"Churchills Saw Widespread Action In Normandy."

"It is sometimes called the "Heavy Churchill" and was given the specification number "A42" in 1945."

These two 10mm metal British infantry tanks are sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code BRV41 - Churchill VII, 75mm, and were found amongst a number of the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer's other armoured vehicles in a recent recce of my lead mountain. Initially, I had planned to use them as the start of an early World War Two (non-winter) Allied force, having previously pigmented both a Soviet and German snow-flocked force for an old version of the rule-set "Blitzkrieg Commander".

However, having done a bit of research I found that the tank was actually present during the "Battle Of The Bulge" and beautifully captured in the picture Churchills Advance by Nicolas Trudgian, so decided to simply add them to my Allied contingent for that campaign instead. I also got myself into a little bit of a quandary surrounding the vehicles' hue as the excellent "Colours Of War" painting guide by "Battlefront Miniatures" and "Vallejo" recommended a combination of Bronze Green and Black Wash - which frankly sounded a little dark for my liking.

"It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war."

Fortunately, I saw that the book also subsequently suggested a "layering" of Russian Uniform WW2, so went with that particular (somewhat) lighted green colour as my prime and then later sploshed the Churchills with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to act as a simple shade. One highlight with (more) "Vallejo" Russian Uniform WW2 later and I had the basis of a palette which stood out from both the much darker "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab of my American armoured vehicles, and, perhaps more importantly, the sorely missed "Citadel" Knarloc Green Russian tanks. Furthermore, I always find a lighter tone of pigmentation always better suits smaller scale miniatures.

I finished the armoured vehicles by 'picking out' their predominantly covered tank tracks using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before deciding upon which decals to apply to them. Originally, I was going to just use some triangular squadron markings on their turrets, with perhaps the odd tank recognition flash on the hull. This would certainly be more historically accurate. But in the end I felt I wanted them to stand out as being British (with the possibility of painting more to represent other Commonwealth countries), so inaccurately slapped a couple of Union Jacks on the turrets instead.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - An M5 Stuart tank layered in "Vallejo" US Olive Drab and shaded

With the latest finds from my 'pinnacle of potential' painted, I have perhaps unsurprisingly started wading into the goodies produced by "Pendraken Miniatures" I recently purchased at Salute 50, and resultantly got cracking on a trio of 10mm M5 Stuart tanks I want to field as part of the American Battle Of The Bulge forces. These lovely little models have so far been primed with "Vallejo" Earth, layered using "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, and partially-drowned in "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - A Panzer II tank layered in "Vallejo" German Grey and shaded

Lastly, I have made some slight progress on one of the five "Flames Of War" Panzer II tanks by "Battlefront Miniatures" I also picked up whilst at Salute 50. Quite understandably, this 15mm 'test piece' contains quite a bit more detail than its smaller scaled brethren, so has only been primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, base-coated with "Vallejo" German Grey and shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil...

“Salute 50" Showcase 2023 - Part Three: The Loot

"Warlord Games" WIPs - This Viking Jarl has been primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey

To be brutally honest, I only really had a couple of things on my 'To Buy' list before I stepped foot into the ExCeL convention centre at Custom House, as my hobby mentality has definitely changed over the past six months thanks to my purchase of an "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D printer. Indeed, my original plan was to predominantly spend my time participating in a handful of games whose rules I was unfamiliar with (e.g. Oathmark: Battles Of A Lost Age" by "Osprey Games") and meet up with a few friendly faces - as opposed to the reality of me ultimately staggering out of the hall with a backpack crammed full of lead, plastic and MDF...

The first indication I had that things were not going to pan out as I thought came with the South London Warlords' Salute 50 goodie bag, which included a special 28mm scale figure. In the past I've usually just set this miniatures aside for a 'rainy day' or, as I did with Paul Hicks' Boy With Spitfire model in 2021, turned them into a statue/tabletop objective marker. This year's Viking Jarl though genuinely captured my imagination, not least because both its creation and subsequent paint-job were wonderfully written up in the show's guide produced by "Miniature Wargames".

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio " WIPs - Three Borgo Pass Tribesmen primed in "Vallejo" Heavy Blue

Resultantly, when I started to work my way around the stalls located against the concourse's walls, having immediately turned right from the entrance, I was already thinking about when I'd have the time to build Warlord Games' warrior "festooned with booty pillaged during his fifty year reign". and what else I could assemble alongside of him whilst waiting for the superglue to dry. This mentality stuck with me throughout the event, and would later spur me on to search out a number of bargains I hadn't even considered beforehand.

One thing I did have on my meagre shopping list though was a set (or ultimately two) of Retro Dungeon Tiles by "Warbases", which I'd luckily seen advertised the night before on social media. Somehow, I actually managed to bypass their stall during my opening circle of the venue, having never spotted the giant banner waving above their spot. So once I realised my mistake I hurried straight over to their location and gleefully poured over the four sheets of "high quality printed tiles" before parting with my cash.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three Man-Ape Cultists primed in "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna

It was at this point that things started to go badly awry though as en route back to my pre-planned circuit around the vendors, the always-friendly Karl Perrotton of “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” lured me into his booth and gave me an opportunity to peruse some of his latest offerings. This particular company has been a mainstay of my hobby since they started trading, and whilst so many of the figures I paint/play with these days are 3D resin prints, I have always enjoyed working on their range of 28mm metal "7TV" miniatures.

