"You Can't Win A War If You're Extinct!"

"We're not fighting the same war anymore."

This 28mm metal model is manufactured by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" and can be purchased either as part of the four-figure SKU: DEAL 339 Resistance Fighters, or separately as SKU: MINI 1192. A "fourth-year medical student and protégé of Doctor Rudolph Metz", this miniature has clearly inspired by Faye Grant's character, Juliet Parrish, in Kenneth Johnson's 1983 American science-fiction television miniseries "V".

The founder of the Resistance in Los Angeles, Parrish was initially undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before being layered in "Citadel" Abaddon Black and enthusiastically dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. I then applied plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil to her jumper, before re-applying some lines of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to her gun holster and shoulder-strap so as to slightly contrast them with her slightly shadowed clothing.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - These Volgan Yaks have been shaded with "Two Thin Coats" Oblivion Black Wash

In addition I simply 'picked out' Juliet's trousers using a combination of Cold Corpse Blue by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. To try and capture a likeness of actress Faye Grant's hair colour I also used some Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats" on her locks, and darkened them down with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Finally, I gave them a quick dry-brush with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow.

With my latest entry into the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, I have turned my attention back to the two 28mm resin Volgan Yaks I recently received from "Warlord Games". My plan for these fearsome flyers is to utilise their silver paint-job as a zenithal highlight and then splosh them in Algae Green speed paint by "The Army Painter".

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - A Victorian Policeman and two different Sea Devils

I haven't used any of these "revolutionary all-in-one" pigments before personally. But saw a Sonic Sledgehammer Studio video on "You Tube" where he used them, and thought the colour was spot-on for that of the comic book "fascist Russian government" robots. Unfortunately, what I have also noticed though is that I've super-glued the legs on my PPRK Burp Gun carrier the wrong-way round - and they aren't going to budge any time soon sadly, even with the sharpest of modelling knives.

Alongside my "A.B.C. Warriors" (or rather their hated opponents), I've also been progressing some more "Doctor Who" figures by "Black Tree Design". I'm planning on bringing this current sojourn into my backlog of the Penzance-based company's science-fiction sculpts to a end soon, so I can focus on other piles of potential. However, I still have a good score of miniatures I aim to complete now I've started putting my brush to them...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"My Father Gave Me A Small Loan Of A Million Dollars."

"It has not been easy for me."

This 28mm scale resin model of 'Donald Trump plummeting to a thermonuclear death' was produced by "Red Star Coven" and could be purchased as Donald Loves the Bomb from their Masters Of War range. Sculpted by Darren Edwards, I picked up this two-piece kit of the former President of the United States just over three years ago, and am sad to report that it is now Out Of Production (OOP).

Despite coming with a plastic flying stand, this figure was always destined to be a statue of the controversial politician in my mind, so I also purchased a resin plinth from an "eBay" seller to use as a pedestal, and super-glued the podium to a plastic 65mm circular base. The stone plinth was then primed using a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - A Sea Devil, Ben Jackson and a Victorian Policeman

Once the basics were finished I took the opportunity to 'pick out' rostrum's metal plate with a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gunmetal" and (another) dose of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, I finished off the plinth with some strategically placed trickles of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and Biel-Tan Green, before giving it a last, light dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey.

With the pedestal finished, I super-glued the "media personality" to the bomb (which was much easier said than done, as the businessman didn't fit at all snuggly upon his ride), and applied two layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to the ensemble. I then layered him with "Vallejo" Bronze. washed the model with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, before giving the Republican a dry-brush using (more) “Vallejo” Bronze.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - These Volgan Yaks has been primed and base-coated

To help weather the statue, I subsequently applied various amounts of “Citadel” Nihilakh Oxide in between the sculpt's joints and ridges. These areas were later roughly blended back in with the rest of Donald and the bomb using a (third) dry-brush of “Vallejo” Bronze. Lastly, I drilled a deep hole in my podium and used a piece of an old broken plastic spear shaft (taken from an old "Wild West Exodus" Viridian Alpha figure) to attach the ex-President to it.

With my latest contribution to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, including an additional bonus 20-points for tying my entry in with the Challenge Library's Famous Person section, I have continued working on some more miniatures bought from the "Doctor Who" range of "Black Tree Design". In addition, I have put together and based a pair of Volgan Yaks by "Warlord Games", which I luckily got sent for free when I purchased the Nottingham-based company's "A.B.C. Warriors" All In Launch Collection...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"I'm Afraid The Myrka Takes Quite A Lot To Impress."

