From MikeF - Droids and Robots - 29 points

 Droids and robots are a core component of any good cyberpunk setting.  Exploit Zero is no different and the services of drones are essential to completing the missions. Drones are typically operated by the ‘splicer’ agent type. They are the hackers/drone controllers. Drones have several uses such as combat, storage, drug dispensers, medical and skills enhancement. A splicer will operate several drones to fulfill roles best suited to the mission and I’ve painted up a bunch to represent the different types. I put them on clear bases as they are generally treated as equipment rather than models you can interact with, so I wanted them to look separate from other models on the table.

Cop is for scale purposes

Back Row: Northstar camera drones, 3d printed flying gun drone.
Front Row: Northstar robo-dog, Em4 drones, 3d printed gun dog, more Em4 drones.

The robots painted in red probably won’t serve a purpose other than as terrain. I painted them red because I like the idea of automated fire suppression drones - basically a fire extinguisher. Seems like an unnecessary product a tech-bro would develop and sell to a hapless municipality.

Points are a bit tricky. I figure 1.5 points for the 4 small flying drones, 3 points each for the two robot dogs, 2 points for the yellow trash can, and 5 points each for the flying gun drone and 2 fire extinguishers. That’s a total of 29 points.

Thanks for visiting.

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Great little remotes there Mike, they will really add the table tech to your cyberpunk vibes

Your Exploit Zero collection is really coming along! 

- Paul

from Mike F - Cyberpunk Police - 50 Points

 Continuing on with my Exploit Zero project, I’ve completed a set of 10 models to represent wave 2 adversaries. These are the local police and they’re highly militarized! Armed with assault rifles, grenade launchers and sniper rifles, I don’t think they’re here to take anyone’s report! I went with a brighter blue and white  for the uniform as it’s a force that still wants to be seen as approachable and a positive influence on the community. In reality however, they largely serve their corporate masters and try to barely keep a lid on civil disorder. Miniatures are from Seb-Games Void line and are in metal.

 10 x 28mm miniatures for 50 points.

Thanks for visiting!

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"Iso Cubes for you Creep, and I'll take 50 points as a fine" 

Nice work Mike - I'm enjoying seeing your project come together!

- Paul

From MikeF - Corporate Security Droids - 50 Points

Last week I presented the wave 1 baddies for the game, Exploit Zero. This week I skip over wave 2 and go straight to 3 (wave 2 wasn’t primed yet). These are the top level threat of the game and arrive late in the game when the player agents have been battered fighting the 2 previous waves. Once these guys show up, it’s time to complete the objective and beat it. In cyberpunk settings, the corporations are usually messing around with robots and cyborgs, usually in the form of some secret weapon system or “initiative”. As such, wave 3 should be represented by something unburdened by human frailty.

I’ve had a group of Mantic Enforcers sitting around for years. I’ve never been a big fan of Mantic sculpts and the proportions of these models are a bit odd to look like humans are inside. That works perfectly for robots however (or cyborgs I suppose). Painting was kept simple and dark to reflect the cold, calculating malevolence of kill bots.

This guy represents an enemy Agent which provides an additional challenge for the players.

That’s 11 28mm miniatures for 55 points.

Thanks for visiting.

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Oh yes, I also love a good battle droid. Nothing like an unstoppable, merciless and heavily armoured killing machine for a bit of table top fun!

- Paul

From MikeF - Corporate Security - 50 points

I always struggle to get anything done before January. Between work, Christmas and holiday travel to desolate locations in western Manitoba, I usually have little time for painting. Now that things have settled down, I’ve been able to complete my first entry. For this challenge I’m working on a new project I’m hoping to have completed for Prairie Con in May. The game is Exploit Zero by Patrick Todoroff. It’s in the cyberpunk genre - a future world where powerful corporations have supplanted elected governments, the remnants of which have become increasingly authoritarian and rely on increasingly militarized police to manage a civilian population ensnared by consumerism and technology- technology which has broken the bonds of civil society and raises the question of what it means to be “human.” The future indeed!

