(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...