From JeremyM: Burrows and Badgers (55 points)

Phew this post comes in by the skin of my teeth. Our gracious host gave me a reminder today that the deadline was nigh. I must admit that I had completely forgotten about the challenge this year, but thankfully I have been painting.

Curt recently introduced us to the fabulous anthropomorphic game Burrows and Badgers. I had heard a lot about the system and after a trial game I was pretty taken. We've started a small campaign game and I decided to paint up my first warband...and a few other figures that I'm sure will make the table for future warbands....one can never have enough goofy animals after all.

I drew the freebeast faction for the campaign and I decided my warband would be bird based. I had a few bird files in my myminifactory library and I saw some quick potential to do some simple digital kitbashing to make them more anthropomorphic. Here is the warband thus far.

The backrow has a massive condor that I had to shrink down but also replaced its head with a plague doctor mask. The next one to the right in the back is a great horned owl with a golden mask I believe from rescale miniatures that just needed some rescaling work as well. Hard to see in the back but there is also a blue heron that I decided to add a magic wand to and a mickey mouse's sorcerer's apprentice hat as well. The front row contains a hawk with a spear, two small owls with guns (goonmaster miniatures), and a wizard owl as well. 

None have hit the table yet so I'm sure all my plans for greatness will go up in smoke quickly. The system is really crunchy to say the least with so many different options to try out...which led me to start looking at other factions, animals, equipment, and magic. So more animals had to hit the painting table.

Sticking with themes I decided one future warband would have to be made up of reptiles and amphibians...toads, frogs, and a snake. The first toad is in the backrow right holding a hammer. The front row contains a toad wizard with a suitably fancy hat. And finally the front row on the left is the snake. I scaled him down...likely a bit too much but also added a digitally kitbashed hat to fit the theme. But why stop there as analysis paralysis with all the options simply means more models. So I also painted up a couple of fox archers both in the back row for a future kindred warband as well. 

So there is my first Burrows and Badgers Warband and the start of two new warbands to come as well. 

That's a total of 11 28mm figures at 5 points each for 55 points.

JeremyM

==========================

 Sylvain: It is, literally, the eleventh hour. Congratulations, you're not kicked out of the Challenge! But jokes aside, you're proposing a remarkable set of anthropomorphic animals. (Praise the 3d printer!) The poses are dynamic (or restful...), the colors are lively and imitate quite well fur or slimy skin. And the bases are top notch, a great demonstration of your talent as a painter. I'm so glad we did not loose you to oblivion as we'll get to see more of your work. Excellent travail!

From Scott R: Space Aussies playing as Astra Militarum in 10th Edition 40K (100 points)

 Project Astra Militarum or Space Aussies

Last year i was re-introduced to 40K after being absent for well of 20 years.  With 10th Edition being released and the game mechanic looking very different to why i left, i gave it another try.  I pulled out my old eldar (now Aldari) and gave it a bash.  It was fun again.

I also took up 3D printing last year as well and after 8 months, finally have the nut cracked on producing excellent figures, vehicles etc.  I participated in Victoria miniatures Kickstarter for space Aussies, a stand in Guard for 40K.  Using the Cadian background I commenced collecting and printing like a man possessed.  This of course along with the other 50 plus activities i was working on.

So here we are, kicking off the start of the final builds, prints and commencement of painting.  

Just under 3500 points. Still a couple of vehicles to build and a few gaps in the infantry line to print.

Victoria Miniatures and the Kickstarter.

I receive notifications of up coming kickstarters, so when I saw the title Space Aussies, I knew this was going to be great, especially from Victoria Lamb.  It didn't disappoint.

The Infantry and crews:

I was fortunate to pick up the codex from the local brick and mortar and started to read the force composition.  This was the guide to what i needed to print.  The plan was to use prints for as much of my infantry and crews as possible.

WIP.  Printed Shock Troops, Kasrkin, jungle fighters, Ogryns, weapon crews, vehicle crews and command.

A summary of the points claimed for the figures:

[TBA]

=================================================

Sylvain: Scott, this looks like a tremendously fun project! Since today is the deadline for submissions, I'm going to give you 100pts for 20x 28mm figurines (@ 5 points each). I hope you could find a few minutes later on to clarify how many points you are claiming. Excellent travail!

 

From BartekR: From Devil's Reef...Deep One (7pts)

Hi all, like a few challengers, its been a bit of a slow start for me - travel around the globe (back home in Australia for a summery Xmas and new year, before returning back to a snowy Kyiv). It has been great to see what everyone has been posting (however FOMO inducing :-)

Belated season's best wishes.

First up (and scraping me over the cut-off line) is a modest bit of Lovecraftian badness, the large Deep One from the "Masters of Devil's Reef" set (Bob Murch as part of the Cthulhu28s range, now produced by North Star). Ironically, this set was part of my aspirational goals for Challenge XIII (which I didn't get to - as is the way).

Painting process was: black undercoat, white zenithal spray and dry brush before speed and contrast paints then multiple washes. In hindsight a lot of those were overkill. The end result is a bit too T-34 than 28mm figure at arms length to my eye, but broadly in keeping with Lovecraft's descriptions of these amphib nightmares. One thing I really wish I had gloss varnish or wet effects paints here - to amp up the dankness. 

