From SidneyR - Lust: The Potentially Simmering Rivalry of Ping-Xi and Pong-Li (40 points)

 

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"They're just the latest fashion.  Everyone, and I mean everyone at the Imperial Court has taken a pair of Chinese bodyguards into their retinue.  They're just the most adorable addition to the Castle.  They're strong, totally unemotional and just completely uninterested in calligraphy, or the tea ceremony.  They just... stand there and....and stare at me, all day long.  I tell you, I feel completely safe with Ping-Xi and Pong-Li in my apartment."

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For my entry for "Lust", I admit I was unsure what to prepare.  I did have a lovely pair of Games Workshop Chinese (or maybe Japanese) bodyguards based up and undercoated, and a Citadel female Samurai to accompany them.  And, Ladies and Gentlemen, the attraction of figures undercoated and ready to paint won the day.

So here we have Ping-Xi and Pong-Li, experienced and no doubt well-travelled Chinese bodyguards brought to the Imperial Court of Japan by Lady Machiko.  They'll be perfect for another frivolous game of "When the Last Sword is Drawn", my skirmish game of swordplay in medieval and Edō period Japan.  Maybe they'll prove to be dedicated and selfless guardians of Lady Machiko's honour. 

Or, just possibly, there might be something in the way that they both look at her as she pours some tea from a beautiful pottery tea service?  I always felt there was bound to be some kind of romance lurking with two bodyguards and an attractive female noblewoman.  One wonders if Ping-Xi or Pong-Li, or maybe both, have fallen for the unusual allure of Lady Machiko's blackened teeth?

I also added a 3D-printed large Japanese-style tree to the submission.  There was no reason for this, other than it gave me the chance to make the submission a little more points-worthy.   And, of course, it allowed me to take some ABBA-style "Knowing Me, Knowing You" photos of Ping-Xi and Pong-Li in front fo the tree, looking in different directions before they slaughter each other in a deadly context for Lady Machiko's hand.

The figures for Ping-Xi and Pong-Li are about forty years old, being from the "Oriental Heroes" range originally created to accompany the AD&D "Oriental Adventures" supplement published in 1984.  They've spent the years since 1984 in bubble-wrap until I finally painted them.  The metal studs on the leather armour of Ping-Xi and Pong-Li were horrifying to paint.  All of 58 tiny studs on each of the figures.  Good job Lady Machiko did not employ a whole regiment in studded leather armour.

I did remember to paint one base with black edging, and the other in brown edging.  Otherwise, Ping-Xi and Pong-Li might get mixed up.  I hope Lady Machiko can tell them apart.  Or, maybe, its more entertaining if she can't.

And finally, as this is me, here's two more ludicrously self-indulgent character cards to add to your Japanese collection for Challenge XV.  And yes, they are different figures in the Characters' photographs.   At least I think they are...!

For the points, there's 5 for each 25mm figure.  I feel it's a bit unfair asking for the usual points for a terrain addition - so maybe 5 points for a painted tree (and tree roots!) is fair?  And 20 points for "Lust".

That would all add up to a symmetrical 40 points.

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Hello Sydney!

Sooo beautiful and one of my favourite entries so far! 

Your hypothesis of  bodyguards Pong-li and Ping-Xi both being in love with Lady Machiko would be an excellent plot point in a Shogun-like series.

I am looking forward to seeing more of this project.

40 well deserved points for you

- Sarah

40 points for you!

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From SidneyR: Lord Ghoda's Limbo of Sorcery (37 points)

 

Shinkurō, the former ronin, had never heard of "toad magic" until the moment that Lord Ghoda mentioned it. The ancient sorcery that Lord Ghoda said he had been studying sounded to Shinkurō like the ramblings of a drunk, at best. Or the ravings of a mad man at worst. 

Sorcery and spells to turn a magician into a toad, and to enable to the spell-caster to weave magic and enchantments?  It sounded almost heretical to voice the thoughts in his own head, Shinkurō warned himself.  What nonsense!

