From PhilH: Commandos are Overdue to Endor (55 points)

Finishing up in the first room, a small submission at Overdue & Returns of these Star Wars Legion Rebel Commandos for this slow burn project. As I track my hobbying using Trello, I know I started these on 1 June 2023, got the base colours down and then moved house and didn’t pick them up again until the other week.

They’re doubly overdue as I should have knocked these out in short order, but some wider stuff has been hugely draining on hobby time and Challenge energy. I don’t hugely enjoy painting these Legion Rebels, so faffed about with them for halfheartedly. But it’s nice to get something off the painting desk.

The sniper team I finished shortly before the challenge, but they’re now reunited. I’ve also finished the first room of this mighty fine library, hurrah!

Five 35mm minis is 35 points plus the 20 location bonus for 55.

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Regardless of how late they may be, the brushwork on these fellows is exquisite. It's been quite some time since I have perused the rebel figures for "Star Wars Legion", and I am curious - are these figures from the game maker (i.e. Fantasy Flight Games, or whatever-the-f*ck they are called now), or are they 3d prints, or are they a mix of both?

They look fantastic - and much for fun to imagine getting up to fight-for-freedom mischief on Endor than the ridiculous Ewoks...but should they run into trouble facing an "entire Legion" of the Emperor's "best troops", I'm sure a few log traps and bows will help get them out of trouble...

Greg painting Phil!

GregB

From PhilH: Mooning about the Fantasy and Children’s Sections

When I visited with the Snowlord, he kindly introduced me to the whimsical fantasy skirmish game Moonstone. Turns out he has solid taste in games and it’s super good fun: a surprisingly tightly-designed tactical game with deep gameplay, unique models, many of which are daft as a brush. There’s also a decent community at my local store and a good friend bought in, so I’ve been collecting the Leshavult faction, playing and painting quite a lot of it in recent months.

So, for my next two library locations, a couple of Moonstone characters. I expect you’ll see a few more from me before the Challenge is out.

 

First, the faun wizard Gloom. His signature is to Shadow Walk about the table, so I tried to work with the light of the lamp as the focus for the miniature, and the rest of him dark and shadowy. He’s my choice for the Fantasy section.

Second, the delightfully dorky Jackalope. Being fluffy and cuddly it will be my submission for the Children’s section. It’s also quite vicious on the table.

I leave it to my esteemed minion whether the Jackalope counts as a monster, Gloom as a 28mm foot miniature and two locations makes ?..  

Another fine submission, Phil! Gloom is great, and the osl effect is pretty convincing. I like the dark, muted colours and the contrast with the lighter parts. Well done indeed!  The Jackalope is very good as well, perhaps not the best gift to comfort a child of a nervous disposition, but a fine paint job. As I hear that it measures about 35mm to the top of the hump, I will not score it as a monster, but I’ll consider it a 40mm figure; so 7 points. You may be walking rather close to the edge here, but I suppose, with a little imagination (which is not something I am particularly know for), it might be seen as “something darker for the children”. Which brings you another 52 points.

Martijn

From PhilH: Researching Armour and AT at the History section (85 points)

Continuing my amble through the first section of the library with more support options for WWII Fall of France. I focused on the core infantry platoon and some supports in Challenge XIII, then in the spring blitzed through a peloton of motorcycle recce troops.

I have a few more bits for the project in the stash (and the Germans prepped and waiting patiently in the queue), and the French were are lacking armour. First, a Warlord Games 47mm Antitank gun. A chunky  threat to see off those panzers.  

Next, the 3D printer whirred into action to run off a Panhard 178 armoured car, affectionally know as ‘PanPans’ to support the recce troops. Except when one is 3D printing, why print one when you can print two?! So here’s two PanPans for twice the fun. 

These are nice 28mm 1/56 scale files from the Fighting Vehicles Patreon. The turrets are a little tight, just noticed that one on the left needs a bit of forcing down. 

I am fond of French armour design and just added a little stowage to bring them to life. Fortunately I remembered to order some French roundel decals before Christmas, and pinched the others from kits I have in the stash. 

I am keen to hunt down appropriately scaled stls for other French armour, especiallythe commonplace Renault R35. 

A crewed weapon, four crew two of which are prone (40 25) two vehicles (40) and the location bonus makes a lovely 100  85 points. 

Replacement minion Martijn here, as Greg is attending to other duties. I love those early war French, Phil! The camo on the equipment is very well done and the 3D printed Panhards look absolutely great. Well done indeed.

