OWAC V ; closing curtains

Well here we are, another OWAC has just ended. It's crazy to think this was our fifth edition already! And it was another resounding success! Every year it seems the quality of the entries and army produced gets better, and this was no exception. But what surprised me this year was the productivity of challengers. Big units, huge projects and just a general desire by the challengers to surpass themselves and push it to the limits (Walk along the razor's edge But don't look down just keep your head, or you'll be finished).

The readers of this blog do not see it, but the camaraderie and help displayed by the challengers in our (secret) Facebook group is my favourite part of this endeavour. It's fuckin' contagious. And it's why I keep at it, as the OWAC created a great community I'm proud to be a part of.

As a closing word, a big congratulations to all this year's veterans, and also to those who died trying. And thank you to all the readers, all those who lave comments, the challengers really appreciate it.

And if you are still thinking about joining, what the hell are you waiting for? Challenge yourself! The reward is beautiful, in all its painted glory. (just look for the OWAC page on Facebook, and send a PM to be added to the waiting list).

There will be a next OWAC in 2023. And it's going to be a special one.

Until then, this blog is closed. Enjoy the Fall. 

Stephen's Songs of the Damned - Post-OWAC V Wrap-Up Musings (1,411 points) - "The Eldar"

I've tasted poison
When I drank the wine of Fate
But fear was in my heart
I realized too late
The house of spirits call

For the Eldar
I'm trapped inside this dream
Of the Eldar's
Song of Doom

Blind Guardian
"The Eldar"
Nightfall In Middle-Earth
Virgin/Century Media 1998


That's A Wrap!

Nerdy, Tired-Eyed, Obsessing Prince of Space Elves, Stephen, 

with his Minimum-Requirements Ulthwé Army

Past the finish line! Somehow, I made it. I was not at all sure I would, and there were times I nearly succumbed to the urge to find a place of rest in yonder Field of Bones. That time will surely come...but not yet.

'Old metal models,' indeed

This is the first time I've participated in any sort of large-scale, long-term painting challenge. I'd already started on "Project: Full Metal Ulthwé" back in early 2021, as my actual time spent playing hams-related games had (for understandable reasons) dropped off precipitously.

For over a year, our hams group was meeting up weekly over Discord to paint and chat for a few hours, which I found to be a real morale booster, to say nothing of the effect such support and encouragement had on me, spurring me on as a hobbyist, seeking improvement, however incremental, every week.

'The Retro Guy' 

I am definitely more of a grognard these days (at the local I'm starting to be recognized as 'the retro guy'), as far as my love for old models and classic painting styles goes - I like to think I keep an eye towards the new, though, and look forward to applying what I've learned over the last six months on my next project, a more modern Biel-Tan force. With plastic models, even. Heh! Man, what a scene!

After finishing up with my last entry, I decided I wanted to throw some classic-looking scenery together for the final display. A hectic weekend later, I had several stacks of rocks, and forest templates with trees ready to go. 

"Maiden world.  Those words!  Imagine the mysteries, the memories that lie waiting..."

I thought I'd be pretty burned out on painting for awhile after the last six months, but if anything, I feel almost eager to get back to painting, like, energized.  

So, at last, here is my completed army for the Old World Army Challenge, a sonorous dirge echoing from an ever more distant past, into an uncertain future.

The warhost moves out through the sun-dappled woodland

Eldrad and Council

Yaisanehtar on the hunt

Scouts, doing what they do best

Autumn's Rage prepare to unleash hell

Bright Shards ready their lasguns for a deadly fusillade

The Storm of Retribution have razor-sharp payback on their minds

The Three Dooms shall fall upon the enemy from afar, tearing reality itself asunder

Ulthwé Warhost Baradlhinni ("The Songs of the Damned")

Eldrad Ulthran w/The Staff of Ulthamar - 220 points

Tenrith Star-Splinter (Warlock Master with Singing Spear) - 152 points

Yrlla the Implacable (Warlock Champion with Force Sword) - 97 points

Tamishar of Eldrion (Warlock Champion with Witchblade) - 97 points

The Bright Shards (8 Guardians with Lasguns) - 88 points

Autumn's Rage (8 Guardians with Shuriken Catapults) - 128 points

Storm of Retribution (8 Guardians with Shuriken Catapults) - 128 points

The Wandering Kin (9 Scouts plus Leader with Power Sword) - 236 points

The Three Dooms (3 Distort Cannons on Anti-Grav Platforms with Crew, 60 points each) - 180 points

Yaisanehtar ["Steel-Slayer"] (Eldar Vyper with Lascannon and Shuriken Cannon) - 85 points

Total: 40 infantry, 3 characters, 3 artillery pieces, 1 vehicle, 1,411 points


(Bonus shot here of the larger army including the models I painted in 2021)

But Wait

I mean, would I paint all of these rad 90's-era metal 40K minis without actually playing a game of Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium?

