Painting Challenge IX - Body of Work

The Challenge is over and I have that empty feeling that follows the hectic activity of the last three months. There is a void in my life and the only thing that will fill it is to start planning for Challenge Ten! But first I need to cap off this year's festival of painting with a 'Body of Work' photo. Its been mixed bag from me this year, with additions to several existing armies rather than starting a new project. My original target of 600 points was smashed fairly early and everything on my original to-do list has been completed.

Slightly amazed at how much I have painted!

So, I think a breakdown is required although I am aware that I'm probably the only one that will be interested in this. I racked up a total score of 845 Points and reached 31st place. Neither of these figures is a personal best, but considering I was also the Tuesday Minion, I'm pretty happy with that tally. I even managed to take a week off for a family holiday in the middle of the Challenge (as I keep reminding the wife whenever she rolls her eyes at my latest project).

Period
Zulu War    12.1% (102 Points)
Fantasy      18.6% (157 Points)
Punic War  27.9% (236 Points)
WWI         7.3%  (62 Points)
WWII        34.1% (288 Points)

Scale
6mm          40.0%  (338 Points)
15mm        38%  (321 Points)
28mm        17.6%  (149 Ppoints)
40mm        4.4%  (37 Points)

Stats aside, and on a personal level, this has been the best Challenge I have taken part in. I have managed to get a lot of lead painted - far more than I would 'alone' - and have added to several existing armies in my collection. There is always more that can be done so don't be surprised if more AZW units turn up in Challenge Ten.

Aside from the obvious joy of getting stuff painted, I have also been able to participate (in a small way) to the competition itself and that has been enormous fun. Being a minion was both a rare privilege and great responsibility and it has given me a whole new perspective on a competition I thought I knew well. I've said it before but I'd like to thank all of the Tuesday Terrors for being such a great team and for letting me adjudicate their incredible entries. And while I'm in 'Oscars' mode, I'd also like to thank Curt, the Great Snow Lord himself, for running this madness every year. It is the highlight of my hobby year and the other nine months are a pale shadow by comparison. 

Iberian Scutarii in Hannibal's Army

These weren't on my original plan for the Challenge but as I have hit my target and found myself with a 'spare week' I decided to dig them out and get them painted. Actually to be honest I'd forgotten I had bought them and I only rediscovered then as I rummaged through one of my lead mountains (yes, that's plural!). I'm using these Spanish Scutarii as allies in Hannibal's 2nd Punic war army. In the To The Strongest army list, I can only take two of these units but I can upgrade them to Veterans if necessary.

The Scutarii were named for their shields, the scutum, which was very similar in design to that used by the Romans in the Polybian period. The shield was a large oblong, big enough to cover the body, but light enough to be carried in one hand. The Romans used the scutum to form what was in effect a shield wall and there is similar evidence to say the Spanish employed the same tactic. The Scutarii were well-equipped medium spearmen and therefore quite mobile. Their main weapon was the all-metal heavy throwing spear - the Soliferun - which would be thrown at short range before closing in for hand-to-hand combat. This is where their secondary weapon, the short straight edged sword known as the gladius hispanniensis, would come into its own. The later Roman Gladius was influenced by these weapons, which is just one of many examples of how the Romans learned from and absorbed military ideas from the cultures they fought and defeated. 

Given their description and the tactics they used I have chosen to arrange these figures with the front rank presenting the shield in a 'wall' about to throw their Soliferun prior to charging into melee. Various sources describe the shield designs of these troops as colourful, similar in appearance to Gaulish shields. However other sources (and some examples I found online) are more uniform in appearance with a deep red colour being a common colour. I decided to go with the latter design to give the units a distinctive look, but also to reflect their determined and disciplined quality.

Incidentally, I have found a lot of information online (some of it useful, some of it less so!) but my main reference has been the excellent Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars by Duncan Head. It was an expensive book to buy but it has time and again proved its value with information that I couldn't find elsewhere.

Kung Foo Panda

Todays entry is small and is just a little bit of whimsey. I came across this model last year and couldn't resist buying it, just for fun. The Panda is 19mm tall (including the hat) and is made by Bombshell Miniatures. I've not heard of them before but a quick look at their website shows an interesting and eclectic mix of fantasy, sci-fi and steampunk miniatures in various scales. The handful of points I'll get for this figure isn't going to rock my final score by any massive amount, but it was great fun to put together and paint.

The blossom-covered tree I found in a local model shop and all it needed was some filler (and a dab of paint) to turn the wireframe into something better resembling a knarled wood trunk. I also knew I had some suitable bases I could probably use and sure enough, I found this one. Its resin but that's about all I can tell you. I have no idea when or where I bought it, I'm just glad that it has finally found a use.

