From RossM: Citadel C06 Northern Dwarves 60 points

Second stage on the challenge island at Millsy's Millpond a perfect topic for me being retro figures.

In several if not more previous AHPC I have submitted retro figures from my favourite period of Citadel Miniatures, that is up until circa 1985.

The two Northern Dwarves below are from this period and their back story will follow:

Bought in the Hobbies and Models shòp in my home town at the pricely sum of £0.45 each. (Shudder to think what the finecast versions would cost).

The purchase would have been made midweek after school most likely on route to the library, ironically one of the libraries I worked in later in life as a librarian. This would have been circa October 1984.

Both figures were painted at the time in a mix of enamels and oil paints. Yes, I used oils at this time before purchasing my first set of acrylics early in 1985.

The figures were used to portray two Naugrim brothers in MERP, both Scouts who were members of the Order of the Axe. Conn Sure-shot and Finn Swift-bow.

The Order based in the Blue Mountains actively sought to regain lost treasures of the Dwarves in any form, however Mithril was considered the most precious.

Travelling south through Dunland to Rohan, the brothers and other Order members were beset by many challenges before arriving at the gates of Moria.

Moria proved too big a challenge and the brothers and many others of the Order did not return. The next game different figures from the above range were used.

Now, in 2020 I have collected all of the above, granted not all are yet painted.

So, on to the points

Two 28mm Dwarves : 10 points
Millsy's Mill Challenge: 30 points
Pre 1990 figures: 10 points
Back story: 10 points

Total: 60 points
Running total: 164 points (32.8% of Challenge total)

Hope I have this right.

Cheers for now

Well those are two veteran Dwarves if ever there were.  Great work on the figures and a fine back story.  I can remember those figures from War-games mags in the early 80s and it's great to see that you got the whole clan back together.  
Peter D

From StuartL - Challenge Island Safari Journal - 3rd March (47 Points)

Long time, no see intrepid C.I.S.T.ers. Today the Challenge Island Safari Tour is on the move again, this time to the area known as Millsy's Millpond. Unlike some of the more rambunctious areas of the island, the millpond is a sedate place and very popular with our more venerable visitors.

As a case in point, a fellow tourist is already at the millpond. This ancient veteran of the Imperium dates back to the halcyon days of 1989, when men were men and xenos died to a quick jet of burning promethium.

"Nowadays, kids are twice as big and have no respect for first company veterans," grumbles the terminator, "All these Primary Marines and their bigly scales, they wouldn't have lasted 10 seconds in Space Hulk or Rogue Trader."

For the more detail oriented among you, this terminator's iconography and heraldry mark him out as a member of the Angels of Redemption, a 2nd Founding chapter of the Dark Angels. Also note the hazard stripes on his power fist, a requisite of the island's health and safety policy.

This doughty warrior was originally recruited through the ancient rites of eBay, back when individuals used it and it wasn't just a market tool for companies selling everything through the 'Buy It Now' option. Along with several others of his generation, our lone terminator here has remained in storage for a long time until called forth by the drumbeat of war (or the painting challenge in this case).

"Everything is digitally sculpted these days, no rough edges or wobbly lines," he sniffs disparagingly. "Where's the character, hmm? Disgraceful what they call grimdark, ruddy kids."

And it appears that this old geezer has settled down for a bit of a nap, so let's be on our way quietly and try not to wake him up.

----------

As I mentioned above, this model was bought a long time ago through eBay. I had plans to build up an all terminator army for 40K, but got distracted with one thing or another for 15 or so years. Sadly to say, that's probably not the longest that I have had something sitting around unpainted for. I chose this colour scheme as it was one that I had used around the time the model was purchased and figured I'd like to try it out again. I also tried to hand paint the chapter logo on the shoulder pad. It has reminded me of the two golden rules of painting split colour schemes like this.
Rule 1 for painting a split colour scheme is: Paint the lighter half first, you can tidy up any overlap with the darker colour.
Rule 2 for painting a split colour scheme is: Don't. (It's a right chew on if the model has no easily definable lines on it).

Anyway, that should net me 5 points for the mini, 30 for the location and a 10 point bonus as it is pre-1990. I don't think "I got it on eBay" is enough to count for a back story, so I'll settle for 45 points, which is generous enough for a single mini.

MilesR: Love the paint scheme - reminds me the late actor Frank Gorshin from an original Star Trek episode.  I score 40 fgures as 40mm so 7 points there rather than 5

From NoelW: Gone but not frogotten : Millsy’s Millpond: (10 points)

Last time we were here, we came across a rather rude frog. And here he is again!

“Ribbit!”

“What do you mean ‘kiss me’?”

I look at my corporal quizzically: “You speak amphibian?”

My men are a continual surprise.

“I had a somewhat misspent youth.”

“With frogs?”

His face reddens: “Don’t jump to any conclusions. Mainly just leapfrog.”

“And this one wants you to kiss him? Her? It?”

“It’s a well-known fact. Well, motif. Well, cliché of the lazy writer. If you kiss a frog, it’ll be restored to its original human self and shower the kisser with treasure.”

“Or warts?” I suggest. But his last word strangely interests me. It’s certainly worth a try, if treasure is involved.

“Ok, Corporal. Or, let’s say, Sergeant, shall we? Give the amorous amphibian what it desires.”

With an unexpected lack of reluctance my newly elevated sergeant leans down to the frog and, well, surprise, surprise, there’s a flash of absolutely no light at all, no sound of thunder, not even a whisper of wind, and where there was a frog and a sergeant suddenly I’ve no frogs and two sergeants. Frankly, given the way things have been going with sergeants lately, I’d confidently expected to have two frogs.

“Good to have you back,” I say to the newly reintegrated sergeant, as he's escorted shakily back into line.

“Ribbit,” he says.

I interpret this to mean “It’s surely time to put all this behind us and be on our way to Benito’s Brook.”

---

This was a difficult one, finding a vignette of early figures for Millsy's delight, so a slight compromise. The figures are definitely from pre-2000, but I don’t know exactly when, acquired from a miscellaneous collection at a Bring and Buy. They’re Wargames Foundry Indian Mutiny figures. I’ve no plans for a British 1850s army in India, but they’ll be fine as part of my Cape Wars collection. The Brits in these wars, against Xhose, Boer and various other groups, wore various motley uniforms on campaign (which was most of the time) and as the wars cover pretty much 100 years (1779-1879) most variants of uniform over the first three quarters of the nineteenth century are acceptable.

Score: 2 x 28mm figs: 10 points

MilesR: An excellent story to match two excellent figures.  Your pointology is a bit off as you forgot your 30 bonus points.  Never fear, that's what minions are for.  Well that and lots of menial tasks Curt assigns us which were hidden in the contract and are - well, perhaps I digress here.  40 points for you!



Edited by TamsinP - the location bonus points were added by mistake (this is Noel's 2nd visit to the location) and have now been removed.