AHPC X - MIke W - US Mexican War - Indiana Volunteers (75 Points)

I had these figures at the back of my workbench since this time last year, so I thought it was time to paint them up and press them into service!

Undercoated & Based figures.

They will fit in with the rest of my US-Mexican / Texas-Mexican Wars collection, these guys are US Army figures, from Old Glory - I believe - and I have opted to paint them up as Indiana Volunteers, who were kitted out by their state in pretty much regulation US Army uniforms of sky blue trousers and shell jacket, dark blue cap and white belts and straps etc.

Finished Volunteer Company of 15 figures.

The figures were undercoated in white and then painted all over in sky blue - I used Vallejo paint as this is form an old set of ACW colours that I have and I assumed that the colour would not be too off for the earlier period.

Another view

I have done the officer and NCO / Standard Bearer in a dark Blue Shell Jacket, really just to make them different and this kit was available during the period. Also - to break-up the uniform feel of the unit - I added a couple pairs of White, grey and brown trousers into the mix.

Close-up of Officer and flag.

Once completed, I painted the figures with Army Painter Dark Tone to add shading and once dried, I worked on the bases, which I left based with sand and added a few 'dried grass' tufts of grass, to give an impression of the Mexican landscape.

The flag was taken from an online image of a flag presented to the 33rd Indiana Volunteers in the Civil War. Obviously not very accurate for the US Mexican War - but I will need to do some more research to get the right flag in place here. The flag is removable - so will not go to waste.

Another close-up showing basing finish with dried grasses

I base these figures individually on round bases and on the tabletop these 15 guys will represent a fairly strong company of 12 Other Ranks, an officer, standard bearer and drummer.

AHPC X - From Grahame H: German, Moguls and Lombards (600 points)

GrahameH Painting at Last

I have spent the last year and a half re-basing my Napoleonic armies and I am now about a quarter of the way through. Having got this far I have discovered I actually dislike re-basing. So I entered the challenge this year to ensure I painted something other than Napoleonics, and to see if I could at least attempt to lessen the metal mountain.

So first up is....

German Infantry guns 15mm by PSC

These 3 15mm infantry guns and 2 MGs are all from the PSC. Not my favourite figures but a lot cheaper than buying them from Battlefront, and at a distance you can’t tell anyhow.

Next. Well I couldn’t just stop painting Napoleonics. Two Swiss officers. I have just re-based four infantry battalions of Swiss and brought then up to 36 figure battalions, from 24. The two commanders complete that unit. 15mm AB figures.

Swiss officers - I do like Napoleonics

Unable to decide what else to paint I just open a draw and pulled out a bag. Actually two bags that were stuck together. The first was the figures left over from my mongol horde, the other was a Lombard army I purchased cheaply. I have no idea why a bought a Lombard army but I think it is the
Law that if you bought them you have to paint them.

So first up the Mongolian horde, or rather two units of cavalry. To finish this army I need to paint one more cavalry unit and a camp. Well I don’t need too but as I have already bought them.

18 x 15mm Mongols

Finally some Lombards. All 15mm Essex. I have two more units of archers and a camp to paint to finish these which I will hopefully do tomorrow.

36 Lombard archers

The Lombards wore tunics with broad bands and white wrappings around their legs and were know to the Gepid as “white-legged hacks”, so these were a little bit different to paint.

Most of the Lombard army, or rather the period I decided upon, were cavalry. I Hate painting horse. I gave each man a coloured shield, much like the vikings and then found they would have probably been leather with bronze studs. So I had to repaint them. However, as the opposing army is likely to me made up with some of the same figures it will at least allow be to identify the difference sides.

36 Noble Cavalry

27 er! Non-Noble cavalry

And another 27

The General 7 figures

That’s it hopefully I should get the last bits done for these armies to tomorrow.

