From MartinN: 20mm StuG III and Opel Blitz (62 points)

This submission has been simmering for a while, but I had a hard time getting started on the weathering.  I quite like the look of the vehicles once finished, but getting there is always a little tedious in my opinion. I'd rather paint some foot sloggers instead. Anyway, here's the latest reinforcements for my German motor pool.

First of a 3D printed StuG III Ausf. F/8 from Night Sky Miniatures with an AB Figures commander. While I was a bit of an early adopter when it comes to resin printing, I never got comfortable with the process. It's smelly, dirty and needs a lot of effort to get right. In short I can stand it even less than weathering the final product. And probably that's the only reason I'm not drowning in unpainted prints and I'd call that a clear bonus. I turn on the bloody machine once or twice a year and that has to suffice.

Anyway, there are certainly upsides to the technology. For one there's lots of niche stuff out there that'd be hard to get commercially and I can scale to any scale I like. So while the file was scaled to fit 28mm originally it was quickly converted to go with my 20mm collection. Especially helpful as I feel that there's less 1/72 stuff available than it used to and if it's available it's just as expensive as 28mm.

Next is a trio of 20mm PSC German trucks. The vehicles are a little too basic for my liking, but went together easily. For a little more variety I printed a box body to go with one of them. Can't remember the sculptor though, I'm afraid.

So, 4 vehicles in 20mm as well as a half figure should give me another 62 points towards my total.

Still quite some way to go to 300pts, so we'll see how much I can squeeze in over those last few weeks.

***

Always such incredible work Nick! I am out of superlatives on the painting, beyond just noting that it meets your usual incredible standard of brushwork and weathering. I love the foliage on the vehicles, speaking very much to the whole "let's hope they think it's just some bushes moving along" amid skies full of Allied fighter-bombers. 

I also love the off-colour look of the barrel on the StuG's 75mm gun. I often don't think of how often barrels on guns like that need to be replaced, and the presence of a barrel which doesn't match the rest of the paint speaks to the under-pressure nature of the German forces late in the war. 

62 brilliant points for you!

GregB

From BenitoV: First entry, New Acquisitions and Happy New Year (40 points)

Today I officially start the Painting Challenge this year, overrunning my planned schedule due to a busier festivities calendar than anticipated.

My opening contribution is this small but attractive little vehicle "Luchs" or "Lynx", used by the Wermacht during the Second World War.

This AFV was an evolution of the early war's Panzer II and was officially named as Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf L. The Lynx saw service until mid-1943 in the recon units of the German divisions, but had a limited production (around 100 units in total according to Wikipedia).

Mine is a 28mm resin 3D printed model from Eskice miniatures with a nice level of detail. Painted in sand yellow with a faded and worn 2-color cammo scheme, it will see action mainly in my future Normandy 44 theater games.

This is a (relatively?) new acquired (and printed) model (early November) that I reserved specifically for the Challenge, where I'm planning to submit a series of WW2 recon vehicles over the next weeks. I'm going to count it for the "New Acquisitions" section of the Library (should Curt agree on this).

Therefore my initial scoring will 40 points: 20 points for a 28mm vehicle plus 20 points "New Acquisitions" bonus.

I take this opportunity to wish all fellow Challengers, their relatives and friends a great 2024, and kkep those dice rolling! 

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It's wonderful to see you back, Benito! 

This Luchs is a great little model and you've done a very nice job with it (some of the newer 3D prints for vehicles are first rate). I like your addition of the aerial and decals to properly finish it off. Great work and a Happy New Year to you and yours!

- Curt

  

From TomG - Festive Tiger Challenge Tiger II - 25 pts

 Oi oi!

Some of you may have seen on Twitter, that a few of us had set a challenge to build and paint a Tiger II, between the 21st and 31st December, and I picked this delightful Rubicon Models Konigstiger without zimmerit, for my entry. However little did I know just what a challenge it would be! 

First off, you may be able to notice some parts missing, namely the front light, bow machinegun and a number of turret tracks, well I can assure you that at one point all of these parts were attached, but due to some uncooperative glue and a catastrophic drop during priming, all of these parts went to the Great Parts Monster on the floor!

But, undeterred I channeled my festive spirit and ploughed on, only to be hit by set back number 2; painting late at night causes mistakes! Having airbrushed the camo patterns on, with some issues due to being picky, I realised I had varnished the model without painting the tools, applied the decals or even set a filter/wash in the recesses. What more could go wrong? 

