From KyleC - Tomb - Skeletal Force - 985pts

 Ok so apologies.. I had hoped to have some of this painting done sooner, but February has been a tough month to get through.. more so than January and that was quite bleek. And being as how it was all bleek it was a good time to get into the Undead force I have been printing in the background here. Or at least the Heroes and Core Units for it. 

And um.. yeah it might be a bit of a points dump as well here.. but it was more that it all fit the chamber criteria best so... sorry?

So it is for a new game system ( to me anyways ) that our local club wants to get into post lockdown. Game is called Oathmark. It has the old fantasy battle feel for it, but with the ability to mix and match units and races based on how you build up your kingdom. I picked undead/humans for the most part, with the main reason being I had a ton of Skeleton Files from Patreons that I wanted to print up, and then I got a bit carried away! 

So here is the Lord of the Kingdom, Ostoc Bardolf of Festerthorne, Head Lich Priest of the kingdom. Model is from Warploque Miniatures Digital range ( and excuse the blurry shots.. am trying to relearn the proper camera here.. not quite there yet ). 

The rest of the characters have yet to be named, but taking suggestions! 

His backup Lich Priest by Highlands Miniatures

Revenant General by Loot Studies

Vampire Lord by Loot Studies

Vampire Lord by Archvillian Miniatures

The 3 amigos.. of Revenant Captains

Skeleton Champion by Asgard Rising

Revenant Champion by Archivillian Miniatures

Then I did up 3 units of each Archers, Soldiers ( Sword and Shield), and Spearmen. All being a mix of Warploque and Highland Miniature files. Each unit was 20 models. 

And then of course the Tombs from which they crawl out of.. I had planned to paint up a church to go with it, but then one of the Kickstarters I have backed announced that we will be getting a church from it.. so the one I have is tiny in comparison, so it got back burnered for now. 

The larger tomb entrances I found on thingiverse, so not sure where they are from exactly. Caretaker skeleton by Warploque. And Viking burial tombs by Asgard Rising. 

All told it is 191 models, and half a box of terrain pieces? So that's about...

191*5 = 955 pts

Half a box of terrain = 10 pts? Maybe less?

Chamber Challenge = 20 pts

Giving this post 985 pts there about? I had thought about doing up one more unit to make it 10 full units to show off, but my airbrush decided to spit its dummy out and have a fit, and I don't have energy to deal with it right now to work on another unit. 

Expect more from this army in the following posts, and chambers, as they seem to fit nicely for level 3. And more so that I have a lot of the more special units to tackle.. just have to adjust without an airbrush potentially... 

Unholy crap! I'm getting all the treats today! That is one heck of a points bomb, Kyle. And one heck of a backdrop for the photos - will we be seeing all those 3D-printed buildings painted up sometime soon?

Tamsin

Richard P - 28mm 18th Century Sepoys (130 Points)

It's been a bit quiet on the painting front here for a few weeks due to a recurrence of a blood disorder which has completely knocked me for six. However things are returning to normal, well as normal as they can be at the moment, and between the large doses of antibiotics I have managed to finish some of the stuff I had been working on earlier in February. 

First up a force of 18th Century Sepoys that were to be used in a Sharp Practice 2 campaign weekend set in the fictional Indian Ocean island chain of the Woebetides in April 2021 but that has had to be cancelled so it will probably be September before they see the table. Figures are from the Golconda Rising range from Eureka. Nice figures, although some had a ball of metal between the hand holding the musket stock and the body of the miniature which were an absolute nightmare to remove. I eventually decided to disguise them as pouches as I was afraid of damaging the rest of the miniature. 

Good to finally get some more stuff done! So that's 26 x 28mm Figures = 130 Points. 

Another century-plus entry - you guys are treating me well today! I can't see the ball/pouch you mentioned - perhaps the angle you've taken the photos from has hidden it.

Tamsin

From ByronM - Cherokee Indians, Shrine, and Adventurers Landing ( 215 Points)

 It's been a while again since my last post, but at last I have something to show for a few projects.  The first of which is one that I was completely excited to start this year, figures for some games of Cowboys and Indians!  Last year I read a very interesting book called "Empire of the Summer Moon" which was all about the rise and fall of the Cherokee Indians.  

