From AdamC - Ral Partha Spearmen (30 Points)

These are the 3rd pack of these fellow that I got last Spring at the Huzzah! Con yardsale.  I've painted them up to be a 3rd unit of infantry for Dragon Rampant. I had to replace the original spears because except for the guy in the middle they were all broken.

I reversed the shield color on these guy green with white as opposed to white with green.

Purple cloaks and plumes give them enough of a different look that I can use them as a separate unit but all of them are should still work nicely together (if I need an 18 man unit of spearmen).  That's six 25mm scale figures for 30 points plus any for painted shield (if any as its a very simple design)

Good work Adam!  This is some Old School nostalgia here. I seem to recollect having a few of these for our D&D games to serve as generic city guards. I like their quilted armour. The purple comb and cloaks give them an 'upscale' look - perhaps bodyguards for a merchantman or town worthy? Nice!

From JamieM - To Err is Human, to ARRRRR is Pirate (160 Points)

Herewith find one of these "quick" projects I'm sure we've all embarked upon. Why did I do pirates? Because when I was doing the l'amour round, I mixed up too much flesh colour, so I slapped some on these already undercoated pirates (undercoated for last year's Challenge no less)... Similar story for the flesh wash. Then I thought "I'll just finish these, won't take long!" And here I am, three weeks later. Sigh.

Anyway, these are the Pirates and some civvies to operate in game by making the board look prettier, be objectives and perhaps fight back at times!

All black scorpion, barring the bartender who is black cat bases.

I hadn't realised the bartender had a monkey in a dress on his shoulder until I got painting. Great little detail.

And the scurvy seadogs.

"Run!"

In addition, I finally finished their ship! I'm actually sort of glad I didn't finish in time for the nautical round having seen the quality of the entries. Mine is a little more..... Bargain basement, shall we say :)

It's produced by that famous scale model making company, playmobil. Via eBay. 

I chopped down the mast and replaced it with a dowel one and added a second mast, door to the captains cabin, figurehead and a fancy window on the back.

Quick coat of paint and its ready to take to the seas! I have done a real bodge job on the rigging and sails.... I thought it would be easy, but I clearly need to study some of the excellent entries others have produced for tips!

I also purchased 6 little guns to go in the gun holes (they probably have a technical name, right?) and painted them very simply indeed.

And last, but by no means least, the Curtgeld. 

This chap is clearly a risk taker. Being a pirate makes that a bit of a given, but look, he's lost a hand, probably as a result of taking a risk! And wearing a hat with a skull and crossbones on it that screams out "I am a pirate" is a pretty big gamble....

I had to re-base him because when I finished basing him (why is it never earlier?) I found this smashing little base with a turtle on. And the turtle is clearly a risk taker as he's on a pirate ship for some reason.

I am aware that I've delivered a privateer and a pirate for my two years of the Challenge and I fully intend to do a ninja, astronaut and train driver to complete the set of "things we wanted to be when we grew up when we were 8".

So that's absolutely no points towards defending my lead in the HH side challenge, because doing that would have been too sensible.

Aside from that, thanks must go to Greg for corralling us Friday kids and commenting very generously on our varied works - wouldn't have been possible without the tireless work of the minions... Now just don't go dropping an HH points bomb on me, ok?

This entry just killed me.

Jamie, all this stuff is brilliant.  I absolutely love the Curtgeld pirate. That little turtle on the base is definitely the risk taker amongst the two (I think he needs an eyepatch). Soup anybody? Thank you so much.

I must say your Playmobil ship is the absolute t*ts! I seriously need one of those bad boys. The funny thing is that I already have a Playmobil Roman Colosseum from a few years ago, shamefully unbuilt. It presently sits in its box in one of our clothes closets. About once every few months Sarah completely snaps her crayon and says something like, 'If we made a conscious decision not to have kids, why the hell do we have a Playmobil Colosseum in with our rubber boots?'

Some people simply don't understand - it's a disease, really.

