From JonathanO: Invasion! Docherty & Millsy to the rescue (46 points)

After a scenic balloon ride to Fran's Fjord, I find that Major Docherty and Corporal Mills are having another adventure.  The Martian invasion has begun and a scout tripod has been seen in their sector.  Our heroes investigate and are determined to take out the scout quickly - before it communicates for reinforcements.

Our heroes ride again

Major Docherty

Corporal Millsy

"There it is, sir!"

"It's a bit larger than I expected!"

"He's too slow, now we've got him!"

 ******

Tamsin was right - one more post from me before the end of this Challenge.  Well at least I made a trip across Challenge Island.  Fran wanted a 15mm Sci-Fi or Imagination submission.  The tripod model (almost 12cm high) was kindly given to me by Scott from his All Quiet on the Martian Front project spares - Thanks Scott!  The cavalry are from Essex Miniatures.

For points that should be 2 cavalry at 4 each and a 15mm "vehicle" at 8 points. Plus the Fran's Fjord bonus of 30 points for a 46 point total.

I am sorry that you won't get to see the rest of my in progress figures that did not get completed in time.  I have lots to work on during the scary times of isolation ahead.

Thanks to Curt, Sarah, all the Minions and fellow Challengers - take care everyone!

_________________________________________

Great work on these 15s Jonathan! Dave and Millsy at first looked happy and carefree, but then I scrolled down and saw the Tripod with its whipping tentacles. Eeek! I really like the red you went with for it - very creepy (though I will forever maintain that it would look far menacing with its head reversed to the 'blank' side). Still, it's a cracking 'miniature' and I'm sure Dave and Millsy will preserver over the Martian invader.

It was a pleasure having you will us again, Jonathan. Keep well and we'll see you in the Challenge mosh pit next winter.

-Curt

From StuartL: Challenge Island Safari Journal - 19th March (55 Points)

Look out below C.I.S.T.ers, we're coming in to land at Fran's Fjord.

Nothing like gallivanting through the clouds to remind you of how much you hate heights eh? Now that we're back on the ground, let's have a short stroll around the wondrous area that is Fran's Fjord.

It is said that in this part of the island, strange portals appear that show glimpses of strange lands and alternative realities. Imagine a world where you were king or queen, or one in which boy bands were prohibited by law. All things are possible when you gaze through one of these portals. However, I should warn you that we have had a little difficulty getting the focus right on the portals themselves. For some strange reason everything you see is... smaller. Whether it is a side effect of the cross-dimensional flux or just a bizarre coincidence, everything on the other side looks to be roughly half the size it should be. Weird or what?

Ah, here we go. This portal seems to be opening and showing us a view of a different world.

According to my Challenge Island Safari Tour issued Inter-dimensional Analyzer, what you are seeing here is a combat unit from the 82nd Royal Colonial (America) Airborne. It would appear that in their reality the British won the American War of Independence and the colonies remained a part of the Empire.

These brave paratroopers are training for deployment against the Tsarist armies currently deployed in the region we would think of as Alaska.

This Cornwallis Mk. III mecha may lack the punch of the opposing Rasputin Assault Bots fielded by the Tsar's army, but it's jump capability allows it to land behind enemy lines alongside the infantry and provide much needed support with it's Edison Electro-rifle.

Ah, it seems like the portal is closing and we mustn't tarry around here. Next stop, Bromley's Butte.

----------

I must admit to not having much idea what to do for this location on the map. I managed to dredge up some FoW American Airborne armed with captured German weapons and a Reaper robot mini that would work as a suitably high-tech option to accompany them. Since I needed to make them look more imagi-nation-ish, I painted them in the colours of British troops during the Zulu war.

So that should give me 20 points for 10x 15mm figures, plus another 5 for the robot (since it's really just a repurposed 28mm mini), and 30 for Fran's Fjord. If my math is correct, that's 55 points for my tally.


Another entertaining entry in Stuart's Safari Journal! I must confess to having test-painted a few of GZG's 15mm New Anglian Confederation infantry in a similar scheme a few years ago. Hurrah for your alternative reality Brits!

TamsinP

Ready Adamc: Fran’s Fjord; The Snow Lord's Own and HMS Unicorn (68 Points)

So as you may recall from past challenges I have an Imagi-nation called the Grand Duchy of D’Argent and their traditional foe the Draconian Empire.  I like to give wargamer friends regiments in the service of the Draconian Empire.    
       

Given the task for the location I decided to honor our fearless organizer with a regiment of his own.

The Figurers are Essex Miniatures I went with blue and white in honor of our leaders snow capped peak and blue monster manifestation.

