WIP - Numidian Field Force Part 2

 I finally got around to working on both the crewmen for my elephants and the Victrix pack of Numidian cavalry that I picked up. I hope to post all in time for my Wednesday slot with the AHPC XIII.

Anyscale Models - RAM Kangaroos

Work has progressed in recent days after sitting on a back burner for almost 7 weeks. Fenders were added and the body adjusted slightly to accommodate the add-on. The paint job was complete and the infantry were painted as my intended first entry into the  Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge XIII. Due to circumstances they became the third entry.

According to Wikipedia, the Ram was a cruiser tank designed and built by Canada in the Second World War, based on the U.S. M3 Medium tank chassis. Due to standardization on the American Sherman tank for frontline units, it was used exclusively for training purposes and was never used in combat as a gun tank. The chassis was used for several other combat roles however, such as a flamethrower tank, observation post, and armoured personnel carrier.

BONUS - The RAM Badger

The Bager was a flamethrower equipped tank. The first Badgers were Ram Kangaroos with the Wasp II flamethrowing equipment (as used on the Universal Carrier) installed in place of the bow MG. Later models were turreted Rams with the equipment in place of the main gun.  

SPACE 1889 - Martian Gashants - Part 2

 I have completed 11 figures which arrived on Wednesday and the work was posted as my first entry into the AHPC XIII.

There appear to be two types of Gashants. The domesticated variety equipped with European tack. I painted up three of them and kept it to a simple uniform look. I have another 24 of these figures to paint.

Then there is the second, wild variety, which appear to be used by the various Martian tribes. I had 8 of these figures and painted them all. I experimented with 4 different skin colours, as well as two different beak colours (red or yellow). One of each for the four different skin colours used. For lack of a better term the wild gashants seem to display some sort of comb. Again I used a different colour to go with each of the skin colour variations.

Merry Christmas to All

 Wishing all the best wishes for the holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

SPACE 1889 - Martian Gashants

 Wow, just in time for the AHPC XIII, I received this evening a package containing 35 RAFM martian Gashants. I now have to patiently hunt down 35 Martian riders for these mounts.

BA-10 Armoured Cars

 A couple of more vehicles for The Anatomy of a Small War. The BA-10 first saw action against the Japanese in Manchuria at the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in 1939. Some were captured and later used by the Manchukuo.

 According to Wikipedia the BA-10 (Russian: Broneavtomobil 10) was an armored car developed in the Soviet Union in 1938 and produced through 1941. It was the most produced Soviet pre-1941 heavy armored car – 3311 were built in three versions. These versions were the BA-10, the BA-10M (improved version with new radio), and the BA-10ZhD (equipped for dual railway/road use). The basic BA-10 design was developed from the BA-3 and BA-6 heavy armored cars. It had an improved GAZ-AAA chassis and improved armor (up to 15mm at front and turret). 

 I purchased these resin vehicles from JTFM Miniatures produced here in Canada. I have always been happy both with the product and the service (other than the irregularities provided by Canada Post).

PCS - 2 The Palanquin of Dr. Koo

 More Pulp Figures from the China Station line. Dr. Koo is on the road carried by his trusty porters and accompanied by his bodyguard. Some will wonder why he does not wear the orange robes of state. Many will ponder the meaning of the blue dragon on the back of his exposed chair. Those taking part in my Daredevils Campaign will have an inkling.

WIP - Anyscale Kangaroos

 When I started to build my Canadian Bolt Action force, I knew that I would need some RAM Kangaroos to act as my armoured troop carriers. Looking around at the various options available I decided to purchase them from Anyscale Models. At the time, they offered the best price for my wallet.

For mid-November it was unseasonably warm today in Montreal. I knew these vehicles needed a second coat of spray paint. The first coat had been a British Army Bronze-Green at the beginning of the summer and I was not happy with the overall colour. Today the second coat was Army Painter Armoured Green. Combined with the bronze-green undercoat it looks okay. I now have a base upon which to work.

However it wasn't really a nice day over all so I sat down and thought about what project I wanted to advance. I remembered that I had purchased a box of Warlord Games WW2 British Infantry. When I made the purchase I knew it would be to cannibalize the figures to provide me with removable infantry for my APCs. I used all the whole torsos that were available and then sliced another 6 bodies off at the waist. I am happy with the results so far.

11th day of 11th month

 My grandfather was in the RCN assigned to HMCS Niobe during the great war and was in Halifax to witness the Halifax Explosion of December 6th 1917. My father served in the RCAF as a tail gunner of  a Lancaster bomber during WW2. He remained in service with the Royal Canadian Engineers until his retirement in 1968.

My grandfather as a young man in the RCN

At 66 years of age I count myself very fortunate never having to experience the traumas they lived. I grew up in relative comfort and peace. Thank you to all who have served or continue to serve. 

My Dad and his fellow crewmates, serving with
626 Squadron of the Royal Air Force

Dad with his wartime service medals
displayed under his Air Gunner Wing

Two of my father's crewmates received the DFC for actions in March 1945.

 London Gazette (July 20th 1945) F/O James Carlyle FISK (J89475), 626 Sqn being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Flying Officer Fisk has completed numerous successful operational sorties and has at all times shown the utmost determination to engage the enemy. In March 1945 he was returning from a successful mine-laying sortie in Baltic waters when his aircraft was attacked by an enemy fighter. Due entirely to Flying Officer Fisk's determination and his skillful handling of the aircraft the enemy aircraft was shot down in flames. Immediately after this incident another fighter was sighted which shadowed his aircraft with great persistence. This attacker was eventually shaken off. Throughout this incident and in all his sorties Flying Officer Fisk has displayed able captaincy and gallantry.

