Voting for the Empire Theme Round is OPEN!

G'day All,

Now all the entries for the Empire Theme Round have been published you can enjoy a beverage of your choice, review all the amazing work and cast your vote!

Here's a list of all the submissions to ensure you don't miss anyone, followed by the link to the poll...

• AaronH - Imperial Storm Troopers
• AdamC - Battle Fleet Gothic Imperial Navy
• AdamW - A Fabulous Persian Adventure - Dunsterforce
• Barks - The Emperor of Mankind
• BillA - The King and Queen of Yaxchilan
• ByronM - Fallen Roman Temple
• ChrisW - Miscellaneous Figures
• DallasE - Sisters of Battle Predator/Castigator
• DaveD - Beyond the Reach of 'Empire'
• DaveV - Weyland-Yutani Starship Crew
• GeoffT - Fifty Shades of Brown
• GregB - Imperial Pike and Shotte for 30YW
• IainW - Late Roman Infantry
• JP - More Germans
• JohnB - Falling Hungarians on Both Sides!
• KerryT - Is the Bow Mightier than the Sword?
• KillianF -  Gothic Warriors
• MartijnN - The Empire Strikes Back
• MartinC - The Empire of Mars
• MattW - AT-M6 Star Wars Walker
• MikeF - Tyrant's Legion Command Squad
• MikeW - Holy Roman Empire Mercenary Crossbowmen
• Millsy - Late Roman Infantry
• NickY - Dark Elf Black Ark Corsair Captain
• PaulO'G - Crusading Ancient
• PaulSS - 1815 French
• PeteB - Roman Velites and Hastati
• PeterA - Come Out Ye Black and Tans
• RafaelO - The Last Stand of the Imperial Old Guard
• RayR - Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
• RichardM - Lamassu Statue
• RobertT - Singapore and Burma
• SamuliS - Saxon Cavalry
• StephenS - Very Late Roman Empire
• StuartL - The British Empire in WW2
• TeemuL - Pezhetairoi
• TomL - Terran Federation

Please vote for your top 3 in order of preference. Thanks!

Click here to vote for the Empire Theme Round

Cheers,
Millsy

'Empire' From AaronH - 12 Imperial Storm Troopers in 32mm

This post is for the Empire theme (naturally) and continues my efforts to get legions of dudes in white armor painted. There's not a lot to see here, just 12 more faceless minions prepared to keep order in a wild, wild galaxy.

The sergeant.

These are almost all the new plastics. One of the heavies and, accidentally, a rifleman are the old, soft plastics. Painting the old soft plastics made it very clear just how bad they are. The new hard plastic sculpts are far superior.

Front view of the twelve of them.

Rear view. This is how I usually see them on the table.

I'm 24 models into the ~150'ish models on the tray. I've added a few more since the original shot. I have several Darth Vaders so I'm going to do each of them trying out different techniques and see if I can learn new thing and find something I like.

Here's the tray of potential with the two completed units of storms in the center.

I'm off to the UK for work for the next ten days so I'll catch up with everyone when I return. Happy New Year and good luck to everyone.

This is 12x32mm = 60 points.

'Empire' From AdamC - Battle Fleet Gothic Imperial Navy (94)

The Imperium of Man is the not exactly good guy empire of humanity in the 40K universe. I am not as up on lore as some so I will not dig into that but they seem to fit the bill an Empire them.  I enjoy Naval games including space combat and I have always liked the look of Battle Fleet Gothic ships so I garbed these when I saw them at a convention flea market.  These are STL file 3d Prints so some of them may not be "cannon" but I have done my best to identify them.  

First we have a 5 Sword class Frigates, Small fast attack craft that also serve as escorts for larger ships. 

I added some 1/2400 (5 inch) turrets I had lying around from some old GHQ models as enhancements

We then have what was identified after many searches and discussions a an Assyrian class Light Cruiser. There is also a chance this is Dauntless class Light Cruiser 

This is another sword class but in larger scale. Lets call it a "Great Sword" class frigate.  

