"The Weapon Is Ours..."

"...And safe because it guards itself."

This 28mm scale metal Supreme Commander was bought from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" way back at "Salute" 2016. But is now available as SKU: FED01 from "Beast In The Broch". Sculpted by Ernst Veingart, the miniature is clearly inspired by actress Jacqueline Pearce's unforgettable portrayal of Servalan during the BBC science fiction television series “Blake’s Seven” - even going so far as to wear the character's costume from the 1979 episode "Weapon".

Having already painted a figure of the "principal villain" before wearing an all-white dress, I was somewhat loathe to do so again. So instead decided to opt for a "Vallejo" Heavy Red undercoat, before sploshing her with plenty of "Citadel" Carroburg. The "powerful figure in the Terran Federation" was then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and had her skin 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - This Gell Guard has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

I also applied a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal" over a "Citadel" Abaddon Black layer on to the Supreme Commander's carbine pistol, as well as her elaborate neck collar. This part of the costume actually consisted of thin wire. However, as with the cloth's gossamer waist and sleeves, I thought a much more solid colour would suffice for my sanity's sake. The metallic areas were later shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Finally I tackled the miniature's face, and decided to go with some "Vallejo" Heavy Blue eye make-up and Heavy Red lipstick. Unfortunately, the raised detail on one side of the sculpt's head wasn't quite as pronounced as I would've liked, so ultimately I ended up painting in Servalan's instantly recognisable close-cropped haircut, as opposed to being able to simply allow my brush-tip to follow any contours on the figure.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - Three Italian Infantrymen have been assembled and undercoated

Sticking with metal miniatures I've owned for a few years, I have dug out five Gell Guards by "Black Tree Design" which I had initially planned to pigment during last year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). These "Doctor Who" monster from the anti-matter universe were bought way back in September 2020, and have rather embarrassingly been suffering at the bottom of my grit-tin for the past thirteen or so months. Resultantly, I figured it was high time I slapped some colours on them and tried to hint at the 'bubble-wrap' costumes which they wore during the televised story "The Three Doctors".

Furthermore, I simply couldn't resist assembling some more 28mm plastic World War Two Italians using some of the Italian Army & Blackshirts sprues "Warlord Games" have kindly been sending me, along with my recent orders. For now, I've simply settled upon a basic five-figure squad. But hope to expand upon this meagre "Bolt Action" force throughout the year whenever the opportunity arises... 

Top Ten Miniatures Of 2024 - A "Rantings From Under The Wargames Table" Viewpoint

Well another year has come and gone, and as the clock creeps its way towards 2025 it’s time for me to give my assessment of Simon’s output for the year and pick my top ten miniatures from his consistently impressive output. So without further ado here my ten favourite miniatures of 2024.

No. 10 - Soviet Cosmonaut by "Black Site Studios" - November 21st

I’ve really enjoyed Simon’s posts about his combative astronauts, so much so that I had to go over and nose about “Black Site’s” website - though thankfully, I have resisted “pulling the trigger” so far! Yes the painting is deceptively simple on the face of it, with it being mostly just "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. But it’s this simplicity mixed with the painstakingly picked out details that made them really appeal to me. He has not gone mad trying to be overly clever with the painting, and as such the result works so well. I must also give a quick special mention to “Laika” the Cosmonaut dog, he’s just brilliant too!

No. 9 - Ultron by “CoolMiniOrNot” - July 15th

Despite never having played “Marvel United”, my love of all things “Marvel” does keep me avidly reading any posts I find with well painted figures for us “True believers” to enjoy. That’s exactly what we have here - a very well pigmented version of the Avengers bad guy Ultron. Once again though, at first glance it appears to be a simple paint job. But a closer inspection reveals several layers skilfully applied to give that sumptuous silver finish and red highlights. Indeed, this attention to detail is even carried over onto the base work!

No. 8 - Batmobile by “Mattel” - April 26th

Simon has been running a bit of a narrative commentary over the last couple of years linked to the “Gaslands” set of car combat rules, and has produced some awesome (and unusual) vehicles to take part in his games. However, this somewhat caricaturistic version of the 1989 Batmobile is my absolute favourite. The car itself fits the over the top theme of the game so well, and Simon’s additions are well thought out. Added to the simple black paintwork with its subtle red highlights - which hark back to the “Adam West” incarnation, and this is just perfection in my books.

