"I Was Working In The Lab, Late One Night..."

"When my eyes beheld an eerie sight. For my monster from his slab, began to rise."

These two 40mm scale resin figures of Frankenstein's Monster and the Wolf Man were sculpted by Nikola Stankovic and 3D printed by "Encounter Terrain". The miniatures are clearly inspired by James Whale's 1931 American horror film "Frankenstein" and George Waggner's 1941 movie "The Wolf Man".

Boris Karloff's silver screen role was primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before having his clothing layered with a combination of "Vallejo" German Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The suit was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" German Grey, whilst the creature's big boots, shirt and hair were tidied up using some additional "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"And suddenly to my surprise. He did the Mash, he did the Monster Mash."

As I wanted the Monster's skin to appear decidedly dead, I applied a coat of "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh over these areas and shaded them using plenty of Biel-Tan Green. Initially, I wasn't planning on picking out all the creature's staples, but in the end decided to give them a lick of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil along with his neck bolts. These areas were then dirtied up with plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

For Lon Chaney Jr's most famous character I used "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade for all his fur, then dry-brushed these areas with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. I applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Brown to the werewolf's torn pants and "Citadel" Sons Of Horus to his shirt so as to better tie the look of Larry Talbot's feral alter-ego into the movie version.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - Four German Panzergrenadiers getting their details 'picked out'

The trousers were given a lick "Agrax Earthshade" before being dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Whilst the Wolf Man's top was shaded in both "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and Agrax Earthshade. It was later dry-brushed with (more) "Citadel" Sons of Horus Green. Finally, I splodged some "Vallejo" White across the creature's fangs and dirtied them up with a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Moving on from horror to historical wargaming I have made some additional progress on my 50-point German Beach Defence Company for "Flames Of War". I'm patiently beavering away on the extra plastic 15mm “Battlefront Miniatures” I need to complete a second (maximum-strength) German Panzergrenadier Platoon and hope to soon be working on a 7.5cm Tank-Hunter Platoon...

3D Printing - Day One - The Rook

Two Rooks - 3D Printed to test out my Mars 3 Pro's calibrations

These two 50mm tall Rooks were 3D printed using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file for the two models actually comes on a USB memory stick which is included with the machine and is used to test out the levelling of the build platform with the 4K LCD screen.

The figures took a little under three hours to print and were then cleaned/hardened in an "Elegoo" Mercury Plus 2.0 Wash and Curing Machine. This was the very first time I had ever done anything like this before, and success was achieved within just four hours of opening the 3D printer's box. The instructions for both devices are excellent, however, I actually closely followed the Elegoo Mars 3 - 4K 3D Printer - Unbox & Setup video on "YouTube" by Just Vlad.

Chitubox Basic Virtual Build Plate - Covered in a combination of 15mm and 28mm miniatures

This thirty-eight-minute tutorial was perfect for helping me assemble my Mars 3 Pro, levelling it and then using the equipment to make my first print. Admittedly, due to the video being a year-old, I did need to refer to the instruction booklets from time-to-time. But this was largely due to my Mercury Plus 2.0 having a dual Washing Mode Curing Box as opposed to being two separate machines. I also repeatedly watched/re-winded the 'seminar' on several occasions during the process - as well as a couple of times before I even bought my 3D printer.

From a lesson/s learnt perspective I am very pleased I went with the water washable resin as it meant I didn't need to worry about isopropyl alcohol getting everywhere and could simply fill my bath with ordinary tap water (plus a little washing up liquid). I did though make the mistake of placing the models in the curing machine before they were totally dry (as being hollow they trapped some of the water), and that resulted in their bases turning a disconcerting white - as opposed to a pleasant light grey.

Chitubox Basic Virtual Build Plate - Covered in a combination of 15mm and 28mm miniatures

With my first ever 3D prints finished (or at least in the Mercury Plus 2.0) I decided to throw caution somewhat to the wind and try my hand at producing my own CTB file using the "professional 3D printing pre-processing software" called "Chitubox" Basic. I really wanted to see what my Mars 3 Pro could do, so simply dropped a free 28mm Hero Monk STL by "Titan Forge Miniatures" into the mix, along with some of the "Doctor Who" STLs I've previously had "Encounter Terrain" print for me - albeit this time I reduced them to just 15mm scale rather than 40mm.

