Next Project - and AHPC nomination

Hi folks,

So, having finished the AHPC challenge for this year, I've had a couple of weeks of 'admin' which has consisted of sorting through my recent Ebay purchases and figuring out what I wanted to do next.

As ever, I have a lot of options. I'd narrowed the list down to three options, which were to do SS Armour, Polish Cromwells or my 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry Humbers. I decided, since in the last couple of 'mega' games I've run I've had to borrow German tanks, that I should get my 12th SS armoured vehicles done, which will provide some opposition to both my Brits and DaveD's rapidly expanding American army. And, as I've managed to spread the madness further, Martin's British Paras! Apparently, we are now doing D-Day....

As such, I've been building, detailing and spray priming a load of German armoured vehicles:

Specifically the painting list now includes: 12 x Panzer IV's, 5 x Panther A's, 2 x Brummbars, 2 x Flakpanzer 38T's, 3 x StuGs, 3 x Kubelwagons and a radio truck (possibly for a little diorama).

I'm aiming to tackle things this way in order to keep some consistency of painting for the various units - although there will be variation, there won't be the same amount of variation as I would have if I painted the units 6 months apart. If i can get all of the above done in 4 months, I would be pretty happy - hopefully I'll make better progress than that!

In other news, with the AHPC finished there are some more voting rounds. Much to my astonishment it seems some kind souls have nominated my German artillery for inclusion in the 'Challengers Choice' vote. I can't say how chuffed I am at that, given the quality of the other entries that have been nominated. I don't expect to be winning anything, but it's really nice that someone felt my work was worth nominating! If you want to check out the other entries (and cast your own votes) you can find the blog post here: https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/ahpc-viii-challegers-choice-nominations.html



 

Finished!: 15mm Mdf buildings

Hi folks,

This weeks unit entry to the AHPC was delayed as i got distracted by painting some terrain. I think I was actually a bit sick of painting gun crew, so diverted myself for a night or two which resulted in me having less time to finish things that I thought. Rather than rush myself, I finished off a couple of the buildings I've had sitting half done/not started.

The two 'scoring' entries for the challenge there these:

A 15mm 'barn' from Warbases - which is the same size as most of the houses I have... and a 15mm shopfront. I'm not sure about the maker as these came from a batch I bought 2nd hand a good while ago. I hadn't planned on using the shops, as they are what I would consider to be inferior to the other buildings I have (no separate floors, so only one level). However, I've a good few buildings now, so these will be handy just to bulk out an already full table. Once painted they look ok and from a 'roof down' view of a busy town or village you can't tell they only have a single level. I've 3 more of these types to build, though this was the biggest. These two buildings scored me 30 points - 3 less than the Wespes that took me a week and involved detailed modelling work. But thats just the way the scoring system works!

I also finished these two buildings. I think they might be Sarrisa and I suspect they were models I got from Lee a while ago. I saw Lee was selling off more 15mm terrain on Ebay recently, but was sniped at the last minute for some of his stuff :(

I added some black paint and rubble to the work Lee had already done. The rubble piles are removable (including the burnt out upper floor) to allow models to be put in, if needed. I've had these two models half finished on the painting shelf for months, so it's good to move them on. I think my rubble piles need a bit of paint, but that's something I can return to (ha ha) in the future. Even a 'soft tone' wash on them might help... I might experiment when I'm not just trying to churn out units!

In the works currently is a load of 15mm rough fencing from Blotz. A load of 15mm gravestones for my church that need another drybrush then a lot of basing. 4 little outhouses (finished this week, for next weeks entry) and 8 more strips of church wall (also finished awaiting Wednesday). I've time today so will be working hard to finish off my 10.5cm guns for the Germans as well as moving on next Saturdays entry as much as I can (six nebelwerfers and crews). I've also got the 3 other buildings spray primed and waiting detailing (a handy 45 points worth, hopefully!). Surprisingly, I am actually getting through my Gunuary German project at a decent clip, with only the 88's and Nebs to do from the 15mm stuff I had prepped. And most of the gun crew have at least flesh and/or uniform colours on already.

I'm going to Vapnartak in York tomorrow, where I'll be on the lookout for village 'clutter' such as carts, barrels, garden stuff and the likes, interesting terrain (I feel like I need a chateau, schoolhouse and more outbuildings), interesting bring and buy FoW stuff and anything else that takes my fancy - perhaps some Necromunda terrain! Hopefully a good few of the club guys will also make it!

Finished!: German Heer 2cm AA Battery

Hi Folks,

Just catching up on my AHPC entries which I've not posted here yet. Last week I completed a 4 gun 2cm Flak unit. I went with no painted camo on the guns, but did add some 'foliage' in the form of seafoam sprigs and 'leaf' foliage. Unfortunately as I'm still getting used to my new lightbox, some of the details are washed out!

