AHPC XV: From Mike W - 28mm Arthurian Cavalry, 15mm Romans and some others! (Wrath) (172 points)

 Imagine my surprise as I opened up my long awaited order of 3D printed Elves to fulfil my stated aim to work on a unit of Elven Archers this week only to find that the batch did not contain any bases! 😢

 What it does underline is the importance of reading what the eBay lot you are buying actually contains - my bad - so I am delaying that work for a week until I get some bases delivered.

Three stands of '30' 15mm Roman Soldiers, as supplied by Warlord Games

Instead it gives me an excuse to start work on a batch of the Warlord Games Epic Hail Caesar miniatures that I have collected off the front of various Wargames Magazines. I have a frame of Romans and a frame each of Carthaginians and their allies.

Close-up of Roman Troop Type #1, armoured with plumes

What is clear to me now is that I have to source a couple more Roman frames to enable me to field 3 units each of three bases, each frame contains one base of three different troop types / styles.

Close-up of Roman Troop Type #2, armoured with crests

The types / styles are bases (unscientifically or for that matter historically) based upon armour worn and crests on their helmets.

Close-up of Roman Troop Type #3, largely unarmoured with plumes

As many of you will know the Roman figures come in a special format such that you can represent a block of 30 figures on one stand, without having to paint all 30 figures! For more info see <here>.

Rear view of the completed stands.

Close-up of Roman Troop Type #3, from the rear showing that they are mostly unarmoured except for a small chest and back plate.

Close-up of Roman Troop Type #2, from the rear showing that they are armoured

Finally a close-up of Roman Troop Type #1, from the rear showing that they are also armoured

Being an honest chap, I have consulted with my designated minion and confirmed with Martijn that these are the first such figures to be painted in these challenges and we have agreed a scoring regime for such stands. 

It respects the long running 1/2 points rule for prone figures but extends it to cover the front and back ranks of the triple Roman stands - so these each only score half points as the front rank only contains the front of the figures and the rear rank only contains the rear of the figures. One point is awarded for each of the head and shoulders of the middle rank giving a base score of  10 + (20 x 3 x 1/2) = 40. 

Side view of the completed stands, showing that each has three ranks represented.

This we agree is a fairer score than the potential 90 points for 30 x 15mm figures when over half are not really painted! Hope everyone is happy with this.

Anyway on to how these were painted. The figures were left on their frames and undercoated in white. The base of relatively unarmoured figures were then given a coat of GS Skeleton Horde to give the appearance of a light brown tunic. Other Armoured figures were given a coat of GW Leadbelcher. Heads, arms and legs where painted with GW Darkoath Flesh. Once dry spear shafts were done in light yellow and shields in GW Mephiston Red.

Army Painter Hoplite Gold was used on helmets and the small square armour plates on the otherwise unarmoured figures. Plumes were painted with GW Black Templar, before all pieces were being removed from frames, touched up and then glued together, before a final wash of Army Painter Strong & Dark wash mixed 50/50 and then watered down.

After a matt varnish, the bases were painted with a cream hobby paints mixed with PVA glue and fine sand added.

Five Arthurian Heavy Horse, all Gripping Beast figures out of the box.

The mounted Arthurians are again from the Gripping Beast Heavy Cavalry set and painted in much the same way as those posted earlier in the challenge.

Unit leader, standard bearer and warrior

Two more Arthurian mounted warriors

With the figures completed earlier in the challenge this makes six such figures, I'm in two minds if the mounted units should be 6 or 12 strong. Likely I'll initially settle for 6, but part of me wants to have equal numbers in the mounted and dismounted versions of a unit, in which case I can add more in the future.

Another view of the five completed figures

This ECW Halberdier is a one off, Lowland Scot, with a very simple paint job but nonetheless effective in my opinion.

Covenanter Marker, with simple Hodden Grey uniform

And another view

This guy had been lying around my worktop for ages, having been missed at the time I was building my Covenanter Army. I'm pleased to finally get him done, now he'll be used as a marker of some description.

