From SarahHC: Cathy, Heathcliffe and Kate - Literature (50 Points)

Hello Everyone!

For my last post of Challenge XIV, I move from the Gift Shop to the Rotunda into the Literature Room to find in the stacks, one of my very favourite novels, the compelling and tragic story of moors and madness - the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

Found on MyMiniFactory, these very elegant and evocative figures of Cathy & Heathcliffe and of course, no mention of Wuthering Heights can be complete without the iconic Kate Bush dancing in her red dress!

These three figures were a real pleasure to paint in another collaboration with Curt. (I think he was a bit envious as he wanted to also paint Kate Bush). (Truth! ed)

We decided that I would be “in charge” of the the overall aesthetic and paint the figures and Curt would swoop in and paint faces/hands, highlights and complete the base/groundworks.

I choose to paint the ghostly Cathy in very the same muted, pale Vallejo colours that I used on my last post, Oostwaert the Baker.

Heathcliffe is in dark, saturated colours, his vest is Vallejo Chocolate brown with a dash of Citadel Contrast Murgos Purple for added richness and depth of colour. My intent was to really emphasize that an ethereal Cathy haunts the very much alive, but tormented Heathcliffe.

The 3D print from Gametee, is the first mini I’ve painted which was two figures on the same base. I did find it a bit tricky to paint especially where the figures connect.

The Kate Bush figure, also from Gametee, was a true pleasure to paint. The mini is so elegant and the expression of dance and movement is so perfectly captured .. straight out of her Wuthering Heights music video.

I was very happy to have Curt paint the flesh tones … Kate’s hands are so delicate and I was nervous to attempt. (after all, I do have a history of breaking the pointy bits …)

Kate’s red dress is Vallejo trans red and Curt has highlighted with the richly pigmented Vallejo Bloody Red.

Hopefully Curt will be allowed to use the Kate figure to summon the library cart and whisk him off to Literature for his last post of the Challenge.

Thank you to all the challengers for another exceptional season of painting and camaraderie. I was not able to comment as much as intended but I will definitely be revisiting posts in the next few days.

Huge thanks to everyone who has commented on my own posts, I admit it is bit of a dopamine buzz to read such positive feedback.

54mm Cathy& Heathcliffe 20

54mm Kate Bush 10

Library location 20

Happy Spring Everyone!

-Sarah

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From Millsy: What a wonderful way to close out your Challenge Sarah! 3D printing has been such a boon when it comes to making minis available that would likely otherwise never see the light of day or at least not be available to a wider audience. I'm a huge fan of all things Brontë and I can see you are too given how much of yourself you've poured into these miniatures. You've really captured the broodiness of Healthcliffe and the ethereal Cathy is marvellous. Well done and now go and enjoy Shambush to celebrate finishing these :-)

From TeemuL: Back to the Delmonteland [New Acquisitions] (45 points)

My last post for this Challenge is a return to the Delmonteland. I was so inspired by the game and possible campaign that we might play, that I ordered more troops for my imagination force. These are WW2 Americans from Warlord Games just like the US Marine Raider Squad I painted earlier. This time there is a heavier punch, two man bazooka team and three man MMG team relocating themselves.

The MMG team are US Marines as well, but the Bazooka team are US Airbourne, but with my very clever camouflage they look pretty much the same. :) I even have an US Army Jeep to add to my force. The paint scheme is basically the same, I used a bit different yellows and brown washes, so the uniforms and skin tones are even more varied than before. I think the next batch I need to vary the tones within figure, different wash for trousers and jacket for example.

I followed my basing from the first entry, maybe putting even more stuff on the bases. I tried to blend the different materials together with some washes and drybrushes, but I need to work on that, too.

The back of the Bazooka guy shows the camouflage I aimed for, 5 spots in a circle and quite far from other clusters. Some are better than others.

5 28mm miniatures and a location bonus should give me nice 45 points. I didn't reach my target, that was obvious after a very slow start during the Christmas break and week-off in the North, but I really had a good pace at the end and I hope to keep my painting productivity quite high in the near future!

The Final Map

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I really am enjoying your developing WWII Imagination force, Teemu. I  especially like your take on their camo and find their basework to be wonderfully verdant. Maybe next year we'll get to see some of their opposition? I hope so.