Germans:
15 x 15mm crew figures @ 2 = 30 points
2 x 15mm MGs (I'll treat each MG as a foot figure) = 4 points
3 x infantry gun @ 4 =12 points
Subtotal = 46 points

Swiss Napoleonics:
2 x 20mm mounted @ 8 = 16 points (AB figures get scored as 20mm for some historical reason)
Subtotal = 16 points

Mongols:
18 x 15mm mounted @ 4 = 72 points

Lombards:
36 x 15mm foot @ 2 = 72 points
97 x 15mm mounted @ 4 = 388 points
Subtotal = 460 points

Total = 594 points

AHPC X, - From MikeW: 5 x 1/144 (10mm) Israeli Super Sherman Tanks (15 Points)

A cheeky group of Israeli Super Shermans.

Extracted from my Lead Mountain were these 5 Sherman M4A4 tanks that where the basis for the Israeli M50/51 Super Shermans that paid an important role in both the 1967 and 1973 Wars.

Undercoated and awaiting attention!

I think these models were from Minifgs - though I may well be wrong!

So very quick job to build and to undercoat in white before leaving to dry overnight.

I've always had problems getting the correct shade for my Israeli vehicles - it seems to range from too brown to too green, too light to too dark. These were no exception!

I guess it would be easiest to go and buy a pot of paint that is the right colour - but as I do these figures in such a sporadic manner - I have never done that. So this time I painted a base colour of mid brown and then mixed a greenish, greyish colour to use to wash over.

Not overly happy with final colours

Unfortunately the paint dried very quickly and the wash became pretty much another coat - it seems about right when I added the white combat markings.

I usually get all OCD about having straight lines when doing vehicle markings - until I found out that the Israelis actually painted these markings on by hand and literally scrubbed them off and repainted on a fairly regular basis to keep everyone guessing what they meant. Clever!

Lots of stowage on each tank

So I use a white pen to literally draw on the markings and then I outline with an ultra-fine black pen, before varnishing the markings to keep them in place.


I then gave the models a wash of Dark tone - which was a bit of a mistake, as they got - well - very much darker!

I had to go in and do some dry brushing to lighten the models up again, end result is passable but probably not very Israeli looking - too grey and dark.

When mixed with other Shermans in my collection - they will stand out. Maybe I'll say that they are brand new off the production line and haven't had time to fade yet....

POINTS
5 x 10mm Vehicles @ 3 Points each = 15 Points

AHPC X - Mudry's Messa - From Mike W. 28mm Imperial Guard Walker and crew (60 Points)

I'm loving this Grand Tour of the Challenge Island, it's really getting me to drag out old lead and plastic from the mountain to create new entries.

One of Greg's inspirational Titans

This is a case in point, moving to Mudry's Mesa the challenge is to use an inspiration from last year's challenge to create an entry for this year.

When I saw GregB's Titans <here> I thought wow! How Cool!

These Titans were something I'd liked the idea of years ago when they came out bit never got around to doing anything about.

The nearest I got to doing my own Titans, back in the day, was to do some Imperial Guard Walkers, modelled straight out of the box, and painted to conform from my view on the Cadian forces that I had raised for 40K games.

Some of the 'spare' parts used.

Later I found some cheap generic Sci-Fi figures that included two out of scale 'Titan' like models - these where handed over to my sons, 20+ years ago to play with they were battered beyond recognition. Luckily, when it came to throw away the battered toys, I put a few spare parts in my spares box where they have languished for many, many years.

On seeing Greg's entry last year I dug out these parts but decided that I did not have enough other 'spares' to build a Titan of my own.

This year round I thought - why not do a new 'Locally built' Imperial Walker rather than a Titan scale model. With that change in perspective I was able to pull in other Imperial Guard arts form the 'Spares Box'

So the basic generic figure this was built on stands about 65mm tall, it was missing it's right arm, back and head.

Finished scratch built Imperial Walker

To this base figure I have been able to add an armoured cockpit from an Imperial Walker model, to replace the head, this is perched upon a box like body, made from an old Warhammer 40K Supply box kit and the lower body and back is a re-visited Oil Drum from the same kit. Final model is around 90mm tall, and nearly as wide!

