"I Am The Law!"

As a result of being rather disappointed with the first sculpt of Judge Joseph Dredd by "Mongoose Publishing", I've been plodding away on this alternative model for the "Judge Dredd Miniatures Game", code MGP10155, for the past couple of weeks.

As with the other far-future lawmen I've painted I used "Coat D'Arms" Black for Dredd's uniform, and then Vallejo" Heavy Green with a "Citadel" Thrakka Green wash for his knee pads, boots, gloves, belt and elbow pads. His belt buckle, shoulder pad, badge and chain, and shoulder eagle were painted using "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Devlan Mud.

In addition I've continued to 'pick away' at an objective marker I've glued together using all of the 10mm models from Code SFC7 Egg Cluster and five Eggs by "Pendraken Miniatures".

Modern Middle Eastern Alliance Revered Leader

This stand of 6mm "GHQ" miniatures is comprised of models taken from their "Micro Armour" stock codes TW1 Mujahadin Individual Infantrymen and TW11 Middle Eastern Civilians. I'll be using it to represent the Revered Leader who will lead the Middle Eastern Alliance force I'm currently painting; having based its force structure upon the one found in the "Battlefield Evolution: Modern Combat" rulebook by "Mongoose Publishing".

Having previously painted a 6mm British Army platoon, I know from experience that it can be very difficult to discern between Fire Team leader bases and the 'rank and file' without getting very close to the models. I wanted to avoid this problem with my Middle Eastern Alliance force so ended up putting a camel on the base, beside the revered leader figure, in order to make it really stand out. 

 

In addition, inspired by the excellent 10mm 'batch painting' recently posted on the "Rantings From under The Wargames Table" blog [http://rantingsfromunderthewargamestable.wordpress.com/2014/05/24/10mm-sci-fi-this-time-its-war/], I'm progressing through the first six "Micro Armour" stands I need to represent a basic Fedayeen Squad, complete with leader and all armed with AK-103 automatic rifles.

LRDG/SAS Dismounted Patrol - Part Three

The second of two 15mm "Battlefront Miniatures" stands I've painted over the past couple of weeks, this involves my favourite two models from the "Flames Of War" blister BR758 LRDG/SAS Dismounted Patrol. Indeed in many ways I'd have preferred the packet to have just simply consisted of multiples of this commando cap wearing soldier rather than the numerous variants with head cloths, shorts and rifles, that it actually contains.

 

Having recently bought an amount of "Battlefront Miniatures" "Battlefield In A Box" pre-painted 15mm buildings, fields and cobbled roads, I'm determined to finish off this twenty model sized blister over the next few weeks and put my newly acquired scenery to good use.

LRDG/SAS Dismounted Patrol - Part Two

This is the first of two 15mm "Battlefront Miniatures" stands I've painted over the past couple of weeks; both of which come from the "Flames Of War" blister BR758 LRDG/SAS Dismounted Patrol.

The majority of these soldiers were painted using "Vallejo" Heavy Grey and Heavy Sienna. Both these areas were then washed with either Umber Shade or "The Army Painter" Quickshade Strong Tone. The shorts were painted using "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and a wash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst the head cloth was first painted with "Vallejo" White before being washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally their machine guns were painted using "Vallejo" Gunmetal Grey and Black Shade.

 

In addition I've started something of a 'factory line' of 6mm "GHQ" "Micro Armour" miniatures in order to 'batch-paint' approximately fifty figures from their Third World Warriors range.

Painting Challenge: Week Eight - (More) 6mm Micro Armour

Having started to paint a Middle Eastern Alliance modern army last week, I've now got to paint an additional six bases of 6mm "GHQ" "Micro Armour" miniatures in order to complete this (eighth) week's painting challenge.

As a result I plan to try and finish the initial stands required to field a basic Fedayeen Squad, including a unit leader base all armed automatic rifles. I then hope to be able to build upon this core frontline asset with another six stands; four of which will either be armed with SVU sniper rifles or AT-13 Sexhorn-2 anti-tank missile systems.