"The creature's in, sir, and our weapons are useless against it."

This 46mm long metal miniature of a "large species of reptile used by the Silurians for heavy backup in times of war" is produced by “Black Tree Design", and can be bought as Code DW509 Myrka from the manufacturer's "Doctor Who" miniatures range. A 'modified descendant of a unique species of dinosaur', the deep-sea creature first appeared in Johnny Byrne's January 1984 BBC Television story "Warriors Of The Deep" and was only finished "about an hour before it was scheduled to be used" by its two puppeteers on set.

The Myrka was first super-glued onto a "Citadel" 75 x 42mm oval base, primed with two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Green, and drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. It was then heavily dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, so as to bring out the detail of its thick, rubbery skin and "large webbed feet", before being washed with plenty of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - These Sea Devils are slowly having their flesh 'picked out'

Described by very unhappy Byrne as a "four-legged beast on loan from Panto-Horses-Are-Us", the hefty model was treated to a second (and final) dry-brush of "Vallejo" Heavy Green, before having its "wide, pale eyes" 'picked out' using a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Vallejo" Pale Grey. Finally, the reptiles' base was gritted with fine modelling sand, undercoated in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, dry-brushed in Doombull Brown and Rakarth Flesh, and subsequently washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

With my latest contribution to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, including an additional bonus 20-points for tying my entry in with the Challenge Library's Maritime section - despite my minions doubts as to its eligibility, I've also managed to 'crack on' with five "Black Tree Design" Sea Devils. These figures come in two poses, and are just a few of many Reptillia Sapiens I have discovered which I aim to get pigmented before the AHPC concludes in March.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - Howard Quartz has been primed, base-coated, shaded and dry-brushed

Furthermore, I'm rather pleased to have finally got my hands on "Warlord Games" All In Launch Collection of their "A.B.C. Warriors" tabletop game. To be perfectly honest I'd ordinarily rip such a delivery wide open, assemble a load of its miniatures, and then frustratingly shelve the entire undertaking as I increasingly became overwhelmed by the magnitude of the unpainted figures before me. This time round though, I aim to do things a little differently, by simply working on a lone figure or two in between my other planned projects.

To that end I have just based the deal's Howard Quartz 'Mr Ten per cent' special sculpt, and intend to complete Ro-Busters' owner before opening another blister or box. Of course, the Nottingham-based company have just announced the pre-order for this range's second wave, so I might have to push myself to get the likes of Mongrol, Blackblood and Hammerstein finished within the next couple of months, simply so I can justify to myself the purchase of these upcoming additional models...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"In Future, Refer All Decisions To Your Masters."

"Do not resist orders."

This pair of 28mm metal single-piece figures are produced by "Black Tree Design" and are available as Code DW127 Roboman from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. Sculpted with a slightly different pose to that of the Penzance-based company's Roboman Guard model, the miniatures are based upon the Daleks' mindless minions from Terry Nation's November 1964 BBC Television six-episode story "The Dalek Invasion of Earth".

Initially primed using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, the two "surgically-modified humans" were heavily dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal and drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then worked on their trousers, using a base layer of either "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna or Heavy Brown. The pants were subsequently shaded using some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and roughly highlighted using a careful dry-brush of their original base layer colour.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - Ben Jackson is having all his details 'picked out'

The "surgically modified captives" later had both their clunky headsets and machine-guns 'picked out' with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst their shirts received a lick of White Star by Duncan Rhodes' "Two Thin Coats", a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to dirty them up, and finally a highlight of (more) "Two Thin Coats" White Star.

With my latest contribution to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, I have now begun working on a figure of First and Second Doctor's companion, Ben Jackson. Surprisingly, despite owning a number of the Time Lord's assistants sold by "Black Tree Design", I haven't actually pigmented all that many of them. So thought I'd start to make amends with that oversight by getting the sailor tabletop ready in short order.

"Alternative Armies" WIPs - This Orange Adder Combat Car has been primed. shaded and dry-brushed

Furthermore, I've managed to get cracking on an old 15mm Orange Adder Combat Car by "Alternative Armies". The detail to this predominantly resin vehicle is a little 'rough around the edges' when compared to how the much sharper kit is manufactured these days using their "improved production technique." But it should still provide a worthy addition to my (not) Imperial Guard mobile armour attachment.

