"Bring Me... The Bore Worms!"

"No one, but no one, dies in the palace without a command from the Emperor."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Heartless Warmonger is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either separately under code: SKU: MINI 796, or as part of their four-figure SKU: DEAL 238 Galactic Villains set. The single-cast sculpt is clearly strongly influenced by actor Peter Wyngarde's portrayal of General Klytus in Mike Hodges' cult 1980 movie "Flash Gordon", and is a leftover from last year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC).

"The commander of Ming the Merciless' secret police force", the miniature was undercoated with a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before being dry-brushed in “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then carefully 'picked out' all his gold armour with a soldi base layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, including his entire right hand - which according to the movie was completely encased in the malleable metal.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Early days for these three Alien Legionnaries

I next gave all these areas a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Gold, and a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before applying some additional "Vallejo" Gold to the odd edge. I did start attempt to dab in some pupils too, using a spot of "Two Thin Coats" White Star. However, I found the actual eye slits to be much too small for my ability, and so ended up applying some "Citadel" Abaddon Black into them to both cover up my botched attempt, as well as darken them down even more.

Alongside "the grand vizier and right-hand man of Ming the Merciless", I have been somewhat busy priming up a few Alien Legionnaries to accompany him on the tabletop. I'm pretty sure I've previously slapped pigment on a few of these "gas-masked goons" before. But can't currently locate where they've been stored. So as I had some spare "Vallejo" Heavy Red sat drying on my palette, I thought I'd make a start on these models.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This Sons Of Horus Sergeant is having all his detail 'picked out'

In addition, I have once again 'hooked out' the final handful (or two) of my remaining Sons of Horus Space Marines for "The Horus Heresy" by "Games Workshop". These 28mm multi-part plastic traitors should hopefully prove a somewhat straightforward project, despite them being covered in gold armour plating, and numerous 'difficult to reach with a brush-tip' details. Indeed, whilst in the past I have managed to 'soldier' my way through a fair few MK III and MK V armoured figures, I have found these MK IV Adeptus Astartes to be a tough nut to completely crack.

To begin with I therefore thought I'd tackle a Sergeant, which whilst absolutely covered in bits and bobs, including a plasma pistol, appears to be well on his way to being finished. I've started from the unit leader's feet and begun slowly making my way up the model, focusing on highlighting any areas of "Vallejo" Gold and tidying up the leather straps/pouches strapped around his waist...

"Wollipeds Are Large, Docile Herd Animals..."

"...Found in the snowy foothills of large mountains."

This 28mm scale plastic model of a Wolliped is produced by "Wizkids" and can be found as Product Code DDMTROW31 from their Pathfinder Miniatures Reign of Winter range. The eight legged animal was bought as part of an order from "Tritex Games" way back in February 2020, and has sat on my painting area untouched since I initially gave it a cursory lick of paint in May last year.

Known for growing "thick, warm fleece as protection against the elements", the figure was cut from its thin-lipped stand and super-glued onto a "Citadel" 50mm circular base instead. It's pre-paint job was then covered over with a few lashings of "Vallejo" White, before I shaded the entire creature using some heavily watered-down Carcharodon Grey by “Two Thin Coats”. As a final touch, the brute was heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" White.

"Lost Heresy Miniatures" WIPs - These three Vulgorn Guards are almost finished

Having finished the majority of the model, I subsequently went in with a much finer brush to 'pick out' some of the Wolliped's details - such as using a combination of "Vallejo" German Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on its incredibly hard to reach hooves, and face. I also applied some additional "Vallejo" White to the miniature's tusks and later 'weathered' these formidable pieces of ivory with a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Lastly, the figure's multiple eyes were all dotted with "Vallejo" Heavy Red and dabbed with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. I was originally going to base the gentle, docile herd animal with snow as seems entirely fitting for something which requires "sure footing even in icy terrain." Indeed, I'm pretty sure I might have purchased the figure to be used in "Frostgrave" by "Osprey Games". However, I also felt that this might make the creature become lost to the eye, so promptly surrounded it with green flock so as to help my paintjob stand out all the more.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - Four of the eight British NBC troopers planned for my unit

Alongside my arctic beast I have been working on three more slightly upscaled 28mm Vulgorn Guards by "Lost Heresy Miniatures". This trio were created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin back when I had a problem with the FEP on my Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, so there's a fair few printing flaws on them - one of which even required some sculpting with Green Stuff to fix. Happily though, I still think they're all good enough to sit on the tabletop once fully pigmented, with many of their faults obscured by their predominantly dark palette.

I've also got a little bit more work done on the British NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) models I recently acquired from "Athena Miniatures". All eight of the troopers' boots and bases are now completed, so I'll simply need to 'pick out' their L98 A2 rifles and gas masks, before tackling their camouflaged ammunition pouches.

"Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini Was An Italian Dictator..."

"...Who founded and led the National Fascist Party."

