From JasperO: It takes a village… (100 points)

It seems we’re already at the end of another Challenge. When did that happen? I’ve got quite a few more bits and pieces on the workbench, but I guess they’ll be finished some other time. Thank you Curt and the Minions for organizing the Challenge and keeping all the insanity in order.

I’m surely not the only one who’s found it a strange time, even more so than in 2021. I completely understand how some in our community are less inclined to put paint to plastic, as it were, but I’ve found the gentle pressure of the Challenge encouraging. Getting things done is rewarding and satisfying in itself and focusing on a mini project at hand is a pleasant distraction of things going on elsewhere in the world. So thank you again for offering that, and thanks to everyone for the kind responses to my posts (oddly enough I don’t seem to be able to post comments myself). 

That said, on to my final submission. Volume-wise, it’s certainly the biggest I’ve ever managed in any Challenge. It’s, again, part of a project for WSS that in my hands has ballooned beyond all reasonable proportions (I’d like to blame Guy, but that wouldn’t be fair). At least it should allow me to produce some decent photographs as and when we need them in the magazine.

For storage reasons, I’ve always made my terrain modular, with separate buildings, fences and ‘scatter’ that can be assembled at random. That absolutely takes up a lot less space, but I’ve recently come across some wonderful examples of based buildings on Twitter. So I figured I’d give that a try. I originally planned to leave the buildings themselves separate, but that plan went out the window when basing material was applied. Separate garden bases may be the golden mean. Something to try another time.

The buildings - well included - on these bases are mostly from the First Corps range, which are lovely, sturdy, and characterful resin castings. The house with the rusty corrugated iron roof is a 3D print by Patrick Miniatures. Apart from some scale garbage bins, it’s the first printed model I’ve ever painted and I’m very happy with how it turned out. I’ll definitely try more!

The bases are made from bookbinder’s board, cardboard that’s been treated to withstand moisture, with fences from Rubicon and Renedra, and various bits and pieces from Warbases and the ‘spares bin’. The cabbage patch is a metal and resin piece from Architects of War that had been languishing in the ‘to-paint’ box for a decade or so.

I’m always a bit uncertain about point calculation for terrain, but I can at least give some measurements, and leave the final judgement, as always, to Curt and the minions:

• the field with storage hut is about 9*12” and 2” high at its highest point
• the well is about 4*6”, and apart from the post is only about 1.5” high
• the house with the rusted tin roof is about 7*11” and about 5” high
• the house with shed is about 8*13” and the same heigh as the other

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What a wonderful assortment of terrain pieces, Jasper.  Like you, I always think of how I'm going to store my hobby stuff (having a few examples that are ridiculously large and hard to tuck away), but I do admire these based vignettes, with all their attendant detail and character. I especially like that cottage with the rusted steel corrugated roof and all of the various gardens (I recognize that turnip patch!!). :)

Thank you for being with our merry band once again, Jasper. We may be in Europe later this autumn, and so I hope I'm lucky enough to see our paths will cross then.

- Curt

From SimonG: One Final Post -- A Pixie and a Nobody (52 points)

Last stop I suddenly found myself stranded on Lune with my delightful slug lady. Having already visited Terra and Xanth I need to avail myself of Lady Sarah's Interplanetary Taxi Service once again and as payment offer up delightful young Rosa the pixie!

Rose is again a Black Rose Wars figure from Ludus Magnus Studios but very different in style from most of their offerings. Like the baby dragon and griffin I submitted last year this is in an anime style and presents a different sort of painting challenge -- naturalism need not apply! 

I did enjoy going to town on the big eyes (without any etched guides to work off) and freckles -- hope you like how she turned out.  Also thanks for the advice from Tamsin on colour selection off a prior post 👍

I'll be gifting this one to my wife Katie as she really liked the result. Anyway with Rosa's assistance we have jetted off to Gethen for one final touch down and the completion of my circumnavigation of the three rings. Arriving on Gethen we find that epitome of absence -- Davide Schaivon the Illusionist.

I think this is as good as one could hope for an execution of an invisible man figure. Some of the absences such as the one on the boot on the staff are very well done. The cloak is the biggest weakness of this figure -- it's just too big and bulky. The blouse is also rather fussy and was hard to detail. Finally all of the chalky masks were just a pain in the butt to manage -- oh well we have to take a shot at everything!

Once again he's a BRW figure -- as one of the main playable characters he's a sold 35-40mm scale figure (Rosa topped out at less than 25mm but with that big face lets call her a 28mm).  This means that my final total for this ultimate submission is another 52 points (one 28mm and one 40mm figure plus two bonuses).

While I've fallen well short of my target this time around it's been great fun coming along for the ride again and I've really appreciated all of the positive feedback received plus seeing everyone else's work. It's impressive in the diversity of subjects, styles and submitters and great evidence that this hobby is alive and prospering!

