Christmas Swag and 1st Entry to winter challenge

So here I am starting my third winter challenge, it seemed fitting that this forms my return to the hobby when it was into the first month of the forth challenge when I fell out of love with painting and gaming. I am already staggered with the output of (to me) new challengers and I look forward to getting to know the people behind this talent.

not changed much just the hair has slipped

 In the spirit of returning my first entry throws back to a young James who in 1989 was all about the GW and Warhammer, I had been one of the kids who watch the channel four NFL show so when GW released and game based on football but set in the Warhammer world I was sold. I played Blood bowl with a human team for a good year or two and if exams had not got in the way I would probably have been one of those who kept the game alive as a cult classic since. But while I did not play BB again I did keep the passion so after a commission opened my eyes to the vast collection of BB miniatures from other companies I started to collect them with a view to one day restarting. 

My Christmas Day haul

Giving yourself only 5 days to complete your Dad’s Christmas present with no plan B might seem mad to some but anyone who watched my output in my first Winter challenge will know I work best with tight a schedule.

I love the character in these figures the faces are the real star of the sculpts, the team consists of 2 throwers 2 blitzes 2 Black Orc Blockers and 8 linemen. All the numbers are free hand and the base has colour mark so indicate the position.

I continue to work on other figures ready for my second entry been working on some fantastic 40mm Rifles.

 

And so the time draws near.

No I am not talking about the time when the big fella come down your chimney with box's for you lead pile. I talk about the day when 100 hardy bloggers can finally put away the primer and glue and start slapping paint on those hard prepped figures. While I still had plenty of colonial figures still prepped from the forth painting challenge, as with any wargamer I can never resist new lead/plastic.

As I plan to use this challenge to get myself back up to speed with my painting have set myself a low 1000 point target and have two periods that will get my main attention. I have 40mm Perry miniatures Napoleonic figures that will be used to play skirmish level games using the Sharp Practise. I have a good starting level of figures but will need to add more as I go to get them up to the correct level for a big game.

The second period is Ancients and a new game system Kings Of War (KoW) historical while my Dad and I love to play some ancients we do not want to spend a lot of money so I suggested we scale down and play the game at 10mm so that is what I have two armies in 10mm from Pendraken miniatures I have British Celts and Romans.

So that is (was the plan) but.....

I want to finish the colonial period that I started back before I took my break so I have a dozen or so Afghan tribesmen and 12 mounted plus a great new Perry Miniatures mountain gun to finish all my Afghan stuff, this period is already getting some great gaming from my Dad with a adjusted set of Donnybrooke rules (Kilts up the Kyber)

I also have a few more to finish my Sudan period, while I have completed all the Highland Infantry I do have plenty of tribesmen both foot and mounted, I might also have bought myself a river boat....or two which will need building and painting and will give the games some real eye candy. I plan hope to play these as large skirmish game with another Donnybrooke adjustment.

But just next to the Sudan figures in my prep box is.... what is that, well it looks like a load of Zulu war British foot and Mounted, and if I have all these Brits I must have some Zulus around here somewhere.

I see Zulu's...

So I may have drifted away from my Two period painting challenge, but in for a penny in for a pound because I have asked Santa for the 2016 Blood Bowl game and had already stock piled several teams for playing, so these might have made it into the prep pile...

That's all....honest.....ok maybe you can see the ACW guys who will be played using Sharp Practise.

OK so I might have prepped a few Cars and bikes for Devils Run and some Fantasy figures ready to play KoW, namly my favourite race the dwarf's and some thing for my Dad in the Norsemen, and with Grand kids playing with my Dad nowadays we need a good fun army for them to use (because no one lays a finger on my Dwarf's) so we may have invested in a Goblin army.

I promise that's is all...wait..

Peace James

Winter is coming!!!

If you are a fan of a certain fantasy TV series you will understand the reference, but for many of us in the wargames blogosphere this has a far greater meaning because the start of winter heralds the return of the world famous Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. From the original idea of Canadian wargamers clubbing together through the dark cold winter months to pretend to be busy painting so the other half can't get them doing endless DIY jobs around the house (not true just my imagination....honest) to this the seventh edition, it has become the incentive for hundreds of mad painting projects that would otherwise sit in the lead pile.

I first took part as one of the 47 Ronin, when I was pipped at the post but an avalanche of points in the final hours from New Zealand.