I really found "Chitubox" incredibly intuitive when it came to positioning my miniatures across the virtual build plate, scaling the digital sculpts down, and even placing supports for all my figures to better ensure a successful print. Indeed, the programme comes with an auto-support function which took care of the bulk of the work. The only problem I did encounter was when I tried to save the file to the USB stick, as it was repeatedly ignored by the Mars 3 Pro - until I spotted I had to tell the programme which printer I was using so it could better calibrate the slices and incorporate the relevant exposure settings into the saved CTB file. Once this was done, the printer immediately recognised the file and it was simply a matter of pressing print on the display...

"Mark VI Power Armour Is Very Much The Origin Of The Space Marine Aesthetic."

"Those hobbyists with exceptionally long memories will remember the RTB01 kit."

This 28mm plastic miniature of a Space Marine Sergeant is by "Games Workshop" and comes from the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set by "Games Workshop". The multi-part figure has been assembled wearing MK VI armour and had a resin Sons of Horus "Forge World" shoulder-pad super-glued onto him so as to specifically mark him out as belonging to the Traitor Legion.

The figure was initially primed with "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, before being heavily washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green. I also applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to his shoulder-pads, grenade, Bolt Pistol, backpack, Plasma Pistol, helmet, Power Fist and some parts of his "iconic armour".

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Three more MK VI Tactical Space Marines

The model's power tubes, firearm, and Power Fist fingers were later treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then gave the Sergeant's shoulder-pads a single coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before applying some "Vallejo" Gold and a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to them. These areas were later highlighted with some additional touches of "Vallejo" Gold along the edges, iconography and rivets.

As a final touch I applied some "Scalecolor" Speed Metal to the composite ceramite cooling coils of the Space Marine's plasma pistol and eye lenses. These parts were subsequently given a lick of "Citadel" Contrast colour Talassar Blue and Flesh Tearers Red respectively. I also applied one of the many decals found on the "Games Workshop" Sons of Horus Legion transfer sheet onto the Power Fist.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Giant Robot is slowly being weathered

Alongside my Sergeant I have spent some additional time working on three more Tactical Space Marines wearing MK VI armour. This trio are now ready to have all their metallic colours base-coated and shaded during my next dedicated Horus Heresy hobby session, so should be finished within the next week or so. Encouragingly, the remaining six former Luna Wolves for this particular infantry unit aren't that much further behind either, which could well give me a little spare time to start assembling my XVIth Space Marine Legion's Blackshield contingent.

Lastly, I have uncovered a slightly old Giant Robot by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" which I clearly assembled a while ago. Having recently pigmented a load of the manufacturer's Killbots (and the first of five SpyBots) in the palette of a Post-Apocalyptic American military force, I thought applying a similar rusty green colour scheme to a much larger subject would be fun - as well as add some extra 'beef' to the automaton army overall...

"An Eyeless Eidolon Awakened By Thieves."

"A few glorifying statues of the duke with faint remnants of power existed deep in ancient dungeons."

This 28mm scale plastic model of an Eidolon Possessed Sacred Statue is produced by "Wizkids" and can be found as Code RPG-WZK90167 from their Nolzur's Marvellous Miniatures range. The 70mm tall figure is clearly based upon the statue of Moloch which appears on the cover for the "Dungeons & Dragons" (First Edition) Player's Handbook, and even depicts the iconic monster missing one of his jewelled eyes. 

Having based the animated guardian onto a "Games Workshop" 50mm circular stand, the entire figure was treated to a double-helping of "Vallejo" Earth, followed by a positive drenching in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. It was then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Earth and given a lighter dusting of Heavy Sienna to help bring out the sculpt's excellent details.

"Encounter Terrain" WIPs - Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman and the Seventh Doctor

I did consider applying some red to the effigy as seen in the June 1978 illustration. But as this colour was caused by a close by fire (which sadly wasn't part of this plastic piece), I decided against such a palette. Instead, I simply used a combination of "Scalecolor" Speed Metal and "Citadel" Contrast colour Flesh Tearers Red for the statue's sole remaining eye.

