From PeterB Barbarians, Greeks and Cowboys - 322 points

 

 My journey last week stopped off at my first blue studio, Arthouse. This week, a swift journey around three more blue studios bringing me closer to a full house.

Up until now I have mostly been painting individual models to match the studios, now the groups begin. These have been in progress since the beginning of the challenge, my inability to paint large groups of models without getting bored means I was using the age old method of awarding myself with a character to paint if I made progress on a group project.

So, first stop Fantasy. During lockdown, I went a bit hobby crazy and went all out with the Frostgrave box sets. I built a human fantasy army for Dragon Rampant with the Soldiers 1 and 2 and the Wizards plastic sets. I also bought two boxes of Barbarians and combined them for the beginnings of a Barbarian army. So, when they released a Female Barbarian plastic box set, I had to get them. Dragon Rampant uses unit sizes of 6 and 12 and there are 20 Barbarians in the box. Luckily I had already 4 Bad Squiddo Shield Maiden Archers painted up which match up pretty well, so from the box I made up 8 Archers and 12 Barbarians with two handed weapons.

The Archers

Barbarians with two handed weapons

I kept them all to the same limited palette of colours and then just mixed up where the colours went. They are all then covered in Coat D'arms dark brown Super Shader to give them that grimy unwashed look to match the rest of the army.

Next on our whistle stop tour, over to studio Swords and Sandals.  One of my other hobby addictions of late has been buying the blue book range of Osprey War game rules (including the aforementioned Dragon Rampant.) Another one of the books being Of Gods and Mortals. A game system where the various gods from history and mythology skirmish battle accompanied by their worshipers. A long time ago after being inspired by the film 300 (Yep, that long ago) I had bought some Spartan warriors from the War-gods of Aegyptus range but painted them up and did nothing with them. Now I could use them for a Greek warband.

So, I needed a God and few more Greeks. At the end of the last challenge I painted up the Greek archers from a Victrix plastics box-set. I have finally got around to continuing the project.

Zeus, from the North Star, Of Gods and Mortals range

Not including his wild hair, Zeus is actually about 50mm tall, so that he towers of mere mortals.

Unarmoured Hoplites

Yes, the shields are transfers, but I couldn't resist them. They look so good.

And finally for this week our last stop, the Westerns Studio. Well, I have been meaning to finish off the rest of my plastic cowboys from Great Escape Games.

Yes the guy on the far right has the same head as Dum Dum Duggan from the other week.

I promise that's it for this week. So, to the points.

20 x Barbarians @ 28mm. 20 x 5 = 100pts

1 x Zeus @ 40mm. = 7pts

24 x Hoplites @ 28mm. 24 x 5 = 120pts

7 x cowboys @ 28mm. 7 x 5 = 35pts

3 studio visits. 3 x 20 = 60pts

Total = 322 points.

You are whizzing about the studios on this post Peter.  I am loving the barbarians (does any one else sing the Beach Boys Barbara Ann when they say that word?). Using the limited palette but switching combinations works well.

I also really like Zeus with his wild hair -  but you got expect some static zaps when you chuck lightning bolts?  Nice work on the Hoplites and your shield transfers look awesome.  Plus a nice collection of Cowboys.

From PeterB - Shield Maiden Archers - (20 points)

A very late post for a Saturday night from myself. After last week being so productive and getting almost 100 models finished, this week I slowed pace a little. However, I did want to get something done each week, so I chose these archers from my to do pile and had an evenings painting session.

They are from the Bad Squiddo shield maiden range, I already have some of the range in my Dragon Rampant army. Although I also have a copy of the Ragnarok rules from Osprey that they could be used for.

 

All I can say is God bless Coat D'arms super shader, it's a miracle product that makes models look so much better.

 

So, a short and sweet 20 pointer from myself this week for 4 28mm scale archers.

____________________________

Lovely work Peter. After such a stentorian effort last week it must be a nice change to simply concentrate on these four female figures. They look excellent, and I'm sure will add some ranged firepower to your Dragon Rampant force. Well done!

- Curt

From PeterB: A mighty dragon - (40 points)

A quick additional post dropped in as I have just finished this beast. Not part of my original plan for the challenge, so I had to build and undercoat this too. This is a new release from a company called Dungeons and Lazers. I bought mine from Bad Squiddo Games just after Christmas and had a real blast putting the plastic kit together. The parts fit really snugly together as long as you tidy up the sprue connections properly and it was a real joy to paint. It was a real pain to photograph however, I really couldn't get a decent shot to show off all the highlighting I did.