It was a very interesting book that briefly detailed how the Cherokee basically held off expansion to the north from the Spanish and then the Mexicans, then went into great detail about how they held off expansion to the west for the Americans for a long period of time. This led to the creation of the Texas Rangers and that started a extremely bloody conflict that lasted for decades. A very interesting read that really highlighted how in that time there were no good guys, not the Cherokee and not the Texas Rangers. The fights and raids were brutal on all sides.  What a great setting to wargame in!

I started out with the Cherokee as I felt they would be more interesting to paint.  Interesting being a funny word for what turned out to be a month long stall / hate for them.  It turns out that while the figures are awesome and have tons of character, that also meant that each one had to be painted like a character and it started to wear on me pretty damn fast.  As I have mentioned in a few past posts, my eyes have been changing prescription lately and I am finding it really hard to deal with fine details (having 3 different sets of reading glasses kicking around to swap between for different detail levels) and these just became extremely frustrating to deal with.

Over all, I am ok with how the flesh turned out, and with some of the details, but eventually I had to just power through and not put in as much detail as I initially wanted as I just couldn't focus on them anymore.  While they are passable for the table, I will likely have to go back when I get a steady prescription and touch up some things.  While not bad, you can see in the close up how far they are from my normal work... oh well....  But at least they are good for now, and I can move onto the Texas Rangers hopefully before the end of the challenge.

Next up, is an entry for the Shrine challenge room.  These Druidic stones are covered in viking runes and are 3d prints from Asgard Rising.  I printed 3 of them up and then based them on a 120mm base to set the scene.  This should make a great terrain piece for a variety of games. 

Last up is part of a ruined pier and some smashed up viking ships for the Adventures Landing challenge room.  These are again 3d prints from Asgard Rising and are very nice terrain features.  They are shown off here with some 28mm vikings to help with scale.

As for points, there are 15 mounted 28mm Cherokee Indians @ 10 points each for 150 points, the shrine for 0.25 of a cube = 5 points, the pier and ships for about 1 cube = 20 points, plus 2 challenge rooms @ 20 each is 40, for a grand total of 215 points!  Which should take me about my years goal of 1000 points a month early, Hurray!!!

Wahoo! A small points bomb at last! What a great set of entries. Mind you, a Druidic stone with viking runes? Those Nordic types are such vandals! I'll bet their scrawlings obliterated the original Ogham script...

Tamsin

From TeemuL: Campus Sheriff, Level 2 Sorceress (25 points)

"How do I get out of here? Where is the Principal? Who are these small people? Who will save me from there?" These and many other questions went back and forth in the head of poor Shellington, who really didn't know where he was. His thoughts were interrupted with a sharp call "Who goes there!?" Uggla noticed a grim looking person in long leather coat, with leather hat and a six shooter in a holster and tried to say something. "It is me, eh, Shellington, erm, Professor of Chemistry Shellington Nils Owl-Ord. I'm just a bit lost, I beg your pardon." Then he realized that the person was a young red headed lady and his brains tried to figure out who she was and where she came from. "My lady, you are the Campus Sheriff Tamasina, aren't you? What a relief to find you here, a regular human after all this", he managed to say, even though a woman with a gun was far from the regular he knew. But at least she was talking in an understandable language and was over 4 feet tall. "Tamasina? You might have confused me with one of predecessors. My name is Eliza, not Tamasina, Stone. Let's take a quaff together to calm your nerves, I know a knight in a shiny armor to help you out, I'll get you there", came the answer before the bottle was popped open and quaffs were taken without glasses.

My level 2 Sorceress is not a magic user, just a simple gunslinger from Crusader Miniatures, Eliza Stone, which I received last year from the YourModelBox Outlaw box. I have always been a huge western fan, but this is actually the first mini I ever have painted for that era. Another start of an project, eh?

As seems to be my usual approach these days, this was painted with Contrasts. Bit tricky at times on these non-heroic models, but I guess she came out ok. I was planning to make a bigger entry here, but time is my worst enemy, so I had to pick up the smallest adequate and continue exploring the chambers. The level 2 is now complete, so if Lady Sarah accepts this modest miniature and kicks Shellington down to the level 3, into the Knights Solar, please?

5 points for a single 28 miniature

20 points for the Chamber room

No skulls, no GW miniatures, no bonus points, I didn't even had a drink while painting her (I haven't had a drink in weeks, actually, only de-alcoholised white wine, which was left over after making a risotto).

