Tuesday, 29 December 2020
From Dallas: 28mm Hardened Adventures from the Casting Room: 25 points
From ScottC: Hobbit Hall of traps submission (30 points)
As we enter the Chamber of Challenge into the hall of traps these two little hobbits stumble along and have gotten themselves caught in a web!
What horrors await for them in the pit of the pendulum!
I hope to have most of my challenge themed around the solo game rangers of shadow deep where I hope to use most of these figures in my adventures.
This is approximately 20 points for the challenge and an additional 10 for the 2 hobbits.
These are games workshop LOTR/Hobbit figures, 28mm in scale.
From MikeF - The Price of Entry - War Griffon's Warhound Titan - Adeptus Titanicus - 12 points
For the price of entry I completed a Warhound Titan for Adeptus Titanicus. I advised Curt at the beginning of the challenge that I would be painting this for Dallas Ewen should he complete the dungeon challenge. Hopefully this serves as sufficient motivation. It will also save me mightily on any postage!
I painted it in the style of the War Griffons legion to match a new titan maniple he's painting. I tried to match Dallas' painting style as much as I could, but I decided to leave out the weathering and ground work. I find that weathering techniques are a very particular taste to each painter and the ground work helps unify units into a larger army. As this model is intended to see the gaming table, I fully intend for the new owner to complete the weathering and groundwork to their own taste.
The model itself is a Lucius pattern Warhound titan. Games Workshop only makes the Mars pattern, so this model is actually a 3D print ByronM made for me a while back. I have a 2nd identical one which I'll be painting up as Legio Ignatum later in the challenge.
For points, I looked back at a previous challenge and saw that Curt awarded 12 points for one of GregB's warhound titans, so I'm going with that.
 |
| The model came as a single print which is pretty impressive. |
From DrQ: Through the Aquifer on a Grundstok Gunhauler (40 points?)
For the nautical theme of the Aquifer I present a Grundstok Gunhauler from Kharadron Overlords. In the Age of Sigmar, some dwarfs (or Duardin™) have left their ancestor holds and taken to the sky in giant floating cities that are patrolled and supplied by a fleet of Sky Vessels. The Gunhaulers function partially as artillery platforms and partially as screens for larger ships in the Kharadron Sky Navy.
The Gunhauler is the small bois of the Kharadron fleet, despite the fact that they sit on a 105mm oval and stand at over 170mm on its custom flight stand. This is the second that I've painted, and I might add a third to my force before this pandemic is over. We'll have to see—I need to paint the gigantic Arkanaut Ironclad before contemplating any more purchases.
The flight stand is designed to look invoke the Pacific Southwest of the US. It's made out of pink foam and brass rods with pennies underneath to counter balance. The Gunhauler also easily comes off the base for storage.
Apologies on the quality of the photos. It's really hard to focus on something this big—especially when the whole thing is basically glazed metallics.
As far as points, 20 points for the Aquifer and 20 points for a vehicle is 40 total (there's two dwarves flying this thing as well, but I'll leave that to the minions to adjudicate if they count for extra).
Now down to the Adventurers' Landing!
From JamesM - 10mm Fantasy Knights (For Joshua) - 24 Points
Hi folks,
Given all the events of this year, plans for the 'For Joshua' charity gaming project in honour of my little boy have been more or less put on hold. Whilst I've spent a lot of time this year basing up the various donations, I've not painted many more of the 10mm figures I had still to do for my own contribution. I decided to start this years AHPC with some progress on these. January looks to be a tad busy, so not sure how much more I'll get done!
These are 10mm metal figures from Magister Militum, and in keeping with my 'Bretonnian' theme I've gone for a unit of 'mounted Sergeants'. These mail clad lancers are more 'medium' cavalry than heavy, and probably get all the dirty jobs the knights don't feel are honourable enough.
They still, however, carry the colours of the kings army with his red and green on the shields and flags, while their connection to the land and the Lady of the Lake is signified by their dark blue clothing.