Nothing, at this point I was left dejected and filled with the despair that follows those who habitually refuse to learn from their mistakes...

But wait, what's this?

In the distance a light, the sound of sleigh bells, a jolly fat man cometh! 

Ding dong merrily on high, it was Tiger Claus (see what I did there) and he had brought me just enough festive cheer to complete this challenge! With brush in hand I forged on, first we applied the decals, then we smashed out the tools finished with some all over weathering, including a stab at adding mud and grass to the tracks and hull.

Challenge complete, tears shed, but now the mightiest of mighty cats was ready to join the throng; no longer will the other 1/56 WW2 tanks in my German force feel scared at night, for the King has arrived. I struggled to enjoy the process of completing this model, but only due to my own mistakes, however once it was finished, I can safely say I was proud to take these photos and share them with you all. 

Tank you for reading this post, and I hope you enjoy the fruits of my festive labour. 

Points - 

28mm Vehicle - 20pts

Tom

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Wow, that's a beast, to be sure. I must say, you recovered marvellously from your hobby mishap, Tom, as this big cat really looks excellent. A big Hooray for Christmas Cheer, I say! I particularly admire its camo and weathering. One would never think that it had suffered from a tragic spill. In fact you could truly call this a 'recovery tank'. Well done!

I'm going to add a few more points for your sterling efforts in getting this beast back on its paws.

- Curt

From FrederickC - Opening Salvo (212 points) [Under Construction]

 This may seem more like a collection of random shots rather than a concentrated salvo, but it clears away a number of small projects associated with my various Bolt Action armies, specifically my early war Poles, early war Germans, and late war British.

Last year I started the challenge by painting a squad of the Polish 10th Motorized Brigade. One squad just wasn't enough, so I added a second squad from the Warlord Games Bolt Action range. These were painted using Vallejo acrylics followed by a coat of Army Painter Strong Tone Quick Shade. Since you can't be a motorized brigade without some motor transport, I have added four Polish Fiat trucks to move them around the battlefield. These are 3D prints done by a friend. One of the truck beds came out a bit warped and my attempts to fix it were unsuccessful. In the end I scratch-built a replacement from thin plastic card. These were also painted with Vallejo acrylics followed by a wash of Vallejo European Dust.

Polish 10th Motorized Brigade squad (Last year's squad taking cover in the background)

 

A column of Polish Fiat trucks

 

 

Since many of the scenarios in the 'Germany Strikes' campaign book involve command tanks, I decided to add a Panzerbefehlswagen I (aka Sd.Kfz. 265). This is a 3 piece resin casting from Warlord Games with metal bits such as the machine gun, hatches, and commander. The pose of the commander had his right arm extended to rest on a turret hatch, but it didn't match up with the location of the hatch on the tank model. I decided to remove the arm and replace it with one holding a pair of binoculars that was left over from a German Blitzkrieg Infantry sprue. The tank was primed black using Vallejo Surface Primer and painted grey using AK Interactive Dunkelgrau. Highlights were dry brushed onto raised surfaces and some AK Splatter Effects Dry Mud applied to the tracks and road wheels. Since the theme of the special challenges this year is a movie studio, I also painted up a Propagandakompanie cameraman, also from Warlord Games. It was painted using Vallejo acrylics followed by various Citadel washes.

Cameraman filming a command tank during the invasion of Poland

Panzerbefehlswagen I of the 4th Panzer Division

Cameraman of a German Army propaganda company

Next up is a Churchill Crocodile flamethrower tank of the 79th Armoured Division in Normandy. I got another Corgi diecast Churchill tank from another member of the Fawcett Avenue Conscripts that was painted up for Tunisia in Desert Yellow and Olive Green camouflage hoping to use it with my planned 8th Army project, but the yellow on the model didn't look very desert. Last year I had repainted one in the colours of the the 14th Tank Regiment (Calgary Tanks) at Dieppe, but I didn't need anymore Dieppe tanks. I decided to convert it to a Crocodile using a resin conversion kit from Quarter Kit Model Shop in Paris, France. This was basically the armoured trailer that carried the fuel for the flamethrower, and the special nozzle that replaced the hull machine gun.  The resin of the kit was quite brittle, and a few pieces arrived broken despite being shipped in a blister. With the careful application of some super glue followed by a sprinkling of baking soda, everything got repaired and assembled. Both tank and trailer were primed in black and then painted with Vallejo UK Bronze Green. Raised surfaces got dry brushed with a light green, and the lower areas of the tank were given a wash of European Dust.

