The Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge

Well it is that time of year, I am not really sure how Curt does it but the 5th iteration of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge starts this friday. 

I have participated in all 5, I think there were only a dozen contestants the first year, but this year there are 72. I just missed my goal last year of 1500 points, so this year I have put in for a 1000. 

I believe I have lost my painting mojo over the last year. I am now much more interested in gaming and constructing terrain around planned games. I think I also burned myself out painting over 3000 28 mm Napoleonics over the first 7 years of my gaming life. My painting now is more directed with focus on skirmish armies that I plan to use in WWII and Dark Ages/Medieval games. I still have some Napoleonics to paint though and I have primed some for this year's challenge. I still plan to paint a Dutch-Belgian brigade as well as another Prussian brigade but who knows. I bought a bunch of Flag Dude standards about a year ago, and that is how I measure my progress, but 15 more Napoleonic battalions is somewhat daunting.

I have though bought some Victorian Pulp/Horror/Steampunk figures from Westwind Production's Empire of the Dead line, which I will paint for pleasure. These are lovely figures, they remind me of the Conquest Miniature's French Indian war line which are the nicest figures I have seen and painted to date. I am quite looking forward to painting them.

So I am quite prepared this year, with most of the figures prepped as you can see from the above photo. I have also made selections for the bonus rounds each fortnight. I will keep them to myself but I suspect you can guess some of them from the below list. So what do we have.

• A Soviet Winter War/Stalingrad platoon with supports from CPModels TQD line, these are really are my favourite 20 mm WWII line. I hope to do them justice. I believe there are roughly 66 figures here with a HMG and medium mortar, Roughly 270 points.
• Next up is a 28 mm French Napoleonic limber with caisson from Front Rank, maybe 45 points here.
• Then we see the EotD figures, 90 points.
• Next to some figures to fill out my Moslem SAGA warband, 16 plastic archers from Gripping Beast and an Iman. 85 points.
• More Gripping Beast Dark Ages figures for my Dux Brit British warband, 4 mounted cavalry and 8 elites. 80 points.
• Some more Napoleonics, 3 British Artillery pieces from Perry and Front Rank, as well as a French Ligne battalion which has been on my painting desk primed for over a year from Crusader Miniatures. 200 points.
• Three British AFV from Armourcast and PSC in 20 mm. 36 points.

I make that roughly 800 points, so with the 7 bonus rounds worth 50 points each, I should be good with some room to maneuver.

• December 14: Cold
• December 28: Mount(s) & Rider(s) 
• January 11: Victorian
• January 25: Myth
• February 8: Hot
• February 22: Comedic
• March 8: Anti-Hero 

I should also mention that the challenge has it's own website now, so stayed tuned for all the action. Wish me luck.