Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge - Part VII

And we're back! Note - poster by S. Cawthorne and C. Campbell

As winter closes in once again here on the Canadian prairies, it is time for another installment of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge! This will be the seventh consecutive winter our friend Curt has convened the Challenge. The painting challenges adds a nice little jolt of motivation to attack the various piles of unpainted lead, plastic and resin the various participants have in their hoards.  Getting stuff painted is great, but over time the camaraderie engendered by the Challenge has also helped it to grow into a little online community. We all look forward to Challenge time to see what the participants will tackle this year...I'm looking forward to reconnecting with some good online paint friends.  But more important, I'm out for some side duel REVENGE!

One feature encouraged in the Challenge are side duels, an extra bolster to motivation to paint specific figures or specific periods or both...prizes vary, but generally involve painting a figure for the winner. Last year I wanted to focus on some specific things - moderns, 30k and sci-fi generally, so I entered three side duels with those themes - and was trounced in every one of them!  Jamie M whipped me in the 30k duel, and although it took some time, his prize was duly dispatched overseas.

Many of the participants seem to demonstrate a near scientific approach to their Challenge preparations. Some even prepare spreadsheets, plans and other mathematical silliness! Witchcraft!  That precise stuff never works for me...but I have been actually doing some preparations, and I do sort-of have a broad objective of stuff I want to paint. Here are my challenge "goals"...

1 - More 30k Stuff

Alpha Legion test models...trying to figure out a way to get a cool-looking blue/green they seem to sport

This would be, I would say, THE main goal for me - more 30k stuff, enough to win the side duel and REVENGE! I'm a junky for the setting and the figures, and I'm always wanting to add more stuff to my collection in both 28mm and 6mm. I need more 30k stuff like I need more holes in my head.  But holes will lower wind resistance, right? To that end, another side-duel has been launched, pitting myself, Jamie M from the UK (a regular contributor at this link), fellow Epic 30k traveller Iannick M from Eastern Canada and Alex Sengir from Russia. You can track our progress here.

Alpha test paints...Mark VI armour in the foreground, Mark IV armour at the back

What 30k stuff by on the table exactly? In 28mm, I'm hoping to add units here and there to my established collections, but also add stuff from new Legions, namely the Alpha Legion and Imperial Fists.  I have attached some photos in this post of my experimental attempts to get find a paint mix for the Alpha Legion, who often sport a super-cool metallic-ish blend of blue and green.  I can't seem to find a recipe for the metallic look, but the blue-green part, I have kind-of figured out, maybe...

I also have some Solar Auxilia stuff that I am looking forward to getting started on.

For Epic 30k, I want to add some new units to the Sons of Horus and Imperial Fists, but also bring some new Legions to the Epic 30k table, including the Death Guard, World Eaters and Raven Guard.

Enough test models for now...just waiting for the Challenge to start...

2 - Random WW2 Stuff

My 15mm and 20mm WW2 collection is large volume-wise, but not terribly focused.  So even though I have a lot of "stuff", I often run into limitations for a "Chain of Command" game, for example...it's a bit, here, a bit there, from different periods or seasons, generally on the Eastern Front.  As a whole, it's a substantial pile, but within context, it often runs short.  So I'll try and round out things like whole platoons for Chain of Command and Battlegroup. In particular, I want to get more winter-looking stuff complete.  I'm hoping the "Theme Submission" rounds will help in this regard.  Two in particular - "armour" and "east" will fit nicely, I think, while "west" might offer an excuse to start a US platoon for some Battle for the Bulge gaming in 15mm...

3 - Modern Stuff

"Modern" is getting to be a pretty broad period, so I should specify here that I mean Cold-War-Gone-Hot in the late 80s/early 90s. There is always more "Team Yankee" to do (West Germans, East Germans, Brits!).  I am also looking to paint some 15mm infantry units for modern "Chain of Command" games, and maybe some 6mm models for smaller scale "Team Yankee" as Byron has done, and add some "Modern Spearhead" too.

Note to Byron - I still owe you a victory model(s) from the modern duel last year - let me know what you might like to see...

