First Entry from JuanM - Pulp Hero 'Abraham Washington' and Boromites from 'Beyond the Gates of Antares' (20 points)

Hello!

This year´s Challenge I expect to paint a main group of figures for a particular project and some others of the many figures I have awaiting their turn on my painting table.

And I have a 250 points "victory condition" to achieve...

Here is my first entry for The Challenge:

He is Abraham Washington going to work; a 28mm Pulp Figures miniatures I have painted to use in games of "Strange Aeons" or "Pulp Alley". Very nice figure, with a great quality. My first idea with him was to use a light grey undercoat, but I have returned to my old black Citadel undercoat.

I expect to paint some more of them during The Challenge.

Just finished this evening, a 28mm command group of the Boromites, one of the "ultra" factions of Mankind  that are part of the new Warlord Games´ SF ruleset, "Beyond the Gates of Antares". 

I was part of the playtesting of the Alpha version of this ruleset, and I was not too pleased with it, nor with the miniatures, who have that Warlord Games "touch" of not being well finished. But they are SF miniatures of a very interesting concept.

Cheers!

From Curt:
A great debut entry Juan! Abraham Washington (love that name) looks to be a gritty, grimly resolved character, ready for some two-fisted Pulp adventure to be sure. The Boromites are great as well, though they have a name that somehow reminds me of a 1960's house cleaning product... Nonetheless, I really like their 'scaly, lumpy bits' and the bright orange terrain flock provides a perfect  terrain accent for the subject matter. 

From PhilH: 28mm Sudanese Bazingers (30 Points)

I harboured grand plans to get out of the blocks quickly with new projects. But the chilly weather has kept me away from the garage to spray my prepped minis up. So instead, I delved into the leftovers from last year's challenge an came up with a small unit of Sudanese Bazingers for my Mahdist War project. Having not painted much in the past month, it was nice to ease into the challenge with something familiar.

Bazingers were African irregular soldiers, either mercenaries or slave-soldiers. They could be found in government service or the private employ of Arab slavers and merchants. They formed part of the garrison at Khartoum and Suakin and fought in Egyptian service at El Teb. They can also serve as the troops of local Shaykhs and warlords loyal (or not so loyal...) to the Egyptian government, provided with standard-issue Remingtons. 

I kept the colours fairly uniform so they fit in well with my existing Egyptian troops, while their motley equipment suggests they are irregulars. But they are  not as flamboyant as the Bashi-Bazouks. They are from Perry Miniatures. These two are my favourites:

To join the initial rush, they haven't been varnished or 'grubbied up' yet - I'll wait until a few more things have rolled off the painting table! Six 28mm miniatures, I make that 30 points.

Phil

From Curt:A day without fezes is a poor day indeed and we've been treated to two entries of them today (they really need to come back into fashion)! Wonderful work Phil. As with Clint's work you've really done a great job on their off-white linens. I also really like the work you've done with your sabot trays - the rock scatter and horsehair scrub is brilliant.

From AaronH - 6 Romano-British Levy (36 points)

This unit is six 28mm Romano-British levy from Gripping Beast.  I bought the starter army for Dux Brit from Too Fat Lardies and it includes 18 of these guys.  I had planned to paint the first six as my last entry in last year's challenge but ran out of time.  I finished them up after it was over, and haven't painted a thing since then other than some of my son's 15mm Sci/Fi.

Six levy from Gripping Beast.

The models themselves are very nice to paint.  They have great detail but not too much clutter.  They were fun and easy (which is why I was able to get six done in a few hours).  I finished them off yesterday but needed to wait until today to take the pictures.

The unit champion.  Not all rules need these, but I paint one for every unit.

Spearman #1, also known as Blondie.

Spearman #2.

Spearman #3.  Gramps.

Spearman #6 with #5 photo-bombing him.

One of things I like about dark ages models is the large shields.  I'm not very good at free hand but I do enjoy painting these shields.  I have decals for the better troops but I figured levy would be painting theirs around the hearth at home rather than having Artsy McArty paint them up for the whole unit.

I'm happy with my start to the Challenge.  These will be the last Romano-Brits you see, unless I get distracted.  I'm planning on hitting a bunch of different projects to keep things fresh since this is a marathon, not a sprint.

From Curt:

Great work Aaron! Sometimes the sculpting detail from Gripping Beast can be a bit soft in the features but they always paint up very well - as we see here with yours.  Nice work on the freehand shields as well!

These Britons will give Aaron 36 points, which includes a little extra effort on the shields.  

1st Entry from MartinN: Not "Dorian Gray" Entry Fee Figure (20 points)

To bring myself and my brushes up to operating temperature for this years challenge I wanted to stay within the theme of the challenge with my first submission.

