"The Albians Have Always Known The Penalty For Insurrection."

"Now they must pay the cost."

This 28mm scale lead free pewter model of FedSec Star Commander (male) is produced by "Beast In The Broch" and can be brought either individually as SKU: FED16 or as part of the five-figure FedSec Command 2 set SKU: PAK08. Digitally sculpted by Carl Stoelzel, I've painted the miniature up to ever so slightly resemble Federation Space Major Provine as played by actor Paul Shelley in the 1979 television episode of "Blake's Seven" entitled "Countdown".

"In charge of the personnel on Albian", the officer was primed using plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and doused in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then picked out his uniform's rank insignia, as well as a few of the items found upon his utility belt and one thigh, using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Diehard Miniatures" WIPs - The Krupps Corp Troopers will be painted up as (not) Norts

Sticking with the 'new' colour scheme I recently employed for my other two FedSec Commander's hand-weapon, I subsequently gave Provine's standard issue carbine a lick of "Scale 75" Decayed Metal and shaded it with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. As a final touch I also gave the man's hair a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, washed it with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and later dry-brushed it with a bit more "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

With my FedSec Command 2 set now completed, I have turned my attention to working on a trio of Krupps Corp unit blister models I bought from "Diehard Miniatures" whilst at this year's "Salute". I've been busy looking at various pieces of coloured artwork depicting the Norts from the "Rogue Trooper" comic book series in "2000 A.D." as a palette guide - as that's what I intend to use them as, and decided to go with the somewhat blue-uniformed citizens of the Greater Nordland seen in artist Dave Gibbons' classic "Rogue Trooper: Total War" splash page.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - This Sturmriese Axis Walker piece just needs a few washes and dry-brushes

In the long term I'm planning on fielding a ten-man group of (not) Norts for my battles upon Nu-Earth, so will need to pick up a few more copies of Tim Prow's Klutner Krupps Trooper to bulk it out. But for now I'm going to largely focus upon the Vulf Krupps Trooper - as despite not having a black domed helmet, I think the sculpt will make a good proxy for the deadly elite Nort marksman Morgen. This figure will also help me work out which paints I should use for all of the soldiers' notable details such as eye lenses, breathing tubes, oxygen tank and uniform insignia.

Lastly, I've been busy working on the uppermost dome of my first entry into Dave Stone's Season of Scenery over on his "Wargames Terrain Workshop" blog. This enormous 3D printed part from the "Warlord Games" Sturmriese Axis Walker was actually designed to be used with the Nottingham-based manufacturer's "tabletop wargame of heroes, horrors, monsters, and mechs" - "Konlikt '47". But instead I'm aiming on using it as an energy pylon for some games of Matt Forbeck's Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game...

"They're In The Woods, You Know."

"Always there."

This 28mm scale white metal model is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either separately as Beastman 3D, or as part of their DEAL 397 Beastman 3 four-figure set. Sculpted by Ernst Veingart, I must admit to particularly disliking the pose of this miniature, as well as the patches of furry hair covering the savage's chest and forearms - something which arguably appears all the more bizarre-looking when seen on the 'official' light-skinned paint-job.

Resultantly, I decided to prime mine with a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and splosh him with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I then went back with some highlights of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna on the brute's facial features and fingers. This palette definitely helped mask the aforementioned details I found disagreeable without me having to resort to filing them off - which is something I did actually consider.

"Beast In The Broch" WIPs - These FedSec Commanders have had their basic flesh layers applied

The model's loincloth was pigmented with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade so it would tie in with the rest of his group. I also used this choice of colour on the band for the chap's tooth necklace. As with all my previous Beastmen I did consider dry-brushing the miniature's animal fur with a bit more "Vallejo" Heavy Brown to highlight it up a bit. However, as I wanted to use this model as cave-dwelling savage for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games" (using the Cultist or maybe Ghoul rules), I felt he'd probably be extremely dirty, so left the piece of 'clothing' alone.

Lastly, I used some "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh and Agrax Earthshade on the brute's skull-smashing animal bone, dry-brushed the hand-weapon with a tad more Rakarth Flesh, and lastly added a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Dead White to it. I also carefully traced a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal along the metal ring sticking out from the horrific-looking cudgel's bottom, and darkened it down with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Diehard Miniatures" WIPs - These Krupps Corp Troopers have been base-layered over their initial prime

With the third of my four Beastmen finally finished I have continued to make some progress on the three officers from the FedSec Command 2 set I recently acquired from "Beast In The Broch". Digitally sculpted by Carl Stoelzel there's a lot more detail on these predominantly black clad Federation officers than I first thought, and that has given me an opportunity to break up their dark uniforms with a little bit more "Vallejo" Gunmetal - whether it be a pair of grenades or some sort of high-tech analyser.

