Barbarians of the Icy North (Library: Overdue & Returns)

The air is frigid and the ground frozen hard, but this band of barbarians seem to barely notice the cold. My latest entry to the Painting challenge is a group of plastic figures from North Star that I bought preassembled on a bring-and-buy stall some years ago. 

Long overdue some attention they are now ready to join my growing fantasy/frostgrave collection of figures. 

In the Painting Challenge, I also claimed the Challenge Library “Overdues and Returns” bonus for these because not only have they rested in my pile-o-shame for at least a year, but they presumably sat in someone else's pile-o-shame before that before being sold. So these are long long overdue for their coat of paint as well as being a return to an old project from Challenge Ten, way back in 2019. 

AHPC XI - Week 13 - This is the End

The 11th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge finished in the early hours of Sunday (for those of us on GMT) and my-oh-my what an incredible week it has been. I cranked out four entries this week, completed the Chambers of Challenge side quest and even revisited my Anglo-Zulu War project and painted some figures that have been taunting me from my Lead Mountain for at least three years! 

The Snowlords Treasury - Different Treasures

Two adventurers have found a pile of unguarded treasure and each feels their hearts skip a beat. Treasure! But while one gathers up the spellbooks and tomes of ancient knowledge for the other it is the glint of gold that mesmerises him. Each to their own, and at least they aren't fighting over the treasure this way! 

I had several models I could use for this room but in the end, I decided to use two of them and make a special base to hold them. As before I based the figures separately so they can be used in games and modelled the base from Milliput on a large round MDF base. 

Both figures are from Midlam Miniatures, so they are about 25mm rather than 28mm, but the quality of the sculpting is wonderful. They were fun to paint up and I'm sure I can find plenty of use for them in my games. 

Witch Teleport - Shieldmaiden

The postman finally delivered my long-awaited parcel with my figures for the Laboratory chamber... but too late. I'd already nearly completed this offering to the Witch of this level for a second teleport, and I have started work on my figure for the next chamber The Hall of Heroes. I'm not too upset though because I will have a couple of extra female figures for my Frostgrave games and my Hero for the next room is a wonderful model that I have been wanting to paint for some time. 

This is another figure from Bad Squiddo Games and once again is a wonderfully sculpted figure of a Shieldmaiden. When I got this model it has a round shield with it but try as I might I couldn't find it, so I found an alternative from my bitz-box. The shield is clearly influenced by Celtic designs but with a suitably 'fantastic flourish idea for a fantasy setting like Frostgrave. 

The model is 28mm and as with my previous purchased from Bad Squiddo, it was nice and clean with no flash or moulding needing to be removed before prepping. 

The Hall of Heroes - Northern Barbarian Hero

As someone who grew up reading the works of Robert E Howard, it's probably not surprising that when someone mentions a Hero I naturally think of a windswept northern barbarian striding across the tundra of Hyboria. And this figure is very inch the heroic archetype. The sculpting of the furs, in particular, is exceptional and far better than one would typically get on a 28mm model I think. Although it has to be said he's about 32mm to the eye so he's a big fella!

This metal figure is suitably chunky and has a real heft to it when held in the hand. Call me old school but it feels much more satisfying than an equivalent resin or plastic miniature. 

From here I am heading towards the final chamber the Lair of the Spider before braving the Snowlords Challenge. I can hear ominous scuttling from the darkness ahead...did someone way the spider wasn't there any more, because I'm not so sure...

Lair of the Spider - Spider Scorpion

The description for this penultimate chamber in the Chambers of Challenge says that the aforementioned spider has been scared off by something worse. Well, I think a Spider Scorpion can definitely be described as worse! This fearsome critter is as creepy as a spider but with an added reason to be wary. Both insects give me the creeps at the best of times, but combined this model was a challenge just painting it.

This is a Ral-Partha figure that I picked up on eBay some time ago. It has been sitting - no, Lurking - in my lead pile ever since just waiting for a chance to pounce. The tail is cast separately and I had to do a bit of work to make the joint fit properly before glueing it together with a strong Epoxy glue to give it some resilience. 

