From ReillyOG: The Bright College Fyre Fiends make their debut as a full team! (Caprica, Lady Sarah's Star Yacht) (108 points)

Finally, weeks after these initial draft pics were revealed by Head Coach 'Right Stuff' of the Bright College Fyre Fiends, the rest of team is ready to step into the dungeon under his leadership! Lead by Captain Mighty 'Mo, an Ogre Runt-Punter fresh from the Maws Edge Mountains, the team has proven to be incredibly brutal in their approach to the game. Much to our delight!

In real world speak, I really enjoyed taking my time with this team and treating every single model like a full character and trying everything I could think off (bar nmm) to up the quality of the paintjob and it was an absolute delight. 

Captain Mighty 'Mo

This was also my first foray into major kit conversions with GW products with Mighty 'Mo who I converted from the lovely Ogor Tyrant model with some spare ogre arms and heads from the team box and I’m super happy with the final result. Had a lot of fun putting the arm on, imagining him throttling this snotling about to chuck him down a long corridor, for him to inevitably faceplant into a wall :-)

Close up of the Fyre Fiends at the start of a match

When it came to the rest of the team, the dwarves were an absolute hoot going to town on all their beards and really trying to nail the layered highlights to make them pop, and translating that same gradient to different beard colours. Unfortunately, I don't have close up photos of them all at the moment, but you'll see why in a moment.

Fyre Fiends at the beginning of the Promo Match

Yet another first for this team, this was my first time painting genuine forge world miniatures, and thus resin models. The forge world models in question were the 2 Bloodborn Marauder Linewomen from the Khorne Team Booster pack. They were also a lot of fun to paint, as it gave me the (unfortunately) rare opportunity to highlight more feminine features on a model, and a more muscular female model at that.

Overall, the team was tons of fun to take my time on, which was one of my major regrets from past blood bowl projects. Lots of learning in terms of painting skin and layered highlighting.

Last but not least, I am really chuffed to be able to claim that both this full team and its rival, Paul O'Gs Willoughby Shadow Walkers, are currently on display in our local GW store. After a fun few promotion games in the store showing off a painted copy of the Dungeonbowl box set, our teams now inhabit a shelf in one of the stores lovely display cabinets showing off their awesomeness to all who enter.

As for the planets credited to this entry, Caprica (doomed, ambush) worked quite well as due to the sheer beatdown this team has put onto all that face them, you are DOOMED to face them. Then using the wonderful female bloodborn marauders, I shall be boarding Lady Sarah's Star Yacht to take me to Istvaan V for an entry coming soon...

Overall this entry amounts to a neat point total:

2x Gnoblar: 10 Points

2x Bloodborn Marauder Linewomen: 14 Points

2x Ogre Runt-Punters: 14 points

5x Dwarves: 25 points

Team Icon: 5 points

Caprica: 20 points

Lady Sarah's Star Yacht: 20 points

Total: 108

Happy painting all!

Reilly O'G

Always good to see more Blood Bowl action, and it's great to see you stretching your painting abilities with this team. We'd love to see more up close photos when you can- congrats to both of you on your store display.

Reilly- label your post!

Barks

From SimonM: ACW, General Blackblood, More Robots & Deathwing Terminators (Caprica, Arrakis & Cybertron) (117.5 points)

For my sixth post I thought I would move on from the Death Star and pay a visit to Caprica so as to tackle a painting subject concerning “doomed” or “ambush”. Looking over the various current projects on my hobby table my eyes soon fell upon a couple of primed strips of Epic 15mm Confederate Infantry by “Warlord Games”, as I recalled the title of a particular article I read on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website whilst researching the American Civil War entitled: “The Confederacy:  Doomed by its Foundation”.

To be honest the seven-page article is probably more interesting for the extensive bibliography at its end than its summary of reasons as to why the Confederate States of America lost the war. But it galvanised me into applying a brush to a batch of soldiers which had sat unloved since I got them as a freebie sprue with Issue 393 of "Wargames Illustrated".

The figures were all primed using a double-coat of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and then slowly had their somewhat intricate details 'picked out' from the ground up. Originally, I was awfully tempted simply to stick to basic black for all of their shoes, but as with the first line of troops I painted, I decided to apply a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade to the footwear of three models.

I then did something similar with the miniatures’ trousers too, as I didn't just want all of them to be marching in the colour pants. As a result I pigmented six with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, a couple with Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and the remaining two with “Vallejo” Steel Grey and “Citadel” Drakenhof Nightshade.

