From KentG: 15mm Old Glory 1812 American Wars (144 pts)

This weeks submission is a little different

It's  a commission unbased which means of course less points

I was hoping not to be doing any commission work over 

the challenge but couldn't hold off any longer

They are American infantry from 1812

there are 144 figures in this first lot and tonight I will be starting another 144

figures before i do the artillery and a few other minis, I don't do a lot of 15mm any more

but it is where I began my painting for other people.

The figures travel to the other side of the world so the customer

has asked for them to be unbased

well there we have it 144 figures, the lace and piping took me way longer 

than it should but they are done

points

144 x 15mm foot = 144 points (half points for unbased miniatures)

From Millsy:

I was wondering if we'd see these this week after the discussion on uniforms, colours, etc.

You've done a cracking job I have to say, especially given you painted so many of them in one batch. I know painting in bulk is your schtick but even so that's a lot of stuff. I hope the second batch is not too painful mate!

At "half price" for unbased minis this still nets you a tidy 144 points for your tally.

Cheers,

Millsy

From AdamW: In the jungle, the mighty jungle......15mm Jangalis 370 pointed.

This weeks entry is ten units of Jangalis for my Dunsterforce campaign.

I'd be surprised if many of you have heard of the Jangalis. They were the fighters of the 'Jangal (Forest or Jungle) movement'.  This was a movement setup against the monarchist central government of the Sublime State of Iran in Gilan and lasted from 1915 to 1921.

In October 1915, Mirza Kuchik Khan, an experienced activist in the pro-democracy and nationalist Constitutional Revolution, launched the Jangal movement, which was broadly religiously Shia Muslim, in the forests of Gilan, demanding autonomous status for the province, an end to central government corruption, an end to foreign interference in affairs of local peoples, and land reform.

The British didn't get on to well with them and after a failed assassination attempt on Mirza, they were not to keen to allow the British, in the form of Dunsterforce, to pass through Gilan on their expedition.

I have gathered the figures from a variety of sources, to represent the varied dress of the Persian/Trans-caucas people.  There is little information available, but I have gone for a non-uniformed force with a variety of dress and headgear.

The majority of figures are Blue Moon 15mm from their North West Frontier range, mixed in with some Peter pig Russian civil war figures and the odd minifig.  There is a pack of Blue Moon Cossack Guards, who stand head and shoulders above the rest.

My first pic is a cautionary tale. When picking up a can of varnish, make sure it is varnish and not white undercoat.  I know I have been inspired with all the winter units being posted, but I wasn't really wanting to start an army.

After much swearing and repainting, here they are all ready for action. I tried to get a few close ups as well as the usual bulk pics.

Become we come to the points, I wanted to share a tip that may help anyone new to painting an irregular force to get a nice variety in colours.

I always stick 6 figures to a wooden tongue depressor stick. Traditionally the way to paint a mixed force was to mount the figures of the same pose together and then paint every fifth or so jacket with a colour throughout the army. Then repeat with another colour and so on.

Recently I have found it quicker to mix up the figures on a stick so they are all different poses or clothing etc. (depending how many different figures you have).

The idea is to then paint all the figures on one stick the same colour scheme ie the same colour jacket, another colour for the trousers etc. There  may be some added variance if they have a colourful hat, or are in shirt rather than jacket, but in general they are all dressed in the same coloured clothes.

This process is repeated across the army with how many colour schemes you fancy, for example I think I used eight different jacket colours and six different trousers. Combine that with hat colours and great variance is made very easily.

 

When they are all painted, mix the figures up again and you are done . I have found this a  farquicker method and I've ended up with  no two figures the same.

Points

180 15mm figures @2pts = 360 pts

One squirrel.

That should me through my target :)

Not sure I'll have the next lot of figures ready for next week as I'm away this weekend, but I will try!

From DaveD. Oh these are right up my Back of Beyond street alright . Nice to see a decent mass of them too .i think your process for painting them and mixing it work is a great idea -its worked well . 370 it is . Indeed that is you through your target - time to double I say !

From AdamW: 15mm Boer war British and some more junk (244 points)

A couple of bits completed this week, 

I know one of the key principles of this challenge is to get thing painted and based ready for the table.  This first entry doesn't quite meet that as I won't be basing them, but I have painted them after extracting them from the lead pile.

My friend, whose place we game in, picked up some khaki clad colonial British on a bring and buy stall at the recent Plymouth wargames show.  He already has a lot, but was going to rebase them all to match.  

I remembered I had a few unpainted ones that came in the same bargain box as the Boers I painted up earlier in the challenge.  So I've painted these up to give to him, so he can rebase them all in the same way.

The figures are, I believe, mainly Old glory 15mm, with a few minifigs and a couple of essex thrown in.

