12th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge Update 2

 So I'm charging through the challenge, currently I've painted 2500 points worth of figures and am comfortably sitting 3rd in the total points. No messing about on to the painting

WW1 Arab Irregular Cavalry

White Russians

Some RCW Sailors

Sci Fi time. Section of troopers made from Stargrave mercenaries box with some additional cast bodies. Plan to play Sci Fi Bolt Action

Some Dr chappie

Another trooper section

Drone and RPG

Big Robot

Final Sci Fi trooper section

Some Brownstone buildings, for Gangster games

These have a special feature, they collapse for easy storage and I have a couple more to build, inc a factory

Next up the Sagas of Noggin the Nog. This was my favourite TV programme as a child and so Northumbrian Tin Soldier make them. They are expensive but very nostalgic. These are Noggin, Nooka (his wife) and Cnut (their son)

Old knig Cnut and Queen Gunhilde

The Ice Dragon, Ronf, Nogbad the Bad and Gracculus

Palace guards with Thor Noggson in the middle

Villagers. I have a plan for a family Christmas game

2nd Edition Warhammer Skinks for the Lizardman army

and some lizardmen. Painted the different lizardmen species in different colours and based them on actaual lizards (ish)

WW2 French Cavalry

Char 1 Bis

M6 Fargo with 37mm AT gun mounted

Australian Light Horse

Finally my Tribute to the dear departed Noel, challenger and poet. This is a lancer on a brindle cow, a line from his poem Fire Moths.

I've also done some gaming but will catch up on that later

It's Dunsterforce

 Last year i painted up a set of figures for Dunsterforce. Dunsterforce, named after Lionel Dunsterville their commander, invaded Azerbaijan at the end of 1917. With the Russian Revolution the British were concerned with the potential capture of oil rich Baku buy the Turks. So they crossed Persia and then boarded ships to cross the Casptian Sea to Baku and mount a defence of the city. There were many adventures on the way but the force is best summed up by one incident. When it was time to cross the Caspian to Baku the locals wouldn't let them fly the Union Jack as it smacked of Imperialism (which was exactly the purpose of the campaign).The problem was the only other flag they had was the Imperial Russian flag and obviously that wouldn't do. So they turned the Russian flag upside down and crossed the sea under the flag of Serbia!.

On Saturday I drove over to Matt's and we fought a large action of Turks and some Russian vs Dunsterforce. THe aim was to capture the railhead and the trains in it. I was Dunsterforce and Matt the Turks.

Dunsterforce advances towards the railhead, which is lightly guarded by Russian militia

THe railhead with a MMG and a light Howitzer

In the distance the Turkish reinforcements are massing, they are many

THe Rolls Royce AC advances but failss to kill the howitzer

Which takes it out next turn. The buildings are now full of milita and they will slow me down just enough

As the Turks race in

I've cleared one of the buildings but 2 more remain as the 2nd wave of Brits appears

My cavalry have advanced, dismounted and are holding up the Turkish advance

Overhead a British plane is raining down lead

Still stuck in the town but the MMG has gone

Cavalry still doing their thing

At last through the town but I'm inthe open and the Turks are close by in cover

I get the worst of the fire fight

But my cavalry has moved off the threaten the Turkish rear

Still firing, and dying. My artillery is ineffective

But my cavalry charge and take out a Turkish gun

Despite taking heavy fire on the way in the Cavalry then take out the Turkish commander and the machine gun behind

But I can't get here, it's too far, my artillery is too ineffective and there are too many Turks

With the last throw of the dice the Turkish artillery takes out Dunsterville, just not cricket.

This was another great game to play and there will be many more. Back of Beyond is a great period, WW1 but with trenches and no mad good tanks

Ardhammer 2022

 Today was Ardhammer in Gateshead. I've not been before and Matt and Steve were making the trek over to have a look. So I popped down. It is simply a bring and buy sale with about 30 tables in 3 shifts. It is not open to traders and is an opportunity to buy some stuff. Which I did.

Kings of War Fantasy rules

A load of painted gis, mainly dwarfs, all were £1 each. Should have bought more

Some ruins, not a bargain and need to pay more attention when checking out stuff as 1 of the sprues was nearly empty

Paint (£1 each) and some Chindit mule teams. Do love a mule team and will have multiple uses if I base the muleteers separately

Bargain of the day. Reaper bones figs at £1 or £2 each. Bought a lizardman, cowboy and a female warrior plus a couple more were creatures

Generally a good day, although most of the stuff was GW and expensive (cheap for GW) and will be back for the next one in 2 years time

Challenge Update

 The XII Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge started just over 3 weeks ago. This year there are a lot of fast painters and I think there will be a lot of figures painted during the challenge. There was even a write up in this month's Wargames Illustrated buy the dear, departed Noel.

As usual I've loads to paint and I am chewing through it quite nicely, I've top of the leaderboard at the moment but I have little hope of staying there. I had 1 main project, a 3D printed lizardman army (pretty much finished that) and a lot of other figures to top off other collections. I may even paint that 15mm Roman Legion that I've got staring at me.

So what have a painted

Lizardmen

and some more

Brilliant lizardman general

Big jobs, Godzilla style

1st Iguana Lancers

more lizardmen

and more

and more

guess what

The whole army, most of these are from Sundered Studios and I highly recommend

Daugthers of Gaia by Bad Squiddo

Steam punk crabs

Last and not least a Were-armadillo

I've enjoyed the painting, nice to get back into it and i am off to refight the battle of Baku tomorrow with the Dunsterforce.