“Scooby Doobie Doooo!”

"Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?"

This 28mm scale model of Scooby Doo was sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of the Mystery Inc. set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the leading canine character from "Hanna-Barbera Productions" 1969 cartoon television series, the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

Created by Joe Ruby, Ken Spears, and Iwao Takamoto, the figure was undercoated in "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, shaded using plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. I then painted on some of the Great Dane's spots using a combination of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - A Sardaukar, a Cyberman and a Village Militia Officer

Scooby Doo's collar was carefully 'picked out' using some "Vallejo" Steel Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, whilst I applied a little "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the dog's tiny nameplate. Finally, I treated the model's nose and closed mouth to a lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before highlighting the miniature's marvellously detailed face with some additional thin lines of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

Sticking with "Big Mr Tong", I have started 3D printing, basing and priming many more of his figures in preparation of this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. Event number Thirteen is already less than a calendar month away from starting, and so as to overcome some of my frustrations at last year's awarding of bonus points (or rather lack of), I've decided to achieve my five-hundred-point target by simply knuckling down and pigmenting a hundred 28mm models during its three-month duration.

"Anvil Digital Forge" WIPs - A Corporate Security Force operative

In addition, I've picked up one of the Corporate Security Force operatives I received from "Anvil Digital Forge" as part of their Patreon programme, and started applying a predominantly blue, black and silver palette across the pilot piece. I was originally planning on adopting a colour scheme more in line with the Judges of Mega-City One (and still may well do so). But I thought I'd try something a bit more 'realistic' first.

To be honest. I'm not yet convinced about all the 'silver' metal, so do plan to 'pick out' the officer's belt/pouches in brown, and the two large cartridges at the back in red. I'll also be applying either some "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade or Agrax Earthshade to the policeman's armour plates to help differentiate them from his chunky firearm. "Anvil Industries" are really churning out some great sculpts for this digital arm of their company, so I want to establish a fairly quick approach to these miniatures before I get swamped with all their awesome-looking STLs.

"Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves."

"Fighting leads to killing, and killing gets to warring."

"Greetings Motorheads, and welcome to another broadcast covering some of your favourite vehicles of our post-apocalyptic age. I'm Rex Wonkers, and alongside my colleague and famed fossicking legend Lance Sourdough, I'll be looking at three more desperate souls who have put their names forward as competitors in our upcoming inaugural Juice Cup."

"Now all of these desperados will be travelling at breakneck speeds on the 20mm plastic motorcycles found on the Implements of Carnage One sprue by "North Star Military Figures". However, in addition to predominantly just riding around the designated killing zone as a moving obstacle, two of our competitors will actually be armed and dangerous. Right, Lance..?"

"Now when men get to fighting, it happens here."

"Correct Rex. The Nottingham-based company's Code NSPIoC05 frame contains a quartet of machine guns, and a pair of these automatic weapons have been snipped down to their bare barrels and then jammed through the bikes' windshields, courtesy of a bit of drilling. Not the most complex of conversions admittedly. But definitely effective."

"Furthermore, a wheel from Implements of Carnage Two has been cut in half and stuck onto the back of this trio's other rider, so as to provide him with a miniscule amount of extra armour. I'm not sure just how much protection a semi-circle of hardened rubber is going to give, but I suppose it's the thought that counts."

"Weapons?"

"Too right, Lancey Boy. Now all three of our brave bikers were primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, heavily dry-brushed with both "Vallejo" Brown and Gunmetal, as well as later drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Each rider's leather suit, visor and wheels were then appropriately pigmented with either "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna or "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green.

"Finally, their limbs' armour plates and helmet were treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst the racers' seats and belts were given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown or "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh. All of these areas were subsequently shaded in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade."

"And with that update, Rex, it appears we've come to the end of our transmission. So, it's goodbye from me and him, and I look forward to speaking to all you wasteland survivors again in the next edition of Cars, Crashes and Carnage..."