I added a 1/2400 scale cruiser turret. See can act as "flotilla" leader for the Sword Frigates

For larger ships we have a variant of the Dominator class cruiser the prominent broad side weapons make me wonder if Black Seas could be adapted to pace combat 

Finally a Lunar Class Cruiser. 

The Midships Turrets confuse me they could get as more broadside fire power if they were mounted on the top of the ship and positioned they way they are only one can fire for and aft.  I guess the Imperium doesn't do Super firing turrets. 

I am very please with  how the White, Gold and Black color scheme came out.  The US Great White Fleet was in my mind as I painted these. 

Points the smaller escort/light Cruisers count at 15mm Guns so there are 7 of them for 4 points each (28) The larger Cruisers count as 15mm Vehicles with 2 for 8 points each (16)

That gives me another 44 Point plus the 50 for the bonus round 

'Empire' From AdamW: A fabulous Persian adventure in 15mm - Dunsterforce (502 pts)

This is my first 'proper' entry as part of a desire to wargame 'Dunsterforce', a WW1 mission into Persia and South Caucus in 1918.

For those who don't know anything about it, this was an expedition into the area with the intention of organising local units to replace the Russian Tsarist forces that were melting away as the Russian Revolution took hold.  

The Ottoman empire was bearing down on the area and one of the many concerns, as well as loss of the regions oil supply, was the threat to the Northwest Frontier of India. Ultimately the mission was a failure as the local forces in general would not fight. So I feel this submission fits into the Empire category, as it was another fall of the Persian empire and the defence of the British Empire.

The force was comprised mainly of officers drawn from across the empire. They travelled in, literally, hundreds of Model T Ford trucks and cars as well as Peerless Lorries. They were supported by 1918 pattern Austin Armoured cars.  There were other odd vehicles including Rolls Royce Armoured cars.

There is some debate over the use of Lanchester armoured cars. I come down on the side of them not being there, but I painted two I had while the brushes were out.

My submission is for  (All 15mm):-

12 Peerless Lorries

24 Model T trucks

4 Austin A/C

2 Lanchester A/C

3 Crossley staff cars

1 Dodge Touring car

1 Dodge pickup

1 Franklin car

A total of 48 vehicles @ 8pts  = 384pts

68 Seated drivers/passengers/MG operators @1pt = 68

Empire bonus  @ 50

Another 42 drivers and passengers @ zero as they weren't needed, so aren't 'based', but it's nice to know they are done if I ever need them!

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Total pts 502   and a squirrel

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This project took me a long time to bring to the painting stage due to the lack of correct vehicles. Minifigs do make a model T ford, but at £6.75 each I baulked at getting 24 of them for a few games. The Peerless car and the correct model of Austin armoured car didn't exist either.

The answer was to heavily 'kitbash' 3D models and then print them. The Lorry is adapted from an AEC lorry, and the Austin was modified from an earlier model.

The Model T was a lot harder as there was nothing close.  So for the first time I wrestled with AI to generate a number of models and then 'fiddled' with them until I had something very close to right.  I have to admit to making it a fraction over size, so I could squeeze in a cut down machine gunner.

The Crossley, Dodge, Franklin and Lanchester cars are all Peter Pig resin models. 

The loads for the backs of the transport versions are all printed separately, so they can all be removed along with the MGs.

I hope that the pics show, that although they appear all one colour at first they aren't, and it did involve more than just spray painting them.

Oh if anyone is interested, all printed on a Prusa Mk3S+ filament printer.

Model T Ford

Peerless lorry

Austin Armoured car

Lanchester Armoured cars

Crossley Staff Car

Dodge Touring car and pickup

Franklin car (heavily laden)

'Empire' From Barks: The Emperor of Mankind (60 points)

 "He says he's the Emperor Himself, off the Golden Throne to tour His Imperium and visit His subjects. He's touched in the head, of course, but harmless and we humour him for a laugh. Throne help him if the Redemption fails to see the funny side..."