F/O James POLLOCK (J37724) - also received the Distinguished Flying Cross - No.626 Squadron - Award effective 8 September 1945 as per London Gazette dated 25 September 1945. Citation as follows: As air bomber this officer has completed numerous sorties. On one sortie in March 1945, an enemy aircraft was sighted. Flying Officer Pollock immediately manned his guns and attacked the aircraft which was seen to burst into flames. His action probably saved his aircraft and the lives of his crew. Flying Officer Pollock has always shown tenacity and skill and has been a great asset to his crew.

Operational Sorties preformed by 626 Squadron between November 1943 and the end of the war. The squadron flew 2,728 sorties during the war for the loss of 49 aircraft. In addition another 11 aircraft were non-operational losses. 

PCS 15 - Tong Warriors w/ Assorted Weapons #1

I think I have make it clear that I am a fanboy of the Pulp Figures line. I have purchased most of the China Station packages. This post is of 3 packs of  PCS 15 - Tong Warriors w/ Assorted Weapons #1. 

I have painted 3 identical figures in uniform colours. 

They will provide a bodyguard for Dr Koo. (PCS - 2 The Palanquin of Dr. Koo). Dr Koo's bearers will also wear the same colours, but this group of figures is not ready. 

Ral Partha 01-080 Lizard and Rider?

 This is a small rebasing project that has been sitting on the back burner for a couple of years. I picked these 16 figures up fairly inexpensively at the CanGames Marketplace pre-pandemic. They were based on what seemed to me be odd size bases (25mm x 75mm) and were obviously being used for a gaming system in which I did not indulge. Once debased they were clearly identified as a Ral Partha (c) 1977 product. The best match I could find online for them was Ral Partha 01-080  Lizard and Rider. 

 I have rebased them to the standard DBX game systems with a frontage of 60mm. Due to the depth of the figures I have mounted them on an 80mm deep base. Sixty wasn't going to be enough. The previous bases were mixes of carboard  and plastic. I have replaced all with MDF bases with a magnetic bottom. Other than being cool looking figures I am not quite sure where they fit into my gaming needs. Perhaps in a Daredevils Lost World setting, or somewhere in a Space 1889 context on Venus.  

Arcane Academics - A Simple Wooden Goblet

 My 2nd offering from Bob Murch's Arcane Academics is that of PMH-5, Shrine of the Grail. In keeping with the homage that the shrine seems to be inspired by, I painted the goblet as a simple wooden drinking cup. I still have to master keeping my painting within the lines provided.

Arcane Academics - One Damned Thing After Another

In the past and not so distance past I ran a Daredevils Campaign. Pulp stories inspired by the serials of the 30s and 40s, played as reruns on Saturday morning, or after school TV in my youth, or the magazines and paperbacks from the Golden Age of the Pulp Fiction, that were the readily available for purchase with the money earned on my paper route.

Bob Murch's Pulp Figures is an excellent source of 28mm figures for adventure gaming of the interwar period. I'm a big fan and have been hording his figures for a while. I really need to get more of them  painted and onto a tabletop. 

PMH-6 The Alter of Evil

 I backed Bob Murch's Arcane Academics project through Kickstarter and have painted my first offering, PMH-6. The Alter of Evil provides the GM (me), a vehicle to introduce creatures from beyond our plane of existence into the game. The one shown in the photo below has been sitting so long in my pile of lead, I know not, what it is nor from whence it came. If anyone can identify the figure please let me know. Until then I am just going to refer to it as "One Damned Thing", and I guarantee in a gaming situation it will lead to another.

Below is my interpretation of the Alter of Evil, complete with its golden idol and IMO a misguided and most likely lost soul.

Saracen DBA/HOTT Part IX: Arabian Myth Flying Carpet

 While searching my pile of lead, for something, which now escapes me, I found a Flying Carpet. I think it was a Black Tree Design purchase to serve as an additional element for my Saracen HOTT army. However it was a perfect item upon which to test my idea for the overall look of the some new desert elements. As well as establishing a new look I also test drove the Army Painter Speedpaints Starter pack. 

I first hammered a clear plastic push pin through the centre of a LITKO 3mm thick plywood base. I then clipped the point off the tack as close to the wood as I could. This provided a solid element to work with. A 25mm metal washer was superglued to the flat head of the pin. Finally green stuff was used to adhere the figure to the washer. 

I had a previous Flying Carpet as part of the army but I was not content with its base. I had used a clear Warhammer Flying stand and it didn't withstand the treatment I dished out. The figure broke off  a couple of times. I am sure that the photo below was the third time it was rebased. Today's addition appears to be much more robust than my previous effort. 

PS. I am unable to locate the figure on the current Black Tree Design online catalogue.  

Halloween - Reaper Madness

 While out east on vacation I received some miniatures from a fellow gamer, when I dropped in for a day of gaming. Among the figures were two identical ogres by Reaper Miniatures.

 Les said he had received them as some kind of promotional with an order he had placed.  Checking online,  I easily found the figures. They are Garghuk Ogre Chieftain from their Bones Black Line. In honour of Halloween I offer these two gentlefolk, as the special of the day. I refer to them as Tweedledum and Tweedledee. 

Roman Carroballista - Part III - Completed

 I am very happy with the the final results. The merging of 30 year old Ral Partha/RAFM war machines that were rusting away in my private junkyard, crewed by some superb looking Essex Miniatures, all around or mounted on ox carts purchased from Warlord Games. 

To quote Hannibal Smith