My arcane points calculator (powered by finely ground teenagers) places this entry at 160 pips. Well done Jamie. Remember, you need to add a Policeman in that 8-year old dream team to make it complete. :)

From Pat G - 15mm Hover APCs (12 Points)

I thought I was done for this year but I was tweaking my 3D printer and printed a couple of test models.  There were a couple of problems with  the vision blocks and the tops of the fan intakes but they'll pass.  The inexpertly done camouflage patterns are based on ones used on the island of Malta where vehicles were parked against brick or stone walls in an attempt to hide them from the Reggia and Luftwaffe. At least the originals were hand painted too so my efforts not too far off. ;)

So that's another 12 points.  :)

3D Printer? Cool! I'm so jealous as I really want one of those bad boys.

Are those the turbofans on the flanks of the vehicle? These look pretty darn neat, but your camo is so effective that you can't really pick out the surface detail! What system are you going to use them for Bill?

Good work! Now, print off some more stuff for us to look at before the curtain drops. :)

From MilesR: Stug Life (31 points)

 This Challenge may be ending more with a whimper than a bang for me but it's been a grand ride.  My latest submission is 5 Stug 105MM assault guns in 15mm scale.  These are from Plastic Soldier Company and I recommend them highly.  Each tank has 19 parts and goes together very easily.

 These are painted up for the Italian theater and provide a very good all round unit for a German army

 This submission pretty much finished up my German collection fro Flames of War save the odd Tiger or Panther.

 5 tanks at 6 points each comes to 30 points and add 1 pt for the 1/2 crew figure - that's a total of 31 points

Not really ground shaking but there you go.

One of the reasons for the low production this week was I went to Pittsburgh to visit my son in college.  We spent the day at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.  It's a fascinating place and has one of the highest rated green energy setups and Sean wanted to see how it works.

My baby boy, who has been lifting weights and now has 60 inch shoulders.  We went to a Tapas place for dinner Saturday night with some of his friends and the amount of food consumed was staggering.  I may not be able to afford any new paints!

Hopefully one or two more things will get painted before the Challenge ends - we'll see.

It's wonderful that you got a visit in with your boy Miles. He looks very hale, hearty and happy in that last picture. 

Those are some nice StuGs. I like the stowage and the paintwork is very smooth (airbrush?). They look ready to enjoy the sights in Tuscany and provide future scrap for postwar Italy. :)

Now c'mon and buck up Miles. The top of the heap is just in sight - you'll just have to dig deep for this last week. You can do it! 

From AdamC- Two Frostgrave Soldiers (10 Points)

I'm Planning to use this fellow as a Frostgrave "knight" (Soldier with mail, shield and hand weapon) and I think he'll also find himself in games of Saga as a warlord.  He's a Dark Sword figure from the George RR Martin range called Alfyn Crowkiller one of the wildlings form beyond the wall.  I'm not a fan of the series (or I was but lost interest) but the figures are great and I have many of them.

He' has great detail on his face and I did the shield in colors that would match my Necromancer, I think he'll make a good leader for a unit of humans defending him either in Frostgrave or as part of a Dragon Rampant army.

The cloak looks like it will keep him very warm in Frostgrave and its environs.  He's a very good 28mm figure (actually he might be a 30 or 32mm scale figure but they call him 28mm so I will take Dark Sword at its word)

This is another figure form the same line a character called Yegrit (?) also a wilding.  I'm planning to use her as part of a all female war band for the game I am running at Huzzah!Con.

The figure has a great in action pose I feel like she just fire on the run and is skidding to a halt or maybe scrambling backward to stay out of hand weapon range

So that two more figures both of 28mm scale so 10 points.

Ahh, these are lovely figures Adam. I have this series of models sitting in storage and this entry reminds me why I got them in the first place (it's certainly NOT because of that pompous waste of skin GRR Martin). The knight's armour is excellent and I really like the shield design you've given him. Ygritte is also well done, I particularly like her vibrant 'firetouched' hair and her more humble leather gear. Great work. 

'You know nothing, Jon Snow.' 

