From MartinC: Random Greyish Stuff (98pts)

So ladies and gentlemen. I go away for 6 days of family Christmas, and a sneaky bit of gaming, and half of you have gone mad and painted all the figures you have. Most impressive but can you all calm down. It's a marathon not a snickers (only Brits will understand that)

I did manage to do some painting before I went away and have done some more today.

DaveD and I played our 1st game of 02hundred yesterday, it has potential but the rules need putting in a much better order. It was a somewhat baffling.

These are SAS troopers for the Brits. I painted them somewhat lighter than the Germans, who were too dark

Couple of snipers and a bren gun for support

All these are Artizan designs

Commander and radio operator

Finally some proper support

2" mortar, K gun (when you need all the bullets), flame thrower and PIAT

Next up Dave and I are running a gangster game ar Hammerhead and we thought we needed a tube station. That I can make but the tube train was harder. A trawl of ebay found this kit. It was a nightmare to put together. the base is 5mm shorter than the roof. so much sawing and filing was needed. Overall it looks cool though

gave it a dirty silver paint job with red trim, seems to fit with the game

It's a big old unit, big enough for a gunfight

Finally we needed some buildings for 02hundred so I picked these up, Sarissa I think

Couple of fairly large ones

and a couple of sheds

Will work for Gangsters and pretty much anything else.

Scores on the doors

13x28mm infantry = 65

1x28mm train = 20

4x buildings = 2/3 cube =13

total = 98 pts

That will do for today. Just watched Medieval on Netflix (cancelled my membership - it's got really rubbish lately with some proper gems that last a series before being cancelled, and don't get me started on the total BS that is Ancient Apocalypse.). Anyway Medieval isn't great but it is about Jan Zizka and I feel the need for a Hussite army, cos obviously that's the kinda guy I am.

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Great grey stuff, Martin. I like your greyscale SAS team, but I am sorry to hear that '02 Hundred' is proving to be a bit more of a puzzle than anticipated. It's a shame, as the game's premise is spot-on for creating fun scenarios. I'll have to see if I can grab a PDF copy of the rules to see what could be leveraged for a cooperative game. 

I like the sound of the Gangster game you and Dave are plotting. Your subway car is especially brilliant, and I can definitely see it being used for some dramatic confrontations. I can just imagine in my mind's eye, the car's lights flashing on and off, as two-fisted action unfolds within. Very pulpy!

Yep, I agree, 'Ancient Apocalypse' is trash - how did it ever get produced much less released? I'll have to check out 'Medieval' as I like the idea of heavily armed caravans. Sort of a middle-ages Texas trailer park with crossbows.

- Curt

From TeemuL: Limousine Ride and some Extras [Limousine] (60 points)

"There are two things movies located to Middle-Earth lack and they are romance and depth. To fill the first void we are presenting a dwarf maiden, Dis, who will create some romantic scenes with our two heroes, love triangle as never seen before! There's some depth there already, but we are going deeper, Dis doesn't travel alone, she has her personal bodyguard with her, a Huorn. Why are they two connected, a living tree and dwarf, that is a deep question. Actually so deep, that we are not answering it, that is a story seed reserved for a prequel. And yes, of course we need some Rohan extras next to those Dunharrow ghosts for Pelennor Fields scene, you can see them behind the window as we take this Limou ride with Dis and Huorn to the Sci-Fi studio - you can't believe what we have to do with a scifi with this movie of ours, but I give you a hint: Galadriel?"

I like this photo, has some cinematic feel on it?

The cloak is good camouflage in my dungeon.

Dis and Huorn are metal Mithril minis from 1990 or so, so not really retroes. But Dis will give me a ride to the Sci-Fi studio, which is directly linked with this movie we all gonna love.

Here I try to show the painted eyes...