This 28mm multi-part plastic miniature was assembled using various parts taken from the Italian Army & Blackshirts sprue produced by "Warlord Games", and can be found inside a number of their boxed kits such as SKU: 402015801. However, my model was assembled from a free sprue the Nottingham-based manufacturer kindly sent me as part of a much larger "Bolt Action" order, and could well become the start of an Italian army for "the ultimate World War II tabletop miniatures game" next year.

With this potential project in mind, I thought I'd probably best start with my force's Officer, and having perused the various pieces available to me, felt that I could a fair representation of the "Duce of the Italian Social Republic" himself. Indeed, not only did the sprue appear to contain a 'spot on' head. But it also included the country's famous "Che vuoi?" hand gesture too.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - Four of the eight British NBC troopers currently being progressed

Once assembled, the figure was primed using a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then tried to take inspiration from the uniform plates which feature inside the "Armies Of Italy and the Axis" guidebook by "Osprey Publishing", by picking out Mussolini's water bottle, pistol holder, and odd leather strap with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. These items were later washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

I also applied a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil" to Benito's pistol and shovel, as well as a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the emblem on his felt fez. In reality I believe this symbol was a large gold-on-red eagle. However, the sculpt appeared to simply be a rectangle, so I just carefully followed the detail's edges with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, rather than try to do anything particularly fanciful.

"Diehard Miniatures" WIPs - After a few shades and dry-brushes, this undead astronaut's bones are finished 

Having completed this rather impulsive ensemble, I have settled down to progressing all eight British Squaddies dressed in Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) sold by "Athena Miniatures". This unit is still in its early stages. But I'm happy with the miniatures' palette, and even plan to do some camouflage upon their ammunition grab bags - as per some 'official' photographs I've seen.

In addition, I've stumbled upon a 30mm metal undead astronaut by "Diehard Miniatures", which I apparently first put a brush-tip to just over five years ago. These sorts of long abandoned projects are just what my current Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge is all about, so as I'm in a moon-themed mood anyway, I thought I'd finally get the ghoulish rocketeer completed. Plus, I understand you can only buy the mode as part of the manufacturer's Skeletal Spacemen Unit 1 set - so presumably his four comrades-in-death are lurking around my backlog pile somewhere too...

"Volgons Invade Western Europe!"

 "6.00AM., Friday January 1st, 1999. Black Friday!"

These three 28mm metal models are manufactured by "Athena Miniatures" as part of their Apocalypse Survivors releases, and can be purchased as part of the company's AS12 Russian NBC four-figure set. "Dressed in cold weather gear [and] armed with a variety of weapons", I succumbed to the temptation of picking up a fair few sculpts from this range whilst at "Warfare" 2024, due to the characterful collection being equipped "to do battle with Zombies or Aliens, or whatever has brought about" an end to life as we know it in the United Kingdom.

This premise immediately too me back to the classic "Invasion!" comic book strip created by Pat Mills for "2000 A.D." during the late Seventies, and with a few simple homemade rules I thought I could quite easily adapt "The Silver Bayonet" ruleset by "Osprey Games" for a series of skirmish games set within that war-torn country. Resultantly, all three of these Soviet Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence troopers were undercoated using a couple of layers of “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII.

"The papers screamed a terrifying headline!"

The models were then shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII so as to bring out all the folds/creases in their rubber suits. This straightforward palette helped get the majority of the trio completed in record time. However, I thought the miniatures would look rather plain, so decided to break their overall look up a bit by using a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Neutral Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on their gloves and overboots.

I also thought the Russians would look more menacing if I gave their respirators, along with their rifle butts and coat buttons, a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. As a final touch I painstakingly 'picked out' all the firearms and eye lenses with some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil - hopefully helping to break-up the figures' rather monotone colour scheme even more so.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Heartless Warmonger is having his details 'picked out'

In addition to these new acquisitions, I have pulled out a fair few much older buys from my unhealthy backlog as well. I had planned to pigment many an Alien Legionnaire and Defender Of The Earth from the Rick Rhodes retro science fiction range by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" during last year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). However, having departed that event much earlier than planned, most of the pre-prepped 28mm metal figures have simply sat gathering dust on my painting table.

That apathy towards these models has now ended, as I thought the likes of their Heartless Warmonger - which wonderfully captures all the hallmarks of General Klytus from Mike Hodges' cult 1980 movie "Flash Gordon" - might make some 'quick-wins' for my own Partially Painted/Printed Pledge instead. This self-motivated drive to finally finish as many side-lined projects is currently going great guns, so I'm confident I'll soon own a fairly sizeable force of dastardly minions for the Emperor Ming to order into battle...

"There's No Point In Acting All Surprised About It."

"The plans and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning office..."

