From AdamC: Gunfighter, Chaos Cruisers, Anglo-Dutch Warships and Japanese warships (85 Points)

First up a lady gunfighter a 3D print from Bloody Scotsman Games for Devil in San Miguel. They aren't selling miniatures any more but you can buy at least some of their games.

I made her outfit vaguely US cavalry, perhaps a sutler or camp follower of even a woman scout. 

I'm please with how the skirt pinstripes came out.

A pair of Battle Fleet Gothic Chaos Cruisers. These are 3d prints, not the originals. 

I came up with theses colors purple and bronze with black, seemed like they would be striking.

Ships are sort of my thing. These are Anglo-Dutch wars vessels for the game "Mad for War" 

This first is a Dutch frigate 

Then we have two 50-gun English ships of the line

In this era the 50 gunner is a true line of battle ship not the awkward isn't a ship of the line isn't really a frigate it will be in the more familiar Napoleonic period.

We also have an English frigate.

I wouldn't call these my best work but they should be OK on the table top.  The print weren't as good as some I have worked with and there is less art for inspiration showing how individual ships looked in this period.  If anyone has a good source  I would welcome the info.

Two Kamikaze class Japanese destroyers 

These were state of the art in the 1920s but clearly second line units by the Second World War, 

Still they saw a lot of action in the war. Early in the war the Japanese tended to have red Hinomaru, often called "meatballs" by the Americans, for identification usually on the turrets but as these are open gun mounts I put one on the top of the bridge.  Such recognition is clear sign you fear friendly fire from your own aircraft more than you fear the enemy aircraft (rightly or wrongly).  Its a fun distinctive look even if it was sort lived. 

Points : 

1x 25mm figure for 5

2x chaos cruisers for 16 points (counted as a 15 mm vehicles I believe )

4x Anglo-dutch wars ships for 60 points (these are similar in size to the Black Seas ships I did in the past at 15x points each)

2x 1/2400 ships for 4 points (2 each I believe)

Total: 85 points 

 

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Sylvain: Adam, you offer us a very eclectic selection of models. I especially like your BFG chaos cruisers. Their esthetic is very unique and your paint job enhances their menacing look. You will definitely keep naval wargaming alive. Joli travail!

From JamesM: Three Battlefleet Gothic Chaos Fleets [Overdues and Returns] (338 points)

Hi folks,

This weeks entry took me a while to put together, and hadn't really been planned for the challenge. I had hoped to move on to some Necromunda bits before moving back to WW2, but thought some of these models would fit the theme for 'overdue and returns'. These models having been sitting in a '2nd hand' state for a number of years, needing dusting, repairing and painting. Some of them had a basic paintjob already, although that was a paintjob that had been rattling around a shoebox for 15+ years. 

First up, fleet number one and a mini force within a force - a Deathguard Plague Fleet. 

The models I'd picked up over the years included a Nurgle infested blessed Battlebarge and cruiser. I did a bit of work upgrading the paint jobs, replacing missing antena and finding a new bases - then decided a pair of cruisers would be better. I made an attempt to make these ships tarnished and suitably grotty - to best reflect the influence of the god of disease, rot and decay. I used 'dirty down' rust for the first time on these, alongside painting skin tones which were then mucked up.  

This mini fleet consists of a Death Guard Battlebarge - technically the famous 'Terminus Est' model - alongside two 'Murder' class cruisers, a trio of Iconoclast destroyers and six Infidel class raiders. My fluff for these is that this is a detachment of Deathguard Chaos Space Marines supporting my larger Chaos fleet. 

My second force within a force is a small fleet of ships dedicated to the worship of Tzeench. No doubt their presence indicates a wider plot is afoot by the changer of ways. 

Here we have Slaughter and a Devastation class cruisers, backed up by six Idolator class raiders. The Devastator class cruiser has an unusual bridge, which might reflect a possessed ship rather than just fancy ornamentation. Again, I wanted to do something special with the converted ship, and cruisers work best in pairs. 

Lastly, the main fleet - painted in a very 'old school' way, as per White Dwarf battle reports and the origional rule book chaos ships:

Led by a Repulsive class grand cruiser, this monster was placed on a larger base - allowing it to have more shields than a standard grand cruiser. 

