"An Anglo-Saxon Haystack Was A Structure Of Mown Grass..."

"...Called a rick or hay-rick, used to store winter fodder for livestock."

This 32mm scale model of a (small) 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 an impressive 100mm in height and approximately 50mm in width, the piece of scenery was super-glued onto a 70mm circular MDF base by "Warbases". I also drilled three 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.

As I want to use the piece for both "Pillage" and "The Silver Bayonet", I decided to paint it using the same basic palette as I use for my 28mm metal Strawbears by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”. Resultantly, the model was primed using a couple of coats of “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and liberally 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 pole was simply given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, darkened down using a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and finally highlighted back up with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

"In Star Trek, asteroids are used for bases, penal colonies like Rura Penthe, and strategic locations."

With my cheeky little entry into Dave Stone's Season of Scenery Challenge completed, I have also finished another pair of asteroids by "Fat Dragon Games" which are included in the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. Both of these small 'floating rocks' were created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and as with the previous two I've pigmented I decided to put them on some 40mm round MDF bases by "Warbases" rather than use the tiny, arrow-headed ones they come with.

Each asteroid was primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and later layered using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then shaded the miniatures in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and later gave them (and their bases) a much lighter dry-brush of Heavy Bluegrey. As a final step, the models' stands were washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and sprinkled with a little 2mm tall Chilli Red flock around the bottom - thereby allowing me to use them as scatter terrain for any future 'moon-based' battles as well.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Four Napoleonic Austrian Infantrymen

Setting aside my foray into scenery, I've also been making some progress on my burgeoning Napoleonic Austrian force using some 28mm metal figures by "Wargames Foundry". Originally, I had been planning to simply paint just enough soldiers to provide me with a warband for "The Silver Bayonet". But having patiently begun picking my way up a fusilier from the blister AN002 German Infantry Marching, I thought I might simply just pigment a quartet of the packet's identical sculpts instead.

Indeed, I'm hoping to actually play a few games of "Black Powder" by "Warlord Games" with my 'entire' Napoleonic collection once these Austrian infantrymen are tabletop ready, and use them as a tiny unit for my (Second/Third) Coalition army. This change of direction has definitely given my project a bit of much-needed momentum, having recently lost some of my enthusiasm 'battling' to complete an Hungarian Officer, and has actually caused me to get a handful of German Grenadiers undercoated too, ready to take the fusiliers' place in my painting queue when the time arrives...

"These Are The Voyages Of The Starship Enterprise..."

"Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds..." 

This Terran F-5A Frigate 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.

Once assembled, the spacecraft 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 nacelles on its two propulsion units with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

"...To seek out new life and new civilizations..."

Due to the basic 'look' of the vessel, and the fact that I plan to use these models for some homebrew "Star Trek" shenanigans as opposed to playing "Battlefront Valkyrie" itself, I thought this particular miniature would make an excellent proxy for Captain James T. Kirk's U.S.S. Enterprise. In addition, I've also started working on some of the asteroids which "Fat Dragon Games" include in their aforementioned Starter Set.

These first two lumps of space rock are from their selection of small asteroids, and just like my Terran F-5A Frigate, were created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. Somewhat disconcertingly though, the debris doesn't sit upon the stands used by the game's starships, and instead has a (disconcertingly small) circular stand moulded onto the sculpt's bottom. Furthermore, it has an 'arrowhead' pointing out of its base so it can be moved in a specific direction during any "epic fleet battles."

"...To boldly go where no man has gone before!"

As I really didn't like this overall look I decided to snip off the pointer and glue my asteroids to some 40mm round MDF bases produced by "Warbases". I then 'smoothed' down the angle of the remaining plastic stand with a bit of Green Stuff, and gave it a good covering of grit (and PVA glue). Once dry, the entire assemble was primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and later 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 so as to tie them in with the Moon/Mars surface palette I use for my "Lunar" miniatures by "Black Site Studios". This final stage also gave me the somewhat controversial notion to add a little 2mm tall Chilli Red flock around the bottom of the debris too, so I could also use them as scatter terrain for any future 'land-based' battles too...

"Hungarian Soldiers Played A Significant Role In The Austrian Army..."

"...During the Napoleonic Wars, forming a substantial part of their forces."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their AN007 Hungarian Infantry Command set. The figure is one of eight Napoleonic Austrian soldiers sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry found in the blister, and actually proved a bit of a challenge to get finished due to some poor casting flaws on it.