In addition I've returned to the three Krupps Corp unit blister models I bought from "Diehard Miniatures" whilst at this year's "Salute". As I plan to use the miniatures to represent the Norts from the "Rogue Trooper" comic book series in "2000 A.D.", I was never really happy with their "Vallejo" German Grey undercoat as it looked far too dark to the almost blue-suited villains I remember from my youth. Then recently I spotted a digitally coloured version of artist Dave Gibbons' Rogue Trooper: Total War splash page on the "Rebellion Publishing" website, and realised this was precisely the colour scheme I had in my 'Mind's Eye'. Resultantly, I've base-layered my trio of 'pilot pieces' with some "Vallejo" Sombre Grey to use for their chemsuits main colour instead...

"Big. Covered In Fur. Strong."

"At the end of the Clone Wars, numerous Wookiees were slaughtered by the clone troopers."

This 47mm tall hard plastic miniature of a Wookie used to be produced by “Fantasy Flight Games” and can be found inside the company's old four-figure strong "Wookie Warriors" Expansion Box for "Star Wars: Legion". Luckily, I managed to pick this one up second-hand and pre-assembled from the Retrocave Gaming Café in Poole, having actually painted the exact same sculpt some seven years ago.

As with my previously pigmented miniature, the figure was primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and shaded with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. However, as I wanted this Wookie to somewhat stand out from my other squad I only dry-brushed him with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna (to make his fur appear a bit darker), and used the somewhat lighter Heavy Brown on his ammunition pouches. All of these areas were then shaded with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Giant Bat will be used as a vampire in "The Silver Bayonet"

Having decided to simply pigment the relevant areas of his bandoleer in "Vallejo" Gunmetal, I also used this metallic acrylic paint to 'pick out' his two ryyk blades too. These parts were then all washed with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, I dabbed the Warrior's nose and eye sockets with a smidgeon of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before 'picking out' his teeth using a combination of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

In addition to my penultimate Wookie I have managed to make some considerable progress on the whopping resin cast Giant Bat I recently dug back out from one of my cabinets. Produced by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", this 100mm tall model is one of four figures I intend to finish as part of my third monthly randomly-selected drawer-based challenge.

"Citadel Miniatures" WIPs - Joe Bananas is having all of his detail 'picked out'

However, my plan to predominantly pigment the brute black has somewhat changed on account of the sculpt's noticeable detail. As a result I intend to turn the fiend into something resembling a brown bat, so I can (hopefully) better show-off all of its fur and wings, as well as it still having a pair of piercing red eyes staring out of a largely dark coloured face. Furthermore, I've already added some lighter brown highlights to the vampire's fur-covered body to help it contrast a bit more from that of its huge wings.

Lastly, I've made some nice in-roads on my classic Joe Bananas figure by "Citadel Miniatures". Dating back as far as 1985, this 'muscle' for the Judge Dredd villain Don Uggie Apelino is finally getting both the time and attention that he needs, and should hopefully be tabletop ready within the next few days. I did encounter a few problems trying to ascertain which parts of the hoodlum's tommy-gun were metal and wood. But have since worked these out - at least to my satisfaction anyway.

(Lead) Mountain Musings - Forgotten Heroes June 2026

A trio of "Titan Forge" Death Dogs were completed for "Monster (Mayhem)"

Having at least managed a far better May than I have during the past couple of years, thanks largely to my participation in Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on his "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog, I thought I'd dedicate some of this month's hobby time to visiting "Carrion Crow's Buffet" and helping Jez celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of "Forgotten Heroes" event. This is an annual affair I really enjoyed being involved in during its formative days, and resulted in the creation of many of my Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. predominantly using various "Wizkids" plastic pieces from their numerous "Heroclix" lines. 

In recent years though, I've not been quite so inspired to cobble a figure together using bits and pieces from various manufacturers due to what I want being available as STL (Standard Triangle Language) files, and so my interest (as well as my participation) has disappointingly waned. This time however, I thought I should go back to its roots, hack up a metal figure or two, and pin an ensemble together.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This 'Rick Sanchez' has been kit-bashed from a couple of figures

Fortunately, I already had just the very model in my collection, having chopped up the body of a Investigative Academic by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", stuck the company's Crackpot Inventor head on its shoulders, and added a Robo-Minion weapon accessory to use as a portal gun. This gave me a rather agreeable looking Rick Sanchez from the animated science fiction comedy franchise "Rick And Morty", and a solid start for "Forgotten Heroes" too.

