From StuartL - Challenge Island Safari Journal - 20th March (80 Points)

Greetings and salutations sturdy C.I.S.T.ers!

Today the Challenge Island Safari Tour is heading inland a bit to Bromley's Butte, another famous local landmark.

Once again it appears as if there are already some tourists in the area, let's go see who we are meeting with today.

Hmm, it appears to be a squad of British commandos, specifically a troop from 42 Royal Marine Commandos. If memory serves, this unit was part of the 3rd Special Service Brigade and served in India and Burma from 1943 until 1945. While their brethren were storming the beaches of France, these fellows were carrying out amphibious landings along the coast of Burma. I guess that explains the rolled up sleeves, these guys are used to tropical weather.

I see their sergeant is reading some sort of proclamation.
"To the individual known as StuartL, you are ordered to turn yourself over immediately to stand trial for your numerous crimes and misdemeanors. You are charged with the following:
Theft of a boat,
Aiding and abetting a known badger botherer,
Illegal possession of an anti-aircraft weapon,
Consorting with demons,
Making light of a speech by the US President,
Numerous counts of reckless endangerment of lives,
And finally, impersonating a tour guide.
If you surrender now, you will not be harmed!"

Ah! I guess that is my cue to leave then. I know this island like the back of my hand, it should be easy to give these guys the slip and hide out here for a few months. I'll wait until the heat dies down before heading back to the mainland in time for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge XI.

So long folks, thanks for following along on the safari. Just remember, all tickets are non-refundable and they'll never take me alive!
Bye.

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The figures above are a mix of Warlord bits. The bodies, heads and backpacks are all from Warlord's Commandos plastic set, the arms in short sleeves are from their 8th army set. Interestingly, Warlord decided to have the two plastic sets be incompatible. Well done Warlord. The torsos from the 8th army set are a little narrower than the older Commando box and taper inwards slightly. This meant that I had to do a spot of creative trimming to get the arms to fit. Even so, the bergen backpacks obscure some of the gaps at the back of the shoulders. I have quite a lot of minis for the Burma campaign in various stages of assembly, but I was only able to get these ten ready in time for the Challenge. 

Anyway, 10x 28mm minis plus the bonus for the location (the target being elite light infantry, which I think applies to Commandos) should get me a reasonable 80 points, enough to clear my challenge target.

That about wraps things up for me. I didn't get to visit every spot on the island, but I hit my personal points goal and painted a bunch of cool minis up.

Best of luck to everyone working on their last couple of entries. Thanks for reading my nonsense over the past 3 months, see you all in the summary posts.




Another day, another Safari Journal entry from Stuart. Good luck with your escape from those spiffing Commandos!

TamsinP

From StuartL: Challenge Island Safari Journal - 19th March (55 Points)

Look out below C.I.S.T.ers, we're coming in to land at Fran's Fjord.

Nothing like gallivanting through the clouds to remind you of how much you hate heights eh? Now that we're back on the ground, let's have a short stroll around the wondrous area that is Fran's Fjord.

It is said that in this part of the island, strange portals appear that show glimpses of strange lands and alternative realities. Imagine a world where you were king or queen, or one in which boy bands were prohibited by law. All things are possible when you gaze through one of these portals. However, I should warn you that we have had a little difficulty getting the focus right on the portals themselves. For some strange reason everything you see is... smaller. Whether it is a side effect of the cross-dimensional flux or just a bizarre coincidence, everything on the other side looks to be roughly half the size it should be. Weird or what?

Ah, here we go. This portal seems to be opening and showing us a view of a different world.

According to my Challenge Island Safari Tour issued Inter-dimensional Analyzer, what you are seeing here is a combat unit from the 82nd Royal Colonial (America) Airborne. It would appear that in their reality the British won the American War of Independence and the colonies remained a part of the Empire.

These brave paratroopers are training for deployment against the Tsarist armies currently deployed in the region we would think of as Alaska.

