Miss Fantorical 2025 - An "Undercoat" Painting Pageant

Another twelve months have flown by and once again I have been asked to do a review of the "Fantorical" miniatures painting blog for the year just gone. As has become traditional, I have picked a miniature for each month and then picked an overall favourite. My choices are based on the paint job, the miniature itself, what I think is interesting and some other factors - such as quirkiness, and how unusual they are. Some months had some straight forward choices, whereas others proved to be a much harder decision with multiple models that would ordinarily have made a straightforward pick in a different month. Rules are rules though, and unfortunately some great painted miniatures therefore didn’t make it onto this list.

January - Megalodon Dorsal Fin (Submerged) by "Loot Studios" - January 13th

This is such an interesting miniature. It is a 3D print of a shark fin cutting through some water, and as well as being a really nice miniature with some excellent water effects, it also conjures up some iconic images. Indeed, the music of John Williams just comes into my head when I see it. The paint scheme is simple. But I think the water has been painted especially nicely.

February -  Sundance by "Great Escape Games" - February 28th

Moving from 3D prints to an old school metal miniature we have a wild west figure that I thought was different and very charming. I have been tempted by Dead Man’s Hand for a while after playing a demo game at a wargames show, so maybe that is why I picked this particular miniature model. The painting is great, and you are drawn to the face as you always should be. I just really like this one and not a Stetson in sight!

March - Ned Kelly by "Great Escape Games" - March 12th

Now, I don’t really like to pick two miniatures from the same range, and certainly not one after the other, as variety and unusual choices are part of my picking process. However, sometimes things just work against that! This is a model of an iconic outlaw that I remember from a television show when I was young, and whose appearance is both unique and very different. His inclusion in a cowboy game was a great idea, and he just has so much to like about him from the painting, to the quirkiness and the nostalgia.

April - Moscow Militia by "Wargames Foundry" - April 18th

I do have a soft spot for Napoleonic miniatures as "The Silver Bayonet" is one of my favourite games at the moment. This one is slightly unusual in that the bright colours you would normally associate with the period are replaced with grey and brown - which I thought was very interesting. It is the painting on this one though that really grabbed my attention, especially the face. It looks absolutely amazing with superb eyes, and a truly stoic/determined expression that really appeals. Great painting on this one.

May - Retained Knight by "Alternative Armies" - May 30th

This was picked with a massive amount of personal bias as I just love the Blood Angels Space Marine Legion in the Horus Heresy era, and as these "Ion Age" miniatures were painted to represent them I was hooked straight away. We do though move from 28mm to 15mm in scale, and I have to say the detail picked out on this smaller sculpt is very impressive. Just look at the loin cloths and shoulder pads. But it is the gold armour of the hero that really stands out here. Massive personal bias but who cares!

June - Doop by "CoolMiniOrNot" - June 18th

Tough month this one, with some lovely miniatures to pick from and I went for one I had never heard of before! Why? Well, he just looks fun and I think that the vibrant green paint scheme just makes him really really pop. At first I thought it was slimer from Ghostbusters, so after reading the posting it made me go and look up this comic book character. Interesting little mini and really good painting.

July - Space Marine Praetor by "Games Workshop" - July 14th

Another tough pick as I really liked Abomination painted/posted during this month. But my love of the Horus Heresy just pipped him to the post with this monster of a space marine ("Games Workshop" does mess up scales a lot!) hero which was slightly converted from the plastic original. I think the Sons of Horus paint colour is excellent and he does look so cool.

August - Hungarian Officer by "Wargames Foundry" - August 21st

More Napoleonics you say? Yes, I reply. I can just hear the theme music to "Sharpe" as I type! This fella is a complete contrast to the previous Russian choice with bright colours and lots of golden bling - Much more like it! I think it is the unusual white and blue colours that I like about this one too, which look so good and make him stand out in my opinion.

September - Andre the Giant by "Hasbro" - September 4th

One of the reasons I enjoy browsing "Fantorical" is the unusual miniatures that you come across, and this one appeared from way out of left field. I don’t know much about wrestling. But I have heard of this gentleman - helped enormously by a memorable appearance in "The Princess Bride". So, a miniature based on an action figure? Interesting and very quirky. However, it is the painting on this one that won me over as the skin and face are just top notch. Excellent painting on full display here.

October - Killer Croc Thug by "Knight Models" - October 20th

I really like Batman and have a soft spot for the excellent sculpts of "Knight Models", so this one was always in contention. I think this is a good example of a photograph not doing full justice to a painted miniature as it looks so good in the green scaly flesh. As well as the excellent reptilian skin, the colour of the jeans is a particular standout for me as they look so good. All round just a nice sculpt and a nice paint job.

November - Plague Lord by "Mantic Games" - November 24th

A 10mm scale model of what appears to be a bit of a giant monstrosity on the battlefield. I just love the way these have all been painted. They all look so good in my opinion that I had to include one of the three posted on "Fantorical".

