From TamsinP: Morks (Calling Orsons?) - Docherty's Dock (102 points)

In the universe of Strontium Dog, there is a need to get around on the various colony worlds. Morks were found on one planet and have successfully adapted to many other colony worlds which frequently have large Mork farms or ranches to breed them. As well as being useful as mounts and beasts of burden, they are also a good source of meat (albeit rather tough) and leather.

On such worlds, these hardy beasts are favoured as mounts by outlaws and bounty hunters, as well as by ordinary colonists.


Bubo and the Bad Boys

Bubo and the Bad Boys are Howlers (you may remember Darkus and friends from my post last year), an alien race that frequently prey on colonists.

After one raid by this gang, Johnny and Wulf were contracted to track them down, catching them in the middle of a raid on a train bound from Jobsville.

During the fight, Bubo jammed the train's throttle open, causing it to derail while going over a bridge. Johnny was trapped inside, but Wulf saved him and took him to the nearest settlement for medical attention.

With Johnny being taken care of, Wulf set off on his own to exact vengeance on Bubo's gang.

Johnny Alpha and Wulf Sternhammer

But what if you need to cover long distances fast? Morks are no good for that, which is where hoverbikes come in:

For this trip, Johnny and Wulf have been joined by The Gronk, their alien friend who has medical expertise (but multiple poor, weak heartsies).

And that completes my Strontium Dog collection - I have now painted every miniature in the range (twice for the Stix).

I did check with Dave and he was quite happy for the Morks to be classed as camel equivalents. However, just in case someone objects, here is a camel for you:

And finally a pic with all eight miniatures:

The Strontium Dog figures are from Warlord Games, the 15mm camel is (I think) from Donnington.

These were in fact the last of my planned figures for this year's Challenge. With another 5 and a bit days to go (as I write this on Sunday) I guess I might have to start on another project. The question is which one?

For Scoring:
7 x 28mm mounted* @ 10 = 70 points
1 x 15mm camel @ 2 = 2 points
Docherty's Dock = 30 points

Total = 102 points

* It would be rude to try to claim these as being 40mm figures - they were from Wave 1 where the figures were generally smaller than those of the later waves.

***
Nice work Tamsin, as always.  During the Painting Challenge we always get the chance to see figures for settings and periods I had never heard of and would not consider myself. "Strontium Dog" is not quite my thing, but wow these posts with the figures from the range have been a lot of fun to read and to enjoy - neat, creative back stories and, of course, great painting.  Well done!

As for scoring, if you say 102 points, well, then that's 102 points for you. 

GregB

From SanderS: Humpday at Docherty's Docks (110 pts)

Hoi,

The dust clouds willow above Cook's Crevasse as a small caravan leaves this landmark on it's way to Docherty's Docks. It is accompanied by the braying of... camels!

"Corr Williams, how's Lord Campell doing?" the redcoated soldier supports his comrade who's looking a bit the worse for wear, as he takes a peak into the doolie carried by two carriers. His browncoated fellow raises his weary head and looks at the carrying bed as well: "well dear Millsy, he's going off his rocker for sure. He's babbling about climbing up Peaks in search for treasure, paragliding - whatever that may be-, arranging his garden and something with balloons and champaign." Williams raises his brow and shakes his head: "I can't stand balloons, awfull things really." Corporal Millsy nods symphatically and shrugs "I think Lord Campbell is groing a lot of white hairs lately and to be honest he seems a tinge blue to me too."

-

Their intellectual discussion is interrupted by some loud Bactrian noises and curses coming from the back of the caravan. "SODDIT! Millenium-hand-and-shrimp!" the sounds are coming from one of two rotan baskets hanging off the sides of a ship of the desert. From the other one a rather more coherent voice speaks up "Private Roussel mind the language you horrible little badger!" more whining emerges from the other basket "But Sergeant-Major Docherty, I got my arse stuck in this infernal contraption, I was only trying to get into a different pose, my budgie smuglers keep riding up!" The sergeant-major bristles with silent outrage at this un-soldierly behaviour. "You really are a disgrace you sorry excuse for a soldier, stop pretending to be a sandbag and stand to you daft..." more camel braying and dust clouds prevent us from hearing the sergeant's opinion of poor private Roussel.