Side view showing how the trailer was attached to the tank.

View from above showing the special nozzle in place of the hull MG

Next we have a small bit of terrain. Last year I painted a stone bridge as part of my first submission, so it seems appropriate to finish this submission with a broken bridge. The two halves are actually display bases that came with 1/72 Matchbox Sherman Firefly kits when they were released back in 1974. I no longer have the tanks, but I still had the display bases in one of my boxes of terrain building bits. A number of different ideas have been bouncing around in my head over the years, including building the center portion of the span that could be lifted out in a scenario where the bridge gets blown, a partially constructed repair done by engineers, or incorporating the two halves into a more elaborate river crossing with a ruined central support of a two arched bridge. I am not entirely sure what final direction I will take, so I am going to call this 'Under Construction'.

A bridge over troubled waters?

The point being claimed are as follows:

11.5 x 28mm figures @ 5 points each = 57.5 points

6.5 x 28mm vehicles @ 20 points each = 130 points

(I am counting the trailer as half a vehicle)

0.11 terrain cubes @ 20 points each = 2 points

Studio lot 'Under Construction' @ 20 points = 20 points

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Great post and welcome back to the Challenge Frederick.

I have a soft spot for early war WWII (the Big Cats steal all the press) and you can't get much earlier than Poles and Panzer I's! I also really like your propaganda cameraman and the blown bridge. Well done and a great opening entry!

- Curt

PS: I've given you a few extra points for the bridge and the trailer.

From JasperO: 1/56 234/1(/2) Armoured Car - Caprica 45 points

I’ve painted a Warlord resin 234/2 (Puma) in a previous challenge, but I just love these giant German reconnaissance vehicles, here to sniff out (or set) ambushes! So I made another. They were, of course, only made in small numbers in 1944 and 1945, which doesn’t stop any wargamer wanting to field a bunch of them.

Unlike that previous model, this is the Warlord plastic 234/2 Puma, which I have wanted to convert into the /1 version with the 20mm turret. As it happens, that turret is exactly the same as the one on the 250/9 Neu, and Rubicon makes a conversion set. The space for the turret ring is slightly too small on the Warlord model, but only by 1mm or so. Nothing that can’t be fixed by some judicious application of a file.

234/1 during conversion - blue-grey is Warlord plastic, the other from Rubicon

The original Puma turret is entirely unaffected by all this, though a strip of plastic around its ring insert helps it sit better in the ‘reamed’ ring. In all, I figure this is one Caprica bonus, plus one 1/56 vehicle and a few points for the extra turret?

From DaveD

Well that's the second cracking camo scheme of the day . There is always something about these big armoured cars. I have gone with 5 for the extra turret for you . always good to have options . Great job Jasper.

From JohnE - 28mm Jagdpanther - 22 Points

Another one from the "drawers of shame" and the last completion for this year's #danktankuary - a Warlord Jagdpanther. Never say never, but I'm fairly sure this is the last of the "jagd" series. This one was a lot of fun. I experimented with InstantColors on the tracks and links, and am feeling ok about the results. Armor tracks are somewhat of an Achilles' Heel for me so any improvement helps my morale.

Points Summary:

1 x 28mm foot @ 2 points = 2 points

1 x 28mm vehicle @ 20 points = 20 points

Total = 22 points

From DaveD

aah everyone's favourite nasty tank destroyer. That is a fine colour scheme as well. Well done on making progress on the drawer of shame . 22 it is !

From DallasE: 1/56 Puma Armoured Car (Vulcan)(43 points)

 

The debate rages on over what vehicle scale is "correct" for 28mm models. I've always been a proponent of 1/48, mainly because my infantry is based on thicker GW-style plastic bases, and these just look more "in-scale" with larger 1/48 vehicles. However, there are some vehicles you just can't find in 1/48, so for these I turn to 1/56. This makes sense to me because without similar 1/48 vehicles to compare, the size of the 1/56 vehicles looks OK. Makes sense? Good...

Here we have a 1/56 Sdkfz. 234/2 "Puma" armoured car from Warlord Games/Italeri. I note the Italeri connection in particular here because this model is truly a 1/56 scale model kit, not a purpose-designed gaming piece. The vehicle's suspension is extremely well detailed and full of tiny parts that reward care in assembly.

 

Painting was more fun than building, in this case, although assembly took only one evening. The model was painted in a classic 1944 German three-colour scheme, with Zandri Dust, Doombull Brown, and Castellan Green washed with Agrax Earthshade. Tires were painted Vallejo Worn Rubber, a really great dark-grey colour.

