From NoelW: Awful Apparations at Awdry’s Atoll (180points)

Most of us decide to learn swimming quite quickly, encouraged by that wail in the waves behind us.

Struggling through the rocky seas, we find ourselves unexpectedly arriving upon an atoll. We don’t know what an atoll is, so aren't really surprised to find it’s just a ring of almost revealed rocks. One minute we think you’re on land, and the next you’re ankle deep in saltwater. From time to time the sea washes over us like crutons in a thin soup, as we stumble upwards, clambering to the highest point on the largest rock of the atoll.

It’s here that we find a few stubbly trees, and between them various ancient mechanisms and buildings.

Perhaps these were the installations protected by the harbour we’ve just left. Perhaps they were destroyed by one of the two strange armies we recently encountered. 

Some are guarded by ancient cannon of enormous size, now rusted, split and unusable

There’s not much shelter amongst the ruins, but we do our best to wring out our sodden clothing. Just as the rain begins.

We name the place “Our dry Atoll”.

There’s faint graffiti on the walls of some of the buildings, as if someone has been sketching out elaborate plans for a massive campaign with enormous forces – but every sketch is half-finished, overwritten by some greater plan, even more massive and improbable. They seem like the ravings of a megalomaniac.

So now we’re stranded, with the sky darkening, rain dripping in, the sea growling against the rocks and the counterpoint of distant thunder. And then, faintly on the wind, we hear that plaintiff cry again. Has some monstrous creature followed us from the mainland, trapping us where it can leisurely take a toll of our bodies for its entertainment?

There’s no time to contemplate such questions for, as the thunderous darkness overwhelms us, shadows stir amongst the broken buildings. Out of the walls, a shivering wisp of cloud appears, slowly resolving into pale creatures, which stare at us mournfully, as if puzzled.

Then, slowly they begin to shamble towards us, as if they know exactly what the jugular is for.

---

The five CD terrain pieces are based around buildings I picked up at a flea market, but I don’t know what they’re supposed to be, who made them or even what scale they are. I’m using them as targets/objectives/defences for Epic battles. Having the perfectly circular CD bases make it easy to determine when a force is “in” the terrain and when outside it. I wanted each piece to be different, yet sufficiently coherent to form a single area if needed. I also wanted the buildings to appear as if they might be in use, despite their overall dilapidated look.

The second part of the submission consists of objective markers and defences from GW’s Aeronautica Imperialis Ground Assets set. This is half the set, the ork defences. (My ork planes should appear in a later submission). There are 2 ground targets, 6 double-sided numbered counters to mark objectives, one landing zone marker and 6 anti-aircraft pieces. I’ve left space on the terrain CDs for the placing of the AA defences if I decide to defend the factories.

Finally a shift of attention from the small-scale stuff: 24 zombie Germans. I’ve been developing a Walmington on Sea project for a couple of years now, and I thought it could be fun to have the potential for a “weird war” variant. However, I didn’t want to spend a massive amount of time on this, as it’s merely a sideline for the existing project. So, I thought I’d make it a bit of a speed-painting experiment.

Whilst I have worked in a mortuary, I’ve never seen a zombie, but it seems to me that they’re likely to be pale-skinned and etiolated (what a good word, vicar!), especially if they’ve spent more than a few minutes underground. So these are done almost entirely using thin washes of Contrast paints over a white undercoat, plus a little detail picked out after the washes with a light off-white drybrush and an Army Painter dark wash in places to emphasise some of the lines. I feel the results are mixed: overall they’re fair enough and will certainly serve my purposes, but maybe the watered down effect is too insipid – I won’t be submitting any individual models in a painting competition.

Scoring: 5 x 6mm terrain pieces of 5ins diameter and a height of about 1.5 inches. Maybe together that’s about half a cube. - 10 points - topped up to 15 for for number of em!

7 x objective counters and 2 Orkish ground targets – 3 points

6 x artillery pieces. These are about 25mm in size but intended for 6mm figs, so I’m not sure if that’s 60pts or 12 pts - scored as 6mm vehicles  but with a top up bonus

24 x 28mm zombies – 120 pts

Awdry’s Atoll – 30 pts


From DaveD - Oh my , now theres a collection of bits n bob for a ealrly minion. So i have topped up your overall to 180 points! 

