Challenge Submissions
Another submission went in this afternoon - 32 Swiss halberdiers, which will score me 64 points. This would have placed me 7 points behind Ray, but he managed to sneak a unit of cavalry in, scoring him 52 points. And he has, apparently, got a load more stuff almost finished. It doesn't look as though I'll catch him then.
Also, having leapfrogged ahead of Fran the other day, he's zoomed past into 4th place with a huge entry. No way I'm going to catch him now either.
Completing my Swiss
The halberdiers will be the last of the Swiss for a little while. I've decided to hold off on the pikemen for now, until the mass of lead I ordered from Donnington today arrive. Then I'll paint them all up together - 256 pikemen! Plus some more handgunners, crossbowmen, artillery and the command stands....
What's next?
I've (re)started work on my Scythians. I'd left the light horse with the riders primed and the horses part-painted a few months back, but with the Swiss decision I needed something to paint up. I've managed to get a decent way through these today - horses almost finished (just metalwork and horsehair tassels to do) and the riders have had trousers and jackets done. I might manage to finish painting them tomorrow, so they may be based, flocked and tufted for submission to Curt on Wednesday all things going well. Like the Croats, these will be a fairly colourful bunch.
After these guys, I'll be switching back to 28mm and the Normans. This afternoon I washed the various (Conquest Games) infantry and knights sprues in warm soapy water, rinsed them and have left them to dry. At some point this week, I'm going to have to do a very big assembly session. Hmmm, maybe I should prep some more 15mm stuff to preserve my sanity?
About Me
- TamsinP
- London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- A mythical beast - a female wargamer! I got back into wargaming in the summer of 2011 after a very, very long break and haven't looked back since. I must admit that I seem to be more of a painter/collector than a gamer, but do hope to correct that at some point in the near future. My gaming interests span the ages, from the "Biblical" era all the way through to the far future. I enjoy games of all sizes, from a handful of figures up to major battles (see my megalomaniacally sized Choson Korean and Russian Seven Years War armies).
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Challenge Entry #7: The First of the Swiss
Well, the first of the 15mm Swiss that I've entered in the Challenge! Curt posted them just over a day ago, so I can show them here now. the figures are 15mm from Donnington's New Era range. I've got a couple more batches ready to go, but still need to order the rest of the figures I'll need for my full Swiss army.
These 32 figures scored me 64 points, propelling me from 13th place to 10th and leapfrogging Fran. However, I'm sure that the big fella is frantically beavering away with his next entry, which will leave me in the dust.
Crossbowmen
16 light foot with crossbows. You may recall from several months back that I'd painted up 16 light foot with handguns, and done them as 1 base for each of the eight cantons of the Old Confederation. I followed the same scheme with the crossbowmen. Both types will eventually be boosted to 20 bases (40 figures) and my plan is to have at least 1 figure in the colours of each canton represented in the Swiss army at Murat. This may mean that some cantons are over-represented, and others under-represented among the light foot. However, that will be more than balanced out when I have done all the pike blocks and halberdiers.
"Enfants Perdu"
Joining the crossbowmen in this entry were 16 peasants based as light foot to represent the Enfants Perdu (Lost Children) who are recorded as playing a role at Laupen (1339), where they threw stones down onto Austrian troops.
Some Weirdness With Page Views
Over the past few days, I've noticed a massive leap in page views to more than double what I'd expect. It can't be explained by links from other blogs. I suspect that my blog is being webcrawled by various search engines.
Has anyone else noticed this on their blogs recently?
These 32 figures scored me 64 points, propelling me from 13th place to 10th and leapfrogging Fran. However, I'm sure that the big fella is frantically beavering away with his next entry, which will leave me in the dust.
Crossbowmen
16 light foot with crossbows. You may recall from several months back that I'd painted up 16 light foot with handguns, and done them as 1 base for each of the eight cantons of the Old Confederation. I followed the same scheme with the crossbowmen. Both types will eventually be boosted to 20 bases (40 figures) and my plan is to have at least 1 figure in the colours of each canton represented in the Swiss army at Murat. This may mean that some cantons are over-represented, and others under-represented among the light foot. However, that will be more than balanced out when I have done all the pike blocks and halberdiers.
"Enfants Perdu"
Joining the crossbowmen in this entry were 16 peasants based as light foot to represent the Enfants Perdu (Lost Children) who are recorded as playing a role at Laupen (1339), where they threw stones down onto Austrian troops.