From LeeH - M3A1 Stuart Tanks (10 Points)

My latest submission to the Painting Challenge are some M3A1 Stuart tanks for my North Africa project. Once again I have used models from the GHQ range and the fine crisp detailing more than justifies the higher price tag.

Five M3A1 Stuart Tanks in British colours

Over four and a half thousand M3A1's were produced between May 1942 to February 1943 and a significant number saw service with the British in North Africa. The British army designated the vehicle the Stuart III & IV (the Diesel version) but by now the vehicle was known to British tank crews as the 'Honey' because of its smooth ride and good performance, particularly in prolonged desert operations. Popular it may have been but its relatively small 37mm gun was no match for the latest German tanks now arriving on the continent and it would soon be superseded by the M3 Grant and later the M5 Sherman.

Racing across the desert

I have been wanting to paint these for some time and particularly wanted to try out a type of British desert camouflage that I have not tried until now. I'm really happy with how these turned out, particularly the camouflage pattern. I mixed the blue myself and think I have achieved the slightly grey blue colour that looks very similar to pictures I have seen from the period.

All round view showing the camouflage pattern, rusty exhausts and tools
stowed at the rear.

Five 6mm vehicles should earn me another 10 points in my quest to beat my challenge points 'personal best'.

Yes, as advertised, these are real 'honeys' Lee. Well done.  I really like your take on the the blue-grey camo and, as-we-always-say-but-needs-to-be-said-again, your basework is absolutely top notch. 

Now, where is 'The Haunted Tank'?  :)

From GregB - Another 30k Raven Guard Squad (50 points)

Raven Guard tactical squad for GW's 30k setting

The end of this edition of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is now in sight.  I've been diverted a lot lately by my race into "Team Yankee", but my actual goal back in early December had been to use this Challenge to make progress on my 30k collection. You know what they say about plans...

From left - comms trooper, sergeant and vexillary

The detail on these models is really top shelf - I love painting them

Anyway, we have a week left, and dammit, I'm going to try to hit it hard.  Here are another ten troops from the XIXth Legion, the "Raven Guard".  These are loyalist troops in GW's 30k Horus Heresy setting.  The models are from the GW "Betrayal at Calth" boxed game, enhanced with embossed shoulder plates and comms conversion pack from Forge World.

It's an expensive taste, but I absolute love the embossed shoulder plates with the Legion logos..

These multi-part plastic models from GW are top-shelf.  GW itself may be run by a pack of incompetent asshats who are determined to obliterate their own hobby, but every so often they malfunction and accidentally release good stuff.  These "Betrayal at Calth" boxes fall into that category, and I have quite a pile of them in various states of assembly. 

Some decals on the shoulders - those are from Forge World as well

This gives me a grand total of 20 Raven Guard now.  Not very many (well, they would do for a Rogue Trader game, but otherwise pretty limited) but I have more on the pending pile and I hope to add a few more to my total before the final horn sounds.  I hope to be back again posting soon!

Brilliant work Greg. 

Sarah I had the pleasure to spend a few days with Greg and his lovely wife Linda over this past weekend and during that time I got to see him at work on these very same figures. The photos above really don't do them justice. I marveled at the level of detail Greg puts into each of his 'rank and file' models. They all have lens flared optics, the power-armour is streaked, worn and chipped, the comms marine's backpack has a oscilloscope-like readout and the groundwork is well-thought out and beautifully executed.  They really are a treat to see.

Well Greg, you have six days to pull out the stops. I really look forward to seeing what you can come up with by Sunday to close the gap with Jamie. :)  Fire up the espresso machine! 

From AlexS - Tamsin and Anne (10 points)

I have decided to end their participation in the event the two miniatures. But first I would like to say a special "thank you" a two people: Curt, who has provided the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful and inspiring event, and my curator Greg, who not only learned to understand my English, but always gave accurate and good comments on my papers.

Thank you and all those who looked at my work and wrote comments to them. I could not always answer, but always with attention and happy to read your words.

But back to the miniatures. They are devoted to the two beautiful women who take part in the event - and Tamsin and Anne, and are my artistic perception of them.