Points claim: this is an oversized figure for 28mm, so claiming a total of 7pts (notionally as a 40mm mini). 

 

Plans for the rest of the challenge are a bunch of squirrels to start with: sample Warlord sprues from various issues of WI magazine and a dragon that came with an Army Painter paint set. Once I get my eye in with those I'll have a go at some of the 'away' pile of opportunity (built since last April). Warlord Epic Revolution is top of list, but there is a smattering of Blood Bowl teams, some Horus Heresy and Warhammer The Old World, and Pendraken 10mm British and Scots for the '45.

================================
Sylvain: Bartek, I'm glad you made it before the deadline, welcome to the Challenge! I understand that your travels keep you busy, but I hope you are also able to keep safe and stay warm. On to your work: your Deep One is beautifully ugly and lovingly creepy. Even without a glossy varnish, the pose, sculpt and texture suggest a slimy creature. You have achived with the eyes a very spooky effect. Excellent travail!

From PeterD: Badass Female Pulp Adventurers 28mm (30 points)

I had a full serving of life catching up to me since Christmas, so have slowed down my output and lowered my expected output.  Instead I am trying to get a bit done and post what I can finish.  This week I have a set of 6 Badass Femme Adventurers, or at least that’s what the Kickstarter from Bad Squiddo called them.  I got in on this Kickstarter during the last Challenge but they didn’t arrive until after the Spring Equinox so I saved them for this year.

Like all Bad Squiddo figures they are nicely cast and posed, dressed correctly and I’ve no idea what I’ll use them for.  Maybe Curt has some Pulp Adventures rules that could use a gang of female bikers.  The biggest issue for me was they were cast without bases but ready to be used in Slotta bases.  Not being a GW fan, I had no Slotta bases on hand so I went to the local Warhammer Store.  Store manager was a nice guy, gave me excellent service and was able to order some in, since they’re now only used for Blood Bowl.  I’d go back again if he sold something that I wanted.  However the Slotta slots were too long and too narrow for the Bad Squiddo tabs, so out came the Xacto to make em fit and I plugged any gaps in the groundskeeping phase.

These figures came named as follow.

• Shiela has not let helmet head affect her fashionable Louise Brooks bob.  She wears a camel coat and high boots with a pistol to accessorize.
• Blanche has raided the toolbox and carries an adjustable spanner for close up work and a pistol for ranged combat.  Her jodhpurs will be useful to fill up on snacks at the Buffett table before the night’s adventures.

• Edna is going two fisted with a brace of pistols.  IIRC this figure has issues in casting so is a bit of a limited edition.
• Ruth carries a burning desire and a Molotov along with a pistol.  She has wisely kept her goggles and gloves on.

• Kathleen obviously leans left with her red beret, overalls and SMG.
• Violet has a more sombre coat and carries a long arm.  Her leather gloves will save her nails against recoil.

Basing issues aside these were fun to work with.  I claim 30 points for the six figures.  I’ll also make this my first squirrel 🐿️.

 

======================

Sylvain: Despite all the obstacles, you were able to bring these lovely adventurers to the gaming table. You did a very nice paint job and opted for classic wears, in line with the fashion in the 30s. I especially like the baggy pants, they is a "je-ne-sais-quoi" to them. Your basing also brings lots of variety to the batch. Excellent travail!

 

From GregB: Warmaster Dogs of War Artillery (16 points)

10mm "Galloper Guns" for Warmaster. 

Challenge participant BruceR has been inspiring me with his Warmaster-scaled Dogs of War entries during this edition of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. I too love playing GW's "Warmaster", and I also love the "Dogs of War". Now, the "Dogs of War" were done by GW in 28mm, never in their old 10mm version of the Fantasty game. But thanks to the efforts of genius 3D designers and printers, there are now some really awesome "Dogs of War" suited just perfectly for the scale - and this submission is a prime example. This is a battery of Mercenary "galloper guns", modeled on "Bronzino's Galloper Guns" from the original "Dogs of War" collection. I believe these were designed by "MiniRat". 

Bronzino directs his crew as the gun is laid for action...

The match is lowered...

Of course, the original 28mm version of Bronzino had lost a leg, poor chap. The battery commander here still has both - so one might assume this is simply a younger, less-veteran version of the famous mercenary commander (or perhaps the more famed commander is available as a separate hero sculpt, something I need to investigate). These figures have been gathering dust in my pile for years...after all I painted a 10mm version of Braganza's Besiegers back in 2022, and I would have picked these up at the same time... 

On this base, we have a limbered version of the gun - move lads!

These "MiniRat" designs are just brilliant. The proportions have a slight amount of exaggeration, done just right, to enhance the look of the 10mm sized figure. I tried to catch every detail I could manage. 

These sculpts are just tremendous! They are really fun to paint.

Maybe the only issue I encountered is that they did not size very well on the bases...in hindsight I should have shaved off the sharp edges, as they are all sculpted/printed together on the single base...oh well...

