"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...

"The Soviet Union..."

 "...Developed a proud and complex relationship with space travel."

These two 32mm resin Russian Astronauts are produced by "Black Site Studios", and form 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 were painstakingly put together from an almost overwhelming number of tiny pieces which came inside the starter box.

Both spacemen were super-glued to "Citadel" 30mm circular stands, as opposed to one of the bases which came with the kit, and then armed with an assortment of equipment to best illustrate their role. I'm actually planning on using the miniatures for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games" with some homemade rules to represent fighting on a lunar surface, so opted to make one model an officer and the other a Champion of Faith.

"With the U.S.S.R. starting at a severe disadvantage due to their losses sustained during World War Two."

For the Commander I opted for an S8-Laser Pistol and piece of Ceramic Plating (to use as a makeshift shield of some kind). For the communist zealot I decided to give him a Markam S11 handgun and a (incredibly bendy) flag. These ensembles were 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.

Due to wanting the U.S.S.R. flag to appear slightly different in hue to the Soviet suits, I applied a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Red to the actual banner, and after a "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson shade, had been planning to adorn it with a Russian star or two from a "Decal Details" transfer sheet. However, despite the decal being tremendously tiny, the folds sculpted into the actual flag made it absolutely impossible for anything, no matter how small, to stick to it. So after a few attempts I decided to leave it bare.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - One of four Austrian Jaegers getting some early attention

Luckily, the pole and pistols were much easier to complete, having first been carefully base-layered with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and later "Vallejo" Gunmetal. The Commander's shield, which I imagined had been pillaged from his Space Shuttle's thermal protection system, was painted in "Scale 75" Cobalt Alchemy. All these areas were subsequently treated to a wash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, with the high-temperature reusable surface insulation (HRSI) tiles receiving a dry-brush of (more) "Scale 75" Cobalt Alchemy to help bring out all the shield's details.

In addition to these two Soviet Cosmonauts, I have also been busy cleaning up, prepping and priming a handful of figures from the "Wargames Foundry" blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running. I actually picked ten of these identical miniatures up from "eBay" following the company's recent price rise, and plan to incorporate them into a quite significantly-sized Napoleonic Austrian project I'm quietly putting together in the background for next year...

"Its Name Means Bonnet De Courrier..."

 "...And it was used by the wagon and carriage drivers, to protect their heads and ears from rain."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be bought as part of their eight-figure FN137 - Late Fusiliers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoats And Assorted Headgear Marching blister. The miniatures are crafted by Michael and Alan Perry, with the majority of the sculpts shown wearing a Pokalem forage cap.

The infantryman was undercoated using a mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Vallejo Surface Primer Black, before his numerous leather straps were slowly layered with "Two Thin Coats" White Star. These areas were later 'weathered' with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Originally, the unit had been raised as Grenadiers of the Royal Guard of Holland in 1806."

I next applied some "Vallejo" Sombre Grey to the Frenchman's greatcoat, as well as dabbed at both his water bottle and trousers with Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The musket's butt and other wooden elements were treated to a lick or two of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and a splosh of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Lastly, the firearm's metal parts received a line of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Finally, I gave the weapon's bayonet a quick dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo Gunmetal to help it stand out, and carefully applied a combination of Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to the Fusilier's headwear. The hat was finished off with a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue. Whilst I doused the soldier's coat in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and carefully dry-brushed the garment with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These three Soviet Cosmonauts' equipment is being 'picked out'

In addition to my latest Napoleonic Frenchman, I have also completed a second model taken from the blister FN175 - Imperial Guard Dutch Grenadiers In Greatcoat Marching. This particular "Wargames Foundry" figure was largely pigmented using a similar palette to that of the Late Fusilier; albeit I did use my usual 'team-up' of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson on the model's epaulettes, bearskin tassel and grenadier emblem.