The Repulsive is backed up by a gaggle of heavy cruisers:

Two Styx class heavy cruisers (dedicated carriers), a Hades class heavy cruiser and an Archeon class heavy cruiser. These are the same plastic kit as the cruisers, but with additional weapons. I've fighters and bombers for these carriers to do, but they need a bit of work so may not be done this challenge. 

The main force is made up of a fleet of cruisers:

Here we have two Slaughter, one Devastator, two Carnage, one Inferno and one Murder class cruisers. One of these Slaughters needs weapons removed from the dorsal mounts and other bits added, but I'll fix that later. I'll also need to add another cruiser in order to make this a 'legal' fleet without the inclusion of the Tzeench ships. 

Lastly, the ragtag bunch of motely raiders, escorts and transports:

Twelve Infidel class raiders. 

Six Idolator class raiders. 

Six Iconoclast class destroyers and a trio of chaos transport ships. Because someone has to move the slaves, loot and depraved murder cannibal ground forces around. 

Yes, the red tones vary - this was a deliberate thing! I wanted to show a force which was both uniform and individual, in keeping with the chaos theme. My head canon is that the darker ships are older, having had more layers of baked on sacrifice's blood on the hull. Or something equally nasty. 

In total then:

2 large 'Capital' class ships - pointed as per 20mm vehicles (these things are chonky, and bigger than the cruisers) - 30pts

15 cruisers - as per last year, pointed as 15mm vehicles - 120pts

42 escorts - as per last year, pointed as 15mm artillery - 168pts

Lastly, these fall into the 'Overdues and Returns' category. As I may have mentioned last year, back in around 2006-2007 I sold all my Games Workshop collections. However, I had massive buyers regret with my BFG collection. Thus, I began to slowly buy models as I encountered them at decent prices online and at bring and buys. This collection of figures has been in my 'to do' pile for over a decade. I've kept getting them out, looking at them and putting them away as I didn't have the confidence to paint them and was perhaps overly worried about how to transport them. The transport issue remains, but at least I can worry about that with a painted fleet. 

Now I've just the Imperial, Eldar and Ork ships to worry about! And all those sites that produce lovely looking chaos light cruisers...

As an aside, this is the largest single points bomb I've managed so far!

TeemuL: That is a points bomb indeed, well done James! Yes, it would not look too real, if all the ships in the fleet would have exactly the same tone on them, allthough that is something GW seems to think. There are lots of ships there and I'll take your word on the count, I have too tired eyes to calculate them. :) BFG is a game that intrigues me, but so does many other game. To try it, I guess I would need to get the rulebook and paint two armies and then someone to play with me. And I already have the issue with Vikings, Napoleonics and couple of other projects. :) And yes, there is the issue of funding them all, too...

From JamesM: Battlefleet Gothic Storm Wardens Strike Group (60 points)

Hi folks,

Having enjoyed painting some Battlefleet Gothic models for last years challenge, I promptly put everything back in a box and didn't look at any of it again till this year. 

However, I had reviewed my collection at some point, and decided upon a small Space Marine fleet. I had obtained a metal GW strike cruiser and some escorts at some point and added to this a couple of ships from Scourge Scenics with some conversion work, as well as an interesting conversion given to me by a friend a long time ago. 

The results are a slightly eclectic mix of vessels, as befitting a Space Marine chapter out on the verges of Imperial Space. 

For those not familiar with this particular Space Marine chapter, they featured in Fantasy Flight Games 40k RPG setting, being the Space Marine chapter associated with the Calixis Sector (mainly detailed in the Deathwatch RPG books, but mentioned in the other games set in the same region). They are a highly insular chapter that avoids where possible public acclaim. The chapter's lineage is unknown, due to an unfortunate incident with an enslaver psychic virus resulting in their entire 1st Company and all chapter records being placed in stasis 5,000 years ago. 

In keeping with my focus on the Koronus Expanse, I decided to build a fleet for them probably reflective of their efforts outside of known Imperial Space. 