With my latest Gary Gygax inspired acquisition finished, I have spent some more time progressing a trio of 40mm resin sculpts by Nikola Stankovic I had 3D printed by "Encounter Terrain". The two horror film-based figures are being painted for this month's Zomtober Challenge, whilst I'm planning on using the Seventh Doctor's miniature as a Captain for the "Space Station Zero" rules by "Snarling Badger Studios".

Abe Sapien is unable to save Hellboy from a fiery fate, and is soon overwhelmed by Frog Minions himself

Rather embarrassingly, I have also finally managed to play some "Hellboy: The Board Game" by "Mantic Games" after the Kickstarter exclusive edition has sat untouched on one of my shelves for three and a half years. I had actually hoped to enjoy more of the "fully cooperative experience for one to four players", but ending up spending a good hour or so beforehand looking for some non-existent cardboard Investigation (Clue) Tokens - which were apparently replaced with plastic 3D models for my box during the fund-raising campaign. Doh!

Sadly, the opening scenario proved equally as unsuccessful despite Hellboy and Abe Sapien initially starting out well enough, courtesy of Anung Un Rama's formidably-sized pistol and his companion's deadly harpoon. However, we only managed to move into a single room before a sudden firestorm, followed by a Frog Monster ambush knocked both of our B.P.R.D. Field Agents unconscious. The rule-book suggests that this might not be the end of the game, and perhaps simply initiates the Boss fight much earlier than we'd have liked. But as it wasn't clear if this was the case or not, we called it quits there...

"Or You May Have Use For A SpyBot."

"A nosy drone great for spying on your enemies."

This 28mm scale metal SpyBot is manufactured by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", and can be bought individually as SKU: MINI 649, or as part of the four-figure deal - DEAL 193. Clearly influenced by the Sentinels repeatedly encountered throughout the Wachowskis "Matrix" film franchise, these 'killing machines' were added to the company's Post Apocalyptic range a short time after their successful 7TV: Apocalypse boxed set campaign on Kickstarter.

However, as I wanted the single-cast model to be fielded alongside my previously-pigmented Killbots, it was primed with a double layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey before being shaded in "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I then applied a dry-brush of "Vallejo" Gunmetal to the entire miniature, making sure to especially 'hit' the edges of its torso/head and snake-like, so as to suggest some significant weathering had taken place on those areas.

"Encounter Terrain" WIPs - Frankenstein's Monster, Jason Voorhees and the Wolfman

Originally, I had intended to paint the SpyBot's tentacles in a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. But this palette badly clashed with the green in my mind, so after a moment's pause I decided to simply apply my 'Killbot' colour scheme to the entire automaton. I also continued to 'distress' the figure by drenching it in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and sporadically dabbed the miniature in "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash.

Once applied, it was clear that I had really made quite a mess of the model, so I attempted to blend everything together with a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey. This was somewhat delicately done as I wanted to ensure that some of the previously-used "Vallejo" Gunmetal still shone through so as to the pair a slight metallic sheen. Finally, all the robot's multiple eyes were spotted with a little "Scalecolor" Speed Metal, and then dabbed with a smidgeon of the "Citadel" Contrast colour Flesh Tearers Red.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This Sergeant is having all his numerous details 'picked out'

With my test SpyBot done, I have spent some time progressing three of 40mm resin sculpts by Nikola Stankovic I had 3D printed by "Encounter Terrain" for this month's Zomtober Challenge. The horror flick figures are all actually quite close to completion, following some copious drownings in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and some patient dry-brushing. As a result I hope to get them all finished soon enough, and may well use them to test out the "Space Station Zero" rules by "Snarling Badger Studios" as a pirate crew.

Finally, I am applying my brush-tip to the a 28mm MK VI Sons of Horus Space Marine Sergeant I built using plastic pieces taken from the "Horus Heresy: Age Of Darkness" starter set by "Games Workshop", This model will be the 'leader' of my second unit of traitor tactical marines, and as such is a bit more flashier-looking than the usual rank and file - largely due to his "Forge World" shoulder-pad and Praetor head-swap...

"The Humble Vexilla Displays The Heraldry Of A Particular Squad..."

"...Proclaiming not only its designation in the Legion but also its proud legacy in the annals of the Great Crusade."