Furthermore, I've manage to put a brush-tip to the three remaining Soviet Cosmonauts I own by "Black Site Studios". Due to the very straightforward colour scheme I've selected for these Russian astronauts, the vast majority of the resin miniatures is actually now completed - leaving me with just their various weapons and equipment to finish off before they're tabletop ready...

"After Tracking A Launch From Deep Inside The U.S.S.R...."

 "...The United States and her allies downplayed the possibility that it was a lunar landing attempt."

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 company way back in July 2021. These days the figure is available as either part of the five-figure set SKU: LNR6805BSS - Soviet Cosmonauts, or the manufacturer's current Two-Player Starter Box, and was painstakingly put together from an almost overwhelming number of tiny pieces which came inside the starter box.

Super-glued to a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, as opposed to one of the bases which came with the kit, I gave the spaceman what I believe to be a "mass shotgun", and undercoated the ensemble with lots of "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet. The 'official' colour scheme repeatedly used within the skirmish game's rulebook strongly suggests that the Eastern Bloc's suits are actually predominantly pinkish-brown with red trim and blue gloves/boots.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two more Dutch Grenadiers are currently on the painting table

However, as I wanted a simple palette for my 'comrades' which wouldn't be too time-consuming to get on the tabletop, as well as being readily recognisable as Russian, I just splattered the astronaut with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and dry-brushed him with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet. I then 'picked out' the Soviet cosmonaut's helmet visor with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and later returned to this area using a combination of Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Lastly, the figure's firearm was given a lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The illustration on the hand-weapon's item card suggested that part of it was also red. But having already used this colour on the astronaut (as well as using a red flock for my Martian/Moon basing) I thought this was probably overkill - so just left the entire shotgun metallic.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Blucher's horse has been layered in "Two Thin Coats" Carchardon Grey"

With so straightforward a second addition to my Lunar collection completed, I've found myself with more time to progress the remaining two Napoleonic figures I want to get finished before this month ends. Both identical sculpts come from the "Wargames Foundry" packet FN175 - Imperial Guard Dutch Grenadiers In Greatcoat Marching, and should prove useful for both some Black Powder (lite) and Silver Bayonet.

Furthermore, now my latest (and probably last for quite some time) order from the Newwark-based company has arrived, I thought I'd also tackle a cavalry model - selecting Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher himself from the Prussian blister PN055A Field Marshall Blucher with Generals Gneisenau, Yorck and Kleist. I plan to place all my horsemen upon "Citadel" 40mm circular bases - as per The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game by "Games Workshop". This should mean that I can use the general both as an army commander, as well as simply fit him into a cavalry unit if the mood takes me...

"The Dutch Grenadiers..."

"...Were A French Imperial Guard Regiment During The Napoleonic Wars."

This 28mm scale metal model is 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 picked this set up in person when I was lucky enough to visit the manufacturer's store in Newark, late last year.

The "assault-specialist soldier" was originally primed using a mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Vallejo Surface Primer Black, before his trousers and various leather straps were layered with "Two Thin Coats" White Star and later 'dirtied-up' with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I then applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to the miniature's winter-coat, as well as patiently began 'picking out' all the details around his waist - such as his drinking bottle, sword and ammunition pouch.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Three more Dutch Grenadiers at various stages of completion

Of particular note was the tassel tied around on the Dutch Grenadier's sword-hilt, which was going to be "Vallejo" Heavy Red. However, as I was simultaneously working on some Soviet Cosmonauts by "Black Site Studio" at the time, I ended up carefully tracing the detail out with a combination of "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson instead.