Thank you Teemu for all your excellent submissions over the Challenge, and for your wonderful minioning of the Thorsday crew. Another year of your insightful Finnish lessons and I think Sarah and I will be ready to immigrate. :)

- Curt 

From JamesM: 15mm Bobbins, Fireflies and Battery CP's (48pts)

Hi folks,

More green painted tanks from me, to end my challenge on. 

First up, some D-day oddities. 15mm resin printed 'Bobbin' AVRE Churchills. These tanks were 'carpet layers' designed to unroll a reinforced matting over soft sand/clay areas. This would provide a very temporary surface which other vehicles could use to prevent getting stuck on the beach. It could have the additional effect of flattening barbed wire to allow infantry easy crossing. As far as I'm aware, these attachments only really saw action on D-Day, although the concept was pursued in other forms post war. 

I've added some paint bottles for size references to some pictures, as it has been mentioned it's hard to define the scale sometimes - unfortunately I don't keep a banana near my desk. 

These models came from 'Butlers Printed Models' who have an excellent range of 3d printed 'funnies'. This was an expensive buy as I went for the 'all resin' option, but as soon as I saw these I knew my 'breaching teams' needed some. 

These tanks will see the table soon - this year me, MartinC and DaveD planning to do five large 15mm games - one for each of the D-Day beaches. 

Of course, it wouldn't be a challenge without me painting more 15mm Shermans*. 

Since I'd finished my Sherman DD's earlier in the challenge, I also painted the three firefly tanks that would join the squadron once the beach was a little more secure. 

These models are old metal and resin Battlefront kits I've had for a while. However, they have been 'upgraded' with more modern plastic Battlefront 17-pdr gun barrels, as the plastic offering is far thinner and more realistic looking than the old metal offerings. 

Decals and such are for the Fort Garry Horse. I've kept them very light on stowage, as they were a rush job and I can always add that later once I've seen what reference pics might be out there. After much interanl debate I also decided to base these the same way as the DD tanks. 

Lastly, a Battlefield3d resin printed Sexton Command Post model. 

This model has no real purpose other than it was unusual and I wanted to add one to my collection. As my Canadian Sextons has a Ram OP tank, I thought I'd add this oddity to my Polish artillery pool. Really just set dressing for games, it does look cool and took little effort, what with the canvas cover. 

Six 15mm scale tanks, at 8 points each, for a total of 48 points. 

* Like DaveD with his camels, although I've made sure the type of Sherman used is correct. 

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It wouldn't be a proper Challenge without James doing some 15mm WWII armour, would it? Love the assorted 'funnies' and the oddball Sexton Command vehicle. It's these outliers that really make for an interesting tabletop. Well done James and best of luck with your upcoming D-Day monster games! 

Until next year!

-Curt

From Ray R - The Last Post - Donnybrook Generals 20pts

 

Well its finally here, the last few hours of the Challenge.

I shall finish with these two Reiver Castings Generals.

Both will be used for my evergrowing, never finishing Donnybrook love affair.

The chap on the left is still a tad shiny, because the varnish isn't dry yet.

An Austrian General in the uniform of regt Lothringen, from my previous post

And last but not least for this year, the General of the Bavarian Arco Horse.

2 x 25mm Cavalry

An easy 20pts

Phew!

Well done to one and all, but mostly to the Snowlord Curt, Sarah for putting up with the Snowlords shenanigans, Teemu, my poor minion for this year, all the other Minions, who luckily didn't have to put up with me and finally to all my fellow madmen challengers!!!

Right I'm going to bed!

Ray

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A wonderful parting shot to end your Challenge, Ray. Two armed guys wearing wigs on horses. What's not to love?  We're going to have to set up another online Donnybrook game for you to run for us. We have to see some of these lovely models actually being used. I'll keep an eye out on your blog to see if it happens.

Same time next year Mr Rousell? I hope so.

- Curt

From ChrisW A last, crazy post [513 points]

This last post will be another mixed bag of stuff as I try to complete what I can of half painted projects started in the challenge. 

Deep Ones [23x 28mm]

A mix of figures, a lot of the old Grenadier miniatures but also some new bigger guys thrown into the mix.  I did some deep ones in a previous challenge but just did not get around to these. I think I have now finished all my deep one figures. Sadly the bigger ones were only completed today, too late for the game we played this past Saturday that featured them. 

