"Feelings? Yes, We Know Of This Weakness Of Yours."

The Mark II Cyberman from "The Moonbase"

This 28mm metal model of a Cyberman from the British Science Fiction television series “Doctor Who” is by “Black Tree Design” and is code DW207 Tomb Cyberman. Whovian officionardos will naturally recognise it as the Mark II Cyberman, which first appeared in the 1967 four-parter “The Moonbase”. However it is far more widely recognised as the Timelord’s foe from the story “Tomb Of The Cybermen”, which was broadcast later that year.

This model is actually a repaint, having found him amongst a box of long-forgotten miniatures during my New Year clear-up. Most of these “Black Tree Design” models were still in their blisters, so I’ve opened them all out into a container and plan to try and paint my way through them as the year progresses. Originally this figure’s paint-job simply comprised of a silver dry-brush over a black undercoat but I’d like to think I can paint a bit better these days, so I re-undercoated the miniature with “Citadel” Abaddon Black and then gave it a layer of Boltgun Metal. Once dry I then washed him with Nuln Oil.

I must confess to this figure being one of my all-time favourites, despite its rather static pose, but some of the features on the sculpt are a little soft. As a result I was rather worried if I put too much paint on him I’d ‘swamp’ some of the finer detail on his piping and chest unit. I was therefore very slow and patient when it came to dry-brushing the model first with a small amount of Boltgun Metal and then with Mithril Silver. Finally, as this was a 'Moonbase' Cyberman, I picked out his chest and shoulder piping with Abaddon Black.

More Mark II Cyberman reinforcements from"Black Tree Design"

At some point I’ve clearly bought quite a few of this particular miniature, and having repainted this one as a bit of a ‘test piece’ I have subsequently based them all and set to work building up their silver layers. I plan to enter them into this week’s Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge as part of a larger Cyberman Invasion Force, including a rather formidable-sized model for the Victorian Theme Bonus Round.

My original Cyberman paint-job, flanked by some Cyber Controller WIPs

Indeed I have been so taken with this particular "Doctor Who" distraction that I’ve also based and started painting this nice looking “Black Tree Design” Cyber Controller as the ground force’s leader. The model does suffer from being slightly smaller in size than his fellow cybermen. Something which is greatly at variance with his television presence as he should be somewhat taller. But there’s a nice lot of detail on him to be brought out through dry-brushing. In fact too much detail, as the Cyber Controller does not actually have a chest device in "The Tomb Of The Cybermen".

Some Robo Rodents by "Crooked Dice Design Studio" and something much larger...

 Finally I have been working on something larger than anything I have painted before. However one of the things I have really enjoyed about the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is that it is giving me an opportunity and motivation to tackle models I would ordinarily think twice about working on. This monster is 160mm in height and has proved to be a major nightmare to work on as a result of breakages, hidden pockets of casting sand lurking beneath its original lack-lustre paint-job and just generally trying to hold something so big and heavy with one hand in order to get a brush on it. Still it’s now close to completion and will be my submission for the Victorian Theme Bonus Round tomorrow.

What I especially like about this particular period in the Cybermen's history is that they did not have any significant built-in weaponry. Admittedly they did use x-ray laser cyberguns and could incapacitate ‘fleshy ones’ by electrocuting them. But predominantly they were unarmed and killed by delivering a karate chop to the neck. Unarmed implacable monsters slowly stalking their prey in order to get their hands on them sounds like a fine foe for some “ZombieTV” to me.