Ever since Curt has announced this years topic I knew what I wanted to do for the Entry Fee figure. Back then when West Wind did their "Empire of the Dead" Kickstarter I almost joined in because of the dark and menacing look of the Steampunk world they created which I liked a lot. But as I had (and still have) much too many distractions on my table I passed on the chance and said to myself that one day I could still paint the one or other figure.

So when looking for suitable figures I knew it had to be something from that range and indeed I found a figure which to my mind perfectly matches Curt's description of the to be Entry Fee figure.

So I present to you Mr. Dorian aka as (Not) Dorian Gray.

Having myself set the target of doing as much Greyscale figures as possible and get my First Indochina project off the ground he too now suffers of a little monochromity. Also quite fitting in regard of his surname me thinks.

I have to say I came to love this kind of painting and the more you practice it the easier it gets and it can safe quite some time compared with my regular way of painting. I also quite like Curt's idea of adding some eyecatcher in red (I assume films like Sin City and 300 being his main inspiration for this) and so I had to copy it shamelessly.

So I hope you like him Mr. Curt especially as he reminds me of some amiable Canadian with similar fancy facial hair and a preference for tweeds.

From Curt:
Ahh, wonderful stuff Nick! Thanks so much. He's a marvellous figure and I'm flattered you did him up using a greyscale approach (a technique which I think you've eclipsed from my original efforts).

The facial hair is spot-on. Now, if I could only come up with that impressive mane of hair...

20 points to you Mr. Niklaus! 

From Millsy - ECW Royalist Dragoons (124 Points)

Hi Everyone!

I'm off and running in this year's Challenge with some historical miniatures in 28mm scale. These are two x 12 figure units of dismounted Royalist dragoons - Sir Arthur Aston's (in red) and Colonel Henry Washington's (in blue). These are Bicorne Miniatures, although Washington's has a couple of very old school Essex thrown in to make up the numbers.

Aston's uniforms were relatively easy to research and I found a number of references to red coats. Some said red breeches as well but I've gone for a mix of neutral colours as I generally do for this period. The cornet (flag) is hand-made and painted but is something more of a guess. There are very few documented reference for dragoon flags in general and even fewer that clearly identify the regiment. What we do know is that Aston raised regiments of both horse and foot and used a white cross motif on a black background.

Washinton's uniforms were a much bigger issue and I found nothing at all describing colours. In the end I went with a blue which was a common colour in Royalist armies. Oddly enough the cornet was easier to find info on and I located a couple of references to a plain white colour, to which I've applied a hatched edging that was typical of many. Again this is hand-made and painted, something I do with all my ECW flags.

Later on in the Challenge I'll be presenting a mounted version of Aston's dragoons. Now that Renegade Miniatures are back in production I might be doing Washington's too but we'll see.

Cheers,
Millsy

From Curt:

Ooh, wonderful stuff. I'm sure these horse-whallopers are a welcome addition to your growing collection, Mr. Mills. Beautiful. I love the punchy red and blue that you've gone with and the tall drums look very fine indeed. 

I'm also happy to hear that Renegade is back in production. They offer some wonderfully chunky figures in their ranges. 

And let's give a few more points for the hand-done flags. Great job!

From MilesR: 15mm US 105mm Artillery Unit (82 points)

My second entry in this year's challenge sticks with an Artillery theme.  This time its a 15mm US 105MM Artillery unit for Flames of War.  The miniatures are from Battlefront and did require a bit of slash clean up prior to painting.

I tried to do a little free hand work with the map on the staff team (left, front) but have decided that 15mm cartography may not be in my skill set.  The painted map will be replaced with something I can download and print.

I needed to get this unit completed quickly as it will be used in a local FOW tournament next weekend.  One time saving trick I did use with these mini's is to use Vallejo's Olive Green surface primer (#73608).  It's a nice shade and really looks good after an umber wash.

This unit was actually the first entry I planned for the event so hopefully I'll be back on track plan wise.  Of course that will hold until something shiny gets my attention....

The unit consists of 1 vehicle, 4 guns and 31 figures so the points will be:


Vehicle 6 points x 1 = 6
Guns 4 pts x 4 = 16
Figures 2 pts x 31 = 62

Initial Total = 84

I do feel a bit bad about giving 6 points for a tiny Jeep so lets dock the score 2 points and leave my net score at 82.

Time for a break form the painting workbench!

From Curt:

You've got your steam up already Miles, excellent! Wonderful work here. I really like the bases on the 105s. Are the spent shell casings a stock part of the bases? I really like that addition as whenever you see pictures of modern guns in action you always see a hill of spent brass. 

