From PeterB: Blood Angel Terminators - The Angels (40 points)

Well, it was tight, but I managed to get to every location. Last week we left the Fixed Stars of Faith, Hope and Love. So, there is just one stop left, The Angels.

My first ever attempt at painting was a Space Marine that came free with the first issue of White Dwarf I ever bought. I only had my Dad's Humbrol gloss paints to do it and I am a little bit glad that I no longer have that model. I do have the magazine though, not the original copy, but a recent ebay bargain replacement.

Keen FW historians will know that this issue has the photo in it that I shared on the blog back in January as inspiration for my recent Blood Angel project.

I am still painting more of the vintage models I have for these Angels, so to finish off I have four Blood Angel Terminators. Three of which are armed with my favourite of all close combat weapons in the Warhammer universe, the lightning claws. (Snickety snick!)

There should be a fifth one for the squad but as I only have four painting handles I normally paint things in fours. I have not had time to finish number 5 as these were finished just five minutes ago. (Including still drying transfers.)

So, finishing off with a score.

Location 20 points

4 x 28mm infantry, 20 points

Total 40 points.

Oh PS, skull count. Those lovely lightning claws have loads of skulls on them.

Sergeant has 9 skulls.

Each other chap has 11 skulls.

Total skull count 42.

Congratulations on completing your Dante journey, Peter! These Blood Angels don't look very angelic to me with their menacing claws, but there you go. They are very well done though! Thanks for showing us all your fabulous work, and perhaps we will see the final Space Marine (or something else) in the final days of the Challenge? In the meantime, 40 more points for you.

Martijn

(PS: don't forget to report your skulls to the Duels Wallah!)

From Matt T: Some more Blood Angels (45 points)

For lots of little reasons I have fallen behind the arms race with my brother so it feels good to finish some minis and submit a post.

First up is some more lost boys in space. More GW Blood Angels with some Grey Tide Studio bits. Really like how the Lieutenant and Sanguinary Priest turned out. The 3 d printed parts make them much more individualistic.  

Next up is a mini that's been in the lead pile for so long I have forgotten the initial reason I bought her. Anyway she's an oldie and a baddie, she's the fantastic Gripping Beast Witch with cat and cauldron. She will get used in our Silver Bayonet games but I have based her on a forest floor rather than the snow. I wasn't sure how to get a realistic snow effect around the base of the fire. I might go back to her and put some odd small patches of snow round the edges.

8 x 28mm minis = 40 points

Good to see some old sibling rivalry spurring you on, Matt. The Blood Angels are fabulous, as you say they gain quite a bit of character with the conversion work. The witch is a fantastic figure, with some shades of Granny Weatherwax, and I actually quite like the forest base. I will throw in some bonus points for the kitbashing of the Blood Angels, so we'll settle for  45 points.

Martijn

From PeterB - Are we the good guys? Skull Duel entry (5 points)

I felt like this model needed a post by itself. 

Starting last challenge and continuing through this year, I have been repainting a whole load of 2nd edition 40K Space Marines and Orks. This model I had to save for this challenge, for one reason only, Skull Duel!

I have been going through my Spam collection and any metal models, specifically ones that came out 2nd edition and before, I have been stripping in biostrip and repainting in an old school style as Blood Angels.

When I saw this Captain emerge from the biostrip I decided he would have to be painted during the challenge for the sheer number of skulls he is adorned with.

Counting them all was a challenge in itself and it was only once I had all the old paint stripped off that I saw exactly how many they were. A careful retro repaint and I a transfer on the shoulder and he is done. (Thank goodness for Micro Set and Micro Sol, sticking transfers on curved shoulder pads is no longer an exercise in futility.) 

So, points-wise is an easy count, just a whole 5 points for the 28mm model. But we are all about the skulls here.

Front 6

Top 4

Left arm 5

Right arm 3

Back 2

Sword 31 (I struggled to count these, but I think I got it right.)

Grand total, 51 skulls. Skulls for Skull God!

Bonus picture - Some of the models I have painted last challenge and between, with a picture for inspiration in the background

Well, not much for me to say here! He is a fine model, and you have done a fine job with him, but as you say, it's all about the skulls. And that's not really my department. I applaud your ingenuity and your perserverance in counting all those skulls, though! I'll leave that to our Head Skullmaster, but for now it's another 5 points for you.