Furthermore, I also thought I'd do a third drawer challenge for this month, even though I still had plenty to do on the "Citadel Miniatures" blister Don Uggie And His Ape Gang from May. Somewhat coincidentally, my random roll picked a drawer absolutely packed full of more of Karl Perrotton's figures, so I'm reasonably confident I should be able to both complete the gangsters I didn't finish last time, as well as polish off a fair few more miniatures from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" as well.

May 2026 - "Modiphius Entertainment" finally enters the Top Five

The past four weeks certainly saw an odd mix of subjects being pigmented, with a couple of blasts from the past being treated to a lick of my brush simply because they brought back some nostalgic memories. Of particular note for this were the two Wookie Warriors by "Fantasy Flight Games" I got tabletop ready having purchased them on the spur of the moment second-hand. Now admittedly I don't have any current plans to play "Star Wars: Legion" any time soon. But I may well polish off the two remaining fur-covered rebels in the near future simply for completion's sake.

Indeed, this month may well see me 'finish off' a number of models I've been toying with over the past few weeks rather than plonk them away on a drawer for another day. Along with Don Uggie's minions and the aforementioned Wookies I have also got a rather sizeable Banderhobb by "Wizkids" to put the last touches too - something I'm especially keen to do so that the monster can participate in some of the games of "The Silver Bayonet" I have planned for the coming months...

"I Only Got One T'ing To Say To You, Dredd."

 "Nuts!"

This 28mm scale white metal model of Don Uggie Apelino was produced by “Citadel Miniatures” way back in 1985, and came as part of the three-figure blister JD 15 Don Uggie Apelino & The Ape Gang. Based upon the comic book character who first appeared inside Prog 39 of "2000 A.D.", the miniature for the "genetically modified ape who became a gangster" formed part of the company's classic "Judge Dredd" range.

The forty plus year old sculpt was initially primed in "Vallejo" Heavy Green and had it's spats and cuffs picked out using a combination of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and some heavily watered down "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the head of the East Side Mega-Mafia's shoes, before shading his jacket and trousers with plenty of Nuln Oil. These articles of clothing were subsequently carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green to try and bring out the pin-stripe effect which had clearly been patiently etched into the majority of the suit.

"They stank of death, and this stench lingered wherever they had been."

I next began 'chipping away' at all the little details on the model, using "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson for the ape's flower, and Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats" with a little "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade for his banana. Don Uggie's flesh was simply base layered in "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, washed with lots of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and later highlighted with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Lastly, I applied some "Vallejo" Neutral Grey to the criminal's Fedora, sploshed it with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Neutral Grey. I also gave the figure's pistol a lick of "Vallejo" Gunmetal, and doused the hand-weapon with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil to significantly darken it down.

In addition to the first of hopefully four or five old school "Citadel Miniatures" I plan to pigment this month, I have successfully completed another entry into the "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. This 32mm scale Death Dog is produced by "Titan Forge Miniatures" and was downloaded as part of their four-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from the company's February 2023 "My Mini Factory" subscription service.

"Fantasy Flight Games" WIPs - All the well-sculpted fur on these Wookies has been finished

Found as part of the company's Mortal Enemies Set 35 for "Dungeons & Dragons", the Neutral Evil beast was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer, and was super-glued onto a plastic 40mm circular stand. It was then predominantly painted using Berzerker Red by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. However, I did pick its paws out with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and then continued to dry-brush this colour further up the animal's four legs to better blend it in with the Death Dog's fur.

Somewhat incredibly, despite all this work I've also managed to make a bit more progress on a quartet of models I recently swooped upon at Retrocave in Poole second-hand. The figures all come from the old "Wookie Warriors" Expansion Box for "Star Wars: Legion" by “Fantasy Flight Games”, and were already assembled ready to paint - So I thought it'd be rude not to plonk them straight onto my hobby table...

"The White Costume Worn By Natasha Romanoff..."

"...Is a specialized suit designed for cold-weather environments and stealth in snowy landscapes."

