From JohnS: Beware the Blood Moon Goblins in Sander's Sand Dunes (130 points)

It has long struck me that GW Night Goblins look a bit like Jawas but with longer noses (or actual noses) so when musing upon a landing place for Challenge Island I went Sander's Sand Dunes - Desert Dunes - Critters That Are Nasty and Hang Out In Sand Dunes - Jawas - Night Goblins - In Red Robes! So this week's entry was born. N is for Night Goblins (more on this later!)

I have hundreds of Night Goblins for my ridiculously large Goblin Horde Warhammer army and I like each unit of 20 or so to have a theme with 5 units sharing a similar backstory/look. I have painted enormous blocks of black and grey gobbos but I remember that when they were first introduced Night Goblins were painted in different tribal colours. Therefore I have been adding a number of more colourful units, each belonging to a different Goblin tribe. Enter the Blood Moon Clan in their Red Robes.

That fella in the middle has your number. Watch out.

I have tried to give a darker feel to the red robes by mixing a strong red (Army Painter Pure Red) with AP Red Tone wash which gave me a flowing mix that dried with tonal shift. A bit of GW Mephiston Red (slightly thinned) as a shadow coat and some AP Pure Red highlights and the robes were done.
The Gobbo skin was done with that new fangled GW Contrast paint in Ork Flesh. I wanted to try the stuff out because there has been so much chatter. The result, pretty good. Certainly saved me some time highlighting. I even used a micro point pen to outline the red moons on the shields and add detail lines. I have deliberately chosen the basing to be a older style with black edges to blend in with the existing army.
I must admit this is not what I started painting as my first entry for this year but I have been struggling with some Napoleonics and was really dragging the chain so spent some time in the miniatures mine looking at what I have prepared (many, many figures) and the white undercoated NGs just jumped out at me. Inspiration led to perspiration and here we are.


The Alphabet Game Side Duel. In the spirit of insanity that always accompanies a new AHPC I decided to do a personal challenge/side duel An Alphabet of Miniatures. Like any good code, they won't be alphabetical order but I hope to cover all 26 letters. As mentioned above, this entry is N is for Night Goblin (just imagine what a great children's book that would be!)

Points. If I have understood the points correctly I will get 130 points for this entry - 20 x 28mm miniatures @ 5 each plus 30 for my first steps on Challenge Island.

That bloke in the back is watching you too.

_______________________

It's great to have you with us again, John! 

These gobbos look fabulous. I especially like their shields and faces. It's really interesting to see other people's experiments with the Citadel Contrast paints. I'll have to pick up that green to give it a go for some upcoming Napoleonics.

While the Orks have never really appealed to me I've always had my resolution tested whenever I see Night Goblins. They are just so cool, so whacky and such a product of their time, They always remind me of the long-haired GW stoners you'd see in the pages of late 80's White Dwarf who looked like they hadn't been introduced to soap in a month. Ah, those early, heady days of Warhammer!

This regiment, N for Night Goblin, will give you 130 points. 

And just what is it about Sander's Sand Dunes!? Is the guy giving out free wooden clogs or something?

-Curt

Better Late Than Never

One of the greatest Challenges of the Painting Challenge for me is that it is held in my busiest time of the year. While it's great to be all tucked up and painting your way through the frankly silly low temperatures of the Canadian winter, down here at the other end of the planet we melt at Challenge time. Plus our biggest wargames show is held at the end of January (Cancon) and I get sucked into the vortex of Making A Living for pretty much all of January and February. Adding in a long overseas trip for all of March, I basically was pulled off the Challenge just before Cancon.

Happy with my result

In fact, today is the first day I have picked up a brush (other than to pack one into a customer's order) since January. Naturally, this lead me to looking at my Challenge output. Although I didn't achieve my hoped for point goal, I did achieve a Personal Best. Isn't that we're supposed to strive for these days?

With the encouragement of Dux, Man Cave Paul and the other friends from Odin's Night Games Club I had a great time facing the Challenge. Our Hobby Day get togethers really helped me power through and not get distracted by the mundane.

I love the Challenge, thanks again for organizing Curt and I hope to participate next year, aiming for a new PB.

They may be small but they're perfectly formed

Oh, and I won The Vertically Challenged Side Duel. I guess no-one else is as devoted to plumbing the depths of the dwarven and goblin deep as I am. (You may notice in my photo above that I am working on more gobbos today).

