From TamsinP - 15mm Crusties Command and Specialists (32 Points)

And they're finished! This is the last of my (current batch of) Crusties - the commanders, specialists and squad attachments.

Command Group:

Sub-Commander and Forward Observer:

Snipers:

Plasma Launchers:

Engineers/Technicians and Medics:

These sixteen figures are a mix of the Specialists, Civilians and heavy weapons packs. That will be another 32 points in the bag.

This isn't my last entry - I've still got a few to come before the end.

You're a machine Tamsin!  These command and specialist figures are a great addition to your force and you've done a excellent bringing them alive with your brushwork. I like the dude with the comms backpack and the fellow with the optics. This is a very cool and very complete range of figures.

Tamsin, this entry just tips you into the top 10. Now you need the next few days to consolidate and hold your position - no pressure, no pressure at all. ;)

READY! From SamuliS: Curtgeld, Emperor Curtius Cuddlius (65 Points)

It's time for me to step up and pay the price for the last three months of painting! Lo and behold Emperor Curtius Cuddlius crossing the Fuzzycon flanked by his bodyguard and standard bearer Maximus Furrius and trumpeter Fluffius.

As I am an engineer with a product development and project management background I figured I should do what we do best, copy and improve :) With pressure coming from the top there's never time to come up with something original and rarely any room for real R&D so you default to copying others and trying to improve. So what a better subject for imitation than our own Snowlords first entry, Caesar!  What remains to be decided, is whether the real risk taker here is Emperor Curtius Cuddlius and his defiance against the Bearian Empire or me with my blatant copying ;)

I hadn't really settled on what I would do for my Curtgeld entry this year, when I stumbled upon the Teddy Bear Roman line sculpted by Mike Broadbent and manufactured by Eureka. Seeing them I knew this was the choice, and as I needed more Saxons anyway I went straight ahead and ordered these three amazing minis.

Continuing my project of copying improvement I went for the same kind of base set up and built the trio preparing to cross the Fuzzycon. I've never done any water on bases before. I googled a few different approaches, from PVA to proper water effects materials. However in the end I went for the easy PVA way with some wavy shapes done on the near dry PVA followed by a few blue shades. On top of that I went with another PVA layer with some blue ink added to add a bit more depth to the whole thing. The miniatures themselves were painted with rather simple clear colours to make them look a bit more like teddy bears and their equipment.

With these done it's back to the brushes! Two more entries to finish up. Should just have enough time to do them both and go over the 1000 point goal I've set for myself.

Have a great sprint to the finish line everyone!

Oh wow, this is brilliant Samuli - I just love it. Sarah and I were discussing this entry and marveling over both it and the bewildering number of miniature companies that are out there doing all these wild and wonderful figures. It really is amazing. But not as amazing as this diorama. This is so, so cool. I just love how you've mimicked (and improved upon!) my original entry. It's fantastic. I think my favourite element of this wonderful work is the hobby horse that Curtius is riding. I can't help but smile every time I see it.

Just for fun, I'm attaching my original entry so folks can appreciate the work Samuli has done here.

Thank you very much, Samuli for this wonderful vignette.

From TeemuL - LotR High Elves (20 Points)

Here are some High Elves for my ever growing LotR army. High Elves are bit boring in LotR, they have only one possible basic warrior type. He can be armed with bow, spear or sword.

I noticed, that Gil-galad has option to upgrade any of the warriors to King's Guard warriors, giving them better close combat skill. I thought, that it would be nice to create a personal guard for him and since they have different skills they would need to be different on the board.

Usually my gold and blue elves have grey cloth and all the heroes and captains have something light green on them. I decided to paint the cloth light green on this King's Guard to mark them nobler than regular warriors - eligible to wear that beautiful light green color.

Here are the first three, all bowmen. Yes, the King's Guard have a better close combat skill, their missile skill is not affected, so choosing bowmen is very clever. Also, a regular high elf warrior is usually better fighter than any evil warrior, so the extra point on fighting is rarely important.

Haldir is a special character, so I put some extra effort on his face. He is also wearing a traditional blueish chain mail.

I included Haldir as well, because he happens to have a bow. Somehow I always take him as a High Elf although he is a Wood Elf. And I have painted him like that as well... Luckily I have another model unpainted...

4 times 28mm miniature should give me 20 points and put me officially over my 500 point target. There are still some bonus points coming from the Bonus rounds and time is running out, so I won't be putting a new target anymore. I'll try to squeeze one more entry on Sunday.

