The Cut is Approaching

 

Hi All!

Just a quick reminder to those who have not posted an entry yet - the Challenge Cut is Tuesday January 21st. It's coming up quick so if you are amongst those 16 souls please get your work in to your Minion to avoid the 'Big Shave' (and more importantly we all want to see what you've been working on)!

Thanks

- Curt

From MartijnN: A Song of Ice and Fire (65 points)

Like many others, I loved the series Game of Thrones (except for the final season's finale of course, just like many others too...). When CMON produced a miniature game set in the world of Westeros, I was immediately intrigued. However, the game was rather pricey, so I held off for a bit. Eventually, however, of course, I caved in and bought the two player starter set. And then a bunch of additional boxes with miniatures. However, just as inevitably, I failed to paint any of them and they sat on a shelf unloved. The Challenge provided the perfect opportunity to finally start painting some of them, so I prepared a lot of miniatures from the starter set to paint in Challenge XV. I have no idea how far I am going to get before boredom sets in, but here is my first unit.

It is a unit of 12 Stark Sworn Swords. Being gaming pieces, and realizing there are a lot  of them, I decide to paint them as quickly and simply as possible. Actually, they are quite nice miniatiures. They are about 28mm tall, made of a sturdy plastic, and have enough detail on them to make them interesting without getting to GW level madness. Also, I find them very well proportioned. I painted the movement tray supplied with the game in the same style.

I am fairly happy with the result. I used Citadel contrast paints, and the Army Painter speedpaint metallics, and applied a wash of Agrax Earthshade over the whole unit to finish it. Although they came out a bit dark, I think that nicely reflects the grim and stern nature of the Northern Starks.

Finally, I painted some 3d printed rats. This was really a very simple paint job. I do not really have any use for them other than as scenic pieces, but who knows when they might come in handy. I think these were designed by Evan Carothers, but I am not entirely sure. They are nice enough sculpts.

So that's it for me this week. As to scoring, I would like to count the sworn swords as 28mm figures, and perhaps 1 point for each of the five bases with rodents? Or whatever Sarah sees fit.

Which means:

12x 28mm foot @ 5 = 60

5 bases x 28mm rats @ 1 = 5

For a possible total of 65 points. And a squirrel for the Starks!

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Hi Martijn

I think EVERYONE had issues with last season GOTR, which in my opinion is 100 percent due to  GRRMartins ego/hubris in thinking he's sooo clever with killing off everyone in Red Wedding and then found himself stuck in a corner and couldn't write himself out of it and no one else really could either! But, that tangent is for another day!

Well done points-wise and another 65points added to your scoreboard

From BenitoM: Warg Riders (40 points)

For my second post in this year's Annual Painting Challenge I continued with more Uruk Hai additions for Midgard, the recently published miniature rules to play in the heroic ages.  In this case, the first batch of warg riders, the mounted component for my army.

These are four mounted archers and will fight as regular light cavalry; I also plan to use them for scouting/recon patrols in campaigns. 

Note that number of models in a unit is irrelevant in Midgard. Units are arranged in square rectangle bases that you can fill with as many models as you want.  The rules suggests using a 12 cm frontage (which I know will annoy some imperial-metric fans like Richard Clarke) but you are free to use whatever size you deem, as long as all units have the same base frontage (note: depth of the base is not relevant).

Given than I'm basing my mounted units on old GW round 40cm diameter individual bases,  I can put three models per unit. But as I said, you can base individually in rectangular bases if you like to accommodate more models per unit.  

These warg riders are 3D printed models in 28mm designed by Medbury Miniatures belonging to its mounted orc range.

Next in the painting line are some GW plastic warg riders, in the painting pile since early 2000s (they were bought at the time when the Peter Jackson's films were released and GW started selling the LOTR range). 

This post adds 40 points to my score this year (4 x 28mm mounted models @10 points each).   

   

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Hello Benito

The Warg Riders look terrifying!  Your Midgard army  project is coming along nicely.

Another 40 points for your Scoresheet

- Sarah

From RhysH - Thorin's company continued (15 points)

 This week's entry is three more members of Thorin's Company, Fili, Kili and Bilbo. Rhys continued with his work on faces and dirt.

Rhys was looking forward to painting the brothers, Fili and Kili.

He went with a darker color of metal on the swords along with the cave bases.

These blades are dark because they are not reflecting the bright light of the sun. You can also see his work on making the jackets dirty along the edge.

He's now five models through the Company, so quite a few left to get done.

This is three 28mm models x 5 = 15 points for the week.

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Hi Rhys

Well done on Fili, Kili and Bilbo! Great job on dirtying their cloaks and your attention to the detail with the colour of the sword blades.

Will we see the whole company before the end of the Challenge?

15 points added to your tally!

- Sarah

Sunday's With Sarah - January 12

 Hello Everyone!

Welcome back to the second Sundays with Sarah!

This week I have discovered music by French artist, Zaho de Sagazan, "les Symphonie des eclairs"... cool indie/techno/post modern sort of vibe. Totally recommend to any of you keen on new music. I think this album may even make it onto Curt's playlist!

Huckleberry and I enjoying the winter sunshine.

Huckleberry has my back while I compose the Sunday missive.

Now, to the business at hand. We have LOTR from RhysH - Fili, Kili and Bilbo, and Benito's Uruk Hai warg riders, and a reminder from MartijnN That Winter is Coming.... Rumour has it Teemu may have a late entry.... stay tuned!

- Sarah