Unfortunately, your math is a little off. Prone figures traditionally score half the points and the gun 10, so that's 25 for the gun and crew,, added to the two vehicles and the location bonus makes a still very respectable 85 points for you.

From PhilH: Learning New Skills at New Acquisitions (55 points)

Hello, sorry for the radio silence from my paint desk and on people’s posts but it’s quite a disrupted time for my family and my hobby setup isn’t what I’d like for the foreseeable. Still, I’ll at last be joining in Challenge XIV. I’ve painting as much as my schedule allows, but been very lax on the finishing and photographing. I’ll have a few posts to follow this one once I’ve staved off The Cut. 

It seems appropriate to start my journey around the Analogueville Public Library at ‘Front Desk & New Acquisitions’. Start at the front door and for a jaunty hello from the staff and all that. My new hobby acquisition since the last challenge has been an Elegoo Saturn resin printer. I’ve been incorporating resin prints into my hobby for a few years now, but finally I can industrialise production and despair at the prospect of ever painting it all. 

As with all new skills there’s a learning curve, though once I’d looked at looked at a few setups and figured out what to do about the toxic gunk, I found resin printing quite straightforward. My entry here of five Wookie Warriors for Star Wars was once of my first print runs, and I’d not quite got my exposure settings dialled in, so the details are a touch soft and the cheapo resin quite brittle. The keen eyed might spot some damages from prep and painting, and two of the seven I printed were unsalvageable once I’d pinged their weapons off.

The fur was all drybrushed, just leaving the picking out of facial details, their webbing and weapons to match the rebel troopers I did last year. The files are from the sadly now-defunct Squamous Miniatures Patreon. I love the obscenely big support weapon and Vietnam-era marines look to the webbing and helmets, a nice twist on wookies. The designer now operates as David Sheff Models (DSM) and releases via Kickstarter, I thought his Patreon was the most interesting and best value Star Wars-inspired Patreon and miss it.

Five big wookies in 40mm scale is 35 points, plus the location bonus opens my tally at 55 points. 

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Wonderful to see you join us, Phil! Cutting it a little fine mate, but well worth it, and all in the spirit of these magnificent Wookie warriors who look more than ready to pull-off any daunting rescue mission. Very nice models (too bad they're not available anymore). As you say, they really take well to the 'Nam-like webbing, and your smooth brushwork really does them justice (really like the amber lenses and metallic glints from the hafts of their blades. Yes, 3d printing has a bit of a learning curve to it, but it looks like you have everything well in hand. You're now fully empowered to (like me) produce metric sh*t tonnes of stuff that you'll never manage to paint. :)  

Welcome back!!

- Curt

From PhilH: Last minute arrival at the Director’s Chair (27 Points)

“Okay, what do you have in your collection that you’ve been avoiding, or perhaps you’ve been meaning to get to it but it always seems to get pushed to the back of the hobby desk?  I want you to dig deep for an award winning performance.”

I was thankful for a broad brief from our esteemed Challenge ringmaster, when I suggested I might make a run at the Director’s Chair. And I looked at my heap of prepped models, and there were a couple that fit the bill perfectly. I had plans but with seven days flex, it would be tight, but I thought I could make it. 

I’ll just paint the base on my planned DC entry while I finish off this Yellow Brick Road, won’t take me a jiffy…

…wait, how is it Thursday already?…

…it’s one model, how am I still working on this at 2100 on challenge close?

Yeah between this and that the other it wasn’t a great week for painting. I had to rejig my last Studios on Friday as I’d made little progress on my Director’s Chair and it was never going to get done. Well anyway, it seems fitting to finish the Challenge with something else from A Galaxy Far, Far Away instead. Having done Luke earlier in the Challenge, now for everyone's favourite scoundrel. Yes, damn straight he shoots first. 

He wasn’t a Challenge bugbear when I started him, but he became it as the week goes on. First, spot the deliberate mistake. Then the gloves took a wee while, don’t filmmakers think of the painters 45 years down the line? But he’s pretty nicely painted if I do say so myself.

This is a 3D Print 'Smug Smuggler' from one of the major stl producers, Skullforge Studios. They captured Han's likeness faaaaar better than Fantasy Flight Games, whose sculpt is a travesty. 