Furthermore, I really struggled to find much in the way of help when it came to reference material regarding the back of the officer's uniform - so the miniature was predominantly pigmented using just the the Newark-based company's website as my palette guide. And as a result I'm not sure how entirely accurate the chap's colour scheme is - albeit I did temporarily forget my promise to myself not to get bogged down in buttons, collars and cuffs too much, and ended up 'picking out' a fair amount of the man's gold braid.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Some of the early stages painting my Hungarian Officer

The model was undercoated using a couple of licks of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and subsequently had his boots (and other areas which needed to remain dark) layered with some "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to his trousers - presumably marking the soldier out as being Hungarian, and his tassels, flamboyant waist sash, helmet and sword hilt with a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gold. These metallic areas were later hit with a wee bit of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Having scoured around for a suitable-looking light blue I gave the Officer's collar and cuffs a line or two of "Vallejo" Verdigris, and darkened it down with (more) "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. This made parts of the clothing a bit too 'black' for my liking, so I soon went back with a smidgeon more "Vallejo" Verdigris to catch some of the raised details. I also took this opportunity to use some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on the fellow's blade, as well as a bit of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on his pistol holster.

"They are armed with disruptor arrays and magnetic pulse weapons."

Alongside the latest addition to my meagre Napoleonic Austrian warband for "The Silver Bayonet", I have also managed to rattle off two more Kurgun S-3 Scout spacecraft by "Fat Dragon Games". These vessels were 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 as part of the "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set.

The single-piece spacecraft were printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished miniatures, and were predominantly painted in "Vallejo" Heavy Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. However, the (not) Klingon ships were then carefully dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, and had their warp nacelles pigmented using a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

"Soon After Humans Discovered The System..."

"...A race of aliens known as the Kurgun appeared..."

This Kurgun S-3 Scout 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 single-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.

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 with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

 "...Claiming the system and all its ancient artefacts as their own."

Having completed the first of my (not) Klingon Forces, I had the time to finish another two of "Fat Dragon Games" Terran S-4 Scouts. As with my Kurgun vessel, both these (not) Federation starships were also created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set.

The models were primed using a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. They were then patiently dry-brushed with a little (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before having their warp nacelles treated to a base layer of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and later a line or two of "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

"Last Sword Miniatures" WIPs - The roof to this granary is almost finished

Sticking with 3D printed PLA, I've also managed to make a bit more progress on the first of four Anglo-Saxon Granaries I rather enthusiastically made recently. Sculpted by "Last Sword Miniatures" I'm hoping these buildings will form the core of a Middle Age village I can use for "Pillage" by "Victrix Games", as well as a low-tech settlement for some games of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

I actually own a fair few pieces of scenery from this particular Spanish manufacturer - as I joined their Patreon subscription service a few months ago. As a result I have also printed off a set of three different-sized haystacks (in "Elegoo" Water-Washable Resin), and am currently just waiting on the release of a rather large-looking Anglo-Saxon Great Hall to act as my table's centre-piece...

"Deep In The Distant Valkyrie Star System..."

"...The remains of an ancient and powerful alien civilization have been discovered."

This Terran S-4 Scout 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 single-piece starship has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.12mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

The spacecraft was initially undercoated using a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then carefully dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before 'picking out' its warp nacelles with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

"Last Sword Miniatures" WIPs - An Anglo-Saxon Granary

To be honest I was a little tempted to begin adding a few more colours to the vessel, as despite its small size, there's a fair few panels to be seen on its hull. However, my plan is to paint up a fair-sized fleet of these Terran starships, and I didn't want to bog down my enthusiasm for the project with tiny details nobody was ever going to see once they were on the tabletop. Indeed, I've bought quite a few of the range's cruisers, frigates, destroyers, cargo carriers, space stations and asteroids, so certainly don't want to dally too long on one specific miniature - especially when I plan to eventually field a few squadrons of Scout ships.

