MODELLING CHALLENGE 2019 GOES 40K!

A (wholly self-indulgent) short note to record, via the annals of LAF poster and intergalactic time-traveller "Bearwoodman", the extraordinary future success of the subject of the Hereford1938 Modelling Challenge 2019, the (haphazardly) armoured products of the Shezuan Ordnance Depot and Delivery Yards ("SHODDY"):

A Shoddy Tank production line, no longer on Earth - but on some 40K Outer World.
Baneblades, Stormblades, Leman Russ, Chimeras - just who needs them now? 

It is clear that neither time nor distance has altered the fundamental VBCW design precepts of SHODDY, as recorded by Bearwoodman himself: 

"Despite the fact that the original Mark 1 was generally considered a bit rubbish even back in 1938, the SHODDY Directors have reasons to believe that the design could be a success in the 41st Millenium. Consider:

- A gun so inaccurate its maximum effective range is only around 100m (or 72 inches at 1/56 scale) - perfectly adequate for the futuristic battlefield;

- Slow speed and frequent breakdowns - mobility is less of a concern when most battles consist of both sides lining up in front of each other within shouting distance and blasting away;

- Thin armour - why do you need armour when you have the blessing of the Emperor/gifts of Nurgle/the benefits of Reanimation Protocols (delete as appropriate)?

- A turret so small it surely cannot accommodate both the breech of the main armament and the crew (38,000 years after the Shoddy Mk.1, this is now [GW] turret design orthodoxy);

- A very reasonable price - in fact buyers can acquire 52.42 Shoddy 40,000s for the cost of one Leman Russ (at current UK prices) making it attractive to Adeptus Mechanicus bean-counters and frugal xenos invaders alike..."

See the full LAF thread HERE !!

We're not in Hereford now, Dorothy. A long time after 1938,
a prospective customer eyes up a "40K Shoddy Tank."

WINSTON CHURCHILL - EXPERIMENTAL WEAPON

Little - as yet - is known of Winston Churchill's role in the Hereford VBCW. Newly discovered film footage suggests, however, that the former First Sea Lord has taken a very public interest in a particular experimental weapon; one that may yet save the Welsh Coast from the ravages of "the Bristol Fleet". Shhhh! Keep it to yourself, but see HERE 

CIGARETTE CARD ROYAL NAVY

Having given the "cigarette card treatment" to the Royal Air Force, the Bishops Broadcasting Service has now published an identical article on the Senior Service, see HERE. Useful information for uniforms,1930s ships and service conditions, naval aviation, and those espionage agents seeking news of the "Bristol Fleet".   

MODELLING CHALLENGE 2020 (Part 2)

The Bishop's Broadcasting Service has published an article that may prove useful for intending 1938 aircraft modellers (and perhaps nostalgic cigarette smokers) : Cigarette Card RAF.

MODELLING CHALLENGE 2020 - AIRCRAFT AND ANTI EVERYTHING !

With the results of the 2019 Modelling Challenge having been announced and planning for the Spring Big Game 2020 well advanced, it's time to introduce the Modelling Challenge 2020....

This time, the Modelling Challenge falls into two parts.

Keeping up our tradition (well, we did it this time last year) of being wholly non-exclusive and not-at-all-proud purveyors of "cheep Chinese plastic stuff", the Umpires will have ten VBCW(ish) semi-scale aircraft models (produced by Elstree Aeronautics, a newly discovered division of the famous VBCW tank manufacturer) to provide FREE to players at the Spring BIG GAME 2020! That's right, FREE and first come, first served - judging by the 2019 Modelling Challenge, if you don't claim your aircraft model, then Roo and Alan will start factory production of the remaining excess, resulting in fleets of fighter bombers appearing over your head at the BIG GAME thereafter....

That's right. It's part of the Modelling Challenge tradition (well, we've done it for the last two years) that "whatever is produced can be played" as an addition to your usual Platoon assets. Judging from Alan and Roo's tank production (see the previous blog post), it looks like they will have a serious amount of armour to "put in play" at the Spring BIG GAME 2020. Such tank "brigades" might even overwhelm the Umpires' abilities to make up rules to keep everything balanced and within VBCW bounds.....

And there's more. Intelligence suggests that His Majesty's Government have diverted a serious amount of air power to the Spring BIG GAME 2020 (which may or may not be early production runs from Elstree Aeronautics). It looks like this time Mosley and the King really mean business. What can possibly stop them?

So the second part of the Modelling Challenge 2020 is the independent model manufacture of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry: in fact, any kind of "anti" weaponry that a player can make up from odd figures and his (or her) "bits box" (or, for those who prefer shopping, wallet and paintbrush). If you make and paint an entry for the 2020 Modelling Challenge, you can play it (subject to consultation with the Umpires on rules, etc.) and (obviously) the more VBCW-ish the idea (and back story), the better.

Not that any "anti-weaponry" need be anything too elaborate or expensive:

Comrade Professor Winters' notorious Anti Tank Team take out an Automobile Association tank.
Simply two figures slightly converted (with crowbars) and painted with identifiable headgear. 

"Mad Wullie" McSpaniel, Sir Gilbert Hill's tank hunter. An odd figure from the bits box.
His thoroughly entertaining back story can be found on Sir Gilbert's Blog, HERE 

"Mad Wullie" in (explosive) action. The defenders are likely to need lots of "Mad Wullies" (or his like)
 at the Spring BIG GAME 2020.

