This will be my first army painting challenge, but I’m excited to use this as motivation to finish more of my Ultramarines.

I got into the hobby and have been painting for a bit shy of two years now. I’ve been dabbling and painting various models for multiple 2nd edition armies, so this challenge will help me focus on my Ultramarines and get them to a playable state (if I can ever find someone to play with, that is). My situation is probably a bit odd in that 40k Second Edition is my first foray into wargaming. I didn’t even know what 40k was back in the 90s, so no nostalgia here. After I took an interest in assembling and painting models for gaming (due to my 3D printing hobby), I quickly discovered that I enjoy the bright, vibrant paint jobs and characterful models of the era over the pristine modern models with grimdark paint jobs that we see today.

One difficulty that I ran into with picking out units for my list, is that 1000 points does not go very far for space marine armies. Just a single full Devastator Squad came out to 430+ points, so I had to get a little creative with combat squads instead. Since I am adding to my already existing army, my choices were limited to what can fill the holes around what I already have painted. Also, for my Ultramarine army, I decided early on that I wanted to stay as faithful as possible to the studio model photographs of the time; including both the paint jobs and the loadouts. After all those considerations, my list came out to a whopping 16 models.

I went a bit over the 1000 points standard, as I wanted to have a satisfying amount of models to paint for each month of the challenge. I’m hoping to complete each block without a mulligan and come in with a bonus for month six, but we will see how that works out.

Ultramarines Strike Force – 2nd Company

Assault Combat Squad – Jump Packs, Power Sword X4, Plasma Pistol, Power Fist (214 Points)

Land Speeder – (145 Points)

Techmarine – Servo Arm (43 Points)

Devastator Combat Squad – Sergeant w/ Power Fist, Missile Launcher, Lascannon, Heavy Bolter X2  (280 Points)

Attack Bike – Multi-melta (110 Points)

Captain – Power Sword, Plasma Pistol (96 Points)

Librarian – Lexicanum, for the sake of keeping points low (53 Points)

Razorback – Auto Launcher (155 Points)

Total: 1107 Points (16 Models)

Howdy Dr, Viking and Wachtmeister, (ed. Hello!)

Psykka here, back for my second year in the challenge. Sadly I didn’t quite have enough Chaos left to join with them again. But I do have a truly obscene amount of Steel Legion models, something like 200 infantry and 40 of the classic metal inquisitorial storm troopers along with required vehicles. So needles to say I’m always looking for good reasons to make a dent in this collection.

I absolutely adore these models, I think they’re some of the ones that stand as truly timeless examples of excellent sculpting and character. They straddle a bit of a line between 2nd and 3rd edition 40k, sitting near the other metal regiments but not quite in 2nd ed. I still think they’re an excellent candidate for a 2nd edition challenge. The Guard tanks also basically never changed, these are the older chimera versions which I convert fairly heavily for the army. The one on the right needed extensive repairs after someone left my models near a heater and partially melted it, so I’ve opted to include Imperial agents in the army to have some Engineseers present for old reliable. I’ll post some WIP pics of the repair in the discord when I get to painting it.

Looking forward to another great challenge and will love to see what everyone else paints this year

Cheers,

Psykka

Army List:

Name	Models	Points
Imperial Agents
Assassin	1	100
Techpriest Enginseer	2	60
Imperial Guard
Commissar Yarrick	1	170
Commissar	2	80
Guard squad	10	140
Missile + Grenade launcher
Stormtrooper	10	150
Hardened Fighters + Plas Pistol + Plasma Gun
Chimera	2	280
Leman Russ	1	205
	Total	1,185

Greetings fellow grognards!

Another year, another edition of this most glorious challenge! And I am happy to be here once again. This is my fifth challenge if I recall correctly (I don’t even remember how I ended here) and it has been a big help in finishing my oldhammer armies, even if it is only a dent in my wall of shame.

This time I bring a Space Marine Chaos warband dedicated to the god Malal. The warband is centered around a Chaos lord in terminator armour and his retinue of terminators supplemented by a sorcerer with his Space marines bodyguards and a dreadnought.

The idea of a Malal warband has been lurking in my mind for about two years, so I decided to finally work on it. It is only a fifteen models force, so theoretically I shall be able to work on each miniature without much hurry, which is specially important this time since most of the models are incomplete and are going to require extensive conversions. But this being Chaos will let me go wild with them, and that’s definitely a bonus.