But before we get there, let's take a closer look on our heroine and her bodyguard. Dis is a very simple mini (Mithril M161 Dis - Dwarf maiden), long hair, veil on face, clothes and a cloak. I had to paint her eyes to get some character to her. Dark cloak is useful when travelling here and there in Middle-Earth. Huorn (Mithril M190, Huorn - Killer tree) is a living tree, much like Ents, but not quite. I used dark browns and light browns on him, very little light grey on final highlights. Used traditional paints on it, Contrasts on Dis.

These Rohans are Contrast jobs, too. During last Challenge some one was fixing broken Lotr minis and painting them. That inspired me, since I have got several broken Lotr minis, Rohan especially. So I glued a broken javelin and two broken arrows (another got broken and lost after priming, but I can live with that). I cut off the shied knob and the first three were ready to go. The rider got an unbroken horse and I replaced his broken spear with a banner. And the warrior who had lost a shield and broken his sword got another banner and a horn - horrible green stuff "sculpts". He will be an arrow magnet in games, if anything! Boosting morale and helping to win fights all in same figure, but he was fun to create.

I'll say 6 28mm minis, Dis is smaller and Huorn taller, but average is there and then one 28mm mounted for 40 points. And 20 points for Limo. I guess these will be my last minis for 2022, but there should be some dwarfs coming up next Wednesday!

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I'm quite enjoying the unfolding story (screenplay?) in your LotR movie, Teemu! I have a real soft spot for Mithril Miniatures' vision of Tolkien's world. Their softer, more elegant designs gives them a more introspective look somehow. I really enjoy them, and your brushwork on both the Dwarf maiden and her Ent companion really do them justice. (Note: I need to pick some of these up.) I also like how you've reconstituted some of these Rohan warriors so that they can fight orcs another day. Great work and fine painting!

- Curt

From GregB: Mando and The Child (30 Points)

3d prints of The Mandalorian and The Child - 28mm figures.

Greetings and happy holidays once more to the participants of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. I'm pleased to kick off my APHC XIII run with two figures that most folks here will likely recognize - Mandalorian, and "the Child". These are 3D prints sourced from Etsy, and while they are intended for use in games such as "Star Wars: Legion", these particular figures are a little unusual in that they will not see service on a gaming table, but rather on display, as they were a request from my lovely wife Linda.

Mando at the ready with his super-amazing rifle...

To truly enjoy and embrace the madness of the hobby, a supporting, or at least very understanding, partner is essential. I am blessed in this regard (one of many) when it comes to Linda, as she pleasantly tolerates what surely must be a baffling accumulation of painted figures, variety of projects etc. It is extremely rare that any particular painting subject or gaming setting would overlap with her interests...

Mostly the old brown and grey armour for this early "Mando" - just a bit of beskar steel.

But then, out of the steaming pit of garbage that is Disney Star Wars, somehow "The Mandalorian" arose...and Linda loved it just as much as I ultimately did. I mean, who can resist "the Child"? Linda knew I painted Star Wars figures, and knew that we often played games set in the Star Wars universe, so she asked me this summer if they made figures for "The Mandalorian". I explained there no official ones as yet, but that the world of 3D printing folks had already been all over it...Dave V helped me with some suggestions for possible figures to paint, and she selected these two. 

Who's up for some snacks?

I was pleased with her choice - here we have Mando as seen in the second episode of the first season, rifle at the ready. I did my best to capture the many, many small details of his original get up - armoured, but not yet covered in beskar, escorting the Child toward an unknown fate, experiencing an inner torment, the conflict between his obligations to the Bounty Hunting Guild, and the immediate bond with this unique foundling.

The prints took some time to arrive, and of course I am always distracted by other projects etc. But we spent this past Christmas out at our cabin, and I thought getting these two finished for her would be a good Christmas Eve project. Besides, as I said, it is extremely rare for Linda to ever ask for a painted figure, so best to ensure I deliver before Christmas!

The Child and his space pram...what a brilliant idea...