These two 28mm scale Vulgorn Guards were created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and are available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "Lost Heresy Miniatures" on "MyMiniFactory". The corpulent extra-terrestrials are part of an eight-figure collection, whose sculpts have clearly been heavily-inspired by the Vogons as seen in Garth Jennings' 2005 movie "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

I've also enlarged them both using "Chitubox" Basic, as I wanted to make Bill Thornhill's corpulent creations match up size-wise with the science fiction miniatures I've previously produced by "Papsikels Miniatures". This basically meant I upscaled the figures by 108.41% (something I repeatedly refer to as 'Arnie size') using the eye-level and dimensions of their Colonist Marine Cyborg Hero E-900 Exterminator STL as a guide.

"...in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years."

The pair were undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before having their large bodysuits layered with "Vallejo" German Grey. They were then drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, enthusiastically dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo Grey." and had all their leather straps and gloves carefully 'picked out' with a lick or two of "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

I next applied some "Vallejo" Gunmetal to their zippers, eye holes, ear protectors and mouth guards, before darkening the areas down with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Their flesh was tackled using a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and dash of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I did attempt to give one of the models some suitably red lips. However, I simply didn't like how this looked on my figure, so ended up simply painting over them.

"The peaceful dreams of mankind bridging the stars were short-lived."

Furthermore, I gave the Vulgorn Guard's rather rectangular hand-weapon a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before giving it some "Vallejo" Bronze. The firearm was subsequently shaded in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Bronze and then a smidgeon of Gunmetal. Finally, I treated it to a second wash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, which hopefully makes it look like the well-weathered gun was once silver in colour. But had since got covered in grime with age.

In addition to my two 3D prints, I have also completed another of the 32mm resin NASA Astronauts produced by "Black Site Studios" I received as part of my Lunar Core Game pre-order way back in July 2021. Essentially, the miniature was undercoated with "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, drenched in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, before I 'picked out' his firearm with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln...

"The Long Feared Attack On Britain..."

"...By the Volgon Republic of Asia has begun!"

This 28mm metal model is produced by "Athena Miniatures" as part of their Apocalypse Survivors range, and is one of four similarly attired figures found inside the Swindon-based company's AS12 Russian NBC set. I actually picked it up as part of a quite considerably-size impulse buy at "Warfare" 2024, as they're based on the notion of the Russians invading the United Kingdom following some great calamity - whether that be a nuclear strike, zombie incursion or some deadly extra-terrestrial attack.

I immediately started thinking back to the classic "Invasion!" comic book strip created by Pat Mills for "2000 A.D." during the late Seventies, and felt I could quite easily adapt "The Silver Bayonet" ruleset by "Osprey Games" for some skirmish games. For openers though, I simply wanted to try a fairly bland (and easy to paint) colour scheme on this member of the Soviet's Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence, and begin building up a sizeable squad of bad guys for my small party of survivors to battle against.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - Three Russian NBC Troopers partially-painted and awaiting washes

The soldier was therefore primed with plenty of “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. This extremely simple approach arguably sorted out the entire chemical suit in one fell swoop. But I thought the model would look a little boring in such a limited palette, so decided to break it up a bit by using a little "Vallejo" Neutral Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on the chap's rubber gloves and overboots.

I also decided to 'pick out' the respirator on the miniature's gas mask (as well as his assault rifle butt and coat buttons) with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, the figure's firearm and eye lenses were given a lick of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil - again just so I could cause some contrast between the predominantly dour palette I'd chosen.

"Wargames Foundry" - This Late Line Infantryman is being used as a test piece for my British colour scheme

Alongside the first of what I anticipate will be a fairly large project for 2025 - I spotted a resin Land Rover amongst the range on the "Athena Miniatures" stand last month, which I intend to treat myself to when I visit their stall at "Beachhead" next year - I have also been beavering away at the rest of the squad. Now I've settled upon a paint scheme I hope to get these soldiers completed "toot sweet" and move on to the British NBC troopers I also bought.

I've also not completely forgotten about my desire to field some sizeable Napoleonic forces for "Black Powder", so somewhat in the background have been poking away at a single sculpt taken from the "Wargames Foundry" blister B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms. I had intended to get a quartet of these British Grenadiers finished by the end of November. However, I've since found my enthusiasm for this long-term plan dwindling in recent weeks, so haven't been able to face all the red and white lacing which this particular combatant contains...

"The War For Earth's Moon Has Begun."

"A Cold War gone hot."

This 32mm resin miniature is produced by "Black Site Studios", and forms part of the Lunar Core Game pre-order I made with the American-based manufacturer way back in July 2021. These days the model is available as either part of the five-figure set SKU: LNR6809BSS - NASA Astronauts, or the manufacturer's current Two-Player Starter Box, and was put together using elements taken from the incredible number of hands, weapons and equipment pieces which came inside my old starter box.

To begin with the "moon walker" was super-glued to "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, as opposed to one of the bases which came with the kit, and then armed to best illustrate their role in a homebrew version of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games" which I'm planning. As I intend to use this particular sculpt as the Commander of my United States force I opted for a knife and a piece of Ceramic Plating (to use as a makeshift shield of some kind).

