From PaulSS: More terrain pieces for our France 1940 games (60 Points)

A few weeks ago my copy of Setting the Scene II arrived in Wisconsin and I've been inspired by it. I've already got quite a lot of Mediterranean terrain for my Spanish Civil War games, but am just starting out on some France 1940 gaming so used the book for some inspiration for scenery for those games.

All the terrain has been built over the last couple of weeks and was primed with dark brown paint ready for this mornings starting gun. By 0630 this morning I'd settled down at the painting table with a cup of tea and was ready to make a start.

The first thing completed was a couple of sections of walled orchard, per Pats recommendations, the tree armatures are from Woodland Scenics while the walls were carved out of high density pink foam board. The gate was made using the method described in the book.

The next piece is a rather horrible Sarissa Precision house from their Americana range. This took rather a lot of prep-work to get it more like I wanted it. I'm not bothered about having access to the interior, so, the windows were filled in with cereal box to be painted as glazing and the roof stuck down permanently.

I added barge boards and planking to cover the bad corner joints, the stone effect chimney and footings were completely redone by gluing on small chips of stone then rendering it with Polyfilla, a gate and fence were added at the back to create a small yard area.

I'm much happier now with how it looks than the original kit.

I'd built and painted a small stable with fenced area a couple of weeks ago and quite liked how it came out, so set too to make another one for the challenge.

The stable is made out of artists mount board then planked with cut coffee stirrers. The fence posts are matchsticks while the fencing is also split coffee stirrers.

The gate, like that one from the orchard is constructed as per Pats instructions. The roof is mount board painted as tar-paper held down with some planks of wood and a boulder.

The last thing painted today was a couple of wall sections made from small pebbles stuck onto tongue depressors, these are quite an easy build but I think they look quite effective and come in very handy.

_________________________________

Welcome back to the Challenge, Paul.  Wow, great looking terrain! I especially like your walled orchards and the work you did on the chimney for the Sarrissa piece - as you say, it totally upgrades the overall look of the model. 

I'll err on the side of caution and divvy out 3 'cubes' worth for your sterling efforts. Well done!

From SimonM: "Wizkids" Nul (10 Points)

This 63mm tall plastic “Wizkids” figure of Nul is miniature number 106 from the Marvel “Heroclix” Fear Itself expansion and depicts the Breaker of Worlds following his escape from the magical hammer his father, Cul Borson, had transformed him into. "A problem for the latest incarnation of the Defenders", the 'living avatar of evil' first appeared in the July 2011 issue of “Fear Itself” and was created by Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen.

Bestowed with super strength, the god was super-glued upon a 40mm circular base and primed with three layers of “Citadel" Abaddon Black so as to make the sculpt's surface as smooth as possible. The immortal then had his eyes and sharp teeth 'picked out' with "Vallejo" White and his mouth subsequently stained with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

With such a simple paint-job completed, I thought I'd spend some additional time pigmenting the infamous Hammer of Nul, which originally "fell to Earth after the Serpent called a series of hammers to awaken the Worthy." This disconcertingly bendy plastic model was super-glued to one of the 40mm thin-lipped circular bases I use for all my objective markers and undercoated with "Vallejo" Dark Sand.

The entire weapon was later washed with a fair amount of "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and dry-brushed using some (more) "Vallejo" Dark Sand. Finally, I applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter" to its straps, and used a couple of coats of some watered-down "Citadel" Abaddon Black to part of its head and long handle.

As a cheeky little addition to this opening submission of the AHPC, I've also completed the Casket of the Damned for my Empire of Dust "Kings of War" army. The end of January 2020 sees the deadline for the first round of the BlackJack Legacy Slow Grow Army Challenge for the game, with everyone aiming to finish 250 points worth of units. This army special upgrade costs 10 points for every unit of Skeleton Warriors which carries one.