Some Weirdness With Page Views
Over the past few days, I've noticed a massive leap in page views to more than double what I'd expect. It can't be explained by links from other blogs. I suspect that my blog is being webcrawled by various search engines.
Has anyone else noticed this on their blogs recently?
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Mid-Week Update
Cough/Cold/Bugginess
It seems to be clearing up now. Thank goodness! I can get back to uninterrupted painting again.
Challenge Painting
I've finished painting the first 32 figures of my initial Swiss contingent. They've had their Klear/ink coat and this evening I have based them. The plan is to get them sprayed with matt varnish in the morning, then do tufting and flocking in the evening giving me 64 points and putting me into 12th place ahead of Fran. Unless, of course, he submits more figures in the meantime....
I've made a start on the next batch of 32 figures as well. This group should paint up very quickly and I might be able to get them entered at the weekend. Then I can make a start on the final set of this initial tranche towards my medieval Swiss army.
Tomorrow evening I will try to remember to post the pics from Usk.
It seems to be clearing up now. Thank goodness! I can get back to uninterrupted painting again.
Challenge Painting
I've finished painting the first 32 figures of my initial Swiss contingent. They've had their Klear/ink coat and this evening I have based them. The plan is to get them sprayed with matt varnish in the morning, then do tufting and flocking in the evening giving me 64 points and putting me into 12th place ahead of Fran. Unless, of course, he submits more figures in the meantime....
I've made a start on the next batch of 32 figures as well. This group should paint up very quickly and I might be able to get them entered at the weekend. Then I can make a start on the final set of this initial tranche towards my medieval Swiss army.
Tomorrow evening I will try to remember to post the pics from Usk.
Monday, 28 January 2013
Challenge Entry #6 - 30YW "Horse"
Curt posted pics of these on Saturday, so I could have posted them here yesterday but decided to leave it until today. Here's the link to Curt's post:
And here are the very same pics!
My 30YW army is already taking up nearly 3 foolscap file boxes, although I think there's enough space for the rest of the bits I have left to paint - unless I decide to do a contingent of Wallachian/Transylvanian allies or some more foot regiments!
All that is (currently) left to paint are the Hakkapelliita, another unit of Harquebusiers, 6 artillery limbers and the casualty markers.
Current Painting
My cough eased off yesterday (much to the relief of my ribs). Unfortunately it had merely transferred to my nostrils which were producing copious volumes of very watery mucous. Yuck! Naturally that made painting rather difficult - I'd manage to apply colour to a few figures then have to blow my nose. So, I didn't get a lot done.
Today has been much better and I've been able to crack on and get quite a lot done. One batch of 16 are fully painted, the other 16 are a good way towards being done (and will be even nearer completion by the time I go to bed).
I'm planning to base them up at the same time, hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday, then I should be able to submit them to Curt for Thursday. I just have to keep my fingers crossed that Fran hasn't been beavering away finishing off more stuff, so that I can leapfrog him on the Challenge points table!
Saturday, 26 January 2013
28mm Norman Skirmishers
They've been up on Curt's blog for a couple of days now, so time to show them here - the 28mm Norman skirmishers from Conquest Games.
Ray and Fran have been submitting big loads, which means I'm lagging behind them a bit. I doubt I'll catch Ray, but I might be able to overhaul Fran on the table!
I didn't finish the 30YW horse or get any painting done yesterday - not long after I got to work I started feeling cold to the bone, achey and could feel a cough building. Not a cold for once, but my first "cough" for several years. I've managed to do the tufting & flocking on the 30YW horse today and a little bit of painting on some Swiss- just the undercoat and dry-brush of the metalwork and the flesh. Hopefully I'll be in a better state physically tomorrow and will be able to crack on with them.
28mm Normans from Conquest Games
These were great to paint up. I tried a couple of things different to the Vikings and Saxons:
1) Basing was a mix of ballast and modeling paste. This proved much easier to deal with than PVA/ballast.
2) I primed them black then gave a heavy dry-brush of Iraqi Sand and a light dry-brush of Pale Sand to provide some pre-highlighting.
The pre-highlighting seems to have worked quite well, much better than pre-shading (dark wash over white primer) that I've tried before.
Ray and Fran have been submitting big loads, which means I'm lagging behind them a bit. I doubt I'll catch Ray, but I might be able to overhaul Fran on the table!