Martijn

From Matt T: Blood Angel Death Company (35 points)

Thought I would try my hand at painting some 40K figures in a Grimdark style. Not sure I nailed the brief as I think I may have gone a bit mad with the streaking grime and they just look muddy to me. I probably spend too much hobby time looking at other people's work and daydreaming, but it's an important part of my hobby and one where a lot of inspiration comes from. Some of the Grimdark minis out there are absolutely amazing, and I'm happy to try copying other people's styles and techniques and not quite hit the mark as that's where a lot of improvement and development come from. It's one of the reasons I enjoy taking part in the challenge as participation encourages you to try a few new things

The minis are GW mixed with some of the 3d printed parts from the recent Grey Tide Studios crimson lords release.

Next are a couple of characters. A Chaplain and Tycho succumbed to the black rage. Not sure I will actually use Tycho in a game, but it was fun to kit bash.

7 x 28mm minis = 35 points

It's always good to try new things, and practice makes perfect. That the ideal may seem unreachable should not prevent us from still striving towards it! Looking at other people's work also always inspires me, even though I am a rather mediocre painter myself. You have produced some fine miniatures here, Matt. I like the grimdark look of them. The photos may be a bit dark in and of themselves, but the figures still look suitably gloomy. The red  really complements the dark look. Also, I think you have done a nice conversion job! 35 well-earned points.

Martijn

From PeterB - The last visit to the Library with a few stragglers - 65 points

Are we really at the end already? It seems like five minutes since we started. My favourite thing about the challenge is that it fills that gap between Christmas and the first show I go to each year, Salute. Next month I will be off to London for the day where I will do my best to refill the leadpile again. These couple of months really keep my hobby itch occupied until then.

When I first glanced at the challenge map I wasn't sure I would be successfully traversing it, never mind visiting every stack. A task that wasn't necessary and only a crazy fool like myself would attempt. Last stop, Biography.

For this stop I have painted the historical figure of Jeanne De Clisson, known as the Lioness of Brittany. Jeanne was a French/Breton noblewoman born in 1300. In 1330 she married her husband Olivier de Clisson. Both of them were previously widowed and Olivier had a son from his first marriage. They then went on to have five children. In 1342 Olivier was captured by the English when they attacked the city of Vannes. His release was eventually arranged but the French Kings Lieutenant, Charles de Blois, declared the ransom too low and therefore accused Olivier of being a traitor and not defending the city to his fullest. After a failed attempt at a rescue by Jeanne and Oliviers oldest son, Jean, Olivier was beheaded in August 1343.

For her attempts to rescue her husband, Jeanne was now charged with Rebellion, disobediance and excesses against the King. (Oh and she also tried bribing the King's Sergeant) Jean died in June of that year and now Jeanne was tried in absense. Jeanne swore revenge against the King, sold all her estates, raised a force of 400 men and had three ships converted for Piracy. A 13 year career of piracy and privateering for the English followed. Jeanne died in December 1359 a few weeks after the death of her fourth husband Walter Bentley.

The model as you may have guessed (if you didn't already know) is from Bad Squiddo Games. She is sculpted by the talented Kev White.

The Space Orks painting has continued as well. A slaver and some Nobs. (They really did have fun with naming stuff back in the 90s.) The Nobs were all missing arms, so a good delve in the bits box later and some cutting and filing and I was quite pleased with the result.

As I have left it to the very end to complete all the stacks, I shall not be requesting a challenge from Head Librarian Curt for the last stack for Rare and Antique books as I have run out of time. I will however, give an alternative finish to the challenge that I have been saving from my old school 40K project. What better to paint for the end of the challenge than a Librarian?

Another model that I first painted back in the 90's, he has had a good dip in biostrip. He did have a couple of layers of paint on him. I first painted him entirely red, then discovered that in those days Librarians all wore blue and only had their army colours on one shoulder. Then he had another layer of paint from repainting all my Spam when I was enthusiastic about Brazen Brass shaded with brown ink. 