I did consider doing these chaps on three smaller 50mm rounds, but in the end decided to go for a single ranked unit. I believe that these twelve 10mm mounted troops come in at 24 points.
From TomG - My, What a Big Weapon! - The Chambers of Darkness - 30 Points
MORE?! My my, you do adventure quickly, but surely after dodging traps, suffering terrifying experiences and being chased by a golem, you have earned a respite. Maybe a game of cards?
WAIT!
HOW DARE YOU! YOU CHEATING SCUM!
Oh my, what a predicament we find ourselves in, although I'm sure charm, and maybe a little bit of leg, will save the day...
For my entry to the Chamber of Darkness, I take you back to the classic black and white films, full of wicked Germans and the most demure femme fatale.
I had a real journey of pleasure creating and painting this vignette, having thought about it since the end of Challenge X, but never making time to create it.
All of the greys are unique to their texture, even down to the skin of the two figures. I really wanted the lady of the scene to have that pure skin tone, so famous from the best age of cinema (open to debate I'm sure). The cards are curtesy of my wife and her hobby of miniature sculpting for dolls houses, made from a polymer clay.
I don't think I'm going to enjoy painting anything as much as this ever again, but we will see. The frame used during photo editing felt too appropriate to miss.
Points are 10 for two 28mm miniatures and 20 for a challenge entry = 30 points.
AdamC: Scratch built Merchant for Black Seas The Golem's Haunt
When I first saw this rooms I thought I don't have anything to fit this one... and started looking for a female mini... not finding any I ordered some... which only just arrived. Then I started thinking... and the line "... Stitched together" struck me and I figured I throw this one out and see if it sticks!
I had a number of brigs to build but with 8 Brigs already painted I didn't need all of them. I had already converted two of them (part of 4 actually) into a "Small Merchant" merchant vessel you can see how here: Brig to Small Merchant.
The ship came together nicely and painted up a nicely as well. I decided to put a bit of blue paint on her hull because I don't think any military ships had that paint but it was commonly used on house ect in the time.
Points wise She is of similar size to a frigate so 18 Points seems about right. Miles has suggested double points for sails... I will suggest an extra 5 points for rigging and sails for this ship but I leave that to Curt and the minions Still this should net me about of 38 or 43 Points (assuming this is accepted as proper for this room).
From TomG - Eternally Stone Cast - The Golem's Haunt - 25 points
Back so soon? Good, because I've spent the last two days creating these works of joy, just for you all.
As I delve in to the Golem's Haunt, I decided to take a mini I've painted many many times, but this time as something totally different. So here I present to you my stone golem take on a Games Workshop Stormcast Eternal.
I used an airbrush to create progressively more stark zenithal layers, whilst trying to keep to a very limited grey palette. Luckily, bad fortune struck. The airbrush got clogged and started to spit, but this gave a wonderful mottled effect on the stone, which is why I was luckily unlucky.
For the first time in my 20 years of hobby, I tried out lighting effects, and quite frankly it'll also be my last. I'm not keen on the finished look, which I know could be improved on, but it's not for me.
But with all of the negative aside, I was actually really happy with how this chap turned out, something new to me in painting one in a stone texture, but variety is certainly the spice of life.
I hope you liked it and I'll see you next time for dark and gloomy, and maybe a bit of leg...
Points are 5 for a 28mm model plus 20 for a challenge entry = 25 points.
From ByronM - Star Wars Legion: Snow Troopers and Pit and Pendulum room submission (60 Points)
Painting has been slow over the holidays, with lots to do, but little getting done... I have been assembling and priming more than painting over the last few days, but I have managed to get a few really quick things painted.
First up is a unit of Stormtrooper Snow Troopers for Star Wars Legion. While they are relatively plain, that is how they are supposed to be, as you can not do a whole ton with white before it doesn't look white.
