From KentG - 28mm WWII German Tanks (33 Points)

These are a couple of old tanks that I undercoated again and repainted to fit in with my existing army.

I picked the stug up of Craig a friend of mine. I think this wee beast has a few layers of paint on it but I'm happy with how it came out.

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Excellent looking German armour, Kent. The StuG is one of my all-time favorite tank designs as its just so wonderfully utilitarian (Point Tank. Shoot. Repeat.). 

These two panzers and the half-crewman will give you 33 points. Nice work, Mr. G!

From KyleC - Collection of Daemons and Cultists (264 Points)

A new year of the great Challenge is now underway, and this is always the highlight for me... more so this year as it is ( knock on wood ) the first year I won't be moving in the middle of it! But work is gearing up for some changes so if it's not one thing its another!

Well as always I need to come out of the gate hard and as heavy as I can to sustain me in this competition and take advantage of all the motivation that I will get from it!

So here is my opening salvo!

30 Plaguebearers for my ever growing Death Guard force that I started with the release of 8th edition and to coincide with the ongoing campaign happening at our local club!

This will join the other 20 that I have painted already for the forces. And I do like the color scheme of it that I plan to keep it up for the rest of the deamons that I will be adding ( mostly Princes atm ).

They are followed up by 2 easier to paint spawns that help with the flanks of my games..

Last game they did well to keep transports stuck but died quickly thereafter... more like mini speed bumps than anything useful :D

And finally 20 cultists to help bolster my Poxwalkers when using some of the new Death Guard stratagems.

A nice start of 50 28mm infantry and 2 mini monsters to kick things off! But more importantly some great reinforcements for my army in time for the last 2 mega games coming up in January. Now to paint up some more special units ( converted Possessed ) and the host of Deamon Princes... oh and then some building/converting some Titans :D

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Aaand, the first Paint Bomb of Challenge VIII goes to KyleC - Well done, my good man!

This is astonishing output, especially considering the Challenge has only been on the rails for a little over 60 hours!

When looking at these closely, one can see how you managed to cut corners on painting and time by the clever use of coloured primer, single colour glazes/washes and controlled tonal highlights, BUT it's so masterfully done that it gives the impression of a motley ragtag unit. 

An impressive opening cannonade, Kyle! With this entry you've managed to bag 1/4 of your points target in one-go, amazing stuff. I look forward to seeing the upcoming Possessed, Daemon Princes and Titans (plural!).

From AdamC: WereBoar (7 Points)

Well I'm back to the challenge for a 4th time  and picking up brushes for the first time in our new house (we moved the end of October).  My first entry this year is a Wereboar one the Reaper Bones figures I got with my Bones III kick starter.  

 I felt this dynamic figure was a good place to start for this monster themed challenge.

Some of the bones sculpts lack detail but I think this one is top notch great musculature a great sense of the figure in motion I can't wait to use him as part of a monster army for a Dragon Rampant game I am Running in January. 

The face cam out particularly well though my photography may not have hit the mark.  I think I need to put some brown paint around the edge of his base. I looked like I had better coverage last night when I went to bed... not so much this morning.

This fellow looks ready to run straight at and through just about any one.   He's done in the 28mm scale but he's a bit large than that may 30mm.  I'll call him 5 points to get me started and leave it Curt to decided if he merits a slightly higher award. I hope to have part of an Irish army for you guys sometime over the weekend or next week.

Good luck every one (especially my fellow 'new' parent duellists) I promise I won't post a picture of Evelyn on every post (unless people want me to).

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Wonderful looking mini, Adam, and the wereboar is pretty cool too! :)

Seriously, Evelyn looks every picture of a new baby: very happy and blissfully comfortable. Her Dr. Seuss trousers are tres chic!

As to the wereboar, I quite like his pink snout and ferocious tusks. He looks more like 40mm to me, so I'm going to give you 7 points. Well done and welcome back to the Challenge, Adam!