I'm really enjoying working my way through my backlog from "The Ion Age" range, and certainly don't see myself stopping any time soon. Indeed, I've dusted down some more Retained Knights which I had previously started working on a few years ago, and hope to add them to my (not) Crimson Fist Space Marine Chapter within the next few weeks...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"Yeah, But Look At You, Brother."

"You a wreck! Man, you gotta learn."

This 28mm metal model is manufactured by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" and can be purchased either as part of the four-figure SKU: DEAL 339 Resistance Fighters, or separately as SKU: MINI 1193. Originally "a street thug and drug dealer", this miniature has clearly inspired by Michael Wright's character, Elias Taylor, in Kenneth Johnson's 1983 American science-fiction television miniseries "V".

"An influential member of the black market", the "petty thief" was initially primed using 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 applied some "Vallejo" Charred Brown to his trousers, washed them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and finally dry-brushed the pants with (more) "Vallejo" Charred Brown.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - This Myrka has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

"Part of the Resistance assault team that stormed the Visitor Mothership in orbit above Los Angeles", I later gave the model a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna on his face and hands, before these areas were shaded with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and highlighted back up with a touch or two more "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. Finally, his automatic rifle was 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

In addition to my latest entry into the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), I have continued working on my monstrous backlog of "Doctor Who" figures by "Black Tree Design". One of my current aims is to make a dent in a number of various "Reptillia Sapiens" sculpts I purchased from the Penzance-based company way back in March 2019, including a hefty metal Myrka (or two).

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Arena Beast has been undercoated, shaded and dry-brushed

I actually pigmented one of these big fellows almost four years ago, so have been patiently repeating the self-same recipe I used back then as best as I can. Once completed, I'll hopefully be able to move on to some of the samurai-looking Sea Devil warriors which accompanied the deep-sea beast, as I potentially seem to own at least fifteen members of Commander Sauvix's Elite Group One.

Lastly, I've made some modest in-roads on a multi-part Arena Beast by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". This brutish hulk should work quite nicely for my burgeoning "Flash Gordon" project as some sort of man-eating pet belonging to the Emperor Ming; albeit, having finished the basic bulk of my dry-brushing on the model, I now fancy adding some extra colour to its face and limbs before I begin 'picking out' all its teeth and claws...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"I Will Arise From My Own Death To Avenge Hers..."

"...With all the powers of darkness!"

This 28mm scale Vlad Dracul is produced by "Wargames Atlantic" and can be downloaded for free as part of a multi-piece set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the Transylvanian Count depicted in Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 horror film "Bram Stoker's Dracula", the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

Depicted wearing the suit of armour Vladislaus wore during his "bold pre-dawn sneak attack" against the invading Turks in June, 1462 A.D., the figure was primed using a double-helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. The model was then carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red, before its blood-filled chalice was 'picked out' using a combination of Heavy Sienna, Gold and finally "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. A (un)healthy dollop of "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red was used to add a little gore to the sacred cup's contents.

"The Daleks captured prisoners and operated on their brains."

Dracula's face was simply pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Whilst his long hair and beard were given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, sploshed in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. Lastly, I applied a little line of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone to the figure's lips, nose and cheeks to bring out a bit more of the impressively crisp print's detail.

Alongside my third (and for now final) "Rumanian Prince from the region of Transylvania", I have also completed a fifth 28mm metal Robomen Guard by "Black Tree Design". As per my previous ones this model can be purchased as Code DW129 Roboman Guard from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range, and is based upon the Dalek's minions from Terry Nation's November 1964 BBC Television story "The Dalek Invasion of Earth".

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - These Sea Devils are being base-layered and washed

The fellow was pigmented in precisely the same way as I've previous done his poor brain-washed, comrades-in-arms, except I decided to spend a little more time on him 'picking out' his jacket with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also thought I'd mark him out a little more with some "Vallejo" Sombre Grey trousers, which were later shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Sticking with "Black Tree Design" and the time-travelling Gallifreyan, I have begun basing, priming and shading five Sea Devils from actor Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Third Doctor. The "amphibious variety of Silurians" awakened from their hibernation by the Master are part of a much larger force of reptilian humanoids I aim to submit to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). But I thought I'd start with a classic monster which I'd painted many times before - albeit they were all the slightly larger scaled "Warlord Games" versions...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"The Origins Of The Dark Angels Remain Shrouded In Mystery."