In order to fix the Panda to the base, I had to cut away and file down the integral base. With the bottom of the feet now flat I inserted a pin in one of the legs so that I could get a strong bond with the new resin base. A tiny dab of fast setting epoxy was then used to bind the two together in what I hope is a strong bond.

I have a couple more entries that I am trying to finish for the end of the Painting Challenge, so I'm heading back to my painting desk to crack on with those. 

Two Pzkfw IV Ausf J painted twice!

I nearly finished these tanks last week but in the end, I cleaned and re-primed them and started again...let me explain the madness. I decided to give these vehicles a different colour scheme, opting for something called Ambush Camouflage. This is a hard-edged camo that started to appear on German tanks in August 1944. It consisted of the usual Green and Red/Brown stripes over Dunkelgelb with dots of opposing colours over the top. A bit complex, but considering I don't have an airbrush I thought it would be a good alternative to my previous attempts at soft-edge camo. Initially, I was reasonably happy with it, although the dots were a bit bigger than I liked. Then I made a massive tactical error. 

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I usually apply an ink wash to my models to darken shadows and, in the case of vehicles, deepen the recesses around hatches and engine grills etc. This time, for reasons even I don't understand I didn't use my normal ink but opted for Army Painter Strong Tone instead. And frankly, that ruined the models. They were way too dark and unlike regular ink, I couldn't clean away the dried excess with a wet brush. The models looked absolutely terrible and I couldn't bring myself to submit them for judging. In the end, I decided to start over so I stripped and re-base coated them. Heartbreaking, but utterly necessary!

A rather poor photo of some awful looking tanks! I couldn't submit these and just had to restart them from scratch. 

The second time around the results are much better. I have applied a much simpler hard edge camo design and my usual ink wash (Peat Brown Winsor and Newton Calligraphy Ink watered down 40%) and I am much much happier with the end results. As much as it killed me to restart these I just couldn't bear to present them in their former state. And the lesson folks is that even an experienced model painter can f-up occasionally!

The Panzer IV was an important tank, not because it was the best, but because it had such a long service life. It was continually able to be up-gunned and modified meaning it saw service through the whole of WWII in various iterations. These are the Ausf.J, the final production versions of the Panzer IV. In many ways, it was simpler than the earlier Ausf F version, in large part to speed production in the face of heavy battlefield losses against the Russians. The Ausf J was armed with the 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 gun and had 80mm rolled homogeneous armour on the front and 30mm on the sides. One innovation fitted to some, but not all, J's (and not on these models) was the move from solid Shutzen side plates to Drahtgeflecht Schürzen (Steel Mesh) which obviously saved weight but was found to be just as effective against shaped charge projectiles like Bazookas.

Having to clean and repaint these was a hard choice, but I was so unhappy with my first attempt I just couldn't bring myself to enter them in the Painting Challenge. I'm much happier with the second attempt and they are now ready for use.

Fellowship - Weathertop

I had already decided I wanted to end the Painting Challenge bonus rounds with a Lord of the Rings themed entry when I saw that the final theme would be 'Fellowship'. I gave the idea some thought and one scene from the films stood out - the battle at Weathertop. I had some old bits of GW scenery that could be cleaned and recycled and I was sure I had some unpainted Nazgul somewhere in my lead mountain. Sure enough, I found the components for a little diorama featuring a Sam and Frodo figure combo that I found on eBay.

The Nazgul were simple enough to paint, although I did add a little 'dirt' around the bottom of their cloaks so they are not just plain black. For Frodo and Sam I found a reference picture from the films to get the colours approximately right. I used army painter wash rather than my normal ink on these and I think that worked well considering their small size and fine detail. When I discovered the statue it was already painted, but so battered and chipped that I decided to strip it and repaint it from scratch so that I could use it in this model.

The Nazgul are approximately 28mm, the hobbits are the same scale but stand about 22mm tall and the statue towers over the lot, coming in at about 55mm (it's not technically a figure so I'm not expecting points for that). I had wanted to add more terrain but time was pressing and in the end, I'm glad I went with the simpler layout.

I'm quite chuffed with this little diorama, especially considering it was thrown together from bits out of my lead mountain. 

Normandy Bocage

The Bocage countryside of Northern France is a very distinctive feature of pretty much any game set during the Normandy Campaign of 1944. Bocage consists of mixed woodland and pasture with fields enclosed in very high banks topped with wild and unruly hedgerows. These have built up over centuries as farmers cleared rocks from their fields and threw them to the edges. Eventually, these have built up to form large rocky banks covered in a thick-rooted and largely unmanaged crown of hedgerow and trees. 

