"Local Villagers Whisper Of A Mysterious Place Deep In The Marsh..."

"...A place shroud in mist and dotted with barrow mounds, ruined columns, and standing stones."

These two 28mm scale metal Barrow Guardians were manufactured by "Otherworld Miniatures" as part of their "Official Barrowmaze Miniatures" range. However, these days they seem to be 'Out of Production' on their website, unless you purchase The Monsters of Barrowmaze Boxed Set (Code BMB1), which contains the custodian stood upon a plinth.

Luckily for me, "Otherworld Miniatures" very generously sent me a free copy of the Barrow Guardians with my most recent purchase, so I am now able to populate my dungeon with up to four of the enchanted stone constructs if the need arises. Both figures are sculpted by Andrew May, and were produced back in January 2014, as part of the successful Barrowmaze Complete campaign on "Indiegogo".

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Astronauts Taylor, Dodge and Landon

The figures are multi-part pieces and needed to have their shields pinned/super-glued in place before I could prime them with a double helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey. As the statues have supposedly stood buried deep within the confines of a water-laden barrow I decided to simply replicate the slimy grey/green colour scheme I have previously used on my other two Greater Barrow Guardians.

I've also managed to complete the first of twelve dedicated painting sessions for my twenty-four hour 'Paint An Entire Project" Challenge using "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" models. I initially planned to purely focus upon the three Albion Rocket Corporation (ARC) astronauts I aim to use as proxies for Taylor, Landon and Dodge from the "Planet Of The Apes" 1968 movie. But soon ended up doing some straightforward groundwork on the bases of four characterful Simian Minions whilst I was waiting for my "Vallejo" White to dry.

Simian Minions WIPS - The four apes have been primed and had their footwear 'boxed off'

In addition, I badly underestimated just how long it takes to paint a predominantly all white cosmonaut. I've actually painted several of these sculpts before in the exact same colour scheme, but back then kept the hands gloved. This time round just the simple addition of having to 'box off' the wrists with "Citadel" Abaddon Black before laying down a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone really took its toll, especially around where I'd swapped out the original hand for a new one holding a firearm.

To compensate and save some significant time I did consider leaving the human's chest panels pure white. However, having dug out my previously-painted figures where I pigmented in some of the device's buttons, I soon realised I was missing an opportunity to provide them with a splash of colour, so carefully went in with a "One Happy Choice" 00 brush and roughly 'drew around' the relevant areas with a little thinned "Citadel" Abaddon Black... 

"Guardians Entombed As Part Of The Barbarian's Funeral."

"Some of the guardians may have been destroyed over the centuries."

These two 28mm scale metal models of a pair of Barrow Guardians are produced by "Otherworld Miniatures", and can be bought either separately from their "Official Barrowmaze Miniatures" range, or the custodian stood upon a plinth can be obtained from The Monsters of Barrowmaze Boxed Set (Code BMB1). Sculpted by Andrew May, the figures were produced back in January 2014, as part of the successful Barrowmaze Complete campaign on "Indiegogo".

Multi-part pieces, I decided to attach a shield to both of my models to indicate that they were Greater Barrow Guardians. This was rather a straightforward process for the stone construct stood upon a circular slab, as there were plenty of 'contact points' for the super-glue to bond to. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his companion, and in the end I had to patiently pin his shield literally into his hand with some wire after it initially broke free whilst I was gritting the miniature's base.

"A stone statue of a warrior, which can animate to protect the tomb which is has been assigned to guard." 

Both magically animated custodians, along with the plinth, were initially primed using two coats of “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey, washed with “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey. I then applied some washes of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and Agrax Earthshade to each sculpture so as to suggest extreme weathering, and finally tidied each ensemble up with a second (lighter) dry-brush of “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey.

In addition to my Barrow Guardians I have completed a 28mm scale pewter model of a Yellow Mould. This is also produced by "Otherworld Miniatures", and is available as DM7g from their range of Dungeon Monsters. Hand-sculpted by Paul Muller, the creature represents "a colony of yellow mould, a nasty fungus-like infestation, often found growing on decaying matter in caverns and dungeons."

"If disturbed... This mould bursts forth with a cloud of poisonous spores."

"Very dangerous if disturbed by unwary explorers", I originally super-glued the furry textured monster to a plastic "Citadel" 40mm circular base, and primed it with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. I then applied two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Goldbrown over the entire creature, and shaded it using a copious amount of "Citadel" Gryphonne Sepia.

Lastly, the "deadly threat to adventurers" was dry-brushed using some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Golden Brown, and a lesser highlight of Heavy Ochre. At this stage however, I suddenly realised that there wasn't any room on the model's base for me to apply wither any sand, grit or static grass. As a result, I therefore carefully prised the Yellow Mould from off of its stand, and permanently attached it to a "Citadel" 50mm circular base instead.

"Egad, Snivelitch! These Madballs Even Gross Me Out!"

"He hasn't seen nothing yet!"

