(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Papsikels Miniatures” March 2023

"The enemy of my enemy... is my friend."

Due to the past four week’s encouraging effort to diminish the embarrassingly high summit of my hobby hill by focusing upon a number of 32mm science fiction figures produced by “Papsikels Miniatures”, I thought I’d do exactly the same again for another month. Or at least, target some of company’s smaller 28mm scale Cyberpunk characters which I’ve recently gained access to via their other “Patreon” subscription service.

Of course, I still aim to pigment a number of their larger brethren for my upcoming "Aliens verses Predator verses Terminator" games, as that particular project is far from complete and unsurprisingly always being added to. But I’d also like to get started on their Papsikels City range which comprises of an “alternate future in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist” – albeit I’ll be predominantly sticking to their human denizens first, before I start 3D printing various Elves, Orcs, Goblins and other part-cyborg creatures.

"Papsikels Miniatures" WIPs - A PCPD Blade Walker, Cyborg Ender Type 5432 0 and Miggy Kimosabe

In addition, I’ve set myself a bit of a significant challenge to actually have a game of both “Flames of War” by “Battlefront Miniatures” and “Horus Heresy” by “Games Workshop” before the end of the month, so I can dive head-first into another project concerning the “Warlord Games” Epic Battles models range – their upcoming Thirty Years War. Such a goal means I need to complete quite a few figures from the two aforementioned game systems first and foremost, so I’m hoping to get some 15mm German Panzer IV Tanks completed, along with some accompanying Tank Hunter Gun Teams, within the next couple of weeks.

Then I’ll turn my attention on finishing off the remaining Mark VI Space Marines I require for my Sons Of Horus force’s second Tactical Infantry Unit, before polishing off a third ten-man squad using a mish-mash of “Games Workshop” plastic and “Forge World” resin pieces I’ve accumulated over the past decade or so. Only once these two long overdue projects are done and dusted (at least until I start working on some expansions) will I then dip my toe into the 15mm Pike & Shotte period by pre-ordering the Nottingham-based manufacturer’s Push of Pike Starter Set.

February 2023 - Papsikels Miniatures" is quickly closing the gap with "Big Mr Tong"

Once again the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) has caused me to have a highly productive past month, with almost all of my subjects being 3D printed on my "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro. I have however, also managed to reacquaint myself with my backlog of "Heroclix" plastic figures by "Wizkids", and actually hope to continue this 'reintroduction' into the coming weeks.

Furthermore, my love of "Papsikels Miniatures" has far from diminished, so I'm hoping to continue churning out a string of their E-800 Exterminators, Xenomorphs and instantly recognisable sci-fi characters from the Silver Screen. I may even be tempted to resize some of their smaller scale Cyberpunk sculpts via "Chitubox" Basic so that they can stand eye-to-eye to their larger 32mm comrades-in-resin...