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - This NASA Astronaut is having all his details 'picked out'

The miniature was subsequently undercoated with plenty of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, drenched in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue. I next applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to a piece of insulation material running along the edge of the astronaut's backpack. I had hoped this darker shade would help break up the monotony of the spaceman's palette a little bit. But disappointingly it's a little too close in hue to the predominant colour to make much of a difference.

The model's knife and cabling were first 'picked out' with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, layered in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and finally sploshed with "Citadel" Nuln. The self-made shield was painted in "Scale 75" Cobalt Alchemy, treated to a wash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later dry-brushed with (more) "Scale 75" Cobalt Alchemy to help bring out all the ceramic tiles' details.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - Early days on this trio of Russian NBC soldiers

With my enthusiasm for the Lunar universe at an all-time high, I've unsurprisingly been beavering away on a second American spaceman. I've recently received some reinforcements in the guise of Freelancers, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and some Republic of China (R.O.C.) Taikonauts, so aim to get my United States force finished as soon as possible so I can start progressing some of these new figures too.

Lastly, I have made a start on four 28mm metal Russian NBC soldiers, which I rather impulsively picked up from "Athena Miniatures" whilst at "Warfare" 2024. I got rather enthused by the company's Apocalypse Survivors range to be entirely honest, and bought a good few packs so as to fight in a near future where a nuked United Kingdom has been invaded by the Soviet Union.

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge" December 2024

Last month's output was a bizarre mixture of figures - and many more are now likely to come

Traditionally around this time of the year I am building, basing and undercoating all manner of miniatures in preparation for the annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). Indeed, both my hobby desk and surrounding drawers would ordinarily already be swimming in various resurrected models awaiting a second push to the finish line, or some brand news ones which I had somewhat disconcertingly purchased in order to enter the competition's bonus stages - so as to 'pick up' many of the much-needed extra points I would invariably require to achieve my target tally.

However, having decided not to participate in that particular event again I thought I'd instead reinvent an old personal goal I have repeatedly failed to achieve in the past - namely to spend four months plodding through my unfinished backlog. As a result I thought I'd give my previously named Partially-Painted Pledge (PPP) an extra 'P' so as to include anything I've 3D printed over the past twenty-four plus months, and genuinely focus on chipping away at the giant 'Inventory of Inspiration' I have accumulated.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - The first of my NASA Astronauts is almost finished

The self-imposed rules are pretty straightforward, as the models simply need to have been started in some way to be eligible - so even a bare metal model super-glued to a base or a multi-piece plastic miniature having been assembled, will suffice. This should cause me to stumble through all manner of genres, scales and rule systems until the end of March 2025, and simultaneously help stimulate/maintain my enthusiasm as I declutter my collection of long-forgotten figures.

Furthermore I aim to actually (finally) finish approximately a hundred 28mm models or rather attain 500 points - using my monthly scoring mechanism - and in doing so hopefully bolster my increasingly flagging productivity. This may well prove a tall order, despite some of the models being considerably close to completion. But it at least gives me something aspirational to aim for rather than just meandering from one old half-hearted paint-job to another.

November 2024 - "Crooked Dice" make a big leap towards challenging for second place

To begin with I aim to knuckle down and complete the five-man NASA Astronaut set by "Black Site Miniatures" I had expected to complete during November. I've actually picked up a few of the company's "Lunar" Faction Expansions from UK-based "Spectre Miniatures", as well as taken advantage of the American manufacturer's Black Friday Sale to pick up a few of the range's 'harder to get' kits from their side of the Pond. So I really want to get all these goodies painted before I splurge out on any more.

I'd also imagine that the likes of "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", "Pendraken Miniatures" "Ground Zero Games", and "Battlefront Miniatures" will greatly benefit from this challenge, as I've already discovered many a drawer and container quite literally 'packed to the gunnels' with their sculpts - all of which have only been partially worked on before being discarded in favour of something else...

"Vogons Are One Of The Most Unpleasant Races In The Galaxy."

"Not evil. But bad-tempered, bureaucratic, officious and callous."

These two 28mm scale Vulgorn Guards were created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and are available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "Lost Heresy Miniatures" on "MyMiniFactory". The corpulent extra-terrestrials are part of an eight-figure collection, whose sculpts have clearly been heavily-inspired by the Vogons as seen in Garth Jennings' 2005 movie "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

I've also enlarged (and mirrored) the same pose using "Chitubox" Basic, as I wanted to make Bill Thornhill's rotund sculpt match up well size-wise with the science fiction miniatures I've previously produced by "Papsikels Miniatures". This basically meant I upscaled the figure by 108.41% (something I repeatedly refer to as 'Arnie size') using the eye-level and dimensions of their Colonist Marine Cyborg Hero E-900 Exterminator STL as a guide.

"On no account should you allow a Vogon to read poetry to you."

