From MartijnN: Miscellaneous Models

Well, we did not have much of a winter over here, but now that Spring has arrived Winter is coming. At least this is what I saw looking out into the garden this morning:

Thinking back to the Challenge and my grandiose scheme and what came of it I realized that I am more of the squirrel type. So, as it is about time to get a first post in here are some models I mostly intended more for the Chambers of Challenge than for anything else. As  a matter of fact I rarely play anything other than the smaller scales, so these larger models  are not that likely to see a tabletop anytime soon. However, I liked painting them much more than I had expected, and that's a real bonus for me from taking part in the Challenge. Often, I consider painting more of a necessity than a fun activity in and of itself, and to my surprise this is starting to change somewhat!

First is a Stone Golem from the Scourge of Valtan Forest Kickstarter. I had originally planned to do him for the Golem's Haunt, but I could not get a decent print at first and then I came across the fake elephants and did those. However, thanks to a new printer I did get a good print so I painted him up. I am sure he will find use as a giant in Warmaster or Hordes of the Things. Nominally part of  a 28mm range he stands about 50mm tall so I will count him as a 28mm cavalry figure for 10 points.

Next up is a wolf from the same range. Painted in various shades of grey I am happy how he turned out. Not really fitting any of the chambers, but surely there must be a use for a wolf somewhere? If only for crying too often? One 28mm figure for 5 points.

For the Larder I entered a sitting Arabian merchant. The figure had a companion, a sitting beggar. Perhaps a good entry for the Hall of Ancestors? Didn't get there in the end. Just a very simple but fun figure, if only for its unusual subject. Like the merchant, from the Lovecraft Desert Adventures Kickstarter. 5 points.

Finally, a piece likely to see some tabletop use. It might have been entered for The Shrine, for it is a vicarage or rectory from Leven Miniatures, who come heartily recommended for quality of products and service. I really think that smaller scale terrain is a bit undervalued in the cube system used and that 6mm buildings might be better scored as vehicles or as a (somewhat) larger scale miniature. However, as this little house measures 4cm x 3cm x 3cm or 36 cm3 it is 36/3375 of a 20 points cube or 0,21 points. Let's be generous and count a full point.

So there you have it, 21 points. And away we are!

From MikeV: 6mm Portuguese Line Infantry and Cacadores

As a continuation of my current Peninsular project I have this week completed a further two regiments of Portuguese infantry - the 5th Line (First Elvas) and the 2nd Cacadores regiments. Both regiments belonged to the Second or Centre Division and carry the distinctive white standard.

I am now close to my 24 stand target for the Portuguese, with only four stands to go. At 20 stands strong, they are now the equivalent of a 7,200 force on table in Age of Eagles terms. I cannot say that I am pleased with my progress - it is quite possible to be much more productive when painting 6mm figures but I have other life stuff going on which obviously take away precious painting time. This week I hope to wrap up painting figures and concentrate on a few terrain items.

All figures from Baccus as usual.

Cheers all!

The two regiments completed this week

2nd Cacadores

5th Line Infantry

The full Portuguese complement

From MikeV: 1808 Portuguese in 6mm

Two more Portuguese regiments this week to bring up the total to three. These are the 10th Lisbon Line Regiment with white cuffs and the 14th Tavira Regiment with sky blue cuffs. The 10th carry the red Southern Region standard while the 14th bear the white Central Region one. My Portuguese force now totals twelve stands and 96 figures, giving a tabletop equivalent of 4,320 men. Another twelve stands to go before I reach my 24 stand target. As always, figures are from Baccus 6mm. This week I hope to add some Cacadores in their distinctive brown uniforms.  Until then, keep healthy.

14th Tavira (L) and 10th Lisbon (R) regiments

The 10th leading the 14th into battle

The two regiments joined by their comrades of the 4th (R)

The three regiments finished up to now

From MartijnN: More small scale scenery

For some reason I do not seem to be able to get any figures done. However, I still have lots terrain pieces to paint and I spent some time on those.

First up is a Russian village from Hagen Miniatures. Funny how 1/300 seems to be just as fluid a scale as any other. These models are decidedly small, even for 6mm. Also, they are not very detailed. However, as an assembly I think it works quite ok, and as long as there are no buildings in the immediate vicinity from other makes they should be alright. The trees are from Les Hammond's  Terrain Shed.

Next up, a 6mm French house from Battlescale. I really like their buildings, both in 6mm and in 10mm.

