"Tribal Nations Warbands Will Centre Around A Core Of Mohawk And Seneca Infantry...

"...Backed by packs of wild beasts acting as fast strike forces."

This pair of 28mm metal miniatures were produced by "Warlord Games" as part of their Mythic Americas range, and could be found inside the Nottingham-based company's five-figure Tribal Nations Wolves boxed set. The animals actually came with circular MDF bases. However, as with the rest of my models for this wargame, I soon super-glued them upon plastic 32mm round bases instead.

The two canines were both primed using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then gave all the legs, bellies, throats and maws a few heavy brushstrokes of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, shaded these areas with plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and subsequently dry-brushed them with (more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats".

"Trench Stench" WIPs - Three Dirt Knights at various stages of completion

So brusque a technique obviously created a strong contrast between the animals' upper and lower bodies, so I carefully dry-brushed the regions where the two colours clashed with some "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey. I also went back afterwards with some "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and touched up these parts to hopefully blend all the differently hued fur together even more.

As a final step I dotted the two Wolves' eyes and noses with some pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and traced out their forward-facing fangs with a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. This actually made the pair look a bit toothless to me. So I quickly went back with my brush-tip and ensured that each miniature was sporting a few more teeth than appeared to have been sculpted on them.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - A NASA Astronaut and two (more) Soviet Cosmonauts

In addition to the last of my Tribal Nations Wolves I have started working on earnest on five Dirt Knights by "Trench Stench" I recently produced on my "Elegoo" Mars 5 3D printer. For once I'm actually hoping that a factory line approach will actually pay some dividends for me, so I'm hoping to get all of the 'Crusader Knights' finished in good time before I start pigmenting the Trench Crusader unit's leader - a rather impressive Mechanised Gunslinger Lieutenant.

Furthermore, I simply can't seem to stop building more astronauts by "Black Site Studios". Despite now arguably owning more than enough Soviets and NASA spacemen than I need, I've picked up a few more 3D prints I found in my 'pile of potential' and converted them using some more of the leftover bitz I own from the American company's 2021 "Lunar" Core Boxed Set...

"Often Favouring Rugged And Ugly Looking Equipment..."

 "...The Soviets have shown themselves to be excellent Lunar inhabitants."

This 32mm Soviet Cosmonaut is produced by "Black Site Studios" for their "Lunar" skirmish game, and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file comes as part of the company's Two-Player Digital Starter Set and was actually upscaled a little bit due to the sculpt appearing somewhat smaller than the cast resin Russian astronauts I already own.

The Cosmonaut was super-glued onto a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand and primed in "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet. It was then covered in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet and had his face-plate initially layered with some "Citadel" Abaddon Black.  This helmet visor was subsequently treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These three NASA Astronauts have had their basic work finished

Lastly, the figure's small geology hammer and large briefcase were given a lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The metal attaché case was later given a careful dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal to help bring out some of its finer details. I'm not entirely sure what could be contained in such a carryall - as this piece of equipment appears to be unique to the digital product, and there's no card for it in the Lunar Core Game I bought in July 2021. As a result I probably use the model to represent a Soviet Doctor with all their medical equipment locked away safely inside.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I have also been working on more of my NASA reinforcements as well, as I'd ideally like each opposing side to consist of eight or so miniatures. These particular astronauts are all 3D printed from the Two-Player Digital Starter Set too, although a couple of them have been quite heavily converted using pieces taken from my "Lunar" bitz box. Of particular note I spotted that I now owned an STL for a more advanced-looking American space suit, which will now be worn by the faction's overall commander - reducing the cast resin character I've previously pigmented down to a Junior Officer.

"Trench Stench" WIPs - These Dirt Knights have been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

In addition, I've rather suddenly found myself being absolutely bowled over by the digital sculpts of "Trench Stench", who rather delightfully "make Trench Crusade compatible miniatures." To begin with I've produced a five-man strong squad of their free to download Dirt Knight STL. Admittedly, whilst the product does carry the "Trench Crusade" tagline it doesn't seem to be a specific unit for the "skirmish-scale tabletop miniatures game set in a horrifying alternate timeline of WW1." However, the quintet could easily be used to represent a band of Crusader Knights - especially as the lore claims that "there are thousands of different crusader Orders from across Christendom."

As a result I have simply 'mirrored' the odd single-pose sculpt to provide the warband with a little variety, and aim to give them a fairly straightforward rusty armour look, with drab brown leather garments to tie in with their Dirt Knight title. In the near future I also plan to give them a Mechanised Gunslinger Lieutenant as a leader, having been sent this STL file as another freebie...

