From PeterB: Aliens and Daemons [LV926 to Arrakis] (252 points)

At some point during lockdown when I was going stir crazy (I don't know what month or year it was, it has all blurred in to one mush of working from home and constant handwashing) I, along with most of the hobby, decided I needed to drastically increase my lead pile. I didn't really even have much more spare time to paint it all, my job actually got busier as it involved supporting a massive workforce suddenly working from home that didn't have experience of doing so until this point.

I had previously had great results painting some of the Frostgrave plastic sets from Northstar and so when they announced a Kickstarter (or Nickstarter as they called it) for a new range of plastics for the new Stargrave rules, I decided to go all in and buy the full set, a box of crew, mercenaries and troopers. 

This meant then that in the bundle was also included some bonus metal figures (the first one a female pilot I painted up last week, see here.) So, for my trip to LV926 may I present to you a bevy of aliens and spacecraft crew.

I didn't mean it but the chap on the right has a real Dr Doom vibe.

The chap on the left has a real Peter Cushing look to him.

After this I will be jetting off to Arrakis with a Machiavellian theme. Well, what could be more Machiavellian than the Changer of Ways, the Architect of Fate, the Chaos God of change, intrigue and sorcery, Tzeentch. So, in 6mm scale may I present Magnus the Red, Daemon Primarch of Tzeentch.

I decided to paint him up in as close the the classic GW colour scheme as I could find. I also painted some Steeds of Slaanesh as well.

That then completes the Epic Chaos army that has been floating around in my to do pile for a good couple of years now.

The extra daemon princes were painted pre-challenge.

Talking of finishing armies I have also painted up some more halflings for a Dragon Rampant army. Firstly a dozen from Wargames Atlantic armed with  spears and halberds.

Then another dozen from Mantic games also armed with spears.

Finally I had a few Mantic left over, armed with hand weapons and rifles.

This then completes another army. My son has been desperate to play a battle of goblins versus halflings after I read The Hobbit to him (I suspect he will now demand I paint up some dwarfs too as well.)

The archers and characters were painted pre-challenge.

I'm tempted to look out for some kind of heroic looking halfling on a pony or similar steed as an army commander though, just to really out the proverbial cherry on top. Suggestions on a postcard to.. 

 And now to the points.

• 7 x 28mm scale Stargrave miniatures = 35 points
• 1 x 6mm scale Daemon Primarch (equivalent height of a 28mm figure)  = 5 points
• 12 x 6mm scale Steeds of Slaanesh = 12 points
• 32 x 28mm scale halflings = 160 points 
• 2 x planet bonuses = 40 points

Total points =  252 points

Which definitely takes me over my points target and into the Inner ring. There is however, more to come...

From Millsy:

WOW! What a collection. There's something for everyone in here Peter!

There's loads to love about this post mate but for me the pick of the bunch is the Chaos stuff and the Daemon Primarch of Tzeentch in particular. I'm more of a devotee of Nurgle myself but Slaanesh tempts me often (some would say that's what's meant to happen!) and this isn't helping!

I like you Wargames Atlantic hobbits too. Very nice indeed. I've nearly picked them up a few times now but not being able to build them all as one troop type always puts me off.

252 smackers added to your tally. Well done!

From TeemuL: Fire, Fire! (45 points)

Here's something I was supposed to paint a year ago or so, but it never happened, since I had to paint something else. At the moment there is not that many needs, no army or campaign needs more painted forces at the moment, so I'm clearing my backlog in more or less random way. One reasonable way is to paint those figures I have primed already, so that is the reason for these demons.

There are seven metal Flamers of Tzeentch and one Ogroid Thaumaturge. Thaumaturges are strange creatures of Tzeentch, they are actually rather good in combat and they still are able to cast spells. I haven't actually tried him yet or never faced one, but that's what I have read. Actually, I'd like to get another one and convert him as Slaughterpriest of Khorne...

I'm not much of a blender (as miniature painter), but with these contrast paints it happens almost automatically and since I wanted to have some smoothness in the color transitions I tried it with these. They turned up rather nice. Big One got a bit too dark, but some drybrushing saved the day. The basing is Citadel texture "paint", which gives rather nice result after drybrush.

I calculated 45 points, 35 for 7 28mm demons and 10 points for the big demon (over 50mm tall).


Latest gossips from Awdry's Atoll:
"Demons?!? I have had enough of this atoll!"
"Get me a ship or something nautical!"
"Or better yet, get me a woman!"
"ANY woman!!!"