Looking forward to seeing you all again in nine months time!

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Oh, I love both of these figures, Simon. While the Invisible Man is terrific (I especially like his assortment of masks), I have to say that the Pixie takes the prize with that wonderfully rendered face. I'm sure your wife will be delighted with her.

Thank you for joining us this year, Simon, and I hope to see you with us again when the wind grows cold and the snow flies.

- Curt

AdamC Timeraire Class and other ships (122.5)

When I found that Simon Mann had created a file for the Temeraire-class  I decided I had to buy it and have my friend Arofan print some up for me.  They are the four big ships in the middle.

The Timeraire class might be the most widely produced warships in history with 120 ships produced in France and around Europe.  At least 4 nations used ships of this class: France, England, Spain and the Netherlands.  In addition two English ship of the line classes the Pompée and America class where copies of the design.

These two French Ships of the line will probably serve under many names and flags that's the great thing about this design.  AS these two are the original French I can claim a Squirrel point. 

Here we have an English example a bit less bright after years on blockade.  I haven't named her at this time as I intend these ships to transfer back and forth among several fleets.  

Simon Man does a nice job other the sterns of these ships so I don't need to raid the bits box. 

With 120 ships in a class some of them are bound to have interesting stories and suggest alternate histories. In 1806 two French Temeraires got caught in a storm and had to make landfall in Annapolis Maryland for repairs. They were Patriote & Eole; Eole was eventually broken up and her guns sent to Fort McHenry. 

 

Patriote was eventually repaired and returned to France but I was struck by the Idea that a French Ship of the Line was siting in an American port for almost 10 years.  Did we ever consider buying her? Could we have gotten her in fighting shape by 1812?  I haven't seen any evidence this was done (other then her consorts guns ending up in an American Fort) but it suggests some fun ideas for the game table. So I present USS Patriot providing the option of a US Ship of the line that historically could have been available in 1812. 

Having done on US ship it seemed a shame not to do another and get the Squirrel point so her is USS Alliance One of the Frigates built in Massachusetts during the War of Independence and one of the few to survive the war. 

Her service was nothing spectacular but she was a successful raider of commerce and carried Ben Franklin to France and she survived the war (most US frigates were destroyed or captures by the Royal Navy) then entered merchant service. 

A French Frigate of the Pallas class another Simone Mann design. 

Two English Frigates Virgine class on the left and Pallas on the right both French designs captured and taken into Royal Navy service.  

The Virginie has a very distinctive sweep to the stern like a race car while the Pallas is more squared. 

On example of the Pallas class taken into the royal navy is the HMS Java  one of USS Constitutions opponents in the war of 1812.  You can get a send of how much bigger Constitution is comparing the modals (though scale between manufactures is dodgy I think they got it close)

A few game aids two turn markers and a wind compass. 

The Compass is magnetized so it can turn.  Points the Ships are easy 15 points each with 8 ships results in 120 point.  The games aids may I suggest half a point(.5) for each turn templates and 1.5 for the Wind compass I mostly suggest 1.5 to get rid of the unsightly .5 in my points total.  I should get 2 squirrel points for 30 point of American Ships and 45 Points of French. 

I may have one more post if can get in some brush time later today.  I think will fall short of my target number even so but given that I lost almost two weeks of productivity suffering from Covid I think I will call it a successful challenge.  Thanks for a great time if I don't see you again before its over.  Naval Challenge folks send me a picture of all the ships you painted so we can have our Fleet Review and vote of this years Grand Admiral. 

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What a wonderful fleet of ships, Adam. I'm amazed that, for several years now, you've been fully absorbed with age-of-sail ship production - I admire your focus.

Thank you for participating in this year's edition of the Challenge, Adam! I hope to have you aboard Challenge XIII when it sets sail next winter.

- Curt

 

From RayR: 25mm Odds n Sods (22 points)

 

My last post of the day and its just a small post, these figures were painted up early in the Challenge but not posted.

This poor chap comes from Iron Gate Scenery and can be purchased for the princely sum of £4.50!

Its a made from PLC, whatever that is?

The poor chap sitting inside the Torture Cage has definitely seen better days.

Looks like he's been in there for a while?

The Doc, he was originally painted up to be my Doctor figure, for Planet Skaro in the bonus round, but I changed my mind and painted the French Scientists instead.

He is actual a Pirate Doctor from Foundry

He shall probably vanish into my civilian box of doom.

Finally some boxes, once again from Iron Gate Scenery

I'm not really sure of the points for this one?

5pts for the doctor

5pts Torture Cage

5pts Skeleton

2pts boxes

I shall let our humble minion work this one out.

