On the prowl

My second entry for the painting competition is a rather small one, I must confess. Only 5 6mm vehicules. Thing is, my family has arrived to celebrate Christmas, and I can't really paint. Anyway, here are the famous 5, from GHQ: the AMX-30B2.

Ma deuxieme entree pour le concours de peinture est bien modeste cette fois. Seulement 5 vehicules en 6mm. Le truc est que ma famille est arrivee pour feter Noel ici a Londres, et je n'ai donc plus la poissibilite de peindre. En attendant, voici donc les 5 chars AMX-30B2 de chez GHQ, qui viennent de sortir de mon etabli:

The AMX-30B2 is an evolution from the AMX-30, developped in the late 60's. Indeed, he received in the 80's a laser-guidance system, a better transmission... The interesting thing lies in its armour: only 80mm, which might seem ridiculous. Well it had been designed first for mobility and discretion, and then tank destrucion, with a powerful 105mm gun with a special round, very effective up until 3km.

L'AMX-30B2 est une evolution del'AMX-30, developpe dans les annes 60. Au depart, c'est un char tres particulier, tres peu blinde (seulemnt 80mm de blindage), les ingenieurs avaient tout mise sur sa taille et sa vitesse. Pas forcement idiot, mais pas au point, malgre un bon canon de 105mm, tirant une munition speciale plutot efficace jusqu'a 3km. Le Bé a recu un systeme de visee laser, une meilleure transmission...

In CWC, the AMX-30B2 is very chalenging to play. For 125 points, you have a tank with stabilisor, Infra-red, but 5 hits and a 5+ save (yup, only 5+). so why should I use it? Well, its gun can fire 5 shots at 120cm (take that pesky Commie ;))

A CWC, le char est un vrai challenge a jouer. Il ne coute que 125 points. Pourquoi donc? on a un stabilisateur et la possiblite d'utiliser les infra-rouges. On a egalement un bon canon qui tire 5 fois a 120cm... Le hic, c'est qu'il n'a que 5 hits et une save a 5+ (argh). En general, les chars de cette epoque ont une sauvegarde a 4+ voire 3+ comme l'Abrahams... Mais j'aime les challenges.

Some French punchy recon units

The 3rd Analogue hobbies painting competition is now finally on! And thanks to a day alone at home, I've been able yesterday to paint a few of my Cold War 6mm French. Let's start with the first group, the ERC- 90 Sagaie:

 

Le 3e concours de peinture d'Analogue Hobbies vient de debuter. GRace a un jour tranquille seul a la maison, j'ai pu avancer mon armee francaise guerre froide en 6mm. Voici donc le premier groupe, les ERC-90 Sagaie:

The minis are from CinC and were easy to paint. ERC means "Engin a Roue, Canon de 90mm", " wheeled vehicule with a 90mm gun, east ;) ). They were developped and produced by Panhard in the 1970's, are amphibious, can operate in contaminated areas and can be transported by plane. Cool stuff. Though lightly armoured (only 10mm), they are bloody fast, with a 60km/h top speed in cross-country, and 95 km/h on road... With a 800km range. In Cold War Commander, they are rated as Recon units, , can move up to 25cm (not bad), have 4 shots up to 80 cm (same range as a T-72), have Infra-red vision, 3 hits and a 6+ save. Ok, they're brittle, but might be deadly in ambush.

Les figs viennent de CinC et ont ete tres faciles a peindre. ERC signifie "Engin a Roue, Canon de 90mm" . Plutot facile a retenir, non? Le vehicule a ete developpe par Panhard dans les annees 70. Il est amphibie, peut intervenir en atmosphere contaminee et est aerotransportable. Bref, que du bonheur. Le blindage n'est que de 10mm, mais son point fort est la vitesse, avec des pointes a 60km/h en tout-terrain et 95km/h sur route. Il a une autonomie de 800km. A Cold War Commander, pour 90 petits points, vous avez un vehicule de reco qui peut se deplacer de 25cm, et qui possede 4 tirs a 80 cm (la portee d'un T-72), ainsi que la vision infra-rouge. Bon, ok, il n'a que 3 hits et une sauvegarde a 6+...

Next are 3 AMX-10 RC. Voici maintenant les AMX-10RC.

They were developped by GIAT industry at the same time as the ERC-90. They are a specialised in recon and strike. Their 105mm gun (yup) is very effective up until 2km (meaning a Russian tank doesn't really stand a chance), can race up to 85 km/h on road, and can operate in contaminated areas as well. Very nasty too.

In Cold war Commander, for a mere 120 points, you have a unit with 4 hits and a 6+save, but have 5 shots up to 100cm! Russian tanks, beware!