Monday Rogues' Gallery

Australia's largest tabletop gaming convention, CanCon, was held last weekend. I caught up with a few bloggers and challengers:

• Comrade James (The Tall) of the Man Cave
• MartyH
• DaveX of Left Handed Panzerfaust
• AlanD of Dux Homunculorum
• Paul O'G of the Man Cave
• I also caught up with Slowp8nter JohnSh from War and Peace, and we had a yarn about maintaining focus and drive in our hobby.

I've got a few more pics and my loot over at my own blog.

It was a tad warm.

Today, we have a real variety show including ancients, horse and musket, WW2 in three theatres, and some dear-to-my-heart Blood Bowl!

Barks

From JohnSh - Krautian Line Infantry (100 points)

Continuing on towards my goal of painting my entire Slaughterloo Krautian Divison as part of the AHPC, I present my Line Infantry Kartoffelburg.   

                 
Much like their historical world analogue, the Prussians, Krautians units often represent their home states with slightly different uniforms and weaponry from their fellow Krautians. The Kartoffelburgians are armed with the advanced Dwarven Musket II (a breechloader!) and are considered a hard hitting regular infantry unit.

Legume Salesman Johann Lennon

"Give Peas A Chance"

A diverse crew, these Alternative Armies miniatures were fun to paint. I particularly like the former Marketing Manager for the Krautian Legume Growers Association, Herr Johann Lennon. Who doesn't remember his most famous jingle "Give Peas A Chance"?

These twenty dwarves took me several weeks to paint as I had to go back to work (I know, can you believe it?) and keep shipping out toys to all the desperate gamers out there. I managed to sneak away from our preparation for Cancon (Australia's biggest games convention) to post these picks.

I hope you enjoy this further foray into my Slaughterloo madness. See a few of you at Cancon.

________________________________________________________

John, I should dock you 5 points for that pune or play on words, but I will restrain myself and let that one go through to the keeper! 

Your productivity is commendable, and I heartily approve of these Dwarves. An excellent take on Napoleonics!

That's 100 well-earned points for you, keep 'em coming!

Ev

From JohnSh - Krautian Jägers for Slaughterloo

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Slaughterloo, the mass battle fantasy Napoleonic game from Alternative Armies. Sure the concept is flaky, the figures are goofy but more importantly they are hugely fun to paint and the game is a cracker! I would go so far as to say that it is one of the top 5 Napoleonics games ever.

One of my goals for Challenge IX is to paint up the Krautian Division that has been taunting me from the Room of Shame for several years. My first unit of the painting table is the Krautian Jägers, 12 lightly armed troops.

Krautians are a fantasy analogue of Prussians. I actually spent some time researching the Prussian Light troops uniforms before painting these. I am very pleased with the results. I have shied away from yellow on my historical figures but I think it looks quite effective on these.

I particularly like the trumpeter with the "Do-Rag" and the fellow with the brass blunderbuss. Not the kind of chap you want to get in a scrap with!

That's another 60 points for me I believe. Now, on to some line infantry.

_______________________________________________________________

'The Room of Shame"? Hooboy, do I know that feeling...

John, these are extremely characterful miniatures, and I do like the fantasy take on Napoleonics (Does this mean the Ogre of Corsica will be an actual Ogre?).

I have no idea what a Prussian Jäger is supposed to look like, but I like what I see; 60 points, well played Sir!

Ev

From JohnSh - More of them Gobbo fellas (30 Points)

I have been painting up a storm (relatively speaking!) over the last couple of days and have a couple of things on the go. These six Gobbo fellas join my first six in the Dragon Rampant Goblin Horde army.

These can be used as another Scout unit or combined with my first six to make a Light Missile unit. I guess it depends on what else I get done during the challenge!

Anyway, here's another 30 points which will be the highest point tally I have ever achieved in the first week of a challenge. Slowpainter's the name, glacial painting speed's the game.

Cheers, I hope you're all having as much fun as I am.

_________________________________________

John, you're on fire buddy. If you keep up this pace you're going to have to change your handle. :)

What a characterful unit of archers - I'm loving these models. I like their plumb coloured jerkins and that banner bearer just cracks me up. By his expression I think he's telling you that he needs at least something to put on that crosspole - a banner, a ragged flag, a couple of pair of dirty underwear, something dammit. ;P 

30 points for you! Now, take a bit of a break before you completely demolish your rep. :)

JohnSh - Vertically challenged? What?? Take this you lanky git! (30 Points)

My first entry this year are these six goblins of the Shergob Forest Scouts. These hooded scamps are famous for "Robbing the rich, and the poor, and pretty much everyone in between, and giving it to themselves". I believe this gives me 30 points to start the tally and they all meet my self imposed Vertically Challenged rule (and Side Duel).

