From AdamW. A last huzzah! (272 PTS)

 I'm pleased to squeeze these in before the end of the challenge.  After doubling my original goal, I gave myself the luxury of prepping some figures, so didn't think I'd get these finished, so a nice little bonus.

My last entry is some 15mm American Civil War Cavalry, mounted and dismounted.  

I already have a pile of these on bases that just need flocking, and these lot needed painting up to join them.

There are four units of mounted and four dismounted in this batch, with a mixture of figures. There are minifigs,  a load of Essex, a couple of Peter pig and a load I don't recognise at all.

It does add another Squirrel, although my first attempt at Squirreling is poor.  That is also a good thing as I remained focused and painted what I needed to paint, rather than paint a whole load of odd bits just to increase my count of the fluffy tailed chaps.

My second AHPC and another successful one.  Having a dedicated painting station makes life so much easier, meaning I can dip in for the odd five minutes while the kettle is boiling.

Hope to see you all again next year, where I will either be deep in the middle of my first proper 25mm project, or knocking out some old 15mm bits to have a break. Thanks to the Overlord and all the minions for their hard work.

Four of the mounted cavalry where old, bashed about but painted, so just needed touching up, so I haven't counted them in my points total.

15mm Cavalry x 44 @4pts = 176

15mm foot       x 48 @2pts = 96

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Total                                      272 pts  + 1 Squirrel

From DaveD . Well done Adam thatsa lot of blue! Great to see them both mounted and dismounted too. Is there a Custer in there somewhere? This takes you over 2500 points a fine tally indeed well done.

From Adam W: Horsey, Horsey - 15mm Cavalry

 This may be my last entry for the challenge. I have managed all the projects I was hoping to achieve and have started some other bits, but not sure they will be ready by the end date.

So, this weeks entry is made up of two parts, all 15mm cavalry.  I enjoyed getting them painted, although lots of horses can be sapping.

Firstly, we have a couple of units of Turkish Cavalry for the Balkan Wars. All minifigs. Again old lead pile figures bought on ebay and now ready for the table.  Some very wonky legs on those horses as they are very bendable.

Secondly, we have  four units of mounted Jangalis to go with the foot I painted earlier in the challenge. They are mainly Blue Moon 15mm from their North West Frontier range, with about a dozen minifigs and a lone Peter pig Russian civil war figure.  

Points for this lot:-

Turks -     24 x 15mm cavalry @4pts = 96pts

Jangalis - 48 x 15mm cavalry @4pts = 192pts

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                                                Total    =  288pts               

From DaveD , more great work for these armies . If it’s your last entry it’s a fine one . 288 it is             

AdamW - A bulk of Balkans - 15mm artillery and limbers 640 pts

 Firstly an apology. Last year I tried to comment on as many posts as possible, but this year I have had to take a more 'lurker' role, and haven't even had time to view most of the posts.  I hope to do better next year.

I wasn't able to get this entry completed last week unfortunately. Close but no cigar. So, here is a fairly large amount of artillery and limbers, mainly for the Balkan Wars, but some of them will get used in other wars for sure.  

I have gone for a generic green to make them more useable for other theatres.  There is a real mix of makes amongst it all.  There is a lot of minifigs, especially the gunners and guns, but the limbers and horses mainly come from some bulk second hand purchases so I can't say who makes them.

Some batteries I have given Turkish gunners, but the rest are cap wearing Khaki clad, to be more generic. I also made up a couple of batteries of mountain guns, including a few ropey looking mules and supplies from the spares box.

Points....wasn't quite sure if the mules with their loads should count as cavalry...so I went with a compromise of 3 pts each.

30 guns @4pts                    = 120

76 gunners @2pts                = 152

40 limbers @4pts                 = 160

80 horses@ 2pts                   = 160

16 loaded mules @ 3pts    = 48

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Total                                         640 pts                               

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From DaveD - now that’s my kind of artillery park . It’s just wonderful to see the this kind of thing . So often limbers and transport can be the less sexy parts of an army , but give real presence on a table top. Again great to see 15mm getting some serious love and there is a lot of work in building up the guns and limbers  . Well done . 

From AdamW: 'Hot Fez' - a Turkish barber on every corner - 15mm 220 pts

 I managed to finish painting these last week, but didn't have time to get them based and flagged up till after the Sunday deadline.

A simple entry of  some more Turkish/Ottoman troops for Balkan war. One unit in the blue uniform and the rest in khaki.

A mix of manufacturers, mainly minifigs with a few other odd unknown figures mixed in. All bought from other peoples lead piles.

Now I have to decide what to paint next.  Life is somewhat busy at the moment so it may be another two weeks before the next entry.

Apologies for the short write up, but this entry was a bit of a grind to get units done rather than something exciting :)

Points

6 units of 18 =108 15mm figures @ 2pts = 216pts

From DaveD . That’s another great mass from you .The mix of figures works well . I will call this 220 . 

