Painting Challenge Submission 19: Potpourri of Mostly 10mm Stuff

A random assortment of completed stuff as I scrape for points!

This is another one of my final-week submissions to Curt's recently-concluded Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge.  There is a potpourri of stuff, mostly 10mm, covering a wide assortment of periods. This was basically a "what stuff have I finished but not counted for points yet" post - I intended that each bit be part of a larger submission, but realized that time for the Challenge had run out that other figures would not be finished as part of it. This motley assortment is the result - I hope you enjoy!

10mm WW2 German Panzers

Late model Panzer IIIs - 10mm castings from Pendraken.

 These 10mm tanks were painted and based as German "test models" for my ambitions to (re)build my collection for the game "Spearhead". They are late-model Panzer IIIs from Pendraken, based on 50mm squares (to represent platoons) and one on a 50mm round (to represent a battalion command element). 

At these smaller scales I try and exaggerate the colours a bit so the contrast pops a little more.

Ready to roll out...but they'll need reinforcements first...

Obviously still a long way to travel on my 10mm WW2 efforts. I went into this edition of the Challenge so sure I would get more of these done...oh well. Next time, right? At least I have some starters to inspire me.

10mm FPW Command

10mm Prussian Command for Franco-Prussian War - figures from Pendraken.

In this edition of the AHPC I was able to finish a fair bit of 10mm stuff for the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. These command figures - a senior command base for the Prussians, and a lower-level command for the French - got finished along the way, and I kept intending to add them in with another submission of a larger unit before the end of the Challenge. This "larger unit" part was not going happen before the Challenge ended, so here we are...all figures and the flag are from Pendraken.

Having a flag on the base helps him stand out a bit on the table...plus flags are more fun.

The three-figure base, including a standard, will be used to represent a senior commander (i.e. corps command) on the table. 

Have to love those French uniforms from 1870...so lovely...

This individual French officer will likely lead a brigade, but of course there are all sorts of ways to scale rules up and down...bottom line, he will lead gloriously!

10mm Byzantine Cavalry

Byzantine heavy cavalry from Magister Millitum - based for "Warmaster Ancients".

When I love something in this hobby, I tend to paint it in multiple scales...but that doesn't mean I make progress, of course...oh well.  This unit of 10mm Byzantine heavy cavalry is comprised of figures from Magister Millitum, and they are based for use with the rules system "Warmaster Ancients".

These Magister Millitum Byzantines are lovely castings.

Perhaps in the next edition of the Challenge you will see some of the other figures that came with this impulse purchase back in the day?

28mm Arab Spearman

Ah, the poor test model, waiting for friends...28mm plastic figure from Gripping Beast.

I actually did manage to paint up a fair bit of 28mm Byzantine stuff during this edition of the Challenge. While my hope is to use these models to fight Dallas' Normans, I am also thinking of opponents for the Byzantines. That is where this figure comes in - a 28mm plastic figure from Gripping Beast, he is a test model for a unit of Arab Spearmen. The "test model" part happened during this edition of the Challenge, but the "OK, let's paint the rest of the unit" part did not.

Anyway, this variety gives you an idea of the many project percolating in my scattered hobby brain. You may see more of these very shortly, or in the summer, or perhaps during the next Challenge (if Curt proceeds with one again). Whatever happens, I thank you for reading - stay safe!

Painting Challenge Submission 15 - 28mm Byazntine Infantry

28mm Byzantine infantry stand ready to defend the Roman legacy! Figures from Gripping Beast.

My 15th submission to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is another element for my 28mm Byzantine collection. This is a mixed unit of spearmen and archers. They are metal figures from Gripping Beast's "Thematic Byzantine" collection. The spears are steel spears from Gripping Beast (with one exception - more to follow). The shield design is freehand painted. The banner is from LBMS. As with all of my recent 28mm Byzantine stuff, they are based individually.

Two ranks of spears at the front, two ranks of archers at the rear.

