ZeroTwentythree's January Eldar - Rank & File (612 pts)

January Eldar: Scouts, Farseer, Terrain (Rank & File)

The choice for my first month's entry is the result of several trains of thought. One is that it would be fairly easy to complete, thus ensuring that I would not be eliminated in the first month of the Challenge. The second being that the scouts were unfinished business from OWAC4. Sort of. They were not part of my original plan, but was a late potential "stretch goal."

The Eldar scouts were a later addition to Rogue Trader. I believe they were released just prior to the RT Craftworld list. My pirate force is based on the Eldritch Raiders list in Chapter Approved, White DWarf Articles, and the guides & calculator in the RT book. The latter makes it easy to retrofit the scouts in the the Raiders list rather than than use the Craftworld scouts which are more like 40k 1.5 edition. My Chapter Approved style entry is below. Point values have changed a little since my initial calculations.

Since I had 11 figures, I decided to utilize the scout with the sword as a champion, also using the tables & calculator in the RT book.

Another bit of semi unfinished business from OWAC4 was a Farseer that I picked up while shopping for a few other figures I needed for the original force. I initially bought the figure because I am a huge fan of the sculpt, had the figure years ago when the Craftworld figures were released, and just wanted to paint one again for nostalgia.

But four years ago (plus or minus a few months) as I was painting the first phase of the crew of the Cold September, my mind wandered (as it does) and an idea began to develop. The Farseer became a missionary who has left the Craftworld, escorted by a group of scouts who had worked with the Craftworld for a time. The Seer has, in a sense, joined the Outcasts in order to keep an eye on them, advise and guide them away from damnation, and help bring them back to the Eldar Path.

For this reason (and another) I opted to paint the figure in a camouflage palette similar to the scouts. Again, the stats, points, and equipment have been generated from Rogue Trader. 

Too lazy to make cards for them at this time. So....

Farseer - Eldar Major Hero (426.5 pts)

Psi Level 40, 3xLv1, 3xLv2, 2xLv3, 2xLv4, Force Sword, Energy Scanner, Bio Scanner, Communicator, Respirator, Auto-Senses, Cameleoline, Las-Pistol, C-Field

Scout Leader - Eldar Champion (21.5 pts)

Mesh Armor, Las Pistol, Power Sword, Needle Rifle, Cameleoline, Photo Chromatic Visor, Communicator, Respirator, Frag Grenades

Also painted this month is the traditional Offering, formerly for the Overlord, now for the Old World Army Challenge Revolutionary Coordinator Committee (or something like that?) Fortunately this year my theme aligns with one of the Committee members' theme.

Since I finished painting my core figures (10 scouts plus The Offering) by mid January, I returned to some other unfinished business -- terrain business. Years ago I started a couple of terrain projects, now completed(ish) below. I made one "power field fence" as a test, but never made more. Now I have three. I will probably be building some more. These are very simple to make, just some acetate sheet cut to size, sanded to give a hazy appearance, and glued to craft sticks for bases. because I have other low obstacles, I made these taller.

Initially unrelated I had also started making a terrain piece from the plastic blister packaging from a door latchset. I added some granny-grating and oval shaped googly eyes for some additional Eldarishness. So now I finished painting this, and it feels like this could maybe be the power field generator for the fence. 

One of the other "stretch goals" I started on is a project that I came up with before even deciding to join OWAC8 or return to the Eldar. In November I made a brief stop in Amarillo, TX for work. Just ten minutes from the work site I needed to visit was the Cadillac Ranch. At some point in next few days the idea came to me...

Grav-Attack Ranch

Conveniently I had a couple of deodorant containers stashed away for long running plans for a wrecked Grav-Attack terain peice and Thomas the Grav-Attack Engine (which I still plan on building.) Fortunate timing, I've also scavenged a couple more. So my plan is to get at least three built & painted, but ultimately I'd like at least five to use for terrain. At first it was going to be a single based bit of terrain, but I've changed my mind and will put them on individual bases for flexibility.

Below is the build - a bit of a test piece. A little sloppy, but like the original inspiration (well, 1/2 of the inspiration) I'd like the structure to appear to be deteriorating, and some texture from a lot of layers of paint!

For what it's worth, I did paint on a couple of the Cadillacs, but the wind was so intense that it turned out a mess. I also took a quick drive to get my kicks on Route 66 and stand on the yellow line in the center of the midpoint of The Mother Road!

