From MattK: Orks for Various Purposes, Solar Auxilia (75 Points)

Happy New Year everyone,

This year marks my return to the challenge after changing careers (leaving the hobby industry) and having a child. I've been really getting back into hobbying this year and thought this would be a great way to keep the momentum going. Without further ado, here are some quick snapshots of some Orks I speedpainted this week. 

 

These are now super old figures that are some of the first models I bought when I first joined the hobby back in 2011. The sculpts are dated and although I love them, they're far from "fantastic sculpts worth spending time painting" if that makes any sense. I spent a day or so chipping away on them off and on. We're planning on playing Space Gits, Modulorka, Gorkamorka and who knows what else so I imagine these are far from the only Orky things I bring to the challenge this go around. 

I also took a little time this week to paint up a small batch of 3d printed Solar Auxilia. These have an odd spot in my collection. I painted the leader months ago so were not counting him for points but I wanted to show the "squad" together. 

 

I play a bit of 30k and have a Word Bearers army. I printed some of these from Red Makers around the time of the plastic release with the vague intention of making a Zone Mortalis force. When I ran some numbers and did some math I realized just how many figures I'd need and pivoted to something else. For now, these are going to count as Space Marine Scouts for a game of Shadow War Armageddon because why not. They're a pain to paint and I really have no desire to do a whole army of these any time soon but I think they're kind of neat. 

So all told, 15 28mm figures x 5 points for a total of 75 

Matt, the models look great, Orks and Solar Auxilia are right up my street! I like the work you've done on these models. My own taste in Orks leans more towards Rogue Trader style (a bit less insane looking) but I can also get behind big choppas and such. The Solar Aux just look great, nice work. 75 points for you - but I'd love to see more close-up pictures in your future posts! 

Dallas

From PaulSS: Waaagh!! Fusty Ruckers gets some air support (36 points)

 

It's been at least three years since I painted anything new for Waaagh!! Fusty Ruckers, indeed it's a project I started back at Challenge XII 

Anyhow, I'm getting over the Bronchitis that laid up any chance of getting anything finished done for last week and I decided to grab an Ork Burna-Bommer that's been languishing in the pile of shame for at least eighteen months. My colleague is playing 40K at Adepticon and wants to borrow the Orks so this was a simple restart.

The kit can be built as either a Dakkajet, Blitza-Bommer, Burna-Bommer or Wazbom Blastajet, but I decided on the end to make it up as a Burna-Bommer, for no gaming reasons but aesthetically  I liked the build. 

I'm not sure why but it reminds me of the Blackburn Buccaneers that used to practice low level runs over our house when I was a nipper. 

Having chosen the rusty look for my Waaagh! it means that even though I've painted nothing in years I can easily slip back into the colour scheme.

I added streaks of soot all over, but especially around the engines and the Skorcha missile racks. More streaks of exposed metal and dust completed the look.

I even went as far as leaving the cockpits glazed and painting the pilot and grot gunner.

One 40mm vehicle, one 40mm pilot and one 20mm gunner should net me another 36 points and get me back on track after missing a week.

TeemuL: It is good to see an Ork vehicle which is not bright red. Your Burna-Bommer looks very well used and dusted, the bright cockpits and crew create nice contrast and draw the eye to them. By the way, isn't it nice to paint some bigger minis, too? :)

From MikeW - 28mm Dutch 17th Century Cavalry and whatever I can get done in the next three days! (174 Points)

How time flies, the end of the challenge looms and I have so much to do that I did not get around to even starting! So this is likely the last post that I can make this challenge and this is really a series of items that I have been scrambling to complete over the next few days as the deadline looms.

This weekend I am on Grand parent duty and this unlikely to get time to do anything else. I'd like to take this chance to thank Teemu for his tireless efforts dealing with my posts and also to Curt & all the minions for again making this an enjoyable experience.

So here are my odds and ends and I bid all farewell until next year's challenge?

