Paul'Ss Challenge - Closeout

Well, that is the end of another year's challenge, with some fantastic painting and great community from everyone... I'm just a bit sad it is over and that I never got to all the things that I wanted to finish. Sadly work and life got in the way again. Maybe next year I'll just book off all of December or January and lock myself away to only paint. I'm sure I said that last year...

Another thing I said last year was that I wanted to actually have one project to work on for this year's challenge.

The challenge-end collection looks pretty impressive when it is gathered together like this. Sadly we're in the middle of decorating, so taking more photos won't be happening any time soon. Anyhoo.

The projects that ended up being worked on were:

1) Dungeon Saga - This one was about 5 figures shy of finishing the core box. Unfortunately every time I started painting these 5 I lost all inspiration and had to move on to something else. On the plus side, I did also cross off lots of additional figures from the KS including the critters and demons. Must try and finish those last 5...

2) WW2 Germans - This little group of figures were prepped for last year's challenge and were never started. It was nice to get them done this year so I now have 3 little starter forces for Bolt Action. One day I may even get to play a game somewhere!

3) Shadows of Brimstone - Some more creatures were crossed off the Brimstone list. There are still some left, but we're getting there. I may even finish the core boxes before the rest of the KS arrives...

4) Zombicide - I had a pile of zombies (normal and Black Plague) all undercoated for this year as they should have been quick to blitz through in the B&W sheme... but I forgot. Thankfully I at least got the crows done

5) Wild West - This was a new project that I never really intended to start, but shortly before the challenge we got to play the Fistfull of Lead demo at a show and too many ideas for terrain clicked in my head. It helped that some ideas for the side challenges fitted with this theme.

6) Saga Vikings - These were one of my secret santa presents from last year and something I'd wanted to do for ages. I'm really pleased that this one got finished as I now have a playable force that should work reasonably well.

7) War of the Roses - I thought this project was dead in the water, but this year's kind secret santa reignited things and another unit appeared on the painting table.

8) Pulp - 7TV figures are always in the painting queue, so for a few to sneak in is no real surprise.

9) Frostgrave - With all the other fantasy bits in here, how could we forget the Frostgrave side challenge and the extra figures painted for that?

That "one project" thing didn't really pan out did it? Must try harder next year!

There has been an impressive collection of beards on show from most people involved. This me and my beard from my work profile photo...  Can't remember what was on the ipod, most likely Curve or PWEI. It is about the only one you'll ever see of me as I hatehatehate photos of me :)

Onwards and upwards to the next challenge!

Tribute for Byron - Napoleonic French Infantry Status Stand

I've known Byron from waaay back. Back to when I played (get this) the GW Fantasy tournament circuit (!) and he ran his own Rogue Trader series (the excellent 'WarCons'). Byron has been a Challenger since the fourth edition and, as many of you know, has exhibited some of the finest painting seen in the Challenge over the past three years.

This year I was a bit in the weeds with the administration of the duels, but Byron came to my rescue by offering to take them off my shoulders. I know it's been a bit of a struggle for him as he was not involved in the initial negotiations detailing the nuances of the various duels, but he's done a valiant job in maintaining the roster, keeping it updated, so participants could better focus on their targets. 

A few years ago Byron began to tip his toe into collecting and painting 28mm French Napoleonics. He's now at a point where he can field a small infantry brigade, so I invited him down this weekend to get them properly thrashed on the tabletop (really, what's a 500k drive for a wargame amongst friends?). With this in mind, I thought I'd make him a casualty/status stand to add to his collection of Grognards. 

Seen here is a French line officer haranguing a grenadier drummer to keep up the tempo.

Both are 28mm figures from the venerable, but excellent, Foundry range, sculpted by the Perry's. 

Similar to my other unit stands I've created three sockets on the base to fit small dice to track unit status and a fin that can fit a unit identification label. It's pretty rudimentary stuff, but it seems to work alright and I find looks nicer than 'bare' chits or dice cluttering the tabletop.

Here are some examples of previous unit stands with their ID labels and how one of them looks with a sample unit (the small greyscale marker is to track things like 'Fatigue' or 'Disruption, depending on the system).