Well, what do you think?

IT'S HAPPENING

The boyz is mustered and spoilin' for a fight

Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, giving his customary pre-battle pep talk to the ladz

Boar Boyz ready to give some weedy gits "da business"

Checks out!

The forces arrayed - 1500 points for each side

The table is set, it's krumpin' time!

No Ghazghkull, no problem - the Orks advance with reckless abandon 

Close combat Guardians follow the implacable march of the Wraithguard

Guardians rush forward to buy time for the Distort Cannon crew

Please, stop roasting my Guardians

This was exactly as crazy a game as you'd expect it to be - from a Guided D-Cannon immediately sending Ghazghkull and his Battlewagon into the Warp (but leaving Makari behind), to a Splatta Kannon tearing through a squad of Wraithguard, to a squad of Storm Guardians getting krumped relentlessly by a Dread that I couldn't even scratch the paint on for some reason...Eldrad and the Ulthwé forces won the day after four turns of incredible slaughter on all sides.

The game didn't make a lot of sense, but it was thematic, fun as hell, and looking back through the lens of over 25 years of playing 40K, getting to play the game I started with again, fielding the army I've always wanted to see in action...it was extremely satisfying, I highly recommend it.

In Closing

I'd like to congratulate my fellow Challengers on completing their forces. It has been a great honor to participate alongside such a company of extremely talented painters, and I am proud to stand among those who completed the Challenge - thanks to one and all for your words of encouragement and praise.

Thanks to Jes Goodwin for his timeless design of the Eldar range and aesthetic - I started with these models in '96, and remain solely an Eldar player and collector to this day, no other faction in the game will ever hold the same appeal to me.  I will continue to Stay Pointy!

Thanks also to Mike McVey and the Citadel 'Eavy Metal studio for the endless font of inspiration that is the 2nd Edition Codex Eldar 'Eavy Metal section - the power of the colors and the skillful application on display baffled me from the start, but remained a constant challenge to improve myself as a hobbyist.

I also want to thank the folks of the FRIENDLY! gaming group, whose encouragement and advice were a huge help in staying on task every month, y'all are great, and I'm very proud to be a part of our group.

Extra-special thanks to our Overlord, Iannick, for welcoming me into the Challenge from the wait list, and for all his hard work and diligence in making possible this presentation of our shared passion to a larger world.

Most of all, I want to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my partner, Jen - this is by far the most time I've ever consistently dedicated to a hobby project. Her support and understanding has been tremendous, especially in a time that was personally pretty turbulent for me healthwise. She's the best, and I love her forever.

Until we meet again, I wish you all shade and sweet water, long days and pleasant nights.


~Stephen

...


Oh, wait, I almost forgot!


July Playlist (some of the music I've been listening to while making terrain, taking endless photos, and writing this entry)

Blind Guardian - "The Eldar"
Rammstein - "Zeit"
Alice in Chains - "Over Now"
Soundgarden - "Superunknown"
Dream Evil - "Heavy Metal In The Night"
Bolt Thrower - "...For Victory"
Beck - "Lord Only Knows"
Chemlab - "Rivet Head"
Contagion - "Scratch"
Garbage - "Hammering In My Head"

Phew!  Nearly jinxed the whole thing.  😉

Nathan’s genestealer cult army (1310 points)

 Well I made it to the end. I thought an army shot whilst wearing a Ren and Stimpy T-Shirt might be appropriate given the figures and the character on the shirt (Powdered Toats Man) both date from the early 1990’s. 

So now to the long awaited (more like longtime coming I suspect) army points value. The genestealer cult army list in White Dwarf 116 is somewhat odd as it is a mix of the type of army lists you got in the original rogue trader rulebook in that you got a certain number of dice rolls per points spend plus some units that you buy using the more familiar system of a certain number of points got you a certain number of troops. So what I bought was:

2 genestealer covens at 300 points each which got you:

    - 1 patriarch and 1 magus per coven (ie two of each all up); 

    - D6 purestrains per coven (I painted up 5 for each coven for a total of 10); and

    - D6 hybrids per coven (I painted up 6 per coven plus two spares for a total of 14 figures!)