To finish up, 7 points and if accepted for the nomination, the final location bonus of 20 to close out my challenge. 770 points! I think that’s an all time high score for me, I traditionally squeak over my points target in…*checks watch*…about an hours time. 

Which just leaves me to say, huge thanks to Curt for running the show once again, thanks to Miles for applying some maths to give us the veneer of credibility, to Sidney for the lovely Studio map, to my minion Martin and my fellow minions for keeping everyone on track and the points mathematically aligned. And thanks to everyone for your wonderful entries, gracious comments on each other’s posts and kindly banter. 

Take care all, until AHPC XIV!

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Wow, what a fabulous bit of brushwork there, Phil. I consider myself a big Star Wars fan, but have never picked up on Han wearing racing gloves. Now, that is something that makes your figure quite unique.  Also, congratulations on achieving a personal high score and all achieved hours before the finish. Well done my friend, and thanks again for all your fine work serving as our Friday Minion. Bravo!

- Curt

From PhilH: Superheroes? Nah, Supervillains! (32 Points)

Quick jaunt to the Superheroes studio (backtracking through B&W) while I wait to put the finishing touches to my Director’s Chair submission. I’ve deliberately not been doing much Marvel Crisis Protocol this challenge: while I enjoy working on the for me they’re time consuming and not points efficient. I wanted to spend the winter pushing on to get a bit more done. But for this studio I picked out one I had ready to go, who wouldn’t take long: Captain America’s arch nemesis, Red Skull from the core set.

I did alas totally overdo the OSL effect from the Cosmic Cube. The camera hated it too, the colours on this photo are all off. Funny, I’m normally quite confident at getting a subtle effect that I like, but completely overworked it. Frustrating. I’ll probably go back and redo his arm and face sometime, but 1). I’ll probably never play Red Skull in game and 2). I’ve no time before the challenge end so you get him as he is. 

I also had another billboard terrain ready and painted it in the first days of the challenge, but only got around to doing the groundwork and billboard art yesterday. Alas it’s nothing to do with Red Skull, but rather a gentle jibe at my regular opponent who loves his X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants.

Points wise, 7 for Red Skull as a 40mm model, I think I claimed 5 for the billboard in AHPCXII, plus 20 for the location is 32. Next, popping in on the Snowlord at Director’s Chair before 23:59!

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Wonderful work, Phil. I'm not a huge superhero fan, but I did enjoy Captain America, and Red Skull was a particularly chilling character.  I know the frustration when your photography can't reflect the work, but I think this villain looks excellent, even though you're not entirely happy with him. I also like your send-up billboard. I'm sure your gaming friend will enjoy the subtle jibe. :)

Looking forward to your Director's Cut entry!

- Curt

From PhilH: Way out west, writing the book on it (80 Points)

Western Studio

With an America-based project anchored in the mid 18th Century, when heading out west to settle and make one's fortune was more like 'west of the Appalachians'. These formidable mountains, stretching from Georgia to modern day Maine were a natural barrier between the British possessions along the coast. French claims to lands west of the Appalachians, and occupation of the 'forks of the Ohio' at Fort Duquesne in 1754 led to the French & Indian war.

Of course frontier lands held many perils to those scratching out a living there. So for the 'Western' studio, we have some poor souls whose living scratched out on the frontier came to a very unfortunate end. 

They are Sash & Saber 'civilian casualties' set. S&S aren’t as finely sculpted as the Brigade FIW range that form most of my collection, but they have a number of useful vignettes like this. 

Books Studio 

Sticking with the FIW project, the British Crown’s colonies need some specialised troops to defend the frontiers and take the fight to the dastardly French. Here is a group trained by the man himself, Robert Roger's infamous Rangers: yep, the man who wrote the book on frontier warfare: the 28 Rules of Ranging.

The rules were the result of Rogers' blend of Native American tactics and his own innovative combat techniques, ideas that were considered revolutionary by military standards of the time. Combined with intensive training and live fire exercises, these rules created a mobile, well trained force that was capable of living off the land around it in order to sustain itself for long periods of time.

These are 28mm Paul Hicks sculpts from Brigade Games range and form one Sharp Practice group and a leader on the larger base. The chap in the smock was painted before the Challenge.

Four prone miniatures on the vignette is 10 plus the Western studio is 30. 

Six Rangers for 30 plus the Books studio makes 50.

