From TeemuL: Parade in Paradise [The Ambitious] [The Lovers] [The Just Rulers] (100 points)

So I have been stuck in Paradise for some time now after clearing the First Circle: The Inconstant. Since that I have been painting everything else, searched for female miniatures and browsed dictionaries to figure out what all those fancy words mean and how I can twist them to fit my minis.

I was planning to use my Ambition entry for Wise, but lacking the females and time I had to make some changes. But I guess Gandalf is considered wise, but also ambitious: "A figure that is as keen as mustard, an overachiever".

I'll kill the Balrog, resurrect myself, replace the head of my order, be a kingmaker, ride couple of days and nights, make vaque promises and keep them and so on.

Does that sound an overachiever? It does to me. And this mini is Gandalf the White version by Games Workshop, a nice metal model, which I tried to paint white. Yes, lots of whites and shades of white, but I think it is ok.

Assuming my reasoning is valid I can move to the third circle and present The Lovers. Yes, Lannisters in paradise... Not the most usual love story, brother and sister loving each other and their common son. Jaime and Cersei Lannister with Tommen. There were some lust, some other strong feelings, too, but definitely some love. And at least Jaime and Cersei both loved Tommen, so that is my backup plan for Lovers.

These are from CMON box Lannister Heroes 3 and are plastic as the previous ones. Not that many details, but that makes them fast to paint. I'm happy with Jaime, but I guess Cersei would have liked more royal outfit, I don't know. I gave Jaime the white cloak of King's guard, I believe he was part of that even after losing his hand.

I'm not familiar with the game A Song of Ice and Fire where these belong, but these look quite strange heroes for a wargame. Queen (regent?) in a dress with his young son and a knight on his knees with a bandaged hand. Not may be the types you expect to see in the first line, but Seven Kingdoms is an interesting place.

Next stop is The Just Rulers. I'll present King Aragorn before he was wise and just king. Yes, I was planning to use Gandalf as Wise, but my female transportation options were scarce. Aragorn was very clever even before he was crowned king. Here he is from the "Two Towers era", where he was told "When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan." and kept his mouth wisely shut and later became king of Gondor.

He reigned long and died peacefully, made clever pacts and bowed to hobbits. In general considered as a good guy, I think I could have used him as the Ambitious one, too... But yes, he was just ruler, lived a long life and learnt a lot from elfs and men and even something from dwarfs and hobbits and ents. I think I could have used him as the Wise one, too? Tells something about the works of Tolkien, that his characters are definitely not one dimensional.

I've been talking about the female minis here and there and you might realize, that one must use a female or angel mini to jump over circles and I have just come from 3rd to 6th circle and I can't use Cersei for transport so I need to present something else.

Let me present you Bertha the Bear, the famous female bear!

This is a metal bear from Warbases, I ordered her at the same time I ordered the bases for Napoleonics. I know there has been some strong rulings in the past regarding female bears, but I believe they are all sorted out now?

But if I'm mistaken and Bertha is not counted, I have another classic from Challenge Wednesdays, Dorothy Dromedar!

She is from Warbases, too. She has quite a strong mould line on her back, looks good from one angle, but terrible from other. Both Bertha and Dorothy are mainly painted using Contrast paints with some details added and especially the underbellies and legs drybrushed.

Sarah the Shootist is the last and third female of this post and she makes it sure that I can pass.

She is a plastic from Great Escape Games Gunfighters II box and painted mostly with traditional acrylics. Green and brown sounded like practical colours, violet scarf gives a hinf of her feminity. Little bit dusted clothes to match my other Old West minis.

With these I have gone through 4 circles in Paradise and can either pick The Warriors of Faith or The Contemplatives next. I need to browse through the dictionary again...

I'd say this is 8 (6 humans and 2 animals of different sizes) 28mm minis in total for 40 points and then three locations for total of 100 points! I have more to come before the Challenge ends!

Wow Teemu, you've pulled out all the stops with this entry! I really like your interpretation of The Ambitious, The Lovers, and The Just Ruler - each one a terrific example of those themes. Bertha the Bear made me laugh aloud (and I'm sure Ray will do the same) and Sarah the Shootist looks truly formidable, ready to draw her long-barrelled Colt if the need arrises. Brilliant work, sir!

- Curt

TomL, The Just Rulers, Stompy Robots, Contemplative thinker & Pulp (115 Points)

Visiting the Sixth Sphere: The Just Rulers
Keeping with what seems to be my preference for old TV shows this challenge, I submit from Space 1999 - Commander John Koenig & his brave crew.  

Commander Koenig calmly and carefully guides his resilient crew through 2 seasons of unexpected crisis after crisis,  meeting with and escaping multiple humanoid civilizations their runaway moon just happens to pass nearby.  These are Crooked Dice miniatures (Arc Crew 1 & 2) and were painted in TTC acrylics with a tint or two of contrast paint.  These figures plus the ones used in the Limbo entry complete a pulp game project I started in 2020.  Now to attempt to get a game in... 

