From GeoffT: WW2 British (140 points)

Hello Challengers,

These are WW2 British infantry in 28mm to supplement my existing collection for Chain of Command. The miniatures are a mixture of brands, War games foundry home guard, Crusader miniatures and Slave2gaming Bardia range.  They blend together pretty seamlessly.

There are 26 foot for 130 points, and a HMG for a bonus 10 points.

Kind Regards

Geoff T

From Millsy:

I'm not sure how you managed these alongside your other entry this week Geoff, especially given the high quality and consistency of your brushwork. You've painted them up beautifully and done such a consistent job overall you'd never know there's a mix of sculptors and manufacturers here.

Top work mate. Another 140 points for these stout Tommies! That should push you back above me and into the top 5 on the tally again. Boo!

Cheers,
Millsy

From GeoffT: A mixed bag (55 points)

Hello Challengers,

This week I have a mixed bag of miniatures.  11 x 28mm foot.

Three pulp figures, looks like gangsters.  One has a pig under his arm for some reason.  Six cave men for primeval Cro-Magnon faction, and two pygmies with blowpipes for Ghost Archipelago.

 

Figures with blowpipes were surprisingly scarce.  These ones from eureka.  Cavemen from slave2gaming.  Pulp miniatures from pulp miniatures oddly enough.

11 x 28mm infantry = 55 points, and a squirrel for the Cro-magnon faction.

Kind regards

Geoff.

From Millsy:

This is certainly a mixed bag Geoff!

A gangster, a pygmie and a caveman sounds like the start of some sort of weird joke but there's nothing funny about the quality of your work. That saturated blue is amazing and just the thing for your more dapper mob boss to step out in. Please tell me you have plans to run games using all these miniatures together!

55 cracking points added to your total mate.

Cheers,
Millsy

From GeoffreyT: The pinnacle of the library (Manga, Science Fiction and Library Cart (139 points)

Hello Challengers

The pinnacle of the library is manga and sci-fi, in more ways than one.  Much underestimated genres that continually push back the boundaries of literature, describing the human condition in innovative ways.

First is the Manga shelf, where I bring you Tintin, Snowy, Calculus and Haddock in 28mm.  These miniature are from 1st corp, and are very nice indeed.  Herge was a giant in the world of graphic novels.

My offering for sci-fi shelf is Alien Greys by Slave2gaming, an Australian brand.  These ten will be a fine warband for Stargrave, not that I am short of options.  They greys have outfits, which does not match historical records that show them as being nude.  This is why these minis are sci-fi, as the uniforms are fictitious.

Having completed the top level of the rotunda, I realised it is a very long walk down, so I hitch a lift on the library cart.  For this I have a female troll from Grenadier miniatures, sculpted some time late in the last millennium.  The troll wears a bikini, which proves bikinis were not invented in the 50s, but preceded them in the fantasy era.

The library as it stands.  4 wings complete.  The library card will drop me in the west wing, which I will tell you more about at a later date.

On the matter of points

3 x 28mm Herge infantry and a dog about 15mm = 3 x 5 + 2 = 17

9 x 28mm grey infantry and one crewed weapon = 9 x 5 + 10 = 55

1 x 40 mm troll = 7 

2 x library shelves and a cart ride = 60

Total = 139 points.

Kind Regards

Geoff.

From Millsy: This is a great mixed bag of stuff Geoff! I grew up with Tin Tin and Asterix graphic novels so this is a real blast from my past. I have to say you've got the colours of the clothing spot on and these are really well executed. The aliens are also great fun and your Grenadier troll is a lovely classic sculpt which is always fun to see even if the bikini should be made of chainmail :-P. 139 points added to your tally mate! 

From GeoffreyT: Last Hurrah (185 points)

Hello Challengers,

Having completed each of the studio challenges, it is now time to mop up and try and hit the backlog of forgotten projects.

This first model is a classic Citadel miniatures Eldar dreadnought from the late 80's.  I don't have any other Eldar and no real interest in 40K, but liked the model so grabbed it when I saw it second hand.  Since a dreadnaught is a brain stem in a shell, I reckon 28mm mounted would be the correct classification for points.