Overall, two very simple and basic submissions, but at least it is a few things complete!
From TomG - The Perambulated Deceased - 30 Points
Hi all TomG once more!
Time to enter the next room of these Chambers of Challenge;
"The Pit of the Pendulum"
And what could be more terrifying than stumbling across the still living heads, of people you used to know. Coming from the TV screen to your viewing pleasure is my take on the infamous "Fish Tanks" from The Walking Dead, courtesy of Mantic Games.
Although a limited selection of photos for you, I hope that they do the job in showing this gruesome folly.
I tried to stick to a very simple palette, trying out the loaded brush technique to start with, finished with more specific highlights.
So there we go, a short but... sweet(?) venture through the pit. Any comments or questions are welcomed and I look forward to seeing you all in the next chamber, if you dare 💀💀💀
Points scored for this as a terrain item filling only a 3 inch cube, so I halved the usual 6 inch regulation advice. (Also please ignore my failed attempt to teach my son how to point up his armies on our painting mat 😂)
Points for half sized terrain at 10 plus 20 for the challenge = 30 points.
Codsticker Enters The Chambers of Challenge (points?)
To paraphrase Ricki, I "get two birds stoned at once" (for those that need a reference: Rickyisms). The following dock and boats are all 28mm from Games Workshop's Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game Lake Town Multipack (mouthful!).
The Chamber of Darkness
This is my first attempt at greyscale however there isn't much grey; it's mostly black and white:
The dock was primed with Armor Coat grey, then hit with a black wash/stain made from Golden High Flow Acrylic Black and worked up using Games Workshop Dawnstone and Golden High Flow Acylic Titanium White.
The Aquifer
To meet the Aquifer requirement, I painted three boats from the same Games Workshop kit.
All three painted using a combination of the Golden High Flow Acrylics (Titanium White, Shading Grey, Sienna, Sepia, Ochre) Games workshop (Ice Blue, Dawnstone, Steel Legion Drab) and Army Painter (Drake Tooth).
17th century English colonial unloads supplies in the Caribbean (Foundry ECW banana figure for scale):
So with the Challenge bonuses, I am guessing somewhere between 50-60 pts.
I think I will tackle the curtgeld next...
NoelW: Into the Hall of Traps - Dun dun dah! (54 points?)
Health warning: For those who don’t want to read interminable posts of fanciful narrative, please skip to the row of asterisks below. I won’t mind. I’ll never know.
T’rap
Recently a medieval manuscript was discovered in Oxford’s Bodleian
Library.
Or, more accurately, stuffed in a mattress under a pile of
broken chamber pots at the bottom of a midden under a concrete slab beneath a heap
of rubble in the overgrown back garden hidden behind the Bodleian Library, a
tattered scholar discovered a tattered fragment which instantly caused bickering
and backbiting throughout academia. (Nothing new there, of course).
Initially its weird language was thought to be Middle
English, perhaps a hitherto unknown copy of the Morte D’Arthur. But
academia was rocked to to the soles of its Doc Martens by Prof Bert de Bigginbottom’s forensic analysis. These unique scraps of rather too used manuscript, claims Bigginbottom,
are our first clear evidence that rap music perhaps originated in Medieval
Yorkshire. Here’s the opening:
T’rap: T’adventure of Titchybritches and his crew
Yo! I got me ale and I got me snap.
Goin’ down the gennel tappin’ out t’rap.
Got t’map in t’pocket and I’m armed to the dentures
I’m off dahn pit, goin’ on t’ adventure.
Ya! T’name’s Titchybritches and I’m apprentice rappist.
Me homies are an ugly elf and Clerihew the Trappist.
Me bite’s worse than me bark. I’m a Yarkshire terrier.(1)
Bring on t’monsters. Yo! the more the merrier.