With such a simple paint-job completed, I have had plenty of time to print, superglue and prime the first of four Anglo-Saxon Granaries I own by "Last Sword Miniatures". Whilst I don't currently own a physical copy of "Pillage" by "Victrix Games", it does seem highly likely that I'll be getting in a few games within the next few months, so I thought I had best make a start on building a reasonably-sized Middle Age settlement to use as a suitable battlefield.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - A Napoleonic Austrian Grenadier, an Officer, and an Infantryman

The STL files for both the granary and its thatched roof have been printed out separately using "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and then super-glued together for ease. Just like my Terran S-4 Scout I am not planning on doing too detailed a job on a piece of scenery as I always think terrain should blend into the background of a game, and leave the miniatures to catch the eye. But I do intend to apply some basic washes and dry-brushes to the building once the base layers are finished.

In addition, I've also managed to get a little further along with the three 28mm metal Napoleonic soldiers by "Wargames Foundry" I want to add to my Austrian warband for "The Silver Bayonet". This has admittedly been slow going, as I've really struggled not to get distracted by all the fabulous-looking scenery I can now 3D print using my A1 Mini. However, I have consoled myself with the aforementioned granaries by rationalising that I can always use them to represent a minor farm or small settlement for some Napoleonic shenanigans too... 

"Wolves Hold Significant Cultural And Spiritual Importance..."

"...In many Native American tribes."

This 28mm metal model used to be sold 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. However, as I plan to use the miniature to represent a Dark Wolf in "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", I decided to go with a predominantly black palette, as opposed to the much lighter one found on the sculpt's 'official' packaging.

The animal was primed using "Citadel" Abaddon Black, vigorously dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then gave its legs, belly, throat and maw a few solid brushstrokes of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, shaded these areas with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and subsequently dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo"  Heavy Sienna.

Repainted Tribal Nations Wolves with a much lighter blue-grey coat of fur

Bitterly disappointed with the outcome, I next decided to blend the two contrasting areas with a lot more dry-brushing using both "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and Heavy Sienna, and focused on significantly reducing the amount of brown which was on show. Frustratingly, this didn't really improve the 'look' of the model either - largely due to the miniature's disconcertingly soft details, so in the end I also gave the wolf a serious sploshing of (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

To be honest by this point I had frankly lost the will to live with the miniature. However, a stellar suggestion by Ray Rousell of "Don't Throw A One" fame, gave me the idea to try a couple of alternative colours as a highlight, and see whether I could 'catch' what scant fur ridges were sculpted onto the beast. Resultantly, I initially applied some "Two Thin Coats" Cold Corpse Blue across the animal's back, upper legs and tail, and then later 'caught' these areas with a few brisk strokes of "Vallejo" Neutral Gray.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - An Austrian Infantryman, Grenadier and Office

This process definitely gave the wolf some of the depth I had been grasping for, so having scooped up the two (not) Dark Wolves I previously pigmented last week, I also gave them exactly the same treatment too. Lastly, I patiently 'picked out' the model's fangs with a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and simply dotted its nose and eyes with a smidgeon of "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

Despite my irritations with the now OOP (Out Of Production) "Warlord Games" miniature, I have managed to make a little more progress on the three 28mm metal Napoleonic soldiers by "Wargames Foundry" I want to add to my Austrian warband for "The Silver Bayonet". It really is still early days on the trio. However, having been inspired by the figures, I've actually based and started undercoating the rest of the contents from blisters AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching, and AN002 German Infantry Marching too...

"Today Is A Good Day To Die…"

"...For the enemy crew!"

These two Terran Light Cruisers were created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and are available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of their "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two starships are exactly the same file. But one was printed using a 0.4mm nozzle, and the other a 0.2mm Hotend, in order to show the difference in striation lines on the finished model.

The space vessel is specifically "optimized for printing on FDM printers and print without supports", and was actually one of the main motivators for me to purchase an A1 Mini. In fact, I have previously tried to print these miniatures on my "Elegoo" Mars 5 resin printer using Water Washable Resin, and whilst the Terran craft came out alright, several broke apart as I fought with a wallpaper scraper to remove them from my build plate [n.b. It was probably a big mistake to print them flat onto the plate without supports].

"Immerse yourself in the universe of massive space combat without breaking the bank!"

Clearly inspired by Gene Roddenberry's science fiction media franchise, both Light Cruisers were primed using a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, shaded in copious amounts of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey. This process really helped draw the eye to the layer lines in the filament created by the larger (much less precise) 0.4mm nozzle, and whilst I don't think it looks too out of place on the starship's saucer section. The marks definitely cause a lot of detail to be lost when it comes to the rectangular panels on the sides of the vessel's hull.

