix and watch the movie again to see if I could both sort out the shirt colour and also spot the moment where the pose originates. Sure enough, at 1:05:48 he's seen swapping his assault rifle for a pistol in his now iconic black suit.

For painting him I used thin layers of dark grey over a black base. Should have been easy but was fiddly as heck.

Trying to photograph black on black is evil. I must have blazed through a hundred shots to get something workable. Thank goodness for digital cameras!

On a related note, a few people have asked what process I use for working on clear acrylic bases. Well, you can definitely use normal superglue to mount the figure, just be sparing with the glue and keep the finished work away from any moisture while it's curing as it will frost the acrylic base. A fire-and-forget approach is to use this GS E600 glue as it doesn't frost and gives good adhesion. I don't know what it's made of (I suspect ground unicorn horns and distilled pixie tears), but it works. I picked my tube up from GreenStuff World.

Mr. Wick will give me another 5 points, bringing me up to 50 overall. Gee, just 450 to go...

Thanks for dropping in!

Curt

From ClarenceH: Cameron Highlanders, Sudan 1885

When I decided to start this project, I knew I wanted to paint a highlander battalion. It would probably save me a huge headache to paint some 'standard' troops first, but there you go.

Here's my first test model... forgive the poor photography (I just used my phone rather than bothering to set up camera). I was pretty happy with the results until I saw the chap at 300%...  LOL! They should look good enough in a mob. I'll be using Perry Miniatures for the most part. I've decided to use Games Workshop paints rather than Foundry as I would normally do for historicals. They have really expanded their collection (there must be more than 30 shades of brown and tan - more if you stray into earthtone reds and yellows). I haven't varnished this model yet and I feel like that intensifies the colors and gives a smoother appearance, but I'll do that in batches when I have some more lads ready.

I agonized over what color to paint the jacket. The unit would have initially worn grey in the Sudan. New khaki uniforms were issued to all the troops in 1885, but the actual delivery of these supplies varied (some units didn't get enough to outfit the whole battalion and actually fought in mixed coats). Some units chose not to wear the new uniforms even when they received them. Finally, the Cameron Highlanders were one of several units ordered to wear their iconic red jackets at the Battle of Ginnis in December 1885. In the end, I chose khaki because that allowed me to prime the model with that color and supply base coats for the helmet, jacket, and spats all in one go.

My plans for the project is to use The Sword and the Flame, though the resulting collection will be flexible enough to use with any rule set (including Donnybrook). For those unfamiliar with the game, it is based on 20-model infantry and 12-model cavalry units, with a few extra leader figures for higher level formations.

My initial goal is a company of Cameron Highlanders. At the reduced scale for TSATF, that is two units of 20 (Lieutenant, Sergeant, and 18 Privates) plus a Captain and Master Sergeant.

There's more details on the project over at Quindia Studios as I wasn't sure how long of a rant to place here...

From BenitoM: Gallic Chariot for Infamy!

Second entry in the Quarantine Challenge: the first of four chariots of a Celtic Briton Chariot unit for "Infamy! Infamy!".

In these rules, chariots do not act as "shock" units but rather as "taxi cabs" to bring elite noble units into battle. This enables a quick deployment in the battlefield, but also facilitates withdrawing to recover if the unit accumulates excessive shock.

A Chariot unit comprises 3 chariots plus also a mounted leader. This particular model is a pretty old (late 80s or early 90s)25 mm metal Wargames Foundry Celtic Chariot, that has gone through the process of paint removal and repaint, as the rest of my army.

I had two of those old chariots, so I recenltly acquired two additional chariot models from a more modern design (and size) that currently are queuing in my painting tray to be completed.

From DrQ: First Post after a Slow Week

Hey all,

Longtime lurker but first time participant here, and I couldn't be more excited! Unfortunately, this has been a slow week for hobbying with only one piece finished and a half dozen more held up due to delayed packages and poor priming days.

So without further ado, I present to you my meager contribution for the week: Super Dungeon Explore's Masterclass Kringle from this past Christmas.

As a side note, my personal taste in painting runs somewhere between twee and weeb. You can expect to see a lot of anime and chibi from me over the weeks.

