From AlanD: WWII Romanian Cavalry (120 points)

Truly, wargames projects are never finished.

A couple of years ago I 'finished' a large force of WWII Romanians in winter gear. Since then, they have given me great enjoyment in a series of games of Battlegroup, mostly against my friend Marty's Hungarians and Germans.

So, when Great Escape Games added to their already lovely range of Romanians with a couple of packs of cavalry, I obviously needed to add them to my army. These came out just around Christmas, following their summer cavalry packs from a year ago. I have been eagerly awaiting these, and now my force gains a squad of cavalry to add to their recce assets.

As much as I like these figures, it's worth mentioning that they were absolute swine to prepare. I have never encountered mounted figures where the riders were more incompatible with their horses. To get them to actually sit on their mounts, I had to spend an inordinate amount of time carving bits off their greatcoats, saddle blankets and packs, and then using greenstuff to cover the gaps. This is a bit poor, and I think reflects the hasty use of the horses from the summer cavalry packs without taking the care to see how the new riders would sit.

Anyway, I'm pleased with the result, and can now definitively call my Romanians done (!)

12 figures for 120 points please Millsy!

From Millsy:

Never a truer word was spoken than your first point about things being finished. I'm equally guilty as you'll see next week.

Cracking brushwork on these horsey boys mate. The uniforms are both appropriately drab without losing visual interest and the mix of skin tones on the horse flesh really lifts them up a notch or three.

Very nicely staged and photographed too and the mono pic at the end is a great touch.

120 points it is Alan. Can't wait to see what's added to the project next :-P

Cheers,
Millsy

From AlanD - Last Romanian Hurrah (45 points)

It has been a busy few weeks, so I haven't managed the last dash to the line I had planned. Nevertheless, I'm finishing my Challenge as it began with some Romanians. Among the equipment the Germans occasionally sold to the Romanians were Panzer IVs and Sdkfz 222 armoured cars, so I've painted up one of each for the late war period. The bright national markings on the Panzer IV H seem to have been used sometimes after the Romanians switched sides in August 1944. Both models are from Rubicon.

And finally, I'll end with a group shot of the Romanian army I've painted during the Challenge. Thanks to everyone for a fantastic three months of inspiring painting and chat, and thanks to the minions and to Curt for making it all possible. Don't forget to pay the entrance fee and support Curt's chosen charity!

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Wow, look at that group shot. You got a HEAP of wonderful models done this Challenge, Alan. This was a great project to follow, especially with your tentative experiments with snow, ice and slush (I envy you antipodeans for this ignorance). I also really enjoyed your ECW figures for Pikeman's Lament and am inspired to get some done for myself. Well done and bravo to you sir!

- Curt

From AlanD: Romanian Bits and Bobs (65 points)

Giving up any pretence of painting anything else, I've added a couple of unusual vehicles to my Romanians this week. The first is a Renault UE Chenilette from Warlord Games. I was chuffed to discover that Romania bought a number of these from France prior to WWII - they are cool looking vehicles and it was fun painting one.

Also from Warlord is this Polski Fiat Lazik. After the fall of Poland, considerable numbers of Polish troops retreated into Romania with their vehicles, which were promptly used by the Romanian army. Fortunately the Polish crew in the model were wearing greatcoats, but I remodelled them a little to look more Romanian. The BAR carried by one of the men in the back was replaced with a German rifle, and I tried remodelling the helmets a bit, mainly by adding little Romanian crests to the front with greenstuff. They are still unmistakably Polish helmets though, so don't look to closely.

Incidentally, for some trivia, I was reading the memoirs of a Romanian soldier who commented on how much they hated their (originally Dutch) M39 helmets. He recalled trying on a German helmet and appreciating the way that it didn't direct rain straight down the back of his neck. The Romanians also used a large number of French Adrien helmets, and you can see one in the back of the Chenilette.

Dux paints some Romanians? Shocked Pikachu face! Those are fun little vehicles- it is almost a shame you hide them under snow! Your passengers are enjoying the air conditioning, and I won't comment on their headgear. I am looking forward to seeing your whole Romanian force. Your first vehicle is clearly 1.5 vehicles, so have some more points.

Barks

From AlanD: Bloody Nice Miniatures (105 points)

Like many other right-thinking people, I fell in love with the new range of Bloody Miniatures. At present there are only 32 figures available, with more on the way, but they are perfect for adding character figures to your ECW armies or providing a characterful skirmish force. That's what I'll be using mine for, and I hope to use them for Pikeman's Lament.