The pair were undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black before having their large bodysuits layered with "Vallejo" German Grey. They were then shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil and vigorously dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo Grey." I next 'picked out' their zipper, eye holes, ear protectors and mouth guards in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Finally, I applied plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the bureaucrats gloves and tackled their bare noses with a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and dash of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I did also momentarily consider pigmenting the duo's bases using my predominantly grey Moon/Mars basing (with 2mm tall Chilli Red flock) so they could be used to tackle my slowly growing "Lunar" collection of models by "Spectre Miniatures". However, in the end I just based them in the brown mud and green grass I usually use, so I could stick to my original plan of having them tackle Xenomorphs and Exterminators.

"The bears may be relatively realistic in appearance, with detailed masks or fully rounded headpieces."

Alongside my Vulgorn Guards I have also completed four more 28mm metal Strawbears by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”. This single model can be bought as SKU: MINI 466 from their Children of the Fields range, or be purchased as part of the Lincolnshire-based company's four-figure Mummer Procession deal, along with a Hobby Horse, Accordionist and Drummer. I picked up mine as part of an eight-miniature pre-order from their stall at "Warfare" 2024.

All of the miniatures were primed using a couple of coats of “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and drenched in “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. Each figure was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Dark Yellow, and then Buff, using a large, soft-bristled make-up brush. I next decided to break up their palette a little bit more by sporadically applying splotches of “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade and Biel-Tan Green to certain areas of each model, and subsequently blended all these colours together with a second dry-brush of (more) “Vallejo” Buff.

The People Playing The Bears..."

"...Either dress in costumes made of straw, or are actually wrapped in straw."

These 28mm scale metal models of four Strawbears are produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as SKU: MINI 466 from their Children of the Fields range. The single-cast pieces can also be purchased as part of the Lincolnshire-based company's four-figure Mummer Procession deal, along with a Hobby Horse, Accordionist and Drummer.

The highly-detailed sculpt actually came about as part of the manufacturer's successful "Children of the Fields - Folk Horror 28mm Miniatures" Kickstarter in May 2018, and was unlocked as the campaign's £22,000 stretch goal. However, I picked this particular quartet up as part of a larger pre-order directly from company owner Karl Perrotton when I recently visited his stall at "Warfare" 2024 - as I want to field a considerable number of the Strohbären as 'generic' Revenants for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - Three primed NASA Astronauts ready for some shading

All of the miniatures were primed using a couple of coats of “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and liberally drenched in “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. Each figure was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Dark Yellow, and then Buff, using a large, soft-bristled make-up brush. I next decided to break up their palette a little bit more by sporadically applying splotches of “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade and Biel-Tan Green to certain areas of each model, and ultimately blended all these colours together with a second dry-brush of (more) “Vallejo” Buff.

With half of my Strawbear reinforcements finished, I've made a bit more progress on my squad of NASA astronauts from the "Lunar" range by "Black Site Miniatures". This five-model force has actually been assembled with a homebrew version of "The Silver Bayonet" in mind, and should prove fairly straightforward to get tabletop ready on account of their predominantly "Two Thin Coats" "Celestial Blue" palette - albeit I do plan to apply a little "Vallejo" Heavy Blue to certain areas just to break the colour scheme up a little bit.

Undead Egyptian Mummies attack both the British and French forces searching for treasure

I have also managed to play a second adventure for my ongoing "The Silver Bayonet" campaign featuring my British (Coalition) warband. Once again sticking to the recommended 3x3 foot table size - as opposed to the significantly larger cloth mat we've previously been playing on - my forces attempted to both discover and then capture "a powerful artefact" during scenario "The Revenants". As before, this confrontation was fought over an Egyptian-flavoured battlefield, where a tomb packed full of undead Mummies (which looked rather suspiciously like the Osiran Sutekh's service robots) rather inconveniently disgorged its protectors upon my alliance of Green Jackets and Russian infantrymen.

To make matters worse, my opponent's competing French force was lead by none other than General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie himself - who rather disconcertingly lived up to his fearful reputation by repeatedly surviving sword-fight after sword-fight with my Junior Officer throughout the encounter. Ultimately, Napoleon's fiendish Frenchmen found and then fearfully fled the desert sands with the valuable curiosity intact, despite a desperate attempt by Russian fusiliers to chase them down before they could escape...

"The Soviet Union Was Able To Pull Ahead..."

"...And claim a major victory by landing on the Lunar surface."

This 32mm resin Russian Astronaut is produced by "Black Site Studios", and forms part of the Lunar Core Game pre-order I made with the American-based manufacturer way back in July 2021. These days the figures are available as either part of the five-figure set SKU: LNR6805BSS - Soviet Cosmonauts, or the manufacturer's current Two-Player Starter Box, and was rather patiently assembled from an almost overwhelming number of tiny pieces which came inside the starter box.