But then, the demon had appeared. A powerful Dai-Oni, armed with a huge war-mallet, javelins and a famous sword stolen many decades before from Lord Ghoda’s grandfather. Against such an adversary, both Shinkurō and his Lord would be helpless. It was just a matter of time before the demon would overwhelm them both.

At least it had all seemed gloomily inevitable until the moment that the magic transformation which had been promised by Lord Ghoda, actually worked. 

It was beyond Shinkurō's belief, but.....it was happening before his eyes.  Lord Ghoda’s webbed feet were starting to cast the spell to banish their adversary. 

Shinkurō just hoped that the incantation didn’t require fingers.

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A small posting to start my entry for Challenge XV. I had a busy December, and was going to paint more figures, but an unpleasant virus ended up with me missing out on bits of Christmas - and as a result, I've only got three figures for this submission.

All that being said, these figures were a lot of fun to do. The demon and rōnin are both Dixon Miniatures sculpts. They’re quite venerable, being first produced in 1984, although I bought them both earlier this year. The gigantic toad is from Crooked Dice, one of a couple of large specimens I purchased last year and hadn’t yet used.

I added some of the GW “Barbed Bracken” to the base of Shinkurō. I admit the spikey leaves do look, if you're a fan of manga, a lot more “Wicked City”, rather than strict Edō-period Japan. But I’ve enjoyed using these plants on various terrain bases, and hopefully I can use more of them as the Challenge progresses. 

They paint up very well, even though they are quite “flexible” (a.k.a. “bendy). I coated the plastic with PVA-glue beforehand, to add a little stability.  But so far, in the games we have played with terrain and bases featuring barded-bracken, the paint hasn’t flaked off the razor-sharp thorns. A minor miracle worthy of Lord Ghoda himself (in toad-form).

I painted the submission as my entry for "Limbo". How else can one describe an indefinite transition to gigantic toad-form? Knowing this is Limbo also allows me to add a totally indulgent in-game character card for Lord Ghoda in his mythical-Japanese fauna-form, with two slightly more sensible cards for Shinkurō and the demon. If, of course, one can ever claim anything to do with demons is ever sensible or simple.

And for the Challenge XV points:  5 points for Shinkurō, 7 points for the demon (who checks in at a dramatic 40mm), and I think 3 points for Lord Ghoda**.   And 20 points for visiting Limbo itself.

Total: 35 points.

** (I had a lengthy debate with myself about the points for Lord Ghoda in toad-form.  Is he prone, or not?  Do we count his toad-form, or the fact he is, in essence, human? I suggest 3 points is sort of right, as it is a “prone figure” - although, I admit, toads are usually on all fours. Who knows? Maybe Lord Ghoda can provide more answers when he returns to his former form.)

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First, welcome back to the Challenge Sidney! I'm sorry to hear of your illness over the holidays but am delighted to see that you've bounced back and have this wonderful opening post featuring another set of characters from your 'Until the Last Sword is Drawn'. What a treat! 

As is usual, your brushwork is absolutely exquisite with all the precision and vibrant colours that expect from you. I also really like your use of the GW 'Barbed Bracken' to further accent your basework. I'll have to pick some of those up after seeing your work here. And the bespoke game cards. Wow. They look tremendous and packed with character.

It would be churlish not to give the brave Lord Ghoda his full 5 points so we'll go with that. 37 points for your Challenge opener, Sid. Again, welcome back!

- Curt

From SidneyR: "Nobody Likes the Chaya" - Overdues and Returns (50 points)

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"Nobody likes the House of Chaya. Their nobility is bought through wealth and their signature is greed.

They are wealthy, proud and ambitious. Their sharp-elbowed advance along the coast of northern Honshu, gathering lands and castles, has created many enemies. One clan, the Akiyama, has become the most recent victim of Lord Chaya Ichiro’s schemes of aggrandisement. But now, Lord Akiyama is dead.

