From BenitoV: More Cannuck Infantry (30 points)

Taking a break from my trips exploring the Challenge XII Quadrant, today I present  a few additions to my WW2 Canadian infantry project for Chain of Command.

First is a PIAT team,  adding to the two other finished teams  (you never have enough PIATs in a British/Commonwealth army!) This time however, at least these guys are seeing some action, unlike the previous two teams that were either resting or leisurely walking towards the front respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second part of this post is Bren Gun Team. These teams are made of 3 crew, a gunner and two  loaders. As with the PIAT team, these guys are seeing some action, patiently waiting the opportunity to knock down some evil nazis crossing their path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The third and final part of the post is another Bren Gun team. This time the poses are slightly more heoric, firing from the hip and likely swearing at the same time to the enemy in front.

 

The models are 28mm and as in the previous posts, a mix of metal Empress Late War British (the four prone figures) and Warlord from the plastic multipose British and Canadian Infantry box.

If my maths are right this post is worth 30 points (no bonus add-ons this time):

• 4 models @5 points = 20 points
• 4 prone models @2,5 points = 10 points 
• Total = 30 points
  

I also  have already completed a significant part of the core unit of the army lists. The Chain of Command British/Commonwealth platoon includes:

1 x HQ Section: 2 Senior leaders (pending), PIAT team (done) and 2-inch mortar team (done)

3 x infantry sections each led by a junior leader (pending), a rifle team (pending all theree) and a Bren gun team (done all three)

Additionally I have completed a few supports: 1 Vickers HMG team and a couple  reinforcing PIAT teams.

Next in my painting plan is to attack the rifle teams, then the leaders and finally some additional supports.

From DaveD

More lovely work on this collection - yes do do always needs more lads with a thing to throw things at tanks . at this rate you will also need to add the guys making tea as well! 

From MartinN: SnowLord's Peak - Back in Black...

Has it really been five years since I've last worked on this project? Feels like yesterday really. I've never completely forgotten about the project and always intended to get back to it. But frankly I was intimidated by painting camouflage using this technique. I wasn't quite happy with my first take, but never quite could put my finger on the why. But when our beloved Over-Snowlord let me choose one of three tasks in order to claim the price for climbing SnowLord's Peak I decided to finally man up and tackle this particular problem.

Figures by Empress Miniatures

You know, being something of a pedant can become quite a challenge in itself sometimes. Initially I had planned to paint up the remaining minis in my stash for this location. But soon I realised this to be a decidedly over ambitious. I don't know how often I re-painted these two fellows but if I'd hazard a guess they've suffered through at least five different versions of desaturated camouflage.

With the Viet-Minh I painted five years back it was rather straight forward using mainly desaturated brownish tones with some black and just a few greenish spots mixed in. It was only after much brain wracking, swearing and actually considering to give up and admit defeat that finally inspiration struck.

Most uniforms and equipment used by the French in the theatre were some hue of green. So when painting not so much real greyscale but what Curt so aptly called "desaturated" why on earth was I simpleton trying to paint desaturated greenish uniforms using brownish colours?

Once this realization sunk in it was pretty straight forward from then on. For the French it was to be desaturated greenish tones with black and a few brownish spots. At first I thought this might come out to samey in the end but using different greenish greys and light greens to lighten a base of a dark brownish green did work wonders.

So that's it from me for this years challenge. Over the next few days I hope to get a few minutes in to take a few pictures of all I painted over the last few months and finally get Michael Awdry's car for his sadly postponed Schloss Itter game as well as Jamies prize posted.

Points wise this submission should be rather straight forward with two figures plus the location adding a final 40 points to my total bringing me to a whooping 795 points. I'd never have dreamed of reaching such dizzying heights but this challenge was a blast once again and I'm already looking forward to December for the next iteration of this madness.

A huge thank you to all the participants for making the challenge to what it is, to the Minions for their tireless efforts and of course to our beloved SnowLord and his lovely Lady for organizing, or in Sarah's case putting up with, this most enjoyable of hobby events year after year.

____________________________

Fabulous work Nick! I remember when you took on this project, thinking, 'I wonder how he's going to get on with the French para's camo?' Well, now we can all see he has surmounted the task and has come through with flying, er, um, desaturated colours!

While your description of the work focuses primarily on the battledress, I have to say I'm always struck by your skill of portraying skintones. The ghostly hues of these two figures is simply amazing - it almost takes your breath away. Well done Nick. When you post this to your personal site I hope you provide a photo of them in daylight so we can see more of the groundwork and details.

As to your treasure. As you are always brushing aside Napoleonics I thought it appropriate that you be given one. Not only from a top-tier painter, but from a good friend as well. So, I present to you Christopher's Davout, The Iron Marshal of France.  :)

Again, wonderful work Nick, and thank you for taking the Snow Lord's Peak challenge. I hope we will get to see your fine brushwork in our next edition.