Suffice to say my love of Crooked Dice models also means I have a towering backlog of 'unloved lead' back home. But that simply couldn't prevent me from picking up the superb-looking Stalwart Sidekicks, Borgo Pass Tribesmen and Man-Ape Cultists (the last two items coming from Karl's recently successful 7TV Dracula Kickstarter) for some future Indiana Jones flavoured horror/pulp gaming - most likely using the yet to be released new 7TV Core Rulebook - "a 288 page hardback consolidating eight years and four boxed sets of cinematic skirmish rules in one place."

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three of their four Stalwart Sidekicks

Having now clearly already crossed a 'mental line' I proceeded to "Pendraken Miniatures", where I initially fooled myself into thinking I was simply going to buy a blister of Churchill VII tanks to add to the pair I am currently pigmenting to use with some homemade rules. Afterall, I've since discovered a whole horde of long-forgotten 10mm armoured vehicles in my loft... One basket later and I was thanking Leon for kindly putting a veritable ton of metal models into a plastic carrier bag for me, and walking away asking myself just why I needed almost every conceivable type of tank the Allies had ever fielded during the Second World War. Not to mention the variety of German Panzers I picked up too...

My next buys didn't actually come until much later in the day, after I'd spent a very pleasant lunch chatting to a well-mannered youth who politely asked to sit at the table I was occupying, and then proceeded to enthusiastically show me the two Traveller RPG books he'd bought. The first occurred when I spotted some well-priced "Flames Of War" scenery at the "Entoyment Wargaming And Hobby Centre" stall. To be honest this area was absolutely packed full of similarly-eager buyers on account of some genuine bargains. In fact I would have certainly picked up a fully-painted Brick Factory by "Gale Force Nine" if the sheer size of its box hadn't put me off.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - These three M5 Stuart tanks have been primed with "Vallejo" Earth

Instead I had to content myself with a set of the Battlefront Group Company's Factory Chimneys and an incredibly inexpensive 15mm Tiger Heavy Tank Platoon for "Flames Of War"  - which was marked up at so good a deal that the chap at the till double-checked the price before ringing the sale through. I had a similar experience at "Frome Model Centre" booth shortly afterwards, where I snagged an old metal/resin Panzer II Light Tank Platoon for just twenty quid. The seller wanted twice that much at first until I pointed to the sticky label and he very graciously admitted a mistake had been made and subsequently sold it to me at the much lower price.

With a rather heavy bag and already slightly aching shoulder, that should have been it for my Salute 50 loot. However, as I approached the way out I spotted an enormous banner of a Terminator, or rather a T-800 in its default machine form. Now, having recently 3D printed and painted a whole host of Skynet's death-dealing robots I did not take much convincing from co-author Mark Rapson to pick up a copy of his The Terminator Role-Playing Game Quick Start Rules by "Nightfall Games". In addition to signing my copy, he also sold me another of his rule systems, SLA Industries Second Edition for just a couple of quid.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - One of five Panzer II's base-coated with Vallejo" German Grey

And thus ended my swag for the day - significantly more than I had perhaps somewhat naively anticipated, but also a darn sight less than what I would have carried away if I'd brought along a second strong bag. Overall though I was very pleased with myself. I got some terrific bargains for "Flames Of War" - which is very much my favoured wargame currently, picked up the goodies I had planned to get from "Warbases" and "Pendraken Miniatures", and, as per my annual tradition at this very special show, bought something for a game I'd never considered before...

“Salute 50" Showcase 2023 - Part Two: Traders And Games

"Warp Miniatures" - A selection of "ArcWorlde" monsters

Besides getting the chance to talk to people, my main reason for attending this celebration of "half a century of wargaming shows put on by the South London Warlords club" was to see the latest offerings from my favourite miniature manufacturers, stumble upon some new companies I'd previously not known about, and seek inspiration from the various participation/demonstration tables. "Salute 50" certainly wasn't lacking on any of these fronts, and I spent a good portion of my time at the ExCeL convention centre in Custom House scrutinising all manner of models and scenery; both painted and unpainted.

Warlord Games" - A selection of their "Judge Dredd" miniatures

One of the first stalls to catch my eye was "Warp Miniatures" and their incredible range of fantasy-based figures. I've been a big fan of this range since its early days when Alex Huntley originally began hand-sculpting the residents of ArcWorlde. Since then there's been both a second edition rule-book and the creation of an STL (Standard Triangle Language) files "Patreon" service, so there's arguably never been a better time to get into the "narrative battle game where warbands, heroes and monsters are pitted against each other in the field of combat."

"Warlord Games" - A selection of their "Bolt Action" miniatures

From a personal perspective though I still own numerous unpainted miniatures from Alex's early Kickstarters, so found the visit to his booth a timely reminder for me to dust off all the metal and resin models from his range I already own, and get cracking on painting them up. I felt quite similar about my trip to the large "Warlord Games" area too, as my 'mountain of lead' based solely upon products purchased from the Nottingham-based company is so embarrassingly overwhelming that it'll probably take me a year or so to pigment everything - even if I exclusively focused my hobby time just upon them.