The Flag is purely out of my head but inspired by some French and German flags of the period.

HMS Unicorn is the last of my initial purchase for Black Seas.  I decided to do a Royal Navy frigate because I wanted one to add an extra dynamic to a convention game I am working on.

A convention that will probably be cancelled out of an abundance or caution to use the fashionable phrase (figures crossed this will blow over by May).
 

I went with buff instead of yellow for the stripe along the gun ports.  I added a bit of gold-leaf showing our frigate captain was lucking in prize money or has private means.
 

I’m very pleased with how the ship came out. OK points.  Fran’s Fjord give 30 points, the ten 15mm figures provide 20 and HMS Unicorn will provide me with another 18.  That give me 68 more points for pile.

HMS Unicorn will now take me along the coast to Saunders Sand Dunes (if that’s allowed).

***

Fine work here Adam.  I'm sure I join many Challengers in expressing sheer horror at the idea of the Snow Lord having his own Regiment of Foot to unleash upon unwary travellers, but I have no doubt the Lord himself will be thrilled!

And it has been a lot of fun watching your "Black Seas" project(s) come together so nicely.  This is another great-looking ship...I wish I could offer more intelligent commentary, but I'm the age-of-sail gamer who says things like "I'll take the one with the cannons!" so I'm not much help there.  But damn, it looks cool! 

In terms of your Challenge Island routing proposal...I'll leave that to higher powers, but it may be that one requires a balloon ride to make the trip you propose...

That will be another 68 points for you.  Here's hoping your event goes ahead...

GregB

From MartinC: Gaslands at Fran's Fjord (49pts)

The unexpected trawl through the recesses of my storage has yielded some stuff for Fran eponymous, award wining location

Ist up 2 x 6mm hover tanks - a small transport and a massive battle tank. No clue where i got these from or who made them. The one on the left is very heavy

I know these are 6mm and the instructions are for 15mm so

A truck armed with a massive flame thrower for gaslands which we have yet to play. This is one of the very large SUVs you see on CSI Miami and was bought from Poundland as part of a Jurassic world set

The flame thrower is obviously scratch built bits of sprue etc and with oil drums. It's designation is 451. If you don't know why then I am actually disappointed

Scores on the Doors

2x6mm vehicles = 4pts

1x 15mm vehicle = 8

Location = 30

= 42 (a magic number)

Lovely work. Strictly speaking, Hotwheels/Matchbox vehicles are roughly 1/64th, so I am in fact going to score it as a 20mm vehicle. So, that'll be 49 points for you.

TamsinP

From TamsinP: Franonian Security Droids at Fran's Fjord (58 points)

In the control room of the Franonian Occupation Force HQ, Colonel O'Leary looked at the screens and surveyed Rayonia, or rather what remained of the city. "How were we to know that President "Badger" Rousell had substituted cheap, sub-code materials in place of the proper stuff (presumably funneling the cost difference into his Cayman Island accounts) when the new capital was built?" she asked herself again. One short barrage from the Franonian Artillery Regiment had just about leveled the city, parts of which were still burning a fortnight after the event. There was so much soot in the air, meaning the air filters had to be changed every two hours rather than every two weeks and there was no way of keeping vehicles and equipment as clean as they should be.

Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed a sight that had come to irritate her immensely on one of the monitors - another demonstration by the capital's residents. No weapons in sight, and the Rayonian costume of black-and-white striped Speedos meant they couldn't exactly conceal anything there; the worry was always what they might be carrying underneath those ridiculous floppy hats.

"Captain Piper - Security Droids, Protocol Gamma" she ordered briskly.

"Aye, Ma'am!" came the reply. "Still no trace of that slanderous hooligan?"

"Sadly, no. If I ever get hold of that fool, he's fecked!"

Returning her attention to the screens, the Colonel watched as the Security Droids deployed to intercept the column of marchers...



Mark 1A Security Droids

Mark 1B and Mark 2A Security Droids

After the Mark 1A and Mark 2A droids had entered service it was determined that both models required more firepower to be useful. A new, larger turret with heavier weapons was developed and fitted to bother walker chassis types, creating the Mark 1B and Mark 2B models.


Mark 2B Security Droids

The figures are actually 2mm mecha by Germy from Ground Zero Games, but are the size of a large-ish 15mm foot figure. I bought two packs each of the large and medium mecha at the SELWG show last year but decided to swap turrets between two small and two large to create some variants.

They ended up looking a lot grimier than intended because Vallejo black wash doesn't work as well for panel lining as Army Painter Dark Tone (even when thinned 1:2 with airbrush flow improver).