To begin with the rocketeer was super-glued to a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, as opposed to one of the bases which came with the kit, and then armed with a whopping great ceramic tiled panel and a brain-bustin' monkey wrench. The fearsome spaceman was then undercoated with plenty of "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet, drenched in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - Three primed NASA Astronauts ready for some shading

As I wanted the Cosmonaut's equipment/weaponry to stand-out from his suit, and felt that the coated LI-900 silica ceramics would be light coloured, I decided to pigment the model's shield using a combination of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and plenty of watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The panel's rim and interior was later treated to some "Vallejo" Gunmetal, "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal. Lastly, I picked out some of the stray wires protruding from the piece with either "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, or "Vallejo" Escorpena Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green.

The miniature's face-plate was carefully painted using some "Vallejo" Gold over a Heavy Sienna basecoat, and subsequently shaded with a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst it's large wrench was given a lick of "Scale 75" Decayed Metal, washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and given a dry-brush of (more) "Scale 75" Decayed Metal.

The French win a narrow victory in "The Silver Bayonet" by killing a homicidal Hobgoblin

Alongside finishing off my Soviet Cosmonauts, as well as starting my NASA astronaut squad, I have started a campaign playing Joseph A. McCullough's "The Silver Bayonet" ruleset by "Osprey Games" using a selection of my Napoleonic miniatures. We've gone right back to the first of the scenarios to begin such an adventure, and stuck to the recommended 3x3 foot table too - as opposed to the significantly larger cloth mat we had been playing on. Having fought "The Investigation" a few times, I also thought it might help mix things up a bit if the two opposing forces fought over an Egyptian-themed field, rather than a European one.

Perhaps the biggest impact for my (up to this point) unbeaten British (Coalition) party was how much more quickly the French came within musket range of my green-jacketed Riflemen. Admittedly, my forgetting to use their +2 Accuracy bonus didn't help either. But compared to our previous encounters, it wasn't very long before Napoleon's men were peppering my elite sharpshooters with plenty of withering fire. Needless to say, I never properly recovered from this increasingly frantic exchange of lead balls, and narrowly lost the scenario by a single Victory Point when the French surprisingly cut down the vindictive Hobgoblin who had been slaughtering nearby settlers...

“Warfare" Showcase 2024

"Warfare, is one of the largest [wargaming shows] in the country."

With "Warfare" traditionally being the last of my local wargaming shows for the year, I decided to once again make the hour-long trip to the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre and see what goodies were on display. This year I was particularly excited by the Wargames Association of Reading's claim that the organisers were "welcoming several first time traders", as this is precisely why I like to physically attend both events and stores as opposed to just ordering online.

Some of the models on show by "Full Metal Miniatures" which caught my attention

Furthermore, I hoped some potential 'new stuff' might help lessen my unease at the rise in entry price to an initially off-putting £12 - something which has not gone without criticism from other hobbyists I know. I totally get that the Conference Centre is a rather splendid venue with plenty of facilities, and resultantly comes with a significantly high cost. However, a good two-thirds of the Main Hall were rather disappointingly unused, and that was despite the fact that the majority of the Tournaments were also being held there. Indeed, I ultimately left the building with an uneasy feeling that my entry fee was probably funding the twenty-two competitions taking place more than anything else.

The small Novus Mallum tabletop by "Enviro Games", and part of "Rapier Miniatures" Ancients display

To make matters worse though, parking at the venue was arguably a bit of a disaster, due to joining a long, slow-moving queue for a space. In the end I gave up waiting, and simply drove further along the access road to another turning where there were plenty of spaces. I was admittedly already a bit grumpy from the drive, as despite entering the recommended postcode into my satellite navigation, the route provided took me to one closed-off gate after another, and it was only after spotting a tiny rectangular Warfare sign attached to a lamp-post that I finally saw Gate A. Later on, I was not surprised to overhear one of the club members talking about how poor the parking had become, and when I left I couldn't help but spot many a car precariously positioned at all sorts of odd angles on a variety of grass verges and escarpments.

This "Crossover Miniatures" display formed part of the "Pendraken Miniatures" booth

Setting such quibbles aside, the show itself was a bit of a triumph, with several of the promised 'fresh faces' taking a heavy toll upon my wallet. There were also some rather splendid displays by some of the show's usual stalwarts - such as "Pendraken Miniatures" showing off all the splendid-looking super-heroes and villains from "Crossover Miniatures", and "Baccus 6mm" almost tempting me with plenty of wonderfully painted World War Two armour and infantry.

Part of the "Baccus 6mm" stall, and a glimpse of Shepway Wargamers' participation tabletop

I was also taken by several of the participation games, and spent quite a while chatting to a chap from the Shepway Wargamers about his awesome scratch-built "Warhammer 40k" lite tabletop. This impressive Imperial Guard verses Chaos conflict had been specifically set-up to help get new players into the rather hefty "Games Workshop" rule-set, and resultantly had had its numerous stipulations stripped right down to their basics to encourage attendees to simply throw some dice.