As a result I decided to simply use the less agreeable-looking Terran spaceship as a test piece for my (not) Ferederation fleet's colour scheme, and 'picked out' its warp nacelles, some top section and its bridge with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The aft warp coils were then treated to a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue, whilst the forward ones were given a lick of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red. I didn't however like the look of the red though, so eventually repainted these areas using the aforementioned "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue instead.

"Austria suffered significant defeats at battles like Marengo, Ulm, and Austerlitz, leading to territorial concessions."

I next applied a smidgeon of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to the bridge nodule, and later dabbed it with a spot of "Vallejo" Pale Grey. Finally, I gave the two rectangular top sections a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and a splosh of "Carroburg Crimson". This palette certainly made the vessel stand out somewhat. But having looked at "Fat Dragon Games" 'official' colour schemes for the range, it was clear that anything red was being used for the (opposing) Kurgun spacecraft, so I dropped it (and the white bridge) for the more refined Terran Light Cruiser.

With such straightforward paint-jobs completed, I have also managed to finish a fourth 28mm scale metal Napoleonic Austrian by “Wargames Foundry". Found inside blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running, the marksman was sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry, and was predominantly pigmented using "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Two Thin Coats" Wyvern Green and "Citadel" Nuln Oil...

"Dark Wolves Are Often Found Running With Werewolves..."

"...Or in service to other evil powers such as vampires."

This pair of 28mm metal specimens of Canis lupus were sold 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. However, as I wanted to use these particular models to represent Dark Wolves (or at least Grey Wolves) in "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", I decided to go with a predominantly black palette, as opposed to the much lighter one found on their 'official' packaging.

The two canines were all undercoated in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, enthusiastically dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then gave each of the animals' legs, belly, throat and maw a few solid brushstrokes of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, shaded these areas with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and subsequently dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - A Napoleonic Austrian Grenadier, Officer and Infantryman

Somewhat disappointingly, this technique didn't quite work out as I had hoped - largely due to the sculpts being disconcertingly soft in detail, especially the fur. Resultantly, I thought my beasts looked more like Alsatian dogs or Doberman than ferocious wolves, so decided to blend the two contrasting areas with more dry-brushes of "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and Heavy Sienna - as well as use this opportunity to greatly reduce the amount of brown colour on show.

In the end I also gave the entire ensemble a generous wash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil in a last, desperate effort to darken down my paints, and carefully 'picked out' their fangs with a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, I considered whether to dot their eyes with an unholy red - specifically marking them out as Dark Wolves, or stick to them being pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black - as I have done with the other Tribal Nations Wolves I've previously painted.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Three Napoleonic British Riflemen

As I was somewhat doubtful I'd ever pick up (or debatably find) another box of these now OOP (Out Of Production) miniatures, and actually now may well purchase some of the 'proper' Dark Wolves produced by "North Star Military Figures" in the future, I decided to leave them as they were - and thus let me use them as 'natural' Grey Wolves should I ever be inclined to work on a Mythic Americas project.

With my "Silver Bayonet" itch still not really scratched, I have also spent some hobby time basing and priming a number of 28mm metal Napoleonic figures by "Wargames Foundry". This month I would really like to pigment enough of the range's Austrian models to field a force of (historically-themed) monster hunters, so I have purposely plucked out miniatures from AN007 Hungarian Infantry Command, AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching, and AN002 German Infantry Marching to help with that aim. Furthermore, I couldn't resist seeing if I can perhaps 'bulk up' my four-figure British Riflemen unit by adding some more 'recruits' from blister B080 British Riflemen...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Wargames Foundry" August 2025

"The Austrian army was one of the largest and best-trained."

Despite enjoying a solid nine or so weeks working my way through my current obsession with super-heroes, I believe I had best spend the next month (once again) focusing upon my startlingly large collection of unpainted 28mm metal Napoleonic figures by "Wargames Foundry" instead. I did have some considerably high hopes for this particular project at the start of the year - with my main goal being to have enough miniatures tabletop ready for a small, modest game of "Black Powder". But sadly this target has largely fallen by the roadside as my hobby interests have subsequently journeyed in a completely different, non-historical direction.