Then, some earthworks, also from Battlescale. They are nominally 10mm, but  I think they would work with 15mm as well. These were painted in the same shade of Citadel Contrast paint (Aggraros Dunes), but one over a grey primer and one over Wraithbone, GW's recommended shade of off-white. The difference is quite marked! I disliked the darker tone so much that I drybrushed some green and yellow over it. They''ll both do now I guess. The wood by the way is Wyldwood, which is one of the best colours in the range I'd say. Just applied straight from the pot, and the shadow effect is very good.

Finally, a 10mm cottage from Battlescale, the companion of the building I showed you earlier. This was also primed grey, which accounts from the sombre tone. I will not repeat that experiment, I suppose. Still, the end result looks ok.

That's all folks! Thanks for looking, and stay safe.

From Iannick : a bit of Epic Firepower

Work and spring garden stuff have seriously limited painting time in the last few weeks, but I did managed to finish a few more pieces for my Emperor Children legion.

So we have a Falchion super heavy tank and an infantry destroyer detachment. In 30K, the heavy weapons are concentrated in their own units, rather than spread out between tactical units. Makes for a rather murdery little detachment!

And then the pièce de résistance; the Falchion Superheavy tank destroyer. Armed with massive forward-firing twin-linked Volcano Cannons, ths beast is capable of destroying even the most heavily armoured vehicles in short order. These war-machines can even be used as Titan killers, and were widely deployed during the Horus Heresy to fight enemy Titans. 

It was my least favourite Superheavy design, but then I painted it and it might just have become my favourite one! I really like my work on it, it is a lovely looking sci-fi tank. It will fit in nicely with my other superheavies.

So there you have it for this week, have a nice one y'all!

From MartijnN: Some small scale scenery

Just to show that I have not completely fallen of the Quarantaine wagon (though hanging on by my fingernails) the two very small tasks that I managed to complete in the past weeks. A small 6mm/ 10mm wood from Chinese model trees from Wish, and some from Terrain Shed Wargaming, on a Warbases base:

And a small 10mm cottage from Battlescale using mostly Contrast paints. I gave it a wash with Army painter Strongtone which in retrospect perhaps was not the brightest idea. Still, it looks somewhat ok.

Thanks for looking and stay safe, even if less "lockdowned" now.

From MikeV : Portuguese 4th Line infantry regiment and other assorted stuff

This week was not a very productive one.  Having maintenance works done in one's home is a very tough distraction to beat so the painting desk lay pretty quiet. I only managed to put out the 4th Portuguese line Fieira regiment, a total of just thirty two figures.  As usual, they are in 6mm and from Baccus. The regiment carries a regimental colour and a red regional colour to indicate it is from the south of Portugal. The northern regiments carried yellow colours and the central ones carried white. More of these in future hopefully.  The flags are home printed from the excellent warflag.com website. In Age of Eagles the Portuguese are classed as two-rank impulse infantry (being British-trained), hence the mounting of the unit in two ranks as opposed to the Spanish and most other armies of the period which are in three.

 In the meantime, however, I managed to keep the post office busy. Over the last couple of weeks I got a handful of splendid books on heraldry and medieval times from Book Depository and ebay.  I also got roads and rivers plus an Italian farmhouse from Timecast Miniatures.  Most of this terrain should make it to my painting desk soon so that I can complete my Albuera battlefield.  Again, more of this in future.

 

Keep healthy everyone and keep up the great work!

From MikeV: And yet more 6mm Spanish!

Not a very productive week this one but at least I got the Spanish side ready for my planned Albuera refight. I put in seven infantry stands totalling 84 figures and four command stands with nine mounted senior officers, all Baccus 6mm as usual.

Command stands - three brigade and one divisional commander

 

 

16th Line Regiment Toledo in sky blue facings

And finally my favourite - a rag tag unit of militia and guerilleros

Must apologies for the picture quality.  Taken hurriedly in the blazing afternoon sun (already in the low thirties here today!) so didn't really have time to refine much.


Cheers all!

From TimG - 1/285 Scud TEL

Just finished two of these GHQ monsters.  Most of us will associate Scuds with the 1991 Gulf War but they’ve been around in various forms since the late 1950s. The Soviet designation for the missile is 8K14 and the TEL (transported/erector/launcher) vehicle is a MAZ-543. I recently discovered that MAZ still exists and continues to churn out heavy trucks in Minsk (Belarus).
I appreciate that opportunities to field a system with a range of 700km may be limited, but that’s no reason not to have one. Or two.
And yes, the missile should be the same green as the TEL but where would be the fun in that?