Not that even a figure is needed. Here the Government defenders at the "Bridge over Trebbbled Water" game
use a fuel truck to spread oil on troubled waters (and then set light to it)....

...although you can be elaborate (and 1930s pulpy) if you wish. These are experimental "sonic dischargers"
produced by the Cathedral School 6th Form (and Physics Department). They have clearly set out their
campaign motto in front of them......

In contrast, the motto of the 2020 Modelling Challenge.
The only limit on entries is your imagination and
sense of "the VBCW". Although not everything
explosive may be a good idea....

An American inspired "crotch mortar" undergoes preliminary field testing.
Back to the drawing board...

Thus, the 2020 Modelling Challenge, "Aircraft and Anti-Everything". It's about ten weeks to the Spring BIG GAME 2020 (see blogposts to come) and thus the "Anti-Everything" items come first (don't worry if you're traditionally a BUF or HMG player, and likely to be "an attacker" the 2020 Game: there will be lots of subsequent opportunities to deploy your "Anti-" creations). At the Spring BIG GAME 2020, please take away an aircraft model (or more if there are any left) to complete the Challenge......

ARMOUR MODELLING CHALLENGE 2019 - THE RESULTS!

At the start of a New Year (if you're living in the alternative, non 1938 timeline), it's worth looking back at the results of the 2019 Armour Modelling Challenge. The full backstory - of Elstree Industries and it's disastrous sub-contract with the Schezuan Ordnance Depot and Delivery Yards ("SHODDY") can be found HERE. The challenge was simple : to convert a piece of cheep (i.e. so cheap it couldn't even afford a different vowel) Chinese plastic - given away FREE to players at the Spring 2019 Big Game - into an acceptable looking (nay, wonderful looking) VBCW(ish) tank.

The 2019 Armour Modelling Challenge followed hard on the heels of the 2018 Maritime Modelling Challenge - see HERE - and produced the following results:

Clive replaced the original "too thin turret" with a spare plastic turret from an out of scale armoured car, then slapped on lots of yellow paint and added some spare tank commanders and Automobile Association decals sourced
from Ebay. Unfortunately, real time testing of the resultant formidable piece of armour did not go too well....

Alan kept the original turret, but compensated by adding an outsize barrel, machine gun and hedge cutter accessory,
then disguised everything with a snazzy 1930s three colour dazzle camouflage scheme. Excellent stuff, even though
this particular "Shoddy" tank spent most of the Mortimer's Cross game breaking down..

Roo "went to town" on his creation, replacing the original turret and adding lots of inventive "bitz" to produce
a Flamethrower Tank! It looks like the rear gubbins is made up of a piece of sprue and the back end of a Lledo
tanker, while the remainder seems to be plastic card and tubing. Consistent with the ineffective results of every
 other "Shoddy" tank at the Mortimer's Cross game, however, the Flamethrower Tank stopped an AT shot
 relatively early on, and ground to a halt at an ineffective distance from anyone (other than a Hereford Police
AT Gun, which it then completely incinerated, just for fun). However:

....Alan was not content with just one "Shoddy Tank" design. Here on his modelling table are the pre-paint shots
of not one, but three "Shoddy variants" - a Stug like Assault Cannon (original turret removed and replaced with
a scratchbuilt commander's hatch), the "Fat Barrel" variant already seen painted, and then (original turret removed
and body excavated)  a truly splendid "Armoured Assault Multi-Mortar with Mine Clearing Attachment".
That left just the painting to do:

The completed Armoured Multi Mortar (with Mine Clearing Attachment) and....

The completed Assault Cannon, with a nice tank commander added and various decals from the bitzbox.
Given the consistent paint scheme, it looks like all three tanks were designed to operate together...

Not to be outdone, Roo got down to some serious work....and had the artistic vision to see that, if suitably painted,
the original tank turret wasn't actually out of place/scale as originally feared. This was a marvellous example of
"minimal efficient conversion" i.e. simply chop off one of the original two gun barrels, argue that the remaining
 "offset"tank barrel was a VBCW experiment or field conversion, then slap on a commander's hatch (with radio
antennae and hull machine gun) - and Bob's your uncle. Spray green, forget any time consuming camouflage ideas,
cover in Dark Tone to bring out the detail and........repeat....... 

Roo's Shoddy Tank Assembly Line. A limited edition "Wargames Illustrated" D-Day beachmaster is in the foreground for scale. Again, it looks like these three "Shoddy" tanks are designed (or painted) to operate as a unit, which appears to have taken Alan back - having presumably run out of Shoddy prototypes to modify - to the original 2018 challenge:

What could be more original than a Landing Craft scratchbuilt from a curry container? What with Alan's landing craft, Roo's beachmaster and hordes of expendable "Shoddy" tanks all painted up and ready to serve the interests of HMG, it's almost as if these two suspect a "VBCW amphibious landing" game is coming up very soon....... 

Note: The original plastic tanks were sourced from Ebay, and are still readily available - see HERE for one example amongst many. Note that postage from China to the UK is rather variable, so you may wish to find a UK supplier (and pay a little more than 62p per tank!!). The 2019 Armour Modelling Challenge will remain open for entries (from players or non players) for a while yet.....