Challenge Tunes

G'day All,

Whilst twirling the brushes since the Challenge began I've also had a the PC pumping out good vibes, keeping me occupied in mind and ear as well as hand and eye. It occurred to me that the vast majority of Challengers would likely do the same and it set me to wondering what others listen to when they are painting.

Enter "Challenge Tunes", where you get to tell the world what floats your auditory boat! It's totally optional and just a bit of extra fun but why not give it a whirl?

Here's how it works
When you post an entry:

1. Include a section at the bottom, listing the artists / albums / etc you were listening to when painting. If you've been using a streaming service like Spotify then note that too so others can partake of your playlist.
2. Include the Challenge Tunes image so it's easy for the rest of use to identify the info from the rest of your post.

Including the Challenge Tunes image
To ensure we don't clog the Challenge with copy after copy of the image, please follow these steps to include the image:

1. Click the icon just like adding any other image to a post
2. Change the source to "From URL"
3. Paste in the Challenge Tunes Image URL below
4. Click OK

Challenge Tunes Image URL

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssvKjhVxhkeXTyztzi2axPLdyJEiyxIXUDkvTxokjgIcKEEJo2Qi_Tj3yAEgYA93JdjR2zCq-duIOwcyHy9o7YIovgMarKAk9Z3UkKKYAUpYlp7DBb1UJ-xEUvyNXMnIgc6G6J1l1kzqm/s1600/Challenge-Tunes.png

Keep it Simple:

Please DON'T do any of the following:

1. Use the "Post Settings" Labels to identify your tunes. Those are to be used exclusively for modelling and painting related content. Using them for Challenge Tunes will just clog up the list and make it harder to find proper Challenge content.
2. Use any naughty words, even if a song title or artist includes them in their name. Kids can and do visit here. Just mask out the naughty works with asterisks instead.

Imagine I'm DaveD. Or maybe don't, cause that's actually kinda weird.
Anyway, here's a sample of what my Challenge Tunes might look like:

Artist: Nana Mouskouri

Album: Greatest Hits and B Sides

I really, really, really like Nana Mouskouri. It's all I play. Ever.







So there you go, Challenge Tunes. ROCK ON!

Cheers,
DJ Gimp

From KentG: 28mm Napoleonic French Commanders (80 Points)

These chaps are a mix of makers i know there are some Victrix and some Perry figures, i forgot how much i enjoyed painting Napoleonic figures.

There are 8 x 28mm figures

So now i have commanders it will be time to start on the troops

This one above is my favorite figure

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Wow, such stunning work in such a short amount of time. Absolutely amazing, Kent. I always admire how controlled and clean your brushwork is. A great inspiration.

I look forward to seeing the rank & file poilu emerge over the coming weeks.

Miles, Dave, Alex... I think we have someone who will put you three through your paces this year. :)

From PeteF: North American Farmhouse (12 Points)

One of the projects I'm working on is Cowpens/Wetzel's Mill so the troops need some North American scenery to fight around. This is Sarissa's North American Farmhouse with Stone Chimney. It measures about 4"x4"x3". My maths is a little shakey but if you balanced it on one corner it could fill a 6" cube (20 points!). Alternatively it's worth 7 points based on volume and rounding up.

I had trouble getting the effect I wanted with the roof - and might need to ink or wash all the edges of the shingles to make them stand out a bit more. The north side got some light moss.

There could be a monster in here - maybe a Blair Witch. Or a redcoat.

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'The Blair Witch Redcoat House'. I like it. 

Great job on your debut entry, Pete! The raw look of the shingles and clapboard siding really gives the house that American Frontier look. I also like the stone effect of the chimney. 4x4x3? Really? It looks larger than that. Let's be generous and go with 12 points then.

Welcome to the Challenge, Pete! 

From KentG: The Commander and Chief (5 Points)

I thought if I was going to try and paint a new French army I should start with Napoleon himself. He's a 28mm Battlefront miniature that I picked up with the rest of the army a couple of months back.