This Cornwallis Mk. III mecha may lack the punch of the opposing Rasputin Assault Bots fielded by the Tsar's army, but it's jump capability allows it to land behind enemy lines alongside the infantry and provide much needed support with it's Edison Electro-rifle.

Ah, it seems like the portal is closing and we mustn't tarry around here. Next stop, Bromley's Butte.

----------

I must admit to not having much idea what to do for this location on the map. I managed to dredge up some FoW American Airborne armed with captured German weapons and a Reaper robot mini that would work as a suitably high-tech option to accompany them. Since I needed to make them look more imagi-nation-ish, I painted them in the colours of British troops during the Zulu war.

So that should give me 20 points for 10x 15mm figures, plus another 5 for the robot (since it's really just a repurposed 28mm mini), and 30 for Fran's Fjord. If my math is correct, that's 55 points for my tally.


Another entertaining entry in Stuart's Safari Journal! I must confess to having test-painted a few of GZG's 15mm New Anglian Confederation infantry in a similar scheme a few years ago. Hurrah for your alternative reality Brits!

TamsinP

From StuartL - Challenge Island Safari Journal - 18th March (265 Points)

Greetings implacable C.I.S.T.ers,

Today we're heading to a little known spot on Challenge Island, the site of the Challenge Island Airport, or at least a field where a hot air balloon can land.
Joining us on our visit to the trip are the Challenge Island Reenactment Society, here to faithfully recreate the bygone days of when the American Continental Army defeated the dastardly British. As I am sure every red blooded hatted patriot knows, the Continental Army defended the airports of America and prevented the British from using these vital transportation hubs.

Here we can see the Reenactors in their replica uniforms preparing for the event, forming up as their fore-fathers did many years before.

The American War of Independence shaped the modern world as we know it today, though numerous historians often debate the turning points in the conflict, the truth is that the British were not prepared for the war in any way.

When the colonists stated that there should be "No taxation without representation!" The British leadership scratched their heads in confusion.

"So... they are okay with being taxed if we let them have politicians?" said one British general.
"I'd gladly pay more tax to get rid of them to be honest," said the second.
"It must be a wind up. Nobody would actually want that," said the third.
"Agreed!" said the other two generals. "Let's have some tea and wait for all this tomfoolery to blow over."

And so began a conflict which changed the course of history and gave rise to some of the most memorable battles of history. The JFK International campaign. The Battle of LAX and of course, the great siege of Chicago O'Hare.

Sadly, not all of the reenactment group appear to be enjoying their day out. Mrs. Mosswell came along with her husband to show her support for his hobby and to enjoy the tropical delights of Challenge Island. In an effort to join in, she has donned settler's garb from the 1770's and helped out around camp. Mr. Mosswell however has spent most of his time chatting with his friends and fellow hobbyists about the minutiae of musket drill and the correct way to wear the 1781 issue canteens, leaving his better half thoroughly ticked off.

In an effort to cheer herself up, and to get away from dozens of middle aged men mucking about in fancy dress, Mrs. Mosswell has decided to take a trip on Lady Sarah's Balloon. Fran's Fjord is only a short hop away and it sounds quite exotic, so maybe some time spent enjoying one of the island's beauty spots will brighten her mood. 

Have a safe flight Mrs. Mosswell.

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Ok, I'll admit, the American War of Independence isn't a conflict that I know a great deal about. Apologies to any American challengers from my tongue in cheek view of one of the key points of their history.

Back before Challenge IX, a friend suggested that we work together on a new historical project and eventually we settled on the AWI as something neither of us had done before. It helped that the Perry Brothers had a wonderful range of minis to work with. My friend was planning to order the minis in September 2018, but that date quickly fell by the wayside and so did October and November. He promised to order them before Xmas and I had hoped to get my part of the project done in Challenge IX. In the end, I ended up ordering the models myself in summer 2019, with the intention that both my friend and I would get the first units done and on the table in early 2020. We did manage to get in one game of Rebels and Patriots from Osprey, but my friend is leaving the area in a couple of weeks to take up a new job 350km away. Suffice to say, this project has not been one of the more successful ones. Still, I have the start of an army done and more minis to work on for when my friend comes to visit.

