From DavidB - Kill Team, Modern US Army, WW1French (145 points)

Don't judge me! 

A very messy desk with lots of things piled up...It must be close to midseason of the Challenge! ;)

I think I could finish an army in a week, but I just can't help myself. Every time I change the wet pallet, it is a challenge just to keep the same colors I have been using. I now have it loaded with the John Blanche paints just to force myself to focus on the next batch. So, while I was clearing the Deathguard from the table...a few more units snared my attention before the pallet change.

  I prevail- Breaking Down

I had to see the VA shrink this week just to check a box and talking to psychologists has never been on my list of things I want to do on any day. I still text my old doc (actually, she is young) about once a few months as she wants to be sure I am still doing well. My only anger issues spring from editorial news and online "social" media. The new trigger is when I fall and dealing with getting older and not being as able bodied as I once was. I cannot kick in doors anymore and running and ruck marches are rapidly fading to my past. Heck, climbing stairs and ladders is rough now. I have to accept a reality of age and injury where it is no longer my job to perform missions and hunt bad guys and even if it was, I am not mission capable. My anxiety is still crowds as I cannot stop assessing for threats but also being unable to do things I wish to do. 

The Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org) is my charity for this season and they do quite a bit for assisting Vets in getting homes and vehicles to outdoor activities and mental health. Camp Winlow here in Michigan is another place that they help. Winlow is funded by the VA, Michigan, and private donations. It is a Boy Scout camp in pristine North Michigan woods and has the same shoddy Wi-Fi as the Upper Peninsula. The Veteran Village is a small collection of cabins with indoor plumbing and cozy rooms with fire pits. A veteran only needs to bring food and clothes and can enjoy catch and release fishing or being in a serene forest. It is my favorite place to just unwind and escape the internet and the world for a few days. Quiet and woods reminds me I am not quite done and have a few more years before I can have my own quiet, serene place.

Now on to the minis....

First up is the Deathguard that came with the space marine kill team and is the plague marine blind box set. They are newer than the Ultra marine set and each marine has a splendid scenic base that really tells a story with an accompanying nurgling.

a regular trooper throwing a grenade with a nurgling sitting atop a pile of grenades

even with the grenade pin in hand, there are others scattered on the base with grenades and maggots

The nurgling has another pin hanging on it's horn.

A gunner with fungal/coral growths and a leaky toxic gun. The Nurgling is enjoying the toxic goop leaking from the gun.

similar growths a sprouting on the ground.

This marine has a flail with a nurgling enjoying the free swing

The missing chain and ball is at the marine's feet

another trooper with a fetish for skulls

Yes, I did count them! 27 skulls on that shoulder!

more on his base.

The most disgusting one of the lot and he is spreading nurgle's gift

he has no nurgling except for a lot of flies and maggots as well as his own set of wings.

The champion with a rotten bone sword and plasma pistol

and a very fine, but tattered cape

My favorite of the bunch is the icon bearer. I used a head that reminds me of some old Chaos marine artwork from years past. he as a tube inserted into his mouth and vanishing to places I do not want to think about, not a rebreather but a cable connecting his mouth to his own rot.

there is nurgle worms and tentacles and at his foot is a nurgle medallion.

A nurgling removed the medallion and has stuck his own head in the icon to take its place.

Using a lot of the greens and browns, I have a small group of US infantry. A Ssgt with a m4 and 203 grenade launcher leads a sgt, a gunner with a 249 saw and three scouts. This is what a squad of scouts would look like...but bear in mind that scout infantry is light infantry, and we are known to cheat A LOT

I bought them at Adepticon from a loose box of minis and traded a ten for them. Together they make a heavy weapon squad of ten with three fireteams and three support weapons. I can also make them a squad of eight with two support weapons for standard infantry.

The sgts have holstered pistols and are posed to direct traffic.

two grunts with m4 and one with a saw, the fellow to the right is popping smoke.

The squad leader is upfront with his m4 and underslung 203. the Staff Sgt makes sure the sgts leading the fire teams are doing well and can use the 203 to direct traffic or remove impediments to traffic.

They are going to be used in Spectre operations, pulp, and zombie gaming.

Speaking of Pulp....WW1 French Infantry

These are Wargames Atlantic WW1 French. I was thinking of Forbidden Psalm when I got them but ended up building them for pulp/interwar games.

I added an officer in his snazzy cap and a machine gunner. I have a few Germans and Russians and other sorts of monsters and mad scientists. My adventure heroes only have a few Harlem Hellfighters to back them up, so 12 French Infantry will help even things up for my small band of heroes.

 7 Deathguard for 35 points

10 US infantry for 50 points

12 French for 60 points

29 troops for 145 points

squirrels --40k White scars, Mongolian Orcs, WW2 American infantry, WW2 German Infantry, WW2 allied Vicks, WW2 German Vicks, Iron Snakes, Wood Elf warband, Stormtroopers, Deathguard, Modern US infantry, WW1 French

skulls- 47 new skulls for a total of 91

stompy robots of death- 8

Excellent production this week David! First of all, good shout for the Wounded Warriors Project. I can imagine that Camp Winlow is a lovely place and good for the spirit. Peace and quiet can be restorative, that's for sure.

