Empire Steam Tank Conversion

Chitty-Chitty... Bang! Bang!

While we wait for the first entries for the 'Spring-Thaw Painting Challenge' to roll in I thought I'd post something completely off the beaten track. Here is another golden oldie that I've excavated from the display cabinet and dusted off (literally) - an Empire Steam Tank from a previous edition of Warhammer Fantasy.

I converted the base model to make it reminiscent of something Leonardo da Vinci would dream up - sort of a Renaissance Steampunk Land Dreadnought kind of thingy. The kit was virtually all white metal and almost every part was warped or somehow misshapen.  I think about of quarter of this thing is composed of metal pins and Green Stuff filling gaps and holding it all together. Some of the engineering crew are courtesy of my friend KevinH to which I muddled around with their poses and  harmonized their colours. The model weighs a ton. I can't remember all the whacky stuff that this bad boy could do in the game but I do recall it was pretty rude. It got to the point where I felt a little guilty putting it on the table - an emotion I deftly learned to stifle. ;)

I know, like a sail would have any chance of moving this thing - but it looks cool and, really, who can deny a tank with a crows nest?

Another friend of mine, Sylvain, has just finished building a lovely Wood Elf army that is quite the terror. Now that I look at this thing again I really think his pointy-eared, hemp-wearing, tree-huggers need to be introduced to some Imperial Heavy Metal... 


"Toot! Toot! Parp! Parp!"

The Napoleonic Spring-Thaw Painting Challenge!

"Take it back, Féraud. Black-Priming is not just used by effete snobs!"

In the interest of promoting a healthy lead-and-plastic arms race (and the mere hope of the end of Winter) I am hosting a 'Napoleonic Spring-Thaw Painting Challenge' to fuel the engines of productivity. The Challenge will be conducted along similar lines of the well-fought Fawcett Avenue Conscripts Fall Painting Challenge.

Painting Challenge Rules:

'The Napoleonic Spring-Thaw Painting Challenge' will extend from February 2nd to midnight May 1st.

Participants are to be members of, known to or vouched by The Fawcett Avenue Conscripts (Home or Westside Chapter). Any others who may be interested in participating are to contact me via this blog.

All model submissions are required to relate to the Revolutionary/Napoleonic period (1789-1815).

Scoring:
1 point per 25/28mm foot or unmounted horse figure
2 points per 25/28mm mounted figure
2 points per 25/28mm artillery piece or limber
.5 point per 15mm foot or unmounted horse figure
1 point per 15mm mounted figure
1 point per 15mm artillery piece or limber

(Other scales/models points value to be determined by The Judge)

Figures can have been previously primed to the start date (Feb 2nd) but no colour can have been applied prior to that date. In order to be scored the figures have to be based and the groundwork completed. The honour system will be followed in relation to the completion and entry of figures to the Challenge. Woe goes upon the head of anyone who besmirches themselves in the painting of toy soldiers!

On top of general bragging rights, smack talk, etc. modest prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. (Prizes will be gift vouchers (or their equivalent) from an online hobby store.)

In order to be scored, photos of the completed figures/units are required to be submitted to me (The Judge) for posting here on the Analogue Hobbies blog. Updated scoring for The Challenge will also be tracked on the blog.

The Judge (me) will participate in the competition but will not 'place' as a scoring competitor (i.e. no prizes for me).

So, there it is. I hope you take up my thrown brush (with 'white feather' attached) and join me in getting a bunch of stuff done for 'The Beautiful Game'!

New Unit Added: the 95th Rifles!

I simply couldn't help myself and so added that ole chestnut, the 95th Rifles, to my collection of British Napoleonics. If you're interested in checking them out they can be found in the Napoleonic Gallery.  Please note: not a single blonde mullet or seven-barreled gun can be seen amongst this group... 

I know, the shame of it.  ;)

Quick Reference Sheets for our variant of 'Fast Play Grande Armee'

Its been a busy couple of weeks but I thought I'd quickly freshen up the blog by posting a gaming aid/variant we've been using for 'Fast Play Grande Armee' (FPGA) over the past few years. In the 'Rules Tweaks' section you will find our quick reference sheets (QRS) for FPGA which also incorporates our modifications to the existing rules.

28mm ECW Covenanters & Highlanders

Here are a few more photos of some of my older ECW figures. First up are a group of dour Scottish Covenanters manfully manning a frame gun (probably a fire-sale Swedish import from the German Wars). As opposed to the typical Covenanters (you know, the ones 'who don't like sex as it may lead to dancing') - I like to think that my Covenanters represent that small partying faction that we don't often hear about. Anyway, here are some blue-bonneted blokes ready to bang away with a frame gun which was probably more a threat to them as it was to the enemy. Old skool 25mm Foundry castings which are pretty small by today's standards (actually, they sorta look like Hobbits, don't they). 

Next are some charging Highlanders from Redoubt Miniatures. I find the animation on this series of castings is great. Again, pretty large models here - probably close to 35mm in size. I have more of these lads in storage but this gives you a impression of how they look massed up in an irregular formation. 

Many in this series are multi-part models, often with separate heads and torsos so they can provide some variation in their poses.