From StephanK: 28mm Napoleonic French Sleigh (25 points)

From Stefan:

As one of the final piece for our participation game at Tactica convention in Hamburg I assembled and painted a sledge. It shall represent a sledge which the Grande Armée seized during their retreat from Moscow in 1812. It’s drawn by a single horse and provides enough space for three or four soldiers or some goods. I decided to put a single French soldier in the sledge who is defending its load against some marauding Cossacks. Luckily he has a second loaded musket at his side…

The sledge model itself is a kit from small but excellent Westfalia Miniatures. Kawe and his fellows offer awesome and unique kits and figures for French, British, Russian and Saxon Napoleonic miniatures as well as some fine vehicle kits. The soldier on the coachman’s seat is a conversion from a Victrix plastic Old Guard grenadier. I removed the epaulettes and changed the had to have him represent a simple soldier from a line infantry regiment. The barrels are actually two halves of a Renedra plastic barrel and the blankets are made of soaked tissues. For painting I used Vallejo model colours as usual and prepared the base with corundum sand, some snow covered grass tufts by Mininatur and some cork bits as rocks. I tried to plough the centre of the base a bit to represent the snow well-trodden by the horse.

As special feature I left the load of the sledge unglued and mounted it on a thin base itself. For the future I’m planning to make some substitute loads: wounded French, seated officers or just goods.

Lovely work Stefan! I've been mulling over getting one of these from Kawe for quite some time and your excellent efforts here chivvies me along nicely. I really like the special insert you've created for the sleigh - I'll be shamelessly nicking that idea, thank you!

This wonderful vignette will give Stefan 25 points. Well done!

From Byron: 28mm WWI Early War German Infantry (45 points)

From Byron:

Back on the WW1 project after finding that I need even more Germans thanks to the “Take the Farm” game hosted at the Fawcett Avenue Conscripts normal Thursday gaming night two weeks ago.

This is another group of the very nice Renegade Miniatures early WWI Germans. In total there are nine Germans made up of an officer, 6 riflemen, and 2 bombers.

As with my other Germans they are based up very simply with bits of board, planking, metal sheeting, and of course good old Flemish mud.  This was done so that they fit in any trench boards or terrain boards I use, and so that they show differently at a distance from the Canadians who are based as if they are crossing undisturbed fields as they march into the campaign.

Also included is another card for use in Through the Mud and the Blood.  The cards all have old WW1 posters and artwork that I have found online as the background.  

Anyone who wants a complete set of my cards feel free to contact me and I will share them via drop box.  

Lovely work once again Byron! I quite like your basework - the bits of duckboarding and shattered brick is very evocative. For a change you could do a unit or two based on turf or cobblestone to reflect the early campaigns in which the armies were still mobile and maneuvering for position. Just a wayward thought...

I definitely want a copy of your cards!

This squad of Germans will give Byron 45 points. Great job!

From ClintB: Grave Robbers, Opel & Sea Monster (!) (18 points)

From Clint:

Odds and Sods

 

Originally started these two Victorian era Grave robbers for the villains bonus round. But they were not done in time so Burke and Hare have stayed on my painting desk for too long so I thought I should finish them while watching the Curling! The 2 figures are West Wind Productions, part of the 'Empire of the Dead' range and as such are both 28mm scale. I did also consider doing them for the Casualty round but again another dead line missed (Har! Har! Har! - ed.).

Also a solitary Skytrex Action 200 range Opel Blitz Truck.  I scrounged the truck from a friend and have painted it in civilian livery as I want to use it as a Spanish Civil War truck. I know It's not exactly correct but it is close enough at 10mm that I should get away with it. I have a planned Game of SCW with Posties Rejects and am just cobbling together troops as you read this. So I hope to have some to show next week.

Additionally here is a Spartan Games Uncharted Seas Sea monster. I am not sure what scale one would attache to this resin Water elemental, as while the ships are supposedly 1/600th scale I suspect this beast will eventually be used in some 28mm Fantasy skirmish game. 

Ha! Great work Clint. Those two grave robbers are wonderfully characterful and you've done a magnificent job on their faces. (I now need a set of these...). The truck will look great for SCW gaming (you often need a lot of them and some variation adds to the overall look I think). The sea monster is very scary. We play Dystopian Wars but I've always wanted to try Uncharted Seas for no other reason for the fun of encountering monsters like this on the high seas. Fun!

This interesting selection of miniatures will give Clint 18 points, just enough for him to meet his second Challenge target of 950 points. Congratulations! Very nicely done, sir!

From MilesR: 28mm ACW Confederate Infantry - 18th Georgia (121 points)

From Miles:

I have another Confederate regiment to submit - the 18th GA of Hood’s Brigade. The models are the Perry 28mm Plastic Confederates (as usual). All that’s left to finish of Hood’s Brigade will be Wade’s SC Legion!

The 18th GA was part of Hood’s Brigade in the early phases of the war (up until the Battle of Fredericksburg) and fought with distinction.

The unit was responsible for breaking the Union line at the Battle of Gaines Mill which effectively ended McClellan’s Peninsular campaign. I’m modeling Hoods’ Brigade right before the Battle of Antietam so these troops will still be part of the unit.

In the background you can see two other regiments from the brigade - the 4th and 5th Texas.

One more regiment and my CSA army will be completed. OK maybe not completed but good enough for the upcoming game at Historicon in 2014. Please let me know if you want to play - I’ll have choice commands for any Challenge participants.

I must say, you've got this Confederate infantry gig down to a science now Miles. You could be a poster boy for the Perry plastic ACW boxed sets. Wonderful work once again and I really like the historical snapshots you've provided for this brigade as it sets them within a context. I also like the angled shot with the rest of the brigade in the distance - very impressive.

I'm not sure if the time (or budget) will allow for a trip to Historicon, but I for one would love to have a command in your game. With what we've seen from you these past few months that game will be a wonder to behold!