From FrederickC - One Last Visit to the Library [Sarah's Library Cart][Travel][Rare & Antique Book] (127 points)

It has been two weeks since my last submission, and there is now only a week to go. Things got rather hectic around here, and painting time has been at a premium. It hasn't helped that my PC decided to pack it in. 😒 I still have a larger project that I hope to finish before the clock runs out, but I thought I would complete the last of my library challenges first.

First up are two female troopers from the Eurasian Solar Union by Ground Zero Games. I picked these up off eBay years ago with plans to add them to the mix of various manufactures that I painted up as my planetary militia. I have done of few of these for a previous challenge, and I used the same colour scheme using Vallejo acrylics and Citadel washes. I will use these two to buy a quick round trip to the upper level of the rotunda.

 While on the rotunda's upper level I will complete the 'Travel' challenge with a 54mm figure of a Seven Year's War Prussian Musketeer. This was a gift from a friend back in the 90s who had started casting his own figures and gave me one. It came in five pieces - head, hands holding his musket, remainder of body, sword, and base. After assembly the figure was primed grey using a rattle can, and then painted with Vallejo acrylics and Citadel washes.  The travel connection is to a trip I took with my father and two brothers to Potsdam in 2001 as part of what I like to call the "In the Footsteps of the Ancestors" Pilgrimage. My father had been working on a definitive family history since his retirement, and I felt it was important to actually visit some of the places where my forefathers had lived. One of them had been Chaplain-General of the Prussian Army under 'The Soldier King' and 'Frederick the Great'. He was also the Garrison Preacher in Potsdam, and Chaplain to Infantry Regiment von Glasenapp. I painted up the figure as a musketeer of that regiment.

Sanssouci Palace

Frederick the Great's grave marker

Statue of Frederick the Great in Potsdam

 

Back on the ground level again, my final stop is the 'Rare & Antique Books' section. I presented a trio of possible projects to the Snow Lord, and while he thought the first two appealed to him more on a personal level, all were considered appropriate. So what I have is a 40mm flat made of some silver coloured plastic of a German soldier on parade that was part of a group of toy soldiers that my father had as a boy prior to the Second World War. I have vague memories of a group of marching soldiers, a band, and a Panzer I tank. I don't know what became of these figures in the end, but at some point they were no more. All that remained in my possession was one marching soldier that had broken off its base. I drilled holes in the bottoms of the feet, mounted it on a wooden base, and built up the missing parts of his boots with epoxy putty. As with the other figures in this submission, it was painted with Vallejo acrylics and Citadel washes.

 

Thus concludes my peregrination through the Challenge Library - nineteen sections and two library carts. Now to see if I can complete my last big project in time.

 "People were stupid, sometimes. They thought the Library was a dangerous place because of all the magical books, which was true enough, but what made it really one of the most dangerous places there could ever be was that simple fact that it was a library."

 - Terry Pratchett, "Guards! Guards!'

 

The points being claimed are as follows

 

2 x 28mm foot figures @ 5 points each = 10 points

 

1 x 40mm foot figure @ 7 points each = 7 points

 

1 x 54mm foot figure @ 10 points each = 10 points

 

1 x Library 'Travel' section @ 20 points = 20 points

 

2 x Sarah's Library Cart @ 20 points each = 40 points

 

1 x 'Rare & Antique Books' @ 40 points = 40 points 

Sylvain: Your posts are always very informative to read. Your brush work on these miniatures is "upper class" if I may say so. I'm sure a few strikes with a hammer will convince your computer to behave. Great submission!

From DallasE: Germans in the Travel section! (105 points)

Arriving in the Travel stack with some more hairy dudes! I've painted 17 more ancient Germanic tribesmen with spears for this entry.

Now a bit of a word about "Travel"... the section description is "something that impressed you from your own travels." Well, my late wife Pam and I visited Germany on our second Euro-expedition back in 2012 and it was an amazing trip. We visited the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz museums in Stuttgart, drove a rented car on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, and did all kinds of other cool stuff, including visiting the ancient Roman town of Trier. Now that was such a cool visit, if you haven't been, it's awesome. Nestled in the valley of the Mosel river, Trier is reputedly Germany's oldest city, founded by the Romans in 16 BC as "Augusta Treverorum" (the city of Augustus among the Treverii). There are still heaps of Roman ruins and structures to visit in the city and the Porta Negra (Black Gate) dates back to the 4th century. So it was always gonna be some ancient Germans or Early Imperial Romans in this stack, and I've gone with the Germans. Trier is in modern Germany after all. 

Here is the gang of 17 painted for this post. The three command models in the top photo were painted for a previous Challenge entry.

Models are from Wargames Foundry with shields and decals from Warlord Games.

I particularly like the chap on the right end of the line - he reminds me of a young Conan :-)

Anyway there's 17 more done for my WAB army. I think next I might paint some more Romans.

Scoring:

17 28mm infantry x 5 points = 85 points

Travel section bonus = 20 points

Total: 105 points

Cheers!

Great work on these Germanic Warriors here. Very bright and lively, ready to take to the Romans and give them what for indeed! Also great explanation of the travel aspect.. haven't been to Trier yet, but have been to Stuttgart and the Nurburgring. Always a great time when near there!

105 pts for you!
Kyle

From GeoffreyT: Assault on the rotunda. (Maritime, DIY, Literature, Travel, 149 points)

Hello Challengers,

I resume my library trek in the central room, where I tackle the Maritime section.

This rather odd miniature is from Mammoth Miniatures and cast in resin.  I don’t know what it is, but importantly the sculpt was made from shells recovered from the Thames Estuary, as such I consider it Maritime.  I loved the concept of the shell made miniature and could not resist this random purchase.  It is about 40mm scale.  I guess estuarine shells are 'inshore' and not 'offshore', but close enough match Dewey’s shelf classification I hope.

From the central room I move east into the rotunda main level, perusing shelves as I go.  The first is DIY, where I paint three miniatures I sculpted myself from epoxy putties.  They are 'caucasian zombie hunters in summer attire'.  A bearded man armed with a beer gut and chainsaw, a teen with a bat and bin-lid and a youth riding a skateboard with an over and under shotgun, grinding a hand rail.  They are 28mm scale. 

Also in the rotunda we find the Literature section, where '10,000 words will do'.  This immediately made me think of Tolstoy's war and peace, therefore I have 8 Napoleonic Russian figures from Northstar Miniatures ‘The Silver Bayonet’ range which could fit said book nicely.  Admittedly, I already have far more of this range than I can practically use, but they are such fine figures I cannot resist them.  No doubt I will buy whatever comes out with every new supplement.

After completing the rotunda lower level, I now climb to the summit, and go to the Travel section.

Here I have a vignette of a travel experience, with me waiting patiently for a plane whilst flanked by recalcitrant vending machines.  These pieces were second hand and I don't know their source, so I cannot credit the sculptor sorry.

The library now as stands, with me standing in the rotunda.

Points:

1 x 40mm infantry = 7 points

12 x 28mm infantry = 60 points

2 x widgets = 2 points

4 library topics (Maritime, DIY, Literature,Travel) = 80 points 

Total points for this post = 149 points and 1 skull (raising Skullz tally to 5)

Kind Regards

Geoff.

From Millsy: This must be one of the most eclectic and interesting posts this year Geoff! Its packed full of all sorts of weird and interesting stuff, all beautifully painted to boot. Your rendition of yourself at the airport is absolutely hilarious and something I suspect many of us can empathise with.

Great too see someone else has dived right in to Silver Bayonet and not held back, although I'm not sure I understand what you mean about having too much stuff :-P

149 points for your tally mate!