Nonetheless I did use my usual 'team-up' of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson on the model's epaulettes, bearskin tassel and grenadier emblem. I was also planning on applying a little "Two Thin Coats" White Star to the actual grenade detail on the headpiece too. But the raised surface wasn't as clear or centrally-placed as my obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) would have liked, so I decided against tackling such a frustrating-looking extra.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Nick Fury is predominantly being painted from the base up

I had recently started plonking a few more 40mm scale plastic super-heroes by "CoolMiniOrNot" back into my painting queue in anticipation of receiving my Marvel United: Multiverse pledge (via Kickstarter). Sadly, the vast majority of my enthusiasm for such a project has been utterly obliterated by CMON's recent admission that they've inexplicably misplaced almost 400 orders - my own included - in China. So whilst the vast majority of the campaign's twenty-one thousand supporters have received their goodies, mine are still languishing on the other side of the planet in East Asia.

Ordinarily, such a massive disappointment would be the end of a painting plan, as I have plenty of other lead (or plastic, or resin) mountains to chip away at. However, on this occasion I still fancied ticking a few of Stan Lee's finest off of my list, so thought I'd give Nick Fury a lick or two of my brush-tip - albeit this particular sculpt features the reimagined leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. as created by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch for the 2002 limited series "The Ultimates", as opposed to the original, cigar-chomping Howling Commando.

"A Pie-Shaped Blue Cap With A Folding Neck-Flap..."

 "...The Pokalem could be fastened under the chin."

This 28mm scale metal model is sold by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their eight-figure FN137 - Late Fusiliers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoats And Assorted Headgear Marching blister. The miniatures are crafted by Michael and Alan Perry, with the majority of the sculpts shown wearing a Pokalem forage cap.

The infantryman was initially undercoated using a mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Vallejo Surface Primer Black, before his various leather straps were slowly layered with "Two Thin Coats" White Star. These areas were subsequently shaded with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Lots of detail yet to be picked out on these Dutch Grenadiers

I next applied some "Vallejo" Sombre Grey to the Frenchman's greatcoat, as well as dabbed at his water bottle with a smidgeon of Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The musket's butt and other wooden elements, as well as his pants, were treated to a brushstroke of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Lastly, the firearm's metal parts received a line or two of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Furthermore, I gave the weapon's bayonet a quick dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo Gunmetal to help it stand out, and carefully applied a combination of Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to the Fusilier's headwear. The hat was finished off with a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue. Whilst I doused the soldier's coat in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and carefully dry-brushed the garment with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPS - A quartet of British Late Line Infantrymen (Flank Company)

With my eyes already set upon how many more hobby hours I have remaining for this month, I have also been picking away at the tiny unit of Old Guard I want to field come October's end. This quartet will consist of figures taken from the blister FN175 - Imperial Guard Dutch Grenadiers In Greatcoat Marching by "Wargames Foundry", and are actually proving rather time-consuming to progress despite me purposely purchasing the grognards wearing long coats.

In addition, I simply haven't been able to resist doing a little work on the four British Grenadiers I aim to get tabletop ready during November. These days I really like settling down with a miniature which has already been half-started in some manner or another, so I wanted to get some basic colours on a handful of these models from packet B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms - as well as pilot two different techniques for working my way up their white and red palette...

"On July 20, 1967 Alexei Levanov Became The First Man To Set Foot On The Moon..."

"...Securing a triumph for the CCCP and cementing Soviet Russia's place as the victor of the Space Race."

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 company way back in July 2021. These days I believe the figure is available as either part of the five-figure set SKU: LNR6805BSS - Soviet Cosmonauts, or the manufacturer's current Two-Player Starter Box, and was patiently assembled from an almost overwhelming number of tiny pieces which come with the kit.

Permanently attached to a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, I equipped the fellow with what appears to be an Avtomat Kalashnikova-47 rifle, and undercoated him with plenty of "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet. The 'official' paint scheme appears to show the Eastern Bloc spacesuits being a pinkish-brown in colour with red trim and blue gloves/boots. However, I wanted a simple palette for my guys which wouldn't be too time-consuming to get on the tabletop and could readily be recognised as being Russian.

"The reform of the Prussian army was begun by Gerhard von Scharnhorst."

