AHPC 16 Round up

Another AHPC Season comes to an end - this was my 11th but the first I've entered while living overseas (which was quite challenging!). World events and work travel cut into my time but that made my brush time all the more enjoyable for its restorative effects.

Somehow, it always feels like more while I'm painting it! :-)

This year saw me tackle some different projects: Dystopian Wars, Astronauts and Cosmonauts on the moon, a new Crimean War army, and some Retro- SciFi figures. Naturally, the broad shift away from GW figures meant my skull count was well down this year!

I tried something different with a YouTube video of my output. Click to play!

I really enjoyed the return of the Bonus Rounds this year and entered all three. I was thrilled to pick up a shared second place in the "Toy Story" theme with my Moon Walkers.

And lastly, I got an entry into "Sarah's Choice" with my Galactic Gals, which resulted in an "Honourable Mention" in that category and 6th overall in the "Challenger's Choice" award:

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-awards-for-challenge-xvi.html

Overall I posted 828 points, exceeding my 500 point target and surpassing a 'career tally" of 9,000. Perhaps next season I can attempt to crack the 10,000 point milestone!

Some statistical analysis to keep Miles happy!

The struggle is real: well done Alan!

Thank you fellow challengers for making it such fun, particularly our ANZAC paint and chat crew for the banter (and having Curt dial in for the start was especially cool!). I hope we can continue these sessions post challenge. 

Accolades as always to Curt, Sarah and the fabulous minions who enable the entire enterprise. I deeply appreciate the time, effort and focus they deliver with a wonderful sense of humour.  

Posted to the AHPC blog here:

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/03/from-paul-og-season-16-wrap-up.html

Aloha & Mahalo!

Adieu AHPC Season XIV

Another year and another great Dad & Lad hobby event! Naturally, we lost some productivity by playing games against one another, but its a great problem to have and we both met our challenge targets which was great! 

From Paul: 

With my work schedule having me away for more than a third of the Challenge, I set a modest target to achieve 8,000 lifetime challenge points (over 10 Challenges) but ended up cracking a thousand points for only the fourth time, and submitted above my last few years' average.

More lead models than plastic this year, so it felt like a thousand points worth carrying it!

I had a couple of different projects prepped but in November & December we enjoyed a few games of To The Strongest, which reinvigorated our stalled Roman Civil Wars project from AHPC IX. That became a throughly wonderful focus and I've now got the army ready for the tabletop to face Alan, which is exciting! Naturally, there was space for some Beastmen to celebrate the release of The Old World too :-)

And cumulatively, my 10 Challenges look thus:

(Season VI isn't spoken of in polite company...)

And this was a unique event in the history of AHPC, and wont happen again I'm sure!

Thanks for the Project inspiration and keeping me on track mate!

From Reilly: 

While thoroughly distracted with preparing to move house, I set a low bar to get the last few units done in order to finish my 3000+ point Warhammer Fantasy Battles Spider Goblin army. Whilst happy that I managed to get the few units done, inevitably with the release of The Old World more units to paint came flooding in and the project continues to grow. 

These massive spiders never cease to impress me
with their presence on the table... before they die.

From us both: Many thanks indeed to our Minion Millsy (the Antopodean 'paint and sip' sessions were excellent!) the broader minion crew that made Season XIV happen, and the wonderful AHPC community for their encouragement, banter and kind comments.

As ever the lion's share of gratitude goes to Curt and Lady Sarah - another wonderful hobby event, and thankyou for your tireless enthusiasm and passion for this project!!!

See you next year!

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2024/03/adieu-season-14-from-og-boys.html

March Hobby Wrap Up

March has come and gone, but it has seen the completion of Season 13 of the Analogue Painting Hobby Challenge!

We covered an eclectic mix of Genres: War of the Roses, Necromunda, WW2 Yanks, 40k, Last War and this little game themed on turnips that you may have come across...