"The Main British Heavy Machine Gun Used In The Falklands War..."

"...Was the L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), a 7.62mm weapon."

These eight 10mm white metal British soldiers are by "Pendraken Miniatures" and were bought as part of their Falklands British Army Pack whilst I was visiting "Colours" 2023. Each 30mm x 40mm plastic base consists of two gunners and two loaders from the blister FLB28 - GPMG team, prone, helmet (5 teams) and were painted after I'd super-glued the four pairings onto their respective rectangular stands. 

The models were all primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey. I then began the patient process of 'picking out' all their boots, hands, faces and weapons with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before 'picking out' the troopers' skin with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade." These areas of flesh were later highlighted back up with a dab (more) of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone.

"The British invested all the money and energy it could raise into the Napoleonic Wars."

The soldiers' GPMGs and accompanying ammunition belts were simply pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also applied a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to some of the soldiers' waist pouches, just to slightly break up the monotony of their predominantly 'dirty green' attire.

Alongside these heavy weapon teams for my "Germany 1985" project, I have also managed to get a third 28mm scale metal Napoleonic British Grenadier tabletop ready too. Taken from the “Wargames Foundry". blister B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms, the figure was predominantly pigmented using a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Vallejo" Heavy Red. Both of these colours were subsequently sploshed with some watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to add a little shadow here and there.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These NASA Astronauts have been shaded using "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade 

In addition I applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade to the figure's water bottle, and a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the Redcoat's bag. Lastly, I used a little "Vallejo" Neutral Grey on the miniature's blanket, and some Gold on his shako plate. These areas were then darkened down with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade respectively.

Obviously, so time-consuming a model has meant that I've somewhat struggled to get much more done on the trio of NASA astronauts I recently assembled using some (failed) 3D printed models from the "Lunar" Two-Player Digital Starter Set by "Black Site Studios", and a handful of cast resin bitz I had left over from the company's original 2021 Core Game box. I'm hoping to still get these miniatures finished before the end of the month. But if not, then I'm currently considering simply rolling the project on into November - as I seem to have really caught the 'moon surface battle bug' presently...

"Now Known As The First Country To Land A Man On The Moon..."

 "...The Soviet Union developed a proud and complex relationship with space travel."

This pair of 32mm Soviet Cosmonauts are produced by "Black Site Studios" for their "Lunar" skirmish game, and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file comes as part of the company's Two-Player Digital Starter Set and were actually upscaled by 1% and 2% due to the sculpts appearing somewhat smaller than the cast resin Eastern Bloc astronauts I already own. 

Indeed, the entire set came as something of a major disappointment to me, as rather than provide me with six multi-piece rocketeers (three NASA and three Russian) - similar to the bitz found on their five-figure sprue SKU: LNR6805BSS - Soviet Cosmonauts, it instead just provided me with three fully-posed miniatures instead. As a result, having noticed that the model's air-tank was noticeably shorter than his physical comrades-in-arms (despite him being stood on a rocky base), I enlarged the STL on "Chitubox" Basic and mirrored one of the spacemen to provide a little more variety.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - This trio of NASA Astronauts have been primed in "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue 

The Cosmonauts were first super-glued onto a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand and undercoated with plenty of "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet. They were then both drenched in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet and had their face-plates/mass shotguns layered in "Citadel" Abaddon Black.  The Soviet's helmet visors were subsequently treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Lastly, each figures' firearm was given a lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The hand-drawn illustration on the hand-weapon's item card for "Lunar" shows part of the gun also being red. Yet 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 shotguns metallic.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This Napoleonic British Grenadier is being progressed from the boots up

Alongside my latest Russian reinforcements, I have also started working on three more NASA astronauts too. Just like the Soviets, this trio of spacemen come from the Two-Player Digital Starter Set. However, they were created on my old Mars 3 Pro 3D printer and suffered a few failures - which has resulted in two of them receiving some additional cast resin hands/equipment and bitz that came with the original Lunar Core Game way back in July 2021.

In addition, the end is now most definitely in sight with the (tiny) four-figure British Grenadier unit I want to field for my Napoleonic "Black Powder" games. I've still got a few more details to pick out on these soldiers taken from the "Wargames Foundry" blister B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms. But I should still manage to get the quartet fully-painted before my personal deadline expires at the end of the month...

"This Immensely Large Black Wolf Seems As Big As A Horse."

"It has fiery eyes, a thick coat of fur, and spikes crowning the top of its spine."