I have a confession to make though, this wasn't my first choice for this room. I have a large Beholder model that I was going to use here and I got as far as priming the figure but I couldn't face it (no pun intended). Despite looking forward to painting it for the last thirteen weeks, when it's time came Eye just couldn't find the motivation (pun definitely intended). Thankfully the Spider Scorpion was waiting in my lead pile to replace it. So there it is, I have battled my way through the Chambers of Challenge and now I stand before the Snowlords alter awaiting instructions. What devilish tribute will be demanded of me I wonder? 

The Snowlords Alter - 17th Lancers in Zululand

With my recent shenanigans with the Royal Mail, I wasn't sure I was even going to finish the Chambers of Challenge, let alone have time to work on the Snowlords final challenge. But a change of plan and a sudden burst of productivity (that surprised even me) meant I completed the chambers a couple of days ago and I was able to get started on my final Challenge. Curts instructions were as follows 

"For the SnowLord’s Altar let’s look into your collection of unpainted minis (Notice how I just assume that you, like me, have a pile of shame sitting in the wings!) and see if there is anything that you’ve been neglecting or avoiding to do. Maybe it’s because it’s intimidating, or you’ve lost steam on the project, but let’s see if we can use the Altar to create a challenge for you."

In previous challenges, I have painted a lot of 6mm stuff ranging from Alexanders invasion of India, the Pyrrhic and Punic wars and the Anglo Zulu War. This year I haven't painted any 6mm miniatures (apart from some buildings)  so I thought it was time I revisited one of my older projects. So I hereby present the 17th Lancers as they were in the latter half of the Anglo Zulu War. Their white plastron tunic front has been turned around to show the darker blue reverse side although they couldn't do the same for the white cuffs on the sleeves. Their helmets have been dyed tan like the infantry to make them less conspicuous. The trousers were dark blue with a double white stripe down the outside and while I didn't do a double line my hand was steady enough to paint in a single stripe... they are 6mm after all! At this scale, the OR's uniform looks very similar to the officers except for the white belts and pouches. On the officers, I have used gold to highlight the pouch belt which crosses the chest and is distinctive from the OR's pouch belt which would have been white. 

I've been avoiding them because they are tricky to paint at 6mm. The dark uniform and crisp white kit doesn't leave a lot of room for mistakes. To make these look good I would need my steadiest hand and smallest brushes. Now that they are done I'm pretty happy with how they have turned out. I have arranged these in groups of four with a dice holder on the back of the base. I've been playing a lot of solo AZW lately and I'm in the process of altering my older bases to include these dice holders. I have been using TMWWBKs but being flexible with how many figures are in a unit (the rules suggest 8). So these bases could represent three companies of lancers, or I could change the unit sizes to 16 or 24 figures that can take eight casualties before breaking. It depends on the size of the engagement I want to play. I've used TMWWBK's like this for big battles and small skirmishes alike with a lot of success. 

So that's it, my passage through the Chambers of Challenge is complete, and this will also be my last entry for Challenge XI. Its been huge fun as always and well done to all the Challengers that have taken part this year, its an honour to be included in such hallowed company. Congratulations and thanks must of course also go to Curt for running this madness every year and well done also to the minions who help keep this brilliant enterprise going. 

AHPC XI - Week Eight - Last Survivour

Time is speeding by in that slow-motion rapid blur timewarp that is the UK's covid Lockdown, and before I know it we are two-thirds of the way through the painting challenge. I'm still plugging away at the Chambers of Challenge bonus rounds, working through a pile of old lead miniatures and revisiting my youth with some old school fantasy figures. I have some historical stuff to work on this week but for the time being here are my entries for week eight of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. 

The Oubliette - Undead Standard Bearer

This old figure is the last survivor of a lost army. The first wargame I played was Warhammer Fantasy Battle, back in the early '90s. It was a logical choice for my group of friends because we were all committed D&D players so trying out a Fantasy wargame wasn't as big a step as it would seem. The first (and only) army I build for this rule system was an Undead Hord which included masses of zombies, skeleton warriors in rusted armour, undead horsemen ready to sweep across the battlefield and even a Zombie Dragon that set me back a lot of money. The thing that made my army stand out was that of my group of 8 friends, I was the only one who fielded a fully painted army. Indeed most of the time I played against entire forces of grey unpainted miniatures (the horror!).