For my Guards of Traitor's Toll... in Space idea, I need a lot of citizens from all walks of life and got some Wargames Atlantic fantasy townsfolk. This box has a load of figures and heads and accessories. I liked the idea of a beggar's body and a crowned head. The Emperor of Mankind can walk about the board giving sage advice. He's tolerated by other citizens, but can get caught up in crime.

I also painted this figure, the Archivist from Colony 87 by Crooked Dice. I ran out of room to write Provocatio (Latin for The Challenge) on the front, but there is a XVI and a skull on the rear monitor.

2x 28mm figures inspired by the stagnant Imperium of 40K (10+50 points)

+1 skull

'Empire' From BillA - The King and Queen of Yaxchilan (Empire Theme, 60 pts)

When I saw "Empire" as one of the theme rounds, I realized that I already had figures primed and in my queue for the AHCP that would work well. These are very limited edition figures that my friend Chris had sculpted and cast to celebrate his Facebook group for wargaming conflicts among the ancient Maya reaching 500 members; only 100 sets were cast, and each comes with a little laminated certificate. He was kind enough to gift me set # 52, and as far as either one of us are aware, this is only the fifth painted set in the world. He still has 48 sets left if anyone reading this decides they're interested. 

These figures represent King Itzamnaaj Balaam III, "Shield Jaguar," and his aunt/wife Lady Xoc of the city-state of Yaxchilan. Shield Jaguar was born sometime in 647 CE, and assumed the throne on the 23rd of October, 681, reigning until his death on June 15th, 742 - dying at the age of 94-95, and reportedly having still led troops into battle into his 80s. His marriage to his aunt was likely done for political reasons, to cement support for his reign among the nobility. His named heir, Bird Jaguar IV, was born to his second wife, Lady Eveningstar, and a ten-year succession struggle took place following Shield Jaguar's death between the families of Lady Xoc and Lady Eveningstar before Bird Jaguar eventually took the throne.

These figures are specifically sculpted based on the image of Shield Jaguar and Lady Xoc that appears on Lintel 24, a spectacular piece of carved limestone commissioned by Lady Xoc for a building that was probably her private home; the Lintel currently resides in the British Museum, and is considered one of the best examples of Mayan art, showcasing the king and queen with minimal abstraction and a high degree of realism. 

By Michel wal (Own work), CC BY-SA 3.0

Lady Xoc is depicted kneeling in the midst of a sacred bloodletting ritual - having pierced her tongue with a stingray spine, she now draws a thorn-studded cotton rope through the opening. The rope absorbs the blood and channels it down to a box of paper sheets on the ground in front of her. The bloody paper will be burned and the will of the gods divined from their smoke. This sort of ritual was normally restricted to the king himself, so her being shown performing it shows just how much political and religious power she wielded. 

King Shield Jaguar holds high a torch, illuminating his wife as she performs this ritual. 

You'll notice they're on 40mm bases; as I'd noted in my previous post with Maya figures, I'm looking at Mana Press' game "Tribal" to use these with. King Shield Jaguar is on a 40mm base per the rules' suggestion for placing a warband's leader on a larger base, while Lady Xoc is on one for her to serve as an objective token for the game's scenario generator. I've built Shield Jaguar's base up with a few layers of cork and also added a bit of plastic foliage, tying him in to the jungle terrain I built in 2025. 

While Yaxchilan was not an empire, nor were the Maya people particularly unified at the time King Shield Jaguar reigned, he and Lady Xoc do represent a step on the road to empire, culminating in the Mayan trade empire centered on the city of Chichen Itza in the 10th century, so I feel comfortable counting them as my "Empire" bonus round entry. 

Two 28mm miniatures plus the 50 bonus points for a bonus round comes to 60 points. No additional Squirrel points added to my total at this time.