As ever it was a lot of fun and very focusing for us magpie gamers- thanks to Curt and the crew who made it happen, and the wonderful and supportive AHPC community

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2023/03/from-paulog-reillyog-ahpc-xiii-wrap-up.html

Amongst the AHPC wrapping up and work travel, I also enjoyed an intro game of Silver Bayonet with Slowpainter John and club mate Gav. I've had untouched forces in our pile of shame for some time, and this was quite a fun game. Not overly complex but with a lot of potential for campaign settlings and some fun scenario design.

AHPC XI Wrap Up - Reilly

AHPC XI was my first proper solo attempt at a painting challenge and my did it breeze past. I initially set the goal of  "yeah I suppose I'll put some paint on that big box of goblin's I've got stashed away in the corner" and now I'm coming away with the better part of a new 2.5K point army made up entirely of goblins and their 8 legged friends. Pretty hard to say I'm not happy with my efforts.

For my favourite unit of the whole challenge, its hard to go past my final entry of the Arachnarock. For proportionately large time and effort I put in, I couldn't be happier with it. I still find that everytime I look at it its hard not to get the creeps.

Last but not least, (bar Leonidas) these are the few non-greenskin contributions that managed to make their way to my painting desk. Khazrak One-Eye of course was the addition to a certain Beastmen army you may have seen around.

A fantastic project to be apart of, so it'd be amiss if I didn't give a warm thanks to Curt and all the minions who slaved away to make it all possible.

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2021/04/from-reillyog-ahpc-xi-wrap-up.html

AHPC XI Wrap Up - Paul

It was great to be back for my seventh Challenge and to help out as a minion for the fourth time. For me it was a Season of two halves: a highly productive first period (while working from home in COVID quarantine) and then steady but stalling progress.

Not bad, but it always seems more at the time I find...

I set myself a target of 750 points and completed 863 points with key projects being Caesarian Romans and Warhammer Fantasy Beastmen. I set myself a 1k stretch goal but fell short at the end as I was renovating my grungy garage into a new gaming studio. Timing could have been better but the outcome is great!

All new lights, wall panelling, insulation, carpet and cabinets!

Overall my Minobus was probably my best single unit but I am most pleased with the way I started and completed the core units of my Caesarian Roman Army.  My most surprising project was my unplanned  monochrome Ninja experiment. Side challenge wise I was well down on skullz this year but still posted 159 noggins, and it was fun to grab 5th in the GW duel.  

Best of all it was wonderful to complete the Challenge alongside Reilly and to encourage eachother along the way and share modelling and painting ideas.

Blood for the Blood God!

Ready to Fight for Caesar!

I've now amassed just over 6000 lifetime challenge points and I'll definitely be back to add to that tally! Thanks Curt, fellow minions and everybody who contributes to the wonderful AHPC community.

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2021/03/from-paul-og-challenge-wrap-up.html

AHPC IX Reflections - Part 2: Submission Summary

A last review of my AHPC 9 productivity to close out the month and move on.  Naturally, some of the figs I planned to paint never moved forward while others dropped into the production line along the way.  Regardless, I'm quite pleased with my output, finishing a large project (15mm DAK), a medium one (Romanised Orcs) and putting the finishing touches to another (SAGA Irish)

The Orci Invicti - minus the ones I did before the Challenge

It was fun to paint up my Nautilus from Nemo's War - sadly it was my only contribution to the naval side challenge though!

A party of figures for use with Congo:

I was also pleased to complete all the Bonus Rounds, as well as get an entry for Sarah's choice and complete my Curtgeld.

My Jeanne d'Arc submission for Sarah's choice received an Honourable mention

This would have to be my most amusing entry:

And so au revoir AHPC - Season IX was as good as ever. Thanks again to all the challengers for making it such fun, and of course Snowlord Curt and Lady Sarah for putting this wonderful event on for us all.  Looking forward to seeing what Season X brings!