We all love this hobby, but we all encounter projects, or parts of project, that feel like a real drag. This bunch was one such project, and I am pleased to have them completed. While I overall really love Gripping Beast's Byzantine range, and I don't want to be too critical of sculptors (who, after all, have an incredible talent that I certainly do not), the metal spearmen are some of the weakest sculpts in this range. The arms sort of don't always add up, and the bodies are quite tall - these are big lads. Add to that some unfortunate mold lines on some faces and...well, it was not the most fun to paint these. Furthermore, I ignored common sense - the "attacking" pose with the spears looks dramatic, but it will be a right pain in the @ss to rank up properly with these individual bases. Not something I thought through properly...although that is hardly a big surprise. Anyway...

Dispersed view of the archers - they can also skirmish if needed.

But they had to be painted! The Byzantine army depended in many instance on their cavalry to deliver the decisive blow, but steady blocks of infantry, combining tough (and apparently very tall) spearmen in the front ranks with archers in the rear, were a rock for that cavalry to rally around. These stout fellows will perform just such a service for my steadily growing Byzantine forces!

This pose is dramatic, but also a pain when it comes to ranking up the models.

Very boring freehand patterns on the shields...but at least they are bright! I like bright sometimes...

The even split between spears and archers has an added bonus...they can break into two different 12-man elements for the game "Lion Rampant", while serving together in an infantry block for games of "Warhammer Ancient Battles", "Hail Caesar" etc. 

And here is is...the first Byzantine figure I had ever painted...test model from circa 2017. Now he has a unit to join, all these years later!

There is one fun bit of history in this submission...there are 24 figures in the photo, but only 23 of them were painting during this edition of the Painting Challenge. The 24th figure is older - in fact, he goes back a ways...it is the first Byzantine test model I had ever painted, back when I ordered a 4-point starter box for the skirmish game "Saga", circa 2017. I wonder if Curt can find the photo I sent him on his iMessage bragging "hey, I painted a test model". Some Conscripts may even recognize this as the lone Byzantine spearman on a single base sitting on my shelf for quite some time. Anyway, I've kept him for years, and thought it would appropriate that I paint this unit to match his colours. I left him with his original soft lead spear too. I'm hoping it brings some good luck with the dice when this bunch gets to see action on the table.

"Ready with those spears!"

Foot commander, ready to get stuck in with the rest of these fellows...that horn should inspire them too!

So there we go...a fourth Byzantine unit completed. We are nearly ready to tangle with Dallas' lovely 28mm Normans! Thanks for reading - stay safe and stay sane!

Painting Challenge Submission 12 - 28mm Byzantine Light Cavalry

Light Byzantine cavalry - 28mm figures from Gripping Beast's line of Thematic Byzantines.

My 12th submission to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge saw my brushes return to a previous project...thanks to the timely arrival of some parcels in the mail,  my 28mm Byzantine project has been able to resume! Freshly resupplied with LBMS transfers and banners, as well as some steel spears, I  completed the next unit in my Byzantine collection. No surprise - more cavalry! These are lighter, skirmishing cavalry - although they can form up to fight in a pinch. The figures are 28mm metal castings from the fine folks at Gripping Beast, and the banner and shield decals are (obviously) from LBMS.

I enjoy the character of these castings - particularly the commander!

As with all of the Byzantine units there is a mix of arms/capabilities within the group. Six of the models are meant to be armed with a mix of throwing spears and or javelins, and four of them are mounted archers. They are meant to skirmish and harass larger enemy formations on the battlefield, and keep enemy skirmishers from doing the same to key elements of the Byzantine battle line.

Steel spears!! I love those things!! They make a difference for figures like these.

These castings from Gripping Beast have oodles of character, and were quite a lot of fun to paint. The LBMS transfers were, as ever, a real b*tch, but still 1000% better than trying to paint shield patterns on my own. The headaches those things cause are so worth it in the end!

Mounted archers in the mix, helping to pepper the enemy with missile fire.

I figured a musician would be important for a light cavalry unit like this, to directing them and their maneuvers.

