From RobH: 28mm 'Safari into Danger' (100 points)

From Rob:

Here is the Safari into Danger! It was to be my entry for the Non-Combatants round, last year, but I wasn't quite finished with it, and so they've sat on the painting table to the end of the painting competition. Now, here they are.

Sir Nathaniel Grey. - A distant relative of the Earl and Lady Grey, Sir Nathaniel had a distinguished career in Her Majesty's 56th Regiment of Foot before retiring to explore the Darkest Continent at the behest of the Royal Geographic Society. Having spent much of the last decade in Africa, he is much in demand as a guide to those seeking passage through Kenya, Deutsch-Ostafrika and Equatoria.

Grafin Augusta von Pfeilmacher - Cousin to the Kaiser, and the aunt of the current commander of Wissmanntruppe forces in this part of Deutsch-Ostafrika, Herr Major Joachim von Vogel. A world renowned traveler and adventuress, she has decided to visit her nephew as part of her journeys to Equatoria and Parts Unknown. Since her usual travelling companions are unavailable, she has joined the caravan led by Sir Nathaniel, accompanied by three porters she enlisted in Bagamayo - Mosi, Chiumbo and Mwenye. Where she goes, trouble often follows.

The Reverend and Mrs. Lovejoy - The Reverend Peter Lovejoy has been a staple of the English Bible Society mission efforts. Having long served as the chair of the Society's fundraising efforts in Wales and the West Country, the Reverend and his wife Rebecca have been dispatched to the missions on Lake Victoria and Equatoria to take station after the loss of Bishop Harrington. They seek to spread the Good News of the Bible and the red Book of Common Prayer, and to counter the influence of both the rival Scottish missionaries, with their dour Presbyterianism, and the Catholic influence of the French, German and Belgian nuns. Here, they take a moment to try their various styles on Dejen.

Hamid - Hamid is, to all appearances, ever ready to tend to the needs of his thirsty master in Deutsch-Ostafrika. Originally part of Herr Major von Vogel's household, he has agreed to his master's request to serve as majordomo to Grafin Augusta. Whether his ears are open, and whether he is in the service of other masters, especially the shadowy British Intelligence Directorate, can neither be confirmed nor denied.

The Porters - Thirteen porters accompany the party as they travel through the savannah and on to Equatoria. Mosi, Chiumbo and Mwenye are in the service of Grafin Augusta, carrying her hatboxes and other garments. Jumaane and Otieno carry the baggage of the Lovejoys, while Kato and Tewodros schlep crates full of Bibles and Books of Common Prayer. Tafari, Jengo, Gwandova, Dejen, Kirabo and Masamba are carrying various trade goods and bribes to ensure safe passage for Sir Nathaniel and party. 

All are 28mm Foundry sculpts. The Reverend Lovejoy, EBS, is the "Doctor Zwingili" figure from Traders and Travellers - DA017. Mrs. Rebecca Lovejoy and Aunt Augusta are both from Deadlier than the Male - DA016 (nice bit of Kipling there); Mrs. Rebecca Lovejoy is the "Agnes Day" figure, and Aunt Augusta is "Mimi."  Sir Nathaniel Grey is the "David Livingstone" figure from Men of Substance - DA011, and Hamid comes from the pack Askari Characters - DA014, "Sir Garnet." The porters are all from the Bearer's packs - DA021 and DA023. They were painted in my standard three-part shade/main color/highlight, except I experimented with using washes on some of the bearers to get darker skin colors. I left the bases plain, since I'm not certain quite how I want to finish the bases beyond this.

Wow! I love how fully realized your adventure safari is. Rob, is this part of an existing campaign or something coming up? It would be an absolute blast to role-play.

'Safari into Danger" will give Rob 100 points, with a bit extra added for the great setting!  This in turn will give Rob enough points to meet his Challenge goal. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your safari with us Rob! 

From RobH: Silent Death Spacecraft (24 points)

From Rob:

Here is my next entry - a small Kashmeri convoy, with escort. Six Silent Death spaceships (two Lakshmi fast freighters, two Marut single man fighters, and two Deathwind III multii-man fighters), all from Iron Crown Enterprises, though Metal Express is the new caster and distributor.

In Silent Death, the Kashmere Commonwealth is the premier trading power in the galaxy, and they have the ships to back it up - and plenty of pirates willing to take their wares. 

The Lakshmi is a fast freighter, and the preferred way to get small cargoes where they need to be in a hurry. Turreted twin impulseguns and a brace of torpedoes will keep enemy ships away, while protected engines provide plenty of thrust. The Marut is a Kashmeri fighter designed to be carried in the cargo/shuttlebays of larger ships, and provide a powerful punch against other fighters it's size. The Deathwinds are a modification of the old Delta Combine, replacing the miniguns and splattergun with a impulse guns, while keeping the pilot's ion ram. 

So here we have a small, but highly lucrative, delivery being made. The paint scheme is simple - a dark brown hull, with a gold stripe and all crevices and borders blacklined. The photos I'm highly dissatisfied with, but the lighting conditions can't be helped, and I'm still learning how to take good miniature photos and tweak things in Photoshop. They'll serve.  

I have at least one, and hopefully two more entries coming before the close of the painting competition, which should put me over my admittedly small mark.

Cool! I did not realize that 'Silent Death' was still around (early '90s right?). I seem to remember the rules being quite detailed, but I may be wrong. I definitely remember I liked the design of the spaceships and these definitely look great.