AHPC IX Reflections - Part 1: Facts and Figures

Time's up - Brushes down!

Another Painting Challenge comes to an end and its time for me to tally up:

Challenge target: 1000

Total Points Achieved: 1305 - Target Achieved, a new PB (previous best was 1228 in AHPC VII). That placed me 21st out of 85 challengers (just 5 behind Dux!)

Submission rate - after the ramp up period and despite a few trips away, I averaged 100 points or so per week, which I'm pleased with.

Other Highlights 
- Participated in all the Bonus Rounds and got two Runner Up positions  (same as last year)
- Posted a submission on day one of the Challenge
- Made my first ever submission for Sarah's choice

Lowlight - only posted a grand total of 2 points towards my Naval side duel. Still, that was two more than last year :-)

Scales: Combination of 28mm and 15mm, with more of the latter.

Genres: At just over 600 points, WW2 was the biggest slice of the pie being my 15mm DAK project, followed by Fantasy (representing my Romanised Orc project).   It was great to achieve my goals of finishing both these projects during Season IX.

So that completes my fifth AHPC and brings my 'aggregate career total points' to just over 4100 points.  Yes, some individuals crack that in a single challenge.  I was also pleased to able to assist the Snowlord in running the activity as his 'Duels Wallah'.

(No, we don't talk about AHPC VI around here much...)

Next Up - Part 2: Submission summaries

AHPC VIII Reflections - Part 2: the Pics

I've been all at sea lately (quite literally) but I've finally gotten to photographing my AHPC VIII totality.  Like many I suspect, it seems more when under the brush than when tallied, but regardless it is a satisfying chunk of hobby happiness.

 As you can see I embraced the new terrain category, finishing off a 15mm Russian village, a 6mm ECW castle and a 28mm bridge.  I got a good portion of my new DAK Army finished and managed to complete entries for all bonus rounds.  I started with a 500 point goal, extended it to 600 and finished up with 679pts - which I was very happy with noting that I was travelling for about 4 weeks of the challenge.

Last year I was thrilled to get a Bonus Round Runner Up spot - this year I managed to jag two!  The first was this really wonderfully sculpted One Man Dirigible which I had sitting around for about 4 years and which I entered for the Flight Round

My Second Runner Up placement was for my FIW Royal Artillery Piece in the BFG Round.  I really enjoyed building this small vignette for the FIW Army I built last year during AHPC VII.

Perhaps my favourite piece to work on this challenge was my Friekorps PanzerAuto (Armoured Car), which I did in January:

The Challenge was, once again, a tonne of fun for a LOT of fun amongst wonderfully productive and encouraging hobbyists. 
I hope to be back for AHPC IX!

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/paul-ogs-ahpc-viii-wrap-up.html

AHPC VIII Reflections - Part 1: Facts and Figures

Another Painting Challenge comes to a glorious end this week.  While there are still a few days to run, I've entered my last submission and its time for me to tally up:

AHPC VIII: Target Acheived!

Challenge target: 500 Initial, Stretched to 600
Total Points Achieved: 679 - Stretch Target Achieved!

I knew I would have difficulties this year with significant work travel scheduled for Feb-Mar, but preparations and a sensible total allowed me to crack it in AHPC VIII

Scale: Combination of 28mm and 15mm, with more of the latter.

Bonus Rounds: did them all, and got two Runner Up positions this year, making it a PB.

Genres: I took advantage of the new terrain category this year, with the remaining submissions mostly being WW2 (15mm DAK) with a touch of FiW and Fantasy thrown in.  I had prepared a stack of 28mm Fantasy figs but a last minute club focus to WW2 Western Desert gaming caused a mid challenge switch!

So that completes my fourth AHPC and brings my aggregate total throughout all four to 2817 points of a summed target total of 2350.  Yes, some individuals crack that for each challenge, which astounds me

And yes, I'm already thinking about what I might keep aside for AHPC IX!  :-)