Cheers!

From Millsy:

 A nice little collection to round out your Challenge this year Ray. Despite the fact you neglected to put your name in the title I recognised your style even before I checked the post labels.

The pirate doctor is very cool and I like your colour choices but the skeleton in a cage is the pick of the bunch for me. I've scored him/her as two x 25mm miniatures bringing the total for your final post to 22 points. Well done mate and thanks for sharing your work with us once again.

From ForestP: 6mm Sci-fi Buildings to close out the challenge (50 points)

Well, it's been a while since I've posted. I doubled my points estimate, and frankly my painting slowed down as work picked up. I intended this challenge to be a source of self-care for myself, and I believe that it did the job admirably. Well, that and the weeklong vacation my wife and I took to visit her family this past week. We returned just in time from the vacation for me to get this last post up. That was truly some much needed self-care.

I don't know who makes these buildings. I know they are resin, and they are scaled for 6mm (1/300) miniatures, and I believe I bought them a decade or more ago to use with Battletech mechs. If anyone know who made these please post up a message. I actually painted these buildings a couple weeks ago as an exercise to try out my brand new airbrush, a Neo for Iwata. I'm still getting used to the airbrush, so in concentrating on the process I wasn't as diligent as I normally am with regards to noting colors. I did use some of the ColorShift paints from Turbo Dork as you can see.  I'll just let the photos do the talking for me on this last post.

Here's the lot. You can see some primed, but not yet painted buildings in the background.

The color shift paints really look nice here. Notice the purple-to-gold gradient on the left building.

Another shot showing the whole lot.

Ruined version of the gold/bronze-green building.

Interesting little silo buildings.

Housing blocks, I think.

Little squat buildings, maybe for a futuristic strip mall?

For those who are interested, the building dimensions are as follows:

The two large brightly colored buildings are 3.75" x 2.5" x 3.5" 

The destroyed brightly colored building is 3.75" x 2.5" x 3.5" 

The building with the satellite dish is 3.25" x 2.5" x 3.5" 

The two squat (strip mall) buildings are 2" x 2" x 0.5" 

The six housing blocks are 1.25" x 1" x 1.25" 

The four silo buildings are 1.5" x 1.5" x 2" 

I'm just going to estimate my points and whichever minion approves this can give a true points total:

2.5 x 6" cubes @ 20 = 50 points

I look forward to participating next year, and I think I'll shoot for a higher score next time!

Forest

From Millsy:

These are absolutely wonderful Forest! I've no idea who makes them, but I think they are some of the coolest 6mm sci-fi terrain I've seen in long time. I love all the little details you've picked out like the roof hatches, highlights on the windows and the subtle shades you've applied to the concrete. I've never heard of the colour shift paints so I am intrigued to give them a go.

Well done on your Challenge mate, you've shared some amazing work with us. I'll never forget you mind-blowing 15mm Alamo which remains a highlight of this year for me.

From SamuliS: Swamp Hags (14 points)

Time for my final post in the challenge! My output and participation slowed down quite significantly for the last third of the challenge as work has been very busy and fitting the normal family life into that has really proven why here in Finland these are called your "traffic jam years" with your schedule jam packed. It's a shame that I haven't had the time to keep up with all the amazing entries in the last weeks.

Anyways I hadn't really painted anything in the last couple of weeks and with the final day of the challenge coming up I figured I need to come up with one more quick entry as I definitely was not going to be able to finish any of the things that were half painted on my desk. I still had a few unpainted DnD monsters prepped so I picked a couple suitable ones to have a nice speedpainting project that I could finish within my kids naptime. The models are Wizkids Hags that I painted with mostly Contrast paints and a couple of details picked out with regular paints. I gave them a sickly greenish skintone to go for a Swamp Hag aesthetic.

 

The minis are around 50mm tall so 7 points per model netting me a quick 14 points to add to my tally. I ended up doing much better than I anticipated this year. Especially as the first month and a half of the challenge was quite productive for me thanks to a slower start in my new position at work and being able to paint during several online meetings while I was working from home. 853 points is far from my best in the challenge, but still quite a nice tally especially when I originally thought even getting to my goal of 500 might be a bit tricky.

Thanks to Curt for organizing this madness! It's been the highlight of the hobby year for me ever since I participated the first time during the third challenge. And thank you to Barks for keeping us honest in the Thurday crew! And for allowing some of my more liberal interpretations of quadrant goals ;) Can't wait for the next challenge to start!

From Millsy:

A couple of cracking miniatures to finish your Challenge Samuli. I feel like I have a bit of "Swamp Hag aesthetic" going on myself this morning , although my basing is nowhere near as well executed. Well done on a great Challenge effort and thank you for sharing your creative efforts with us mate!