Clint:( AKA Paint Monkey) Egyptians Circa 1882 (124 points)

Well I feel a little slow at posting this year. But today I have 24 Egyptians by Perry miniatures. I started at 6am the day of the challenge and finished them by Sunday 6am. (Then had to wait for decent light to photograph them.

We have 2 officers in their distinctly darker uniforms, 2 standard bearers and two musicians (Both Drummer and Bugler). There was nearly 3 officers and 1 standard bearer as I painted the flag carrier on the right as on officer and had to repaint him. Opps. Oh well it happens sometimes.

In addition we have 9 troops firing or at least aiming.

And 9 rankers loading. There is some variation in the figures but not very much as can be seen on the arm placements of the right hand on the loaders. I have tried to do a group shot but due to the darkness and poor depth of field I can only apologize for how it's come out.

But at least it should indicate them all together. In Reality the uniforms were very simple with little or no embellishments on collars and cuffs, just a white uniform with metal buttons and a red fez. You just don't get much simpler. As they are for the desert I have even kept the bases simple with a few tufts on random bases and nothing else. Overall I am quite happy with how these simple paint jobs have come out even if ANNE did beat me to publishing. But that should be 120 points and I am off the blocks lumbering if not sprinting!

From Curt:Beautiful (and blisteringly fast!) work Clint. I love the off-white you've achieved on their uniforms and, really, who can go wrong with a good tasseled fez! 

I'm also going to award you a few extra points for the standards as, while fiddly, they always go a long way in finishing a unit. Great work and a great start!

AnneO's Counterblast Bot and Seeker (10 Points)

Caught up in the excitement of this years Challenge I rushed my first entry across the finish line in order to be part of the initial "Avalanche"  Further, I wanted to see if I could turn my submission in before 'Paint Monkey' (aka Clint).

These figures are from Counterblast/Bombshell Miniatures, are 25mm and were sculpted by Patrick Keith.  I carved the Bot base insert using Super Sculpey.

Since I switched from Fantasy to Pulp, I have found that bots are one of my favourite figures to paint. Further, Pulp, with its use primary colours allows me to work in brighter palettes.

Because I felt this figure needed to appear menacing, I chose to paint it black.  In addition I have a rather large Command Center and practice with this colour will be necessary before I tackle that piece. I used a "pure" black and am not pleased with how it turned out. Right now I am working on a small spaceship and will be trying out a chromatic black that has been worked down from purple.  I do not like the silver and mint green accents. For the next space ship I will be accenting in red and gold.

With this entry I have earned a whopping 10 points. But have I beat Paint Monkey to the post?  I certainly hope so.

From Curt:

Lovely stuff Anne. I love the Bot - he's kina got a R2 meets WALL-E meets Claptrap thing going on there. And the yellow rocks (one of my favourite colours). I like the drone-seeker as well (especially its transponder dish thingy) but I'm curious to see how your next efforts with the purple-down-to-black and the red and gold accents work out.  I'm sure, like this, it will come off like a charm. 

You're on the board Anne (and ahead of Paint Monkey) with 10 points. Bravo! 

From DaveD - A little bit of Pulpiness .. and the entry fee (25 points)

Another year another challenge. This is my 4th one, and I've really been looking forward to it. There will be a mix of projects old and new. A return to the colonial era Sudan with the Imperial forces in my sights - more Mahdists as well. There will be a Cowboy or two, and perhaps a few left field bonus round entries.

For those of you following my blog you will have seen the mean town of Serenity has grown in a Serenity City, picking up the action into the roaring 20's - an era of Gangsters and classic Pulp. So here is the opening entry - and entry fee .. I will claim a certain "John Dillinger" as my Rogue - so Curt he will be winging his way to the Frozen North soon enough , hope ya like him.

Now someone said something about a Pulp side challenge? Or will it be a khaki point bomb?

Next up we have "Long Sarah" .. a tough woman , who runs a certain establishment down the seedy end of town..

Both are 28mm Pulp Alley miniatures (the Tommy Gun toting one is badged as the local DA.. but like it so much as Bad Guy he has changed sides).

From Curt:

Haha! Guess what pair of figures are sitting on my paint desk at this very moment? Well, they're getting quietly moved to the back of the queue now. You've beat me to the punch, Dave, so they'll have cool their heels for another day.

Cracking work and thank you! I love Dillinger's charcoal pinstripe suit and the black and white tiles on Long Sarah's base is a great touch (and it's almost impossible not to think of this figure in a red dress). Since I also have these two figures I have to mention how superb the castings are. The DA's Thompson is a separate piece and it's an amazing work or art in of itself (I particularly like that it has a straight clip instead of the ubiquitous drum magazine). Highly recommended.