When I am painting a large model like this I like to do a bit of preparation work first before deciding on a colour scheme. I wanted to do a real classic red dragon, but I wasn't sure on the specific colours and highlights. I always delve into my scraps box and do some tester paint ups on something similar when in doubt. In the summer I like to go to the carboot sales and I always seem to grab a box of unloved Warhammer plastics at some point, so these GW hormagaunts were perfect for my test washes.

I eventually settled on a Coat D'arms blood red, with a GW Baal Red wash, then some Coat D'arms golden yellow mixed with red for some progressive highlighting. Some of the darker parts also had some Agrax shade.

So quick points add up;

• Dragon in 28mm scale 20 points
• 4 x 28mm scale hormagaunts 20 points

Total 40 points.

From Millsy:

What a cracker of a dragon Peter! Great choice of colour IMHO, dragons will always be red in my mind before any other colour after the Basic D&D box set cover art. Great brushwork mate.

Cheers,
Millsy

From JonathanO: Skeletons - Graveyard Beach (80 points)

 I had been busy finishing off a few figures to complete my journey to the Altar of the Snowlord.  The next location I was heading to was by retracing the route back to the Adventurer's Landing and on to the Graveyard Beach.  I needed something that I could paint quickly and that would also gain a few points as time was running out!

So I clipped the parts off the sprues of some Mantic Games skeletons and stuck 12 figures together then slapped some paint on the models and here they are:

I had pre-primed the sprues with Army Painter Skeleton Bone spray before the challenge, but I had not planned to complete these during the challenge so I had not assembled the figures.  After assembly, I touched up the undercoat with more Skeleton Bone, this time with a brush.  I wanted a dark colour scheme for the theme of this unit - the first in my Undead army for Dragon Rampant.  

I used mainly Citadel contrast paints as follows: 

Skeleton Horde - bones

Black Templar - shields and undercoat for armour and metal weapons

Stylish Purple  - tunic rags

Snakebite Leather for the belts and scabbards etc.

Wyldwood - wooden axe shafts

The armour and metal was drybrushed with Army Painter Plate Metal Mail.

Then a splash of dark magic potion (aka Nuln Oil) on the armour and weapons.

Some sand on the bases painted with Craft paint Burnt Umber and a drybrush of Skeleton Bone.  Finished off with a few Deadland tufts from Army Painter.

Done.

Isn't the Painting Challenge great for getting you to make progress on new projects?  In this case my Undead Dragon Rampant army has come to life!  I am quite pleased with how these turned out considering the quick paint job.  I will try to do some more units in the spring.

12 x 5 = 60 points plus 20 for the location = 80 points.

Next stop coming up soon....

From TamsinP: The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers... (45 points)

...is Tiggers are wonderful things!

And here are a bunch of them for you. Although some are actually meant to be Smilodons, which developed down a different path to modern big cats. But they look good and add some variety.

The one with the chain is from Battlezone miniatures, the other two are from North Star.

Two Smilodons and one tiger by Dee Zee Miniatures.

I seem to have lost most of the highlighting and shading on the "orange" coat. Initially it had looked too brown, so I airbrush-glazed some orange over them. They still looked too brown, so I gave them a second glaze coat. When I had started adding the white, I realised that the orange glaze had strengthened overnight and they were now quite a vivid orange, so I glazed them again with a light brown before highlighting the white. Unfortunately the three glazes seem to have been too much for the subtle highlighting and shading.

In case you are wondering what inspired this entry, the barbarians from Battlezone miniatures include a mounted hero riding a giant tiger. Which made me think "Hmm, a lesser/greater warbeast unit of tigers would be a fun addition to my barbarian warband.". And so I bought a second mounted "hero" (and an extra horse for him) so that I could have one giant tiger with a rider and one as part of the warbeast unit. After that I went looking for suitable tigers to add to the warband.

For keen followers of my blog, this also explains why I had painted twenty two riders but only twenty one horses. Here's the twenty second rider on his mount:

"Wearing just a furry loincloth and furry boots, waving a great big sword around, riding a giant tiger - I bet you think you're some kind of He Man!"

Finally, a shot of them all together:

And this completes my barbarian warband for now.

For scoring:
6 x 28mm foot @ 5 = 30 points
1 x 28mm mounted @ 10 = 10 points

Total = 40 points

From DaveD - Oh what a wonderful bunch of tiggers! I was expecting tanks- but these are better - 45 points it is...