Two days ago, Lord Akiyama was dishonourably killed by Chaya no Irosuke, a notorious samurai of the House of Chaya. Worst of all, Lord Akiyama’s legendary sword was taken from his dead hands and was brought to the Chaya’s ancestral temple to be re-consecrated as a trophy of the Chaya’s conquests."

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Everyone loves a villain. And, as one famous actor has said, “Every villain is a hero in their own mind.”

In creating tabletop miniatures games at games days and wargame shows, I always find it helps to try and set the theme. Part of that is describing what the players are fighting for. What are the stakes? Which side are you on? It’s easy with history. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows it’s OK to punch a Nazi.

But with games which involve a more alt-history, or a down-right fantasy feel, it’s harder. Of course, sometimes its made easy by the bad guys wearing black, or carrying a red light-sabre. Other times, it helps for me to tell the players, in as few words as possible, which side they’re fighting on.

And so to The House of Chaya. 

Put simply, they’re villains. Nobles, for sure.  Wealthy, of course.  Darkly handsome in a Kylo Ren kind of way? - well, maybe you can make your mind up on that one. But they’re the bad guys?  Yes, they are.   Because every story needs a villain.

More seriously, I’ve found that wargames with a smaller footprint (in terms of game size and playing time) need a helping hand. You can have an attractive table, and thematic rules. But the importance of the background story, or the “skinny” as American TV writers might call it, increases as the table shrinks. The figures and the terrain can’t do it all on their own.

And in that environment, it helps for there to be a villain. Someone you can point to as the bad guys. Maybe they “killed our ‘Pa”. Maybe they burned your farm. Maybe they took your sacred sword.

Or maybe they did all three.

It short-circuits the long-background of where you are and why you’re fighting. Because as Indiana Jones says, its always OK to punch a Nazi. 

Or clash swords with the Chaya.

I've been carrying the representatives of the House of Chaya up and down the United Kingdom for the past year and a half to serve as the bad guys in our games of "When the Last Sword is Drawn" for a year and a half. These are the latest additions to the usual suspects. Including the heart-throb* of the House of Chaya - Chaya no Irosuke.

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These are some more of the figures from the glorious samurai- and Japan-fixated 1980s. The two fallen fighters are from Dixon Miniatures’ early samurai range. The mounted samurai is from the same range. He’s advertised as a famous samurai commander from the 13th Century.

But he’s such a lovely figure that it’s a shame to limit him to that period. I strung his bowstring with fine wire, and pinned the bow to his hand at the start of painting. I also glued him to his horse. It would, however, have been easier to paint horse, rider and bow separately, and assemble afterwards. It was a hard choice, and I might do it differently next time.

The remaining figure is a Games Workshop samurai retainer from the 1984 “Oriental Heroes” range. He’s a lovely, flexible, figure who could serve as a retainer, or a samurai without armour. I love the confident pose, the larger than normal (almost comic-book) katana, and the wicker rain cape. He’s got a swagger about him, which the mounted samurai shares. And, after all, who doesn't love a villain with a little bit of sass?

I also felt the Chaya needed a uniting theme. I chose a colour for their House. Green, the colour of confidence, green tea, lush (almost-certainly stolen) farmland, and jealousy. I tried to make it a signature of the House of Chaya. Almost so that you know when to boo when they enter the stage.

And because all the factions in our rules have some traits and attributes (not all of which are helpful), here's the ones we've been using for the Chaya on the tabletop, updated for some of the new members of the household.  And, of course, a ludicrously indulgent character-card for Chaya no Irosuke himself:

I’d count these as being a long-overdue project - so please can I add them in the "Overdue and Returns" shelve in the Challenge XIV Library? The figures were prepped for Challenge XIII. But at last they’ve come good. Turning up now, just like a bad penny.