From Daved - The challenge always introduces me something i have no idea about - this is one of them..but they surely are colourful.. grand job

From TeemuL: Mixed bunch (57 points)

The Challenge ends like it started, me being a bit sick, thanks to flu. With this entry I should bypass my target, though, so everything is good. I'm not sure if I can finish something next week, we will see.

First here is a Battlesmith for my Fyreslayers army.

Then 10 Brimstone Horrors for my Chaos army, I don't have enough Tzeentch models yet to call it a Tzeentch army. :)

Finally the Participation fee.

That's 5 euros for the Finnish Nature Protection, to the protection of the Baltic Sea to be precise. Not quite sea, not quite lake, something in between and not in a very good shape, right next where I live.

Pointswise the Brimstone horrors have 5 points a base in this challenge, so with the dwarf some 55 points. To the next and final week!

_____________________________________

So sorry to hear that you are feeling well Teemu, get well soon.  Well done for getting a post up nonetheless and look at those little blighters!  I think the dwarf is magnificent so I am awarding a couple of extra bonus points for him.  Safely through your par score for the challenge, well done Sir! 

From: TuomasL - Horrors and vikings (325 points)

Long time since my last entry due to starting to play Saga by signing up for Saga tournament roughly three weeks before the actual event and then feverishly painting the tournament army and having little time for anything else. I even managed to get couple of practise games before the tournament with loaned miniatures.

First little addition to growing Tzeentch daemon horde, 10 pink horrors. Painted before signing up for the tournament. I thought there would have more daemons in this post but the vikings dominated my hobby time over the last few weeks.

Then my completed tournament Saga Viking warband. All miniatures are 28mm made by Gripping Beast, mostly plastic, warlord, priest and berserks are metal.

First 12 thralls with bows.

Next 3x8 bondi with mixed weapons and shields.

 

Then the 3x4 hirdmen with mixed weapons and shields.

Priest and 4 berserkers. These guys were not part of the tournament army so I painted them last week after the tournament while suffering from con-plague.

Finally the warlord and final hirdman.

Really happy that I got tournament ready warband painted in roughly two weeks and started playing new game. Luckily I had vacation from work, otherwise this would not have been possible. In hindsight, I'm getting too old to paint tournament armies in as short time as I did with these guys.

My plans are to continue growing the daemon horde but my local club is planning Saga campaign in the coming spring and escalating it to Hail Caesar campaign over the summer so daemons might have to wait a bit. I'm starting Huns/Steppe Tribes/Mongols for these, miniatures already on the way. Also there are couple of upcoming Japan themed weekends in April so this might be the time I finally start assembling and painting my Test of Honour set...

In short, gaming clubs are bad for your plans.


This batch in summa summarum:

• pink horrors 10 x 5 = 50 points
• thralls 12 x 5 =  60 points
• bondi 3 x 8 x 5  = 120 points
• hirdmen (3 x 4 + 1) x 5 = 65 points
• berserkers 4 x 5 = 20 points
• warlord + priest 5 + 5 = 10 points

total: 325 points

Oh wow Tuomas, when you're back you're back! With an entire new army and a unit of Pink Horrors! Great stuff all round. The priest and the berserks are my favourites of the bunch: you've really captured what I think they should look like. Your future plans all sound intriguing too, will be great to see what you decide to enter in the Challenge first. The points will be added shortly.

Cheers Sander

From NickJ: Brimstone Horrors - Part II (50 Pts)

Once upon a trip to Budapest...

If you're reading this then it means it's Thursday and I'm in Sunny/Rainy/Freezing Budapest. Sadly not a holiday but a work trip for a go live of a rather large project. So instead of painting I'll be pulling my hair out when computers decide to do something they haven't done all the way through testing...

Anyway I didn't want to leave Jamie twiddling his thumbs so here is part 2 of my Brimstone Horrors gang. The paint job is so straight forward that I feel like I'm stealing points but, erm, I'll take 'em :-)

First off then here are the 10 new bases of the little blighters!

Again I've opted to ignore the details such as eyes and teeth on the basis you just won't see them on the tabletop...

And just to prove these are 10 new ones here are the full 20...

The Floor is Lava Champions...

I'm really looking forward to seeing these on the tabletop. I don't even mind if they turn out to be rubbish as frankly they are going to look awesome charging towards the bad guys!!

I'll be back to the painting table sometime next week!

Based on the previous scoring I'm hoping for a nice 10 bases at 5 points each = 50. Please?

Good Lord, more of the little beggars!  Did nobody ever tell you not to play with fire young man?

Anyway, they're as nice as the last lot and arguably even nicer on the basis the mass ranks of them really do multiply up into something magnificent for you to watch..... and your opponent to dread!

50 points as you surmise to add to your total.