As a scout unit for Dragon Rampant they are 2 points toward the 24 point warband requirement for the Rampant Side Duel.

Mostly from the Macrocosm KickStarter of a couple of years ago I love the subtle references to hooligan hoodies. And why wouldn't a goblin wear a duffel coat if he could steal one?

As a few of the Challengers are members of Odin's Night Games Club here in Sydney, Australia and we decided to have a Challenge Kick Off/Christmas Lunch Paint In at my place yesterday. A couple of team members couldn't make it because of the atrocious traffic (I live just off the main "holiday traffic" route out of Sydney) but present were myself, AlanD, PaulO'G (Duels Wallah Actual) and former Challenger AledC, who came along for support, advice and to be sledged by us for not having the time to participate this year (I mean, wanting to concentrate on your new career rather than painting toys, wake up to yourself man!).

Aled, PaulO'G, AlanD and myself JohnSh kick off the Challenge together.

Good luck to everyone this year, Merry Christmas and remember the lesson that The Duels Wallah re-learnt yesterday - "The drinking glass is NOT the brush washing glass"

____________________________________

John, those are some brilliant looking Greenskins - very characterful and old school looking. I especially like the red eyes and snaggly teeth. Thats also a super pic of you guys all lashing away at your various projects. By the glimpse I get with these photos, I think I could spend several happy hours perusing your bookshelves. 

30 points to break your duck and to start your 'Vertically Challenged' gambit. Well done John!

From JohnSh - Nine Archers - Not a Bomb but a restart (45 points)

This week I managed to finish nine Norman(ish) archers for my Saga warband. Life has been rearing its ugly head this last month or so and I have not had a chance to put paint on a brush until last weekend.

I have painted these figures to an "acceptable wargames standard" which is the current limit of my time and ability. To be perfectly honest I'm not really a fan of these miniatures, I don't even know what brand they are, they came as part of a large trade I did about a year ago but my Normans need archers so they entered the queue. Having said that, I am quite happy that they will add another option to my Saga force, and occasionally do a bit of duty in Swordpoint, Lion rampant and Dragon rampant armies.

This is a restart to the Challenge for me (I know, I know, only three weeks to go!) as I almost thought that I would have to withdraw but I am very happy to be able to submit some more figures. I just need to have the next three weeks off work, put on a few pots of coffee and paint, paint, paint!

They are a little bit shiny as I had to use brush on varnish. the Sydney humidity has precluded the use of spray varnish - except for those fans of frosty figures.

Alan and Paul: Great to see you getting some paint on some figures! I know you've been facing some obstacles, so I was delighted to see these in the queue. They look fine to me, and I predict they will massacre many of my figures in due course. Paul will probably use them as proxy FIW redcoats against me at some point as well. :)

From JohnSh - Freddy's Revenge Chronopia Dwarves (65 points)

One of my favourite figure ranges of all time was Chronopia from Heartbreaker Hobbies/Target games. This fantasy game is long defunct but I managed to accumulate a large stockpile of miniatures and have been hoarding them in my lead mountain for years.
Dragon Rampant has given me the opportunity to field a lot of these chaps again so I need to build up a couple of units for our upcoming DR campaign. My Dwarven force could do with a bit more crazy close combat so these Vulture Claws are just the ticket.

My reasoning on the paint scheme is that as mastersmiths, Dwarves would make everything they could from metal. To show off their skills the metals wouldn't just be "shiny silver" but would be alloyed and coloured.

Umm, Freddy, are you sure that swinging around these bladefingers is a good idea?

Hence the variety of metallic paints chosen here. I have used paints from just about anywhere that I could find, GW, Army Painter, Vallejo and especially craft paints. These are particularly tricky to get right when using on miniatures requiring careful mixing with a flow medium, and several coats, to get the desired effect. They are finished with army Painter Dark Tone ink to make the metallics pop a bit more but maintain that slightly grubby look that I imagine anyone living among forges would have . Basing has been kept simple with a sandy ground with "veins of minerals" (granite dust) for contrast.

I will find you in your dreams!

Thirteen 28mm miniatures here so 65 points I believe.

Alan and Paul: Two entries of Chronopia Dwarves on the same day! These look great - the blue tone to the steel Wolverine claws is very effective, and I like the thought that has gone in to giving reasons for the colours you have chosen. Top stuff!

From JohnSh: A shave and a haircut...(25 Points)

Two bits..25 points...10 percent of last year's tally. However you want to say it, I have made it to the board.

My first offering this year is five savage orcs from Blacktree Design. I have been building an enormous army of orcs and goblins for years, originally for Warhammer Fantasy Battles but moreso these days for Dragon Rampant (and a foray into Kings of War).