In a crop of palmtrees a couple of locals anxiously watch the proceedings. "Da? Do you think the British have noticed us?" a young lad, he just could be 8 years old is carrying his father's sword and shield while the latter is pouring a tanker of arrack from a skin. "Well I think they're rather busy feeling sorry for themselves so no I don't think they did." His son doesn't seem to be put at ease. "Yeah, but dad, we did nick these camels from the British army, won't they be mad when they find out?" His dad smiles "Son, the real British army is hard as nails and would surely have our hides off our backs for taking these poor beasties, but that lad over there would be better off at home in their own cold lands, sitting in some dingy dark room painting toy soldiers..."

Off course DaveD would ask us to do something with camels and having loads of Indian Mutiny figures still in cue, I jumped at this opportunity. The two prone camels (nicked by Indian Arthur and Sander) are actually camels gifted to me by the great man himself during our Camel-duel last year, or was that two years ago Dave? Time flies when you're painting camels for sure.

Now as to scoring these, since none of the camels is actually mounted by just one figure I am going to score them all as single 28mm foot figures, including Curt in his doolie carrying bed. That amounts to:
- 11 figures + 3 camels = 14 x 5 =  70 points, which together with the 30 points of the Docks is a nice round 100 points for the total!

So now I am off painting stuff to hitch a ride in a Balloon: in real life I REALLY hate balloons, sorry dear lady Sarah. Oh and guess what I hate as well? Yup, champagne...

From DaveD - ah Sander that’s an excellent tale of camel skulduggery - and I am not not just talking  about Ray there. Very nicely executed camels there to. So a classic Docherty’s Dock entry on Hump day I reckon earns 110 points

From NoelW: Shippy McShipface : Docherty’s Dock: (18 Points)

At last – the sea! Our fleet should be nearby. Somewhere just over the horizon, we should be able to see their sails. And then just a hop, skip and a jump to be homeward bound.

Here’s a signpost: “To the ships!”

“Come on chaps, follow me!”

And here’s the beach. More sand. Sand! Nemesis of chain mail, arch enemy of plate. But today - a harbinger of happiness. Where are the ships, though?

“Roll up! Roll up! Real ships of the desert! Fifty pence a ride.”

Of course. Obviously. Should’ve known. Camels! And not a hint of real ships.

“Oh Lady Sarah!  Where art thou? We need your balloon to get away from the coast – er – to the coast.”

---

These two camels represent the “ambulances” used by the French in Egypt, The models made by the Perrys, of course.

I think prone figures score half points, so the three figures in these cambulance baskets (one is empty) would score 7.5 points, plus 5 for each camel: Total: 17.5 points

(No bonus for location, as this is my second visit here.)

***
Nicely done Noel.  I am constantly amazed at how complete the Perry Brothers can be when they tackle a setting...camel ambulances? I hope our pudding-brained Mayor never gets sight of this, as he would immediately declare it to be "innovation"...

I tossed in an extra half point to round things up because decimals harm souls.

GregB 

 

From MarkB - Betsy the camel at Docherty’s Dock- 40 points

Ahoy ship mates! I was all ready to paint a ship and now I see it’s ships of the desert! No problem! Out of the bits box come two ancient camels loaded with arrows and javelins. They will be very helpful as a baggage element for a variety of desert themed DBA armies.

Betsy and Barnaby are both 15mm and based on a 40mm x 40mm base. I hadn’t painted 15mm for about a decade and really enjoyed them as a change from my usual 28mm or ridiculously small 6mm or 2mm figures. It’s funny because you can still use the same techniques and they seem to combine enough detail with a quicker painting time, cost and tabletop footprint. I’m almost a convert!