 I painted more of the new Catalyst Battletech miniatures for a friend who requested the colours of “Olson's Raiders”.

These were base painted with my airbrush using a few Vallejo Game Colour Air purples and black.  Dry brushed with Titan Bluff and washed with my ancient GW purple wash. Bases are Secret Weapon concrete.  

Leading us to the Seventh Sphere where The Contemplatives rest is another young woman from the Pulp Figures Dangerous Dames pack:

This lady prefers a rational thinking man who can see the bigger picture, so we are here to visit with Albert Einstein

 

 

I suspect Albert would not have liked Space 1999’s concept of a nuclear explosion accidentally powering the runaway moon through space as opposed to destroying it.  Perhaps he would have reused his quote, “God does not play dice with the universe” or maybe he would just accuse the writers of being really lazy.  This fun to paint Boarshead miniature and our dangerous dame were completed with TTC & Foundry acrylics.   


15 28 mm figures * 5 points = 75 points.
Just rulers & Contemplatives * 20 points each for 40 points

For a total of 115 points.

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Another eclectic mix of models this week Tom!

- Paul

From GeoffT: Four Spheres of Paradise (115 points)

 Hello Challengers,

This week I have a small number of miniatures claiming a large number of points, courtesy of them representing four of the Sphere of Paradise.

Some of these have been waiting painted until I got the miniature for the preceding spheres complete.

First we have ‘warriors of faith’, these are fantasy minis that are based of Christian knights.  Knights being the arm of faith used to kill infidels. I painted them in a French type of scheme. Think these minis are from Harlequin.

Next up we have ‘the just rulers’.  In my youth, the TV show ‘the bill’ portrayed the English Bobby as a paradigm of honest justice.  This bobby could be Hollis himself.  Miniature by Reaper.

Meanwhilst on the foreign language channel, Ronins demonstrated being ‘Contemplatives’, silently and mysteriously arriving in town, thinking about stuff using no words, then killing the bad people with swords, then wandering off.  This Ronin is by exmanus studios.

Next, we represent the fixed stars of Faith, Hope and Love.  In this case, I am representing Hope, which is symbolised by Unicorns, according to random wikis that cover symbology.  This is an old Grenadier miniatures model from the 90’s

So there we have four themes for Dante’s comedy = 80 points

Two mounted 28mm miniatures = 20 points

Three 28mm foot = 15 points.

No squirrels.

Kind Regards

Geoff.

From Millsy:

You've shared some wonderfully eclectic posts over the Challenge Geoff and this is no different. This is another great cornucopia of minis, painted in a range of different styles and colours.

The knights are particularly good, especially the spiral decoration on the lances which I can attest from personal experience is really hard to execute. Cracking work mate!

115 awesome points!

Cheers,
Millsy

From Barks: Journey through the spheres (Wise, Warriors of Faith, Just Rulers, Contemplative) (130 points)

I have a selection of figures today to propel me around the last of the spheres of Paradise.

To get me there, I summoned Sarah with these Sci-fi civilians I made from assorted Stargrave kits. I love putting these together and matching bits, and then experimenting with colours I don't often use. The fifth civilian is made with a Fireforge zombie body (hence the unhealthy legs). I think she lives somewhere in the ash wastes protecting her claim.

My favourite is the surrendering one in green...

Sarah Connor vibes.

The Wise

You can tell this person is wise, just look at the size of their brain! Surely it won't implode and release warp daemons everywhere. He's made from the excellent Frostgrave wizard sprue, with a spare head I had.

The Warriors of Faith

Hot on his heels are these two thugs warriors of faith. The photos make me think I should redo the robe highlights.

1998 metals

The Just Ruler

Faramir. What a guy. Briefly the Steward of Gondor before some smelly ranger waves some jewellery about and claims he's the long-lost king.

2003 metal sculpt

Contemplative

I liked painting this Genestealer Cult character, who is Contemplating the plan of attack on this awesome hovering holo-map. I used Contrast Aethermatic Blue for the hologram. I'm thinking of adding somemorehighlightsand glow, but don't want to ruin it. The building complex is based on Warhammer World in Nottingham- a little Easter Egg.

That completes my journey though Hell and Paradise!

10x 28mm figures (50 points)

4 x locations (80 points)

Side Duels:

Squirrel +1 (sci-fi civilians)

Skull Duel +6 (total 18)

From Millsy:

What a great collection of painted miniatures and I love how you have aligned them to the various spheres mate. I've been very tempted by that Genestealer character myself for some time. It's a great sculpt with loads of interest and the composition is excellent. There's so much story telling going on there.

The warriors of faith are really cool too and I'm pleased to see you sticking with canon by painting hazard stripes on the chainsword. If ever there was pointless and redundant safety labelling this is it!

130 pointeriffic points for your tally sir!

Cheers,
Millsy