From AndrewG: More fantasy town guards and their adversaries (75 points)

 

In between historical figure painting I’ve continued to chip away at various skirmish projects including more town guards and their potential adversaries. This post has a bit of everything in that regard.

We begin with the first half of my second Guards of Traitor's Toll detachment. This patrol is painted in the livery of Lady Merron, but despite its simple appearance, for some reason this batch of figures caused me no end of headaches. The first three went fine, but when I had finished the last two, I realized I had accidentally reversed their livery quarters. Oh well, somewhere in Traitor’s Toll a clothing stores quartermaster is getting jacked up by their superior for choosing a dodgy lowest bidder.

I then decided I wanted to give my crossbowman a pavise shield, which I sourced from a plastic Perry miniatures set. The contours of the shield and back simply wouldn’t match and every time I glued it on, I’d come back a few minutes later to find it had fallen off. Time to use the “special” glue. Needless to say it'll never come off now, unlike the next guy.

 

Having sorted that out, I painted the guy with the torch. Of interest, this is the first time I’ve ever painted flames – I found a tutorial on the interwebs and followed it, and it seemed to come out nicely. Impressed with myself and feeling a false sense of security, while admiring my finished work I dropped the figure and his head snapped off and rolled away somewhere (still yet to be found). So, more repairs...

 

Having had enough of the guards, I flipped over to my Cult of the Double Scar dudes and finished off a leader and a necromancer, thinking that I could also use this growing warband for Frostgrave. Again, some very nice plastic sculpts from Northstar and easily kit bashed together from both the Cultists and Wizards sprues.

A lot of games need peasants or levy troops, so I put together a few of the Wargames Atlantic plastic medieval peasants from their Baron’s War line. Overall, they’re okay, but I’m not sure I like them all that much. The legs and torsos come separate, and the heads are not really universal to all the bodies, certain ones go best with certain torsos. Also, the weapons are oversized and can appear a bit goofy. Nevertheless, they’ll fit into skirmish games well enough.

I've no idea what that is but it looks like it would hurt

Don't get between him and his chickens 

Last but not least, I had this D&D plastic wolf/beast/dog that someone gave to me a while ago just sitting around on the workbench, so I decided to finish it off and add it to my slowly growing collection of Frostgrave adversaries. Nothing fancy, just a few overcoats and dry brushes of greys and some glowing blue eyes.

 

Thus, for this lot I’ll claim:

13x 28mm figures = 65 points

1x 28mm large animal = 10 points

Total: 75 points

I like these guys a lot Andrew.  Your town guard looms very much the part, but maybe avoid that tailor next time.  Your baddies are my faves however, especially the necromancer types.  Well done.

From MikeF - Shiver, Splicer, Cyborg Exo-Suit - 20 Points

 I completed three more models for exploit zero. These include a psychic character called a ‘shiver’, a hacker character called a ‘splicer’, and a character in a cyborg war suit. The shiver is from Northstar Military Figures Stargrave range. The splicer is a 3-D print and is wearing a special bodysuit covered in wires, allowing him to hack into computer systems and control a variety of drones. The cyborg exo-suit doesn’t contain much biological material anymore, other than the head, and everything else has been replaced with a heavy war suit armed with a large machine gun and a power saw. It seems odd that the figures head is sticking out from the torso without a helmet, but I’m fairly certain the brain is nowhere inside that skull and is merely there to allow for a more “human” interface. The brain is likely contained in the armoured cylinder on the back of the model. This figure is from Seb games in their Void line of miniatures.

A Shiver demonstrating intense concentration 

Splicer 3d print

What does it really mean to be “human”?

3 x 28mm figures for 20 points.

Thanks for visiting!

--------

Great additions! But I wonder if Shiver is really doing a psyker thing, or just trying to remember where he left his car keys (that pose looks rather familiar to me...)

I've counted the chunky Exo-Suit as Cavalry for 10 points, the others are 5pts each for a 28mm fig

- Paul

From MikeF - Droids and Robots - 29 points

 Droids and robots are a core component of any good cyberpunk setting.  Exploit Zero is no different and the services of drones are essential to completing the missions. Drones are typically operated by the ‘splicer’ agent type. They are the hackers/drone controllers. Drones have several uses such as combat, storage, drug dispensers, medical and skills enhancement. A splicer will operate several drones to fulfill roles best suited to the mission and I’ve painted up a bunch to represent the different types. I put them on clear bases as they are generally treated as equipment rather than models you can interact with, so I wanted them to look separate from other models on the table.

