Just before last Christmas I received a mystery package. I knew who it was from thanks to the wonders of return addresses. Curiosity was hold on hold until the day. We actually celebrate twice; once on the twenty fourth, the Austrian one; and on the twenty fifth, the English one.
Those of you two followers (don’t forget the dog!) who have been paying attention may have noticed that I rather like Bob Olley. Getting an original pencil drawing by the Man Himself was something special.
I have just come to the realisation that I haven’t posted any painting pictures this year. Like last year I have joined the Painting Challenge on Facebook
This year is an extra challenge, which I am trying in conjunction with the main challenge. The main challenge is to paint 52 miniatures over the year. The second challenge is to tackle 12 scary models or projects that have been intimidating and that have been put on a back burner.
I will start with the main challenge.
Weeks 1 – 12 Light artillery for my Earth Elemental Dragon Rampant Army.Weeks 13 – 24 Ravening horde for my Earth Elemental Dragon Rampant Army.Weeks 25, 43 and 44 Some Mousling Rangers from Duncan LoucaWeek 26, very iffy photo of Ork MonowheelWeek 27 Colour test for my Iron Hive Army from The Makers CultWeek 28 figure from Ramshackle Games part of my Greater Good Ecclestically Week 29 figure from Ramshackle Games part of my Greater Good Ecclestically Weeks 30 – 42 Helpers for my Greater Good Ecclestically Here is the gang all together
Now to the 12 scary things
This is the Goblin Chariot that Bob Olley produced for G’Dubs Iron Claw range
What has been holding me up, but I am plugging along with it, is the Heresy Dragon. I have pledged to myself that I will not paint anything else until it is finished. When I have finished it, which will be another week at current progress, I am going to kick back and relax with a couple of tanks that I have been itching to paint. Plus a couple of projects that are half finished.
It has been a busy week what with getting ready for; Austrian Salute (more details soon), redecorating Number Two Son’s room and keeping up with my New Year’s resolution/2020 Painting Challenge.
This week Jamie from Old School Miniatures posted that he was struggling and he proposed a quick challenge to motivate everyone. This was on Wednesday and those who wished to take part had to post a picture of a miniature that had not been started and it had to be finished tomorrow, Sunday.
This is my finished figure. A Halfling drummer from Warploque Miniatures sculpted by the talented Alex Huntley. I will be using him in my “not” Empire army.
For the regular 2020 Painting Challenge I managed to paint the command group of my Skeleton archers. These are from Scotia Grendel. Not my first choice of sculpts, these were in exchange for some laser cutting, I really wanted something to match my Bob Olley Essex Skeletons. So far I have not found anything that comes close.
Stand by for a picture heavy post on what I picked up in London on my recent visit. Some were eBay purchases delivered to my friend Seb and others were bought at SELWG.
These were eBay’d. I got them mainly for the pictures. The Fantasy Warlord for the old skool Gary Chalk Iillustration and the fluff is supposed the be interesting. The rules allegedly a bit cack. The High Elves for painting inspiration. I have fallen under the spell of High Elves since the G’Dub boxed set The Island of Blood. The new plastics are superb and lovely to paint.
Airbrush cleaning pot, gradually getting tooled up in this department.
This was and end of day purchase at SELWG and a bargain at £3.50.
It is about time I replace my current painting brush, it has about three bristles left but I can’t stop using it. There should be enough for me and Son Number Two who is interested in painting figures.
This was a gift from Seb. These are some Halflings from a recent Kickstarter run by TT Combat. I can see a use for most of them.
This is the final part of a Renaissance Army Kickstarter that I backed a couple of years ago.
This was something I picked up at Forbidden Planet. I have started collecting a Chaos Army and I quite liked this figure, Typhus Herald of Nurgle. To pick it up on it’s own was silly money. To buy it with the WH 40K Conquest magazine was a more reasonable £6.99.
I mail ordered these figures to have a peek and see if I liked the material. These are the new Bones Black from Reaper. The original Bones was a horrible bendy white plastic lacking in detail. The new Black is more like a resin and at first glance seems very good. I will report back on this, because it means figures within my budget.
This was in a bargain box for 50p and I think I have a use for them to make some alien tribesmen with some Perry plastics.
This little guy is from Warploque Miniatures and is going to be the musician in an Albionnican unit.
Some chickens, ducks and pigs from Redoubt. I am slowly building up my livestock.
A bit T&A but she’ll go nicely with the bowman that was a freebie from Salute a couple of years back.
From the bargain box at Colonel Bills. He is destined to be a statue in my Italianate castle.
I have a little diarama in mind for these guys. I have a Churchill and a Hitler to go with them.
Again a bit T&A, she is to go with my Albion Army.
I have, in a box, a couple of marching Roman units complete with carts. These will help flesh it out a bit.
Pre ordered from Essex, some more Bob Olley goodness for my slowly growing Dwarf army.
Another Essex Dwarf. This guy is destined to be chopped at the waist and nailed to the lower half of a Dwarven rider.
This is from Crooked dice. He will be part of my Beastman Unit in my Not Imperial Guard 40K army.
Crooked Dice from their recent Colony 87 Kickstarter. Adding to my sci fi civilians.
Stetch goals from the Colony 87 Kickstarter. Some are useful, others …….
There you have it! More toys that won’t get painted and just added to the Lead Mountain.
Last year I stepped into the exciting world of 3D with an Ender 3 printer. It hasn’t been an easy ride, it is something that needs a big learning curve. It doesn’t quite work straight out of the box, requiring some tinkering. Also having an antiquated computer doesn’t allow for the installation of modern slicing software. The whole process has been a slightly frustrating hit and miss experience.
Here is my printer set up
I seem to collect rule-sets in the vain hope that my Boys might want to play with me or that someone in the area would have an interest in playing. HINT: if anyone in the Salzburg area would like to game, I have a nice gaming area and multiple rule-sets.
One set of rules that caught my eye and seemed to have a following, in the UK at least, was Dragon Rampant by Daniel Mersey. One of the rulebooks published by Osprey publishing. Osprey are producing some interesting and inexpensive rules covering a very broad church of areas. Worth checking out.
This interested me as you could play a game with nice streamlined rules and build an army with relatively few miniatures. I have enough Orcs and Goblins kicking about to make an army with zero expenditure. A friend, David Wood, scored a massive haul of Essex Miniatures Undead and sent me his spares. Some minor expenditure and voila a beautifully sculpted Bob Olley Undead army. A recent Kickstarter provided me with most of a Renaissance army.
If you are not aware of Thingiverse and are into 3D printing I would recommend that you go and visit. It is stuffed to the rafters with Arduino projects, electronics and workshop tutorials and of course 3D printer files.
Browsing through this cornucopia of stuff, this place is brilliant for gaming accessories, I came across some Mud Elementals. They looked so cute I had to print one.
And then another.
And another.
Soon an army emerged.
The Leader I had some issues with layers so I may reprint.Elite FootMagic UserBellicose FootHeavy FootLight Foot
I have another unit of these guys waiting for armsLight ArtilleryRavening Horde
Scaled down foot troops
Another favourite thing. The Oldhammer Community Facebook page is running a “Paint a Bob” competition. During the month of September paint a figure sculpted by Bob Olley. To prevent any duplicity entrants had to post a photograph of their chosen model with this image as a backdrop.
I was undecided which model to pick, these wer my selections.
Ogre from Ral Partha
Skeleton from Essex
Chaos Dwarves from Essex
Sat at my desk this morning I decided on the Dwarves. Then I realised that they were a set of four, I dug the last one out.
genuine grumpy old tin 