This 28mm plastic Space Marine is produced by "Games Workshop" and comes from the now OOP (Out Of Production) Burning Of Prospero boxed game. The multi-part figure has been assembled wearing MK III armour and is carrying a Legion Vexilla (Legion Standard) which will allow its unit to add +1 "to the Wounds score used to determine if they win a Combat in the Assault Phase."

Due to the miniature forming part of my first Sons of Horus Tactical Squad for the Horus Heresy, it was undercoated with "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, before being heavily washed with Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green. I then applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to his shoulder-pads, as well parts of his backpack and Bolter.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Four more Slicks from their Corporate Wars range

The model's power tubes and firearm were subsequently treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst I 'picked out' all the ridges on his shoulder-pads, helmet brow and Legion Vexilla with a little "Vallejo" Gold. These areas were later given a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and highlighted with some additional touches of "Vallejo" Gold on the sharpest edges and rivets.

As a final touch I applied some "Scalecolor" Speed Metal to the Space Marine's eye slits, and then a single layer of the "Citadel" Contrast colour Flesh Tearers Red. I also fixed a couple of the many decals found on the "Games Workshop" Sons of Horus Legion transfer sheet onto his right shoulder-pad and on the central emblem of his standard.

"Wizkids" WIPs - This Eidolon Possessed Sacred Statue has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

In addition to finishing the last of my currently planned MK III armoured Sons of Horus traitors, I have started working on another four of the Corporate Wars Slicks I received from the most recent "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" Kickstarter. These bald-headed hitmen will be painted up in the same colour scheme as the trio I've previously painted. However, as I couldn't resist taking advantage of the Lincolnshire-based manufacturer's decision to put the figures up for general sale individually on their webstore, I have now ordered another three miniatures to help 'fill out' their criminal crew to an even ten members - and might have done something similar with the other gangs too.

Lastly, a recent trip to "A Fistful Of Dice" saw me get super-excited about "Dungeons & Dragons" as the large store had fiendishly dedicated an entire wall to all the different models, scenic pieces and gaming accessories a Dungeon Master could ever wish for. As a result I now plan to reacquaint myself with the Fifth Edition rule-set and walked away with an awesome plastic miniature of an Eidolon Possessed Sacred Statue by "Wizkids" to keep my enthusiasm for the project going...

"I Shall Take The Patrol And Destroy Them."

"Halt! Halt, or you will be destroyed."

These four 40mm resin Cybermen were sculpted by Nikola Stankovic and 3D printed by "Encounter Terrain". The miniatures are apparently based upon Eric Saward's incarnation of the Mondasians as depicted in his March 1982 "Doctor Who" story "Earthshock", and even carries the correct Cyber weapon.

The models were all originally primed with a combination of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black. They were then treated to a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Gunmetal. before being heavily drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. To finish the figures off, I applied a combination of "Scalecolor" Speed Metal and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red to the power cylinder of each Cyberman's hand-weapon.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - Three German Riflemen having their details 'picked out'

Moving on from science fiction to historical wargaming I am hoping to play some more "Flames Of War" next month using my 50-point German Beach Defence Company. As a result I have been beavering away on the additional plastic 15mm “Battlefront Miniatures” I need to field a second (maximum-strength) German Panzergrenadier Platoon, with the aspiration that I'll soon move on to a Panzer IV Tank Platoon and accompanying 7.5cm Tank-Hunter Platoon.

"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places."

In addition, I was fortunate enough this past weekend to attend a session of Eldritch Horror by "Fantasy Flight Games" at the Nuneaton Games Club. This was a terrific six-hour tussle by eight noble investigators against the Great Old One Cthulhu, which definitely had its twists and turns for my own character, the elderly Parapsychologist - Agatha Crane. To be honest, I wasn't initially all that impressed with Wilbur's headstrong wife and her disconcertingly low strength to begin with.

However, the character's ability to pass Clue Encounters quickly elevated her to becoming a crucial part of humanity's collaboration to defeat the cosmic entity threatening all Mankind. Indeed, Agatha became an instant success when she surprisingly retrieved the much-needed Sword of Y'ha-Talla from Tokyo during the game's opening turn - the only weapon capable of hurting the truly terrifying Queen of the Deep Ones, who was already threatening to annihilate our band of worthy heroes in the name of Cthulhu.

"For them are the catacombs of Ptolemais, and the carven mausolea of the nightmare countries."

