From AaronH - Star Wars Imperials x 13 (65 points)

This week I managed to finish 12 Imperial Snow Troopers and 1 Imperial Officer for Star Wars Legion. I'm waaaay behind this year as my work decided that I needed to travel for the last two months. As you'll see at the end, I have not made a lot of progress against my goal this year.

First off are 12 Snow Troopers. These are a mix of the official, soft, bend, terrible official sculpts and 3D prints.

The three in the center are official sculpts. The guy on the left, being all dynamic and stuff, is a 3D print from Squamous.

The rear view. These are set to get new hard plastic sculpts in the next few weeks. The new releases have been great, so I'm looking forward to the replacements.

The two heavy weapons. You can see that the Ion gun on the left has a bit of barrel lift.

Next up is an imperial officer. She is the old, soft plastic and is, colloquially known as Becky. I have no idea why.

She stands up pretty well until you get to her face. The detail is very soft there.

I was aiming for a more grey-green. I can see it in my minds-eye but I just couldn't pull it off on the model.

She and six of the Snows are for Rhys to take to Adepticon in two weeks, where we'll be playing in the World's tournament.

That's 13x5 32mm models for 65 points.

Very nice work here Aaron, the Snowtroopers look ace. The ones with heavy weapons look suitably scary. I also like the subtle colour difference between the armour and the capes/cloth. I also quite like your officer. I suspect you were going for a bit more field-grey look here, that's how I've painted some of my Imperial officers. If that's the case might I recommend Vallejo German Uniform?

In any case it's 65 points for you!

Dallas

From AaronH - Iden Versio and two Orc APCs (17 points)

This week I'm finally getting some painting done after travelling for the last two months. I have Iden Versio in 32mm and two Marauder (Orc) APCs in 10mm.

I painted Iden up for my friend's son so he could use her in a tournament last weekend. She was a quick paint, being mostly black.

I just dry brushed a couple of different grey's over the black undercoat. Her face took the most time.

I had already painted her droid so it's not included here. I still need to paint the other members of Inferno Squad, which may happen this Challenge.

The trucks look like she's playing with Tonka trucks.

The two APCs are Mules, the ubiquitous transport in Mantic's Warpath universe, being in at least three armies.

I have six of these. I'll be doing two each in yellow, blue and red.

They are quick and easy to paint up. I used acrylic paint pens to do most of what you see.

I'm not sure why this is Mantic's vision for an APC but horses for courses I guess.

This is one 32mm figure for 5 points

Two 10mm vehicles for 6 pts each = 12

Total = 17 pts

Nice work here Aaron, I was unfamiliar with Ms. Versio so you sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole there. A pretty intense character, she was the leader of an Imperial black ops unit called "Inferno Squad" (!) and holder of the Imperial record for most verified kills in battle (!!) (I thought surely this would've been the Death Star gunner who pulled the trigger on Alderaan??) before she defected to the Rebellion. You've done a great job on her, especially the face... the sculpt is great too, it really looks like the actress who played her. 

Seventeen for your tally!

Dallas 

DavidB - Scifi buildings (40 points)

 

These have been on my desk for a long moment. I needed some terrain other than the barriers for Star Wars Legion.

There were many buildings in thingiverse, for Legion and I really liked this dilapidated Tatooine hut

I used craft paints to block in colors then used the first generation army painter contrast paints before drybrushing it up. The FDM printer did add some texture, but I used stippled modgepodge to give the metal doors and windows a smooth alibet beaten metal texture. I glazed contrast paints for the windows and electronic light areas.

This is a kiosk eatery with a rooftop perfect for weapon teams and snipers.

I used the same paints and colors for this structure as well.

The sign is much more vibrant and glowy without a washed out photo!

I made many prints of buildings for battletech since all I have is a mat.

This is an office building and only dwarfed by the apt building I printed.