Resultantly, the astronaut was sploshed in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet. I then 'picked out' the spaceman's helmet visor with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and later returned to the area using a combination of Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally the figure's firearm was given a lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I had planned on dabbing a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on some of the AK-47's wooden areas. But frankly the weapon was so tiny that I felt that leaving it well enough alone was a far saner option.

With the first of my five Soviet Cosmonaut's completed, I have found the time to push on my long-term Napoleonic project, and finish the last of the Prussian soldiers from blister PN063 Infantry in Peaked Cap Marching by "Wargames Foundry". As with all his identical comrades-in-arms, the 28mm metal figure was largely pigmented using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, Stormy Blue, Heavy Red, Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal and a selection of "Citadel" Shades.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Four Imperial Guard Dutch Grenadiers In Greatcoat Marching

Somewhat disconcertingly I was recently contacted by "the home of 28mm wargaming miniatures" to be informed that some quite considerable price rises are to be brought in later this month. Upon hearing such news I have submitted a significantly sizeable order with them and begun re-evaluating my painting plans for the next few months as I'm soon to be swamped with all sorts of French, British, Prussian, Russian and Austrian soldiers.

My revised intention is to stringently put a brush-tip to at least four Napoleonic figures per month for the foreseeable future. This might seem a small number compared to some wargamers who rattle off regiments of 24 or 32 infantrymen in a week or so. But to someone who regularly only completes 10-15 miniatures a month, that's actually quite a significant portion of my hobby time. Leading this charge, and frankly being crammed into an already rather optimistically overloaded October, will be a quartet of soldiers from FN175 - Imperial Guard Dutch Grenadiers In Greatcoat Marching...

"So Passes Denethor..."

 "...Son of Ecthelion."

This 28mm scale metal model of Denethor was produced by "Games Workshop", and could be purchased in a single figure blister from the company's "The Lord Of The Rings" range. Nowadays, the OOP (Out Of Production) sculpt has seemingly been replaced by a finely detailed resin "expert kit", so I'm grateful I actually picked my old miniature up from a wargaming show's second-hand stall many years ago.

The Steward of Gondor was undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before having his cloak roughly shadowed using plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then base-layered his chain mail in "Vallejo" Gunmetal, splashed the meshed armour with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal to help bring out all the small metal rings linked together.

"The backwardness of Prussia was revealed by the disaster of 1806."

"A man of great will, foresight, and strength, but also overconfident", the ruler's leather belt was treated to a thin line of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, whilst I 'picked out' his belt buckle and sword hilt with "Vallejo" Gold. Both of these areas were later doused in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to help darken them down. I also carefully traced my brush tip across all of Denethor's fur lining with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before dousing it with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and finally highlighting it with a careful dry-brush of (more) Vallejo Heavy Bluegrey.

As I hoped to make the hair of "the first son and third child of Ecthelion II" stand out a little from all this grey, I covered it in "Two Thin Coats" White Star and an application of the "Citadel" Contrast paint Black Templar. I next dry-brushed it in (more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats", darkened it down with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and lastly gave a a second highlight with some (extra) patiently placed "Two Thin Coats" White Star.

"North Star Military Figures" WIPs - This Shoggoth has been primed, base-layered and shaded

Despite Denethor actually taking quite a bit longer to get tabletop ready than I had initially thought - as I had hoped he was just a predominantly black-palette project - I have completed a seventh Napoleonic Prussian soldier from the set PN063 Infantry in Peaked Cap Marching by "Wargames Foundry". As with all his identical comrades-in-arms, the 28mm metal figure was largely pigmented using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, Stormy Blue, Heavy Red, Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal and a selection of "Citadel" Shades.

Furthermore, whilst digging around an especially long-forgotten box of miniatures, I stumbled across a part-resin part-metal Shoggoth by "North Star Military Figures", which I thought might be good for "The Silver Bayonet" rule-set. I actually believe I bought this little set way back in 2018, when I physically visited their premises in Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham. So it's probably high time I got some paint on the brute regardless...