This 40mm scale plastic figure of Natalia Alianovna "Natasha" Romanoff was made by “Atomic Mass Games” and could be found inside the original Marvel Crisis Protocol Core Box set. However, I actually bought this particular miniature second-hand from "eBay" way back in  November 2020, so I could paint the Avenger up wearing her white suit as seen in the (2009-2010) four-issue miniseries "Black Widow: Deadly Origin" by Paul Cornell.

"A product of the infamous Red Room", the entire model was probably originally primed with a double-helping of either "Vallejo" White or it's "Citadel" alternative for that time. I then went over the entire costume using some heavily-watered down "Citadel" Nuln Oil in an attempt to create some shadows. To be honest this approach seemed to work reasonably well on her legs. But by the time I started applying my 'mix' to her arms and back the "Citadel" Nuln Oil had turned all sticky and goopy - Frustratingly a problem I repeatedly experience with this latest incarnation of the Shade.

"Fantasy Flight Games" WIPs - These old Wookies have all been primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna

As a result, I ended up dry-brushing over the Russian's "sleek, white, tactical bodysuit" with some White Star by "Two Thin Coats". This managed to remove much of the mottled effect the "Citadel" Nuln Oil had caused on the figure. However, it also gave it a somewhat chalky look - which is precisely what I had been trying to avoid in the first place. With the Black Widow's stealth costume finished I quickly moved on to her leg straps and gun holster with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

Lastly, Natasha's automatic pistol and zipper pull tab were pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst her electroshock wrist weapons, and circle-covered belt were initially layered with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before being coated in Gold and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. The secret agent's famous hair was simply treated to a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and final a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

"Citadel Miniatures" - All of the detail on Don Uggie is being 'picked out'

Having completed the third incarnation of Natasha Romanoff I now own for Marvel Crisis Protocol, I have settled down to working on all four miniatures from the old "Wookie Warriors" Expansion Box for "Star Wars: Legion" by “Fantasy Flight Games”. I actually painted up this exact same set over seven years ago. But saw the preassembled models on sale for a reasonable price second-hand and simply couldn't past them up.

I'm also slowly making some progress on my old Don Uggie figure by "Citadel Miniatures". Now all the criminal's sleeves and spats have been 'picked out' I'm reasonably happy I know what colours to pigment the rest of the extraordinarily well-dressed Ape. In addition, I have made a tentative start on the gorilla's biggest enforcer Joe Bananas - albeit I am tempted to put the bruiser in a lavender suit as opposed to the tan one I originally envisaged him wearing...

"A Death Dog Is An Ugly Two-Headed Hound..."

"...That roams plains, and deserts."

This 32mm scale Death Dog is produced by "Titan Forge Miniatures" and was downloaded as part of their four-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from the company's February 2023 "My Mini Factory" subscription service. Forming part of their Mortal Enemies Set 35 for "Dungeons & Dragons", the "Medium Monstrosity" was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer, and has rather embarrassingly been gathering dust on one of my hobby shelves for over a year.

Super-glued onto a plastic 40mm circular stand, the figure was treated to a coat of "Vallejo" Grey Primer, before being base layered with Berzerker Red by "Two Thin Coats". It was then shaded using plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had its paws picked out with Abaddon Black. To be honest this was largely due to my difficulty in seeing just where its claws where on the model - and my increasing doubt that I could reach such tiny details with a brush-tip loaded with "Two Thin Coats" White Star with any sort of accuracy whatsoever.

"Titan Forge Miniatures" WIPs - The two remaining Death Dogs

To try to blend in this 'botch job' with the rest of the model I dry-brushed all the lower legs with (more) "Citadel" Abaddon Black in exactly the same way I do for my horses, and this hopefully provided the effect of the "Neutral Evil" animal limb colour increasingly becoming a wine-like red as the beast's fur became more prominent. Having much later viewed the 'official' "Dungeons & Dragons" illustration of a Death Dog I realised I needn't have worried, as the fiend clearly has black claws anyway.

Finally, I applied a little combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to the two-headed monster's tongues, some "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to its numerous teeth, and a spot of pure "Skulker Yellow" by "Two Thin Coats" to its four eyes. As a last touch I dabbed the miniature's noses with a healthy dollop of "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Citadel Miniatures" WIPs - Don Uggie is having all this base layers applied

In addition to the first of my submissions for the "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog, I have perhaps unsurprisingly been busy working on the set's other two Death Dogs. These have taken me a little longer to progress on account of the animals been sculpted atop some rocky outcrops, but I should have them finished soon enough now I've settled upon a palette for them.

