AHPC 'Ate Update #2: Crawlers

My submission date for Painting Challenge entries is Wednesday, so I've been intending Thursday to be my regular spot for an update...

Submitted

As I mentioned the other day, I broke my duck with an entry for the BFG bonus round.  It can be seen here.

Following that, I had the rest of the Terminators from the Warlord Games box which I submitted in my Wednesday spot.  

These are tending to merge into their bases, but that fits in with the post-apoc style of the Terminator movies and they fact that the 'crawlers' are sneaky buggers who grab you even though you've already 'killed' them once.  Their resemblance to the crawlers in Warlord's Project Z game is uncanny - I'm just awaiting crawling Ood in their Doctor Who range now.

These were all the usable Terminators from the second-hand box I acquired (it was obviously one of 'those gifts' - someone had tried to assemble the minis, broken several and then given up).  I've saved the broken ones in my gash box, just in case I ever do a Mad Scientist's workshop. 

I also have a batch of Future Resistance fighters, but no plans to paint them during the Challenge.

Work in Progress

The entry for the 'Music' bonus round on 3 Feb is on-going and on-target.  I've decided to press on with my (non)-entry for the 'Flight' round and submit it in the ordinary way.  I like the concept, it fits in with my existing minis, and I'd like to see how it works out.

Other than that, I've two large(ish)-for-me groups planned (both Pulpy) and the other bonus rounds sketched out.  If I complete those, I'll be happy with the output of this year's Challenge.

AHPC 'Ate Update #1: BFG

Well, I've made a really bad start to the AHPC 'Ate.  This was going to be the year when I had everything organised,  submitted for each of the bonus rounds and met my target.  Ha!

I missed the 'Flight' bonus round (I had a Canard I was going to submit).  But in making this submission, I've avoided the automatic disqualification by a hair's breath.  It wouldn't have been the end of the world, but I enter the Challenge because it makes me sit down and paint (which I do enjoy).  I just feel guilty taking up a slot on the roster.  Perhaps things will be better if I get my new glasses this month.

Anyway, here's my quick-and-dirty 'BFG' entry...  To see everyone's entries (and to vote), go here.

'BFG' Bonus Round Submission

The Terminators have done it again!  Skynet has sent a whole squad even further back in time than before in order to kill the ancestors of the leaders of the Resistance (Skynet's forte has never been originality).

With Sarah Connor less than a twinkle in her grandfather's eye, who is going to step up to save the future, and possibly even delay Judgement Day once again?

Here were have eight 28mm Terminator Endoskeletons from the Warlord Games/River Horse Terminator Genysis miniatures game.  These are described in their blurb as being in "two different posses, advancing and… relentlessly advancing!".  In practice, this means that some of the Terminators carry their BFG in their right hand and some in their left (which made them easier to put together once I'd realised that!).  Box sets can now be picked up cheaply, and for me the Endos will serve as generic BFG-Wielding Robots.

Queen Victoria is from Westwind Productions'  Empire of the Dead range.  A nice, fun sculpt.

Some Reading

I’m not one for writing blog posts at the beginning of the year which lay out a grand plan or scheme of things.  This is probably because I don’t like creating hostages to fortune and therefore, more generally, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions.  However, when I sat down after Christmas to choose the top-ten books I’d read in 2017, I was a little put off by how little I had to choose from.  I therefore made a sort-of resolution to read more and to record it by reviewing the books (at least here and probably also on Goodreads*).

*I use Goodreads to track my reading.

I make not stick to this, but I’ve decided to see if it works to try to focus on particular themes to my non-fiction reading.  In doing this, I’m not putting the cart before the horse – I’ve chosen areas which I’ve been meaning to look into further anyway.  So, to begin with I want to concentrate on the naval aspects of the First World War.

In a way January has been good to me as far as that goes.  I’ve been unwell and (after the sleeping for a lot of the time stage) I’ve been able to do some reading.  I’ve also been listening to podcasts, which I may talk about another day.

So, tomorrow expect a book review.

Doctor Who Wednesday #22

Welcome to the first Doctor Who Wednesday of 2018!

In fact, this is the first DWW since August, which is far too long a gap.  Hopefully that won't happen before DWW #23 as I have some Doctor Who figures in my intended AHPC output.  Watch this space...

So, with very little to comment on, here we go.

Target Books

Yesterday I came across a whole pile of Doctor Who novelisations in a charity shop.  I've never really bothered with these because, a) many seem to be written for children, b) many are also no good and, c) there are hundreds of the buggers.   I'd appreciate feedback from people with more experience.  Are they worth bothering with when they can be picked up cheaply?  I'm wondering what inspiration they might provide for some solo gaming.

Having said this, I couldn't resist buying these Target Books.  Which have an obvious nostalgia appeal.

For those who don't know, Target Books were published from the 1970s onwards (detail can be found on Wikipedia) and include both novelisations of broadcast serials and, later, newly commissioned works.  They're sometimes useful as they can contain back-stories which have been since been recognised as canonical.

The addition of these four brings the total of my Target Books up to six, which I suppose can be considered a nascent collection.  As you can see, I'm not too fussed about condition.  I'm not going to go out of my way seek then out, but if they cross my path, I'll pick more up

For the record, I currently have

2nd Doctor

• Doctor Who and the Cybermen (1975), based on the 1967 serial 'Moonbase'.  Apparently contains some back-story 0f the Cybermen now considered canonical.  This was one of the serials episodes of which the BBC destroyed or lost after broadcast.  It was recently released with animations filling the gaps.



Yetis!

• Doctor Who and the Web of Fear (1976), based on the 1968 serial 'The Web of Fear' - Yeti on the London Underground and worth getting for the first appearance of Colonel Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart.  Also one of the 'lost serials'

3rd Doctor

• Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters (1974), based on the 1970 serial 'Doctor Who and the Silurians'.  I'm not sure what the reason for the change of title is - Wikipedia tells me that the book avoids the name 'Silurians' but not why (rights issues?).  The answer will be out there, and I may look for  it when I read the book.
• Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks (1974), based on the 1972 serial 'Day of the Daleks'
• Doctor Who and the Green Death (1975), based on the 1973 serial 'The Green Death' remembered for the departure of Jo Grant.

4th Doctor

• Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks (1979), based on the serial 'Destiny of the Daleks'.  This is the only one of the six that I've read - it's a fairly ropy novelisation of a ropy serial.  But it's got Davros and marks the regeneration of Romana from actress Mary Tamm to Lala Ward.

Gratuitous Sara-Jane Smith Photo