Nice work Teemu and a big congratulations on hitting your points target! I like the various colour schemes you use for your High Elves. I particularly admire how you've done the muted tones of the metalwork. I had to smile at seeing the recycling logo in the photos - it somehow seems a very fitting backdrop for Elves. :)

From ClintB - A farewell to Arms - Until next Challenge (46 Points)

For my Final (unless Curt puts the clock back another week.... no I thought NOT!) submission is another 9 Socialists for a VBCW. The figures are mostly "Empress Miniatures" from the Spanish Civil war range. But SCW to VBCW is not a very large leap when It comes to clothing and equipment. Almost no leap at all. Mostly rifle armed this group also has an LMG and a SMG as well as a few pistols, and even a few French "Adrian" Helmets!

The figures like every other Empress figure I have painted were both excellent sculpts and cast and great fun to paint. If you Have never painted anything by this company I would recommend it, if they do any periods that you like. The flag is by Pete Barfield and commercially available from Solway. 

I would like to end this post by thanking Curt and all the minions for the hard work and organisation of the Challenge I have really enjoyed it and hope to take part again in future years. Good luck to everyone still to submit final entries and I look forward to the the Obb paint bomb pushing me lower down the rankings.

Good luck all and have fun doing so! Best wishes.

Clint

Ah, this is just spectacular Clint. I've really enjoyed all your VBCW entries this Challenge and so it's very fitting that you conclude your run with these fine fellows.  I'm also a huge fan these Empress castings, and I think it's wonderful that you've taken them from their SCW setting to make them your own. (I know when I see these figures from now on I will think of them as equally fated to defend the workers of Kent as those of Catalonia.)

It was wonderful having you with us again this year, Clint. You are one of the Challenge's biggest boosters and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your enthusiasm and support - thank you. Here's to us meeting again for Challenge VII!

From JohnSe - Curtgeld - Dick Winters (20 points)

This is it! My last miniature for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge! This is my first year, and I'm a little fuzzy on the requirements for the miniature donated to Curt. I believe the theme is "Daredevils, Gamblers and Risk Takers", though I may have missed the deadline for that particular bonus round.

No matter, the figure I picked to donate to Curt is "Dick Winters", the U.S paratrooper featured in the HBO series "Band of Brothers".  If jumping out of an airplane, behind enemy lines into Nazi occupied France doesn't make him a daredevil AND risk taker I'm not sure what does! He received a variety of Olive Drab, Khaki and Dark Green paint, but I've left his base with only a simple brown coat, ready for basing material to match the collection he eventually settles into.

This was a Historicon exclusive figure I've bee saving for a special occasion and completing my first Painting Challenge fits the bill. I've thoroughly enjoyed it, painted up a bunch of figures that have been lingering on my lead pile for ages, and been re-energized to tackle some new projects. Big thanks to Curt, my reviewer Dave, and all the other assistants who made the Challenge possible!

I'm hoping to get another 5 points for old Dick here, just squeaking over the 500 point mark. Looking forward to next year's challenge and tackling a larger point goal!

Thanks so much John! Captain Winters was an amazing fighting man; fierce, honest and almost painfully honourable. Serving as a frontline paratroop officer at D-Day, Market Garden, Bastogne and Germany is as much a 'risk taker' as anyone could hope to be - a very fitting figure for this year's Challenge.

It was a pleasure to have you join us this year John. I'm delighted the event contributed to an advancement through your lead reserves - now you have room to buy some more!

Again, thank you John. I hope to see you out for the next one.

From TamsinP - 15mm Crusties Infantry Support Weapons (28 Points)

Some more Crusties for you - the infantry support weapons teams this time. And just a small set of figures.

Heavy Laser Teams:

Plasma Mortar Teams:

The figures are 15mm from GZG. I swapped out a couple of the crew figures to use as specialists and replaced them with figures from the Crusties Civilians pack.

So, 8 x 15mm foot figures = 16 points and four small crew served weapons - I'll let Curt decide whether they should be scored as 2 or 4 points each.

Tomorrow, if things go to plan I should be posting the last of the Crusties - command team and specialists.

Groovy! I really like the look of these heavy weapons, with their clean steel (aluminum?) bodies and nasty Nokian orange bits.

'Begin cycling-up the prawn forks and set the butter traps!'

Great work Tamsin.  You're now tantalizingly within reach of the top ten. I know you can do it! :)

From FranL - 15mm Modern Russian Spetsnaz and Panthers... (52 Points)

...from Oddzial Osmy and Evil Bear Wargames.

Modern Russian Spetsnaz (Special Purpose) are general terms used for a variety of special operation forces (or regular forces assigned to special tasks),  Russia has a lot of these units, GRU, Naval, VDV and last seen in the Ukraine I believe or the "Little Green Men"

Now these are British Panthers but the Russians have bought several hundred but I don't know if they're called the same thing or even if the Spetsnaz use them but in all my time dealing with 15mm resin and metal vehicles, these are the best out there for quality!