December - Bat Sentry by "Wizkids" - December 12th

"Heroclix" miniatures are sometimes a bit ropey when it comes to the sculpt and the material. However, this one looks excellent and I thought it was actually produced by "Knight Models" at first. This is a lovely looking model that has been painted so well Just an overall great combination of miniature and paint job.

Well, that is my top 12. My overall favourite is……

The unusual and quirky and exceptionally well painted Andre the Giant by "Hasbro"! Just very different and so well done.

I am sure my choices were not always the same as yours so feel free to say what your favourites of 2025 were and may your pile of unpainted miniatures reduce in 2026!

Top Ten Miniatures Of 2025 - A "Rantings From Under The Wargames Table" Viewpoint

It’s that time again folk’s, when once a year Simon lets me play fast and loose with his blog and pick what are in my opinion the ten best miniatures he has painted in 2025. Each year this gets harder to do as there is just so much good stuff to choose from. So without further ado let’s get stuck in to the real stars of the show…the miniatures.

No. 10 - Plague Lord by “Mantic Games” - November 18th

If you're only an occasional visitor to this blog you could be forgiven for thinking it’s all just 28mm stuff. But regulars will be more aware that Simon does tend to “dip his toe” into other scales as well, and a perfect example of this are these smashing 10mm scale versions of Mantic Games' “First Generation Plague Lord” figures. Now I have the 28mm version of a figure very similar to this, and I have to say my painting of that is no more detailed than this tiny rendition - truly outstanding stuff!

No. 9 - Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms by “Wargames Foundry” - November 10th

Simon’s continued efforts within his Napoleonic project cannot help but be admired. As something I flirted with many years back I am well aware of how taxing and soul destroying gazing upon rows and rows of intricate infantry can be, so each time another of his perfectly pigmented Napoleonic protagonists appears on his blog I have to tip my hat both to his exceeding good paintwork, and his resilience. I chose this British line infantry soldier for the Top Ten, as he sums up perfectly both the period and quality Simon has put into it.

No. 8 - Falklands British Infantry by “Pendraken Miniatures” - August 30th

More British infantry at the number eight spot too. Though this time we jump forward over a hundred years and down a scale or two, with these sublime versions of troops dispatched to the Falkland Islands during the 1982 conflict. Painting 10mm figures looks easy, but I know from experience that to get results as good as this requires a lot of skill and a steady hand to pick-out all the details - something that has been done with real aplomb here.

No. 7 - Dalek by “Black Tree Designs” - February 24th

Daleks. The scourge of the universe! Who doesn’t love a Dalek? Well basically anyone who has to paint them. It’s the domes that are the killer, and of course there are so many of them too - fifty six in fact! And they all have to be perfect. Luckily the ones on show here are as is the classic dark grey colour scheme made popular by “Genesis of the Daleks”. I have great admiration for a well painted Dalek, and Simon’s are some of the best I’ve seen.

No. 6 - Kurgun C3-A Heavy Cruiser by “Fat Dragon Games” – September 24th

Always one to cut his own path when it comes to starting a new project, Simon decided to do some “Star Trek” universe gaming, But rather than use “Official” miniatures he found some that though conveying the flavour of the original television series, were in my opinion much cooler looking! This was never more evident than in this version of a Klingon Heavy Cruiser. The ship's design is awesome, and the dark green colour scheme is both alien and menacing in equal measure. Absolute top work!

No. 5 - Gell Guard 2 by “Black Tree Designs” - January 20th

Well I was mightily impressed with the painting of this miniature (and the other two also painted about the same time) - both when they appeared for the first time, and again when I set about compiling this Top Ten. But it was when I saw the actual episodes of Doctor Who it appears in again this week on “U& Eden”, due to them re-showing "The Three Doctors" over the festive period, that I was struck by just how incredibly accurate Simon’s rendition is. Seriously 'Google it' and be amazed! I like my figures to be finished with a matt varnish, whereas Simon prefers a gloss finish and I have to say it works a treat on these guys. They could have glided straight out of the story. Beautifully done!

No. 4 - Retained Knight by "Alternative Armies" - May 30th

I’ve already mentioned my admiration for Simon’s ability to find alternatives to official figures to play games with, and perhaps my favourite version of this is his 15mm take on “Warhammer 40K” using miniatures from Alternative Armies “Ion Age” range. Figures for this project have made my Top Ten before in previous years. But this “Special Character” clad in gold with “Blood Angels” red accents was just too good to pass over this year, and has again got me perusing the “Alternative Armies” website!

No. 3 - Andre the Giant by “Hasbro” - September 4th

Though the classic era of the World Wrestling Federation “WWF” passed me by, I did of course know who all the main players were as they were pretty much household names and popular toys at the time. And it was the “toy like” appearance of this lovely figure that really spoke to me. This is hardly a surprise as he was scaled down to just (just?) 70mm tall by Simon, but still a massive figure by our standards. The painting is of course up to Simon’s normal high standards and even more impressive due to the increased height of the model. It really brings the character's oversized personality to wonderful life.

