(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge” [IV/IV] March 2026

Last month's output was a mixed bag of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Napoleonics

Thanks to a strong showing during the past four weeks, I'm pleased to say that I'm only 46 points short of beating my tally for last year's Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP), and resultantly only need to paint another ten 28mm scale miniatures which I started working on prior to last December. Much of this success has undoubtedly been due to my continuing love of "Wargames Foundry" and their Napoleonic range. But also to a very sudden interest in the original version of the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game (MESBG) by "Games Workshop" and a group of Hobbits' deadly encounter with lots of Uruk-hai at Parth Galen.  

Indeed, spurred on by this enthusiasm for Middle Earth I have already finished work on another 28mm scale Uruk-hai armed with a crossbow. Like a number of similarly equipped miniatures I currently have sat upon my hobby table, this particular metal "Games Workshop" figure had already been primed "Citadel" Abaddon Black from an earlier attempt to make it tabletop ready, so to begin with I just gave the model's armour and weapon/bolts a lick of "Scale 75" Decayed Metal, Thrash Metal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

 "We come to kill, by sun or moon."

I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red with a "Citadel” Devlan Mud wash onto the orc's flesh, and carefully applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade over the creature's shoes, loincloth, hair, gloves, straps, belt, pouches and crossbow. As a final step, I treated the brute’s knife sheath to a little “Vallejo” Heavy Brown and washed it with (more) “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade.

Alongside my personal challenge's final month, I thought I'd also participate in Angry Piper's Forced March challenge over on his blog "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging". This means that I'll be predominantly focusing upon getting at least one infantry (or cavalry) unit completed during the month - providing "its more than a one-model unit".

February 2026 - The year already seems to be shaping up into a battle between "Wargames Foundry" and "Games Workshop"

Currently I have a number of such units I want to get finished, not least of which would be a sizeable gathering of Uruk-hai - possibly for the old The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring mass-battle miniature wargame by "Games Workshop", so this new goal shouldn't really prove too problematic. In fact, my painting area is currently filled full of Napoleonic infantrymen, Alien Legionnaries, Beastmen and 3D prints which would adequately fit the bill if enough are pigmented.

As to whether or not something new might sneak up upon me as "The Lord Of The Rings" has, I cannot say. I have a number of one-off miniatures I would like to finally get finished - before they're probably stored away again in a box until next year's PPPP, and such diversions can invariably cause me to start wandering down yet another rabbit hole of wargaming which I hadn't anticipated venturing down before...

"You're Making Me Nervous, Wastelander."

"Back off now, or I will open fire."

This 28mm scale Power Armoured Trooper is sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a ten-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the "high-protection Power Armour" depicted in the "Fallout" post-apocalyptic role-playing video games, the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer.

However, as I wanted to use these particular figure with "Fallout: Factions" by "Modiphius Entertainment", and therefore needed it to be 42mm in height, I significantly upscaled the sculpt using "Chitubox" Basic by 122.74%. Furthermore, I decided to 3D print him out using medium supports - simply to ensure he survived any suction issues my resin vat might cause - and whilst such thick supports did cause a few indentations once removed, I felt they could easily be 'written off' as battle damage.

"I've got full authority to gun you down if you don't comply. Back off."

To make matters even more complicated though, I also wanted this particular survivor to be the flame-thrower carrying leader/champion of my Brotherhood Of Steel faction. This meant I had to go searching through my various bitz boxes to locate some suitable plastic parts from a couple of the numerous "Games Workshop" "Warhammer 40k" sprues I own, and then spend a good hour kit-bashing the Trooper together.

Once finished, the model was super-glued onto a 40mm circular plastic base, primed in "Scale75" Thrash Metal, shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Scale75" Thrash Metal. I then carefully 'picked out' all of his visible elbow, knee and shoulder joints, as well as the chap's breathing tubes with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before applying a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red" and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to his right shoulder-pad.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Frodo just needs his hair painted before being finished

Lastly, I sporadically applied some Extreme Rust Wash by "Mig Productions" to various parts of the soldier's heavy armour and 'thrown together' weapon to represent their poor, badly weathered condition, and then gave the entire ensemble a light dry-brush of (even more) "Scale75" Thrash Metal to help blend it all the different colours together - including his "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil rear-mounted fuel tanks.

With such a time-consuming project, I haven't really had much time to progress anything else apart from the old 28mm metal miniature of Frodo Baggins I recently became reacquainted with whilst rummaging through my backlog looking for something else. I believe that this wonderful little sculpt comes from "the original metal Fellowship of the Ring boxed set that "Games Workshop" released in 2001", and has rather surprisingly reignited a desire in me to play some more "Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game" in the near future...

“The Reason I Beat The Austrians Is..."

"...They did not know the value of five minutes."

This quartet of 28mm scale metal models are produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their AN002 German Infantry Marching set. The figures are four of eight identical Napoleonic Austrian infantrymen sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry found in the blister, and proved a little bit annoying due to a few casting flaws cropping up post priming.

The models were undercoated using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black base coat, before having their famous white jackets and trousers treated to a combination of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The infantrymen's collars, cuffs and waist-bands were then given a fine line of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and splash of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson - a uniform scheme which apparently suggests that the unit originated in either Budweis or Leitmeritz.

"If you start to take Vienna - Take Vienna."

