From JamieM - Kings of War Elves (240 points)

For this post, I’m presenting something completely different for me. I come from a Games Workshop background, so Warhammer 40K and Warhammer fantasy battle (now AoS) were what drew me into the hobby and got me hooked. Unfortunately they don’t really work for me as games at the moment. The main reason being that I play games in evenings and we can’t seem to fit games of them in of an evening with all the set up and break down at the end along with all of the complex rules in the middle. So I’ve moved onto mostly skirmish games.

But I’ve always liked some rank and flank. So when I started reading about Kings of War, I was intrigued. A more streamlined set of fantasy rules which allow large games to be fought to completion in a couple of hours. And something heretical in the GW world…… multibasing! So the whole unit would be alive or dead, instead of individual models being removed like in GW games. Now, you can just rank up individual bases onto movement trays, but I decided to go the whole hog and multibase to simplify set up and packing away. And because I though it could look awesome.

Now, multi basing was something that I had only ever done before in flames of war, where it is required as a 15mm game where each base of infantry was a unit. I really rather enjoyed the chance to tell a story on the base - perhaps there was a fence, or a tree stump or something that just doesn’t fit on a single based figure.

So I went delving through the shelves of holding and found a bunch of GW old school elves that I had never done anything with and decided to do something about them, and here are the beginnings of my army……

This is a unit of “Palace Guard”. Elite two handed weapon specialists who hit people extremely hard. I popped a champion at the front with an unusually large axe. Committing to Multibasing was somewhat tricky as I was essentially agreeing that I wouldn’t use these figures in other games. But then I realised that I hadn’t used these figures in the five or so years they’d been on the shelves, had no other plans to do so and still had a tonne of single based fantasy figures, so who was I kidding that I’d ever use them for anything else!?!?!

I decided that I’d keep it fairly simple for my diorama and just include a chap on a horse in the middle of the formation.  As I was converting and painting, I decided that he was probably a prince, sent to war but surrounded by his father’s best troops to keep him alive. He probably thinks he’s a clever general mind you and so he’s pointing over the head of the champion as if he knows the job of fighting better than the troops do…… 

 

Not only that, but he’s deliberately getting his horse to rear up, thus potentially knocking the brains out of his own unit and he’s brought a magical sword of fire and is also waving that around his troops heads! You can just imagine what these hard bitten fighters must think of him.

This picture conveys the space the troops are having to give the brave prince with his horse and flaming sword……!

The troopers are converted from spearmen as I’ve noticed in many a submission that two handed weapons doesn’t have to be the comically large versions that GW churns out on its figures and these looked a little more realistically sized. The axe and hammer heads are from plastic dwarf arms that I had spare and I think they work rather well. I went with a quartered livery for the troops underneath the chain mail.

I’m really pleased with the fact that the multibasing allows me to make them look like they’re not quite in clear ranks and files, although they are nicely bunched up and look like a unit.

Next job was that most elvish of units - archers.

On a smaller base to begin their role as harassers, I  pleased with the way the colours worked together.

This unit holds a leader (heroically waving a sword around his troopers’ heads as that’s clearly going to improve their aim….) and a musician.

I’ve already snapped one of the feathered headdresses whilst applying the basing and I suspect it won’t be the last one……

This second unit is the same size and includes the banner bearer. I figure I can push them together should I want a double sized unit instead. These are old GW sculpts and they really aren’t very good. The best thing about them is that they’re pretty quick and easy to paint and they do look half decent shoved together like this at least.

I’m pleased with how the banner came out and the look of them all together.

For scoring, there are 46 28mm infantry (30+8+8) and 1 28mm cavalry figure, giving me 240 points in total I believe. Hopefully I’ll have time to increase the size of the army by the end of the challenge as I’m on a bit of a roll.

***

 

Well...multi-based fantasy miniatures? Like, is that even LEGAL? Seems like total heresy to me! And not the fun Horus kind either! Do we need to have you rushed to the local A&E and checked for a head injury, or perhaps the effects of a 5G implant from Bill Gates???

 

Well, results are results. I am still chuckling at the description of the Elf lord, imperilling the lives of the palace guard all around him. Nicely done. And after your shameful strip mining of bonus points in weeks past, it is nice to see you stepping up with some heavy-duty figure counts that I know you are capable of. I expect you shall have the rest of this army finished next week! Just look at the time you save on basing...

 

240 points for you Jamie!

 

Now go find some 20mm square bases, close your eyes, and try to regain sanity...