Without further ado, here are the slices:

Model	Points
Slice I: Chaos lord in Terminator armour with combimelta and lightning claw	150
Slice II: Four terminators with chainaxes, two combibolters and two reaper autocannons + aspiring champion in terminator armour with power fist and multimelta	341
Slice III: Sorcerer champion with power axe and bolt pistol and aspiring champion with power fist and plasma pistol	150
Slice IV: Five Chaos marines with three boltguns, one missile launcher and one plasma gun	177
Slice V: Dreadnought with Twin-linked autocannon and Power scourge	190
Total	1008

 

Well, as usual, at the end of the previous challenge, I was bitten by the hobby bug and contracted Newarmyitis. It’s a horrible affliction that many of us suffer from, but there IS a cure. Building the force demanded of the bug and painting it to satisfy it (this time). On this note, I submit my core force for Huron Blackheart and his Reavers of the Red Corsairs:

I have split the initial 1,000pt list into the following slices, which will be painted in no particular order:

These models are all simple WYSIWYG, as demanded by the rules.

The background of the Red Corsairs was interesting, as I’m trying to gather various “Pirate” themed armies, and this is the Chaos version which is designed to be just this – lots of scope for allies in the fluff too, which could be interesting future expansions. Huron’s rule to allow his army to use the more “modern” Space Marine equipment is pretty cool, and I’ll be taking advantage of this in bonus content…

The idea for painting the force is that all Veterans will be painted as Red Corsairs, whilst the “normal” Chaos Marines are a collection of whatever other Space Marine Chapters I feel like – there will be a definite leaning towards those that fought alongside Huron in the Badab War, but will be some fun other ones too. All of the models are era appropriate with a few hefty conversions, including my own Huron, and no armour will be left unmarked to declare their new allegiance…

Name	Model Count	Points
6 Chaos Marines with Modern Heavy Plasma Gun and 5 Bolters	6	205
Huron Blackheart with Tyrants Claw, accompanied by Aspiring Champion with Powerfist, Scanner and Bolter	2	196
5 Chaos Marines with 2 Modern Heavy Bolters, 3 Bolters accompanied by Aspiring Champion with Bolter	6	197
4 Chaos Marines with 2 Flamers and 2 Bolters, accompanied by a Sorcerer with Force Sword	5	186
3 Chaos Veterans with Modern Multimelta, 2 Bolters and swords, accompanied by Aspiring Champion with Bolter and Powerfist	5	216

Oh, and I’ve already got a lot of bonus stuff sorted, because reasons.

Looking forward to finally painting these ones!!!

Maddix

As the email states, my name is Phil, I’m from Australia and this is part of my 40K 2nd Edition Blood Angels army I want to submit.

I’ve had a different journey than I think a lot of others into this beautiful old game we play.  Like most, I am indeed a ‘child of the 90s’ but for me, I never actually played 40K as a kid.

My first introduction into all things Games Workshop was back in 1995 through Warhammer Quest and then mainly into Warhammer Fantasy with my Wood Elves army.  At the time, 40K never grabbed me and none of my friends played it.

Fast forward to 2025 and I find myself getting back into Warhammer Quest and through a couple of random internet encounters, I now find myself HOOKED on 2nd edition 40K and all things 90s GW nostalgia.  I’ve quickly amassed a playable 2K Blood Angels and an Eldar army not too far behind.

I’m all in on 40K (much to the disappointment of my Quest friends…but what can I say, 40K is just more fun!)

Anyway, here’s what I plan to paint up for the challenge if you’ll have me.

Name	Model Count	Points
Bike Squadron	1	163
Devastator Combat Squad	5	205
Death Company Squad	9	315
Razorback	1	150
Attack Bike & Chaplain	2	163
Total		996

There’s some allowance in there for the weapons fitted to the death company, but I think it’s all very reasonable.

I’ll also be playing some more actual battles and competing in the bingo too.

Thanks for considering me.

Cheers,

Phil

Another challenge, another pledge — and unsurprisingly, it means more units for the infamous Tallarn 42nd Regiment, the Screaming Camels.

After painting more than 200 Guardsmen across the last two challenges, I think I’ve earned a break from heavy batch painting. Last time, the smallest number of models I painted in a month was five — which will likely be the upper limit this time around.

This pledge is all about armor and support. I’m genuinely looking forward to it, as it includes several favorite models alongside a few I’ve never painted before. The Attilan Rough Riders are a first for me. While I’ve previously painted Tallarn Riders on camels, I’ve never tackled the classic “Genghis Khan wannabes” on horseback. Out of place or not, Rough Riders are a vital part of the 2nd-edition feel. The same goes for Ogryns: I’ll be adding a second squad, plus Nork Deddog — another first and a lucky find.

As for armor, you can never have enough. A proper tank squadron is three, after all, so I’m clearly short one Demolisher and two Griffons — conveniently waiting on my shelf. I may also be sneaking in another Hellhound, because it’s 2nd edition, and that’s reason enough.

I’ve got a few side projects too, possibly yielding bonus models, though they won’t be part of the pledge. Finally, a moment of honesty: the past six months have been rough, and I’m not fully back on my feet. Still, I love these challenges and the community around them, and I’ll give it my best shot. Here’s hoping we get through another one together.