I rapidly painted the first 8 this week as members of the New Model Army. Not my finest painting, and I had a lot of trouble with the photos, but I hope you get the idea that these are really cool figures! 

Having lulled you into a false sense of security...

...here are some more Romanians!

I have been enjoying my Romanian project, and my tendency to completism has been kicking in. This week I've added a Pak 97/38, one of the hybrid guns designed by the Germans in late 1941 when they were freaking out about T34s. Specifically, the gun was assembled from captured French 75mm barrels with Swiss muzzle brakes stuck onto German Pak 38 carriages, and they fired captured French and Polish ammunition. They saw service from mid-1942 until the end of the war, some ending up with the Romanian army.

I've also painted a couple of loader teams. These are handy additions to an army in Battle Group, giving a gun the chance of an additional shot each round as well as providing more crew, and thus resilience. Completism also involved me painting a bloke with a flamethrower and his mate.

19 figures and a gun gives me 105 points, which takes me past my target of 1309 points for the Challenge! As a result, I have reached my aspirational target of 10,000 career challenge points, from (I think?) 8 challenges (or maybe 7.. I'll have to check). Time to break out the bubbly.

Noone expects the Romanian army! Good work on these- was the FrankenPak effective against T-34s? I'm sure we'll get to see more of your Bloody Miniatures in the coming weeks- can't wait! And congratulations on your career achievement!

Barks

From AlanD: Yes! More Romanians! (52.5 points)

 

I haven't managed to get too much done this week, although what I have done has been from Romania.

First up, I got hold of a Stoewer field car from Great Escape Games. This little resin and metal ket comes with three Afrika Korps crew, but with some blankets and new or modified headgear fashioned from greenstuff I think it will be a passable little recce vehicle for my army.

The other entry this week needs a bit of explanation. Earlier in the Challenge I painted some Romanian Panzer 35(t)s. I bought these from Great Escape as a platoon deal of 3, but missed the fact that they all had closed turrets, whereas buying them separately would have given me open hatches. I do like adding crew when I can, so I wrote to Stuart from Great Escape, and he very kindly sent me a couple of resin turrets. Unfortunately, we got our wires crossed, and he thought I didn't need the white metal guns that usually come with the turrets. As a result, I spent a good chunk of last Saturday afternoon fashioning some gun barrels out of brass rod and greenstuff, and I'm pretty pleased with the result.

Although the turret numbers are different (which will irk me), I now have spare turrets for two of my tanks. The plan is to use the ones with commanders until the tank gets pinned, and then replace the turrets with the buttoned-up version. This will bring me joy.

Not quite sure how to score these. The Stoewer is worth 20 points, with another 7.5 I suppose for three seated figures? As for the turrets, I suggest calling them crew served weapons for 10 points each, with another 5 for the commanders. As always, I bow before Barks's wisdom and judgement, but if this sounds right, then I should get about 52.5 points.

Great work on your vehicles as usual, Dux. I like your pinned/ unpinned solution- it brings much more joy than a cardboard chit! I'll allow your points solution, swayed by the scratch-built guns and flattery.

Barks

From AlanD: Entirely predictably, more Romanians (22.5 points)

You may recall me 'completing' my WWII Romanian project. Well, since them I have had a truly excellent game of Battle Group using them against my friend Marty's Hungarians, and as a result, started thinking about painting some more bits and bobs. As a side note, why is it that every company in the world makes Opel Blitz trucks, but it seems to be impossible to find any of the trucks in widespread use in eastern Europe in 28mm? My kingdom for something like a Praga RV or Tatra 92!

Anyway. The latest recruit for my Romanian army is this Panzer 38(t), known as the T-38 in Romania. About 50 of these were acquired from the Germans in mid-1943, when the Germans were very keen to get rid of the horrible death traps. Although there are colour plates online of Romanian T-38s painted in olive green, it seems to be the case that vehicles were usually left in the colours of the original owners. For my model, I have attempted to paint it as a Panzer 38(t) that was originally painted in Panzer grey, received a flogging in Russia in 1942, was repainted in Dunkelgelb in 1943, then dumped on the Romanians, who gave it a coat of whitewash in winter 1944-5. It is quite challenging to paint something to look like it has shoddy and worn paintwork, but I'm pretty happy with it. I'm sure Marty's Hungarian Tiger I crew will be quaking in their boots when they meet this on the table.