"The Pokalem Was Introduced In 1812..."

"...And replaced the bonnet de police."

This 28mm scale metal model is sold by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their eight-figure FN137 - Late Fusiliers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoats And Assorted Headgear Marching blister. The miniatures are crafted by Michael and Alan Perry, with the majority of the sculpts shown wearing a Pokalem forage cap.

The Frenchman was initially undercoated using a mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Vallejo Surface Primer Black, before his trousers and painfully numerous leather straps were patiently 'picked out' with "Two Thin Coats" White Star. These areas were subsequently shaded with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Four Imperial Guard Dutch Grenadiers In Greatcoat Marching

I then pigmented the soldier's greatcoat with some "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and water bottle in Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The musket's butt and other wooden elements were treated to a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Before its metal parts received a line or two of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

In addition, I gave the model's bayonet a quick dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo Gunmetal to help it stand out, and carefully applied a combination of Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to the Fusilier's headwear. Having scoured a few examples of the Pokalem I soon became aware that the hat was ordinarily covered in red braid-work and bore the regimental number or élite company badge. Happily, in my mind at least, none of this intricate detail was actually present on the figure itself - nor any of its comrades-in-arms - so for time and sanity's sake, I simply stuck to the forage cap being blue and finished it off with a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue. Lastly, I doused the man's coat in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and quite meticulously dry-brushed the garment with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

"Black Site Studios" WIPS - Three Soviet Cosmonauts

With my latest long-term Napoleonic project combatant completed, I've turned my attention towards pigmenting another tiny unit of French soldiers, this time using a quartet of models plucked from the Nottingham-based manufacturer's FN175 - Imperial Guard Dutch Grenadiers In Greatcoat Marching blister. I still remember plucking these guys off of the rack whilst visiting "Wargames Foundry" this time last year, and smugly believing they'd prove a 'quick win' to paint as they were wearing long coats. You can therefore imagine my dismay to discover that around the back of the sculpts - which I couldn't see at the time - they are still festooned with plenty of straps, as well as the necessary leatherwork to hold their bayonet scabbard and sabre-briquet.

To help soften this blow, and provide me with something significantly simpler to put my brush-tip to, I have also dabbled a bit more with the five Soviet Cosmonauts I own by "Black Site Studios". I've now managed to get the majority of the Russian astronauts' metallics completed, and hope to have those just carrying firearms finished within a short(ish) while...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Wargames Foundry" October 2024

"The Coalition forces of the Napoleonic Wars were composed of Napoleon Bonaparte's enemies."

Ordinarily at this time of year I'd be busily setting aside some undead-themed miniatures for Zomtober. However, with my obsession for Napoleonic wargaming still going strong, I felt it would be more prudent to simply continue focusing upon my collection of 28mm early Nineteenth Century soldiers by "Wargames Foundry". Admittedly, I am finding myself increasingly distracted by some of the other figures I own, such as the "Lunar" range by "Black Site Studios". But my desire to field a significantly-sized game involving both La Grande Armée and some Coalition forces in the semi-near future is still spurring me on.

Furthermore, I am now completely falling under the spell of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", and the rule-set's official line of models produced by "North Star Military Figures". I've already managed to rattle off a couple of these monster hunters from the United States Unit I purchased whilst at "Colours 2024", and fully intend to finish the remaining six members of my team before I attend "Warfare 2024" in November. Indeed, one of my main reasons for travelling to the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre in the near future will be to pick up a couple more warbands, and a few of the supernatural creatures they may well encounter on their adventures.

"Napoleon's overwhelming defeat of the Prussians in the battle of Jena was followed by the rapid collapse of the state."