Next up I have a dystopian wars fleet. I liked this game, but was a flash in the pan (twice). It left me with an unpainted fleet I picked up. Now it is painted and awaiting a revival for the game.

These guys are The Ottoman Naval Battle group by Spartan games.  Excuse the background.

This bad boy is a foam ball with tissue paper glued to it. It represents in game a "The Great Maw" from Forbidden Psalm.  It is big, about 100mm, (so about size of 28mm vehicle). I'm not entirely convinced by it myself, it is a bit too round.  Nevertheless as it will likely only hit the game table once it is fit for purpose.

I have an aircraft carrier for Starmada.  I painted it in colours to match my NSL Full Thrust ships. Cant remember the brand.

Last of all is a few chaps I collected for Forbidden Psalm monsters.  Two boars by Wizkids represent Morka-Porka and a demon thing from Slave2Gaming as 'The Nagl".

This I feel are the worst photo effort in the challenge to date.  By anyone.  But they are last minute and on the scoreboard.

For scale, the boars are on 25mm bases, so the Nagl is a big guy.

So what we have here is a pile of disparate miniatures, some of which are uncertain points value.

Eldar dreadnaught (28mm mounted) = 10 points

Ottoman Fleet Total = 112 points

    1 x Battleship = 15 points

    4 x Cruisers at 10 each = 40

    6 x Frigates at 5 each = 30

    3 x Bombers at 3 each = 9 points

    8 Mines at 1 each = 8 points

    10 Bases of small flyers at 1 each = 10 points

The Great Maw (28mm vehicle, it can swallow people whole) = 20 points

Starmada total = 20.5 points

    1 carrier = 10 points

    21 small fliers at 0.5 each = 10.5 points

2 x Morka-porka (28mm foot) = 10 points

1 x Nagl (54mm foot) = 10 points

Estimated total = 182.5 points

I really don't know what the ships should be, I kind of estimated them on basis of size and effort needed.  Has this post reached the official threshold to be classified "a points bomb"?  I don't think so, but is probably as close as I will get.

For those who have commented on my posts so far, thank you for your kindness.  I read and appreciate them all, although I usually don't reply.  Special thanks to Teemu for being an excellent minion, for Sidney for the outstanding challenge studio tasks, for Curt for running such a terrific event and for their partners for tolerating such dedication to hobbying.

However, the hobbying never ends, next after the challenge is beta testing of upcoming game "Torch and Shield", written by some friends of mine who have an upcoming kickstarter, check it out.

https://www.grimskald.com/

Kind Regards

Geoff.

From TeemuL: You are not making it too easy for Minions, Geoffrey! All kinds of self sculpted minis on strange scales and now this - all kind of space ships in strage scales. Dystopian Wars have been published in the past and given the average size of the ships, I think you are roughly in the ball park. I'll round it up to 185 in total for all the sculpting and overall amazeness during the Challenge. It has been a pleasure to minion you, I never knew what was coming, but luckily I was most likely the first one to see them while minioning and scheduling them. Have a nice off-Challenge time with Torch and Shield (and painting)!

From GeoffreyT: Books [Books](55 Points)

Hello Challengers,

The studio I enter is about books.  Books that would make a good movie.

I will start with a classic book that went to film.  Asterix in Britain by Goscinny and Uderzo.

This character is the British Chieftain, "Mykingdomforanos" raising a cup of hot water to the success of the mission.

This book was written in 1966 made into a film in 1986.  Fortunately I have a copy of the book on my shelf for reference.  The miniature is by "Metal Magic"

Next we have a miniature from a book that has been onto the small screen, in two different TV serials.

This model is inspired by, but legally distinct from Worzel Gummidge.  It is made by "Slave2gaming".

I wasn't a fan of the show, despite featuring an excellent actor, Jon Pertwee.  I always felt a bit ripped off when I saw the show as I would have preferred if Jon was doing a Dr Who episode.  Obviously I didn't quite get how TV worked at that age.

Next is a medieval crossbowman.  A home sculpted one.  He could be William Tell, or he might not be, who can tell (badda-boom).  William Tell's story was first written in the White book of Sarnen (1474) and his story has been translated into numerous more recent books as well as film (1960).

Not sure he would have had bare arms. Probably would have had sleeves for that era.  So maybe he is actually a fantasy crossbowman instead.