A rather splendid-looking Battle of Alexandria 1801 game using the General d'Armee rule-set

Perhaps unsurprisingly considering my spending at "Colours" 2024, I splurged most of my meagre funds at the "Sarissa Precision" stall on "The Silver Bayonet" - coming away with both the Spanish Unit and the Egyptian Unit boxed sets. I was going to leave it at that. However, I then saw a blister of Army Deserter Bandits, and thought it would be rude not to pick them up too, especially as I could always incorporate the unscrupulous soldiers into my other warbands as a Veteran Hunter or plain Infantryman, should the fancy take me.

"Athena Miniatures" range of Franco-Prussian War and Post Apocalyptic figures

Easily this show's biggest surprise for me was stumbling upon "Athena Miniatures" and their characterful range of Apocalypse Survivors. I was initially attracted to their stand in the Discover Hall by their fantastic Franco-Prussian War figures, and was thinking about picking up a small sample to test paint prior to visiting the company again at next year's "Beachhead" 2025. But then its fiendish owner directed my attention to a number of British civilians "dressed in cold weather gear armed with a variety of weapons" who were apparently "ready to do battle with Zombies or Aliens or whatever has brought about the apocalypse!"

Some of the models by "Conquest Games", "Parkfield Miniatures", and "Disdain Studio"

Coupled with a number of hand-sculpted "heroic British squaddies", some additional riflemen wearing NBC suits, as well as a ton of Russian Spetsnaz Special Forces (to act as the obligatory bad guys), and I simply found this all too much to resist. So ended up leaving what I thought was overall a very successful show with twice as much metal in my shopping bag as I had originally intended. Now I just need to paint all this stuff up before February next year, when I start attending wargaming events again...

3D Printing - "Lost Heresy Miniatures" - Vulgorn Guards

"Lost Heresy Miniatures" WIPs - Three of the Vulgorn Guards currently being progressed

All of these models were created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and are available as STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from "Lost Heresy Miniatures" on "MyMiniFactory". The rotund extra-terrestrials are part of an eight-figure collection, whose sculpts have clearly been heavily-inspired by the Vogons as seen in Garth Jennings' 2005 movie "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

I've actually had a bit of an 'on-off' relationship supporting this creator on Tribe in the past, as I've found their (predominantly science fiction) range to be a bit smaller than most modern-day models - probably being 25mm as opposed to today's 28mm scale. Happily however, I'm a bit more knowledgeable about the data preparation software programme "Chitubox" Basic than I used to be, so these days tend to upscale most of the smaller STLs I print out by 108.41% (measured using the Colonist Marine Cyborg Hero E-900 Exterminator figure by "Papsikels Miniatures" as the new eye-line height - also known as 'Arnie Scale').

"Lost Heresy Miniatures" WIPs - Three more Vulgorn Guards which have been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

This did admittedly make the aliens somewhat larger than a normal-sized human. But having viewed several photographs of Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz, it's clear that in the film (at least) the intergalactic civil servants are a lot bigger than mere Earthlings anyway. Regardless, as soon as I saw the set I simply had to get some printed out, especially as they're appearance was something of a welcome surprise - considering that up until this point recently "Lost Heresy Miniatures" had been focusing upon producing a splendid range of characterful Napoleonic Russians for "The Silver Bayonet" rule-set by "Osprey Games".

What I was not prepared for though, was just how difficult it would prove to print out some useable models to paint - and much of this frustration was unfortunately down to me as opposed to anything else, though it took quite a few failed attempts over an entire week before I realised what was happening. To begin with I thought that my upscaling had caused the pre-supports to become unstable, as several appeared to break away from the print mid-way through the production process.

The Vulgorn Guards pre-supported, then supported by "Chitubox", and finally with my (Large) supports

I'm always a bit sceptical of pre-supported files at the best of times, so subsequently tried adding some additional Large supports to the sculpts where-ever I felt there was a weak area. This helped produce a couple of working figures, as well as two which required some Green-Stuff repair work to make right. But was still largely creating failures. Indeed, having initially envisaged a plate of five nicely printed Vulgorn Guards every time I was now almost down to trying just a single miniature in case there were any resin flow issues occurring with an over packed plate.

I even tried completely doing my own supports and repositioning the models at a 35 degree angle - my failsafe placement. But even this caused repeated fails. Fortunately, I then spotted that the FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) was actually touching the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) mono 4K screen by the end of the printing process - indicating that the FEP's tension was no longer as taut as it should be - not a surprise considering that I last changed it almost a year ago. A quick swap of the resin bed for a factory-made one, and things finally started to work...

"On July 9, 1810..."

"...After the Kingdom of Holland was annexed by the French Empire..."

These two 28mm scale metal models are sold by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their identical eight-figure blister FN175 - Imperial Guard Dutch Grenadiers In Greatcoat Marching. The company's Napoleonic French range was sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry, and I was lucky enough to pick this set up in person when I visited the manufacturer's premises in Newark, late last year.

"Initially numbered the 2nd Foot Grenadiers Regiment of the Imperial Guard", the pair were initially primed using my usual mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Vallejo Surface Primer Black, before their trousers and various leather straps were layered with "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and 'weathered' with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I then applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to each miniature's great-coat, as well as 'picked out' all the details around their waists - such as drinking bottles, swords and ammunition pouches.