Cultists in gas masks [14x 28mm foot, 1 crew manned machine gun]

All but one of these are Pulp Figures, not certain where I got the 'leader' figure. At one point in the challenge I thought that I would finish off all of my cultists, but alas one group of 16 or so figures remains unpainted.

Junks

These two junks started off as cardboard models, the insert tab A into slot B type of model. They were a pale 'wood' coloured model with lots of detail on them. Unfortunately they were not 28mm scale details even though the ships were of a good size. So, I snipped off all of the tabs and did my best to fill in any gaps and then painted them. I was determined to obscure the detailed images but also preserve the etched texture of the planks. I left the sails as they were and the masts. It was a more time consuming task that I anticipated and was just barely able to have them done in time for this past Saturdays game.

DIY Shuttle craft

So a bit of a kit bashing to make a shuttle out of a kids toy. Mostly needed to remove some bits, block up some gaps, add some 'fans' and give it a paint job. The real challenge was what colour to paint it. In the end I could not decide which is my excuse for why it looks like it does.

Tried to give it a bashed up look (beyond the questionable paint job)

The toy as purchased

Sci-fi Tripods

Just what I needed, more tripods! This time not AQMF but Sci-fi tripods of a different sort. Not certain about the windows, they did not come out quite the way I thought they would, I may have to revisit them some time down the road.

Manga

The closest I have to Manga is this freebie figure from Alternative armies. It was included in an order I made a few years back and I really had no use for her. I figure the armour looks kind of like Manga ans certainly the purple hair helps.

Sarah's cart

One of the Blue Moon miniature Vampire hunter figures to allow me to use the cart. (for the first time this challenge)

Local history Huron

Another free figure this time from Bob Murch. It is a pre contact Huron native in wood armour and flint spear. In my youth, my family traveled across Ontario to Fort Saint Marie among the Hurons. While that fort was built well after the time period that this figure represents it was one of the traditional locations of the Huron nation.

 Sarah's cart and Russian Adventurer

One of the Blue Moon miniatures spy figures to allow me to use the cart.

History section

So a journey to the wild west and some lawmen. Up front we have 'Bat' Masterson the famous stick wielding lawman. Then behind him I have added some Pinkerton agents. I believe they are all Artizan miniatures.

Finally a few more figure to round out the challenge. I painted a few extra female characters in case I needed to ride the cart a few more times. All are Blue Moon figures.

So the totals

•  115 points for 23x 28mm Deep ones
•    80 points for 14x 28mm Cultists with gas masks plus machine gun and 1 crew
  
•    40 points for 2x 28mm junks
  
•      8 points for 1x 15mm shuttle craft
•    20 points for DIY section 
•    60 points for 3x 28mm tripods
  
•   20 points for Sci-fi section
  
•     5 points for 1x 28mm Manga Heroine
•   20 points for Manga Section
•   25 points for vampire hunter and Sarah's cart
  
•     5 points for 1x 28mm Huron 
•   20 points for Local history section
•   25 points for Russian adventuress and Sarah's cart
  
•  30 points for 6x 28mm foot Bat Masterson and Pinkertons
  
•  20 points for history section
  
•  20 points for 4x 28mm foot Blue Moon
  

Total  points 513 points

And more importantly...more squirrels!!

 Squirrels this post +5

Squirrels to date [18]

1. Hammers Slammers
2. Ikwen alien infantry
3. Hanuman (Alien) vehicles 
4. New Swabian league armoured vehicles 
5. Rats
6. Scarabs 
7. Mercenary Sci-fi vehicle
8. NAC Sci-fi vehicles 
9. Foo dog statues
10. Terracotta warriors  
11. NSL Bikes
12. Generic sci fi vehicles
13. Civilian sci-fi vehicles 
14. Egyptian cultists  
15. Mud Men 
16. Ladies of the evening (and Jack)
17. Halfling artillery
18. Venetian Gondolas 
19. English Bobbies
20. Deep ones
21. Cultists with gas masks (Pulp Figures) 
22. Tripods
23. Junks
24. Wild west lawmen
    

 and 60 points of big stompy robots of death!!

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Wow! Chris, you give us a wonderful parting bomb with your last post (and a blitz through the library). So much to admire here. Deep Ones, Cultists, Junks, Tripods, oh my! I always have a soft spot for anything by Bob Murch, but I have to say that my faves are the lawmen and the female pulp characters. So awesome.

You've had great Challenge this year, Chris. I hope we see you out for the next edition. :)

- Curt