From RaulM: Black Seas HMS Indefatigable (25 points)

Hello and welcome to my first post of the challenge! It's a little later than I had hoped, but I've had a lot going on behind the scenes. You're not here for excuses though, you're here for some painted minis. I'm continuing last year's adventure with Black Seas, Warlord Games's foray into Age of Sail miniatures. The scale is 1/700 (although sticklers would point out that it's on a sliding scale and not all of them are true 1/700 and so on and so on...). The first miniature I have this year is the HMS Indefatigable, a rather famous ship in Napoleonic naval circles.

This is a resin, metal, and plastic model. The metal stern and figurehead are technically meant for one of the plastic 5th rate frigates in the Royal Navy starter box, but the Indefatigable is not a standard 5th rate, but instead a razee, which is a larger ship, like a 3rd or 2nd rate, who's upper gun deck has been cut away. So instead I used the small 4th rate razee model, which is made of resin. I also took the masts from a plastic 3rd rate as I thought the 5th rate masts were a touch too small. 

I used my standard Royal Navy colors here, which is an amber yellow with black. The figurehead was a fun little challenge, and is practically a miniature on a miniature. My photography isn't great, but that's a Greek warrior with sword and shield. 

And for those of you that can't really picture what 1/700 scale means, here's the ship next to a Blood & Plunder 28 mm pirate on a 20 mm base. 

As for points, I've scored this at 20 points based on previous challenges, particularly my USS Constitution from last year. 

Welcome back Raul and what an absolutely smashing first post!  A famous ship indeed, now you just need the Droits de L'Hommes for her to fight in a gale.   Just lovely work on the painting and rigging.  Speaking of rigging, I fully support the idea of using the bigger masts, as Captain fellow specifically kept her original masts on conversion from a 3rd rate.  I'm adding in a few points for the flag and the fine work.

From RaulM: Black Seas USS Constellation, Sloop-of-War, and Bomb Ketch (80 Points)

Yup, you guessed it. More Black Seas. I've got another 3 ships done. The USS Constellation from 1854, a British ship-rigged sloop-of-war, and finally a a generic bomb ketch. 

The USS Constellation is one of the named ships that comes in the US Navy starter fleet from Warlord Games. The intent was for it to be one of the original six frigates of the US Navy, but the supplied bits were for the later version from 1854. I did a fair amount of conversion work to the stern to integrate that piece, as Warlord does not make a frigate with a rounded stern. 

This Sloop-of-war is an even heavier conversion, albeit a common one in the Black Seas space. I fused two of the smaller brigs together to make this 3-mast ship. I also took a plastic stern plate from the frigate, and molded it to the back. Finally, I raised the stern deck to create a raised quarterdeck. I did all of this conversion work a long time ago, and I finally decided to paint it so that'll be my exit from Limbo and into the larger world of Dante's Inferno. 

Finally, the Bomb Ketch. Nothing special was done to this vessel, other than that I didn't give it a nationality. I only have 3 of these, and instead of limiting each one to a nation, I decided to keep it generic so I can use it with any fleet in any scenario. 

 For the final points tally, I have:

USS Constellation: 15 points

Sloop-of-War: 15 points + Limbo 20 points

Bomb Ketch: 10 points

For a total of 60 points. 

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What a treat you've sailed in again Raul! You are really doing some fantastic work with these Black Sea ships. The rigging, rat lines, sails and pennants really are top notch. Please take a bunch of bonus points for the great eye for detail in your modelling

I'm hoping you do a USS Constitution during the challenge too: I've been aboard 'Old Ironsides' on three occasions including being "rung aboard" formally, and my name is inscribed on the protective copper hull sheeting under the waterline :-)

- Paul

From RaulM: Black Seas 1st Rate, Xebec, and Cutter (60 points)

My second post for the challenge is even more Black Seas, covering a spread of vessels that all could have been found in the Mediterranean during the Napoleonic Wars. A Spanish 1st rate, a Barbary Pirate xebec, and a French cutter. 

The Spanish 1st rate is one of the generic resin Spanish 1st rates that Warlord offers. I didn't like the white metal masts provided, so I took the yards and the fighting tops and attached them to masts I made with brass tubing. The paint scheme is based on the Santa Ana, who fought in several fleet actions, notably surviving the Battle of Trafalgar. 