For Talllarn and the Screaming Camels…

Mørk

Model Name	Model Count	Points
Pledge	1	1030
Rough Rider Squad	1	100
Ogryns Squad	1	235
Leman Russ Demolisher	1	250
Griffon Heavy Mortar	2	280
Hellhound	1	165

I’m Jaime from Spain, specifically the Basque Country in the north. I’m a husband and father of two young boys, one of whom was born during the last challenge, which explains why I wasn’t able to finish it.

My passion for Warhammer 40,000 began in the early nineties through Space Crusade, 2nd edition games in hobby shops, and the inspiration of White Dwarf magazine. Those early experiences shaped my love for the setting and its iconic miniatures. Now, years later, I want to recapture that sense of wonder by rebuilding a Warhammer 40K Second Edition army. This project is a nostalgic challenge to finally paint and complete the army I always dreamed of as a kid.

I’ll be continuing work on my childhood army: the Blood Angels. During the last challenge I began Tycho’s 3rd Company, but didn’t quite finish the final month. All that remains is adding the last touches to the Terminator squad.

This time, my focus will be on creating a First Company Veterans detachment. The plan includes a Captain in Terminator armour, a Librarian in Terminator armour, an Assault Terminator squad, and a Veteran squad equipped with Mk II jump packs and led by a very special, custom-built character inspired by a classic illustration. To support them, I’ll be adding a Land Raider. While I couldn’t source the original model, I’ve already started building a Proteus from the Horus Heresy range, which I feel is an excellent stand-in.

There aren’t many models in total, but given my slow painting pace, limited hobby time, and desire for a high level of detail, this feels like a more manageable and achievable challenge.

The 1,000 points list is the following:

Terminator Captain	141	Power fist (10) digi lasers (6)
Librarian Lexicanum	102	Terminator armour, force axe (10)
Terminator Assault Squad	342	Heavy flammer (21), thunder hammer and storm shield (6), 2x lighting claws
Veterans Assault Squad	234	2x chainsword (4), power axe (7), power fist (10), power sword (6), hand flammer (7), bolt pistol (2), plasma pistol (5), bolter (3)
Land raider	220
TOTAL	1039

Hello, all! 

I’m really excited to be back in my 2nd 40K Painting Challenge. Getting involved in the 6th challenge reminded me just how much I LOVE these old miniatures and the vibrant colors that came along with them (not to mention the ridiculous rules… I’m looking at you, PygmieHippo and your splatta cannon). Last challenge, I wanted to work on painting yellow, so I chose Iyanden for my Craftworld. This time around, I plan to continue with the Iyanden theme, but will be leaning more on Aspect Warriors and Harlequins to round out my army. It’s been so much fun going through my paint jobs and miniatures from when I was in high school and picking out things to add into my ‘adult’ 40k army. Unfortunately, young adult deacon sold a fair bit of his Eldar collection and is now having to scour the internet to complete his collection again… but that’s all part of the challenge… right?

I can’t wait to see what everybody else has in store this time around! I’ve gotten to see a couple of the armies from last challenge in person, and I’ve been really inspired to up my game and the cleanliness of my painting! Here’s hoping for tons more inspiration!

This time around, I plan to paint the following items:

Group	Model Count	Total Points
Warp Spiders	5	266
Harlequins	5	157
Eldar Scouts	5	129
Eldar Dreadnought	1	205
Death Jester & Shadow Seer	2	350
TOTAL	18	1,107

Thanks for running this again Wachtmeister and Dr.TheViking! 

Deacon

Hello my friends, welcome back and hope all is well and that your biomass is proliferating at a higher than expected level!

This challenge I will be trying my hand at the hunkies hive boys you ever did see, the Tyranids! They are an army that I have really only just considered playing, but with some good luck (and a bunch of Genestealer models already available to me thanks to the last challenge), it looks like I can muster just about 1200 points of WYSIWYG genetic monstrosities.

Even at this point, I am still not actually sure what exact colours I’ll be using, but I am very keen to explore Aposematism as a theme; that is, the use of bright colours in nature to indicate danger. If you have ever seen any of my other painting projects, you’ll know that I love me some bright coloured miniatures ;D

Anyway, here’s my slices – all meticulously picked and especially so for the monthly themes in month 3 and 5 – can’t wait!

Unit Name	Model Count	Points
Termagants	9	58
Spore Mines	6	60
Tyranid Warriors	4	244
Hive Tyrant	1	216
Carnifex	1	199
Tyranid Warriors	3	165
Tyranid Warriors	3	165
Lictor	1	96
Grand Total		1,203

Thanks everyone and see you in the challenge!