The 28mm scale miniature comes inside every "Mantic Games" Skeleton Regiment, and was primed using a double layer of "Vallejo" Gold before being heavily washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. I then dry-brushed it with some (more) "Vallejo" Gold and gave parts of its relief sculpture a splash of colour using a lick of Turquoise and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. Lastly, in an attempt to show the ravages of the desert sand upon the 'prison', I dabbed (even more) "Vallejo" Gold over the container's front facing, so as to give the impression of its pigmentation fading across the aeons...

__________________________

I always really enjoy minioning Simon's entries as I invariably end up being well-educated in all manner of superhero arcana (and getting an updated tutorial on how to paint yet another shade of black!).  Excellent work Simon. Nul looks to be a rather ferocious chap, which makes sense with him being 'the living avatar of evil' (tough gig, but perhaps he's just misunderstood?). The smooth finish on his skin looks amazing and nicely reinforces his otherworldly character. I also really like the 'Casket of the Damned' - that gold and turquoise pairing always looks very sharp. 

Let's say 10 points for the entire entry. Well done Simon and welcome back to the Challenge!

From TamsinP: Santa, Baby... (70 points)

I always try to submit an entry on the first day of the Challenge and have once again succeeded in doing so. And a very relevant one today, what with the annual winter present giving day so close. I figure that these three are out on a recce, checking which Challengers are naughty and which nice.

For painting these, I decided to try out my new wet palette from Army Painter. It works OK (although I think I might not have had the foam pad as wet as it should be) but it doesn't have a lot of space for mixing colours.

I was also using brand new Series 7 brushes. That was a bit of a pain as they aren't properly broken in yet - they'll be getting a good clean after I submit this.

The snow is a mix I made up myself - white paint, PVA, acrylic modelling paste and some white flock. This was applied to the bases, allowed to dry for a few minutes and then some more flock was sprinkled over the mix.

The figures are 28mm; the "aviator" Santa is from Artizan, the other two are from Copplestone Castings. The "aviator" will be my Prize figure.

I have also decided to start my adventures at Sander's Sand Dunes - well, they are all wearing red - so I will need to sort out some figures for the next stop on The Path Of History.

"But, but, but - Santa isn't real, and so is emphatically not historical!"

Well, go wash your mouth out with soap and water - you're definitely confirmed on the naughty list! Let us just hope that there are no children reading. As for him not being historical, Saint Nicholas was most definitely a historical figure, although his representation as a jovial, tubby, white man is admittedly not historical.

Now for the scoring:
3 x 28mm foot figure = 15 points
Prize figure = 25 points
Sander's Sand Dunes = 30 points
Total = 70 points

Now to sort out what to paint next - it won't be anything too big as I'll be heading down to family in Sussex on Monday for Christmas.

__________________________________

Haha! Lovely work on this festive trio, Tamsin. Ms. Santa is quite the vamp, but I admit that 'Flasheart Santa' cracks me up. He will be a lovely memento of Challenge Island for some lucky adventurer.

70 points it is and just enough to put you in the lead (ah, my time at the front of the pack was so fleeting). Well done Ms. P!

From DaveS: Things that Go Bump (10 points)

Happy to be here for my second go at the Challenge.  I had a real blast last time, and this time I am hoping to push through my total last year.

These are two Scarecrows from the Nightstalkers faction for Mantic's Vanguard.  They come as multi-part models, and went together nicely, with relatively few mold lines.  This is almost the opposite of some of their other models in the range, which I have found to be made in a less good plastic, and they have awful problems with casting and mold lines.  I keep thinking about the idea of building an army for Kings of War, and then I think of the problems I have had with some of their models and deciding against it.  But these models might have almost convinced me to go for it after Christmas, and after some of my other projects have had some work done.

The models themselves are initially painted with GW Nihilakh Oxide over a white undercoat. This gave a good skin cover.  I then painted the heads in a range of Vallejo Model Colour oranges.  Finally, some simple tones on the clothes washed with Agrax Earthshade.

____________________________

Welcome back to the Challenge Dave! These guys are wonderfully creepy and I really like that punchy oxide colour you used for them. How many would you need for a decent sized unit in Kings of War? One thing for sure they would look quite striking on the tabletop.