In addition I also hope to finally complete a few more North African resin buildings by "Baccus 6mm" that have been stuck in my painting queue over the past few weeks.

Retained Knights - Part Two

These two 15mm "The Ion Age" miniatures come from the Prydian Army range selection IAF008 Retained Knight Post Charlie. They have been based upon a small "Battlefront Miniatures" stand as I want them to represent a Crimson Fist Space Marine Sergeant (i.e. Wildcard) when playing some 'Rogue Trader era' games of "Savage Worlds" using the "Science Fiction Companion" setting.

The models were therefore initially undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Blue before being washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil". Both their hands and the Sergeant's 'beaky' helmet were then picked out with "Vallejo" Heavy Red, before these areas were treated to a glaze of "Citadel" Bloodletter. Finally the models' Angis rifles were simply painted using the "Citadel" combination of Boltgun Metal with Nuln Oil.

As a complete contrast to the various 15mm models I've recently been painting, and the 6mm miniatures I presently preparing to paint, I've also started work on some of the 28mm Bakemono "Bushido" models from the Savage Wave Starter Set by "GCT Studios".

Painting Challenge: Week Seven - 6mm Micro Armour

The seventh week of my painting challenge will herald the beginning of work on a 6mm Middle Eastern Alliance army using "GHQ" miniatures. To begin with I just plan to paint up a Revered Leader stand, using predominantly Middle Eastern Civilian Modern "Micro Armour" models. But if I get time I aim to start painting a Fedayeen Squad, utilising a selection of  models from other "GHQ" Third World Warriors blisters.

 

I have finally completed the first of several laser cut scenery tiles I recently bought from "Hurlbat Games". I plan to use these pieces of 3mm thick MDF to indicate a Built Up Area (BUA), so rather than place a base of infantry on top of a building I can simply position them alongside the structure, on the BUA base, as a means of showing the infantry have occupied it.

 

In addition I'm putting the finishing touches on a few more "Flames Of War" models by "Battlefront Miniatures".

Muster First Patrol - Part Two

These two stands of 15mm "The Ion Age" miniatures are from the Prydian Army models found within code IAF022 Muster First Patrol. As these Muster Patrol Troopers are all armed with Moth Type 6 rifles, they've been based on a couple of medium bases by "Battlefront Miniatures" in order represent a small group of Guardsmen (i.e. Extras for the "Science-Fiction Companion" setting for the "Savage Worlds" core rules system).

In order to try and capture some of the feel of the 'Imperial Guard' from the 'Rogue Trader era' the infantrymen were all undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and then had their shoulder pads, boots, and chest armour painted with "Coat D'Arms" Black. Any leg pouches and backpacks were painted using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Quickshade Strong Tone. All the weapons were coated with "Citadel" Boltgun Metal and then washed with Nuln Oil. Their cap badges were painted using "Vallejo" Heavy Red and the "Citadel" glaze Bloodletter.

In the meantime I am trying to concentrate on yet another 28mm "Judge Dredd" miniature by "Mongoose Publishing"; this time the man himself, Judge Joseph Dredd.

Pendraken Miniatures Face Huggers

As something of a simple distraction, I've painted up all ten of my face Hugger models by "Pendraken Miniatures". These excellent metal second stage xenomorphs are available either as code SFC8 Face Huggers, or as part of the Alien Creatures Army Pack.

In my opinion however, the parasitoid models are somewhat too large in scale for the rest of the Alien creature figures in the Science Fiction range, and appear more in proportion to the 15mm Xenomorphs by "Ground Zero Games" I've recently painted.    

All the miniatures have been painted using a simple application of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre followed by an initial wash of "The Army Painter" Quickshade Ink Strong Tone, and then a wash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

 

Meanwhile I'm progressing with the remaining 15mm models I own from "Battlefront Miniatures" "Flames Of War" blister BR758 LRDG/SAS Dismounted Patrol.