This interest in "Napoleonic Gothic Horror" has also caused me to dust down my "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, and spend a few days meticulously adjusting all its settings so that it can once again produce many more successful models than failures. I've rather neglected this 'revolutionary' machine during the past year. So when I was recently asked to print the ('not Silver Bayonet') French Unit by "Koolkiwi Miniatures" for a friend, I thought I'd take the opportunity to additionally load up a fair few STL (Standard Triangle Language) files I fancy for my own tabletop too.

To get the ball properly rolling for this month though I have cracked on and completed a sixth Napoleonic Prussian soldier from the set PN063 Infantry in Peaked Cap Marching by "Wargames Foundry". As with all his identical comrades-in-arms, the figure was predominantly pigmented using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, Stormy Blue, Heavy Red, Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal and a selection of "Citadel" Shades.

September 2024 - "Wargames Foundry" rises on a wave on Napoleonic wargaming fervour

Rather encouragingly, the past four weeks have been the third most productive period of the year so far, and have definitely helped me edge ever closer to a game of "Black Powder" by "Warlord Games". In addition to simply completing a number of historical figures, I have also managed to get some wandering creatures for Silver Bayonet tabletop ready - in the guise of some Great Big Bellicose Bears, as well as scratched a few minor itches concerning "Planet Of The Apes" and "The Lord Of The Rings".

However, I do feel that things may well change over the coming days. Whilst I'm perfectly content to stick to "North Star Military Figures" and "Wargames Foundry" for my Silver Bayonet fix, rather than look to something like the Napoleonic Dread range of STLs found on My Mini Factory, I have once again started to look at the myriad of digital files I own for my 3D Printer. This could so very easily become a major distraction for me - especially as I'm already dipping my brush-tip into the realm of science fiction, thanks to "Black Site Studios"...

"Laika Was A Soviet Space Dog..."

"...Who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth."

This 32m scale resin miniature was sent to me by “Black Site Studios" as a free gift for pre-ordering their Lunar - Core Game way back in July 2021, and is nowadays seemingly only available as part of their SKU: STL0212 Space Pets - digital STL (Standard Triangle Language) file download. I therefore plonked the cute little dog onto a plastic 25mm circular base and thought I'd paint her up in honour of the poor mongrel which the Russians launched aboard Sputnik 2 spacecraft in 1957.

As I quickly decided against using the same "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet I'm using for my Soviet Cosmonaut spacesuits - as I may well use the sculpt as a neutral objective marker or random encounter, I primed the model with a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, and shaded her with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then dry-brushed the figure with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before applying a combination of Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the animal's visor.

"There are four main species of bears in Canada."

I also dabbed the dog's front paws with a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to represent the weighted shoes she seems to be wearing. However, this has become rather lost in the 2mm tall Chilli Red flock I'm going to be using for all my Moon/Mars basing. Obviously, there's no such 'grass' on our own planet's natural satellite. But I didn't like the look of my miniatures stood/sat on a stand without something growing out of the ground around them.

In addition to 'Laika' I've manged to finish the third and final 28mm scale metal miniature from GPR019 - Great Big Bellicose Bears by “Wargames Foundry". As with the other specimens of carnivoran mammals I intend to use for "The Silver Bayonet", the model was super-glued onto a plastic 40mm "Games Workshop" circular base and undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Leather Brown and Heavy Sienna.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two Prussian Infantrymen and Two French Fusiliers

It was then treated to a double layer of (pure) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before being enthusiastically drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and treated to a lighter touch of some "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Finally, I applied some "Two Thin Coats" White Star to it's visible fangs and claws, and later shaded these areas down with plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

With a couple of reasonably straightforward paint-jobs under my belt, I have simultaneously got some good progress completed on four more of the Newark-based company's Napoleonic range - namely a pair of Prussian Infantrymen and two French Fusiliers. I was hoping to get  Frederick William III's soldiers finished by the end of the month, as they are the last of my figures from blister PN063 Infantry in Peaked Cap Marching. However, the miniatures still need a few washes and a tiny bit of dry-brushing before being ready for a "Vallejo" Matt Varnish...