First of a group of 5 x 28mm Late 17th Century Dutch Cavalry representing Filips Emminghuysen van Eppe's Regiment of Horse, first raised in 1672 and served at the Battle of Seneffe in 1674. Apart from having an extraordinarily long name, they worn grey jackets and trousers, sky Blue cuffs and Horse furniture. I have still to get the officer completed but this is unlikely to be done by the end of the challenge!

Front on view of five troopers,
officer is still being painted at the time the challenge comes to an end!

Side view, I don't usually do casualty figures but the occasional one adds flavour to a unit

And the other side

Next I have managed to complete one of the two remaining 40K Ork Kill Koptas, again it has a scratch built rota blade set but the build and construct are much the same as last week's submission.

Second Kill Kopta completed, with one more to go...

The other side! Extra guns added on the Kopta's front bonnet.

Another view again!

Here are a couple of 15mm project that have been floundering over the last few months, first up is some long overdue American Civil War Coastal Batteries and secondly we have some Russian supplied equipment for the Spanish Civil War Republicans, in the form of tanks and artillery.

On the ACW front we have 7 x Coastal / Siege Batteries, these are in the traditional grey finish with blackened barrels (to protect them form the sea salt). Each is on a fairly elaborate chassis and typically these would be found in long term forts / emplacements. I'm also throwing in 4 x Smoothbore Field guns that I have just completed.

The completed 15mm ACW Coastal Guns

I've had these models for ages, stored in the garage waiting for me to get around to painting and basing them. A potential future game set in the Petersburg Siege lines has prompted me to actually dig them out and get them ready for use.

And four completed ACW Field Guns

These little Field Guns were found along wit the big guns above, so I decided to get them completed at the same time as well. I gave these plain wooden frames, assuming that they would be used as Confederate batteries, I believe these are 6lb Smoothbores. I now need to source crews for each gun.

Close-up on a 8" Columbiad Gun. I have tried to weather the carriage to
represent harsh sea salt air in coastal areas

Another view

This is a close-up of the 10" Columbiad Gun

Again another view

A comparison shot showing just how big these Coastal / Siege
guns were compared to regular Field Artillery

Next we have 3 x T26 tanks and 4 x Artillery pieces all supplied during the Spanish conflict to the Republican army. The equipment is all in traditional Russian Green drab but on the tanks I have added the Republican Tricolour of Nationalist Spanish Flag as these vehicles were prized by both sides.

Three completed T26 tanks, centre & left are Republican vehicles,
right is a captured tank pressed into Nationalist service

I have quite a large SCW Republican Army and a smattering of Nationalists to oppose them, as a club we were heavily into the SCW some time ago and these models were sourced then to 'beef-up' my mostly infantry based forces, they are metal models and I'm afraid I don't remember which company made them.

Another angle on the tanks

I decided to paint one in Nationalist colours, as I saw a nice picture of a Nationalist T26 online recently, I have a fourth T26 model that I'll add to the Republican ranks in due course but at present the model has a missing gun barrel and I have to source one from somewhere.

Four completed Artillery pieces all of Russian origin

Along with the 'lost' tanks, was found some generic Republican Artillery pieces, I believe these are all Russian supplied guns. again I can't remember the manufacturer's name.

Again another view

Following on from the SCW I now switch (almost seamlessly) back to Warhammer 40K and a test Space Marine figure. Last post Iain picked up on a throw away remark that I made about wanting to raise a new 'blue' Space Marine Force but that I was reluctant to commit to Ultra Marines. I just happened to have a marine figure ready build, so I undercoated it in white and decided to use Speed paints to see what type of quick paint job I could do!

So here it is, a Crimson Fist Space Marine with a Heavy Plasma gun, I used Army Painter 'Magic Blue' for the armour with 'Slaughter Red' for the fists. I painted the gun and it's umbilical cord silver and then used 'Graveyard Grey' over the silver to give a rich metallic shading.

The chest eagle was painted with 'Sand Golem' and the various cables were painted in black, or red as I felt appropriate.

The plasma rings on the gun were painted by covering with white paint then putting down a yellow coat alont the spine of the rings before applying a watered down coat of light green paint.