For the challenge I have painted:

40 Infantry (there are 42 models and an officer in the top picture, but two of them were done as a test before the challenge and the officer was done before Challenge IX) - 200 Points

1 Gun with 4 Crew - 30 Points (Is that correct?)

1 Disgruntled Housewife - 5 Points

Plus 30 Points for my first trip on Sarah's Balloon, stopping at Fran's Fjord.

That should be 265 Points I think.

You think correctly! That's a good looking set of Rebel Scum - sorry! Wrong game system! We've had far too many SW Legion posts! - continental army troops. Poor Mrs Mosswell though; she tries to show an interest in her hubby's hobby and gets abandoned in the camp.

TamsinP

From StuartL - Challenge Island Safari Journal - 15th March (70 Points)

Greetings once again doughty C.I.S.T.e....

"Excuse me! I want to make a complaint."

One moment please, I am trying to update everyone.

"No! I want to register a complaint now. I've had enough."

Very well Mr. Biggleswiff. What exactly is the nature of your complaint?

"Well, where to begin? This tour has been awfully slow as of late, we've been chased by Ogres, infected by Plague Marines, nearly eaten by the Snow Lord, and to be quite honest, I'm not even sure you know where you are going."

I see Mr. Biggleswiff. Well, let me assure you that the Snow Lord was only joking about eating you, probably. As for the Ogres, they were a bit of a surprise for me too. And I have a map.

"That's beside the point. I want my money back and I want off this island pronto."

Is that right? As luck would have it we're at Sander's Sand Dunes, we have a regional office here. I'll just pop in a call to head office and they'll deal with you ASAP. One moment.

Good news Mr. Biggleswiff. They are sending the Director of Customer Services himself to deal with your complaint.

"WHO DARES SUMMON ME?"

Mr. Biggleswiff would like to register a complaint sir. Apparently he isn't happy with parts of the tour.

"IS THIS SO, MR. BIGGLESWIFF?"

"Um...er... well, it's just that... um... the Island is pretty dangerous, and um...."

"I SEE. PLEASE ACCEPT MY MOST PROFOUND APOLOGIES. ON BEHALF OF CHALLENGE ISLAND TOURS I CAN OFFER YOU A FULL REFUND AND IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION OF YOUR CONTRACT. WE HERE AT C.I.S.T PRIDE OURSELVES ON MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. JUST INITIAL HERE AND YOUR CONTRACT WILL BE VOIDED AND A REFUND SENT TO YOUR ACCOUNT."

"Well sir, that's very reasonable of you. Thank you."

"YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. NOW THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER A PAYING MEMBER OF THE TOUR, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT YOU'RE NO LONGER COVERED BY THE C.I.S.T'S 'NOT HAVING YOUR SOUL DEVOURED BY AN IRATE DAEMON' POLICY. GOODBYE MR. BIGGLESWIFF."

#Crunch#

"ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE CUSTOMER SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS? NO? GOOD!"

Has he gone? Phew, He's a very hands on manager I must say. He takes the role as head of Customer Services very seriously. Trust me, he's a riot at office parties though.

Anyway, who would like a trip on a balloon?

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When I saw the entry requirement for the Sand Dunes, I knew that this model would be ideal for it. The figure is from a Reaper Bones Kickstarter and is massive. In fact, here is Battle Brother Proportionis Comparicus of the Ultramarines to show the scale.

The model stands over 4" high and has a 7" wingspan. Painting him was quite challenging as the wings make the figure quite heavy to hold as you're working on it, plus they get in the way a lot.