About nine years ago I made a load of Bocage hedgerow for my Normandy games and wrote a tutorial about how I did it. But I pretty soon realised I needed much much more. Now (just 9 years later!) I have decided to finish the job and make some more. I have been gathering the materials I needed for several months now as this was always going to be a large project involving a lot of greenery. 

The basis of my method is the use of wooden mouldings bought from a DIY store. These form the core of the earth bank and are then topped with stone chippings and sand. I then spray painted the whole lot brown before dry-brushing with a combination of light brown (on the banks) and grey (on the rocks) before adding static grass. With the earthen core completed the next step was to add the hedgerows and trees. I had bought a wide variety of scenic hedges and model trees (the sort sold by model train shops) and decided to cut these up and mix and match as much as possible. Liberal amounts of PVA were applied with additional grass tufts and flowers added to complete the build and give them an individual and wild look. 

The only problem with this new batch is that they look a little different to the stuff I made 9 years ago. I wasn't going to do anything about it I couldn't ignore the problem and in the end, I pulled out my old Bocage and spent a few hours adding new grass and turf to 'blend' these with the new stuff I have made. You can still see a bit of a difference but its less startling now and I think I can use both sets together without it looking incongruous. 

This new batch comes in at a little over 16 feet in length and fills about three 6" terrain cubes. Added to the eight feet of 'old' Bocage I made before and I just about have enough for a 6x4 table!! 

Sturmgeschütz III

(Saturday DRAFT) From LeeH - Battle hardened Sturmgeschütz III (8pts)

The Sturmgeschutz series of Assult Guns was based on the proven chassis of the Panzer III and was probably one of the most effective weapons in Germany's armoured divisions. Initially designed as assault artillery its role developed as the war progressed. After encountering Soviet T24's and KV tanks the role of tank destroyer, with it's by now upgraded and powerful forward facing gun, became more important. 

Another factor in the success and utility of the StuG's was probably not something the Nazi regime would have liked to trumpet. They were relatively cheap to build and Germany was increasingly short on resources. 

By 1944 the StuG III had been upgunned with the 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 gun making it a much more deadly weapon. The final version of the series was the StuG II Aust G saw service right through the Normandy campaign and beyond. Its superstructure had been widened and it was slightly taller allowing more room in the fighting compartment for the crew, and for ammunition stowage. From May 1943, side hull spaced armour plates (Schürzen) were fitted, initially to protect against Russian anti-tank rifles, but they later also proved effective against hollow-charge ammunition. 

My StuG is battle hardened and covered in camouflage and mud, making it very hard to spot when placed in a good position. 

Sherman DD Tank - Water Feature

For the Water Feature bonus round, I have gone for a Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) tank wading ashore on a Normandy beach.  IN the end, more work went into the base than the tank but this time I'm really pleased with the end result.

The DD's were a British invention (only us Brits are mad enough to attempt to make a tank float!) and were part of a series of specially adapted vehicles collectively known as Hobart's Funnies. The concept of the swimming tank actually dates back to 1918 when the first designs were being considered. Development continued in the inter-war period with initial designs using huge detachable floatation tanks. However, this made the tank very unwieldy and far too wide for any landing craft to carry them. The concept of the floatation screen - increasing the displacement of the tank until it floated -  was first considered in 1940 and was initially tested on the Tetrarch Light Tank and later on Valentines. By 1943 the first tests with Sherman were taking place.

The Vehicle gets its unique name not from the floatation screen but from the drive system that allowed propellers to be fitted to the tank, thereby allowing it to 'drive' through the water like a motorboat. The Sherman could drop its screen very quickly once on land and be ready to fight immediately (importantly, with the first waves of infantry) and must have been a real shock to the German defenders on D-Day. 

I employed a product I have not used before, Vellejo Textured Water Effects. In the pot it looks like PVA glue, although it's consistency is more like jelly and can be applied with a brush or a spatula. However, when it dries it is perfectly clear, making it ideal for modelling drips of water, ripples and even waves. A tiny dab of colour paint can make the 'water' turn opaque, such as on the crests of the waves and the frothy edge of the water on the beach. I also used the texture water to add drips and rivulets of water running off the tank that has just emerged from the sea. For the larger drips, I cut and attached tiny strips of clear plastic to the model then applied the water effect over the top. Using this product requires a lot of patience as the effects are best built up in thin layers.

Incidentally, the seaweed along the shore and tangled on the beach obstacle is made from a cotton thread that I died the correct colour (the wife had every colour in her sewing box, except green!). Cut into little sections and frayed up a little I think it looks pretty good as seaweed. I had wanted to add some casualties and weapons to the beach but in the end, I decided that was a little too dark. Besides I couldn't find anything suitable so a few items of discarded stowage finished off the scene. 