I didn't finish the 30YW horse or get any painting done yesterday - not long after I got to work I started feeling cold to the bone, achey and could feel a cough building. Not a cold for once, but my first "cough" for several years. I've managed to do the tufting & flocking on the 30YW horse today and a little bit of painting on some Swiss- just the undercoat and dry-brush of the metalwork and the flesh. Hopefully I'll be in a better state physically tomorrow and will be able to crack on with them.
28mm Normans from Conquest Games
These were great to paint up. I tried a couple of things different to the Vikings and Saxons:
1) Basing was a mix of ballast and modeling paste. This proved much easier to deal with than PVA/ballast.
2) I primed them black then gave a heavy dry-brush of Iraqi Sand and a light dry-brush of Pale Sand to provide some pre-highlighting.
The pre-highlighting seems to have worked quite well, much better than pre-shading (dark wash over white primer) that I've tried before.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
On The Workbench 24/1/2013
The Normans are finished and photographed now, and the pics have been sent to Curt - hopefully they'll be up on his blog in a few hours time.
So, this is what is currently on my workbench:
The 30YW horse are fully painted and have been based. I'm just waiting for the gunk to dry before dry-brushing it. Then in the morning I will brave the cold and matt spray them before work. That will allow me to tuft and flock them tomorrow evening.
Hmmm, two 100-point-plus challenge entries in 2 days? Nicely done!
The figures on the painting sticks are the first of the 15mm Swiss I'll be painting up over the weekend. If I'm lucky I'll get them finished before Ray paints up anything else, and will leapfrog ahead of him and Fran!
So, this is what is currently on my workbench:
The 30YW horse are fully painted and have been based. I'm just waiting for the gunk to dry before dry-brushing it. Then in the morning I will brave the cold and matt spray them before work. That will allow me to tuft and flock them tomorrow evening.
Hmmm, two 100-point-plus challenge entries in 2 days? Nicely done!
The figures on the painting sticks are the first of the 15mm Swiss I'll be painting up over the weekend. If I'm lucky I'll get them finished before Ray paints up anything else, and will leapfrog ahead of him and Fran!
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Painting Updates
After posting on Sunday I prepped the extra 6 figures I need for my late 30YW horse and all of the Swiss. Luckily the Swiss had very little to clean up in terms of flash and mould lines, so it didn't take very long. I then put them to soak in warm soapy water overnight.
Yesterday I rinsed them off, dried them and then stuck them onto painting sticks. Once the PVA had set I superglued the riders onto the horses and pikes into the hands of the Swiss pikemen. A couple of hours later I primed them all with gesso.
Today I managed to finish painting the Norman skirmishers and they have been given their Klear/ink coat. If I manage to get up early tomorrow morning, I'll be brave and throw the windows open so that I can do the matt varnish spray before heading off to work. That way I can flock the bases when I get home in the evening.
As there was nothing else ready to paint, I made a start on the extra 6 figures for my late 30YW horse units (2 troopers, 1 standard bearer, 3 officers) with the intent of getting them to the same stage as the 30 I was working on last week. I've managed to get very close and should be able to finish painting the whole lot tomorrow evening, but probably won't be able to get them based - that will need to wait until Thursday, then Friday should see them matt sprayed, flocked and tufted.
Once all those are done it will be decision time - which of the Swiss to do first? At the moment I'm thinking of doing the crossbowmen and enfants perdu as they should provide some quick points for the Challenge.
Yesterday I rinsed them off, dried them and then stuck them onto painting sticks. Once the PVA had set I superglued the riders onto the horses and pikes into the hands of the Swiss pikemen. A couple of hours later I primed them all with gesso.
Today I managed to finish painting the Norman skirmishers and they have been given their Klear/ink coat. If I manage to get up early tomorrow morning, I'll be brave and throw the windows open so that I can do the matt varnish spray before heading off to work. That way I can flock the bases when I get home in the evening.
As there was nothing else ready to paint, I made a start on the extra 6 figures for my late 30YW horse units (2 troopers, 1 standard bearer, 3 officers) with the intent of getting them to the same stage as the 30 I was working on last week. I've managed to get very close and should be able to finish painting the whole lot tomorrow evening, but probably won't be able to get them based - that will need to wait until Thursday, then Friday should see them matt sprayed, flocked and tufted.
Once all those are done it will be decision time - which of the Swiss to do first? At the moment I'm thinking of doing the crossbowmen and enfants perdu as they should provide some quick points for the Challenge.
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