Cop is for scale purposes

Back Row: Northstar camera drones, 3d printed flying gun drone.
Front Row: Northstar robo-dog, Em4 drones, 3d printed gun dog, more Em4 drones.

The robots painted in red probably won’t serve a purpose other than as terrain. I painted them red because I like the idea of automated fire suppression drones - basically a fire extinguisher. Seems like an unnecessary product a tech-bro would develop and sell to a hapless municipality.

Points are a bit tricky. I figure 1.5 points for the 4 small flying drones, 3 points each for the two robot dogs, 2 points for the yellow trash can, and 5 points each for the flying gun drone and 2 fire extinguishers. That’s a total of 29 points.

Thanks for visiting.

-------

Great little remotes there Mike, they will really add the table tech to your cyberpunk vibes

Your Exploit Zero collection is really coming along! 

- Paul

From GeoffreyT: The last post (15 points)

Hello Challengers,

This I think will be the last post for this season.  Here I have a couple more things I finished this week.  Another of the Silver bayonet miniatures by North Star.  

A spectre, by Grenadier, a very old and very nice sculpt, but super-simple paint job.  It is quite emaciated, but not a skull to count for the skull challenge sorry.

That is 1 x 28mm foot = 5 points and 1 x 28mm mounted for 10 points = 15 points.

Signing off

Geoff.

_______________________

I nice sendoff for your last post, Geoff. Love that venerable Grenadier sculpt. I very much enjoyed your work this Challenge, especially your figures for Silver Bayonet (the beadwork on this fellow's straps is marvellous). I hope to see you with us the next time we leave port.

- Curt

Rhunt - Star Wars Legion and High Elves ( 92 pts)

 This week is more Star Wars Legion and also some more Oathmark Elves.

A command pack and two 3D prints for the Hostage Exchange.

This first one is four upgrades for the rebels. The comms tech is missing her arm but I painted her anyway.

Back shot

I need the comms tech and sometimes the captain. I've never used the med-droid or the repair-droid, but I might some day.

These two are 3D prints that I'll use for the hostage exchange scenario. 

Next up are ten more Oathmark Elves. I did these as sword and board.

Ten more of my Northstar Oathmark Elves. The box had 30 of them.

I still had enough of the Games Workshop elf shields to use them on this unit. I don't know why the set I got came with so many shields but I really like them.

I used my dad's red tufts again. I love how these pop on the table. I also painted the cloaks in different colors.

Close up of the shield These are fun to paint and I'm getting happier with them as I go.

That's all for this week.

10 x 28mm Elves x 5 pts = 50 pts

6 x 32mm Legion x 7 pts = 42

Total = 92 pts

Wonderful work here once again Rhys. I like that you kept the elves bases similar, and it make the unit cohesion so much better. I also realllly love how that bronze shield came out. Great highlighting, and shading there. Looks a bit weathered and aged, which is not surprising considering how long elves live!

Great job, and a massive 92 pts for you today!
Kyle

From Rhunt - Fantasy and Sci-Fi ( 140 pts)

This week is a mix of Sci-fi (Star Wars Legion) and Sci-Fi. First off I'm finally done with the elves. This is the wizard for them. She was really hard to paint.

There is so much detail on this model. I tried really hard to make her look right but she was very hard. Dad showed me a sculpture where it looks like she is wearing something over her face and this model has the same thing. (edit: the Veiled Virgin by Giovanni Strazza)

She has parts of the model going in all different directions.

I'm really glad to have the elves done. I was saving this one for last because she made me so nervous with how hard she'd be to paint.

Next up is an elf that I'm using for Pathfinder and a knight in a bucket helm.

The elf is an Oathmark elf my dad gave me and let me build by myself. I used one of the shields from the GW elves.

The knight is a Bones model but the other one is really cool. My dad got a lot of Oathmark models and I really like elves.

Bones in the bone cold winter.

This is a Bones bandit or rogue. he's out in the snow, so I put snow on the base and on his hood/cloak thingy.

The snow on his back. It looks better from farther away.

I was surprised that we had snow cover but Dad found an old package of GW snow that I was able to use for this model.

This next one is a metal miniature. She's going to take me on the library cart from the first room to the Sci-Fi section.