Natal Native Mounted Contingent

Earlier in the Challenge, I painted some Natal Native Contingent and described how they were given relatively little equipment and their uniform consisted of a red bandana to wrap around their foreheads. Fortunately, there were some native troops that were better equipped. The Natal Native Mounted Contingent were relatively small in number and were formed into six Troops of approximately 50 men each, lead by a European Lieutenant and a native NCO. They were largely recruited from the amaNgwane (a tribe from Natal) traditionally hostile to the Zulus.

These troopers were much better equipped than the Native infantry; troopers wore a tan-coloured European style uniform, their mount had full equipment and each trooper was issued with a breech-loading carbine. The European officers usually wore a blue jacket, brown trousers and white helmet although there was some variation. I decided to give one of my officers a soft hat similar to the troops under his command. This involved cutting the pith helmet off, then filing down to the brim and using a tiny dab of greenstuff to form the new core of the hat. A bit fiddly on a 6mm model, ill grant you, but it means my two officers look a little different to each other. 

Five troops were present at Isandlwana under Colonel Durnford. They fought well against the Zulu's, but late in the battle Colonel Durnford dismissed them in order to save as many of his men as he could as the battle descended into chaos. Being mounted they had a much better chance of escape and many are credited with having stopped to give rides to desperate British Soldiers fleeting the massacre. Around 200 NNH survived the battle and were reformed later in the war. 

The newly formed Troops of the NNH went on to see action at Hlobane; the Battle of Kambula; and at the Battle of Ulundi. After the war, the NNH was retained as a police force in conquered Zululand, and saw action during the Zulu civil wars which began in the early 1880s. They were finally disbanded during the Second Anglo-Boer War, due to a growing fear that they could side with the Boers.

I have painted these as both mounted and dismounted troopers. There are 32 mounted troopers, 4 mounted officers/NCO's and 32 dismounted troopers. By my math, that should net me 52 Points.

One of the Few

Just a small entry to the Challenge this week. I have several projects on the go at the same time, including the last two bonus round entries. This means I'm very busy but have nothing to show for it! I'm not too worried though as I have made significant inroads in my Challenge target. In fact, the stuff on my desk right now should bring me right up to my aim point, leaving me a few weeks spare...I'd better get my thinking cap on because at the moment I don't have anything else in the pipeline. 

Anyway, this weeks entry is a bit of a departure for me because it is 1/48th scale (a little over 40mm). I bought it to accompany a 1/48th Spitfire from Revelle that I received at Christmas. I may yet paint that for the Challenge, but it has been years since I attempted a kit model as complicated as this and so far I have chickened out of starting it! So you get the Pilot first, with the possibility of the aircraft at a later date.

This resin model of a British Airman is made by a Czech manufacturer and I bought it through a German supplier! The quality was excellent with just a little bit of resin flash that was easily removed with the edge of a blade. Other than that and a wash to clean the surface before priming no other prep was needed.

Hopefully, I'll have more to present next week. I'm halfway through some Natal Native Horse and a heavy parcel filled with tanks has just arrived from Peter Pig!

Da Vinci's Fighting Vehicle

Renaissance Italy was a patchwork of warring city-states, each constantly looking for an advantage over the other. Rich in coin but poor in manpower the states employed large mercenary contingents into their armies. Not, you would have thought, ideal territory for a jobbing artist and inventor such as Leonardo. However, when he was looking for a new patron instead of offering his sword arm in return for payment he offered the fruits of his prodigious mind.

One potential employer was the Duke of Milan and Leonardo tempted him with a new and innovative weapon of war. Writing to the Duke in 1487, Da Vinci stated: 

"I can make armoured cars, safe and unassailable, which will enter the close ranks of the enemy with their artillery, and no company of soldiers is so great that it will not break through them. And behind these, the infantry will be able to follow quite unharmed and without any opposition.”

Suitably impressed, the Duke of Milan employed the renaissance polymath.

Leonardo da Vinci's fighting vehicle employed a sloped wooden cover to deflect incoming shots and would have been armed with up to a dozen small cannons. The 'crew' of the vehicle would have been very busy indeed, propelling the tank using a massive hand crank and manning the guns once in position.

The actual design has some 'obvious' flaws in it, such as the crank system which would have turned the wheels in opposite directions. Scholars believe this was deliberate so that his design could not be stolen and used by someone else. The size of the narrow wheels would also have made the ground pressure very high meaning it would have been useless on anything other than flat firm ground. While the practical application his design may have been lacking, the concept was certainly way ahead of its time.