These models are all based individually, so in addition to representing a unit of light cavalry in a game of Warhammer Ancient Battles, this group could be split up into various elements for a game of "Lion Rampant". The mounted archers in particular are flexible - they could be dispatched to join the heavier unit of cavalry to bulk it out, depending on the scenario. 

Off we go!

Thanks for reading - stay tuned for more everyone! Hope you are staying safe and, as always, staying sane...

Painting Challenge Submission 5 - Byzantine Cavalry Officers

Byzantine cavalry command figures - 28mm from Gripping Beast

Hello again everyone. I have not been making much painting progress recently, but more painted figures is more painted figures, and here are two more painted figures that comprised my fifth submission to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. These are Byzantine cavalry officers - one carrying a standard, the other brandishing a short sword. They are 28mm metal castings from Gripping Beast's Thematic Byzantine figure range. The shields decals and the banner are from LBMS. 

Shield decals and banner from LBMS.

These two figures could slot in with any unit, but I intend them to act as a command element for my Byzantine Kavallroi in my last AHPC submission. The addition of these two models brings that unit to a healthy size of 12 riders - nice and beefy for Warhammer Ancient Battles. And of course they can skirmish on their own for games like Lion Rampant. 

I quite like the pose of the fellow with the sword...some poor soul is about to "get it"...

As ever, the LBMS stuff is infuriating to fiddle with and as ever, it is absolutely irreplaceable - these came out not too badly. The pattern on the shields is not a match to other riders in the Kavallroi unit, but then these two are "characters" and so I wanted them to be able to stand out on their own a bit. 

The Kavallroi unit on my shelf, ready to defend the glory of The Byzantine Empire and take on Dallas' Normans!

One important tip when embarking on a project to paint Byzantines: never run out of spears, shields or LBMS transfers...and don't just assume that box over on your shelf, you know, the one "you are sure is full of that stuff", actually holds any of that stuff...

Anyway, while I wait for new supplies to arrive, my brushes will move on to some of the other projects which have been lurking around my painting desk. That's all for now. Go check out the AHPC when you have a moment - Mike, Dallas and Byron have been ripping it up over there - all while Frederick is completing his entire Lord of the Rings collection! Keep up the great painting guys, and stay sane!

Painting Challenge Submission 4 - Byzantine Cavalry (Encore)

Byzatine Kavallroi on maneuvers in my kitchen.

Things move along slowly at my painting table, but they are still moving. This submission to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge continues with my 28mm Byzantine project - here we have even more cavalry to add to my small-but-growing forces. These are 28mm metal castings from Gripping Beast - there are six "Heavy Kavallroi" troopers and four "Hippo-Toxotai" (mounted archers). Four of the figures have shields with LBMS tansfers, and two of the shields are hand-painted - no issues with the transfers here, I just can't count, and didn't have enough transfers on hand...so I whipped up an easy shield paint job for two of them that matched the colours of the LBMS transfers.

28mm castings from Gripping Beast's Thematic Byzantine line. The figure on the right has a hand-painted shield.

These troops carry the long "kontarion" spears common to the Byzantine forces.

These Heavy Kavallroi troopers are as central to any Byzantine army as blocks or spearmen and archers - the Thematic Byzantine forces generally live and died on the strength and capability of their cavalry, and these riders would have been key to the force. These troops are much lighter than the lumbering Kataphractoi, but by any reasonable standard these fellows are still heavy cavalry - the riders are wearing a mix of chain mail, lammellar, plate and heavy cotton armour, and carrying the long "kontarion" lances. They can charge home, hit hard, withdraw and charge again because very disciplined and well-trained riders. They can pick their moment on the battlefield and have a decisive impact, and they are much more mobile, and therefore more flexible, than the heavy rumbling Kataphracts.

Mounted archers ready to ride & shoot in support of their Kavallroi colleagues.

Sometimes mistakes happen when packing miniatures - oh well - and that is why one of the riders is missing his quiver.

It is a common thing in the Thematic-era Byzantine armies to blend archers into the formations, and this cavalry unit will be no exception - again, the amour on these mounted archers is a little less than on those who accompany the heavy Kataphracts, and there is no barding on the horses, so they can keep up with their colleagues, providing a "sting" for the Heavy Kavallroi force.

