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.

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.

"I Didn't Know You Were The Sundance Kid When I Said You Were Cheating."

 "If I draw on you you'll kill me."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Great Escape Games", and can be purchased as part of their DMH306 Butch & Sundance two-figure set for Dead Man's Hand. The sculpt is clearly strongly influenced by actor Robert Redford's portrayal of the Sundance Kid in the 1969 Western "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", and depicts the outlaw's famous pose during his fatal shoot-out with the Bolivian Army.

Being rather ignorant of casting issues and concerns, I must admit to being rather surprised that this miniature came in two pieces. But a quick dab of super-glue soon seemingly fixed one of the gunslinger's arms in place, so the entire ensemble could be primed using a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. At this stage I also noticed that one of the bank robber's pistols was mis-cast and missing its barrel. However, I figured there was still enough of the hand-weapon for such a flaw to be overlooked on the gaming table.

"Exterminate. Exterminate!"

The Sundance Kid was dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then began the process of 'picking out' all of his details, using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on his vest, and "Vallejo" Heavy Warmgrey with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson" for his shirt. I also carefully traced out the outlaw's holster string (tied around his leg) with a thin line of White Star by "Two Thin Coats", and later weathered the string with a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

The train thief's guns and buttons were subsequently coated in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before I tackled his hair and moustache primarily with Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats". These areas were darkened down with a careful application of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and then highlighted with a patient dry-brush of (more) "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow. As a final touch I decided to make the gunslinger's shoes and holster stand out a bit more from his all-black suit, by simply giving them a lick of pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This Sons of Horus Space Marine just needs a final touch-up

In addition to the Sundance Kid, I have also finished working on another 28mm metal, multi-part Dalek by "Black Tree Design". Available as either DW303 - Dalek, or as part of their DW1001 - Dalek Patrol Plus Heavy Weapons Dalek set, the "Doctor Who" monster was predominantly painted using Citadel Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and Celestial Blue by "Two Thin Coats".

I've also managed to find a little more hobby time to plod on with the last of my Sons of Horus Space Marines by "Games Workshop". All of the main colours have now been 'blocked in' and in some places, even highlighted. However, I now need to carefully tidy my way up the 28mm plastic figure, ensuring that all its MK IV armour is finished, and any stray brushstrokes of "Vallejo" Gold or "Citadel" Abaddon Black are covered over...

"Pity? I Have No Understanding Of The Word."

"It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. Exterminate!"

This 28mm metal, multi-part model of a Kaled Mark Three travel machine is manufactured by "Black Tree Design", and can be bought either individually as DW303 - Dalek, or as part of their DW1001 - Dalek Patrol Plus Heavy Weapons Dalek set, from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. Created by Terry Nation, and brilliantly designed by Raymond Cusick, this sculpt is clearly based upon the Time Lord's most feared enemies - who first appeared in the 1963 six-part storyline now known as "The Daleks".

Probably assembled using a little super-glue some twenty plus years ago, this particular figure has always proved a remarkably off-putting figure to tackle on account of all the fiddly sensor globes I'd need to pick out with my brush-tip. This 'intimidation factor' was largely due to my plan to pigment the Dalek in its original colour scheme of silver with light blue bumps, and it wasn't until I recently decided to swap that palette out for the much more painter-friendly one seen in "Genesis Of The Daleks", that I finally decided to get the classic monster tabletop ready.

"Titan Forge" WIPs - This Death Knight's armour has been base-layered and shaded

I therefore treated the model to a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and began the odious task of encircling all its sensor globes with some thinned-down "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Once this process was completed, I then drenched the entire miniature in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and gave its upper half a careful drybrush with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

With the 'basics' finished I moved on to 'picking out' some of the Dalek's much smaller details, using a photograph of the Masterpiece Collection Maxi Bust Genesis Dalek by "Forbidden Planet" as a guide. I therefore applied some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to the machine's manipulator arm, dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal, and plonked the infamous sink-plunger with some "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Titan Forge" WIPs - These two Death Dogs have been 3D printed, based and primed

I also gave its deadly gun-stick a layer of "Vallejo" Bronze, shaded it with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and dry-brushed the "standard personal Dalek weapon" using a little (more) "Vallejo" Bronze." Finally, I coated the creature's five-disc eyestalk in "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue and a splodge of "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. Whilst its two low profile comm lights (on the dome) were simply spotted with "Vallejo" White, darkened in heavily watered down Carcharodon Grey by "Two Thin Coats", and re-dotted with a tad more "Vallejo" White.

