FROM JohnB: Whats that coming over the hill is it a monster?

Nope its an AHPC wrap! Mind you "The Automatic" (welsh indie rock band) hit was a cracker Well I have had my best year at AHPC and its my third year on the trot signing up. With a photo splurge what have I learnt? I have again learnt a lot from the other 70 odd entrants plus their figure and basing ideas as well as some of their figure/painting combinations all inspiring me to buy and paint yet more figures but actually paint more! woohoo 700 plus points worth or 13 micro projects if you like. plus I started to do stand up painting! yep stood at a bar style bench set up and doing sprints - short paint sessions of 15 minutes - 45 minutes, which led to my mini paint palette method as I tended to use one colour.

ok this paint is 4 days old but the method does work on small amounts of paint used over say 24 hours oh and the tissue is meant to be kept wet!!!!! On with the results - I am particularly pleased that I painted the ECW Tumbling Dice unit, maybe that project will get a kick start now.

Finishing the 1848 Hungarian Steam Engine having scratch built it for AHPC15 was very satisfying. You need two airfix rockets.........and a lot of cursing.

The Irish Brigade unit using Strelets Louis XIVth range was also a hit - I have admired their range for a long time - too long and never painted any. Now that has been fixed maybe more will follow.

I hope you all have seen the error of your ways and realise that injection moulded plastics in 1/72 is the way to go - queue woops of laughter about this madness of mine. Seriously I hope you have all enjoyed painting what you like and love.

That said I am glad I painted my 40mm Vikings to celebrate Ian Kay's retirement at Irregular Miniatures - I am happy for him yet sad to see such a vast traditional figure range sail off into the sunset.

And I painted my first printed figures - Italian support weapons in 20mm from MarDav.

Plus ca Change! And I sorry for my Minion Peter who was hoping to see my French Dragoons completed - I am off to the allotment for the year so this is as far as I got! Lets hope those red monsters don't get me.

So a big thank you to everyone who took part and of course especially to Curt and all the minions and duel runners and anyone I have missed. Hope to be back in the 17th challenge later this year.

From JohnB: 20mm MarDav WW2 Italian Weapons Support Group (40 points)

Well I think this is the last posting from me - thanks to everyone involved and hopefully I will return with AHPC17. First up "the one that got away" 1/72 French Dragoons for the Wars of Louis XIVth around 1700 they are made by STRELETS a Ukrainian company still operating despite the Russian Invasion. The figures are produced using plastic injection moulding - a process popularised by Airfix back in the late 1950's. Ironically they compliment my earlier forces made up with Zvezda Russian Great Northern War figures which started my interest in this period back in 2010 when plastics were a cheap entry point to test a wargaming period out. Plastics in 1/72 are still a good deal £8 in the UK gets you about 40 infantry and 12 cavalry. or thats 20p infantry and cavalry 70p.

They come in boxes with nice artwork

only a small logo suggests the country of origin.

The sculpting is great for me and these recent products are now a match for a lot of metallics - AND THEY BOUNCE! Hopefully I will complete this unit soon and then post my AHPC stories on my wordpress blog site "the wargaming erratic". My last offering is a departure from my usual plastic injection mouldings and occasional metallics. This time its a resin product from MarDav of the UK.

The figures have fine layering so the material looks like its deposited. However they look fine painted up and at wargaming distance.

They are actually GOMBARDIANS for my FAUXTERRE wars - 1930 era in this case. I painted them in my chosen style for Italian green uniforms reference being the Osprey Greek Italian War of 1940 - they appear kind of blue green in the artwork. So I went with that. I have an anti tank gun, machine gun and light mortar all of which I inspected at UK Battleground Wargames show at Stockton, Teeside, last Autumn and bought them there and then. Pendraken run the show and this year went stateside for the first time - great products. And they get interesting traders to their free entry show. I think MarDav are mainly an online business so it was nice to see them in the flesh so to speak esepcially in terms of scale.

Basically they get a craft paint mid green base then Citadel CC warp lighting and militarum green(I did 50% of them without Militarum as an experiment) then dry brush Vallejo Air light green for aeroplanes! which actually comes out a bit blueish. The helmets just got militarum over warp lighting to provide contrast. Why? well for Italians it is the case that their helmets are different from the Russian and US "bowls". And I wanted to highlight that.

Points wise its 1 x 8 points for the anti tank gun and 8 x 4 points for the crews. TOTAL points = 40 points and one squirrel I believe. And that wraps up my highest AHPC score to date which simply shows I have been very productive this winter.

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Sylvain: Shotgun posts! Some infantry to add to your cavalry (that I can see lying around in the background). You invest a lot of love in this Fauxterre projectand it's makes your post very interesting to read. Great paint job on these miniatures! Bravissimo!

