TFL Painting Challenge: First Update on New Site (and it's a Biggie!)

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It seems hard to believe that the below are only a week's worth of entries for the painting challenge...but they are!

So, today we have achievements from:

  • Dave Bailey, with a host of 15mm infantry for the French Indian Wars
  • Benito with some more Afrika Korp
  • Jon Yuengling returns to the fray with more ships and aircraft
  • Jason Ralls is also back in action with a large, if mixed, bunch of entries that takes him smashing past the 2,000 points mark
  • Craig Ambler pops in some Napoleonics
  • Matt Slade submits WoR infantry, some knights, vikings and Normans in a big entry that takes him well past the 2,500 point mark
  • Alexandros adds some Bren Carriers and an M3 Half-track in 28mm to his total
  • Wulf Corbett (now spelt correctly!) adds some more Fortune & Glory figures
  • And finally the Mad Padre chimes with some ACW foot and a smashing German WW2 checkpoint set (that I have counted as a building)

Congrats to all the above...and all your galleries are updated if, in some cases, not yet titled and pointed properly.

Two pictures today: an alternative shot of the Mad Padre's checkpoint (I'm sure I recognise the munching German); and some of Matt's Vikings.

First Post!

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Hello, and welcome to the new and improved Vis Lardica website.

Here you will find all the content from the old Vis Lardica website, but in a new and improved format. This new site is much more modern in look and layout, far more functional, and fully responsive i.e. should work brilliantly on tablet and mobile as well as desktop.

It's also much easier for me to update: something of major importance as the TFL painting challenge reaches its climax at the end of the year!

Please note, however, that a lot of the old VL content is still in the process of being transferred across to this new site. My apologies for that...but every one of the 500 or so AARs and other articles has to be cut, pasted and re-laid out in the new format, with images and other forms of content added as well. My target is to have everything TFL finished by Christmas, with the non-TFL content finished early in the new year.

To give you an example of what I have to do, the 'previous' posts in this blog - the old VL news bulletins dating back to 2006 - have all had to be individually re-posted: a task that I have managed over the last four days or so, posting between 100-150 posts a day before and after work and at lunchtimes!

Right, that's all from me for now. First 'proper' post will be tomorrow sometime, with an update to the painting challenge.

Enjoy

R

Robert Avery

TFL Painting Challenge: Weekly Update

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Originally posted 27th September 2014

Here's this week's painting challenge update.

  • Jim Weir is welcome back with his first Q3 contribution: a load of Old Contemptibles!
  • Joakim with a double handful of WW2 BEF vehicles
  • Matt Slade produces some lovely VBCW figures
  • Mervyn has more Ancients
  • Mr Treadhead claims a million miles of road and trenches
  • We also welcome back Vidal with his first contribution to Q3: a mixture of infantry
  • and Leif with some gorgeous Crusader WW2 Brits and some X-Wing fighters

Today's pictures are from Matt and Leif. I'm loving Matt's VBCW Freeminers, and Leif's infantry are lovely too...

Freeminers' Support

Freeminers

Leif's Infantry

Vis Lardica To Be Updated & Relaunched

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Originally posted 21st September 2014

After eight years of what even I have called a 1980's design, I have decided to upgrade the Vis Lardica website.

The new site is currently under construction, and will have a responsive design (i.e. will work brilliantly on mobiles and tablets), a blog function, lightboxes for pictures and will just look a lot better.

Rest assured, though, it will have all the content on this site...or at least it will once I have transferred it across! Re-doing 250+ battle reports is taking quite a long time!

For the moment, however, this site will only have Painting Challenge updates. All new AARs will be on the new site.

More news to follow.

TFL Painting Challenge: Big Update

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Originally posted 21st September 2014

Been incredibly busy this week (see next story, above) so have not had a chance to do any updates.

So, here goes with a mega one!

We have updates from:

  • Owen: three entries, loads of points that takes him over the 2,500 mark!
  • Benito with more of his SCW stuff
  • Derek with seven buildings including a lots-of-work stockade that takes him crashing past the 1,000 point score!
  • Mr Bailey with more FIW figures
  • Mr Bax with some sci-fi vehicles
  • Mervyn and some Ancients
  • Joakim with a hanger that I really covet!
  • Topi with some 15mm WW2 vehicles
  • Mr Slade and loads of 28mm figures
  • and Mr Luther with a truly massive hex mat that I currently (as I'm typing this before I do the points) have no idea how to score!

Today's picture is from Joakim: a second viewpoint of his hanger (which I want!):

TFL Painting Challenge: Update

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Originally posted 13th September 2014

Quite a quiet week this week: must be the end-of-the-summer-holidays effect!

Despite that, today we have entries from:

Craig Ambler with a mixture of stuff; Mark Luther with more 20mm Japanese; a big entry from Owen; a big entry from Topi; almost as big an entry from Dave Bailey;  Manuel with some slingers and ninjas; an unusually small entry from Kev; and 100 inches of fence from Treadhead!

TFL Painting Challenge: Another Big One!

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Originally posted 6th September 2014

Another large upload today: not updating the challenge for a week is definitely not a good idea!