"Warlord Games" - A selection of their "2000 A.D." miniatures - A.B.C. Warriors

However, I was interested in seeing whether I could pick up their "Judge Dredd" game without buying its figures. As someone with an extensive collection of their old metal Mega-City One range (in collaboration with "Mongoose Publishing") I didn't want to have to buy the same characters all over again. Sadly, although the main book is available separately (and indeed at one point I had a copy in my hand), two staff members informed me that I'd still need to buy both the new starter set and models if I wanted to own the various cards needed for an important rule mechanic. Suffice to say having previously bought big into their poorly supported and now officially dropped "Doctor Who: Exterminate! The Miniatures Game" range - even though I already owned hundreds of other "Doctor Who" figures by other manufacturers - I wasn't prepared to be bitten a second time.

"Brigade Models" - 15mm Monorail Engine, Passenger Car and Flat Car

Another dealer who held my attention for a while was "Brigade Models". Having not yet even assembled a couple of "A Billion Suns" space-faring fleets I bought from the Sittingbourne-situated company at "Colours 2022" I initially only gave their wares a cursory glance. But then I caught sight of an awesome-looking 15mm scale Monorail Engine and its accompanying (heavily weaponed) Scout Cars. I actually own a couple of unpainted "Gruntz" armies and thought this rail network would prove to be an exciting terrain feature to fight over. Uncharacteristically though, I stayed strong, deciding to see if I could paint my British and Neo-Soviet forces up first before buying the train. In addition Tony mentioned putting together some Monorail package deals after the show.

Kaiserschlacht 1918 - Using the "Bloody Picnic: Wargaming The End Of Empire" ruleset

Games-wise I saw loads of awe-inspiring tables during my visit, with several proving particularly influential for some potential future projects. One such battle was Kaiserschlacht 1918 - which featured numerous 20mm plastic figures and was being fought using the "Bloody Picnic: Wargaming The End Of Empire" ruleset. I'd never heard of Dillion Browne's game before, but the display certainly seemed to show off how impactive artillery fire could be. In addition, I was very impressed by the players' dice towers, which were all appropriately painted in World War One camouflage patterns.

Zagory Rebellion: A Night At Heidi's - Using the "Carry On Tintin" ruleset

Equally as enthralling was the vibrantly coloured Zagory Rebellion: A Night At Heidi's by the Cornwall Wargames Association. Played with some homebrew rules entitled "Carry On Tintin" (which can be downloaded for free from the club's website), This "neo-retro and pseudo-nostalgic wargame set in a fictional central Europe during the interwar period" had me utterly transfixed, and reminded me that I had yet to even start applying a brush to any of Mark’s Little Soldiers range by Mark Copplestone which I've previously bought via "North Star Military Figures".

"Para Bellum Games" - Conquest display table

One of the smaller displays I spotted was the Conquest table by "Para Bellum Games", which really helped show-off the size and detail of their "mass battle wargame." Rather sheepishly I must admit to purchasing a few boxes of these figures a couple of years ago and never doing anything with them since they arrived - a familiar story I know. So this marvellous feast for the eyes has definitely galvanised me into digging some of them out - especially now I know you can also download their skirmish core rules Conquest: First Blood for free from the company's website.

Battle Of Leuctra 371 B.C. by Jon and Diane Sutherland

Rounding off Salute's sortie upon the senses was Jon and Diane Sutherland's incredible Battle Of Leuctra 371 B.C. board, which showed off the armies of Thebes and Sparta in splendid fashion. The table was absolutely huge and simply crammed full of infantry, cavalry and atmospheric Ancient Greek ruins. Plus, both fully-painted forces were actually for sale - Though I doubted I could get them to all fit inside my bag...

“Salute 50" Showcase 2023 - Part One: Greetings And Meetings

"Celebrating fifty years of the South London Warlords running Salute."

Considering that “the biggest and best independent one day show in the United Kingdom” didn’t happen last year, I must confess to having been both extremely excited and nervous about attending “Salute 50”. I’ve been visiting the event since its days at the Olympia in London, and had many wonderful memories of the items bought, stalls visited, and people encountered during these trips. Regrettably, the last show in November 2021 wasn’t the greatest of experiences for various reasons, most notably the no-shows, so I was really hoping South London Warlords would be able to help me put that disappointment behind me.

Happily, I needn’t have worried as upon arriving at the ExCeL convention centre in Custom House it was clear the venue was seriously sizeable and packed full of vendors, inspirational demonstrations and participation games. Admittedly, my eagerness did mean I was stood in the increasingly large queue an hour before the ‘doors opened’. But I didn’t mind a bit as my position provided me with a great opportunity to stare into the vast hall and plot a rough path to all the prominent sellers I could see. Furthermore, the time allowed me to peruse the show’s nostalgic-flavoured guide – produced by “Miniature Wargames” – as well as marvel at the Viking Jarl celebratory figure which “was designed and manufactured by Warlord Games.”

"Our aim is to promote the very best in the hobby."

The best part of such visits is always meeting both fellow bloggers, stall holders and other notable personalities within our hobby. This year was no exception with Karl Perrotton of “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” winning most enthusiastic greeting of the day when he suddenly bounded out of an incredibly busy booth to shake me by the hand. Ten minutes later I left him having bought a dozen metal miniatures and gained a basic insight into his company’s future plans concerning STL (Standard Triangle Language) files.