These six Kashmeri ships will give Rob 24 points. I'll catch up with your next entry in a few hours!

From RobH: 28mm Indian Wars - Survivor of the 7th: 'Comanche' (10 points)

From Rob:

Comanche was supposed to be my entry into the Casualty Round. However, I wasn't pleased with the rushing needed to submit him last weekend, so I took a few more days to finish until I was pleased with the result. I think it was the right choice, though Comanche's story fits well with the Casualty theme. 

I chose a 28mm Sash and Saber casting, from their Union horse holder set. I have several of the Sash and Saber horseholders (Union and Confederate) as the Perry ones. I chose the Sash and Saber horse specifically for the military bearing the horse sculpt has - tall chest out, proud eyes, front, standing tall - all befitting the 2nd Commanding Officer, 7th United States Cavalry.

Comanche was a 15-hand high bay gelding, purchased by Capt. Myles Keogh, 7th US Cavalry, to be his personal mount in battle. Comanche apparently got his name when he was wounded in his hindquarters by an arrow. Comanche carried Keogh throughout Keogh's service with the 7th, until the Little Bighorn. Comanche is often noted as the "sole survivor" of Custer's two battalions at the Little Bighorn, but many other horses survived. Comanche was found, two days after the battle, He was loaded aboard the Far West with the other wounded of the 7th Cavalry, and nursed back to health. Per the order of Col. Samuel Sturgis, Comanche entered a semi-retired status of honor in the regiment:

"Headquarters Seventh United States Cavalry, Fort A. Lincoln, D. T., April 10th, 1878. General Orders No. 7.

(1.) The horse known as 'Comanche,' being the only living representative of the bloody tragedy of the Little Big Horn, June 25th, 1876, his kind treatment and comfort shall be a matter of special pride and solicitude on the part of every member of the Seventh Cavalry to the end that his life be preserved to the utmost limit. Wounded and scarred as he is, his very existence speaks in terms more eloquent than words, of the desperate struggle against overwhelming numbers of the hopeless conflict and the heroic manner in which all went down on that fatal day.

(2.) The commanding officer of Company I will see that a special and comfortable stable is fitted up for him, and he will not be ridden by any person whatsoever, under any circumstances, nor will he be put to any kind of work.


(3.) Hereafter, upon all occasions of ceremony of mounted regimental formation, 'Comanche,' saddled, bridled, and draped in mourning, and led by a mounted trooper of Company I, will be paraded with the regiment.

By command of Col. Sturgis, E. A. Garlington, First Lieutenant and Adjutant, Seventh Cavalry."

Comanche served with the regiment during their time at Fort Meade, and with the Regiment when they moved to Fort Riley. He had the freedom of the post, would form up with Company I during parades, and was named the Regiment's "Second Commanding Officer." He formed a bond with his keeper, Pvt Gustave Korn, and they became inseparable - with Comanche even leaving the post to go look for Korn, if Korn had not returned to the post in time for nightly feeding. Here's where Comanche's story takes the sad turn. Korn was killed at the Battle of Wounded Knee, and Comanche never recovered. He lingered on through 1891, until dying of colic - or, perhaps, a broken heart. The members of the Seventh were devastated, and Comanche remains one of two horses given a funeral with full military honors.

Comanche was preserved by Professor Dyche of the University of Kansas, for $400 and the right to display him at the 1893 Exposition in Chicago. For reasons unknown, the officers of the Seventh could not pay the $400, and so Comanche remains on display at the University of Kansas.

And now here he waits, in the shade of the trees, for the Seventh to parade.

A fabulous entry and a very touching bit of history - thanks for sharing this with us Rob. Actually I think 'Comanche' could have easily been an excellent entry for either of the casualty, hero, character or last stand rounds.

'Comanche' will give Rob double points for a steed as I believe the sentiment supports it.

From RobH: Challenge Desperado: Freddie Sykes (20 points)

Rob sends in his Challenge Desperado: Freddie Sykes from 'The Wild Bunch'.

From RobH:

Here is my entry fee. Unfortunately, my point and shoot camera's batteries were dead, and I had only one AA battery, so I had to use my cell phone...  It's a 28mm Pinnacle miniature, as best as I can tell, painted as Freddie Sykes for the Wild Bunch. It's not a perfect likeness, but it was an enjoyable figure to paint. Here he is waiting for the rest of the bunch to return. 

His suit is actually done in Reaper's Dark Skin triad, and turned out much much much better than I expected. I also really like how his hat turned out - it's a different brown from the suit, and I think it works rather well. His shirt is ivory, painted using Vallejo Buff as the shade, then Vallejo Ice Yellow as the main color, and then Delta Ceramicoat's Antique White to highlight.

I always paint eyes on my figures greater than 10mm, and I rather like the squint I was able to put on his left eye. As you'll see when you get the mini, he's not as bug-eyed as some of the photos show. The pipe he's smoking, the nose, and the really big bushy white beard make me think of Santa gone bad. 

Basework is my standard 30mm round for civilians, with the figure's name written on the base and color coded with his experience status. All in all, a fun figure to paint, and one I'm sort of sad to give up.

Santa gone bad indeed! Lovely work Rob and thanks so much! I think you found a figure very close to Freddie's likeness and you've really done an excellent job with capturing the colours of his clothes from the film. Well done!

Freddie Sykes will give Rob 20 points to add to his tally. Lovely stuff and thanks again Rob!