From DrQ: Blood Bowl for the Snowlord's Altar (80 points)

For the Snowlord's Altar I was tasked with finishing my Old World Alliance Blood Bowl team box. I had already painted up the three halflings for the Larder early in the challenge, but that a dozen models to paint this last week—a not impossible task. So, without further ado, here's the rest of the Anvilguard Yellow Jackets:

And one group shot including the three halflings from earlier in the challenge:

As far as points, that's a dozen models for 60 points, plus another 20 points for the challenge bonus, for a total of 80 points. Also, there's another four skulls for my meager skull throne. 

And with that I've finished the challenge locales on the last day of the competition! It's been a blast, folx. Thanks to all who make this possible. 

For Dr.Q: The Altar of the SnowLord

Altar of the SnowLord (brought to you by the kids of Kinsmen Park South)

 

Congratulations Dr.Q, for battling your way to the SnowLord's Altar. Okay, for your task, I challenge you to come up with... a Blood Bowl team! I know, that sounds a bit random, but I know you've been wanting to finish your Human team so let's get those guys done and on the gridiron before Sunday. 

Dr.Q's Prize: Herr Robert's D'Kuhl Mindflayer (now, how Kuhl is that?!)

From DrQ: An Arkanaut Ironclad in the Lair of the Great Beast (70 points)

 For the Lair of the Great Beast we were instructed to paint something "monstrous and nightmarish, terrifying and humongous." I chose to interpret this as my personal dragon to slay in this competing—Arkanaut Ironclad for the Kharadron Overlords.

By any definition this thing was a beast: 152 components, on a 170 x 109 mm oval base, and sitting over 20cm high on my custom flight stand. It is also crewed by 6 figures as well. 

I've been working on this thing literally since the challenge started, and I'm glad to have finally completed it.

As far as points, the vehicle is 20 points, the six figures are another 30 points, and the challenge bonus is another 20. For a grand total of 70, I believe. 

From here there's nowhere to go but the Altar of the Snowlord!!!!

From DrQ: Some more fancy ork boyz (25 points)

 While I'm still working on my monstrous Kharadron Overlord Ironclad for the Lair of the Great Beast, I did finish off some more fancy steampunk boyz for my increasingly dapper WAAAGH.

These boys are built from leftover parts gifted me by an in-law who ran a bit shot for years. As a result, I had sprues low on both legs and heads. I've made up for that with Spellcrow Orc Steampunk Heads and Orc Freetbooter legs. I rather like how they turned out.

As far as points, just another 25 for these five 28mm ladz. 

Now, back to the Great Beast...

From DrQ: Kharadron Overladies (50 points)

As I continue to work on my great beast for its eponymous lair, I painted up some custom all-female Kharadron Arkanauts—Kharadron Overladies if you will.

The heads for these Kharadron Overladies are from an Etsy store called FlagshipGamesUS. They looked a little small when I first got them, but they wind up looking fine when actually on the bodies. Also, I used swords rather than axes for the whole squad. I have another box of Arkanauts lying around, and if I build them up as a male force I'll give them all the axes (conversely, I might build the other box as a Kharadron Blood Bowl team).
 

In order to differentiate the leader more easily, I used the topknot from a spare Stormcast Eternal head I had lying around. 

Other than the head swaps, I've left the models as-is. The armour suites that the Kharadron wear are quite padded so any differentiation of silhouette would be hidden by the the padding. Additionally, I didn't really think that the usual "all women in heels" aesthetic that is found in so many wargmaes was something that the no-nonsense Kharadron would really have any time. A lack of beards would be enough. I found the post "Female representation in wargaming" by Between the Bolter and Me really helpful in making these design decisions.

As far as points, these are ten 28mmm foot soldiers for 50 points total. 

Now back to the giant hulk of the Ironclad! 

From DrQ: Orks and Chests in the Snowlord's Treasury (70 points)

 

For the Snowlord's Treasury I've painted up some lovely little treasure chests. These five are from an old CMON kickstarter-exclussive box for Masmorra: Dungeons of Arcadia. 