Alongside my first "Black Tree Design" Dalek in more than two decades, I have also been working on a Death Knight and his three Death Dogs by "Titan Forge Miniatures". These four models for "Dungeons & Dragons" were created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer, and are the start of a fantasy skirmish project I have planned to potter away at for the rest of 2025. For now though, I simply wanted to get the mighty undead warrior and his hounds undercoated, ready for some base layering...

"I Have Found The Doctor."

"And you have your orders. Kill him."

This pair of identical 28mm metal models are produced by "Black Tree Design" and can be bought individually as DW510 - Armoured Sea Devil from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "Awoken in 2084 A.D. by a group of Silurians who believed peace with humanity was impossible", the sculpts are clearly based upon the "amphibious Earth reptiles" seen in Johnny Byrne's 1984 television story "Warriors Of The Deep".

'Identified by historians as an example of a Silurian subspecies', the two figures were primed using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and subsequently sploshed in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Some of the details on the shock troopers' uniforms, along with each creature's hand-weapon, were then 'picked out' using a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a dash (more) of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - All of this Dalek's sensor globes have been patiently picked out

The Sea Devils' faces and paws were simply given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before being shaded with some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, despite the models' costumes not quite matching the samurai-looking helmets shown on the small screen, I decided to treat their ornate headwear to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Due to currently still being rather obsessed with classic "Doctor Who", I thought it was about time I corrected a major omission in my collection, by finally putting a brush-tip to some old multi-part Daleks. Perhaps unsurprisingly to many, I actually own a considerable number of these "Black Tree Design" miniatures from the planet Skaro. But up until now, I've always been put off painting them due to the numerous sensor globes surrounding their Mark III Travelling Machines.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This Sons of Horus Space Marine's gold areas have been completed

To get over this 'hump' I've therefore decided to paint a pilot piece up using the fairly straightforward blue-grey/black colour scheme seen in such broadcast storylines as "Genesis of the Daleks" and "Resurrection of the Daleks". Hopefully this'll encourage me to then produce another handful using the same palette, before moving on to the silver/blue livery depicted in some of the science fiction series' earlier adventures.

In addition, I have made more progress on the last of my MK IV wearing Sons of Horus from the long out of production (OOP) Betrayal At Calth boxed set. This particular "Games Workshop" Space Marine has proved a bit intimidating on account of being equipped with a Legion Vexilla (Legion Standard). However, now I've finished all the gold areas on the traitor's Maximus armour, I'm pretty sure I'll soon have him ready for a 31st Millennium battlefield...

"Doctor, Be Careful. It's Obviously A Dalek."

"You were lucky to find the Tardis in all that jungle."

This 28mm metal model is manufactured by "Black Tree Design" and can be bought as DW155 - Vicki from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "A student of a 25th century school system", the sculpt is clearly based upon one of the first Doctor's travelling companions as seen in David Whitaker's 1965 television story "The Rescue", and has languished in my collection for at least a decade. Indeed, I may even have purchased the figure as far back as twenty five years ago, when it was cast by "Harlequin Miniatures".

Probably primed with a double-helping of "Vallejo" White in late 2023, when I had planned to pigment the 'fourteen year-old space traveller' as part of a large "Doctor Who" project, the orphan then had her boots and dress base-layered in "Citadel" Abaddon Black. At the time I recall thinking that her legs were bare. However, having recently spotted some artwork capturing the young girl's early adventure on the planet Dido, it appeared that Vicki was actually wearing a pair of stockings.