First up, the 'Battlebarge' stand in for this fleet. Some of the Space Marine fleet lists allow you to use an Imperial Battleship, Battlecruiser or Grand Cruiser for an additional points cost, reflecting older vessels in the chapters service. This is a short term fix for this fleet, as I am likely to get a Battlebarge at some point, whereby this vessel will become a 'Venerable Strike Cruiser' using the BFGXR rules. 

In this case, I went for a conversion gifted to me some time ago by a friend, and repainted in appropriate chapter colours. This plastic GW cruiser hull had a metal broadside battery put in place, I believe from one of the early Grand Cruiser models. As such, it's pretty different from the rest of my Imperial Cruisers. I added an array of sensor towers under the hull, as well as some dorsally mounted turrets, and this ship became a Paragon class Battlecruiser 'Lamented Warrior'.

These ships, unusually, have bombardment cannons as broadside weapons - leading to them being yoinked from Imperial Navy service and promises made never to build more. How this vessel came to serve with the Storm Wardens is therefore unknown. 

Escorting this ship are Hunter class Destroyers of Ban'nokbrn Squadron.

Then we have two of the more unusual strike cruisers in my small fleet - likely unrecognisable by BFG aficionados:

'Pipers Glory', on the left, is my attempt at a Hoplon class Strike Cruiser with an unusual early Imperial prow. My head canon is that this prow is possibly a replacement due to battle damage in the ancient past, or possible an upgrade using a space hulk recovered STC component. I'd probably run this ship in my own games as having a prow mounted Lance weapon as per the Dauntless Light Cruiser rather than launch bays and torps. 

The other vessel (on the right), named 'Stir'ling Bridge' is my attempt at a Vanguard class Cruiser. These ships first appeared in the BFG computer games, and are long range independent cruisers designed less for planetary assault and more for ship to ship combat. My conversion of this vessel involved taking a Dauntless Light Cruiser from Scourge Scenics along with a Space Marine Strike Cruiser from the same place, and butchering both to swap prows. This gave a more 'stretched' and sleek look than the brawler looking Strike Cruiser hull. 

In the end, I gave the butchered Strike Cruiser a spare resin prow I had instead of using the smaller Dauntless one, giving me the Hoplon class. This led to the two ships featured here. 

Lastly, the Fal'kirk' Strike Cruiser and the Gladius class Frigates of 'DunBar' Squadron. 

These models are 'official' GW metal products, having been in my collection for quite some time. As such, they are fairly 'standard' additions to the fleet. 

Colours wise, I think I've gone a bit too blue - various shades have been used (which show up poorly on the camera), but I struggled to implement the paint scheme of this chapter without any visual clues as to what their ships would look like - the only ship based artwork is a poor angle with poor light. The artwork for marines shows dark and light blue, plus silver. The description is blue and light grey. I could possibly have used light grey on the ships more, however I was trying to avoid an 'Ultramarine' style paint scheme. 

I do have a few more bits to add to this fleet, to bring it up to the 1500-2000pt mark for games. To be added will be some 'regular' Imperial escorts and a few more capital class ships. 

Points wise, I checked last years entries and scored these the same:

4 cruisers (15mm vehicle sized) = 32 points

7 escorts (15mm gun sized) = 28 points

Total = 60 points

Minion Miles: I've never played Battlefleet Gothic but have always loved the look of the minis and you've done a marvelous job with these.  Im not sure I should cry out WAUGGGHHH!!!! or "FOR THE EMPEROR!" with these minis - it's all so confusing.  Perhaps just a very heartfelt "job well done".

From SimonM: "FoW" Germans, Battlefleet Gothic & "Catalyst Games Lab" Battletech (32 Points)

For my seventh post I thought I’d step away from visiting any new worlds, and instead simply submit an eclectic mixture of miniatures I’ve been painting as test pieces for a variety of projects I currently have ‘on the go’. I find a variety of subjects really helps keep my hobby motivation high, and I always like to get a single base/stand sorted before ploughing full steam ahead.

My opening figures are the first of four (planned) sMG34 Machine-Gun Teams for my “Flames Of War” German Beach Defence Company. Unlike my other “FoW” German soldiers, the NCO was the only model initially super-glued onto wooden strips, as I wanted both the gunner and reloaded in position on their actual medium-sized base before I primed them all in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII.