It took 18 hours to print and another couple to free from supports and sand it smooth

I painted the walls a tan color then kept adding white to the mix until it's final sponge coat of pure white. The windows were cloudburst blue contrast paint then stippled with turquois and light blues until it looked okay. So about 20 hours in printing and another 8 hours in painting. I could knock out a big structure in a weekend. I figure a couple months and with the office and apt building i will have a big metro to funnel mechs in.

I did not get the barriers from legion done yet as I am going to try "chipping" them with a sponge, but they do make good fences for the house and kiosk.

I think I spent about 8 hours on each of the buildings, but it was interrupted by infantry because I dislike painting terrain and vicks! I only counted the hours for the office building because all the other terrain bits for battletech I printed are 1 to 2 stories. two big blocks look odd with the smaller buildings.

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 Hi David, there are some great little buildings, well done on them they look awesome.  I love all the tone and shade differences you got on them and I am sure they will look stunning on the table top.

As for points, I am going with 40 points for the 3 of them as they appear to be just slightly bigger and more complicated than several others that I have awarded 10 points per to, but not the same as many that I have given 15 to.  

 I love the effects you got on them, keep more coming!

 - Byron 

From Millsy: Star Wars Legion Bits & Bobs (35 points)

Hi All,

A couple of quick ones today, cleaning up some leftover stuff while I continue plugging away at the Late Romans. This time is it some Star Wars Legion minis, including a Scout so well hidden he was missed in my last post for these chaps.

• 3 x infantry
• 2 x gonk droids
• 1 x crew served weapon

Thanks for looking!

Cheers,
Millsy

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Another quite brief post, but with some really excellent work - just great stuff Millsy. I too love the "Star Wars Legion" models (if not the rules), and I think your white armour in particular really turns out nicely. That is always the trickiest part of the Imperial troops, but you have really nailed it here. 

I also think you have done a great job here fitting the "winter" troopers in to an arid-terrain base. Between the groundwork, and the tan coloured cloth/canvas on the face plate, you have totally nailed it. Great job.

35 points for you - and wow, those Romans are going to be amazing!

GregB

From RhysH - 28mm and 32mm Fantasy and Sci-Fi (30 points)

This week Rhys has models for four different games. Some are 28mm and some are 32mm and the Crisis Protocol is even bigger than that.

First up is a Bones dragon that my dad gave me. It doesn't stand up well.

I love all dragons but this one is another black dragon.

This is Bucky, the Winter Soldier.

The bases for Crisis Protocol are really big.

These are the customizable Jedi for Star Wars Legion

The double bladed lightsaber is the best in game. The third option is to have two lightsabers.

Last up is Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. This is the new plastic model and is GREAT.

The layered way that GW builds models now is hard to put together but they look really good.

Imrahil is one of my favorite characters so I'm really excited about this new model.

That's 4 x 28-32mm models for five points each = 20 pts

1 x 28mm monster = 10pts (?)

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Hi Rhys - thank you for another varied submission, touching on so many different areas and themes! I too love Dol Amroth from Tolkein's setting, and I had not realized there are new plastic figures available for them. Your description of GW's approach to newer plastic figures is apt - they are indeed more "layered". I see this as a side-effect of using software for designs, but it also has upsides - the figures can be quite beautiful. 

Imrahil is my favourite here, ready to face the evil forces from the East!

I think 10 points for the Dragon is fine with me - that makes for 30 points for you.

GregB

RhysH - Fantasy, super heroes and Sci-Fi in several scales (49 points)

 This week is a group of models from four different sources.

First off are two 32mm entries from AMG's Star Wars Legion Empire line. They are the customizable Officer and Operative.

These are a new addition to the game. The box lets you build two characters with a ton of options to customize them as you assemble them, but also as you add them to your army.

Rhys did some reflected glow off of the lava bases on the uniforms.

The character on the left is melee focused while the one on the right is a ranged support character.

Next up is a birthday present from Rhys' cousin, who also likes D&D. It's a cloaker, a nasty monster that inhabits dungeons and kills low level players.

