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.

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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 DavidB: Pulp goodies (70 points)

Garford-Putilov was an armored car made by Russia in WW1. It had a top speed a little better than 10 miles an hour as is was pushing a lot of armor as well as 7.62 maxim machine guns with one in the rear turret and two side sponsons it also had a 76mm cannon on it's unique turret. Unique as the turret had the rear of the truck covered in a 270 degree arc. the gun also had a shroud, but more as a safety so the gunner couldn't get tunnel vision in battle and shoot the truck. 

For it's time it had a good record and was used in the Great War and the Russian Civil War. of the 50 or less trucks made there are no known to remain. 

I found this print on Thingiverse by Windham Graves and it was a truck that had enough quirks I had to print one. I read a little on it while it printed and I am tempted always to build an armored train from the period and I can see this truck being a good addition to a truck convoy or an ambushing force.

I did go overboard with the weathering on this truck. knowing the time and period, and it being a print with noticeable layer lines( before I figured that out) 

I used it to practice more weathering and I paid particular attention to where wear and tear would occur.

the gun tub especially is a good spot for water to gather.

I painted chip paint where the gun shroud would impact the truck.

I also painted scrapes on the turret and tub made by the turret rotation.

This truck is splendidly quirky enough to use in pulpy games or interwar shenanigans.

If only I had some troops to use with it......

A few years ago I found Bob Murch at Adepticon and bought his Germans for a purpose long forgotten. Probably from an idea on Lead Adventure forum... So my BBEG has an old Russian AC, maybe a few. He will need some capable hammer type minions to provide security and muscle for heists as he builds his zombie horde or stompy robots of death. What better sort of trouble for a plot armor clad hero than some Fallschirmjager led by a capable and fanatical officer! 

I think they were intended as Zeppelin troops, but I think I can find use for them in interwar skirmish as german troops getting hands on experience. I painted them entirely in fanatic paints using ochres, umbers, and some vibrant blue for a bright luftwaffe blue.

An officer and two NCOs lead... 

Four mauser equipped troops

and another three with machine guns

The tanks have five layers of ochre paint applied in lined highlights to give the tanks a used look to them. I used a reddish wash on the wood furniture of the weapons to give them a reddish wood look.

This should give a two fisted protagonist a spot of bother!

one truck for 20 points

and 10 infantry for 50 points....

and back to the desk to see if I can kick out another batch

TeemuL: More wonderful vehicles from you David, a pleasure to minion this one, too. I'm with you, vehicle like that should see a lot of action, so characterful and also something most people wouldn't believe to be true - so perfect for Pulp battles and more. The weathering, wear and tear, excellent! And you made some infantry to fight with it, well done.

From TomL: DIY & Sarah's cart (70 points)

Leading us to the DIY section is Bernadette, another figure from the Dangerous Dames II set by Bob Murch.

I needed some suitable statues for a horror game I have vague plans for in the future. I had this dream about how I could enhance the final battle by following the library path. This was not the first dream about painting and the path through the library but it was oddly specific. It made sense. I’m sure I am not the only one to dream about making more progress than the given day allows. Anyone?  No?

Moving on, some resin statues, extra bases and  thread bobbins were gathered from various places about the painting table and lead mountain.

A quick dry fit seemed like this would be perfect so I glued everything together. A textured black rustoleum primer did an excellent job hiding years of scratches on the bobbins which were used formerly as painting handles.  Being monstrosities from space and time I figured I needed something different for a paint scheme and turned to my Vallejo Galaxy Dust metallic shifting paint set.  I sprayed several different colors in alternating vertical stripes on the column which in person change beautifully with your viewing angle.  The crouching Cthulhu statues were painted in three of the green based shifters (body, tentacles, wings).  Again a really nice effect in person but rather hard to show in a picture. The reflective paint really messed with my white balance and I had to manually set everything.

The flower dotted ivy crawling down the column, the field of sickly beautiful flowers ringing it and the skulls scattered about them will tie in with other library entries destined for the game. Are they just stone or will they stand as soon as one crosses between them?