I next decided to pigment all of their water bottle shoulder straps using a mixture of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Admittedly, according to my various pieces of reference material, this piece of leather was probably silver-grey in colour. But frankly I decided to use it for one of my many short-cuts, and simply picked it out to be the same colour as the hip-flask itself.

Lastly I applied a little "Vallejo" Gold over a Heavy Sienna base layer to the bottom of all the Austrian's sword scabbards, and their helmet plates. These areas were subsequently shaded with some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. In addition, I once again contemplated applying some "Vallejo" Gold to the underside of each fusilier's plume - something I hadn't done on my previously painted soldiers. However, this still struck me as an incredibly fiddly enterprise - particularly as I'd now need to go back and do it to the others - so I figured I'd just leave well enough alone.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - This Power Armoured Trooper has been heavily converted to carry a flamer

With another four Austrian infantrymen completed, I'm delighted to say that I've already finished my Napoleonic target for the month, and given my Coalition Army for "Black Powder" the option of fielding two tiny units of Francis I of Austria's fusiliers, or a much more likely single, small (eight-figure) unit. I do also own blister AN014 Late German Infantry Marching which I would like to get tabletop ready at some point this year. So plan to employ all of the 'dodges' I learnt from this set with them too - as essentially its exactly the same figure, just wearing different headgear.

Despite recently spending many a precious hobby hour on my Napoleonic miniatures, I have still managed to convert one of my remaining upscaled 3D prints of a Power Armoured Trooper by "Big Mr Tong" for "Fallout: Factions", and slap some early base layers on the 42mm tall brute too. This chap will be the Leader/Champion of my Brotherhood of Steel squad, and has had his laser rifle upgraded to a flamer using a few plastic parts taken from some "Games Workshop" Warhammer 40k sprues...

"The Brotherhood Of Steel Is A Post-War Technology-Focused Paramilitary Order..."

"...With chapters operating across the territory of the former United States of America."

These three 28mm scale Power Armoured Troopers are sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a ten-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the Brotherhood of Steel's "high-protection Power Armour" as depicted in the "Fallout" franchise, the trio of miniatures were produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer.

However, as I wanted to use these particular figures with "Fallout: Factions" by "Modiphius Entertainment", I decided to significantly upscale the sculpts using "Chitubox" Basic. Ordinarily this meant simply enlarging the models to be approximately 32mm in height by making them 108.41% bigger. Something I repeatedly refer to as 'Arnie size' - using the eye-level and dimensions of the Colonist Marine Cyborg Hero E-900 Exterminator STL by "Papsikels Miniatures" as a guide.' However, as these miniatures had slotta tabs, and should be a good head taller than normal folk, I had to be a bit more creative in my mathematics.

"It was founded by rogue U.S. Army officer Captain Roger Maxson shortly after the Great War."

Fortunately, "Modiphius Entertainment" do provide a height chart on their website for many of their "Fallout" figures, so I was easily able to ascertain the Brotherhood Of Steel should be 42mm tall. Taking into account the size of each model's slotta tab, this meant I needed to upscale each isolationist up to a total of 45.10mm or rather by 122.74%. In addition, I decided to 3D print them out using medium supports - simply to ensure they survived any suction issues my resin vat might cause - and whilst such thick supports did cause a few pockmarks on the odd miniature once removed, I figured they could easily be 'written off' as dents in their armour.

Once super-glued upon 40mm circular plastic bases, each model was undercoated in "Scale75" Thrash Metal, shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Scale75" Thrash Metal. I then carefully 'picked out' all of their visible elbow, knee and shoulder joints, as well as their breathing tubes with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Lastly, I sporadically applied some Extreme Rust Wash by "Mig Productions" to various parts of each soldier's heavy armour to represent its weathered condition, and gave their laser rifles a good few more sploshes of "Citadel" Nuln Oil to truly darken them down.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two of the Voltigeurs in Greatcoat Marching on my painting desk

With "Fallout: Factions" in mind, these three completed miniatures will form the core of my 250-point Brotherhood Of Steel squad - as they'll be used to represent some simple Knights (Grunts) at 60 points each. However, I still need to field a Paladin (Leader/Champion) to finish the group off, so intend to convert one of my remaining 3D prints to carry a flamer using plastic parts taken from some old "Games Workshop" Warhammer 40k sprues. Currently, I only own the "Fallout: Factions - Welcome To Nuka-World!" quickstart rules. So I won't be using the full rules for my early playthroughs. But they should suffice to let me get a good feel for the flow of the game. 

Having obviously spent a fair amount of my recent hobby time focusing upon "Fallout", I am pleased to say though that I still haven't lost focus on my current Napoleonic Black Powder long-term project, and have actually begun the painstaking task of supplying my Grande Armée with some much-needed reinforcements - initially a tiny unit of four Voltigeurs In Greatcoat Marching by "Wargames Foundry". This should then be followed by another quartet of Late Fusiliers In Greatcoats And Assorted Headgear Marching to make that a small unit (of eight figures), before settling down to pigment a handful of Light Infantry Carabiniers In Campaign Dress And Colpacks Marching...

"Of All Of The Small Winged-Fairies..."

"...Pixies are the most frequently encountered."

This 28mm scale metal miniature of a Pixie is sold by “North Star Military Figures", and is one of the five models which can be found inside their blister TSB022 - Pixies for The Silver Bayonet. I recently picked this set up whilst at "Warfare 2025", as they feature in the original rulebook's bestiary, and I'm rather keen to own figures (in some fashion or another) for all the monsters it covers.