As a group, we only played this system for a couple of years and eventually, we moved on to other games and one by one we sold off our armies, mine included. I regret not keeping a few pieces of this army even if, looking back, the panting was shockingly poor. Then I recently found this model and realised he had somehow missed the cull, and survived in my collection long after his comrades had gone to another home. When I saw the Chamber of Challenge entitled Oubliette, I knew instantly what I was going to paint. 

I actually had four of the same model (no idea why I bought four) so this Grenadier figure from 1991 will go on display with his unpainted companions. Because he's the last survivor, and a reminder of my earliest days of wargaming, I also made a small terrain base for it using some spare resin scenery I bought and didn't use in the last challenge. 

The Tomb - Gothic Vault and a Restless Resident

I can imagine the conversation had by the family of the occupant... "If we build him a really outlandish gothic tomb maybe he'll stay dead this time". 

I bought this excellent resin crypt from Debris of War before the last Challenge but didn't have time to finish it. It is such a nice model that it couldn't stay unpainted any longer. I really like the resin terrain by this company as it flawless and paints up really well. The model is pretty small at 3.5"x3"x4" so it is barely a 5th of a terrain cube...but it looks marvellous so it had to be my entry for this round. 

The figure is a 1984 Grenadier Zombie which I bought on eBay a few months ago. I couldn't let the poor fella go unpainted any more, and while his torn shirt may once have been expensive and fancy, his tattered appearance now made me feel sorry for him. 

AHPC XI - Week Six - Guardians of Felstad

Week Six of the Painting Challenge and we are almost at the halfway mark. My painting output has slowed a little because I have diverted some time to prepare a couple of Solo games for the coming weeks. The rules I am using required a bit of tweaking for the game I want to play (top-secret for the time being!) and I needed to relabel some bases to match the historical units...all time consuming but enjoyable work that has distracted me from the painting table. Another reason for the reduced painting is that I have ordered some resin terrain and 3D printed models and was still waiting for them to arrive. The Terrain has now been delivered and I have started work on it, and if the models arrive I should have the whole thing completed by next week. Fingers crossed! 

Chambers of Challenge - The Orcs Pit - Orc Hero

I bought this model three years ago and its been looking at me accusingly ever since. At first glance, he looked quite simple to paint but as I worked on him I found all sorts of little details that demanded to be painted, such as a tiny gold ring in his lip or the various charms and amulets hanging from his belt. I went for a deliberately dark theme as it seems appropriate and matches the dark look in his eyes... I certainly wouldn't want to encounter him while exploring the ruins of Felstead. 

The model is mostly cast in a yellow resin that must be unique to this manufacturer. The axe hand and shield hand (and their contents) are cast in metal. Combining the parts was trickier than I had hoped, not because they were ill-fitting but simply because they needed to be pinned and supported while the Epoxy I used to join the set. Then both of the legs broke at the ankle! This required yet more pinning and repair work before I could even prime the figure. The sculpting is wonderful, but the choice of material lets this particular figure down. 

Standing at 35mm tall this guy is very imposing and will make a significant presence on the games table. The implied threat in his expression will also leave little to the imagination for any that face him!  

Chambers of Challenge - The Shrine - Cult Priest

Paint something religious said the brief, so I rummaged through my lead mountain and ended up buying two figures from Ebay instead. But the postal service being what it is (or more specifically Royal Mail being what it is) the models still hadn't arrived when it came time to start on this chamber. So I had another rummage in the lead mountain and found this guy/thing. "He looks fairly religious" I thought, so I give you a cult priest raising the dead. 

The not so sharped eyed will notice that the pages of the book are completely blank. Somehow I managed to overlook that until right now when adding the pictures to this post! I'm going to plead tiredness and the fact I allowed myself to be sidetracked by work projects (something I never normally do). I guess it is one of the hazards of working from home... those lines between work and home life become very blurred. I will add a few arcane letters and symbols at a later date. 