3D Printing - Day Four - "Artisan Guild" And "Age Of Fantasy: Skirmish"

"Artisan Guild" WIPs - Gaki Yhimotto, an Apprentice Arcanist, and Gyros Shipwrecker 

These miniatures were created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and are available as STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from "Artisan Guild" on "MyMiniFactory". The figures are from the sculpting team's "Arcanist's Guild" and "Golemmar Gnomes" releases, as well as their "Patreon" (free) Welcome Box Bundle - Troubles In Taverns.

I decided to support this particular wargaming content creator because I already owned a number of their very characterful (some might say 'cartoony') miniatures, having previously bought them from a licensed merchant over on "Etsy". One of main motivators for buying a 3D printer was to stop me from paying others to produce the figures I wanted and having calculated what it would cost to just purchase the six Apprentice Arcanists as physical products, it was clear I'd be forking out more than an entire bottle of "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin - from which I could print approximately ten times their number.

Packing a build plate with Golemmar Gnomes and Depth Diggers. But doing the Giant Clay Golem on its own

In addition, I thought the company's range of models would really suit the Age Of Fantasy: Skirmish ruleset by "One Page Rules". I've had my eye on this PDF for quite some time, having been completely bamboozled by the latest incarcerations of Age of Sigmar by "Games Workshop", and resultantly would highly recommend supporting them on Patreon at their Tier 2 Miniature Collector.

Not only does this membership level grant you access to an astonishing number of STL files (currently covering Lust Daemons, Ratmen and dinosaur-riding space lizards), but it also provides you with digital copies of all their different rulesets. Furthermore, "One Page Rules" have a super-handy Army Forge builder which quickly enabled me to compile a 250-point Halfling force - or rather a Gnome mining party using a combination of the figures I received from "Artisan Guild".

"Artisan Guild" WIPs - Two Depth Diggers and a (troublesome) Orc War Shrine

Printing off my miners, their beasts of burden, and colossal golem was very straightforward, as all the miniatures come supplied with pre-supports. As a result, I initially thought it was simply a case of packing my build plate with as much stuff as I could and (im)patiently waiting until my Mars 3 Pro had done its magic.

Overall, this factory-line like approach served me well. But I did encounter some problems when tackling the large pieces of scenery provided with each release. As with the figures, these sculpts came pre-supported. However, I found the supports unable to resist the pull of my resin tank's FEP once the print was approximately a third of the way through, and this caused repeated failures. In the end I only successfully printed out the terrain when it was laid flat upon the build plate, and "Chitubox" Basic had provided it with sturdier supports.

“When You Cross Swords With A Sardaukar, You Know It.”

"I have promised the Baron five legions of my Sardaukar terror troops."

This 28mm scale Sardaukar was sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a ten-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon David Lynch's vision of the Emperor's elite warriors as first seen in his 1984 American science-fiction film "Dune", the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

The model was undercoated in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. The super-human soldier's belt was then 'picked out using a little "Vallejo" Steel Blue, and his firearm with Gunmetal. Finally, the entire figure was 'drowned' in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and the Sardaukar's distinctive green face-visor realised using a combination of "Scalecolor" White Alchemy and the "Citadel" Contrast paint Warp Lightning,

"A small force will follow through and under your instructions subdue survivors."

Alongside my test-piece I have managed to complete two more of Big Mr Tong's 28mm scale Cybermen too. Like so many of the sculptor's miniatures these are freely available to members of his "Patreon" and are based upon Eric Saward's incarnation of the travelling Time Lord's archenemies as first seen in the March 1982 "Doctor Who" story "Earthshock".

Just like the three Mondasians I've previously pigmented, these two models were primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black and given a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Gunmetal. They were then shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal, before I applied a combination of "Scalecolor" Speed Metal and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red to the visible power cylinders on each of their hand-weapons.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - Three 15mm plastic 'D-Day' German Panzergrenadiers

Lastly, I have managed to get all the flesh finished on what I hope to be the final four German Infantrymen I need for my 50-point "Flames Of War" German Beach Defence Company. I actually find this part of the 15mm plastic soldiers the most difficult and time-consuming aspect, as the individual fingers are understandably super-tiny to highlight. However, now I'm on to simply layering and washing their backpacks, rifles and equipment, I hope to get them tabletop ready reasonably soon.