Painting Challenge: Week Six - 15mm Battlefront Miniatures

This week's painting challenge is to complete just a couple of bases of 15mm figures. As a result I thought this would be a good opportunity to make some more progress on the sixteen unfinished "Battlefront Miniatures" I recently discovered, all of which come from the "Flames Of War" blister BR758 LRDG/SAS Dismounted Patrol.

 

In addition I thought I'd also try and paint the final few stands of Retained Knights and Prydian Muster Patrol models (by "The Ion Age") I need to finish as part of my current 'Aliens verses The Imperium' 15mm project.

 

Lastly, I have fully based the first of three MDF air vents/sewer openings I bought whilst at "Colours" last year. A simple "Citadel" Boltgun Metal and Nuln Oil wash worked well for the metal grates, whilst I used "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey with more "Citadel" Nuln Oil for the concrete support.

Modern UK Infantrymen - Final Part

These five bases [n.b. only four pictured] of 6mm "GHQ" miniatures predominantly come from the "Micro Armour" blister N139 Modern UK Individual Infantrymen and are the final stands I need to complete a second Rifleman Section's Fire Team for my British Modern Army (loosely based upon the platoon structure found within "Battlefield Evolution: Modern Combat" by "Mongoose Publishing").

The models were undercoated with "Citadel" Knarloc Green and then washed using "The Army Painter" Quickshade Ink Strong Tone. They were then dry-brushed with more "Citadel" Knarloc Green before I 'picked out' the soldier's footwear, weapons, hands and faces with "Coat D'Arms" Black. The areas of skin were then painted using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Ogryn Flesh wash.

 The Milan anti-tank rifle system model comes from the "Micro Armour" blister N140 Modern UK Individual Infantry Weapons. Whilst the four armoured personnel carriers are from code N515 AT-105 Saxon.

I'm currently painting up some simple MDF scenery to use as large air vents/sewer entrances for an upcoming 'Aliens verses The Imperium' project. I plan to play out the campaign using the "Science Fiction Companion" setting for "Savage Worlds" with a unit of Imperial Guard and Crimson Fists Space Marines investigating the disappearance of the inhabitants on the conquered colony LV-426. Hardly original but hopefully fun. 

In Need Of Repair - Part Two

Just over a month ago I started to try and re-paint the Emperor's Champion model I used as the HQ choice for my (Fifth Edition) Black Templar Space Marines Force.

Time had most definitely not been gentle with the "Games Workshop" metal miniature, having especially left its Black Sword battered and chipped; something especially disappointing as the "Warhammer 40K" model never saw a 'battlefield in anger', so I can't even explain away the damage as 'war wounds' and cite some heroic actions.

As a result I have been spending some time trying to re-paint the figure's defects, and also add some extra detail to the Chosen of the Emperor's colour scheme. In particular I wanted to break up the sheer white the model's left leg.

Unfortunately, the coating of PVA glue I used to use to coat all of my models has made any such attempts a disaster, and despite the considerable passage of time, the glue returns to a sticky liquid state just as soon as paint (and water) touch it. This has meant that the "Vallejo" Gold kneepad I intended to apply, quickly became a lumpy stodgy mess as the glue mixed with the paint both on the model and on the brush tip.

After several attempts, it became clear that the model either needed to be completely stripped or binned and replaced. Initially I was inclined to go for the later option, and simply retain my (old) Emperor's Champion as a sentimental reminder of painting days (and skills) gone by. However I have struggled to find a metal replacement at any reasonable price, and with such a vulnerable pose, I was not willing to consider the "Games Workshop" Finecast alternative.

As a result I have completely stripped the model, although a few bits of paint remain stubbornly stuck to the miniature's cloak and waist. I've also been able to properly pin the Emperor's Champion sword arm to the torso, and replace the figure's backpack with one which actually belongs to the Black Templar Chapter.

