From PhilH: 28mm Mahdist Infantry (33 points)

A veteran Challenger, Phil starts his gambit with a fine group of Mahdists (also serving in response to Michael's previous Indian Mutiny figures).

From Phil:

I start my tally with these six Perry plastic Mahdists. I started with a larger batch but realised part way through that I wasn't going to get them all done before the weekend. Two Nile Arab riflemen and four Beja tribesmen to bolster my existing units - I'd like to get them all to 10.

The skin as always has been done according to the guide on the Perry website, involving a dark grey base and multiple washes, and the jibbehs a mixture of off-white and tan shades.  

With over 40 foot Mahdists completed already, I've started converting some, including three of this lot. I'm also trying to add details like coloured hems for more variety. The flag is from Flag Dude, it isn't glued on to this fella as I need some more and would like to use these large ones for command stands and pick up some slightly smaller ones for standard bearers in units.

Great work Phil! You must have enough of these fellows to play some larger Black Powder games now.

These six Mahdi will give Phil a base of 30 points but I'm adding another 3 for the conversions that he's done. This will help to close the gap with Michael for your Victorian Duel.

From MartinN: Challenge Figure - Captain Stransky from 'Cross of Iron' (22 points)

MartinN (aka 'Nick) sends in his Challenge Desperado which actually is not a desperado at all but rather a German character from Peckinpah's WWII film, 'Cross of Iron'.

From 'Nick':

I'm starting into the challenge with my entry fee figure. Seemingly opposed to all others I didn't go for the Wild West theme but decided (after Curt pointed out to me the film is from Peckinpah also) to do 'Hauptmann Stransky' from Cross of Iron. 

It's a miniature from Artizan Designs I deemed appropriate for the job. Originally the figure had a Iron Cross around his neck but to stay with the film I decided to remove it. As for the basing I imagined him in some trench or command post.

Jeez, this is a wonderful figure Nick. His face even looks like Maximillian Schell's 'Captain Stransky'. Very nice groundwork as well. I especially like that you removed the Iron Cross from the figure as that was such a pivotal element of the film. 

Captain Stransky:  'I will show you how a Prussian officer can fight!' 

Sergeant Steiner:  'And I will show you, were the Iron Crosses grow.'

Great cinema. 

This figure gives Nick a base of 20 points but I'm adding a couple more for the wonderful basework and the overall attention to detail. Thanks again!

From AndrewS: 28mm Dark Age Skraeling Warband (200 points)

Andrew sends in this wonderful warband of Skraelings for us to gaze at in gobsmacked admiration.

From Andrew:

Here is the Skraeling limited edition warband box set from Gripping beast, these are all 28mm miniatures.

The force consists of 37 figures total: 1 group of 12 levy figures, 3 groups of 8 warriors and a Warlord. Overall painting these went well, I chose a simple method of defining the warrior groups by having three different coloured breech cloths and giving some a simple border to them. The war paint made each one within the group different as did the random allocation of shields. 

The shields proved to be a little troublesome as I had not thought to try them on the hands first, and after having painted them all they did not fit so I had to cut the backs out and re work the painting, again I wanted the shields to be more than just plain disks so took to stippling a variety of colours to represent buck skin and seal skin covers.

The Warlord was a complete joy to paint and a lot of fun, though I always like to give them an Impressive base as they form the centre piece of a war band, so I carved a piece of dense stryene and created a split level rock outcrop in which to mount him.

The whole force has been finished as if running through a flower meadow.

Wow, gorgeous stuff Andrew - very colourful fully realized. The extra work you put into the shields and groundwork has really paid off and the warlord looks suitably ferocious with his red warpaint and bone fetishes.

This very impressive warband will give Andrew a base of 185 points but I'm going tip it to 200 for the wonderful basework and shields. Bravo!

From MichaelA: Elephant-Drawn Indian Mutiny Artillery, Injured Grey and 'Hildy' (90 points)

MichaelA begins his ascent up the Challenge ladder with this amazing entry ranging across the Indian sub-continent, the American Wild West and all the way to Area 51.

From Michael:

Having had the good fortune and foresight to have the school holidays coincide with the start date of the challenge, I have been blessed with a couple of days of dedicated painting time (once, of course, a substantial amount of family and festive related duties were completed first!)  so without further ado, I can present my first entries.

A combined post of Mutineer Miniatures, 28mm Indian Mutiny range finally sees the completion of a the Elephant towing carriage, complete with Mahoot and an 18/24lb siege gun.  This was quite a chunk of metal and in some ways not as well sculpted as the resin version I had previously done, with the two halves of the body needing a fair bit of filling but once prepared it proved to be an enjoyable project that then inspired me to paint up the Naval Brigade crew, again from the same range, with another 18/24lb siege gun. 

Now it may seem a ridiculous leap from the Indian Mutiny to a Zombie Alien, but it was all to do with the paint!  Yes, British gun carriage grey seemed such an obvious choice for this poor infected freebie from the good people at 'Tengu Miniatures'.  Part of their 28mm zombie range, it is a little smaller than the others, but still holds the same exquisite attention to detail that I have come to expect from the company.

And then there was Hildy, my entry fee to this year's challenge.  What could be simpler than painting up a 28mm cowboy and sending it to Curt, saying inspired by Sam Peckinpah?  But then I started having a closer look at the man's oeuvre and came across the lesser known masterpiece that is 'The Ballad of Cable Hogue'.  Now as luck would have it, I still had a couple of those rather scantily clad cowgirls from the 'Black Scorpion' range and thought - perfect, Stella Stevens immortalized in resin!

I imagine that, like a good many of us, my carefree hobby days are about to become a tad problematic; progress may be hampered over the next week,  so I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Brilliant work Michael! The elephant-drawn artillery team is wonderful, the poor 'Grey' is suitably spooky-yet-pathetic, but 'Hildy' is the piece de resistance for me. She has such sass, such poise and such impressive...erm, guns! (Sorry, it was just crying to be said) And those embroidered 'Daisy Duke' shorts are something to behold as well!

This wonderful selection of models will give Michael 90 points (with 65 counting towards your 'Victorian Duel' with Phil and Greg). Great stuff Michael and thanks again for 'Hildy'!

From DaveD: The Wu Family from Serenity (40 points)

Dave adds to the local colour of 'Serenity' with the Wu Family.

From Dave: 

The brushes are flying!

"Serenity" already has Mr Wu (Blue Moon Tombstone set) and his pig pens - you have not watched Deadwood you need to! . I wanted to add to him and make a a little area of chinatown - the laundry will be along shortly-  so here we have the addition of the "Wu" family ,8 figures.

These are 28mm Obelisk Miniatures from the various merchant sets - there may well be some slightly less innocent ones along later. 

Really nice figures to paint,and generic enough that I should be able to slip them into some Pulp games that may be along next year. I have myself a pre Xmas target to meet and I am pleased with progress so far - it's been great to be back painting.

As I mentioned to Dave, Mr. Wu, in the 'Deadwood' series, only had a few words of english, but they were very memorable words, if not particularly polite.

Beautiful work Dave! An innocent business, eh? Hmm. I wonder if Serenity's hogs are as well-fed as Deadwood's...

The Wu family will provide Dave with 40 points. Great work Mr. Docherty.