Furthermore, I've got a bit more done on my 1985 figure of Don Uggie by "Citadel Miniatures". I must admit that the amount of detail on the model, as well as the rest of his Ape Gang, has rather caught me off-guard. As a result I have decided to tackle them one by one rather than as a group, and therefore managed to work out what all the tiny areas on the Judge Dredd foe's pin-stripe suit are - e.g. buttons, flower, tie, and trademark banana...

"Andorians, Yes."

"I've been reading about them in the Vulcan database."

This 32mm scale resin model of an Andorian Male was bought as part of the Star Trek Adventures: The Original Series Landing Party Miniatures Set by "Modiphius Entertainment" and is sadly no longer available as a physical figure. However, the sculpt can still be purchased from the company as either an individual STL (Standard Triangle Language) file, or as part of their Star Trek Adventures - Print At Home - TOS Landing Party Set.

The lower half of the "militaristic, blue-skinned" Ensign was originally primed using some "Citadel" Abaddon Black. However, the Base Colour simply wouldn't stick to the miniature for some bizarre reason - even after a few coats, so in the end the model was treated to a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, which proved much more 'adhesive'. Only then did I pick out the alien's boots and trousers in (more) "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Citadel Miniatures" WIPs - Joe Bananas, Don Uggie Apelino and Fast Eeek

The Federation's famous chest insignia was carefully pigmented using some "Vallejo" Gold and a smidgeon of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst the Andorian's Type-2 hand phaser was given a lick of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and subsequently shaded with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. As a final touch I gave the model's flesh a coat of "Vallejo" Deep Sky Blue and shaded it down with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade.

To be honest this turned out a little darker than I had envisaged so I highlighted the facial details and fingers with (more) "Vallejo" Deep Sky Blue. I also applied some "Two Thin Coats" White Star to the figure's hair, and subsequently darkened it down with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I did consider dry-brushing this area with a tad more White Star by "Two Thin Coats". But in the end thought it looked good as it was.

"Wizkids" WIPs - This Banderhobb has essentially been repainted from scratch after six years

Having completed an extra model from last month's randomly rolled challenge, I thought I'd better get cracking on the motley crew I've based for May. I've actually got five of these classic "Citadel Miniatures" from 1985 on my painting table, and decided to undercoat Don Uggie & The Ape Gang all at the same time. I did look at some of their colour schemes from within the pages of the science fiction anthology comic book "2000 A.D." too. However, as the apes' suits seemed to change depending on the colourist, I decided to simply go with some schemes which I thought would help make them stand out on my "Judge Dredd" tabletop.

Furthermore, as I'm taking part in the "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog, I thought I'd better get cracking on an old Banderhobb I've had sat partially-painted in my hobby area for the past six years. As memory serves I gave up on this particular "large, Neutral Evil monstrosity" by "Wizkids" because I was struggling with doing his belly right, so this time round I have simplified what I what to do with the miniature and plan to focus on giving him lots of boils...

"Captain, I See Something."

"Kelowitz, Lang, flank out. Lay down fire on co-ordinates Mister Spock gave you."

This 32mm scale resin model of a Human Male was bought as part of the Star Trek Adventures: The Original Series Landing Party Miniatures Set by "Modiphius Entertainment" and is sadly no longer available as a physical figure. However, the sculpt can still be purchased from the company as either an individual STL (Standard Triangle Language) file, or as part of their Star Trek Adventures - Print At Home - TOS Landing Party Set.

The Ensign was actually primed using a combination of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Heavy Red. This was because I thought it would be easier to just base-layer the two distinct halves of the figure in its predominant colours. However, the "Citadel" Abaddon Black simply wouldn't stick to the miniature for some bizarre reason - even after a few coats, so in the end the model was given a complete lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and then had his boots/trousers pigmented in (more) "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Modiphius Entertainment" WIPs - This Andorian Ensign is almost finished

The human's famous chest insignia was carefully 'picked out' using some "Vallejo" Gold and a smidgeon of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst his Type-2 hand phaser was given a lick of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and subsequently shaded with a splosh or two of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, as I wanted the model to represent O'Herlihy from the January 1967 televised episode "Arena", I applied some (additional) "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the miniature's hair.

Despite having completed my randomly rolled four-figure challenge for this month, I thought I might as well finish working on another of the "Star Trek" resin sprues found inside the drawer, so have been patiently working my way up an Andorian ensign too. Admittedly, there weren't any of the "warp-capable humanoid species from the moon Andoria" shown as being part of the U.S.S. Enterprise's crew in the Original Television Series. But I like to think that there some work aboard her in the background.