For the points:

Two prime 28mm figures counting half points:    5 points
One standing 28mm figure:                                 5 points
One mounted 28mm figure:                                10 points
And 20 points for "Overdue and Returns", giving a total of 40 points for the submission. Hopefully, enough to break my first hundred points.

* If anyone knows the Japanese for "heart-throb" and villain (you know the type), I'd just love to know.

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Wow Sidney.. so much to unpack on this post here! Amazing paintwork. Great storytelling. Historical references. And some bits designed to make them ready for gaming through gaming aids! I love having such items on hand for gaming, as it makes life so much easier to have that quick reference guide.


40 points for the painting and the Library section, plus 10 points for the extra work on the gaming aid and storytelling! Wonderful!


Thanks for sharing
Kyle

SidneyR - Akiyama Tomoyuki faces his demons - "History" (74 points)

There were three of them.  No.  There were more - four bakemono, and then two larger forms, lumbering through the heavy snowstorm.  Huge demonic ogres - Oni - one with a huge sword and the other with a pair of war mallets.

“There…. There they are. There’s six more!”  Tomoyuki’s shout in the gale of the snowstorm was urgent and loud.  “Give me more arrows”.  Even so, the fierce wind stripped away his voice into the void.  Tomoyuki’s retainer, Juzo, passed his master another sheaf of needle-pointed arrows: “That’s all we have left, Master”.

 

Tomoyuki looked at the eight arrows in the sheaf.  Make every one count, Tomoyuki told himself, notching the first of the black arrows, pulling the bowstring back and focusing on one of the large demonic Oni thrashing forward in the snow.  

 

Behind him was the howl of the kitsune which had followed him and Juzo to the temple earlier in the day.  If only he had offered another prayer earlier, he might have been able to persuade the kitsune to help him in the moment of battle.  But it was probably too late now.

 

The arrow was loosed into the storm, but the wind took it wide of the leading Oni.  Tomoyuki took another arrow from the sheaf, and finally whispered another sutra. Perhaps the kitsune would hear his prayers this time…?

 

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A busy family Christmas, a week away at New Year and heading back to work has meant I’ve ended up in mid-January without posting in Challenge XIV yet.  It’s time to correct that situation!

This Challenge, I’m adding a few more figures inspired by Japanese history and folklore.  In this submission, there’s a selection of Dixon Miniatures bakemono and oni…. Japanese goblins and demons from the Legends of Nippon range.  They’re lovely figures, sculpted by Mark Copplestone in the 1980s.  Gosh, yes, they are that old, but I feel they still stand the passing of years very well as sculpts.  So, with a little bit of History in the historical sense, and History in the wargaming sense, I’ve submitted this for the HISTORY entry in the Challenge XIV library.

The samurai is from the same vintage era of Japanese wargaming, being originally a Games Workshop archer sculpted by Aly Morrison in 1984.  Good grief, the figure is perhaps older than the average age of all the Challengers in Challenge XIV!  I love those older GW sculpts from the Oriental Heroes range, turning back the years with their style and posing taken from Japanese Ukiyo-e era wood-block prints.

The retainer is from the Perry Miniatures’ range of Sengoku era figures, part of the Civilian’s set.  The kitsune is a Warbases fox. I removed her tail with a scalpel, and added two new (slightly bushier) ones from greenstuff.  A kitsune can have up to nine-tails - the more tails indicate the greater powers that the fox-spirit has.  Just two here, but enough to weave a little magical stardust into the skirmish..

The main thing I was trying out with these figures was Citadel contrast paints and shade paints on the bakemono and oni. The Snow Lord himself persuaded me to give these a try in the last Challenge, but I didn’t get around to it.  The contrast paints were used on a white base, and supplemented by GW inks (shades).  They certainly look vibrant on the (demonic) flesh, but I wasn’t quite sure I was getting the effect just right with the flow of paints into the creases of flesh. I’d love to experiment a bit more with these paints in the Challenge and beyond.  Above all, I just thought they were fun, and something which looked very different from green- or brown-skinned goblins or ogres which I’ve painted before. 

