Michael Awdry is a Beautiful Human Being

During the recent VI Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge I had a side challenge with Michael Awdry of 28mm Victorian Warfare fame to paint the most number of Zulus. I was speed painting my fairly rubbish miniatures and Michael was painting his to is usual high standard, so I set up a 4:1 handicap to make it a fair challenge. I won, although it was fairly close. The prize to the winner was a Zulu Induna and Michael's figure arrived in the post this morning. Its a beautiful piece of work and I think  the first figure I have that has been painted by someone else.

He will look great leading my Impis into battle.
For those of you who have not seen my Zulus I'm pretty pleased with them. I bought the figs of ebay and they are a pretty poor lot, either with boring poses or poorly cast. I based them in groups of 12 and used coia to represent  elephant grass. The figures were painted simply with basic shading and I put the effort into the shields, these are most of the figs with a few other singly based figs

This is the only appropriate song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtqXuK2Ga3s

Thank you Michael

Yet another Challenge Update

Only 3 more weeks of the challenge to go and I'm still in 2nd place, it's still not a race but I like to use it to complete some big projects. By the end of the challenge I will have completed a Zulu army and an Republican Roman army plus a few other bits.
Speaking of the Romans I have 2 more completed units

These are Voloscan skirmishers from Aventine and will act as allies for the Romans. These are great figures but are very large figures.

Next up are a unit of Principes by Aventine again

I appear to have missed off a belt from the end guy.

I have been loving painting the Romans and decided to extend the army to 10 cohorts and purchased 1 unit of Triarii and 2 units of Principes from 1st Corps which arrived in 3 days. I'm a big fan of the 1st Corps figures and they are cheap - 90p per figure if you buy the units. They are however much smaller than the Aventine figures.

Aventine vs Crusader vs 1st Corps

As you can see the size difference is dramatic. The 1st Corps figure is on a thiner base and the pose lowers the height a little but the Aventine figures are massive. Normally I don't really care and luckily with a couple of exceptions each of the Cohorts will be a single manufacturer. I should have finished them all in the next week.

3 more weeks and then it's back to regular posting.

As a tribute to Aventine miniatures this little comic ditty 

Guess What?

Yip another painting challenge update. This is a long post so it needs a long song (cheesy classic)

I feel a bit weird about these posts as they are basically duplicates and I don't like repeating myself. That is a bit odd from a man who lectures for a living and basically repeats himself annually (well almost, I do like to tinker with my lectures every year)
Also it feels like I haven't posted for ages and I'm away all weekend.
I have done no gaming, but I have have been trying to cover my gaming boards with not quite enough felt, very annoying.
First up the Curtgeld, Curt's payment for running the challenge is a figure of a gambler, I chose Wild Bill Hickok, he's an Artizan figure.

The main work has been my Republican Romans, which I'm loving. The figs are Crusader (bought in their sale as a full army last January) and Aventine. The Crusader figs are well made and great figures but the Aventine ones are works of art, if a little tall.  I love the overall effect and I really like painting the shield designs.

First up 2 units of hastai

Aventine Figs

Crusader Figs

Next up a unit of Principes

Crusader Figs

All legions need commanders and I have 3, mainly Aventine and 1 Crusader. I based them up as little vignettes and i think they work really well.

This guy was out of a Northstar lucky bag and I added the crest from the bits box

The next figs are from Magister Militum and are a weird looking Carthaginian general

Finally some Parthian Camel Cataphracts. Always wanted some of these and a desert fantasy army. The figures are really tall, 70mm.

right I'm off to get drunk for 4 days in Bedfordshire

Another Challenge Update

I've been properly kicked off the top of the challenge leader board by and epic submission by AlexS. I'm making a valiant response and hopefully the birth of his 2nd daughter, congratulations to him and his wife, will slow him down.
My last submission was some Gaul light cavalry from Wargames Factory

These are pretty good, esp. the horses. I've been battling with the Noble cavalry from the same box but they are rubbish and I've put them to one side as it is affecting my mojo.

My second set of figs were part of a prize I won from Ray Rousell for his millionth hit, which is a epic feat. These 4 Picts came with 20+ Saxons and they are old school goodness

I've been financially good this year so far and as a treat, it's my birthday soon, I've been shopping at Aventine, Ebob, NorthStar and Amazon so expects some shinys next post. 

I tried another game of Dragon Rampant with Zulus against Jungle Natives armed with bows and muskets but it was a disaster. I handled the Zulus very badly and they got killed piecemeal, helped by some shocking dice throwing. Will have another go soon.

This is my earworm at the moment - not at all my style but not a terrible song, this is a good cover

Challenge Update

Just a quick update on the painting so far. I'm still at top of leader board, or should be after Wednesday.

Copplestone British Sailors for fighting Zulus

Tsuba German Sailors with HMG for fighting VBCW types

Wargames Factory Numidians for fighting Romans

Finally a set of figs from this great film

Tsuba miniatures Good, Bad and Weird for fighting everybody and each other

Next challenge update

Still leading the way on the Challenge, although a stop for a pie and a pint may be on the horizon.
Starting to focus on the next phase of my winter's painting which is the Punic Wars. I have several 1/2 finished ancients armies and I need more to play with.

Roman cavalry with hand painted octopus shields

Roman hastai with hand painted horse shields

I'm no great free hand artist but I do like painting shields

Next up some Victrix and Wargames Factory Carthaginian (Numidian) skirmishers.

I really like the Victix figures but the Wargames Factory figs are pretty poor

I've also submitted a couple of bonus round figures, a Citadel Orc for the Nostalgia round, although I may repaint him as not happy with the skin tone and the others think that he is playing hockey and needs a head to hit.

Finally the Epic Fail round got General Custer. He failed to obey the 1st rule of life "Don't be a Dick"

This has been stuck in my head for a couple of days - Big Brother