In addition, I have shaded the first of four Panzer IV Tanks I aim to tackle once I've finished my second German Panzergrenadier Platoon. This quartet of heavily armoured vehicles have been patiently waiting for me ever since I primed them in "Vallejo" Dark Yellow a few months ago. So, my plan is to practice my brush techniques on one of them whilst I work through the crews of two 7.5cm Tank-Hunter Teams I also need to fill out my Late War force.

"Personal Guard Fully Activated."

"We will take the bridge at once. Continue the reactivation."

These three 28mm scale Cybermen were sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a ten-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon Eric Saward's incarnation of the Mondasians as first seen in his March 1982 "Doctor Who" story "Earthshock", the miniatures were produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

Having been washed, cured and then removed from their supports (applied through "Chitubox" Basic), the trio were primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black and given a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Gunmetal. The models were then shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal, before I applied a combination of "Scalecolor" Speed Metal and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red to the visible power cylinders on each of their hand-weapons.

"At Isstvan V, Horus dealt a vicious blow and three loyal Legions were all but destroyed."

Alongside the cyborg invaders of Captain Briggs' space freighter, I have also finished painting another 28mm plastic Space Marine by "Games Workshop" for my five-hundred-point Sons of Horus traitor force. This multi-part figure comes from the recently released Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set and is wearing MK VI armour.

The miniature was undercoated using "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green. I also applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to one of his shoulder-pads (by mistake), as well as his grenades, Bolter, backpack, wiring, and some of the areas in between his "iconic armour".

"Lost Heresy Miniatures" WIPs - An Away Team Red crewmember, First Officer Lenoy and Captain Tiberius

The model's power tubes, wiring and firearm were later treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then applied a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to the space marine's stud-covered shoulder-pad, before applying some "Vallejo" Gold and a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to it. The rivets (or bobbles) and its edges were later highlighted with some additional touches of "Vallejo" Gold.

Finally, I have settled down to working my way through a handful of "Star Trek" flavoured resin prints by "Lost Heresy Miniatures". As part of my Patreon's subscription Sci-Fi Welcome pack I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of Bill Thornhill's Away Team Red figures and scoop up Captain Tiberius' alternative command uniform off of "MyMiniFactory"...

"Schmitter. Like The Rest Of Them. Burned To A Crisp."

"I only got a glimpse of it, but it's big and shaggy."

This 28mm scale Lava Creature is sold by "Lost Heresy Miniatures" and can be downloaded as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "MyMiniFactory" along with some round-shaped eggs. Sculpted by Bill Thornhill, the figure is strongly influenced by the Horta from Gene L. Coon's 1967 "Star Trek" television story "The Devil In The Dark" and was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

"A sentient non-humanoid silicon cycle life form native to the planet Janus VI", the model was primed using a double helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and then sporadically splodged with "Citadel" Doombull Brown whilst its undercoat was still wet. The alien was then thoroughly drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and had its lava-like ridges carefully 'picked out' in "Vallejo" White.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - Three 15mm plastic 'D-Day' German Panzergrenadiers

These areas were subsequently treated to a layer of "Vallejo" Sun Yellow and later, Heavy Orange, before being shaded in both "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and Agrax Earthshade. Finally, the mother Horta's ridges were daubed in (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Orange with a badly battered brush-tip and darkened down thanks to some additional "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

To be honest this model was a bit of a monster to print, as despite its STL file coming pre-supported, I didn't think the weak-looking struts would allow the miniature to survive the process and would 'tear away' from the build plate onto the FEP (i.e. the bottom of the resin tank). As a result, I initially placed an unsupported version of the creature directly onto the build plate and then watched the solid(ish) sculpt then shatter into a handful of pieces post-print when I tried to remove it with a metal scrapper. The second time round I used Bill's pre-supports, and despite my reservations (as I've had more "Lost Heresy Miniatures" fail than any other manufacturer) the figure printed out perfectly.