No. 2 - Korg by “CoolMiniorNot” - July 7th

If you like your superheroes  “Chibi” style then you’ve come to the right place, as there have been many super (pardon the pun) large headed versions of all your Marvel favourites appearing on this blog over the last twelve months. Indeed, it was our mutual love of all things “Superhero” that originally brought Simon, myself and our respective blogs together in the first place. Resultantly, it would just be so wrong of me not to include at least one of this genre in my Top Ten list, and it was a difficult choice too as they have all been so good. But the absolute perfection in colour palette and execution of Korg, along I admit with him being a favourite character of mine, just edged him above the rest.

No. 1 - Bat Sentry by “Wizkids” - December 12th

So we come to the top of the tree, the big kahuna as it were, and what I hear you ask could keep the beautifully painted miniatures above from the Number One spot? Well strangely enough I did put a Batmobile in my Top Ten last year. But this is on a whole new level! The Batmobile/Bat Sentry is a sort of “Transformer” that I didn’t even know existed until I read Simon's post (see you learn stuff here as well as basking in the lovely painted miniatures!). Of course I’ve waxed lyrical about his exceptional skill with black coloured miniatures before, and that is on show in spades here too, contrasting to perfection with the radiant yellow Bat symbol that fair glows upon its chest, as well as the red menacing eyes. Then add in the dark metallic’s on the joints and accents, and you have what looks like a simple black miniature, but is in fact covered in small yet important details. Like good movie music it is there but it don’t shout, just subtly enhances the whole viewing experience. Absolutely gorgeous, and a perfect example of Simon’s work, this is my number one of 2025!

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So there you go, ten wonderful miniatures from a blog full of wonderful miniatures, and if you follow the links some damn fine reading as well! So grab a cup (or glass) of your tipple of choice and go back to enjoy a year’s worth of great blogging. It’ll get you in the mood for all the wonder that is no doubt to come over the next twelve months. If you want to read some good writing and see some not so good miniatures, then you can check out Simon’s take of my last two years work (yes I’ve been much less prolific than him I’m afraid) here…

https://rantingsfromunderthewargamestable.wordpress.com/

All that leaves me to do is first off thank Simon once again for letting me “tend his baby” for a night. I hope I haven’t turned away too many of his followers, and of course to wish all of you out there in blog-land the very best New Year. I hope all your endeavours, be them gaming or otherwise, are as successful as you wish, and the year proves to be healthy, safe, successful and secure for us all.

Cheers Roger.

"A Legendary Hero..."

"...To lead your Blood Angels into battle."

This small stand of two 15mm miniatures by "Alternative Armies" is comprised of a figure taken from their "The Ion Age" limited edition pack IAFL01 Hackett and Tasker, and one from Code IAF008 Retained Knight Post Charlie. The sculpts are designed to be used with the company’s “Patrol Angis” rule-set. But I’ve based and painted mine as a (proxy) Blood Angels Legion/Chapter Special Character for a home-brew game I've somewhat loosely based within the early Warhammer 30k/40k universe.

Perhaps understandably, it was the model of "the highly ranked Knight Commander Hackett" which took most of my attention, and not just because the little chap "is restricted to 500 numbered packs after which the moulds with these miniatures will be destroyed." As a result he was primed using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, base-layered with plenty of Gold, and finally heavily shaded in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Two Mast Beasts and a Strawbear

I then dry-brushed the leader with (more) "Vallejo" Gold, before settling down to the rather time-consuming task of picking out all the micro-details on his space-armour. This largely meant carefully tracing out Hackett's shoulder-pads with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Two Thin Coats" White Star, as well as dotting the odd piece in "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson". I also carefully picked out the model's sword hilt using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Finally, I decided against making the figure's sword blade particularly colourful, as I didn't want it to clash with all its gold armour. So stuck to simply pigmenting the Octa Sword with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also chose not to give the sculpt's robotic arm any special attention, preferring instead to leave it gold so it would just mingle in with the rest of the colour scheme.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Two Tunnel Spiders and a Goat Kin

The Retained Knight was much more straightforward to get tabletop ready, having been undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Red. The 'beaky' space marine was subsequently heavily washed with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. Finally, the crouched guy's hand-weapon was layered with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and later treated to a combination of “Vallejo" Gunmetal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

Despite getting these two miniatures finished in a reasonably quick time period, I have disappointingly not made much progress on a number of metal figures by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" I was hoping to submit as entries into Angry Piper's annual "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. Quite bizarrely, I've probably been wargaming more than painting over the past few weeks. But do still intend to get a number of these weird creatures finished in reasonably quick succession, as I want them as super-natural encounters for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games". 

"Although The French Ultimately Captured Moscow."

"They could not hold the city in the face of a looming winter."

