From BillA - Spaceport Security Detail (25 points)

2020 is honestly shaping up to be my year for wargaming, at least on the skirmish front.  My friend Tom and I have been enjoying the heck out of the Fistful of Lead family of games from Wiley Games; originally designed around western gunfights, it's evolved into a family of skirmish games in a variety of genres.  Lately, we've been playing a lot of "Galactic Heroes," the science fiction variant, and demoing it at our friendly local game store.  We've gotten a couple of other people hooked, and had some very interested bystanders, so we're definitely looking at expanding our demonstrations, so I've been trying to get a bunch of "lender" crews together for people who'd like to try the game out.

This crew comprises a portion of the bureaucracy and security of a busy spaceport.  Leading this crew is Customs Agent Gilda Citlax, an overworked amphibian produced by Crooked Dice Games as part of their recent "Colony 87" Kickstarter.  I wanted some really bright colors for her to contrast with the more muted tones of her crew, and Vallejo's "Hot Orange" really hit the right note as the base for her skin.

Supporting Agent Citlax is this Impound Officer, a "Krogglogg Hunter" produced by Lead Adventure Miniatures as part of their "Astropolis" line of dystopian science fiction figures.  He's there to shoot out the power couplings on spaceships that have unpaid parking tickets.

Rounding out the crew are a trio of Security Officers (an-add on from Crooked Dice's Colony 87 Kickstarter).  In game terms, these are "Regulars," low quality troops that form the basis of any crew.  I tried painting urban camouflage for the first time on these fellows and think it turned out really nicely.

"No...no...damn you, look where I'm pointing, not at my finger.  

All in all, that's five 28mm figures at 5 points apiece, so this crew is worth 25 point.

Cool looking figures, Bill, and this post makes 10 submissions that I've had the pleasure of minioning today.

Tamsin

From StuartL: Stalkers (25 points)

That countdown clock is kind of intimidating. 

Ok, some more figures completed. In this case, 5 Post Apocalyptic survivors from Lead Adventure miniatures.

These models are all single piece metal castings from Lead Adventure's 'The Last Project' range. They were a little rough around the edges, but cleaned up nicely and look suitably grim and gritty. If you are a video game fan, you may have heard of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series of games. These games place the player at the heart of the Zone, the area around Chernobyl. Players have to explore the Zone, deal with other Stalkers and avoid the numerous hazards of an irradiated (and worse) area. These models fit the style of the game and it's something I am keen to play out on the tabletop.

I am currently using these models with the rules This Is Not A Test, which provide for a fun skirmish in a nuclear wasteland, though I guess that game is based more on the Fallout PC games than Stalker. I'm going to try adding some of my own modifications to move the game away from the tongue-in-cheek style of Fallout and more towards the "Oh Cr@%! Something is eating my eyeballs" style of Stalker.
All of the models were done up in drab greens, browns and greys from Vallejo and given rough washes of brown and black. After that I highlighted their coats and overalls, but I have generally tried to leave them looking fairly filthy.

So, this lot is another 5x 28mm models for 25 points and a second squirrel in the bag for today.

Right, more models to paint before the deadline!

Lead Adventures do some lovely figures, but none have found their way to my greedy hands. Great post-apocalyptic tones here!

Barks

From Sander: The Last Post (12 points)

Hi,

For me this year's Challenge painting has stopped on March 19th at 00.52 o clock local time... Two nights of painting to this hour brought me to my points-target but there was one more post I would like to put up. There are two rather special figures in my to-do pile for this Challenge that I had hoped to finish earlier on in the Challenge. They are two Lead Adventures Forum figures I believe given to me last year by AnneO. I was heavily involved in my Victorian project (now put on the back-burner) and she was kind enough to sent them over after our Side Duel.

Real life can be quite challenging and so Anne has not been able to join us here and I for one miss her. Her quick wit, sharp tongue and constant harassing of Ray are things I miss in here and so I would like to dedicate these figures to her and wish her, and all of you, all the best in "real life" when Challenge's End has come...

