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

From AdamW: Music maestro please (The Lovers) (30pts)

 Well I had an hour to spare before heading out for this weeks game, so thought I'd squeeze in an entry for Paradise. Short and to the point, like a good dagger,

My entry for the lovers sphere is this 15mm Medieval band. My reasoning is that if music is the food of love, then these hipsters perfectly encapsulate 'The Lovers' sphere.

They are fronted by a Jester, so....Ladies and gentlemen I present to you ....'The Fool Fighters'.....

I've forgotten the make of these and am pushed for time to try and find it. If I can find it I'll add as a comment.

Points..nice an straight forward for a change :)

5 x 15mm foot@2pts = 10pts

Lovers Bonus            =20pts

Total 30pts

Well, that is a, let's say,  interesting take on the lovers theme. However, these music lovers look very nice in their gaudy clothes, and the jester is a little gem of a figure. As Procol Harum sang, "if music is the food of love, laughter is it's key"', so we're all set. Well done Adam, 30 more points.

Martijn

TomL, Ambitious Lovers. 75 points

This week we move along in Paradise.  First we visit the second circle where the Ambitious reside. Here we meet Team Chase from Pulp Figures, otherwise known as that keen as fresh mustard, an overachiever's overachiever: Johnny Quest

“Join brave and brainy 11-year-old Jonny Quest as he travels the world with his scientist father Dr. Benton Quest, his adoptive Indian brother Hadji, his bodyguard Race, and his faithful dog Bandit. ”

Bandit's face was unexpectedly quite the personal challenge.  Next we visit the Third Sphere: The Lovers.  Together through trials and setbacks, plane crashes and uncertainty - A fisherman & his wife.

 These figures were from Akula’s “Apocalypse Isle Miniatures”.  As I recall they were part of his “Lost” or apocalyptic line he commissioned for his own collection.  I picked these up with his other civilian figures (painted last AHPC). Everything was painted with a mix of ProAcrylic, Two Thin Coats & Foundry acrylics. Picture background is from Jon Hodgson's backdrop painting books.

Points: 75

Ambitious & Lovers: 40 points

7 x 5 point 28mm figures: 35 points.

Will definitely return to the ACW painting for next week.

-------

Johnny Quest? looks like some Johnny come lately version of Tintin! - he even has Snowy in tow! No Captain Haddock though sadly - all quality adventurers know at least one dodgy sea captain (don't they Alan and John...). Seriously though, what great characterful models and your bold colours make them look like they've stepped right off a comic page :-)

Looking forward to seeing more of your ACW next week - the project is really going great guns! :-)

- Paul

From RayR: My Journey to Paradise via the Retreat from Moscow (160 points)

Continuing my journey through Dante's Divine Comedy, I having completed The Abyss, find myself on my way to Paradise, so here are my 5 Sphere's.

First up we have the First Sphere The Inconstant, I had to look the word up.....just to make sure, of course...

First Sphere: The Inconstant
No Ray, not the Incontinent... :) Instead, think of something which may try its best but often falls a bit short.

Its nice how I still get the odd mention in the rules and regs of the Challenge, its usually something to do with Sandbags, Badgers or Budgie Smugglers, never usually about crappin' yourself!

Anyhoo, something that falls short.

It was the look on the first Mules face, he's not gonna budge, even if your'e waving some carrots in his face! But is it the Mule or the cloaked Vivandière who falls a bit short???

I was a little stuck on this one, then remembered these models. I bought them from Col Bill's sometime ago, again for my Haitian Revolution project. But decided, to use them for the Retreat instead.  

The figures are from Warlord Games, Napoleonic range, I added a cloak to the poor lady, I don't expect she's gonna get far though, with all those provisions on the 3 Mules.

These should earn me 20 points for the figures and another 20 for the bonus round.

Next up we have the Second Sphere - The Ambitious

Second Sphere: The Ambitious
A figure that is as keen as mustard, an overachiever (yes, so annoying, I know).