As you can see if I followed the list closely by rolling dice for 4 of the units I could have had a minimum of 8 figures or a maximum of 28 figures! As it turns out I painted 28 figures including the two I didn’t really need. I then bought the non-coven troops which are:

    - 1 rogue pysker for 40 points (for can get up to D6 psykers)

    - 1 brood brother band of 6 humans for 40 points (you can get any number of these)

    - 1 beastman band of 6 beastmen for 30 points (again you can get unlimited numbers of these and I painted three extra figures which has me close to another unit)

    - up to D6 summoned daemons for which I painted 6 daemonettes at 100 points a figure (600 total)

All up that totals 1310 points and 46 figures. Not too shabby I guess. Also for those that don’t have white dwarf 116 here are some pics of the cult list:

Last but not least - a massive thanks to Iannick for running the challenge again. I have to get the dark elf I painted off to you in the mail still - I’ve added a spare hobgoblin too which is painted like the hobgoblin force I did a few years back for the OWAC

Skål's Dark Pirate Raiders

 Another OWAC in the books. Let us take a moment and toast all of those that took this challenge on and over came all of their personal obstacles. Each of us face challenges throughout the year and at times we forget that we need to spend a little me time as well.

This month I had a little bit of time and really wanted to get a little more painted up, so I knocked out 10 Banshees/Wych's to add a little more variety to my force.

This OWAC I had a goal to make a playable Dark Eldar army for 3rd edition but also make sure that I could fit my miniature selections into a Eldar Pirate army for 2nd edition. 

I also wanted to to add a few missing elements to my Eldar army. Wraithguard and Dire Avengers have been on my list to paint for a while now and being able to finally play them is awesome.

The Incubi and the Talos are going to be beasts on the table for the Dark Eldar and will be fun to field in a Eldar Pirate force. I am excited to drop the Talos on the table as a Dreadnought/Wraithlord.

I had this vision for how I wanted to do my Hellions. I really wanted a Green Goblin vibe to them. They needed to have that dirty smoke plume holding them up instead of the clear flight stand. My buddy Brian (you are the man) printed these off and I am super stoaked with the way that they came out.

Points wise I kept it basic. I matched up the Dark Eldar models with how I would use them in a 2nd edition Eldar Pirate army. The break down is below to include points as well as what I would use them as.

• Archon/Farseer: 170
• Warlock: 51
• 10 Dire Avengers: 220
• 10 Wraithguard: 350
• 10 Incubi/Striking Scorpion's : 260
• Talos/Dreadnought: 160
• 5 Hellion's/Warp Spiders: 205
• 10 Wyches/Howling Banshees: 270
• Grand total: 1686

Till next OWAC I will leave you with a toast

“Here’s to a long life and a merry one. A quick death and an easy one. A pretty girl and an honest one. A cold beer and another one.”

Skål

Chris' Empire Army Post OWAC Wrap-up

Lots of great painting on display during the past 6 months from the other participants.

I had a lot more fun than expected, the deadlines of mostly painting were excellent motivation. February was my best month with 100 miniatures painted!

Completed army list below,
Klaus, Count Palantine Von Reikland Lvl 25, riding Hippogriff 334
Paschalis von Eichschatten - Lvl 10, riding barded warhorse 68
10 Knights of the Blazing Sum 390
10 Knights of the Black rose 310
20 Reiksguard 220
10 Hackbutschutzen (Handgunners) 80
60 Ersatsolder lead by Burgomeister Reinhard standard and musician 709
20 Helblitzen 180
20 Helblitzen 180
12 Flagellants 108
10 Forestjaegers 120

Total 2699

Picking an army with white uniforms and black armour proved to be less difficult than I expected.  The main thing I learnt was how to paint faster, using an airbrush for undercoats, contrast paints for almost everything else and simple bases that can be completed easily.

The next project is already started - to complete my Grenadier dwarf army that I started at age 14 and have recently added a lot of new miniatures.  

Would defiantly like to complete another OWAC in the future.  Maybe either the Nick Lund Orcs and Goblins next or the Slann army next, time to decide later.   

I'll bring the army to BOYL next week, see you there if you are attending!

Filippo's Iron Warriors wrap-up - Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho It's Terra from the Warp we go

The small detachment of Iron Warriors ready to siege a very unlucky Imperial Fortress.
In the back, the Warpsmith and his definitely-not-stressed expression of satisfaction

It is done, again. 