"Diehard Miniatures" WIPs - These three Krupps Corp troopers have been primed in "Vallejo" German Grey

Lastly, I have managed to base and prime three of the models found inside the Krupps Corp unit blister I was lucky enough to buy at Salute 2026. This "explorer faction that have a long standing rivalry with the E-Corp agents" immediately captured my imagination as they are clearly inspired by the Norts from the "Rogue Trooper" comic book series in "2000 A.D.", and resultantly caused me to start planning a future battlefield based upon Nu Earth.

For now though I just want to get a small squad of these "Diehard Miniatures" sculpts painted, and then take it from there. I do believe I have some Genetic Infantrymen by "Mongoose Publishing" somewhere, and possibly some of the E-Corp agents mentioned in the Krupps Corp troopers' blurb. But with my long-term Napoleonic and American Civil War projects still on the go, I don't really want to leap into another genre with both feet...

"Once More The Skies Belong To The Midnight Surfer."

"Supersurf 7 is go! Go! Go!"

This 28mm scale metal model of Chopper was produced by “Mongoose Publishing” and formed part of my rewards from the company’s 2012 “Judge Dredd Miniatures Game: Block War” Kickstarter. Based upon the comic book character Marlon Shakespeare, the sculpt was clearly inspired by the classic “Judge Dredd” story “Midnight Surfer”, which featured in Issues 424-429 of the British comic book “2000 A.D.”

Determined to follow the colour scheme used by artist Cam Kennedy on his June 1985 wrap-a-round cover illustration for Prog 424, the figure was superglued to a plastic 40mm circular base by "Games Workshop" - as I simply detest flying stands these days - and undercoated using "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then 'picked out' all the criminal's kneepads, belt, girdle and shoulders with a combination of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. As I wasn't too sure as to whether John Wagner's co-creation had a black collar or not, I decided to leave it "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"We're reclaiming what was ours."

Furthermore, I really wanted Chopper's black suit to be as pure black as possible, so instead of giving it a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil as I ordinarily do, I'll simply rely upon any hand oils the model picks up from handling to create the illusion of highlights. I also thought Shakespeare's surfing board might look better 'matching' the ink used for the comic illustration rather than the metallic silver I was originally planning on using. Resultantly, it was base-layered in "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

Having completed this comic book 'blast from the past', I have also finished another classic Sea Devil by "Black Tree Design". There's a few of these figures from the company's "Doctor Who" Range currently loitering upon my hobby desk, as I'm finding them quite straightforward to pigment whilst tackling some of the more detailed miniatures in my painting queue.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - A Russian Napoleonic infantryman and a Prussian soldier 

As with most of my 28mm Sea Devils, the model comes from the DW1015 Sea Devils boxed set, and was primed in "Vallejo" Verdigris, washed with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and then roughly highlighted back up with (more) "Vallejo" Verdigris. Its webbed feet, arms and head were later given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before his belt received a little "Two Thin Coats" White Star and a smidgeon "Vallejo" Pale Grey.

Lastly, I'm patiently ploughing on with a handful more Napoleonic figures by "Wargames Foundry". Realistically I think I can finally get table-top ready the eight-man strong blister of Russian Infantrymen in Oilskin Covered 1812 Shako Marching I started this time last year. Plus make some headway on the pack of Prussian Infantrymen in Peaked Cap Marching I began working on earlier in the year. However, I do want to add a few other single models into the mix to use with "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", such a Scottish Highlander, French Old Guard and French Grenadier...

"Ro-Busters Can Go Into Action!"

 "Get me the Chairman of the North Sea Tunnel Authority - on Red!"

This exclusive resin miniature of "Mr Ten Per Cent himself, Howard Quartz" is produced by “Warlord Games”, and arrived as part of the Nottingham-based company's A.B.C. Warriors: Increase The Peace Starter Game. "At one time human", the billionaire Chief Executive Officer of Quartz Industries was created by Pat Mills and Carlos Pino for the comic book series "Ro-Busters", and made his debut appearance in the May 1978 issue of "Starlord".

Having lost ninety percent of his body during "a terrorist incident involving a rogue Hammerstein", the industrialist was originally primed using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black. He was then treated to a layer of Sir Coates Silver from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" and an enthusiastic sploshing of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"The Sea-Devils plan to conquer the Earth and enslave humanity."

