Monday 24 August 2020

"Yich! What Strange Creatures!!!"

"All the ballmonsters love the microballs." 
These five 28mm scale resin models of some Microballs are produced by "Precinct Omega", and can be bought as Code BM052 from their Ballmonsters! range. Designed to be used for a "mad-cap gaming experience that mixes board-game, wargame and bar billiards for an experience unlike anything you've ever played before", the blister contains Scar, Nosey, Flathead, Toothless and Pointy.
"They probably couldn't eat more than three at once, though."
The pack also came with some clear plastic flying stands. However, as I wanted my "giant, carnivorous, helium-filled, bad-tempered beachballs" to bounce across the ground rather than simply fly through the air, I super-glued each 'head' onto a 25mm circular base instead. All of the miniatures were then primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, before being drowned in Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter" and dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

With the basics now finished, I slowly worked my way through all the Ballmonsters' teeth using "Vallejo" White, and their numerous spikes with a little Iraqi Sand. All of these areas were later washed using "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, I spotted the various eyes with either a splodge or two of "Vallejo" White or Heavy Red, and suitably shaded them with a dash of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.
"West Wind Productions" WIPs - Three Commandos, two carrying Carbines and an NCO with a SMG
Having completed the last of the "Precinct Omega" miniatures I purchased at "Beachhead" 2020, I have managed to find a little hobby time to progress the three British Commandos by "West Wind Productions" I need to make battle-ready so as to play some 500-point games of "Konflikt '47" by "Warlord Games". Luckily one of the carbine-carrying soldiers was already partially-painted, so most of my attention has been focused upon the other two necessary figures; especially the NCO armed with an SMG who had to first be assembled from straight out of the box.
"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Two Apes armed with baton and an ARC Astronaut
In addition, I have concluded the sixth of my twelve dedicated painting sessions for my twenty-four hour 'Paint An Entire Project" Challenge using "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" models. I'm nowhere near where I had hoped to be at the halfway stage. But am confident that the second of my Albion Rocket Corporation Astronauts should soon be completed, as well as the first of my many planned Apes armed with baton.

Indeed, I've already started on a second Simian Minion in the hope of quickly devising a knack/system with which to pigment the eight-gorilla strong party. The soldiers' predominantly black leather uniform is certainly helping matters, and I've even gone so far as to utilise a Leader Simian head for one of the figures so as to mark him out as a sergeant or officer...

10 comments:

  1. Nice to see a different, grimier, take on the ball monsters. They look like they'd make interesting additions as squig like creatures for anyone with an Old Worldy greenskin band in need of such monsters.

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    1. Thanks Mr Brown. I've previously painted a horde of the Ballmonsters in red, and that definitely gives them a Squig-like look. These minis are certainly a lot cheaper too - £2.50 for the five as memory serves...

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  2. You do like your BALLS Simon ! nice job on them, your commando's are progressing well.
    Something hasn't looked right with your apes, and I couldn't put my finger on what it was, I kew it wasn't the painting that looked great, finally worked out it was the body positioning of the apes, they're too human and upright with straight legs. Remember seeing an interview with Roddy McDowel about the body positioning and how after months of filming he had to see a chiropractor to sort his back out to get an ape look.

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    1. Cheers Dave, LOL. This is the last of my "Ballmonsters!" though, unless "Beachhead" 2021 goes ahead..? I hope to have all three of the Commandos finished before this week is finished.

      I thought the Simian Leader (General Ursus) mini was a bit flat-looking, and the one I've yet to post representing Kira is definitely straight-backed. But my Galen (Roddy McDowell) is decidedly stooped, imho, and the knees are all bent on the ape soldiers. Definitely superior sculpts to those sold by "Ainsty Castings" imho.

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  3. Those ball monsters have a lot of character and look like fun to paint. Your Wierd War soldiers are coming along nicely as your apes. I think the ape sculpts are great as they capture the films perfectly, ie humans in ape make up!

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    1. Thanks Undercoat. The little "Ballmonsters!" have definitely been a fun painting project and might now show-up as adversaries in another "Red Dwarf" BatRep I've got planned for the near future. Big push on the "Planet Of The Apes" project this week as the months draws to an end, so expect plenty of painted minis over the next few posts.

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  4. Oh my god those are absolutely AMAZEBALLS! sorry I've always wanted to write that, but never say it in public!

    Seriously though good work on well...everything, nice to see you still plodding away with you PotA project we'll have you batch painting yet!

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. Cheers Roger. I'm definitely in the zone currently, imho, and ploughing through the three Commandos. I'm now really glad I broke up the PotA character models as the ape soldiers will definitely become a bit of a batch paint otherwise.

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  5. What a load of balls, all of which brought a wry smile to my face ! Gret finish on them and excellent progress on the '47 figures.
    Loving the look of the new apes, the astronaut is a bit of a 'less-than-dybamic' figure though .

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    1. Thanks Joe. I like to mix up my painting subjects, so the "Ballmonsters!" made a nice change to humanoid figures. Hoping to have the first of the "SotTR" mini reinforcements for "Konflikt '47" posted soon, and there's plenty of PotA stuff coming too.

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