These are painted in my traditional method, rather than speedpaints. That is to say, I block paint in a lighter shade of the end colours I want, followed by a brown wash.  That is all I normally do, but as they are for my friend I have then given them a quick drybush to match his style of painting.

Points.

Well it was suggested a point less per figure is reasonable due to no basing (Seems harsh as the basing takes way less time, but I've been told that one shouldn't question the points system).

I'm happy to get these done and for them to be used in the near future.

116 x 15mm foot@1 pts = 116 @2 -25%  for unbased = 174

8 x 15mm prone@0.5pts = 4 pts  @1 -25% for unbased = 6

Total 120pts 180 points

The second entry is a couple of small junks/Sampans. 

These are couple of old resin models that I got from 'The Scene' miniatures back in 2013. I don't think the company is still around.  They came as just a hull, so I added a sail, and a covered bit to one of them. A bit of customisation, some baskets and crew added and some paint and here we are. The crew are Peter pig villagers from their vietnam range.

Points.

Here is my best guess, but feel free to adjust away. I'm happy with anything :)

8x 15mm sitting crew@1pt? = 8 pts  @2 points -25% = 12

1x artillery piece @ 4pts  = 4pts

2 x small ships (just over 5inches)@20pts? = 40pts 48

Total 54pts 84

======================

Grand Total  174pts ? 244 points

Ha, more junk! I think these look great again, Adam, and just to get you on the wrong foot I'll score them as the equivalent of three 15 mm vehicles at 24 points each. The 15mm figures look very fine also, and here too, I think you have been a little too modest. We seem to have a bit of a theme going on here, as this is the second post today with unbased figures. Now just like Edward you have sound reasons for it, so I'll accept them, but some deduction will still be necessary. Not half though, that would indeed be too harsh (though for me basing my figures always seems to take ages, I must say). In line with established custom for unbased 15mm figures I'll take off 25%. You certainly make me work for my money, but I think all this leaves you with 244 points. Not bad! 

Martijn

From MilesR: Yee Gads yet more 10mm Russo-Japanese War and 15mm Russian Napoleonics (1,048 points)

Will this 10mm Russo-Japanese War project ever really end?  It's a question I keep asking myself and the answer is unknowable but, maybe, I'm getting close, so close....  Anyway I have completed another 6 Infantry and 1 Cavalry division with their sabot bases that I designed and cut on my laser cutter.

I like the sabot bases a lot as they have a little tray that holds a die for casualty tracking that have proven to be really stable in game play testing.  The name plates will be magnetized.  The bases also have their center point engraved as a tiny triangle for measuring firing distance and flanking.

With the addition of these divisions, I have enough troops to do even the battle of Mukden at a regimental level (each 3 stand sabot base is a regiment) so I've got enough to run the campaign at the club and as a participation event at this year's Historicon.

Here's a shot of some of the troops above along with others completed earlier in this challenge during a test game at the club - We were refighting the winter battle of Sandepu (Jan 1905).  It did not go well for the Russians....

Speaking of Russians, I needed a break from 10mm RJW and, I know this will surprise all of you, I may have a rather large lead pile - particular when it comes to 15mm Napoleonics.  With the publication of the new version of General d'Armee - very creatively titled General d'Armee 2, I was very keen to run a game up at the club and decided to paint up a bunch of Russian troops.  Maybe horde is a better term.  Anyway over the past 3 weeks I've been slapping paint on 11 infantry battalions and 4 cavalry regiments.  All of the artillery and officers were actually done as part of an earlier challenge (no points for them).

So here is the start of my Russian army and enough to run a good sized game of GdA2 on March 18 at the club

On the left we have 8 regular infantry battalions of 24 figures each

and on the right we have 3 Guard battalions and 2 small and 2 large cavalry regiments.  I just don't have time to finish the 4th guard battalion.  Sadly, this has not put a major dent in my Napoleonic Russian lead pile.  The figures are a mix of Old Glory and AB.  I did cheat on the basing as I used some of the Geek Scenics base ready mixes.  I really like them.  

So whats the tally?

10mm

288 Infantry at one point each = 288

24 Cav a7 3 points each = 72

15MM

264 Infantry at 2 points = 528

40 cav at 4 points = 160

That's a grand total of 1,048 points which should bring me above my 3k goal.  

I haven't been as active as usual this challenge due to work (I've had to step in as a CEO for a portfolio company, which is never a good thing and rather time consuming) but did any of you think I'd miss my target.  There are things that are important (work) and then there are things that are IMPORTANT (like the Challenge).  I may have one smallish post left in me but lets see how the next day or so passes.....

Oh, Gus just got groomed Friday and insisted that I post of picture of his new ultra fluffy look

 He really is rather fluffy.

_________________________________

BOOM!

I was wondering what may have happened to our storied mathemagician, and so I'm very happy at seeing your return to the warm embrace of the Challenge.