I have no idea how many points he's worth, so hopefully today's minion can figure something out, (plus 30 points for the Sand Dunes please). As the last line of the journal indicates, I hope to be availing myself of the services of Sarah's Balloon in the very near future.

MilesR: Wow a lot of people are leaving the scoring discretion up to me.  We;; some people just have to learn the hard way....  Using my completely malicious scoring decision making methodology, I deem this spooky entry worth 8 28mm figures or 40 points.  That nets you a tidy 70 for the whole shebang!

From StuartL - Challenge Island Safari Journal - 3rd March (47 Points)

Long time, no see intrepid C.I.S.T.ers. Today the Challenge Island Safari Tour is on the move again, this time to the area known as Millsy's Millpond. Unlike some of the more rambunctious areas of the island, the millpond is a sedate place and very popular with our more venerable visitors.

As a case in point, a fellow tourist is already at the millpond. This ancient veteran of the Imperium dates back to the halcyon days of 1989, when men were men and xenos died to a quick jet of burning promethium.

"Nowadays, kids are twice as big and have no respect for first company veterans," grumbles the terminator, "All these Primary Marines and their bigly scales, they wouldn't have lasted 10 seconds in Space Hulk or Rogue Trader."

For the more detail oriented among you, this terminator's iconography and heraldry mark him out as a member of the Angels of Redemption, a 2nd Founding chapter of the Dark Angels. Also note the hazard stripes on his power fist, a requisite of the island's health and safety policy.

This doughty warrior was originally recruited through the ancient rites of eBay, back when individuals used it and it wasn't just a market tool for companies selling everything through the 'Buy It Now' option. Along with several others of his generation, our lone terminator here has remained in storage for a long time until called forth by the drumbeat of war (or the painting challenge in this case).

"Everything is digitally sculpted these days, no rough edges or wobbly lines," he sniffs disparagingly. "Where's the character, hmm? Disgraceful what they call grimdark, ruddy kids."

And it appears that this old geezer has settled down for a bit of a nap, so let's be on our way quietly and try not to wake him up.

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As I mentioned above, this model was bought a long time ago through eBay. I had plans to build up an all terminator army for 40K, but got distracted with one thing or another for 15 or so years. Sadly to say, that's probably not the longest that I have had something sitting around unpainted for. I chose this colour scheme as it was one that I had used around the time the model was purchased and figured I'd like to try it out again. I also tried to hand paint the chapter logo on the shoulder pad. It has reminded me of the two golden rules of painting split colour schemes like this.
Rule 1 for painting a split colour scheme is: Paint the lighter half first, you can tidy up any overlap with the darker colour.
Rule 2 for painting a split colour scheme is: Don't. (It's a right chew on if the model has no easily definable lines on it).

Anyway, that should net me 5 points for the mini, 30 for the location and a 10 point bonus as it is pre-1990. I don't think "I got it on eBay" is enough to count for a back story, so I'll settle for 45 points, which is generous enough for a single mini.

MilesR: Love the paint scheme - reminds me the late actor Frank Gorshin from an original Star Trek episode.  I score 40 fgures as 40mm so 7 points there rather than 5

PeterA: Royal Marines at Reidy's Reef (64 points)

Progress has been slooow but last week I managed to get a bit more done. Sarah's Balloon has kindly taken me Reidy's Reef, where the challenge is to produce something with a nautical theme. Initially I had no idea of what to do but inspiration struck when flicking through 'Red Star, White Lights', a wargaming scenario booklet set in a Cold War gone hot setting. I had got hold of this as part of a project I started during last year's Challenge, set during a late-Cold War invasion of Norway (inspired by the TV series 'Occupied'). One of the scenarios has a small group of troops from the Royal Marines' Mountain & Arctic Warfare Cadre attacking a Soviet ammo dump. Perfect - this would be another unit for my Norway project and, being Marines, are suitably nautical for Reidy's Reef. It also allowed me to indulge in some nostalgia watching some old episodes of the BBC documentary 'Behind the Lines' (about a selection course for the M&AW Cadre) on YouTube - what's not to like about seeing big, hairy men running around in sub-zero temperatures in a pair of budgie-smugglers?

