From StuartL - (Please don't) send in the clowns - 65 Points

Hi all,

    Have you ever had a set of mins that you thought looked really cool, but then painting them turned out to be really un-fun? Because I have.

    A while back, I was browsing My Mini Factory, (which is a foolish thing to do for a person who doesn't actually own a 3D printer), and ran across some cool looking figures on the Titan Forge store. In this case, a collection of plague carrying clowns. Lacking any sense of self-control, I subscribed to the Titan Forge Tribe (a monthly membership that gives you access to all the files released at a massive discount compared to buying the files later, an even more foolish thing to do given the aforementioned lack of printer), and got the files and several more cool looking minis. 

    Luckily, I have a friend who will print some figures for me from time to time, and he ran me off a set of these disease-ridden circus freaks.

Acrobats

    I decided to paint them with sickly looking skin, and bright, yet odd-looking colours for their clothing. I wanted them to be bright, vivid and disturbing. Having settled on an off-looking green and a deep purple to contrast it, along with porcelain coloured masks, I set about painting these weirdos. 

Sideshow Freaks

    For whatever reason, I found the process extremely unpleasant. Maybe it was my choice of colours, I'm not sure. But, for whatever reason, I didn't enjoy painting these minis one bit. I am very happy that they are done, but it took a lot of perseverance on my part to get through them. The details were crisp and clear, there was no fancy trim or excessive detail like you'd find on some minis. I didn't use any special techniques or new methods. I just found the process a slog from the minute my brush touched a figure until the last tufts were glued down, and I don't know why.

Strongman, Ringmaster & Assistants

    So, having bought the files, paid to have them printed and then ground my teeth throughout the chore of painting them, what next? I have no idea. I picked these up because I thought they looked cool, but I never made a plan about how I would use them. (See my previous comments about doing foolish things.) I'll probably use them in a skirmish game sometime, one of my friends is always keen for Mordheim and the like, so I'm sure I can do something with them. For now, they will go into a box, as I really don't want to look at them for a while. Perhaps this is fitting given that I wanted them to look 'wrong'. Who knows?

    So, there are 13x 28mm minis in this pile, which will add 65 points to my tally. This will also add 1 Squirrel point for that side duel.

My ongoing duels information:

Skulls - 139 (no change)

BSRoD - 0 (no change)

Squirrels - 3 (+1) - D&D Animals, 30K Militia, Plague Clowns.

    I should have one more post, and a lot more positive in tone to come. Thanks for reading.

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Yep, been there, done that, have the minis in the display case.

I feel your pain, Stuart. I've had numerous runs like this. Funny thing is, if you return to them after a while you'll probably find that they're actually not that bad, maybe even good to your 'refreshed' eye? Funny how the noggin works. 

Anyway, even though you didn't like them, I think they look very cool. I like the colours of their garish costumes, their ghoulish flesh and the vaudeville/circus poses. I particularly like the Ringmaster. Actually, I think they would look spot-on as background figures for Carnevale or Moonstone. Well done, and great job on sticking through them to completion.

- Curt

From ArthurS: New Year new techniques (5 points)

Hello Everyone,

This year's challenge I wanted to start of with painting this Titan Forge model I acquired at the Crisis in Antwerp. 

I intend to use it for dnd as a foe for my players. I intentionally painted him verry dark to show he is a bad guy and I made the base a sandstone-like colour so it contrasts with the mini itself.

 
Speaking of contrast this is the first time I ever used contrast paint wich I used for the green. For the armour I dry brushed the grey basecoat with silver and then a nuln oil wash on top. Using a basecoat in an other colour then white or black and then using it as a layer is also something I have not done before.  

This 28mm figure is good for 5 points and makes sure I am not thrown out of the Challenge by the Snowlord. 

At this moment I have several projects on the go and am not sure what my next entry is. Untill next time, Arthur.

_____________________________

Hello Arthur

Great to have see you in this years Challenge!

