Paul D's April contingent - More Ashigaru (170 points)

I'll be honest, after my initial enthusiasm with this challenge I'm really struggling to complete leaders month, so I'm throwing another batch of troops to simply make the cut for this month with a few extras and overs from my previous efforts to give a little variety to the final selection. A single mono-pose figure from the original C series collection.

 

 Here they are with a little colour behind the ears.

Finally, with the missing one and their mates.

Here's hoping I can complete the task, see you next month.

Paul D's March post - My wild-card month (645 points)

The way to hell is paved with good intentions - mine was learning quite quickly over the preceeding months that I may have set myself a hard goal for the month of April, which was to be my leaders month with a planned five magicians, ten samurai and five monks, I therefore intended to bring forward the painting of the five magicians and monks to March with the planned archers thus ensuring I can give the samurai the TLC they deserve in April.

Unfortunately, at the start of March I fell ill, as did most of my family with a heavy cold which left us all with a hacking cough, which meant I fell behind with work as well as my painting - I'm therefore going to throw my joker into the ring and give you what I can from my extras and overs and what I've managed to spread a little paint over in March.

First up the monks as they're a fairly straight forward paint-job being mostly half naked and thus simple to apply a lick of paint, managed to rattle them off fairly quickly.

http://solegends.com/citc/c005orientals/index.htm

A scattering of Ashigaru.

A ninga to be hidden somewhere with the army, to be called upon when required!

A half a dozen mounted samurai to add a touch of speed to this otherwise collection of footsoldiers.

Finally, here's a progress shot of the magicians, I hoping to finish them before the end of the month, but suspect I'll be carrying them over into April.

 So here's a group shot of my offering for March.

Paul D's February post rank and file (R&F) for OWAC V (100 points)

Following my first post, Ian requested I post my intended list, I assume to confirm - I'll hit the minimum of a thousand points for the challenge, as my first months total was originally only eighty points! Also, to stop me adding more to beat Mr Beale in an arms race, so here's my minimums, based on Ravening hordes:-

Planned target for January - R&F, ten archers, with light armour and longbows at ten points each - one hundred points

Planned target for February - R&F, ten archers, with light armour and longbows at ten points each - one hundred points

Planned target for March - R&F ten archers, with light armour and longbows at ten points each - one hundred points

Planned target for April - Leaders ten samurai, with two-handed swords, light armour and longbows at fiftysix points each - five hundred and sixty points; five magicians at fiftyfive points each - two hundred and seventyfive points and finally five warrior monks with two-handed weapons (bamboo canes) for thirtyeight points each - for one hundred and ninety points.

Planned target for May - R&F ten retainers, with light armour and two-hands weapons at eight points each - eighty points.

Planned target for June - Elites, ten samurai, with two-handed swords, light armour and longbows at fiftysix points each - five hundred and sixty points

Which gives me a planned minimum of one thousand nine hundred and sixty five plans. But, following last year's efforts I won't just do that, I'll go overboard painting a load more - a couple of cannon, a few  mounted samurai, more foot samurai, a handful of ninjas (As our oppressive overlord appears to think every Nippon army should have at least one!) and a whole lot more retainers to give me a little variety when basing up my mono-pose C series on multiple bases each month, and where that little lot takes me points wise, if, I was to include them in the minimum build I've no clue, or care, as I'll only be counting the monthly minimum contingent.

So, here we have my published rank and file contingent for February - another ten archers, with light armour and longbows for a hundred points, These lads will be playing the part of faithful retainers to Lord Taik-is-ed following his hasty departure into exile from Nippon into a life of a sell sword. As his neighbours realized he had been sowing discontent between them for years to maintain his strangle hold of the local grain market, whilst they raided/ambushed each anothers fiefs and retainers, destroying crops and stores to inflate to cost of grain, thus filling his coffers. 

First applications of flesh base coats, in other words splashing it about a bit!

Base coats to clothes and armour.

Next stage - applying a wash of seraphin sepia and a few high-lights.