Tuesdays Minions

Official Minion Paul O’G  is disposed with real life duties today ... so a number of  us are on overtime today ..

No Ray... don’t play with the Spreadsheet O Doom! 

So bear with us while we juggle stuff about ..

AND!!!! just a reminder peeps... when you set up your submission PLEASE!! don't forget to fill in the labels on the side bar , and try and do a round up of  what you  have done - counting figures on photographs slows things down -  this will make it quicker and easier for us to check through and post - thanks in advance!

Cheers DaveD

From ByronM - 1/144 Bandai X-Wing - Mudry's Mesa (36 Points)

For today's painting challenge entry I will be visiting my own map space, Mudry's Mesa.  The rules for my space are that the model has to be bought after the challenge was announced, or was purchased due to someone else's submission last year. 

This figure was purchased on a whim while doing some last minute Christmas shopping for my sons at my favourite local Gundam store (miHobbies) here in Winnipeg.  I saw that they had a pile of the Bandai Star Wars kits, and they were very reasonably priced.  Since I have loved putting together several Bandai Gundam kits over the last year (much to my wife's annoyance "where are you going to put those..."), so thought, why not try one of their Star Wars kits as well.

I could not help but add a space background to at least one image,
as I think this looks almost good enough to use to create a stop motion movie from!

The kit comes with both a 1/72 and a 1/144 X-wing in the box for a pretty reasonable price, or you can buy just the 1/144th separately.  I picked up the dual pack and got to work over the holidays.

The 1/144th scale kit is super simple to build having maybe 20 parts, but oh boy does it have detail! Oh, and the wings move! The 1/72 scale kit in the box seems to have probably 100 parts and even more amazing detail... hopefully I will get it done sometime later in this challenge.

After assembly, I did a quick pin wash with black oil paint and then cleaned it up with my handy Gaia notes finish master swabs. 

I then painted up the rest of the model and added some of the decals, and was done!  Super fast and simple, but I believe it looks almost perfect as is so didn't really do much else to it.

Unfortunately, I now really want to get a pile of these models and do a game with them, rather than the smaller Fantasy flight versions.  Heck, I may even just want to jump right to the 1/72 scale versions that they do, as those could look amazing mounted on tripods zipping around a gymnasium at a convention playing x-wing using a huge scale!  I know, I am kinda crazy....

Oh, and for scale here is one picture with a standard 28mm figure.  

I am not really sure on what it is worth points wise, so will leave that to my fellow minions to decide on.  Since it is for a map space (my own), I do know it gets a bonus 30 points for that.

***

There was a time when I would have been so excited to see some Star Wars content! After all, is there any cooler fighter out there than the X-Wing? In any scale, a game where I get to zip around in an X-Wing and paste TIE fighters should be pure gold, so I salute your insane plan Byron - we could cover the gymnasium floor with space mats...just saying...

Alas, the appalling combination of Disney's Korporate Klowns and the various directors, marketing buffoons et al have so thoroughly and completely mucked up and wh***d out this once beloved franchise, I find myself trying to find the Nissan logo on the X-Wing model in your submission.  Here in Canada we see Star Wars now being used to assure us that Bell Internet is "hyperspace fast".  And did you know the Force is actually Bell's 4G network? F*ck off. 

But none of my grouchyness has anything to do with the quality of the submission here! The X-Wing model looks fantastic, and your efforts with the oil paints and swab serve only to enhance it.  One hopes it can make the kill shot on a space station full of marketing f*cks while they are signing a naming rights agreement...

Points? Well, I think this should count this as a couple of 10mm vehicles (I think 1/144scale  is not too far from 10mm). So that should give you 36 points.  Well done Byron - I look forward to the 1/72 version :)

GregB

From JamieM: A Gnarly Submission (52 Points)

Word up dudes, a quick Gnarly post for me today. I think you’ll agree it’s pretty Rad to be here.  Dudes.  Ahem.