No. 7 - Monica Rambeau by “Wizkids” - May 27th

Well there always seems to be at least one of the now legendary Heroclix figures by "Wizkids" in my yearly round up of Simon best, and this year you will be happy to learn is no different. Though I have to admit to being somewhat indifferent to Miss Rambeau’s exploits as “Captain Marvel” back in the eighties, I can very much appreciate a well painted figure, and this despite Simon’s own disappointment in his results is very much what I can see here. I have found overzealous paint application on the original figure to be a bit of a bugbear on many a “clix”. But the way he has worked around this problem to get the quality results he has is a testament to his and any painters skill.

No. 6 - Marshal Ney by “Warlord Games” - September 9th

I have long had an interest in the wars of Napoleon - mainly through historical fiction more than the gaming side of things - so Simon’s Napoleonic efforts are always a joy to behold. There is a lot of love that goes into each paintjob, and it shows through in the end results. This representation of the “First Prince de la Moskowa” is no different. The colours are as always spot on, and the attention to detail is top notch too. As for the painting? Well after all the relevant colours were in place, Simon "treated it to a zealous amount of Citadel Agrax Earthshade, before dry-brushing with Vallejo Heavy Brown to hopefully tie the colours all together” and, spoiler alert, it did! Top work.

No. 5 - Supernatural Investigator by “North Star Military Figures” - September 23rd

I love it when a figure designed to go with one game can be swapped over to a different game entirely, and that’s what’s happened here as this chap, the “Monster hunter” from "The Silver Bayonet" will also be serving his time amongst Simon's Napoleonic ranks. As usual, the painting is sublime and I especially love the contrast of the "Vallejo" Heavy Red scarf next to the "Two Thin Coats" Cold Corpse Blue of his long coat.

No. 4 - Ruthless Lieutenant by “Crooked Dice Design Studio” - January 15th

Well it was pretty obvious from the moment miniatures started appearing on Simon’s blog from the iconic 1980 version of “Flash Gordon” that at least one of them was going to make my list for this year. Though they were all rather wonderful, there was just something about his painting of this (not) General Kala that put her slightly above the rest. Maybe it was the black (he does do black so very well), I don’t know, but I can almost hear her shouting “Dispatch War Rocket Ajax, to bring back his body!”.

No. 3 - Commander Kuro by “Crooked Dice Design Studio” - August 12th

I’m a bit of a “toy fanatic” ('Big Kid' in other terms), and like nothing better than sourcing or making 28mm representations of my favourite toys from childhood. So it’s nice to know I have a kindred spirit in Simon, - especially when he’s posting inspiring stuff like this small scale incarnation of the “Action Force” villain known as the Black Major. Now I’m not going to wax lyrical about how well he paints any figures dressed in black (I say it every year, because it’s true!). But suffice to say the painting is excellent, and I was especially impressed by the “five o’clock shadow” the figure is sporting.

No. 2 - Howard Quartz by “Warlord Games” - March 31st

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for the "ABC Warriors" and anything associated with them. So when this outstanding version of the boss of a trio of former/future members of the team appeared on Simon's blog, he certainly had me sitting up and paying attention. The lovely neat brushwork and attention to detail brought the erstwhile ten percent human leader of Ro-Busters very much to life.

No. 1 - Skeletal Spaceman by “Diehard Miniatures” - December 25th

So what has made it to the top of the tree this year? Well Simon left it pretty late to do his finest work by not posting this till Christmas Day. This outstanding undead astronaut is a really nice figure, but it’s the pure 'tour de force' in painting the skeleton that really lifts it to new heights. The actual bone work is expertly tinted and is a perfect contrast to the “grubby” white of his spacesuit. This isn't easy to do, and a closer look reveals subtle aquamarine tones that also add interest without distracting from the piece as a whole. Just really impressive work I love this.

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So that’s it another year of wonderful miniatures condensed into a few lines by yours truly… Well obviously not! There are so many other outstanding posts well worth a re-read (or first read if you missed them), that my advice is grab a brew and a mince pie so you can scroll back to January, and revel in Simon's excellent painting and prose!

Here’s wishing you all a very happy new year. Whether you be gaming or painting here’s hoping you get the results you hope for. I’ll now hand back the reins to Simon, and thank him for letting me loose upon his blog.

Cheers Roger.