Decals were supplied by Warlord with the kit and worked fine. After application the model was lightly weathered and matte spray varnish applied.

The kit even includes a commander figure. I had momentary indecision over whether to paint his uniform Panzer-crew black or SP-gun crew field grey - apparently armoured car crews were spotted wearing both - but opted for Panzer black after all.

I travelled to Vulcan for this submission for the "Something Logical" component. While German armament production was often not very logical, I think they nailed it with the Puma for a couple of reasons. First, the turret was adapted from the cancelled "Leopard" VK1602 recce tank. Second, the vehicle was a quite modern "monocoque" design with the armoured hull serving as the chassis, rather than the armoured body being bolted to a frame as on previous designs. And last, logic prevails with this recce vehicle as it has two driver positions - front and rear - allowing the vehicle's radio operator to speedily extricate the Puma from danger by reversing out of dangerous situations.

Points:

28mm vehicle: 20 points

Commander: 2.5 points

Vulcan bonus: 20 points

I had a 1:72 Puma as a kid; it is a lovely design. The choice between 1:48 and 1:56 would drive me batty... I'll accept your Vulcan logic about the logic of Vulcan. The Spreadsheet o' Doom has rounded you up to 43 points.  

Barks

From DougM: Ambush in Normandy - (60 Points)

This one I thought would be a dawdle, just whack some Late War German 'Ambush Camouflage' on a couple of vehicles, Caprica sorted, bish bosh, jobs a good 'un.  

Except that when I checked, the Ambush Camouflage scheme didn't come into use until September 1944. And as I am building these for use in a Normandy campaign, well, that's kind of torn it. So I must add some foliage, claim they are in ambush for the Allies, and throw myself on the mercy of the Minions!

Rubicon 1/56 Panther & a Resin SdKfz 250 of unknown Provenance

The 12th SS Panzer Division was almost completely re-equipped before redeploying to the Normandy battles, so I kept the weathering to a minimum, just some dried mud/dust and a bit of very light chipping. 

The Rubicon Panther is a very nice model, with the only thing that I felt could have been improved would be the inclusion of some PE for the engine grille as Rubicon did with their Tiger II. I picked up the halftrack second hand, so I have no idea where it is from. It's actually quite a nice little model but it looks absolutely tiny next to modern 28mm figures. I sometimes regret going with 1/56 instead of 1/48 for my vehicles, but then I think about all the ranges I would miss out on. 

Anyway - still on 1 Squirrel Point, and a total of:

2 x 28mm Vehicles @ 20 = 40

Caprica - for another 20 =20

For a total of 60 points.

From DaveD

aaah the old 28mm scale debate chestnut - I have some sympathy with that - I think 1/48th (or even it seems 1/50th) look better overall than the 1/56th stuff but of course the better  availability makes a difference - any way you've done a grand job on a big cat and its little friend. Ambush!! hmmm ok i will just about go with that - though i think they might get spotted!!

From JohnE - 28mm Second World War Vehicles - 42 Points

As primarily a Second World War gamer, the bulk of my "pile o' shame" consists of vehicles - lots and lots of vehicles. In an attempt to motivate myself and ostensibly others in 2020, I created the #vehicluary hashtag on Twitter (feel free to liberally sprinkle groans, boos and thumbs down) with the idea of devoting all of January hobby time to vehicles. As one might suspect, it got zero traction.

However, being a stubborn git, I rebranded it in 2021 as #danktankuary (feel free to liberally sprinkle praise, cheers and thumbs up). "This is it!" I thought - one of the greatest hobby hashtags of all time. Viral in no time.

Alas, again, I rolled a zero BUT I am continuing this year with DANKTANKUARY (see "stubborn git"). Here are my first "Dank Tanks" for this year.

Here's a French AMC-35 from Shapeways. This was sprayed with the MIG French Armor Colors. Not the greatest print, but on the table it looks ok.

Next is a Warlord Jagdpanzer IV, sprayed with AK Real Colors and foliaged up with Green Stuff World Tall Shubbery. This was my first time using these AK acrylic lacquers and, apart from the odor, they were a complete delight to airbrush.

Points Summary:

2x 28mm vehicle @ 20 points = 40 points

Total = 40 points

From DaveD

Now that's a fine pair. The AK products are good to use i agree and you've got a great result. Love the camo and foliage too  - which handily I have a pack of and will nick that idea! I will give you 2 points for tank commander too.