The Closing Awards for Challenge XII

Well, here we are at the close of our twelfth edition of the Painting Challenge, and what a wonderful three months it's been. 

All the votes have been tabulated for our 'Challengers' Choice', our fabulous Minions have selected their 'Minions' Choice', Sarah has made her decision for 'Sarah’s Choice', as I have for SnowLord's Choice. Whew! It has been a busy few days! So, please get yourself a cup of your favourite libation and settle-in for our 12th season wrap-up.

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Challengers' Choice

We had 16 nominations for 'Challengers' Choice' this year, with 59 people casting their votes for their favourites. I for one find that it's a great treat to be able to take in the gallery of nominations as it provides such an excellent retrospective of the Challenge.  

The voting results were so narrowly contested that the top three positions were only within a couple votes of one another. Below is the honourable mention along with the podium finishers.

Honourable Mention

Nick for his terrific (and verdant!) WWII German 8.8cm Flak Gun and Crew.

Third Place for Challengers' Choice  

Barks, for his beautiful rendition of Dernhelm and Merry galloping to their fate at the Battle of Pelennor Fields

Second Place for Challengers' Choice   

Ken's 'Risorgimento Project' - Bellissimo!

Challengers' Choice for Challenge XII

First Place for Challengers' Choice goes to Sander for his evocative and wonderfully realized 'A Soldier's Farewell'. Congratulations Sander!

Sander, for your prize you get a one-year's subscription to Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy. Congratulations!

For those interested in seeing the voting results for Challengers' Choice, here they are:

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Minion's Choice

The Minions have spoken! Here are their nominations and final selection for Minions' Choice (Feb 20 - March 20).

Bark's Grimdark Statues

 ChrisK's Early War French Vehicles

Grahame’s Anzacs in Vietnam

Ken's Bersaglieri

Pete’s Old School Napoleonic Minifigs

PhilH's Munro Sisters

Ray's Polish

Sander's 'A Soldier's Farewell'

...and the Minions' Choice for the last month of the Challenge goes to...

Sarah’s Security Officer, Sophie!

Congratulations Sarah!! In recognition of your stylish Sophie please accept a gift certificate to Comic Readers here in Regina. Well done m'dear - Bravo!!

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Sarah’s Choice 

From Sarah: 

I find that the close of every Challenge is bittersweet. ‘Sweet’ because challenge goals have been met and surpassed, lead piles decreased, new friends made and old friendships re-kindled. 'Bitter' because the novelty of the daily blog check-in has ended, the acknowledgment that there are projects and minis left unfinished and unpainted, and that the December start date seems so far away.

The Sarah’s Choice Award allows me to continue the Challenge for a few weeks longer as I go back and re-visit all the postings. I find that no matter how diligent I am during the Challenge, there are often figures that I missed or forgot about. It’s such a treat to come across these unexpected treasures!

Once again, the AHPC XII edition has seen a remarkable assortment of female figures presented. Veteran challenger, RayR has shown tremendous maturity and growth over the years … he’s made huge progress from presenting the She-Bear to this year's offerings of Femmes Fatales and his Donnybrook ladies. Well done Ray - You get to keep the orange crayons!

This years Challenge has been graced with super-heroines, witches and fairies, pirates and buccaneers, society dames and everything in between. So much goodness to choose from!

Honourable Mentions:

ChrisW has set an unprecedented record by posting female figures EACH week of the Challenge. 107 figures in total, ranging from 'Nanarchist Nannys' to a mysterious Lady in Blue. Bravo!

Millsy impresses with both the wonderful and terrifying Morrigan the War Witch and the headhunter Badh Mucha. His Celtic myth collection resonates with my own interests in the women of mythologies and fairytales. Plus, I like to think that I’m a descendant of welsh witches 🧙‍♀️

Teemu’s Janey- the Paranormal Exterminator from Crooked Dice.
I love the pops of green & purple accents contrasting against her white coveralls. As Teemu wrote, “ pink hair gives her a futuristic appearance and her sunglasses and green gloves give professional authority”. This use of colour definitely enhances the characters’ backstory and pushes the narrative for game-play.

Sarah’s Choice for Challenge XII

SimonG’s Seductive Sazae-Oni Snail/Geisha
This weird and wonderful mythological figure from Black Rose has definitely caught my attention. Simons incredible free-handcherry blossom detail on her kimono is outstanding and the colour choices so vibrant. The Sazae-Oni’s white Geisha style make up is both fantastic and creepy. mmmmm …. I think I may have to explore this world of Yokai for the next Challenge ….