"Big Mr. Tong" WIPs - A Sardaukar trooper, Shaggy Rogers and Scooby Doo

With the first of what will probably be a long line of "Star Trek" inspired 3D prints painted, I have made some more inroads into my 50-point German Beach Defence Company for "Flames Of War" and am now just four 15mm plastic infantrymen away from completing my second German Panzergrenadier Platoon. Once these are finished, I can eagerly move on to the 7.5cm Tank-Hunter Platoon and Panzer IV Tanks I need to successfully fill out my sizeable force.

Lastly, I've been busy printing a seemingly endless number of 28mm scale figures taken from the formidably extensive range of models produced by "Big Mr. Tong" for his Patreon subscribers. Foremost of these are Shaggy Rogers and Scooby Doo from Mystery Inc. However, I have also started in earnest my plans for some bizarre battles between numerous science fiction film/television franchises by preparing a test Sardaukar trooper, which has clearly been inspired by the emperor's elite warriors depicted in David Lynch's 1984 movie "Dune"...

"A Yeti!"

"Oh, Doctor, Doctor, the Yeti. Have they gone?"

This metal Yeti is manufactured by “Warlord Games” and can be found inside the Nottingham-based company's "special limited-time offer" Doctor Who: Web Of Fear set. In total, the blister contains three models of the Great Intelligence's furry robots, alongside a kneeling figure of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and defiant-looking Professor Travers. Provided for free with any orders of £75 or more, the five-figure collection is based upon Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln's February 1968 televised story "The Web Of Fear".  

The miniature was initially undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and 'drowned' using a combination of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. It was then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and later treated to a light dusting of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Lastly, the furry monster's eyes were picked out with "Vallejo" White, Sun Yellow, "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and an additional highlight of "Vallejo" Sun Yellow.

"Germany’s armed forces had carved out a home for themselves in France."

Alongside my third Movember inspired model, I have completed another stand of four 15mm plastic infantrymen to bolster my German Beach Defence Company for "Flames Of War". These models can be found inside the “Hit The Beach” starter set by “Battlefront Miniatures” and were all initially super-glued onto wooden strips, before being primed in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII.

Each soldier was subsequently shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were then ‘picked out’ predominantly using “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal, Buff, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades. Furthermore, the Panzergrenadiers' rifle tops, the general-purpose machine gun, and water flask stoppers were given a combination of “Vallejo” Gunmetal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

"Lost Heresy Miniatures" WIPs - Captain Tiberius, First Officer Lenoy and a Lava Creature

Lastly, I have been slowly working on some of the first models I received from "Lost Heresy Miniatures" after I subscribed to the creator's Patreon service. These 3D printed figures are clearly heavily influenced by the original Sixties science fiction television series "Star Trek", in particular the March 1967 episode - "The Devil In The Dark", and initially promised to be a much cheaper alternative to the rather expensive 'official' range of 32mm scale Starfleet crewmembers sold by "Modiphius Entertainment".

Unfortunately, I have found the sculpts to be a bit variable in size alongside one another (something that will become much clearer as I continue to paint my way through the numerous releases), and also relatively difficult to successfully print out on my Mars 3 Pro. Indeed, Captain Tiberius is sporting a plastic hand, taken from a "Warlord Games" 8th Army (Desert Rats) frame, following my machine's failure to produce all his fingers intact...

“Warfare" Showcase 2022

"Warfare, our annual wargames show, is one of the largest in the country."

With last year's trip to a bitterly cold Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire already being something of a distant memory, I was rather looking forward to attending the Wargames Association of Reading’s forty-second "Warfare" Show at its new location inside the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre. Frustratingly however, I once again failed to follow my own (good) advice of checking the organiser's precise directions to the venue, and instead trusted in my iPhone's satellite navigation to 'get me to the church on time'. This was undeniably a mistake, as although I arrived directly outside the building just in time for the event's start, Gate B was only open to pedestrians, whilst the required Gate F (for motor vehicles) was actually still quite a drive away and then required a bit of a winding trek through the grounds of "Europe’s leading business airport" before I reached the designated car park.