Not really much to say about these, aside from the fact that I painted them in the standard cartoon style I do for all chibi miniatures (see earlier posts). I decided for a group shot showing all the sides in one image, since there were five of them to paint up. 

Additionally, if there's going to be loot, there needs to be someone(s) there to do the looting. As such here are five more 40k Ork Boyz.

These boys are a fair bit more dapper than the blokes I have been painting. I picked up some steampunk heads from Spellcrow, figuring that a head swap would be an easy way to distinguish between units when the Greentide of 3-4 units of 30 models comes in on the charge. Oh, and I used a different colour of tufts as well. 

Aside from the head swap, I painted these boyz in my standard troop scheme, which I'd best describe as "Evil Suns Lite." I could have upped the glow on the one boyz' head coils, but I don't want him to stand out too much—it's not like he's got a forceshield or any other bonus for those blue coils. He's just a very dapper lad. 

As far as points, there's ten 28mm miniatures for 50 points and another 20 for the area challenge, for a total of 70 points.

From here I move into my penultimate challenge area: the Lair of the Great Beast. I've been slowly working on my Kharadron Ironclad for this area, and hopefully I'll have it finished by the end of the month.

From DrQ: Alchemical Terrain in the Laboratory (40 points)

I have deliberately been avoiding terrain in this competition because I have a PhD in the humanities specifically so I don't have to do math ever again (a love of Hittite, Akkadian, and Punic also helps). However, these two pieces have been sitting patiently in my pile of shame and each fit well with the theme of laboratories in their own ways.

First up is a food stall from TTCombat terrain. As one who spent a fair bit of time at walkups in the Before Times™, I have no problem seeing such stalls as gastronomical laboratories. I added some gubbins to the piece: a door molded off a Kharadron Ironclad, a few miscellaneous pipes, a couple of paper lanterns, and some placards—including one shutting down the shop for health-code violations

I want to paint up an entire table of terrain that fits in with a Kharadron sky-vessel—sort of a steampunk Necromunda. So a few food vendors fits in with the fantasy Blade Runner vibe. The piece is painted up using the OSL technique I use on the rest of my Kharadron so that it fits with my army and setting. It could use more fiddly bits, but I'm happy with it for now. 

The second piece of terrain is a straight up chemical refinery—a laboratory of more conventional The base is an electric gang box to which various bibs and bobs have been added. Again, the glow is there to match my Kharadron.

No placards or graffiti on this piece. I want to keep the setting for it fairly generic, and having Dwarven runes all over it would make it stick out too much if I use it later in 40k. 

So, with much trepidation I think that this comes out to 40 points: the two pieces together would about fill a 6" cube for 20 points, with another 20 for the area bonus. 

From here we head on to the Snow Lord's Treasury (though to be honest, I've been spending a lot of time over the last few weeks assembling and painting my Great Beast).

From DrQ: Princess Malya for Sarah the Sorceress (25 points)

Looking at the map, I realize I need another bit of teleportation to get from the Hall of Heroes to the Laboratory. To that end, I've painted up another female model from my backlog: Princess Malya, a Relic Kight/Super Dungeon Explore crossover from Ninja Division.

I've had this model in my bin for a long time, largely because don't particularly like the sculpt. The plastic is quite cheap and bendy (the axe refuses to stay straight despite many hot water dips). Their are awkward mold likes across key pieces of detail. It's a bit too cheese-cakey—I gave her a proper top, but not much I could do about the hot pants. And, of course, why does she have FOUR EARS?!?!

I tried painting for the Quarantine Challenge last year, but eventually stripped the paint and started over. I try to make my Super Dungeon Explore models match the card art, and getting light skin and pink armour to play well together has been very hard.

This time around I made my own magenta contrast paint using Citadel's contrast medium mixed with magenta acrylic ink. I also use some white contrast and the hexwraith flame for the crystal glow on the base. All in all, the paint scheme works good enough for a model that I've never been too in love with.

As far as points, there's five for the model and another 20 for the challenge.

Now off to the laboratory where I've got some terrain that take the are both literally and metaphorically.