I continue to experiment with my painting method (I've only been painting for 40 years) and this time have used Army Painter Greenskin as the base skin colour, highlighted with AP Goblin Green and AP Green Tone Ink. Weapons, clothing etc are painted with a variety of brands of paint but they are all washed with AP Strong Tone Ink.

I have meticulously recorded the paints used on 3x5 note cards so that I can try and achieve some consistency in painting. I find it easiest to paint in batches of  five or so figures but like large units so need to understand what I did previously as it may be months (or years) before I finish units. Which is where this fine Challenge comes in, providing encouragement and focus.

BTW, the miniatures are much darker in real life, the booth lights have washed them out a bit.

______________________________________

Welcome back to the asylum John (nurse Piper will sort out your meds)! 

These orc archers look terrific. I like the detail on their bows and your groundwork is really nice. I'm glad I'm not the only one who still feels new to the hobby after several decades - always more to learn and things to experiment with. I use a small Moleskin notebook (gridlined) to keep paint 'recipes', sketches and maps. If I ever lost it I'd be hooped!

25 points for you. A fine first entry John.

From JohnSh - A Challenge Finished But Not Completed

Here is my final output from the Challenge (minus Curtgeld which is STILL on the painting desk). I am wearing my traditional painting fez and my lifesaving drop down watchmaker's visor magnifier thingie.

I learned a lot from the Challenge, mainly that I need to FINISH the hundreds of half painted miniatures that I have lying around. And never to trust Dux and Man Cave Paul to take pity on your freshly painted miniatures.

I managed to almost hit my halfway point but in my mind I really only thought that 250 points would be achievable for me. Nearly got there. I can't wait to do it all again!

From JohnSe - 28mm Dark Ages. - 54 Points

From JohnSh-Stumbling over the line

I really need to increase the speed with which I paint if I'm going to have a chance in this challenge next year. I have managed to finish eight more Dark Ages figures, all Crusader brand Viking 2-Handed Axemen in 28mm.

Eight more from the Dark Ages pile. Squintillions to go.

I have been collecting Dark Ages miniatures for (ahem) 40 years and have quite a tidy pile still to paint. I spent a couple of hours the other evening hand-painting the shields (I will get Dux and Man Cave Paul for guilting me into doing this) only to realise that in most games I play two handed axe-men don't use shields. So I only completed four so I can scatter them through units for aesthetics only.

The shields. I'm quite proud of the red bird.

I also managed to finish my only mounted entry for the Challenge. I have a bit of an issue painting cavalry but thought that I would do a "test" piece for my Empire Army.
                    
I'm not 100% happy with it but it gives me a starting point for the rest of the cavalry.

I'd like to say thank you to Curt for organising the Challenge, Millsy for his minionating and Dux, Paul and Steve who encouraged me to get involved and have provided constructive criticism and outright merciless murder of my miniature alter egos at every opportunity.

I have learned several things by participating, not least of which is that I need to FINISH the hundreds of half painted miniatures I have in the painting room.The exercise of starting with bare metal and plastic and keeping at it until totally finished and game ready was fun.

Today's entries should nett me 50 points which takes me over 200. Not the 500 I optimistically hoped for but close to the 250 that I thought was realistic. I'll be back next year if you'll have me.

From Minion Dave
John - well they are certainly worth waiting for - and the effort on the shield was certainly worthwhile - and worth getting payback for certainly - and I have added in minion bonus points for those. Your test piece certainly look like a good start.  

Collecting for 40 years eh - well some bits will just be getting ready to be thought about being painted I guess..Glad participating has helped and we will look forward to seeing you again!

From JohnSh - 28mm Empire Halberdiers (40 points)

These old Warhammer Empire Halberdiers are one of those miniatures that never really caught my attention. I don't know if it was that they were one piece, so stiff or all the same, they just didn't ring my bell. However I recently purchased a pre-loved Empire army and among the many units were 30 odd of this mini unpainted and one painted with Test #1 written on the base.

I wonder why he never finished the unit?

The colour scheme jumped out at me and I thought that it would be a fun exercise to try and replicate the paint job. It was in quite a different style to what I normally do being base/block painted with was only on the face and with grey "line highlights" on the black.

My eight with the original Test figure in front

I knew that I would never get all 30 odd done for the challenge so I grabbed eight, sat down with my enormous pile of paints and started working out what had been used where. I don't have many Citadel paints, which I guess is what was used on the test figure but Army Painter, Humbrol and Vallejo were all used on my version. I even had to buy a flesh tone as I always use a tan colour for flesh but this one was much pinker.