Now for something completely different....

A very spikey and angry looking mutant to my eye!

This Zombicide Mutant  is a big old monster for a 28mm figure, standing nearly 5cm tall, I am taking the liberty of claiming Dante's Wrath Bonus for this guy. He looks pretty bad tempered and angry to me. He will join my other Zombicide figures and I'll have to work out a scenario to get them all on the table.

Rear view of the Zombie Mutant, showing his puss filled boils ncely!

He came undercoated in white and I mostly used Speed Paints and Washes on him to get him done. The skin was basically GW Death Guard Green with sections done in Army Painter Algae / Gillie Green and then washed with AP Military Green. Pants are AP Rune Grey and the ripped shirt is white, washed in light grey an then highlighted again. 

Another view

A fun miniature to paint even though the subject is quite grim! Spikes are white, washed with GW Skeleton Horde and then dry prushed with Ivory. Boils are white, then highlighted yellow and then a red in wash is used to circle each to give a livid sore look. Blood is Red ink and GW Vampire Red.

Stop Press, my bases arrived yesterday so hopefully I'll get back to the Elves this week, but I also feel the urge to do more 15mm Carthaginians...

Friday Night Games: 25mm ECW

Friday 23rd August saw us playing a 25/28mm ECW game, trying out the 1644 ruleset, at Mike N's venue. This was a fairly straight forward encounter game with Steve, Mat, Dave and Mark playing the Royalists whilst Mike W, John & Rupert were playing the Parliamentary forces. Figures were from Mikey N's collection.

Advancing Parliamentary infantry in the centre of the line. 

The forces of Parliament took the initiative to attack in the center whilst both cavalry wings surged forwards to try and gain advantage and turn the enemy's flanks.

A major Cavalry melee that developed on the Parliamentary right flank, this fight continued through much of the game, until finally the bulk of the Royalist units broke at the end of the game

This was ultimately successful for both side's right flanks! With the Royalists gaining an advantage mid game and then allowing them time to turn and attack the Parliamentary left from the flank and rear, causing much consternation!

Close-up of advancing Parliamentary units in the centre

Similarly, although much later in the game, the Parliamentary cavalry in their right, routed much of the Royalist horse but really only doing so in the last turn of the game. A  couple more turns and the Royalist left would likely have been significantly mauled.

A view of the waiting royalist line

In the center the attacking Parliamentary infantry took casualties from the defending Royalist artillery battery and musketeers, disuading their commander from committing further to the attack. A similar Royalist infantry attack to support their Cavalry on their right was also abandoned due to the high casualty rate as they tried to close.

A close-up of the Royalist grand battery and supporting infantry regiments, in their center / left

Early in the game, Royalist Horse surge forwards to engage their Parliamentary counter parts

All in all, an interesting game, the rule set was put through its paces by a group who included a number of ECW period enthusiasts, who were concerned about the strength of the artillery and the way that Cavaltry fights seemed to get bogged down. 

Close-up of a royalist infantry regiment

We may try Warhammer ECW next or even and adaptation of Beneath the Lily Banner, as alternatives to our old friend Forlorn Hope. 

One of the Scots regiments supporting Parliamentary forces on the tabletop.

The brisk cavalry mele on teh Roalist left / Parliament right flank.
Ultimately the Royalists broke throug hand turned to attack teh Parliamentary lines from their flank / rear.

Advancing Parliamentary units

AHPC XIV: From Mike W - More Tau and Orcs plus lots of Odds and Ends. Squirrell, Skulls

 This week has been one focused on building and preparing more figures for the painting production line, as such I have a handful of Tau, a group of Savage Orcs and a smattering of other periods and scales to keep the paint flowing whilst the glues, undercoating and basing materials dry!

I have concentrated on getting my Tau Commander completed this week, accompanied by a few Tau Troopers. I'm also being cheeky and painting up a few female Tau Ge'Vesa to enable me to flit from my current Library location (Maritime) to go straight to the SciFi selves and claim the Sci-Fi Bonus, then on wards to other shelves!