The tiny, mischievous sprite was primed using "Vallejo" Beasty Brown, and had its leggings shaded with a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The little prankster's top was then treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Both the trousers and top were subsequently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Beasty Brown or Heavy Red as appropriate.

"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue."

The miniature's flesh was patiently picked out in "Vallejo" Escorpena Green and sploshed with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. Whilst its gnome-like hat was simply given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue, washed in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue. At this stage I was also "umming and ahing" as to whether to give the wee fellow a white beard, eyebrows and hair curl as per the 'official' paint-job, or simply leave these details with just a covering of "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

The model's wings actually gave me a bit of a pause for thought, as originally I was thinking about using one of my Scale Color Metallic pigments by "Scale75" on them. However, in the end I decided that I'd just give them a coat of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, douse them in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later dry-brush the areas with (more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats". This very straightforward approach appears to have turned out rather well, and gave me an excuse to keep the Pixie's facial hair plain black so it didn't clash with its supposedly gossamer wings.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - These Power Armoured Troopers have been base-layered and shaded

In addition to the first of my unhelpful fairies I have also completed a fifth 28mm scale metal model from the “Wargames Foundry" pack FN054 - Light Infantry Chasseurs Advancing. This Napoleonic Frenchmen was predominantly pigmented using "Vallejo" Heavy Blue, "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and is hopefully the first of four identical sculpts I plan to use so as to double my French force's skirmisher line.

Lastly, I've made a bit more progress on my five freshly 3D printed Power Armoured Troopers by "Big Mr Tong". These somewhat upscaled STL (Standard Triangle Language) files have been based-coated in "Scale75" Thrash Metal and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil in order to help me better see all the details of the sculpts - as well as remove the odd support I missed having removed them from my resin vat. And stand approximately 42mm tall so they 'fit in' with the official figures produced by "Modiphius Entertainment" for "Fallout: Wasteland Warfare"...

"Bah! Everywhere It Is The Same!"

"I live in a world too small for me!"

This 40mm scale model of Benjamin Jacob "Ben" Grimm was produced by "CoolMiniOrNot", and was released during the company's highly successful April 2021 Kickstarter for "Marvel United: X-Men" when it achieved an incredible $5,988,089 in funding. Based upon Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's human mutate for "Marvel Comics", the figure can be found inside the boardgame's "Fantastic Four" expansion set.

Produced in a light blue hard plastic, the Thing was primed using a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. His "flexible, rock-like hide" was then patiently dry-brushed using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone in order to really pick out all of the super-hero's chitinous plates.

"Saucerman Studios" WIPs - This Concrete Defence Wall is almost finished

Admittedly, this didn't make Ben look as orange as he has been depicted in the comic books. However, having previously pigmented a 28mm plastic "Heroclix" model of Aunt Petunia's favourite nephew almost twelve years ago - predominantly using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Orange and some rather uncontrollable Umber Shade, I wanted Grimm to look much more earth-coloured on this occasion.

As a penultimate step I applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Blue to the miniature's shorts, shaded this area with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and later carefully dry-brushed the clothing with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue. Lastly, I 'picked out' the exceptionally skilled pilot's eyes and mouth with some White Star by "Two Thin Coats", and applied a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to help better show his individual teeth.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - These three Power Armoured Troopers have been primed and base-coated

With my latest "CoolMiniOrNot" figure finished, and now ready for some games of the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game, I have also found the time to make some progress on a second, and significantly longer, Concrete Defence Wall by "Saucermen Studios" for my Trench Crusade tabletop. I've actually now produced a few barricades from this set using "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on my A1 Mini 3D Printer, so hope to work my way through them all as the weeks go by.

I've also found the time to upscale five Power Armoured Troopers by "Big Mr Tong" on "Citubox" Basic in order to sate a sudden interest in "Fallout" - which has largely been caused by the PC Game "Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7" currently running an event to tie-in with the American post-apocalyptic drama television series. Created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer, these models are now 42mm in height, so as to match the size of the 'official' Brotherhood of Steel models produced by "Modiphius Entertainment" for "Fallout: Wasteland Warfare"...

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2023 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

Having purchased an "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer just before 2023 began, I was utterly convinced that over the course of the year my usual source of miniature manufacturers were going to be wholly replaced by the various “Patreon” service memberships I subscribed to. Initially, that was the case too, as in my enthusiasm for the 'new technology' I both bought a veritable army of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files, and produced an almost endless array of grey, "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin models with which to litter my painting area.

Intriguingly though, despite this strong early showing, I increasingly found myself returning to the physical heft of metal miniatures, and even started buying from many of my mainstay manufacturers once again. Admittedly, this surprising development did not cause me to completely turn my back upon all the 3D sculpted science fiction oddities and the fantasy-based denizens of dungeons I owned. But it definitely lead to a noticeable slow down in my painting of the 'grey wave' I was creating, in favour of numerous metal and plastic models - with many being historically based...

