Argentbadger, of The Bovine Overlord completed a group of models which safely qualify both as a squad as well as gender-ambiguous. They are Seishin, from Malifaux’ Resurrectionists faction, and I think he’s done an amazing job with the ethereal looking scheme on them.

 

Alexis West, aka Westrider from Cascadian Grimdark, completed a nice little set of Models of Indeterminate Gender in March. To start with, we have a Genestealer Cult hybrid in the colours of the Cult of the Emperor’s Embrace.

Alexis also sorted out these Ur-Ghuls from the Blackstone Fortress boxed game. I really do like the pink, fleshy effect on their hands and faces. Alexis submitted these models as Gender-Ambiguous as well, though with the minimum of three of the challenge, they also qualify as a “squad” (for the purposes of this challenge, if not any “official” Warhammer rules.)

Finally, Alexis also completed this trip of Spindle Drones, also from Blackstone Fortress. They’ve come up quite nicely, I think – almost looking like wraithbone in the pic. As with the Ur-Ghuls, they’re Gender-Ambiguous, and also qualify as a squad for the challenge.

 

Pete S /SP from SP’s Projects Blog completed a pair of radically different 20mm Contemporary Russian squads from Elheim Miniatures range of ultra-moderns for the Squad painting challenge. Did I say radically different? Well, clearly, they are. But they’re also the exact same set of sculpts!

 

Mark Morin, of Mark A Morin did something around Tanks (shocking, yea!) for the Squad challenge, and kinda doing it in two ways at once. He completed a trio of Italian M11/39 tanks, as well as a British M3 Grant and an M4 Sherman for his 8th Army. However, one of the M11/39s is painted as a captured vehicle, complete with kangaroo-silhouette on the turret side.

This little touch effectively creates a squadron for the 8th army with that (formerly) Italian tank!

 

Ann, of Ann’s Immaterium completed a model known as Spiny Back Poxwalker for the Gender-Ambiguous Model challenge. According to Ann, the completion of this one leave only five more Poxwalkers for her slowly growing horde.

 

Wudugast, from Convert or Die completed a small group of figures which qualify for both of this month’s challenges. This group of four Spindle Drones, from the Blackstone Fortress are both gender-ambiguous and also four makes enough for a “Squad” by the spirit of this challenge. I find that Wudugast’s take on their colour scheme – with the stark contrasts on their carapace is quite reminiscent of the production design from the Alien films, and even Giger’s work.

 

Sunfire, from Rhoda’s Reach has completed a trio of squads for the Squad challenge – the first is a group of three Primaris Space Marine Reivers, these guys are part of his Vengeance Knights chapter. The headswaps certainly give them a different look, which I may well steal for some of my own Reivers…

Sunfire’s second squad for the month is a squad of Intercessors. He has achieved a nice contrast between the weather-beaten and worn armour and the clean looking shoulder pauldrons.

For his third squad, Sunfire has something completely different in a trio of Tzeentchian Tzaangor, led by Idris, the Wind Reader. The impressive bases make them look like a Shadespire/Warhammer Underworlds Warband!

 

Just Needs Varnish from Just Needs Varnish completed a pair of units for the month, both from his slightly-neglected 20mm Royal Navy Brigade force. The first are a unit of Riflemen, featuring some pretty sweet detailing on those scarves that really makes the figures stand out nicely from a distance.

JNV‘s second unit for the month is a support unit for the same force, featuring a carriage-mounted Maxim for close fire support, as well as something a little …bigger!

…along with the horse(s) they rode in on!

 

The Imperfect Modeller from The Imperfect Modeller finished this odd little model of a ..Power Armoured Space Wasp? for the Gender-Ambiguous challenge. It looks very much like something Mark Morin would be painting rather than TIM, but it made sense in the end, as TIM used it in a very cool diorama that I urge you to check out – titled “Get Out Of My Fucking Room” it does what it says on the tin!

TIM‘s second submission was something much more to speed, though no less impressive. We have Wyatt Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and Doc Holliday – with their apppearance in miniature form being based on the 1993 film, Tombstone. As always with his western models, TIM has done a great job of capturing the feel of the Old West, with dusty blacks used across these models. They look like a group of gents that you would not like to cross on a dusty Arizona road…

 

Maenoferren22 from Bogenwald also completed a model for each of the month’s challenges – leading off with this Ghost model by Reaper Miniatures which is plenty gender-ambiguous. In completing this model, his actions gave me the kick I needed to grab and complete the pair of these models I had in my own collection, that had been sitting on the painting desk for months and forgotten – so thank you!

Did I say “a model” for each challenge? Maenoferren22 not only completed the singular ghost, but also three entire units. The first of which is a unit of 3D-Printed Cultists which actually qualifies for both challenges (until you look under their robes, at least!)

The next of Maenoferren’s units also qualifies for the gender-ambiguous challenge. I guess you could theoretically argue these 3D-Printed hand-monsters look kinda like a pair of males and a pair of females based on their chests and chest-clothing, but who’s to say exactly how the anatomy of weird monster-demon-things that have hands for heads works?

Finally, Maenoferren has completed a crew of sci-fi-type Inspectors from Heresy Miniatures. This group clearly features both genders, though Blue-K9 and the other little bot technically fit into that neutral territory of the other challenge yet again! Kick arse submissions from Maenoferren this month!

 

mcmattila of mcmattilaminis completed a Devastator Squad for his homebrew Space Marine Chapter, the Revelators. He’s used MKIII armour legs, torsos and limbs to give the models a heavier, weighted feel as befits Devastators, especially with the preponderance of rivets on the older armour – while the MK8 Helms and backpacks give them a more current, modern look. it’s certainly a touch I appreciate!

 

To wrap up, as have my own Models for March – more detail can be seen in my Personal Round-Up Post for March. While the four “Squads” are pretty typical fare of the random stuff I seem to get completed on a semi-regular basis, the more interesting part of the equation is that all of the models I finished in March, bar one turned out to be Gender-Ambiguous. While I did set out to paint some that fit that specific criteria, the real kicker was that when I looked at each model once completed, I found that so many more fit – even when our typical assumptions (and honestly, the sculptor’s intent a lot of the time ) make us think “male”.

I certainly found that to be an interesting exercise through March, and I have tried to keep it in mind gong forward as well – so thank you to Ann Wycoff of Ann’s Immaterium for the initial thought, and Alex of Leadbaloony for running Fembruary – which in turn spawned this challenge theme.

 

Speaking of… is your own March Challenge work missing from here? If you left a link in the announcement thread, then it should be here and I apologise. If there’s no link there, then leave one here. I may seen, read and even commented on your post, but I’m damned if I can remember each and every blog post I go through each month! Broken links, etc – just bring it to my attention and I’ll also fix them up ASAP.

…and now onto compiling Armoured/Army April’s Community Round-Up!