From AlanD - Queen Zenobia and a Project Finished (80 points)

Hello everyone - it is great to be back in the Challenge this year! 

My first entry for the year is Queen Zenobia and some Palmyran light infantry, all from A&A Miniatures. Last year, I was fortunate enough to receive the Challengers' Choice for some of the early figures for my Palmyran army, and these are now the last. 2024 was not a massively productive hobby year for me, but whenever I had a chance I chipped away at the Palmyrans (so many archers...argh!), and I'm chuffed to finish the year with the army done, hopefully to see battle in a game of To the Strongest! soon. 

Here are Zenobia and friends, for 80 points.

...and here's the whole army complete. 

I'm not sure what to paint next...

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Welcome back Dux! It's wonderful to see you return with your storied Palmyran project from last year's Challenge. Zenobia and her standard bearer look suitably magnificent mounted on their camels. Also, your last unit of archers are terrific as well, especially that chap in the blue jerkin with the white embroidery. Lovely stuff.

You can bask in the sense of completion while you ponder on your next project. I look forward to it.

- Curt

From AlanD - Final Shots for AHPC XIV (40 Points)

My final entry for this year is another unit for my growing Palmyran army for To the Strongest! 8 figures for 40 points gets me over the line for 1000 points, and I'm happy with that. 

Thanks to everyone for another wonderful year of focused hobby madness, and particularly to Curt for the vision and continuing enthusiasm for making all this possible. Many thanks also to the minions, and particularly to 'our' antipodean minion Millsy for all his hard work and good humour. A highlight this year has been the Tuesday night paint chats, which I have thoroughly enjoyed whenever I've been able to get along to them. Best wishes to you all, and may your brushes stay pointy.

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Wow, beautiful brushwork once again Alan. I'm in awe of your patience in doing all the detailed work on the textiles - gorgeous. I've very much enjoyed watching your Palmyran project unfold. It's going to be a very impressive force when it's all completed. 

I'm delighted that you had a good Challenge and hope to see you with us when the call goes out late November.

 

- Curt

From AlanD - Palmyran Hump Day (20 points)

 I have never painted a camel before this week. They were quite fun, and easier than horses, I think.

These two join my Palmyran army, acting as scouts.They look pretty Romanised, but I guess that wouldn't have been too unusual in third-century Palmyra. 

Apologies for the quality of the photos! And good luck to everyone as we enter the last few days of the challenge. I'm hoping to beat 1000 points, but it is going to be tight.

From Millsy: I'm sure your camels have made DaveD's say just that little bit brighter Alan. I know from experience he gets the hump when nobody paints camels. You've nailed the coat colours and done some lovely work on the basing too mate. Nice work!

From AlanD - Palmyran Infantry (105 points)

Production in the Paining Challenge has slowed a bit recently as the term gets busier. However, this week I manged to get a couple of bases of Palmyran infantry finished for my To The Strongest! army. 

The figures are from A&A, and at the risk of repeating what I say in every post: I really love painting them! The hand painted banner depicts Baalshamin, one of the main gods of Palmyra. 20 figures in total, so 100 points please Millsy!

From Millsy: Every unit you add to this army is a treat to see Alan. There's so much to like about these from the basing, to the palette, to the hand painted shields and banner once again. I'm really keen to see a photo of the force at the end of the Challenge so we can see it in all it's glory. Cracking work!

From AlanD - Roman Allies for Palmyra (125 points)

This week I have finished the Romans who will form a tough little allied contingent in my Palmyran army for To the Strongest! These are called auxiliaries in the TTS army list, although by the mid-3rd century AD it is fairly unclear what distinguished legionary from auxiliary units. I've painted these up as unarmoured infantry, to contrast them with the armoured legionaries from my last entry.

I've also painted a little command group for the Roman allies, hand painting Sol Invictus on the general's shield and Victoria on the vexillum. This design is based on the only known surviving Roman vexillum, discovered in Egypt and now in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. It amuses me that I seem to have painted her to resemble Princess Leia.

As with all this army, the figures are from A&A Miniatures, a range that is firmly within my top three figure ranges of all time. 23 of them this week, so adding 115 points to my total. Thanks Millsy!

From Millsy: Another wonderful set of Romans to add to your collection mate! Every unit seems to be showcasing more detailed hand painting which I cannot help but be impressed by, so much so I'm awarding more bonus points. One thing I am curious about is some of the auxiliaries seem to be looking backwards whilst about to throw their javelins. Is that sneaky Roman look away tactics in operation?