Dad didn't know he gave me this one. (Editors note: I did not, in fact, give him this one, wretched child. She is a great model though so I understand why he grabbed her).

 

We think this one is a rogue from the Rangers of Shadow Deep line. She's really cool. 

Next up is more Bones. These are all female models that dad gave me. They are also in the snow/winter.

I was all over the place this week. I also have some more role playing models.

The Tortle and viking go with the rogue. Dad printed these for me.

The last entry is some Star Wars Legion models. This is two commanders, a crashed X-Wing pilot and some droids. Dad made me go back and add more paint to the commanders.

Before on the commanders.

And now after I added more paint to the two commanders.

That's a new room in the library and the cart and 18 models.

5 x 32mm x 7 pts = 35 pts

13 x 28mm x 5 pts = 65 pts

Library Cart = 20 pts

Sci-Fi room bonus = 20pts

Total = 140 pts

Great job Rhys, and a lovely collection of models once again. I think the extra time put on the commanders was well worth the effort, though would also remind you to paint the base rims a similar color to bring harmony in the army. It adds extra Universal Force to your gaming, something very helpful in Star Wars gaming I hear. 

Some great bits here to pick out though. Especially the elves' veil work. Not an easy thing to do, but great effort here. Can see what you were trying to achieve which is all that matters!

And the snow effect on Bones. Great use of the GW snow flock. Could suggest to help push it more, is to add a bit of light grey or light blue paint to the areas that you will add the flock. It will emphasis the snow effect, and give it some extra depth. 

Smashing through the models (legally acquired or not) and the sections as well. Great job. 

140 pts for you

Kyle

From AaronH - A Greek, A ranger, a casualty, a princess and three locations (80 pts)

This entry is a bit of a mixture. I'm shamelessly trying to hit some locations before I move on and painting the minimum entry for each.

First up is  Leonidas. This is a really nice metal model from someone. I can't remember where it came from. My youngest and I were playing some Mortal Gods back during Covid times and he chose the Spartans, buying into their propaganda. This model will check the box for the History desk.

This was an easy model to paint. Very classic metal style.

There's not a lot going on with this model. It's a nice change of pace from GW's latest models with layer after layer of detail.

The classic movie physique didn't really come through on this.

I spent more time on the cloak than the rest of the model combined. It comes off better on the tabletop.

Next up is a GW model. This is Isildur from the Sauron set. I painted his father up years ago to be the dead ranger in Ranger's of Shadowdeep. This model will also be an objective.

His face doesn't look like Isildur from the movie.

This was a quick paint. There's not a lot going on here.

Speaking of Rangers of Shadowdeep. The next model is the Northstar model they released with the game. There are some really characterful rangers in this line, with this one being my favorite, except perhaps for the female ranger with the pipe. This gets me the Fantasy desk.

Another simple metal model with loads of character.

This is the artwork he's based on.

I'm so fond of this model I'll be using him in a Pathfinder campaign we're about to start.

The last model is Princess Leia for Star Wars Legion. This is a very homely model. She'll be re-released in hard plastic later this year and she's badly in need of the update. She'll be transporting me on Sarah's Library Cart (20 pts) to the Sci-Fi section for my next entry.

Soft detail and a really awkward arm holding a pistol.

She's a solid support character in the game. With the release of the Ewoks she's seeing something of a renaissance.

That pistol arm just goes on for miles.

In summary:

1x Leonidas @5 pts = 5 pts

1 x Isildur @3 pts (half model) = 3 pts

1 x Ranger of Shadowdeep @5 pts = 5 pts

1 x Princess Leia @5 7pts = 5 7pts

(This is math for Marines right here. I dig it)

History Bonus = 20 pts

Fantasy Bonus = 20 pts

Sarah's Library Cart Bonus = 20 pts

Total 78 80pts

(That math was a bit tougher, had to break out calculator).

Nice work here on Leonidas, Isildur, the Ranger and the Princess (that could be a movie title on its own eh?). The bases in particular are great. I too bought into Rangers of Shadowdeep with the intention of running a game (I even bought a pack of dogs and giant flies!!!) but unfortunately haven't gotten to it yet - maybe this is the year? In any case, some nice painting here and 78 80 points added to your tally.

Dallas 

ps SW Legion infantry are apparently worth 7 points each, not 5, so updated accordingly. D.