"The outcome is certain. The ape primitives are no match for my warriors. They will be crushed."

Resultantly, the model's legs were treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before being carefully dry-brushed with a little more "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. This aforementioned illustration also convinced me that the time traveller's dress wasn't plain black either, so it was subsequently picked out in "Vallejo" Storm Blue, and later darkened down a bit with a splash or two of "Citadel Nuln Oil."

To be honest the actual casting on this piece was pretty poor, especially on the child's bare arms. So in the end I simply settled for giving all of Vicki's skin a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and dash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshtone. I then went back with an incredibly fine brush-tip to highlight some of the more flat areas back up. The companion's hair was painted with a base layer of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow, a dousing of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and a dry-brush of (more) "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow. In the photographs of actress Maureen O'Brien's on-screen character it seemed that her collar was decorated with a silver pattern of some kind. However, there was no such detail sculpted onto the dress which I could see, so considering how very small the figure was, I decided to leave the area bare.

"Great Escape Games" WIPs - Both Butch & Sundance have been primed and base-layered

Sticking with both "Black Tree Design" and "Doctor Who", I have also managed to finish another 28mm metal Sea Devil too - A classic monster from Peter Davison's tenure as the time travelling Doctor. Available as DW510 - Armoured Sea Devil, this miniature was predominantly painted using "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, "Citadel" Nuln Oil, "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Lastly, I simply haven't been able to resist starting work on the Butch & Sundance figures by "Great Escape Games", which I recently bought at "Beachhead" 2025. I must confess to being a bit surprised that the 28mm metal sculpts were multi-piece miniatures - albeit, they are dynamically posed. But once they were assembled, I've managed to get the beginnings of a base layer or two on the gun-slinging pair of outlaws for Dead Man's Hand.

"The Narodnoe Opolcheniye..."

"...Was a Russian militia that fought in the French invasion of Moscow in 1812."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their RN043 Moscow Militia with Muskets set. The figure is one of eight Napoleonic Russian soldiers sculpted by Alan Perry found in the blister, and has somewhat helped to re-enthuse me for my long-running Black Powder Age project on account of the infantryman's reasonably straightforward attire.

Being rather keen to follow this miniature's official paint-job as shown on the Newark-based manufacturer's website, I primed him using my usual mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Vallejo Surface Primer Black, and had his trousers base layered with "Vallejo" Neutral Grey. I then pigmented his winter jacket with plenty of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and thoroughly shaded both colours with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. As a final touch for this particular process, I went back with some (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and dry-brushed the Russian's sleeves and the bottom of his greatcoat.

"The ape primitives are no match for my warriors."

All of the militia member's numerous straps, his belt, ammunition box, baggage and headwear were given a simple lick or two of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before tiny little details such as the man's buckle and hat decoration were carefully picked out with "Vallejo" Gunmetal. These tiny areas were later washed with a spot of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also used this combination for all the metal areas of the infantryman's musket. Finally, I applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to the Russian's bushy beard, boots and any wooden elements of his firearm, and subsequently sploshed them all with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

I'm rather pleased with myself for (finally) finishing this particular model, as I intend to also use him as the human manifestation for my Russian Werebear in "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games". Despite the figure carrying a musket rather a heavy weapon (as described in the rule-book), I figured the firearm could simply be unloaded, so he could just swing it like a club until such time as the fellow successfully transforms into his far furrier (and much stronger) form.

"They will be crushed."

Alongside my second Napoleonic miniature of the year, I have completed two more 28mm metal models by "Black Tree Design". Available as DW510 - Armoured Sea Devil from their "Doctor Who" range, this pair of identical sculpts were initially undercoated with a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, dry-brushed using some "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. 

I next tackled some of the details on the aquatic race's uniforms, and ornate 'samurai-like' helmets, along with the creatures' hand-weapons, using a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a dash (more) of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, the monsters' flesh was simply given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before being shaded using some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade...