Anyway, on with the miniatures. These are all 20mm Liberation Miniatures and are from their range for the Falklands War, so have got kit like M16s, L4A4 LMG (aka Bren gun) and CAR 15 carbines - perfect for late-80s Cold War. They have been painted in a similar fashion to my figures from last year - mostly white snow suits with the odd DPM item for a bit of interest.

First up is the team leader, with obligatory moustache (very authentic - check out Behind the Lines!).

Then there are two 4-man sections:

Finally a couple of shots of the whole unit:

So I am slowly making my way around Challenge Island on Safari, but hopefully I will be able to finish off a few things that will see me tick off a few more locations. Progress so far:

So 8x20mm figures = 32 + another 2 for the prone GPMG gunner, plus the 30 points for the location, makes for a total of 64 points and gets me just over half-way to my target. I don't want to head on to Burch's Bluff just yet, so I think I shall be summoning the good Lady Sarah's aerial services shortly!

***

I don't know about the rest of you, but I could have gone without seeing that first picture or the attached reference to "budgie smugglers".... cringe....  Then again as the guy that keeps posting creepy Kingdom Death monsters, I don't know that I really have any valid right to complain about cringe worthy subject matter....

Onto the actual figures....  The figures themselves look good and have lots of cool little details to add interest.  I like how you have added mixed bits of camo and other colours in here to break up the white and add contrast and interest to what could otherwise be a pretty damn boring colour scheme (straight white).

-ByronM

From StuartL - Challenge Island Safari Tour - 50points

Greetings once again C.I.S.T.ers. You must all be very tired after traipsing up and down mountains, through gulches and over crevasses. Well, it's time to sit down, put your feet up and enjoy a spot of theatre. Here at Benito's Brook, the Challenge Island Players are going to put on a show for you. I'm told that tonight's performance is a tragedy titled "The Death of Napoleon... No, Not That One!"

Most of you are no doubt somewhat familiar with the exploits of one Napoleon Bonaparte and his efforts to unite all of Europe in one glorious, harmonious Empire. After his defeat, his name is absent from history except for notes of his passing. However, he did have a family and they still played some part in French history. His nephew eventually became Napoleon III, Emperor of France until his defeat at the Battle of Sedan and subsequent exile in Great Britain.

Napoleon III died in 1873 leaving one heir, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, the Prince Imperial. Born in 1856 he trained with the British army as a soldier, serving with the Royal Artillery. A noted rider and fencer, he was eager for action and used his family's influence in the royal court to secure himself a place in the British reserves sent to South Africa to reinforce Lord Chelmsford after the Isandlwana debacle. Technically assigned as an observer to the relief force, he was reminded not to do anything rash and to remember his family and political party back home in France.

Of course, being a young man desperate for action, he immediately went and did something rash. When on a reconnaissance patrol, he and his party stopped for a rest at a Zulu homestead where they were ambushed by a group of Zulu warriors. The British party made a dash to escape, but the Prince's horse bolted before he could mount, dragging him along for 100 yards before the strap he was clinging to snapped. Alone and unable to escape his pursuers, the Prince turned to fight. When his body was recovered, he had 18 stab wounds, all to his front. A testament to his unwillingness to surrender or to flee.