For me, "The Mandalorian" peaked in those first three episodes. While Mando and the Child would enjoy many more interesting adventures over the first two seasons of this show, I really don't see how they can top that first season. And the more plot and story they tag on, the less I find we both enjoy it. For example, just contemplating the tiresome politics of the Mandalorian subculture, or the whatever-is-really-going-on with the "Dark Sabre" can put us to sleep in five minutes - sometimes the less things are explained, the better...

Mando is tense, but no need to worry - only a display shelf to worry about now!

Anyway, the point here is not to lament, but to share, and to get some points on the board. In terms of those points, these are both 28mm figures, so that should put 10 points on the board. Pretty modest start, but sometimes you start small, just like Grogu. Cheers to everyone, and I look forward to sharing more soon!

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First, welcome back to the Challenge, my friend! It's great to see that your first entry is a gift to the lovely Linda. Our household has really enjoyed 'The Mandalorian' as well, thinking of it as a wonderful take on a 'Western in Space'. 

While the wait was long for their delivery, your Mando and 'the Child' were more than worth the wait as your brushwork on them is excellent as usual. You nailed the colours for Mando's early armour and I love Grogu bobbing along in his hover-pram. Linda must be thrilled with her gift.

As this was a gift for your lovely wife, I'm going to give you another 20 points for the Gift Shop location in the Challenge Studio lot as that seems apropos. Well done my friend! 

- Curt

From TomG - Festive Tiger Challenge Tiger II - 25 pts

 Oi oi!

Some of you may have seen on Twitter, that a few of us had set a challenge to build and paint a Tiger II, between the 21st and 31st December, and I picked this delightful Rubicon Models Konigstiger without zimmerit, for my entry. However little did I know just what a challenge it would be! 

First off, you may be able to notice some parts missing, namely the front light, bow machinegun and a number of turret tracks, well I can assure you that at one point all of these parts were attached, but due to some uncooperative glue and a catastrophic drop during priming, all of these parts went to the Great Parts Monster on the floor!

But, undeterred I channeled my festive spirit and ploughed on, only to be hit by set back number 2; painting late at night causes mistakes! Having airbrushed the camo patterns on, with some issues due to being picky, I realised I had varnished the model without painting the tools, applied the decals or even set a filter/wash in the recesses. What more could go wrong? 

Nothing, at this point I was left dejected and filled with the despair that follows those who habitually refuse to learn from their mistakes...

But wait, what's this?

In the distance a light, the sound of sleigh bells, a jolly fat man cometh! 

Ding dong merrily on high, it was Tiger Claus (see what I did there) and he had brought me just enough festive cheer to complete this challenge! With brush in hand I forged on, first we applied the decals, then we smashed out the tools finished with some all over weathering, including a stab at adding mud and grass to the tracks and hull.

Challenge complete, tears shed, but now the mightiest of mighty cats was ready to join the throng; no longer will the other 1/56 WW2 tanks in my German force feel scared at night, for the King has arrived. I struggled to enjoy the process of completing this model, but only due to my own mistakes, however once it was finished, I can safely say I was proud to take these photos and share them with you all. 

Tank you for reading this post, and I hope you enjoy the fruits of my festive labour. 

Points - 

28mm Vehicle - 20pts

Tom

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Wow, that's a beast, to be sure. I must say, you recovered marvellously from your hobby mishap, Tom, as this big cat really looks excellent. A big Hooray for Christmas Cheer, I say! I particularly admire its camo and weathering. One would never think that it had suffered from a tragic spill. In fact you could truly call this a 'recovery tank'. Well done!

I'm going to add a few more points for your sterling efforts in getting this beast back on its paws.

- Curt

From SidneyR: “The Samurai, the Servant and the Demon” (Under Construction): 45 points

"The smoke curled slowly in the still air of the woodland clearing.  There was the scent of freshly-caught fish, cooking on an open fire.  The samurai’s servant, Akira, turned the freshwater fish on the wooden spit, the fire occasionally crackling and sending a shower of  sparks into the evening sky.