Finding a touch of detail - lacing, eyes etc.

Sticking them on bases with a few of my extras and over from last month to add a little variety to the overall look of the unit and a fresh coat of goblin green to each base, topped off with a scattering of flock. 

An occassional scattering of sand to follow and then a heavy splash of varnish to finish them off.

So, on with the next batch of extras and overs, until March and the next batch of archers.

Paul D's January rank and file post for OWAC V (100 points)

Please find below pictures of my initial splashing of paint over rank and file miniatures for OWAC V, these will be playing the part of retainers for my Nippon army for a large game I'm planning to put on at BOYL 2023, yes, this is a very small part of a much larger project.

I'm drawing inspiration from the Osprey - men at arms series, Samurai amries 1550 - 1615AD by SR Turnbull and illustrated by Richard Hook and the Osprey, elite series, Early Samurai 200 - 1500AD by Anthony Bryant and illustrated by Angus McBride. I'm sure my efforts will prove dis-appointing when compared with either set of colour plates, I can, but, try.

A series of pictures of my initial duabing of base colours over my first batch of rank and file archers, followed with a bit of highlights, detail, washes, based and varnished.

I've added a few additional figures from this months 'extra and overs' when basing, so that I can mix in the mono-pose 'C' series figures to give a selection of different poses on the multi-bases. This will give me total of ten figures for January at ten points each, giving a total of a hundred points.

 Final series of pictures following the addition of flock and gravel with pva glue.

So 10 archers + light armour = 100 pts

 Next month more archers.

Paul /Golgfag1 OWAC V initial post

Following the painting of lots of girls with varying degrees of success, in last year's OWAC IV.

Welcome to my initail mumblings on what I plan to be painting for this year's challenge, over the coming months - Oriental heroes from the C05, C series and other similar miniatures by the original designers the Perry twins. Not a popular group of figures from the series, I tend to think Games Workshop never really invested either a great deal of time or effort in promoting them in those early days as I'm sure they never really saw themselves as the global company they are today, so the incentive was never really there and they've now been lost to the mists of time or at least to Wargames Foundry.

 http://www.solegends.com/citc/c005orientals/index.htm & http://www.solegends.com/citc/c005specialists/index.htm

So, why am I bothering - I have a cunning plan, nothing as epic as Boldric's! To put on a large game at the tenth aniversary of  BOYL in 2023, where I provide all the figures, terrain and scenario (as I did something similar at the first BOYL) over three days, but this time I invite players to take the rolls of the various commanders of the contingents taking part and these fellows will be playing the role of the rescue party of the 'missing' maidens ! This will be the smallest contingent, but very hard hitting, with lots of heroes. Hence, in this challenge you won't be seeing me splash paint over hundreds of figures, but, hopefully gracing  a few with a degree of skill I don't often apply when producing an army - alas, time and my photos will show how successful I'am.

So, first up are a selection of archers which will form part of a company, these are a combination of Perry miniatures and the original C series.

Next, more archers, same details as previous.

Just to be consistent the third month will also be more archers, the miniature mix-in fairly well and I like the option of personal back-banners the Perry miniatures provide to the overall look.

 I'm toying with either having a mixture of banners or producing my own - again, time will show which way that cat jumps.

By the fourth month, I'm fairly sure, I won't want to see another archer, so it'll be heroes, a mixture of magicians, specialists and lords.

If, I have the time at this stage I may also have a go at these Grenadier and early Citadel leaders and banners

Which brings me to month five, where I hope the paint a few Ashigari.

Yes, boring single pose figures, which I hope to vary with my colour choices, although I don't see that making a great deal of diffence to be honest. Thus, this is also where I'll add all the other figures I've painted of the preceeding months and haven't posted to give me a bit of variety to the posing and basing of these contingents!

Month six, will hopefully see me add a little paint to a few samurai figures

My offering to take part in this challenge is something pink and baby blue, enjoy!

Thus the journey begins, where it leads us, time will tell.