I guess I should therefore start with a Tau Gue'Vesa for Lady Sarah's Trolly. This female human fighter is with the Tau as a Ge'Vesa helper. She is depicted as unarmored, carrying a rather large Combi-Weapon and dressed in her underarmour trousers and vest.

Female Gue'Vesa in  underarmour carrying a Tau Combi Weapon

Rear view, showing ceremonial sword and Tau inspired hair braids

From her waist hangs a ceremonial Tau Sword and you may note that her hair is styled with a typical Tau 'pig tail' or braid at the back.

The figure is based upon a Warlord Games Zombie Gang Biker model with Tau accoutrements from GW.

Now on to the main course - for which I will claim the Sci-Fi bonus, the Tau Army Commander. This is a again a large power suit and painted in my army's colours of white and orange with black lowlights and sky blue lenses and digital displays etc.

Front view, with three weapons systems and a force shield deployed on the suit's hard points.

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The figure was again from eBay and so painted as built, the base incldes a skull for my Skulls tally and some basic battlefield scatter that came with the model when purchased.

Side view, showing shoulder monted combi-weapon and a plasma gun 

The other side, showing sholder mounted shield and a Fusion Blaster weapon.

And the rear view, the 'figure is flying using the suit's onboard propulsion units,
a clear view of the base finish can be seen in this shot. 

 To accompany the commander I have completed a couple of Tau Troopers.

Two Tau troopers with hand grenades.

Another view...

More Tau under construction!

This batch of Warhammer Fantasy / Old World Savage Orcs fortuatously landed on my doormat last week, saving me the problem of trying to source and build additional Ocs for my ongoing Orc Army project. The batch cosists of 10 x Savage Orc plus a War Boss, between them a measley +2 skullls when oainted.

The whole gang, painted and based!

These guys arrived partially undercoated and requiring some basic first aide to fix figures to bases, limbs to bodies and hands & weapons to arms. This was achieved pretty quickly and then the batch was undercoated in black before getting a heavy dry-brushing of grey then white to highlight.

Close-up of theree Orc warriors, notice the focus on mouths, bone items and bright lizardskin clothing

I used GW 'Goregrunta Fur' to paint all the wooden items (spears, shields & handles) followed by GW Leadbelcher to do all the metal work. Not surprisingly I used GW 'Snakebite Leather' to do all leather work and GW 'Skeleton Horde' to all the bone items, before then applying Army Painter 'Orc Flesh' - logically enough - to the flesh areas!

Another three guys, again a lot of bones and teeth!

I generally try to work from light to dark when painting these guys but it doesn't always work out that way - I often miss items and have to go back out of sequence, or I make errors and have to fix painting messes after the event! Anyway after all the base colours are in place I then set about highlighting all the figures with lighter versions of the base colours as well as adding in the all important details to catch everyone's eyes and save them looking at the rest of the model to closely!

These two Orcs, had whip hands added and will be treated as Discipline Masters to keep the unit in line during battle.

As ever with Orcs the eye catching detail is usually their mouths and impressive teeth plus any gold bling. As these are savage Orcs, they don't appear to have much in the way of gold bling, so instead I have concentrated on their bone items, treating these items as if they were skeletons and trying to do a good job on these!

Two more Orcs, with Lizardman loincloths

As noted some of the figures had no weapon hands, I managed to replace all but two of these from the spares box, with Savage Ork items. However, two of the figures had to have other replacement hands - I landed on a pair of hands holding whips (from the Grot Herder kits), my rational being these guys would be Discipline Masters within these Savage Orc units.

The War Boss, on a tiles base, just to help him
look bigger and stand out on the tabletop

The War Boss has a huge Axe and a lot of teeth! He is on a slightly different base, that give him some extra height. I did think of replacing this but n the end decided that the flagstone base helps to single him out as a leader, so the base it came on stayed in place....

