From Kerry T - All on the table - AHPC XV round up

 Morning, afternoon & evening all

Its been a more relaxed week this week because I haven't frantically been trying to get things on the table and though I've still had the brushes out, they're working at a more leisurely pace. I'm certainly not missing the rushed weekly basing sessions and am looking forward to returning to my habit of basing en masse when I run out of room on the desktop!

First things first and most importantly a big thank you to Curt & Sarah for organising the challenge once again and allowing me to take part in this, my fourth challenge. What a fantastic concept this is and I so wish I had discovered it years ago. I'm envious of those of you who've been in all the way through. Secondly a huge thank you to the minions, especially the awesome articulate Aussie Millsy for his diligence and kindness in minioning my work and coordinating our twice weekly chats where as many as 5 or 6 of us down-underers have chewed the fat. It has really added something special this year. Last but not least, my fellow challengers for their unwavering support and encouragement. Very many thanks to you all, the camaraderie is fantastic, its what makes the challenge

I set myself a target of 2,500 points with the aim of reaching 10,000 career points and am pleased to say I made it and though my score was higher with bonuses I actually managed to knock off 2,500 points worth of figures.

The completed host with 2 extras!

I'm embarrassed to confess that I dropped a clanger this year at the end and miscalculated the time that the challenge finished here in NZ. Rushing home late on Thursday night I thought I had a few hours left and put up a post only to have missed the deadline! Curt there's a draft post sitting in the queue which needs to be deleted please. If only I'd tried to tackle 6 not twelve hobilars I would have finished in plenty of time!

Here they are -zero points but they want their moment of fame!

See the red thing in the distance not quite finished, I needed another 20 minutes - sniff!

I just had to dry brush its spines and claws - another sniff!

I've always used the challenge to beef up my Italian Wars collection. No Gendarmes this year but some Landsknecht pike, characters, command and artillery. The intended Milanese units got bumped down the queue

The Emperor Maximillian

Warlord Games looters

Foundry big guns

Artizan pike to complete an already painted pike block

Over the Christmas holiday I painted up a load of horses and quietly drove myself bonkers churning out cavalry in the early part of the challenge but I put a big dent in the ECW leadpile

A mix of Empress and Bicorne horse

I should get around to playing FKP rules now

The other main theme for me this year having bought a resin printer, was printing, prepping and painting some of Medbury Miniatures STLs for the Scottish wars of Independence and 100YW 

Victrix knights with LBSM transfers

Medbury Miniatures, Footsore and Antediluvian Scottish pike /spear here

Then there were a few other odds and ends along the way

Little man with a big banner

Artizan Black Guard Moorish infantry and horse

Finally TAG Polish Hussars because I'm a butterfly

With very many thanks for your encouragement and support again this year, I've had a great time and hope to see you next year again

Valleyboy

From KerryT: The boys are in town - Landsknechts on the loose (430 points)

 Morning afternoon and evening all

After being away at the beach on holiday last week and therefore not painting or posting, picking up the brushes again has been enjoyable. I've been quite productive managing to knock off some more Landsknechts for my Italian Wars collection. This week I've managed some artillery and some vignettes, the latter providing me with an opportunity to shoehorn them in for a few bonus themes.

Here we go - Danteville

Look out, look out, Landsknechts are about

First up some Wargames Foundry Landsknecht artillery

Boom

I'm going to claim a violence bonus for these but I have to get to that level first 

To date, the only bonus point I've claimed is the Limbo bonus and I think that may have been when posting my second entry ages ago.

Finding myself  still stuck in the abyss, I am probably  lucky that there's quite a bit going on  in the nearby in town and there's no doubt that the behaviour of the participants is in fact abysmal! This is because of course the boys are in town and the Landsknechts have been let loose.

All are figures from Warlord Games' Italian Wars range

Casanova and camp follower about to roll in the hay

Well Moly Miggins shall it be a roll in the hayfield or the hayloft?

Looks like lusty behaviour to me

The glutton finds himself a piglet all to himself

Meanwhile back at the tavern, the greedy gamblers are playing dice

Oh bugger says Ray, I've just thrown a one

While at the bridge Cool hand Lucca fires off his ye olde version of six shooters

Do you feel lucky punk? Well do ya?

If he's not cross enough to be seen as wrathful then this little succubus should take me to the next level

Just a wee tipple then

There's no fiddler on this roof

Hey ho hey ho its off to war I go...

Natty dressers

Bless me father for I have sinned...

While around the corner heretics loot and burn the church

All the while, their commanders ponder the next move

A mixture of command figures at a council of war

Kaiser Maximillian looks on

A bird's eye view

Thus hopefully having managed to thread my way through lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy and finally violence I'm going to suggest that Landsknecht commanders whilst dressed like birds of paradise (see what I did there!) are never sure to fight and thus inconstant.

The cast.....