"Few Imperial records of the Chapter's beginnings still exist."

This 15mm scale Orange Adder Combat Lifter is sold by “Alternative Armies” and can be purchased as Pack Code IAF036D from the company’s "The Ion Age" range. Supplied as a multi-piece metal and resin vehicle, it carries a Hermit Grenade Launcher, and is approximately 60mm long, 30mm wide and 25mm tall.

The model was super-glued on to a large-sized plastic "Flames Of War" stand by “Battlefront Miniatures”, and was primed in "Vallejo" Dark Green in order to be the start of a new (not) Dark Angels army. "Used for a variety of purposes and in many variants", the automobile was then enthusiastically drowned in “Citadel” Nuln Oil, before receiving a heavy dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Dark Green using a soft-bristled make-up brush.

"Nor are there many mentions of the part it played in the Emperor's Great Crusade."

I next applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the Combat Lifter's flexible skirt, side panel/window, rear vents, front headlamp frames and big gun. Some of these areas were subsequently 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. In addition, I used a dollop of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and a wash of "Vallejo" Pale Grey on the hover-tank's trio of lights, and lastly applied some old(ish) "Games Workshop" Dark Angels decals to mark the vehicle out as belonging to the First Legion.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I also took this opportunity to simultaneously pigment another Black Adder Combat Lifter too. Available from “Alternative Armies” as Pack Code IAF036C, this hover tank comes "armed with a Fretan Rail Gun in a turret mount", and was painted in exactly the same manner as the other vehicle, predominantly using "Vallejo" Dark Green and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Forged In Battle" WIPs - The lower hull is slowly being camouflaged

With my latest entries for the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, I have stuck with the theme of 15mm armoured automobiles by pushing on with the fiddly camouflage pattern I have been piloting on my hefty resin Maus by "Forged In Battle". This three-colour 'camo' technique is precisely the same as the one I've always used on my "Flames Of War" D-Day Beach Defence German infantry. However, I've never attempted it on such a large-sized miniature before.

Indeed I specifically purchased this tank from "Westwind Productions" at last year's "Warfare" wargaming show, after a previous attempt to apply camouflage to a plastic Panzer IV went horribly wrong, and resulted in my stripping the model back down to its bare-bones. This time round I'm trying to maintain my 'less is more' approach to Maus - albeit I have gone a little made with the pattern in a couple of places...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"What Do You Mean Flash Gordon Approaching?"

"Imbecile! The Emperor would shoot you for interrupting his wedding with this news!"

This 28mm metal model of a Ruthless Lieutenant is produced by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" and can be brought as a pack of four figures from their SKU: DEAL 238 Galactic Villains. Clearly inspired by actress Mariangela Melato's portrayal of the ruthless, cold-hearted General Kala in Mike Hodges' 1980 science-fiction movie "Flash Gordon", this model has been sat in my Pile of Potential since I first received her way back in 2020 following the Lincolnshire-based company's successful Pulp Sci-Fi Heroes and Villains Kickstarter.

Described as possessing "a merciless streak matching that of Ming and Klytus", 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 her gold finery with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold, "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, a careful dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Gold, and an incredibly delicate dry-brush of Silver.

"After the fall of Sauron in the War of the Last Alliance their race dwindled swiftly."

In addition to my latest entry into the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, I have completed three more of the 28mm 3D printed Black Númenóreans which I bought from a seller on "eBay" way back in November 2023. Described as a "not official product", these resin miniatures were purchased as infantry proxies for my Barad Dur army until "Games Workshop" once again produce them for their "The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game".

Despising both "the followers of Elendil and their realm Gondor", the trio were initially undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before being enthusiastically dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal and soaked in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then 'picked out' their belts and shield straps with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before applying some "Vallejo" Gunmetal to the warriors' ornate armour and swords.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - These two Resistance Fighters are having their details 'picked out'

These metallic areas were later drenched with (more) “Citadel” Nuln Oil and later dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Gunmetal. To dirty the armour down somewhat and create a contrast between it and the Númenóreans' blades, I gave all the plate armour a splash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Lastly, I 'picked out' the models' teeth using a little "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, as well as their chins with a dollop of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

Lastly, I've also managed to make some noticeable progress on the four figures which make up the Resistance Fighters pack sold by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". Heavily influenced by Kenneth Johnson's 1983 science-fiction television miniseries "V", both its (not) Ham Tyler and (not) Mike Donovan miniatures have particularly caught my eye - so resultantly seen probably more than their 'fair share' of my brush-tip's time...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"No One Escapes. The Robomen See To That."