Happily, once I had alighted from my ride, it really was a short walk up to the entrance of the Conference Centre, and I was very quickly offering my wrist up to a gentleman who helpfully attached my entrance band around my arm. Now, whether the price of entry provides value for money in my mind usually depends upon how long I spend at a show, and in this case, it cost a tenner for two hours of solid mooching about - as well as some enjoyable small talk with the likes of "Strength & Honour" rules set author Mark Backhouse and one of the people behind "Tablescape" scenery. I was though rather perturbed by not receiving even the most rudimentary of show guides, which meant I had absolutely no idea of what was where, or even where 'where' ended..?

"It's 1985 and the Bot War rages."

Foremost of the draws to "Warfare" for me is their excellent Bring & Buy section, and once again I was amazed at just much stuff was up for sale. Of particular interest was the sheer amount of "Flames Of War" merchandise being 'moved on' - whether it be painted "Battlefront Miniatures" figures and vehicles, books or numerous miniatures still in their blister. To be honest, I was a bit concerned that the World War Two wargame had suffered some calamitous loss in popularity. But that didn't deter me from picking up a still-sealed copy of the "Hungarian Steel" and "Brave Romania" Mid-War expansion sets for half their RRP.

Having finished slowly shuffling my way along the second-hand stall - which rather neatly ran the breadth of Discover Hall, it was on to the traders and several distinctly caught my eye. One of the first tables I spotted was the self-published "Bot War" as sold by "Lvl Up Gaming", which quickly recaptured my childhood with its fantastic display of 10mm 'transformers' from "an alternate reality on Earth in the 1980’s." These figures were super-colouful, and it was clear that the Bournemouth-based store plans to support the game with enthusiastic earnest. Surprisingly though, especially for someone who loves giant robot models, I didn't actually pick up a starter box, thinking instead that I might first explore whether I could find similar miniature STL (Standard Triangle Language) files on "Thingiverse" or some such for a fraction of the price.

"Ironclads: Space Battles in the Victorian Aether."

This distinct change in my buying mindset continued throughout the show. and only stopped once I encountered "Triple Ace Games" in the Main Hall and discovered that their eye-catching "Ironclads" miniatures were available digitally as supportable 3D prints. Now, in the past I have no doubt I would have walked away from this booth at least clutching the ship-vs.-ship wargame's £80 starter set. However, the knowledge that I could get my hands on the somewhat cartoony-looking flying battleships online and therefore print out as many as I wanted for a fraction of the price, instantly stopped me from making an impulsive physical purchase.

Resultantly, I soon found myself just being interested in the scenery on sale from the numerous vendors rather than any actual gaming figures and made my final purchases at the "Tablescape" booth. I already own a sizeable number of this company's Industrial, Dugout and Middle Eastern/North African ranges, so decided to take the plunge into their Fortress buildings for my imminent "Horus Heresy" tabletop. Somewhat shockingly, I soon discovered that they had already run out of some of the pieces I was after - bearing in mind the stall was only two hours into a two-day show - and ended up picking up a few slightly battered display pieces at a reduced price...

3D Printing - Day Three - Patreon And "Cyber-Forge Miniatures"

Three Star Force crewmembers with separate heads by "Cyber-Forge Miniatures" 

These miniatures were created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and are available as STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from "Cyber-Forge Miniatures" on "MyMiniFactory". The figures, heavily influenced by Gene Roddenberry's American science fiction television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation", are from the sculpting team's "Titan City Stories" range and were part of a much larger monthly "Patreon" reward during October 2022.

Having previously used the "membership platform" to support wargaming content creators which I watch on "YouTube", I was already quite familiar with "Patreon" and its tier subscription system. As a result, I was able to quickly become a member of the "Cyber-Forge Miniatures” Page at its First Contact level and gain immediate access to all the relevant postings – including both a link to where the relevant STL files were housed, as well as the password protecting them.

The fully-supported Copernicus Shuttle by "Cyber-Forge Miniatures"

I then simply downloaded them all as a ZIP file onto my home computer and decompressed them using WinRAR. Delightfully, all of the models are supplied with supports (as well as without), so it really was just a case of plonking each model onto the build plate using "Chitubox" Basic and only stopping once I had run out of room. Each plate's worth of STL files were subsequently sliced and saved onto the USB stick which came free with my Mars 3 Pro as a CTB file.