The greeting from Leon over at “Pendraken Miniatures” was no less warm though, and whilst his stall’s frenzied customers didn’t give me any time to chat with him, it was encouraging to see I wasn’t the only person filling my basket full of his 10mm metal goodness. Plus, I was able to thank him for liking my tweets concerning the six Sherman tanks I recently discovered and painted. Needless to say, those Allied armoured vehicles won’t be going into future battles alone for much longer.

Some of the displays by "Warp Miniatures", "Monkstone Miniatures" and "Olmec Games"

Another notable highlight was being able to finally meet Peter Buxton of “Trans Atlantis Games”, who very kindly sent me out an entire set of “Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats” paints late last year to trial. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to thank the former Games Workshop presenter himself as he was inundated with people wanting to meet him. But I did later on have the chance to briefly chat with his old ‘partner-in-crime’ Chris Peach, who jokily took exception to hearing that his friend’s booth was proving very popular.

Lastly, I was able to speak to Big Lee of “Miniatures Adventures” fame of YouTube. I had intended to then move on to the annual bloggers meeting, which ordinarily congregates next to the Painting Competition area. However, I was told that only a few of us had actually managed to make the show, so found myself being quickly lured away by some very reasonably priced “Flames Of War” bargains at the nearby "Entoyment Wargaming And Hobby Centre" and "Frome Model Centre" stalls...

"Robots With Emotional Problems."

"They all go crazy."

This 32mm scale FKMSA Failed Experimental Battledroid Series 1-B is produced by "Papsikels Miniatures" and was downloaded for free as part of a set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their "Patreon" RoboCorps March 2023 subscription service, The model was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is clearly inspired by one of the "Roboflops" depicted in Irvin Kershner's 1990 science fiction film "RoboCop 2".

Having found the previously version of this figure rather delicate to pick up, paint and game with, courtesy of the cyborg's tiny pistons, cables, circuitry and wiring, I initially decided to upscale the 3D print from its original 28mm size to a more hefty 32mm using "Chitubox" Basic. However, despite its 108.41% adjustment (measured using the company's Colonist Marine Cyborg Hero E-900 Exterminator as the new eye-line height - also known as 'Arnie Scale'), it still looked a little fragile. So I actually upped the miniature's size again to 115%.

"Papsikels Miniatures creates fantastic Cyberpunk, Fantasy Sci-Fi and Pop Culture Models."

Furthermore, I felt it would be prudent to attack a large rock sculpted by "C27 Studio" behind the Battledroid's legs, as it's insanely thin ankles looked very vulnerable to snapping. Shockingly, even this precaution didn't work, as the model snapped apart whilst being dry-brushed, and only stood reasonably firmly upon its base after I've applied a considerable amount of super-glue to the break, surrounding joints, and every contact point imaginable between the lower limbs and the aforementioned rock.

Robocop 2 was primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and then treated to a couple of layers of Scalecolor Thrash Metal by "Scale 75". I went with this particular metallic as I wanted the cyborg to appear a little different in hue to the (smaller) incarnation of FKMSA Failed Experimental Battledroid Series 1 I'd previously pigmented. The 3D print was then drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil - the new formula version which I'm still somewhat getting my head around using. The entire ensemble was later dry-brushed with (more) Thrash Metal by "Scale 75".

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - A Matilda II tank undercoated with "Vallejo" Leather Brown surface primer

With the basics all finished, I applied a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the miniature's helmet and could have settled with that. But the model looked decidedly bland, so having spotted a couple of colourful wires poking out from the mechanical police officer's official movie stills, I decided to 'pick out' several on the model using combinations of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, Heavy Blue and "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow. These areas were subsequently treated to a splash of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, Drakenhof Nightshade and Reikland Fleshshade respectively.

Alongside this latest addition to my ever-increasing collection of painted science-fiction film inspired "Papsikels Miniatures", I've also started work on a pair of old Matilda 2 tanks by “Pendraken Miniatures” which I recently unearthed. I was actually hoping to use these two 10mm metal British armoured vehicles for my 'Battle Of The Bulge' project. However, I've since discovered that they weren't present during the Ardennes Offensive, and indeed only seemingly saw action during the Winter when used by the unimpressed Soviets. Unperturbed, I've decided to therefore start a non-Winter force of Allies and Axis forces in the scale, basing them with green flock...

"Battle Of The Bulge" 10mm Battle Report: United States Verses Germany

AMERICAN M4 SHERMANS FACE OFF AGAINST SOME GERMAN PANZER IIIs AND IVs

This game was played using some homemade rules (M.I.S.S.) so as to allow us to quickly play through a short campaign utilising many of my painted 10mm World War Two (Winter) models by "Pendraken Miniatures", and took place upon an old 24" x 24" game board. The battlefield was populated with a variety of pre-painted "Escenografia Epsilon" scenic pieces previously sold through the Middlesbrough-based company at Warfare 2021, but now sadly out of production.