From AdamW: In the jungle, the mighty jungle......15mm Jangalis 370 pointed.

This weeks entry is ten units of Jangalis for my Dunsterforce campaign.

I'd be surprised if many of you have heard of the Jangalis. They were the fighters of the 'Jangal (Forest or Jungle) movement'.  This was a movement setup against the monarchist central government of the Sublime State of Iran in Gilan and lasted from 1915 to 1921.

In October 1915, Mirza Kuchik Khan, an experienced activist in the pro-democracy and nationalist Constitutional Revolution, launched the Jangal movement, which was broadly religiously Shia Muslim, in the forests of Gilan, demanding autonomous status for the province, an end to central government corruption, an end to foreign interference in affairs of local peoples, and land reform.

The British didn't get on to well with them and after a failed assassination attempt on Mirza, they were not to keen to allow the British, in the form of Dunsterforce, to pass through Gilan on their expedition.

I have gathered the figures from a variety of sources, to represent the varied dress of the Persian/Trans-caucas people.  There is little information available, but I have gone for a non-uniformed force with a variety of dress and headgear.

The majority of figures are Blue Moon 15mm from their North West Frontier range, mixed in with some Peter pig Russian civil war figures and the odd minifig.  There is a pack of Blue Moon Cossack Guards, who stand head and shoulders above the rest.

My first pic is a cautionary tale. When picking up a can of varnish, make sure it is varnish and not white undercoat.  I know I have been inspired with all the winter units being posted, but I wasn't really wanting to start an army.

After much swearing and repainting, here they are all ready for action. I tried to get a few close ups as well as the usual bulk pics.

Become we come to the points, I wanted to share a tip that may help anyone new to painting an irregular force to get a nice variety in colours.

I always stick 6 figures to a wooden tongue depressor stick. Traditionally the way to paint a mixed force was to mount the figures of the same pose together and then paint every fifth or so jacket with a colour throughout the army. Then repeat with another colour and so on.

Recently I have found it quicker to mix up the figures on a stick so they are all different poses or clothing etc. (depending how many different figures you have).

The idea is to then paint all the figures on one stick the same colour scheme ie the same colour jacket, another colour for the trousers etc. There  may be some added variance if they have a colourful hat, or are in shirt rather than jacket, but in general they are all dressed in the same coloured clothes.

This process is repeated across the army with how many colour schemes you fancy, for example I think I used eight different jacket colours and six different trousers. Combine that with hat colours and great variance is made very easily.

 

When they are all painted, mix the figures up again and you are done . I have found this a  farquicker method and I've ended up with  no two figures the same.

Points

180 15mm figures @2pts = 360 pts

One squirrel.

That should me through my target :)

Not sure I'll have the next lot of figures ready for next week as I'm away this weekend, but I will try!

From DaveD. Oh these are right up my Back of Beyond street alright . Nice to see a decent mass of them too .i think your process for painting them and mixing it work is a great idea -its worked well . 370 it is . Indeed that is you through your target - time to double I say !

From AdamW: Bombs away! 15mm WW1 aeroplanes -16pts

I have started the next batch of infantry, but as it's 180 figures I won't get them finished and based this week, so I took time out to paint these two planes up.

They are for my Dunsterforce campaign and are 1/100 (15mm scale) Martinsyde G.100 "Elephant"s. They were British fighter bomber aircraft who gained their nickname from their relatively large size and lack of manoeuvrability.

These were 3d print models I purchased online from Shapeways at great expense a while ago. As I only needed two the cost was bearable.

After research I decided on the colour scheme and numbering and set to work. The quality of work you get from scale modellers is somewhat off putting, so I had to remind myself these were wargames models and the aim is to get them done and on the table (or in the air).  

As is often the case, the photos show up every flaw and I think they look better in the flesh with the naked eye.  

My first attempt at the numbers on the tails failed as I was using some individual numbers and they were overlapping, so I couldn't get them straight.  My second attempts was using a pen....not pretty. Then I remembered I had bought some decal paper for the printer previously.  Some measuring and computer work and hey presto :)

I should have put some figures for size comparison, but they have a 12cm (just under 5inch) wingspan.

Points.

Two 15mm vehicles @8pts = 16pts.

From DaveD . These are just the job. Oh the pain of decals in various forms . Top marks for making your own . Do you have a flight stand option for these at all?

From AdamW:'Fez up and other khaki adventures -15mm (321pts)

 This weeks entry is a mixture of periods, WW1 and the first Balkan War 1912, so hopefully picking up my second squirrel.

Apologies in advance for the photography, colouring and quality, and for how rough the figures look in the close up shots :)

Most of these figures have been picked up second hand, reducing other gamers lead mountains, without reducing my own.  The MG and firer are new figures added especially for Dunsterforce to complement the already published mobile MG mounted Model T fords.