N.B. You can visit Roger's excellent wargaming blog and see his excellent output here:

"Rantings From Under The Wargames Table"

"It's A Megalodon."

"It's circling back."

This 32mm scale Megalodon Dorsal Fin (Submerged) was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "Loot Studios" as part of their "Forgotten Beasts" Sci-Fi Subscription bundle. 50mm tall and 80mm in length, the miniature actually comes in two separate pieces, with the 'Splash' needing to be printed on its own.

I was initially tempted to plonk the ensemble onto a "Citadel" circular stand. But then decided that one of the Nottingham-based company's plastic 52mm x 90mm oval bases would greatly reduce the amount of waves I would need to create in Green Stuff, as well as add to the overall dynamic of the giant fin cutting straight through the water at a serious rate of knots. Resultantly, I super-glued the huge spray down, and once I'd finished painstaking 'cutting in' plenty of ripples on the putty with a modelling knife, gave the entire piece a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue.

"Alternative Armies" WIPs - A converted Retained Knight Commander with Octa Power Sword

I then repeatedly just added a little bit more "Vallejo" White to the mix, and used a make-up blusher brush to patiently lighten all the numerous ridges sculpted onto the Splash. Once I was happy with the waves pigmentation, I picked up a much smaller make-up brush, and applied some pure "Vallejo" White to the very edges of the spray.

With the larger piece completed, I next turned my attention to the fin and primed it with a combination of "Vallejo" Neutral Grey and Sombre Grey, before shading the triangular print with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The Megalodon was subsequently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and later had all its injuries washed with a little "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Lastly, it was given a second dry-brush of (even more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and a last lick of Neutral Grey.

"Wizkids" WIPs - S.T.R.I.P.E. is having all his red armour 'picked out'

Alongside this opening trip to "a strange, different reality, where the moon intercepted the gigantic meteor that would bring extinction to all dinosaurs", I have also been working on a 28mm metal model by "Alternative Armies" which I first bought and converted approximately four years ago. This Retained Knight Commander with Octa Power Sword was given a pair of plastic "Games Workshop" Blood Angel wings so I could better use it as a Sanguinius proxy for my 15mm Horus Heresy project using "The Ion Age" range - and once the base colours/washes were applied has disconcertingly just sat in a drawer until now.

I've also 'dug out' an age-old "Heroclix" sculpt of S.T.R.I.P.E. by "Wizkids". This supposedly "super rare" 28mm scale plastic figure has previously been cut off of its flying stand and been potentially pigmented in "Citadel" Leadbelcher to cover its pre-paint-job, before being set aside for a rainy day. So I figured I apply some "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to Pat Dugan's armoured suit, and see whether that motivates me to finally finish the Star-Spangled Kid's side-kick...

"Wood Wards Were Originally Created By Evil Druids..."

"...To sow terror in logging villages that were encroaching on the forest."

This 28mm/32mm scale resin print of a WoodWard was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "Rocket Pig Games" on "MyMiniFactory". This is actually the second "human-shaped amalgam of wood, leather, and forest debris" I've painted, having previously pigmented a 40mm tall pre-printed version sold by “FullyCycled” over on “Etsy”. Indeed, I was so impressed with this particular 'Monster Miniature', that I bought the STL shortly after I got my own 3D printer.

Presumably based upon a Wood Woad, which first appeared in the Monster Manual III for “Dungeons & Dragons” in 2004, the model actually comes with and without a rocky base - so having previously worked on one with a stand, I thought I'd just have this version stood on 'open ground'. Resultantly, the Lawful neutral plant was super-glued to a "Citadel" 50mm circular base, and undercoated using a mixture of “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna and Surface Primer Leather Brown.

My two WoodWards alongside some of my other "Rocket Pig Games" miniatures

"Immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form, the animated protector was sploshed with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, before being dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna. It was then lightly touched with a little “Vallejo” Earth all over, and had the visible inner wood on top of its head 'picked out' using a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Brown and “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. I also applied both some “Vallejo” Heavy Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green to the sculpt's shoulders and shield, and then tried to blend this 'moss' back in with the rest of the colour scheme via a dry-brush of (even more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and Heavy Brown. Lastly, I carefully sketched a couple of lines of "Citadel" Abaddon Black into the bark where the Wood Woad's eyes apparently were, and gave its club a lick of "Citadel" Doombull Brown, as well as a dousing in Agrax Earthshade.