For the Confederates' jackets I either went with a mixture of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, or Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. Some of these colours might seem a little odd for a Southern unit but as this unit was going to represent Alabama, many of its recruits apparently wore "a dark blue frock coat" and "black broad brimmed felt hats at the war's start."

I gave all the Kepi hats a dash of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, their blanket rolls a smidgeon of either "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna or White with a wash of "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and their belt buckles a touch of "Vallejo" Gold and (more) Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter". Finally their hands and faces were layered with "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone, shaded in "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and later highlighted with extra dabs of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone.

With the fourth of my outer ring locations completed, I then decided to simply whizz across to the Middle Ring planet of Arrakis and tackle a miniature whose comic book alter-ego absolutely drips Machiavellian manoeuvres - the traitorous General Blackblood. Once “the most feared of the Volgans' war robots”, this “sadistic killer with a penchant for drinking the oil of the robots he killed” was supposedly reprogrammed by the A.B.C. [Atomic, Bacterial and Chemical] Warriors to fight against the Volgans on Mars. However, his original personality was kept intact so he was constantly scheming to betray his team-mates, and even cunningly attempted to escape them by living under the alias of businessman Bunyon Snipe on the free robot planet of Mekka. Ultimately, Blackblood unscrupulously manipulated colleague Mek-Quake into unwittingly helping him release the General’s former Commander - the Volgan warrior wizard robot Volkhan.

Produced by “Mongoose Publishing” and taken from the aforementioned pages of the British comic book “2000 A.D.” I noticed that Blackblood’s colour scheme was predominantly green according to most of the cover illustrations which he graced. However, having recently used "Scalecolor" Emerald Alchemy on my Ro-Jaws figure, I decided to adopt the metallic silver palette used when artist Bryan Talbot was pencilling the character within the pages of “Nemesis The Warlock: Book Four”.

The 28mm metal figure was therefore undercoated using “Citadel” Abaddon Black before being layered with "Vallejo" Gunmetal, shaded in “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo” Gunmetal. The automaton's knee-pads and epaulettes were picked out with Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, whilst his braid was treated to a combination of “Vallejo” Gold and “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. Finally, I applied some “Vallejo” Heavy Grey and “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green to his firearm and officer’s cap.

With the nearby planet of Cybertron now in my sights, I decided to paint up a couple of Robot(s) or rather Robo-Dogs (also by “Mongoose Publishing). Whilst Blackblood didn’t have any actual canine guards in the comic books, at least of which I’m aware of, I still thought they’d look rather fun alongside him on the table-top.

The two 28mm multi-part figures were undercoated in "Vallejo" Grey Surface Primer before receiving a double-helping of "Scalecolor" Emerald Alchemy. I then shaded them using "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green, before dry-brushed the pair with (more) "Scalecolor" Emerald Alchemy. To somewhat break-up the all-green colour scheme, I decided to ‘pick out’ their tails and teeth with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

Lastly, I found the time to re-paint some second-hand metal Terminators I recently received through the post. These long OOP 6mm figures by “Games Workshop” were re-primed in “Vallejo” White (so as to cover over their original dark blue paint scheme), and then shaded using some heavily watered-down “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade, as I wanted them to be the off-white Deathwing Terminators of the Dark Angels Chapter. Finally the figures were dry-brushed with more “Vallejo” White and had their stormbolter’s picked out with “Vallejo” Gunmetal” and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

Hopefully this latest AHPC entry will provide:

20 x 15mm ACW Confederate Infantry – 40 Points

Caprica – 20 Points

28mm General Blackblood - 5 Points

Arrakis - 20 Points

2 x 28mm Robo-dogs - 10 Points

Cybertron - 20 Points

5 x 6mm Epic Terminators - 2.5 Points

Total – 117.5 Points

Good work, Simon! Your Confederates look suitably ragged and 'doomed'. I like Blackblood's hair and fancy epaulettes! The dogs are a good shade of metallic green. And the termies take me back. You've captured the Deathwing ivory shade perfectly.

Barks

NB Don't forget to label your Planets!

From JezT: Samurai - Three ways (40 points)

 Hi All 

My third post and going for a third Squirrel point by presenting Samurai and inspired by the UK cooking show Masterchef I'll be serving up Samurai three ways.