Due to my love of "Star Trek" I really was like a 'kid in a candy shop' with these models, especially as "Titan Forge Miniatures" had given most of its Star Force crewmembers the option of several alternative heads - most notably one of Jean-Luc Picard, William Riker and Spock. These were actually the first multi-piece figures I had 3D printed, so I was rather surprised by how many supports each 'noggin' needed.

A Dahar Conversion booth, along with two single-piece Dahar by "Cyber-Forge Miniatures" 

In addition, the release also gave me the opportunity to print the rather large Copernicus Shuttle, which literally took up most of my machine's build plate. Indeed, being rather wary of the towering vessel's height, I soon decided to simply have my Mars 3 Pro focus its efforts solely upon it - rather than surround it with a handful of additional miniatures. This tactic seemingly worked, as overnight the printer successfully did its magic and provided me with an awesome-looking spacecraft.

Enthused and emboldened with this triumph, I then settled down to produce a couple of batches of Dahar robotic adversaries, and the Cybermen-like automatons’ impressive Mobile Conversion Unit. Admittedly, this tracked land vehicle took a while to print as due to its sheer size I was forced to produce its numerous components throughout the remainder of the day. But this did allow me to ‘squeeze’ in more Dahar figures on each build plate, as well as decide that I preferred the ominous contraption to carry two fully converted androids, rather than have it transporting a hapless victim in mid-transition…

"Those Yeti Have Changed In Appearance."

"It's a sort of Mark Two, isn't it."

These two metal Yeti are produced by “Warlord Games” and can be found inside the Nottingham-based company's "special limited-time offer" Doctor Who: Web Of Fear set. The blister actually contains three models of the Great Intelligence's hairy automatons, as well as figures of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and Professor Travers. Given away for free with any orders of £75 or more, the product is clearly based upon Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln's February 1968 televised story "The Web Of Fear".  

48mm in height, the "cuddly but ferocious" miniatures were primed using two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. They were then drenched in a mixture of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, before being dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. As a final highlight, I gave each of the redesigned robots a light dusting of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Finally, the monsters' eyes were layered in "Vallejo" White, treated to a coat of Sun Yellow, shaded with plenty of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and later brightened with an extra dab of "Vallejo" Sun Yellow.

"Cyber-Forge Miniatures" WIPs - Captain Benjamin Crocway

Released alongside several other 'free' "Doctor Who" related sets until "Warlord Games" licence for the BBC science fiction show expires at the end of 2022, these models have caused quite some consternation on the "Doctor Who: Exterminate" Facebook page due to so many products being released simultaneously - and each requiring a separate £75 order to acquire them. Personally, considering that the manufacturer isn't allowed to actually sell them, I'm just pleased to have got my hands on these big fellas, and whilst it's frustrating that I won't be able to own all the 'new releases' before they disappear, at least they have been made available (for free) for those who want them.

Moving along from my opening Movember models, yet sticking with science fiction, I have managed to 3D print and progress Captain Benjamin Crocway by "Cyber-Forge Miniatures". Weighing in at an impressive 46mm, this figure comes from their "Star Force" release, and is strongly influenced by both the sculpting team's love for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the popularity of their previously released cybernetically-enhanced Crocko Bo STL (Standard Triangle Language) file.

"Anvil Digital Forge" WIPs - Three Corporate Security Force operatives

I've also managed to 3D print some of the multi-part figures released by "Anvil Digital Forge" as part of their Patreon programme. These miniatures were assembled using parts found in the Corporate Security Force and consist of three predominately single-piece male bodies "standing to attention armed with a shotgun close to the chest", plus a CorpSec body with a full-length trench coat.

As one might expect from a 'side-arm' of "Anvil Industry", the models are incredible modular, with a variety of separate heads, arms and weapons. In addition, this particular release includes some cool-looking motorbikers, so expect a few of them to make an appearance once I've finished working on my core unit of infantry...

"Gort! Klaatu Barada Nikto!"

"For our policemen, we created a race of robots."