 I really like this miniature, I have him on horseback as well, but that's for later.

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Ahh, now we're onto one of the classics. Napoleonics: 'The Beautiful Game'. 

Such lovely, clean work, Kent.  I really like his face and the detail you've put on the map. Is that Quatre Bras you have painted there? Wonderful work and I look forward to the next few hundred figures coming up for this project.

5 points for you to prime the guns. Welcome back to the Painting Challenge, Kent! 

Side Duels and Challenges Roster Updated

Hi All,

Another update to the Side Duels and Challenges Roster has been made.
The Fantasy Challenge (SD6) is now officially a thing.

DaveD and SanderS, you haven't provided me with any rules or prizes as yet for your One Hump or Two Camel Challenge. You may care to do so, lest I decide to start making stuff up on your behalf :-)

Cheers,
Millsy the Duels Wallah

From PaulS: Opening Salvo Launched (100 Points)

I wanted to get these up earlier today, but learning how a new phone works and syncs has taken a lot of time... hopefully Miles is still working on his first bomb so I can hold onto first place for at least 5 minutes ;)

Last year I never quite got around to finishing my Commandos, so the first task this year is to finish off those. First up are 20 more infantry for a score of 100. Three of these are Modipius' commandos armed with some sort of mythos busting laser... the rest of the group are bulk standard Warlord plastics. The majority of these are carrying rifles, but hidden in there is a light mortar team as well.

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That is some mighty fine and fast painting, Paul. These lads will drive you to the front of the points standings - an impressive start to your Challenge gambit. 

I've always wanted to try these Modiphius commandos for my pulp collection, but have been turned off by the small stature of their human-sized monsters. Nonetheless, these look quite good next to the Warlord models, so maybe I might give them a go. 

Enjoy your lead while you have it. I have a feeling that the Big Brushes are about to make themselves known soon. 

From ByronM: Death Guard and Tohaa (30 Points)

I had really planned on finishing these yesterday, but ran out of time as I had a game of Infinity booked last night with a friend. The painting process was pretty slow on these due to the large number of washes involved.

First up is a Nurgle Death Guard rhino for my 40k force.  The rhino started out as a used kit from a friend that no longer wanted it, so it was already painted for Khorne.  That didn't matter a whole lot as anything being used for Nurgle needs about a metric tonne of green stuff before its ready anyway.

Here are some photos of the green stuff work done after ripping off the doors.

I was trying to make this match an older piece so that it fits with the army I painted probably 5-6 years ago, so it has no fancy chipping solution or grime solutions added as I started doing that all after painting this army.  The base colours were all done with an airbrush and went super fast.  I think it was less than 20 minutes to get the green and all the shading done, then the slow part started.

What took so long with the rhino was the fact that all of the pustule areas are just painted bone white and then layered with sepia, green, red, yellow, and blue washes in various areas to build up the sick looking colour shades.  Each layer had to sit and dry before the next, making it a slow process.

Next up are two Infinity figures from the Tohaa faction, affectionately known as the Artichoke heads, and I think you can see why.   These two are Sukeul Commandos, and I have been needing at least one of them for a long while. 

The one with the rifle is yielding a K1 rifle, which has a special type of ammo that can hurt anything 60% of the time.  No matter if it is a weak base trooper or a mighty TAG (Dreadnought) it is always a 60% chance to hurt them, which is damn strong since a normal rifle in the game has a less than 20% chance to hurt a TAG.  Since to many players have been fielding TAGs lately, I needed something to help out against them in my force.

I took her to my game last night, and off course, basic rifle troops did more damage to the enemy TAG than she did..... figures, right?

Both the Rhino and the Tohaa were fun little starter pieces for the challenge, but now its onto some of the larger projects.

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Byron!