Firstly we have the popular - Sengoku Jidai  the Age of War style. Here I have a couple of extra figures for my Impetus Late Samurai army - these are all mounted singly and use sabot bases. My army represents the forces of Uesugi Kenshin at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561. The Samurai sashimono is the black circle on white of  Takemata Hirotsua. The standard bearer is holding one of Kenshin's personal standards showing the Kanji character for "bi" - standing for the first syllable of Bishamon-ten, under whose divine protection the Buddist Kenshin lived (quoted from Stephen Turnball's Samurai Warlords which has a great illustration).  

These are Perry Miniatures

Secondly we have the very classical Mongol Invasion 1274.  These are earlier Samurai wearing the more classical earlier armour.  

These are TAG miniatures

Finally we have the Tokugawa style, these are post 1615 period. I might use these figures in a samurai skirmish game, there is a more scruffy Ronin type and two of a Daimyo's senior retainers in more formal kimonos.   

These are North Star Miniatures

Altogether should be 40 points and another squirrel for me

Cheers Jez

Well done, Jez, a tasty treat! Good work on all the freehand and patterns. It may already be popular but my favourite are the Sengoku Jidai era.

Barks

From SamuliS: 71st Beetroot Zouaves (61 points)

My next unit for Turnip28 is ready and this time it's a slightly bigger one with a unit of Fodder, or basic infantry, in the game. These will form the rank and file of my regiment the 71st Beetroot Zouaves. 

 

I was trying to think about a suitable root vegetable for my forces to worship and in the end decided on beetroot as it matched the red pants of the units and seems to be quite a divisive vegetable which doesn't really seem to have much middle ground. Either it seems people hate it or love it. Part of it probably has to do with how it's generally served here in Finland. You get exposed to it as some cold grated salad side in school or then it's served during christmas as a weird salad of cold potatoes, beetroot and carrots that is covered with a beetroot flavored whipped cream. I used to hate it as a kid, but growing older I've actually taken a liking to beetroot especially in soups, stews etc.

This time the conversions were a bit more involved with the legs of Zouaves used with 3D printed armored bodies and a mix of Zouave and Afgan Tribesmen parts for the rest. The armor sculpts are from the official Turnip28 patreon site, but are freely available to anyone. Really amazing and characterful sculpts and sized to fit Perry sculpts perfectly. Again painted with contrast paints over a Sepia shaded zenithal and then additional depth and weathering done with oil paints and enamel mud effects.

I wanted to have a full command team for my unit with a sword armed officer, drummer and flag bearer. Not surprisingly there aren't too many beetroot themed wargaming flags available so I ended up painting one myself. I did a quick sketch of the outlines with a pencil and then painted it with super thinned down inks to have sort of a watercolour style. In the end quite fast and easy to do with plenty of control coming from doing it in multiple thin layers to vary shading in different areas. The two sides didn't come out exactly identical, but doesn't really matter as you'll never see them at the same time ;) When the basic colours were down I just framed the details with a dark brown ink line and then made it look a bit dirtier with brownish splatters.

And with my second post for the week this should add me another 60 points from the 12 28mm minis present.

I love beetroot. I love your conversions and paintjobs. I love this flag (have a bonus point).

Barks

From SamuliS: Panzerhaubitze rolling into Vogsphere (44 points)

Back to a scale that I've probably submitted more minis in than in any other, though this time with a new era for me in the challenge. I've played Flames of War for quite a while now and it's probably been my most played single game for the last 10 years or so. So naturally when Team Yankee originally came out I was intrigued, but sort of figured that while the setting interested me the ground scale maybe looked a bit odd and I was more interested in larger scale battles of battalion sized forces or larger due to that being closer to what I've dealt with as a reservist in the last years. But last autumn a Team Yankee bug really bit our club and with most of my gaming friends picking up armies I succumbed as well. I was on the fence between picking up a French wheeled recon force or starting a West German armored unit, but looking at store availabilities I finally ended up with the Germans. I have most of the base units already done and I'm now starting to round out the different support options to add some variety.

Having lived in Germany and done quite a lot of business with Germans I can vouch for the cliches about their bureaucracy levels being true. I think I'm probably still marked as a resident in Aachen as you had to report moving out at the city hall and they only allowed you to do it a few days before your departure. When I tried to do it about a week in advance the lady complained that I should come back later which I declined to do so I'm pretty sure I'm somehow still marked as living there. Now another area which is well known for bureaucracy is the military and this applies to any sort of company manufacturing military materials. I'd imagine the discussions related to Germans buying American military gear during the Cold War and not too long after the end of WW2 would have been quite a bureaucratic nightmare for the ordinary person so with that slightly long winded explanation I'd think these are a suitable example for my next planet on the Quadrant map with a landing on Vogsphere ;)

 

Three 15mm vehicles and the next landing point come to around 44 points if my count is correct!