Alright, enough with the Texas and Americana, back to the Grim Dark Future. Below are my January totals. I've let one surprise out (Grav-Attack Ranch) but hopefully still have a few more to unleash. In fact, February's entry is still a surprise to me. Although I have The Plan, I haven't decided what to paint next!

Rank & File

Scout Squad                      82 pts

Scout Squad                      82 pts

Bonus

Scout Champion             21.5 pts

Farseer                         426.5 pts

Terrain                                 0 pts

January Total                  612 pts

OWAC VIII Total           612 pts

Mariano´s Wood Elves - Scouts

Rank and File month #III

Picnic time!!!

Third month it is very important. If you finish your first 3 months I believe it is quite clear your are going to complete your OWAC (crossing fingers right now).

Another unit with miniatures from 4th/5th edition, and the last one for sure. I was confident, after the Waywatchers unit, that these models are  "too modern" for my army but after finished them, I think they work ok with the army. And bettter than that, I´m very happy with the result. Don´t ask me why but I think this is the way I imagine "real" wood elves are...

My only regret with this month has been my failed attemp to do a painting tutorial for the bows. Sorry...

Counting list:
5 Treekins --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 models
10 Waywatchers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 models
10 Scouts ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 models

Time to show you some pics:

Hope you like them. For the next month I´m working on my own version of the Wildwood Rangers converting some old elves with spears...

See you next month!

Stephen's Songs of the Damned - Rank and File #4 (230 points) - "Last Things"

Constative voices preach
Talk of truth in their political speak
Carry on 'til they're blue in the face
And my point of view has lost its place

Last things

Did I give nothing in return?
Stand up for a cause?
Give permission to a mute war?

4-3-2-4-2-Code-1!

Troops move forward let it all be done
Beginning of the end soil has been tread
Mother daughter father son sky burns death
Premonition, television, stuttering indecision
We the people citizens lies are being force-fed
Money power cruelty blood is shed in our streets

When

where 

does the sacrifice end?

KMFDM
"Last Things"
WWIII
Metropolis Records 2003

Here I am, at the end of my first Old World Army Challenge, which has definitely lived up to its name - it's really been a challenge to maintain enough of a painting cadence to meet the monthly entry deadlines.  This has been a great experience, and I feel like I've made strides as a painter during the last six months, and started breaking out of my comfort zone in the hobby. 

So, without further ado, here are the "Wandering Kin," a team of Eldar Scouts who have returned from their sojourns to aid Ulthwe' in a desperate hour.  

The Wandering Kin

To achieve a similar look as the Scouts in the codex, at least for the cloaks, I did what felt like a ton of glazing, probably for the first time applying this much to a unit of models, and I think they came out pretty close to the studio scheme - my transitions are definitely not as smooth, but it's a start.  

Lantari Wind-Strider with their power sword

Morrovan Starglade

Celasya, Watchful Eye of Kurnous

Osuhyn Rune-Touched

And with that, only one thing remains, the final army assembled - I am hoping to get an appropriate terrain layout together to set things up for the photos.

10 Scouts, 1 with Power Sword - 230 points

230 points for June 2022 (1,410 points painted)


June Playlist (some of the music from my painting sessions this month):

Love and Rockets - "The Dog-End Of A Day Gone By"

Spittin' Cobras - "All The Way"

Chris Cornell - "Preaching The End Of The World"

Dead Can Dance - "Don't Fade Away"

Leonard Cohen - "Dance Me To The End Of Love" (Kate Gibson cover)

Blur - "To The End"

Pailhead - "Man Should Surrender"

VNV Nation - "Endless Skies" 

Nitzer Ebb - "All Over"

Chris Connelly and The Bells - "The Long Weekend"

Bonus Content - someone decided she wanted to be extra-helpful:

Lissanne's Eldar- Is that All there is?

 Defense of the Maiden World Wrap up Post

Well, my fourth OWAC is in the books.  I can't say it gets any easier, but careful planning helps.  This time around I did more figures for my already huge Eldar army, choosing mostly the type of figures who I had done none of, and were languishing unpainted in the lead pile.  Now they join their friends and neighbors in the active fighting force.

Since I am poor at group photos, I will show recap photos.
 