The Xebec is another Warlord resin model, the large xebec. I kept the metal masts for this as they are chunkier and therefore not as prone to bending. The paint scheme is nothing special, very similar to the official box art that Warlord uses. 

Finally, the cutter. This is a metal model from Hagen Miniatures, with quite a bit of conversion work done to it to add the 12 guns on the deck and the square topsail. I used the Renard for reference, as it was the first thing that came up on google search when I was looking at French cutters.

For points I based it on the small brig being 10 points and the medium frigate as 15 points, so a 5 point up or down based on the size the vessel is given in game. 

1st Rate (XL): 25 points

Xebec (S): 10 points

Cutter (T): 5 points

For a total of 40 points. 

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Stunning work Raul - anyone who has dabbled in the majestic art of naval warship modelling (the creme of the hobby obviously, apart from Miles that is) knows what fine work this is. Wonderful lines, dynamic flags and billowing sails. Stirring stuff!

I'm awarding 20 bonus points for the conversion work, scratch building new masts, the lovely ratlines and taut rigging work - beautifully done!

Fair winds and following seas to you Raul!

-Paul

From RaulM: Black Seas Speedy and Hermione (25 points)

This is my first time posting to the Challenge, so I'm excited to dive on in. With a lull in the action between Christmas and New Years, I had some time to get some hobbying done. My first offerings for the challenge are two vessels from Warlord Games Black Seas: the HMS Speedy and L'Hermione. 

Speedy is an English 14-gun brig-sloop, famous for her action against the Spanish xebec-frigate El Gamo. The hull and masts are metal, and she's painted in the typical Royal Navy fashion with a yellow stripe on a black hull. 

The Hermione is a French frigate, which I based off the current replica of the ship. This is the standard plastic 32-gun frigate model with bespoke metal sternplate and figurehead from the French starter navy.  

Based on some past posts of Black Seas ships, I scored the brig at 10 points and the frigate at 15, for a total of 25. 

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First, welcome to the Challenge Raul! Every year we have new faces in the ranks which I always enjoy to see.

These two tall ships look absolutely tremendous Raul. I'm especially impressed with your shading on the sails, the pennants and flags and the tidy (and painstaking) job on the rigging. Bravo! A great opening broadside for your Challenge debut!

- Curt

From KerryT - The cause of much swearing - a maritime entry (40 points)

Morning, afternoon and evening all

One good thing about the AHPC is that it compels you to complete some long unfinished figures. In my case, the figure in question is a 1/1200 Napoleonic ship from Langton Miniatures

This is a British frigate and probably was one of the oldest unpainted figures in my collection. I moved to NZ in 1999 and brought it with me, probably having bought it in the early 90s. I painted up and rigged about a dozen British and French ships of the line at the time and added a frigate but never put it together. I was daft enough or bold enough, depending on your perspective to get a frigate in full sail

I managed to find an old article in Miniature Wargames issue 80 called "splicing the main brace". This was the original guide for painting and modelling

Just checked, it was published in January 1990

Painting was easy enough but my eyes are not what they were and I don't recall having so much difficulty when completing the original models and this is when the swearing started. There was a lot of it, particularly when the sail came away from the foremast mid way through!

Here it is next to to an older model

My limited suturing skills came in handy here

The round painting base added to the problem as it kept rolling

After at least 4 hours of sweat, tears and toil and some old fashioned Anglo-Saxon phrases, it eventually came together. I confess I nearly gave up after completing the standard rigging (black thread) but persisted in the end and completed the running rigging (light thread)

See the gap between the topgallant and the foremast!

Not sure I'll ever buy more of these after that ordeal!

Thus in summary

Maritime bonus  20 points

1 x 1/1200 ship - no idea points wise but Millsy the riggin took friggin ages!

From Millsy: I laughed immediately I saw the title of this post Kerry following our chat earlier in the week. As I said at the time I outsourced all my rigging work and I think you can appreciate why! Frustrations aside you've done a lovely job on every aspect of the model and the effort invested in the rigging certainly paid off in the overall result. Given the rigging let's score this as a 28mm vehicle at 20 points, bringing the total for the sub to 40 points. Nice work mate and I hope the PTSD isn't too bad!