"...The Dutch Grenadiers were incorporated into the French Imperial Guard."

To be honest when I had first selected this particular blister off of the showroom's rack I hadn't spotted half the equipment attached to each soldier's rear, so was originally a little despondent when I later saw just how much stuff each Frenchmen carried. However, despite having decided early on with this painting project that I wasn't going to go mad with buttons, small straps and cuff /collar braiding, I did feel elements such as the tassel tied around on the sword-hilt were worthy of some time, so gave them a lick of "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Furthermore I applied "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson onto the two models' epaulettes, bearskin tassels and grenadier emblems.

One of the big motivators behind my current passion for all things Napoleonic is undoubtedly Joseph A. McCullough's "The Silver Bayonet" ruleset by "Osprey Games", and recently I was able to play a couple of the game's opening scenarios - pitching my British (Coalition) warband against a fiendish French raiding party. Littered with various buildings, a spot of marshland and a river running into a pond, the tabletop was somewhat larger than the 3x3 foot one recommended in the book. However, it gave us plenty of room for manoeuvring and exchanging musket balls across the village/town before each side closed upon the clue markers.

The British Officer leaves with the artefact whilst the French continue fighting Straw Bears

The first conflict was based upon the scenario "The Investigation", and was frankly a bit of a one-sided affair as the murderous Hobgoblin killing the locals was soon revealed by my forces, and then shot to pieces by a pair of British Green Jackets using their famous rifles. This caused us to quickly slap a disused barn into the centre of the battlefield so we could give "The Revenants" a try instead, and this battle against a horde of animated Strawbears (by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" was much closer.

Indeed, there was some ferocious firefights between the Russian Infantrymen I fielded and some of the French side's more colourful characters - such as the Occultist, who successfully twice cursed one of my fusiliers during the skirmish. On the other side of the battle, my Riflemen were outnumbered by muskets and became locked in a truly deadly battle of attrition, with lead balls flying all over the place. In the end though, my Officer was able to snatch the missing artefact and bring it safely back behind the British line, whilst my opponent's Commander, Doctor and Sapper were still busy fending off the straw-based revenants around the village pond... 

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Black Site Studios" November 2024

"Lunar is a skirmish game that pits rival crews of astronauts against one another."

Whilst I was extremely tempted to dedicate another month of hobby time towards my ongoing Napoleonic project using "Wargames Foundry" 28mm figures - especially when I've just received plenty of reinforcements from both "eBay" and the Newark-based manufacturer themselves - I thought it might be more prudent to focus upon my slow-burning collection of "Lunar" miniatures by "Black Site Studio" for November instead. To that end I'm planning on not only completing my force of Soviet Cosmonauts. But also assembling, pigmenting and getting tabletop ready a similarly-sized team of American Astronauts too.

In addition, I picked up plenty of resin scenery whilst visiting Colours 2024 in September, and intend to turn the various packs of unpainted Shell Holes by "Magnetic Displays" into various clusters of moon craters. This should at least give my spacemen something to fight over, as I continue to contemplate picking up some of the digital STL (Standard Triangle Language) file downloads "Black Site Studio" offer on their website - including a 110mm tall Soviet LK Lander and a crashed Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV).

"Warbases are proud to present these simple movement trays for your troops."

Of course, that doesn't mean for a second that I'm totally dropping my interest in the Napoleonic era for the next four weeks, as I have a quartet of partially-painted British figures taken from packet B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms earmarked for completion. I've actually been a bit remiss when it comes to putting my brush-tip to any Redcoats, having always been put off by the red and white colour combination. So hopefully, this particular handful of soldiers will help me devise a method for tackling many more similarly uniformed infantrymen in the future.

Furthermore, I've started working on a number of MDF movement trays purchased from "Warbases" so I can hopefully play some games of "Black Powder" (lite) in the near future. To begin with I have only bought some four-figure (tiny unit) and eight-men (small units) stands, as I don't currently envisage having any larger units that these. But before this five-year project has concluded I'd like to think I'll be combining a few trays to make significantly larger companies for my tabletop.

October 2024 - No change in the standings for my favourite manufacturers over the past month

Somewhat disagreeably, the past month has not seen me as productive as I would have hoped. This lack of fruitfulness is an issue I lay somewhat squarely at the feet of the time-consuming, and occasionally intimidating, early Nineteenth Century historical models I'm currently obsessed with. Though I had felt that the much more straightforward "Lunar" offerings would somewhat off-set the time it takes me to finish the likes of a Dutch Grenadier - even when I omit many a brass button and baggage strap.

November should be a little different as I have several much more simpler sculpts to pigment, including a load of 3D prints by "Lost Heresy Miniatures". Indeed, I'm planning on cranking out quite a few resin creatures using my Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, including a few mutilated monsters for the currently highly popular Trench Crusade universe - such as a Lord of Tumors and gaggle of disgusting Grail Thralls...