From DrQ: Orks in the Hall of Heroes (55 points)

A group of Orks might not seem the most heroic of figures for the Hall of Heroes, but here me out: These last seven boyz (technically six boyz and a nob) represent the completion of my first thirty-model unit! As such I think that's a bit of heroics for me if not for them.

I know the hotness right now is a nob with double kill saws, but I don't have any of those bits lying around. So, he'll have to go with just a basic slugga and choppa for now.

Not much to say about these ladz; you've seen this paint scheme several times before. But, one interesting model is this boy:

At one point I had done a head swap conversation of him and added a backpack, hoping to use him as a character in D&D. That never came about, so I snipped off the conversion and add a shoota so he could go back with the other ladz. Since I couldn't find a good way to remove the backpack, he's just a unique sculpt now that probably won't even stand out when seen in the larger Green Tide.

With this first unit complete, I wanted to get a picture of all 30—I just couldn't fit them all in my current lighting rig. The next 30 will have a slightly different look to distinguish the units in the WAAAGH.

As far as points: we've got seven models for a total of 35 and another 20 for the area bonus, for a total of 55. 

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Nice additions to your green tide Doc - more choppas and shootas is always good! The Hero claim is rather tenuous methinks, but no more than what some others have claimed so to be consistent I'll permit it

Cap'n W

From DrQ: Myrmourn Banshees at Graveyard Beach (40 points)

I painted up the rest of my Nighthaunt from the Storm Strike starter box for the Graveyard Beach. I would have included more picks, but most of them were rubbish—totally washed out and hard to see the models. This is the best that my limited photoshop skills could pull off.

Not much to say on these ladies. I tried to keep to the same paints as the Nighthaunt Glaivewraith Stalkers from the Tomb area earlier. Most of the models are painted using Citadel Technicals: Hexwraith Flame for the body with Nighthaunt Gloom for their bodices and weapons (and a few other miscellaneous colours to help round out the effects). I decided not to paint the roses or skulls in separate colours like I did on the Glaivewraiths, but rather to extent the eerily glow to the entire base. I think it works better, but won't know until I get them in a real battle.

As far as points: the four 28mm models come to 20 points with another 20 points for the challenge area for a total of 40. Oh, and there's a total of six skulls lurking on those bases as well. 

From DrQ: Severina the Hexcast Sorceress for Sarah (25 points)

From the Knights Solar I'll require the teleportation skills of Sarah the Sorceress to get to my next locale: Graveyard Beach. As such, I've painted up one of Ninja Division's Master Class minis Severina the Hexcast Sorceress.

Severina is a character from Ninja Division's Way of the Fighter game, but back when the game was on Kickstarter they offered a tier wherein you could by chibi versions of the characters 'cosplaying' as heroes from their game, Super Dungeon Explore. 

I paint all my chibis with a cell shading, non metallic look. I used a lot of Citadel contrast paint on Severina here to help with her cape and staff. I've been really impressed with these paints, but you do need to be careful and protect them with lacquer or the paint will rub off. Since this miniature is a delicate resin, it probably won't spend much time on the table; but I nonetheless sealed the model with Dulcoat to make sure to keep her safe.

As far as points, 5 for the model and 20 for Sarah's help for a total of 25. 

Now on to Graveyard Beach!

From DrQ: Stormcast Eternals in the Knights Solar (40 points)

For the Knights Solar I've painted up the most knightly and solar models I can find. Here are a few Stormcast Sequitors and a gryph-hound from the Storm Strike box. 

These are push-to-fit models with no modularity. But the Sequitor Prime is pretty good regardless.

I tried to paint these all with a makeshift nonmetallic scheme using contrast paints for the heavy lifting of the gradients. My Kharadron Overlords have a true metallic scheme, and I want these models to look distinct. I also used Citadel's Nighthaunt Gloom Technical on the base. I'm not sure if the scheme worked entirely, but they're good enough for tabletop. 

Apparently, the gryph-hound is supposed to go with the other Stormcast unit in the box—the Castigators. However, I just felt like painting him (her? them?) up right now.  

As far as points, four 28mm models is 20 points plus the challenge are bonus of 20 points is 40 points total. Oh, and two more skulls for my meager skull throne.