To put the following comments in perspective, I'll state from the start that Byron and I are old friends, so he'll know where I'm coming from when I say that within the 40K universe I'm really not a big fan of Nurgle stuff. The whole green-stuff-on-vehicles-and-paint-it-green trope has always left me a bit underwhelmed. A bit of a 30-year copout really.

BUT with this being said, what Byron treats us to is a fine example of it being done very, very well. Instead of a haphazard mess of mis-shapen blobs of putty, he provides us with clearly defined tentacles, corrosion and buboes. His painting is not muddy and ill-defined, but vibrant and nuanced. I even like the addition of the 'after market exhaust', which I think is a fairly subtle touch (I'm positive they've spec'ed this Rhino to meet California emission standards). All in all, a model which fairly much dismisses most of my prejudices .

The Artichoke Head Twins are pretty darn cool. I like their lime green dreadlocky hair as well as the glowing effect Byron did on the K1 energy weapons. A 60% chance of hurting anything on the board seems pretty potent, so I suspect it will be only a matter of time before they start paying back on their initial investment. 

I'm going to give a few extra points for the mods to the Rhino and call it 30 points for the lot. Excellent work Byron!

From TeemuL: SCW from the Last Challenge (15 Points)

These three warriors were primed for the 7th Challenge, but they just didn't made the deadline and were untouched for the whole year. So it was about the time to give them some painting.

They are Spanish Civil War Republican Militia members from the Empress Miniatures. They all have blue overalls and mixed clothing. I kept the palette simple, just painting different areas on different miniatures with different colors. Or different areas with the same colors. Or same colors on different areas. Well, you'll get the point.

My favorite of these three is the one with bare head. Somehow he brings to my mind some young chap from the old western movies - guy with the rifle trying to proof he is a man, when his father, bigger brothers and all the girls from the village are watching.

The guy on the knee has glasses, I was quite scared how they would turn out, but they look nice. I added some Middenheim tuft on the bases to give something green to the dry Spanish ground.

In the future I'm trying to paint and post some Odds and Ends like last year, but as I am also a gamer, different needs might arise. So keep your eyes open for some Astra Militarum for Warhammer 40000 and mixed Chaos for Age of Sigmar. You'll probably get some Oldhammer as well, some Odds from here and there and most likely at least one post a week. I'm trying to participate all the Bonus Rounds as well and kick some butts on my first ever side duel!

3 25mm models and 15 points!

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Welcome back to the Challenge Teemu!

This is a great looking trio of Republicans, wearing their iconic blue workers' trousers and red bandannas. I also like the sparce, arid groundwork for the bases - evocative of the Spanish countryside. Empress has done such a great job on this range and you've really done them proud here, Teemu. Well done!

From LeeH : Jingle Bells! (5 Points)

Its Christmaaaassss! Which means the Challenge has started and for a change I'm hitting the ground running with no illness to scupper my opening week plans. My first entry is in keeping with the season (and the monstrous theme) and is just a fun way to kick off my assault on my highest target to date.

This 28mm Wargames Foundry model is full of character but when I first considered painting him I had the distinct impression this Orc Santa was looking at the floor rather than the viewer. I decided to make a slightly built up base for him that elevated the front of the figure slightly and improved the composition of the final model. Building the base and priming the model before the the challenge started saved me a lot of time and meant I could crack on with painting straight away for a quick opening entry. The finishing touch was a layer of crisp snow, care of some Tamiya Diorama Texture Paint, which goes on like a paste but dries rock hard so its quite durable and really looks 'snow like'!

This has been a fun way to kick off my Challenge and has kept me sane while starting on my first batch of 6mm Zulus!

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What an excellent opening entry Lee! I find his delicate, fur-trimmed red gloves contrasted against his huge (and festive) green ork arms hilarious. Your idea of re-positioning the figure so he's looking out, rather than down is an excellent call - it suites the figure so much better, I think. Thank you very much for a bit of Season's Cheer!

Now, back to your Zulus, Lee. I'm counting on seeing a full Impi from you sometime early in the New Year. :)