Thanks again Mr Docherty. Dillinger will find a very warm welcome in the Challenge V's 'Rogue's Gallery'.  

These two hard boiled characters will give Dave 25 points. 

MartinC's Opening Volley (92 points)

This is my first completed unit since the start of the Challenge and my first foray into ACW, recently I've been flexing my imagination on a VBCW with the brave miners of Dinnington fighting off evil Lord Ridley for control of Northumberland.

I had a day off yesterday and it was freezing so I hunkered down and painted what are nominally described as the 63rd Pennsylvania whilst listening to Half Man Half Biscuit.

Figs are part of 2 Perry infantry brigades I have planned to paint  for the challenge (236 infantry, 4 cannons and 2 mounted generals). I plan the paint them as Early's Louisiana Tigers brigade and Collis' 1st brigade of III corps. Picked them as they both have zouaves and I have box of them to paint as well. That makes me sound like a technical detail nerd (c.f. Rimmer's Risk diary - Red Dwarf on TV as I type) but really I think they'll just look cool in massed ranks.

Overall I'm fairly happy with the unit but the lighting makes them look like I've painted them with a wallpaper paste brush as all the shading has disappeared or become opaque - will have to work on that from both ends of the problem.

Having seen the entries so far I will have to up my game, or maybe just buy some cavalry and supersize my target.

Oh and my score is 90 I think.

Martin

From Curt

Wow, fast work Martin, excellent stuff. You have a good-sized project in front of you and I look forward to seeing it debut through the upcoming months of the Challenge.  

I'm going to give you an extra couple of points for the standard bearer as I know how fiddly they can be, so 92 it is. 

From SamuliS: Early War WWII German Armour (45 points)

Looking at everyone's point targets I figured I'll never have enough time to achieve fame and fortune by winning the challenge so I decided on another route with a quick dash to glory and taking the first place for at least a day! And with December 6th being the Finnish Independence day it's only suitable that I'll try protect the honour of all Finns by leading the challenge for a while :)

So to achieve this I whipped up 6 Flames of War German AFV's with a quick simple paintjob that could be achieved really fast. I got them base-coated in dark grey yesterday and painted the rest this morning by applying a few consecutive drybrush layers, decals, some enamel washes and mud. A nice quick job that in my calculations should put me just in front of Miles and hopefully with a large enough of a point lead to hold the position through the 6th :)

The vehicles themselves are Battlefront Flames of War minis, 2 Sdkfz 231 8-rad reconnaissance vehicles and 4 Panzerjäger I light tank-hunters that both saw service during Operation Barbarossa. These are the first submission of my second larger project for the challenge that is an Early War German Panzerschützen army for Flames of War.

Now with the early morning rush of painting done it's then time to relax for the rest of the day and prepare for watching the parades and independence day reception and gala on the TV.

From Curt:
Great work Samuli and Happy Independence Day! 

I've always loved the design of the 8-rad armoured car - it's so futuristic for something that was designed in the 1930s.  

The vehicles give you a base 36 points and I'm also awarding you 9 points extra for the partial crews. You've pipped Miles to gain the front of the pack and claiming the lead... for now. ;)

From IannickM : "Kitty Bonny"; a gift to a friend, and my first entry (5 points)

The last few competition it took me a few weeks before submitting a first entry, so I decided to break the habit by submitting something straight outta the gate. It will put me on the board and motivate me to add to this early start.

2014 was a very difficult year for me; I spent most of the year unable to walk after undergoing three knee surgeries and at one point, after a series of complications, I seriously feared I might never get to walk normally again. Although I've mostly recovered now it's in those difficult times that you get to know your real friends, and I am lucky enough to count on a few amazing ones who supported me, visited me and cheered me up through these hard times. So I decided that, for Christmas, I would do something special and individually paint for each of them a unique figure as a show of gratitude. I rarely if ever paint for someone else and the plan is to paint something which represents them or something they love.

So my first figure of the competition is a gift to one of my best friend, Emilie, a great girl with a love of cats. In fact, she even has a cartoon cat as a tattoo on her arm. The figure is from Dark Sword Miniature's "Anthropomorphic Animals range", obviously a cat, and it's an awesome sculpt full of personality. The pink details and plumes are also a wink to Emilie's favourite colour.

I named the figure "Kitty Bonny" and I cannot wait for Xmas to give it to her.

That should give me 5 pts to start the competition with panache.

From Curt:
Iannick, it's wonderful to hear that you're on your feet again and are able to join us for the Challenge. 'Kitty Bonny' is a marvellous figure (I especially like the ears poking out from the tricorne) and I can appreciate the sentiment behind it - well done. I think your friend will be delighted with the gift. An excellent first entry.