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When the different locations of the challenge were announced, this was the one that caught my eye the most. I have been meaning to do a vignette along these lines for a while and the challenge presented me with the perfect opportunity to do so. The Anglo-Zulu War is one that I have a deep and enthusiastic interest in, sadly one that isn't shared by my local group, so I am forced to collect both sides of the conflict and have a substantial pile of unpainted minis lying around for it. The Prince Napoleon figure is a limited edition model from Warlord Games and the Zulus are from the plastic set from the same company. The prince should have a spear in his right hand, but sadly I snapped it during assembly and instead attached the optional sword arm that came with the figure.
The Prince's last stand took place near a donga (dried river), so I have placed all of the models inside the river bed and filled it with weeds. The edges of the river have dried grass and a few bits of greenery to differentiate them from the interior section. The rocks are painted pieces of cork bark, which I have used on a few different entries now and am quite taken with.

Points wise, I have 4x 28mm minis for 20 points, plus a further 30 for the location, giving a grand total of 50 points.

From DaveD. Thats a great creation , and fine entry for Benito's Brook. Another 50 pts to the tally 

and I will check out with that and leave you with Dr Cooke to bang the rocks together tomorrow!

From StuartL - Challenge Island Safari Tour - 9th February (40 points)

Greetings brave C.I.S.T.ers,

Today we head for that wondrous celebration of generosity, O'Grady's Gulch. It is traditional upon visiting the gulch to gift friends and family with presents and souvenirs from your travels. For any of you wanting to reward your guide, Challenge Island Safari Tour staff accept all known credit cards, Paypal and cash. Please ensure that all payments are made in your home currency and not Snow Lord Bucks, which are not even legal tender here on the island.

The exact history of O'Grady's Gulch isn't entirely clear, but visitors to the location often leave behind their own offerings, and it is one of these that we will be visiting today. As part of their efforts to ensure that every planet in the known galaxy has exactly the same type of architecture and design, the Adeptus Mechanicus (or cog-heads as they are called when out of ear shot), frequently deploy Imperial structures and defenses in seemingly random and illogical locations. They say that it is all down to the Omnissiah's will, but personally I think that they are running an older version of Google Maps and got a bit lost.

Should there ever be a need to defend the island from attackers deep striking from orbit, this handy-dandy lascannon will ensure that only burning fragments of wreckage reach the ground. Oh, at this stage I would like to remind you all to wear your C.I.S.T approved hard hat and that only those of you with our platinum insurance package are covered for injuries caused by burning fragments of wreckage.

Feel free to take pictures of the weapon system, but please refrain from climbing on it or pushing any of the buttons. To comply with all Imperium regulations, the lascannon features a simple on/off switch that can be activated by any designated member of Imperial Personnel, Heretics, Xenos or, as we have found out several times, curious tourists. We don't want a repeat of last year and the incident with the cruise ship. They said you could see the explosion from miles away. Ahem.

To give you some idea of the scale of the device, Battle Brother Proportionis Comparicus of the Ultramarines is here to help. Hmm, it seems that the cannon has locked on to a large spherical object traversing the airspace above the island. If you'll excuse me for a second, I need to enter the abort code to preserve the Island's public transport network from imminent blasting.

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At my local club we have a few new players who all have armies for 40K but little to no scenery. With that in mind, I intend to donate the lascannon to the group as a combined objective/terrain/weapon system for them to use how they see fit. The gun comes from one of GW's old Planet Strike kits that they released back when 40K was in it's 5th edition. I'm not sure how to score it, as it represents a very small volume of terrain (roughly 2" x 2" x 4" or 1.48 points), so I will leave it up to the Minion on duty to decide. The marine was painted in last years challenge and is just for scale.

So, whatever gets added to my score for the weapon, plus 30 points for the location should give me a grand total of something or other.  

I rather surprised to hear that anyone has survived this adventure tour, but always appreciate Stuart's  Travel Blog.  A fine submission for the Gulch, I hope that the cog-heads appreciate it.  This weapon vaguely reminds me of cheap toys I played with in my younger days (no I never got into GW stuff, I mean real toys back in the 1960s).  I like the red highlights and the bronze symbol on the plinth.

I'm scoring this as a 28mm gun plus the 30 points for the location.  