Currently however, I am also playing a fair bit of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", and having fielded a Russian force a fair few times recently, I thought I might attempt to play as the Austrians for a change. This means I need to pigment a number of (standard) infantrymen and an officer (or two) to join my already finished trio of Jaegers - so should resultantly present a fairly achievable target for the coming period.

 "Wolves can manoeuvre through large areas of the battlefield."

Sticking with Joseph A. McCullough's "skirmish wargame of gothic horror" I have also completed a fifth model from the Tribal Nations Wolves boxed set by "Warlord Games" - which I use as Dark Wolves. This 28mm metal example of Canis lupus was primed in "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then gave the animal's legs, belly, throat and maw a few licks of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, before shading these areas with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and highlighting them back up with (more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats".

To complete the look of the wolf's fur, I later dry-brushed a fairly rough line of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey along the middle of the figure, and (hopefully) blended the colour in with some additional touch-ups of (even more) "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. In addition, I dotted the animal's eyes and nose with some pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and traced out its fangs with a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

July 2025 - Both "CoolMiniOrNot" and "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" prove popular

With one of the most productive months of the year behind me, I'm pretty confident that the next few weeks will see a similarly successful time - especially as I have little intention of setting aside the numerous 40mm sculpts by "CoolMiniOrNot" and "Big Head Chibis" I intend to use for the Marvel Multiverse Role-playing Game (MMRPG) I'm still progressing. This "fun, engaging dive into the world of Marvel Comics" has really helped reinvigorate my enthusiasm for the hobby, and should hopefully cause me to get a few more comic book characters finished in good time.

Furthermore, I've got a few miniatures for games such as "The Horus Heresy" by "Games Workshop", "Pillage" by "Victrix Limited" and "Battlefront Valkyrie" by "Fat Dragon Games" to work on - as well as a load of scenery to boot. So it's not as if I don't have an entirely different genre, if not scale, to move across to if I suddenly find my current interests waning after a few weeks...

"When They Jerk Into life..."

"...Their sickles twitch relentlessly looking for a fresh harvest."

This 28mm scale white metal model is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as MINI 431 Mast Beast B from the company's Folk Horror range. Sculpted by Steve Saleh, and presumably inspired by some of Evil's henchmen in Terry Gilliam's 1981 British adventure film "Time Bandits", the miniature was originally going to be one of my entries into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. But as that particular event concluded several weeks ago, I've simply finished painting him up to use as a ghost for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

The model was undercoated with plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. It was then shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had it's sickle treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil. In addition, the blade was sploshed with a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to try to weather it a bit, and later dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Luke Cage's flesh is being base layered, washed and highlighted

I next applied some "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand to the creature's ox-shaped skull and skeletal arm, washed them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and applied a little (more) "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand as a highlight. However, this didn't make the bones stand out as well as I had hoped, so I slowly drew a little White Star by "Two Thin Coats" across the uppermost parts of the skeleton in an effort to create something closer to the bleached effect I was aiming for.

Having now finished both of my Mast Beasts, I have found some more time to focus upon my "Marvel United" Luke Cage figure by "CoolMiniOrNot". This particular 40mm hard plastic model is one of several pieces from the boardgame which I currently have in my painting queue. However, it is also the one I most want to finish before my next game of the "Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game" (MMRPG) - so it shouldn't be too long before Power Man is ready to battle the forces of Hydra.

"Fat Dragon Games" WIPs - A Terran Light Cruiser

By far my biggest news hobby-wise though has to be the purchase of an A1 Mini 3D printer by "Bambu Lab", and my desire to produce all ten of the starships found inside "Battlefront Valkyrie" by "Fat Dragon Games". I actually bought this digitally downloadable game a while back, with the hope that my "Elegoo" Mars 5 resin printer would be able produce the models, bases and stands satisfactorily. But sadly, things didn't go to plan, with my aspiration to print the vessels flat on my build plate ending in a bit of a disaster.

As a result I've been waiting to get hold of a .2mm nozzle to give the STL (Standard Triangle Language) files a go using some PLA (Polylactic Acid), and have been rather thrilled with the results. I did originally print one of the Terran Light Cruisers out using the machine's basic .4mm hotend, simply to see how it turned out, and so now intend to paint the pair of them up together for comparison so I can show the reduction in striation lines which the much smaller Hotend provides...

"One Of The Crow King’s Favoured Constructs..."

"...These sinister skeletal giants appear to be nothing more than a swirling black cloth, topped with a horse's skull."