Month 1:  Brown Recluse Squad- 10 Scouts/Rangers

Month 2: Brown Recluse Squad- 5 Scouts/Rangers, Black Widow Shrine- 4 Warp Spiders 1 Warp Spider Exarch

Month 3: Black Widow Shrine- 4 Warp Spiders 1 Warp Spider Exarch, Fire Wasp shrine - 4 Fire Dragons led by Warp Spider Exarch 

(I may have the same warp spider squad twice in the photos, but there are two squads.  Can't tell, LOL!)

Month 4:  Dragonfly squadron-4 Exodites and Exodite Champion

Month 5: Worldsinger Yavanna

Month 6:  Space Pirates and Tempest!

These are nearly all things I have wanted to paint for a few years or a few decades (mostly a few decades), but keep putting off!  The only thing I had painted before was Fire Dragons.  I have LOTS of Fire Dragons, I like Fire Dragons.  But Hooray for OWAC and new forces!

 What will I do next OWAC?  Hmmmm....I have a potential army already put to the side, but half the time my actual army choice has been a happy surprise, so I will leave the final choice for the future.
And as always, thanks to our benevolent overlord, and thanks to the other competitors for urging everyone onward! If that's all there is, let's keep dancing! On to the next OWAC!

Lissanne's Eldar- So where were the spiders? (329 pts)

Defense of the Maiden World part 2
(Rank and File #2)

 Reinforcements arriving!  Warp Spiders from the Black Widow shrine.  Seriously, this exarch is one of those beautiful and incredibly technical and time consuming figures.  And I have 2 more exarchs slated for next month...

This is the first of the squads of Warp Spiders I am doing, in black and bone with red as an accent color.  I seriously question the color choices of the designers here, and took some liberties with the traditional look, mostly downplaying that red.  Unfortunately, the models don't vary much, but the rank and file Warp Spiders are fairly easy to paint, so I am happy.  Except for the gems.  I counted 46 on each model.  Really.  46.

And the last five scouts of the Brown Recluse squad I did 10 of last month- 3 of one sculpt and 2 of another.  I think I like the hoodless sculpts best of all, I think they came out great!

5 Brown Recluse scouts- 115 pts
Black Widow shrine
4  Warp Spiders 164 pts
Warp Spider Exarch 50 pts
total 329 pts

Why did I put off painting the Spiders for decades.  Well, being an artist, I know when you are told to do something that looks a bit awkward or doesn't come out right, just add excess detail!  A dragon or a vase covering that foot, and the client thinks they are getting more for their money.  So, these Warp Spiders have an awful lot of excess detail- large tassels, too many gems, hmmm.....

Next month the rest of the Warp Spiders and the Fire Dragons.  All my Warp Spiders are from the Black Widow shrine, but the different squads will have different back markings.  And good painting to everyone!

Lissanne's Eldar- I do the Rock! - Brown Recluse scouts (230 pts)

Defense of the Maiden World, part 1.
(Rank & File #1)

I have been meaning to paint scouts for, oh, several decades, but could never come up with a theme I liked.  They are always presented in leaf camo, with identical color armor.  Sort of strange for eldar who are GDI, and left their craftworlds so they don't have to follow those rigid eldar paths.  Then I came up with the idea of rock pattern cloaks, known in D&D as Invisibility 1/2.  Enabling me to use the mighty toothbrush and do shading after.  

Underneath the cloak, the armor does vary, but I wanted each scout to have their own individual color, as bonesingers can color wraithbone, and Maiden Worlds like I am doing have bonesingers.  The guns and shoulder pads would remain cookie cutter wraithbone, however, with a touch of personal color.  I'm calling them Brown Recluse scouts, in keeping with the bug names I seem to have for the other squads.

  I am calling them a squad of 10, but they can be used as 2 squads of 5 too.  I intended on using bright colors, but ended with mostly slightly subdued ones.  Except for the very pink scout. But there's always one, isn't there.

 10 scouts- 23 pts each 230 pts total

  Since there are a limited amount of sculpts, and a couple I converted, I decided to paint similar sculpts together to make sure the were unique.  Here are some photos of smaller groups of figures.

Why the colors-

A couple years ago, I won about a hundred small tubes of Amsterdam paints in various shades in little bitty boxes.  A lot of boxes.  I have been using them more and more, and recently put them all in one tupperware.  My, there are a lot of colors!  So many I don't have to mix colors for this challenge- odd for me!  I will definitely finish the other scouts next month!