This 28mm scale metal model is manufactured by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their RN043 Moscow Militia with Muskets set. The miniature is one of eight Napoleonic Russian soldiers sculpted by Alan Perry, and is based upon the peasants who relentlessly pursued "Napoleon’s battered forces" during the winter of 1812.

Originally undercoated using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, the figure's trousers and rolled-up blanket were treated to a combination of "Two Thin Coats" Dungeon Stone Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I next applied plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Green to the chap's jacket, and drowned the garment with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. It was then carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Three of the ten Austrian Jaegers purchased off "eBay" last year

I subsequently gave the Russian's rifle butt, axe-handle, hair and somewhat bushy beard a touch of "Vallejo" Sienna, before darkening all these areas down with a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. At this point I also spotted that the fellow was actually wearing a glove on one of his hands, so promptly pigmented the 'mitten' with a lick of Dungeon Stone Grey by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

With the latest addition to my Moscow Militia completed, I have started turning my attention towards a quartet of Austrian Light Infantrymen which I managed to buy from "eBay" in October last year. All of the identical-looking models are from the "Wargames Foundry" blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running, and due to their somewhat dynamic pose come with separate firearms.

"Alternative Armies"WIPs - A Trio of Retained Knights destined to become (not) Dark Angels

I actually managed to snag ten of these second-hand miniatures, and only paid an extra pound more than the current cost of the Newark-based company's eight-figure packet. However, I presently just have plans for four of Jaegers - to act as a screen for an upcoming Austrian force I've recently based, so the other half-dozen have been plonked into one of my many infamous hobby drawers for another day.

Furthermore, I've discovered a trio of long-forgotten 15mm metal models from IAF008 Retained Knight Post Charlie by "Alternative Armies", whilst sorting through some of my smaller scale backlog. These guys were instantly super-glued onto some wooden chop-sticks, and are destined to be the start a (not) Dark Angels infantry force using many of the sculpts from this particular "The Ion Age" range pack...

"The Origins Of The Robots Employed By The Imperium..."

"...Harken back to the earliest days of Human technology."

This stand of three 15mm miniatures by "Alternative Armies" comes from their "The Ion Age" code IAF081 Taranis Runner Drones, and consists of two Field Repair Drones and a single Transmission Jammer Drone. The sculpts are designed to be used with the company’s “Patrol Angis” rule-set, and provide additional support for the heavily armoured Taranis Tank. However, I’ve both based and painted mine so they can be used as a (proxy) unit of (close combat) Imperial Robots for a home-brew game I've somewhat loosely based within the early Warhammer 30k/40k universe.

Due to wanting this particular trio to form part of my (not) Crimson Fists force, the models were initially primed using a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and subsequently base-layered in "Vallejo" Heavy Blue. I then carefully pigmented their mechanical legs and arms with some "Vallejo" Gunmetal, before absolutely drowning each model in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The figures' limbs were later dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

"He is our shield and our protector!"

At this stage I was actually somewhat tempted to leave the basic colour scheme alone. However, as these particular robots were supposed to form part of "a Second Founding Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists Legion", I thought I'd make that a bit more noticeable by applying some "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to the Field Repair Drones' claws. This would (hopefully) tie them in with the Crimson Fists, and also mark them out as the deadly hand-to-hand combatants I was planning to use them as.

As a final touch, I decided to patiently 'pick out' all their optic sensors using either Skulker Yellow or Ethereal Green by "Two Thin Coats". These areas were then shaded with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade or Biel-Tan Green as appropriate. I also used a smidgeon of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Vallejo" Pale Grey to create the illusion that all three mechanical monstrosities had head-lamps.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - (Yet) Another member of the Moscow Militia being progressed

In addition to my current obsession with proxying "The Ion Age" range for my own nefarious designs, I am continuing to work on more 28mm Napoleonic Russians by “Wargames Foundry" - namely from their RN043 Moscow Militia with Muskets blister. Last year I disappointingly fell badly short of my goal to paint at least forty-eight of their Black Powder miniatures (working on the plan of painting just four a month), so am absolutely determined to get back on schedule for a similar roadmap throughout 2025.

Resultantly, on paper I should have at least sixteen new additions battlefield ready by the end of this month, and unfortunately at this present time I can only boast of three. To try and make up this ground, I now intend to focus on just coalition soldiers for the next few weeks, and probably wade through some of the Emperor's Frenchmen in May. I'm also going to focus on four-figure tiny units, so I don't get too bored with repeatedly putting my brush-tip to the same old cuffs and straps - something which quickly drains my enthusiasm for the period full-stop...

"Unlike Regular Army Regiments..."

"...The Opolcheniye was composed of civilian volunteers."

This 28mm scale metal model is sold by “Wargames Foundry", and can be bought as part of their RN043 Moscow Militia with Muskets set. The miniature is one of eight Napoleonic Russian soldiers sculpted by Alan Perry found in the blister, and is based upon the peasant masses who historically would rise up "in response to foreign invasions or internal turmoil."

