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 Barks: Arco-flagellants

I needed to paint something a little different, so pulled these Arco-flagellants from lead mountain. These are from the uncomfortable darker side of 40K- mind-wiped condemned citizens fitted with melee weapons and stim-pumps who can be unleashed in combat to achieve their death.

I can use them in Blackstone Fortress as well.

JTinQT - Week Six - Swiss XBow Skirmisher

Dear All,

Pretty pathetic single figure post again this week. In this years painting challenger I did a Swiss skirmish unit for Basic Impetus. This was a two figure unit base but decided skirmishers look better with three figures so just painted and added another in - luckily it fitted nicely in the middle space so an easy job to add in.

Think this figure is from Wargames Foundry - an old Perry sculpture. Well think all Foundry are old sculpts aren't they? Anyway just a little job out of the way.

Cheers Jez. 

From GrantH: Chindit Officers and NCOs

Now that my final exams are over, I finally have time to begin working on my backlog of minis! Most recently, this has taken the form of finally starting to work through my collection of pacific theater troops from WW2. Up first are a small group of Chindits of the "Forgotten Army" from Warlord Games. I quite liked working on the character models of some of the better known officers, and they will certainly go on to add some flair to my Bolt Action or Chain of Command Games.

 Major Bernard Fergusson (left) and Lieutenant George Albert Cairns (Right)

Ferguson was an officer attached to a Black Watch unit in the Chindits and Lieutenant Cairns was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for exceptional courage in the Burma campaign. Both are individuals with exploits worth reading about.

Radio operator and Major-General Orde Wingate, the officer responsible for the creation of the Chindit forces.

Chindit NCOs

Medic and another NCO

Next up I will probably have more pacific theater troops to present or perhaps some vikings that I have been slowly working through for a change... 

AdamC: USS Congress

The Second Ship from you US Fleet Box is the USS Congress built in Portsmouth New Hampshire.  She was one of the original six and was built in New Hampshire because Washington wanted to use the six frigates as a foundation for the navy in more ways than one.  He wanted to spread the know-how and facilities to build warships thought out the country.

The Congress is one of the officially 36-gun but always latter called 38-gun frigates. She is somewhat smaller than her consort the President.  Historically the two ships sailed together often doing two cruises in company during the war of 1812.  The Congress never found an opportunity for a dramatic single ship action but captures several British Merchants and caused the Admiralty no end of anxiety.  The two ships would have been something like the Bismarck and Prince Eugene lose in the North Atlantic except without radar and air search to help out.

Her Figurehead is an American Eagle with a Star above it head and several additional stars tailing from its tail.

Here you can see her stern with her name and coat of arms.  This part is cast in metal and looks very sharp.

The Historic Congress may not have had an exciting battle career but she is off to a good start on the table as fellow AHPC member John Michael took her helm Tuesday night and used her to good effect engaging two French frigates. 

From PeteF: More Minifigs! Rehabbing Artillery. Basing Nassau - lots of Nassau.

That was a lot of flocking

This week's hobby task has seen more progress on the Quatres Bras project. First, I finished off repainting three French Foot Artillery guns with crews. The gunners and guns were pretty banged up so I repainted them. I've got some infantry in the pipeline from the same source - and I think I'll strip the paint in future - Simple Green does a great job on old lead.

Second, I decided to base/flock the Nassau infantry - five battalions plus a bunch of extra stands for when I want to play them as big battalions. Some of these troops were loose and some were on card bases that my brother did. I decided to keep these by varnishing them before white glue and flocking. I experimented on some of them with gesso. They seem very solid now - we'll see how they hold up with wargaming.

The Nassauers were all painted by my dad. I love the look of Minifigs and his style of painting them - all humbrols from tiny pots in the pre-acrylic days when the study, if not the whole house, smelled of turpentine. My research has revealed one problem - all these Nassauers are in green uniforms - 2 battalions (the Orange Nassau regiment) wore the standard blue Dutch uniforms. I do have some dutch that I could use. Or Maybe I could do a speculative flag with "Suck it button counters" in dutch.  I don't think anyone will notice either way.

Sorting out the Nassauers prompted me to inventory the Anglo Allied army to see what I have here and what is still in the UK - and whether all the dutch militia battalions are represented - a closer inspection of the filing system reveals that perhaps a few of them are under-manned - am I going to have to paint up some Dutch as well French to recreate Quatres Bras? The plan for the troops still in the UK was to bring most of them over on my next trip - but now that's looking like a long way into the future.

All Eight Battalions with some extras - ready to be transported to the battle

from RayR 15mm Hovels - European Buildings

Its about time I put up something new up that I've painted during the  lockdown.

I've had these collection of Hovels buildings for a few years now, I bought them at a show all prepainted. I've given them all a new coat of paint as they were all previously painted the same dull beige colour.

What with the plastic houses I picked up at a show a while ago, I've enough buildings for a extremely large town.

Stacks more than I actually need, but you know what its like........

I was going to try and keep track of the points I'd earn with these in the Challenge.

But can't work it out???

Any ideas?

There are 13 buildings in all.