And I'm very happy, again.

This OWAC went better than the last. Better planning, easier models, more suitable colour scheme. This obviously does not mean that I did not almost screw everything up, but still I had a great time.

But what is most important for me is that, counting Andrea's ones too, we have four armies to spread the oldhammer way of life at our freshly founded club here in Bologna

Here's the list:

-Chaos Lord 

-Terminator with Icon

-Aspiring Champion

-3x Veteran Chaos Marine Squad

-5x Chaos Terminator

-5x Chaos Marine Squad

-5x Chaos Marine Squad

-5x Chaos Marine Squad

-Dreadnought

-Kharn the Betrayer

-6x BloodLetters

Total 2007 points (more or less, it's chaos after all)

Two years of OWAC

What will happen next year?

There is almost another list of Ultramarine waiting, but at the same time I collected a huge hoard of undead in the last months.. Only time will tell

..unless our mighty Overlord decides that Specialist Games will be included..

See you in 2023!

JohnR's Axis of Evil Wrap Up

The Dark Lord surveys his minions.

But you're not here to see me in my dressing gown lol so I also took pics of the different contingents within the Axis of Evil:

Gobbos

Skaven

Dark Elves

Half Orcs

Aksys, Mittens and the Zombies.

All in all I had an excellent challenge this year. I survived the 'rona, managed to (mostly) keep my motivation and churned out over 240 minis - an average of 40 a month.

The Roster:

Aksys - Level 20 Human Sorcerer                                                                 240 points

Mittens the Jabberwock                                                                                 200 points

20 Zombies                                                                                                        0 points

Bogrot (level 25 goblin hero): light armour and double handed weapon       69 points

Wozgrub (level 10 goblin hero): light armour and contingent standard         80 points

Zogga (level 10 goblin hero): light armour and additional hand weapon       31 points

42 Goblins, light armour, shields and spears, standard and musician:          220 points

3 goblin fanatics:                                                                                             90 points

Level 15 Goblin hero: Wolf mount, spear, light armour and shield                 52 points

11 Wolf Riders: standard and musician, spears, light armour and shields     169 points

Hen-pecked Giant:                                                                                          250 points

Lead Belcher:                                                                                                102.5 points

Nigel (level 20 Skaven Hero) heavy armour and halberd                                 100 points

Brian (level 10 skaven assassin) additional hand weapon                                  54 points

Steve (level 15 skaven sorcerer)                                                                       147 points

Derek (level 10 skaven hero)                                                                              50 points

29 Clanrats, light armour, hand weapon and shields, standard and musician:  188 points

19 plague Monks: standard and musician:                                                          94.5 points    

2 Plague Censer Bearers (hidden in  the clan rats unit):                                      80 points

2 Plague Censer Bearers (hidden in the plague monks unit):                              80 points

2 Poisoned Wind Globadiers                                                                               50 points

3 Warpfire Thrower Teams                                                                                243 points

3 Jezzails                                                                                                            117 points

Skaven Beastmaster with 2 Rat Ogres                                                                85.5 points

2 Clan Moulder Beastmasters and 8 giant rats:                                                   35 points.

Level 15 dark elf hero: light armour, shield, crossbow, poisoned weapons:     137 points

Level 10 dark elf assassin: light armour, poison, additional hand weapon:        94 points

Level 5 dark elf hero: lance, light armour, shield, warhorse and barding:          63 points

Level 5 witch elf hero: light armour, shield, crossbow, poisoned weapons:       56 points

17 witch elves: standard and musician, crossbows and poisoned weapons:     374 points

4 doom steeds (+2 shock elite): light armour, lance, shield, barding:               164 points

12 Dark Elf crossbows:                                                                                      156 points

12 Giant Wolves and 3 Dark Elf beastmasters                                                   135 points

Level 10 Half Orc Witch                                                                                       85 points 

Level 5 Half Orc Hero, light armour, shield and halberd                                      35 points

20 Half Orcs, hand weapons, light armour and shields                                       160 points

                                                                                                                  Total 4287.5 points.

What can I say, I like large armies. But looking at the finished armies of the other challengers I'm in good company. I was constantly awed and impressed by the quality and quantity of everyone's output.

So see you all in about six months I guess!

Is it weird that I have my next 3 OWAC's planned out?

Or maybe it's weird that I ONLY have my next 3 OWAC's planned out 😅

Also, just realised I never did paint those last 10 skaven...