A bit of interpretation here for points so please adjust as needed:
1 x 28mm figure * 5 pts = 5 points.
2 x 51mm figures * 9 points  = 18 points. [Millsy - I've scored these as 54mm @ 10pts each]
The columns are 2.9”  by 5" by 3” or about 25% of a cube for 5 points.
Library cart - 20 points.
DIY - 20 points. 

10 warning skulls for the count.

From Millsy: You can never go wrong with anything Lovecraftian Tom, especially when you do something like this with it! I can't decide whether I think the reflective paint which makes them look weirdly wet or oily is better than the colourful basing. Your dame is also superb and I can almost hear her saying "Listen carefully, I will say this only once!" The math for the statues was off so I've corrected it for you, meaning 70 points for your tally!

RobH - Saxon 1066 (50 Points)

 In May 2021 I backed Bob Murch's (Pulp Figures) 1066 Saxon Kickstarter in conjunction with Crucible Crush Miniatures. I selected the Saxon Raiders Pledge. They were purchased in order to build a SAGA army. I received my rewards last October. Thanks to the glorious autumn in Montreal  I was able to prep most of the selection before the weather turned. 

I do my undercoats on the balcony using a spray can. 

Two units are ready, in addition to the villagers I posted last week.

Unit Number 1 - Foot Command - 5 figures

Unit Number 2 - Dane Axes - 5 figures

10 x 25mm figures @ 5 Points each = 50 Points

Minion Miles: These are some very fine figures and will make a very fine part of a SAGA warband!

RobH - A Hodgepodge of Figures (75 Points)

 Today I offer a varied collection of figures. A real hodgepodge as I put it.

1) Party of Adventurers

This is a group of travelling Clerics with a Magic User accompanied by a mule train of supplies and trade goods. The mules came from my mountain of lead, while the adventurers were part of a gift of figures given to me this pass summer when I visited Nova Scotia.

2) Villagers exercising their right to vote. These three figures were part of the package of figures I was gifted on my travels. With torch and pitchfork they seem intent on removing a local bigwig.

3) Two of the 1066 peasant Women and Children figures I received as part of Bob Murch's 1066 Saxon Kickstarter in conjunction with Crucible Crush Miniatures.  I will apply the Woman and Child as Lady Sarah's Limo to take me onto my next studio location.

4) The final figure is Gollum, as offered by Harlequin Miniatures when they held the licence to produce LOTR figures.

Points Scored

11 x 25 mm Figures @ 5 Points = 55 Points

1 x Lady Sarah's Limousine Service = 20 Points

Total 75 Points

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It may be a hodgepodge of figures, but they make for a great review, Rob. I quite like the clerics with their faithful pack pony, and it's great to see some of Bob Murch's new 1066 figures getting the proper painterly treatment. I didn't know that Harlequin Miniatures had the LotR licence, so seeing their version of Gollum is a real treat. Good work!

- Curt

From RobH - 2nd Post - Double Feature, Science Fiction (65 Points)

I have a quick follow-up with some more Pulp Figures by Bob Murch. The first is Dr. Promethius & his Death Ray (PWM -13) as part of his Weird Menace line. 

Next are a group of figures I have dubbed, the Yellow Venom Society, who will be making an appearance in a Daredevils RPG (FGU) game I am running. 

They are listed as Evil Hooded Minions 1 (PWM-4) and Evil Hooded Minions 2 (PWM-5). As Bob writes in his catalogue, "Nefarious members of a criminal cult, the hooded minion was a staple of Pulp Era fiction." So are mad scientists with their death rays. 

As the leader of this nefarious I have chosen the Crimson Scorpion from Weird Villains 1 (PWM - 1). I however was inspired by Lord Byron and The Destruction of Sennacherib and painted him, gleaming in purple and gold.

Scoring - 65 Points

11 - 28mm Figures @ 5 points each = 55 Points

1 - 28mm mounted figure, artillery piece or crew served weapon @ 10 points = 10 Points

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Well done Rob. Looking out at the Park across the street this morning, things seem nice and clear. But that said, a Death Ray might be a useful way to keep things quiet around here. At least the Yellow Venom Society have the decency to pay for the proper permits and clean up after their events. 

GregB