From AdamC: North African Warriors Sword and Sandals, Royal Navy and Pirate ships 190 Points

These are some Muslim Warriors from North Africa for use in Saga or Lion/Dragon Rampant.  They could also serve as Tolkien's Southrons or Armies of Al-Rassan from the Books of Guy Kay.  

I decided to do alternating stripes in the fashion of the Groms of North Africa.

14 Spear armed warriors the poses are a bit casual but all in all they look good. 

The Red head wraps/scarfs are intended to tie them to the army of Cartada in Al-Rassan which I did a commander/champion for in the challenge a few yeas ago . 

Also a sword armed command group and and banner man.

our chainmail armored chief here with his elegant mustache. 

He has two sword armed body guards as an escort. the rear imagine really shows the striped coats. They should form the core of an army or an allied unit.  So we have 18 Arabes (some indeed wearing sandals) for the sword and sandals studio. 

Ok I know there may have been some disappointment with a lack of Ships(mostly myself) but I am making up for that now with 4 Royal Navy Ships HMS Colossus, HMS Ajax, HMS Naiad and HMS Indefatigable and 3 smaller craft. 

HMS Colossus one of a two ship class of British ships of the line she was heavily armed with 32 pounders and 24 pounders on her lower and upper Gun decks, respectively. 

This gave her a heavier than average broad side (most English ships carried 18 pounders on the uper deck). Colossus was purt of Collingwood's column a Trafalgar 

She engaged three enemy ships on that day Argonaute, Bahama and Swiftsure and her captain was wounded.  

HMS Ajax Ship of the line (armed in the same manner as Colossus)  with a fairly active carrier including service under Captain Cochrane in Egypt under Sidney Smith (her crew provided part of the landing force for the Battler of Alexandria) and the battle for Cape Finisterre and Trafalgar. 

I can find no details of her part in the battle of Cape Finisterre but at Trafalgar she was part of Nelson's line.  She was commanded by Lt. Pilfold there because her Captain was called in as a witness in the courts martial that resulted form Cape Finisterre. 

Ajax engaged Bucentaur and Santissima Trinidad as well as the Intrepid at Trafalgar taking only 9 casualties.  Lt. Pilfold was promoted straight to Post Captain after the battle (skipping the rang of Master & Commander)  Ajax was destroyed by fire in 1807. 

HMS Naiad an Amazon class frigate with a very active carrier during wich she engaged in several ations and captured a number of ships 

She supported Nelson's Fleet at Trafalgar relaying signals and conducting rescues and towing the Belleisle to Gibraltar. She remained in active service through out the Napoleonic Wars. 

She ended her life as a depot ship serving in that capacity from 1846 to 1898 (if she had made it a little longer she might have become a museum ship) 

HMS Indifagitable One of the most famous ships of the Royal Navy. Often called a Frigate she was actual a Razee and cut down Ship of the line.  Her most famous captain was Sir Edward Pellew readers of Mr. Midshipman Hornblower will be familiar with her actions. 

Under Pellew she captured of destroyed 16 armed ships including two frigates and a French 74 tje "Driots de l'Homme"

She als to part in the Battle of the Basque Roads. She was broken up in 1816. 

Here we have 3 Pirate vessels two Brigs and a ship sloop. 

I added stern windows to these 18 gun brigs.

Flags can be removed so they an serve in other navies 

The Ship Sloop is from two brigs (the cut down brig HMS Sophi appeared earlier in the challenge)

I gave her a bit of quarter/poop deck as well as a stern window.  She can serve as an excellent pirate ship of as Post-ship/ship-sloop or Corvette depending on the Navy. 

Points 18 x 25mm figures making 90 points Plus another 20 for the studio

The ships of the line are 15 points each and the frigates are 10 each so another 50 points

the Pirate ships are 10 points each for another 30.  

That's a total of 190 points for what will probably be my final entry.  It should also give me 3 more Squirrels.  Kids and Covid have slowed me down but its been fun and production. 

You certainly seem to have made up for the lack of ships in this last post, the British squadron and the pirate raiders look fantastic. The striped clothing on the North Africans adds a lot of character to the models, well done.

-StuartL