Initially eager to follow this figure's official paint-job as per the Newark-based manufacturer's website, I primed him with a double dose of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and subsequently applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to his trousers. I then applied plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Green to the fellow's winter jacket, and gave the lower half a splosh or two of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Another member of the Moscow Militia on the painting table

However, I wasn't terribly impressed with how the Shade looked, so after a moment's hesitation, I decided to give the coat a good dose of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade instead. This seemed to work much better, and I finished the garment off with a well-placed dry-brushed of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green to help bring out its folds. I also took the opportunity at this time to carefully trace out the Russian's waist sash with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and darkened it down using some "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

For the Militiaman's bedroll I used some "Two Thin Coats" Cold Corpse Blue, and plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst his musket (and bayonet) were treated to either a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna or Gunmetal depending if the part was supposed to be wood or metal. These areas were later drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade or Nuln Oil as appropriate.

"Alternative Armies" WIPs - Early days on a pair of Retained Knights

The biggest issue I had with this figure was working out where the chap's moustache actually was on his face, as at first I thought the model's detail actually showed him to have a beard (despite what "Wargames Foundry) painted photograph showed. In the end though, after a splash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade over "Vallejo" Heavy Skintome, I finally saw where it was, and thus applied a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the soldier's "lampshade".

Alongside my 'big' Napoleonic project push this month, I'm also keen to add some reinforcements to my collection of pigmented "Alternative Armies" 15mm miniatures. Taken from their "The Ion Age" range, I've decided to add a character base to my (not) Blood Angels force, using a figure taken from blister IAFL01 Hackett and Tasker, and one from IAF008 Retained Knight Post Charlie. To be honest, this will probably be the first of quite few models to come over the following few weeks, as a quick trip into my garage recently revealed a shoe-sized cardboard box packed full of more vehicles, robots and buildings by the Scotland-based company...

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

"During the Napoleonic era, bears primarily appear in historical contexts as symbols in art and political cartoons."

With my self-imposed Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP) now over, and a number of old half-finished figures tabletop ready as a result, I thought I'd spend this month once again ploughing on with my rather large collection of unpainted 28mm metal Napoleonic figures by "Wargames Foundry". To be honest I'm already quite a way behind with my Black Powder goals for this year, as I've only completed two of the twelve miniatures I promised myself I'd have done at this point in 2025, so dedicating at least four weeks worth of hobby-time to some flintlock-bearing fusiliers should be a good way of getting the long-term project back on track.

To begin with I'm planning on pigmenting at least enough Moscow Militia with Muskets to field a small unit of Narodnoe Opolcheniye (four models), and add them to my Coalition forces. I was actually rather naughty this past October on "eBay" as I splurged on a twenty-eight man Russian Infantry battalion auction I spotted, so really need to start making some in-roads into these Alan Perry sculpts sooner rather than later.

"Alternative Armies" WIPs - This trio of Taranis Runner Drones are almost finished

I'm also blatantly aware that apart from a few 95th Rifles and accompanying officer, my consortium of Napoleon Bonaparte's enemies isn't at all flush of British miniatures. Much of this deficit is largely due to how badly intimidated I am by the formidable palette needed for Redcoats, and an aversion to anything tartan. However, I think I may well now have some basic colour schemes which will help 'get me over this hump', and allow me to get a fair few of King George III's men battle ready.

Furthermore, I still hope to tinker with some of the remaining 15mm science fiction figures I didn't quite finish for my PPPP. These all came from The Ion Age range by "Alternative Armies", and shouldn't take too long to add to my already quite significant (not) Rogue Trader armies. Indeed, I'm actually tempted to dig out a few more of these old(ish) models to help fill out some of my different forces' more specialist units - particularly their characters.

March 2025 - Two new entries have stormed up into the leaderboard

Historically, the last four or so weeks have always been one of my most productive times and this year was absolutely no exception. A good deal of this success was undoubtedly due to my sudden descent into the Dead Man's Hand range of Wild West gunslingers by "Great Escape Games", and determination to work through some more Russian NBC Troopers by "Athena Miniatures" - albeit not anywhere near as many as I had intended. The big surprise though was the blister-load of "Pendraken Miniatures" 10mm Falklands British soldiers I patiently picked away at over time, and I'm rather hoping I can do something similar with the rest of the Army Pack for this month too.

What will be interesting is whether or not my productivity will now nosedive, seeing as I didn't participate in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), and so shouldn't be suffering from any gaming fatigue. Annually, this waning interest in 'applying a brush tip to a model' is always a big disappointment to me, so I am keen to avoid such lethargy this time round, and maybe get a few battles in to help fuel my enthusiasm for the various projects I want to progress...

"The Legions Of The Shia Khan Empire..."

"...Are the main fighting force of the Empire."