This 28mm scale Orr'ugs Wolf is produced by "Artisan Guild" and was downloaded for free as part of a multi-piece set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their "Patreon" subscription service. One of four different poses, this impressive sculpt was originally 80mm from nose to tail, but has actually been reduced in scale down to 'just' 45mm in "Chitubox" Basic to see whether it would work as a Dark Wolf for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".  

Initially I actually 3D printed four versions of the animal, ranging from 30mm, 35mm, 40mm and 45mm for a friend, so they could see which size they wanted to fit onto a 25mm circular base. In the end they went for the 40mm miniature, whereas I liked the notion of a larger beast sitting upon a 30mm circular stand. I still have a couple more wolves from "Warlord Games" Mythic Americas range to paint - to use as Dark Wolf proxies. However, I much prefer these figures in both size and detail, so may well print out another dozen or so at some point to use instead.

"The Kingdom of Great Britain (later the United Kingdom) was the most constant of France's enemies."

Produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer, the 'wandering monster' was primed using "Citadel" Abaddon Black and dry-brushed with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. It was then shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before being lightly dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. The brute's eyes, teeth and claws were patiently picked out using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and later washed with some "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson or Agrax Earthshade as appropriate.

In addition to my horror-themed 'test piece', I have also completed a second 28mm scale metal by “Wargames Foundry". Taken from their B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms set, the Napoleonic British soldier was predominantly pigmented using a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Vallejo" Heavy Red. Both of these colours were subsequently sploshed with some watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to add a little shadow here and there.

"Knight Models" WIPs - Batman's base topper along with Peacemaker and Eagly

I also applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade to the figure's water bottle, and a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the Redcoat's bag. Lastly, I used a little "Vallejo" Neutral Grey on the miniature's blanket, and some Gold on his shako plate. These areas were then darkened down with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade respectively.

I've also been busy working on some more of the STLs provided by "Knight Models" as part of their "Batman Miniatures Game" Gotham Lord Tribe pledge on "My Mini Factory". Some of these models come on some incredibly detailed base toppers, so currently I'm slowly working my way through one for the Dark Knight himself, along with Peacemaker and his sidekick Eagly...

"I Will Enjoy Feasting On Your Bones!"

 "Bein' a reptile man ain't pretty."

This 35mm scale miniature of Killer Croc Thug is produced by "Knight Models" for their "Batman Miniature Game", and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file was part of the company's Gotham Lord Tribe pledge in September 2025 on "My Mini Factory", and also came with a base topper and 40mm lipped base (which was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer).

Sculpted to depict Waylon Jones' scaly alter-ego in an intimidating, no-nonsense pose, the figure was primed using a couple of layers of White Star by "Two Thin Coats", and had his shoes, belt and braces 'picked out' with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The super-villain's trousers were then given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before being sploshed with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade in an effort to make them look like faded blue jeans.

"Black Site Studio" WIPs - These three Soviet Cosmonauts just need some shades and a tidy up

Killer Croc's flesh was first base coated with some "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and later shaded using "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and Agrax Earthshade. His scales were subsequently carefully dry-brushed with a little (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey. I also took this opportunity to patiently dot all the buckles on his braces using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, his vest was simply 'dirtied up' with some heavily-watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Staying with 3D prints, I have managed to get a bit more work done on a trio of Soviet Cosmonauts recently produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer. To be honest these particular figures have taken a lot longer than anticipated after initially pigmenting them all in "Vallejo" Heavy Red, as opposed to the "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet I used on their comrades-in-arms last year.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Still quite a bit of work needed on these remaining British Grenadiers

Obviously this meant I had to repaint all three sculpts from scratch as the red hue was noticeably different from that of my other Russians. However, as my colour scheme for these communist moon men is very straightforward they shouldn't take too much longer - and as I have a handful more NASA Astronauts printed too, I'm hoping to get at least half a dozen of these "Black Site Studio" STLs tabletop ready before the end of the month.

Lastly, I'm still 'soldiering on' with a few more British Grenadiers from the "Wargames Foundry" blister B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms. My enthusiasm for the Newark-based manufacturer's Napoleonic range has taken a little dent due to my planned trip up to their store being cancelled at the last minute by the facility experiencing electrical issues - and therefore having no lighting. I had been hoping to pick up a few more reinforcements for Wellington's Redcoats to help strengthen my resolve to get at least four of the fiddly soldiers finished. But I'll now have to wait until I make either a journey to East Stoke next year, or they hold a Christmas sale...