Thus in summary

4 guns each with 4 crew in 28mm @ 30 points each = 120 points

34  x 28mm foot figures @ 5 points each = 170 points

1 x 28mm Mounted figure @ 10 points

Theme bonus points for 

Abyss - lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, violence @ 20 points = 100 points

Paradise - Inconstant @ 20 points

Total - 430 points

I hope that's correct Millsy

Many thanks

Valleyboy

From Millsy:

POINTS BOMB!

Wowsers, I feel like I need a cuppa and a lie down after working my way through that lot! What an epic post Kerry. A good thing you had some time off as this must have taken an age to blog, never mind to actually paint the stuff.

It's impossible to pick just one thing from this post as a favourite so I'm going with the vignettes and overall quality for what stands out to me. Your tables are amazing at the best of times and having all this extra set dressing is just another level above.

I can't find a reference to justify the Heresy angle but all the other options for the Abyss are here and with great selections to suggest their particular sins. You math was slightly off I think and when I cranked up the abacus it comes to 430 points (without Heresy). If there's any fault I blame Miles and his evil spreadsheet!

Brilliant stuff once again. My head is still spinning mate!

Cheers,
Millsy

From Kerry T: A visit from the wargames weights & measures bogeyman- Landsknecht (120 points)

 Morning, afternoon and evening all

It happened last weekend, I don't mind telling you, it was terrifying - he came at the crack of dawn, there was a hammering on the front door and the sound of a yappy bark...

He said his name was Narvik Mentana and looking me in the eye said that it was grim and serious. He said it was official and that he'd been sent by the Department of Wargames Weights and Measures. He had come to confiscate my figures and that he had a warrant. 

He looked a bit odd in his uniform, the flat cap didn't quite fit and with the whippet that was with him barking all the time it was hard to hear what he had to say. 

The whippet was the better looking of the two

Overcoming my initial fear and trepidation I realised that somehow, somewhere I'd heard that voice somewhere before though.....

"Hey mate, you're a bit short"

Startled, I said "yes I know - but at least I'm perfectly formed. Its not my fault, you know,I can't help it if my mum was only four foot eight and generations of males in my family spent their years working down the mines and never saw any sunlight. That's probably why I'm so short and stunted"

"Not you"he said, "the block"

"The block? what block?"

"The Pike block, yes your pike block- this one, the one you posted on Farcebook a few weeks back -this one - look, its short, its probably only about 72 figures, that's well short of the requisite 96 for god's sake....

The middle block,there

"I'm afraid you're going to have to hand them over, we can't  have you doing that, is sets a bad example, if we allow that - before you know it some cheap sod or every man and his whippet will be showing off his 4 man pike block. Give them here, C'mon. Hand them over now and I'll go easy on you lad"

"Wait" I said, "give me a little time, just a chance, err I'll paint a few more and make it up to 96 in a week or two"

"You've got till Monday and then I'll be back..... that's of course if you make it worth my while, nudge nudge, wink, wink, say no more....

It was then that I finally realised what he craved for and wanted. That folks is how I manged to get rid of him. He'd obviously heard about my mushy pea tree....

Psst don't let on its an Avocado tree

"Look at the size of those peas" he exclaimed...and promptly farted.... sorry I mean fainted 

Now I know it looks like I've lost but focus again, but that folks honestly (without the word of a lie ) is why I needed to radically change my painting plans for this week. There I was, on track painting my Jocks and they're straps, only now to find myself suddenly and hurriedly painting codpieces and scrambling to put together the stragglers to make up a 96 man pikeblock. All to make sure that the "Wargames Weights and Measures bogeyman " wouldn't take them away.

24 Artizan Designs Landsknecht Pikemen

I needed more with levelled pike in any case

Vicious wire spears from Northstar

Extended bases are definitely needed

I decided to add a bit of water to the bases

Bit of a close up

Running away

Phew, saved in the nick of time,the unit is now complete

The original figures were painted more than 10 years ago hence the base depth discrepancy 

I think its more than 96 strong now

I forgot to count and I'm away on holiday writing this

Can you spot Wally?

Well that's it for this week

So the moral of the story is... don't live dangerously and paint undermanned pike blocks.....

But if you do make sure you have the odd mushy pea available to ward off the bogeyman

In summary and with apologies to Ken, whose projects are always inspirational

24 x 28mm Foot figures @ 5 points = 120 points

1 Squirrel

Many thanks, no post from me next week as I'm now away on holiday

Valleyboy

From Millsy:

My Word! That was a lot to process in one go and totally worth the effort! I never considered the idea of an actual mushy pea tree and now I will spend the rest of my life lamenting the lack of them in real life. Avocados? Bah! Mushy peas every day in preference.

Culinary deliberations aside this is another splendid post mate. More gorgeous pikes painted in more gorgeous colours. Those final shots of all of them arrayed together are truly something special. Congrats on what will never fail to impress on the table!

120 more points it is!

Cheers,
Millsy