I have an entire chibi Adepta Sororitas Kill Team squad just waiting for some suitably 40k bases to come in the post. So hopefully my next post will be more robust.

From PeteF - Old School Napoleonics Finally Get Bases (0 points)

There's a big glass cabinet in my mum's house. It used to hold a good portion of my dad's 100 days campaign Anglo-Allied army. My brother was going to inherit this wonderful collection - there are a few thousand... I haven't yet counted them - but after his untimely passing the "bloody little soldiers" as my mum calls them came to me. Each time I visit I pack some regiments and bring them home. There are still 2 big shelves of the original five full of hussars, light dragoons and red coated infanty. They were painted by my dad in the 1980s and 1990s - humbrol paints with Ospreys for uniform guidance.

Before

These five battalions are from my last visit - the soldiers in the cabinet are lined up in rows with no bases. For wargaming I am putting them four to a 30x40 base, which will do for all the systems they are likely to play (for grand tactical games like Blucher I put 2 bases together - but I'm not sure 25mm is best for these games). I thought about going old school and basing them plainly but decided I like the look of flocking and static grass - so each base gets cat litter for texture and to hide the integral bases, medium brown ballast, blended green flock and some grass.

The troops were collected to represent the whole of Wellington's 100 days army on a ratio of 25:1. I have my dad's index cards - with a card for each unit detailing the models (mainly Minifigs and Hinchcliffe), where the unit was in the order of battle and so on. This has been useful figuring out what's what. Here are three battalions of Kings German Legion line infantry, a battalion of Hanoverian Landwehr and the 14th British Line (the Bucks). I kept the original faded and shiny flags for the 14th.

My Dad's meticulous Index Cards (note the letraset decals)

Some on display - most go to Really Useful Boxes - one day there'll be a wargaming room!

One of my main projects is to paint enough Frenchies to face off against this lot in a really big battle. I doubt I'll have it in me to do Waterloo (over 100 infantry battalions and many many dragoons, chasseurs a cheval and cuirassiers) but I'm slowly assembling enough foot sloggers to recreate Quatres Bras. Whatever happens with the larger project when quaratine is over these troops will be part of a bloody big battle with my wargaming friends. 

For the Quarantine Challenge I'm aiming to complete a hobby project each week - this is one that's been on the shelf since my last trip back to the Old Country in far off 2019.  There are still hundreds of red coats back in England - along with their commander. I agreed with my mum that when the time comes and the last troops leave their original home that Wellington will be the one last out.

From AlexS; anti depression (125 pts)

Hello to all! My name is Alexi and I had a paint depression. But you wrote me wonderful comments, gave good tips and just words of support. In addition, I watched your work and they inspired me. And here is my result of the exit from depression:

The first I painted a bone golem. He suited my mood. And it was both interesting and easy to do.

Then I relocated the cavalrymen whom I made during the year before last the challenge. Unfortunately, the time for large games with large bases passes, most of the games are small strikes for the pigsty. Therefore, I made the cavalry individual bases.

Many said that it is necessary to color the cowboys to get out of the depression, and I will do it!

Many said that it was necessary to paint civilians in the 18th century, and I did it!

But I still could not paint the African warriors. But still I came out of depression. Thank you all so much! This challenge was a great idea!

Paint miniatures and not get sick!

From StephenS: Captain Marvel

G'day All!

First off, I just want to say thank you to Curt for organising all of this right on the heels of the last painting challenge. It is just be what we need to take our minds off the world around us, even if it's only during the moments when have we have paint on our brushes.

My project this week has been another 40 mm plastic miniature from the Marvel: Crisis Protocol starter set by Atom Mass Games. This time it's Captain Marvel!

Stay healthy everyone!

Cheers,

Steve

From TimG - Romanian Bf-109E

Searching for 1/72 air support for my 1/32 Romanians, I spotted in a pile of unbuilt plastic this Hobbyboss kit of the Bf-109E-3. I remembered building a brace ofHobbyboss 109G a while back and that they had gone together very nicely. Confident that I had some crumbling Romanian decals, I opened the box for a look. Like the Gustav, it seemed a simple and well-moulded kit. But the best was yet to come as the box also included a set of Romanian markings!

Here is the completed Emil resplendent in Romanian markings and hastily posed ‘in flight’.