"The Red Coat Has Been The Iconic Symbol Of British Soldiery For Centuries..."

"...And even to this day remains an enduring part of the ceremonial dress of many British Army units."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms set. The figure is one of eight identical Napoleonic British soldiers sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry found in the blister, and ultimately proved a real time-consuming challenge for me as I slowly worked out what colours I was going to apply to its considerable detail.

The miniature was primed using a couple of licks of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and then had his boots, helmet and equipment all base-layered with "Citadel" Abaddon Black. With hindsight this was a bit of a mistake, as it seemingly took forever to 'pick out' all these details, and then go back and tidy up the white trousers etc. So in future I'll probably just undercoat the remaining Redcoats with "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"In 2268, an asteroid threatened to collide with the planet Amerind." 

I also made the decision to pick a British unit who had red facings to help keep my palette a little simpler, and using my limited research chose to make the Grenadier a member of the 33rd "Wellington's Own" Regiment of Foot. This allowed me to pigment the entirety of the model's jacket in "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and then wash both the coat and trousers with some heavily-watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

I next applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade to the figure's water bottle, and a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the chap's bag. In addition, I used a little "Vallejo" Neutral Grey on the miniature's blanket, and later darkened it down with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These three "Lunar" 3D prints just need their equipment to be 'picked out'

In addition to my latest Napoleonic test piece I have also completed the last of my medium asteroids by "Fat Dragon Games". This serious chunk of space rock is included in the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set, and was produced using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer before being super-glued onto a 70mm round MDF base by "Warbases". 

The piece was primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, base-layered using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and gave the asteroid (and its base) a much lighter dry-brush of Heavy Bluegrey. Finally, the model's stand was washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and flocked with a little 2mm tall Chilli Red static grass so I could also use it as scatter terrain for any future Moon/Mars surface battles too...

“Warlord Games" Showcase 2025

"Our HQ deep in the heart of wargaming’s spiritual home, Nottingham."

Having missed the last couple of Open Days at "Warlord Games" Headquarters in Nottingham, I thought a basic trip up to the manufacturer's store in Finch Close, Lenton was probably a bit overdue - especially as they've recently released their (new) Konflikt '47 Starter Set and I was curious to see what this latest edition contained. Happily, there was plenty of miniatures, as well as a fantastic tabletop featuring "the tabletop wargame of heroes, horrors, monsters, and mechs" on display in the shop, so I soon busied myself looking at all the different sculpts and factions.

Some of the models on display by Paul Sawyer and Craig Butler

The first thing to catch my eye though was the late great Paul Sawyer's British Airborne force. This purely historical army for "Bolt Action" was incredibly well painted, and packed full of some great looking characters - most notably a flamethrower who was clearly not taking any prisoners whatsoever. In addition, I was rather taken with the way Paul's prone soldiers appeared, as rather than just lying flat upon their stomachs, these guys still maintained the illusion of motion by wriggling about with their heads (and in some cases hands) up.

Next up was a truly terrifying collection of Axis men and monstrosities by Craig Butler. Admittedly, I first thought these gas-mask wearing soldiers and werewolves were Soviets due to the bright red palette colour choice used on their lapels, gloves and stockings. But it quickly became clear that they were all under the thrall of the mysterious Green Vault. I've previously pigmented a pack of "West Wind Productions" Secrets Of The Reich Jager Werewolves, so was incredibly taken with the sheer bulky size of three Schreckwulfen which were surrounding Sturmbannfuhrer Grauler.

"Konflikt '47 is the tabletop wargame of heroes, horrors, monsters, and mechs, putting you in command of the nightmarish struggle for supremacy."

My attention was also drawn to how well the new sculpts for Konflikt '47 tied in with the range's older units. I'm pretty sure I own an assortment of unpainted Schwertruppen troopers and Nachtjager myself, so was delighted to see "Warlord Games" showcasing such units too. Furthermore, a trio of Spinne Light Panzermechs reminded me that my 'pile of potential' probably housed a few more old vehicle kits than I cared to recollect - which should almost certainly be either opened or dusted down before I embark on any new purchases.

Some of the Winter Campaign American Forces on show at "Warlord Games" HQ

The last couple of collections to inspire me were a pair of winter U.S. armies. Snow-covered armour and support vehicles hold a strange place in my hobby-heart, as I really enjoy seeing the stark contrast between the bright white snow and the much more drab, darker colours of the soldiers' uniforms etc. Alongside Connor Hind's historical force, was a much more bloody affair featuring some US Firefly Jump Infantry, and a truly gore-splattered Kodiak Close Assault Walker.