The tank is from Warlord Games, and it is a lovely plastic model - presumably an Italeri kit? The commander is from Great Escape Games. 

Your whitewashing and weathering here is exquisite. The commander really helps give the tank a sense of size. We are shocked that your finished project was not, in fact, finished. Shocked, I say.

Barks

From AlanD: A Project Completed in the Snows of Klendathu? (200 points)

I've had a great start to the Challenge so far this year, and this entry sees me (largely) completing my first project. I say 'completing', but you know how it is... Maybe just another tank or two?

But for now, my Romanians are (largely) done. Not only that, but I've completed my modest target of 500 points, which means I can set my sights on my 'real' target for the year. At the start of this challenge I was 1309 points shy of 10,000 total career points, this being my 8th Challenge, so that's what I'm going to aim for.

For now, we have 3 Romanian T-3 tanks - similar but subtly different to the version of the Czech tank that the Germans called the Panzer 35(t). Some of these were still being used by the Romanians in 1944-5, and you have to pity the poor sods who were supposed to use them against T34/85s and (from August 1944) German armour. Annoyingly, when I bought three of them as a special deal from Great Escape Games I overlooked the fact that they come with buttoned-up turrets, whereas buying the tanks individually means you can get them with open hatches. The three tank commanders I bought will just have to wait.

Next, some transport from Rubicon models. The Soviet truck still sports its Russian snow camouflage, although the Romanians have painted over it a bit so they can add national insignia to the doors. The Sdkfz 10 is one of about 30 (from memory) that the Germans gave the Romanians in 1942. German equipment was usually left in its original colour, so the Panzer Grey under the snow camouflage gives a bit of contrast to all the green. These Rubicon models are gorgeous, by the way. Even the tyres bulge ever so slightly where they rest on the ground, a tiny detail which gives me great joy.

Finally, a few extra bits and pieces of support in the form of an anti-tank rifle team (I'm unsure what type of rifle it's supposed to be), a Bohler anti-tank gun and crew, and a forward observer team, preparing to call down wholly inadequate artillery fire on the advancing Red Army.

For this entry I will also continue my peripatetic wandering around the Quadrant. From Cybertron, I'm travelling up The Great Abyssal, back to the outer ring. I'll finish my Romanian project (for now) at Klendathu, because their partly unwilling attack on the USSR was truly an invasion that went terribly wrong, as the four casualty figures attest.

 

Points for this entry are confusing me a bit. I think prone figures are worth 2.5 points each, but some of the figures may or may not be prone... Barks, feel free to exercise your judgement!

So:

5 vehicles - 100 points

Maybe 4 'whole' figures and 10 either prone or driving vehicles - 45 points

Crew served weapons - 10 points for the anti-tank gun, unless the radio of the forward observers counts as well? Gunners would certainly consider it to be a powerful weapon 😊

Klendathu bonus - 20 

Total - 175 points

I, too, get confused by prone figures and drivers. Let's call it a round 200 with a completion bonus. Is a project truly completed until you've treated us all to a group shot?

Barks

From AlanD: A Brace of Romanian Anti-Tank Guns (50 points)

After painting lots of infantry, my Romanians having been getting some support this week for games set in the latter part of the war. Here we have two anti-tank guns and crew, all from Great Escape Games.

The first is a M1936 (F-22) 76mm gun that the Soviets developed as a combined artillery and anti-aircraft gun (??!!), and which was captured in large numbers by German and its allies in 1941-2. The wheels on the kit are unusual, having what appear to be steel covers with teeth bolted on to improve traction (?) Does anyone know anything about this feature? I can't find it in any photos of actual guns.

The second gun is a Resita Model 1943. This was an interesting weapon developed by the Romanians during the war that combined features from the Soviet ZiS-3, the German PaK 40 and the Vickers/Resita anti-aircraft gun from 1936, and was apparently superior to all of them. The model is resin, and went together nicely, although I'm pretty sure the shape of the muzzle brake is wrong. Now that he knows this, PaulOG will point it out in any game we play, implementing the kind of psychological warfare at which he excels.

This week also saw me splashing out on a little photo lighting booth, and I'm pretty happy with how the pics came out. Two guns and six crew should give me 50 points. Thanks Barks, and happy Thursday minioning!

Your new lighting booth shows these off a treat, Dux. It is a bit of a refresher to have some WW2 pieces that are less common. Your groundwork is lovely, and I can't wait to see the group shot at the end. Hopefully 50 points will alleviate PaulOG's cruel barbs!

Barks