The model's reconstructed robot-cyborg torso was also given a thorough dry-brush of (more) Sir Coates Silver, and treated to the odd coat of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to darken down various armour plates as per the 'official' paint-job. With the basics done I subsequently turned my attention to the various telephones and wires looped around Quartz, using "Citadel" Abaddon Black for the phone cable itself and a variety of bright(ish) colours taken from my collection of "Two Thin Coats" pots. 

Finally, I tackled the sculpt's visible brain dome - which perhaps somewhat disappointingly relies solely upon the skill of the painter to depict as its entirely smooth to the touch. There was no way I was going to do to be able to replicate the astonishingly good job produced by "Warlord Games" resident miniaturist, so instead I opted for my usual approach of pigmenting a clear hemisphere using a combination of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, "Vallejo" Pale Grey and a delicate dry-brush of (more) "Two Thin Coats" White Star. 

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Early days on these Sons of Horus Space Marines

In addition to completing the first of my 'A.B.C. Warriors', I have also continued working through my "Black Tree Design" backlog, with another 28mm metal figure found inside their DW1015 Sea Devils boxed set. As with all the other bipedal marine monsters I've slapped a brush-tip upon, this miniature was painted using "Vallejo" Verdigris, "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, "Two Thin Coats" White Star, "Vallejo" Pale Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

I've also managed to make a small dent in my latest ten-man squad of Sons Of Horus space marines by "Games Workshop" too, by cleaning up the armour of three tactical traitor figures from where my "Vallejo" Gold dry-brushing went a bit nuts. Hopefully, this trio can now be quickly finished after a dousing in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and a careful dry-brush of Sons Of Horus Green.

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

"It has not been easy for me."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Prince Dracula! The Turks Are Falling Back!"

"They retreat! Sultan Mohammed is defeated!"

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

Sculpted wearing the Prince's iconic suit of Southern Carpathian armour, the figure was assembled and primed using a double-helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Red. Unfortunately, despite being desperately delicate with the warrior's lengthy spear whilst putting the blood-thirsty ruler together, it was at this point that disaster struck and I inadvertently snapped off the top of its shaft.

"Mongoose Publishing" WIPs - The Midnight Surfer is slowly having his details 'picked out'

Cursing my awkwardness, I did initially consider trying to super-glue the two parts back together where they broke - something which can ordinarily be quite easily achieved where "Loctite" instant adhesive and "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin are concerned. However, I figured a stronger join might prevent future accidents - especially as the hand-weapon was intimidatingly long. So instead snipped the spear-tip off and filed down the pole in Dracul's hand.

Whilst this re-positioning did add to the weapon's wobbliness, it also allowed the blade's head to slightly snuggle into Vlad's hand, and create a much stabler connection. Following these repairs, the figure was shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and had its helmet's eye-slits 'picked out' using "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Unsurprisingly, the spear tip itself was pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, whereas the shaft was treated to some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - These Iron Brigade troopers still require some detail work

Alongside my second 'Count Dracula' miniature, I have also started working on some dust-covered 28mm scale metal models originally manufactured by “Mongoose Publishing” as part of the company’s infamous 2012 “Judge Dredd Miniatures Game: Block War” Kickstarter. I'm hoping to clear a few of these "2000 A.D." comic book characters off of my painting desk before the start of the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), and decided to go with the Midnight Surfer first.

Finally, I've set about progressing a fourth five-man strip of Union soldiers by "Warlord Games". These particular 15mm Epic scale figures come from their "Epic Battles: American Civil War" range and represent the North's Iron Brigade. Sadly, the little metal infantrymen appear to chip incredibly easily, and resultantly require almost endless 'touch-ups', so my enthusiasm for a massive force of the Black Hats has significantly stalled during the past few months...

“Salute 50" Showcase 2023 - Part Two: Traders And Games

"Warp Miniatures" - A selection of "ArcWorlde" monsters

Besides getting the chance to talk to people, my main reason for attending this celebration of "half a century of wargaming shows put on by the South London Warlords club" was to see the latest offerings from my favourite miniature manufacturers, stumble upon some new companies I'd previously not known about, and seek inspiration from the various participation/demonstration tables. "Salute 50" certainly wasn't lacking on any of these fronts, and I spent a good portion of my time at the ExCeL convention centre in Custom House scrutinising all manner of models and scenery; both painted and unpainted.

Warlord Games" - A selection of their "Judge Dredd" miniatures

One of the first stalls to catch my eye was "Warp Miniatures" and their incredible range of fantasy-based figures. I've been a big fan of this range since its early days when Alex Huntley originally began hand-sculpting the residents of ArcWorlde. Since then there's been both a second edition rule-book and the creation of an STL (Standard Triangle Language) files "Patreon" service, so there's arguably never been a better time to get into the "narrative battle game where warbands, heroes and monsters are pitted against each other in the field of combat."