This 28mm scale Gort was sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "Thingiverse". Based upon the giant robot seen in Robert Wise's 1951 science fiction film "The Day the Earth Stood Still", the figure was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

The miniature was primed using a double helping of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and then layered using a mixture of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Scalecolor" White Alchemy. Initially, I had planned on pigmenting the "eight-foot tall, seamless" automaton with pure "Vallejo" Gunmetal. But having seen a colourised photograph taken from an old black and white movie still, it was clear that the metallic member of an interstellar police force was a lot shinier than normal.

Gort with heavy supports applied through "Chitubox" Basic

However, the disconcertingly weak "Scalecolor" White Alchemy paint was so transparent that without some assistance from the much thicker, almost gloopy, "Vallejo" Gunmetal", it was never going to cover the figure's original "Citadel" Abaddon Black undercoat. Indeed, even after I used the "Vallejo" Gunmetal as a thickening agent, I still needed to apply numerous coats of pure "Scalecolor" White Alchemy over Gort in order to ensure good coverage.

With this problem well in mind, I also watered down the "Citadel" Nuln Oil I ordinarily use to help shade any silver-coloured metallic areas. The entire miniature was then dry-brushed with (more) "Scalecolor" White Alchemy to bring out any details. I also 'picked' out the law enforcement robot's visor using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Abaddon Black to help it stand out from the rest of the model.

"Squiddies sweeping in quick."

"Big Mr Tong" has actually sculpted Gort in three additional poses, which are available via his Patreon. and I may well 3D print one of these at a bigger scale in the future, in order to better capture the automaton's towering height. Furthermore, I'll be a bit more careful removing the heavy supports applied by "Chitubox" Basic, as I inadvertently snipped off one of the automaton's thumbs whilst cleaning the figure up with a pair of clippers. Luckily, "Elegoo" water washable resin really bonds together when given a smidgeon of superglue.

Finally, alongside Klaatu's guardian I have also completed two more 28mm scale metal SpyBots by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". These can be bought individually as SKU: MINI 649 or as part of the four-figure deal - DEAL 193.  The single-cast models were predominantly painted using "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green, "Vallejo" Gunmetal, "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash so as to tie them in with my previously painted 'pilot' piece...

3D Printing - Day Two - Unsuccessful Scaling And Supports

A 28mm resin print of a Monk Hero by "Titan Forge Miniatures" with supports by "Chitubox" Basic

These various miniatures were 3D printed using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and are available as STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from "Titan Forge Miniatures" and "SplunJohnny" on "Cults" respectively. The Monk Hero is actually one of several free models which come in a digital Welcome Pack once you have subscribed to the "Polish based sculpting/casting/inspired-and-head-blown" company's Patreon service. Whilst the "Doctor Who" figures can be bought individually.

None of the figures came supplied with any supports (or at least I didn't spot the supported version of the Monk Hero until later on) so they all gave me a chance to apply my own supports to each miniature using "Chitubox" Basic.  In addition, I wanted to see how the programme's scaling feature worked, so set about shrinking my Doctor Who STLs down from 100mm to 15mm in height simply by reducing them to 15% of their original size.

Rescaled 15mm resin test prints of Leela, the Seventh Doctor, a Zygon and the Kandy Man

This all seemed to work out quite well initially, as "Chitubox" has a handy little feature which automatically provides sculpts with supports with just a click of a button. All you have to do is decide whether you want Light, Medium or Heavy supports - the bulkier being more stable during the printing process, but potentially harder to subsequently remove without damaging the model once it's been printed. Furthermore, there is an option to place the base of each STL hard down on the actual plate of the printer, so the figure is literally built from the feet up.

Such a technique clearly gives the build plate plenty of grip on the miniature straight from the start. However, as its initial layers are 'overcured' so as to ensure a secure bond, the bottom of the model might not be as flat as a person might want and suffer from 'Elephant's Foot' - which is why so many companies who produce STLs provide the bases as pre-supported files which sit at an angle well away from the actual build plate's surface.

