From JaccoK: 28mm Ramcke Fallshirmjaegers (50 points)

From Jacco:

Here is my 7th entry for the painting challenge, this one will get my over the target, I did it!

Ten figures total, seven figures from Artizan represent the famous Ramcke Parachute Brigade. Following the costly success of Operation Mercury, the airborne assault on Crete in 1941, several elite Fallschirmjäger units were formed into an ad hoc brigade under the command of veteran commander Oberst Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke. The brigade was slated to take part in Operation Hercules, the planned invasion of Malta. When the attack was cancelled, the Brigade, now named Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Afrika, was sent to join Rommel's Deutsches Afrika Korps in North Africa.

The other three figures are from Artizan (the indispensable Medic and the deadly MG34), the officer is from Black Tree Design. BTD has a large collection of WW2 figures but I found only view good figures, this one I like.

Especially for you, Curt, I placed the captured Marmon Harrington and the 8-Rad in the Background. These are older models from (Ian) Crouchie. We always met him at Crisis in Antwerp and we bought a lot of vehicles from, sadly it wasn’t enough for him to continue.

As I have reached my target I will use the remaining days to paint some British Cavalry for the Sudan Campaign. I don’t now if I’m able to finish them in time. If not, it was a great pleasure to take part in this challenge. I would like to thank everybody for the kind and encouraging remarks they have made about my entries.

Beautiful work Jacco! These hard-bitten fallshirmjaegers look the business and I appreciate the encore of the Marmon-Herrington and the 8-Rad, thank you!

These fine German paratroopers will give Jacco 50 points, enough,  as he well points out, for him to exceed his 500 point Challenge target. Congratulations Jacco! Well done!

From JaccoK: 28mm AWI 'Light Horse Harry Lee's Legion' (90 points)

Jacco answers Rob's challenge and so submits these excellent dismounted AWI cavalrymen.

From Jacco:

28mm Perry Miniatures Lee’s Legion for the American War of Independence. There are 18 of them.

I have chosen to paint them as dismount dragoons. Lucky for me the Perry’s just released the mounted version of these guys.

Wonderful work Jacco! I really like the contrast between their buff riding breeches and the green of their coats - very smart. I hope we will see some of the mounted versions from you before the Challenge ends. 

These dismounted troopers of Light Horse Harry Lee will give Jacco 90 points. Great work and well done on getting Rob back into your sights. 

From JaccoK: 28mm Cowboys & Cowgirls (110 points)

Jacco, a charter member of the 'Dutch Water-Bicycle Detachment',  picks up the gauntlet dropped by his chums MichaelF and RobP to see who can first get to 500 points.From Jacco:

Here are 7 Dead Man's Hand Lawmen I picked up at crisis Antwerp last November.

They are manufactured by Great Escape Games who also make the DEAD MAN’S HAND rules (which we have never played). These are in 28mm scale 28mm, my favourite scale. 

Next are 15 western figure from Black Scorpion. 28mm metal figures, the last ones I think because they switched the whole range to plastics a while ago.

I really love these figures although they are slightly bigger than the Dead Man’s Hand figures. The characters, poses and expressions are much better.

 

I painted all these cowboys to put a little pressure on Michael to host a western game with his beautiful new wester town (with train) which I have never seen fully on the table. 

Wonderful work Jacco! As you say, there are such great characters amongst these figires. I particularly like the fellow in the long duster with the crucifix and the formidable lady in the pink pantaloons.

These 22 cowboys and cowgirls will give Jacco 110 points. Well done and welcome back onto the roster Jacco!

The Challenge Rearguard: Sidney and Jacco - Great War, ACW & Ronin #41

It seems that the end of every Challenge creates a certain panic amongst many of the participants (me included) to get those last projects submitted under-the-wire.  Unfortunately both Sidney and Jacco sent these in after the deadline but I felt that they needed to be acknowledged for both their brave efforts and excellent craftsmanship.

First, from Sidney:

So while the spirit has been strong, I just haven’t had the time to do any more French Poilu to a finishing point – and there’s no point showing 56 half-finished Frenchmen, is there?  Depressing doesn’t come close!!  All my plans way back in December – well, they look a bit flat now, sadly.  But rest assured, I’ll be getting them all finished and done and wargame-d with as soon as I can.  That’s a promise!

So here, instead, are two small additions from my efforts.  One’s a German 77mm field gun and accompanying officer which I’d based up at the start of the Challenge and managed to finish off in late February.  

The 77mm field gun and figures on the artillery base are Great War Miniatures from their late Great War range.  

The officer is from Renegade Miniatures.  The artillery piece fits together a treat, with little fuss, although the seated gunners need a bit of care to get to the right position and in the end I pinned them in place. 

The second is my ronin, for Curt's collection.  He’s one of the old Games Workshop series, sculpted by Aly Morrison in 1984 and still as wonderful to paint today as ever.  

The Games Workshop “Nippon” range then was acquired by Bryan Ansell when he started Wargames Foundry in the late 1980s, and continues to be offered by Foundry until now I think.  The figures was modelled originally (I think) on Oda Nobunaga – not very “ronin”, but a striking pose none the less and some terrific lamellar armour to get the paintbrush around.

If there was a range which has stood the test of time, its been Aly’s wonderful samurai and ronin figures – and I’ve seen a few of them painted by my fellow ronins here!

And, from Jacco:

Too late but here they are.

The 147th NY Infantry regiment. Part of 1st Corps 2nd Division at Gettysburg.

I hope to do a better competition next year (I'll hold you to that, Jacco. ed)

Fabulous work guys! 

Jacco, you wowed us with your previous ACW entries (the Federal mortars are one of my personal favourites) and these certainly do not disappoint. What are the make of these figures? Are they from the Redoubt range? I very much look forward to seeing these fellows in action (along with Rob's lads) on Mike's blog in the future.

Sidney, again, amazing work with that 77mm German gun (I love your splinter-pattern camo). I've always liked the way you use the diffused brick dust to add that great punch of red to your bases - wonderful. And speaking of wonderful, Ronin #41 is quite spectacular in his laminate armour. I particularly like the 'sunburst' fan of his helmet crest. No missing him on the field of battle! Thanks so much for this!

So there you have it. We have the valiant rearguard safely within the fold in order to close the 3rd Challenge 'campaign'. Well done Sidney and Jacco and thank you!

From JaccoK: 28mm Mexican-American War Cavalry & ACW Union Mortars and Command (175 points)

The last holdout of the Dutch Waterbicycle Detachement sends in his first submission and a cracker it is.

From Jacco:

First are figures that are part of a larger unit I painted near the end of December for our US - Mexican game.

To bad I started the other 4 to soon. Figures are from Boot Hill and are an absolute delight to paint.

My second submission is a Union mortar battery with command

The mortars are from a small company called T A Miniatures. The figures are from Redoubt, I had the same problems as Rob with these figures.

This flag, and as a matter of fact all my flags for ACW are from the Flag Dude (Rick O’Brien), excellent stuff.

The 13” Union Seacoast Mortar saw action in many different theaters in the ACW. This Mortar was also very popular with Grant. He used them at Vicksburg.

The 13” mortar had a maximum range of 4,300 yards and where more accurate than their smaller counterparts.

Wow, brilliant stuff Jacco. All of these figures are great but those mortar vignettes are tremendous.  Beautiful work.

This submission will give Jacco a base of 150 points but I'm adding another 25 for the artillery vignettes and overall composition of the bases. Well done Jacco and welcome aboard!