Now 40K purists will note that the figure does not have the correct iconography for a Crimson Fist, but as this is a test figure, I'm not too bothered. That said I'll no doubt be damned as a heretic and sent to some Penal Colony for the rest of my years,...

Next, I managed to finish the Commanding Officer that I had partially painted (and then got distracted from) for the Dutch Regiment Slangenburg - that I posted for this challenge back on the 9th Feb. Fredrik Johan van Baer, Heer van Slangenburg wears a heavily decorated scarlet coat, a cuirass and is mounted upon a sturdy brown horse as he waves his feathered hat!

Fredrik Johan van Baer, Heer van Slangenburg

Another view

The figure is a Front Rank one from their Late 17th Century range and it paints-up really very nicely, in my opinion.

My only regret is not having time to complete a 40k Ork Gargantuan! Well, a McFarlane model substitute for a Gargantuan!

Imagine the size of the finished Ork given the epic scale of his gun next to a regular Ork!

POINTS

5 x 28mm 17th Century Dutch Horse @ 10 Pts Ea     50 Points

1 x 40K Ork Kill Kopta @ 20 Pts                   20 Points

1 x 40K Ork Pilot @ 5 Pts                          5 Points

11 x 15mm ACW Artillery Pieces @ 4 Pts ea         44 Points

4 x 15mm SCW Artillery Pieces @ 4Pts ea           16 Points

3 x 15mm T26 Tanks @ 8Pts ea                      24 Points

1 x Crimson Fist Space Marine                      5 Points

1 x 28mm 17th Century Dutch Officer               10 Points

TOTAL                                            174 Points 

That is a nice mix of models for a final entry, well done. I will overlook your obvious heresy with the space marine as it is just a 'test' model. The Inquisition will be keeping a close eye on all future projects though. Great work on all of these projects. 

-StuartL

From MikeW: 28mm Viking Shield Maidens, Wild West and 40K Orks Imperial Guards (125 Points)

Work commitments and travel prevented me form submitting a post last week and as I have now pretty much completed my 40K Ork army I have found myself concentrating on fewer figures to get a (hopefully) better finish to some of these.

I still have a box of Wargames Atlantic Conquistadors and two boxes of Warlord Games Landsknechts waiting to be cracked open, so hopefully these will get started before the end of the challenge.

Having reached the Superhero Studio the week before last, I'm going to travel over to the Wild West Studio to complete my 4th Blue Studio and throw myself at the Director's Chair for guidance on what he wants to get the Red Pass.

The five Viking Shield Maidens

To get to the Studio I'm submitting a group of 5 x 28mm Viking Shield Maidens, these 3D Print figures are from 'Badger 3D Creations' and are  a little on the fantasy side but to my eye actually pretty good fits for my Viking Army.

Maiden One. Hand Axe and leather top & leggings, small fur collar.

Maiden Two.  The pattern on her green robe is actually moulded on,
this shot also shows shield detail, chainmail and gold head band.

I undercoated the figures in white before layering on the basic colours, I then used washes and Speed / Contrast paints to add shading. The details on the figures are really well moulded so it seemed relatively easy to pick these out with paint. Figures were then matt varnished and based in my usual manner.

Maiden Three, sword, shield and chainmail with green leggings and fur topped boots.

Second, front view. Detail of chainmail is clearly seen.

Maiden Four. Showing shield and side view.

Front view, showing leather skirt and leggings

Maiden Five, showing spear and leather armour, I gave her red trousers

Rear view, showing shield, leather clothing and her lovely flowing hair!

Next we have the 3 x 28mm Wild West figures I painted in the Studio, these are old Wargames Foundry or maybe Dixon figures that have been kicking around my lead mountain of shame for years! They seem to be towns folk, rather than ranch hands, so I have 'dressed' them in mostly greys and browns.

Unfortunately I had issues getting my phone camera to focus on these guys, I think the light was going towards the end of the day

Left a city slicker in bowler hat, reaching for more ammunition for his Winchester, centre is maybe a lawman with pistol. Whilst right is a famer firing his Winchester. 