Examples of unit stands from my collection.

Thanks very much for all your help Byron! I hope you like these lads - we'll get them on the table with your boys later tonight for a bit of mayhem!

Curt

Jeremy's Challenge - Jom, Jom, Jomsvikings

Here is me with my jomsviking warband and the viking ship.

Cheers!

Jeremy

RossM's Challenge

1. That would be me
 


2. The finished figures


3. The unfinished figures

 
Cheers, Ross

MartinC's Challenge - Finding Storage For All That Lot!

As I wasn't around for the end of the challenge I posted my group shots early. I'm back now and although I sent Curt some shots to add to the post but that was a little lazy. So I've updated my original post with a missing set of figs and a mug shot.

The challenge has been fab this year. I made the all time top 10, amazing, and got pipped at the post by Miles, may all his spreadsheets have circular errors. Miles' output has been truly astonishing. 

I won the Cetswayo Challenge against MichaelA, close run thing, and the Bronze to Steel Challenge, a proper beating (sorry guys) to the extent that everybody has sidelined it.
This year I have painted a lot of figures and an octopus

Everything

Republican Romans (2 units velites and 1 unit Triarii done last year)

Zulus (1 unit done before the Challenge), Colonial British, Carthaginians, Gauls, VBCW Germans, Parthian Camel Cataphracts and some other stuff

The octopus, not as cool as the Clocktopus but only 50p

I missed off some zombies

Finally me in a pub

This year has been a blast, thank you one and all, especially the Snow Lord and Dave my designated driver. The Challenge has helped me through a very challenging time at work. Hopefully all on the mend now and the Challenge meant I didn't kill anybody, yet.

Thank you all. As I can't go to Salute hopefully I'll see some of you at Partizan in May

Martin.

From JohnSh - A Challenge Finished But Not Completed

Here is my final output from the Challenge (minus Curtgeld which is STILL on the painting desk). I am wearing my traditional painting fez and my lifesaving drop down watchmaker's visor magnifier thingie.

I learned a lot from the Challenge, mainly that I need to FINISH the hundreds of half painted miniatures that I have lying around. And never to trust Dux and Man Cave Paul to take pity on your freshly painted miniatures.

I managed to almost hit my halfway point but in my mind I really only thought that 250 points would be achievable for me. Nearly got there. I can't wait to do it all again!

KyleC's Challange - Race to WW2 it seems..

Ok.. so this was my first time in the event, and I have to say that it was a great experience.. right up until I had to move house and things came crashing down around my ears...

In the end although I had prepped a lot, and was well prepared for the event, I did come up quite short overall. I knew that there would be some slow days, and weeks, for work. But the move had shifted my entire ability to paint away for a good month period. Making it very difficult to get back up and running afterwards.

Thankfully I do believe I still got a good amount finished up. My USMC forces being the best part of it overall, and one that I am already sad that I am feared of playing down at the club. I had hopes that it would take a bit longer than a month to make that happen.. oh well.. onwards to another force I guess :)

I was not able to photograph everything. Especially the sci-fi models as they were all done on commission ( great motivation here! ) and have been given back to the client already. But of my own forces I was quite shocked to see that I had not painted any of the prepped models really, and had focused solely on my Bolt Action models instead! With a slight twist to some modern hasslefree pieces and cowboys due to other interests that came up suddenly.

As for a photo of myself.. this is what I pretty much looked like throughout the duration of this contest. Much spraying happening with the airbrush on those lovely tanks.. and many more of them to go now with my Canadians in full force these days.

Thanks again for running this competition, and hopefully I can join in the fun once more next year! Though maybe with a significantly lower target points value?

PeterD's Challenge - A Renaissance Man

So this year marked several milestone - first side duel (lost), first time my target was met (800pts), first time as Minion.  It was a great Challenge and I really enjoyed being the Monday Minion.  Go Team Monday, you were great!

So what did I do to get my 876 point total?  Let's start with the Renaissance Men side duel, which I narrowly lost to Curt with a Margin of victory of three 28mm infantrymen!

Sinister looking clergy

Codottierre Commander

Two light guns

Commanders poking fun at Sylvain and Curt

Italian Men At arms with Pole Arms.