Tain

Hi! I’m TinyFightingMen and I’m not afraid to admit I’ve never had a fully painted army. I’ve been (mostly) out of this hobby for the last 25 years and over the last year or so, with the help of a few YouTube channels and Facebook groups, I’ve found myself developing an interest in collecting and possibly paint again. 

A trip to the vaults, (attic space) had me rifling through old boxes squirrelled away since the late 90’s/early 2000’s. I managed to put together a force of Sisters of Battle. They definitely needed some restoration to get back to a point where I could move forward with painting them up. Stripped, cleaned up and zenithal primed (a whole new method to me). With the nostalgia bug bitting down hard, colour schemes chosen, paints purchased, I was ready to go. 

Name	Model Count	Points
Canoness	1	333
Banner Bearer	1	70
Bodyguard Unit	4	150
Battle Sister Special Weapon	1	31
Battle Sisters Squad	5	270
Veteran Sister Superior	1	23
Seraphim Squad	3	196
Seraphim	1	10
Seraphim Superior	1	11
Rhino	1	55
Sisters of Battle Immolator	1	145
Total	19	1,366

Here is my submission for the 2026 Painting challenge. Last year saw me painting up the army that got me into Warhammer 40k in the first place. This year would see me painting up a force in opposition. My total will be over 1000 Points, But that is because of how units break down. All of the miniatures will be reduced to a bare plastic or metal state unless minis that have been primed already are allowed. 

Month	Name	Model Count	Points
Month 1	Chaos Terminators	5	255
Month 2	Plague Marines	7	245
Month 3	Chaos Space Marine Bikes	3 + 1	190
Month 4	Khorne Berserkers	10	350
Month 5	Chaos Dreadnought + Sorcerer	2	300+
Month 6	Abaddon the Despoiler	1	275
Total		28 + 1	**

Welcome back! I’m excited to have Dr. The Viking join me for the 40k 2nd Edition Challenge, Mark VII. Last year’s challenge with 40 contestants was intense, and I’m glad to have support!

After the last challenge, Mørk and I considered painting all armor for our Imperial Guard armies, but plans changed. I decided to run a Warmaster painting challenge, and for the past six months, I’ve mostly painted tiny elves. I started to feel burnt out and wanted to dedicate time to other projects. Compounding this was my decision to participate in the Warmaster Revolution tournament at Adepticon, (ed. You nutter!) which requires painting an additional 9 units in two months. This is a significant commitment, especially for a game I’ve only played once! Consequently, my painting schedule for the first two months of this 40k challenge will be tight.

I’ve come up with a solution: I’ll paint an Assassin Kill Team! I already have one model from each temple, totaling 902 points. To complete this, I found the original Rogue Trader assassin on eBay, which fits perfectly. The initial two months will still present challenges with my Warmaster obligations, but I’m optimistic. If successful, I’ll have pledged the least amount of models ever for this challenge, setting an unbeatable record since you need at least 5 models due to the monthly requirement. There’s a bit of wiggle room for others to join with the same model count but fewer points.

Name	Model Count	Points
Vindicare Assassin	1	215
Callidus Assassin	1	237
Eversor Assassin	1	240
Culexus Assassin	1	210
Rogue Trader/Vanus Assassin	1	110
Total	5	1016

Heed thee, mortal! I return to Chaos triumphant. And somehow I am running this thing again… which probably is not good for anyone!

This time we’re going to rock n’ roll all nite and party every day. Shoot people through the heart, and give love a bad name! Pour some sugar on people and light them on fire!

Or at the very least, we will paint some models: The Death Leopards need no introduction. In the time since I first painted this army back in the early naughties, to now, multiple other people have come up with the same idea and paint scheme (just did a google search and confirmed). It is nothing short of modern telepathy. Of course it’s purple, of course it’s gold and of course it is leopard print! Who are we kidding?!

My force is small, but hard! As they say. Lead by Lord Lubricanus, who sports his two long-chainswords Sutte og Slikke. At his side is his sinner chamber: The Euphoriacs – 3 terminators. For tactical operations, Lord Lubricanus relies on Hysteria and Pyromania, his two chaos space marine squads. Lastly, The Living Deaf (the 6 noise marines) show up to every gig to give it a proper soundtrack.

Expect Chaos, mayhem and maybe even a bonus!

Table Name	Models	Points
Pyramania	5 x Chaos Space Marines (Flamer, Plasma) + Aspiring Champ (Combat drugs and mark of Slaanesh)	214
Hysteria	5 x Chaos Space Marines (Missile Launcher, Lascannon) + Aspiring Champion (Gaze and Mark of Slaanesh)	240
Euphoriacs	3 x Chaos Space Marine Terminators	196
The Living Deaf	5 x Noise Marines + Aspiring Champ	307
Lord Lubricanus	Chaos Lord, Mark of Slaanesh, Terminator Armour, Daemon Weapon	205
Total	19	1042