It took a good 24 hour dip to get him shiny and new and now you can see the details again that were lost in the thick crust of paint. I'm not overly happy with the banner, but I can easily print off some others to try until I am happy. 

So to my final points

7 x 28mm infantry. 7 x 5 = 35 points

1 x 28mm cavalry. 1 x 10 = 10 points

1 location = 20 points

Total = 65 Points.

From Millsy: Ahh..... seeing goblin green bases on orcs is like sitting in the sun, it's just good for the soul. Love what you've done with them Peter, especially the deep red and the arm conversions have worked a treat. I wouldn't have known some were swapped in had you not said so. Jeanne De Clisson is great work too and I really enjoyed the backstory. Nice work and another 65 points for your tally mate!

From PeterB - Horror, Spam and a monkey! - DIY, Literature and Manga (215 Points)

 

February already? This analogue challenge really does help these cold winter months fly by. Before I know it, Salute will be here and I shall be refilling the lead pile!

This week I am taking a bit of a ramble about the stacks. I do have some concrete plans to get some rank and file troops painted for some points bombs, but this week I seem to have been drawn towards painting up characters.

Last week I finished at "Famous Person" so to begin with a quick jump on Sarah's Cart over to the Rotunda. (Maritime is still to tick off but I'm still thinking on that, nobody wants to see me painting boats.) To pay the toll for the journey I present to you from Bad Squiddo Games, Poppy the Head Vampire.

Yes, Poppy is the pug. I don't know the name of her owner (servant?) but I'm sure Poppy treats her well.

Over on the Rotunda I move to DIY. For this category I present the rock stacks I have been making for Gaslands. 

They are made from packing foam cut and stacked, then liberally painted with texture paint. I also realised I haven't measured them, but these photos looked so nice I had to share them, so then I fished them out again for measuring. There are seven of them, six are 3 inches tall the other 4 inches. I've no idea on points, although I think they would probably fill the six inch cube for 20 points?

Next up we move to Literature and that classic from Bram Stoker, Dracula. Although I don't think this Vampire is going to be around for a while with two vampire hunters ready to introduce him to a stake.

All three are from Bad Squiddo games also.

Another trip on Sarah's Cart up to the first floor, paid for by another Bad Squiddo miniature, Zombie Annie. Here she is accompanied by a cowboy zombie I have kitbashed from various parts of my bits box. (I am working on a set of rules to add the undead to a Wild West skirmish game) Annie here is also accompanied by one of her pet guinea pigs, seems the peeg has also succumbed to the need for the consumption of flesh.

For my next stop today at the stacks of Manga comics, I give you a samurai monkey. A pretty dangerous looking monkey from Archon Studios, they produce a great set of animal companions, some sci-fi, some fantasy all in one box set.

Finally this week I have continued the 2nd edition 40K inspired Blood Angels project. For my visit to the sci-fi stack we start with a classic Dreadnought. This beast is completely metal and has some heft to it. (It makes for an interesting job of painting the vehicle with a steady hand.) It is an old one from my collection that I have stripped with some Biostrip and had another go at painting. Back in the 90's no-one introduced me to micro-sol and micro-set. I guess GW didn't mention them as they didn't sell them. I always therefore struggled with transfers back then, now that I can properly do them I have enjoyed making this model look proper accurate to how it was meant to look back in the 90's.

I have also painted these four Space Marines. Two classic Veteran Sergeants

A Company Standard bearer and a Techmarine. this time with suitable transfers added. I finally have managed to work out how to add a flat transfer to a curved shoulder pad.

The Points

7 x 28mm characters = 7 x 5 =  35 points

4 x stack visits = 4 x 20 = 80 points

2 x trips on Sarah's Cart = 2 x 20 = 40 points

1 x 28mm vehicle = 20 points

4 x Space Marines at 28mm = 4 x 20 = 80 points 4 x 5 = 20 points

Rock stacks (1 cube 6x6) = 20 points

Total = 255 points 215 points

 

Sylvain: What a lovely set of diverse miniatures! Bet it vampires, zombies or space marines, your brush work really highlight the essence of what the model represents. Your monkey was probably sculpted as the Monkey King, a popular character in Japanese and Chinese legends. Very impressive work!