Simon, please accept a gift certificate from Westfalia Miniatures for your wonderful work.

Well done Everyone!
Have a terrific summer, replenish the lead piles, stock up on paint pots and we will meet up again for AHPC XIII


Be Kind ❤️

Sarah

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SnowLord's Choice

I spent the weekend going through my list for SnowLord's Choice. Making the final decision wasn't easy, but I'm happy with my choice.

Honourable Mentions go to:

Ken's fantastic 'Risorgimento Project'

...and Kyle's chaotically coloured Chaos Dwarfs!

The SnowLord's Choice for AHPC XII goes to:

Manus' wonderfully whimsical and beautifully painted Isle of Lewis and Conan of the Fianna figures.

Manus, in recognition of your fine work I'd like to award you a Moonstone starter set from Goblin King Games. 

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Again, congratulations to all our award winners! Please contact me to work out the details for receiving your prizes. 

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The 12th Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge has concluded. 

Before I sign off, I want to thank our wonderful Minions: Peter, Tamsin, Greg, Barks, Dave and Millsy for all their patience and hard work over the past three months. This event couldn't have happened without you amazing folks. Kudos to Miles for once again recreating the 'Spreadsheet of Doom' which is absolutely integral to our scoring and administration. I also want to thank Sidney Roundwood for his invaluable help in creating our Challenge map this year. I want to extend my gratitude all our Challenge sponsors for providing the prizes that we've issued and will be issuing in the award post. But most importantly, I want to thank all of our participants for their industry, good humour, and their unstinting support for one another over the event. The Challenge would be nothing without you.

I won't say goodbye, but 'see you soon'. Enjoy the spring and summer, be safe, be excellent, and I hope I see you again next November.

- Curt

From Mike W - XII Challenge Wrap

I don't know about anyone else but since the end of this year's challenge I have slumped and almost gone dormant for the last week weeks on the painting front! Fun as it is to do the challenge and trying to get as many figures painted as possible - it is mentally and somewhat physically draining!

My batteries are now recharged and I'm tinkering with figures, I have a unit of Late 7th Century 'German' Infantry to add to my Polish forces for the Siege of Vienna and I have succumbed to the lure of the fabulous Warlord Games Black Seas models.

By way of recap of this year's output I guess it'll be remembered for the insane number of Zombies that I was able to churn out, these were huge fun to do and the sculpts on the figures were done with such humour and skill that it really did seem to be easy to paint these.

I'd saved-up these figures over the best part of the last year with a view to doing them in the Challenge, simply prepping each figure and undercoating ahead of time (as rules allow). I used the same approach with one of my of the main themes of the Challenge - Dark Age Infantry - be it Anglo-Danes or Normans, or the Irish that I will be using in all periods from the Dark Ages through to Elizabethan times.

Some Victrix Housecarls

And many more Victrix Normans

However once the adrenaline kinks in I was surprised at how fast I was able to get through my reserves of prepped figures, vehicles and equipment. By mid February, I had worked my way through my reserves. I had to conscript in all sorts of other half begun, half thought of projects to keep the production line moving...

Two units of dour Scots Covenantors were completed!

Hence the move to Arab Cultists, Medjai and other factions for an Egyptian Undead campaign game I'd been mentally toying with. I had my seemingly endless supply of Warhammer plastic to fall back on as well - The Lizardmen Army that I had once collected figures for but never painted - is now pretty much done. 

Arab Cultists - a mini project I'd been thinking about for ages! 

The countless Orcs and Goblins still keep popping out of the woodwork (sometimes quite literally) and now have me thinking that I may do some kind of OldHammer Bring and Battle game at the club sometime soon....

A unit of five Saurus Riders on Cold Ones

Classic Warhammer Orc Boyz

By the time I got to the WWI figures - I was desperate to keep the 'war machine' turning - quite apt for the period!

So I set myself a 3,000 points target - I smashed that and recorded 4,601 - I can't see how I could beat that yet it seems it's only the 12th best total for a challenge - I salute those who can do more!

As said at the time - Great Fun. thanks to Curt, Peter D and all the minions who make this work and roll on next year, hopefully I'll remember to book a place and I think it'll be my 6th Challenge! 

Looking forward to it already....