Rear view, showing reconstructed

back of the model

Left side view, not sure what this weapon or
equipment represents, possibly high powered
search lights?!
To this was added weaponry from spares that I have for an Imperial Guard Heavy Weapons section, the pre-existing left Arm Weaponry was removed at the shoulder and fixed to make a new right Arm, whilst an Auto Cannon was deployed under the left shoulder, with a rocket launcher inserted into the left shoulder its-self - for some extra punch.

Additional power packs, ammunition boxes, cable and chains were added to taste before painting the whole model charcoal grey. I highlighted the figure with a couple of progressively lighter shades of grey and added wear and tear to the model on the form of silver lines along joints and edges.

The shoulder pad was painted a muted yellow - to tie in with the colourings I use on my Cadian troops, decals from an old Imperial tank were added to taste before washing in Army Painter Dark tone.

The base was created in my usual manner with sand, static grass and tufts plus - as it is bigger than usual - some other bits and pieces I found in the spares box to give a view of some wire defences and a hint of destruction beyond.

Another view - showing the waist line articulation on the model

still works plus a view on the Auto-cannon and rocket launcher

in the right shoulder housing.

A quick note on the crewman. He is one of the toy figures that came in the toy Sci-Fi set mentioned above, he is wearing some sort of body hugging number that suggested he might be inserted into the cramped cockpit of such an Imperial Monster. Painted grey and with similar muted yellow webbing and washed to give definition and shading.

Crewman, his friend and old Cadian Model,

to show colour scheme I was tying into...

I found his friend in the box at the same time and painted him up as well, whilst i was at it! I have included one of my previously painted Cadian Guardsmen for reference and hopefully it 'explains' why the colours are not usual Cadian colours - I'm just akward that way!

Top down view, showing base details

I remember for the first ten yaers or so playing Warhammer 40K I had a Space Marine Chapter called the 'Imperial Tigers', they had lime green armour with a blue and black tiger stripe - a nightmare to paint and on reflection, pretty horrible to look at!

So there it is, not worth very many points in the challenge but a huge amount of fun building this beast and adding to my Cadian forces, shame is I haven't used them for years now, maybe I should dust them off


POINTS
1 x 28mm Vehicle = 20 Points
2 x 28mm Crewmen = 10 Points
Mudry's Mesa Bonus = 30 Points
TOTAL 20+10+30 = 60 Points

AHPC X- From MikeW - Rousell's Sandhill - 20 x 28mm Vienna Militia, Siege of Vienna 1683. (133 Points)

My Grand Tour of the island has brought me to Rousell's Sandhill, where I can go into 'Floppy Hat' mode again - I have some more Floppy Hatted silliness in the pipeline but this is the first instalment! Sorry no badgers or sandbags...

These guys will go towards my Siege of Vienna project but I wanted to make sure that they could also be used as generic militia for any nation through-out the period.

As such I have ensured that the rank and file have plain grey coats and a variety of trouser and hat colours to give the look of the period where uniforms were only just coming into fashion. They represent citizen volunteers who joined the colours to help defend their city.

20 x 28mm Vienna Militia Unit

The figures are from the 'North Star' 1672 range and I have painted up a command stand and four musketeer bases. At some point I really need to add another 8, possibly 12 pikemen to give other options to configure such a generic militia unit, by varing proportion of pike to musket.

 I realised after starting this group I did not have sufficient pikemen in my lead mountain to cover this at this time.

Focus on the Command team and their colourful dress code!

The figures were undercoated in white and then I painted flesh first - really, only because it was a sunny morning and I wanted to do something bright!

I moved on to the gun stocks - done with a faithful old pot of Bestial Brown, followed by the musketeer's coats using an even more faithful and even older pot of Army Painter 'Ash Grey' which expired on me as I was completing this unit. I will have to get some more.

Ash Grey is one of those shades that I find can be used for many armies and when used with 'dip', shading, the effect works really well. Hats, breaches, socks and hair were all done in a variety of colours before the steel work was painted in.

I used Army Painter 'Dark Tone' dip and then varnished with my current favourite matt varnish, available in the UK as part of the Windsor and Newton range - 'Galeria Matt Varnish'. See right.

So much for the men and NCOs, the officers are much more flamboyant and this is where the silliness kicks in...


