(Lead) Mountain Musings - "The Ion Age" July 2022

"It was treachery at first. To turn against brothers, to kill for personal advancement and power."

This month's attempt to greatly reduce my embarrassing backlog of unpainted plastic, resin and metal will largely focus upon the "galaxy-spanning civil war" of the early 31st Millennium known as the Horus Heresy. However, whilst I will be steadily working my way through the formidably-large contents of the 28mm Horus Heresy: Age Of Darkness starter box by "Games Workshop" in the background, I also plan to progress several 15mm scale mini-projects using "The Ion Age" range of figures by "Alternative Armies", so as to maintain my mojo.

I've previously painted quite a few miniatures from the Prydian Army in the 'spirit' of the Horus Heresy, as I've found their Retained Knights to make good proxies for Mark VI Space Marine armour. Admittedly, several of my 'beakie' units, along with some accompanying tanks, have been painted to replicate the Crimson Fists chapter, which was only formed in the aftermath of Horus Lupercal's fall from grace.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Three MK VI Space Marines primed and shaded

But I have also pigmented plenty of Blood Angels, Imperial Guard, Daemons and even the odd Sons of Horus stand. Plus, I don't intend for my favouring Chapter Master Pedro Kantor's colour scheme over Rogal Dorn's predominantly yellow Legion from stopping me getting more loyalist Crimson Fists on the tabletop.

In addition, I am hoping to get a sizeable number of 28mm plastic Space Marines finished as well, with two ten-man strong Tactical Squads already assembled and primed. I have also managed to 'convert' a Praetor with Axe to act as the HQ for my 500-point Sons of Horus force, and intend to get a third Tactical Squad, using the MK IV armour sprues found inside the Betrayal At Calth boxed set, quickly built too.

June 2022 - Both "Crooked Dice" and "Battlefront Miniatures" climb up the Top Five table

Quite staggeringly, the past four weeks has been the most productive June I’ve had in nine years. This was undoubtedly due to the large number of 28mm figures I finished by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", as well as the completion of three more 15mm World War Two German bases by "Battlefront Miniatures" for my "Flames Of War" army.

This forthcoming month should be equally as rewarding, as besides all the Horus Heresy-flavoured infantry I am working on, I also have several 15mm scale vehicles, robots, armoured suits and personalities from "The Ion Age" range on my painting table. All of these mini-projects should keep my enthusiasm for the Warmaster's traitorous assault upon the Emperor super-high, and if so, then I might even try to squeeze in a few other miniatures related to the civil war from my "Epic" and "Battlefleet Gothic" piles of potential...