10 points for your debut on the Challenge roster. Well done!

From TeemuL: Endless Spells (20 points)

Two Age of Sigmat Endless Spells to start my challenge.

Both of these were quick to paint using Citadel Contrast paints, very good for this kind of textured models.

There's texture paints on bases and some bright yellow powder from Hasslefree to tie them to my Sylvaneth force. I don't have any wizards yet, but I guess that it can quickly change.

 Suffocating Gravetide

 Emerald Lifeswarm

The Gravetide doesn't necessarily be the first spell to associate with Sylvaneth, but my Sylvaneth are angry warriors of Ghyran, having fo decades against Nurgle in their forests, now changed to swamps and muds after long fights.

I don't know about points, they are not really models and not really terrain either. I leave the scoring to the judge. The bases are 65x40 and 165x85, if that helps in scoring.

Next I need to take a look at the map and see where to land on that Squirrel infested island...

________________________

It's funny, when I first opened this post and glanced at the pictures I thought Teemu had submitted an entry featuring of some kind of Scandinavian Christmas haute cuisine. :)

Very cool spell-effect bases, Teemu! I'm no fan of AoS (bring back the Old World!), but I do admire all the support GW has put behind the game and these really illustrate that very well. I especially like the swarm of dragonflys - that is very well done.

Let's count these as two as 28mm cavalry and see how that fits going forward.

Well done Teemu and welcome back to the Challenge!

________________________________

Now you'll have to excuse me for a little while, I'm taking most of the evening off so Sarah and I can see the new Star Wars at one of those fancy-schmancy sit-in-a-couch-and-order-drinks-theatres. I'm SOOO excited! Pew! Pew!!

From BenitoM: Ferocious Gauls (20 points)

My initial shot (or better said, javelin throw) in the Challenge this year. I have painted four Gaul warriors to complete my first Barbarian unit (10 models).

The models are some pretty old Wargames Foundry for the mid-80s, that I decided to repaint again entirely after unearthing them from an old forgotten box stored in my parents’ house. 

The incredible colours I chose to paint at that time (orange, yellows, bright greens) did hurt my eyes when I looked at them again after 30 years, hence my decision to remove the old paint layers and give them a fresh start

The full unit is presented here with his Warrior leader (that movement tray needs some work)

This is not exactly in the area of my core project for the Challenge (a WWII German early war army), but since I was invited to play test Infamy Infamy by the Lard Island Junta’s supremo Richard Clarke, has deviated my course (slightly only) from my initial core project plan.

For those of you not in the loop, Infamy Infamy is a skirmish set of rules in the ancient period. The focus will be in the early Imperial Roman period but some supplements are already in the design table (or at least the designer's mind) covering the Civil Wars and until the Punic Wars.

This entry should bag my first 20 points (four 28mm models x 5 points each) in the Challenge. More coming over the next hours     

_____________________________________

Brilliant (and fast) work Benito! I have several of these early Foundry castings as well, painted with early enthusiasm and perhaps questionable ability. These chaps of yours are excellent, completing that fierce looking unit of Gauls (I especially like that leader with his chequered trews). I believe I'm in the Infamy playlist group as well, so I expect that a few Romans and Barbarians will be trooping across my table over the coming months.

-Curt

From TomM: Shepherd Book aka "The Prize" (30 points)

A new twist this year is that every Challenger must complete a "Prize" figure to be awarded to everyone obtaining the X on the treasure map.

And as I want to run that race, I of course joined that pool and painted up this model.

Shepherd Book, known from the beloved Firefly television series and produced by Heresy miniatures.

As such, the loyal companion also kicks off my challenge this year, not only netting me 5 points for a single 28mm figure, but on top of that yields a nice 25 bonus points on top of this.

And now, let's start our quest into the island interiors and discover the treasures lying in wait there!  To that end, I`ve been plotting my course across Challenge Island, and I estimate my journey will go like this:

I will start on the Path of the New Shiney, making landfall on Reidy's Reef and then working my way inward through Buch's Bluff, Mudry's Mesa and up to Rousel's Sandhill (1).  This also opens the route to the Snow Lord's Peak (6) for when I reach the 5 required challenges.