These models are from Copplestone Castings Future Wars. Exploit Zero pits a team of agents against security forces trying to prevent them from completing their objectives. The security response consists of three different waves. Wave 1 are your basic corporate security guys. That’s what these models represent. Corporate thugs  who act tough, but don’t put up much of a fight. I painted them using Vallejo German Uniform to make them a bit more sinister and to avoid making them look like police. The police are wave 2 and they are not here to help!

Shotguns, pistols and batons are no match for machine pistols and samurai swords.

10 28mm models for 50 points.

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Nice work Mike!  I do love the older Copplestone SF sculpts. They always remind me of the 2000AD comic strips, and these ones the Neo-Sov Judges that invade Megacity 1. Either that or the old School GW Cadet Commissars that you could field in Training Squads. That was back in the day...

Good luck with the rest of the Project Mike - we look forward to more cyber-themed submissions!

- Paul

(Ready) from Kerry T - Sniff -The challenge is over and summer's gone as well

 Morning, afternoon & evening all

I can't believe where the time has gone, 3 months has just flown by in the blink of an eye. Not only does this mean that it's the end of this my 3rd challenge but summer has gone as well. It feels as if somebody has just switched the heat off here in NZ and I think this will be the last week I go to work in shorts.

Thank you all for the kindness and encouragement you've shown me in the past months. Again a huge thank you to Curt and Sarah along with Millsy my minion for all the work you've put into this. The challenge is without doubt the highlight of my painting year. Not only does it give an impetus to my own productivity but showcases some amazing painting talent and fantastic miniatures. I hope to be on the roster again in December. What was particularly enjoyable this year was the Tuesday paint & chat set up by Millsy. It really added to the pleasure of taking part.

Getting my photo taken is the worst bit of the challenge

I quite surprised myself this year with my productivity, I managed to paint quite a bit of my waiting Italian Wars Cavalry which was my main aim - I'll have to buy more now.

I managed to knock off more than 150 cavalry I think

I started with some Black Guard for the Reconquista

Just a few dwarves this year

The frigate looks out of place!

One problem is that companies like Victrix and Footsore have added so many lovely figures recently I just keep adding units to projects I thought I had completed and has meant I've started others. I was particularly pleased to have finished my early medieval Welsh army (he says having just bought a few more!)

I think WOTR and 100YW are likely to feature in the next few months

I managed some Italian Wars foot near the end

Casting room Miniatures turn out well despite looking uninspiring in bare metal

Where would I be if I didn't paint Gendarmes?

I have a stock of unfinished Oathsworn Miniatures for next year

Getting knocked out in the first round of the Club Championship (golf) this year meant I had more time than I had expected as I did not feel compelled to practice - maybe that's why I went out!

I also had a two week break in February and used a week of that to concentrate on my Norman Castle  which has been coming off my 3D printer since October last year. I'm now working on some cottages.  This was a new venture for me and a future resin printer in order to print off miniatures rather than terrain I think is going to be a must in the next year.

I can't believe how versatile and interchangeable this is

I think it will make its debut tomorrow in a game

Once again, thank you all. I hope you've all enjoyed yourselves as much as I have this year. Best wishes to you all and may your paint pots never dry up

Kerry

PS Hope to see some of you at Partizan this year

From MartijnN: Wrapping it all up

My fourth Challenge has flown by, and I had a blast as usual. One of the many things I like about the challenge is that it gets me to paint things I normally would not really have thought of. The themes challenge you to come up with some unusual models, and that is really fun. Normally, I paint because there is a game or rules system I want to play, but in reality I seldom have the opportunity to actually play. During the Challenge, I also paint things just for the fun of it.

I set my target low this year, as somehow Curt had had the curious idea of asking me if I would act as a minion. I felt a little apprehensive at first, and was not sure if i was up to it and if it would impact my production (which is not high in any case). However, I easily reached my initial target and even my extended target, and that is nice. Now if I make a plan next year I might get to actually finish some projects... Hmm, that may be a thought.  Still, seeing it all laid out before me like this in all its squirrelly variety is very satisfactory. As to the minioning, I really enjoyed the privilege of minioning the amazing posts you fellow Challengers produced. I did my best to be supportive and fair, and I hope I have succeeded somewhat in that.

