Finish It Complete! All Painting competitions finished!
It is done! All painting competitions are one hundred percent complete!
This has been a long time coming. So many things to paint. There were a lot of difficulties, like the tiny details on all the Legion minis, the colors on the Necromunda girls, and the sheer volume of the Orks. But I worked hard and budgeted time, and it paid off.
Without further ado, here’s the final project: The Nicassar Dhows!
These Dhows are painted in the same color scheme as the “official” scheme shown back long ago when GW sold these, but elevated with Turbo Dork paints. They don’t photograph well, but let me assure you they are SHIMMERY.
Of course, these Dhows are magnetized to their bases to allow them to do… this!
Adding the Dhows to the Orbital I painted previously lets me field a Caravan if I wish. Basically a much worse version of the Blackstone Fortress, but also cheaper.
With this, the Finish It competition is complete!
Here is the whole Finish It challenge.
Wait a minute… that’s not my normal work table. That looks like…
WHOA! That’s a lot of minis! In fact, it’s ALL OF THE MINIS I PAINTED THIS YEAR!
Oh, yes, this is pretty far away. Zoom and Enhance! (or just take more pics)
Here’s Q1. The Space Marines are: Chapter Master Perseus (painted BEFORE the competitions but during January), Captain Valerien, a unit of six Intercessors, and a Redemptor Dreadnought. Above them, a Warboss in Mega Armour, five Meganobs, Ten Ork Boys, and a unit of Squighogs plus a Trukk that should have been in Q3 but looks better here.
Q2 starts in the middle with the Necrimunda Escher gangers and friends, then above with the Orks, a Beastboss, ten Beast snaggas, eight Lootas with two Spannas, a Deffkilla Wartrike, three Warbikers, and a Trukk. Below, from Q2 orks, a Shokkjump Dragsta, 10 Nobs, a Big Mek with a Shokk Attack gun, 20 Gretchin with two Runtherds, and a Trukk.
This is Q3 with the first 1/2 year competition. Above, 10 Flash Gitz, two units of 5 Stormboys, and 10 Kommandos. In the middle, the All the Same competition Minotaur, the Color Competition Lieutenant from the Star Cyclones, and the Carthaginian Elephants. Below that, the 1/2 year competition Legiones Astartes Sons of Horus, consisting of two sprues each of: Infantry, Support, Fast Attack, Rhinos, and Kratos tanks.
Finally, here’s Q4 and the 2nd 1/2 year competition. The orks were seen better above. The Finish It competition is eight Tau Wardens, two Tau Messengers, eight Tau Transports, a general purpose Orbital, an Air Caste city, an Orbital with four Gravitic Hooks which can be combined with four Nicassar Dhows to make a Nicassar Caravan, and of course the Dhows and their magnetic bases. Below that, the 2nd 1/2 year Solar Auxilia, which consists of two sprues each of: Infantry, Support, Dracosans, Leman Russ, and Leman Russ Exterminators.
There you have it! That’s a year of painting! Slightly more if you count Perseus. Am I done?
HAHAHAHAHAHA NOPE!
There’s a super secret project I’m working on! (don’t get hyped, it’s small, but it is secret!) Additionally, I am planning out next year; this won’t be at AFK, as my pile of gray doesn’t line up with the competitions anymore.
Speaking of AFK, here are the minis due by the end of the year in the cases, ready for judging:
You’ll notice that the Orks are so numerous they don’t fit on one shelf!
Next, the Super Secret Project, and a timeline for 2026, in which we will celebrate the 15th anniversary of Fourstrandshobby.com!
Year Long Painting Challenge – 3rd Ork Trukk
Only 20 Grots and 2 Runtherds to go!
Next: Tau Defences including an Orbital City!
Double Update: Year Long – Ork Nobs and Finish It – Tau Transports
It’s been a bit busy, so I’ve had this project done for a bit. 10 Ork Nobs with Power Klaws and two Ammo Runts:
Those have been done for a week. These, however, have just been finished. The Finish It challenge continues with my Tau Transports:
Sadly, of the ten transports I originally primed, two were so laden with bubbles from the resin casting process that I abandoned them. Because I acquired these secondhand through eBay, I have no recourse. Oh well.
Next: an Ork Trukk to get it off my countertop, and then some Tau Orbitals and an Air Caste City!
Year Long Painting Competition – Shokkjump Dragsta
Only 20 Gretchin, 2 Runtherds, 10 Nobs, and one Trukk, and this challenge is complete!
Next: the 4th Quarter “Finish It” challenge begins! I’ve got 8 Tau Wardens, 2 Messengers, 4 Nicassar Dhows, 10 Transports, a Kor Air Caste City, and a custom built Nicassar Rig that can be transformed into a Caravan by attaching the Dhows with magnets! That’s why I’ve been working so hard to get ahead for the 6 month challenge and the Q4 for the Orks! Despite how far ahead I seem, all three challenges are going to be a photo finish. Stay tuned!
Year Long Painting Competition – Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun (repaint)
Long ago I painted up a Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun; the pewter one, not the newer plastic. This was in my old Ork color scheme which relied on Dipping. For the new Ork project, I stripped it and removed the custom “orky servo arm” I’d added.
Now, as the first entry for Q4 of the year-long painting competition, that Big Mek is painted again!
The OSL came out very well with a little drybrushing of white and some contrast paint.
Next: Legions Imperialis Solar Auxilia Support, then I begin Q4 in earnest by going back to my Battlefleet Gothic Tau fleet!
Year Long Challenge – Ork Trukk, Q3 complete!
Trukk is done! Note that something is wrong with my iphone camera; the gunner’s eyes are red in real life, not yellow.
This concludes Q3 of the year-long painting challenge!
Next: The random mini for September, then Legion Imperialis Solar Auxilia support, then getting a jump on Q4 of the Orks with a Big Mek with Shokk Attack gun!
Year long painting competition – Flash Gitz!
Long time fans will remember my custom Flash Gitz from 5th edition.
Now, they are in color!
Starting off with Da Grand Baron himself:
Finally, what Flash Gitz would be complete without an Ammo Runt?
Next: Legion Imperialis Dracosans!
Year Long Paint Competition Q3 – Ork Lootas
These Lootas were assembled a long time ago, during 40K’s 5th edition (a VERY good edition for Orks!). However, it made them very challenging to paint. They have a lot of tiny details just like several other kits, and partial assembly is recommended.
Next: August’s all-paint-the-same challenge has been decided as a push-fit Infernus Space Marine! Due to last month’s competition being the Star Cyclones, I decided to do a completely different scheme for this competition: the belligerent Minotaurs! These personal agents of the High Lords of Terra are mostly Bronze… and I’ll be painting that using non-metallic metal techniques!
Year Long Painting Challenge Q3 – Beast Snaggas!
With these done, I have only the Leman Russ Exterminators to do for July’s obligations and then I’m working ahead into August!
AFK Year Long Painting Challenge Q3 – Beastboss!
Q3 is starting strong with an early entry! Beastboss is done!
Next: AFK has changed the schedule. July is the Single Hue Challenge, which will start with a Space Marines Lieutenant of the Star Cyclones chapter; a chapter I made up specifically to paint the color orange in a previous year’s painting competition. This upcoming mini will have a color blending recipe provided by the amazing Cerberus Xt from Instagram! After that, this boss is getting some Beast Snaggas, and then some LI Leman Russ Exterminators!