From AndyM: 28mm SYW Imagi-Nation Regiment der Altefritzenburg (130 points)

From Andy:

Part of the reason for entering the Challenge this year was as a driver for a big 28mm ImagiNation game I'll be playing in May for which I've committed (more likely over-committed!) to paint a lot of 28mm SYW types to expand my existing ImagiNation Army of Altefritzenburg. My battalions are organized in companies of twelve with three musketeer and one grenadier company to a unit, officers out front and a stand with ensigns, drummer and NCO. So here are the first two musketeer companies of the Erste Regiment der Altefritzenburg.

The figures are RSM Austrian musketeers. These are the preferred choice for the bulk of my units. However, I'll be using Minden for command figures so the two officers out front are Minden Austrians. 

Beautiful work Andy! I love these figures with their green goats and red turnbacks and cuffs - wonderful. I have a bunch of Minden castings waiting in the wings and seeing yours makes me chomp at the bit to get stuck into them. I'll also have to check out these RSM models as they look quite fine as well. Thanks for showing these to us.

The Erste Regiment der Altefritzenburg will give Andy 130 points.

From AndyM: 15mm ACW Union Cavalry (113 points)

Andy gets some traction in the points roster by tucking these Union cavalry under his belt.

From Andy:

Many moons ago, late 90's I think, I went to the Edinburgh Wargames Show (Claymore) and on the bring and buy spotted a large 15mm ACW Union army. These were all 2nd Gen Minifigs and based for Fire and Fury. The paint job was simple but neat.  I then managed to acquire a 15mm Confederate army from my mate Billy in Birmingham. I re-based  them and had great plans for ACW gaming! The Union army was lacking cavalry and somehow I never got round to painting any of the numerous unpainted packs that came with it and eventually the project fell to the wayside so I sold the lot back to Billy! Fast forward 13 years or so and the arrival of Sam Mustafa's Longstreet rules and the desire to give ACW a go again! I bought the lot back off Billy and sorted the unpainted stuff out and there was enough to do a basic 8 stand cavalry unit.

I couldn't match the blue used on the originals (and thought it too dark anyway) so upon some research amongst friends tried Vallejo Dark Prussian Blue and Prussian Blue on a sample next to an original:

Happy enough with this I went ahead with the the main lot. I had decided to keep them simple and over black undercoat just painted round straps etc. (Thanks to Loki for the Vallejo Black Surface Primer recommendation). I eventually decided they looked too plain so added a Ogryn Flesh Wash and assorted washes on the horses. And the cross swords on the kepi to give a little contrast:

I knew I needed dismounted versions. Although there were about a dozen already done I decided the difference in colour was too much so repainted the lot!

And obviously I needed a symbolic horse holder stand as well. And took the chance to do one for the Confederate cavalry as well:

And here they are in two ranks.

Flags are by GMB (which were fiddlier than I thought in 15mm!). All figures are Minifigs 2nd Gen although there are a couple of 3rd Gen horses in there (e.g. dismounts and command) and I think the horse holders may be Lancashire Games?

I've also finished rebasing all the Confederates so in theory could go for a game. However I think I might want to re-base all the Union to match first... :)

Now, where are all those 28mm figures I need to do!

Wow, this project has gone through enough hands so lets hope with these great new additions they will take root and see a game! Great work Andy. ACW cavalry is always such a big job as they served both mounted and dismounted roles so you HAVE TO do both. I quite like the blues you've used and will have to try this out in the future in my own collection.

These damn horse yankees will give Andy 113 points. Well done!

AndyM: 28mm SYW Limbered Artillery (90 Points)

First, my apologies for those in the queue waiting for their entries to be posted. For some reason Blogger is being very obstinate for me these past few days. I'm getting odd errors which are taking an inordinate amount of time to work through and is causing delays in getting pages posted. Please bear with me...

From Andy:

These are the limbers and bits I needed to add to a collection of beautiful figures give to me last November. I'll be posting them on my blog soon. To supplement them I wanted to do limbers for the guns and a colonel. The entry for the challenge just consists of the limbers themselves and the Master of Artillery. The limbers and horse are Irregular, the drivers are Minden (lovely figures) and the Master is Irregular. He is much bigger then the others but I have a backstory to explain his giant size!

I've attached pics of the full battery 'in transit'. I THINK the guns are Foundry but not sure. The guards are Huzzah Miniatures from Fighting 15s. You can also see the Minden colonel I painted as commander of this new contingent.

The 'guard' bases have a curved front to allow the gun to 'bend' when in column of march. An idea shamelessly stolen from my mate Essex Boy!

Not a huge entry but it gets me in double figures and clears the decks for the main effort...

More coming soon!

Lovely work Andy those Huzzah figures are gorgeous and the Minden stuff is superb as well. I also quite like that curved base idea (I'll be stealing that, thank you!).  So, what is the backstory for the difference in scale with the Master? 

This excellent battery of guns will give Andy 90 points. Well done!

From AndyM: 25mm Imagi-Nation Grenadier Company Officer of the Savage Swans (5 points)

Andy marches onto the Challenge points roster with this great Grenadier Officer.

From Andy:

Well, I say entry. It's only one figure! I've been meaning to rebase (and paint the extra figures needed) for my Savage Swans from my Altefritzenburg ImagiNation for quite a while and finally got round to it. I'd hoped to get them done before the Challenge started. And I did. Except when I started basing them I realised I was a figure short!!! 

So here he is. Officer for the grenadier company. Figure is 25mm RSM SYW Austrian (as are the whole unit). I've included a picture of him in his place in the line.

It's a start! :)

Well Andy, every journey begins with a single step and now you're officially on the path to your 1K target. This very fine officer of the Savage Swans (I really like his green cuffs and turnbacks) will give Andy 5 points for his entry onto the roster. Well done Andy!