This 28mm scale resin model of a Ballmonster is produced by "Precinct Omega", and was bought as a pair of show specials whilst at "Beachhead" 2020. Designed to be played with the company's "wild and hilarious game of luck and judgement in which players pit teams of giant, carnivorous, helium-filled bad-tempered beachballs against one another", the miniature also came supplied with a clear plastic flying stand.

Having decided against having "my antidote to fantasy sports games" fly through the air in preference of him bouncing towards his opponents across the ground, I super-glued the 'head' onto a 25mm circular base, and primed him "Vallejo" Heavy Red. I then drowned the freakish figure in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before dry-brushing him with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

"Otherworld Miniatures" WIPs - A second (weathered) Barrow Guardian and a Fighter in plate mail

With the basics done, I 'picked out' the gas-filled sphere's teeth using a combination of "Vallejo" White and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and his puss-filled 'blind' eye with "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Finally, I dotted in his right 'good' eye with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black over a layer of pure "Vallejo" White.

In addition to my Ballmonster test piece, I've been plugging away at my collection of "Dungeons & Dragons" figures produced by "Otherworld Miniatures". Disconcertingly, one of the elements missing for my "Fighting Fantasy" themed campaign is a distinct lack of any adventurers, so I have been slowly plugging away at all the metallic areas of a Fighter in plate mail, and dirtying him up a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade".

"Wizkids" WIP - The Walking Statue of Waterdeep: The Honorable Knight has been shaded

Alongside this model, I've also managed to finish the 'weathering' on both of my (Greater) Barrow Guardians, and started tidying up their bases ready for my usual application of "Citdel" Doombull Brown, Rakarth Flesh and Agrax Earthshade. I'm actually hoping to get my hands on a third of these excellent Andrew May sculpted stone custodians from the Hertfordshire-based manufacturer's official "Barrowmaze" range soon...

Lastly, after a couple of sessions with a 24ml pot of "Citadel" Nuln Oil and a big paintbrush, I have completed shading my Walking Statue of Waterdeep: The Honorable Knight by "Wizkids", including both the custodian's enormous shield and sword. Now I just need to start applying a dry-brush of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey over the entire miniature using my recently purchased makeup foundation brush from the "Abody" Professional Cosmetic Kit.

"Yochlols Were Most Numerous In... The Demonweb Pits."

"Within it they commonly served as Lolth's enforcers, scouts, and appropriately as handmaidens."

These three 28mm scale pre-painted plastic models of some Yochlols are produced by "Wizkids", and can be bought as miniature number 012 from their Storm King's Thunder range of "Dungeons & Dragons" models. A chaotic evil creature, this shape-changing demon were able to slam "away at their foes with their numerous tentacles", and introduced in the 1980 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" game adventure module, Queen of the Demonweb Pits by David C. Sutherland III (with Gary Gygax).

"A type of lesser tanar'ri demon", which were also known as Handmaidens of Lolth, each figure was super-glued to a 25mm circular base, and originally undercoated with some "Vallejo" Heavy Goldenbrown. However, due to the rubbery texture of the Yochlols' figure, this extra opaque Game colour simply didn't take to its surface, so in the end I applied a couple of helpings of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

"Otherworld Miniatures" WIPs - These two Barrow Guardians are slowly being weathered

Once this had dried, I then re-applied the "Vallejo" Heavy Goldbrown once again, and subsequently shaded each 'handmaiden' with an old pot of "Citadel" Gryphonne Sepia. This seemed to pool really well amongst all the sculpts' soft details, and create precisely the yellow, oozy, effect I was after to suggest how their "bodies seemed to be constantly melting and piling back up like a sickening living candle." Later, I gave each miniature a rough dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Goldbrown and 'picked out' their eyes using a combination of Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

Sticking with "Dungeons & Dragons" denizens, I have made some more progress on two Barrow Guardians by "Otherworld Miniatures". These animated stone statues from their official "Barrowmaze" range, are slowly being weathered using a combination of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, Biel-Tan Green and Agrax Earthshades washes. Plus some patient dry-brushing with "Vallejo" Heavy Blue-Grey.

"Wizkids" WIPs - This 115mm x 160mm shield has been primed and partially shaded

I'm particularly pleased I've got these two figures to practice on as I'm also making some significant headway on my Walking Statue of Waterdeep: The Honorable Knight by "Wizkids", and plan to use precisely the same palette on that as my Barrow Guardians. Indeed, having finished priming the 300mm tall plastic model, I've put some time in undercoating his separately attached sword and shield, with the intention of actually finishing these 'smaller pieces' first before tackling the 'Big Yin' himself.

Weighing in at a whopping 115mm x 160mm in size, the shield in particular is proving rather difficult to handle and pigment simultaneously, at least without "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey" getting everywhere, as I'm having to hold some part of the piece's surface whenever I apply a brush to it. Resultantly, I'm doing both it and the sword in piecemeal stages, in the hope that I can then apply any tricks I pick up on the Knight's significantly larger plastic main torso.