“The story so far… It is December 1944 and the German Army have started their Ardennes Offensive by striking out at the Allied Forces from Losheim in Eastern Belgium. As part of their initial spearhead two divisions of Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks have moved west out of the town to capture a building situated just behind some recently abandoned fortifications. In response, the Americans have dispatched two squadrons of M4 Shermans..."

THE TABLETOP - PART OF LOSHEIM IN EASTERN BELGIUM

The Germans started on the two eastern corners of the battlefield. In the North East Festung Division contained three Panzer IV tanks with (Short) 75mm guns. Whilst in the South East Volks Division was comprised of three Panzer III tanks and a Panzer IV with (Long) 75mm gun. Across from their position, along the two western corners, were the American First and Second Squadrons. These formations both consisted of three M4 Shermans with 75mm guns apiece.

The quite heavily populated tabletop had just a single, central strategic Objective. This needed to be held by the end of Turn Six by a single army. Whoever reached the building first had to be dislodged or destroyed by enemy fire before the opposing force could capture it. In addition, no enemy tanks were allowed to come within an inch of an opponent's armoured vehicle. This was to ensure we played a 'shooting game' as opposed to just having all the tanks pile into one another in the centre of the map.

THE GERMAN PANZERS ADVANCE TOWARDS THE AMERICAN LINE

The Fuhrer's forces won the initiative and attempted to take both flanks by moving two of the Panzer IIIs located in the south east straight towards the enemy, and a single Panzer IV do the same thing in the north. The rest of the German tanks filtered around the dwellings towards the centre of the battlefield.

Realising that in their haste to dominate both the flanks and the centre the Axis forces had moved within range of their guns, the majority of the American line simply sat and fired. Second Squadron managed to damage one of the Panzer IIIs from Volks Division which was fast approaching them. But disappointingly, First Squadron failed to hit any of its targets. However, Ol' Reliable and Kraut Kruncher trundled north-east towards the inner line of fortifications.

THE GERMANS APPROACH THE OBJECTIVE AS THE AMERICANS OPEN FIRE

Determined to brave the Allied shells, the German tanks continued their advance, placing their sole Panzer IV (Long) and a Panzer IV (Short) directly beside the Objective. A second Panzer IV (Short) and a Panzer III then took up 'flanking positions' by appropriate buildings to give covering fire. The non-moving Panzer tanks then fired, with Vagabond of First Squadron taking some damage.

In response the Americans all blazed away. It was clear they were going to have to shift the Axis armour if they wanted to win the day. Impressively, Second Squadron tore both of Volks Division's southernmost Panzer IIIs to shreds, completely obliterating the German's hold on the south flank. In addition, Ol' Reliable and Kraut Kruncher managed to strike their opponents with their shells, but their targets were still in the fight when the smoke settled.

THE ALLIES CONTINUE TO POUND ANY GERMAN TANKS AROUND THE OBJECTIVE

Sensing the need to keep up their barrage upon the Third Reich, the vast majority of M4 Shermans simply reloaded their guns and fired again. First Squadron managed to strike two targets. Yet failed to knock either Panzer out of the action. In the meantime Bouncing TNT and Babs moved west to push through the fortifications.

In response the sole-surviving Panzer III managed to damage Kraut Killer, whilst the Panzer IV (Long) shockingly almost took out Bouncing TNT. Kraut Kruncher and Vagabond were also banged up during the impressive German salvo, courtesy of no M4 Sherman which was struck making a successful armour save roll. The Allied line actually looked in danger of breaking.

NOW IN FORMATION THE PANZERS START RETURNING FIRE

Trying to shore up the two Axis divisions into a single, solid defensive 'U-shape', the Panzer III to the south moved north-west to flank a fortification, This manoeuvre was mirrored to the north by a Panzer IV (Short) rumbling alongside another fortification. The remaining German tanks then opened fire and cheered when Kraut Kruncher was blown apart. Babs almost joined him. But luckily kept chugging away despite two palpable hits.

It was increasingly becoming clear that the Americans were now in bad shape and needed to thin down their opponents if they were going to challenge for the Objective before the battle's end. Disastrously though, despite some concentrated firepower on the Germans, only Bouncing TNT struck their target, and the Panzer III remained operable.

THE PANZERS CONTINUE TO HOLD THE OBJECTIVE DESPITE SOME SERIOUS LOSSES

With the day theirs to be won, the Third Reich opened up once again upon the beleaguered Allies. Kraut Killer was damaged and Babs torn asunder, effectively leaving the centre of the battlefield devoid of any M4 Shermans.

Desperate to turn the tide with one last mighty effort, Bouncing TNT managed to finally destroy the last of the Panzer IIIs and totally wipe out Volks Division. This exposed the entire southern flank of the German formation. But incredibly, none of the American tanks were able to push home their advantage and damage any of the partially-vulnerable Panzer IVs. The Objective was still firmly in Axis hands.

THE AMERICANS MAKE AN UNSUCCESSFUL LAST GASP EFFORT

Deciding that a temporary tactical withdrawal was the better part of valour, the remaining M4 Shermans conceded the battlefield. The German rush to capture the building early on had paid off, and despite predominantly fielding inferior tanks to the Americans, the Third Reich's slight numerical advantage had won them a close-fought victory...

"Changeling, Become Something Small... And Try Again."

"The transformation... hurts."

