From Millsy: Chambers of Challenge, Level 2 (172 points)

Hi All,

I feel like I have seriously found my painting mojo this last week. Things are flying off the table and I'm really enjoying my time with the brush in hand. Even the photography is working for me which is something I often struggle with.

This entry is the sum of my endeavours after descending down to Level 2 of the Chambers of Challenge...

Adventurer's Landing - Marco Colombo (25 points)

This guy is one of my all time favourite Citadel models. He's the Old World mish-mash of Marco Polo vs. Christopher Columbus and a lovely sculpt to boot. He's one of a large number of characters that form part of my stupidly big and still growing Warhammer Empire army.

You there! Yes, you, native chappy! By so good as to collect all your precious metals
and take them to the beach for loading onto my ship, there's a good fellow. Jump to it!

Hatchery - Ambull (27 points)

The Ambull is possibly my favourite "monster" from the 40K universe. He (she?!?) has always reminded me of a menacing version of the Monty Python gumbies. Michael Palin with attitude and bad dental hygiene. I much prefer this original sculpt to the newer, inevitably more ornate and much larger version which despite all that lacks the character of this sculpt. Freshly hatched or perhaps on the way to lay a clutch of eggs? Who knows...

The Armoury - Heroic Fighters of the Known World (40 points)

As something of a crazy collector of Citadel miniatures I was chuffed a couple of years back when I got my mits on a complete set of BC7 Heroic Fighters of the Known World. I've already painted the other 4 and finally got around to these guys for The Armoury. I know, I know, the Hall of Heroes would have been more appropriate but I couldn't wait.

From L to R: Sir Brut, Gladius, Vlad Krakhead and Harald (Harry) the Hammer.

Gallery of Ancestors - Staff Sergeant Claude Littler (25 points)

I never knew my maternal grandfather as he passed away when my mother was in her teens. My grandmother remarried and forever after until he passed away my step-grandfather Claude was "Dad" to my mum and "Grandad" to my brother and I.

We were blessed to have Claude and my grandmother Mabel live here in Australia with us until I was about 15 before they returned home to the UK. As a kid I was in awe of my Grandad for any number of reasons. He had the easy self-assurance of someone who had spent a long time in the military and was very good at what he did. He never once raised his voice that I remember but there was never any question you'd do anything other than what he requested.

Claude enlisted in 1931 as a private in the East Lancashire Regiment and became a mechanical engineer. He served in China and India before returning home in 1938 and then heading to France with the BEF in 1940. Evacuated from Dunkirk he then went to India before returning home again in 1945. I asked him about Dunkirk and he told me he remembered standing in water up to his chest in a line of men in the surf, rifle over his head while the Germans dive bombed the beach. His thoughts at the time were apparently "What the bloody hell and I doing here???" Fair enough!

In total he served 13 years and 137 days before leaving the colours as a staff sergeant. I know this because I have his original service records and I treasure them. Unfortunately his medals have gone missing over the years but I know from his records he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Burma Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45.

His discharge record says the following about him...

Military Conduct: Exemplary.
Testimonial: Clean, honest, sober, reliable. Possesses initiative. Most intelligent, altogether a very good type of man.

Many of you will recognise the miniature as the NHS charity sculpt of redoubtable and quite simply amazing Captain Tom Moore, who regrettably passed away just a few days ago. I've painted him up as my Grandad as he would have appeared at the end of his service, complete with sergeant's stripes, regimental beret and the rough-as-guts tattoos he sported on both forearms from his service in the East.

The fact he's taking a break for a brew is a nod to Claude's Indian experiences when he had a char wallah to make his tea, a man he was great friends with and respected. As a lad I was apprenticed to my Grandad before I was allowed to make tea on my own. Tea is serious business in my family :-)

He was a massive influence on me growing up in more ways than I can count. Even now I judge a lot of what I do and say by what I think Grandad would have thought of it.

Teleport - Sarah the Sauceress (30 points)

Needing a lift back to the Shrine I called in a magical favour from Sarah the Sauceress, mistress of the  culinary dark arts. She's a Frostgrave Female Wizard hard at work in her kitchen / laboratory, striving to invent the perfect sauce that goes with ANYTHING.

The bench and floor boards are all popsicle sticks and the cauldron, goblin assistant and the rest are gubbins from my bits box, apart from the black cat familiar which is also from the Frostgrave kit. I've scored her as 2 x 28mm foot figures given her assistant and all the rest.

Shrine - Brother O'Grady (25 points)

And finally Brother O'Grady, a lovely old Mark Copplestone monk I picked up recently along with a bunch of other stuff. He's got many roles to play including SAGA character, RPG NPC and more. He bears a not-so-striking resemblance to someone I know but can't quite put my finger on...

So that's Level 2 knocked off. Best fun I have had in ages painting I have to say. Kudos to Sid and Curt from dreaming this up!

And now onwards to Level 3, gateway to the Altar of the Snow Lord, whence I will don my gimp mask for the first time this challenge and perform unspeakable rites for the edification of the chaos gods!

Cheers,
Millsy