To be honest, working on this particular model was something of a double-edged sword emotion-wise, as I was somewhat shocked once I saw that the figure I had 3D printed was significantly larger than the supposed 32mm scale version I bought way back in March 2021 - and yet I never modified the STL in any way on "Chitubox" Basic. So just why my first WoodWard was shrunk in height from 60mm down to 40mm was rather baffling, unless you take the rather cynical view that it was likely for a purely financial decision in order to save a few pennies on resin..?

"Laugh this off, Twinkletoes!"

The size difference also reminded me of just why I had binned my previous project using "Rocket Pig Games" sculpts in the first place too - as I had been getting increasingly frustrated with the inconsistency of the miniature scales I was receiving via "Etsy". Of course, now I can 3D print my own my enthusiasm for a woodland folk verses mechanical creations project/campaign has been renewed. But I'm still debating on whether to simply restart it from scratch, using the figures at their 'correct' size, or perhaps try to shrink them all down to the height of my previously-painted efforts - I guess time will tell..?

In addition to my WoodWard though, I have also completed a second 28mm metal British NBC trooper by "Athena Miniatures". The miniature was predominantly painted using "Vallejo" Heavy Grey and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. However, I also tackled the chap's ammunition pouch with some round(ish) splodges of “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, Luftwaffe Camouflage Green and Heavy Sienna so as to create a basic camouflage pattern. This area was later shaded with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, before each colour was highlighted back up with (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, Luftwaffe Camouflage Green and Heavy Sienna.

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2023 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

Having purchased an "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer just before 2023 began, I was utterly convinced that over the course of the year my usual source of miniature manufacturers were going to be wholly replaced by the various “Patreon” service memberships I subscribed to. Initially, that was the case too, as in my enthusiasm for the 'new technology' I both bought a veritable army of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files, and produced an almost endless array of grey, "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin models with which to litter my painting area.

Intriguingly though, despite this strong early showing, I increasingly found myself returning to the physical heft of metal miniatures, and even started buying from many of my mainstay manufacturers once again. Admittedly, this surprising development did not cause me to completely turn my back upon all the 3D sculpted science fiction oddities and the fantasy-based denizens of dungeons I owned. But it definitely lead to a noticeable slow down in my painting of the 'grey wave' I was creating, in favour of numerous metal and plastic models - with many being historically based...

No. 10 - "Steel Fist Miniatures" - "Italian Wars"

I must confess to this being one of my most disappointing projects of the year, considering just how much enthusiasm I had for it when I purchased my initial ten Foot Knights from "Steel Fist Miniatures". I had never had an interest in the Italian Wars before, but having watched a few "YouTube" videos on the subject, and bought "Fornovo 1495: France's bloody fighting retreat" by "Osprey Publishing", I was 'well in the mood'. Sadly, an incorrect order, an all-too easily broken figure, numerous assembly issues with the multi-piece metal models, a delayed second order, and then the website's temporary closure (admittedly due to illness), utterly sapped any drive I had to finish even two five-men strong forces.

No. 10 - "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" - "7TV  Second Edition"

Perhaps one of the biggest shocks of 2023 was just how pitifully few figures I pigmented from Karl Perrotton's company. The wonderful mixture of spy-fi, science fiction and fantasy miniatures which the Lincolnshire-based business produces has made it my favourite model manufacturer for the past two years running. However, for the first nine months of this year, I clearly got my usual fix of "space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life" from other avenues - predominantly 3D printed STL files based upon such classic franchises as "Doctor Who", "Alien", "Robo-Cop" and "Terminator".

No. 9 - "CoolMiniOrNot" - "Zombicide"

Despite owning more versions, expansion boxes and hard-backed scenario books of the cooperative boardgame "Zombicide" than I probably care to consider, I had never really settled down to purposely painting a batch of them until the arrival of Marvel Zombies. Spurred on by a deep-interest in comic book super-heroes, and an increasing disinterest in my once-popular range of "Heroclix" meta-humans, I suddenly found myself pigmenting a handful of plastic figures - in both their survivor and undead states.