This 35mm scale miniature of One Man Zoo in his bird form was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "C27 Studio". The sculpt is clearly inspired by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown's co-creation for "DC Comics" - Garfield Mark Logan (a.k.a Beast Boy or Changeling), and seemingly designed to be used as an 'alternative' figure for the Batman Miniatures Game rule-set.

The actual sculpt also comes with a billow of smoke upon which the model's feet attach to - presumably depicting the Teen Titan's miraculous transformation. However, this made for a precarious looking perch in my mind, and I didn't want to risk damaging the ensemble either during painting or gaming. As a result, I simply plonked the bird upon a car wheel which "C27 Studio" supply as an STL file to help populate your bases with extra pieces of debris.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - Four Aquaphibians awaiting all of their details to be 'picked out'

In addition, I didn't pick up upon this model's diminutive size until after I had super-glued it to an 'official' "Atomic Mass Games" Marvel Crisis Protocol base, as all the company's other comic book characters that I've produced have been 40mm scale. This doesn't really impact upon this particular miniature. But does mean some of Changeling's other animal-based manifestations, as well as his human form, are disappointingly a little small when compared to the larger "Marvel Worldwide" characters I was hoping to intermingle them with.

The figure itself was pretty straightforward to paint and provided an excellent opportunity to test out more bottles from "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" range. The bird was therefore primed in Ethereal Green, shaded in Necrosis Green Wash and dry-brushed with (more) Ethereal Green. The rubber tyre was simply pigmented with Doom Death Black, whilst the wheel rim was treated to a combination of Sir Coates' Silver and Oblivion Black Wash.

"Papsikels Miniatures" WIPs - Big Boss Bigsie Dollar

Sticking with 3D prints, I have applied a thorough "Vallejo" Heavy Grey dry-brush over the five Aquaphibians I have been working on as palette test pieces. Produced by "Big Mr Tong" these "Stingray" antagonists are absolutely packed full of detail, so I now need to work out which fins, scales and spiny protrusions I'm going to 'pick out' with a darker green colour choice before finishing the small Supermarionation series squad off.

Lastly, I've been testing out some of the brown paints from "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" range on Big Boss Bigsie Dollar by "Papsikels Miniatures". I've actually enlarged this figure so it better matches its 32mm scale brethren using "Chitubox" Basic, as the first version I printed was significantly smaller than the rest of the models I was planning to use my not-Bixby Snyder with on the tabletop...

"As An All-round, General Purpose Tank...

"...The Sherman was one of the best tanks of the Second World War."

This 10mm metal American medium tank was sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code A10 - Sherman M4A4, no skirts, 75mm gun. However, it now appears to have been superseded by a much more detailed product under Code AMV30 - M4 Sherman, 75mm. Originally, I had thought about selling it, along with five more of the same model, on "eBay". But having recently found my love of World War Two reignited by a game of "Flames Of War", thought I'd instead bring the 'dirty half-dozen' to life with a straightforward paint-job, and just maybe start the beginnings of a 'Battle Of The Bulge" Allied force.

Resultantly, the M4 Sherman's turret was super-glued in place and then the two-piece ensemble stuck to a plastic 30mm x 40mm rectangle. It was then undercoated with two layers of "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, washed with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab. Disappointingly this process didn't work anywhere near as well as I had hoped, as some bizarre chemical reaction (perhaps due to something on the tanks themselves) caused the "Citadel" Shade to disintegrate areas of the "Vallejo" prime.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - A partially-finished 7.5cm Tank Hunter gun and crew

However, having first applied a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Citadel" Abaddon Black over the entire tank, the pigmentation process proved successful when tried a second time. The tracks and wheels were next treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a double-helping of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, whilst the medium tank's prominent track/wheel mechanisms were repainted using a little (more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Finally, I decided to apply a trio of Allied Stars to the M4 Sherman using some supplied by "Decal Details", as well as the title "Ol' Reliable" from their 10mm US Armour Names and Slogans sheet.

With the last of the Middlesborough-based manufacturer's 10mm M4 Shermans finished I have spent some time on the final two 15mm 7.5cm Anti-Tank Gun teams I need to complete to field a full-strength platoon for "Flames Of War". I've now finished all the camouflage on both Panzerabwehrkanone 40s and am slowly working my way through all their crew - some of which are being progressed separately on MDF painting sticks.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - Four primed Aquaphibians awaiting a dry-brush

I'm really enjoying both this range and rule-set currently, so need to get these finished before my Berlin: German army book by "Battlefront Miniatures" arrives. The Third Reich's Last Stand is a particularly interesting period of World War Two for me, so I have already pre-ordered both a Volksturm Platoon and Hitlerjugend Platoon to accompany the Panzergrenadiers and 12cm mortar teams I've already painted as part of my 50-point D-Day German Beach Defence Company.

Lastly, I have applied a "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade wash on a handful of my 3D printed Aquaphibians produced by "Big Mr Tong". As my main target for this month is to field fifteen of these Supermarionation series minions, along with a slew of Mike Tongue's recently released Silurians from "Doctor Who", I really need to get a move on. But feel the others won't take too long to complete once this initial 'pilot force' from "Stingray" is finished and I've settled on the aquatic humanoid species' palette... 

"I Better Drive..."

"...Until you know your way around."

