From SamuliS: Warring Clans (36 points)

Another small entry and a bid to get another squirrel point again! This time it's off to historicals which are my main gaming interest even though this is just the first historical entry in this painting challenge for me.

Back to painting Samurai, with the last time being during the third edition of this painting challenge when it was Samurai themed and the Curtgeld was a 28mm Samurai figure. Back then I wasn't really interested in painting any more so just sold away the remaining minis from that blister, but with some clubmates starting a Test of Honor campaign I was drawn back in especially when we were on a three week trip to Japan when the guys asked me if I'm interested... The surroundings might have had a slightly detrimental affect to my willpower and ability to resist new minis.

So with the hype building I ordered a bunch of stuff from Footsore Miniatures as clubmates were placing an order there and I'd seen some of their Dark Ages stuff which was pretty great. As an added bonus their sets were built specifically for Test of Honor so no random extras left over etc. When the minis arrived I was in for bit of a shock as the casting quality was pretty horrid with massive flashing, random lumps of metal in places like their faces that needed to be carved out etc. On top of that the sculpting quality was pretty low as well with really soft details in places, some fairly akward poses and just downright bad sculpting especially in the folds of the clothes etc. And to top it off the sashimonos are like 0.5mm thick so break off super easily. The characters are a bit better than the Ashigaru, but even that doesn't really save them.

Due to this these minis are getting the unenviable honour of being pretty much the worst minis I own. Arguably some of the Baker Company Winter War stuff is far worse, but at least they have one saving grace in the fact that nobody else makes miniatures for that so you don't have a choice. You can't really say the same about 1500ish Japanese minis... Even with good casting these would be just average even on the best sculpts. If you can avoid them just buy something else. It's a real shame as other Footsore stuff is far better quality and better sculpted.

Anyway enough with the complaining and onto the painting. The 15 Ashigaru models were started already in early December with the goal of being finished before the challenge. But with the minis being what they are they really killed my painting motivation and were left in a half finished state by the time the challenge kicked off. Now with it running towards the end I finally fixed a date for a game of Test of Honor and was forced to finish them as well as paint up the leadership for the force. To get these off the desk I just left them in a fairly basic state with a basecoat, wash and then rehighlighting the largest cloth areas. The Sashimonos were then finished with some decals with the Oda clan rose. I threw in quite a lot of flowers on the bases to add a bit of colour and enhance the look of the minis. As the fights in Test of Honor are skirmishes and usually within castle premises etc. I thought it might be fitting for the warriors to fight within the gardens surrounded by beauty.

For points there are 5 Samurai and 1 Ashigaru Sergeant who were fully painted during the challenge and count for points so another 30 points to add to my total.


Wow, these are stunning! I'm sorry to hear about the sculpting/ casting quality, but you have definitely salvaged them. Samurai are one of the most challenging gaming figures with their details, fabrics, and iconography, not to mention the non-uniformity. A bonus point per model cannot entirely make up for your effort.

Barks

From JohnM: Winter Terrain (20 points)

Sarissa Precision Russian Houses, I used Citadel washes to colour them

8"x4"x4"

Twelve 6"x1"x1" Hedges

I need a few more of these

This will be my final Terrain submission, I am hoping to get 2 more submissions done but the clock is ticking down to the end!

Very frosty! I like the build up of snow on the hedgerows, and the icy roofs. I'm going to estimate 1 total cube for 20 points.

Barks

From AlanD: More Partisans! (68 points)

A few more Jugoslavian partisans this week...

 I have been enjoying this project a lot. Not only does the subject fascinate me, but I have been enjoying developing some skills in converting figures. The basis for most of this week's group are metal Italian infantry from Perry Miniatures, with different heads, greenstuff caps, and some changes to equipment so that they look a little more motley. There's also a couple of figures from Warlord.

I am particularly pleased with the Partizanke I converted this week, with International Women's Day in mind. The female heads are from Statuesque Miniatures, with greenstuff hair and caps. I also tried to subtly alter the body shape of a couple of figures, building up the chest a little.

This one is a medic.

And here are some forward observers. Or maybe a sniper team?

65 points please. Will I make it to my target of 1500??

Lovely work on these! I'm really enjoying this unique project, and am glad to hear it hasn't become a chore. Motley is the word- and yet they all work together as a group. Have a few bonus points for the conversions, the lovely groundwork, and the map! Onwards to 1500!

Barks

From StephenS: The Last of the Crusaders (80 points)

I present the last of my crusaders, for these eight mounted horsemen are the final entry of what started out as a 'quick' project for SAGA back in 2015. Various elements of this force have featured in all four of my painting challenges, so I will be a little sad to see the back of them. Although I have to admit, it's great to finally put a 'finished' stamp on this project (as long as I can ignore the voices whispering - "Just a small mercenary unit, it will add a bit more colour to the force, it won't take long at all...").

These eight  28 mm scale figures are all from Gripping Beast. They're a Milites Christi army representing forces of the Knights Hospitaller, with some Knights Templar allies to add a bit of colour and variety.

A shot of the completed force together.

Cheers,

Steve

Lovely stuff- congratulations on finishing a project, and thanks for including a group photo! I really like the earthy tones- without being drab- and the arid bases- without being plain.

Barks

From DaveX: An Afghanistan Compound (60 points)

This week I pulled my finger out and painted up my Afghanistan Compound.  This is a 3D Print I have done.  I textured the walls with some PVA glue and tile grout.

I primed it with Rust-Oleum Spray, blocked in a few colours and then dry-brushed with a large make up brush.  I then hit it with oils.

I am pretty happy how this thing came out.  Plus it is massive! It is for 20mm Figures and 1/72 scale.

