From BenG: 20mm Napoleonic Italian Horse Artillery (18 points)

From Ben:

A long time between drinks!

Work and family has occupied most of my time lately, and now I have study to add to the list!

Here's the latest (and possibly last?) entry for the challenge; Napoleonic Italian horse artillery for the Borodino IV Corps project I'm working on for our 2014 big January game.

The figures are a head-swap conversion using the bodies of Italeri  horse gunners and the heads from Zvezda light infantry. 

The Italeri gunners are a little too grand with their colpacks, so I traded them for shakos with plumes and cords. Still a bit fancy, but more to my preference!

Great to hear from you again, Ben! Lovely stuff this. It's quite interesting, this year's Challenge has seen quite a few Italian-themed Napoleonics, which has been a great diversion from the regular fare. Also, very nice work with the head swaps. In regards to their fanciness, you do have to remember they are Italians - they have appearances to keep up!

This battery and its accoutrements will give Ben 18 points. Well done!

From JuanM: 28mm Mechanic & Contractors (15 points)

From Juan:

Another small entry for The Challenge; only three figures. Where is all my painting work? 

First one, is a "Lead Adventure Miniatures" mechanics in 28mm (a big 28mm). I'm painting some of these excellent figures to use with a near future game. 

Next one, other two contractors from "Eureka Miniatures" also in 28mm, from their "Blackwater" series. Very nice figures.

Perhaps not much quantity, Juan, but you more than make up for it in the quality. Beautiful work. That mechanic looks a bit hapless but those 'contractors' seem to have their act together. As you say, very nice figures.

These three figures will give Juan 15 points. Great stuff!

From MilesR: 28mm Sherman Tank (15 points)

From Miles:

I got a chance to finish up a 28mm Sherman tank in between helping my son mill parts for the new robot design - if only I could turn metal shavings into 28mm miniature soldiers!

This is a Warlord model of a US Sherman tank (M4-A1) and will become part of my Bolt Action US force.   The model was OK but had a lot of flash.  

I'll likely add some sand bags or other stowage but wanted to get the "finished" model in as the days of the painting challenge are waining.

Great work Miles! The weathering looks very good (and you can also add the extra stowage later).

This fine Sherman will give Miles 15 points, bringing him ever-closer to his 1K target...

From ScottB: 28mm Goblin King & Minions from 'The Hobbit' (35 points)

From Scott:

The Goblin King, 2 captains including Grinah, and the scribe. Painted in a style to match the rest of the previous batch of Goblins of Goblin Town.

But a real variety in scale this time!

The monstrous Goblin King himself who measures some 6cm to the top of his crown. Truly a beast, and in the game will no doubt cause some chaos especially with the new 'monster abilities' in the new Hobbit SBG rules!

Played wonderfully by Barry Humphries (AKA Dame Edna Everidge) in the movie and masterfully CGI adapted/animated by the team at Weta. 

I was almost sorry when Gandalf dispatched him so easily!

Compared to the bulk of this monstrous Overlord, is the tiny and diminutive 'un-named' goblin captain, who I feel may be meant to be the one that tackled Bilbo in the movie then fell to his death, ultimately at the hands of Gollum. This tiny fellow measures 1.5cm.

The next Goblin Captain is named Grinah, and he bears a brutal whip to keep his charges in order. This fellow is your more typical nominally 28mm scale though is more likely 20mm or thereabouts...

And finally the hapless figure of the Goblin Scribe on his wooden 'gantry'... I don't recall him having any lines in the movies other than a sly chuckle... charismatic none the less. He was a bit a bit of a bugger to paint, quite small and fiddly and a little awkward to handle. Wonderfully detailed for such a plastic model. And quite a useful character in the game too, allowing goblin reinforcements to be brought to the fray!

I am going to finish the Goblin King's throne next. It's been quite a bit of work to get it to how I am happy with it , and realize it probably won't score me any points being a 'terrain piece' but that can't be helped as it's the next part of the 'set', to complete...

After that, Groblog, then the Eotd Police inspector and then I can make a start on painting the dwarves of the company... I don't think I am going to get them done in time for the end of the challenge, but we'll see how far I get with them...

Tremendous work Scott. Again, I love the skin tone you've created for your goblins (and the buboes are particularly disgusting, but in a good way). Makes me want to go see the film again!

The Goblin King and this three minions will give Scott 35 points which includes some extra for the monstrous King and the Scribe's harness-contraption thingy.

From ChrisP: 28mm and 15mm Vietnam Era Helicopters, Phantom II & F16 Jets (84 points)

Another great Vietnam War entry from Chris:

Back to Vietnam (and beyond) for this stack of painting, from a whole variety of manufacturers!

First up, is the big boy, the 1/48th scale Revell UH-1. I made it basically exactly out of the box, leaving off the parts for the gunship variant, but also leaving off the side doors. In combat, the slick pilots left off the doors, they wanted to get as much power to weight as possible! Not the safest if you are the guy on the inside, but there it is. This is painted up as a US Army bird, even though there are two Eureka ANZACs sitting inside! The reason for this is despite Australia sending a fleet of it's own Hueys, the helicopters were forbidden by the government from going into "hot" LZs. What this meant was that when ANZAC troops were dropped into combat zones, it was done by American aircraft. Overall, I am really happy with how it looks! So many lessons learned from making the MH-6s went into building this one, so I am much happier with how it went together. The rotors are magnetized for easy travel, but also because it is cool to spin them.....

So from big, to small. My 15mm US Airborne needed some transport for Vietnam, so there are three Flashpoint miniatures plastic UH-1s. Made straight as the kit asked, with the doors left off like the big Huey. While moving to a new city, like a muppet, I threw away the plastic for the canopy windows! So the manufacturer is hunting me some more down, but it looks like it will arrive much after the competition finishes, hence me putting these up in a non-100% finished state. The kit also came with some door gunners and a few seated infantry, which really add to the model, plus add some weight so that the helicopter sits on it's skids properly!

Fire Support comes in the form of a second Huey Gunship, again armed with a chin mounted 40mm Grenade Launcher, plus the massive rocket batteries on either side! This one I have affectionately named Smokey the Bear, and is a standard Battlefront kit. Size wise, it is comparable to the Flashpoint plastics, but costs twice as much, and has less detail. But then again, it is in resin not plastic, so you get that! I still like it, and it will be a partner for the one that I completed earlier in the competition.

Close Air Support comes in the form of a 1/144 F4 Phantom II, from Academy. This was a cool kit, nice and simple and painted up really nicely, which my photos don't really show (my camera is terrible, and it saddens me). The underside shot is to show off the four centerline mounted sidewinder missiles, which were blue! I am not that happy with this aircraft, but for $3, I can't really complain!

So, there you have it. Air Power! I might be getting a reputation as the "Helicopter Guy", so next update will be something less airmobile... Although I do have one helicopter to go in the competition, any guesses what?

Very nice work Chris. I admire your tenacity in getting that trio of Hueys done up (even taking account the delayed canopies). The 1/48 scale 'Slick' is awesome but I can't imagine doing enough for a proper platoon insertion in 28mm.

This submission will give Chris 84 points. Great stuff!