Points-wise, we have two horses, two guns, and four foot figures, all in 10mm, which makes for 16 points, I believe. 

Contract firepower to support the highest bidder is now available for my Warmaster collection! That's all for this week - hope to be back with more next Wednesday.

 

=======================

Sylvain: Wow, just wow! You picked up so much details in these tiny miniatures, even at a distance it's possible to distinguish the parts of the harness on the horse. Obviously, this is a labor of love and you do love your miniatures and the story behind them. I can't wait to read the next episode of you projects. Excellent travail! 

From TomL: Somerset Strikers (25 points)

Continuing on with my attempts to use different stencils I have my second  BattleTech unit.   This is the “Somerset Strikers” lance.  Their normal camouflage is a yellow tiger stripe over black.  At this scale using the tiger stripe stencil was a failure. I repainted using the disc camo stencil and cleaned up the black manually.  I am happy enough with the final result but the stripe stencil is going back in the model drawer.
 

 

Base colors were Vallejo Model Air, the weathering and weapons were done with Vallejo model colors. The cockpits were finished with Tamiya clear.
Score:
25 points for 5 figures
5 points for the Stompy robots of death duel.

==========================

Sylvain:  Another batch of mighty robots! As usual, you did an amazing paint job on these, and it's very inspiring that you are trying new techniques. Excellent travail!

From ChrisW: More of this and that (280 points)

 * BREAKING NEWS DISASTER STRIKES *

MINIS AND PAINT POT DROP TOGETHER!

When I was nearing the end of painting 33 Pulp Figures American marines I accidently nudged the tray on which the figures sat (including the open container of paint) and down went all together.

Some were worse off than others, but still 24 figures were impacted

Even the 9 that avoided the black paint did not escape damage

I could not face them, so, I put those miniatures aside and started to work on some other figures. When I am in the AHPC I always have a few groups of figures on the go, a production line. I find I am not very patient and dislike waiting for miniatures to dry, so while something is drying I start working on the next group. It does mean that I have a lot of trays of figures stacked around my hobby room in various stages of completion, so it was easy to move on to another group.

Trotsky's Train Guards [10x 28mm 50 points]

These are Brigade Games figures that I bought only two years ago! I used GW contrast paint as the base for these figures. I then followed up with Vallejo shade paint then a highlighting of P3 Khaldor red. The leather was just a mid tone brown with a Vallejo brown wash. The badges on them are a mess, I tried but they just do not stand up to a close look, maybe okay on the battlefield.

Lady Zorr, her swamp mate & her brood of Zorrlings [Alien invaders 10x 28mm 50 points]

I got these from Alternative armies. They are of various sizes. The smaller ones are metal while the large ones are made from paint repelling resin. 

Lady Zorr

Family portrait

Brain power

These were done mostly with contrast paints. The brains were highlighted with a GW pink and the lips were highlighted with a P3 orange. Once I painted them I kind of realized that it looks like i painted interstellar pumpkins. These will be added to my existing collection of 28mm Pulp aliens/monsters.

Halfling mage for a slow growing Fantastic Battles Halfling army [1x 28mm 5 points]

So, she may actually not be a Halfling figure but she is the right size and her dress does hide her feet. She is an RPG figure but I cannot remember who makes her. Like some of the other figures in this post, I used contrast for her. Her face did not work out that well as there is not that much defined detail to it. Even a light wash of Guillman flesh obscured the detail so I had to do some highlighting but the end result is more abstract than detailed.

I do kind of like the spell effect, I think it came out fairly well. 

American marines 1 crew served MG with three crew + 30 marines. [175 points]

So, I managed to get back to those marines and finish them off just in time for Wednesday's posting.

The figures are from Pulp Figures and the colours used were from Mark Hargreaves painting guide for the Back of beyond. 

My colours did not come out like the pictures in the book, but it will do for now. I might do a final wash to bring down the brightness of the green pants, something to make them a little more worn looking. I also tried to emulate his  painting style but with only limited success. Still all in all it is nice to have these done. Maybe this will inspire me to tackle my American naval figures.

A mix of mostly riflemen, with some shotguns, tommy guns, a couple of BARS & 3 Lewis guns and one Browning.

 

Points this time

• 150  points for 30x 28mm Pulp Marines
•   25  points for crew served weapon and 3 crew members
•   50  points for 10x 28mm RCW/Back of Beyond
•   50  points for 10x 28mm Alien Invaders
•     5  points for   1x 28mm Halfling

280 Points Total

Oh and I am now two disks into season 4 of Babylon 5(my way of tracking how much time I have spent painting stuff)

Squirrels

Three more squirrels for a total of 7

1. Gladiators
2. Epic Orcs
3. Epic Imperial
4. Warlord Chinese
5. Red Russians RCW Back of Beyond
6. Alien Invaders
7. Pulp US Marines

Lady Sarah

1 Halfling mage & Lady Zorr.

 

===========================

Sylvain: Despite your disaster, your production is on high octane! All your figurines are lovely, but Lady Zorr and her "family really cracks me up! You also do an very neat job on those bases. All in all, for this and that, 280 well deserved points. Excellent travail!