Cheers Sander



Tamsin: those two are stunning figures Sander, and very "Anne". Like you, I have missed her this year and really do hope that she will rejoin us for AHPC8.

I'm going to add a couple of bonus points for all the detail and highlights on these, so 12 more points for your total.

For Wednesday: JuanM More Sci-Fic figures! (25 Points)

Here is my third entry, at last. I have been painting in a 1:1 scale so I have had very few time for this task, but here are the next figures:

First one, Hansa, a Security contractor. He is a 28mm character from Warlord Games´ BGA game, a very nice miniature and a perfect character for my "Rogue Stars" games (if I´m able to play one!).

Secondly, one of the clones used for security task in the Astropolis Fleet, member of Hansa team. He is a figure from Haslefree Miniatures:

Then, another figure from Lead Adventure Miniatures´ Astropolis range: an Officer. Great model, very nice and really simple, but with a lot of character.

A Navigator from Colony 87 small range of Science Fiction miniatures. Really, really fine.

And finally, a second Crono-Gladiator from Games Workshop´s Necromunda range. I like a lot these old miniatures, they have lost nothing of their character.

And this is all. In this moment, I am painting Science Fiction models, and enjoying the task a lot, but I am looking at other periods too.

Cheers!!!

ByronM: Some very good painting here Juan, top notch!  I really like all of the highlights on all of these guys and especially like the skin tone on the first one. All of them are excellent, but the shading and subtly on the first in really good.  That is something I always struggle with as typically shading on skin is either to harsh (done to look good at a distance) or to soft (done to look good close up), yours is a perfect balance between the two (at least in my opinion!).  5 different characters and looks, for a well deserved 25 points.

From JuanM: Sci-Fic Civilians (15 Points)

Hello!

Here is my second entry and the last one for 2016.

I am painting the miniatures from Lead Adventure Miniatures´ Astropolis kickstarter and I can say these miniatures are really nice, crisp and with a lot of character.

The first one is a mechanical from the Engineering deck and the second, an off-duty tech:

I expect to use these figures mainly as NPC in my "Rogue Stars" games, but some of them are going to have a more prominent role...

Then, I have painted a Hasslefree Miniatures Space Goblin:

I think he is going to be a contractor, part of an escort detail for a landing party. Behind him is another Haslefree Miniatures figure I painted some years ago. With his new base, he is now a cyborg from a very dangerous band of cyber-bandits...

And this is all for now. Happy New Year for all of you!!!

__________________________

Lovely work Juan! Lead Adventure figures are so characterful and you've done a wonderful job with your paintwork. I particularly like the faded blue coveralls on the Engineer - a very subtle, but convincing effect. The Goblin cyborg is eye-catching figure as well. His base is fantastic.

Well done! Now, I have to get a wiggle on with my next entry for our duel!

From Curt - Heidi & Hildegarde von Biguns and the Death Bell of Breugel-Bosch (30 Points)

I'm having a lot of fun with this Challenge, ricocheting between different projects and enjoying a wonderful variety of figures. This time I return to the Renaissance, or a perhaps a slightly skewed vision of the Renaissance.

This set of 28mm models is from Lead Adventure Miniatures. I'm a huge fan of most of their ranges and I really love the aesthetic of their Renaissance models. While they are certainly grounded within a historical context, these figures have a rather odd, very mannered, twist to them.  I've been so taken with them that I've collected a whole series of related miniatures that I hope to form into a distinct collection - but more on that later.

As soon as I saw this set advertised online I knew had to get it as it's just so whimsically dorky.  Depicted here is a 'crew' of a highly improvised artillery piece, the heart of which is a great town bell, 'The Death Bell'. The bell is just about to be fired in the defense of their town of 'Breugel-Bosch'.