I returned in the next winter with mad plans to paint three different Colonial periods and started on fire turning out loads of Afghan Tribesmen and Colonial troops

but then a month into the winter real life got in the way and I had a hobby shut down.
while I have been painting the odd figure or two since, it is three years since I turned out figures at that rate. So while I am picking up where I left off with this fantastic painting challenge I have set myself a reachable 1000 point target.
I look forward to watching the output from my fellow painters and hopefully offer support or/and advice where I can.
So to all my fellow Wargames bloging painters

Analogue Hobbies Winter Challenge Facebook Group

If the sledging on the page I set up is any indication this group will be a fun place to follow the challenge, I have set up a Face book Group for anyone who wants to join. If you are one of the Wild BUnch or just an avid follower check it out, at the moment I have kept it a cloased group but just send a request ann I will OK your entry to the fun.

 

The upcoming Colonial Winter

I am sure a few of my regular followers are going to just love my Winter output. I am busy mid-prep but already I can let you in on my goals for the winter. I plan to complete my three favourite colonial period forces. I have Empress Miniatures Zulu war Brits Vs Warlord Plastic Zulus fasands of em (well 200 anyway), next up I have Perry Miniatures Sudan Brits Vs Perry Miniatures Plastic and metal Mahdists and finally I have Foundry Miniatures NWF Brit (plus colonial troops) Vs Foundry and Old Glory Tribesman. All these armies will be using the Black Powder rules so I have command stands and casualty marker to do also.
If that was not enough I have a load of Dark age Viking and Saxons, the last few French and Indian war figures and a SYW Hanoverian Brigade.

 

 

If I get all that done I have a few Oldhammer Dwarves to paint and some WW2 Para's

Should be fun, I wish all my fellow Wild Bunchers good luck and strong brush tips.

Peace James

EDIT** forgot my Zombicide Zombies and Survivors, plus the survivors I bought for my game :)

Calm before the storm

I know all my blogs have gone quiet, but as a swan gliding over a lake below the surface I am paddling away feverishly. I have prepped and based over 200 figures and still have the plastics to go at, I am also finishing off a few private commissions ready to have a clear table when the 15th come around.
I am not sure how many posts I will be making before the challenge starts but rest assured I will be a very busy boy.
Below are a few of the bits I have boxed up today ready to be sent home over the next few days.

I am enjoying watching all the other challengers preparing themselves for the coming fun.
I may not be posting but James is watching
Peace James

The Challenge is thrown down

So as I hoped Curt has thrown down the annual challenge, I have gratefully accepted. In some ways I have been planning for this since I was pipped at the post last year. You will have already seen my efforts at prepping lead, well I have been at it again today. I have almost prepped all my lead, which will mean I have o move on to my plastic which takes a bit longer due to the sticking together. So far I have just based all these figures next is the huge job of graveling the base's and then a mega undercoat session (or two or three).

I have been thinking about my par target for this years challenge and want to push myself, last year I aimed for 3000 and I think I made it to 3800 (cant remember and cant find where I posted about it) but I have plans in place to exceed that this year so I plan to set myself a target of 4500.
I also wanted to take time to shout out about some fantastic service from Warbase's I posted earlier that I had used some Birthday money to start building my town for the Zombie game. I ordered over £75 worth of building while on my break at work on Wed night and when I woke on Friday afternoon I had one of those "we tried to post a parcel" cards, I went up today to pick it up thinking it would be one of my figure orders ( I have several I am waiting for) but was shocked to see it was my Warbase order. That means that they had picked and dispatched my large order in less than 24h FANTASTIC SERVICE.

even more prep, Sudan and Dark ages

A huge Warbase order picked and dispatch in less than 24h

the down side of too much prep, need to empty my bin

I hope to get back to daily posting during the challenge.

Painting Ronin Pipped at the post

Well its all over now and I could not live with Chris's two last day entries. A big well done to Chris, I guess with Ray pipping Kent last year it was the Kiwi's turn this year. I say that makes it UK 1 NZ 1 next year will be the decider :)
So below is the last entry I had some SYW French, Romano British and 54mm ECW. The 54mm stuff is being sent off to Kev to add to his own collection.

I had great fun in this challenge and have met (on line) some great wargamers. I hope that I can meet many of you in person at Salute this year where I will be with my Dad and Bernard.
So today I have cleaned up the painting table.

and what is a man to do after 90 days of back to back painting burning the midnight oil....
break out the commission work, a complete Orc Blood Bowl Team.

So I hope all my fellow Ronin are recovering well from all their hard work and that Curt has recovered from his marathon blogging stint yesterday. I will be trying to keep up a good pace of post's on the blog as I have had fun reading all your comments.

Peace James