This 28mm scale white metal model is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as MINI 431 Mast Beast A from the company's Folk Horror range. Sculpted by Steve Saleh, and clearly giving off a vibe from Terry Gilliam's 1981 British adventure film "Time Bandits", the miniature was originally going to be one of my entries into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. But as that particular event concluded several weeks ago, I've simply finished painting him up to use as a ghost for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

The model was perhaps unsurprisingly primed using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. It was then drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had it's sickle 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also gave the blade a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to weather it a bit, and later treated the agricultural tool's edges to a delicate dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - Two of six Tribal Nations Wolves currently being worked on

With the basics completed I next applied some "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand to the monster's skull and skeletal arm, shaded them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and subsequently used a little (more) "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand as a highlight. However, this didn't make the bones stand out as well as I wanted, so I dabbed a little White Star by "Two Thin Coats" onto my brush-tip, and very patiently drew it across the parts to hopefully create something of a bleached effect.

Having completed the first of two Mast Beasts I currently have in my painting queue, I've found the time to get some of the basic colour work done on six 28mm metal Tribal Nations Wolves by "Warlord Games". As I've already previously pigmented four of these animals for my "Silver Bayonet" scenarios, I'm pretty happy I know what I need to do to get them finished, so intend to plough straight through these 'random encounters' over the next few hobby sessions.

"Station Forge" WIPs - These three GrimGuard Divers have been primed with "Vallejo" German Grey

In addition though, I have also managed to produce, base and prime five GrimGuard Divers by "Station Forge". I actually own an embarrassingly large amount of this manufacturer's STL (Standard Triangle Language) files as I've been busy supporting two of their Patreon memberships for quite some time. As a result I thought it was high time to power up my Mars 5 3D printer, swamp its tank with plenty of Elegoo" Water Washable Resin and create a basic squad of scuba-soldiers.

Due to the sculpts being somewhat influenced by the Death Korps of Krieg Imperial Guard which features in "Warhammer 40k" by "Games Workshop", I actually plan on giving the figures a somewhat similar paint-scheme. However, as this particular unit of GrimGuard is clearly outfitted to fight underwater, I thought they'd all be predominantly wearing an off-black diving suit - possibly with the odd brass mask and some orange flippers..?

"These Lightning-Fast Wolf Packs..."

 "...Fight with a singular unity that can bring a foe many times their size..."

These four 28mm metal specimens of Canis lupus 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 miniatures actually came with circular MDF bases. However, I soon super-glued them upon plastic 32mm round bases instead.

The quartet of canines were all 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 each beast's legs, belly, throat and maw 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".

"...Making them formidable allies."

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

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Two Mast Beasts

To be honest, I wasn't particularly enthused to pigment these models - and I have six more to do yet before I've completed the two boxes I bought during a sale in November 2023. Admittedly they're not made of Warlord Resin - which I really dislike. But I did think the sculpting on them, especially around the faces, was a little too soft for my liking. In addition, my mojo for any sort of Mythic Americas project was badly dented by the manufacturer's recent announcement that they've dropped the range - albeit these figures are destined for my "Silver Bayonet" tabletop first and foremost.

In addition to my Wolves, I have also managed to make some progress on a pair of Mast Beasts by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". Like so many metal miniatures I seem to be painting these days, I plan to use this pair as 'random encounters' for any of my "Silver Bayonet" monster hunters unlucky enough to encounter a ghost or two. I actually hope to squeeze a fair few sculpts from Karl Perrotton's Folk Horror range into my painting queue over the next few months, as I greatly expand my gothic horror bestiary...

"Being Discovered By Spider-Man During The Secret Wars..."

"...It bonded to him and assimilated his powers into its own genome."

This 40mm scale model of "the symbiotic being known as Venom" was produced by "CoolMiniOrNot", and unlocked during the company's highly successful February 2020 Kickstarter for "Marvel United" when it achieved a whopping $2,866,168 in funding. Based upon Randy Schueller, Jim Shooter, and Mike Zeck's extra-terrestrial for "Marvel Comics", the figure (and his twelve cards) can be found inside the boardgame's Season One Promo Box.