From PeterA: Benito's Brook and Hailing Sarah's Balloon (65 points)

This entry is for next step on The Path of History - Benito's Brook. It has been a few weeks since my last post - clearly navigating the treacherous terrain of Challenge Island is no joke!

The theme for Benito's Brook is a brave feat of arms, almost hopeless against impossible odds. Now military history is littered with examples of such stories, but I did not need to look very far for my inspiration for this particular stop on the Safari. I have long admired a certain Mr C Campbell's 1812 Retreat From Moscow figures from the excellent range by Perry Miniatures, and given that we are currently in the midst of winter, this seemed a perfect match for the theme of Benito's Brook. What could be braver than fighting off both the Russian winter and the Wolves from the East as the tattered remnants of the Grande Armee make their way west; given that perhaps fewer than 25,000 soldiers crossed the Berezina River out of an an army of over half a million, the odds of making it out of Russia alive were pretty grim.

These 6 figures are skirmishing cavalry figures, forced to fight on foot since the demise of their mounts. The figures themselves are a joy to paint and really evoke the image of a tattered and dishevelled army, any semblance of uniformity gone as they desperately try to protect themselves from the deadly Russian weather.

I have shamelessly pilfered Curt's ideas for snow clinging to the boots and clothes of the troops, as well as his way of representing the build up of frost on the scarves and beards of the men. I am hoping to build up two small forces for games of Sharp Practice 2 by TooFatLardies (there are a couple of great scenarios in the 2019 Lard Annual for wargaming the retreat if you are looking for further inspiration).

Finally, I wish to summon Sarah's Balloon and charter a flight to Reidy's Reef - time for the Safari to take on a nautical theme! To pay for my ticket I present a Spectre Miniatures Task Force Operator. The figure has had her original head replaced with one from Statuesque Miniatures, as I wanted a bare-headed figure to fit in with my other Tier 1 Operators from Spectre. This is a very simple, cleanly cast figure. A notable feature of Spectre figures is that their weapons are scaled accurately and so are very fine. Whilst very realistic, one does worry about their robustness! Mind you, I haven't had any breakages...yet.

So, 7x 28mm figures = 35 points. Plus 2x entry fees = 60 points, making a grand total of 95 points I think. Right, time to crack open the in-flight bubbly!
------

By Paul:

There certainly is no greater tale of misery and desperation that the French retreat from Moscow, and these figs look great! In an appropriately miserable an desperate way of course...  The operative looks great too, but I do know what you mean about realistic proportions vs resilience!

Points wise that is 35 for the figs and 30 for Benito's Brook map location. The Balloon doesn't net you points but it will take you where you want to go - enjoy the ride!

From StuartL - Challenge Island Safari Tour.- 26th January (72 points)

Welcome back to the Challenge Island Safari Tour.
As much fun as it has been to spend time atop Snow Lord's Peak, it is time for all of us to begin the descent back down the mountain. On behalf of all the C.I.S.T.ers, I'd like to thank the Snow Lord for sharing his magnificent home with us and for eating less than half of our group. And really, what are a few gnawed off limbs in comparison to the view from up here?

Anyway, it's time we were off, so we're taking the easy route down and heading for Hawkin's Hill. The hill itself is famed for it's strange time-space distortions and people visiting it have been said to encounter time lost wanderers from a bygone age, specifically 3 years ago.

What is this? Staggering forth from the misty slopes of Hawkin's Hill, it appears to be a group of Anglo-Saxons.

Slightly disoriented from their sudden time skip, the leader explains that he and the others were recruited to take part in a re-enactment of the Battle of Fulford in 2017, but for some reason were left behind while the rest of their mates went forth to do battle with some dastardly Viking types.

After giving the anachronistic wanderers directions to a nearby C.I.S.T affiliated guest house and promising to contact them if a proposed re-enactment of Stamford Bridge ever gets off the ground, we bid these stragglers adieu.
With the peak to our left and the island behind us already explored, the tour will head West at first light to an infamous Gulch I think.