No. 10 - "Steel Fist Miniatures" - "Italian Wars"

I must confess to this being one of my most disappointing projects of the year, considering just how much enthusiasm I had for it when I purchased my initial ten Foot Knights from "Steel Fist Miniatures". I had never had an interest in the Italian Wars before, but having watched a few "YouTube" videos on the subject, and bought "Fornovo 1495: France's bloody fighting retreat" by "Osprey Publishing", I was 'well in the mood'. Sadly, an incorrect order, an all-too easily broken figure, numerous assembly issues with the multi-piece metal models, a delayed second order, and then the website's temporary closure (admittedly due to illness), utterly sapped any drive I had to finish even two five-men strong forces.

No. 10 - "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" - "7TV  Second Edition"

Perhaps one of the biggest shocks of 2023 was just how pitifully few figures I pigmented from Karl Perrotton's company. The wonderful mixture of spy-fi, science fiction and fantasy miniatures which the Lincolnshire-based business produces has made it my favourite model manufacturer for the past two years running. However, for the first nine months of this year, I clearly got my usual fix of "space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life" from other avenues - predominantly 3D printed STL files based upon such classic franchises as "Doctor Who", "Alien", "Robo-Cop" and "Terminator".

No. 9 - "CoolMiniOrNot" - "Zombicide"

Despite owning more versions, expansion boxes and hard-backed scenario books of the cooperative boardgame "Zombicide" than I probably care to consider, I had never really settled down to purposely painting a batch of them until the arrival of Marvel Zombies. Spurred on by a deep-interest in comic book super-heroes, and an increasing disinterest in my once-popular range of "Heroclix" meta-humans, I suddenly found myself pigmenting a handful of plastic figures - in both their survivor and undead states.

No. 8 - "Battlefront Miniatures" - "Flames Of War"

Having previously painted quite a sizeable contingent of 15mm scale German Panzer-grenadiers, heavy machinegun teams and mortar units in the past, it seemed clear that my infantry would require some much needed armour/artillery if they were to succeed on the battlefields of World War Two. However, despite giving all of my Panzer tanks a rather basic dark grey palette, much of this initial enthusiasm was eventually watered-down by a lack of both games, and the time-consuming camouflage pattern I developed for my 7.5cm Tank-Hunter Platoon.

No. 7 - "Black Tree Design" - "Doctor Who"

Whilst the modern day interpretation of the "British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC" caused me to lose all interest in the actual show, I did find myself (once again) seeking some comfort in this company's somewhat clunky sculpts of the programme's Classic era - most notably the early days of actor Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Third Doctor. Resultantly, I found myself pigmenting a Martian delegate from the Galactic Federation, a plethora of boiler-suit wearing Autons, and even a trio of long-forgotten Quarks which had been sat gathering dust on my hobby table for longer than I care to recall.

No. 6 - "Wargames Foundry" - "Napoleonic Range"

I have always wanted to own enough 28mm Napoleonic figures to be able to have a decent game of Black Powder or some-such rule-set, and this was the year I decided to finally try to make it happen. Of course, this is going to be a long-term project. But having made some decisions regarding just how much detail I was going to paint on my colourfully-costumed collection, I got a good handful of British, French and Russian infantrymen finished - plus even managed to visit the company's shop in Newark.

No. 5 - "Games Workshop" - "The Lord Of The Rings" & "The Horus Heresy"

Being one of my mainstay manufacturers over the years, I definitely didn't get anywhere near as many "Citadel" miniatures tabletop ready as I had anticipated for this twelve month period. Much of this unproductiveness was due to the sheer number of Sons of Horus traitor marines required for even a simple game of Warhammer 30,000 eventually grinding me down, and if not for a renewed interest in their Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game (or at least painting the predominantly black Ring Wraiths) it's arguably doubtful that the studio would even feature on this list.

No. 4 - "Big Mr Tong" - "Dune"

With my 3D printing skills rapidly improving, I quickly found myself producing a seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of Mike Tongue's small-sized 28mm miniatures. Sadly many of these models went straight into a plastic container for a forthcoming 'rainy day'. But some, such as his marvellous Sardaukar sculpts, went straight onto my painting table, and enabled me to eventually field an impressive fifteen-figure strong unit of the Padishah Emperor's elite military force. Coupled with some (more) Sentry Robots inspired by "The Black Hole", as well as a giant automaton from "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", and I was extremely happy paying out for my Patreon membership with "Big Mr Tong".

No. 3 - "Warlord Games" - "American Civil War"

With hindsight, it is incredible that I managed to paint so many of this Nottingham-based company's 15mm scale plastic figures, as I absolutely hated putting a brush-tip to the seemingly never-ending, fiddly lines of infantrymen. Indeed, by the time I completed all the models found on the free sprue I received with Issue 397 of "Wargames Illustrated", I had almost had enough of the range - and that was despite playing a few games of Black Powder with them at my local wargaming club.

No. 2 - "Pendraken Miniatures" - "World War Two"

There can be no doubt in my mind that this was a bit of shocker, as before March I had little interest in resurrecting my long-forgotten 10mm Battle Of The Bulge project. A chance encounter with a bag containing half a dozen Sherman tanks completely changed all that, and before I knew it I was not only pigmenting the sizeable backlog of armoured vehicles I already owned, but buying numerous new ones from "Pendraken Miniatures" - both online and in person at shows. Furthermore, I started collecting and gaming the fictious Operation Sea Lion, which overall caused me to produce a whopping 42 armoured vehicles throughout the year.