From TamsinP: Robert E Howard Will Be In His Bunk...Again; Sarah's Balloon (250 Points)

Extracts from the journal of TamsinP, Time Traveler, Society Girl and Adventuress

1st March, 1933, Texas?

Wending my way along the path out of Fran's Fjord in the near-dark of arctic winter, I am decided that this region would be much better visited in the summer months when there is more daylight. As I stumble over a root trailing across the path I realise that having more daylight would also make getting around much less hazardous.

Resolved to find somewhere with more daylight, I retrieve the device from my bag. I have no plans of where to visit, so I hit "Random" again - surely I can't land up in Robert E Howard's erotic dreams again?

The rift opens and I step through. "Feck!" I utter, surveying the hot, dry, dusty landscape and seeing him walking towards me once more. "Back here again! How the feckin' feck can that happen?"

"Good day to you once again, ma'am" he greets me. "I see you have returned. I'm terribly sorry for my abrupt departure last time. Let me introduce myself - I am Rob.."

"...ert E Howard, the writer. I know." I interrupt, somewhat rudely, but I'm still annoyed at having been returned here by the device. "Please excuse my abruptness. My time travel device seems to be insistent on my appearing here, much against my wishes."

"A time travel device? I think I read about something like that once - H G Wells?"

"Errrmm, yes, he did write a book along those lines."

"But what is your name, my good lady?" he asks. "From your attire, and weaponry you appear to be a barbarian warrior princess. And is that lovely palomino yours?"

I look at my clothing and, although different to my previous visit here, it does place me firmly back as a barbarian warrior princess. At least this time both of my breasts are partially covered although I do still have too much exposed skin for this sunny clime.

"That does appear to be the case, sir" I answer, then see 'my' horse - it is indeed a rather lovely palomino. I'm a little put off by the two severed heads hanging from the pommel though...

There are loud whoops and a sound of thundering hooves from the South, where a large dust cloud appears. Out of the dust appears a band of barbarian horsemen, slowing to a trot then a walk and finally coming to a rest in front of us.

"More friends of yours?" he inquires. "Such fine young men, so muscular, so barbaric, so masculine, so almost naked...my apologies, I must return to my bunk immediately ma'am."

He departs, leaving me with the barbarian host. "Now look here, you lot. Like I told the others, I want to continue my adventures alone. Now bugger off back home."

"But, Princess Tamsin..."

"No buts. Naff off! Leave me alone!"

They turn their horse East and slowly move away.

"Faster, if I can still see any of you by the time I count to one hundred, you'll be on laundry duty for the rest of your stinking lives. Got it?"

It is clear that they know I mean it, as they touch heels to their horses's flanks and increase their speed. My count reaches one hundred and they are indeed out of sight. Looking West I see a hot air balloon again.

"Lady Sarah!" I holler. "Any chance of a lift to Hawkins' Hill?"

"For you, Tamsin, of course!" she calls back, dropping the rope ladder. I bid farewell to the palomino horse who has briefly been mine and ascend into the gondola of Sarah's balloon.

"Princess Tamsin"

I didn't notice the little blob of gel superglue on her left arm until I was editing the photos.


Command Group

These will be fielded as a reduced count Heavy Horse "Hero" unit


Heavy Horse Units

Light Horse Unit

Commanders

Musicians

Standards

Once again, these 28mm figures are from Battlezone Miniatures. All but four of the riders you see here came as separate legs and torsos. The fit wasn't particularly good and would have left quite large gaps so to assemble them I added a small amount of greenstuff, then removed any excess that squeezed out. It's also done quite a good job of gluing the two pieces together.

Both of the large standards snapped and I had to pin them, then build up the staff with greenstuff around the wire.

This isn't quite the end of my barbarian warband for Dragon Rampant. There are a few more models to do, which should be along next weekend hopefully.


For scoring:

21 x 28mm cavalry @ 10 = 210 points

plus however many points the minion feels generous enough to add for the three hand-painted banners and the 14 hand-painted shields.


And before I forget:

***

As always, Tamsin provides us with top-shelf brushwork AND a very entertaining post.  Although I must say reviewing her course on Challenge Island is giving me a bit of a headache...but yes, the incredible barbarian mounted mob looks fantastic. Furthermore, I shall award not less than 40 points for hand-painted banners, shields and overall entertainment level on the submission. 

Thanks Tamsin!

GregB