(Lead) Mountain Musings - 'Oldhammer 40K' May 2017

Necron Raiders WIP - The robots have been primed and washed, and the Scarabs based

This month's randomly themed attempt to try and reduce my overwhelming collection of metal, plastic and resin miniatures will see me painting up a handful of old Second Edition "Warhammer 40K" Necron Raiders and a couple of accompanying Scarabs. I actually recall picking these models up second-hand at a car boot sale in Aldershot quite a few years ago, and believe I also still own the figure which came attached to the front cover of Issue 217 of "White Dwarf"; albeit I don't seem to be able to currently find that particular 'freebie' within my lead pile...

With the rumoured imminent arrival by "Games Workshop" of Eighth Edition "Warhammer 40k" I have no intention of using these "merciless killers" for any gaming in the company's "dystopian science fantasy universe". But did think that the all-metal miniatures would prove to be interesting proxies for a faction of the Robot Army which continuously fights to rule Mega-City One's Undercity in "Judge Dredd".

Overseer WIPs - The Boromite Commander has had his armour, equipment and wiring finished

Indeed, these "Oldhammer 40K" sculpts contain some incredibly Egyptian-themed detail, and along with their green Gauss-Flayer Guns, should make a colourful change from the usual all-silver palette I usually apply to my automatons. In addition they should give me plenty of opportunity to use the Robot rules in "Mutants And Death Ray Guns" by "Ganesha Games".  

My preoccupation with this "Citadel" project will not, however, blind me to my need to continue working on my 500-point Boromite Scouting Force for "Beyond The Gates Of Antares". Indeed, alongside my Overseer I have started assembling, basing and priming more miniatures from a second box of Boromite Gang Fighters.

Boromite Gang Fighter WIP - The majority of these alien miners have had their armour started

Ordinarily, I don't tend to try and paint my figures in batches or an assembly line. But, as my goal is to paint up twenty of the heavily-armed panhuman miners by the end of May, I thought I would once again try my hand at the (somewhat arduous) technique and see how I got on with ten of the plasma carbine-carrying soldiers. It is the Seventh Age of humankind after-all...

With the majority of my Cybermen painted for "Doctor Who: Exterminate!", I have begun assembling the six "genocidal warriors" I need to field two Dalek Patrol recruitment cards. These plastic multi-part models have proved rather troublesome to assemble, and there's a definite knack to ensuring the front-facing panel fits in-between the two side pieces.

Dalek WIPs - The "powerful armoured fighting machine" has been primed, washed and dry-brushed

I certainly found it prudent not to completely follow the instructions found within the "Guide To The Time Vortex" by leaving the flank pieces slightly ajar from one another until after I had 'popped' in the central panel over the Time War Dalek's eye stalk. Fortunately though, what the twenty-four pamphlet does provide is a relatively straightforward painting guide to help get these "creatures of hate" onto the tabletop fast.

Admittedly I don't think drenching "the whole miniature with Strong Tone ink wash" should be the penultimate stage of the process, especially when a couple of the earlier phases include 'picking out' the "eye stalk rings and lights with White". But the "Vallejo" Brass 'dry-brush' has certainly helped bring out all the detail on what appears to be a genuinely "highly detailed" plastic miniature.