(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Maggotkin Of Nurgle" February 2018

Putrid Blightking WIP - The warrior has had the majority of his armour base-coated in either black or brown

This month's randomly themed attempt to try and reduce my overwhelming collection of metal, plastic and resin miniatures has been superseded by the release of the "Maggotkin Of Nurgle" Chaos Battletome by "Games Workshop", and my utter inability to resist many of the Nottingham-based manufacturer's latest models for this "Age Of Sigmar" army. However, as I have now entered the third month of my inaugural, Partially-Painted Pledge challenge, and am somewhat behind my tally target, I felt I should first finish painting a number of formerly started Nurgle figures, before I embark upon any of the range's newest "vile and wretched beings".

To begin with I have turned my gaze upon four Putrid Blightkings which have sat hidden within a metal tin for far too long. I actually painted the leader of these "enormous, bloated warriors", the Blightlord, early last year and subsequently done little else with the rest of the boxed set except assemble and prime its contents. Fortunately, a unit of five Blightkings costs 180 points in-game, and their completion will finally allow me to attain something of a mini-goal in being able to field over 1,000 points of pure Nurgle units; as opposed to my current ploy of selecting a Balewind Vortex (spell), Slambo or Khorne allies in order to make up the points...

Vertical Wall Bookshelf WIPs - The resin and mdf piece has been primed, washed and dry-brushed

Considering that the Putrid Blightkings boxed set is a "105-piece plastic kit" there's a tremendous amount of detail to be found on the miniatures, so I've picked a fairly standard 'sword and shield' "favoured mortal" to begin with which should allow me to paint some rusty armour and bronze patina, as well as dirty reds, browns, boils and sores. In addition, it should help re-familiarise me with the painting palette/techniques I usually apply to any of models which are "festering with pustules and plague."

Stepping out of "the Mortal Realms" momentarily, I was recently very pleased to be sent a four-piece Vertical Wall Bookshelf by "N-FX Game Design Studio". This "resin and mdf" terrain piece is wonderfully sculpted, packed full of all sorts of books and tomes, and makes for a marvellous backdrop for the "Doctor Who" monsters, the Vashta Nerada. Indeed, having primed, washed and dry-brushed the scenic shelves, I've every intention of eventually recreating one of the British science fiction television series' classic corridor chase scenes as shown during the 2008 story "Silence In The Library".

"Heroclix" WIPs - The Wendigo, the Destroyer, and a converted Easy Company Soldier

I also plan to continue progressing a number of my unfinished "Heroclix" figures by "Wizkids", such as the NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) subsidiary's sculpt of the "Marvel Comics" villain Wendigo; a curse which "strikes different people over time if they commit acts of cannibalism in the northern parts of Canada." In addition, I have a fair few straightforward paint-jobs planned for some of my more recent "Troll And Toad" acquisitions from across the Pond, like Thor's arch-nemesis, the Destroyer.

Lastly, I hope to take full advantage of my 'super-heroes' mojo by finishing off a conversion of "G.I. Zombie" which I actually assembled for the 2014 Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. I first encountered the lead for "DC Comics" sadly short-lived "Star-Spangled War Stories" series earlier that same year and decided to create my own version of Jared Kabe from a spare Easy Company Soldier when I disappointingly discovered "Wizkids" hadn't produced an official miniature of the "immortal".