No. 1 - "Papsikels Miniatures" - "Aliens" & "The Terminator"

Quite possibly, considering my love of both science fiction movie franchises and 3D printing, this particular creator was always going to be a tough act to beat. In fact, for a while, my utter infatuation with their STL files was close to stopping me buying any more physical figures ever again, and whilst I still visited a few wargaming shows, I was always offsetting the cost of metal/plastic models against the price of just one bottle of "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin and how many "Papsikels Miniatures" I could produce using it.

"A Terrible Menace Is Afoot."

 "A foot. Get it..?"

This 32mm scale plastic model of 'The Foot' is produced by “CoolMiniOrNot” as part of their Monty Python's Flying Circus expansion for "Zombicide". An impressive 80mm in length, and 60mm tall, the miniature was sculpted by "Big Child Creatives" and represents Cupid's Foot from the title sequence of the 1969 "British surreal sketch comedy series." 

"A constant threat hanging over the Survivors' heads", the boardgame piece was primed using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Leather Brown and Heavy Skintone, before being completely plastered in (pure) Heavy Skintone. It was then drowned in "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and thoroughly dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone.

"The robot protects Sheeta from the army and destroys the fortress with its weapons."

The toenails and protruding leg bone were both originally 'picked out' with some White Star by "Two Thin Coats", and darkened down using some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and Carroburg Crimson respectively. Finally, both were slightly lightened back up with a careful dry-brush of (more) "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and given a cheeky glaze of heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade or Carroburg Crimson as appropriate.

Alongside the Foot, I have also finished a third 28mm scale Laputian Robot Trooper crafted by "Big Mr Tong" and downloaded for free as part of a five-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the giant mechanical bodyguards depicted in Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - The Spanish Inquisition have been primed "Vallejo" Heavy Red

The figure was first undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Leather Brown and Heavy Sienna, before being coated in Decayed Metal by "Scale 75". It was then drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Scale 75" Decayed Metal. Furthermore, its face plate was treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Brass and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, whilst the Laputian royal family crest on its chest was singled out with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

Lastly, I have started priming the three members of the Spanish Inquisition also found inside the Monty Python’s Flying Circus boxed set. Heavily based upon the likenesses of actors Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, this "dastardly" trio should provide something of a welcome contrast to the predominantly black-coloured quartet of Silly Walkers I've recently started working on...

"When Not Tending To The Needs Of The Laputian Family..."

"...The robots are in charge of maintaining Laputa."

This 28mm scale Laputian Robot Trooper was sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a five-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the giant mechanical bodyguards depicted in Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

"Constructed out of an extremely strong, dark armour", the 107mm tall figure was primed in a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Leather Brown and Heavy Sienna, before being coated in Decayed Metal by "Scale 75". It was then drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Scale 75" Decayed Metal. Furthermore, its face plate was treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Brass and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - This Foot just needs some washes and a final dry-brush

Lastly, the Heavenly Trooper's crest of the Laputian royal family was patiently picked out with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red and shaded with a dollop of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. This is actually one of two "Big Mr Tong" 3D prints I started working on for Angry Piper's annual "Monster May(hem)" event, so I'm planning on getting the other super-tall automaton finished over the next few days.

Alongside my latest Laputian Robot Trooper I have also 'broken the back' of the giant plastic Foot found inside Monty Python’s Flying Circus for Zombicide 2nd Edition. This rather impressive sculpt by "CoolMiniOrNot" has proved quite a nice, straightforward painting project, and definitely helped me rekindle the flagging flame I've had for the hobby in recent weeks - even if I'd have preferred the top of the miniature to have been slightly hollowed out as opposed to having a piece of the leg-bone sticking out.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - These Silly Walkers have been undercoated and dry-brushed

I've also made a little progress on the expansion box's quartet of suited Silly Walkers. I was initially contemplating working on these wonderfully humorous figures as a single batch. But have since changed my mind, and will instead simply tackle them one at a time - using the first model as a test piece for the predominantly black palette I've chosen.

This option will also provide me with an opportunity to throw something else 'into the mix' should the urge take me, and resultantly keep my enthusiasm for the project fresh. Indeed, I've already gritted the bases on several more of the models from the Monty Python’s Flying Circus expansion, including a certain dead pet bird with a curved beak and clawed feet...

"Well... Not Bad!"

"At least the mask should spare me any personal embarrassment."

This 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of Monica Rambeau was produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 210 from their Marvel “Heroclix” Sinister range. Able to convert her body mass into any form of energy of the electromagnetic spectrum, Captain Marvel was created by Roger Stern, John Romita Junior for the August 1982 Annual of "Amazing Spider-Man" by "Marvel Comics".

Mercilessly clipped from the figure's 'clicky' base and super-glued upon a plastic 25mm circular base, the harbor patrol officer was given a couple of licks of "Vallejo" White and splash of some heavily watered-down of Carchardon Grey by Two Thin Coats”. She was then enthusiastically dry-brushed with "Two Thin Coats" White Star, before having her black leggings and hair 'picked out' with "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - This Laputian Robot Trooper has been primed, base-layered and shaded

I also attempted to apply a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to her lower face, as well as give the Avenger's former chairwoman some eyes with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black. However, despite trying to make my acrylic coats thin, the figure's thick pre-paint job had already decimated any trace of detail on the super-hero's head; including her eye sockets. Indeed, to my alarm I actually noticed some of my layers starting to crack and flake over the top of the model's original goopy pigmentation.