No. 8 - "Battlefront Miniatures" - "Flames Of War"

Having previously painted quite a sizeable contingent of 15mm scale German Panzer-grenadiers, heavy machinegun teams and mortar units in the past, it seemed clear that my infantry would require some much needed armour/artillery if they were to succeed on the battlefields of World War Two. However, despite giving all of my Panzer tanks a rather basic dark grey palette, much of this initial enthusiasm was eventually watered-down by a lack of both games, and the time-consuming camouflage pattern I developed for my 7.5cm Tank-Hunter Platoon.

No. 7 - "Black Tree Design" - "Doctor Who"

Whilst the modern day interpretation of the "British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC" caused me to lose all interest in the actual show, I did find myself (once again) seeking some comfort in this company's somewhat clunky sculpts of the programme's Classic era - most notably the early days of actor Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Third Doctor. Resultantly, I found myself pigmenting a Martian delegate from the Galactic Federation, a plethora of boiler-suit wearing Autons, and even a trio of long-forgotten Quarks which had been sat gathering dust on my hobby table for longer than I care to recall.

No. 6 - "Wargames Foundry" - "Napoleonic Range"

I have always wanted to own enough 28mm Napoleonic figures to be able to have a decent game of Black Powder or some-such rule-set, and this was the year I decided to finally try to make it happen. Of course, this is going to be a long-term project. But having made some decisions regarding just how much detail I was going to paint on my colourfully-costumed collection, I got a good handful of British, French and Russian infantrymen finished - plus even managed to visit the company's shop in Newark.

No. 5 - "Games Workshop" - "The Lord Of The Rings" & "The Horus Heresy"

Being one of my mainstay manufacturers over the years, I definitely didn't get anywhere near as many "Citadel" miniatures tabletop ready as I had anticipated for this twelve month period. Much of this unproductiveness was due to the sheer number of Sons of Horus traitor marines required for even a simple game of Warhammer 30,000 eventually grinding me down, and if not for a renewed interest in their Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game (or at least painting the predominantly black Ring Wraiths) it's arguably doubtful that the studio would even feature on this list.

No. 4 - "Big Mr Tong" - "Dune"

With my 3D printing skills rapidly improving, I quickly found myself producing a seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of Mike Tongue's small-sized 28mm miniatures. Sadly many of these models went straight into a plastic container for a forthcoming 'rainy day'. But some, such as his marvellous Sardaukar sculpts, went straight onto my painting table, and enabled me to eventually field an impressive fifteen-figure strong unit of the Padishah Emperor's elite military force. Coupled with some (more) Sentry Robots inspired by "The Black Hole", as well as a giant automaton from "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", and I was extremely happy paying out for my Patreon membership with "Big Mr Tong".

No. 3 - "Warlord Games" - "American Civil War"

With hindsight, it is incredible that I managed to paint so many of this Nottingham-based company's 15mm scale plastic figures, as I absolutely hated putting a brush-tip to the seemingly never-ending, fiddly lines of infantrymen. Indeed, by the time I completed all the models found on the free sprue I received with Issue 397 of "Wargames Illustrated", I had almost had enough of the range - and that was despite playing a few games of Black Powder with them at my local wargaming club.

No. 2 - "Pendraken Miniatures" - "World War Two"

There can be no doubt in my mind that this was a bit of shocker, as before March I had little interest in resurrecting my long-forgotten 10mm Battle Of The Bulge project. A chance encounter with a bag containing half a dozen Sherman tanks completely changed all that, and before I knew it I was not only pigmenting the sizeable backlog of armoured vehicles I already owned, but buying numerous new ones from "Pendraken Miniatures" - both online and in person at shows. Furthermore, I started collecting and gaming the fictious Operation Sea Lion, which overall caused me to produce a whopping 42 armoured vehicles throughout the year.

No. 1 - "Papsikels Miniatures" - "Aliens" & "The Terminator"

Quite possibly, considering my love of both science fiction movie franchises and 3D printing, this particular creator was always going to be a tough act to beat. In fact, for a while, my utter infatuation with their STL files was close to stopping me buying any more physical figures ever again, and whilst I still visited a few wargaming shows, I was always offsetting the cost of metal/plastic models against the price of just one bottle of "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin and how many "Papsikels Miniatures" I could produce using it.

"The Massive Defeat In 1806..."

"...Shook the foundations of Prussian military theory and practice."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their PN031 Infantry Command set. The figure is one of seven Napoleonic Prussian soldiers sculpted by Alan Perry found in the blister, and frankly almost single-handedly derailed my enthusiasm for the Black Powder period due to some incredibly challenging detail.