This trio of 15mm miniatures by "Alternative Armies" come from their "The Ion Age" code IAF019 Legion 2nd Pioneers - Flora Grenade Guns (Pose Seven - Pioneer Discens with Flora, loading, Pose Two - Pioneer Discens with Flora, and Pose Five - Pioneer Discens with Flora, clutching the ground), and are designed to be used with the company’s “Patrol Angis” rule-set. However, I’ve both based and painted them so they can be used as a (proxy) unit of Chaos Space Marines for a home-brew game I've somewhat loosely based within the early Warhammer 30k/40k universe.

The models were initially primed using a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and shaded using plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then base-layered their skull-like face masks with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before 'picking them out' using a smear or two of Gold and a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - A pair of British Apocalypse Survivors

I next applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Violet to the figures' partially visible sleeves and trousers, and washed these areas in "Citadel" Druchii Violet. This choice is somewhat different to the Pioneers' official red colour scheme - as seen in the pictures on "The Ion Age" website, as I actually intend to use the miniatures as pseudo Emperor's Children traitor marines, so I felt such a change in their palette would prove much more appropriate.

My original intention was to also just finish each model off by treating their Flora grenade guns to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. But despite this 'flash of metallics', I still felt that the figures looked rather bland - especially from behind. Resultantly, I also applied some "Vallejo" Gunmetal to the pipes and tubing of their breathing apparatus, and a little Heavy Sienna to some ammunition pouches running around their waists. These items were subsequently darkened down using (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade respectively.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - These twenty-five year-old Highlanders are finally seeing some paint

Having completed this test base - using three models which have rather embarrassingly been sat upon my hobby table for many a year, I thought I'd tackle some much more recently-arrived sculpts in the guise of two British Apocalypse Survivors by "Athena Miniatures". One of these 28mm metal figures will (hopefully) be transformed into a bearded Bill Savage - so as to lead the King's remaining military forces against the Volgan invasion of the United Kingdom, and the is one of four children I intend to use as clue markers - as I plan to use an adapted version of "The Silver Bayonet" rule-set by "Osprey Games" for my battles.

Lastly, I have been dusting done and plonking a few basic paints on a number of "Wargames Foundry" Napoleonic soldiers I fully intend to work my way through next month, such as these approximately twenty-five year-old Scotsmen from blister B060 Highlander Flank Company Advancing. This project hasn't really got going in 2025 yet, so I thought dedicating April to the 'collar and cuffs' cause might inject it with the energy necessary for me to patiently pigment all the colourfully-dressed combatants...

"Men, We Are The First, Last And Often Only Line Of Defence..."

"...The Imperium has against what is out there."

These two 15mm miniatures by "Alternative Armies" come from their "The Ion Age" codes IAF022 Muster First Patrol (Pose Seven - Muster Patrol Trooper, Charlatan IV 22mm Launcher, Standing) and IAF021 Muster 1st Patrol Command (Pose Three - Muster Patrol Trooper, Medic.), and are probably some of the last remaining models from an old order I originally picked up over a decade ago at "Salute 2014". The soldiers are actually designed to be used with the company’s “Patrol Angis” rule-set. But I’ve based them together in order to form a specialist infantry unit for a home-made set of rules loosely based within the early Warhammer 30k/40k universe.

In order to try and replicate the pale(ish) palette of the Imperial Guard way back when "Games Workshop" first released their '"hard plastic" boxed set in January 1989, I primed both figures with two coats of “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey, and washed with them “Citadel” Nuln Oil. The duo then had their body armour, shoulder-pads, boots and weapons pigmented in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, whilst I 'picked out' their cap badges with a dollop of Heavy Red and a dash of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

"Alternative Armies" WIPs - Three Taranis Runner Drones

The trooper carrying the large heavy weapon had his bare hands painted using a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Skintone and “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade. However, as I wanted the Medic to stand out a bit more (seeing as I was actually using the figure as a range finder for the launcher rather than a field physician), I decided to give him "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade gloves.

Finally, I gave both soldiers’ heavy-looking stowage, as well as any side-pockets, a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Before finishing them off by layering their weapons with some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also used this particular colour combination for the (not) Medic's cybernetic eye-piece - all the better to suggest he was able to see trajectory curves and angles whilst assisting the Charlatan IV 22m Launcher to hit its targets.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - These two Spetsnaz figures are having all their straps 'picked out'

Somewhat enthused by my recent reintroduction to "The Ion Age", I have perhaps unsurprisingly also begun work on another trio of (significantly) old 15mm figures from the range - this time taken from IAF081 Taranis Runner Drones. These robots apparently act as a screen for Taranis Tanks in "Alternative Armies" rule-set. But I plan to use a single Transmission Jammer Drone with two Field Repair Drones as a close-combat unit for my games, and plan to paint these ones up for my Crimson Fists.

Lastly, I've also made a little bit more progress on the first of twenty-eight 28mm metal Spetsnaz figures I now own by "Athena Miniatures". These fellows are absolutely covered in straps, bullet-proof armour and ammunition pouches, so despite much of their colour scheme being black, I'm still having to take my time slowly making my way up a couple of test pieces so I can work out what is what on the sculpts...

