From MikeP: 6mm French Napoleonics and 28mm Victorian Civilians (45 points)

 Hello friends:

I'm very glad to be part of this year's Challenge, having participated in some and observed others, it's good to be back again.   My plan before March 20 is to focus on my current painting love, the Seven Years War, but who am I kidding, it will end up being a varied bunch of odds and sods.

Speaking of which, here are two regiments of French Napoleonic infantry in 6mm from Baccus, 48 little chaps in all if you count them.  I've learned to love this small scale because the overall effect is impressionistic, you want to paint the unit and not the figure.  

The 6mm scale also gives an affordable way to create mass battles, which can look stunning with the attention to scenery.  The small scale also means I don't have to obsess over Napoleonic details that might get the pendants all worked up.  For example, these fellows are described in the Baccus catalogue as "1806-1812 Elite French Infantry" so I gave them all red shako plumes so I can call them Veteran or Elite troops as the game requires and easily pick them out on the table.

Much as I love Baccus minis, before the Challenge is done, I'm hoping to fire up my 3D printer after I overcome some out of the box teething issues and show you some of the amazing 6mm Naps being done by Turner Miniatures.

Next up are these four 28mm figures from Foundry in the UK, from their Victorian civilian range.   They are intended as table dressing for ACW era gaming, as well as for my alt-ACW US invasion of Upper Canada campaign.

They're painted using Foundry's tri-tone paint system, which I've slowly been learning to use.   I like to think the colour gradients can be seen in the grey suit and blue dress in particular.

I can't think of a way to connect these figures to any of the Quadrant planets, so I'll content myself with 45 points (48 x .05 plus 4 x 5).

Cheers and thanks for looking,  

Mike P

Ave, Padre! Welcome back to the Challenge. Very neat work on the 6mm French Naps and nice use of the Foundry method on the Victorian civvies. Your maths is slightly off - that's 44 points, but I'll add 1 point for overcoming the stress of discovering that your blog invite hadn't worked!

Tamsin

From Sander: The Last Post (12 points)

Hi,

For me this year's Challenge painting has stopped on March 19th at 00.52 o clock local time... Two nights of painting to this hour brought me to my points-target but there was one more post I would like to put up. There are two rather special figures in my to-do pile for this Challenge that I had hoped to finish earlier on in the Challenge. They are two Lead Adventures Forum figures I believe given to me last year by AnneO. I was heavily involved in my Victorian project (now put on the back-burner) and she was kind enough to sent them over after our Side Duel.

Real life can be quite challenging and so Anne has not been able to join us here and I for one miss her. Her quick wit, sharp tongue and constant harassing of Ray are things I miss in here and so I would like to dedicate these figures to her and wish her, and all of you, all the best in "real life" when Challenge's End has come...

Cheers Sander



Tamsin: those two are stunning figures Sander, and very "Anne". Like you, I have missed her this year and really do hope that she will rejoin us for AHPC8.

I'm going to add a couple of bonus points for all the detail and highlights on these, so 12 more points for your total.

From Barks - Dracula and foes

These are from the 2015 3rd edition of the boardgame Fury of Dracula. This is a hidden movement game where Dracula records his moves secretly and the hunters travel across Europe tracking him down. The sculpts date back to the 2005 2nd edition, and aren't fantastic. They're true 25mm.

Dracula

Lord Godalming

Mina Harker

van Helsing

Dr Seward

I used a bit of blue to highlight the Count, and gave Mina Harker a red scarf to represent her ties to him. I had a poorly-thought-out attempt at OSL for Lord Godalming, but didn't like it so overpainted it- looks a bit better now, as if I had done it properly!

Something completely different and quite fascinating Mr Barks this week! I've never heard of the Fury of Dracula and I'm more than a little intrigued now I must say. There's a real movement to paint up game pieces these days and I can see why when you're presented with stuff like this.

I really like all five characters in one way or another but I think the stand out for me is the main man Count Dracula. The blue highlight works a charm and depth of shadows on his scarlet lined cape sets his outfit off very nicely indeed.

That's a total of 25 points added to your tally. What's next I wonder? Cheers, Millsy.

From EdwinK - 28mm Eminent Victorian (5 points)

This is a 28mm metal figure from Black Pyramid Gaming - their Prof Stanton Brook.