Today we have entries from:

  • Wulf Corbett, whom I have generously allowed to join the challenge even though we are almost at Christmas!
  • More ships, beautiful ships, from Egg
  • Some more Martians from Treadhead...makes me want to get on with mine
  • Mr Luther supplies some photos to go along with his previous submissions 
  • Mr Bax shows us how to do Fallschirmjaegers: there's no photo yet as they had to go straight from the painting table to the gaming table!
  • Benito submits some Spanish Civil War figures
  • and Mervyn paints some ancients

Two pictures today:  Egg's ships again (I love 'em!) and Treadhead's Martian tripods (to inspire me!).

SdKfz 7/2 medium-weight AA half-tracks from Battlefront

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Originally posted 1st September 2014

Next up are some early war German SdKfz 7/2 medium-weight AA half-tracks from Battlefront. Now I was dreading putting these together, as I always have a difficult time with Battlefront guns: to fiddly for my patience! I am, however, please to say that these went together very easily.

I used GW Granite paint with an Agrax Earthshade wash, and I think they turned out very well. Recommended, and I have two more to paint up for late war.

Allied Diamond T Artillery Tractor from MMModels

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Originally posted 1st September 2014

Some more painting finished. 

First up are the Allied Diamond T artillery tractors. These are great big trucks that were used to pull the M1 155mm howitzers of the US medium batteries, and are a more typical alternative to the M5 High Speed Tractors that are included in the FOW boxed set.

These models are from MMModels: a range that varies in quality to say the least. I am pleased to state that the Diamond Ts are very nice models that go together well, and paint up nicely. Recommended for anyone needing a really big truck, or who wants to field the more correct tow for a WW2 M1 artillery battery.

I've painted up four of the monsters. Here's a close-up of one:

A Visit to Bovvy

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Originally posted 30th August 2014

A recent holiday took me to Dorset and, to my great delight, less than half an hour's drive from Bovingdon Tank Museum. 

Bovingdon is a brilliant day out for anyone interested in 20th Century warfare and, of course, tanks. From the genesis of the AFV during WW1 through to an enormous collection of WW2 vehicles (my favourite bit) and on to more modern tanks up to and including the current campaign in Afghanistan. Superb!

Children will love it: both my daughters have no interest in wargaming, but nevertheless insist on going to the museum if we are ever anywhere near it. We have even been twice in the same week!

Here's a couple of pics taken last visit:

British Cromwell

British Lanchester Armoured Car

StuG (German, but in Finnish service)

Italian M11/39

Soviet KV-1

TFL Painting Challenge: Another Biggie!

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Originally posted 30th August 2014

I take a few days off from updating the challenge to go to work, and another large set of uploads arrives in my inbox! 

Today we have entries from:

  • Topi, with his fifteen buildings that take him past the 500 point mark
  • Mr Slade (who has gone painting crazy recently) with some British infantry for Chain of Command
  • The Mad Padre with a mix of entries that also takes him past the 500 point mark
  • Mr Ambler (whom I'm sure owes me some AARs) also with some 28mm WW2 infantry that take him past the 1,000 point mark. Huzzah!
  • Mr Hodge gets his Dux in a row (boom! boom!)
  • Mr Luther with yet more Japanese that take him flying past the 2,000 point mark. Woo Hoo!
  • Kev 'Fat Wally' with more SYW figures
  • Chris Stoesen paints rather than re-bases
  • Manuel with three great sci-fi figures

Today's picture is from Kev: some Cossacks from the SYW. Incidentally, for those interested, Kev does run a painting service. 

TFL Painting Challenge: Whole Year Catch Up!

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Originally posted 25th August 2014

Another large upload today as a couple of people have sent me colossal updates! 

Today we have entries from:

  • Mr Melville with a catch up entry for the whole year...and this is only some of it!
  • Mr Munsterfan8 with almost as big a catch-up entry
  • Mr Slade's Vikings take him past the 2,000 point mark
  • Mr Danziger with some WW2 Germans
  • Mr Bax with a couple of lasercut creations
  • Mr Luther: more planes!

Today's pictures are from Mr Melville and Mr Slade. First up, Mr Melville's early war German armour; second up, Mr Slade's Vikings.

TFL Painting Challenge: Monster Update

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Originally posted 23rd August 2014

A huge update today as I have come back from hols to find my inbox stuffed full of achievements.

Today we have entries from:

  • Mr Clarke, himself, who has caught up with a lot of his recent painting and passed the 500 point mark. Lots of Soviets, a few Germans, and some Space Pixies.
  • Some more ships from Mr Yuengling
  • A truly colossal entry from Mr Slade, who passes the 1,500 point mark with a mixture of figures.
  • Naturally we have some more 15mm SYW figures from Kev
  • Mr Humm adds some AK47 chaps
  • Mr Bailey adds quite a bit, and passes the 1,000 point marker
  • As does Mr Douglas, with some chariots and a church
  • Mr Stoesen re-bases
  • Alexandros adds a gorgeous platoon of 28mm Panzer IVs
  • And finally Mr Luther pops in some aeroplanes, and includes a picture for a change

Today's pictures are from Mr Luther, with some nice looking 109s; Mr Clarke, with some Soviets; Alexandros' tanks; and Mr Slade, with some US Sailors.

Luther

Clarke

Alexandros

Slade