There’s a great deal more of this, which the more sensitive have called “ill-advised cultural misappropriation” and which all reasonable readers will assume is drunken nonsense. But luckily for us Oxford is full of scholars who, unable to get a proper job, have more than enough time to translate meaningless doggerel no matter how appalling it is.
What follows is the first Fit(2) of Bigginbottom’s
expurgated prose version:
I, TitchyBritches, Quarterling(3) of Rabbiton, with my trusty companions Elfbow the Elf, Clerihew the Monk, Getrude von Wressletine, Scruff the Approximate Chihuahua and Gnawbone
of Indeterminate Origin have set out in glorious quest of that fabled prize, the Greatest
Treasure the World has Ever Known. No idea what it is, but it's bound to be worth ten or twenty oodles of
cash, and is most definitely stashed somewhere deep in the Challenging Chambers of the Abominable Snowlord.
With heroic fervour, we nudge each other down the
Interminable Stairwell and through the first doorway. Before us stretches a
long, dim, dusty chamber, looking entirely innocent and absolutely safe.
“Quick quiz, Elbow,” says Titchy.
“That’s 'Elfbow',” hisses the elf.
“Sorry, I though the ‘f’ was silent. Anyway, what’s long,
dim and could do with a decent clean?”
“Er – this chamber?”
“No. You. You'll be perfectly at home. Off you go!”
With a giggle, Titchy gives the elf a shove, and he totters
into the room.
“Turn back!" screams the room. "Flee! This is not the dungeon you’re looking
for!”
“Hah!” exclaims Titchy. “That’s a good sign.”
“A talking room?” queries Elfbow. “Walls,
I know, have ears, but since when do floors have mouths?”
“Woof!” says Scruff.
“Who asked your opinion, carpet-fluff?”
With a bold stride of almost six inches, Titchy heads into
the room.
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” says the room. “No,
really, you should turn back before it’s too late.”
“What’s that shape at the far end of the room in the shadows?”
“That demon-shaped shape looming out of the demonic-looking
gloom?”
“I can’t quite see. Let’s recklessly get closer.”
With an ominous squeak the door slams shut behind them,
plunging the room into darkness.
“Now look!” shouts Elfbow. “I told
you to spike the doors!”
“Woof!”
“Don’t blame Scruff. He finds it hard to hold the hammer.”
“Well that settles it,” says Getrude, waving her staff
dramatically. “There is but one way for the valiant. We follow where Gerald points. And that way is forward.”
“Towards that demonic shadow?”
“In that general direction, yes.”
Click!
“What was that? Sounded like a spring winding up. Has anyone
concealed a cuckoo clock around their person?”
Creak!
“What’s that sudden draft around my ankles? Have my socks
fallen down?”
Groan!
“Do I smell boiling oil, or is that just elven aftershave?”
Scrape!
“This flagstone feels surprisingly loose.”
Lighting his torch against the shadows, Clerihew the Monk
begins a hasty mime.
“Two words,” says Getrude. “First word. Sounds like ‘tear’. Near?
Beer? Fear? Yep. Fear. Second word?”
“He’s tying something. Sheepshank? Half hitch?”
“Knot! Fear knot.”
The monk taps his nose excitedly.
“He’s poking himself in the eye.”
“He’s making a sandwich. Cheese? Or some kind of preserved
meat? No, he’s knocking a nail in –“
“Two syllables – second one. Drunk? Inebriated?
Intoxicated?”
“There’s a lever here,” observes Gnawbone, ever inquisitive
and generally untimely. “What happens if I pull it?”
“First syllable. Aaagh!”
“First syllable, ‘Aaagh’?”
“No! Where did that chain come from? It’s grabbed him. He’s
dangling from the ceiling.”
“By the Awesome Altar of Ackbar! It’s a trap!”
Suddenly there’s a twang of crossbow string, a bubble of
oil, a creak of sliding stone…
“Fear knot?” Elfbow scratches
his head. “Eye hammer Trappist? Aha, got it! 'I am a Trappist.' He’s a Trappist monk.