That's a cheeky explantion for Vogsphere, but I'll allow it as you're still a resident of Aachen. I really feel these should be off-board, but they look great.

Barks

From Nick: Scouts Out! (36 points)

Back to my Soviets again with one of the last support choices I need for the TooFatLardies campaign "Storming the Citadel", which pits the Großdeutschland Division against their Soviet counter parts during Operation Zitadelle, the famous battle in and around the Kursk salient in 1943.

As usual the miniatures are from AB Figures and painted up nicely. Except for the single female figure they're all wearing the Soviet two piece camouflage smock featuring the distinct Amoebae pattern camouflage scheme. The female figure rather unusually wears the earlier (and much rarer) one piece garment. 

The Soviet Union was the only belligerent nation where women actively served in frontline units in any number. All in all there were about 800.000 women serving in the Red Army in different capacities, ranging from medics over snipers and AA-personnel (I was quite surprised to read that the majority of AA-batteries in Stalingrad were crewed by women) to pilots, tankers and even scouts. 

As for points with five prone and four upright figures this submission should net me a grand 36 points.

I like reconnaissance forces, and you've done these Soviets and their amoebas proud. I've tagged Sarah's Choice to draw attention to your conclusions on the role of women in the Red Army.

Barks

From AlanD: Covenanter Dragoons on Istvaan V (115 points)

I'm back teaching this week, so production is slowing somewhat. However, I've been pushing on with Covenanters for Pikeman's Lament while I wait for a few more Romanians to arrive...

This week, I present a couple of units of dragoons with some prayer support. One of the things I like about the 3-2-1 basing suggested in Pikeman's Lament is the flexibility it gives. These troops can be mixed up to show a couple of units of dragoons, with some mounted and some on foot, or I could just use the foot figures as a unit of commanded shot. The figures are from Bicorne Miniatures, the first figures of theirs I've painted, and I enjoyed the range of poses and deep detail.

Supporting the dragoons is a Covenanter preacher from Warlord Games, although I chopped off his hat and gave him a bonnet. Istvaan V is a particularly apt planet for this force of Covenanters to land on. The events we (inaccurately) call The English Civil War were precipitated by Charles I's clumsy attempts to impose his brand of Anglicanism on the Scots, the first shots of the war being the objects thrown at the minister using Charles' Prayer Book in Edinburgh in 1637. The Scottish Covenant signed shortly after was a response to the suspiciously Catholic appearance of Charles' religious policies, which reeked of heresy to Scots Presbyterians. 

Istvaan V's theme of loyalty is also relevant to the Covenanters. Their opposition to Charles' religious policies made them initial allies of the English Parliament, culminating in them handing Charles over for trial in 1647. However, in 1648 the Covenanters changed sides, invading England to try to restore Charles to the throne after Parliament failed to follow through on their vague promises about making Presbyterianism the official religion throughout Britain.

With that, the figures here should gain me 95 points with a 20 point planet bonus, for 115 in total. Happy weekend to you all!

Another lovely unit of Covenanters! I really like the colour tone you have achieved here, and your basing works well with the backdrop.

Barks

From KenR: Garibaldi Infantry Number 4 (120 points)

 

Well real life has got in the way for the last few weeks and I've fallen behind on the most important things, like the Paint Challenge ! So there have been no new units or me posting on other entries for a while.

I'm away myself this week so not my usual photos but I really wanted to get some points on the board and as today (when this is posted) is my Birthday I shall be out on the town on Thursday.

Those of you who have been following this project will no doubt be familiar with these figures by now, they are of course Gringo 40s Garibaldi Infantry range, these figs are in a marching pose.

Although there is no extended forward musket I've kept the deeper bases so the army is consistently based.

The unit is 24 figures on 4 60 x 60 bases and at 5 points a piece that will be 120 points towards my target, I've fallen a bit behind my required pace for 1500 points let's see if I can catch up a bit with a week off work.

At the end of the last post, Garibaldi was in Lazio with his main force whilst Enrico and Giovanni Cairoli attempted to take Rome with 70 men from the inside.

