From LeeH: A Heavy Metal Christmas (12 Points)

This is my 12th Painting Challenge, and by now I’ve developed a small tradition: I always kick things off with a Christmas-themed figure. Until just a few days before the challenge began, I had no idea what that figure was going to be. Then the lead mountain offered up this little fellow, quickly followed by the Chain Golem, and suddenly a plan appeared.

The axe-wielding dwarf is a Wargames Foundry miniature I picked up several years ago. I’m fairly certain this is the last Christmas figure I own from that set, which means I’ll have to start hunting for something new for next year. The golem, on the other hand, began life as a pre-painted plastic figure from Wizards of the Coast. It was obviously part of a game, but since I bought it as part of a bring-and-buy job lot many years ago, I’ve no idea which one. What I do know is that it took almost as long to hack the golem off its original base as it did to paint it. Free of the base, the Golum is 50mm tall and needed to be stripped back and completely repainted before adding to this larger base to back up the Dwarf.

The Chain Golem isn’t there as muscle or menace; it’s there on probation. According to the dwarf, last Christmas, the golem was left unsupervised near the decorations. Within minutes, it had “helpfully reinforced” the tree, the fireplace, and three chairs using thirty feet of industrial chain and a padlock. Santa needed two reindeer, a hacksaw, and a strongly worded rune to get out of the grotto. This year, the golem has been ordered to accompany the guitar-playing dwarf Santa as part of a festive rehabilitation programme. The dwarf plays heavy metal carols while the golem clinks gently in time and deters autograph hunters.

Looking ahead, I’ve got a couple of new projects lined up. Whether they both get finished will depend entirely on external forces conspiring against me. Work, other commitments, and a few collaborative projects linked to my YouTube channel will all be competing for my time in the early months of the year. Add in a couple of wargames shows, and, ideally, some actual gaming, and the calendar fills up fast. It’s a wonderful hobby. I could give up work tomorrow and still wonder where the time went.

1x28mm Foot = 5 Points

1x40mm Foot = 7 Points

Total = 12 pts

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Lee! I always enjoy your first, Christmas-themed post to kick of the season. I quite like the chain golem and your Pete Townshend Santa is terrific as well. Now you have a quest for a new supply of Christmas themed figures - I look forward to seeing what you come up with. :) Merry Christmas, Lee!

- Curt

From MilesR: Tactical Santa - the First Entry for Challenge XIV (25 Points)

 

OK, the Painting Gods seem to be conspiring against me as our power goes out as I'm taking these pictures.  Still the show must go on.  So the lighting's really poor as we're running off the genny.   

My first entry this year is one full of Holiday Cheer and Hot Lead for those on the Naughty List - Why it's Good ole Tactical St Nick.  He's a jolly old elf with a carbon black SAW.

This is a 28mm figures I bought on Etsy.  The model is 3D printed in Resin and came with another second figure that didn't have the night vision.  I painted that one up earlier for my Holiday club game "The Night The Reindeer Died". Sadly I didn't have a Lee Majors figure for that game.  Bonus points to you if you get the reference.

This figure was painted using the Army Painter "Speed Paints".  I'm still experimenting  both how to use these paints and also how to undercoat - this figure was primed black that them lightly sprayed from above with white.  I think the kids call that "zenithal".  It can out a bit too dark but that's likely due to me not really have a honed priming process.

To continue the Holiday cheer, I'm going to try and stretch the boundaries of the Challenge Libray's Dewey Decimal system and cram this figure between the covers of a Fantasy book.  How? Santa is a mythical figure but I suspect there are a few people on his naughty list that really deserve lead over coal.  I think we can agree that Santa would make a splendid Spec Ops Elf.  He does come with his own vertical insertion team....

Ho, ho, ho, indeed.

Anyway that's one 28mm figures and one rather raggedy Fantasy book for a cool 25 points to start.   I'm hoping to be somewhat productive this challenge and you'll be seeing some 28mm Skirmish figures and A LOT of 10mm figures from me - especially Russo-Japaense War.  Oh one other thing my lovely wife got me a laster cutter for Christmas so there may be some custom terrain..........  

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all of you and your families!

(I'll try to take better pictures in the future)

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Merry Christmas Miles, and welcome back to the Challenge, which has become a long-running tradition of its own.

I like your Tactical Santa, though he is a bit off in the distance. Probably for the best, really. He does have a SAW, and I'm not sure where I stand on his Naughty or Good List. I do like his tactical kneepads - I imagine they would be handy for those hard to manage chimneys and kneeling under trees. 

Great work Miles! I hope your power comes back on soon so you can enjoy your laser cutter and a fully electrified Holiday Season. 

- Curt