Sadly, Agatha eventually succumbed to hypothermia during the coming of another Ice Age, and was replaced late in the game by the ex-convict Skids" O'Toole. This 'heavy hitter' certainly looked formidable enough as he came armed with a hand-axe, but the bank robber lost his weapon almost straight away and went completely barking mad once Cthulhu successfully physically manifested himself on the planet...

"What's A Little Fallout?"

"Lost everything. Looking for a deal."

"Hello everybody, and welcome to this opening transmission of Cars, Crashes and Carnage, I'm your host, Rex Wonkers, and together with renowned petroleum prospector Lance Sourdough, we'll be bringing you all the exciting news leading up to our post-apocalyptic community's very first Juice Cup."

"To start us off we'll be taking a look at one of the many planned maniacal motorcyclists aiming to make a name for themselves in the suicidal sport. This foolish fella was assembled using a couple of the 20mm plastic pieces found on the Implements of Carnage One sprue sold by "North Star Military Figures" as Code NSPIoC05 in their Gaslands Refuelled range and will doubtless simply ride around the arena acting as a moving obstacle to be avoided by the other competitors."

"Hot Wheels" WIPs - These two vehicles have been weathered with "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash

"That's right, Rex. This poor fool wasn't equipped with any actual weaponry, and was simply primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black. He was then heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Brown and later Gunmetal, before being soaked in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade." 

"Once all this basic weathering was finished, the rider's leather suit, visor and the bike's wheels were tidied up with some extra "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Whilst his armoured limb plates and helmet were treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. In addition, the old lady's seat was layered with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and the racer's belt Heavy Sienna. Both of these areas were subsequently shaded in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade."

"Thank you, Lancey Boy. I understand some additional touches of "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash were also used on the motorcycle and then blended in with a delicate dry-brush of "Vallejo" Gunmetal. Now, what can you tell the audience about some of the other planned participants of the Juice Cup..?"

"Hot Wheels" WIPs - A Synkro and Duck N´ Roll with added weapon turrets and gunmen

“Well Rex, the biggest name is obviously our illustrious sponsor Bob's Burgers, who'll be entering his very own food truck into the inaugural event. His "Hot Wheel" by "Mattel" has been armed with a pair of deadly machine guns, and will be having its famous burger and fries re-painted to celebrate the occasion. Furthermore, we have at least one Land Rover Defender 90 competing for the prize in the shape of former British military-man Squaddie One."

"Plus, hot off the press I believe they'll be at least one custom build based on a Synkro chassis, and the local Constabulary have signed on with a... giant weaponized duck..!?! Doubtless we'll be able to update viewers with more on these extraordinary additions to the Juice Cup's roster in our next edition of Cars, Crashes and Carnage. But for now its time to go..."

"I Saw The Boogeyman! I Saw Him!"

“He's gone! He's gone from here! The evil is gone!”

This 40mm resin model of Michael Myers was sculpted by Nikola Stankovic and 3D printed by "Encounter Terrain". The miniature is clearly based upon the primary antagonist in the "Halloween" film franchise created by John Carpenter, and not only stands in the mass murderer's signature knife-wielding stance. But also wears the evil killer's infamous William Shatner face mask.

The figure was initially undercoated with two layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and absolutely drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. He was then given the faintest of dry-brushes using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue so as to try and keep the majority of its shading's grimy streaks intact. The homicidal maniac's shoes were simply 'picked out' with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Spybot has been base-coated and 'rusted up'

I next applied a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to the chef's knife. and later dry-brushed the hand-weapon's edges with (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal so as to help them stand out. Michael's mask was pigmented using "Vallejo" White and Pale Grey. Whilst his hair was given a coat of "Vallejo" Sienna and a generous helping of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Alongside my latest Zomtober Challenge entry, I have been working away on several miniatures for this month's other painting event - Dave Stone's Apocalypse Me. Having recently completed a band of skull-faced Killbots by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", I thought I would add to this post-apocalyptic American military contingent with some of the company's Matrix-inspired Spybots.

"North Star Military Figures" WIPs - This post-apocalyptic motorcyclist has been primed and dry-brushed

Originally, I had planned to paint just the domes of the five-robot strong squad in "Vallejo" Heavy Grey and do their tentacles, pincers and radar in bare metal. However, having tried this palette out on a test piece, I'm starting to favour doing the entire automaton in the fading, rusty green colour scheme instead.