From AlanD - The Start of a New Project (255 points)

Of all the ranges of figures I have ever painted, the Middle Imperial Romans by A&A Miniatures are certainly in my top 5. They aren't everybody's cup of conditum, but painting them gives me great joy.

Back in the 2020 lockdown, I spent many a lonely night painting a third-century Roman army from A&A. Recently, it has been an absolute joy to get it out on the table in several terrific games of To the Strongest! As a result, I have inevitably tinkered with the army, adding the Gripping Beast cataphracts from my last post. Then John from The War Library happened to mention that he had some A&A Romans in stock, which was really like him shooting fish in a barrel. Consequently, I added a unit of armoured archers, which I hadn't quite finished in time for last week's entry. And I may have bought a bunch of other Roman legionaries, cavalry and auxiliaries.

And then, the perfect storm of work anxiety, having lovely A&A Miniatures in my hand and the enjoyment of playing To The Strongest! led to me buying a Palmyran army from A&A. And here we are.

In a sort of homage to the viral days of 2020, I have been quite ill with Covid over the past week. I have been sleeping A LOT, but when I have had the energy, I have made a nice start to the Palmyran army of King Odaenathus. The history and culture of Palmyra is so fascinating. In the decade after the defeat of the Roman emperor Valerian in 260, Palmyra became a major power between Rome and Sassanian Persia, influenced by both but utterly distinct. Ostensibly governing the east on behalf of Rome, King Odaenathus and then his widow Zenobia ended up ruling the region from eastern Turkey through Syria and all the way to Egypt, until Aurelian's 'reconquest?' of Palmyran territory culminated with the destruction of Palmyra in AD273.

For a period in the late 260s Odaenathus commanded Roman troops, so I have started my army with a vexillation of the Legio IIII Scythica and some cavalry. For playing To the Strongest, I've added a hero figure (the clubman) and a casualty marker. I've imagined that the Romans are under the influence of the Palmyrenes, and quite likely largely recruited from them, so have given them (hand painted) shields showing the Palmyrene moon god Aglibol, who is depicted in some surviving reliefs with a crescent and rays. 

In something of a points bomb for me, this week's output comes to 39 foot figures (two of them are prone if you want to halve the points) and 12 cavalry. 

From Millsy: Alan, these are absolutely stunning! If ever the saying "Start as you mean to go on" is applicable this is it. I recall you talking about these shields on a paint and chat and have been keen to see them ever since, and clearly the wait was worth it. Utterly gorgeous mate and worth an extra 10 bonus points for me. More please!

From IanS: 15mm Palmyran (184pts)

 

Well, I remembered this week to do the post, work was hectic and I forgot last week.

 Palmyran Army

 This army came about as I fancied painting a new ancient army as for the last two years I have been repainting existing armies.  I had heard about the Palmyrans and looked on the DBA army list and started from there.

So First up is the General and his standard bearer for the Palmyran Army, I have no idea what company the figures came from as they were part of a job lot on eBay a couple of years ago.  The Draco standard is home made from green stuff and the lance could have been thicker.

Next up is the last unit of Cataphracts the figures are from Forged in battle.

Then we have the last two units of Light horse archers.  In my last post I mentioned I could never tell which way round they were facing, well it was only when basing I noticed that one rider is actually stuck on his horse the wrong way round.  I am fine with this and he is obviously a parthian.

Last but not least are two heavy infantry units again figures from forged in battle.

So here is the finished army.

 

On the left the heavy hitters:  5 units of Cataphracts with the Army general with 3 units of light for screening those Cataphracts

Infantry consists of 4 Heavy archer units.  Yes there should be 4 figures to a base but I did the maths wrong when ordering.  3 Heavy Infantry to give backbone to the Infantry Line and last but not least 3 Light infantry archers for skirmishing 

This army equates to 1250pts in our local rules which is a club night sized army. 

Next up some roman allies for this army if they had such a thing.

So points being claimed:

Army General - 2 x 15mm figures each 4pts = 8pts

Cataphracts - 12 x 15mm figures each 4pts = 48 pts

Light horse - 16 x 15mm figures each 4pts = 64pts

Heavy Infantry - 32 x 15mm figures each 2 pts = 64pts

Total 184pts

May I also claim 3 squirrels one each for Cataphract, Light cavalry and Heavy Infantry

I was wondering if you'd forgotten to finish the post last week - I saw it sitting there marked "draft" all day (and it had been there the previous day when I checked). That's a great looking army.

As for the squirrel points, sadly you just get one for these as they are all from the same army.

Tamsin