Another close-up on the officers
As per the period, officers were not obligated to where uniforms and they supplied their own wardrobe for field service.

As you can see these guys have various interpretations of what is practical wear for on the field.

Another view - flags are swap-able,

so unit can be used for other nationalities

Fashion for the period was lead by the French and although these officers could represent any nationality, I have tried to show that they are followers (or victims) the current French fashions!


To tie the unit together I have given all the figures yellow ribbons on their hats, yellow ties on their socks and where appropriate yellow sashes and boot laces.

I constructed the flags myself using Microsoft Paint Software, and share here. It seems that Vienna region had a simple red over white flag - similar to today's Polish flag (albeit upside down) the city its-self had a coat of arms consisting of a white cross on a red shield.

So I have incorporated these to make two speculative flags that can be used for the period, see below - feel free to use - as I made them from scratch - there is no copyright etc on the flags!

Free to use, speculative Vienna Militia Flags

POINTS
20 x 28mm Infantry Figures @ 5 Points each = 100 Points
Rousell's Sandhill = 30 Points
TOTAL  100 + 30 = 130 Points

AHPC X - From MikeW - 20 x 28mm Balkan Infantry, Late 17th Century (110 Points)

I originally got this idea form a post on the 'Wargames Warrior' Blog' that I spotted a few months back and with the Challenge drawing nearer I ordered a box of Perry plastic Zouaves to see what could be done.

Original picture that caught my eye!

The basic idea is that basis these Zouave figures can be converted into passable Ottoman figures - Adam who posted this idea, had gone to the trouble of casting additional arms for the figures to depict them carrying swords etc.

Casting additional limbs is well above my modelling skills grade so I adapted the idea and have sued the concept to create a unit of Balkan Infantry in Ottoman service.

So, the basic Zouave figure does have a lot going for it when you compare to pictures of the Croat Infantry of the period in Osprey or similar sources, see right. There are some obvious differences - namely the bayonet and percussion rifle, the length of the coat, the lower legging and foot wear etc.

However I determined that for the purposes of 'bulking' out my tabletop Ottoman Army with a couple of these regiments, these figures should work fine.

Finished Croat / Balkan Regiment

So For each figure I cut off the bayonet and bayonet scabbard and then used a supply of spare 'Gripping Beast' Arab heads to swap with about half of the heads supplied in the Zouave box. This would give a more eastern feel to the figures and visually tie in the unit to other units with similar heads in the army - in my opinion.

The Gripping Beast heads are a little bigger than their Perry counterparts but not too bad en-masse. For the eagle eyed ones of you out there there's even a Space Wolves head, with a fabulous beard,  in there - see if you can spot it!

I decided to simply ignore the other details as changing the leggings and foot-ware would have been way to fiddly and the length of the coat is something that I have seen as both long and short in various sources, depending on the exact time period.

Focus on Musketeer Stands

More Musketeers

After that it was a basic paint job on the figures - I varied the colour of their dress but tried to keep a similar range of colours across the whole unit to tie them together, all leather-work was done in a buff finish.

Standard Bearer

Focus on Officer and Drummer

I spent some additional time and effort on the command stand. The Officer was in fact the basic Zouave Officer with a 'Trent Miniatures' Ottoman head (available in separate packs, as are Ottomn muskets!) substituted for the kepi version that came with the box, I added a Sword arm from the Gripping Beast Arab Cavalry bow and a shield from the same. The rest was simply giving the figure a more colourful paint finish to reflect his higher rank.

Trumpeter

The standard Bearer and Drummer were as per the kit, on reflection sourcing a more eastern looking drum would be better, I'll do that next time. The standard was sourced from the internet. The Trumpeter was again a quick conversion using an appropriate arm from the 'Gripping Beast' Arab Cavalry box.

So with 44 figures to a box, I have enough figures remaining to field another Balkan Infantry regiment, keep watching this space and I'll likely get them done in the next month or so!

POINTS TOTAL
20 x 28mm figures @ 5 Points each = 100 Points

Next on the list - more floppy hatted silliness followed by some 1/144 Israeli Shermans! Stop Press: I even dug out more 18mm Crimean War cavalry...