"Daniel Kelly Was An Australian Bushranger And Outlaw."

"The son of an Irish convict, he was the younger brother of the bushranger Ned Kelly."

This 28mm scale metal model is sold by “Great Escape Games", and forms part of their DMHG-NED - Kelly Gang five-figure set for Dead Man's Hand. Sculpted by Mark Evans, I'm not aware of the box specifying a particular miniature to represent Dan, so somewhat arbitrarily decided upon this one. Furthermore, as it's been almost six years since I bought the Australian bushrangers whilst at "Salute" 2019, I also can't find the outlaws' rules card.

Having been partially-painted many moons ago, and seemingly primed using some "Citadel" Abaddon Black, I determined that the crook's long coat had probably been base-layered with "Vallejo" Dark Grey, so resultantly shaded the area with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln. Unsurprisingly, the jacket was then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Dark Grey so as to bring out all the creases, pockets and buttons.

"Alternative Armies" WIPs - Three 15mm Legion Pioneers

Due to wanting the Ned Kelly's brother to stand out a bit more on the tabletop, I decided to apply some "Vallejo" Heavy Brown to the desperado's trousers and wash them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I next dry-brushed the area with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. However, I really didn't like the rough-looking, streaky highlights this technique produced, so decided to darken them down a bit with a splosh of watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Lastly, I treated both Dan's 6mm thick iron armour and single firearm to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. As with the gang's infamous leader, I felt the criminal's "homemade armour" would look better without any highlights, and simply left it be. I did though manage to 'pick out' Kelly's pistol butt with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - Early days on a trio of Russian Spetsnaz

Alongside my latest Dead Man's Hand model, I've also been working on three 15mm Legion Pioneers by "Alternative Armies", which I recently stumbled upon in one of many wooden drawers I own. I clearly planned for the miniatures to represent a three-man stand of Chaos Space Marines for my ongoing Warhammer 30k/40k project using The Ion Age range, so have continued pigmenting them accordingly; albeit instead of having red clothing with black armour, I now plan on giving them purple and gold uniforms so I can use them to proxy the Pre-Heresy Emperor's Children Legion.

I have also started making some progress on the first of thirteen 28mm metal Spetsnaz figures I bought from "Athena Miniatures" at last year's "Warfare" 2024. I'm actually a 'man down' as the set is supposed to contain fourteen models. However, after a quick dialogue with the Swindon-based firm's owner John Caboche, the missing Russian should soon be winging his way to me - along with some additional (final) reinforcements I have ordered to round off the Apocalypse Survivors project...

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2024 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

It's strange how some unpleasantness experienced at the start of a year can have such a long-lasting impact upon a wargamer's enthusiasm for the hobby. However, having decided to leave the Fourteenth Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) early, and resultantly found myself facing a table full of miniatures I'd been busily prepping/progressing for the event, that's precisely the predicament I faced in the first week of February 2024. Admittedly, I did persevere with my collection of primed figures by "Black Tree Design" and "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" until I had gotten a large number of them tabletop ready. But after a couple of months I found my mojo to be completely spent, and disappointingly didn't really pick up my paint-brush with any great gusto until the Autumn - due to suddenly being once again bitten by the Napoleonic Era bug.

To make matters worse though, the host of my wargaming website "Wix.com", suddenly decided to dramatically increase their costs and focus on income generation for store-owners, rather than people like myself who simply wanted to run a website. This caused me to immediately cancel my subscription to their service, and spend many a painful week manually bringing all my hobby posts/pictures back across to "Blogger.com". Resultantly, my overall productivity was frustratingly down on previous years, whilst my determination to finish many of the models originally destined for submission into the AHPC greatly hindered my focus upon new projects. Luckily, I eventually shook off this 'funk', and despite my previous love of 3D printing seldom surfacing due to FEP/suction issues, I did fall 'head over heels' for many a 28mm metal miniature instead...

No. 10 - "Warlord Games" - "Bolt Action"

It would certainly be fair to say that compared to past periods, I somewhat fell 'out of love' with this Nottingham-based manufacturer during this year. I didn't attend their Open Day, nor did I buy into any of their new Epic range releases either. Indeed, the company only appears because at the very end of 2024 they released the Third Edition of "Bolt Action", and subsequently caused me to start assembling/painting a 28mm Italian army using their excellent plastic infantry sprues.

No. 10 - "Athena Miniatures" - "Apocalypse Survivors"

One of the best things about physically visiting wargaming shows is suddenly spotting a line of models I have never even heard of, and just such a thing happened at the recent "Warfare" with this firm. Initially, I was actually drawn to their Franco-Prussian War figures. But then spotted the various British squaddies and Russian invaders which made up their post-apocalyptic United Kingdom, and walked away from their stall with several plastic bags of goodies.

