"A Clay Golem Cannot Speak Or Make Any Vocal Noise."

"It walks and moves with a slow, clumsy gait."

This 31mm tall model of a Clay Golem is produced by “Reaper Miniatures” and can be bought as Code 77170 from their “Bones” range. Sculpted by Ben Siens, the large construct made its first appearance in the November 1975 edition of the wargaming magazine "The Strategic Review", courtesy of an article entitled "Creature Features - Presenting New Dungeons & Dragons Monsters For Your Enjoyment."

Fashioned by "lawful clerics of the fifteenth level or above", the "humanoid" was undercoated using two layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and dry-brushed using some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Initially I had planned to subsequently 'pick out' the Clay Golem's loincloth in a bright colour such as red or even a bright(ish) white, but then read that the monster actually wore "no clothing except for a metal or stiff leather garment around its hips."

"Reaper Miniatures" Chronoscope WIPs - Sherlock Holmes and a Deep Sea Diver

As I didn't want to use another brown on the heavily-muscled brute I resultantly just applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the creature's scanty raiment and left it at that. Finally I decided to spot its eyes with a drop of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and the "Citadel" Glaze Bloodletter, as well as 'highlight' its somewhat crooked teeth using a combination of "Vallejo" White and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Remaining with "Reaper Miniatures", albeit this time focusing upon a pair of metal miniatures from their "Chronoscope" line,  I have dug out a Deep Sea Diver figure and Sherlock Holmes to help 'expand' my current party of wanderers for "Gamma World". Based upon "the new Gammaverse", where the Hadron Collider has "caused [such] a horrific smashing together of dimensions" that the game allows "for over-the-top combinations of weird things - from dinosaurs to aliens", I thought a group of adventurers made up of heavy-weight boxer, George Foreman, undersea explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes and robotic landlady Missus Hudson would be rather appropriate...

Mind Flayers WIPs - The two Illithids have been undercoated and dry-brushed

I've also started pigmenting a couple of Mind Flayers I stumbled upon whilst perusing the stacked shelves of the LVL Up Gaming Store in Bournemouth. This pair of “Illithids” are actually the first models from “Wizkids” unpainted range of “Nolzur’s Marvellous Miniatures” I’ve ever bought, and originally seemed to be the perfect choice with which to accompany my trio of Mind-Eaters by “Reaper Miniatures”.

However, despite being advertised as “high-definition” I’m not currently all that impressed with either the quality of each figures’ detail or the ‘uber-bendy’ plastic from which they’re made. To matters worse, their white undercoat has meant I’ve had to apply two layers of “Citadel” Abaddon Black over their flowing gowns so as to get a consistent covering over their clothing, and this has undoubtedly lead to the frustrating loss of even more detail.