My eight. Only 24 more to go.

I found the act of copying someone else's paint scheme and style to be an interesting challenge. Mine turned out a little brighter but I'm happy with the result. I often dither around trying out different schemes myself so it was kind of cool to be directed by an unseen hand.

This is 8 x 28mm figures so 40 points. I can't claim the Test figure :)

This is some serious Oldhammer goodness John! I've always felt the plastic halberdiers were on the wooden side too but for all that they have a real toy soldier charm about them. 

I'm quite impressed with your paint matching skills, especially given you were using paints from three different stables and none of them were Citadel. I really like the colour combination and would love to see all 30 painted up the same. I wonder if there were other test schemes that got lost along the way? 

This little lot earns you a solid 40 points John. Keep 'em coming mate! Cheers, Millsy

From JohnSh - Slaughterloo Orcs of Albion (20 points)

Slaughterloo Orcs of Albion

These are just a quick four Orcs of Albion to complete a unit for Slaughterloo Fantasy Napoleonic Game. No longer a fashionable game, my friends and I still love to play it as the figures look fabulous massed on the table, the rules are simple and straightforward and the 'nations' are very amusing. Orcs for Albion (England), Elves for Ferach (French), Todorini - Frogs! - of Nepolise (Italians) and many more.

Painted in a deliberately cartoony style with block colours, little shading (only on the faces) and finished with a satin varnish they are done to match an incomplete unit I bought at a 'bring and buy'. I jokingly refer to these models as the ugliest ever made in the metal, with over sized features, odd proportions and leering faces. However they take paint well and the exaggerated details really pop.

                                    

So that is four 28mm figures for another 20 points (woo hoo!). I'm really enjoying the process of picking groups of figures to paint. The Challenge let's me not get carried away deliberating over which army to work on, I can just go into the lead mine and grab whatever I fancy. To paraphrase a coal miner's saying "It's a great life down the pit, you can do whatever you want, all day long, as long as it involves shifting two and a half tons of lead".

I like your coal miner's attitude to painting John. I sometimes feel a bit like a pit pony myself when I'm buried beneath the lead pile! Unlike the poor pony however I've nobody to blame but myself... 

I've never been able to convince myself to buy into the fantasy Napoleonic scene despite the fact I'm very much taken with the miniatures themselves. You're clearly a big fan and it comes out in your enthusiasm for painting them and the cartoony style really suits the miniatures. I'm pleased that despite the system being OOP you and your mates continue to enjoy it and keep it alive. That's a big thing in my gaming, not letting external influences affect the pleasure I take from it so congrats for doing what you enjoy.

20 points added to your total and well done! Cheers, Millsy.

From JohnSh - The Slowpainter gets some runs on the board (60 points)

Well, I knew that this was going to be a Challenge with a capital C from day 1 and I am so glad that I have finally managed to finish a few figures. There is a reason that my blog is called A Slowpainter's Progress.

My eyes have thrown a bit of an extra challenge in this month with my increasing long sightedness combining with hayfever season making it a bit of a struggle to focus.
I have invested in one of those drop down lens visor thingies and painting has become an option again.

I recently swore a vow to never paint anything smaller than a 28mm figure again.
So here are my 20mm AB US WWII miniatures. Yep, I'm a wargamer, I can't pass up a well sculpted miniature. I already have a US army in 28mm for Bolt Action or Chain of Command but a friend let me know that he was also playing in 20mm, and since I have all those tank kits I have bought over the years, well, here we go.

It is my intention to build this force a squad at a time (what fun I've had making lists and bagging squads together!) along with a support weapon or weapons team at the same time. This breaks the painting task into bite sized chunks so I don't get overwhelmed and grind to a halt. I have used primarily AB Miniatures with the odd other brand mixed in for variety.

This first squad is a US Armoured Infantry Rifle Squad supported by a 60mm Mortar team. As these are primarily for Chain of Command, the Mortar team has a crew of five. I wanted to be able to remove casualties from the team so I have sculpted the team base with only one figure attached to it, the others all retain individual basing but with depressions left in the basing for them to fit into.

So that's a total of 13 x 20mm figures which is 52 points as an icebreaker. I think I might paint some 28s now...

Welcome to the scoreboard John! I must say you've made a grand entrance with some very convincing Yanks. I especially like the basing on the mortar team and the way you can remove casualties. I've never considered doing casualty removal that way, preferring to leave individuals on separate bases but it's not nearly so realistic looking. 

You missed the fact the mortar is a crew served weapon so your opening salvo is actually 60 points. Well done and keep them coming! Cheers, Millsy.