No. 8 - "Alternative Armies" - "The Ion Age"

Definitely a product of the AHPC and victim of its fallout, I set aside a handful of this company's long abandoned 15mm vehicles to pigment for the event. Disappointingly though, once completed, I never had the motivation to progress any more of the wonderful miniatures I own from the range - so the finished hover tanks and armoured cars were simply safely placed inside some plastic containers where they disconcertingly dwell to this day.

No. 8 - "Fenris6661982" - "The Lord Of The Rings"

Doubtless this is a rather controversial "eBay" seller due to their Black Numenoreans resin figures seemingly being closely based upon the original (OOP) sculpts once sold by "Games Workshop" for the "Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game". However, at the time of purchase they were one of several stores advertising various 3D prints of J.R.R. Tolkien's "cruel oppressors" on the e-commerce marketplace, and it wasn't until I finally found a pair of my old official metal miniatures that their true 'exactness' became abundantly clear.

No. 7 - "Lost Heresy Miniatures" - "Vulgorn Guards"

One of the few 3D Printing Patreon/Tribes to actually cause me to power on my "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, Bill Thornhill's nod to "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" actually caused me no end of issues - largely thanks to my resin tank's FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) being too loose to produce successful prints. However, once I did have my hands of some useable 'not-Vogons' I soon got them tabletop ready, and built up a sizeable seven-figure squad.

No. 6 - "Black Site Studios" - "Lunar"

Arguably viewed at one point as my 'break-out' manufacturer of the year, I was deeply smitten by this American company's resin-cast astronauts, Soviet cosmonauts and sugary-sweet space pet. In fact, I even went as far as to order a 6'x4' Asteroid gaming mat from "Deep-Cut Studio" upon which to play out some large-scale moon-based battles. However, the high expense of buying/shipping their various mining factions, rovers and additional spacemen from across the Pond proved all too much; especially when I discovered items I had ordered direct from "Black Site Studios" weren't even in stock (despite their webstore saying otherwise), and they knew they'd be at least a two month delay to have them made but didn't feel obligated to tell me that.

No. 5 - "Games Workshop" - "The Horus Heresy"

Despite a little dabble with some long OOP (Out Of Production) metal models from their "The Lord Of The Rings" range, the vast majority of my focus for 2024 as far as this Nottingham-based manufacturer was concerned, was on their 28mm hard plastic MK IV armoured Space Marines. Disappointingly, I never managed to finish my third ten-man unit of Sons of Horus due to the monotony of pigmenting their 'blue-green' "high grade composite ceramite plating" and "Vallejo" Gold trim. But I did get tantalisingly close, and definitely should have 'ensured' that I am able to eventually field a 500-point traitor army for "The Horus Heresy" in the forthcoming year.

No. 4 - "CoolMiniOrNot" - "Zombicide" & "Marvel United"

I owe quite a considerable bit of gratitude to this Singapore-headquartered company, as the mid-year arrival of their Monty Python's Flying Circus expansion for "Zombicide" finally pulled me from my hobby slump. In addition, I fell back in love with their excellent "Marvel United" boardgame, and began painting a number of its super-heroes/villains for a series of Battle Reports. Sadly, all of this enthusiasm was then completely quashed into the ground by the atrocious management of their Marvel United: Multiverse Kickstarter - which saw my missing pledge abandoned in a factory in China...

No. 3 - "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" - "7TV"

Buoyed by my love of Eighties' science fiction franchises such as "Flash Gordon" and the two-part television miniseries "V", Karl Perrotton's "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" was undeniably one of my main 'go-to' miniature makers of the year. Admittedly, I had actually planned to pigment far more of their Rick Rhodes Luna City range during the AHPC than I eventually did. But this misfortune didn't prevent me from pottering on with plenty of Simian Minions and Strawbears once my hobby mojo eventually returned later in the year.

No. 2 - "Wargames Foundry" - "Napoleonic Range"

Easily my most time-consuming project for 2024, and my proudest, the sheer amount of highly-detailed Perry Brother sculpts I tackled with my brush-tip throughout these twelve months was quite astounding. Indeed, I managed to complete a fair few eight-figure units of Russian, Prussian and French infantrymen during this time, as well as a trio of rather formidably-sized Great Big Bellicose Bears. Admittedly, much of this success was undoubtedly due to playing several games of "The Silver Bayonet" ruleset by "Osprey Games", and using these figures for that. But I also achieved my goal of having enough units for two sides to play a simplified version of "Black Powder" by "Warlord Games" too.

No. 1 - "Black Tree Design" - "Doctor Who"

By far the biggest shock of the year, was just how many of these three decades old sculpts I completed, and then did absolutely nothing with. Furthermore, apart from a smattering of Sea Devils during the Summer, all of these miniatures were surprisingly made tabletop ready by the end of April. Much of this productivity was due to their inclusion in my plans for the AHPC, and subsequent successful attempt to attain my target tally despite departing the event early. However, a desire to resurrect an old interstellar war campaign playing some old homemade rules never materialised, and so all of these models were disconcertingly just packed away in a plastic container or three.