 

GregB 

From EdwardG - A little last minute planet hop (Vulcan and Perelandra) (55 points)

 Evening all, 

I hope that although this is coming in late on the submission day, I can still slide under the slowly closing stone door and make it through while still wearing my hat! 

Within the lead pile I have managed to excavate a couple of minis that are useable for my last planetary landing attempts. After this I am planning on getting my head down and attempting to finish the main target project for this Challenge. While the last few weeks speed their way past in a blur. 

My first planetary port of call is Vulcan. Now this called for something logic (not a hope in hell), or with pointy ears (slightly more potential, but only slightly). I was inspired when a comment to a previous post of Moonstone minis was commented on that the Bunnies would have fitted the bill for Vulcan had I not already entered them for another planet. This got me thinking! So a re-visit to the moonstone stockist nearby, and I came away with another box of minis! Which of course I needed....This was the Malachite Mystics box set for anyone in the know. Within this box were a couple of minis that fitted perfectly the pointy ears requirements. I decided to paint the one with the pointiest ears of the bunch. So I present Raegan, Leshavult Priestess. She has some very useful powers and seems like she could nicely buff up Boris in his bunny summoning, so I am looking forward to trying to play the mini! I decided on a yoda-esque colour scheme, and was quite happy with the final result. 

Now I have managed to finally complete the outer planetary ring, I can finally start to take small steps deeper into the Quadrant. Even though I am very late in my ventures. 

For my next planet fall, I would look to land on the sea based planet of Perelandra. The Oceanic theme was a tough one for me, as I never normally paint naval or anything of that genre. However, I did remember that I had a mini which I had bought during the course of last year on the basis that it looked fun and might be useful as a Curtgeld or similar in this year's Challenge (I really like having this reason when explaining purchases...) Tbh, I cannot remember where I found him, or his make. But for me, there are few things more of the ocean, than a pirate from the golden age of sail! Yaharrrrrrrrr!

The final mini for my submission this evening sadly did not fit any of the available planets. He is neither Good, nor Evil, and certainly not a friend to any. The mini comes from the Medieval Marginalia kickstarter, which are some brilliant sculpts that I am sure will pop up in several future Challenges. It is crazy what people would draw in the margins of books! He is mounted as my 25mm Barker Marker (a 'technical' term for Zone of Control(ZoC) markers. The ZoC being a standard part of Mr. Barker's rules). I attempt to paint a new one for each 25/28mm DBA army that I paint. It is an odd thing, but I feel the Barker Marker is almost part of the army, although it is certainly not something I do for my 15mm DBA armies. But back to the mini. He is pleasantly playing a tune on his lute, but I fear for any of the opponents minis who can hear the tune. 

So down to the scoring:

3x 25mm foot miniatures = 15pts

Vulcan visit = 20pts

Perelandra visit = 20pts

Total = 55pts!

Hope everyone stays healthy and looking forward to getting one final entry in to close out this year and with any luck, just make my points target!! 

Take Care!

Ed

***

"And I came away with another box of minis! Which of course I needed." - the story of our lives. Well said, and well-painted.

Also - squeezing 55 points out of three figures. Now THAT is what we call "Wednesday"!

GregB

From RayR - Donnybrook - Ottoman Commanders 1683 (50 points)

 

I ordered these Warfare Miniature Ottoman Commanders a few months ago as soon as they were released. But kept them to paint up during the Challenge. I could have been sneaky and used them as part of my final Challenge, to paint up another 2 units, one for either side of the for the attack on Vienna in 1683. But alas no, I'd already nearly finished these when given the Challenge.

I gotta say I'm really pleased with how they painted up.

The sculpting is superb and so are the poses, which helps make them really easy to paint up.

The flags are also from Warfare miniatures. 

All of the figures aren't for a particular unit, but can be used as command for any of the units I already have, or will paint in the future. And they will of course be added to my Donnybrook Ottoman force that I painted up during the last Challenge.

There are 10 x 25mm figures each worth 5pts.

So that's 50pts please Greg.

 

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I should have known there would be more than one submission from you Ray! Fantastic work on this project Ray, great to see it continuing to move along. Well done. 

 

GregB 

From KyleC - Dwarves (170 points)

 I had hoped to get this on last week, but work got the better of me.. so here it is this week instead.. 

I have finished the last unit for my Chaos Dwarf army here as seen below:

A simple 20 man unit to finish off the basic troops there.

Then also tackled the Cereberus Cannon to go with the last posts crew.. 

Really enjoyed that. Just used a 100x50mm movement tray for its base to make it work out in the end!

And then tackled a 'few' character/hero models for the force to play with. 