Across the clearing, the demon eyed the fire, enviously. The demon drew its grey tongue over its lips, salivating at the thought of the feast it might be able to enjoy in just a few minutes.  Akira was sure that if his master, Kazuko, lost the duel, the demon would be consuming more than just the huge river-fish which Akira had caught that afternoon.

Kazuko levelled his sword at the demon’s throat.  His hand was steady and he bent slightly bent forward in a stance long-practised in his family dojo. Despite his skill at sword fighting, Kazuko’s heart was racing.  Kazuko watched the demon draw an over-sized, enormous sword with a single, crimson-red, muscled hand.  In the demon’s other hand was an immaculately wrought katana - a trophy from another, older duel - but wielded as easily as if the sword was made of fly-wood, like a child’s toy.

As Kazuko circled around the clearing, the dust rose from his bare feet.  He was quick on his feet.  But was the demon faster?"

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I wanted to start off Challenge XIII with the chance to make something, however small. The ‘Under Construction’ studio seemed like a good place to do that.  I’ve spent much of my wargaming time this year building up Japanese terrain and painting miniatures for a skirmish ruleset, set in 17th Century Japan. 

We’ve played about a dozen or more games set in a Japanese historical background, but I wanted to expand the scope to create some games based on historical ukiyo-e prints and the rich tapestry of Japanese myths and legends.  So we have, for this entry, a samurai and his servant preparing for a duel against an Oni, a Japanese demon.

I wanted to equip the Oni with two swords, one a huge no-dachi and the other a katana.  The Oni and the swords are from the wonderful Dixon Miniatures range of 28mm “Legends of Japan”, sculpted by Mark Copplestone in the late 1980s.  Adding the swords into the Oni’s sculpted hands required a bit of brass-rod pinning - my first bit of ‘construction’ for the entry.

The samurai is from the former Games Workshop range of Samurai, now sold by Wargames Foundry.  I love these sculpts - created by Aly Morrison in 1984.  They have, to my mind, stood the test of time very well.  There are some commentators online who have mentioned that the figures look like caricatures, with the inference that this is a bad thing.  However, I had the pleasure of chatting to Aly about the figures a few years back, and his guide in sculpting the range were the ukiyo-e woodblock prints of artists such as Utamaro, Kunichika, Utagawa and Yoshitoshi.  Which makes the range well suited for the ‘feel’ of the game I’m looking to try and create.

I didn’t make any changes to the samurai, or his trusty servant (from Perry Miniatures).  But I did scratch-build a small campfire on which a large freshwater fish could be cooking.  I used a few scraps of wood, and a selection of 3D printed fish, one of which I could skewer on a brass-wire spit, and some large sub-tropical leaves cut from the metal foil of a wind bottle.  A small sprinkle of fiery-painted sand and foam completed the embers and flames of the fire.  

As my time is a bit restricted for painting at present, my hope for Challenge XIII is to create small collections of figures depicting duels, fighting engagements, and smaller companies for use on the games I’ve been playing.  However, dear fellow Challengers, that does not prevent the creation by me of supremely frivolous ‘character cards’ for the entries I’ll be painting.  The values and attributes on the cards make sense as part of the rules (hopefully!). So here are the character cards for the heroes and villain for this submission:

As to the points: for “Under Construction”, I’ve added 20 points, and 5 each for the 28mm samurai, the servant, and the Oni.  And I’ve added a single point for the fire and the steadily-cooking fish, as befits the objective of any duel.

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Oooh, this is just fabulous, Sidney. I love everything about this project. The excellently converted and beautifully painted figures, the wonderfully thematic terrain and the fascinating character cards - your amazing hobby skills do great justice to your vision of the setting and the game. Bravo!

I'm adding a few more points for the conversions and supplementary cards.

Inspiring work, thank you for sharing!

- Curt