The “Battlefront Miniatures” were then shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were later ‘picked out’ predominantly using “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal, Buff, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades. Lastly, I pigmented the sMG34 Machine-Gun using a combination of “Vallejo” Gunmetal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

Next up is a single space vessel I bought as part of a £30 job lot from my local wargaming store. They were sold as being “Battlefleet Gothic” models by “Games Workshop”. However, upon close examination they are clearly 3D printed imitations – with there being not a single Aquila in sight on any of them. All of the ships were roughly airbrushed to a tabletop standard (unless you looked underneath them), and several (such as this one) had snapped off their all-too brittle resin stands.

Due to their being enough miniatures to field two rather sizeable Imperial fleets, I have decided to paint half as Dark Angels and the other as Space Wolves. These two Adeptus Astartes chapters have a history of in-fighting and miscommunication, so I figured I could have them battling one another to begin with and then uniting against a common foe later on – should I decide to purchase some more vessels in the future.

This (not) Space Marine Nova-Class Frigate is 40mm in length and took quite a while to prepare for its “Vallejo” Dark Green re-prime due to my needing to drill out its broken stem first. Luckily, after the application of a small ball of green-stuff and some super-glue, I was able to permanently attach one of the widgets sold for the new “Dropzone Commander” flight-stands to its underbelly. The craft was then washed with “Citadel” Nuln Oil, dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Dark Green and highlighted with Heavy Green.

To add some additional colour, and interest to the vessel I applied a mixture of “Vallejo” Gunmetal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil to its weaponry/engines, and some “Vallejo” Gold and “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade to its side emblem. I also gave the Frigate’s widget a couple of coats of “Citadel” Abaddon Black too, so as to better hide it on my Deep Space “Hotz” mat.

Lastly, I’ve finished three more 1:285 plastic “Battletech” Mechs by “Catalyst Game Labs”, and a couple of accompanying infantry stands too. All of these models will be used for a Weird War Two campaign I’m about to embark upon, which will start with an alternative invasion of Poland in 1939 by a combined forced of German Luftwaffe and Soviet war walkers. The Polish will field some pretty low-level technology – much of which will be infantry.

The Pather and the Wolfhound are both 40mm in height, and were primed using two layers of “Vallejo” Luftwaffe Uniform WWII before being shaded in “Citadel” Nuln Oil. Later on they were dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Luftwaffe Uniform WWII with a softly-bristled make-up blusher brush. In order to add a bit of interest I decided to apply a coat of “Vallejo” Gunmetal to the duo’s gun-arms, chest-housed missile/laser system, vents and jets. These areas were subsequently washed with “Citadel” Nuln Oil. I also pulled out a German cross or two and some insignia from my collection of decals and managed to squeeze them onto some of the flatter areas of armour plating.

The Jenner is 31mm tall, and was undercoated in “Vallejo” Heavy Brown. It then shaded using “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Brown and had its weaponry/air vents ‘picked out’ using a combination of “Vallejo” Gunmetal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil. In addition, I applied a mixture of “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey and “Citadel” Nuln Oil to its cockpit hatchway, and added a couple of Polish emblems to its torso.

The Elemental battle-armoured infantry are all 6mm in height, and were painted using the self-same colours as the Jenner. I did however, apply some “Vallejo” Sombre Grey to the super-soldiers’ smoke trails, before washing them with “Citadel” Nuln Oil. The jet-streams were then dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Sombre Grey and some White too. 

Hopefully this latest AHPC entry will provide:

3 x 15mm FoW Infantry – 6 Points

1 x escorts sized ship (15mm gun equivalent) as per previous Battlefleet Gothic posts = 4 points?

2 x 40mm Mechs as per previous Battletech posts = 14 points?

1 x 28mm Mech as per previous Battletech posts = 5 Points?

6 x 6mm Infantry = 3 Points

Total – 32 Points

I think we all understand having a variety of disparate projects on the go. The gunners look great. I wouldn't have known that wasn't an 'official' BFG ship- good work on saving the flight stand. I really like all your mechs, but my favourites are the flying power armour troops! Your alternative WW2 campaign sounds fun.

Barks