"Warlord Games" Konflikt '47 display table

Finally, I had a good mooch at the store's aforementioned awesome Konflikt '47 display table. I was particularly keen to examine the Firefly Airborne Infantry on show as I have recently managed to pick up a copy of "Wargames Illustrated" #454, and it came with a sprue of the fast-flying Yanks. The layout really captured my imagination, and significantly fuelled my enthusiasm for the alternative universe World War Two game. Indeed, I hope to dig out a fair few of my older models from the loft to paint with my Americans once I have assembled them from the 28mm plastic sprue...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Black Site Studios" October 2025

"The peaceful dreams of Mankind bridging the stars was short lived."

As I have recently restarted 3D printing a number of models for "Lunar" by "Black Site Studios" - having finally finished painting all the resin cast miniatures I bought from them over four years ago, I thought I'd spend this coming month getting enough spacemen tabletop ready to actually have a game using "The Silver Bayonet" ruleset and some homebrew additions. Ideally, I'd therefore like to get at least three or four NASA Astronauts and Soviet Cosmonauts completed, as well as maybe even finally start assembling/pigmenting a number of Japanese and Chinese 'rocketeers' I purchased via UK stockist "Spectre Miniatures" in November 2024.

Alongside these figures I would also like to get some more of the various sized asteroids produced by "Fat Dragon Games" done. Now admittedly, these space rocks were sculpted to float about the galaxy for the company's (not) "Star Trek" starship battle game "Battlefront Valkyrie". But having decided to 3D print a number of them out using a "Bambu Lab" A1 mini and subsequently super-glue them to some 3mm thick MDF stands by "Warbases", I thought they'd also make excellent terrain pieces for the Moon's (or at least Mars') surface too.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These three Soviet Cosmonauts have been shaded with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson

Sticking with the theme of taking scenic items and repurposing them for conflicts in outer space, I've dug out three bags of Shell Holes by "Magnetic Displays". Designed to populate a battlefield, I intentionally bought them to use as impact craters on the moon, and plan to use them as difficult terrain - which will need to be jumped over entirely if the astronaut doesn't want to be slowed down - for my homebrew rules.

Lastly, I perhaps rather ambitiously aim to continue ploughing through my vast backlog of "Wargames Foundry" miniatures and get at least another four Napoleonic soldiers ready for some "Black Powder" or "The Silver Bayonet". I'm particularly keen to get a quartet of British infantrymen ready for a matt varnish, as I seem to have been 'picking away' at the contents of the Newark-based manufacturer's Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms blister for more months than I care to remember.

September 2025 - Wargames Foundry surprisingly takes to the top spot

On paper, September showed just a small improvement over my previous period's productivity, and was therefore rather disappointing in some ways. However, quite astonishingly I did manage to polish off half a dozen Napoleonic Austrians, and get another eight ready for my brush-tip when the time arrives. This really was quite a shock to be honest, as I always find the heavily detailed Perry sculpts to really eat into my limited hobby time. My (limited) success with the range though has meant that "Black Tree Design" have at long last been toppled from the top spot as my favourite company of 2025 - for now at least.

As to the future, I would have thought "Knight Models" monthly release through "My Mini Factory" for their "Batman Miniatures Game" will certainly begin to make itself felt on my hobby table. I've still got a long way to go to finish all thirty-one figures included in their opening file for Tribes, and have since received thirteen more on top of that...

"The Right Stuff..?"

 "That's what they used to be called."

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 just over four years ago in July 2021. However, the model is currently available as either part of the five-figure set SKU: LNR6809BSS - NASA Astronauts, or the manufacturer's Two-Player Starter Box, and was assembled using elements taken from the numerous hands, weapons and equipment pieces which came inside my old starter box.

Prior to painting, the spaceman was super-glued onto a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, rather than one of the bases which came with the kit, and then equipped him with a large monkey wrench, as well as what I initially thought was a storage container. As I actually plan to use this range for a homebrew version of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", I thought I could simply paint his box white, and 'turn him' into a Doctor - and indeed, that is still my plan for the chap. But I have since seen the game's Item Card "Explosive Charge", which suggests the device he's carrying is disconcertingly meant to be a bomb.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These three Soviet Cosmonauts have been primed in "Vallejo" Heavy Red

The miniature was undercoated with a couple of licks of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, drenched in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue. I then 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 so as to potentially break up the monotony of the rocketeer's palette a little bit. This didn't turn out half as well as I had hoped though, due to the colour's hue being a little too close to the predominant colour to stand out - especially once they'd both been sploshed with the same "Citadel" Colour Shade.