From TimG - BAOR Blowpipe AAGM teams

As part of my current project to finish various Cold War bits I have here are a couple of British Army of the Rhine Blowpipe teams. In my NBC game they represent platoon-size units. The figures are GHQ and were painted last week. The Landrovers are Heroics and Ros models which I  painted in the early 1980s!
Both Landies are 109 LWB Series threes - a standard pickup body on the left and a FFR (fitted for radio) hardtop on the right.

From TimG - 1S12 ‘Long Track’ radar

Bit of a cheek this - a whole post just for one 1/285 scale model!  But it is a big ‘un. The 1S12 (NATO reporting name ‘Long Track’) was the target acquisition radar for the SA-4 Krug AA missile system. But far more importantly it looks pretty damn cool. This is a C in C model and came in five parts. If it looks a bit squint that’s because I dropped the damned thing on the floor during painting. The (acrylic) paint is Humbrol Grass Green over a black undercoat, painted over with a wash of water with a tiny bit of black in it, a drybush of Vallejo light mud and finally a scoosh of matt spray varnish.

From MikeV: More 6mm Peninsular War Spanish

At the very real risk of boring you all to death, here is my output for this week; three 1808 Spanish Regiments in 6mm from Baccus.  The regiments are the 9th Cordoba (red facings), the 24th Navarra (dark blue) and the 18th Burgos (green). These units have beefed up the Spanish forces considerably and I am now only seven infantry stands short of the required 35 to refight Albuera. After reaching the Spanish quota I will then start working on the Portuguese forces. I need 25 Portuguese  infantry stands which I reckon should be done in a couple of weeks' time at the current rate. Following that, only some terrain finishing touches will remain. Anyway here are the units completed this week.

The three regiments : Cordoba (L), Navarra (C), and Burgos (R). 144 figures in all.

The three regiments in the foreground with the rest of their Spanish comrades. In Age of Eagles terms that is a force of around ten thousand infantry, two thousand cavalry, and thirty six guns.

In the meantime take care and good health to all.

From TimG - Soviet Independent Tank Brigade, 1980s

A bit of a change of scale now - and the first 6mm toys I’ve completed for about 8 years!
Having taken new interest in my NATO Brigade Commander (NBC hereafter) game of late, I’ve been revisiting some drawers full of bits and pieces to see if I could assemble any complete units. There was actually more than I thought so I’m currently focussed on the Cold War units. This means that we have French and West German (remember them?) units coming soon, but for now here is a ‘quick win’ in the shape of an Independent Tank Brigade. These models have actually been painted and part based for some years so I only had to finish off the basing and do some touching in of the paint. 
In NBC, most stands represent NATO-style companies so Warpact tank battalions usually merit only two stands. The three tank battalions of the ITB, however, each have five 10-tank companies so I’ve represented them by three stands each. Other Brigade assets are companies of AA, engineers, recce and HQ.  The tanks are T-80U by GHQ, with other models by Heroics & Ros, Scotia, and ISM. The stands are 30x40mm cut from artists mounting board. The little squares  in the rear of the bases are bits of magnetic strip to allow the attachment of strength point markers if the toys are used in my Megablitz game. 

From MikeV: Baccus 6mm 1808 Spanish units

Following last week's Mediterranean BUA's I got the urge to continue with my Spanish 6mm army so I fished them out of the war chest and painted up a few units, more precisely six foot artillery batteries, the Maria Luisa hussars, Regimiento del Rey heavy cavalry, Lusitania dragoons and Zaragoza line infantry.  All units are painted with 1808 uniforms and are based for Age of Eagles.

Six foot batteries and Maria Luisa hussars

Red dolman and Sky Blue pelisse for the hussars - very colourful uniforms!

The artillerymen are no less colourful in their blue uniforms with red facings and blue grey guns

Rey heavy cavalry on left, Lusitania dragoons in the centre and Zaragoza line infantry on right

Infantry flags from Baccus, cavalry standards are hand painted

The Zaragoza regiment kept their 1802 blue uniforms, unlike the usual white for the line infantry

And a final group picture of the whole lot

Next week I will be pressing on with more Spanish units with a solo replay of Albuera in mind sometime in the future.


Good health to all