(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Planet Of The Apes" Movember 2021

"Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn."

This month's themed attempt to diminish my mountain of metal, plastic and resin models has been heavily influenced to complete a number of “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” miniatures inspired by Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1968 science fiction movie “Planet Of The Apes”. Rather disappointingly, I actually started this particular project twelve months ago, so am determined this time round that I will get at least enough savage Simian Minions finished to hold a small skirmish or two on my tabletop.

In addition, as Dick Garrison over on the “Rantings From Under The Wargames Table” has kindly agreed to join me in our old Movember Challenge this month, I figured a load of hairy apes and grizzled astronauts would be entirely appropriate subjects to paint. However, I have also ‘dusted down’ a few other eligible models from my ‘bearded’ backlog for consideration, such as the contents of the Apes of Mega-City One set by “Mongoose Publishing”, which was made for their long since OOP “Judge Dredd Miniatures Game”.

"Magister Militum" WIPs - The three 10mm feathered Velociraptors just need some shading

Alongside this modest target, I’ll also be continuing with my weekly challenges chosen upon the turn of a playing card. This time round though I must admit to having been initially a bit flummoxed by the task to work on a pair of 10mm figures. My first reaction was to set about building a small stand for my already quite comprehensively-sized German/Russian Winter War forces by “Pendraken Miniatures”. But considering that I’m currently persevering with a 15mm German Army for “Flames Of War”, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be working on two World War Two armies in differing scales at the same time.

Luckily, I then spied an old “The War That Time Forgot” project from thirteen years ago using 10mm sculpts by “Magister Militum”. I had tried breathing fresh life into this endeavour just a couple of years ago with some new purchases, and whilst that particular effort regrettably failed to reignite my enthusiasm for dinosaur-based battles, it is three of these ‘recently-bought’ (feathered) Velociraptors which I’ve decided to (re)paint over the next several days.

October 2021 - "Battlefront Miniatures" becomes my second favourite manufacturer of the year

Productivity wise, the past month saw me being slightly more prolific than I was this time last year; albeit nowhere near as industrious as I have been in the past. I did though manage to duly submit a miniature a week for Zomtober, and fully-finish the (minimum) strength 12cm Mortar Platoon by “Battlefront Miniatures” I want to field as part of my German beach Defence Force for “Flames Of War”. 

I’m hoping to maintain my momentum for the 15mm “World War Two tabletop miniatures wargame” during the next few weeks by completing both a full-strength Panzergrenadier Infantry Platoon and an accompanying sMG34 Machine-Gun Platoon. Considering all the other painting going on this goal might seem a little overly-optimistic, but will actually just require me to successfully get a brush-tip upon sixteen of the diminutively-sized soldiers in total.