Anyway, it’s a 28mm MDF skateramp from ttcombat that I really liked the look of as being something a little different  I like the asymmetry in Line of Sight blocking that it provides.

I think I might have gone a little overboard with the weathering, but that's what Cleethorpes Council get for using paint they found in the bargain aisle at B&Q instead of proper outdoors paint I guess....

The graffiti is printed onto special decal paper, sealed with varnish and then applied.  I think you'll agree that it adds a certain level of sophistication.

It's a decent sized piece, as you'll see with the local Yoof of Today enjoying it below.

With regards scoring, it's my entry at Mudry's Mesa as I bought it as part of a job lot of items from eBay that were delivered on 27th December.  I know, I know, the Challenge is about reducing one's lead pile.....

Anyway, with regards the size I was going to suggest 15 points as my maths isn't good enough to relate the shape of it into the scoring unit!

So 30 for the Mesa and 15 for the scenery for 45 points is my guesstimate.

Next up?  I'm striking out for Cooke's Crevasse..... as it were.

***
Wow, lot's of creative terrain today.  Certainly Jamie, this terrain submission speaks to me...basically, I would want to drive a motor rifle division over this structure and any "yoof" enjoying it, and any surrounding park that contains it...so suffice to say, your efforts have hit the nail on the head, as your recreation of the skate ramp structure has provoked the same feelings in me that a real one does!

Your math skills might be on the wane, but surely they are stronger than anyone using a skateboard at such a ramp.  Your 45 point guesstimate is off only slightly...I have this scored at 50 points, and I add two points for the hilarious graffiti. So 52 points total for you, sir! 

Now get off my lawn...

GregB

From PeteF: We are Gathered Heer (50 Points)

After a short balloon trip I took a break from Challenge Island exploration to chip away at the WW2 Germans. This is a squad of ten infantry that came as part of the Warlord Games box of Blitzkrieg Germans.

I enjoy working with hard plastic figures and like the variety you can get with all the heads and different equipment set ups. The main thing that can go wrong is head positioning - one of these must have slid a bit while it was curing - can't see it from 2 foot though.

This was my first, very small, experiment with chipping medium - I painted a coat of rust, then the medium, then green before giving it a brush. I think I'll use some on at least the wheels and tracks of the tank that I'll be tackling soon. Are you supposed to varnish over it afterwards or just leave it once you have all the chips you want?

Challenge X is really helping with motivation for this project. The Blitzkrieg box has spent a long time on the shelf of shame - just a tank, a mortar team and another squad and I'll have a 1,000 point army for Bolt Action.

Ten 28mm infantry for 5 points each. Now for some camels.

***

Well, even more Blitzkrieg-era Germans! It's good to see the Challenge inspiring people to dig out their assorted boxes and get moving on all sorts of projects.  Whether for Bolt Action or Chain of Command (or whatever other awesome rules are out there), it looks WW2 gaming is definitely getting a boost from the early phases of Challenge X. 

Great work on these Pete, they look ready to take Europe by storm. 50 points on the tally sheet for you!

GregB

From BenitoM: German Early War LMG Teams (30 points)

Today (Jan 6th) is Epiphany day. In Spain (and I believe, in some other European Countries) is the traditional day to exchange Christmas presents: instead of Santa Claus, children await the arrival of the Three Wise Men (Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar) riding their camels at the head of a caravan loaded with toys, in the night between the 5th and 6th of January.

 

It also happens to be a holiday in Spain (... and sadly my last day of the Christmas break, tomorrow the office will  reopen), so I take this opportunity to offer you my latest painting work for the Challenge as an Epiphany Day present.

I continued progressing with my core project for this year's edition of the Challenge, the German Early War platoon for Chain of Command. Having concluded the HQ section (senior leaders and 5cm mortar), now I will turn my attention to the each of the three squads.

In Chain of Command, each squad is divided in two fire teams: one manning the squad's LMG (with a crew of three)  and the other composed of six rifle-armed privates. I have concluded today two of the LMG teams.

One is moving towards the front, and as you can see they are wearing the cap instead of the steel helmet and the privates are heavily loaded with extra ammo boxes and belts as well as the full combat gear.