He can disarm traps!”
Swinging upside down as he hangs from the ceiling, Clerihew
taps his nose like Tarzan with a sniffle. Instantly, the chain rusts to
nothingness. In a flurry of robes and tonsures, he plunges to the floor. There’s
the sproing of a hidden crossbow string snapping, a disappointed creak of iron spikes
retreating and a pit of boiling oil makes that particular sort of sound oil
makes when it’s pretending that it’s tar, bubbling nonchalantly.
“Perhaps I should unpull this lever,” mutters Gnawbone,
hauling it back into place.
“Look,” says Titchy, “there’s a crack in the wall. Behind
that vaguely demonlike statue.”
“It’s a door. Undoubtedly leading into dark peril and almost
certain depths. Come, Gerald, we’re saved!”
“Woof?”
(1)
With apologies to Ken.
(2)
“Fit”, of course, here is an ancient word
meaning “verse” or “section”, and should not be read as a judgement on
Bigginbottom’s suitability for the task, nor what he might have been
experiencing at the time.
(3)
It seems that the author and protagonist of this
fragment was too abbreviated to be regarded by his peers as a full halfling. Hence,
“quarterling”. As evidence, it’s clear that his armoury was short-staffed. Not
able to find him a suitable quarterstaff, he seems he was just about tall
enough to manage an eighthstaff.
***
In case you haven’t guessed, or have been lucky
enough to wipe all memory of my posts from last year, this is Post 1 of what
will certainly not turn out to be a meandering and episodic narrative. Oh dear
me, no. How could you even think such a thing?
In this rendition of what is soon to become known
as the South Riding Christmas Rap, we’re introduced to our six adventurers who will progress fearlessly and logically through every challenging chamber of the Chambers of Challenge. Or die trying. (Place your bets...):
Miniadoc Titchlybritchington the Quarterling: Generally
known as “Titchybritches” to his temporary acquaintances, who frequently find
unexplained bitemarks in their knees; or simply as “Titch” to those keen on
abbreviation, especially of their mortal existence.
The figure is Frodo from the 1985 original Citadel LOTR figures. I’ve a handful of these heritage models still awaiting paint, so maybe a couple more will surface during the Challenge.
Getrude von Wressletine: she’s a Northstar
thaumaturge for Frostgrave. A really nice figure this one, but something of a
mystery. Is she a cleric? Is she a mage? Why does she call her staff Gerald?
What’s she doing in the Chambers of Challenge? Will she get anything out of it,
including herself?
Scruff: a chihuahua thief who has the soul of a Rottweiler and the ripped trousers of a postman. One of the very characterful Steamforged Dungeons and Doggies first boxed set.
Gnawbone the Unclassified: of uncertain parentage (in fact, it’s uncertain if he ever had parents). Another figure I’ve had for a very long time, but I’ve no idea who manufactured him.
Clerihew the Cleric: a Perrys’ figure, from their Crusades range. Being a Trappist, he is bound by a vow of silence, so I can’t tell you anything about him.
Lord Elfbow the Bowless: Properly speaking, he wouldn’t be muddying his shoes with a single moment of dungeoneering were it not for the palpable injustice that an elf of his station has yet to be rewarded with the infinite riches he’s so clearly entitled to. The 7th son of a 7th father (his mother was generous) at his birth several planets collided so he’s clearly marked for great and important things, if only lesser mortals (which is just about everybody) would recognise it.
This is a Mithril figure. I think it’s Glorfindel,
but we’re keeping quiet about that.
The four traps are from Mantic Games Terrain Crates. These boxes of dungeon dressing are generally of excellent value, if sometimes a bit bendy, a timely Christmas present from my dear wife.
Possible Score: 6 x 28mm characters: 30 points, Hall of Traps: 20 points, 4 Traps: 1 point each, maybe?
Total: 54 points
And I think I can count this as my first Squirrel point.
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