"Some people were captured and were turned into Robomen, the slaves of the Daleks."

These four 28mm metal Robomen Guards are manufactured by "Black Tree Design" and can be purchased as Code DW129 Roboman Guard from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "Humans converted by the Daleks into wholly obedient slaves", these mindless minions first appeared in Terry Nation's November 1964 BBC Television story "The Dalek Invasion of Earth".

The quartet were initially primed using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal and soaked in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then worked on their trousers, using a base layer of either "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Heavy Brown or Sombre Grey. The pants were subsequently shaded using some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade or Nuln Oil as appropriate, and roughly highlighted using a careful dry-brush of their original base layer colour.

"Westwind Productions" WIPs - This Maus is slowly being prepared for some camouflage markings

Their "large, helmet-like headsets" and firearms were simply 'picked out' with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst their shirts received a lick of White Star by Duncan Rhodes' "Two Thin Coats" and a splodge of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to dirty them up. I also decided to try and break up the monotony of the group by selecting one figure and painting his jacket "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. This coat was later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo Sombre Grey.

With my latest contribution to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, including an additional bonus 20-points for tying my entry in with the Challenge Library's Overdue and Returns section, I have finally started working on the 15mm resin Maus by "Forged In Battle" I purchased from "Westwind Productions" at last year's "Warfare" wargaming show. This hefty piece has now been base-layered and had all it's tracks pigmented so as to tie them in with the muddy-looking bases I like to predominantly give my models.

"Hyper Miniatures" WIPs - This Chibi Makoto is slowly being progressed

In addition, I've begun slowly progressing a 3D print of Makoto Nanaya, which I rather embarrassingly actually made using my Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer a good fourteen months ago. Composed of "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin, this Chibi can be found on "Thingiverse" as a free BlazBlue Fan Art STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Hyper Miniatures", and is hopefully destined for my "Marvel United" tabletop as a Hero (using the boardgame's Squirrel Girl deck).

To tie the figure in with the quite specific-looking style of stands used by "CoolMiniOrNot" for their official product, I've plonked the "soldier of the World Void Information Control Organization" onto a 30mm 6K Resin Crippled God Foundry base I bought from a seller on "eBay". At the time I thought the cobbled flooring would suit Makota quite well. But having subsequently primed the ensemble for the AHPC, I've discovered that what I thought was rubble, is actually a skull, bone and separate jaw - so have patiently picked these out first before moving onto Nanaya...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"At The Time Of The First War Of The Ring..."

"...The Black Númenóreans cast their lot in with the Dark Lord of Mordor."

These three 28mm 3D printed Black Númenóreans were bought from a seller on "eBay" as part of two six-figure 'Buy it now' auctions back in November 2023. Described as a "not official product", the resin miniatures were bought as infantry proxies for my Barad Dur army until "Games Workshop" once again produce the "cruel oppressors" for their "The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game".

Having received the surrogate sculpts though, the models appear to closely resemble those of the now Out Of Production (OOP) line of dark-hearted warriors, and unsurprisingly have now disappeared off of the e-commerce website without any warning whatsoever. I have since attempted to purchase some of the old "Finecast" or metal miniatures produced by "Games Workshop" to compare the pieces. But sadly these are incredibly expensive second-hand, with prices ranging from a still sealed blister containing four figures for £180, down to a single roughly-pigmented model costing £23.70, including postage & packing.

"Some say in exchange for immortality."

"Enamoured of evil knowledge", the trio were initially primed using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal and soaked in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then 'picked out' their belts and shield straps with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before applying some "Vallejo" Gunmetal to the warriors' ornate armour and swords.

These metallic areas were subsequently drowned with (more) “Citadel” Nuln Oil and later dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Gunmetal. To dirty the armour down somewhat and create a contrast between it and the Númenóreans' blades, I gave all the plate armour a splash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Lastly, I 'picked out' the models' teeth using a little "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, as well as their chins with a dollop of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - These four Resistance Fighters are slowly being progressed

With my latest contribution to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, including an additional bonus 20-points for tying my entry in with the Challenge Library's Fantasy Books section, I have started to make some significant in-roads on the Resistance Fighters four-figure pack sold by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". Distinctly inspired by Kenneth Johnson's 1983 science-fiction television miniseries "V", this miniatures are part of another project I hadn't really planned to start until quite some time later this year.