I therefore decided to simply leave well enough alone, and focus upon placing a small black star from US-112 US Armour Stars w/Stencilled & Solid Circles by "Decal Details" on Monica's chest. This wasn't quite the emblem Captain Marvel usually sported. But I hoped due to the sculpt's overshadowing pose, that it would suffice - and that perhaps at some point in the future I might attempt to improve upon it with a few thin lines of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Disappointingly though, there was no way I could apply the transfer in the right place without it disintegrating, so for the second time I gave up upon a notion for Monica's miniature in order to retain my sanity.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - These Space Marines have been primed and shaded

Overall, this has to be one of the most frustrating models I've ever put my brush-tip too, and having initially been seen as a 'quick win' to help get my hobby mojo back, has actually turned out to have caused me to lose even more enthusiasm. If I can source a second copy of the miniature I may well try again at some point, as Rambeau is one of my favourite comic book characters from the Eighties, even if the New York City-based publisher has desperately attempted to retcon her origin story so as to better suit her modern-day exploits as the woeful Photon.

Thankfully, my aforementioned trials and tribulations haven't completed eradicated my hobby time, as I have made some progress on a pair of 28mm scale Laputian Robot Troopers by "Big Mr Tong". Furthermore, I've found a little time to dilly-dally with some more Sons Of Horus Space Marines by "Games Workshop" for my Horus Heresy traitor's legion...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - Monster May(hem) 2024

'A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, and mythology.'

As I'm currently struggling with my hobby mojo somewhat, I felt it might be prudent to forgo trying to focus upon one (or two) specific manufacturers this month, and simply join the colossal carnage which is the Angry Piper's annual "Monster May(hem)" challenge over on his marvellously titled "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. This will hopefully help recharge my ailing batteries and potentially make some big circular base-shaped holes on my painting table.

In addition, the move may jump-start my flagging interest in 3D printing, which has perhaps unsurprisingly stalled on account of all the STL (Standard Triangle Language) files I currently collect monthly from the various subscription services I support on both "Patreon" and "Tribes". Obviously as mere digital sculpts my backlog is effectively 'out of sight and out of mind' - at least until I visit my library on "MyMiniFactory". But I also have a few boxes stacked full of grey-coloured cured resin ready for a lick from my brush-tip as well - a visible deterrent if ever there was one for producing anything more.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - This Laputian Robot Trooper has been primed, base-layered and shaded

As a result I have already hooked out a few big beasties to pigment over the next four weeks. The rules for the challenge are quite simple in that "any monster will do", regardless of it being a non-fantasy figure or sized at any particular scale. To begin with I therefore thought I might see how quickly I can progress a couple more 28mm scale Laputian Robot Troopers by "Big Mr Tong". I first printed/painted one of these mechanical monstrosities back in November 2023, and have frankly been itching to get some more tabletop ready ever since.

I actually own various variants of the giant automatons which featured in Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", so certainly wouldn't be adverse to working my through the rest of the range if, in the long run, it actually helps build up my motivation to chip away at my perilously tall pile of potential. Likewise, I have a thriving menagerie of creatures previously produced from the STL stalls of "Artisan Guild" and "Titan Forge Miniatures", which I aim to at least pick away at whenever the fancy takes me too.

April 2024 - "Black Tree Design" continues to dominant due to my interest in "Doctor Who"

To be fair April has traditionally always been a time of low productivity in my personal hobbying, as I've usually only just come off the back of a tiring three-month battle to attain my target tally in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). However, as I left that event much earlier than usual this time round, I had hoped that there might have been a bit more air still left in my sails to finally finish off a few long-lingering projects, or at least get a couple more Napoleonics completed.

As for the future I don't sadly see anything particularly grabbing my attention and sending me into a furious paint-brush wielding frenzy. I have rather naughtily picked up some reinforcements for my "Horus Heresy" army, as well as a few more miniatures from the seemingly relentless figure factory known as "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". But all these models have been 'safely packed away' so they don't impinge upon the long line of "Games Workshop" and "7TV" inspired miniatures I already have snaking their way across my hobby table.

"The Laputian Robot Troopers Are Primitive Automatons."

"The first robot seen in the film is revealed to have fallen from Laputa, which is found by the military."

This 28mm scale Laputian Robot Trooper was sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a five-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the giant mechanical bodyguards depicted in Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

Designed to "protect and serve the Laputian royal bloodline at all costs", the 107mm tall figure was initially undercoated in a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Leather Brown and Heavy Sienna, before being base-layered in Decayed Metal by "Scale 75". It was then mercilessly drowned in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and brusquely dry-brushed with (more) "Scale 75" Decayed Metal so as to highlight its "extremely strong, dark armour." I also took the opportunity to 'pick out' its "bean-shaped" face plate with a combination of "Vallejo" Brass and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - This Zombie Hulk still needs a tidy up and his base finishing

Finally, the Heavenly Trooper's crest of the Laputian royal family was dabbed in "Vallejo" Heavy Red and washed with a tiny amount of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Having completed the test piece for this force, I may well now work on the printing supports for the remaining four STL files in "Chitubox" Basic, so I can 'field' a five-figure strong squad for my ongoing Robot Space Wars project using many of the other automaton-based miniatures released by "Big Mr Tong".