Well, get off your milk, and drink your horse, pardner! I see you've met my replacement as Sheriff in these parts. Nicely done!

Tamsin

From GeorgeS - Oubliette - Rohan Warrior - (25points)

      Yes this challenge is great! Great idea and many many options ,I believe , for any painter..haha.

So, my contribution to this chamber is a classic 28mm LOTR "Rohan Warrior" converted a bit..

A small chance to do something out of 1:32 scale and one more chance for my favourite LOTR!

 

      This figure comes to me many years a go with broken spear and I've repair it with a broken spear from another broken same figure( to many broken..words). A beautiful double spear came out of this repair but the figure left aside waiting for a Rohan Army to be painted.,....sometime.. As the years passed and no attempt from me to paint the Army, I give this little Rohirrim the chance to be completed :)

    It is chosen between many competitors, so, Curt I will propose this great challenge to be a standard to all the forthcoming challenges.. hahaha... To many unfinished and forgotten figures will be ...always...

  So, 25 points for me out of it and walking on " The Tomb" chamber...

'Till next time...

Keep Up The Brushes!!

Nice work and congrats on clearing an old figure from the painting queue.

Tamsin

AHPC Stats Update Month 2: The February Doldrums

 

Well, it seems that there are nine weeks in the Challenge XI "Completed" column and you know what that means - yet another astounding Statistical Update.  Neither rain, nor snow, nor pandemic, nor actual audience interest shall deter me from force feeding you statistical gibberish.  

That's just how I roll.

Presented below is the now world famous incomprehensible wall of numbers which summarizes the progress of our collective pigment crusade through 4 weeks and then 9 weeks (as of Feb 20) and third column is where we stood at 9 weeks in for last years challenge.

You'll find none of those hip and garrish graphics in this report - just cold hard numbers in rows and columns.  I make you work for the knowledge rather than spoon feeding you the "high-points" and distracting you with pretty colors and slices of pie charts.  One day, when you find yourself on the streets or in a back alley, without a white board and colored dry-ears markers while being confronted by a gang of hopped-up academic thugs challenging you to an equation derivation throwdown, you'll thank me for preparing you to be able to do so.

As with all challenges we do see a little productivity drop off during weeks 5 - 9 vs the blistering pace of weeks 1 - 4.  Scientists have many theories why this occurs and the research is ongoing.  It really is one of the great mysteries of the universe.

One of the more interesting trends for this second month is that our blistering pace from month one has slowed a bit and we are back in line with more standard levels of productivity when compared to Challenge X.  Specifically points per participant for 9 weeks during XI are now 615 vs 613 from Challenge X - thats pretty much spot on.

We are seeing the absolute numbers of submissions a good bit higher than last year (838 vs 583) - most of that is due to a larger number of participants but there is about a 11% increase in productivity with the average number of submissions for XI being 10 vs 9 from X.  It does make the class oppressing capitalist in me smile when thinking of all of you as happy little workers toiling away to increase measured productivity.

Now I shall allow you to gaze upon the incomprehensible wall of numbers in all it's terrible beauty.  Look and be amazed (queue angelic harp music here):

AHPC XI Stats Summary:	Weeks Completed
	4	9	9
	XI	XI	X
Total Points	26,391	51,684	41,065
% of Target	38.87%	76.12%	63.86%
Participants	84	84	67
# of Submissions	476	838	583
# of Chamber / Island Submissions	279	516	288
Participation Rate	94%	94%	92%
Avg Submissions per Participant	6	10	9
Avg Pts per Submitter	314	615	613
Avg Pts per Submission	55	62	70
Total Points per Week	6,598	5,743	4,563
Figures Painted
28MM
Inf	2,172	4,155	2,828
Cav / Art	268	471	275
Vehicles	27	58	88
15MM
Inf	762	1,583	956
Cav / Art	97	304	334
Vehicles	21	97	98
6MM
Inf	1,476	1,566	1,238
Cav / Art	373	387	222
Vehicles	1	29	129
Terrain "Cubes"	29	99	64
Points Distriution
28mm	53%	52%	45%
15mm	8%	10%	10%
6mm	4%	2%	3%
Terrain	2%	4%	3%
Chamber / Island Bonus Pts	22%	20%	21%
Other	11%	12%	18%
Total	100%	100%	100%
Projected Points	91,031	80,398	68,878

In terms of what we are painting, 28mm remains the mainstay and has actually managed to increase its share of points to 52% vs Challenge X's 45%.  The other big variance to last year is the "other" category - during Challenge X there were a fairly large number of 20mm and 10mm submissions and we just don't have those scales in any number for XI.  I personally have a handful of 10mm American War of Independence figures that I need to paint up for a club project that may make it into this year's challenge.