The leader is a rather formidable woman, dressed for the occasion in helmet, partial Landsknecht regalia and sword. She wields an improvised rammer made of an old broom stick and scullery brush. This is Hildegarde. She is overseeing her sister, Heidi, in the firing of the Death Bell. Heidi, as we can plainly see, is a little more of a reluctant soul than her brash sibling. Both sisters are trying very hard to ignore the sage advise of their cousin Henri, who lost both his legs as a gunner serving in the Italian Wars. He is seen here on his hand cart, bringing up more ammunition for his cousins.

While working on these castings I came to the conclusion that they really deserved a little more pimping out. The stock bell came with a cavernous opening, but with nothing to put in it. This just wouldn't do. It was crying out for some deadly missile to be nestled inside, ready to be blasted out at their enemies. At first I made a big cannonball with some greenstuff and popped that in to see how it looked. It was okay, but it still seemed rather, meh, a bit boring. 

Then I came upon the idea that these citizens would want to pack this thing with whatever they could find in town that could be considered lethal. I immediately thought of a blacksmith's anvil and laughed aloud. I rummaged around and, surprise, surprise, found one as part of a Napoleonic forge set from Westfalia Miniatures (sorry Kawe!). From there it was just a matter of trimming down the anvil and adding some other bits, such as a sword, spear, and a few polearms (donations from the town's armoury). Done! Now the gun has a load of improvised scattershot to wreak havoc amongst their enemies!

I really liked the pillow as a recoil brake and made sure to give it a nice needlework pattern. I imagine that it's been donated to the cause by one of the town's worthy ladies - a noble sacrifice from her sitting room. 

For the groundwork I wanted to try something a little different. I really liked Sidney's cobblestone base which is featured in his latest theme entry. I didn't have anything like that handy, so I made a rather impressionistic version of a cobblestone road by gluing oblong shapes cut from an index card. Once dried I simply painted, drybrushed them up to look like flagstones, and then added some grass between the 'stones' (clipped-up tufts work well for this).

I've kept to an autumn theme again so that this 'HEAVY artillery unit' can fit in with my other Renaissance stuff.

So, there you have it. The Death Bell of Breugel-Bosch, crewed by Heidi & Hildegarde von Biguns (and helped by their cousin Henri).

Points? Um, I think the gun is worth 10 and the three crew are 15, so 25 total. Woo Hoo!

Thanks for visiting folks!

Well dude, I was a little disappointed you didn't bother with any zenithal highlighting for the bell, and this lacks source lighting for any fuses or lit cords which might otherwise draw the eye to the depth of substance in the...HAH! Just kidding! This thing is f***ing great!  You continue to entertain and inspire all of us with the skill and character in your submissions.

Leaving aside my immature snarkiness with regard to certain advanced painting techniques (which, let's be up front, are way beyond my own skills), the aptitude and appreciation on display here is truly impressive.  The "ammunition" load for the cannon ads loads of character to an already interesting little scene, so much so that I think it would be a bummer to see "just" the bell.  The brushwork is excellent all around, but that fine pillow really stands out, and really helps set the mood you are describing.  And as I have observed before, your groundwork skillz are just getting nuts bro! Those cobblestones look the business. Brings the whole thing together nicely.  I can imagine that polearm going straight through one of Peter's commanders as the intrepid crew lights that thing off...

Points-wise, yes, 25 for starters, but you get a few extra for the effort of the "ammunition", the work on that pillow and the base work.  Thirty points for you, my friend! Have a great weekend!  

From Curt - 28mm Modern German (SEK M) Special Forces Frogmen (25 Points)

I did mention in my intro post this morning that today's flight would be joined by our heroic(ally insane) Captain. 

Curt did ask me to hold off on posting this until later, so that other entries could take priority. However, as my brush-slaves seem to be holding out until the last minute to submit their draft posts, I'm posting it now while it's quiet...