At this stage, I will be making use of Lady Sarah's Balloon to fly my to Fran's Fjord, and work inland from there across Bromley's Butte and Piper's Peek (2).

Another journey by Balloon then awaits me, in order to travel to Sander's Sanddunes and onwards to Millsy's Millpond (3).  Skipping across the next challenge by Balloon, I will land again at O'Grady's Gulch (4).

From there, a journey again by air will carry me to Cook's Crevasse (5) before a final airlift will be called in and bring me to the Snow Lord's Peak (6).

And that should take me along the island nicely, completing 11 challenges, 5 Balloon trips and hopefully overcoming the final challenge... while also making a dent in Lead Mountain.

_____________________________________

Shepherd Brook?! I had no idea that Heresy did figures from 'Firefly' - what a terrific model and wonderfully painted to boot. He will be a real treat for some lucky Challenger, no doubt.

I also enjoyed reading your travel itinerary for your upcoming adventures on Challenge Island. I know Sarah will be delighted with the pre-booking of five trips with her balloon service. :)

30 Points for you, sir! Tom, let me know if you'd like Shepherd kept as an award for a specific Challenger or to have me freely adjudicate it on my end.

Well done!

Challenge Island Safari Journal - 21st December

Welcome, welcome.

It's good to see so many smiling faces as we welcome our new guests on the Challenge Island Safari Tour, or C.I.S.T for short. I hope to see all of you again at the end of the tour.

As we explore the island, please make sure to keep your maps up to date. I would strongly advise against getting lost. The natives of the island aren't always the most hospitable types when they see a lone tourist wandering around by themselves. There is even talk of a new group of pirates who have made landfall on the far side of the island.

You are currently standing at Docherty's Dock, named for a famous, or rather infamous Major. From this rather safe port of entry to the island, you'll have access to the untamed interior, following the unfortunately named Path of the Forgotten.

Of course, the island is quite large and walking around can be quite tiring, so we recommend that any C.I.S.T.ers that want to take the load off try one of our officially approved and certified Camels. These animals have been trained to carry tourists around the island and back again.

Should you encounter any trouble along the way, never fear, camels are excellent runners and will have you back to camp safe and sound in no time at all.

Yes, many a traveller on the island has had their life saved due to the diligence, speed, and on one occasion the nutritional value of our magnificent ships of the desert. At this stage our lawyers have instructed me to inform you that trying to sail away from the island on said ship of the desert will void your warranty.

Well, that brings me to the end of our brief orientation. Please feel free to explore the dock further and make sure to stock up on sunscreen and gator repellent before proceeding inland.

I believe the model is from Black Tree Design, though I bought it ages ago and can't be sure. 

I guess the camel and handler will count as a cavalry model, so that will be 10 points, plus 30 bonus points for clearing a location on the map, for a nice 40 points and my first step towards my target.

_________________________________________

Haha! What a terrific first entry Stuart. I really like that camel and porter all festooned with assorted stowage - they certainly look the part for a tropical island safari! I think Dave will be quite pleased with these chaps.

40 points for you, Stuart. Now, I wonder if it will it be Cooke's Crevase or Sarah's Balloon for your next adventure?

-Curt

From MilesR - Three Napoleonic Russian Generals (24 Points)

 A bit slap-dash, but my first entry for Challenge X is 3 Russian generals from the Napoleonic period.  These chaps are the standard generic officers we all employ on the tabletop to convey are orders to the troops.

These are from AB miniatures and are 15mm in scale.  AB makes what I consider the finest 15mm (ok really 18mm) scale figures and it's is somewhat a crime to have them painted by a personage of my dubious skills.  Still these Gentlemen will do yeoman's service on the tabletop and will join my growing Russian Force.