The American's hand-weapon was simply based coated with Citadel "Abaddon Black", layered in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. For his medical kit, I gave both the box and its straps a few applications of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and subsequently shaded the entire area with some heavily watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also added a Red Cross emblem onto it so as to better mark the figure out as a medic - a task easier said than done as the decal was rather old and frustratingly came in two separate parts: the plain white circle and the red cross.

"Knight Models" WIPs - Killer Croc just needs a dry-brush and some tidying up before being finished

Perhaps unsurprisingly as I'm in something of a "Lunar" mood, I have 3D printed, based and primed three (more) Soviet Cosmonauts on my "Elegoo" Mars 5 in Water Washable Resin. I managed to pick up these STL (Standard Triangle Language) files at a reduced price in December last year, and frankly don't think much of them at all due to their being no customisation options, as well as them being somewhat smaller than the company's resin cast models.

Far more impressive have been all the "Batman Miniatures Game" figures I have received from "Knight Models" as part of my Gotham Lord Tribe on "My Mini Factory". In particular, I've really been enjoying pigmenting their Killer Croc Thug sculpt, and hope to have Waylon Jones' scale-covered alter-ego tabletop ready within the next few days...

"In The Early Anglo-Saxon Period Most Of Essex Was Covered By Forests."

"So meadow lands suitable for producing good hay were rare and valuable."

This 32mm scale model of a (medium) Anglo-Saxon Haystack was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer, and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from the "Last Sword Miniatures" webstore. Measuring 100mm in height and approximately 75mm in width, the piece of scenery was super-glued onto a 80mm circular MDF base by "Warbases". I also drilled five holes into the base just in case there was still any uncured resin inside the hollow print, which could allow any lingering fumes to properly vent.

Unfortunately during the printing process (where I was printing two of the model on a single plate) a few of the supports failed around one of the haystack's timber legs and caused it to mis-print the bottom of it. Luckily, the rest of the sculpt turned out fine, so I was able to simply cut away the offending part with a modelling knife, and use some Green Stuff to build up the ground around it so as to cover over the gap.

"They wore fur caps, white uniform and white breeches, and short black gaiters."

The model was undercoated using a couple of licks of “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and enthusiastically drenched in “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. It was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and a little (lighter-coloured) Buff. The haystack's poles were simply given a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, darkened down using a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and finally highlighted back up with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

In addition to my second of several planned haystacks, I have completed another Napoleonic Austrian by "Wargames Foundry". This 28mm metal sculpt is from their AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching blister and was undercoated in "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then applied a base layer of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to his uniform, and washed it with a little heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to bring out its details.

"Knight Models" WIPs - Killer Croc just needs his scaly hide completed

I next applied a combination of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to the infantryman's collar, cuffs, waist-band, helmet and turnbacks, before 'picking out' his water bottle and bayonet with some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The Grenadier's sabre hilt, scabbard tip, ammunition pouch and helmet plate were simply pigmented using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, I added a smidgeon of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and Wyvern Green to the miniature's head plume and later washed these areas with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil respectively.

Despite all these time-consuming details I've also made more progress on my Killer Croc Thug by "Knight Models". This "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin 3D figure has really caught my imagination, and as I'm planning on using it for my own 'homebrew' rules rather than the official "Batman Miniatures Game" - which apparently requires a phone app to play - I may well print out a couple more of the hulking bruiser for my tabletop to use as scaly minions for a 'bigger' Waylon Jones sculpt, once this one is finished...

"As The Klingons Are Portrayed As A Warrior Culture..."

"...The Empire is shown to use warships almost exclusively."

This Kurgun C3-A Heavy Cruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two-piece spacecraft has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model, and measures an impressive 80mm in length.

The vessel was initially undercoated using a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Green and shaded with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I then carefully dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, before 'picking out' its warp nacelle and (forward-facing) antimatter-based photon torpedo launcher with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

"The first Austrian grenadiers came into being in 1700."

Alongside the latest addition to my (not) Klingon Defence Force, I have finished two more Napoleonic Austrians by "Wargames Foundry". This pair of identical 28mm metal sculpts are from their AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching blister and were primed using a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then applied a base layer of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to the majority of their uniforms, and weathered it with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I next applied a combination of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to each elite infantryman's collar, cuffs, waist-band, helmet and turnbacks, before 'picking out' their water bottles and bayonets with some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

The Grenadiers' sabre hilts, scabbard tips, ammunition pouches and helmet plates were simply pigmented using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Lastly I added a smidgeon of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and Wyvern Green to each model's head plume - in line with the colours used on the "Wargames Foundry" website. Both of these areas were later washed with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil respectively.

