From PaulJ: 28mm WWII Churchill Tank (20 points)

From Paul:

Introducing "Medusa", a British Mk VII Churchill tank.  This heavy tank may not have packed the same wallop as some of the German big cats in her tonnage range, but this was tank which saw plenty of action and could take a beating.

This 28mm vehicle is by Warlord Games and I was very impressed with it as a whole.  The casting was crisp and the detail very clear.  I was also impressed with the quick and professional service I got from Warlord when I reported that the tank commander figures were missing and they duly arrived the following week no questions asked.

I've painted this tank up as part of the 4th Coldstream Guards who served with the 6th Guards Tank Brigade in Normandy.  No 13 Troop of C Squadron to be precise, along with troop mates "Minotaur" and "Minerva" all named after famous Royal Navy warships.  Why did I choose this particular unit? Because my good buddy Alan (aka Dux Homunculorum) painted his own Churchill tank as "Minotaur" last year and I wanted them to be in the same unit.  Poor Minotaur doesn't have a tank Commander figure though, which is why I painted up a second one for him as his prize in our side challenge.  Congrats mate - I'll deliver him this weekend :-)

Excellent work on this tank Paul, and the commander is a very thoughtful gift indeed (Lucky Dux). I've always loved the design of the Churchill tank - I always thought it looked to be a proud decedent  of the Mark IV's of WWI. It has such a great, brutal aesthetic about it. 

'Medusa' and the two tank commanders will give Paul 20 points.  Well done and I hope you guys have a great visit this weekend.

From TimB: 28mm Hobbitses (55 points)

From Tim:

And now for something completely different... 

I've been taken with the Song of Blades and Heroes rules lately and have been playing it with the kids a bit. I thought I'd finish up a few halflings I've had kicking around for a while to form up a warband of them. 

These lads, I'm pretty sure are from Games Workshop. I've probably had them... oh... a while and I'd pretty sure I had them painted before and a few years back stripped all the paint off to repaint... but then didn't get around to it until now... The tall square shield Is actually a spare I had left over from a batch of Foundry Picts I painted up a while back. 

I think these guys are also from Games Workshop - but I'm not 100% sure. I picked them up a few years back off ebay when we were playing a lot of Hordes of the Things. Actually I have another eight of these that are earmarked for a couple of stands of Halfling Shooters. 

Also Games Workshop...? Maybe...? I think I got them at the same time as the batch above. 

The fellow on the left is from Prince August/Mithril Miniatures, which I got in some trade. The other fellow is one of the oldest miniatures I have. I have no idea who manufactured it. I bought it back when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons in the mid-late 80s and as with some of the others above, stripped all the old paint off a few years back - all that awful testors enamel paint I used when I first started... 

I have a half dozen other halflings already painted I can add these to to make a fun little warband... 

Next I have a batch of old elves that have been sitting around for a while awaiting paint...

These are a cute bunch. I like the archer, who's having 'Second Lunch', chomping on a turkey leg and I like that you resurrected an old mini from your first days playing D&D. Very cool.

These Men of the Shire will give Tim 55 points. Time for tea and a pipe of Old Toby...

From RayR: 15mm Napoleonic Hanoverian Hussars (48 Points)

From Ray:

My next entry is a unit of twelve 15mm Napoleonic Hanoverian Hussars for the Battle of Waterloo. (They are actually Baden Hussars from Essex Miniatures, but don't tell anyone!) These rather splendid looking chaps are the Duke of Cumberland's Hussars, unfortunately they were quite unfit to where their dashing uniform. 

During the Battle they decided they'd had enough before they'd actually done anything and fled the field, all the way back to Brussels. On arriving they spread the word that Wellington had lost the battle causing panic to spread across the town. Old Nosey quite understandably wasn't impressed, the regt was immediately disbanded and the Gentleman Volunteers were assigned to menial task duties!

Lovely work Ray. I'm not sure if I've ever seen you work on Napoleonics before but I'm sure you must have. This is a beautiful regiment irrespective of their rather chequered past. It would be great to have another rendition of these fellows, still dressed in the same uniforms, but post Waterloo, ie. chopping wood and digging latrines...

These Hanoverian hussars will give Ray 48 points.