Thanks to all my fellow Challengers for another great winter. Again, I have seen some truly amazing and creative work and a lot of camaraderie and friendship. Thanks to all who commented on my work, it has really been very much appreciated. I myself did not get to comment on nearly as many posts as I would have liked, and I promise to do better next time, but rest assured that I have been blown away by the quality and quantity of your work and it has made my winter much more enjoyable!

Thanks to Curt and Sarah for another great experience, and for letting me in on the minion crew. My fellow minions have been very supportive and friendly, which really helped a lot. Thanks to the Tuesday Crew, who were simply great. And finally thanks to my own  minion Teemu, who put up with some very vague promises and some late entries, and managed the Thor's Day group magnificently.

That's it for this year from me, I do hope to see you all again in December!

P.S. Teemu's post just reminded me: Belgian libraries are publicly funded and don't accept donations, so for my participation fee I chose the charity Fonds des Amis des Bibliothèques Sans Frontières Belgique, which provides books and reading material to children in needy circumstances.

From MikeF - Old World Empire & Sherman Tank - Fantasy Room - 70 points

 While working on my Steel Legion army, I've been picking away at a few other things. First up are some test models for a possible Empire Army for Warhammer: The Old World. Since there are no models for the Empire yet, I'm using 3rd party models to represent most of the units. I experimented with Wargames Atlantic Conquistador box to stand in for state troops. I painted them up in Altdorf colors and I think they'll look pretty good ranked up. I needed to keep the paint scheme fairly basic as I'll have to paint a large number of these guys. The models naturally have a more Spanish aesthetic rather than Holy Roman Empire, but I think they'll work. I really enjoyed painting the Wargames Atlantic models. They're simple sculpts that aren't cluttered with details that bog down batch painting. The torso and legs come in one piece and can be armed with a variety of weapons including spears, swords, halberds, crossbows and arquebus. The price is also decent as you get 24 in a box for under $50 CAN. Judging by current Old World pricing, Empire State Troops should be about $90 CAN for 20. 

I'm claiming the Fantasy room for this group.

Second up is a Sherman tank for the game "Tanks for the Apocalypse." The game is from Snarling Badger Studio and takes place in an end of WWII post-apocalyptic America where the survivors have salvaged numerous Sherman tanks from the Lima Locomotive Works in Ohio and use them to battle for territory. The tanks are often given home modifications which may help or hinder you in the game. I had a 1/48 Tamiya Sherman that I've been using as a test model for various tank paint schemes. I gave it numerous conversions and a non-standard camo paint job.

6 x 28mm models = 30 points

1 28mm vehicle = 20 points

Fantasy room = 20 points

Total = 65 points

Looks like this will be my final post, so I'll hopefully see you all in December. Thanks for visiting!

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Great work on these two very different projects Mike! Those pikemen look brilliant and will serve nicely for 'southern' Empire levies. I agree, the Wargames Atlantic sets are excellent. I've been using their STL versions and find the models to strike that balance between detail and not being too over complicated. Love the whacky post-apoc Sherman with it's blue Mickey Mouse camo. Also I see it won't run out of fuel or water anytime soon with it's jerry can reserve!

Thanks for pitching in with us again this year Mike. Hope to see you sometime this spring or summer when I'm in the 'Peg.

- Curt

From DallasE: More Terrain for Lunar! (25 points)

                                        

Second last Challenge post from me and it's more terrain for Lunar. Haven't played the game yet but I definitely am ready - models all painted, mat purchased and delivered, and MORE than enough terrain. These were printed by Challenger ByronM in filament from STLs I purchased from Black Site Studios.

This is a pretty cool piece, it's the entrance to a buried hab pod.

These will also be useful, I think they're supposed to be oxygen tanks. I haven't "branded" the hab or tanks with any national insignia as I want them to be useable for either side.

Here's a crashed lunar buggy. Kinda neat.

I used one of the handy "NASA" decals on the buggy.

Not much more to say about this submission. As for points, I'm gonna claim one-and-a-quarter cubes, so 25 points.