I've one more 'small' flak battery to paint, which I should finish for this week. Then its on to artillery and whatever else I do when I'm sick of painting crew figures!

Finished: 3mm Dreadnought Stalker and AHPC 8 Prep

Hi folks,

Apologies for the lack of content of late, I've been focusing on prepping for the upcoming Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge as well as trying to finish off my first Dreadnought Stalker for my 3mm Sci Fi army.

First up, the prep. I'd already done some prep on my 15mm German arty, but needed to finish off the rest. I've not got quite a bundle of this stuff to do - which will be my Gunuary project as well. I'm hoping that the guns themselves will be quick to paint, but am not looking forward to all those gun crew!

I've also been prepping some more 3mm Sci Fi stuff as well as my 6mm Team Yankee British force. We're hoping to get some games of this (myself, Dave and Martin) in the new year. Dave has a load of Russkie stuff done, so I want to get some of my Brits painted up.

Linked to the 6mm stuff, I won a competition for a £20 voucher from Butlers Printed Models this week. Just a random draw for completing some wargames magazine quiz, but that has gone towards getting some of the BPM 1/285th printed British models.

The model I've finished is my first Dreadnought Stalker for my 3mm army. In the DiD universe these machines are operated by the Cybershadows, who are a breakaway faction of the Novans.

I've painted mine up to be a Reaver Titan proxy for my Ultramarine proxy infantry. I've not gotten a name for it yet, but the model is roughly painted up in Legio Praesagius colours.

I'm pretty pleased with how it's turned out. I used decals I had from the 40k Primus Marine decal packs I had bought online. I'm waiting for some other bits from Vanguard to see if I can add some banners and stuff, as well as some other decals which might help add some Ad Mech elements. This is one of the early prototype Dreadnought Stalkers, so has a fixed head. I understand the newer ones have variations in leg pose and head options. The models also come with a huge range of weapon loadouts. I've kept mine in keeping with the Legio - lots of precision weapons and anti titan loadouts.

Looking forward to getting some of Vanguards scout stalkers, and hopefully one of their newer style stalkers - a variation on the Dreadnought Stalker seen here.

Plans and random Ebay purchases

Hi folks,

I'm making a conscious effort to post a blog this week, as I've been a little lax of late.

Unusually, I've not finished anything painting wise since the start of October. I spent a lot of time this month preparing for the winter. I'm hoping to do the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge again this year, and I plan on focusing on German artillery for 'Gunuary' this year as well as trying to get some German armour painted.

In the shorter term, I have been working on some 5cm A/T guns and 7.5cm Infantry guns for the Germans. While the guns are mostly done, the crew are taking a bit more time than I had planned. I'm unused to painting Germans and the enthusiasm just isn't there. I'm getting there though, just a few final bits to do and the main colours are blocked in.

I've had a couple of lucky purchases this week. The first was a painted unit of HUGE Pak43/41's. These are really massive guns, much larger than the 5cm A/T guns I have - 89. Infanterie-Division apparently had some of these in it's artillery units, and there is photographic evidence of Polish tanks advancing past a knocked out one. I got 4 of these guns for a very reasonable price. While they need stripping and a bit of work, and didn't have the full crew compliment, they will do!

I also got this:

Which is a map printed by the Royal Engineers in 1948 and covers the Operation Totalize battle area. Again, I got this for a decent price. No units or anything marked on it, but I am tempted to get it framed... The immediate area that effects my Highlanders:

154 Brigades objectives were the Cramesnil, St. Aignan de Cramesnil and Garcelles Secqueville area.

You can also see the main Caen Highway running up and down the map - the Canadians were coming from the top of the map southwards on the left, while the Highlanders were on the right of the road. Near the bottom you can see Cintheaux and Gaumesnil - Michael Wittmann's 'last charge' was up the right side of the road from Cintheaux, with Whittmann himself being killed opposite Gaumesnil (most likely by Canadian Shermans in Gaumesnil, as opposed to the belief that the fire came from the Northamptonshire Yeomanry in the woods south of St. Aignan de Cramesnil). 

A visit to Redcar - and Gaming Figures - got me a load of FoW miniatures with a 30% discount due to their Halloween sail. 2 boxes of 88's (the mid war plastic ones), a box of two Shermans (yeah yeah) and another infantry platoon (plastic this time, for Battlegroup and to mix in with my metals). All for far less than I would normally pay!

So yeah - some cool purchases, and some plans that seem to be settling on getting my German AA and some of the armour done over the winter, along with some of my 6mm stuff.