PeteF: Cavern Dweller for High Adventure (30 points)

This delightful beastie seems to fit the High Adventure studio theme - I imagine it lives in a cavern deep in the mountains, somewhere in the frozen North.

The Cavern Dweller will be part of one of my Kings of War armies - it can play for either the (Good) Northern Alliance or their Evil counterparts, the Varangur. In the game it's quite a tough and hard hitting monster.

The model is made by Mantic Games (who also publish Kings of War).  When it arrived I was slightly disappointed because it's made from that plasticy PVC stuff rather than the more detailed resin.  As a grumpy old geezer I don't like paying big bucks for materials that feel on the cheap side.  But I do like the pose and the sculpting.

I used my favourite fur recipe again on this one (Field Drab/Khaki/Deck Tan) and went for a purply skin (burned red/magenta/pink/rose).  Teeth and claws I'm working on a recipe (this was: beige brown/tan yellow/ushabti bone/ivory - with some agrax earthshade washing).

I'm working on a new Kings of War faction - two challenges ago I did a lot of Nightstalkers - a horror/monster gribbly collection and I've enjoyed playing them.  For variety I'm trying out a different army with a different dynamic - the only problem is I need to paint a whole lot of new models.

One thing Mantic have done with their new rules is introduce a smaller version of the game Ambush! which requires smaller armies.  This means fewer models to a playable army which can at least give a flavour of what the faction is like.  I introduced a friend to the game this week and we both had great fun.

10 points for a 28mm monster (about 70mm if it stood up) and 20 for another studio.

Happy New Year everyone!

____________________________________

Being in the 'frozen north' I think I saw one of these guys pushing out a car out of a snow drift and then eating the driver. I just pulled down my toque and quietly moved on. 

Great work on this big, bad beastie, Pete! I like the juxtaposition of the purply striated flesh next to his cuddly fur. I've not heard of the Ambush! rules, but may be keen to try, especially with it having a small model-count. I hope we see more from your new KoW faction over the coming months.

- Curt

From PeteF: Two Orcish Girls - Under Construction (34 points)

 

You can count - there are three orc-y women on this base.  The middle one was a test figure that got painted a few weeks ago - making this one of the many units I could enter for the Under Construction studio.  I did not prepare well for the challenge and still have a lot of half- or a bit painted stuff on the Pile of Potential. 

 

This unit is for Kings of War - my favourite wargame at the moment.  It's a rank and flank fantasy mass battle game.  The largest units, Legions, can have 60 models (standard 28mm size infantry).  These are "Large Infantry" and measure 40mm foot to eye - and 3 Large Infantry make a Regiment.  These are for a faction called the Varangur - evil folk from the North.

  

The models are 3D prints that I got as prize support at a Kings of War tournament.  One of the guys who runs tournaments in Seattle is a prolific and talented printer and always gives away a ton of models at his tournies.  I like the dynamic poses - not sure about the clothing or lack of it for fighting folk.

 

I used Army Painter Speed paints for the flesh, hair, wood and fur.  To give the armour a purply tinge I used diluted contrast paint over VMC silver.  I'm using the tartan pattern across the whole Varangur army and their counterpart - the Northern Alliance - which I'm also building.

 

Two 40mm foot for 7 points each and a 20 point bonus for the Under Construction studio comes to 34 points for my first entry in Challenge XIII.  I'm planning to hit a lot of the studios for the best chance of hitting the points target - I started a new job in October and don't have as much time as I'd like to paint or play.

Below are a few pictures of my chaotic work space and the Shelf of Shame/Pile of Potential - Good Luck everyone and Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate)!

The main desk - the turkey baster I can explain.

One of the "helpers"

The Shelf of Shame

Ospreys - you can't have too many.  Can you?

____________________________

Welcome back to the Challenge, Pete!

What a 'lovely' trio of Orcish lasses. They don't look too delicate, do they. Perhaps it's the big, honkin' axes that give them that butch look. Yeeash. Byron treated me to a 10mm game of Kings of War a few weeks ago and I had a great time. Fun, simple rules, meant to fill the IP suicide of Warhammer Fantasy, and they do it well!

Yes, no one can never have too many Ospreys, or, er, turkey basters(?!).

Have a great Christmas, Pete!

- Curt