-Curt

The Thing that Haunts You in Your Bits Box, MartinC (390 Points)

We all have a bits box, mainly fully of Perry plastic heads. When you open it does one thing stare back at you and say "Use Me. Make something cool out of me." Mine contains 6 Perry metal ACW gun barrels - when you buy a cannon you get 3 barrels.
After years of pleading I finally used them. Warbases sell a 6lb Napoleon cannon with limber for £4 with a metal barrel, I have one. A quick email conversation with them, they are lovely people to deal with, and I could buy the carriage and limber for £3.50. So I bought 6 sets. Limbers need horses so I bought some from Irregular miniatures at the York Show. The horses came with no tack so I just added a some side pieces.

They are not perfect but I like them. I now have 7 extra guns, I laugh at Napoleons grand battery.

All guns need crews

ACW Union crew - various manufacturers

Rebel Crew

Afghan crew - out of a pile of scrap DaveD gave me. Pretty crappy figs but they will do a job

Sometimes horses aren't available to pull cannon so oxen will have to do

Ist Corps Oxen - the horns were separate and a bugger to fix in place

I've have been painting a lot of other random things.

1st up some Northstar Africans, 2 cool witch doctors and a Zulu type

The one on the left is reversible

 I have finished my Back of Beyond Afghans for now. This maxim gun is by Empress and is fab

 It comes with a sniper

 Next a Northstar Boer - another nice fig

Nearly finished. Back to Warbases. These 2 Lancia trucks are really cool and come as flat packs. They are a doddle to put together. I added a Lewis gun and an M1917 Browning, both by Pulp Miniatures from their deck gun pack 

Vehicles with weapons need crews and I bought these at the York show. They are by Reiver Castings, not the best but very useful

Obviously if you have crews then you need vehicles to put them on

The trucks are from the flea market and had been previously painted so don't count here. I did add steel paper to the flatbed bit and magnets to the bases of the figures and guns to keep them in place. The 2 guns are an undersized 2lb AT gun from Britannia and the taller one is a 37mm deck gun from Pulp that I bought with the guns on the Lancias.

 Finally I bought this old school witch with massive boobs as a job lot from the flea market.

In case you haven't noticed she has massive boobs and is naked under the apron.

Right now for the maths bit

7 cannon and limbers - I reckon 15 pts per set - 105pts

12 horse and oxen and 1 Mtd Boer = 130

15 artillery crew = 75

3 Africans = 15

1 Afghan maxim gun and a sniper = 25 (inc 2 prone figs at 2.5 each)

1 witch = 5

2 Armoured Trucks = 40 (I think)

10 vehicle crews = 50 pts

I'll leave it to Miles to decide about the 2 cannon on the back of the trucks but they were pretty simple so 5 each would be fair

So that is about 415 I think. Luckily I have the maths minion on Monday so Miles it's time for creative accounting. Can we go with Enron before somebody checked their sales figures and not after. 

MilesR: My gosh my head is spinning - so many different subjects, so many points and the witch is something that once seen can not be unseen....  You are a productive but evil man Mr Martin.  

I did score the horses and oxen as single figures (not mounted cav) which is what we've done with similar subjects this year.  Your math above totals to 445 and my tally nets out to 390 with the big difference being lower points for the horses and two trucks.  Never-the-less a most impressive points bomb, but the witch, the witch will cause nightmares..

Very nicely done.

From PhilH - Spanish Patriots through the Ages (25 points)

I've been a busy bee this past few weeks, but not everything is quite ready to post. But having missed three (?) weekly entries I thought I'd finish these off and post them up before my final run-in. 

It's well past time to break up the relentless green of my entries, and what better way than with some jaunty red beret'd infantrymen. Yes, three more Carlist Requete militiamen for the Rebels. I just can't get enough of these berets and stripy blanket rolls!

I've nearly painted my whole my SCW lead pile over the past year. But as reward for the home improvements, I picked up a weighty care package from Empress at the Hammerhead show today. Enough to to keep me going for another year, with some colourful and interesting troops, I hope.

And to mix things up a little, here are a couple of Spaniards filled with patriotic fervour from the previous century. These two from Perry miniatures join my guerilla band in their struggle to hurl the dastardly Napoleon out of Spain.

In fact, they are the last two of this project to be finished, after I submitted Commandante Theresa last time out (see were supposed to be alongside her, but alas weren't quite finished). What's really bonkers, is that these two have languished primed but unloved in the lead pile for more than five years and through five AHPCs. In fact, the first ever photo I posted on my blog was of the rest of the band, which I'd presumably finished quite recent to March 2011. So it's awesome to let them join their compatriots, well in time for the release of Sharpe Practice 2 later this year! 

These are lovely Phil - your smooth paint style is always a treat to see. As you know, I have a soft spot for the Requites as they had one of the best uniforms of the period. I like how you've maintain visual interest by changing the colour/pattern of their blanket rolls. Very nice.

I have to say I'm particularly partial to the pair of Spanish guerrillas. I clearly remember commenting on one of your first blogposts years ago that featured the lead elements of this group. The leader here has a great sense of nobility about him, and the drummer seems quite the stoic, with a pistol in his belt and drumsticks bravely tapping out the attack.

Great work Phil!