The other team is now very close to enter into action and enagae the enemy; they may be taking positions near their jump of points, advancing more carefully and with lighter gear.

These are 28mm plastic models from the Warlord Blitzkrieg German Infantry box. I have mentioned in previous entries that the scultpting is very good and the variety of poses allows to personalize each of the 30 models in the box.

One comment thorugh, for the model carrying the LMG on the shoulder I have used a spare part of the Perry German DAK box, which is made of one single piece. You can replicate this same pose with the Warlord box but will have to glue one arm and the MG 34.

This entry represent additional 30 points to my score on the challenge (six 28mm models @5 points each)

Before closing the post, I owe Curt and asnwer to a comment in a previous post, in which he asked how I did work the steel helmets of my Germans.

Let's start by stating that I am a tabletop painter, I'm not looking to win a Golden Demon. My approach is making the right effort to look good on a table at a distance. The critical factor here is to focus in what you see of the model looking from above at 1.0-1.5 meters distance. 

 

In the case of the helmets the process is as follows (illustraed with some pictures hopefully of good enough quality)

The base color of my German models is a very dark grey:

I apply a first layer of lighter grey on the helmet, but centered in the areas that the gamer is going to see on the table. In this case, with the helmet hanging from the belt, the upper part and about half of the front.

A final third  lighter layer is applied. Don't be worried about overdoing for two reasons:  the colors get darker after varnishing and the contrast effect is diluted when you look from a distance.

  

A view of the model form above (bird/player eyes)

As you see, nothing complex or difficult to achieve. Important when doing the painting work: don't forget from time to time to look the model at a distance, the perception can change significantly. 

Hope this explanation helps.

***
Hello Benito - Happy Epiphany Day! Did I say that correctly? I'm uncertain, as I'm plugged into the North American timing and traditions for Christmas, but it is always fun to learn about the different traditions and approaches to various holiday seasons around the world.  I hope you have enjoyed your break - we have certainly enjoyed your painting.

And this is another fine example. These Germans look the business.  I particularly like the MG34 team that is ready to get the weapon into action, very well done. I'm sure Curt will also appreciate the brief tutorial - I know I do! I always love learning how different Challengers approach their painting, thank you for sharing this with us. 

And yes, these six Blitzkrieg-ing Germans will fetch you another 30 points. We look forward to continued progress on your project. 

GregB

From RayR: Challenge Island - Docherty's Dock (40 Points)

At last! I've finally got something painted!!!

I've had a bit of a nightmare, like other Challengers I had grand plans of what I was going to paint

over the Christmas break, then on Boxing Day, I went and did my back in! No, I wasn't at the gym, or swimming, or doing gardening or even DIY.  It's all Postie's fault, the git had the audacity to knock on my front door!

In the act of getting out of the chair to answer the door, my back decided it'd had enough for the day

and seized up. By the evening I was in agony, next day Diazipam and Tramadol ended my Christmas totally. For the next week I sat in the chair dribbling!! So painting was well out the window!

Well now I'm back! Although the said back is still not all that clever to be honest. But I can at least sit at the desk, paintbrush in hand! Phew!

My first entry sees me attack Challenge Island, I'm starting on the Path of the Forgotten at Docherty's Dock. I have seen this figure already painted up, but can't remember who entered it. The figure is from Black Tree Designs and will be added to my Donnybrook Moor army.

It's was a fairly simple paint job, and I'm pleased with how Mr Moor and his camel Dave turned out!

I'm more pleased with my newly made grass tutfs! I was bought the tuft machine the Xmas before last, then a month before the Challenge I made up a few sheets, it's a bit messy but well wort the effort!

As for points a work it out to be 10 points for the figures, plus 30 points for the Challenge Island entry.


***
Hello Ray! I must confess, I assumed sitting in the chair dribbling was something of a default state of existence for you which interfered in no way with your painting output. 

That said, we are all relieved to hear that things are well enough for you to get on with your painting for yet another Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge! It looks as though "Dave" is sufficiently burdened with goods that I can only assume have been smuggled.  Very nice - and your home made tufts (there is a machine for that?) are lovely. 

40 points for you - we await more...

GregB