However, as the close relationship between Mike Donovan and Juliet Parrish's characters were one of the franchise's central themes, I thought the Lincolnshire-based company's models would be highly suitable for the AHPC's Library Romance Books bonus section, so broke them out of their plastic bag early. Indeed, I've decided to crack on with both the Ham Tyler and Elias Taylor lookalikes too, so as to be able to field the Earth's partisan leaders (in full) before moving on the the gerbil-eating, lizard-faced extra-terrestrials...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"War Is Always A Terrible Business."

"But it needn’t be a concerning exercise in cruelty or a brutal, merciless grind."

These two 15mm scale Black Adder Combat Lifters are sold by “Alternative Armies” and can be purchased as Pack Code IAF036C from the company’s "The Ion Age" range. Supplied as a multi-piece metal and resin vehicle, they are "armed with a Fretan Rail Gun in a turret mount", and are approximately 60mm long, 30mm wide and 25mm tall.

Each model was super-glued on to a large-sized plastic "Flames Of War" stand by “Battlefront Miniatures”, and was primed in "Vallejo" Heavy Red in order to be added to my ongoing (not) Blood Angels army. "Used for a variety of purposes and in many variants", the automobiles were then enthusiastically drowned in “Citadel” Carroburg Crimson, before receiving a heavy dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red using a soft-bristled make-up brush.

"The Lord Of The Rings" WIPs - This Black Númenórean just needs his robe finishing

I next applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the Combat Lifters' flexible skirts, side panels/windows, rear vents, front headlamp frames and giant guns. Some of these areas were subsequently 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. In addition, I used a dollop of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and a wash of "Vallejo" Pale Grey on each hover-tank's trio of lights, and lastly applied some old(ish) "Games Workshop" Blood Angels decals to mark the vehicles out as belonging to the IX Legion; including a single white Veterans emblem to help distinguish one vehicle from the other.

Having cleared a little space on my hobby desk - albeit I've since discovered a few more 15mm vehicles from "The Ion Age" range lurking in the shadows, I have continued working on the first six Black Númenóreans for "The Lord Of The Rings" I quite recently bought from "eBay". Despite initially planning on batch painting these 3D printed evil warriors I've subsequently split the half-dozen figures into identical pairings, and resultantly managed to whittle them down to my last two miniatures.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Ruthless Lieutenant is almost completed

To slightly mix things up, I've also begun to progress the "Flash Gordon" project I pencilled in for later this year, using numerous models taken from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" Rick Rhodes science-fiction range. First up will be the Lincolnshire-based company's Ruthless Lieutenant, which appears in their Galactic Villains pack, and is evidently inspired by the treacherous General Kala seen in Mike Hodges' classic 1980 movie "Flash Gordon".

Like my Black Númenóreans, the quite diminutive figure is hopefully destined for the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). But, will also be another experiment into how I can better pigment a truly bright, striking gold using a light dry-brush of "Vallejo" Silver as a second highlight over a wash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and "Vallejo" Gold...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"The Third Eye Glowed A More Brilliant Red For A Few Seconds..."

"...And Doctor Quinn crumpled to the floor."

These four 28mm scale metal models are manufactured by “Black Tree Design", and can be purchased as Code DW308 Silurian from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "An intelligent bipedal race of reptilians that ruled Earth before humans", these classic monsters first appeared in Malcolm Hulke's January 1970 BBC Television story "Doctor Who And The Silurians".

The entire quarter were undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, thoroughly washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. They were then treated to a few splashes of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green in and around their heads, necks and hands, before being given a second, significantly lighter dry-brush of (even more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

"The Lord Of The Rings" WIPs - This Black Númenórean just needs his cloak finishing

The Silurians’ claws, which proved somewhat difficult to 'pick out' at times due to some occasional miscasting in these areas, were given a coat of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and subsequently dirtied up with a generous splosh of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Lastly, their 'third eye' was spotted with "Vallejo" Heavy Red and later shaded using a dollop of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

Having completed my latest contribution to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), and collected an additional bonus 20-points for tying my entry in with the Challenge Library's Children's Books section [as per the broadcast adventure's novelisation "Doctor Who And The Cave Monsters"], I have started to make some significant in-roads on the dozen Black Númenóreans I quite recently bought from "eBay". Due to my dislike of 'batch painting' I have unsurprisingly split the "fearsome" figures into two smaller-sized units, and now they've been primed, base-coated, shaded and dry-brushed, narrowed them down into identical pairs.