Next up we have a Warhammer 40K Ork Kill Kopta, I have two more of these on the go and hope to have them completed in the next few days. These models are full of detail and I find that I keep going back to the to add to that detail, however, I decided to concentrate on one to get it completed this week.

My first Kill Kopta, one of three I got in eBAy lots and with only one set of rotas supplied between them! These I scratch built from coffee stirrers and plasticard. 

Another view, additional rivets are self adhesive 2mm rhinestones sourced from eBay,
175 per sheet for less than £2.00 

Close-up from the side showing the extra gun added to the Skis

And the other side with an additional missile added to the front of the Kopta.

Next on the list of items for this post is a 28mm Late 17th Century Polish mounted Officer, this guy was again found in my 'lead pile' and had obviously been overlooked when I was paining up may Polish Army, he will be pressed into service accordingly!

Polish Command figure, in typical 17th Century dress.

Another view...

I have given him a nice red cloak that compliments his horse's attire, he wears chainmail and caries a wahammer. Again a white undercoat with base colours blocked in and washes, inks and paints applied to add depth and shading.

Last figures for this week are a group of 4 x 40k Imperial Guardsmen, after all I have to have a force to oppose all these Orks! So I have quite a few Guardsmen and accessories collected over the years bit I want to expand tis force and I was taken by the Wargames Atlantic Raumjager Infantry set, so I got a frame off of eBay to try them out.

The completed test set of Wargames Atlantic Raumjager / Imperial Guardsmen

As expected they were high quality moulds with lots of options, their dress is different but similar enough to classic Games Workshop Imperial Gard Cadians for them to work well together. Additionally I mixed and matched GW parts with these figures to make the cross over even less obvious.

An Officer figure, wearing a Wargames Atlantic headgear but with Games Workshop Imperial Guards helmet on his belt and GW arms pointing and holding a Lasgun.

In my Warhammer 40K universe these Guardsmen are from an urban world, hence the grey overalls, the armour and webbing are in an ochre type colour just as a contrast to the drab uniforms. FYI, I did have a Space Marines army but that is now long gone but I'm dabbling in building a new one - question is which chapter. Likely they'll be in blue but Ultra Marines are too obvious, that said I do love the Ultra Marines....

Guardsman with a automatic shotgun, again with a GW helmet and a
backpack to aide unit integration with older figures in my collection

Guardsman with GW Comms Pack and helmet, all the rest is WA kit.

Guardsman with Flamethrower, this is WA kit but with GW backpack & helmet added

The Wargames Atlantic figures with GW counterparts, to show how well in my opinion the figures can be integrated together to give a more interesting look and feel.

I'm definitely going to investing a full box of these WA figures, I have already sourced a supply of spare GW Imperial Guards heads to go with these re-enforcements! So one schoolboy error on my part was to base them on my standard mdf round bases, these will need to be changed at some point for standard GW bases, but that's a task for another day!

So last thing this week here is my current location regarding Studios - Knocking at the Director's Chair!

POINTS

5 x 28mm Viking Shield Maidens @ 5 Pts ea            25 Points

1 x Lady Sarah Bonus                                 20 Points

3 x 28mm Wild West Foot Figures @ 5Pts ea            15 Points

Wild West Studio Bonus                               20 Points

1 x 40K Ork Kill Kopta @ 20 Pts                      20 Points

1 x 40K Ork Pilot @ 5 Pts                             5 Points

1 x 28mm Late 17th C Mounted Officer @ 10Pts ea      10 Points

4 x 40k Imperial Guardsmen @ 5Pts ea                 20 Points

TOTAL                                               125 Points 

From TeemuL: Nice to have you back for our regular Thor's Day team before the Challenge ends, Mike! Those shieldmaidens are lovely, very nice sculpts and your paintwork shows all the lovely details. Good to see your Ork (and Imperial Guard) force(s) to grow, too. Your scoring is a bit off, the correct total is 135, but I'm not going to punish you for that. :) And you have already passed your initial target, good job!