Alright Challengers! This is it - the last dash. Let's get the Led Out!

Over the next few days you're going to see a deluge of entries rolling through the blog as I struggle to catch up and keep up with the participants' last Big Push to the finish line this Thursday. 

To help keep the blood up I'm including a few 'oldies but goodies' for you to tap your feet to as you lash paint on figures and enjoy the coming entries.

Have fun and I'll catch up with you all Thursday!

Led Zepplin - 'Ramble On' (My first favourite Zeppelin tune...)

Steriogram - 'Walkie Talkie Man' (This song just makes me laugh)

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant - 'Kashmir' with Egyptian Orchestra (So slick and mature.)

The Band - 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' (This tune still gives me the shivers. RIP Levon Helm.)

E Type - 'Life' (As a friend of mine said to me after seeing this video, 'Funny, I don't remember there being any music in it...')

From RayR: 15mm Nine Years War French Cavalry - Noailles Horse (50 points)

From Ray: 

For my 11th entry I've gone back to my 15mm Nine Years War French. The regt is another Chevauleger (Horse) regt. Noailles Horse was raised in 1689 and fought at the battles of Fleurs, Namur and Steenkirk and is the only Chevauleger regt dressed in red cuffed red!

I was wondering how long you could keep away from this period (and scale). Seriously, great work Ray. The red you're using for these fellows seems a bit more 'punchy', has something changed or perhaps it's just the photography? The shading on the horses looks very nice as well.

Noailles Horse will give Ray 50 points.  Nice trotters mate!

Announcing the Seventh, and Final, Theme Bonus Round: 'Last Stand' & Curt's 'The Eagle of the 18th'

We've made it! Here we finally are at the end of the seven bonus rounds and, wow, I must say its been quite a ride. I think I can safely say that the bonus rounds have been regarded a great success amongst both participants and visitors of the Challenge. Each round has seen dazzling entries where it is quite obvious that a lot of thought and effort has gone into their creation. This round, 'Last Stand' is no different and you will find numerous submissions that will make your eyes widen and mouth slacken in amazement. 

I wish to take this opportunity to thank all the Challengers for indulging me in this diversion off the Challenge's beaten path. It was a bit of work to administrate, but your enthusiasm and support made it a delight. I also want to thank our sponsors for their prize support for each of the bonus rounds. It has been wonderful to be able to award 'a little something' for each theme. Thank you one and all!

Please remember to leave a comment and vote for your favourite entries (you can vote for as many as you like).

For myself, I kept my submission fairly simple, deciding to return to where I'd started in this year's Challenge: the 1812 French retreat from Russia.

In reading about the French retreat from Russia I came across several references to Napoleon's order to his Grande Armee to burn their Eagles so as to deny them to the enemy.  

The colonel of the 18th Line ignored the order to destroy or even hide his regiment's Eagle. He, like many of his fellow regimental commanders, probably felt that his unit's Eagle would either come out of Russia with his remaining men or it would fall with them. 

This Eagle bearer figure seen here is part of the wonderful Perry range of 1812 Retreat miniatures. I present him as a line grenadier (I've taken to calling him Sgt. Bigeard) who is readying himself for perhaps his last defence of the regiment's Eagle. By the look of his bloody sword and bearskin at his feet he has already fought off at lease one assault. He is cold and exhausted, but he calmly prepares to do what needs to be done.* 

On the 18th of November, outside the town of Krasnoi, the Eagle of the 18th fell under the lances of the Russian Guard Uhlans.  Today the 18th's Eagle can be seen on display in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

*In our recent games 'Sgt. Bigeard' has been a rather ferocious opponent, swinging his standard like a makeshift polearm, savagely defending his Eagle from both cossack and peasant alike. It's always nice when gameplay falls in line with your imagination of a figure you've worked on. As we all know, it usually goes tragically (and often comically) wrong...

From ClintB: 10mm SCW Trucks and Artillery & Feudal Samurai (32 points)

From Clint:

Yet more 10mm Pendraken figures. Starting with some heavy artillery. These are 2 French 155mm Field Guns crew and tows. As they are larger artillery I have given them regular army crew. As about 1/2 the army deserted at the start of the war both Republican and Nationalist forces had trained troops as well as militias so the uniforms don't really identify the troops.

The two lorries are generic lorries from the period (Skytrex 200 range Opel Blitz circa 1934). 

Additionally finishing as I started, here are 16 Pendraken Samurai Archers. I still have more to do of course and an order for more to pick up at Salute. These will just bulk out my red army with 4 extra stands.

Great work Clint. I had to laugh when I saw the first pics of the SCW vehicles. With how those trucks are set on that cliff backdrop they look as if they're pulling their own last stand, 'Thelma & Louise' style. ;)

Those samurai are fabulous with their sashimonos waving bravely in the wind. I really think this is a great scale for feudal Japanese wargaming as it provides the iconic mass of the period formations but yet, due to the small size of figures, reduces the perceived need to get drawn into all the crazy detail of the armour (right Tim!). 

These miniatures will give Clint 32 points. Well done!

From KevinS: 28mm WWI Captured British Mark IV in German Service (15 points)

From Kevin:

More pics for you today as I finish up a few "almost done" projects.  Here's an Old Glory Mk IV converted into a German Beutepanzer.

The Germans were adept at capturing and salvaging or appropriating British tanks for their own purposes in the later years of the Great War.  In fact, one history I read stated that my previous submission, Fray Bentos, was eventually transported to the Fatherland and shown to the Kaiser himself.  In any case, here is another Old Glory Mk IV, in German livery. 

I based the paint scheme loosely on contemporary photographs and Osprey's volume on the German Panzers of World War I, as well as some artistic license by using stahlhelm colors.  The combination of Maltese Cross and skull and crossbones is found in photographic evidence.  

Two modifications I've not included but which would increase the historical accuracy would be to completely remove the forward-most Lewis gun and replace it with an anti-tank rifle or indeed no armament at all, and to put an escape hatch on the upper part of the hull.  I've yet to find an image that shows the position of the escape hatch German modification.  More armour and infantry to come in the next few days.

Wonderful work Kevin. I remember a while back when you first got your Old Glory Mark IVs and discovered that they did not really mix well with your existing Foundry machines. I think this is an excellent use of the model.  I also quite like your interpretation of the German 'stormtrooper' camo. 

I'm curious about your hatch question: Have you tried to examine photos from the post war German revolution? I remember seeing many photos of Friekorps troops next to captured British Mark IVs and wonder if any of those images show any hatch detail. Interesting little puzzle.

This fine lump of British ingenuity will give Kevin 15 points. Thanks for sending it in!