A hump for DaveD

At Crisis in November I had the chance to not only meet our honourable host Curt, but also had the pleasure to make the acquaintance of co-challenger, fine fellow and all-round gentleman Dave D. The state of the hobby was discussed, a few beers were had and all in all it was a wonderful time out.

From left to right: DaveD, RobP (behind), ChristopherS, JakeK, Jerry Miller and his wife Christine, myself , Curt and MikeF

Una ametralladora Hotchkiss para la legión

Pardon my Spanish. Actually I'm not even completely sure I didn't make any spelling errors but it sounds suitably "dramatic" don't you agree?

So what's this all about? Well, it has taken me a while but I'm finally back painting some reinforcements for my SCW Nationalists.

WW2 - German marsh pattern painting guide

At CRISIS in Antwerp I, of course, couldn't withstand the temptation to get my grubby fingers on the new Volksgrenadier sets by Empress Miniatures. They're sculpted by Mr. Paul Hicks again and suffice to say they're lovely.
Also I haven't done another WW2 painting guide for quite a while, so I thought this might be the chance to cover yet another infamous German camouflage pattern.

The "Sumpftarnmuster" or swamp/ marsh pattern camouflage scheme was introduced in 1943. It was a variation of the older and more well known "Splittertarnmuster". It came in two main types namely the M1943 pattern with hard edged spots of red-brown and green, as well as the M1944 pattern blurred edge version.
After the war it was used by the Federal German Bundesgrenzschutz, in short BGS, from 1952 till the late 80's. It was exported to several countries abroad and for example some Libyan units wore it as late as 2007.

-Later BGS Sumpfteran variant-

Yet another squad of International Brigadistas

To round out my little Republican force I felt I'd need at least another squad of International Brigades before going back to paint some more Nationalists.

International Brigades Bofors Anti-Tank gun

While lecturing about the lack of need for dedicated Anti-Tank support weapons in Bolt Action in my last post, I still liked this little cutie too much not to paint it up.

The Bofors 37mm gun was used in small numbers by the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. Its performance was roughly comparable of that of the contemporary German 3.7cm PaK 36 as used by the Nationalists.

Armoured support for the Republic

Comrade Stalin saw fit to supply some armoured support for my hard pressed Republican force.

More SCW Republican Reinforcements

Today I finally sat down and took pictures of most of the miniatures I painted over the last few months. Actually enough for a couple of blog posts, so watch this place.

First off a second squad for my International Brigades.

3rd century AD - Roman Lanciarii

It has been unusually quiet on this blog, even considering my standards. But this doesn't mean I haven't been idle hobby wise. In fact I've been rather productive but honestly I didn't feel like taking pictures. I'm still not really comfortable with my new camera, thus I've let it slip.

Anyway, I couldn't withstand the temptation to start a new project and am about to embark onto a journey which will lead me into the turbulent 3rd century A.D., also known as the time of crisis for the Roman Empire. So yes, once more it's all about mighty Rome and her enemies.

Spanish Civil War reinforcements

Finished some more reinforcements for my fledgling Spanish Republican Army. 

Figures are Empress once again and absolutely gorgeous to paint. Only the HMG team required some work as the face of the loader was badly miscast. I don't feel like writing a wall of text (you probably won't read anyway ;-P) to accompany the figures, so I'm afraid but you've to make do with just the photos.

Even more Red & Green Devils

While I'm rather productive at the moment as far as painting is concerned, I've become quite lazy when it comes to posting the results of said productivity. Painting wise I felt like continuing with my Italian campaign WW2 project. First off is a command group for the Red Devils

The eagle has landed

Only the shortest of posts as I don't have much time to spare currently but wanted to share my latest progress nonetheless.
I'm still in painting mood and still trying out my new camera. I'm getting quite comfortable now with all those 'auto modes' but am still struggling with the finer points of such niceties like ISO, shutter time and so on...

The start of my SCW Republicans

Having recently painted a small contingent of Spanish Foreign Legionaries to get started on the Spanish Civil War, it was only a matter of time till I'd get to the opponents.

First entries to the LPL and a new camera

Again it's been quiet around here for a few weeks, but work on various projects has continued nonetheless. As mentioned in my last post on the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge blog (which I completely forgot to post on here), this year I'm taking part in the so called Lead Painters League over on the Lead Adventure Forum. It's an interesting experience to actually compete with other painters for the first time and I do enjoy it quite a lot.

As a positive side effect I'm painting both more in terms of quantity and more frequently as I want to submit a new team for each of the 10 rounds. We'll see how this works out ;-)

As an aside I've shared out some cash and bought myself a new camera. I decided to spend a little more than for the last, in the vain hope it'd improve my photography skills by just owning better equipment, and went for a Canon EOS1300D. It's the first reflex camera I've ever owned and as it turns out it needs quite some more practice than my former compact cameras.

I'm still in the process of getting the colour balances right... *sigh*

But on to the pictures.

First let me introduce you to the Occulites, some small and quite fancy miniatures from a game produced by Darwin Games in Australia. These are the original metal sculpts I bought for my wife a few years back, not the newer plastic figures.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain - Hero of the Imperium

For this post I'll once again stroll off my habitual historical path and will enter the grim darkness of the far future. All kinds of threats are roaming between the stars, the home of a mankind beset by enemies from the outside as well as from within. It's the 41st millennium and everything is dark and humorless.

La Legion

This years challenge has started quite slowly for me but at long last I'm finally able to squeeze in an adequately sized submission. Curt, ChrisS, PhilH and myself are running a Spanish Civil War side challenge and if I'm not completely mistaken this entry should put me in the lead... for the moment at least. As per our agreement it's a legally playable force for Bolt Action.

Western Roman Cataphractarii

The Cataphractarii were the tanks of late antiquity. Like their eastern equivalent, the Clibanarii, they were heavily armoured and also made use of the contus. The contus was a long cavalry lance of between 3 and 5 meters. It should be noted that medieval lances only measured about 2.50 to 3 meters in length. Due the extreme length the contus had to be used with both hands and thus the Cataphractarii didn't use shields, or if so only very small shields strapped to the upper arm.

Balbus the disfigured - Early Republican Roman command stand

Finally I've made it! My first scheduled friday-submission!
Well, live is rather busy around here with me being away on in-company training for much of the time as well as taking over new responsibilities in my job. Normally I would have planned to have more time for painting this challenge, but alas it was not to be. I'm rather sure most of you know such real live issues only to well so I stop blathering and will come straight to business.

If walls could talk...

It was a sad day for Frank Sperber, Obergefreiter of the Wehrmacht, when he returned home for the first time in over a year. The last time he saw the house he had called his home was when he departed for his first assignment after basic training, sitting on the floor of a horse cart, holding a lock of blonde hair in his left hand. He was to join a newly raised Panzergrenadierdivision in France and he could still vividly remember his parents, standing at the garden gate, waving him goodbye with tears in their eyes as if they'd knew what was to come. And there was Anne... 

Eastern Roman Clibanarii

The Clibanarii are thought to have been the eastern Roman equivalent to the western Cataphractarii. Both were inspired by the heavy cavalrymen Rome encountered in her battles against the Parthians and later Sassanids. The word Clibanarius probably stems from the Persian word griwbanwar (neck-guard wearer).

'Liberated' R35 in German service

As certainly some of my regular followers will be aware of, I'm currently taking part in the frenzy that is the Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. Thus service on this blog might be even more erratic than usual. 

Panzerkampfwagen 35R 731(f) - France June 1940