Tamsin for me is above all a fighter. Its ability to work a lot and quality are amazing and encouraging. So I introduced her as a female gladiator, a tireless and dedicated warrior.

Anne for me - sorceress. She can, like all wizards, see the world in different colors, its striking color scheme and forced to admire. So I chose to model her as a sorceress.

In the end I will simply say: "Thank you all", and especially to my family, who gave me the opportunity to paint miniatures :)

A wonderful and fitting ending to a superb Challenge debut, Alex. I really like your two tribute figures and heartily agree with your hobby analogies of 'Tamsin The Gladiatrix' and 'Anne the Sorceress'.  I think both of these ladies will be flattered and happy by the comparison. :) 

Also, thank you for joining us this year, Alex. Your work was inspiring and your kind and constructive comments very much appreciated.  I hope the Challenge sees us come together again in the future. 

From SimonM - "Pulp Figures" Evil Hooded Minions (30 Points)

These six 28mm metal "Pulp Figures" models come from Bob Murch's "Weird Menace" range and can be found in either PWM 04 - Evil Hooded Minions or PWM 05 - Evil Hooded Minions II. These "nefarious members of a criminal cult, the hooded minion was a staple of Pulp Era fiction" and are my latest entries to the Pulp Pulp Side-Challenge.

To make painting these cultists reasonably quick, all of the models were initially undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Violet. I then picked out their shoes and trousers with a variety of colours, predominantly using a combination of Heavy Brown and “The Army Painter” Strong Tone Quickshade for their footwear, and "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Asurmen Blue for their slacks.

Any fiendish firearms were painted using "Vallejo" Gunmetal Grey. Whilst the scoundrel with a sword had two coats of "Citadel" Ironbreaker applied to his blade. All of these weapons were then washed with Nuln Oil. The little areas of flesh showing on these shadowy schemers were first given a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone, then washed with some watered-down "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade" before being highlighted with more "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone.

Finally, despite future plans to have these blaggards lead by the fearsome Crimson Scorpion, another of Bob's terrific models from his "strange villainy of pulpdom" collection , I thought I'd paint one of the minions up as a (sub)leader of sorts. As a result I've decided to spotlight one of the miniatures, a wealthy bounder known as Sir Awdry, who is clearly pointing in the direction of an order he's just given, with a "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson hood .

These are excellent cultists, Simon. I have these very same models done up in greyscale and I always waver whether I should repaint them when I see them in colour like this. The poses of these figures always make me smile as they have a wonderful 'pulp' illustrative feel about them, like the covers of those overwrought comics and novels from the 50s and 60s.  I quite like the nefarious Sir Awdry in his rakish red hood.

I will have to graciously concede my contest in the Pulp duel as I will not have any appropriate figures ready this week. Unless Michael or Phil can rally to challenge you I think you will rise victorious, Simon. We'll have to see what the week brings us! 

From BrendonW - Dreadball Robot Team (75 Points)

Dreadball for those who don't know is a sci-fi sports board game. These miniatures are made of a material that will drive most experienced hobbyists crazy. Very difficult to remove the flash. It's plastic like material but needs superglue to get the arms attached.

One Robot remains unnumbered. I believe he may be a Star player. On the red back circles before and after the decals had been applied I painted gloss varnish. I also gloss varnished the single blue eye they have which have a white centre. The Star player received gloss wherever red appears. 

I think they might make for good Rebel Robots in a Judge Dredd setting so here is a Judge bringing some Law and Order to them. The Judge was completed in a previous Painting Challenge so no points for him.

Terribly busy looking photos. It may have been a lot better if I went for a black background but lesson learnt. These are my first Dreadball team I have completed. I am yet to play a game of Dreadball. Cheers from Brendon.

Wow, what an amazing cacophony of movement, textures and colours. It took me a moment to be able to focus in on what's actually going on, but these figures are excellent. The vibrant red panels on the robots really identify them as a team and make them more visually interesting. Love the Judge in the final shot!