 

 

 

From JohnB: The clatter of hooves - HAT 1/72 Fauxterre Lancers (64 points) and a squirrel

OK so this might be my last post as the deadline looms. Therefore a big thankyou to Curt and the gang, my Minion Peter and the Tuesday Terrors team. Its been great fun and this year I actually did a lot of painting - the two previous AHPC's I have entered resulted me in doing a lot of scratch building - something I had not signed up for. Anyway this year its different and I have painted all I prepped so actually I have just one unit left to paint - of course with a giant pile of "half paints" left untouched since December.... I have enjoyed seeing every ones submissions and I have learnt quite a bit more about painting models figures - even after half a century at it: new tricks and old dogs saying does NOT apply here. So back to my last but one post - hopefully......... Having spent some time building up sinews of war for my fantasy historical Fauxterre Wars I have finished up getting some pointy end forces done.

Being interwar/nearly mechanised in theme it's no surprise that Cavalry units might have some new armoured kit but also still rely on the horse.

Normally I steer clear of static grass but on this occasion succumbed and I quite like the result. The horses were burnt sienna over white primer with gore grunta fur citadel contrast wash over the top - nice and speedy. belatedly I noticed I had only painted yellow metal buttons on the front facing ammo pouches for which I seek forgiveness.

This is a unit of World War One British Lancers now appearing as Fauxterre Cavalry of a number of countries at war with each other. The equipment and uniforms except perhaps the Lances were to be seen in the real world war two. Italian Cavalry (Savoia Cavalleria) fought on the Russian Front charging the Russians at Izbushensky in 1942 albeit armed with sabres and grenades. I think the lances look better for the gaming table. Thats Fauxterre for you.

Total Points 8 x 8 points for 1/72 cavalry = 64 points one squirrel I believe?

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Sylvain: That you have painted all of what you have prepped (or almost) is a sentence that is great to read in the final stage of the Challenge. And the cavalry you are showing us today is a great way to conclude a stunning production. Bravissimo!

 

 

JohnB: Tuesday Terrors: "sinews of war" the final cut - 3No. - 1/72 Opel Blitzs (45points)

This is my last post concerning the WW2 era forces that populate my Fauxterre fantasy games.

This time straight from the production line are some real world Opel Blitzs by Plastic Soldier Company. A post by another challenger last week, shows the same vehicles after a bit of campaigning.....

I had some fun fitting the windscreens which fouled the really exact fit of the models - something thats impressive until you mess it up with a mod. Anyway its fine in the end. I might even skip some shading although windscreens wipers might be added later.

I did paint the driver and assistant because they are so visible.

This time round I chose anew paint for me vallejo "Olive Brown" I gave it two coats over black undercoat/prime. I used contrast colour browns on the wood truck bodies and over yellow ochre for the canvas hoods. I might need to dry brush the hoods to reduce the shade a bit.

so its 3 vehicles at 15 points each for 20mm (1/72) or 45 points. not sure that different forces (german) vehicles gets me a squirrel?

Another trio of fine looking vehicles John.  Trucks don't last long on table, but they serve a vital role and I love to see them included.  And yes, I've counted opposing sides as two squirrels.  Hope that we see more before the end of days.  

 

PeterD

JOHN B: Tuesday Terrors: Off the production line for the Front - 1/72 PSC Valentine Tank (15points)

This AHPC has been a productive one if a little light on scratch built modelling. However I have made quite a few kits.

This kit is one of many Plastic Soldier Company models I collected as part of my Fauxterre project. Basically its between the wars nearly mechanised where those things I have read about and liked get to the table. So thats interwar biplanes, low gun capability tanks or simply the obscure technology that does not feature as late war - no super tigers or jets or overwhelming air power and industry.

Here is a simple example. Its the valentine which actually served the Allies (British and Russian) yet also used by the Germans. Its funny but the Germans were always short of tech/equipment so alongside all their fancy inventions often built in limited numbers you get the enemy kit recycled.

This is a plain Mk1 Valentine so has a 2 pounder gun which the British soon found to be of little use being not High Explosive capable and yet the Armour Piercing round soon could not penetrate the enemy armour. It is just off the Fauxterre production line and destined for the Rugian/Gombardia wars.

I think it looks quite confident! I have found doing camoflague a bit of a struggle during the challenge so tend to do the vehicles as built with the idea they get the camo added during or after an actual table top encounter. I mean I don't know yet which theatre they will be operating in.......... Points total is 1 x 15 points = 15 points and no squirrels

Nice work on this Valentine John, but you're a month or so late....Your camo less paint scheme works well given that you haven't decided on a theatre.  I've enjoyed your plastic kit vehicles over the challenge.  

 

PeterD

JohnB: Tuesday Terrors: Convoy protection - Morris tractor and 40mm Bofors anti aircraft gun by Airfix (30 points)

Funny how AHPC pops up in a pro cycle race!

Well Mr Tadaj Pogacar won Strada Bianche (three times in a row and four times overall - setting records).

The route is in Tuscany and the finish line is the famous city of Siena.

You could almost imagine a fifteenth century army marching through a wintry scene like the one above. The finish is in the Piazza del Campo home of the famous Palio di Siena horse race.