"Knight Models" WIPs - This Killer Croc Thug is being painted from the boots up

Despite so much of my spare time being taken up with using my brush-tip lately, I have still managed to continue producing a fair few models using some "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer, and "Knight Models" recent announcement that they were going to be releasing their "Batman Miniature Game" (BMG) range as STL (Standard Triangle Language) files has only helped increase my enthusiasm for this side-hobby. Indeed, I've already gone 'all-in' on their Gotham Lord Tribe on "My Mini Factory".

As a result I've been busy using both my aforementioned Mars 5 and A1 Mini to create a number of Gotham City's darker denizens, as well as their respective bases. To begin this 'unforeseen' project, I thought I'd tackle a Killer Croc Thug from The Joker’s crew. Now, I have no intention of actually playing the BMG itself - despite being sent the rulebook, cards, counters, tokens and scenery from the "extremely competitive skirmish" game's starter set as PDFs. But I did think I could (once again) utilise "The Silver Bayonet" or "Five Parsecs From Home" rules with some homebrew additions...

"We Set Sail On This New Sea..."

"...Because there is new knowledge to be gained."

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 just over four years ago 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.

Prior to painting, the spaceman was super-glued onto a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, rather than one of the bases which came with the kit, and then equipped him with an (incredibly bendy) flag, as well as a highly patriotic saluting hand. I actually plan to use this range in a homebrew version of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", so thought that this particular pose would really suit a Champion of Faith.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - These two Austrian Grenadiers just need some shading and tidying up

The miniature was primed with a couple of layers of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, drowned in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue. I then 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 so as to potentially break up the monotony of the rocketeer's palette a little bit. However, the colour's hue is still a little too close to the predominant colour to make all that much of a difference - especially once they've both been sploshed with the same "Citadel" Colour Shade.

Due to wanting the American flag to appear slightly different in hue to the NASA suits, I applied "Vallejo" Heavy Blue to the actual banner, and washed it with (yet more) "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and finally dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue to 'catch' the cloth's numerous folds. I did momentarily consider placing a 'Stars and Stripes" decal on it too, and then remembered how impossible it had previously been to place a tiny Soviet Star on my Russian flag-bearing Cosmonaut - so I just left things well enough alone. The astronaut's helmet visor was simply coated with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, carefully layered with Gold, and finally washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This pair of British soldiers are now approximately half-way finished

With the latest addition to my American astronauts faction finished, I have managed to also find a little hobby time to make (even) more progress on two 28mm metal Napoleonic Austrians I've been pottering away at for the past few weeks. Sold by "Wargames Foundry", this pair of identical figures are from blister AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching, and are almost complete now I've got the base layers done on their predominantly white uniform and numerous straps.

Furthermore, I've recently realised that despite previously priming and basing a quartet of sculpts from the Newark-based company's B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms blister, I still can't field any British redcoats for any future games of "Black Powder" as I never got around to actually getting them tabletop ready. Resultantly, I've plonked the foursome at the front of my painting queue in the hope that I will at least get a couple 'ready to battle the French' before the month is over.

"The Grenadier Battalions Were Kept In Army Reserve..."

"...And used in decisive moments as a breakthrough force or to stabilize the wavering line."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching set. The figure is one of eight identical Napoleonic Austrian infantrymen sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry found in the blister, and didn't take quite as long to paint as I feared - once I'd worked out what colours I was going to apply to its considerable detail.

The model was primed using a couple of layers of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and washed with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade in order to help all its straps and creases stand out a bit. The elite infantryman's collar, cuffs, waist-band, helmet and turnbacks were given a lick of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue and a splosh of "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. This colour scheme followed that shown on the 'official' paint-job, and having done a meagre bit of research into the army's uniforms apparently suggests the unit originated in Lower Austria.

"If we are to divert the asteroid which is on a collision course with this planet."

Unlike my Austrian Fusiliers though, I decided against picking out one of the shoulder straps in a different colour - so as to suggest it was connected to the soldier's water bottle, and simply left it plain "Two Thin Coats" White Star. I did however, apply some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to the drinking container itself, as well as use a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on the Grenadier's sabre hilt, scabbard tip, ammunition pouch and helmet plate.