The samurai and his retainer and the kitsune were painted a bit more conventionally.  Over the years, I’ve had this silly obsession with bowstrings.  I’ve no idea how I picked that up, but when I see a bow on a figure, I feel I have to string it, as in this case with very thin wire.  I use my figures at the local wargames club and for participation games at wargames days and shows, so I wanted something more robust than just fishing thread.  Its fiddly to string the bow with wire in this way, but hopefully worthwhile.

Finally, there are some terrain scenics to be scattered over the snowy temple of the game,  The terrain items are mainly 3D prints of trees, a smaller shrine, a miniature Buddha and a temple lantern.  These are really here to help set the theme, and to give the combatants something to fight around and fall over or bump into at the least convenient times.   I made the tiny dōsojin stone shrines with green stuff, carving the tiny stone kami (spirits) on the shrine stones with a nautical theme - hopefully the whale and octopus are just about visible.  They were fun to do, and add that little bit of Japanese ‘feel’ to the tabletop.

• For the four Bakemono and two Oni, I’ll count the bakemono as 28mm (5 points each) and the Oni (which are bigger) as being 40mm (7 points each).  That’s 34 points

• For Akiyama Tomoyuki and the retainer, 5 points each.

• One point for the kitsune (regardless of her two tails)

• For the terrain scenics, I’m not sure….It’s hard to claim the points for a terrain box worth, but how about three points for each?  That's 9 points in total.

As for the points:

That gives me 54 points, plus the HISTORY library entry for 74 points.  On the Big Board at last!

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Welcome Sidney as well to the Sunday crew! Another just under the wire post from our posse joining the big board at last! Welcome welcome!

And a great first post full of colorful deamons and fighters from the far east! I love the colors used on Akiyama, and the detail work on his clothing there. Great job!

For terrain scoring, I am inclined to go with your point scoring here, but would be better to know how big the pieces of terrain are, and how much of a 6" cube they would fill when placed together.

Great job all around, and hope to see more added in the challenge!

Kyle

From SidneyR: "The Disciples and Acolytes of The Celestial Path" - (Historical Drama): 90 points

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The monk, Makoto, looked at both Lord and Lady Fuchida.  Makotos's company of poor ronin, former retainers and impoverished tradesmen had been travelling for several days.  The information that Makoto had been given was that both Lord and Lady Fuchida were keen acolytes of "The Celestial Path".  Quite the fervent believers, Makoto had been told.  Which was good news - as the long journey from Takasaki had sapped some of the high spirits of Makoto's company as they trudged through rain squalls and difficult terrain.  

All that Makoto needed now was additional funds for food and lodging - enough to cross the palms of ferrymen, innkeepers and friendly farmers along the rest of the journey.  Of course, a few extra coins would be more than helpful to persuade additional disciples to join the pilgrimage.  

Makoto's eyes widened when Lord Fuchida greeted them and passed the heavy coin purse to the monk.  "Thank you, my Lord.  I can see you are a true believer in The Celestial Path", the monk replied gracefully.

Lord Fuchida Ichiro almost blushed, and bowed, introducing his wife.  "This was very much my wife's idea.  There are these fishing rights, downstream, which we have long contested are ours.."  Lord Fuchida waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the dusty, earthen road leading down the valley.  "Maybe", Lord Fuchida added, "..... maybe The Celestial Path can be followed in a direction which guarantees those fishing rights will be returned to the House of  Fuchida?"  

Lady Fuchida took one small step to her husband's side, smiled politely, and counted the swords of the disciples of The Celestial Path.  There were more than enough weapons in the company to secure the fishing rights that had been stolen from the Fuchida.  And maybe 'recover' the woodlands in the valley as well.... 