So we have 17 troopers plus the 3 vehicles!

And Fran's modern juggernaut keeps rolling inexorably forward...  The Spetsnaz are excellent (though they need to be in Ukrainian uniforms...) but I have to say I'm fascinated with the Panthers. I had no idea that the UK manufactured these. Nonetheless, it's sad to see that they are replacing that 4-wheeled icon of British off-road adventure, the Land Rover (I've wanted a Defender 110 since I was a boy).

Great work Mr. Lee!

From AaronH - 28mm Early Imperial Roman Auxiliary Infantry (90 Points)

This is my final post of the Challenge. Eighteen Early Imperial Roman Medium Auxiliary Infantry from Victrix. The savvy among you will recognize that Victrix doesn't make that set. These are actually their Republican armored infantry. I cut the feathers off of the helmets and used them as is from there.

These, like the javelin men, are very nice models. There are a lot of options in the box and the faces are well detailed and unique. I think they work just fine for a unit of auxiliary infantry from somewhere in the taller parts of Europe.

These will be the Cohortes IV Gallorum. The front rank has swords, the back long spears. The set has pila in it, but I don't want my auxiliaries to have them.

This unit will augment my Warlord auxiliaries, which I'm tired of at this point. These also mark the transition from sabot bases to unit bases for this army.

This marks my final post for the Challenge for this year. By the time Curt finds this I'll be on a plane to New Zealand for vacation. I'd like to thank Curt and all of his minions, especially Dave and Millsy, for all that they've done to make things run so smoothly this year. It's been a blast.

Fantastic stuff, Aaron, and a great closing entry to the Challenge. I like your idea of just removing the feathers from the armoured set to create these Auxillia (from the 'taller' part of Europe no less...). The grey-blue shields are quite eye-catching and your groundwork, again, works very well with these chaps. A very nice unit. I also see that this entry serves as your chip shot to hit your 1500 point goal - fantastic work and congratulations!

It's been a pleasure Aaron! You're one of the Challenge 'grognards' so I look forward to seeing you next time we take to the field. Happy landings and have a great vacation!

From BurkhardS - More Anglo-Saxons for SAGA (40 Points)

Well this is going to be my last post for this Challenge. I have the next (and last batch) of 8 Anglo-Saxons for SAGA on my workbench right now, but since I spontaneously started a new job this wednesday (I guess that is what you call it when the project a start in May and then ask you if you could start in three days time), I guess I will not have the time to finish them before the Challenge ends. But alas, my original goal had been 250 points and I have now more than doubled that, so who cares!

Anyway, this is another SAGA point of Thegns for my Anglo-Saxon army. Just like the last ones, these are pretty straight forward Gripping Beast plastics, with LBMS shield decals. The warrior with the blue shield is a slight conversion that I felt was required due to his un-combative pose, but that is it. Only the usual chainmail sculpted where the arms meet the torsos, painted, based and ready for combat.

I have to say I like the GB plastics. Good detail for plastics and lots of character in the faces one can work with. So I was glad to have done a lot of them this Challenge.

Before I leave, I have to say that I am really glad Curt talked me into taking part. I did more than I had expected and it was a great motivator to get things painted. Without it, I think I would have painted other stuff so far this year and probably would not have had the Anglo-Saxon war band ready for the small tournament here in Germany next month. In that sense, I am really looking forward to the 7th installment and hope to see you all next year. I would be happy, to see some of you on my blog from time to time. Until then... thank you all for your nice comments during this Challenge and godspeed to those who will still find the time to finish moreover the next couple of days!

A very fitting wrap-up Burkhard. (I particularly like the warrior who is resting his axe on his shoulder.) I'm delighted you agreed to join us again this year, especially since it motivated you to get this excellent Anglo-Saxon warband completed. Good luck in your upcoming tournament and I look forward to seeing you with us again for the next edition of the Challenge.

From Barks - BattleLore Completed (150)

To complete last week's effort, here's the rest of my BattleLore Uthuk Y'llan faction.

Nine Blood Sisters, who act as priestesses performing dark sacrifices.

Nine Blood Harvesters.

Twelve Berserkers.

Here they are with last week's compatriots, the Doombringer beetle and Grotesques.

And here's the group shot of my entire force.

I had planned to get these done last week, but got distracted, so here they are now. I think this pushes me through my 1000 point target, and I'm seeing if I can get to 1150!

Wonderful work Barks! What a rather sanguineous crew you have here. They all look very dangerous, but those Blood Sisters seem a particularly nasty lot. The group shot is very impressive and it's great that this entry has pipped you past your 1K target. Congratulations!