4 - Napoleonics

I haven't painted Napoleonic figures in a big way in quite a while, but the opportunity to play some "Sharp Practice" in a visit to Regina a couple weeks ago rekindled the fires a bit.  I don't have a ton of Napoleonic figures ready to go, but if I could manage another big unit of Austrians during the Challenge, I think that would be marvellous.

Will I stick to any of this? Who knows? Stay tuned for more! If I'm doing a self-pitying post in three months time about how I lost the side duel again, but am meanwhile pleased to have made a great start on a force of 28mm cyber-teddy bears, don't be particularly surprised...it will be a slow start for me this year as I will be on the road for Christmas, but the Challenge period is three months long, and I hope to catch up.

There is a great contingent from Winnipeg this year. Byron is back and it looks like fellow Winnipeg gamer/painters Steve B and Mike A are also joining the mayhem, which is great to see.  Be sure to check out the Painting Challenge page once the race begins, and pop back here for more updates. Cheers, and good luck to all participants!

Bundeswehr Heavy Hitters - Team Yankee M109G Batterie

I grew up in Manitoba's second-largest city (!) - Brandon (pop.~40,000). One of the economic drivers of Brandon back in the day was CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Shilo, a large (primarily artillery) training range just east of the city.

Over 140,000 German soldiers were trained on the base from 1974-2000, under the auspices of the German Army Training Establishment Shilo (GATES). Apparently the terrain in the area is quite similar to that in Germany in the areas where operations would presumably take place in a new European war. Hence the importance of the Base for training our German allies.

Much of CFB Shilo's 40,000 hectare area is devoted to artillery ranges where weapons like the massive 155mm howitzer could be exercised. I can recall as a teenager seeing these M109s being transported on flatbeds to Shilo and I think this is the genesis of my affinity for the model.

Battlefront's M109G certainly looks the business, armed with a massive 155mm gun. My only criticism of the model's design is that I'd like the gun designed to be elevated a bit more. However, the way the part is designed renders it capable of assembly in only one way. Also, I had a miscast on one of the track sections, but it's not that noticeable when assembled.

Unfortunately, the M109G boxed set doesn't come with decals. I had some extra crosses from the Kampfgruppe Mueller and Marder boxes, but I had to freehand the number plates.

Some stowage is sculpted directly onto the rear of the turret. I picked these out in varying shades of khaki/green just to provide some additional visual interest.

The raised fine detail on these models really lent itself well to the light drybrush method advocated by Battlefront in their painting guide. I used the same colours and methods as for the Leopards and other Bundeswehr vehicles I've painted for the project.

Necromunda League - Eschers Join the Party

[Note: A big welcome to Byron to the Necromunda League! I set up the photo links below, but I won't be gaming or making blog posts for awhile due to health issues. I hand the pen over to Byron, to describe his games.] 

Scenario One: Byron (Eschers) vs. Dave (Spyre Hunters - administrator's gang)

Your gang has been tasked by a local miners' guild to eliminate a creature that’s been nesting in one of the newly-abandoned domes. The creature only leaves its lair during lights down and its lair is very well concealed, so it is imperative to kill it before darkness descends.

Well, better late than never I guess.  I kept wanting to get in on this league but could never get my girls to the top of my painting queue until now.  In this game, I did not have all of them fully painted, but they are now, and I posted about them here: Jail Birds.



I apologize up front for the short descriptions as the game took place a while ago already (October sometime I believe) but due to Dave's trip and then health issues we are just getting the pictures and write up done now.

The game started with most of us spread out.  Deployment is pick a point anywhere then pull a chit from the cup, whomever chit it is places a figure there.  Dave played cagey with most of his men hidden in far corners of the board.  Needing to engage and shoot early I deployed as centrally as I could every time I could.  I managed to get a bolt rifle up high in the middle of the table and a grenade launcher on a flank.

If I look worried, it's because I am.  I have to face Dave first game, and worse...
Spyrers!  The most broken gang there is!  Which is the main reason I used to play them!!!

I started moving in and setting up my angles of fire, but of course my first reserve had a mishap and Dave got to place her off in the corner to play by herself the whole game.

 Nothing much happened on my turn, as I just moved around.

Some good luck happened on Dave's turn one when the "Monster" showed up behind his Yeld.

Hmmm.... that's the evil monster we are all trying to stop and kill? 
I could think of some other ways to distract the "monster".

