From: TomL, CSA & the High Priestess for 210 points

I partially painted several confederate sprues of Warlord Epic while on vacation leaving the fiddly stuff for home.  This is the last of those that will make the challenge. This is the 5th Texas:

 

 

Eventually I will dig up another metal command strip and paint up a second command stand in this uniform and split this large group into two regiments.

Painted in a similar way to previous regiments, this currently larger unit of 100 figures * 2 points is worth 200 points.

I realized I hadn’t painted a single Bob Murch Female Adventurer this challenge.  Obviously the only thing to do was to grab a few from primed pile.  So I present some misunderstood, often underestimated female cultists.  The High Priestess and her equally evil assistant:

The dagger was painted with a dark purple/green color shifting paint that obviously does not like an overhead led light. Two 28mm cultists for 10 points.  Duels remain unchanged. 

Skulls - 21
BSRoD - 42
Squirrels: 8 

Thanks again Sylvain for your attentive and supportive minioning as well as the others on the minion team who bounced all over as needed, and of course Curt & Sarah.  All the work that goes into organizing and supporting the challenge is deeply appreciated.  It was fun. 
Cheers,
Tom 

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A great final entry, Tom. While I very much admire your Reb infantry, I have to say my heart is with those Bob Murch female cultists (those sculpts are so characterful). Such a tough gig, being a cultist, but you've made them quite glamorous here. Well done! 

Until next time! 

- Curt

From TomG - On The March To Salem via Arda - 640pts and lots of ACW (Arda) (Sarah's Yacht)

Hey all, I have returned with many figures to share with you all. I have however decided to go no further on the planet rings until my American Civil War project is finished, and yet I wanted to get the outer ring completed. 

So here we are, first port of call is a trip on Sarah's Yacht with this female mouse figure out of the board game "Mice & Mystics", measuring in at the 28mm mark. 

Although not my favourite model I have ever painted, it went quickly and, I feel, turned out quite nicely. Sadly it wasn't until too late that I noticed the photos are slightly out of focus... whoops. 

But with this ticket bought (properly this time) I shall sail all the way to Arda, and bring out this fantastic Highlander Cow, which admittedly is my wife's, but I was given permission to paint it for her. 

He was a delight to paint, and a fun challenge to get the hair as ginger as possible. This was also my first time painting tartan, and it was both terrifying and fun, all at the same time. 

Now on to the project at hand! To join in with the two stands of Union troops from last week, I bring you the final 60 Yankees. Again all of this project will be painted with GW Contrast Paints, in an experiment to see just how quickly I can get them done. 

Now to this week's main focus; 2 sprues of Confederates, each sprue containing 100 infantry, 1 mounted officer, 1 cannon and 4 crew. Although rough and ready, the speed in which an all grey force comes together is very motivating for me. 

All told each sprue takes about 3 hours, with breaks, which allows for one an evening if I knuckle down, and the kids go to bed on time! 

So there we go, a grand total of 277 figures in one week, which is definitely a personal best for me, and one I will try to beat for next Friday!

Points Breakdown - 

15mm Infantry x 272 @ 2pts = 544pts

15mm Mounted x 3 @ 4pts = 12pts

15mm Artillery Piece x 3 @ 4pts = 12pts

28mm Mouse @ 5pts + Star Yacht @ 20pts = 25pts

28mm Mounted (monster) @ 10 pts + Challenge 20pts = 30pts

See you all next week. 

Tom. 

From DaveD

Did you hear that one coming people! Its a whole lotta KABOOM from Tom. That's a fine Highland cow - I am sure James from the chat will be impressed! Its been great to have you around on the evening chats this week and watch you work through the sprues while chatting the tedium away - the way you have chosen to do them is certainly working. I have topped you up with extra points for being a tartan virgin for a grand total of 640!

From TomG - Warlord Games Epic Battles ACW Confederate 15mm Infantry - 40pts.

Hey all! Challenge number 2 for me, and this time there's no impending child birth to throw me off course half way through, so I'm fully planning to smash my target, but let's wait and see.

Here we have a tester sprue of the new Warlord Games Epic Battles ACW Confederate infantry, which was available from Wargames Illustrated this month. The sculpts are great fun and having taken the plunge on their mega bundle, I thought I'd test out a few ways to get it all painted. 

After priming with GW Grey Seer, the entire sprue was airbrushed with Foundry Confederate Gray B, which I will admit I got a bit wrong, leading to a mottled finish, but one simple layer later and we were back in the money. 

I've had a fascination with the Confederacy for a few years now, and last years entries from me were also ACW. I think the idea of playing an underdog gets me fired up, but that's about it in so far as rooting for the South. 

A great feature of this set is that you can clip the models half off the sprues, so they're only attached at the base, allowing for easy factory line style painting. 

And here is the first finished article. It was a great change of pace to go small in scale, but to still have enough detail to offer individuality to a few of the minis. 5 more bases to go along with the cannon and officer. 

So with 20 figures painted up at 2pts each, I weigh in with a 40pts leap in to the challenge.

See you all soon. 

TomG

From TomG: The South Rises (85 Points)

I have finally returned, and with more Confederates in tow. Following on from my Officers I bring you the final leader for my Sharp Practice force, along with the first two groups of infantry, ready to defend their home land and way of life, albeit one that is anathema to modern sensibilities, and rightly so.

With that foot-in-mouth skirting if issues far larger than I have a right to comment on, I bring your the limited edition Officer figure from the Perry Miniatures American Civil War Battle Box, and what an officer he is. With his head bandaged, and his sword held aloft, he is a striking figure in the battlefield. 

Sergeant Farley narrowly missed his appointment with Death, but hailing from the South he stands defiant, leading his men with tenacity and valour.

As my games are likely to take place all over the ACW period, I went for a mixed uniform for Sergeant Farley, allowing the idea of new pants being from the butternut range of uniforms to imply the desperate position men in campaign found themselves in. 

I tried to keep the details fairly simple for Sergeant Farley, he's a working man ready to be there for his men, but he's no hero, all the heroes are already dead. 

Following him are the men of the South, and here we have a lucky few still sporting grey uniforms, however the rigours of fighting men has seen some equipment being replaced. These figures are from the Wargames Foundry range, and what a joy they were to paint. 

I tried to keep the uniform, well, uniformed, but took the bed rolls as an opportunity to add a bit of flavour to the men. 

However the Confederacy quickly felt the pinch of economic disruption, but men flocked to the banners. These men picked up what uniform was available, or supplemented it with what fitted and worked, so with this in mind the next group gave me the chance to really dive in to the box of colours.

One chap was deliberately given the light blue pants of a Yank, if nothing else but to break the monotony of grey and butternut, however my father-in-law always loves to tell me how his 6mm Confederates have the occasional Union clothes thrown in. 

And what a joy it has been getting started in to a period that I've been fascinated by for years, from across the pond, and yet still finding enthusiasts so open and willing to share information. With 3 more groups of 8 infantry to go, along with one group of skirmishers expect more to come soon, but for now here is a family photo of the beginning, but not the end!

Points - 17 x 28mm minis = 85 points

Next up is my return to Challenge Island with a Feat of Arms... see you soon!

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These are some great looking figures Tom, I especially like the unit that is in random clothing as it shows off the figures a bit more.  Uniforms are as you say, a bit uniform, and that doesn't always allow the figures to shine individually.   That said, both units look great.

It was nice seeing several units from the civil war all in one day, as it is a time period that we do not game with here.  No one in the area that I know of has any forces for the period, but it certainly was an interesting period to recreate.

- ByronM