It's Freezing - and a Challenge

Having used Contrast Paints to do my Indian Mutiny figures, I was impressed with just how quickly I could get a half decent result. I do paint for effect, so I will never obtain results like Moiterei..  but Contrast works for me. I could obviously go back and add additional detail to improve the results, but it seems superfluous when you are working to the 1 metre rule.

In any case, I have long intended to paint up forces to play the Too Fat Lardies 'Bloody Bucket' Pint Sized Campaign for Chain of Command. Battle of the Bulge, what's not to like? 

Over time I have picked up all the necessary figures in sales and on eBay. Taking part in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, it occurred to me that I had foolishly ruined my eyesight painting a German platoon in Peadot and Oakleaf, and that doing something simple like US infantry in greatcoats would have earned me the same points...  So I wondered just how long it would take. I bet myself a week... 

So here's the result:

Last Wednesday - Artizan figures glued to 2p pieces and undercoated with cheap white primer over grey.

This Wednesday - finished. 

Extra BAR gunners, .30 MMG Teams, Bazooka and 57mm AT Gun support.

Three squads, in the rear right are Senior NCO and officers with carbines.

Squad leaders (Corporals) on the right with an enlisted man with Thompson SMG.

Close up of one of the Bazooka teams showing the effect of Contrast. The 57mm is a 3d print. 

The snow effect is Bicarbonate of Soda over PVA, then sealed with plenty of spray varnish as Bicarb is extremely hydrophilic and unless properly sealed, will go 'off', discolour and bloat. The 3d printer is whirring away churning out Jeeps, an M16 halftrack and Shermans...  to be winterised once they have been airbrushed.

Not bad for about 4 evenings actual painting I thought. Perhaps the flesh could do with a very pale highlight, but good enough for Government work, as they say. 

Next week - maybe I could tackle my 1st Corps US Marines? I should finish the Volksgrenadiers, but they are currently buried in the man-shed, which is itself packed with the extra contents of the now demolished tin shed. It would take a serious archaeological dig to unearth them... till the new garden shed is erected on the 21st.

The Great Game

No, not the massive Waterloo wargame of a couple of years back, but 'The Great Game' - the term used to describe the rivalry over India between Great Britain and Russia. And one of the key players was this chap... 

 

Now Flashman may be a bigot, imbued with all the vices and prejudices of a roistering poltroon, and have a singularly un-PC approach to women, but he's also enormously entertaining, remarkably accurate historically and is a dreadful temptation to new periods and armies. 

With Sharp Practice being a game that can be played as a 'straight' wargame, or as something much more Hollywood, having 'characters' can really create a whole additional layer of fun.

So when I saw that Studio Miniatures made a figure that is the absolute character to a tee..  what could be more natural than to add him to my collection? And Winterpig makes a collection based on a certain movie, set a little later than the Mutiny perhaps but with some figures that can be re-used. 

 

As usual, Flash is between an egregious villain and a charming maiden... 

Of course there are many possible names for an Indian Governor and his wife.. 

Finally, another Studio Miniatures Sikh Wars officer, and a doughty sergeant of the 1st Foot & Mouth

Should be an added bit of fun... And there's a few other things nearing completion.

Catching up

I have been participating in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge for the last 3 months or so. It's been a bit of fun and has encouraged me to get a fair bit of painting done. I actually managed to finish 8th in the points total, which was very pleasing as I had set my original target at 600 points, and in the end finished with over 2000. If I (hopefully) participate next year, I will be better prepared in terms of figure variety, and more ambitious with my targets.  

It also strikes me that while I have been furiously painting, unlike many other participants, I have also been printing stuff. So while others have reduced their lead/plastic/resin pile, I have actually added to mine... Ooops...

And I suspect I have also painted a lot of stuff that hasn't appeared here. So this is by way of a catch-up. Bear with me if you have already seen it.. 

Some demented pepperpots, these are the classic movie Daleks from the 1966 move, Invasion of Earth. Dots, so many Dots.. 

Just for a giggle, and to reach the bonus for a planet of ancient robots. I printed off a couple of copies of Bender from Futurama, and 'weathered' one to represent an Ancient Bender.

Having posted my Indian Mutiny (1st War of Independence) Sepoy figures and the Elephant towing a limber, I also painted up some AW Miniatures Sepoy Cavalry - in this case, the 3rd Bengal Cavalry. These were part of the original  group of Mutineers at Meerkut. This group have discarded their issued 'French Blue' trousers and are ready to cause havoc..   though I realised I had run out of bases, and I am waiting for replacements to arrive. 

A few other things got done, that I didn't post here. 

Some 1/144 3d printed German WW1 aircraft, There were also 2 Recce aircraft that absconded from the picture. 

Storm Giant - another 3d print.

Some kit for when I choose to invade Manchuria, 3d prints as always - a Type 89 and a Vickers Crossley Armoured Car.

Transport... 

 

And in case I need 6 Ha-Go for a scenario, another 4 3d prints

Not forgetting 12th SS Panzer. 

Did I mention all those Spitfires needed some serious opposition?

I think that's it for the minute..   more to come soon. I have been working away on various bits and pieces so they may emerge in the not too distant future, and hopefully, I will get some actual gaming in.. 

 

Back in Business - Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge

So I have been very slack about updating this blog, but my painting and 3d Printing has not abated.. the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge has kept me at my brushes.

First of all  - those AW Miniatures Indian Mutiny figures:

And who can resist an elephant towed limber? Not me.

Then there's the WW2 planes.. all 1/200 scale home 3d Printed.. 

Right, that's the Pacific sorted.. off to jolly old Blighty next... 

There is not one UK wargamer of a certain age NOT humming the theme tune now...  

And I couldn't let the DH2 be the only ones to fight the Fokker menace... 

That will do for now, but plenty more to come..   did I mention just how big a B17G was when 3d printed at 1/200?

See you next time.. 

Chocks Away with the 20 Minuters

Or as they say, it's not all a bed of roses in the Womens' Auxiliary Balloon Corps. Enough Blackadder references. Suffice to say that I have always had something of a thing for WWI aircraft, a diet of Biggles books as a child, movies growing up. 

A perfect confluence of events - the purchase of a hex mat to play Battle of Britain games, Alex from Storm of Steel making the 'Algy' rules from the Too Fat Lardies available, a 3d printer and perhaps most importantly, Jimbo from the Virtual Lard Discord channel generously sharing the STL files he has created, next thing you know I have way more 1/144 WWI aircraft than I will ever need. 

Early prints without crew but showing just how lovely these little things can be...

So my regular opponent and I got out some early war Fokkers and DH2 - 

Much fun was had as we tried to get on the tail of the opponents, and in the end - the British Flight Leader was forced to return to base with a damaged engine, while the German Flight leader survived a series of hits including one that severed his fuel line. Each side had one pilot lightly wounded and a great deal of ammunition was expended to little effect. But all of them survived their 20 minutes.

All in all it was great fun, and who doesn't love a game where you can shout 'Tally Ho!' and make 'dakka dakka' noises?