From RossM: 15mm Leopard 1 Panzer Kompanie Zug (40 points)

This is my first entry to this year's Painting Challenge and is something a bit different. Well painting German AFVs isn't that new, however the scale and period are: 15mm Cold War.

The Cold War is a new period here, although having grown up during the seventies and eighties under the shadow of a naval base in Scotland there are elements that seemed all too real. When deciding to paint these models, I wanted to recreate that shadow, to show AFVs that have left their bases and are own their own. 

The models are from Battlefront's Team Yankee range and show Leopard 1s in NATO three colour camouflage. The first set of pictures show the HQ section of the Panzer Kompanie, followed by the first of two panzer zug. 

The models have gone through several stages to achieve the look shown:

• Primed in Vallejo NATO green primer
• Base coat in reflective green
• Camouflage colours added in Black Gray and Flat Earth
• Dry brushed with Iraqi Sand
• Gloss varnished
• Apply decals
• Gloss varnish decals to seal
• Oil wash with AK Interactive NATO camouflage wash. 
• Cotton bud wipe with mineral spirits
• Matt varnish  - two coats

Applied a heavier than usual coat of the oil wash to build on the shadows within the model and removed the wash with a drier cotton bud to leave move wash on the model. Don't see these as coming straight from the forecourt of your local tank dealership.

So there it is, entry one to AHPC XVI which scores as follows:

• 5 x 15mm vehicle at 8 points each equalling 40 points. 

Hope that everyone enjoys this post and already working on more for this period and others for future posts. 

Cheers for now

I enjoyed the post Ross! As a fervent enthusiast of 15mm Cold-War-Gone-Hot games and a man who grew up near a Canadian Forces base that frequently hosted Bundeswehr armoured forces, I am fully in favour of Leopard 1s. You've done a great job on these lovely Battlefront models, the camo and weathering look very cool. AK Interactive NATO Camouflage Wash you say? Hmmm...

Great work and 40 points for you!

Dallas 

From SebastianR: Tanks! (88 points)

Part 2 of my, "look I did actually paint something" posts, a bunch of 6mm vehicles for Team Yankee.

10 Abrams

2 Carnations and a Carnation proxy

2 Shilkas

2 Gophers

2 Spartans for blowpipe teams

6 FV432s for a mech platoon

7 T72's and definitely T72's honest guv

6 T72's in what one blog calls MERDCski camo

8 BMP1s for a mech platoon

 As always flocking will be done once temperatures allow varnishing.

That's 44 6mm vehicles for a total of 88pts

That's all from me this year. I'm away for the rest of the challenge time. I wish I'd managed to get more done and stick to my plan, but best laid schemes and all. Hopefully see you all next year where I can be more productive.

***

Sebastian - On behalf of the Benevolent Snow Lord (tm), his Divine Lady (tm) and my gang of scurrilous Minions, thank you for being part of AHPC XV! We all wish we can paint more, and it is that wish that will keep us all going! 

This parting post of mechanized might is lovely - nothing like a bunch of tanks racing around and shooting each other on the gaming table, right? These are very nice, well done. 

88 points for you!

GregB

BrianC: Germanic Tribes, Trucks, Mad Scientists, and More! (211 points)

 Okay. This entry is a little of everything! I enjoy painting a variety of miniatures. I have Warlord Games Germanic Tribes, Team Yankee, 40K, a 3D-printed Mad Scientists, and more! Here we go!

Let's start with Dante's Circles. Here is a Zombicide Black Plague Fatty Zombie who had a little too much brains? Gluttony.

A Black Scorpion Skeleton Pirate Miniature is a good example of the fourth circle: Greed.

Something shouty, eh? Well, how about a Warhammer 40K Ork! I believe that will be a great example of the fifth circle: Wrath.

Ok, I'm done with the circles for now. Next, I have painted some Warlord Games Germanic Tribes(21)

I finished painting 2 Team Yankee 15mm Militia Trucks.

A couple of 3D Resin printed Mad Scientists I can use as NPC's or objectives for a future tabletop miniature game.

Lastly, a good ol' 28mm Redneck from Battle Valor miniatures.