Lastly I applied a little "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and Wyvern Green to the model's plume - in line with the colours used on the "Wargames Foundry" website. These areas were subsequently shaded with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil respectively. I did also momentarily contemplate trying to 'dot' the dark recesses of the eye sockets. But in the end felt that the figure looked good enough as it was, with his actual eyes overshadowed by his impressive helmet.

"We must warp out of orbit within thirty minutes." 

In addition to my latest Napoleonic test piece I have also completed two more medium asteroids by "Fat Dragon Games". This pair of sizeable space rocks are included in the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set, and were produced using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer before being super-glued onto a 60mm and 70mm round MDF base by "Warbases". 

The duo were primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and base-layered using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then shaded the rocks in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and gave both the asteroids (and their bases) a much lighter dry-brush of Heavy Bluegrey. Finally, the models' stands were washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and flocked with a little 2mm tall Chilli Red static grass so I could also use them as scatter terrain for any future Moon/Mars surface battles too...

"Kirk, You Do This..."

"...You'll never sit in the captain's chair again."

This Terran D-3A Destroyer was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two-piece starship has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

Somewhat intriguingly, the 'kit' also comes with a rig STL, which allows you to produce a docking bay of sorts that supposedly lines up the spacecraft's single engine with the hull. However, I really didn't think the model required such a device - feeling you could easily align the two parts using just the naked eye, and indeed, when I did superglue the vessel together using the rig I found the engine to be slightly off-kilter from where I'd have plonked it if doing it manually.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Three Napoleonic German Grenadiers at various stages of completion

Once assembled, the miniature was undercoated using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then patiently dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before 'picking out' the warp nacelle on its propulsion unit with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

Currently I'm planning to use all this range's starships for some homebrew "Star Trek" rules - based upon the Original Series and its subsequent movies, so must confess that this particular sculpt has left me a little bemused due to only having a single warp nacelle. For now I plan to use it as a proxy for the U.S.S. Excelsior under Captain Lawrence H. Styles' command, due to it being disconcertingly larger than the Frigate model which I'll be using for my Constitution-class substitutes. However, as "Fat Dragon Games" continue to produce more designs I may well change my mind...

"Hasbro" WIPs - The Hulkster is just doing up his bootlaces

With so simple a painting subject completed, I have unsurprisingly found plenty of time to make some more progress on a trio of 28mm metal Napoleonic Austrians by "Wargames Foundry". These identical figures from the Newark-based company's blister AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching, are arguably showing their age in their casting. But should be reasonably quick to get tabletop ready, now I'm a bit more familiar with all the different details on them.

In addition, I have been lucky enough to acquire an STL scan of the old WWF Hulk Hogan action figure by "Hasbro", so have produced an approximate 40mm scale version using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer. As with the Andre the Giant miniature I own, the detail is rather soft, so I'm planning on just using a few base layers and washes to get the Hulkster ready for a "Wrestlemania III" rematch...

"As With All Efforts Of Humanity..."

"...War and conflict seemed to be an inevitable part of these endeavours beyond Earth."

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.

Prior to painting, the "rocketeer" was super-glued to a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, rather than one of the bases which came with the kit, and then armed according to the role I see him playing in a homebrew version of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games" which I'm planning. As I intend to have this particular chap wielding a two-handed heavy weapon (as per a Sapper), I gave him a big stonkingly heavy mining drill to hold.

"The field strength of the infantry increased..."

The miniature was primed with plenty of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, drenched in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue. I then 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 - especially once they've both been washed with the same "Citadel" Colour Shade.

The model's large hand-tool was first 'picked out' with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, layered in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and finally sploshed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. However, as I wanted to make it look a bit grimy, even rusty, I also dabbed some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on parts of it, and later gave it a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal. The astronaut's helmet visor was simply coated with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, carefully layered with Gold, and finally washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"...Whilst a new drill book allowed for training for skirmishers in the line regiments."

Despite my renewed enthusiasm for all things "Lunar" rather surprisingly returning from out of the blue, I have also managed to complete another Napoleonic figure by "Wargames Foundry". Taken from their Austrian range's blister AN002 German Infantry Marching set, the 28mm scale metal model was undercoated using a couple of layers of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and shaded using some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

It was subsequently painted largely using "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade,"Vallejo" Heavy Red, "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, "Vallejo" Gunmetal, "Citadel" Nuln Oil, "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. This soldier completes my task of getting four of the identical sculpts by the Perry Brothers tabletop ready, and means I can now field a tiny-sized unit of either Budweis or Leitmeritz volunteers for "Black Powder."