"Warlord Games" - A selection of their "Bolt Action" miniatures

From a personal perspective though I still own numerous unpainted miniatures from Alex's early Kickstarters, so found the visit to his booth a timely reminder for me to dust off all the metal and resin models from his range I already own, and get cracking on painting them up. I felt quite similar about my trip to the large "Warlord Games" area too, as my 'mountain of lead' based solely upon products purchased from the Nottingham-based company is so embarrassingly overwhelming that it'll probably take me a year or so to pigment everything - even if I exclusively focused my hobby time just upon them.

"Warlord Games" - A selection of their "2000 A.D." miniatures - A.B.C. Warriors

However, I was interested in seeing whether I could pick up their "Judge Dredd" game without buying its figures. As someone with an extensive collection of their old metal Mega-City One range (in collaboration with "Mongoose Publishing") I didn't want to have to buy the same characters all over again. Sadly, although the main book is available separately (and indeed at one point I had a copy in my hand), two staff members informed me that I'd still need to buy both the new starter set and models if I wanted to own the various cards needed for an important rule mechanic. Suffice to say having previously bought big into their poorly supported and now officially dropped "Doctor Who: Exterminate! The Miniatures Game" range - even though I already owned hundreds of other "Doctor Who" figures by other manufacturers - I wasn't prepared to be bitten a second time.

"Brigade Models" - 15mm Monorail Engine, Passenger Car and Flat Car

Another dealer who held my attention for a while was "Brigade Models". Having not yet even assembled a couple of "A Billion Suns" space-faring fleets I bought from the Sittingbourne-situated company at "Colours 2022" I initially only gave their wares a cursory glance. But then I caught sight of an awesome-looking 15mm scale Monorail Engine and its accompanying (heavily weaponed) Scout Cars. I actually own a couple of unpainted "Gruntz" armies and thought this rail network would prove to be an exciting terrain feature to fight over. Uncharacteristically though, I stayed strong, deciding to see if I could paint my British and Neo-Soviet forces up first before buying the train. In addition Tony mentioned putting together some Monorail package deals after the show.

Kaiserschlacht 1918 - Using the "Bloody Picnic: Wargaming The End Of Empire" ruleset

Games-wise I saw loads of awe-inspiring tables during my visit, with several proving particularly influential for some potential future projects. One such battle was Kaiserschlacht 1918 - which featured numerous 20mm plastic figures and was being fought using the "Bloody Picnic: Wargaming The End Of Empire" ruleset. I'd never heard of Dillion Browne's game before, but the display certainly seemed to show off how impactive artillery fire could be. In addition, I was very impressed by the players' dice towers, which were all appropriately painted in World War One camouflage patterns.

Zagory Rebellion: A Night At Heidi's - Using the "Carry On Tintin" ruleset

Equally as enthralling was the vibrantly coloured Zagory Rebellion: A Night At Heidi's by the Cornwall Wargames Association. Played with some homebrew rules entitled "Carry On Tintin" (which can be downloaded for free from the club's website), This "neo-retro and pseudo-nostalgic wargame set in a fictional central Europe during the interwar period" had me utterly transfixed, and reminded me that I had yet to even start applying a brush to any of Mark’s Little Soldiers range by Mark Copplestone which I've previously bought via "North Star Military Figures".

"Para Bellum Games" - Conquest display table

One of the smaller displays I spotted was the Conquest table by "Para Bellum Games", which really helped show-off the size and detail of their "mass battle wargame." Rather sheepishly I must admit to purchasing a few boxes of these figures a couple of years ago and never doing anything with them since they arrived - a familiar story I know. So this marvellous feast for the eyes has definitely galvanised me into digging some of them out - especially now I know you can also download their skirmish core rules Conquest: First Blood for free from the company's website.

Battle Of Leuctra 371 B.C. by Jon and Diane Sutherland

Rounding off Salute's sortie upon the senses was Jon and Diane Sutherland's incredible Battle Of Leuctra 371 B.C. board, which showed off the armies of Thebes and Sparta in splendid fashion. The table was absolutely huge and simply crammed full of infantry, cavalry and atmospheric Ancient Greek ruins. Plus, both fully-painted forces were actually for sale - Though I doubted I could get them to all fit inside my bag...