I guess that’s 30 points for another location completed at Docherty’s Dock and 2 x 4 points for the camels as they basically had the same work as 15mm cavalry.

A total of a cheeky 38 points?

Where to next? I think it’s time to send up the smoke signals for another plundered location and call forth Sarah’s balloon for a second airborne journey... but where to? I feel the Snowlord’s peak is beckoning!

From DaveD - about time I had camels on hump days.. and even better at ones own location.. perfect ships of the desert! - lets call that 40 points

From Barks: Camelorum virumque cano (44 points)

Exterior, Fort Djelibeybi, night. An unusually warm evening breeze wafts exotic scents to our heroes.

Caporal Milsois: Mon dieu, Mon Commandant! Can you hear… music?

Commandant Docherté: Oui, Caporal! It is… strangely familiar.

Caporal Milsois: It sounds like a sousaphone!

Commandant Docherté: Sacre bleu! I have heard this before! I was lost in the desert and I followed the music of this haunting, erotic polka. I found a gorgeous dusky maid wearing a veil, with the deepest, brownest eyes, the longest eyelashes, and an oddly fetching hunch… When I awoke, a friendly patrol found me all alone.

Caporal Milsois: Mon Commandant, let us follow the sousaphone! Allons-y!

Exeunt omnes.

Dear reader, I shall draw seven veils over the subsequent scene.

Observe how the eyes follow you

Nic Robson gave me a very wary look as I bought La Légion Étrangère Camel Sousaphone off him at CanCon last month.

"Don't judge me!" I screamed in his face, "You sell this!"

About 24h after I had ordered the above, I found these two 15mm Naked Camels from Irregular. I shall call them Michael and Dave.

1x 28mm 5 points
2x 15mm camels 4 points
Including Millsy & Docherty 5 points
Docherty's Dock 30 points

And he wept, for there were no more lands to conquer.

-------

By Paul

Impressive! Of course, Long John and friends toured the whole of their Treasure Island only to find that X no longer marked the spot.  Got any cheese to trade for the gold? :-)

Lovely camels and why am I not surprised that the Sousaphone is a Nic Robson special?  Not sure that those camels are in fact Michael and Dave - not enough lipstick is showing for them being stranded in the lonely desert. But given the lack of skulls I shall grant you the benefit of the doubt!

PS Nice Alexander the Great Quote! Of course, Shakespeare would probably wax lyrical about the "Undiscovered Country"...

PPS But doest thee Cranium virumque cano?

From Curt: al-Docherty and al-Millsy's Flying(!) Camel Artillery - for 'Docherty's Dock' (55 Points)

Mu'tamid al-Millsy steps back and grimaces in expectation of the coming catastrophe.' I don't know brother, this seems to be a very bad idea...'

'I think it's brilliant.' Dawood al-Docherty reaches forward with his lit linstock. 'If the thrice-damned French can have flying horse artillery then why can't we have the same, but with camels?!'

'Yes, I understand, but I'm just concerned about the 'flying' part...'

________________________

These figures were from a Westfalia Miniatures Kickstarter for Napoleonic Persians, way back when they were still doing Napoleonics (sniffs in pained remembrance). Wonderful Paul Hicks sculpts. They were an absolute pleasure to work on and I hope they get a smile from Dave and Millsy. Thanks Dave for the location challenge, it was great fun!

***
Guest minion Byron checking in today to get a submission in for the Snowlord.

What lovely figures here Curt, and while your painting is top shelf as usual, what really gets me is the colour choices and usage.  I am horrible at picking colours and figuring out what goes with what.  I would not think to match some of the colours you used together, but they took great on the figures.  They look like something you would see in real life.  Great work!

I also look at this and think, hmmm I really hate painting cavalry, how much would I hate painting a camel?  After are they are just bigger, smellier horses that spit at you, right?

As for the flying camel artillery... I think something was lost in translation on these two fellas!  But then again given who they are, does that surprise anyone???

Regardless, great little diorama style piece.

- ByronM