Wow, you have been industrious over the intervening weeks, though. Both your RJW and your Russian Napoleonics look tremendous, Miles. I'm particularly impressed with the design of your sabots - they look very posh indeed. The trouble of showing these off makes people (me) want to contact you for their very own versions. :) Beautiful work Mr. R. With your attention to detail (and invaluable playtesting) I know your Historicon game will be a huge success.

I look forward to seeing another post from you before the Challenge concludes for the seaon!

...and Gus is a very good (and fluffy) boy!

- Curt

From BruceR: Library stack Romance, Duelist, Zulu leaders [Famous Person] (70 points)

Venturing once again into the library I was not certain I could find a reasonable model or models to represent the Romance Stack.  Maybe pushing the limits, with this stretch, yet they wear appropriate dress.  I give you Father Guido Sarduchi (old SNL skit if not mistaken) and his side kicks, Alphonse and Pedro.  In defense of my submission they wear appropriate valentines day garb, for males anyway, and have what might be seen as an unhealthy “love” of their beliefs.  Hopefully no offense taken.

These are Trench Worx I picked up at Acon last year.  I’d seen them on somebody’s blog in a scenario and new I needed them.  I’m an avid reader and listener, with the Sharpes’ books giving me many ideas for SP2 scenarios in the Peninsular war.  There just happens to be a book with some surviving inquisitionists still lurking about Spain. 

So, here they are using a simple contrast red highlighted with a British uniform orange.  Faces done with a couple of highlights.  They will be great villains in any scenario, sans the googles on the punk helmet. 

My next model was to be a famous person and than I looked more closely at the library map and the stack was a statue of a famous person.  Strike the room bonus.  Here is a famous person to me.  Here again I was in search of a certain model, a female hussar, someone had posted on there blog.  I found her at Gringo 40s.  If I’m paying shipping a few more are needed so I purchased a few others as extra.  As a famous person, I give you General Fournier-Sarloveze, the officer that Harvey Keitel played in "The Duelist".  He was real person with an amazing story, a 'rabid' duelist' who fought 30 duels with Dupont over 19 years.  So, a Napoleonic General with a movie to his credit and a very enjoyable movie, in my opinion. 

He will do nicely as some dandy in scenarios, of course challenging all comers to a duel.

Staying on movies, I'm back to Zulu after my ACW distraction.  Warrior leaders this time.  15 pack of old glory and again my version of the 3' rule.  Adding some highlights and relying on the shields to make them pop.

Total:

The Love Story stack                20 pts

4 28mm @5                              20 pts

15 15mm @2                            30 pts

Total                                            70 pts

Keep at it all and enjoy everybody's work.

Bruce

TeemuL: Navigating through the Library is not an easy task, topic name and description might have some controversies and then it is down to the minions to sort everything out. :) But no worries, I can handle this. As a rule of thumb, if the challenger admits that he might be stretching a bit, then he usually is, and even though it was Valentine's Day yesterday, I won't pass your Romance. However, the Famous Person is not that clear either and during the Challenge we have seen both famous persons and statues on this topic, and because it was Valentine's Day yesterday (Friend Day in Finland) I'll give you the Famous Person location bonus. Your point total is the same, you have two ready topics on the section and it makes me sleep better. :)

But after the calculations, semantics, mathemagicks and bureacracy, let's take a look at those minis. The red garbs are stunning, very bright and eye catching. Fournier-Sarloveze is equally stunning, very nice and bright green for example. Excellent! The Zulu warrios have nice shields, but don't let that fool you, they are finely painted all together.

From BruceR: Zulu (88 points)

Greetings on Thorsday, kept in line by Teemu and his delightful culinary Finnish descriptions. 

I find myself done with my FIW project, due to starting some units prior to the challenge, and not being prepared for the next. Oh well, always plenty of opportunity in the game cave.

I started a Zulu themed project two challenges ago and decided to grab them up again.  We intend to try The Men Who Would be Kings for this project and see how it goes. From the previous start I have 18 Zulus and 12 Brit’s. A friend has the bulk of the forces and is a long way back in the painting line for him. I’ll have to get enough done to try out some games. 

I pulled a bag of what I believe are married warriors from their hair. They are 15mm and from Old Glory 15’s. The first hurdle is the shields, not attached and getting them on is a slight chore. As I’m using sabo bases we are basing the figures individually. I’m used to painting 28mm and usually like to do 8-10 figures to be able to accomplish little victories. I decided to paint the 39 figures together and it went pretty smoothly. I base coated them in ebony flesh with the airbrush. I than blocked in the colors, gave them a wash of Riekland flesh, highlighted skin and shields, done (with some basing work). 

Overhead of the whole group

half the group

backsides

how they look on the bases

Points:

39 15mm foot @ 2 =  78 points

Total 78 points

A new and strange phenomenon.  I primed outside yesterday.  What you say?  The northern prairie saw above 50 (F) degrees.  Doggo got a walk as well.  Be well.