As always, lots of character in these metal sculpts - although some of the riders look a touch "stiff" in the saddles...lighten up fellas, you'll never catch the Turks riding like that!

Less armour than the Kataphractoi, but still armoured and heavy by any reasonable definition.

Consistent with all of the Byzantine models I have painted so far in AHPC XI, these models are all based individually so as to allow for maximum gaming flexibility - for example, the six Heavy Kavallroi riders would represent a unit of cavalry in skirmish games "Lion Rampant", and once I add some command figures to this group, it will comprise a unit for Warhammer Ancient Battles, Swordpoint or Hail Caesar.

Thanks for reading - hope you are staying safe, and please stay sane. Cheers. 

Painting Challenge Submission 3 - More Byzantine Cavalry

28mm metal Byzantines from Gripping Beast.

The submissions to Curt's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge continue! The Conscripts are out in force, and you have already seen a lot of great submissions from Dallas and Mike shared here as well. Hopefully Byron will share some of his amazing projects too. For my part, I am bit disappointed at my slow pace thus far. I find my move to a new house, even though it took place in September, still causes a lot of disruption to my usual hobby pace as I struggle to locate bits, get figures base coated etc. etc. and just can't get the hobby motor running smoothly, as it were...my points target seems a touch fanciful at this point...

That said, some figures are still getting painted, and I return to you with more efforts in the 28mm Byzantine area. There are eight figures here, all metal castings from Gripping Beast's line of Thematic Byzantine troops. There are three more Kataphractoi (super heavy cavalry), four Hippo-Toxotai (mounted archers) and a lone figure to serve as a Byzantine commander/character. As with my previous Byzantine entry, these figures are all based individually to provide some flexibility in terms rules/gaming approaches.

I love LMBS designs, but I do wish they could be normal waterslide transfers instead of the convoluted, multi-layer exercise. This entire sheet of decals failed, as the various layers would not come apart. Cue the hobby fury!

All of the figures - save the commander - are carrying shields, and most, but not all, of those shields have decals from LBMS. I find these products indispensable, as painting and managing shields is one of my greatest hobby foes! Shields, generally speaking, are a large mental barrier to painting these kinds of figures - only heraldry is worse. But as much as I love the LBMS transfers, I do find them frustrating...there was some manner of defect in the pack of decals for the bucklers on the arms of the mounted archers, and I found myself needing to try and duplicate the established pattern myself with freehand painting...which SUCKS. I'm sure there are reasons for the design of these products, but I just wish there were some more options for shields out there involving plain old waterslide transfers, as opposed to this incredibly fiddly and complex process of peeling layers etc. of the LBMS products.

For all that, like I said, they are indispensable...I just ordered more!

Byzantine commander/general/warlord.

Lovely sculpt from Gripping Beast, lots of fun to paint.

Anyway, enough complaining, and on to the figures. For starters, the commander/character figure is a lovely sculpt...again, it has a lot of character and I really enjoy that about many of the metal figures from Gripping Beast. He has a haughty air, as one would expect of some senior Byzantine officer/nobleman. I put a touch of purple into his clothing...not to make him an Emperor, but someone "in the family" (and is thus at least likely plotting to become Emperor).  He is not on a flashy command base, but as I intend to have him available for Warhammer Ancient Battles, he will need to have his base able to mix with others - so a standard size mounted base for him.  

Kataphractoi cavalry, ready to wreck some sh*t in the name of God and the Byzantine Empire!

The long kontarion (big spears) are steel spears from Wargames Foundry.

Thankfully there were no problems with these three shields.

The three Kataphracts are similar to the ones I painted a few weeks ago. I really enjoy these particular Gripping Beast castings, they have a lot of character.  Two of the riders are armed with Kontarion, the long spears seen with "eastern" heavy cavalry such as the Byzantines, Sassanids (and others). The other rider is brandishing his heavy mace. These figures are so fun to paint!