 

Many more minis are on the way!

27 x 28mm = 135pts.

3 x Circles = 60pts.

2 x 15mm Vehicles = 16pts

TOTAL = 211pts

 

 Sylvain: What a great diversity of models! Every genre is well executed and the colors are bright, giving a clean definition of the volumes of the figurines. Excellent work!

From GrahameH - More 15mm Cold War Battlegroups (746 points)

In a previous post I showed my US Cold War Battlegroup (BG) which I had finished and was then hoping to get some other non-completed NATO BGs completed without getting distracted. So in order to give myself a little encouragement I listened to the "Team Yankee" book. All was going well until they described the attempt by a US Armoured Cavalry Squadron to act as a speed bump in the face of the Warsaw Pact armoured advance. Spoiler - it didn't go very well for the US. Then the troubled started. "I'd like a Armoured Cavalry Squadron" I said even though it not on my list to do. However, I summoned up all my will power to keep to my original plan, failed and here it is. 

 Its not to big as I left out the artillery battery as it the same as the other US BG. The figures etc are all 15mm Battlefront. 

The HQ - MG, Stinger, CO and a M113 (20pts)

Armoured Cavalry Troop

There are 2 of these each consisting of 8 men and a M113 ACAV. (24pts x 2 = 48pts)

Support

M113 ACAV for the Recce Unit and 1 M106 with a 120mm mortar. (16pts and 4 for the mortar crew (20pts)

Two Armoured Cavalry Tank Troops (Each of 2 M60s) (32pts)

So the US Armoured Cavalry Squadron = 120pts 

Then I thought I wonder if I could add a US Air Assault BG. I have a Russian one and a British one. 

Never really sticking to a painting plan due to my butterfly issues, here is my US Air Assault BG.

A A10 Warthog, a AH-1 Cobra and 2 Chinooks (32pts) (the Cobra is Battlefront, the Chinooks are 3D printed and I have no idea where the A10 came from. 

The Ground Forces 

HQ and the 3 Infantry Companies 

This was before the entry of the Humvees so most of the transport is Mutt 151 jeeps (From Army Bits) 

(2 vehicles and 34 figures, including crew for the jeeps) = 84pts

Support Company - M151 with TOW (2 vehicles and 6 crew) = 28pts

Recce Platoon - M151 and 7 figures (22 pts)

Airborne Tank Sqn - 3 X M551 Sheridans (Army Bits). Apparently the 82nd kept their Sheridans during this time period. (24Pts)

The Artillery Battery (2 Guns, 3Vehicles and 12 figures) = 56pts (all Army Bits who make some wonderful US Infantry) I think the guns are a bit late for 1984 but they will do. 

So that the US Airborne BG at 246 Pts. 

Right back to the Plan

West German BG 

West German BG (most of the infantry was already painted so just the vehicles)

HQ and two Sqns of Leopards (7 vehicles) 56pts - Battlefront

Leopard Recovery Vehicle (8pts) (Army Bits)

4 Marder 1s for the HQ, if not an armoured BG and three Infantry Coys (Battlefront) (32pts)

Second Part of the West German BG.

The Artillery Battery - 2 X M109s and a M113 FO (Battlefront) (24pts)

Support Company - 2 M113 (for the Milan Teams) and a M106 with 120mm Mortar - 2 crew. (28pts)

AA Platoon - a Roland (this was suppose to be a Gepard, but that model has been drafted into the Dutch BG) (8pts)

Recce Plt - a Luchs (8pts)

Any then the Butterfly Syndrome hit again 😒

West German Fallschirmjager BG

AT Company - 2 Wiesels with TOW and 2 with 20mm *Butler 3d printing) (32pts)

Pts = 112pts

I need 5 KraKa transport for this unit. These are little go-kart things but I can't find any in 15mm. Anyone know of anyone who produces these please let me know?

So the Grand Total 

61 Vehicles

123 Figures

3 Served Guns 

Grand Total = 746

***

Did the Painting Challenge start much earlier than I realized? On days like this, it seems so, as with today's posts, Grahame has surpassed what most Challengers manage in an entire AHPC. 

However it happens, that is another 746 points. 

GregB