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For my second post in the Challenge, I’ve chosen “Historical Drama” as the theme. This requires a small jump from 'Under Construction', which I’ve made with the small submission of the wife of a rural samurai Lord.

She joins her husband, and the company of disciples and acolytes of “The Celestial Path”, on a journey.  She might even be the person funding the company's journey through Kōtsuke province on the long road to Edō. 

Hopefully the finest female Samurai of all Challenges, Lady Sarah, will grant the company safe passage to the “Historical Drama" location in her plush, studio limousine.

So... on to the submission, proper...

There were some themes I wanted to experiment with in painting this small company of figures. The miniatures are - with the exception of the female noblewoman - all Dixon Miniatures from Mark Copplestone’s "Legends of Japan” range. These were sculpted in the late 1980s, so I think that qualifies as ‘historical’ enough!  All the figures are going to be used in our Japanese skirmish games of “When the Last Sword is Drawn", set loosely in Tokugawa Japan - which I hope also adds to the ‘historical' requirement.

And as for the drama, that’s fictional - although The Celestial Path as a company is themed around the various groups of religious fanatics wandering Japan both in the Sengoku Jidai (the Age of the Country at War), and afterwards. I wanted to create a company of adventurers for our skirmish games, themed around a religious pilgrimage. So here we have seven adventurers, including a rural samurai nobleman and a monk and the company's portable shrine.

I painted the figures with a limited palate.  I thought this was the right choice for a company of masterless rōnin and impoverished tradesmen. I used Vallejo Sky Grey, Dark Grey, Medium Grey and US Field Drab as the base colours. These themed well together, and complimented each other (I hope!). 

I tried to add a splash of suitably-Buddhist orange - even if just an emblem, sash or set of prayer beads - onto each figure. This hopefully unifies the company together, along with the colour scheme. I painted the two nobles, Lord and Lady Fuchida, in black - no doubt an expensive cloth, but also a sombre colour as befits members of the samurai class following The Celestial Path. I did make sure to add some item of orange clothing or pattern on both of their robes, just to keep the theme going.

But, Sidney, what (idiocy) is The Celestial Path, I hear you ask? 

In game-background terms, I hope that its a good background for an unusual religious group, who can then be the focus in a small campaign. Religious groups such as the Ikko-ikki were my historical inspiration for The Celestial Path.  The Ikko-ikki were the product of various populist movements arising in and around the Oni Rebellion. The principles of self-determination taught by the Oni spread widely among the population of central Japan, with the most extreme members of the group insisting that each individual had the right to their own expression of reality. In that regard, maybe the acolytes and disciples of The Celestial Path are seeking their expression of reality in following the stars in the heavens, from adventure to adventure.

And to do this, I needed a ‘Path’ for the acolytes and disciples to follow. In wargaming terms, I wanted this to be a map, with various destinations for the players to follow in a small mini-campaign. 

Tracing the campaign along a heavily wooded valley - complete with hamlets, a small monastery, several shrines and culminating in a fortified samurai’s house - gave me the ‘Path’ I was looking for. I prepared the map earlier this month and finished it with some watercolours last week.

The circles on the map can serve as encounters for the acolytes and disciples to fight through. For those successfully completing the Path, a suitable reward - whether Celestial or not - can await them.

So, for the points, there is:

= for the 28mm female samurai and passage in Lady Sarah’s limousine, 20 plus 5 points = 25 points;

= for the seven 28mm disciples and acolytes of The Celestial Path, 35 points;

= for the shrine, in 28mm, I felt this was the same sort of painting challenge as each of the 28mm figures - so could I suggest an extra 5 points (same as a 28mm figure)?; and

= and for the “Historical Drama”, 20 points,

totaling 85 points.

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This is an absolutely stunning post. I honestly don't know what to say as I'm too slacked jawed in amazement . It's got female figures and historical drama, it's got movement, colour and looks spot on (although I essentially know bupkis about the subject matter). I am rounding you up a few points because...everything.