In addition, I found the rather washed-out 'official' paint-job on the Newark-based company's website to be disconcertingly green, and it wasn't until I finally stumbled upon a Knotel Uniform plate depicting some officers from the Schlesisches Schutzen-Bataillon that I was convinced of the colour scheme. As a result, the miniature was primed using my usual mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Vallejo Surface Primer Black, and had its trousers base layered with "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

"Never before had any first-class army been so swiftly and decisively reduced to impotence."

I next shaded the pants with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, before 'picking out' the model's cuffs, collar and turn backs in "Vallejo" Heavy Red. These areas were later treated to a splosh of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson too. I was going to use this combination on the officer's epaulettes too. However, I eventually decided to simply mark them out with a little "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade - so they'd stand out somewhat on the tabletop.

The figure's sash was carefully traced out in "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and later dirtied up a bit with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I then tackled the miniature's jacket using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Green and lashings of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. Finally, the Prussian's sword blade was given a quick coat of "Vallejo" Gunmetal, "Citadel" Nuln Oil and (more) "Vallejo Gunmetal. Whilst his backpack was pigmented in "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"This is it. At least it'll be over quickly."

Alongside this time-consuming terror, I have also managed to complete a 28mm metal Alien Legionary 1C by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”. Sculpted by Ernst Veingart, the model has clearly been strongly influenced by Danilo Donati's costume design for the Emperor Ming's minions seen in Mike Hodges' cult 1980 movie "Flash Gordon", and is one of several similarly-posed space-goons I plan to get tabletop ready over the coming few months.

Predominantly painted using "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, the guard had all of his leather straps and belt carefully 'traced out' in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and his belt buckle/shoulder epaulettes 'dotted' using a combination of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also applied a little "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to the legionary's gloves, and some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel "Nuln Oil to the model's face-mask lenses...

"We Are The Sons Of Horus."

"Once called the Luna Wolves, we now bear the name of our primarch."

This 28mm plastic miniature of a Space Marine Sergeant is by "Games Workshop" and comes from the sadly now long OOP (Out Of Production) Betrayal At Calth boxed game by "Games Workshop". The multi-part figure has been assembled wearing MK IV armour and had a resin Sons of Horus "Forge World" shoulder-pad super-glued onto him so as to specifically mark him out as belonging to the Traitor Legion.

The figure was initially primed with "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, before being heavily washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green. I then applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to his shoulder-pads, ammunition pouches, backpack, Plasma Pistol, helmet, Power Claws and various elbow/knee joints.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - A trio of British N.B.C. (Nuclear Biological Chemical) troopers

Following up from this the model's vents, firearm, and Power Claws were later treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, whilst I gave the Sergeant's left shoulder-pad a single coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, some Gold, and a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Having also applied this metallic concoction to the miniature's lower left leg, his chest emblem and various decorations, all these areas were subsequently highlighted with some additional touches of "Vallejo" Gold along the edges, iconography and rivets.

As a final touch I applied some "Scalecolor" Speed Metal to the composite ceramite cooling coils of the Space Marine's plasma pistol and eye lenses. These parts were eventually given a lick of "Citadel" Contrast colour Talassar Blue and Flesh Tearers Red respectively. Lastly, I stuck one of the many decals found on the "Games Workshop" Sons of Horus Legion transfer sheet onto the right shoulder-pad.

"Lost Heresy Miniatures" WIPs - Three Vulgorn Guards primed and base-layered

Alongside the third of my Sons of Horus Space Marine Sergeants, I have managed to make a little bit more progress on the British NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) models I picked up from "Athena Miniatures" at "Warfare" 2024. Three of the figures have now had their L98 A2 rifles and gas masks base-layered with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and had their camouflaged ammunition pouches completed too.

Furthermore, despite initially believing I'd finished my 28mm scale Vulgorn Guard patrol by "Lost Heresy Miniatures" in December last year, I have since found three more of the (not) "Hitchhiker's Of The Galaxy" models in one of my drawers - clearly indicating I was even more enthusiastic with my Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and their STL (Standard Triangle Language) files than I thought. I was somewhat tempted to mark this trio out as an 'elite' unit of the extra-terrestrial bureaucrats by painting them in the garish green jumpsuits seen in John Lloyd's 1981 television series. But in the end decided to simply 'fold' the three identical sculpts into my current colour scheme...