Finally, having visited a couple of Toy Shows over the past few weeks I have found myself slightly swamped with all sorts of mad-looking "Hot Wheels" vehicles for my other Apocalypse Me inspired project - The Juice Cup. As a result I have purchased some additional Implements of Carnage plastic sprues by "North Star Military Figures" in order to 'arm them up'. Alongside the vast array of weapons, armour plating and riders, you also get some of their plastic motorcyclists for Gaslands, so I thought I had best paint at least one up to see how they take a brush-tip...

"Take The Patrol Across."

"Promises to aliens have no validity."

This 40mm resin model of a Cyberman was sculpted by Nikola Stankovic and 3D printed by "Encounter Terrain". The miniature is seemingly based upon Eric Saward's incarnation of the cyborgs as depicted in his March 1982 "Doctor Who" story "Earthshock", and even carries the correct Cyber weapon.

The figure was initially primed with a combination of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Citadel" Abaddon Black. It was then treated to a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Gunmetal. before being heavily drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Later, I picked out the metal monster's side-handles (so as to denote him as a Cyber-Leader) and chest-plate with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Encounter Terrain" WIPs - Ash Williams, a Sea Devil and the Wolfman

Due to wanting the Cyberman's hand-weapon to appear as if it was glowing with energy, I applied a combination of "Scalecolor" Speed Metal and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red to the firearm's power cylinder. The Speed Metal was rather thin so as planned didn't properly cover the area with an even coat, and the rather 'gloopy' nature of the Contrast paint meant I could pull the slowly drying Flesh Tearers Red around with my brush-tip so as to make some parts dark and others light.

Along with four more of Nikola's Cybermen, I have also had "Encounter Terrain" print me off some of the talented sculptor's other figures especially for this month's Zomtober painting challenge. As before, all of the STL (Standard Triangle Language) files are actually 100mm tall, so the company have done a first-rate job in shrinking them down to a more manageable 40mm size. I can't fault both their communications and service.

"Encounter Terrain" WIPs - Jason Voorhees, a Sea Devil, Michael Myers and Frankenstein's Monster

Ultimately, I aim to have some of these 'horror flick' characters join my Time Travellers aboard the TARDIS, whilst others are destined to be used as adversaries. To that end I thought it'd be fun to pigment Ash Williams of "Evil Dead" fame and Frankenstein's Monster as some allies of the Doctor. Whilst the likes of the Wolfman, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers would make for some unusual foes. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing Leela and Ace tackle the cult-classic slasher villains on the tabletop.

In addition, I've had five Sea Devils made too so I can field the "Aquatic Silurians" as typical Doctor Who opposition. Nikola's rendition of the "Reptilia Sapiens" is absolutely spot-on and will be painted in pretty much the same palette as I've previously used for my metal figures by "Warlord Games" - albeit I have decided to use "Citadel" Sons of Horus Green on one fellow's gauze-like dress to help distinguish him as the group's commander...

"Whatever Ammo They're Using, I've Never Seen It Before!"

"Tattoos, scars, any other identifying marks?"

These two 28mm scale "white metal" Slick Gang members are manufactured by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", and were bought as part of my Three Set pledge from their recent "Corporate Wars" Kickstarter. Part of a seven-man strong, trench-coat wearing crew, the models were sculpted by the late Jim Bowen and previously sold by the now sadly defunct "East Ridings Miniatures".

Each miniature comes with a fairly hefty integral stand, so before I could apply two coats of “Vallejo” German Grey to them, these areas were cut away with a pair of pliers and the figures super-glued onto 25mm circular plastic bases. The pair were then shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and enthusiastically dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" German Grey.

“So I fight for a Father who I never loved, against a brother that I did."

The near future mobsters' firearms were given a layer of "Citadel" Ababbon Black, and had their barrels, as well as their shades, 'picked out' with a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, the Slicks' various jacket buttons were treated to some "Vallejo" Brass, a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and a highlight of (more) "Vallejo" Brass.