The model is from Grenadier I think, although I'd happily be corrected if I'm wrong. The tab on the base had been filed flat and this is usually where the manufacturer and date are located. I decided to go with a simple but bold red and green colour scheme and I'm happy with the result. 

AHPC XI - From the Hatchery to the Armoury

I haven't got as much painting done this week as I would have liked, but I did manage to complete two more 'rooms' of the Chambers of Challenge bonus rounds in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. Before the competition started I envisaged getting one room done per week, just to keep the points ticking along and to provide a counterpoint to my historical projects. The reality has been that without these little 'side' projects I would be massively behind my WTD target, and aside from my Viking Santa all my entries so far have been fantasy figures for the Chambers of Challenge. 

The Hatchery - Werecroc and Brood Nest

Many years ago I started attending a show in London called Dragonmeet. Its amained more at Roleplayers than wargamers and is a great place to see a wide range of products and new games across a range of genres. I hadn't been in a few years, during which the show changed venue and had grown and diversified a little. So when my daughter and her partner asked if I wanted to join them and their friends (all newbie Roleplayers) at this show called Dragonmeet, I jumped at the chance. The show had indeed grown and as well as all the usual rooms filled with gamers playing all manner of ROG's and Boardgames the Trade Hall was double what I had experienced a few years earlier. In amongst the stalls, there were several model companies selling miniatures for Frostgrave and D&D and it goes without saying I was in my element. This figure virtually leapt off the rack into my hands and I had to buy it (by the end of the day I had spent more than the rest of the group combined!). 

This is a Ral Partha Reaper WereCroc cast in their original 'Bones' polymer plastic. I haven't painted much in this material before but according to their site, this stuff doesn't need to be primed. Call me old fashioned but I couldn't not prime the figure so after giving it a wash I gave it a light coat of brown spray primer. Material aside, this figure demanded to be painted because the sculpt is just so good. I know it is a fantasy creature, but anatomically it just looked so real and menacing I couldn't not paint it. Then when I saw the first room of Level Two in the Chambers of Challenge "The Hatchery" I knew what I was going to do immediately. 

The figure is meant to be 28mm scale but actually stands just short of 40mm tall and comes on a plain cast base. I wanted to add more detail to the groundwork so I added it to a bigger circular MDF base which I then built up with putty. The nest pit was then gouged out while the putty was drying and then I added in some hand made 'eggs' made from Milliput. The eggs are a touch larger than I had originally envisaged, but it has to be said making eggs in Milliput is harder than I'd imagined! Half of what I made were discarded because they were the wrong shape and eventually I was left with four decent eggs for the nest. In case anyone is confused, yes Crocodile eggs are normally small circular and soft, but I had this image in my head of the eggs from the dinosaur nest in Jurrasic Park and besides, its a fantasy creature...its eggs can look however I like!!

The Armoury - Frostgrave Knight

Few Wizards will feel bold enough to enter Felstead without the support of their apprentice and a select band of fighters to protect them. Most of the mercenaries, adventurers and trained soldiers they hire will be kitted out with a rough assortment of weapons and often leather or at best chain armour. However, sometimes a little more is needed and if the wizard's pockets are deep enough, and the rewards high enough, they may hire a knight to accompany them. These steel-clad warriors would be the elite leaders in another less magical world, but they remain powerful and impressive figures non-the-less. Rarely are they subtle, and their armour and heraldry often proudly and visibly mark them out to be the toughest fighters. 

This model is a 1991 Grenadier Knight that I bought years ago, long before Frostgrave was a twinkle in Joseph McCullough's eye. I'm building up quite a collection of figures for use with Frostgrave, sometimes painting whole warbands and sometimes individual figures like this one. I deliberately wanted to keep the paint job simple on this, because I think it makes the maximum impact with that plate armour. The coloured heraldry is also simple, but very striking...this guy is no shrinking violet! 

I had hoped to have my first historical figures submitted by now but my first week back to work after the holidays has been... "challenging" shall we say! I have made progress with my 15mm WWII stuff, but the first of these won't now be finished until next week. I'm still on track with my target so it's not the end of the world, and hopefully, things will settle down at work in a couple of weeks.