However, Dave started to open up and took out 2 models with his close combat monsters and downed another with shooting.



The issue with downing one with shooting was that the "monster" that was on the building just off camera to the left in the above picture, could now only see and charge the Yeld.




Off in the middle of the battlefield 2 of my girls were taken down and I was trying to escape to either side of the building away from 2 close combat beasts.

Back on the edge of the table, the Yeld tried to get away from the Monster but was charged again, and this time taken down.

 

With the Yeld down, but one wound put onto the Monster, Dave sent in another ganger to help take it out, however that didn't work either.

You can just see at the top of the picture below, the bases of 2 of my girls.  There were actually 4 there and they lined up in a firing line to shoot into combat.  Also the grenade launcher that you can see peeking around the corner in the picture above lined up a shot as well.  After all, if I hit Dave's figures it helps me, if I hit the Monster, it helps me.... How could I lose!



Well.... I almost did.  Everyone fired and missed everything or failed to hurt anything.  I was down to the last model to fire.  My lowly juve that is scolding her pet pig about the patience and practice required to hit a target and that piglet really must keep quiet as she aims.  The scolding must have worked, as her piglet kept quiet and her aim was true as she put the last wound on the monster and won my gang the game!

The game other than the final shot was a disaster.  Sure I got some hits and some wounds, but not enough to do anything serious to Dave's gang, and I had to pass several bottle tests to stick around.  The game was all Dave's the whole time, other than the lucky pig


***

Current League Standings:
Dallas (Delaques): (4 league games played) 37 pts
Barry (Orlocks): (4 league games played, 5 games total) 18 pts.
Mike (Spyre Hunters): (3 league games played, 4 games total) 16 pts
Byron (Eschers): (2 league games played) 14 pts.
Levon (Van Saar): (4 league games played) 8 pts.

West German Infantry for "Team Yankee"

15mm Panzer Grenadiers from Battlefront

More "Team Yankee" painting - these are Bundeswehr Panzer Grenadiers (two platoons), a company command team and two Fliegerfaust teams.  This is enough infantry to equip a Panzer Grenadier Kompanie in Battlefront's Cold-War-gone-hot game "Team Yankee".  The panzer grenadier platoons are small formations, so these units paint up quickly!

Blue bushes used to indicate command base for the zug

Another view of the grenadiers - I love the MG3 teams in particular!

The models are from Battlefront.  Fortunately these castings were pretty nice to work with, and overall these guys were a lot of fun to paint.  I liked them so much I am getting some more figures with the intent of basing them individually in skirmish games like "Chain of Command".

Shoulder fired SAM missile teams for the West Germans

When you have Gepards, I'm not sure why you would need these fellows, but it's fun to have a complete force...

Of course, actual panzer grenadiers are mounted in APCs or infantry fighting vehicles. I have yet to get any new vehicles painted (have run out of a critical hobby supply related to that process, and resupply is four weeks overdue, likely being re-sent - cue venting story about Canada Customs...).  So for now, these guys are on foot, content to hitch a ride in vehicles painted by others!  No worries, as Dallas is rolling along nicely on that front!

Team Yankee: Kampfgruppe Mueller

Well, it's fair to say that here at Conscript HQ we've gone in for Team Yankee in a big way. Although we've already posted a few battle reports and lots of pretty show-off piccies, I wanted to get into the act myself with some posts on my West Germans. First up is the basic Bundeswehr box set - Kampfgruppe Mueller - five Leopard 2 tanks and two PAH helicopters.

The big cats are gorgeous models. Easy to assemble with several crew options, these models make it easy to build your West German battlegroup. Decals are included too!

I painted these tanks using the techniques from Battlefront's Leopard "codex", basically undercoating with green (in this case GW Catachan Green) and painting in the camo with my own interpretation of "teerschwarz" (tar black - Abaddon Black with a bit of Mechanicus Standard Grey mixed in) and rot-braun (red-brown - GW Doombull Brown). It's important to note that unlike the WW2 Panzer forces, the Bundeswehr camo is applied in a particular prescribed pattern. Battlefront has a page that demonstrates the patterns quite clearly.

After applying the camo pattern, the whole vehicle is washed with GW Agrax Earthshade to tie it together a bit. The green is then highlighted with Catachan Green again. Decals are applied, then the vehicle is lightly drybrushed with GW Ushabti Bone. 