Professor

He's obviously based on the Sydney Paget illustration of Prof Moriarty for the Strand Magazine, and that's why I bought him, but on handling the figure I was immediately put in mind of this figure from my youth.

Archbishop

This is Henry Edward Manning (1808-1892), Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, and I somewhat perversely decided that I wanted him in miniature.

Whether the criminal mastermind has decided to disguise himself as Dr Manning, or whether - more shockingly! - His Eminence is himself the Napoleon of Crime will have to be the subject of further investigation.  It is however an odd co-incidence that Manning's death occurred mere months after Moriarty's supposed demise in Switzerland...

The base. again, is one I won from RayR.  I have tried to catch M's cadaverous pallor and broke the monotony of clerical black with some uncanonically grey gloves.

Criminal mastermind or Archbishop, I don't which one I fid more frightening.  Anyway a fine job on a fine figure and I am going those curtsied bases that you acquired from Ray.  Perhaps Ray can let us know where he acquired them?

From SanderS - Fireman Sam (32 points)

Dear Ladies and Gents,

As a part of my ever expanding Victoriana Project, my latest contribution is a Victorian Fire Engine. This nice little piece is a West Wind Productions model for their Empire of the Death line. Upon researching the colours of this vehicle, I stumbled upon the museum of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in London. They actually have some of these and this model is very close to the original. It's a horse driven vehicle, as you can plainly see, but it has a steam-powered pump.

My 3 year old son is totally hooked on Fireman Sam and all things connected to firemen, so the driver was named Sam pretty quick. He's also made me promise him, to visit said museum the next time we visit London.

I would like some more firemen to fill out the engine's benches but that's for the future, now I'm off painting some more regular troops.

Cheers Sander

From JohnM - 28mm Victorian Criminals (45 Points)

Jack Stapelton, Selden, Colonel Moran

Since my last submission was the Victorian Bobbies, I thought it would be nice for them to have some criminals to chase. These figures are from West Wind Productions EotD line. Again, I really enjoy painting these figures. The sculpts are very nice, beautifully slender, I only wish that all the Napoleonics I have painted were sculpted in the same way.

West Wind has been a bit of a challenge with their EotD project, the support has been slow after the Requiem Kickstarter. I can guess who most of the figures represent but I am not 100% sure about two of them, as the sculpt changed from that on the kickstarter page. 

Dr Roylott, Professor Moriarty,  John Clay

But hard to argue with success, as over 600 backers with 20x the original amount asked was pledged. I have bought both the EotD and Osprey's In Her Majesty's Name rulebooks and am still deciding whether I will give Gothic/Horror/Steampunk/Victorian wargaming a go. I understand though that the EotD supplement is almost done. Another terrain project just terrifies me.

The Butler!, Jack the Ripper, Dorian Grey

It is a fun era though, I really found the 2nd season of 'Ripper Street' enjoyable and Curt had recently recommended the 1st season of 'Penny Dreadful'. Well all I can say is that we watched the season in two sittings.......it is the balls. I just find Eva Green mesmerizing (I could not believe Camelot was not renewed after the 1st season)........I am still trying to figure who my wife Jennifer was finding so compelling!

From Curt:

Excellent work John. I particularly like your Dorian Grey in his rich red tones as it really conveys that sense of decadence about him. Moriarty is wonderful as well with his red-lined opera cape, cane and spectacles. Hmmm, I really have to think about getting a set of these for myself.

I'm delighted you enjoyed 'Penny Dreadful' - a wonderfully dark series with great promise (and, yes, Eva Green is an absolute treat). I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Victorian 'cycle of mythos' (i.e. Dorian Grey, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Dr. Frankenstein, etc.).

From SanderS - Victoriana Anyone? (60 Points)

Dear Ladies and Gents,

Here's some Victorian figures I originally intended to include in my entry for the Victorian Bonus Round, but wasn't able to finish in time.

The first picture shows you West Winds "Black Mariah" prison wagon.

Next are some miniatures from several producers including North Star, Ironclad and more West Wind.

Cheers Sander


From Curt:

Excellent entry Sander! I really like your 'paddy wagon' (though the driver needs some reigns or they'll never make it to the Big House). Was it resin, metal or a combination?

The figures are very characterful as well. I especially like the boozer in the trews and the last copper with his hands held stoically behind his back (what's that hose-thing on his belt?). 

Great work and congratulations on meeting your Challenge target! As per your instruction I've set your new target to 1000 points - good luck!