The race itself crisscrosses the tuscan hills on dusty white roads

It even runs near the battlesite of Montaperti which we all learnt about in AHPC15 - concerning Dantes Inferno...

Nothing like an Italian Medieval City to inspire some painting although in my case its more modern, yet possibly something like this may have been in the allied armies struggling up the spine of Italy in 1944. This week then its slightly less "sinews of war" and more "sharp end" equipment in the form of an anti aircraft gun.

The model is a kit from Airfix now sold under their "vintage" label. I bought it last year on a trip to the Monkbar Model Shop in York, UK. An Aladdins cave for modellers and brick built into the bargain.

I really like the Morris tractor which has an early war look about it.

The bofors 40mm anti aircraft gun was a very successful design. Swedish firm Bofors was according to the internet part owned by Krupp of Germany but the gun development was kept secret and became an international best seller certainly for allied armies as well as the axis forces.

I have modelled the gun in transport mode. The kit allows the gun to traverse and elevate easily.

Painting wise it was vallejo black prime then Vallejo Game Colour Extra Opaque heavy grey in two coats and then two coats of vallejo matt varnish. vallejo black model colour took care of the tyres. vallejo dark sand overcoated with citadel seraphim sepia wash dealt with the canvas elements. The driver got the sepia wash over his green uniform, black boots and hair and VJ flat flesh skintone for that campaign look!

2 vehicles - a tractor plus a gun in 1/76 = 2 x 15 points = 30 points. Not sure if this qualifies for another squirrel but I will give it a go.

Breaker, breaker one nine, we got a convoy here.  What a great bit of kit for convoy protection John, though I don't envy putting together all the fiddly bits that these kits must have included.  It looks really impressive on your table top - I've really been enjoying the buildings and backdrop that you use BTW.  I also really like the details and weathering on that fabric cowling.  I will leave squirrel adjudication to the Squirrelmaster, but can confirm the 30 points.

Tuesday Terrors: Sinews of War yet again - "Days Gone" Tank Transporters in 1/76 (30 points)

The challenge is heading for the final bend is we leave February and it turns out this years affair has seen alot of "sinew" work.

First though.......

Its spring in Yorkshire and that means seasonal cyclists come out of hibernation and indeed the professional circuit gets going. So if anyone was wondering about my "chapeau sir" comments on their posts, its a kind of slang for well done that cyclist. You can practice this by watching the first really big race of the year - the "strada bianche" in Italy. It is literally the white roads race especially if its dry. So remember when wargames campaigning in Tuscany the enemy on the road coming towards you can easily be seen! don't let that umpire so NO.

Mind you you get other odd start up races like this Giro D'Italia start up in Hungary complete with Hussars!

Back to the challenge and this week we are talking about tank transporters.

Given the huge range of AFV's that inhabit our hobby you would imagine that there would be a fair amount of supporting kit for sale not least for the diorama fans. But no - its a bit of a desert in 1/72 or 20-25mm range.

There is the ageing airfix scammell and of course their aircraft support vehicle range has been plundered for decades by convertor fans.

Two things came together to solve my unknown problem, as I did not realise I needed transporters anyway :). First was the more I looked at early war images the more I kept getting examples of relatively small articulated lorries abandoned in northern France often with a tank on them to give an idea of scale.

Ok so far, the next thing was a Toy Fair rummage in the "under table" boxes (typically £2-3 a pop for the more railway model types). I happened upon a heap of artics. I came away with 3 and painted two up for the challenge. These are by Lledo in the Days Gone range scaled for model railways at 1/76.

I also acquired some card buildings - again railway related at the toy fair but just right for my more modern battle fields. So you can see on the right a SUPERQUICK card market hall of sorts. On the left is a Bellona (injection mouldings) row of houses heading for 50 years old but only painted last year! So I offer you my latest Fauxterre "sinews of war" - two tank transporters just the right size for early war light tanks. I have imagined they were requisitioned by the authorities given a repaint and sent to the front. And in my case I have chosen a neutral green so they can operate on any side of the conflict. The vehicles got a black vallejo prime and then two coats of vallejo game colour extra opaque heavy grey. These opaque paints have some nice shades - this grey being actually a green! Vallejo black and citadel leadbelcher dealt with tyres and winding gear. Then it was two coats of vallejo matt varnish. The Renault tanks are actually a gift from fellow blogger John@Justneedsvarnish. His eye and resulting work are a joy to behold. 2 x transporter vehicles = 2 x 15 points = TOTAL POINTS = 30 next up some column protection.....

Well first of all, John, I'm jealous that you're able to think about cycling yet.  Streets in Regina were getting clear of snow and ice and then we had another dump of snow.  While Sylvain will cycle all year through anything (except oddly not the rain), I wait to reasonable conditions and I think I'm a month off from my first ride to work of 2026.

Secondly I love these old Airfix Scammells, they take me way back to the hobby stores of my youth.  Chapeau to you sir for those.  They look great on table too.