Some "spot weathering" is applied in the form of metallic chipping and brown-black sponging.

Lastly, some general road dust is applied with a drybrush of Ushabti Bone along the lower parts of the vehicle.

The PAH helicopters were pretty easy to paint in their two-colour camo scheme of teerschwarz and green. I used the same colours as for the Leopards.

HOT missile tubes were painted GW Steel Legion Drab. In lieu of an Earthshade wash, panel lines were painted in with Nuln Oil shade.

So there you have it - the basis for a Team Yankee West German battlegroup. I really enjoyed working on these vehicles, there's something about the three-tone NATO camo that just appeals to me. The Leopards are beautiful tanks and even the PAH helos are starting to grow on me with their whole "TC" vibe.

Anyway, stay tuned for the rest of the battlegroup, there's much more to come!

Necromunda League - Scenarios 3 and 4

[Note: the contents of this post have been sitting in Draft form for several weeks. I won't be gaming or making blog posts for awhile due to health issues, but the Necromunda League's initial campaign of 4 narrative games will continue.] 


SCENARIO 3: SHOWDOWN AT FULL DARK
Celebrating victories at the local watering hole can often lead to even more battles...and it looks like you just found one!

The scenario starts with a Western-style shootout in the middle of the street. Rolling dice, each gang tires to hold the nerve the longest. When one side's nerves break, the gunfight erupts!

***

Barry (Orlocks) vs. Dallas (Delaques)

Barry and Dallas each rolled and got two gangers for the shootout. The Orlocks' nerve held, and Dallas' men went for their guns first. Actual order of firing was by Initiative + a die roll.









With both of the Orlocks Down, reinforcements arrived from opposite ends of the main street.



Though some of the Delaques ran out of ammo, they caused some more Orlock casualties, forcing Bottle Tests that Barry eventually failed.









Levon (Van Saars) vs. Dave (Spyre Hunters)

The Spyrers rolled two gangers, and the Van Saars rolled three. The Van Saars were cool as three very cool guys, so their nerve held.







The lone Spyrer Orrus got stuck into a series of close combats...



...which he kept winning, despite being outnumbered 3 to 1!





With the Van Saars taking so many casualties, they were also rolling Bottle Tests each turn.



As the Van Saar reinforcements gathered for a final charge en masse, their leader failed his Bottle Test, and the gang fled the field!



Note: the status markers are Chessex dice that I custom ordered. A little expensive, but we like them better than paper counters.


Mike (Spyrers)  vs. Barry (Orlocks)

Mike's Spyrers managed to win a shoot-out against Barry's Orlocks. The Spyrers' nerve broke first. However, no one could hit the side of a barn with shooting; all the casualties came after, in close combat!









Withe three men Down right away, it was only a matter of time before Barry's gangers fled the field!




***

SCENARIO 4: MIDNIGHT RITUAL
So there was a reason that mine was closed long ago. The Miners' Guild wants you to go back in and figure it out but they're not convinced your gang can do it alone. A little “unfriendly” competition never hurt anyone...too much.

Dallas (Delaques) vs. Dave (Spyre Hunters)

Dallas' Delaques squared off against my Administrator gang of Spyre Hunters. I started off having to fight a third-party Chaos Magus while the Delaques hung back. After my Malcadons cut the Magus down, I split my forces.













The Yeld and Orrus held off five Delaques, even after the Yeld went Down.



I was setting up a coordinated attack against the Delaque leader and his hired gun with my remaining forces, when Dallas' leader managed to put a bolt round into a Malcadon. My leader, the Jakara, then failed her Bottle Test!




Barry (Orlocks) vs. Levon (Van Saars)

Levon's Van Saar's managed to kill the marauding Chaos Magus, but Barry's Orlocks were able to gain good field position and forced bottle tests on the Van Saars, who eventually ran off the table.

Congrats to Barry in his first-ever victory in a Necromunda game!

























***

Current League Standings:
Dallas (Delaques): (4 league games played) 37 pts.
Mike (Spyre Hunters): (3 league games played) 16 pts
Barry (Orlocks): (4 league games played, 5 games total) 18 pts.
Levon (Van Saar): (4 league games played) 8 pts.