From BruceR: A wee start to the Challenge - Percy the Mage and his sidekick Hoot (2 points)

Ah, the festive start to a new challenge and a new project.  First, a thank you to Curt and Lady Sarah.  Also, a festive nod to the minions. 

I have decided to attempt to incorporate my post into my own blog. Promises, promises. 

New projects:  

Earlier this year I purchased a box of Wargames Atlantic Orcs and enjoyed painting them using speed paints with highlights.  Thus, a previous gaming detour was rekindled. Warmaster. When the game came out I had started an empire force and a gaming friend undead.  We played once and he was deployed. The rest of the crew did not take to the game so the forces were put in the cupboard and later sold.  

I was deployed to San Antonio, TX, in 2008, and the locals were playing Warmaster Ancients. I purchased and painted a small army of later Byzantine's. Played and when I returned into the cupboard they went. 

This fall my spouse and I traveled to Colorado Springs, CO, for a 10 day stay. I decided to visit the old club I had belonged to back in the early 90s. They were playing Warmaster. Huzzah I’m hooked. Little Wars TV runs a series on Warmaster and adds some 3D print sellers so I order a test batch. They are gorgeous. Easy to paint. I decide to put on a game for the locals. Empire ( proxy later Byzantines) vs Orcs. 

We played 4 games and Etsy has 5 new customers buying armies. And probably one of our locals printing an army  

I’ve ordered both some Dogs of War figures and an Undead army. While waiting for them I was searching for a suitable figure for a giant in 10mm and found some warmaster bases and an empire command blister from many years past. ( missed in the selling frenzy of the past) What a find. 

I prepped the figures, but I’m not able to make the midnight hour (age) but, I get up at 0500 and a great time to paint. So I grabbed Percy and went to town. A mid brown base coat, speed paint and highlights. Photos taken for posting from the road  

This will be my only submission until after Xmas as we are traveling for the holiday and no painting.

Percy the Mage

Score:

     1 x 10mm figure = 1 pt. 

A modest start. 

Happy Holidays to all and enjoy the challenge. 

Bruce

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Bruce! 

I'm delighted to see another taken by the sway of 10mm fantasy. Percy and Hoot look the business, ready to cast wrack and ruin upon their enemies (or roll a miscast and blow up). I very much look forward to your upcoming efforts with this project. Of course, it will most likely entice me to start something with my 10mm collection, but that is what the Challenge is all about, right?!

I'm going to give you an extra point for the fancy podium and Hoot. I know, BIG spender!

Have a terrific trip and a very Merry Christmas! 

- Curt

From ByronM - Burrows & Badgers - Stoats (Weasels) - (15 points)

For my first entry of this years challenge I painted up three more models for my Burrows & Badgers collection of figures.  These are three Stoats to add as mercenaries to any force I would like, and I affectionately refer to them as Larry, Darryl and Darrel.

 

 

I try to get something painted on day-one of each challenge every year, and usually succeed.  I see that Quinn (my son) beat me to the punch this year by getting up super early before work to paint something.  I had to be a bit slower this year as these are the first models I have painted since June when I suffered a pretty bad concussion and have not really been able to focus much since then. It's been slowly getting better recently, but it still took pretty much all day in small breaks going back and forth to them to get them done, and some of the brush work is a little rough, but hey at least they are done and table ready! 

 

 

These are official figures from Oathsworn Miniatures for their awesome game called Burrows & Badgers which I raved about last year.  Since they they have released a second edition and the game has gotten even better!  For anyone who has not tried this game yet, I can not recommend it enough.  Sure, it borrows pretty much all it's rules from other rule sets and there is little "original" about the game, but it just works!  This is the game I describe to everyone as "being better than it has any right to be".  It borrows the best parts of Mordheim, Infinity, LoTR, and so many more games, it really is brilliant, and the figures are top notch as well! 

As with the figures I painted last year, I am trying to go for a low detail, high contrast, cartoon type look with them.  I am not trying to do too much detail work on them, I just want them to stand out and look good at table top distance.  That said I am pretty happy with how these turned out, especially since I have not touched a brush in 6 months. 

These are all 28mm figures that stand a bit taller than normal that should net me 5 points each for 15 points on day one.  Not that I will be able to keep that up everyday, but it's a good start.

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First, welcome back to the Challenge, Byron, and happy holidays!