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These Saxons were originally going to be part of a community project in my local gaming group. Sadly I ran out of time (or I had too many models... no, that doesn't make sense, it was definitely a time thing), so was unable to get everything done. To represent my Saxon's humble Christian roots, they are wearing quite drab tunics, with a bit of colour around some of the edges. The only bright points on them are the shields, where I have stuck to painting simple cross style patterns. They are based for Saga and I have some movement trays to use them for other systems like Hail Caesar.
The minis are all Gripping Beast plastic figures and are easy to paint up. I think I have about 200 or so of these chaps and the less armoured Dark Ages figures from the same range painted, as well as a few Vikings, so at some stage I'm going to try and get my local club to do a Stamford Bridge game.

Anyway, these 8 fellows should score me 40 points plus the 30 from Hawkin's Hill for a total of 70 points.

These are very nice. I do love Saxan shields so you get a bit of bonus there

MartinC

From StuartL: Challenge Island Safari Journal - Snow Lord's Peak Challenge

Are you ready brave C.I.S.T.ers? Today is the day when we ascend Snow Lord's Peak to get a view of the whole island.

To help us in our ascent, we have a surprise guest on the tour....

Oda Nobunaga-san (and a couple of his retainers) has agreed to accompany us to the top of the mountain and protect us from any dangers or hazards along the way.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Oda-san, he was born in Nagoya Castle in 1534. At that time, Nagoya was a small city in what was known as Owari Province. The son of a minor noble, Oda-san inherited his father's domain at the young age of 17 and went on to overthrow his rivals and superiors in the region, eventually unifying Owari Province. At the Battle of Okehazama he led an army of 2-3000 men against a much larger force of 25,000 being commanded by a neighbouring lord. Using cunning as much as brute force, Oda-san rapidly became one of the greatest commanders of his generation. Before his untimely death due to a betrayal from one of his inner circle, Oda-san had conquered a large part of Japan's main island of Honshu. His successors, first Toyotomi Hideyoshi (also from Nagoya) and then Tokugawa Ieyasu (born in Okazaki a few miles East of Nagoya) completed his goal of reunifying the country.

Among his other achievements, Oda-san made Nagoya the capital city of Owari Province. Following the end of Tokugawa Shogunate, Owari Province and the nearby Mikawa Province were joined together to form Aichi Prefecture, of which Nagoya remains the capital.

As we reach the top of the mountain, we must bid farewell to our entourage and take a look around before preparing for our descent.

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The miniatures above are all from the Perry's excellent range of Japanese figures. I tried to find pictures of Oda's armour online and copied the colours used from that. As per the Snow Lord's request, I based the mini with a winter theme in mind. Nagoya doesn't usually get a lot of snow, (this year has been surprisingly mild so far), but we do get a flurry from time to time.

Hopefully this offering is enough to please the all powerful ruler of Snow Lord's Peak.
http://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/01/stuartls-challenge-on-snow-lords-peak_9.html

By my count, I should get 20 points for the miniatures (one mounted, two infantry), 30 points for the location and a bonus 10 points for the winter theme for a total of 60.

Now to choose which route to take back down the mountain.

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Stuart, this vignette you've created is wonderful and the supporting history you provide is fascinating (3000 men against 25,000? Now, that is some moxy!). 

I've painted a few samurai in the past and so tip my hat to anyone who bravely takes up the task. The armour's often vibrant colours, intricate details and bewildering knotwork always gives me the sweats. I also like that you sourced the original colours of Oda's armour so that they could be reflected in his miniature, and the snow (while perhaps anachronistic) conveys a mood of steely resolution. Wonderful!

Your calculations are correct, 60 points it is. As a memento of your ascent to Snow Lord's Peak you will receive our favourite cigar-wielding revolutionary, Che, as a prize.

Well done and congratulations!

-Curt