It's terrific that you are trying out new techniques and having such success. I really like contrast paints too! Good luck with your DnD game

-Sarah

PaulS: The Knight of the Sun (28 points)

 The sorceress waved her wand and we vanish from the previous room to turn up in a room decorated in a similar manner to a 17th century Spanish villa. We're not entirely sure what this means... or how it has appeared in this dungeon... but at least it isn't more of those bouncing red things!

"Wot'choo doin' in my 'ere sola?"

We all turn and stare. Unsure what to make of the being stood before us in all it's finery...

In the Warhammer rpg, Ogres aren't a weird problematic view of mongols, but just another race that lives and works across the Old World. There used to be Empire Ogres dressed up as Landsknechte, so when I saw this in one of the Titan Forge Patreon packs, he just had to be printed up as he fitted my idea of a Tilean knight. He even had the sun on his armour! (yes I know sun and solar aren't the same thing... but still)

He's a giant of an ogre, so I'm going to count him as 54mm, so 7pts for him and 20 for the Knight Solar room.

Conquistadore ogre? I'll take your word for it being 54mm (you seem an honest chap, unlike that Ray character), but that's 10 points not 7!

30 points for you.

Tamsin

[update]

Looking back, possibly not 54mm, but a lot bigger than a normal figure, so your call! - Paul

Tamsin Update:

Ahh, more of a 40mm figure then - 7 points it is. Plus a bonus point for honesty!

First Entry MarkW No 52 Games Workshop Undead and Ogres 275 Points

Firstly 2 thank yous.
Firstly to the team behind the great challenge - it has been a shot in the arm for me and got me out of a hobby funk.
Secondly to my good friend who recommended it after 2 previous appearances in your challenge.

On to the models.

I have started an undead army for Age of Sigmar and I am using this challenge as the vehicle for me to get through this.  I have had quite a productive 2 weeks since the start and have completed a fair bit over Christmas.

Now I admit photography is not my strongest skill, so please excuse the pics.

I therefore present for your review

10 Ghouls
10 very old recycled and metal Grave Guard
1 Wight King
1 Wraith
1 Banshee
1 Abhorrant Ghoul King
5 Hexwraiths
4 spirit hosts (incl one made of old Citadel metal figures)
1 Black Coach 
1 Coven Throne

The coven throne was a joy to paint, but a pain to assemble.  I have fond memories of playing against a Black Coach in a Vampire Army about 14 years ago, the coven throne really shows how far GW have moved forward in their design and ability to provide large models.  

I wanted a stand out army and I always feel that basing adds a lot to the miniatures so I have gone for a mix of resin bases and the use of Vallejo basing materials to craft the earth where they don't do resin bases in that size of shape.  This is all finished off with Vallejo Still water and various bits of basing foliage and clumps.

In addition I completed a small christmas present for another friend of 3 x Titan Forge Deep Sea Diving Ogres (including a captive Mermaid).

As for points, that is 27 foot figures at 28 mm which is 135 points.  For the cavalry, spirit hosts and two big things I am not sure so I will leave for the rules wizards to tell me.

Lastly, I have also had time to rebase some old skeletons.  A friend donated these to my Undead army and they are original White Plastic skeletons from one of the original citadel Skeleton Army boxes.  I rebased 53 of these.  As I am not touching the paint job they are not eligible for this challenge, but I thought I would share how good they look on decent round bases as opposed to square.

My major concern about this challenge was that I thought me being productive would lead to a smaller paint queue and gaps on my shelves.  For some bizarre reason, this is not true in either case.
first a confession- this post was ready in time for publication LAST week, but I was busy doing weird things like math and looking for stray cables to electronics whose functions I don't understand.
Mark, this is a very nice army. I really like the color option you selected for the spirits and like how you carried it through to the war machines of the black coach and the massive spirit mob! From the just right gore on the ghouls, color of the spirits, inclusion of the older skellies with the newer plastic sculpts, the wonderful boggy basework, this is an impressive host.
I really like the orgres as well, swinging anchors with the brass diving helms, they are very nice sculpts and I'm envious of your friend who received them!
so one plus one[counts toes...be a moment]
253 point paint bomb with an extra 17 points for the war machine details brings you to 275!
great Job!