 Having now undercoated the model with two layers of "Coat D'Arms" Black, I've started to paint a small 'Rogue Trader era' two-man Crimson Fist 'Sergeant' stand using some more of the excellent 15mm Retained Knight models from "The Iron Age".  

Heroclix Daredevil And Ironclad

This 28mm plastic "Heroclix" model of blind lawyer Matt Murdock, is taken from the Marvel Infinity Challenge range by "Wizkids" and is number 099.

One of the first models I recall obtaining for the New Jersey-based publisher's super-hero collectible miniatures game, Daredevil was entirely undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Red before being heavily washed with an old pot of "Citadel" Baal Red I wanted to use up. To make his specially-designed billy stick stand out a little (as ordinarily it's depicted being the same colour as the Marvel knight's costume), I gave it an additional wash of Agrax Earthshade.

Daredevil's face was painted using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Ogryn Flesh. I then 'highlighted' his cheeks, mouth, nose and chin with more "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone.

 

Even quicker to paint, but possibly one of the most disappointing miniatures in the "Heroclix" range, is this 28mm plastic model of U-Foe, Ironclad; which can be found as part of the Marvel Web of Spiderman range as number 016.

A simple "Citadel" Boltgun Metal undercoat with Nuln Oil wash completed this model's painting in just a few minutes. Unfortunately though the figure's head bears little resemblance to scientist Michael Steel's square head. Instead it's seemingly been sculpted to resemble that of the Russian X-Man Colossus. As a result I was tempted to try my hand at some green stuff sculpting, but didn't feel I had either the skill or patience to do the miniature justice; perhaps at some point I'll purchase a second one...

"It's Clobberin' Time!"

This 28mm plastic "Heroclix" model of Aunt Petunia's favourite nephew, is taken from the Marvel Clobberin' Time range by "Wizkids" and is number 48. Quite a few variants of Benjamin Jacob Grimm have now been produced for the super-hero collectible miniatures game but this is undoubtedly the best pose of one of the Fantastic Four's founding members.

In many ways this miniature should have been very simple (and quick) to paint. But unfortunately, having forgotten why I shelved my "Vallejo" Umber Shade wash last year, I ended up having to repaint Stan Lee's creation a few times before I was happy with it.

 

Unsurprisingly the model was undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Orange, before The Thing's shorts were painted with Heavy Blue and washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. His flexible rock-like hide was then treated to the aforementioned coat of "Vallejo" Umber Shade, and disaster then repeatedly struck.

I chose to use Umber Shade as previously I've found the wash to simply provide a light, almost watery muddy brown shadow to a model, which lets the undercoat still show through; as opposed to "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, which simply stains the model a deep dark brown. In addition, I've found the "Vallejo" shade can itself 'crack' when it pools, and that struck me as a useful side-effect if applied heavily all over the Thing's mutagenic skin.

Unfortunately what the Umber Shade also does is merrily flow everywhere else, all over a model. It simply doesn't seem to have the surface tension I've found inherent with "Citadel" inks, which holds the wash in place in the areas where I've applied it. As a result, every time I built up the shade pools (to create the cracking effect), Ben Grimm's shorts also quickly became contaminated with brown wash and had to be painted blue again; rather annoying.

As a complete aside though I would urge you to visit the "Rantings From Under The Wargames" blog for a totally different take on this "Heroclix" model, following the application of some serious green stuff. The initial posting can be found here: http://rantingsfromunderthewargamestable.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/superheroes-february-2014

 I recently bought one of the Iron Brothers Twenty Man Troop Units from "Ramshackle Games" with the intention of painting them up as proxies for the Souther and Nort (using mole-mask heads) far-future soldiers found within the "2000AD" comic universe of "Rogue Trooper". This 28mm resin model has finally been undercoated "Vallejo" Heavy Grey in preparation for use as a test piece.