This 32mm scale FKMSA Battle Police Series 5 Sexycop is produced by "Papsikels Miniatures" and was downloaded for free as part of a set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their "Patreon" RoboCorps March 2023 subscription service, The model was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is clearly inspired by the "cybernetically-enhanced Detroit Police Department officer" in Paul Verhoeven's 1987 science fiction film "RoboCop".

The miniature was primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and base coated in Sir Coates Silver from "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" paint range. She was then shaded using Oblivion Black Wash and given a dry-brush of (more) Sir Coates Silver to help pick out all the female robot's detail. I next treated the entire figure to a watered down wash of "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade and a little Druchii Violet, before tying the entire colour scheme together with a second (lighter) dry-brush of Sir Coates Silver.

"The M4 tank went into combat in North Africa with the British Army at the Second Battle of El Alamein in 1942."

Due to wanting the Sexycop's pistol to stand out somewhat from the majority of the miniature's other metallic areas, I applied an additional splash of Oblivion Black Wash over the firearm. I also dabbed a little "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" Ivory Tusk across the model's visible mouth, and later gave this tiny area a dash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and Carroburg Crimson. Finally, the rest of the figure was blocked out with Doom Death Black.

Alongside the latest addition to my ever-growing collection of science-fiction film-based "Papsikels Miniatures", I have also finished a fifth 10mm metal American medium tank which used to be sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code A10 - Sherman M4A4, no skirts, 75mm gun. As memory serves I bought half a dozen of these armoured vehicles so as to game "The Battle Of The Bulge" using an old version of the "Blitzkrieg Commander" rule-set. However, I now plan to simply use them for either some solo "Flames Of War" learning/familiarisation scenarios or a few fast-play tank battles using my 'tried & tested' homemade rules.

"Artisan Guild" WIPs - This pair of Orr'ugs Wolves have been primed and based layered

The model was initially treated to a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before receiving two layers of "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, a wash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab. I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to its tracks, before repainting some of its prominent wheel mechanisms with (even more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

Lastly, I have impulsively 3D printed and primed two huge Orr'ugs Wolves by "Artisan Guild". These specimens of Canis lupus are 80mm from nose to tail, and have been attached to "Citadel" 50mm plastic circular bases. I don't admittedly have any plans for a Nomad Orr'ugs (or rather Wild Orc) army in "Age Of Fantasy" by "One Page Rules". But might be tempted to use the (15-point apiece) figures as Dire Wolves for an Undead force at some point. Furthermore, I'm hoping to use the miniatures as test-pieces for my fur dry-brushing/blending technique before I return to a unit of "Games Workshop" Warg Riders I started pigmenting late last year...

"The Panzer IV Saw Service In All Combat Theatres Involving Germany..."

"...And was the only German tank to remain in continuous production throughout the war."

This plastic 15mm Panzerkampfwagen IV is manufactured by “Battlefront Miniatures” and is one of three found inside the company’s “Hit The Beach” starter set for “Flames Of War”. The model consists of a medium tank equipped with "Bazooka Skirts", and is the fifth fully-tracked armoured vehicle needed to complete my full-strength 28-point strong German Panzer IV Tank Platoon.

Originally primed with two layers of "Vallejo" German Grey, the model was subsequently shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" German Grey, and then more lightly dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I next 'picked out' the Panzer IVs' spade, stowage, machine-gun, muffler and tow-cable using appropriate combinations of "Vallejo" Gunmetal, "Citadel" Nuln Oil", "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst its tracks were tied in to my usual basing with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh and Agrax Earthshade.

"The US Army Ordnance Department designed the M4 medium tank as a replacement for the M3 tank."

In addition, I rather fancied having this particular tank carry a passenger, so glued a spare crew member from one of my 7.5cm Anti-Tank Gun teams onto the front - as if he was either directing the vehicle or telling someone to get out of the way during manoeuvres. The plastic figure was undercoated in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were later pigmented predominantly using “Vallejo” Gunmetal, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades.

Alongside the latest addition to my German D-Day Beach Defence Grenadier Company, I have also finished another 10mm metal American medium tank which used to be sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code A10 - Sherman M4A4, no skirts, 75mm gun. This particular sculpt appears to have now been superseded by a much more detailed product under Code AMV30 - M4 Sherman, 75mm and was bought as part of a much larger 'Battle Of The Bulge' project purchase to use alongside my already fully-painted German and Soviet World War Two Winter armies.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - Four primed Aquaphibians awaiting the second of their shades & a dry-brush

The model was initially treated to a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before receiving two layers of "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, a wash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab. I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to its tracks, before repainting some of its prominent wheel mechanisms with (even more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

Lastly, I have made a bit more progress on a handful of 3D printed Aquaphibians produced by "Big Mr Tong", courtesy of a "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green shade. My plan is to paint a fifteen-figure strong force of this "aquatic humanoid species from the Supermarionation series Stingray", along with a Terror Fish or two, so I'm using this first batch as a test for a reasonably straightforward colour scheme which I can then apply across the rest of Mike Tongue's miniatures...

"What We Hoped To Achieve Was To Meet Our Makers."

"To get answers. Why they even made us in the first place."