The first completed units are five units of Turkish/Ottoman infantry for the Balkan Wars. They are in the blue uniform of the reserve 'Redif' regiments. Mostly with the red fez, but a few with the later khaki one for variety. 

The figures are mainly minifigs with a few other odd unknown makes, and are made up of Turks and Egyptian figures.

Next up is a unit of Serbian infantry for the Balkan wars.  Just the one unit that I picked up at a show with a couple of generic (probably RCW) officers added in. The chap selling them wasn't sure what they were. It is possible they are actually some of ranger/pioneer infantry from a much earlier period.

I have no Serbian infantry for the Period yet, so these are seriously outnumbered.

Lastly we have four MG units for Dunsterforce in WW1. Another mishmash of figures, mainly Peter Pig and minifigs.  I seem to remember it being half points for a sitting down figures, but I have ignored that as I thought the MG would balance it out. Feel free to alter if needed :)

Points

90 Ottoman infantry @ 2pts = 180pts

18 Serbian infantry @ 2pts = 36 pts 

50 WW1 British @2pts = 100 pts

Total pts = 316pts

From DaveD. Adam is off with a kaboom this morning . That’s a whole load of figures , which is what we like to see . Excellent effort. Reanimating other gamers lead piles is I guess all part of our glorious hobby , One man’s lead mountain turned into another’s armies is just the job. I will top you up for the multiple flags - that 321.pts to you tally . 

From AdamW: Terrain: We build too many walls and not enough bridges (5 points)

Happy New Year all, and hope you all have a successful challenge.

I'll start with an apology for the blandness of my first entry. I was busy before Christmas renovating our cloakroom, so wasn't able to get any paint on anything miniature. 

My plan this year involves painting projects that are all several figures, so the first one won't be ready for a while. 

Whilst clearing up my painting area I came across this stone bridge. It has been languishing for some time (I prefer to not count how many weeks/months/years things sit in 'the pile').

A simple paint job with a mixture of browns and grey acrylics, some washes and some weathering powders and below is the result. A quick and dirty entry to get an entry in before the deadline.

I promise to make some more interesting entries as the challenge goes on. Probably.

This a 15mm bridge, however, would also work as a small 25mm one.  Dimensions  11"long, 3" wide and 2" high.  I've no idea of manufacturer as it came in a bundle of buildings someone was clearing out.  It was resin and sat badly as was twisted, however, I managed to straighten enough for use.

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Hey Adam, that looks very much like an old armourcast bridge I have, but not quite, so probably need someone else out there to validate which company this was made by.

No matter who made it, you did a great job getting it ready for the table.  While a fairly big piece these types of terrain pieces are pretty simple to get ready for the table so I am going to mark it as about the same time as painting a 28mm fig.  I can see you did multiple colours which make it look very realistic, but still a pretty fast piece to do up.  I would be very happy to see this piece on one of my tables!  Great work.

- Byron

 

From AdamW - Oh, just one more thing......

As a newb here I didn't realise that a 'wrap up' post was the done thing, but it seems nice to look back at all that was achieved and the fun that was had.  

As it was my first challenge I had no idea what target to set. I had hoped to get lots done but knew that life may get in the way, so I went for 600, double the suggested 300 points. In the end I did over 2000 so clearly underestimated. At least I have a better idea for next year.

I did manage to get a couple of reasonable sized projects done and some odd bits, and managed to get all the circles/spheres of the Dante side challenge done.

So here is a round up (all 15mm).

Limbo - Lots of limbers

Lust - Viking Pillagers

Gluttony - Hungry Tiger, crawling soldier.

 

Greed - Viking collectors

Wrath - woman scorned

Heresy - privates on parade

Violence - Boers

Fraud - HMS Firefly and friend (China gunboats on the Tigris)

 

HMS Espiegle, tagged onto the Firefly job.

Treachery - Captured armour fighting for the enemy

The Inconstant - Chinese rocker battery...where they stop nobody knows.

The Ambitious - Stick and stones unit

The Lovers - music loving medieval band, 'The Fool Fighters'

The Wise - ACW generals coming up with a cunning plan.

Warriors of Faith - monks ready to crack some heads.

The Just Rulers - Samurai command enclosures

The contemplatives - The error of his ways

Faith, hope and love - Master, servant and hound

The Angels - Nuns on the run

As well as all 18 of the circles/spheres I squeezed in a couple of other bits and bobs.

A few Russian armoured cars

A couple of small gunboats

A unit of Chinese pirates

A handful of junks

Well, that was the winter that was.  Hope you all had fun, and hope to see you all again next year. 

As a passing shot, here is a link to our groups Facebook page, where we post pics of some of the games we play. Very Bad Wargamers Group