I think the Plague Marines have fogged up your camera lens a bit with their... emanations but from what I can see they look great. Those new GW models have a ton of detail and Easter eggs for painters and you've done a nice job. The modern US infantry are very nice and you've assembled a useful squad there. I also really like the late-war French, I think you've really nailed their Horizon-Blue greatcoats. 

One hundred forty-five points added to your total!

Dallas

From BobV: 18mm Napoleonic French and Bavarians and an entry for Sarah's Library Cart (240 points)

 Hello all!

I had thought upon retirement that my days of large collections of unpainted miniatures would soon be over. Alas, after three years without a full-time career, I can confirm that freedom without structure is just as great an enemy of progress as trudging off to the office every day. It's funny how many hobby-related tasks you can do without actually sitting down at the painting table. On the bright side, my reference library has never looked better, but at least a Division's worth of Napoleonic's still need to be painted. 

I therefore decided to join the Challenge and set some real deadlines to complete my long-delayed project. So far, so good.

What you see below are four small battalions (sorry KenR) of 18mm French and Bavarians from AB Miniatures. The flags are from Fighting 15's.

 

There are two battalions of French Légère, one battalion of Bavarian Leichtes and one battalion of Bavarian Line. I have also included a Bavarian Brigadier in the Leichtes green uniform. I make no claim as to any specific regiment as I find uniform specifics too tricky to master and I prefer to paint what I think looks good. The troops never complain.

The Bavarians are brand new (thanks Eureka Miniatures USA) so I am claiming them as New Acquisitions in the Library. I have also included a newly painted figure of indeterminate origin to claim Sarah's Library Cart. I believe she may be a freebie I picked up from Footsore Miniatures somewhere along the way. In any event, I refer to her as Lady Penelope. 

I am claiming the following points:

96 x 15mm foot @2 points = 192 points

1 x 15mm mounted @ four points = 4 points

20 points for New Acquistions = 20 points

20 points for lady Sarah's Book Cart = 20 points

Total = 236 points

 

Sylvain: To me, there is definitely a quality to quantity and I really like the overall look of your Napoleonic troops on the tabletop. Beyond the quantity, the quality of your brushwork is impeccable. I will add 4 points for the numerous flags to boost up your tally to 240. Vive l'Empereur!

 If you could provide a map of the Analogueville Library showing your progress, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

John B: Floppy berets and picklehaubes

Meanwhile, on the Hartsmannwillerkopf, some jaunty head gear… berets! (somewhat floppier than the one Curt wears when he zips around on his bicyclette…)

More home sculpted, drop cast homemade toy soldiers in 40mm scale. Remaining in the Belle Èpoche rut, (oh, what a lovely rut it is…) I have for offer, a unit of Chasseurs Alpins (18 figures), circa 1890-1914, a unit of German infantry in feldgrau und picklehauben (18 figures), and a unit of French infantry, 1890-1914 (18 figures), sans kepi cover.

 

 

 

I had a little trouble with the varnish on the Chasseurs. It came out mottled and cloudy. This figure has been a bit of an ugly duckling from the get go. I made the rifle too thick and the castings have come out with a fair bit of flash. I have replenished my varnish supply, and if nothing else, I hope these guys will do good service on campaign in the Vosges… win some, lose some I guess.

 

I realize that block painting and glossy varnish does not completely align with the ethos of the challenge, but I assure you that three or four hundred of these fellows on the table top is quite the spectacle. So much so, that it might inspire one to grow a droopy mustache à la Papa Joffre.

 

As for points, given my painting, I feel a little guilty taking 15 points for my modest efforts. I suppose sculpting, molding, and casting, could count for something, but it is a painting challenge after all.  I will stick with the program and humbly petition for the assigned 15 points per figure.

 54x40mm foot @ 15 7 points/figure = 810 378 points

Minion: if these are 54s then the 15 points applies, but think that they are 40mm in which case Tamsin is correct and the total is 378.

Total=810 points

 Next I hope to head to Galicia and to visit the polyglot and much underrated forces of Kaiser Franz-Joseph. I am assured there will be more champagne, gambling, and Italian actresses present than in any other headquarters.

 

Wow John, these are lovely.  Most of us get to blame the manufacturer on figure flaws, but as designed, caster and painter there's little room to hide for you.

You need to get rid of your guilty feelings and enjoy what you've done.   I am brooking none of your BS on these proper old school Toy Soldiers, especially not ones which are home cast in the Scale that All Other Scales Aspire to Be.  You haven't war-gamed if you've never flung matchsticks from spring loaded toy cannons at your opponents figures.