Finally we have 4 characters from a little known book series that might make a good film, The Lord of the Rings trilogy (1954-1955)

The four hobbits are Frodo, Samwise, Merry and Pippin.   They are all from Citadel miniatures Lord of the Rings range from 1985.   These miniatures pre-date the 2001-2003 movies, so don't have the well known style characterised from those films.

In all we have 7 28mm scale miniatures.  However 4 are half sized, so probably would count as prone.

3 x 28mm foot = 15 points

4 x 28mm prone = 10 points

1 x Books bonus = 20 points

Total = 45 points

From here I have completed every studio but the directors chair, for which the snowlord has assinged me a special task.

Goodbye until then

Geoff.

From TeemuL: In Finnish book the chief "Mykingdomforanos" is called "Veribigbos", but I know many of the names are different in different languages. Very fine British gentleman, but are you sure it is hot water in the cup, not warm ale? You have accomplished a very nice cartoonish style on him, good job.

Worzel Gummidge is unknown to me, but looks interesting, a scarecrow? William Tell I know, nice sculpting. And the hobbits are great, very characterful, and I belive we have scored hobbits in full points in the past, so I will continue that fine tradition. If anyone argues, I'll say the points are awarded from the hand painted shields. :)

From GeoffreyT: A Menagerie (Fantasy)(78 points)

Hello Challengers,

In my youth I loved the CS Lewis books, the pictures with assembled hordes of fantasy creatures of all kinds were my favourite part.  Since then I have been a fan of varied fantasy monsters, and have a ridiculous amount of miniatures of this type.  The modern skirmish games also allow me to put these creatures on the table.

Here is a batch of monsters and adventurers I have assembled for this post.

Lets see what they are. First up we have the laughing man.  A creature from the Forbidden Psalm expansion "In the footsteps of the mad wizard".

The laughing man's laugh is contagious and lethal.  I sculpted him from polymer clay and am pleased with the pose and face.  The belly is a good size for a belly laugh.

Also from the aforementioned supplement we have "tapeworm terrors".   I don't know what they do in game yet, but I'm sure its unpleasant.  These guys are made from beads with spikes of green-stuff.

They are lurching out of the swamp water ready to do whatever they do ...

For dungeons and dragons we have some more home sculpts, classic level 1 adventurer tropes, a human wizard and half orc fighter.  

The wizard has a broom as a makeshift staff and oversized robe, inspired by Mickey Mouse in the sorcerer's apprentice movie.

Here are two home made D&D monstrous oozes; a black budding and yellow ochre.  

Simple scratch builds, being hot glue blobs on a piece of wire.  I copied this from You-tube channel Wyloch's Armoury.  Better not leave these in a hot car.

They are accompanied a home sculpted evil fighter in insectoid armour, made from Fimo polymer clay.  There is a floating skull from the bitz box that could be Acecerak the Demi-Lich from the infamous "Tomb of Horrors".  

How about some commercial sculpts now.   These two are a grim reaper and a ghost thing from Slave2gaming. 

I loved how the ghosty bits blended into the ground on these pieces, so did them black with a tad of brown blending from base and purple blending from the top.

And lastly, some venerable orc miniatures from long defunct company Heartbreaker

Green and gruesome as orcs are.

So what is this lot worth in points ?

There are thirteen 28mm scale miniatures in this lot.  The two oozes are prone as they don't have legs, and the skull is quite small.

10 x 28mm foot = 50 points

2 x prone 28mm figs = 5 points

1 x a skull = 0.5 point (its like a 6mm fig I suppose)

1 x fantasy studio bonus = 20 points

Grand total = 75.5

Boy I do like my fantasy figures, why not duck into the gift-shop and get one for a friend, I wonder what I will find? 

Geoff.

From TeemuL: I'm quite speechless when it comes to minioning these self-sculpted monsters and heroes. The skills and imagination needed there is something I'm not capable of, so I'm just enjoying. The commercial sculpts are excellent, too. I like the ghosts "emerging" from the ground, a very nice effect, like you said, and the classic green orcs with cobblestone bases are great. I'll round-up your point total a bit, 78 was a good year and it will be a good points amount.