It's wonderful to have both you and your son, Quinn, breaking the duck together to get your first entries in on the first day. Bravo to you both!

Terrific trio of stoates here, Byron, with lovely punchy colours and excellent basing. I particularly like the little fella in blue, winding up with his mallet. I agree, Burrows & Badgers is a terrific game. In fact, our group here have recently started a campaign using the system and are enjoying furious battles with bats, mice and otters. I think both Peter and myself will have some our warbands featured in the Challenge in the coming months.

These three weasels will put you on the board with 15 points. Great work!

- Curt

From LeeH: A Heavy Metal Christmas (12 Points)

This is my 12th Painting Challenge, and by now I’ve developed a small tradition: I always kick things off with a Christmas-themed figure. Until just a few days before the challenge began, I had no idea what that figure was going to be. Then the lead mountain offered up this little fellow, quickly followed by the Chain Golem, and suddenly a plan appeared.

The axe-wielding dwarf is a Wargames Foundry miniature I picked up several years ago. I’m fairly certain this is the last Christmas figure I own from that set, which means I’ll have to start hunting for something new for next year. The golem, on the other hand, began life as a pre-painted plastic figure from Wizards of the Coast. It was obviously part of a game, but since I bought it as part of a bring-and-buy job lot many years ago, I’ve no idea which one. What I do know is that it took almost as long to hack the golem off its original base as it did to paint it. Free of the base, the Golum is 50mm tall and needed to be stripped back and completely repainted before adding to this larger base to back up the Dwarf.

The Chain Golem isn’t there as muscle or menace; it’s there on probation. According to the dwarf, last Christmas, the golem was left unsupervised near the decorations. Within minutes, it had “helpfully reinforced” the tree, the fireplace, and three chairs using thirty feet of industrial chain and a padlock. Santa needed two reindeer, a hacksaw, and a strongly worded rune to get out of the grotto. This year, the golem has been ordered to accompany the guitar-playing dwarf Santa as part of a festive rehabilitation programme. The dwarf plays heavy metal carols while the golem clinks gently in time and deters autograph hunters.

Looking ahead, I’ve got a couple of new projects lined up. Whether they both get finished will depend entirely on external forces conspiring against me. Work, other commitments, and a few collaborative projects linked to my YouTube channel will all be competing for my time in the early months of the year. Add in a couple of wargames shows, and, ideally, some actual gaming, and the calendar fills up fast. It’s a wonderful hobby. I could give up work tomorrow and still wonder where the time went.

1x28mm Foot = 5 Points

1x40mm Foot = 7 Points

Total = 12 pts

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Lee! I always enjoy your first, Christmas-themed post to kick of the season. I quite like the chain golem and your Pete Townshend Santa is terrific as well. Now you have a quest for a new supply of Christmas themed figures - I look forward to seeing what you come up with. :) Merry Christmas, Lee!

- Curt

From KentG - 28mm Brannog, Dwarf from Zombicide (5pts)

Well here we are again another challenge and I’m very excited to

See what everyone brings to the table, this year I’ve decide to slow

Down a bit and enjoy the painting so first up I present Brannog 

Holding his trusty Dwarven hammer. I managed to pick up

A full Kickstarter set of black plague which means I have a tone 

Of figures to choose from.

Being a Dwarf this chap is shorter than most the figure in the game

But he’s still a very healthy 28+ so I’m claiming him for a 5 point start.

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First, welcome back to the Challenge, Kent. Wonderful work with this very characterful Dwarf (but then again, aren't they all characterful?). I really like the red accents on the haft of his hammer and on this armour. Lovely stuff. We've played Black Plague a few times and really enjoyed it. I'm sure Brannog will give you good service against the zombie scourge in your games (or make a very formidable zombie himself if things 'go differently'). :)

- Curt

 

From QuinnM- Anthropomorphic Sharks with guns/Planet Shark (10 Points )

Hello,

I would like to start off this painting challenge with a big thank you to Curt and all the helpers for making this happen. This will be my second year participating. It was a blast last year and I am looking forward to it this year. 

Now for my first post I have a few sharks from an indy game called Planet Shark. It is a game i have yet to play but i fell in love with the minis as anthroporphic sharks with guns (i know, the ones i panted here don't have guns) is hilarious to me so i left just a few for me to paint this challenge to spread the word of this game. 

2x28mm footman @ 5 points = 10 points. 