Alongside my Laputian Robot, I've also managed to make more progress on my Zombie Hulk by "CoolMiniOrNot". Originally, I had rather naively planned on haphazardly pigmenting my way through the "Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game" core box until I had four finished super-heroes, a few Zombie Heroes (!?!), and some bystanders to rescue. However, as it turns out, the rules for playing the non-undead metahumans are actually contained in the "Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance" expansion, so my aspirations have somewhat changed to accommodate some of the plastic models from that box too.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two Russian soldiers, a French Chasseur and British Rifleman

Disconcertingly though, considering that the base set contains a whopping eighty-seven 28mm miniatures on its own, this move somewhat significantly raises the overall figure count of the project - especially as I actually own all the cooperative board game's Kickstarter exclusive miniatures too, and will doubtless fancy slipping the odd one or ten into my already overcrowded painting schedule from time to time. Resultantly, I'm simply going to try to stick to just four heroes, an equal number of zombie foes and bystanders, as well as a smattering of the game's basic walking dead. This should give me enough to play a series of small scenarios in the new year, and additionally encourage me to apply my brush-tip to even more of the comic book characters as my campaign continues.

Luckily, my current obsession with "Zombicide" has not completely eroded my enthusiasm for my long-running Napoleonic Wars project, and I've still made some noticeable in-roads on my current quartet of "Wargames Foundry" miniatures over the past few days. I've obviously got quite a bit of work left to do on the two Russian infantrymen. But I'm pretty sure a focused session or two should see the British and French troopers 'tabletop' ready - which is lucky really as I have a load of models taken from blister FN103 - Grenadiers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoat Marching now based, ready to be added to the Emperor's Grande Armée... 

"It’s The Rockbrow Squig Klonk!"

"Being repeatedly battered over the head is the only source of relief for this little beast."

This 28mm scale multi-part plastic model of "the legendary Anvil Squig" is produced by "Games Workshop", and can be found inside their Orruk Warclans: Zoggrok Anvilsmasha kit for "Age Of Sigmar". The "simplest form of Greenskin life" was reasonably simple to assemble, but I did decide to place mine upon a larger "Citadel" circular base as I felt the 25mm round stand which accompanied it was far too small.

The miniature was initially primed with two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, drowned in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. I then patiently picked out all its prominent scales using a couple of applications of slightly watered-down "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before dry-brushing it's hardened brow with some "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and sploshing it with "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - This Laputian Robot has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

The crotchety critter's large teeth were simply 'picked out' using a combination of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst the figure's tail-collar was pigmented with a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, I dotted Klonk's super-tiny eyes with a dab or two of Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats".

With my first "Age Of Sigmar" model finished in four years, I have rather impulsively 3D-printed a giant Laputian Robot Trooper by "Big Mr Tong", which has been inspired by the "primitive automatons that appear in the Studio Ghibli film Laputa: Castle in the Sky." The sculptor has actually produced the Heavenly Trooper in a variety of poses, so I may well work on a handful more at some point in the future - as the basic STL (Standard Triangle Language) file is easy enough to support using "Chitubox" Basic despite its intimidating size.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two Russian soldiers, a French Chasseur and British Rifleman

Lastly, I've managed to make some more progress on my current Napoleonic Wars project by 'nibbling away' at a quartet of miniatures by "Wargames Foundry". The plan is to 'soldier through' my backlog of Russian, British and French troopers in a somewhat piecemeal fashion, whilst working on other subjects. But once one of the figures is close to completion then I'll focus upon it until its done, and subsequently add a fresh infantryman to the 'fab foursome.'

For now though, I've managed to just get some basic "Citadel" Abaddon Black base-coats on my two Russians in oilskin covered shakos - which has caused me to consider priming them black in future rather than "Vallejo" Heavy Brown - and some of the numerous straps upon the Rifleman and Chasseur. Hopefully, this process will help make the sheer mountain of 28mm metal models I require for this five-year Black Powder plan far less intimidating; something which has definitely put me off in the past when I've tried to tackle the subject using "Warlord Games", "Perry Miniatures" and "Victrix Miniatures" boxed sets.

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2022 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

Without a doubt the biggest change to my hobby during these twelve months has undoubtedly been the arrival of an "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and my subsequent subscription to various “Patreon” service memberships. Indeed, my desire to print/paint the increasingly numerous STL (Standard Triangle Language) files which I own has completely changed my attitude towards both online buying from non-digital manufacturers and those selling their wares (whether it be plastic, resin or metal) at wargaming shows.

However, whilst this somewhat alarming transformation to my hobby habits has undoubtedly caused a few ripples to the companies I ordinarily turn to for my tabletop goodness, the relative lateness of my introduction to the likes of “Big Mr Tong” and “C27 Studio” haven’t been anywhere near as impactive as I feel they are going to be in 2023. Furthermore, I still have a number of painting projects ‘on the go’ which very much rely upon the sculpts of “Games Workshop”, “Battlefront Miniatures” and “North Star Military Figures” to keep them going. So, I’m pretty confident that the future will not become entirely obsessed with "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin produced models…

No. 10 - "Catalyst Game Labs" - "Battletech"

Whilst I disappointingly pigmented many more infantrymen than mechs from this vast range than I had intended, as well as failed to start the Weird War Two campaign I had planned using some homemade card-based rules, I was still somewhat pleased to at least make a small dent in my embarrassingly large collection of these 1:285 scale plastic models. Furthermore, alongside my French, German and Polish walkers, I also managed to rebase, if not prime and shade, some of the other giant armoured vehicles I own, which should hopefully encourage me to maintain an interest in this project for many moons to come.