This 32mm scale Omega Zelucerean Tamer is produced by "Papsikels Miniatures" and was downloaded as part of a free set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their PAPSIPACK Welcome Models subscription set on "Patreon”. Produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, the sculpt is clearly inspired by Ridley Scott’s 2012 science fiction film “Prometheus” and was predominantly painted using “Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats paint” range. 

Standing at an impressive 60mm, the figure is actually part of a two-piece set which has her right hand nonchalantly resting upon the head of a seemingly docile Xenomorph. However, as I just wanted the 'Engineer' on their own, I decided not to print  out the weirdly squatting, domesticated alien, and instead simply glued the miniature to a "Citadel" 40mm circular plastic base, before priming them with a double layer of Gravestone Blue.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - Four primed Aquaphibians awaiting the first of their shades

The Zelucerean Tamer was subsequently shaded using Oblivion Black Wash and dry-brushed with (more) Gravestone Blue. This really helped bring out all the partly organic looking details of her survival suit, including the hands - which appeared to have the fingers poking out of something akin to a pair of space mittens. However, I did think that the “Space Jockey” looked a tad boring as she was, so decided to pick out her stomach, throat and a pair of vents running along her shoulder-blades, using a combination of Sir Coates Silver and Oblivion Black Wash.

This palette somewhat tied into the motion picture stills I have seen of the technologically-advanced race's costumes, which generally appear to have a semi-translucent silvery/bone sheen to them. Lastly, I applied a couple of coats of Ivory Tusk to the Omega's bald head and fingers, washed these areas with watered-down “Citadel” Carroburg Crimson, and later spotted her eyes with Doom Death Black.

"C27 Studio" WIPs - One Man Zoo's undercoated Bird, Bear and Tiger

Sticking with 3D printed models, I have started work on a fifteen-figure strong contingent of Aquaphibians produced by "Big Mr Tong". Strongly influenced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 1964 television series "Stingray", these marvellous 28mm miniatures are admittedly somewhat larger in size to Mike Tongue's usual fare. But once finished I'm hoping I can still use them on the tabletop against some of the other factions the sculptor has released - or wait until he releases his own version of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (WASP).

Finally, I have managed to produce and prime a trio of 35mm scale miniatures by "C27 Studio" from their One Man Zoo kit. Having previously painted an all-green Gorilla, Tiger and Bird from the "Batman Miniatures Game" Teen Titans Bat-Box by "Knight Models" almost four years ago, I thought I'd see whether I could use some of “Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats paint” range to better capture the cartoon green of (not) Beast Boy's bear, tiger and bird...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Big Mr Tong” April 2023

"From Out Of Space... A Warning And An Ultimatum!"

Following the successful completion of another (exhausting) Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) I usually find my enthusiasm for the hobby rather depleted during this month as a rule. However, the regular release of new and exciting STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from the likes of "Big Mr Tong" on his "Patreon" subscription service means I'm still feeling pretty chipper about pigmenting another large-scale swathe of 3D printed figures.

Resultantly, I plan to focus upon some of the prolific sculptor's latest miniatures over the next four or so weeks, and finally start play-testing the homemade rule-set I want to use them with for an upcoming campaign. In addition, I still have a couple of 7.5cm Tank Hunter Gun Teams by "Battlefront Miniatures" to finish for my "Flames Of War" German D-Day Beach Defence Company, before plunging though a mass of "Games Workshop" Sons of Horus space marines. I had optimistically been hoping to be further along with these two long-standing projects, as once completed I was thinking of purchasing some of "Warlord Games" Thirty Years War Epic Battles models. However, I have now pushed that goal back and may well not pick any of the 'Black Powder' sprues up until I'm at "Salute"...

"It's like hitting them with tennis balls."

Happily, I haven't just spent the past few days planning what I'm going to paint for the foreseeable though. But have actually completed two more 10mm metal American medium tanks which used to sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code A10 - Sherman M4A4, no skirts, 75mm gun. Initially primed with two layers of "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, the armoured vehicles were subsequently washed with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab.

I then 'picked out' the tracks and wheels with a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a double-helping of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before repainting their track/wheel mechanisms with (more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Finally, I decided to apply a trio of Allied Stars to the M4 Shermans using some supplied by "Decal Details", as well as the titles "Vagabond" and "Kraut Killer" from their 10mm US Armour Names and Slogans sheet.

March 2023 - "Papsikels Miniatures" completely overhauls "Big Mr Tong"

Undoubtedly the impetus of the AHPC provided me with the motivation to progress an amazing number of models throughout March 2023. These predominantly consisted of numerous science-fiction related 3D prints by "Papsikels Miniatures", which saw the "Patreon" Subscription Service's popularity top my favourite manufacturer's chart. However, my determination to get 50-points worth of "Flames Of War" Germans on the tabletop also caused me to rattle through four Panzer IV tank kits by "Battlefront Miniatures". alongside a camouflaged 7.5cm Anti-Tank gun and supporting crew.

Doubtless, the sheer number of splendid sculpts produced by "Papsikels Miniatures" will undoubtedly see the range receive plenty of attention during the next few weeks. But, having cast my eye on some future dates for some "Horus Heresy" battles, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see "Games Workshop" making a strong impact upon my hobby too - especially once I've sated my current appetite gaming the Second World War...