Big boy on his Cereberus Mount! A happy pup ready to tear the faces off of his enemies.. or go running after an undead giants leg if time permits.. 

Played with the torso of this model here. A bull centaur to lead the others, and also a on foot great weapon hero to kick things off when required!

Big man on foot here. Never know when you need to take the fight to the enemy while slogging it with the boys.. 

Proper little Sorceror and his Familiar. Ready to cast Turn to Stone or Fireball I am sure.. 

Last chap was found in our print pile.. no idea where or when I printed it or why even.. but a bagpipe with flames just seems about right for this army.. so gave him a lick of paint here. 

I also attempted some OSL work on a skeleton. I 'may' have overdone the green on it.. and need to rework the glow aspect.. but it was a nice little trial all the same! 

And just a completed army shot.. even got all the movement trays based up like the models bases to give them some cohesion and really finish the army off. A very comfortable starting army for Oathmark now completed here. Now to find the energy to tackle the Kobold side of things for them to face off against.. or finish the Undead.. or complete that Human one.. thankfully no Elves ( they are too fragile for my liking ;) ).

But yeah.. no idea if the points here correct.. but I put it as below.. correct as needed:

26 28mm figures = 130 pts

1 28mm calvary figure = 10 pts

1 28mm mounted monster figure = 20 pts? I dunno here.. hes big :D 

1 28mm Artillery cannon = 10 pts

So 170 pts perhaps? 

In any case.. happy to have another army finished here.. lets see what I can get done in the next 3 weeks left for the contest! 

***

Wow Kyle, quite the assortment you have here. Some excellent brushwork, and it is always nice to see some fantasy stuff. I have not tried "Oathmark" myself, but I hear good things about it, and it is great to see others filling the gap so shamefully abandoned by GW when they nuked Fantasy Battle (and now busy themselves wanking at Warhammer Fantasy fans about how they are re-drawing maps of the Old World, but I digress). 

Love the army photo, and I am impressed at the results you achieve with the GW Contrast Paint, another example of how all of the tools make a difference in the skilled hands of Challenge participants!

I have no quibble with your scoring, and appreciate the fact that you did not claim the mounter monster as "transformative of battlefield morale" or some similar nonsense - 170 points for you! 

GregB 

From Iain W- 28mm Napoleonic Austrian Landwehr (120 points)

Another Austrian Infantry unit,this time a Lower Austrian Landwehr unit in grey. Victrix plastic figures, slightly more exaggerated than Perry ,nice to paint, they started out as Vienna Volunteers but I couldn't face painting their breeches white,so they're Lower Austrian Landwehr, all in grey!

I will have to do the Vienna Volunteers at some point I guess, but not just yet. Flag from Victrix, a 1792 one, the officer shouldn't really have a sash at this period in the Landwehr but I didn't want to butcher such a lovely characterful figure, almost finished the next unit of Landwehr, so you should see them next week, had a bout of covid which has hit production but all good now, I'm going to have to get a wiggle on to catch up!

Points 24 28mm  figures x 5 is 120 to my total and the Napoleonic duel 

All the best 

Iain 

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Fantastic work Iain! I just love Austrians, and love Napoleonics, so this submission really speaks to me. It also reminds me that, shamefully, I have no Landwehr in my own collection...something I should probably look into during one of these Painting Challenges, eh?

 

From RayR - Haitian Revolution - General Davide (10 points)

 

Only a small entry so far today, hopefully I'll find time to post some others a bit later today.

I've been on a few of the Zoom & Paint chats organized by fellow Challengers JamesM and DaveD, via Facebook. If you haven't joined in please do so, its great to see fellow Challengers face to face (well virtually anyway) and paint up figures and chat about whatever takes your fancy, at the same time.

On one of these Zoom calls, Dave said he had a old Trent figure, that he'd started to paint up, he'd never finish it and did I want it? Hell yes!!!

Well he arrived the next day! Thanks Dave!

The figure is actually a representation of  General Lecourbe, but as I only have 1 Haitian mounted General, I thought I'd paint him up for the Haitians.

He was a little chipped, so I had to go over Dave's original paintwork on the horse. Looked like Dave had painted with oils, as it was a bugger to paint over.

1 x 25mm General Davide gives me 10 points!

 

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Great work here Ray (and Dave!). Always nice to see figures moving about between Challengers, and getting a coat of paint. I'm also impressed at how you managed to make sure you had at least one submission for today - I assume you are otherwise occupied with your final Snowlord's Challenge!

 

Nice work Ray, another 10 points for you. 

 

GregB