Along with the latest of my "Corporate Wars" miniatures completed, I have also finished another 28mm plastic Space Marines by "Games Workshop". The MK III armoured Sons of Horus comes from the now sadly OOP (Out Of Production) Burning Of Prospero boxed game and is the ninth of ten figures I require to field my first traitor Tactical Squad for the Horus Heresy. Like all my other members of the Warmaster's Legion, the figure was undercoated with "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green.

"Encounter Terrain" WIPs - This Cyberman has been primed, layered, shaded and dry-brushed

I then applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to his shoulder-pads, as well parts of the space marine's backpack and Bolters. All of the model's power tubes and firearm were subsequently treated to an amalgamation of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, I 'picked out' all the ridges on the shoulder-pads and helmet with a layer of "Vallejo" Gold, splashed them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and highlighted the sharpest edges and rivets using (more) "Vallejo" Gold on the sharpest edges and rivets.

With this year's Zomtober already a week old, I also thought it was about time I cracked on with the first of five 40mm Cybermen models I recently had 3D printed by "Encounter Terrain" specifically for the challenge. Sculpted by Nikola Stankovic these zombie-like automatons are apparently based upon the alien invaders seen in the 1982 "Doctor Who" story "Earthshock", so are being pigmented accordingly...

“There Remained, However, An Element Of The Old Guard…”

“…Mostly former Luna Wolves, whose loyalties could not be relied upon.”

These three 28mm plastic Space Marines are by "Games Workshop" and come from the now sadly OOP (Out Of Production) Burning Of Prospero boxed game. The multi-piece miniatures have been assembled wearing MK III armour, and are some of the ten figures I need to field my first Sons of Horus Tactical Squad for the Horus Heresy.

The trio of figures were initially undercoated with "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, before being heavily washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green. I then applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to all their shoulder-pads, as well parts of their backpacks and Bolters.

“On Isstvan III the Warmaster set a trap for these warriors.”

All of the models’ power tubes and firearms were subsequently treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst I 'picked out' all the ridges on their shoulder-pads and helmets with a layer of "Vallejo" Gold. These areas were later given a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and highlighted with some additional smidgeons of "Vallejo" Gold on the sharpest edges and rivets.

As a final touch I applied some "Scalecolor" Speed Metal to the Space Marines’ eye slits, and then a single layer of the "Citadel" Contrast colour Flesh Tearers Red. I also fixed one of the many decals found on the "Games Workshop" Sons of Horus Legion transfer sheet onto their right shoulder-pads. I did consider placing a second, different decal onto the other ones, but then thought it was something I might do at a later date - as I rather liked the bare black colour scheme.

"Hot Wheels" WIPs - This Land Rover Defender 90 has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

With a nice portion of my Sons of Horus infantry squad now completed, I have spent some time working on a second 1:64 scale "Hot Wheels" vehicle for my post-apocalypse ‘Cars Wars’ project. This Land Rover Defender 90 was bright red in colour, but it was suggested to me that it might look better in British Army Green, and thus Squaddie One was born.

The vehicle was originally just going to have a pair of machine-guns on its bonnet (as opposed to a spare wheel). However, I thought this made it look a little boring, so eventually decided to super-glue one of the “roughly 20mm scale” metal Bootleggers produced by “North Star Military Figures” onto its back roof. The figure’s backside neatly fitted between two of the truck’s ridges, so I only needed to scrape a little of its paint away to ensure a metal upon metal contact…

"Look At This Mess."

"No point in taking out the rest. Silver's penetrated his organs. Regeneration's impossible at this point."

This 28mm scale "white metal" miniature of a Slick Gang member is produced by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", and was bought as part of my Three Set pledge for their recent "Corporate Wars" Kickstarter. One of seven bald, trench-coat wearing killers, the model was sculpted by the late Jim Bowen and previously sold by the now sadly defunct "East Ridings Miniatures".

The figure comes stood upon a fairly hefty integral stand, so before I could apply two coats of “Vallejo” German Grey to him, this area was snipped away just enough to super-glue the near future mobster onto a 25mm circular plastic base. He was then shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and ferociously dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" German Grey.

"Hot Wheels" WIPs - The armed truck is slowly having its tyres, exhaust, weapons and burger picked out

The criminal's two pistols were given a lick of "Citadel" Ababbon Black, and had both barrels, as well as his shades, 'picked out' with a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, the Slick's jacket buttons were treated to some "Vallejo" Brass, a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and a highlight of (more) "Vallejo" Brass.