Totalling 80 Points and getting my fourth mark from the the blue security zone. And not quite done :-)

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A very sobering, but well-realised vignette, matched with a terrific squad of Rangers (Paul Hicks' stuff is so nice to work with). Wonderful brushwork, Phil. I look forward to your final gambit. :) 

- Curt

 

From PhilH: A rewrite along the Yellow Brick Road (25 Points)

Due to a series of unfortunate events, I've fallen behind schedule, so my original Yellow Brick Road entry is going to be reassigned to a new location. So as my first YBR, I bring you this highly cinematic...bear. Perhaps a call-out to 2015's The Revenant (that I haven't seen myself, but the scene is notorious). Or maybe 2023's... Cocaine Bear? You choose. 

Metal model by Warbases, who do a handy collection of wild animals as 'set dressing' that JohnE and I are all about. I painted it as a black bear, it didn't seem massive and p*ssed off enough to be a Grizzly. He can roam the tabletop forests of North America, terrorising settlers and native warriors alike. 

I felt it needed a reason to be on the tabletop, and that reason is someone disturbed its lunch of this groundhog. 'Cheeky free beaver' file (say what?), rescaled and FDM 3D printed, tail cut off, trimmed down to stick on the base, job done. 

Teaser trailer for a future entry. Not a good time to be caught unloaded.

A 28mm Bear plus lunch: an easy 5 points and 20 for the YBR. 

Cool looking set dressing, more tables need stuff like this to fill in the empty parts of the table and make it look more like real terrain rather than a green sheet on a kitchen table. The addition of the bear's lunch is a nice touch, too.

-StuartL

From PhilH: Historical Drama feat. 'Slapchop' (100 Points)

 Well, what's more historical drama than 'the shot heard around the world', and all the kerfuffle that followed? Plucky settlers taking up arms against the 'tyranny' of their King and heavens forbid, taxes to of course replace it with republican  Democracy and....taxes. Alas, American Revolution movies seem to be lacking in bringing this fascinating era to the silver screen: looking at you, Mel Gibson and The Patriot. 

One of my aims this challenge was to try some new approaches to paint quicker, and thus get more done. Especially after last challenge, which was a bit of a damp squib in terms of output. One of those I wanted to try was 'slapchop', the stupid name for a drybrushed variant of the old masters' 'grisaille' method of underpainting, then highly pigmented washes to try to skip time-consuming highlighting. Dreamed up with catchy slogans like 'slay the grey', and the subject of many excitable/raging YouTube videos late last year, debating whether its the best thing since sliced bread, or a load of old cobblers. 

Anyway, because I'm a hobby madlad at times, here's me seeing if it works on historicals: in this case Perry Continental plastics. These are two groups for Sharp Practice of the brown coated, red faced 4th Connecticut regiment (or Pennsylvania Associators/12th Mass. at a stretch). Why this regiment? Errrr, I fancied some brown-coated continentals, I already had Wyldwood and Blood Angels Red Contrast paints, red facings are natty and I'd stuck these together with round hats rather than tricornes. Squinting at the ever-useful Perry uniform guide from that opening position, 4th Connecticut it is. 

These aren't true Slapchop, there's a fair bit of traditional method on them after the Contrast were applied: faces, turnbacks, stockings, a highlight on the muskets, metallics, piping on the hats etc.

Is this the method for me to cruise though the pile of potential? Mmmmmm, I’m not convinced, while the test mini went well and was finished in an evening, with this a sizeable batch, I rapidly came to dislike the process. So much so that I started them on 21 December, parked them in mid-January completely, before the end of the Challenge became pressing enough for me to dig them out to finish off. 

Alas, I've a firmly established method, where I lay down basecoats, then tidy up the mess I make as I highlight them up. Making a mess with Contrast puts me in a right pickle. I feel my work on the WWII French - also rapid, using drybrushing to save work and time - was much more enjoyable approach, and came out with a better finish (though in fairness, a much simpler colour scheme)

Don't get me wrong, it's horses for courses and if approaches like Slap-chopping help hobbyists get stuff on their paint desk, that's awesome in my book. For me, Contrast paints still have their uses, like picking out little details that would be barely noticed, like boots.

Sixteen 28mm miniatures, as the leader was the test model and painted before the Challenge. 20 points for the Studio bonus is another 100 for my tally (two 100-pointers in one Challenge, look at me go!) Over 600 now and cruising towards what I suspect might be an all-time high score for me.

So this is weird, I've posted this and then it reverted to draft. Will try again. Love the figures by the way