Like I said, I still have one post to go. Not gonna tease it too much but it'll be something that's quite familiar to 40K enthusiasts "of a certain age". I've been looking for those models forever and finally found some. That's all I'll say for now!

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Wonderful work Dallas. These lunar terrain bits turned out a treat. I especially like the crashed buggy. I really appreciate how several game companies are now providing STLs for their games pieces. It's especially good for those in places like Canada where international shipping of physical product can be prohibitively expensive. 

Well done Dallas! I hope to have your final entry up today as well so stay tuned.

 

- Curt

From DallasE: Lunar Astronaut, Cosmonaut, Shuttle Pod, Terrain and Squats! (59 Points)

OK so I've got a little bit of painting done this week - mostly on the new hotness here which is Black Site Studio's Lunar. Today I've got my last two models (astronaut and cosmonaut) plus some craters, and a vehicle from an unexpected source!

Here are the two spacefarers. They're from the "Heroes and Icons Vol.1" pack from Black Site, but each has been converted... the cosmonaut (left) originally carried two geology hammers, and the astronaut (right) had two pistols... that didn't make much sense to me, so I did a bit of converting to give 'em a pistol and hammer each. I also had to replace the shafts on the geology hammers as they were twisted resin that manfully resisted all attempts at straightening. Worked out well I think.

I used the last small CCCP decal from the sheet on this model, I like the look of the tan suits with white helmets and boots. I used GW Rakarth Flesh as a basecoat, highlighted with Pallid Wych Flesh, washed with Agrax Earthshade. The helmet is Corax White with Vallejo pure white on top.  

The NASA astronaut is painted just the same as his colleagues too - basecoat Celestra Grey, highlighted Corax White and Vallejo pure white. 

The stars-and-stripes flags on the sleeves are done by hand. It's easy - paint a few long parallel stripes in Mephiston Red and then the canton over top in dark blue. Even in this larger scale, I call that done.

Recognize this? It's the Escape Pod from the Star Wars: Legion "Crashed Escape Pod" Battlefield Expansion. I couldn't imagine when I'd be using this in a Star Wars game but the style and scale seemed perfect for Lunar, so that's how it got painted!

The model was basecoated Celestra Grey then Corax White...

...then the Vallejo pure white over top. The Soviet flags are Mephiston Red highlighted Evil Sunz Scarlet.

The decals are from the Lunar decal sheet and really finish off the model well. I reckon this space pod looks a bit cobbled-together and janky so that means Soviet to me. I did some sponge chipping with German Camo Black-Brown, despite some misgivings... if this pod is going straight from the Earth to the Moon, how does it get weathered in a vacuum? I suppose there will be some bits of space dust to chip away at the paint, but I imagine that the Soviets with their sense of economy may get these things back down to Earth and reuse them.

 

Here are all the models I've painted for the game so far. You can see on the Soviets that I've repainted to give white helmets and added the CCCP decals, I think they look much better with that contrast.

I've also painted some craters this week. These are all vacuum-formed plastic items that have been kicking around for years, but they did take a bit of work. The vac-formed plastic is pretty thin and tends to warp at the edges - remember that these were all originally cut from a sheet, there was no 3D printing back then! So I cut some plasticard to shape and superglued the craters down to it before painting them. I reckon that's half a cube, the ruler is 6" long.

Lastly here's a couple of models that have been around awhile - they're Squats in Exo-Armour, metal models from the old days of 40K.

I wanted to get these dudes painted to round out a squad of five - I had already painted three "Termineggs" from Wereweevil for my Squat army and these guys fit that bunch to perfection. They'd been sitting primed on the painting desk for ages so it is good to get them up in the cabinet.

Now for the scoring:

2x 40mm Astronauts/Cosmonauts        14 points

1x 40mm space pod vehicle                  25 points

2x 28mm Squats in Exo-Armour          10 points
0.5 terrain cube                                     10 points

Total                                                       59 points

See you next week! 

Nice to see this growing, and expanding across the moon there! Those decals really hit the mark on the helmet. 

Easy 59 pts for you there
Kyle