"Spawned at some point during the reign of the dark elder god Knull", Eddie Brock's 'partner-in-crime' was initially primed using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and had his intricate spider-symbol and eyes 'picked out' with White Star by "Two Thin Coats". These areas were then treated to some watered-down "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before being tidied up with some additional lines of "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Luke Cage's jeans have been base-layered and shaded

Venom's sharp teeth were carefully given a lick of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and later dirtied down with some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. This (hopefully) gave the anti-hero's fangs a distinctly different look to his aforementioned eyes and spider-symbol. I also applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson" to the alien tentacle-like tongue, and subsequently highlighted it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

Originally, I had been planning on dry-brushing the bulk of Venom with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal or maybe even Heavy Blue, and then shading him with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil to dampen the colour down. However, in the end I settled on just having the symbiote appear as a monotone black mass, and tried to give the entity a slick, oily look by protecting my paint-job with an application of "Vallejo" Gloss Varnish.

"Big Head Chibis" WIPs - The bases of these three Hydra Soldiers are almost finished

Sticking with "Marvel United" miniatures by "CoolMiniOrNot", I have also made some progress on the boardgame's Luke Cage figure. I wasn't planning on getting Power Man painted any time soon until very recently, when I figured my games of the "Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game" (MMRPG) might prove more manageable if I predominantly stuck to the rule system's 'street level' crime-fighters for my scenarios. The New Avenger fits this bill rather nicely, and despite his famous yellow silk shirt, is proving reasonably straightforward a project.

Likewise, I've been 'chipping away' at a trio of Hydra Soldiers sculpted by "Big Head Chibis". These 40mm minions of the Red Skull will inevitably prove a much tougher challenge than Luke Cage - especially as I want to be able to field at least ten fully-finished terrorists in the near future. But I'm hoping that I'll soon figure out a way to efficiently work through their difficult yellow and green uniforms before my enthusiasm for playing MMRPG 'peters out'...

"I'm Strong As The Hulk!!"

 "I can do anything!! I'm Master of the World... of the whole Universe!!"

This 40mm scale model of the Abomination is made by "CoolMiniOrNot", and was unlocked during the company's highly successful January 2023 Kickstarter for "Marvel United: Multiverse" when it achieved an incredible $4,787,626 in funding. Originally created by Stan Lee and Gil Kane to be "bigger and stronger than the Hulk", the super-villain first appeared in the April 1967 issue of "Tales to Astonish" for "Marvel Comics", and his figure can be found inside the boardgame's Season Three Promo Box

Produced in a hard red plastic, Emil Blonsky's alter-ego was undercoated using a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Green, doused in plenty of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green, and given a hearty dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green" so as to help bring out all his sculpt's marvellous details. Agent R-7's trunks were then treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, before being roughly highlighted using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Luke Cage has been primed, as well as had his stand base-layered and shaded

The Abomination's tongue was simply coated in "Vallejo" Heavy Red and shaded using some "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, whilst his teeth were 'picked out' in "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and later dirtied down with a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also applied a thick line of "Two Thin Coats" Emerald Green" along the figure's eyebrows, and toned them down with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, the monster's eyes were dotted using Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats", darkened down with a little "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and finally spotted with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow.

Having already had this gamma-powered maniac suddenly appear in one of my recent games of the "Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game" (MMRPG) as a random encounter, and watched helplessly as he absolutely flattened the 'good guys' before they could rescue all the hostages, I've decided to focus on building up my roster of super-heroes for a time. Admittedly, I currently want to steer clear of many of the better-powered crime-fighters, as I'm still getting to grips with the rule-set, and they inevitably appear to bring with them a multitude of new abilities.

"Big Head Chibis" WIPs - Three Hydra minions undercoated and waiting for a wash

But I thought Luke Cage's Power Man would make a solid fighter, who could at least give the Abomination a little 'pause for thought' before he got beaten senseless. In addition, I'm hoping the "Marvel United" miniature will help me get to grips with a decent yellow, before I go all in on a sizeable force of Hydra troopers sculpted by "Big Head Chibis".

I've actually rolled out a number of these 40mm scale terrorists already, using my "Elegoo" Mars 5 3D printer - including a couple of leaders and one armed with a whopping rocket launcher. However, I've been a bit reluctant to tackle them with my paint-brush due to their costumes being predominantly green and yellow, so have rather lazily just been 'fielding them' as bland grey resin lackeys for my MMRPG battles so far...

"Tunnel Spiders Are Large Spiders Resembling Tarantulas."

