From AlanD: The Next Project and Runes for Glorantha (125 points)

In the lead-up to the Challenge, PaulOG and I were talking about our 20,000 different projects, and I got all excited again about the English Civil War. This tends to happen every 8 months or so. In particular, I was inspired by the beautiful new figures from Bloody Miniatures, which are in my painting queue. First up though, I wanted to paint a Covenanter force to play Pikeman's Lament. I already had a few painted Covenanters, so I based them up and prepared the rest of the army for the Challenge.

This week I painted a unit of 12 pikes and a frame gun, all from Warlord Games. For the basing, I've decided to go with the 3-2-1 basing recommended by Michael Leck and Dan Mersey in the rules for Pikeman's Lament. I must say, I like this arrangement of basing a lot. It's quite flexible, and gives units a nice slightly ragged appearance. I had my usual existential crisis about what colour hodden grey should be, settling for the main part on a sort of medium sea grey with a bit of brown added in.

I was quite keen to explore Glorantha this week as well, and remembered I had a set of runestones from Fenris Games that I bought about 10 years ago. These are lovely accurate models of runestones from Sweden (from memory), and will be used for objective markers or just interesting table scatter in games like SAGA.

15 foot figures should give me 75 points, with another 10 for the frame gun. I don't really know how to score the runestones, except that they all fit in a 6 inch cube, so call it 20 points? Add a bonus 20 points for Glorantha, and I think this entry is worth 125 points. The Inspektor visiting from Weimar Berlin is just included for scale.

I really like that grey-blue tone you've achieved with your pikemen. I've never been quite game to adopt the 3-2-1 basing, even though I can see both the gaming practicalities and the aesthetic appeal. I do wonder how effective frame guns and early artillery was, but I'm sure there's a psychological shock. And the painted patterns really help the runestones pop.

Barks

From MichaelA: Sadako & Well (Ring) (15 Points)

I trust that you have all had a good Christmas and allow me to wish you a very happy New Year!  With the news that terrain would now garner points, I had hoped to snag a couple of easy wins with some plastic and resin scenery - I wonder how many Renedra barns we will see this winter?  I know I have one primed and ready to go!  That said as soon as I saw Curt's stunning, opening entry, I was so inspired that I had to try something a little different.

This then is my homage to the Ring, a 1998 Japanese, psychological, horror film directed by Hideo Nakata.  A wonderfully odd piece of celluloid that revolves around a cursed videotape that kills the viewer seven days after watching it.  Without wanting to give too much away a young girl, Sadako is killed and her body disposed of in a well; her grisly return forming part of the cursed tape.

The build started with a Fenris Games well, but thinking that I might want to use it in my 'Witchfinder' games, I added some little extras in the form of a rope and bucket, some mushrooms and even the remains of some luckless soul, perhaps Sadako herself?

I have subsequently 'filled' the well with some epoxy resin, which helps to convey a much needed feeling of depth to the piece.  As for Sadako, this was another of my Studio Miniatures horror characters and was relatively simple to paint on account of her damp, matted hair covering her face.  So hopefully my first points on the board and with a suitably monstrous theme to boot, let's see how many more times I get distracted before the challenge is over! 

Artist: Beyoncé

Title: Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)

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Ahh, it's great to see you back with us Michael. Welcome to the Challenge.

What a wonderfully evocative (and seriously creepy) vignette. I loved 'The Ring', even though it scared the bejezzus out of me. The film has a great aesthetic which I think you've done an admirable job conveying here. I particularly like the little details you've added like the mushrooms and the rope and pale next to the well. You need to come back with another shot of it with the addition of the epoxy resin water - I'd like to see the effect of that with the human remains just below the surface. 

An excellent opening to your Challenge this year. Now, get ready for your minion duties next week - I think you'll be busy. :)

AND with Michael's entry we now have half of the participants with points on the roster. Great work people!! Let's keep the steam up.

From MichaelA - Adèle Blanc-Sec and mount with a couple of ghouls! (30 points)

More self-indulgent nonsense, but something that I have been thinking about for some time now and, as I have discovered with this hobby, if you have an itch then scratch it!  Inspired, once again, by the work of Luc Besson, this bizarre assemblage is my homage to the unlikely gem that is ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec’.  Based on the French comics by artist Jacques Tardi, I had completely missed the original theatrical release of this ridiculous adventure only discovering it by chance by scanning the television schedule prior to the Christmas break.  Billed as Lara Croft meets Indiana Jones I can safely say that my curiosity was piqued!  

Consigned to the flawed masterpiece drum of any celluloid collection, ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec’ is a triumph of style over content, but I have to confess that I enjoy Monsieur Besson’s style, pure escapism rarely looked so good.   Of course the highlight for me is when our eponymous heroine flies over the streets of Paris on the back of a Pterodactyl – I kid you not!

For the record then, the composite parts are as follows: Pterodactyl – The Honourable Lead Boiler Suit’s Pteranodon.  Adèle is made up from a Wargames Foundry Victorian Lady, a plastic Rider of Rohan from Games Workshop and an arm from the Perry Miniatures ACW Zouave command sprue all held together with superglue and lashings of Greenstuff.  As for the base this was a combination of bits and pieces from the ever reliable Fenris Games. 

Finally, just because I didn’t know where else to post them, a couple of Hersey Miniatures in the shape of a Ghoul Hag and Child.  Wonderfully sculpted, but wonderfully disturbing at the same time! 

From Curt:

Awesome! I'm a huge fan of Tardi's work and I had not heard of this film - Sarah and I just watched the trailer and I know what we're doing this weekend!

That was a fantastic bit of modeling there Mr. Awdry. The melding of the Rider of Rohan,  the Victorian lady and the pterodactyl was pure genius. And the use of the ornate gate really helped set the scene of where she was flying. Brilliant!

I've seen these Heresy ghouls online and have always wanted a set for my Pulp gaming. How deliciously disturbing (now, that's my idea of a 'kids meal'). After seeing these I'm definitely getting out the credit card to seal the deal. 

You're on a roll Michael!