Sorry the blog has gone a bit quite for a while, but its not because I haven't been busy. Like many of my fellow wargame bloggers I am entering this years Analogue Painting Challenge. Preparation has been underway for some time and the net result is that although I seem to have been very busy for weeks, I haven't got a lot to show for it.
Prep work is nearly finished, at lest on the models I have at the moment. I've already broken my first rule of (this years) challenge which was to get through it without recourse to points from the bonus rounds... but the siren call of some of the categories was just too much to resist. And if I didn't enter the 'Armour' round I couldn't legitimately call myself a tread-head any more!
More models are en route to Castello del Hadley and I have what passes for a strategy (it'll probably go to pot in week one, but I live in hope). I have also put together a spreadsheet to keep track of my progress and measure it against last years performance and against my target for this year. Either I have too much time on my hands or (my preferred explanation) I have been inspired by the statistical antics of fellow challengers like MilesR. His stats are a wonder to behold.
My Phalangites now all have very sharp pikes in their hands. I have also increased the number being painted from four to five bases of 48 figures per base....that's 240 opportunities for me to puncture my fingers! Painting this lot will take a lot of patience and quite a bit of care but hopefully they will look awesome when they are finished. The only minor problem I have encountered is that I have run out of the spray primer I like for my 6mm figures. I use a brown primer which I find works really well as it means if I miss something on a model it looks like I did it on purpose! Brown also makes it a little easier to see the details than using a black primer. The brown I like was English Uniform from Bolt Action, but as far as I can see its no longer available and I need to find a similar alternative.
Hopefully all this prep will be finished by the end of the weekend and that will give me a couple of weeks to finish off some terrain projects before the Challenge starts in earnest.
Prep work is nearly finished, at lest on the models I have at the moment. I've already broken my first rule of (this years) challenge which was to get through it without recourse to points from the bonus rounds... but the siren call of some of the categories was just too much to resist. And if I didn't enter the 'Armour' round I couldn't legitimately call myself a tread-head any more!More models are en route to Castello del Hadley and I have what passes for a strategy (it'll probably go to pot in week one, but I live in hope). I have also put together a spreadsheet to keep track of my progress and measure it against last years performance and against my target for this year. Either I have too much time on my hands or (my preferred explanation) I have been inspired by the statistical antics of fellow challengers like MilesR. His stats are a wonder to behold.
My Phalangites now all have very sharp pikes in their hands. I have also increased the number being painted from four to five bases of 48 figures per base....that's 240 opportunities for me to puncture my fingers! Painting this lot will take a lot of patience and quite a bit of care but hopefully they will look awesome when they are finished. The only minor problem I have encountered is that I have run out of the spray primer I like for my 6mm figures. I use a brown primer which I find works really well as it means if I miss something on a model it looks like I did it on purpose! Brown also makes it a little easier to see the details than using a black primer. The brown I like was English Uniform from Bolt Action, but as far as I can see its no longer available and I need to find a similar alternative.
Hopefully all this prep will be finished by the end of the weekend and that will give me a couple of weeks to finish off some terrain projects before the Challenge starts in earnest.
Have you thought about entering the 6mm side challenge?
ReplyDeleteGood to have SOME PREP DONE. I have only prepped 30 points worth of figures so far, but expect to prep some more this week. And Maybe cut some more bases from the plastic card I am using for them...
Good to see you are more organised.
Makes a change for me to be so organised. Especially as last year I entered the competition five weeks late! To be honest though all this prep now is designed to give me an easier time during the challenge.
DeleteYes, I could sign up for the 6mm side challenge... although I can think of a couple of others challengers that will wipe the floor with me!
They will also wipe the floor with me, BUT I HOPE they will act as an encouragement and a reason to paint 6mm figures.
DeleteAs far as I am aware there is no physical prize just boasting rights! So as far as I am concerned there is little to loose!
Spreadsheets? You really have gone over to the dark side Darth Lee! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's good to get prep done ahead of the Challenge. As for accidentally puncturing yourself on the pin-pikes, just remember that the dice gods might recognise it as a blood sacrifice to them :)
Yeh, nothing as elaborate as Miles sheets. I just want to track my progress and motivate myself.
DeleteAs as for the blood sacrifice, I've make plenty of those over the years. One time I slipped and cut so deeply with a modeling knife it hit bone!! I still have the scar from that encounter 20 years on.
look forward to seeing your output plus your stats, I shall just be trying to remember which end of the brush the paint goes on lol
ReplyDeleteSpreadsheets, timetables, plans and preparation this far in advance. What could POSSIBLY go wrong? Did you also lay in the winter uniforms and anti-freeze?
ReplyDelete:) very best of luck, Lee, and great to see you in the Challenge as well.
What's going on? All this getting organized crap!! Lucky I've still got loads undercoated from the last Challenge eh???
ReplyDeleteI feel like I have sent myself a tough challenge and the more prep I can do in advance the better. The spreadsheet is a bit anal (I admit it) but it'll help me keep focused and, to quote Star Wars, "Stay on target".
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