From JeremyM: 28mm Festive Dwarves (15 points)

Jeremy debuts with this entry to celebrate the season.

From Jeremy:

Here are three 28mm drunken dwarves from Reaper Miniatures. My original plan to paint the Reaper 'crazy cat lady'  fell through this week, and being stranded in Winnipeg I had to take what I could get from the local stores. 

I'm really happy with my drunken Christmas dwarves as they enjoy a holiday beverage. I tried Secret Weapon snow basing material and was fairly happy with the results. 

Considering the majority of my paints, washes, primer, varnishes etc is back home I'm really happy with my 'on the road' paint job. Happy holidays.

Nice work Jeremy. You've done very well with these chaps considering you're on the road without your hobby supplies. 

These three festive dwarfs will give Jeremy 15 points. Well done and Merry Christmas!

From GregB: 28mm Victorian Gentlemen Adventurers (10 points)

As some may know, Greg, PhilH and MichaelA are in the midst of a duel to see who can accumulate the most points in Victorian-themed figures. Michael and Phil have made their initial claims* and so Greg enters the fray with these two fine gentlemen adventurers.

From Greg:

I am adding Victorian civilians here and there to add flavour to my Sudan games. The one chap looks like the captain of one of the steamers that would have plied the Nile river.  

The other fellow I imagine as one of the numerous civilian carpetbaggers, profiteers or nitwits that would have had the means and motivation to travel to Africa in the time of the British Empire.  

The fact that the ship Captain is quietly grasping a revolver behind his back makes me imagine he does not wholly trust this other fellow. Many plots justifying a Sudan game seem to emanate from these two figures...

Great work Greg! I quite like that captain with his service revolver quietly held behind his back. One can never be sure of these odd Johnnies that show up on the Nile, wot?

These two chaps will give Greg 10 points to add to his Victorian Duel. Well done!

*On a related note: Some of you fine people may think that this Mr. Awdry chap to be a thoroughgoing, straight-ahead fellow, but I think not. No, I think he is a wily bounder, a sly cove to be sure. I don't know if any others noticed during the recent Theme Bonus Round, but in Mr. Awdry's description of his three gypsies he presented them as 'Victorian Gypsies'. Yes indeed, Victorian gypsies... Oh, I'm sure they are gypsies but I ask Mr. Awdry, what precisely makes these three lovely ladies 'Victorian Gypsies'? I did not see a pith helmet amongst them, not a Zulu knobkerrie, not even a demure screw gun. What are we missing? Hmm, I sense something distinctly sly in this supposedly quiet, unassuming fellow. Shenanigans? Perhaps. We must be vigilant...  ;)

From FranL: 15mm Modern North Korean Infantry, Armour and 28mm Non-Combatant

This is a classic Francis entry: a shed-load of 15mm with a few outlier morsels thrown in for seasoning.

From Fran:

The pictures were hastily taken after clearing a shelf of Christmas ornaments in the front room!

Here are fourty-nine 15mm  modern North Korean infantry from Khurasan Miniatures (picked these up when they came out earlier this year), this challenge will be mainly 15mm modern with a few 28mm thrown in here and there.

You also see a 15mm North Korean Armoured force consisting of 10 T-55's (a full company), 4 BTR-60's (including the command variant), a ZSU-23-4, 2 Gaz jeeps and a Mercedes for the General, the command tanks all have crew figures (7). I have started basing all my 15mm vehicles...I think it protects them but also highlights them?

Some Rayonian vehicles were sacrificed and repainted to add to the Korean forces and one Korean vehicle was omitted as it will be used as a challenge entry.

This is it apart from support weapons Khurasan will release next year, maybe Red Dawn 2?

....the 28mm female from Copplestone Casting is the non-combatant entry.

Whoa, like I said, that is a shed-load of minis! Interesting project Fran. Who will be the opposing force for this? South Koreans and Americans I presume? I'm looking forward to seeing how this all develops.

Too bad you were late with the fine Copplestone lady as I can only give you 5 points for her. Otherwise, she along with the North Koreans will give you a very tidy 218 points. Very impressive work all the same Francis!

From AaronH: 28mm Roman Auxiliary Infantry (40 points)

Aaron sends in this excellent group of Early Imperial Roman auxiliaries.

From Aaron:

These models are Warlord auxiliary infantry for my EIR army.   The figures are Warlord games plastic box.  They are nice but very samey.  I’ve bought two boxes of these models, giving me 48 total.  I had to buy some extra command to give me three units of 16, the standard size for my Hail Caesar Romans, since they are single based for skirmishing, and stuck in GW War of the Ring bases. 

The box comes with one set of decals which I have used on both of my units so far, and the third coming up.  These decals are clear, so they will show a base colour painted underneath, (unlike the Legionary decals which are opaque).   I’ve painted each unit’s shields a different colour.  If I buy more of this set I’ll have to pick up some of their decal sheets to mix things up a bit more.

If you are paying attention you’ll notice that six of these have yellow shields and two have green shields.  I’m an idiot.  What can I say.  I’m painting these to complete a half cohort that is already done.  The Warlord box comes with four command models, so the eight that were already completed had a commander already.  This batch should have been six troopers and the signifier and cornicen.  While not a problem, they are in the next group to get painted, poor attention to detail like that can cause me problems as I try to make my goal.

These are painted to my usual tabletop standard.  The only difference being a bit of highlighting on the faces which I don’t normally do, but will after this as I like the change it brings.  I really like the red, bronze and steel together.

Great work Aaron! Our group quite likes the 'Hail Caesar' system but we have not yet delved into the EIR period. Your stuff makes me seriously think about digging out my unpainted Foundry stuff and getting started.

These eight auxilaries will give Aaron 40 points. Nice job!

From IanW: 6mm Napoleonic French Hussars (10 points)

Ian sends in this great stand of Napoleonic French hussars in 6mm for his 2015 Waterloo project.

From Ian:

For the last twelve months or so I have been working mostly on 6mm figures ready for 2015 when a mate and me plan to play out the whole of the Battle of Waterloo via our blogs. Not having much in hand to play the game we have been steadily building up the forces. To add to these regiments I give you the 1st Hussars part of my commitment to the French side. 

These are the new Baccus Hussars and from talking to Peter his favourite newly re-sculptured French to date. After painting some of them I can see why as they are fun to paint and have plenty of detail.

You won't see much more in the way of cavalry in the Challenge as I have most of the French finished. Just a bunch more Landwehr cavalry but infantry, well that's a different matter.

After the disaster that was the Russian Campaign the Hussars were very badly mauled and as such little is seen of the Hussars at Waterloo so I have made sure I have painted up the few that were involved in the campaign.

I really like Adler Cavalry but these boys will take a lot more handling so more suited to the rough and tumble of the gaming table and Baccus have the lion's share in my French army though by far it's the older castings .

I always really enjoy your 6mm work Ian. There is no doubt that your figures are excellent but I think it's your groundwork which puts these over the top. I believe the groundwork in this scale is crucial as it can make or break the whole look of a unit. Less it more in this case. Wonderful stuff.

These Hussars of the 1st will give Ian 10 points in total. Well done and I look forward to seeing your upcoming Landwehr and infantry.