And so, I continue to adventure on Challenge Island, crossing off another location as I go:

For scoring:
14 x 15mm foot @ 2 = 28 points
Fran's Fjord = 30 points

Total = 58 points

***
We are spoiled with great entries today, thank you Tamsin (and everyone else today)!  These little robots are really cool looking, one of the best parts of the challenge for me is getting to see all these crazy different models that I just don't see anywhere else.  There are so many different and cool little producers out there that most of us never even hear about, let alone get to see their work, so it is nice  to see some showcased here each winter.

The colour choices are top notch as usual Tamsin, and regardless of your exploits with thinned Vallejo black, I think the colours still pop and look great.  As a tip for washing with Vallejo's, I find I have to thin them at least 5 or 6 to 1 to get a wash out of them, and use water, alcohol, and airbrush thinner to make my washes with them, just in case you ever want to try again.   I love that orange though, it really works!

- ByronM

From NoelW: A spell of discomfort: Fran’s Fjord (30 points)

Luckily, the rocks we land on are blunter than most. However, I stumble in dismounting from the basket and land on my head, jarring me awkwardly.

Fjordtunately it seems to have no effect. We watch the balloon sail effjordlessly away with Lady Sarah but we can’t affjord to waste time, as we’re anxious to get on our way homewards. We’ve been on this wretched island more than a fjordnight, and despite our best effjords it’s beginning to nibble away our fjorditude.

What do you mean, concussion? I’m perfectly comfjordable. I had an unfjordunate bump but that’s just one of the misfjordunes of balloon travel. Hencefjordth, please mind your own business! Let us hasten from this confusing place to the comfjords of the fjordification on Bromley’s Butte, fjordthwith!

---

Today, to satisfy Fran’s very particular demands, I’ve two submissions: one a 15mm sci-fi and the other for 15mm Imagi-nations.

Firstly, there are 12 more xenomorphs, incipient nasties to join the fully fledged aliens I submitted last time I was here.

Secondly, for my third vignette, I’ve Napoleon on a camel. My current Imagination/alternate history idea is Napoleon’s invasion of India, following on from his invasion of Egypt. There’s a problem with this. In 1798 his troops wore the uniforms of the revolution. In 1801, fighting the British in Egypt, they wore the remarkable uniforms of the Kleber regulations (anyone fancy a Frenchman in a pink uniform?) But what would they be wearing by the time they reached India in, say, 1803 or later?

Moreover, as I want to fight the whole campaign, from 1798 to around 1805, how many different versions of the French army will I need?

I couldn’t make my mind up. I love the Perry figures (28mm) for the 1801 period, but I’ve some 15mm figures (mainly Minifigs) for the revolutionary period, as well as Ottoman and Indian troops in 15mm primarily intended for the SYW. It’s a mess, obviously. Not helped by the fact that I stumbled across Lancashire Games 18mm figures for the period which included this Napoleon. 

I know Napoleon was short of stature, but I’d really love this figure to be at least 28mm. So my current plan is to fight the invasion of Egypt in 15mm, then the 1801 period in 28mm, then assume that the British are defeated in 1801 and the French army is then resupplied from the home country, so I can conduct the invasion of India in 15mm using the revolutionary figures. At which point this model will be at their head.

Scoring: 12 x 15mm aliens, 1 x 15mm arab, 1 x 15mm rider: 30 points



And Noel continues to retrace his steps around Challenge Island in style. Nice work mate!

TamsinP

From Pete F: 15mm (ish) Sci Fi Vehicle for Fran's Fjord (38 points)

The good thing about flying SciFi vehicles is that you can make them work at any scale. At 54mm this could be a bomb disposal drone; at 28mm an Andhak scout; at 15mm a small artillery platform; and at 6mm a mega cannon.

For this submission the floaty thing with a gun is a 15mm artillery platform. It was the only item on my shelf of shame that came close to the requirements of Fran's Fjord. I welcomed the opportunity to paint it.

This is a Path of Imagination colour scheme - it might look a little LA Lakery although that was not the original intent. I wanted to try out colours that might work in my next sci-fi or fantasy army so this floating gun is my test piece.

I'm hoping to have time to visit every location on Challenge Island before time is up - hard to believe that's less than a month away. Schoolwork (I'm retraining for a fifth career) is eating into what might otherwise be painting time but a sprint to the finish is planned. We have some early spring weather here - almost warm enough for priming some more plastic in the garage.

Scoring as a 15mm vehicle for 8 points plus 30 for the new location.

That's a very colourful floaty thing Pete. Well worth the 38 points for submitting it as an entry for Fran's Fjord.

TamsinP