Mounted archers, a critical component of Byzantine cavalry units.

Again, lovely character and detail on these metal castings from Gripping Beast.

The four mounted archers, with half-barding on their horses, will join the the Kataphracts. Byzantine cavalry (and many others) often mixed archers in with their heavy cavalry into powerful combined formations. Thus the Kataphracts could shower their enemies with arrows even as they approached them, and then slash/smash and crash them to bits at contact. While I often feel like archers are second-fiddle to their mail-clad and fully barded Kataphract colleagues, the archers were essential troops for the Byzantine army, and very skilled. To be able to ride and shoot, and do it as part of a disciplined cavalry formation, took considerable practice, skill and a lot of training...even without all of the armour of their Kataphract bretheren, the mounted archers and half-barded horses represented a significant investment of resources for the Byzantine armies. The archers were key troops.

All together, the Kataphracts (including the archers) I have painted so far in the Challenge can comprise a 15-figure unit to use in games of Warhammer Ancient Battles, and thanks to the individual basing, they can make use of a special wedge formation, and I have ranked up the full unit together for a couple of pictures. 

Wedge formation for Warhammer Ancient Battles!

I look forward to having these fellows counter-charge Dallas' Normans someday!

Of course, this group can be split up as well, to skirmish in games such as "Lion Rampant", which I look forward to trying sometime soon as well.

Stay sane everyone - thanks for reading. 

Painting Challenge Submission 1 - Byzantine Heavy Cavalry

Byzantine cavalry ready for battle!

 

Our friend Curt in Regina has fired up yet another edition of Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. Several Conscripts will be taking part this year, and while you can catch our work over on the Painting Challenge Blog, I expect you will see it posted here as well.

My first submission, was this group of Byzantine Kataphractoi cavalry. These are 28mm figures from Gripping Beast, with shield transfers and banners from Little Big Men Studios.

Commander, musician and standard bearer.

As one might expect, there is a heavy religious feel to the iconography - definitely an aspect of the Byzantine setting that I enjoy, it adds to their aura.

These figures are based individually - a departure from previous efforts in this area. I hope to use them for skirmish games like "Lion Rampant" as well as mass battle rules like "Warhammer Ancient Battles" or "Hail Caesar" (or even "Swordpoint" if I can finish the requisite university degrees needed to decipher the rules). These individual bases make that possible. 

I had totally forgotten that Dallas has already painted up a sizeable contingent of Norman warriors in 28mm...I am hoping they will serve as opponents for this force as it takes shape.

Super long "kontos" - the spears of ancient heavy cavalry.

These castings from Gripping Beast are hefty suckers, and remain a joy to paint. I went with red and green as the accent colours as I thought it matched the holiday season...and also I had the red and green paint handy on the painting table because of something else I was working on, that I hope to share shortly :)

Lots of maces handy for up-close smashing and bashing work...

The Kataphractoi were the heavy, heavy hitters of the armies from the "Thematic" Byzantine era (which I believe is a reference to the "Themes" - or provinces/districts - used as administrative divisions within the empire at that time...something like the 9th/10th century although I'm not 100% certain). Well armed, heavily armored, drilled, disciplined and experienced in war, they would be present on the battlefield once the Byzantines had exhausted their sizeable bag of usual tricks (bribery of the enemy, bribe someone else to attack said enemy, assassination of said enemy ruler or key advisor(s), delay via negotiation, outmaneuver or other trickery etc.) and force or arms would be the only way to settle things.

Some of the riders are equipped the long fighting spears used by the ancient heavy cavalry, while others are brandishing maces. And of course, as the heaviest of the heavy cavalry, these fellows are covered head-to-toe in armour, as are the poor horses. The LMBS stickers are fiddly as heck, but are still so worth it in in the end. That said, I do wish LBMS would make straight up waterslide transfers...those would be so much easier to work with.

Another view of the unit leader...his barding, mace and helmet are all a touch fancier than the others...

That's all from me for now - I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and that everyone has a nice and relaxing New Year's Eve. Talk to you all in 2021! Cheers and thanks for reading.