Squirrel Points: 2 (Modern Horror, Maya) 

'Empire' From ByronM - Fallen Roman Temple

For this first theme round of the challenge I kept trying to come up with a model for the rise or fall of an empire. In the end I found a piece of terrain that I have had kicking around for 5 plus years, left unpainted in a tub in the garage, a Roman temple that came with the Gangs of Rome game.  I figure this temple could either be in a state of construction or a state of dis-repair during the fall of the Roman Empire, and would therefore be perfect for either possibility for the Theme week.

This is a simple MDF kit that came with the base game kit.  It is a nice kit with quite a bit of detail.  I chose to paint it up to look a little more in a state of repair that new and shiny and being built.

 Overall it was a very simple model to paint as I airbrushed it grey, then shaded with the airbrush as well.  After that I did some quick drybrushing and edge highlighting, and painted the inside with a run down plaster look.

While simple, I think it works well.

As for points, that's up to you Curt.  While fairly big at 7 1/2" across and 6" tall (and therefore under the old system for terrain scoring would have scored almost 20 points) it took only a few quick hours, so if I was to score it in the new terrain system I would probably give it between 8 and 10 points depending how I felt that day, but you score it as you feel is appropriate. 

 

'Empire' From ChrisW: Miscellaneous figures & empire theme (210 points)

 

My first post of AHPC XVI

I am happy to be back in the challenge and happy to finally post up something. This year I have the same goal as I did in my first challenge, to paint up all of my Back of Beyond stuff. Well in that first challenge I painted up two figures and a few vehicles. So three years later I am starting off with 12 Chinese Warlord figures, a massive increase in production, who knows maybe this will be the year! 😏 

Now this years challenge has started with a personal challenge as my back has been giving me some trouble, especially when sitting and painting. So while I am keen to paint stuff, I look at my painting area with rather mixed emotions, that whole pleasure/pain battle. 

At any rate I have gone through the first season, and 6 episodes of  season two, of  Babylon 5 (my usual background noise to start any major painting project) and I have emerged with a mix of items.

 First up I have 6 Foundry gladiators. [30 points] 

In an earlier AHPC I did quite a few of these and thought myself done with this genre, but these were at a really low price at a bring and buy (along with two chariots) and well I could not refuse. Now these are relatively recent acquisition, maybe only a year or two ago, unlike so much else that I hope to paint this year.

Five male gladiators and one female gladiator in the back row.

Next some Epic 40K Orc vehicles and Squigoths. [42]

So these are, of course, very old models. I picked most of these up during the 'the great sell off' of Epic miniatures back when GW decided to terminate the line. Many of them have sat in a box or up on a shelf still wrapped in their blister packs. A buddy of mine kept looking at them and rattling off what money they would bring in such mint condition. None of that for me it is only mon-nn-yyy, who needs that...No, I would rather have the 'joy' of trying to paint such small things at the age of 65.  

It seems to me that all these figures were just waiting for contrast/speed (etc) paints to come along. While these types of paints certainly help a lot I have not found them to be the one coat solution. But they get one started!

Some of the Imperial guard vehicles had been painted before (a pair of old Bane Blades & the 6 Gorgons) but I completely redid them for this challenge.

Eight Squigoths

The big guys, Battlewagons!

Epic 40K Imperial Guard [28]

These are some of the oldest minis that I have

Baneblades, original (blue and yellow) & later fancier models

 Now we journey to the Back of beyond for some Chinese Warlord troops [60]

So, that is it for this post. I have decided to take a little more of a relaxed approach to this years challenge. In the past I have been a little crazed, trying to get as much as I could get done each week, staying up far to late to try and max out on production, but not this year. I may not even have stuff ready to post every week, who knows? 

Painted figure points are: 160

• 90 points for 18x 28mm figures 
• 70 points for 35x 6mm vehicles

Then there is the Empire theme round bonus of 50 points

So a total of 210 points.

Also, this week I count 3 squirrels.

Gladiators base figures, then three others...

1. Epic Orcs
2. Epic Imperial
3. Warlord Chinese

Then one female figure (not certain if we are tracking that this year)