Spring Skirmish 2019 Photo's

I've just got back from a very pleasant morning at the Skirmish Toy Soldier and Wargames Show in Sidcup. I regularly attend this little show with it'a s quirky but friendly atmosphere, as do many of the Rejects. This time it was just Postie and myself at the show but I reckon between us we spent enough for a hoard of wargames (especially Postie with his bottomless pockets!). As usual, I shot a load of pictures and there were some cracking looking little games on display. One that seemed to catch the eye of nearly everyone was a 54mm Sudan demo featuring modern recasts of old toy soldiers (pictures below). As is the norm I spent more time chatting to friends than I did shopping but that is the attraction and charm of this little show. 

Rainham Wargames Club - A very nice looking Sudan game

Several companies of redcoats

Facing defences

Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society 

The Old Guard - Another Sudan game, this time using The Men Who Would Be Kings rules.

A clash of infantry

Medway Wargames Society playing a Games of Thrones inspired battle

Wildlings and giants! 

The Bring and Buy had plenty on it but unfortunately not a lot of punters...at least while I was there. 

The Emperors 10th Games Club - Their game hadn't started yet but I ended up having a long chat about the Walking Dead Boardgame. 

Milton Hundred's put on an excellent What a Tanker game set in the Russian Steppe. The Teddy Bear Fur 'steppe' looked excellent. 

A T34/85 lays in wait

Milton Hundreds in their distinctive yellow shirts. 

Skirmish Wargames - And another Sudan game  "What a carry on up the Nile" set in 1884

Probably the best terrain on display and an overall excellent looking game

Another view of the Skirmish Wargames table

Privateers of London - Battle of Havanna 1748 - Featuring some very old, bet very nice NavWar ships

Maidstone Wargames Society - Yes you guessed it, another Sudan game

Excellent looking units

Ahhh...I'm guessing there was a theme to this show, which explains all the Sudan games! 

The Trader hall wasn't a full or as busy as it has been in previous years, but the retailers that were there looked like they were doing a brisk trade. 

Postie haggling for a discount from Colonel Bill. 

The highlight for many was the display by Replica Metal Soldiers and Models. These are old school replicas of 54mm figures and painted in the old style too. 

Ranks of British redcoats to make this old wargamers heart skip a beat. 

This lot represents a serious amount of lead (and cash) on the table...but boy does it look good. 

I want's...

I will be exploring their website forthwith! 

My loot - Mostly grass tufts from Debris of War to restock my dwindling supplies.

Once again an excellent show and plenty of friendly faces and conversation. I've just realised I missed out a picture of another new shirt by Art of War shirts that I also bought. So all in all a very rewarding morning. 

Blood on the Snow

I bought this model at Salute last year with the express purpose of using it in this years Challenge, one way or another. The figure is a multi-part resin casting from Heresy Miniatures. The figure needed minimal cleaning and removal of a handful of cast lines was easily achieved with a sharp knife and some needle files. The parts where then given a thorough wash and scrub in detergent before assembly. As this model is for display I just glued the parts together but I would recommend drilling and pining if the figure is expected to be handled on the games table. The last stage before undercoating was to use Greenstuff putty to fill some of the join lines and blend the fur together so the model looks like its been cast as a single piece.

The next step was building the base. The figure is designed for use with 28mm figures so this Snow Troll is actually looking down at its lunch (presumably someones character model!). Instead I wanted the troll to be looking at the viewer so I tilted it up at the front by about 20°. I then built the base up using layers of dried bark chippings, wood filler and grit. The base was then painted with PVA to seal it before applying my usual brown base coat to the whole model. 

Heresy have a picture of this model on their website and I referred to this photo before deciding how to paint mine. I found their interpretation too white and on my version I wanted to see the wonderfully sculpted fur so I used a dark base-coat and built up the white with about five layers of dry brushing followed by an ink wash and more dry brushing to emphasis highlights. A similar layered dry brushing method was also used on the rocky base.

After painting and varnishing comes the groundwork. Once again I pulled out my pot of Tamiya Snow Effect textured paint (its more like a grainy paste, than a paint) to lay down some fresh snow. This stuff dries hard in a few hours but while its still wet it can be brushed and sculpted to whatever effect you want. More importantly for this project, once the snow has dried hard, paint can be applied to the surface without fear of it soaking in or spreading. I didn't want to cover the whole base so I left some of the rocky crag exposed. I then finished off with some frost covered grass tufts. I bought these at Salute last year and have been keeping them for just this type of project.

Overall I am really pleased with how this project turned out. 

My Analogue Painting Challenge VII

This years Analogue Painting Challenge has come to a conclusion and I have to say its been an absolute blast. My painting output has been consistently high throughout the event and I have shaved a significant portion off the summit of my lead mountain! I'm never going to be a contender for the top ten but I'm very happy with my final points tally which not only smashed my target but also topped my personal best for any of the challenges so far. I've set the bar high for next year!

So, in true Geek fashion I have had analysed the points distribution and come to a startlingly unsurprising conclusion...

Most of my points came from 6mm submissions!
Who'd have guessed it!

...and last but not least photo's of my completed entries.

A lot of miniatures and one BigLee.

A terrible first entry but I was feeling horribly ill at the time....

Greek and Epirote Pike Phalanxes

Bonus Round - WWI MkIV Tanks

Macadonian War Elephants

Greek Slingers

Pyrrhus of Epirus

Asorted Generals and Heroes to lead my Epirote Army

Two Phalanxes of Hoplites

Thessalian Heavy Cavalry

A Roman Farmstead

Greek Heavy and Light Cavalry

Tarrantine Light Cavalry

Successor Elephants and Greek Bowmen

The Completed Pyrrhic Army

Bonus Round - Sherman Firefly

Fart the Jester

Italian Ariete Tank Company

British Cruiser Company

A9 Cruiser Tanks

Rolls Royce Armoured Cars

2pdr Portees

Mk IV Light Tanks

Bonus Round & Curtgeld - Inglorious Rejects

Valentine II Tanks

Marmon Herrington Armoured Cars

25pdr Battery

LRDG Patrol - Chevy Trucks

SAS Jeep Squadron

Selenite Warriors

The 7th Analogue Painting Challenge has been a fantastic event from beginning to end. The standard of entries has been exceptionally high and a vast quantity of lead (and plastic) has been painted. On a personal level I have had my best Challenge so far, not only hitting my target but smashing it to smithereens. Everything I set out to paint got painted and a lot more was added as the weeks ticked by and I realised how good my progress was. I've set the bar high for myself next year, I just hope I can live up to it!