 

Developpe par le GIAT dans la meme periode, c'est un vehicule la encore specialise dans le reco, mais aussi dans les attaques eclair. Leur canon de 105mm est redoutable jusqu'a 2km ( pauvres Russes) et peuvent decamper jusqu'a 85km/h (catch me if you can!). Ils peuvent egalement operer en atmosphere contaminee. A CWC, pour 120 points, vous avez une unite a 4 hits, une sauvegarde a 6+, avec 5 attaques a 100cm! Niark niark.

D-Day minus 1, getting ready

Between my teaching lessons and my studies in web design (my wife now thinks I'm a complete geek), I managed to finish painting another unit for my TYW army. Don't be disappointed, it's just a warm-up, a lot of minis have been prepped, and I'm ready to rock.

Anyway, today what you can see is the Turenne Cavalry regiment, created by the soon-to-be famous Turenne, during the operations on the Rhine Valley. The minis are from Testudo, and sadly this lot was worse than the previous one. One horseman was completely unusable, and to be complete, I added a dead footman from Old Glory. It is really sad to have such poor moulds, because the minis look really lively, and menacing.

Plus que quelques heures avant le lancement officiel du concours de peinture. Je m'echauffe tranquillement en vous presentant une nouvelle unite de mon armee francaise. Je prends mon temps pour le moment, car je suis occupe, entre mes cours particuliers et mes etudes de web design ( je suis desormais l'archetype du geek selon ma femme). Il s'agit du regiment de cavalerie de Turenne, oui-oui, celui qui va devenir super celebre quelques annees plus tard, qui operait dans la vallee du Rhin. Les figs sont des Testudo, et la j'ai ete encore plus decu que la derniere fois. En effet, un des cavaliers etait tout simplement inutilisable, et j'ai compense en mettant un mort Old Glory ;) C'est vraiment dommage, car les figs sont vraiment belles. Enfin bon.

I am number 38, and more cavalry

Curt's painting competition will start in a few days, and I'm slowly but surely warming up. He decided to ask us for some points objectives. Right, this is a tricky one. Let's first have a look at the scoring system:

6mm foot figure = 1 point
6mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 2 pts
6mm vehicle = 3 pts

15mm foot figure = 2 pts
15mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 4 pts
15mm vehicle = 6 pts

20mm foot figure = 4 pts
20mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 8 pts
20mm vehicle = 12 pts

28mm foot figure = 5 pts
28mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 10 pts
28mm vehicle = 15 pts

54mm foot figure = 10 pts
54mm mounted figures, artillery piece or crew served weapon = 20 pts
54mm vehicle, limber, etc. = 30 pts

So, to sum it up:
- if I want to finish my TYW army, I should paint probably around 400points.
- next, my medieval additional units should amount to around 200 points.
- I also have to finish my French modern army in 6mm, maybe 100 points.
- I'd like to paint some more Vikings : between 40 and 100 points
- then if I'm productive, I'll start my Ancients army, maybe 200 points if I'm lucky.
- And of course, at least one Ronin ;)

So, I might be able to achieve a reasonable score of 1000 points, not bad I think.

Meanwhile, I finished basing a new French cavalry unit for my Thirty Years War project. The minis are from Testudo, and to be honest with, I don't like them. Don't get me wrong, they paint well, but there were lots of mould problems (flash and missing parts). Sadly, I have two more units from them... I prefer the Old Glory ones. Ah well.

Si j'en crois le blog de Curt, je suis le numero 38 sur sa liste. Il nous demande de publier un objectif a atteindre, et d'apres le systeme de points et ma liste ci-dessus, vous voyez que je vais essayer d'atteindre les 1000 points. Cela reste ambitieux, attention, surtout que je commence a avoir du travail en temps que web develloper amateur. Enfin passons.

Vous pouvez egalement voir que je viens de terminer une nouvelle unite de cavalerie francaise pour mon projet Guerre de trente ans. Ce sont des Testudo, et franchement je ne les aime pas. Elles sont certes agreables a peindre, cependant, que de problemes de moules! Entre le flash et les parties manquantes... je prefere de loin les cavaliers Old Glory.

Bon, c'est pas tout ca, je me motive pour le concours de peinture. Zoum!

on my way to a challenge

Right. Curt at Analogue hobbies has launched a painting challenge, which will start on 20th December.

 I've chosen to enter it because I have a lot to paint, and need to keep motivated.
So here are my projects:
-  finish my 15mm TYW army.
-  paint some 15mm medieval stuff, to do a Condotta army.
-  start my new 15mm ancients project
-  maybe paint a couple of 28mm Viking minis.


Curt sur son blog Analogue hobbies a lance un concours de peinture, qui commencera officiellement le 20 decembre.

j'ai decide d'y participer pour entretenir ma motivation et continuer a peindre. Voici donc mes projets:
- terminer mon armee 15mm TYW.
- peindre des complements en medieval pour me faire une armee Condotta.
- commencer un nouveau projet en Antique
- peut-etre peindre quelques Vikings en 28mm.