P.S. =I adjusted your point calculation, as you can see above. 

From PeterB - Captain Tycho - Famous Person - 25 points

It's been a hectic week this week and I haven't got a lot of painting done. There are a couple of half finished projects and I did get to spend a day playing Silver Bayonet with my new Spanish models, but I felt I couldn't at least post something this week. Late on Sunday I did finish one model.

My hobby story started with Advanced Heroquest, my first purchase in a wargame store was Necromunda, but these are other stories. The first model I tried to paint was a Blood Angel Space Marine. It came free with a copy of White Dwarf and in the magazine it told you how to paint it. (I bought the magazine for an Advanced Heroquest quest.) I painted that model with some of my dad's gloss humbrols and it was terrible. 

I did however get the bug and once I learnt painting with acrylics instead, my first proper army were the Blood Angels. They always appeared in those early White Dwarf magazines in excellent battle reports that I read over and over. I still remember the best, Captain Tycho, hero of the Blood Angels taking on the Space Orks led by Ghazgul Thraka. 

The Captain model for that report was a Blood Angel Captain model that they gave the name to, later on a new model was released specifically for the character. I did originally have both models of this most famous of old school characters. Unfortunately I moved on and created my own Space Marine Chapter The Gregory's and so decided I didn't need all the character models and sold them on. (Something I regret now)

As you will know from the beginning of the challenge, I have begun a retro second edition project and so felt I needed a Captain to lead my Blood Angels once more. Only one hero would be up to the challenge. One lucky ebay bid and he was back. A quick dip in some biostrip 20 and I have had a second attempt at painting the old bugger. I'm hoping I have improved from the first time.

Points, nice and easy.

1 x 28mm = 5pts

1 x stack visit = 20pts

Total 25 pts. 

Sylvain: I declare that your case for "Famous Person" is convincingly argued. Thank you for sharing chunks of your childhood. It seems that is where our hobby takes its root. I like how tough Captain Tycho looks in front of that roll of paper towels :-). Another great entry for the Monday Crew!

 

From PeterB - First post - Back to old school Space Marines - History [70 Points]

Well hello there. It is great to back in the challenge once more. Christmas was super busy but I did finally manage to get some painting finished to sneak in a post before the year came to an end. (If I get this typed up and published in the next four hours, UK time anyway) So, Happy New Year to you all if you are reading this in 2024, well some of you it is already as I type!

So, for a bit of History. My first ever foray into painting toy soldiers was due to a free plastic Space Marine free on the cover of an issue of White Dwarf. This then led me to paint up a Blood Angels Space Marine army as my first full army. I have long since sold on and repainted it all. Recently I started painting up some second edition Orks and Grots to begin a nostalgic 2nd edition army based on the starter box set. I then felt I needed to add some Space Marines to the project to recreate the starter set experience.

I ordered a ten man tactical squad from Ebay described as "tabletop ready" although when they arrived they had only painted the fronts! Luckily I was planning on stripping them anyway and repainting as Blood Angels.

The first time I painted these I did add the transfers but I discovered flat transfers and curved shoulder pads were not a great combination. Over twenty years later and I have discovered the wonder that is Micro Set and Micro Sol and Lahmian Medium. Hopefully they won't go anywhere this time.

It could be a photo from an old White Dwarf!

I have also discovered Mephiston Red. The first time I painted these I used Blood Red which as some of you may know did not paint over black at all, Mephiston Red however has a really nice strong pigment, if black went anywhere it shouldn't, the red covered so well without having to add some white first. (Also I have learnt if you want a nice crisp yellow, pink first. I know right? Try it, trust me.)  

Yep, they have the leg transfer too

I tried to stick to some classic colour schemes and minimised any fancy highlighting to keep an old school look. I even painted the entire base Goblin Green (from Coat D'arms) against all instinct.

And yes, the backs are painted

_________________________

Welcome back to the Challenge Peter!

I love these old school Blood Angels, especially with the fancy decals and Goblin Green bases. Take a little turn on the catwalk - they are ready for a nostalgic cover shot for White Dwarf! :)

Well done!

- Curt