A 100mm tall STL of the Sixth Doctor shrunk to 15mm and supported through "Chitubox" Basic

As a result, I decided to have three of my diminutive "Doctor Who" figures 'floating' on supports, and the other half sat snugly on the build plate with just a few additional supports keeping their arms etc in place. Approximately three hours later I discovered the error of my ways and realised that when 3D printing anything quite so fragile as 15mm some seriously numerous supports are probably needed if the miniatures' bases aren't placed flat on the build plate. Sadly, this meant both the Sixth Doctor and poor Ace never saw the light of day and were turned into blobs of hardened resin stuck firmly on the bottom of my resin tank.

Of course, such a minor catastrophe did mean I now needed to quickly learn how to clean the tank of my printer, so understandably I immediately turned to the company's official "Elegoo Mars: How to clean the resin vat after printing" video on YouTube. However, after a quick scan of its comments revealed this was not the way to do it (unless you wanted to potentially badly damage the FEP), I simply emptied the tank and followed the extremely sage advice of 'pushing lightly underneath the transparent film where any solid resin was stuck" and delightfully watched them "come off easily without scraping." In addition, I also learnt that the paper funnels supplied with the machine allow the resin to flow straight through the entire cone, not just the 'filter' at its bottom - which resulted in almost an entire tank of resin accidentally spilling all over the table and floor...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Big Mr Tong" Movember 2022

"Every time I see one of those things I expect to spot some guy dressed in red with horns and a pitchfork."

This month's themed attempt to whittle away at my mountain of metal, plastic and resin models probably won't amount to much progress to be honest, as it's going to focus on a number of 28mm figures sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" which I've yet to actually 3D print. True, I still own a few of the fellow's designs which were produced for me through Etsy by "Twisted Pinnacle 3D". But I only plan to apply my brush-tip to one of these models, preferring instead to focus on the prolific artist's extensive range of automatons and classic sci-fiction influenced denizens.

In addition, as Dick Garrison over on the “Rantings From Under The Wargames Table” has kindly agreed to join me in our annual Movember Challenge for the next four weeks, I figured a handful of Big Mr Tong's prominently bearded miniatures would also be entirely appropriate to paint for this contest too. However, I will need to provide at least one planned model with some 'green-stuffed' facial hair in order to make them eligible. In the meantime though, I am busily cutting away printing supports on the likes of Shaggy Rogers from Mystery Inc.

"Those stationed in Normandy on D-Day consisted of teenage recruits with little training or foreign conscripts."

Alongside this perfectly attainable target, I intend to make some noticeable progress on my 50-point German Beach Defence Company for "Flames Of War". Indeed, I have already completed another stand of four 15mm plastic infantrymen by “Battlefront Miniatures” to bolster my growing second German Panzergrenadier Platoon. These models can be found inside the company’s “Hit The Beach” starter set and were initially super-glued onto wooden strips, before being primed in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII.

Each soldier was subsequently shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were then ‘picked out’ predominantly using “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal, Buff, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades. Furthermore, the Panzergrenadiers' rifle tops, the general-purpose machine gun, and water flask stoppers were given a combination of “Vallejo” Gunmetal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

October 2022 - 3D printed figures make a strong impact upon the Top Five table with "Encounter Terrain"

Productivity wise, the past month was excellent, and saw me close to finishing more figures than I have ever done during October before. Much of this success was due to my love affair with Nikola Stankovic's slightly cartoony 40mm sculpts, wonderfully 3D printed for me by "Encounter Terrain", and I don't frankly see this relationship deteriorating anytime soon now I own a Mars 3 Pro 3D printer. In fact, I'm pretty sure my desire to get more of these magnificent miniatures on my tabletop will only get worse in view of how much cheaper each model will be in the future (i.e. simply the cost of the resin).

I’m also sure they'll be a fair few Sons of Horus Space Marines by "Games Workshop" showing up, courtesy of my plan to finally play some "Horus Heresy" in the near future. I still have several MK VI armoured Tactical Marines to complete, but these should be pretty straightforward to progress. I then intend to build a ten-man Blackshields unit, which whilst still bearing the Eye of Horus, can later on hopefully be used as Warhammer 30K pirates such as the Company of the Sundered...