These five frogmen depict members of the Spezialisierte Einsatzkräfte Marine (SEK M) a German special forces unit which focuses on maritime operations.

The 28mm figures are from Lead Adventure Miniatures. They're bit off-the-beaten-path, but I thought they would be fun to do. While the sculpts themselves are fantastic, the only thing I find a bit odd about them is how they're armed. I believe units of this type are typically utilized for close-in assaults, ship-boarding, hostage rescues, stuff like that, so I think it would more likely that they would be armed with compact MP5 SMGs, or shortened HK416s, rather than the relatively hulking G36 seen here. Who knows, perhaps they are landing on some foreign shore where they may have to stand-off at medium range.

 

Being special forces frogmen, it would only stand to reason that they would be kitted out completely in black, so I had a merry time working with various shades of grey to prevent them from disappearing into the shadows completely. I also tried to create, with their bases, the sense that they are coming ashore and to add a bit more colour.  In the end they turned out alright, though I might go back and pick-out a few metallic edges on their assault rifles and give their Tag watches luminous dials. 

These should give me 25 points for my 'Modern Mayhem' duel with Byron and Kyle.

Excellent work Curt. I particularly like the water effect on the bases - you can almost hear the waves gently lapping the seashore. Great work on the black frogsuits and on the goggles.

From Curt - ‘Papa’ - Bernez Carro - Brother, Soldier, Father, Fisherman & Smuggler (5 Points)

 First, Happy New Year everyone - Here's to a Fabulous 2015!

This is another small entry from me, a continuation of my story of the Carro family which began with one of the sons, Donon. 

It was April 1916 and Bernez and Briec Carro were 20 years old when they marched down the Voie Sacree (the ‘Sacred Way’), to the inferno of Verdun. When they arrived at the front lines the twin brothers were assigned to different companies in order to reduce the chance of hard news for their mother. Nonetheless, the young men were inseparable and so they worked a few favours to get themselves assigned to the same squad. For the next few months they endured ferocious fighting in conditions that are best described as bestial. During this time they found that their officers treated them and their comrades like cattle and so the brave Poilu died by the thousand.

On July 12th at Fort Souville the Carro bothers were part of a forward listening post that became overrun by a German assault unit armed with flamethrowers. Knowing what was about to happen, Briec pushed Bernez into a sodden shellhole and took the full brunt of the liquid fire. Briec died horribly. The water in the shellhole was not deep enough to cover all of Bernez and so half of his body was lit aflame. After the German attack faltered and was beaten back Bernez was found and sent to an aid station. He had suffered severe burns to the left side of his body, for him the war was over. 

Bernez was invalided out of the army and he returned home to Brittany to convalesce. His childhood sweetheart, Manon, looked past his burns and insisted that they immediately marry. Donon, their first son, was born nine months later and Briec, their second boy, a year after that. In 1918 Bernez and Manon took over the family fishing business. Soon after his cousin, Lois from Marsailles, convinced him to expand into smuggling and so the Carros began to flourish. When their sons became old enough they were brought into the business as partners.

In the years following the Great War Bernez has nurtured an understandable dislike for Germans, but most of all he hates officers – all officers. It does not matter what nationality: German, French, Spanish, he despises all of them. So when in the summer of 1936 Spain’s right-wing generals, with the help of Nazi Germany, staged a coup to overthrow the Republican government, Bernez sees an opportunity to not only make a lot of money but also, in a small way, to poke his finger in the eye of those he reviles.

Bernez is a figure from Lead Adventure’s post-apoc range. I shaved off his left ear, scored his face and painted his burn scars a livid purple/pinkish tone. I really like the pose of this model. He’s a commanding figure, straight-backed and taciturn but leans forward somewhat, stiff-jointed, like many older men do. He holds a Luger behind his back just in case matters go awry. I painted his coverall trousers yellow in order to tie him in with the figure of his first son, Donon.

...and 5 points for me as I 'rocket' past Simon.  :)