The roofs and second stories all come off and are magnatised.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now lets work out the points. It is 44cm long, 31cm wide and about 10cm high

So lets say 18inches x 12inches x 3inches to keep the maths simple.

So that would (3 x 2) 6 inch cubes at 20 points each = 120 points.

As the height is only 3 inches tall thats half of that so should be 60 points.

I think that is about fair and this thing took freaking ages to magnatise, texture and paint.

It's big

Nice detail for a 3D print

even comes with Airconditioning

All the levels and rooms are magnatised

Very nice work, Dave! Great to see some action shots. I'm leaning towards 3D printing with subsequent texturing and detailing, as you have done here. It really looks the part. 60 points well-earned!

Where did you get the .stl from, or is it your own?

Barks

From Mike W: More Goblins and 28mm 17th Century Musketeers (260 Points)

Never mind Goblins being at the 7th Level of Dante's Inferno! It's more like Pandora's Box here...

The Goblin infested 7th Level of
Dante's Inferno!!! Note the completed
40 figure Goblin unit mentioned
last week

All the old unpainted (some undercoated) goblin figures that I have in the 'Plastic Mountain' are literally kept in a green A4 storage box, having opened it to paint the Goblins last week - low and behold a unit of Spider Ricers and Wolf riders have forced their way out onto the workbench for painting.

Sadly there are similar boxes of Orc and Empire figures all awaiting a paint job...

So these are my first to batches this week. 10 x Forest Goblin Spider Riders were purchased when they first came out but never painted, I guess I didn't really overly like the figures at the time - GW had just moved away form the multi-part kits that allowed figure builds with real variety of poses,instead they moved to manufacturing  'fixed pose' figures, I wasn't (and I guess am still not) a great fan.

But time has mellowed me and I was actually taken by the detail on the bases and thought why not give them ago!

First group of 5 Spider Riders

I decided to base coat the spiders a deep red and then dry brush over with a brighter red on the main body and legs. Then transition the legs from red to brown to a bone type colour to make these really stand out.

The whole spider was then washed in Sepia Ink to blend the colours together.

The Goblins were painted up in a pretty standard manner, I decided the feathers would all be white with black tips in a nod to Native American decorations and these were offset by red items - as if they had come off the spiders them selves.

Second group of 5 Spider Rides

Goblin skin was washed green and the other parts washed with Nuln Oil to give that grubby appearance I think they should have.

The bases I covered in sand and electrostatic grass as usual - but I took care to keep as much of the additional detail as possible on them, tiny red spiders, skulls and tree stumps etc.


Calculation - 10 x 28mm  mounted figures @ 10 points ea = 100 Points

Next up were 8 x Goblin Wolf Riders. I have a silly number of these units already - maybe that's why these guys never got painted before now, that and they seem to have taken a bit of a battering in the Green Box' over the years so I have had to add replacement tails for a number of the wolves.....

... some of these are not the original wolves tails in the kits so I have substituted other animal tails! In the rough and tumble of battle - I'm sure a few wolves would have lost their tails!

8 x Goblin Wolf Riders

Goblins themselves again painted in my usual manner, however, with the wolves I undercoat these black, then dry-brush dark grey and then light grey and then very lightly dry-brush white, details such as mouth, teeth, tongue and other armour etc are picked out, all before a wash of watered down black ink.

I try and give some uniformity to a unit by keeping shields similar, these were all painted on the frame and then super-glued on when dry, before giving the figures a series of washed to tome all together.

Bases done in my usual manner.


Calculation - 8 x 28mm  mounted figures @ 10 points ea = 80 Points

NCO /Musketeer stand,
awaiting matt varnish

Next are the 16 musketeers to go with the command and pike stands from Robel's Saxon Infantry Regiment,that I completed last week. These are split in to 2 eight man wings, I group them 4 to a base,with one base having an NCO.

Musketeer stand,
wet weather preventing Matt
varnish spray

The painting technique is again as previously described,the hard part here being the number of buttons and apostles that need to be painted in. That said - I have got reasonably good at doing the apostles, its the buttons that kill me! Up to 20 buttons a figure,you can't help but get 'over-flow' onto surrounding coat colors and this just means going back over every figure to fix such errors...

Finished Musketeer stands, Robel's Saxon Infantry Regiment, 4 figures per stand, 4 stands.

I took above photos whilst waiting for the weather to improve and allow me to use the Army Painter Matt Varnish Spray, hopefully I can add one of the finished unit as a whole over the weekend prior to the deadline time..

... and here they are! A break in the weather and a couple hours of sunshine!

Robel's Regiment, I opted for green pikes and matching
apostles to help tie the look and feel of the unit together.

Parading in front of the Benkendorf Regiment that I got completed a couple weeks ago, these guys will be the core of a Saxon brigade that I can use in any siege of Vienna Game. I usually have brigades of 3 or 4 regiments so the next Saxon unit will likely be the last and I might do it in grey coats - giving a nod to the records suggesting this was a transitional time for uniforms.


Calculation - 16 x 28mm  mounted figures @ 5 points ea = 80 Points

TOTALS =100+ 80 +80 = 240 Point

Very nice work again, Mike. I wonder how your Saxons will fare against the mounted goblins!

I have learned today about apostles! Great colour choices.

Barks

Monday's Children are tired and emotional

This is my last routine Monday post before the free-for-all frenzy of next week.

We're not yet done with Jugoslavia, but we are with SAGA crusaders. We've got sandy and snowy terrain. We've got spiders and wolves and samurai, oh my!

I've just received a Kickstarter- can I slap some paint on in the next ten days and claw my way to my distant target?!

Barks