From RossM: 28mm Spartans, Dark Age Casualties & Ronin #36 (36 points)

Another Old Sweat from last year's Challenge makes his debut. Ross sends in these great Spartan skirmishers, Dark Age casualties and his Challenge Ronin.

From Ross:

Here are my first entries for the painting competition.

First up we have a skirmisher stand for Impetus made up of two Gorgon Studios Spartan ekdromoi that are being used as Skiratia. The figures are 28mm and are excellent sculpts to paint.

The next painted figure is the Ronin for your collection.This figure comes from Dixon Miniatures and is 25mm in scale. The figure in comparison to some other 25/28mm scale figures is small, but then we are all different sizes. I hope that this figure fits in well with your other Ronin and whilst not really my period I did enjoy painting this as a one off.

The next group are two Dark ages Casualty markers from Old Glory; again these are 25/28mm in scale and will be used as markers for Impetus and SAGA.

My next entries will include some 20mm WW2 German artillery/AT Guns and crew, 28mm Vikings for SAGA and 28mm Myceneaens for Impetus.

Great stuff Ross. I believe those Spartans are Steve Saleh sculpts whose work I've always admired. Also, I really like the samurai, especially the yellow you've chosen and how it ties in with the groundwork - Excellent and Thank You!

These lads will give Ross 36 points. Well done and welcome back Ross!

From GregB: 15mm WWII Soviet Infantry (155 points)

From Greg:

I'm still trying to saw my way to the par target - so in that vain hope I offer a modest pile of 15mm Russian WW2 infantry.  It comprises elements from both Battlefront and Peter Pig.

From Battlefront there is a group of "sappers", which really appears to be a bunch of hard-ass dudes with SMGs, entrenching tools, molotov cocktails and satchel charges and a willingness to use them all at once.  There are five bases of those. 

Up next are two elements from a Soviet artillery box - a three man command stand and then the "staff team" vignette.  The presence of artillery batteries right on the table is, to me, one of the many elements that make "Flames of War" such an excrement-laden gaming exercise.  But I have to hand it to Battlefront - when they do a box set, you really do get everything.  The "staff team" is glued into a cast resin base, and the base has all sorts of little details, including a loose MG42 and a looted clock (!?!).  

Very fun to paint.  This will make a great brigade command stand for games of Spearhead in 15mm.  And at some point I will paint up the gun teams too, because if anyone is going to use a bunch of 122mm and 152mm towed guns in a tactical circumstance, it is the Red Army. Also, having the gun pieces on the table is much more sensible for a Spearhead game. 

Following along are two HMG stands.  Again, these are Battlefront castings.  

The final component of the submission is a platoon of infantry.  These are Peter Pig figures, my first time working with their WW2 lines.  I loved working with them.  They are slighter than the Battlefront castings, but still have plenty of detail.  

My appreciation for Peter Pig figures continue to grow in conjunction with the size of the headache I get trying to navigate their bonkers website.  There are eight stands - four with DP-type MGs, and four with NCOs carrying SMGs - and a three-man command stand. 

Hopefully this will get me ahead of Ray...at least for now...bugger....

Excellent work Greg! That command base is brilliant, though it could use more empty vodka bottles.

This group of Soviets will give Greg 155 points, pipping him over Ray and back into the top 10.

From IanH: 28mm Napoleonic French Grenadiers & Pulp Van (75 points)

From Ian:

I've had a few busy weeks with my daughters 1st birthday followed by a weekend away which has left me with very little hobby time in January.

I did however manage to finish off some Victrix Napoleonic French Old Guard Grenadiers. I know there is currently no standard the unit, I'm due an order with the Flag Dude which I intend on picking up at Salute in April which should contain standards for all my Napoleonic French.

Additionally I've done a quick repaint on 1918 Crossley van, this just seemed perfect for our Pulp gaming to turn up in strange climes still in use and great for our heroes to gather their hard won gains and make off with them. The car is from Matchbox Lesneys Models of Yesteryear range which seems to fit pretty well with 28mm miniatures. 

Very nice work Ian (and congratulations on your daughter's birthday). Those Grenadiers look fabulous - I quite like the blue you've done for their greatcoats. I also think one of those Crossley's would be a good addition for my WWI collection...

The Grenadiers and the jalopy will give Ian 75 points.

From KaweWZ: 28mm Napoleonic Hanoverian Jaegers (40 points)

Kawe sends us his first entry of eight Hanoverian Jaegers.

These are from his own excellent miniatures company, Westfalia Miniatures. I believe Paul Hicks is the sculptor.

The formation was raised in 1813 from Foresters and Huntsmen and fought with distinction at the Battle of the Goehrde, the siege of Hamburg and finally in the 100 days campaign and at Waterloo.

Lovely, lovely work Kawe. Their goundwork is also superb. 

This group will give Kawe 40 points. Hmm, I think I may get him to include a set of these with my Challenge Ronin...

From ChrisP: 15mm WWII American Support (240 points)

From Chris:

So, me again. With more 15mm US. Just for something different right?

This time, I have some support stuff.

First up is a Weapons Platoon, made up of 4 Browning M1919 Light Machine Guns- 2 of which are in transit, two set up firing. There are also three 60mm light mortars, and a single command team. Miniatures from battlefront, painting done exactly the same way that I have done everything else for my US so far!

Then we have the infantry support for my four 3 inch Anti-Tank Guns. This is made of three carbine teams and four bazooka teams, making for a pretty horrific ambushing platoon!

Next up is a platoon of 4.2" Chemical Mortars. Initially designed to throw chemical munitions (hence the name), they were pressed into service in the second world war to fire conventional rounds. The platoon is 4 4.2" mortars., a command team and an observer team. 

Lastly, we have a bit of a weird platoon. It is a Roadblock platoon, taken from the Combat Engineers. This platoon represents one of the many roadblocks set up by the engineers during the Battle of the Bulge. Comprising of a mix of engineers, bazookas and whatever anti-tank weapons they could cobble together, these units were tasked with holding up the German offensive, trying to slow it down as much as possible to allow for a more stable defensive line to be created. This roadblock consists of 2 pioneer rifle teams, a command team, 2 bazooka teams, 1 M1917 HMG and a 3" anti-tank gun, borrowed or found somewhere! This 3" gun is an old Battlefront casting, so it is not as crisp as their modern ones, but i found it in a bitz box (along with most of the rest of the platoon actually) so figured I would paint it up.

Another platoon of combat engineers, meaning that I can now run a Combat Engineer company from the latest Bulge books that Battlefront have released. I have always had a soft spot for the engineers of that period, notorious odd balls, who were tasked with what was very close to being the impossible in stopping the armoured spearheads of Peiper or the 21st Panzer. 

Through tough defense, some creative booby traps and mines and tenacious use of any and all AT assets they had, they were able to stall the armoured advances and to allow for a more solid defense to be created behind them.

I am on to something different now, there is still a bit more US to do, but I really need a change. I have started to notice my quality slip, so time for something new!

Something 28mm I think....

Wow, you did a great job concentrating on this project and getting it done. Great work Chris!

This collection will give Chris another 240 points to add to his total.