"Giant spiders are most commonly found underground, making their lairs on ceilings or in dark, web-filled crevices."

This pair of 28mm scale metal arachnids are produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their five model DEAL 290 Tunnel Spiders. Sculpted by Pedro Navarro, the miniatures were originally going to be one of my entries into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. But as that particular event concluded several weeks ago, I've simply finished painting them for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

The models were primed using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. The duo were then absolutely drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had their numerous eyes/spots 'picked out' with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. As a final touch I dotted all of the spiders' pupils with a little dab of "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion.

"So in August 1813, Austria formally declared war on France."

In addition these creepy crawlies I have also completed another 28mm scale Napoleonic Austrian by "Wargames Foundry". This metal model can be found inside blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running, and is the third of eight identical Napoleonic marksmen which can be found inside. Sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry, the sharpshooter comes in two separate pieces - the actual Austrian Light Infantryman with an open right hand, and his firearm, and was initially undercoated using plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey.

The miniature was then washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, enthusiastically dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, and had all its numerous straps 'picked out' using plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I next began tackling the Austrian's rifle, backpack, moustache and hair with a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and subsequently shaded these areas in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Big Head Chibis" WIPs - Tomb has been based, primed, and dry-brushed

I also slowly worked my way through the marksman's cuffs, collar, straps, fancy shoulder ribbon and hat plume using a combination of Wyvern Green by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, I applied a few licks of "Two Thin Coats" Cold Corpse Blue on the Jaeger's sleeping bag, and some well-placed dollops of "Vallejo" Gunmetal upon both his gun barrel and drinking canteen. All of these areas were later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Despite being nose-deep in cuffs, collars and epaulettes, I have also somewhat surprisingly managed to continue working on my 40mm project for "Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game" (MMRP) by "CoolMiniOrNot", using some of the marvellous STL (Standard Triangle Language) files by "Big Head Chibis". As a result I've managed to print out Tomb, and am busy painting him up to use as both the super-villain Tombstone - whose playable statistics are apparently found inside the MMRPG "Spider-Verse Expansion" - as well as a test-piece for a whole goon squad of mafia-style enforcers/minions...

"Praetor Was One Of The Highest Military Ranks..."

"...A Space Marine could reach during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy era in the Legiones Astartes."

This 28mm plastic miniature of a Space Marine Praetor is by "Games Workshop" and comes from the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set by "Games Workshop". The multi-part figure has been assembled wearing MK VI armour and has had a resin Sons of Horus "Forge World" shoulder-pad super-glued onto him so as to specifically mark him out as belonging to the Traitor Legion.

Unfortunately, the figure also required me to glue an old severed head (I believe from a Nurgle Plague Bearer's sprue) onto his right hip, so as to cover up a slight misalignment with the HQ Choice's large cloak. This was entirely due to my using the aforementioned "Forge World" shoulder-pad than any actual issue with the twenty-seven piece kit, and seemed to work out rather well. I also took the opportunity not to use the head supplied, but rather use a much more Roman Centurion-looking one from my bitz box.

"Praetors were commanders second only to their Primarchs in skill, battle prowess, and intellect in their respective Legions."

The ensemble was initially primed with "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, before being heavily washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green. I also applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to his Bolt Pistol holster, backpack, leg-mounted ammunition pouches, mighty Power Axe, chain mail and armour straps. The vast majority of these areas were later treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, or "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade as appropriate.

I also gave all the parts of the Praetor destined to be "Vallejo" Gold with a lick of Heavy Sienna first, and then once they had been 'hit' with the metallic colour, sploshed them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. All these various details, most notably the Space Marine's shoulder-pads, forearms and shin-guards were subsequently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Gold.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This Napoleonic Austrian Jaeger is almost finished

The traitor's axe-handle, helmet, and various ornamental gems were layered with "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. The senior Astartes officer's cloak was also given a couple of brush-loads of "Vallejo" Heavy Red. However, it was subsequently washed with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before the piece of clothing received an obligatory dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

Sticking with time-consuming, fiddly figures, I have also managed to make some progress on a pair of 28mm metal Napoleonic Austrians by “Wargames Foundry", which have been loitering about my hobby desk for far too long. These identical sculpts can be found inside blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running, and once finished will give me a four-man strong skirmish unit for my slowly increasing Coalition force...