Category Archives: Painting Challenges

Squaduary 2018 Wrap-Up

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Plaguebearers of Nurgle and Wolves

I’d never heard of Squaduary until Westrider mentioned it was a thing in the comments of my post discussing Community Painting Challenges for this year. Since I planned on trying to paint all of my metal Plaguebeaers after finding a stash of 27 of them in my Great Unclean One’s box late last year (with the actual GUO nowhere to be seen), I decided to join in. After all, I planned on painting the things anyway, and so that part was easy – and if the challenge could help to motivate me to get them all done in that time frame, so much the better. So over the course of the month, I managed to get all of the Plaguebearers done, a batch at a time. I’m not sure if Squaduary helped motivate me to get these done, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

I also had a bunch of wolves from various sources that I’d gathered together, and they had been kicking around for ages, getting in the way and generally being annoying. Since models with fur are relatively easy, and Squaduary is a “start-to-finish” type challenge, I decided to try my hand at them as well. Finishing them off a few days ago, after all of the Plaguebearers. For these, I can definitely credit Squaduary for motivating me to get them done.

So my total Squaduary models come to 27 Plaguebearers, plus 9 wolves. 36 models, so not too shabby.

With three (work) days left in February, and half of a Sunday (yes, I’m writing this blog post before the day it goes up and throwing it into the auto-post queue!), It’s time to see what else I can manage to complete for Alex’s Fembruary, and my own Neglected Model February. Now if only I could find my Vallejo Light Grey Wash…

Squad: March! Painting Challenge 2018

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With a week left of February and (at least) three paint challenges running concurrently (Fembruary, Squaduary, and Neglected Model February), I thought it time to flag my paint challenge plans for next month. I’m calling it “Squad: March!” in the fine tradition of NCOs and officers bellowing at their charges on the parade ground.

The objective, fine reader, is simply to complete a squad or unit. Now, I’m being a little more specific than on some previous challenges – we’re looking at troops of some kind here. Not 40k’s narrow and specific definition of troops versus elites versus fast attach, etc – but a unit containing at least three members. So no Dreadnoughts or Heroes or Greater Daemons or Tanks this time.

Of course, I’ll happily allow exceptions, so if you’re the sort that thinks big, and you want to complete a Zug of Panzers, or a Maniple of Battle-Automata, or a Contemptor Talon, then sure – go for it!

Probably the biggest distinction between this challenge and ones like Squaduary are that I only care about you completing these units. It’s not a “start-to-finish” challenge set during a single month, so regardless of whether you just missed out on finishing that squad during Squaduary, or you’ve got stuff that you’ve been chipping away at for six months, or if you’ve got units that have been shelved for months or even years, feel free to dig them out and join in.

Similarly, if you want to go start-to-finish, then feel free to go right ahead. If you have a squad of five figures and two are complete while the other three are bare plastic or metal, that’s fine too. It’s about completing units. The challenge is designed to easily fit into your (and my) painting schedule and be flexible enough to encompass quite a lot, and hopefully just act as a bit of an impetus or inspiration for people.

Since this March Painting challenge is a “minor” one, like February’s – I won’t be posting updates over the month on it. I’ll likely do a round-up of all the participants I’m aware of just after the end of the month, though. If anyone is wondering why this comes on the heels of Squaduary, it’s because I had planned on doing squads in March before I knew Squaduary was a thing, and I ain’t changing my plans.

That’s pretty much it. If you might be interested, you’ve got a week for thinking about it before the challenge starts – though if you’re keen there’s also no reason you can’t be working on your models. Because it’s only about completing models in March! 😉