"The Lord Of The Rings" WIPs - This Black Númenórean just needs his cloak finishing

These supposed 3D printed proxies are bound to cause a little controversy as having scrutinized the sculpts closer, the manufacturer has quite possibly just somehow scanned the old "Games Workshop" miniatures and then digitally tidied-them up - as some details, such as the models' sinister teeth aren't present on my versions, despite being clearly visible on the now out of production (OOP) official models. However, as I don't have any of the metal or "Finecast" originals, nor am willing to pay a whopping fifty quid to own one second-hand, I can't say for certainty.

This ethical conundrum has definitely curtailed my enthusiasm for the project though, as I absolutely don't agree with the re-casting of other manufacturer's figures. I suppose some might say that as the Black Númenóreans are no longer available to buy, and the products are clearly advertised as being "not [an] official product", then there's an element of acceptability in this instance..? But, I for one, see this as being part of a bigger problem where so many unlicensed or rather 'fan-art' 3D prints are flooding the hobby, and some sellers may well be sailing far closer to the wind than others...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Black Tree Design” January 2024

"You are one of the most evil and corrupt beings our Time Lord race has ever produced."

This month's themed attempt to diminish my sizeable stash of metal, plastic and resin miniatures will focus upon my resurrection of an old "Doctor Who" aliens/monsters galactic conquest campaign I started way back in 2019, using many a model by "Black Tree Design". To be honest, having both dug out the homemade ruleset and dusted down the figures which featured in it, I plan to reboot the Cybermen's conquest of the Milky Way from scratch, beginning with just the original six playable factions: Cybermen, Voord, Sutekh, Great Intelligence, Nimon, and Silurians.

However, other competing civilisations/entities can be introduced into the melee as time goes by, as happened before with Sharaz Jek and his android army. Resultantly, I have dug out a whole horde of the Penzance-based company's extra-terrestrials from my backlog, many of which are either still in there little plastic bag or simply unprimed/undercoated upon a plastic circular base - meaning once painted they'll also be eligible for entry in to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC).

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - Some Robomen slowly being shaded and having their details 'picked out'

Whilst I must confess to owning a few of these slightly cartoony-looking sculpts since "Harlequin Miniatures" originally released their "Doctor Who: Invasion Earth" game in 1996. The vast majority were actually purchased between 2015-2020 as a result of John Olsen repeatedly putting on a series of sales across the range. One of my aims is therefore to try and tackle some of the oldest models first, starting with a mixture of seven Robomen and Robomen Guards.

I've actually been pigmenting these somewhat chunky minions of the Daleks for a few days now, and recently started work on their hands/heads. Ordinarily, I don't usually pigment a figure's flesh until towards the end of the paint-job, as I'm prone to start with the feet and progressively muddle my way up. However, I was quite recently advised by two of "Warlord Games" professional painters to get these areas done first as a 'well-done' face can apparently maintain a hobbyist's motivation to complete the miniature - especially when ploughing through a production line of similarly posed subjects.

"Black Tree Design" Repaint - DW422 - Harry Sullivan

In addition, I've actually found a little time to touch-up the Harry Sullivan figure by "Black Tree Design" that I finished well over four years ago. I don't plan to revisit any other previously-painted models. But have always been disappointed with how the large rectangular eyes of the Fourth Doctor's companion turned out, and the time-travelling medical officer's incredibly dark clothing - courtesy of some splodgy "Citadel" Nuln Oil washes.

I therefore went 'back in' to correct the fellow's eyes and tidy up the surrounding cheeks, as well as take out my "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and Heavy Bluegrey, and extremely carefully dry-brush his jacket and trousers. This extra work certainly seems to have ammended some of the issues I was having with poor Harry's overall look, and may well now encourage me to set about penning some rules for a certain Time Lord and their TARDIS crew to make a randomly-generated appearance (or two) in the aforementioned campaign...

          This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.