2019 has seen me really embrace Napoleonic gaming and I'm very fortunate that my club is similarly inclined.  I suspect you'll see a lot 18mm Nappy themed stuff during the Challenge as I prepare for my next set of convention games this summer at Historicon.

What's the topic for the 2020 game?  Well 2019 saw Napoleon successfully invade Great Britain (winning 4 out 5 times I ran the game) so the only logically next step is to see that Cosrican Ogre attempt to re-po Lousianna.  I wonder how he will fare when pitted against combined armies US General Jackson and Lord Wellington, commander of the BEF - the famed British Exile Force.......

Oh there might be some Russians and Spanish involved too because why the hell not.  Oh and Native Americans, lots of those also.  And Jean Lafitte and his Pirates.   Oh my.

Strictly historical fare, of course.

______________________________________________

As has become Challenge tradition, every year I know Miles will be right on my heels with his own opening salvo. Well here he is in all his early-bird glory. Well done Mr. Reidy!

I totally agree with you Miles, AB stuff is the bees knees and such a joy to paint. I think you've done them proud with your late night efforts. I especially like the fellow waving his bicorne. I look forward to seeing this project develop over the next few months as I'm sure it will involve all manner of troops, ships and terrain. Knowing the quality of Miles' previous Historicon games this one will be a real corker.

As to points, I know in past we've scored 18mm ABs as 20mm so we'll go with 24 points for the trio. 

Welcome to the scoreboard Miles!

-Curt

Welcome to Challenge X - 'The Captain' makes landfall at 'Reidy's Reef'

The Captain twirls his moustache and glowers at the headland. Another blasted reef! He wanted to make landfall at the shallows. He'll have to have a few choice words with that fathead First Mate of his, Smee.  That git's navigation is for the birds. Oh well, at least they are here, they are here before anybody else AND, better yet, there was not a cursed crocodile in sight.  

He draws his cutlass and points to the distant shore and roars to the crew, 'There it is mateys! Challenge Island! The land of all our hearts' desires. Prepare the jolly boats, we make for shore within the glass. We camp inland tonight and then make for our next waypoint tomorrow. I want US to be the first to find where... X MARKS THE SPOT!!'

____________________________________________

Welcome everyone to the 10th edition of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge!

I can't believe it's been almost a decade since we first started this rather odd little event. Nonetheless, here we are, brushes in hand, ready to paint like mad and enjoy each others' company for the next three months. Sounds like a brilliant way to spend the season.

As many of you know, this year we have a new addition to our regular programming in the form of 'Challenge Island'. On the Island participants are invited to travel to various named locations, completing a variety of hobby challenges, as they make their way to the summit of Snow Lord's Peak, where 'X Marks the Spot'. Once there they have to complete a final nefarious unique hobby task in order to claim their prize. 

Now, how fun is that?! I'll tell ya: Heaps of fun. It's going to be a blast.

So, to kick off the event. I present to you 'The Captain' who has made landfall at 'Reidy's Reef' on The Path of the New Shiny. 

The hobby challenge at this location ask us: to 'paint up a miniature with a nautical theme, be it boat, fish, sailor/pirate or aquatic terrain. Bonus points will be awarded if this is a new project for you, or that the motive power of the model(s) is provided by sails.' 

Fair enough. I managed to dig up a figure from the 'On the Seven Seas' Nickstarter from a few years ago and found this excellent casting of a childhood favourite of mine, 'Hook'. 

Granted, it's a fast job, but Citadel's new(ish) Contrast Paints came to the rescue and helped me streamline a few steps.

My plan is to award the Captain to a worthy adventurer who makes the summit and finds where X marks the spot.

Alright, by my reckoning, 'The Captain' will give me:

5 points for a single 28mm figure, 

plus 30 points for completing Reidy's Reef 

AND since Pirates are a new thing for me and this is a prize for Snowlord's Peak I get another 30 points.

65 points off the hop?! Schweet. Now, I just need to plot my next move as I make my way inland...

__________________________________________________

Again, welcome to the Challenge! I look forward to the upcoming entries as we head into the Holiday Season.

Let's start.

-Curt