With the latest of my "Corporate Wars" miniatures completed, I have spent some additional time working on my opening contribution to Dave Stone's "Apocalypse Me" challenge. In the past I've restricted my "Mad Max" needs to Mark Copplestone's 28mm Future Wars range. But currently seem to what to do nothing else except fit 1:64 scale "Hot Wheels" vehicles with all manner of weapons and then 'distress the hell out of them' with some weathering.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - A Sons of Horus Space Marine with Legion Vexilla awaiting some shading

To begin with I had settled upon simply rusting up Fast Eddie's "Buns Of Steel" food truck after equipping it with a pair of machine-guns. However, since "the Force is strong with this one", I've also been busy adding some missiles and other automatic weapons to some other cars, as well as assembled a plastic motorcyclist using the plastic parts found on the Implements of Carnage One sprue sold by "North Star Military Figures".

Finally, I am putting some of the final touches onto the Legion Vexilla-carrying Sons of Horus Space Marine I need for my traitor legion's MK III power-armoured tactical squad. Pigmenting this particular 28mm plastic model by "Games Workshop" has taken quite a bit of careful patience to ensure that the delicately attacked piece of wargear doesn't inadvertently snap off whilst I'm applying a brush-tip to it...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Encounter Terrain" Zomtober 2022

"I will slaughter you in that pod right now."

This month's themed attempt to whittle away at my 'tower of temptations past' will actually focus upon my completing a number of 40mm resin models sculpted by Nikola Stankovic and 3D printed by "Encounter Terrain". I've actually been slowly working away at this growing range over the past few weeks, but thought entering a few horror-themed figures into the "Zomtober" challenge would give the project a bit of an adrenalin boost.

Now admittedly, "Doctor Who" isn't really the first science fiction genre which leaps to mind when people think about the living dead. However, I did think a handful of zed-like Cybermen might fit the bill at a push. In addition, I will be applying my brush to a few allies/foes which come from outside the BBC television programme, such as Ash Williams ("Evil Dead"), Frankenstein's Monster, Jason Voorhees ("Friday The Thirteenth"), the Wolfman, and Michael Myers ("Halloween").

"Hot Wheels" WIPs - The armed truck is slowly being heavily weathered with rust

Alongside these goals I'm also planning on contributing to Dave Stone's "Apocalypse Me" challenge over on his excellent "Wargames Terrain Workshop" blog. Recently, I have been attending a few local weekend Toy Fairs, and been marvelling at the incredible range of vehicles produced by "Mattel" for their "Hot Wheels" range. Now, whilst I do own the original version of "Gaslands" by "Osprey Wargames", I've never felt inclined to get into the 'Car Wars' world until now... thanks largely to spotting Fast Eddie's "Buns Of Steel" food truck.

Truth to be told, I still don't intend to play "Gaslands". However, I do already have some homemade space-fight rules I intend to adapt into a collaborative car game where a pair of drivers compete across several rounds for the infamous Juice Cup. Resultantly, I have bought the Implements of Carnage One plastic weapon/riders/vehicles kit from "North Star Military Figures", re-based/primed my impulse purchase, and armed it with couple of machine-guns so it can be fielded as Juice Cup sponsor Bob's Burgers.

September 2022 - "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" captures the top spot

Progress wise, the last month has been my best September by far, and definitely helped get me back on track to improving upon last year's annual output. I had admittedly been hoping to finish a few more "Games Workshop" models from their "The Lord Of The Rings" range, but was very pleased to complete all the Killbots by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" which I own instead. Indeed, combined with the start of my "Corporate Wars" project, the Lincolnshire-based manufacturer's figures have dominated my interest over the past four weeks.

Looking ahead, I can't see this enthusiasm declining any time soon, especially as I'm finding the late Jim Bowen's futuristic sculpts a nice and straightforward subject to pigment whenever I get fed up 'picking out' the intricate details on my "Horus Heresy" Sons of Horus traitor space marines. Furthermore, I expect to see quite a few 40mm scale 3D printed miniatures hitting the tabletop as I finally approach owning enough painted models to play a few skirmish games - potentially using the rule-set "Space Station Zero" by "Snarling Badger Studios"...