No. 9 – “North Star Military Figures” – “Gaslands”

Despite me having no actual interest in playing Mike Hutchinson’s popular ruleset “Gaslands” or even his subsequent “ultimate Director’s Cut”, I did quite suddenly develop an unhealthy interest in “car-on-car destruction in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.” Admittedly, much of this enthusiasm was actually based upon a highly disquieting and somewhat short-lived obsession with the “Hot Wheels” toy vehicle range by “Mattel”. But it did cause me to build (and even convert) four 20mm plastic Motorcyclist kits from the Implements of Carnage One sprue by “North Star Military Figures”.

No. 8 – “Alternative Armies” – “The Ion Age”

Fuelled by playing more battles within a two-day period than I can fully recollect, this range of 15mm science-fiction figures was arguably always going to receive some attention during the year. However, it actually wasn’t until I got hold of some "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green paint that I finally started working on some ‘reinforcements’, and then I didn’t just stop at pigmenting Retained Knights. But also, a hefty resin Battle Taxi, even heavier metal Havelock Type 57 Battlesuit and a special edition Witch Knight.

No. 7 – “Twisted Pinnacle 3D” – “Sentry Robots”

With Walt Disney’s 1979 science fiction film “The Black Hole” being one of my favourite movies of all-time, there probably was little doubt I was going to pick up a bag of these awesome resin robots when I first saw them on “Etsy”. However, having received them a little worse for wear from their postal journey, and identified that their sculptor, Mike Tongue, ran his own Patreon subscription service, I used these terrific figures as motivation to help spur me on to purchasing my own 3D printer.

No. 6 – “Big Mr Tong” – “Cybermen”

By far my most popular supplier of STL files on Patreon for this particular period by tapping into my love of all things “Doctor Who”, this range of 28mm scale resin miniatures kept my 3D printer incredibly busy during its first few months, and also helped me to better understand the usefulness of supporting models using “Chitubox” Basic. Disappointingly, my plans for a large campaign featuring many of the different factions Mike Tongue has sculpted never disappointingly materialised, despite my completing a sizeable squad of Cybermen.

No. 5 – “Battlefront Miniatures” – “Flames Of War”

Despite not actually finishing my planned 50-point strong German D-Day I did end up pigmenting an impressive number of “Battlefront Miniatures” 15mm infantrymen – whether they be part of several MG34 and K98 Rifle Teams or a quartet of sMG34 Machine-Gun Teams. To be honest though I badly underestimated just how many figures I needed to finish in order to field two full-strength Panzergrenadier Platoons, and over time this fatigue caused my enthusiasm for the project to trail off quite dramatically.

No. 4 – “Encounter Terrain/Splunjohnny” – “Doctor Who”

Initially, these cartoon-like sculpts by Splunjohnny looked set to snap me out of a “Doctor Who” funk which had somewhat plagued me since “Warlord Games” seemingly stopped caring about releasing any new miniatures for their officially licenced tabletop game “Exterminate!” Sure, I had to reply upon “Encounter Terrain” to 3D print my models in 40mm scale and at a tenner a piece this was making my quite sizeable forces of Zygons and Cybermen a tad expensive. But I thought they looked incredible and were definitely enjoyable to put a brush-tip to – At least until I bought my own printer and discovered how devilishly difficult it was going to be to produce the marvellous figures at precisely the same size as Jo Levin’s company did.

No. 3 – “Warlord Games” – “Black Powder Epic Battles: American Civil War”

Having previously only dabbled with the American Civil War thanks to an ill-advised impulse purchase of some 15mm metal Union figures by “Peter Pig”, I genuinely saw this plastic product by “Warlord Games” as an easily accessible entry into some seriously large-scale battles featuring rifles, horse and cannon. Disappointingly though, I soon realised that my painting technique/style simply did not work well on the ten-man strips of miniatures. Indeed, I repeatedly found myself yearning for the ‘tiny terrors’ to be individual infantrymen, as I felt that would help alleviate some of the inaccessibility issues I was having with the soldiers’ fine detail, and resultantly speed up my entire process.

No. 2 – “Games Workshop” – “The Horus Heresy” and “Epic”

Quite possibly one of my most consistent manufacturing mainstays, I initially thought that the majority of my “Games Workshop” models for this period were going to come from the Nottingham-based company’s long Out of Production (OOP) Epic range, as opposed to any of their newer lines. But that mentality eventually changed when I acquired their Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set and began ‘grinding out’ a plethora of Sons of Horus tactical space marines. Sprinkle in some old school Blood Bowl dwarves, as well as a couple of characters from their Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, and I was clearly greatly enamoured with the former “bedroom mail-order company” all year round.

No. 1 – “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” – “7TV Second Edition”

Featuring a veritable mishmash of post-apocalyptic creatures, space age androids and future assassins, I repeatedly dipped into my backlog of Karl Perrotton’s marvellous metal figures throughout the past twelve months. Initially, I seemed set to finally polish off a number of Simian Minions I’ve had lurking around my hobby table for more years than I care to remember. Yet, having then been distracted by some the company’s large resin miniatures for a couple of months, I eventually started slowly working my way through the numerous late Jim Bowen sculpts “Crooked Dice” re-released (via a highly successful Kickstarter) as part of their classic Near Future and Cyberpunk Corporate Wars range.