Next on my list of completed models are some10mm Scots, from the  Pendraken Flodden Range. I'm not convinced that the Scots had many hand gunners at Flodden but these models were included in an army pack I purchased from a Games Show many years ago and its high time I started painting them,especially as I'm scrambling to ready other figures.

The completed unit of Hand Gunners, based to use Warmaster rules

I undercoated these guys in white then applied GW Snakebite Leather all over, before again picking out faces and hands in white. Skin was painted using GW Darkoath Flesh,which in turn had a highlight of Army Painter Barbarian Flesh.

The unit in column of march,                                  I've long fancied doing a Flodden game, now might be the time!

Trousers were picked out in blue, brown or grey at random, with most in blue. Jackets were left as brown leather but sleeves were mostly painted with GW Slaughter Red, with some left as grey. Muskets were painted using GW Goregrunter Fur, metallics were added with GX Air Leadbelcher and socks were painted grey, before a watered down wash of brown ink to tie everything together.

Another view!

Based using my patent brown gloop and fine sand before adding a mix of self adhesive tufts to finish them off. 

And next for Flodden?! Trying to prompt myself to do a unit of Scots Archers next!
If I show the picture I feel more inclined to get the job done... maybe.

                                         

Next we have a base of Warlord Games 15mm Epic ECW Scots Covenanter dismounted dragoons. Just five of these guys to the base, all in Hodden Grey with blue bonnets!

5 x Scots Dragoons in Epic 15mm scale

Another view, the don't look that great close-up but do the job en-masse!

Another quickie, with a base of  20 x Warlord Epic ACW Rebel 15mm figures, these are late war troops and painted up as an Alabama regiment, likely operating in the western theatre of the war. 

Head on, view of the figures.

Side view, with the Alabama (nofficial) state flag and regimental banner.

The other side view - unfortunately one rifle snapped off on the
back rank and has dissapeard into the carpet!

A quick return to an unfinished batch fom last week - namely three more 20mm British WW2 infantry, these guys got seperated from their comrades on the painting prodction line and ths I didn't have time to finish them off ready for last week's post.

Left to right - Bren Gunner, Greade Thrower and Rifleman

These guys were painted in exactly the same manner as last week's batch - just a week behind ther comrades.

These guys were dressed in a variety of kit - battledress, shirt & sleeves etc, to reflect the theatre of operations

Again all the figures were based for the Italy / Greece theatre of war.

Next on the Historical side are some Warlord Games (I'm pretty sure) 28mm US Infantry, they were painted using the Warlord Games painting guide found here.

The completed US Infantry men, Normandy '44

So undercoated in white before Khaki jackets and gaiters, US Green for trousers and Dark Gree (actually Russian Green) for helmets - all Valijho paints. Guns were GW Goregrunta Fur and Leadbealcher and the skin was done in the same manner as noted for other figures here - GW Darkoath Flesh followed by highlights in Army Painter Barbarian Flesh.

Close-up on a Captain, Lieutenannt, riflemen and a BAR gunner.

I used a watered down GW Agrax Earthshade to blend all the colours together before highlighting the khaki items with the base colour agiain.

and an NCO and three more riflemen

Bases were the usual fine sand and electrostatic grass combination on MDF discs.

Probably more familiar to the British and Astralian/Kiwi readers I have just completed two characters from the 1960s TV show Captain Scarlett. Namely these guys are Captain Blue and Captain Scarlet, from the TV series Catptain Scarlett.

Captain Blue, aka Adam Svenson a former astonaught
and Captain Scarlett's right hand man

Captain Ochre, aka Richard Fraser
a British former policeman

These Captains were special operatives of an organisation known as Spectrum who were engaged in a deadly conflict with an alien race called the Mysterons.

The two painted models

Captain Blue

Captain Ochre

I believe that these are old board game pieces that fit really well into 28mm scale, although both basically the same figure they have been painted in different colours to accompany a Captain Scarlett figure I did back in AHPC XIII.

Finally a quickie - a Classic Empire Archer, undercoated in white, I decided on a blue and yellow livery.

The classic Empire Archer

And the rear view