On the 22nd October 1867, one group seized the Capitaline Hill, whilst another exploded a mine under the Papal Zouave barracks killing 27 people. But their efforts were in vain, the uprising was put down and Enrico was killed and Giovanni was badly wounded when the remaining group was cornered in a fire fight on the evening of the 22nd. 

Garibaldi in the meantime with between 8 and 10,000 men had reached Tivoli where he waited for the outcome of the uprising to reach him. To be continued....

Hopefully I will manage a couple of units next week, with something different, the Dunne Battalion.

Happy Birthday, Ken! We have missed your red shirts. The uprising from within would make a great little alternative history game as Garibaldi's forces approach...

Barks

NB: Labels, people!

From GeoffreyT: The saga of Beowulf (Glorantha) (85 points)

Here we have Beowulf and his retinue in 28mm by Eureka Miniatures, and a grendels arm widget from a Heresy Miniatures alternate part.

Twelve 28mm miniatures in Beowulfs warband.  I think there is another somewhere, but I pilfered his shield for a different project and need to find a replacement.  I plan on using these guys for the 'Ravenfeast' game, by littlewars TV.  

Not sure which one is Beowulf, but I reckon it is the burly one with no top on. 

To celebrate this auspicious completion, I will recreate Beowulf's saga in 28mm imagery.  I've based the story more on the 2007 movie interpretation.  I was a bit hazy on some details so filled in the gaps where I could.

Beowulf hears of Hrothgar's troubles, and needing a Quest to be valid for the Glorantha Bonus points, he departs to Norway to find a worthy adversary.

"Lo Hrothgar, take me to your monster"

Hrothgar throws a party to attract the monster Grendel with irritatingly loud music.

...DOOF, DOOF, DOOF...

Grendel arrives late to the party looking for snacks.  All the Geats are drunk and asleep apart from Beowulf.   A fight ensues.

'Your Santa disguise does not fool me Grendel"

Beowulf rends Grendels leathery arm from his hideous body.  Grendel leaves the party armless and dying.  The next day Hrothgar inspects the scene and is impressed by Beowulf's wrestling prowess.

"you remind me of when I was a boy ...blah blah blah...
"

The happy Norwegians throw another party.  This time Grendels mother turns up, and chows on some unsuspecting Geats.

At the crack of dawn, surveying the carnage, Beowulf and Hrothgar find a hand clutching an envelope from Grendels Mothers Optometrist, revealing the address of the monsters secret lair.

"Grendel's Mother, 1 Swamp Lane, Swampington-on-Sea, Norway, EU."

Beowulf departs for Swampington-on-Sea, taking a golden vessel handed to him by Hrothgar to return to the Hag.  Leaving behind the rarely discussed Viking shortship, he dives into the water to find the underwater cave-lair.

Deep in the beasts lair, Beowulf finds that "The Hag" is unexpectedly attractive.

"Welcome to my lair darling"

 Beowulf's plans go astray, and he stabs her with his 'other weapon' instead.

'So, that was your "magic-sword" '

Fifty years on, Beowulf is a mighty king reigning over a mighty kingdom.  He does all the mighty things that mighty kings do, except one thing; he cannot sire an heir.

An ageing Beowulf discovers he is not childless, when his long lost son 'Grendel's half Brother' comes to visit in the form of a dragon.  All of his retinue runs away except the brave Wiglaf, who helps Beowulf slay the dragon.

"Hello Daddy ... you owe child maintenance payments"

Beowulf is fatally wounded and with his dying breath, Beowulf bequeathes his Kingdom to Wiglaf.  

Does Wiglaf accept both the Kingdom and the monsters curse ?

"Hmm, where did this golden vessel come from..."

The End

***

For this post I am claiming

12 x 28 mm miniatures for 60 points.

1 x widget for 1 point

20 bonus points for Glorantha

The letter Q for Quest

A Squirrel for 28mm Geats.

Until next time,  GT.

Hwæt! Absolutely brilliant. At the end of the day, our toy soldiers are there to tell stories. Here we have the OG Anglo-Saxon story, charmingly retold with a troupe from your wonderful collection. I particularly like Grendel's mum in all her incarnations (I laughed at her first appearance), and the arm is a fun touch.

Eureka's Beowulf is the dark-haired fur-cloaked chap you've used as Wiglaf, but they are a band of flexible characters you can name as you wish.

Have a few points to round up for being so entertaining.

Barks

NB Don't forget to tag your squirrel