So where will we end up.  The Point-O-Projector has been run and the effects of the February Doldrums PLUS Manic March have been factored in.  After significant deliberations, mega flops of computing power dedication power and raising a wet finger into the wind and new answer has been determined: 80,398 - a most respectable tally.

Now my rather ample gut tells me that forecast may be conservative as it's based on historical trends from past challenges.  Given the frantic start to this year, I suspect this group of Pigmentation Crusaders has a higher than average finish left in us for March, 2021.  

Come on you beautiful bastards, paint like your lives depend upon it.  Let's melt that spreadsheet of doom under an incalculable torrent entries.  

Ok, I may have gotten a little over-wrought there.  Lets just all have a great final month of the Challenge.

from RayR - Chamber of Challenge - The Oubliette (68 points)

Well I bet this is a surprise? No Donnybrook!

Long Long ago, long before my blog, I painted up a rather large 15mm army for both sides for the Battle of Pavia 1525. The Rejects played quite a few games using Age of Discovery rules, which always worked well, if a little fiddly. I'll get them out again one day, I promise!

These 3 small units have been glued to sticks ready to paint since around 2002-5. So I thought they'd be a good entry into The Obliette bonus round.

Oubliette: Your challenge in this chamber is to paint something forgotten, or lost. A figure you thought you’d sold years ago. Or a model from a long-forgotten project. Resurrect what excited you, long ago, with a flourish from your brushes.

I hadn't planed on painting any 15mm figures during this Challenge, but it sure reminded me just how quick they are to paint up, over 25mm.

The figures on the right are from Essex Miniatures and I can't remember who made the two Landsknechte units? They could be Venexia, but I'm not 100% sure?

The 3 units of 15mm figures will earn me 48 points

along with the 20 point Bonus, making a total of 

68 points.

Those have been sitting in your paint queue for quite some time, haven't they? I'll bet you're glad to finally have them painted. As a special reward, I've found half a red wax crayon for you.

Tamsin

Topically Tamsin Tuesday

 

"Good morning ladies, gentlemen....and Ray. You will be pleased to hear that Snowlord Airways flight AHPC-XI out of Challenge, Blogland has attained an altitude of 53,244 points. You will also be pleased to hear that, despite a bit of a slowdown this week, we are well on course to breach our target altitude of 67,900 points with plenty of time left before the end of this flight. Jolly good show!"

"Now, some people have been asking what regime I follow to keep my skin looking so fresh. Others have suggested that it is all relative and my skin only looks fresh and healthy when compared against that of all the other flight crew and passengers. There may be some truth in that suggestion. But, for those who want to know what my regime is, I avoid sunlight as much as possible and I bathe in the blood of the kittens from the sacrifices to Miles' "Spreadsheet of Doom (TM)"."

"We have once again run out of the red wax crayons. It appears that one of the Ray suborned some fellow passengers to distract one of my crew colleagues while he broke into the locker and stole them all. As a result, there will be no more red wax crayons available until the flight touches down in about 4 weeks time."

Toodle-pip!

Tamsin

From LeeH - Gnoll Pack (25 points)

Today's entry was one of those excellent little 'bring and buy' bargains from back in the pre-covid days when we still had shows! They were sold assembled but unpainted so I based them up and primed them ready for painting over a year ago. Their time has finally come and at last, they are ready to hit the mean streets of the frozen city and challenge the roving bands of looters that routinely scavenge the ruins. 

These are Northstar Plastic figures and are the first Gnolls I have painted in probably 30 years! Good fun to paint and they will make an ideal addition to my collection of figures for Frostgrave. 

(Scoring: 5x28mm foot = 25 points)

Just over a year old? That's younger than most of the primed figures in my paint queue! Nice work on the dogmen, Lee.

Tamsin