Bruce

TeemuL: 39 minis in batch is worthfile task, even in 15mm world. So you had 18 before and now have 39 more? What size is the individual base? Nevertheless, they look great on sabot bases, not too tight or not too spread out. I'll give you ten extra points for the hand painted shields, that seem appropiate regarding the size of them. You seem to be quite close to your points target, but don't let that stop you! I haven't primed outside yet, but luckily I have a corner in a semi-warm garage, where I can prime and varnish.

From HerrRobert - The ballistae cull a fearful toll [History] - 50 points

The library book sale is an annual event, held the first month after the annual opening of the Analogueville Public Library. Librarians silently and swiftly identify august tomes collecting dust and authors no longer in demand by Analogueville patrons and move them to the consignment sale. Warned of the impending fate of From Dura to Ctesiphon, stories of the Roman-Persian wars, a retelling for modern audiences was in order.

Although famous for the quality of their cavalry and (due to scurrilous and vile reputation smirching by the scholars of their enemies) infamy of their infantry, the Sassanid Empire also operated an artillery arm for siege and pitched battle work. Jauntily attired in brightly colored tunics, pants and especially fashionable domed hats, we see examples of three Sassanid ballistae, ready for action at Dura, or attacking any of the numerous fortified Roman cities in the Levant.

My first submission for Challenge XIV is three 15mm Sassanid ballistae and crews. All are from the Sassanid Bolt Shooters And Crew pack in Old Glory's Ancients Sassanid line, now sold by 19th Century Miniatures. 

These are the first 15mm miniatures I have painted in a very long time (almost a decade now), and are mounted on the standard WRG/DBA basing of 40mmx40mm for artillery. 

I tried something new, going for a zenithal prime (Krylon black, followed by Games Workshop Corax White). I'm pleased with the results, the zenithal giving a nice shade to some of the craft paints used for pants and hats. I also was able to get a nice mix of unbleached linen and wool, using either Reaper 09063 Ghost White for the grayish tones, and 09061 Linen White for the cream tones. I'd not been a fan of cream tones for white in the past, but it works well here, I think.

As you can see, my basing style for 15mm troops is much simpler and faster than 25mm, with just painting the base in Americana Mississippi Mud, and then dipping it in a flock mix. It works much better than thinned down white glue, as figures flocked two decades ago will attest. I also put triangular labels on the corners of 15mm bases, which really helps with telling what a given stand is. While artillery is pretty obvious, a lot of other DBA troop types can be very confusing. 

For those who wish to copy them, the labels are really easy to make. I just use a triangle shape in Powerpoint, and 6pt Calibri font. For my SYW troops, I'll use a fancier font. I used to make them in Illustrator, but honestly Powerpoint is a lot simpler now.

Sadly, neither DBA nor the standard Might of Arms list (my favorite Ancients to Medievals wargame rules) for Sassanids allow ballistae, so they may be destined to sit on the shelf and look pretty for a long while. 

Entering the library, I snuck past the collections desk and their pesky fines (what's this wanting their books back, on time, stuff!?) and made a beeline for History. Obviously, the Sassanid Persians are a sadly neglected (and colorful) period of history, but also a major piece of my personal wargaming history. My first forays into DBA twenty years ago (or more) with 2.0/2.2 were with a Sassanid Persian Army, and I've always been a fan of the Sassanids - especially those awesome hats. Sadly, the army has sat half-finished and neglected for a while now, but I am hoping to revive it as part of a general bringing my DBA armies up to 3.0 composition.

So why a full month for nine 15mm figures? Several reasons. COVID hit me hard for Christmas, and then I got seriously stuck on some 25mm Old West figures. They looked an easy paint job, but for some reason they sucked away all my painting mojo. I'd also noticed a hard time seeing the details, both on the ancients and the Old West figures. Missing and then seeing things was a real demoralizer. I'm scheduled for a cataract replacement in February, and hopefully that will make it a lot easier to see. Meanwhile, I'm going to switch gears to something more fun and hopefully that will get the mojo back. 

Add in the obligatory photo complaint, but I think I have figured out why they're so washed out. I also don't have near that many pieces of static grass and flock on my photo background, but the iPhone sees everything (especially mold lines I didn't see and thus didn't file off before priming).

Scoring:

• 9 15mm infantry figures @ 2 points per = 18 points
• 3 15mm artillery pieces @ 4 points per =  12 points
• History section of the Analogueville Public Library = 20 points
  

For a total of 50 points! 25% of my quota!

_______________________________________

First, welcome back to the Challenge, Robert! Sorry to hear about your peepers. I hope the coming month sets you up well. Still, there is nothing to apologize for with these figures as they look terrific. I especially like the arid basework. Well done!

- Curt