Note: I had to get a post out before my dad and show up the old guy!

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Welcome back to the Challenge Quinn! Anthropomorphic Sharks - who knew! I especially like the water bases. And this is made even better in that you pipped a quick lead on your dad. :) Well done.

- Curt

From DaveD - Back of Beyond - Bolshoviks (12 pts)

Here I go for my 15th AHPC Challenge . There will be visitations this season from various historic projects along with this years new one.  Having linked up with the League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers last year (you can see games here  )as part of their on going campaigns using Setting The East Ablaze in the period 1917 - 192? I am off in that direction. 

I have the beginnings of a new force for my own use to add some further opposition to my Baluchistan Frontier Force Brits I did in the autumn. It’s a period I have learnt a lot about and also gives gamers lots of options across a swathe of geography . Of course the main antagonists are the forces of the Kominturn. 

Here we have the start of the Bolos force east of the Urals in the Transcaspia region with Kombat Major  Dochertovich (with mighty fine cigar!) and waving the red flag Soldier Olga Millsovitch. Of course being 1919 all ranks of the Red Arny have been abolished  but we know who is really in charge with these two. Of course females are making just as much effort in helping the revolution succeed and it’s good to see a range of these available . 

The figures are from Copplestones Back of Beyond range. So their next task is to get on raising new forces to deal with the Emir Of Afghan (our own Martin C ) who is busy sunning himself at Bokhara as part of my local games groups BoB campaign. I am sure there will be volunteers “encouraged” along in due course. 

I like to get a few points on the scoreboard before the Christmas break so this is useful start . I will also be doing the Sunday painted stuff minion duties - and rounding up RayR . 

Points :-

2 x 28mm = 10 pts .  , only another 990 to go .

But as always and particularly for our new cohort , remember this is a marathon not a sprint . 

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Fabulous work, Dave, and welcome back to the Challenge.

I have these very same figures in my collection and remember enjoying putting my brush to them (Copplestone has a wonderful way of placing in *just* enough detail without getting too busy). Your two ladies look terrific, and I especially like the flag bearer with her red 'kerchief and patriotic banner (tasseled no less). 

With that, I'll give you another couple bonus for the flag, which will pop you to 12 points. A worthy opening volley, I think!

- Curt

From Barks: Snow Golems (14 points)

A very quick and easy paintjob to get me started. I like to do something seasonal for my first Challenge post, and with the mercury well over 30℃ these snow golems were perfect. They're from Nolzur's D&D minis, and required minimal prep. My painting technique of white undercoat, Speedpaint 2.0 Battleship Grey, drybrush white really brings out the mouldlines like I intended... I used some sparkly snow effect on the bases held in place with satin varnish, hopefully it holds.

They're tall, on 30mm bases, but I'll be more than happy with 10 quick points.

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First, welcome back to the Challenge, Barks! We're on the other end of the temperature spectrum from yourself, with us here in Canada experiencing windchills at -30 currently.  These's fellas would be quite at home here! I really like your ice/snow recipe, which provides a great backdrop to their 'happy' maws. Well done!

These two golems look to be at least 40mm high, so I'm going to score them at 7 each. 14 points to start your climb up the ladder, Barks!

- Curt

First Post of AHPC XVI - 'Simon, Sophie and Anonymous': Three Unfortunate Trolls

 

Hello everyone! 

Happy Holidays and Welcome to the Challenge!

As per tradition, I open the Challenge with our first entry of the season. This year I present to you Simon, Sophie and Anonymous, three hapless, grumpy and now calcified trolls who now provide shade for travellers, corners and crevasses for moss, and a nice place for the birds to nest and tend to their ablutions. 

These models are 3d prints from Myminifactory. They turned out a little ropey here and there, but being trolls-turned-to-stone I figure they can be a little rough around the edges. 

As their current state is, um, well, stone they were a pretty quick paintjob. A few passes with the airbrush, some drybrushing, washes, LOTS of tufts and BOOM, done.

The first-post hobby flurry was made even better as it was spent with the Antipodean crew who had set up a Paint & Chat to ring-in the Challenge. Thanks guys for keeping me awake as I cracked on with this lot!

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Each of these trolls are roughly 54mm in scale, so we'll go with 10 points each, giving me 30 points to break the duck (and a Squirrel Point no less!).

Again, welcome to AHPC XVI. Let the fun begin!

- Curt