Charles the Bold as Epic Fail

Curt Geld commander and standard

 

Stradiotti

Swiss pike, probably my favourite unit.

Gendarmes

Next up some add-ons for my War of 1812 project.

Cold refreshments

Generals

Half a marine unit.

And finally the none-of the-aboves for Bonus them rounds.

Nostalgia - I think the 40mm figures this year

Nautical round, 15 years on the stocks

Risk Taker Jock Campbell, fiurst 15s painted in 20 years

And finally me.

As my peers see me.

As my gaming crew sees me.

As my daughter still sees me, 20 years later!

BrendonWs Challenge - Painting to Motorhead

What a trip! The Challenge experience I find is hugely motivating. This time round I think I had done an excellent amount of prep. However I still had to do a lot of builds during the challenge. It was definitely year of the horse for me with expansion of my Mongols and Light Horse for the Red and Black from the previous challenge. An Arabian style army was started and will have a few more additions. I had 3 horses painted but no riders completed by the end of the challenge so they missed out on adding to the point total. If you want to see how they end up go and see my Blog.

Might be a few missing in the photo above but you get the idea. In order to stay focused on my own goals I only entered one theme challenge and that was the very last one. But I really enjoyed seeing everyone's responses to them. You just never know what fellow painters will create.

During the challenge...

• I was sad when I got the news that Lemmy had gone as Motorhead's music is a constant painting companion. I couldn't listen to them for a few weeks after that news. We also saw the departure of Bowie.
• I managed to introduce Millsy to a bomb run on my first postings because...you know...it's Millsy and he loves hard work.
• I had the Grandkids visit which was great fun. Another one due really soon.
• Over the Challenge it's supposed to be the Wet Season here in Darwin, NT, Australia. Yep, Stay inside and paint. However Feb was our driest and hottest Feb since the long, long ago. Very suck!
• I actually got some games played during the challenge as well.

Looking forward to seeing you all next time round.

This is me leaning over the horde in the shade of the Tiki Bar (backyard).
All photos of miniatures are taken here and cold beer is consumed and meat is Barbecued.

Just in case you do not have the correct attitude see video above to help you find it.

CHEERS! From BrendonW.

Barks' Challenge

Cheers,

Barks

Teemu's Challenge - Minus Paralyzed Hobbits(!)

Here’s a photo of me and my painting (I forgot the paralyzed hobbits).

And thank you once more for organizing this event and thanks to your helpers for helping you!
TeemuL

Nick's Challenge - I'm Still No Bavarian!

Wow, how time flies. It's end of march again, the challenge is over for just over a week and the trees outside are (sloooooowly) getting greener.

It was a great ride with our beloved Snowlord at the head again, the minions keeping everything (and everybody) right on track and my fellow participants arranging for the daily dose of eye candy.

Thank you all!

This year saw me only submitting to one of the bonus rounds. This was mostly due to a severe lack of time as well as the desire to get as much stuff done which would count in Chris' and my little Bavarian (Curt we still have to discuss that particular matter... Bavarian... pahh!) side duel. While Chris may have won that particular contest (and well deserved at that too), it proofed to be a much needed incentive to get up my sorry backside and get going. Thank you Chris, your price will be worked on in the (hopefully) not too distant future!

Schaeffers last Chancers

Late Roman Ballistae

US winter GI's...

...and the accompanying halftrack. Now in G'old Britain.

My only Bonus Round entry - Let it rip!

Curtgeld - Han Solo

82nd Airborne Division

Cold War gone hot

And last but not least the mug-shot as requested by our esteemed leader. I wasn't quite sure if I'd be able to convince my camera of taking a vaguely gracious picture of yours truly. So instead of taking chances I went for one where a little, but steely beauty would distract attention as much as possible. It was taken on the trip home from Tactica in February when the missus and I stopped by the German Tank Museum in Munster near Hamburg. If you, like me, should happen to have a soft spot for Tanks (for the most part German in this case) and be in the vicinity of Hamburg I do highly recommend you to pay a visit to that little gem of a museum.

Panzer 38(t) for scale reference only