The first ever Napoleonic figure I ever painted was a figure from the Neuchatel Battalion, who unusually wore a yellow or mustard coloured coat, not a red coat like other Swiss regts or blue like every other French unit

So I thought I'd paint up a mustard coated, keen as mustard Officer, I may have to paint up some infantry as well, trouble is they'll probably be wearing a overcoat, so you won't see their mustard/yellow coat??

The Neuchatel Battalion had a bit of a rough time during the retreat, having joined the Grand Armee in March 1812, the regiment included, Infantry, Engineers, Artillery and the Artillery train, from an original 1,027 men, only 13 Officers and 7 men returned to camp at Besancon!!!

Points.... 5pts for the figure, plus another 20 for the Ambitious bonus

Next in line is the Third Sphere - The Lovers.

Third Sphere: The Lovers
This could be platonic love, romantic love, but not love based on lust - that's for the 'other place'.

This pair of lovebirds are once again from pack FN 193 Camp Followers

A wounded Cuirassier and his lady friend, struggle through the snow.

Hoping to make their way home???

The Lovers will give me 10 pts plus 20 pts for the bonus round.

Next we move onto the next Sphere, the 4th - The Wise

Fourth Sphere: The Wise
Something contemplative and sage. Essentially no figure having any kind of resemblance to me. :) Think that's me as well as Curt??

This fine looking chap's from Eureka and comes along with the Napoleon figure I painted up for the Greed bonus round.

This is Jean Baptiste Eblé, a French General, Engineer and Artilleryman. He is credited with saving Napoleon's Grand Armee from complete destruction in 1812.

In 1811, Eblé was put in command of the Dutch Pontoon bridge builders (pontonniers) for the Grande Armee which Napoleon was assembling for the invasion of Russia. Eblé discovered he had inherited a rag-tag collection of boatmen, yet in less than a year he had turned them into a disciplined, highly trained and skilled force who would soon prove indispensable. Besides training, Eblé also issued his pontonniers specialized tools and equipment, the most notable of which were the mobile wagon-mounted forges, that could quickly make any needed but unavailable metal parts or items.

During the disastrous retreat from Moscow in 1812, Napoleon ordered Eblé to destroy the pontonniers' mobile forges, so that these valuable pieces of engineering technology would not fall into enemy hands. Eblé argued with his Emperor, that without the forges his men could not perform their duty and the greater danger to the Armée was to be caught between an uncrossable river and a vengeful, pursuing enemy. Napoleon insisted they be destroyed, but Eblé went against his orders and kept the vital equipment intact.

When the Armée arrived at the Berezina River it found itself trapped, with the Russians fast bearing down and no way to cross. Eblé's men worked feverishly in dangerously frigid water to complete the bridges in time for the Armée to escape. With the way across the Berezina opened, most of the surviving remnants successfully crossed. But the campaign had taken a heavy toll on General Eblé's men and his health. He died in Konigsberg shortly after returning from Russia.

This wise man will earn me 5pts and another 20 for the bonus round

Next I'll call on Sarah the Seraphim to take me along to my last Circle No 8

But instead of the usual female figure fee, I've overpaid and give you 3 female figures

Lula the dog, Cossette and Clementine

The pup is from Front Rank and Cossette and Clementine are from the same pack as the Lovers above.

These 3 will earn 15 points

So onto my final Circle.....

Eighth Sphere: The Fixed Stars of Faith, Hope and Love

Submit a figure depicting any of these laudable themes.

Well I'm going for Hope.....

Poor Nadine, has given up all Hope and cannot move another muscle.

Will she ever rise again?

Probably not.....

Nadine is my last figure from pack FN 193 Camp Followers from Perry Miniatures, she will earn me another 25 points!

So all in all we have....

1st Sphere - The Inconstant 40 points

2nd Sphere - The Ambitious - 25 points

3rd Sphere - The Lovers 30 points

4th Sphere - The Wise 25 points

Sarah's Seraphim 15 points

8th Sphere - Hope 25 points

So a grand total of  160 points!!

TeemuL: Excellent work again Ray, painting lots of bonus points which all contribute to your great Retreat project. I admire you able to keep the focus on a single theme!