It's mottled gray coloring helps it blend into the roofs of caverns where it hides.

This is a large model, easily twice as big as the Empire heroes above.

Next up are two Kings of War models from Mantic Games. The barbarian on the war-goat is for the Northern Alliance while the panther is from Basilea.

Rhys is finally ready to start learning to paint faces.

The models are fighting in the snowy north, where the Northern Alliance is from.

The panther is bendy soft plastic and was very difficult to get based, but he persevered and got it to stick.

Last up are two models for Crisis Protocol, AMG's super hero game. These are Beast and Mystique.

These are 40mm, with Beast coming in quite a bit bigger.

These models can be quite fiddly to assemble. AMG apparently thinks that bigger scale enables smaller attachment points. They are not correct. Rhys said the hardest part of Beast was figuring out that he had to attach the beam to the base first, then put Beast on it.

The heroes use character cards in game and Rhys was able to use those as painting guides for these figures.

This is 3 x 28-32mm figures for 15 points

1 x 28mm cavalry for 10 points

1 x 40mm monster for 7 points

1 x 40mm Mystique for 7 points

1 x 54mm Beast for 10 points

The two Empire characters are Rhys' entry for the first bonus round, EMPIRE.

Total points are 49 points, plus the bonus round when it comes up.

***

Hello Rhys - and Happy New Year! Thank you for sharing this interesting assortment of figures with us. 

Now I must confess - I'm not one for the super-hero genre from Marvel, so those are not figures I would be near myself, but it sure sounds like they were a pain in the rear end to get put together. I'm sure many Challengers sympathize with your experience, managing figures designed by people who don't ever actually put them together, much less game with them...

But congrats on sticking with it! You have some fine results here. I also salute your efforts to work on reflected-glow-effects...that is something I will NEVER have the courage to try myself! Well done!

That's 49 points for you - cheers!

Greg

AaronH - Imperial Storm Troopers (60 Points)

This year I'm going to try to get through my nemesis, Storm Troopers. I've been collecting Star Wars Legion since it came out, six or seven years ago. I've painted a fair few models for it but I've always been intimidated by the Storm Troopers (and Scouts and Snows). As an aside, I only play this game with painted models. It forces me to paint up models I want to use. So no Empire up to now.

The tray of potential, waiting for the Challenge start. This is approximately 135 war dollies.

I assembled and primed everything and laid it out to be ready for the Challenge. I've found other bits since this picture and added them to the tray.

Storm Trooper wash on the left. Fresh off the factory on the right.

I started with a flat white prime. I then cleaned up the spots I did a bad job of priming with more white. I then hit these guys in a batch manner. 12 models. 12 sets of lenses, then 12 lines above the lenses, then 12 mouth snouts, then 12 weapons. I had to do the black undersuits one at a time since every model is different. I then dry brushed gun metal on the guns and put some sombre grey on the high points of the black. I touched up everything with another bit if white and then everyone got washed in storm trooper wash. As you can see in the picture above it knocks back the white, emphasizes the details and makes the armor look more lived in. I really like the affect.

The 12 man unit. I have 3 heavy weapons in here, as well as the optional five man upgrade.

The back shot. 

And now the closer ones in focus.

In Star Wars Legion you get a base unit of four dudes that you can then add on weapons and specialists to, getting you up to a potential unit size of 10. There's one more heavy weapon that I don't have a model of, so is not included.

This is 12 x 32mm infantry models = 60 points.

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Aaron!

It looks like you have a veritable battalion of Stormtroopers ahead of you, and what better way to work through them than the Challenge! I quite like the final result that you've achieved, with these looking like hard campaigners with little time to keep their armour white and shiny. Question: What do you use for your 'Stormtrooper Wash'? I'm sure there are a few of us that would be keen to compare notes. :)

This large squad of 12 will give you 60 points for your climb up the points ladder. Well done!

- Curt