"Sauvix Was The Leader Of Elite Group One."

"He was killed when Bulic sprayed him with hexachromite gas."

This 28mm metal model of an armoured Sea Devil is produced by "Black Tree Design" and can be bought as DW513 - Sauvix from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "Revived from suspended animation by the Silurian leader Icthar", the sculpt is clearly based upon the commander of Sea Devil Elite Group One as seen in Johnny Byrne's 1984 television story "Warriors Of The Deep".

Primed with a double-helping of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, the miniature was dry-brushed in "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and shaded using some "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Parts of the figure's uniform, along with the Aquatic Silurian's hand-weapon, were then 'picked out' using a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a splash of (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - Four more British NBC Troopers

The Sea Devil's flesh was simply treated to a brush-tip full of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before being washed in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Lastly, I gave the monster's somewhat complicated-looking samurai-flavoured headwear a few strokes of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a bit of a dousing in "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

In addition to "the only Sea Devil named in the television series", I have also been busily progressing a quartet of 28mm metal British NBC Troopers by "Athena Miniatures". These Apocalypse Survivors would be pretty straightforward to pigment if not for their camouflage-patterned ammunition pouches, so I'm currently just patiently working my way through the three-colour scheme. Once this is completed, the rest of the models shouldn't take too long to get tabletop ready.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - A MK IV Space Marine with Legion Vexilla

I'm actually rather keen to get these soldiers finished 'toot sweet' on account of the wargaming show "Beachhead" 2025 only being a week away, and my plan to purchase several more products from the Swindon-based manufacturer whilst I'm there. Indeed, I could well be tempted to 'dip my toe' into the company's Franco-Prussian Wars 1870-71 range too - a conflict I have long fancied having a dabble with.

I'm also still plugging away on another MK IV wearing Space Marine from the long out of production (OOP) Betrayal At Calth boxed set by "Games Workshop". Equipped with a Legion Vexilla (Legion Standard), this particular traitor from the Horus Heresy will doubtless prove a rather time-consuming project on account of all the detail 'plastered' over him. However, as I'm now pretty familiar with how I like to paint Maximus Armour, I'm pretty confident my somewhat dwindling enthusiasm for this genre will still see me through to finishing him before the month plays out...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge” [III/IV] February 2025

"We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh."

As I'm now half-way through my Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP), and I'm quite a considerable distance behind where I had hoped to be when it comes to pigmenting my backlog, I thought I'd spend this month working my way through a number of old 28mm metal "Doctor Who" models by "Black Tree Design" I recently encountered whilst sorting through a few hobby drawers. In reality, I've already managed to get a good handful of these former "Harlequin Miniatures" sculpts tabletop ready during the past few weeks. But in scratching around the odd figure tray here and plastic box there, I have discovered a load more classic monsters which are just begging to be finished.

Furthermore, my 'Two-For-One' purchasing/printing policy for any future wargaming pieces I want to buy/produce is also on rocky ground, thanks largely to my encountering the STL (Standard Triangle Language) files creator "Loot Studios". This company absolutely bowled me over with their fantastic looking "Forgotten Beasts" science-fiction subscription, and resultantly I have been busily printing out a whole host of deep-sea creatures, anthropomorphic dinosaurs and primeval monsters."

"Our reputation speaks for itself, sir."

With "Beachhead" 2025 literally just around the corner, this means I really need to get some more models on the battlefield, before any big buying splurge at the Bournemouth-held show completely swamps my hobby table with numerous new shiny goodies - something all too possible considering that I aim to at least get a few more figures from "Athena Miniatures" and their hand-crafted Apocalypse Survivors range. To make matters even more pressing, I've discovered that Paul Hicks is releasing a new range of fantasy Orcs and Elves at the end of the month, and frankly I just know I'm going to be picking up some of these nostalgia-laced figures just as soon as I can.

Lastly, despite my best efforts (when not completely distracted by other genres/ranges) I still have a few Sons of Horus models to finish for my 500-point strong traitor force. I therefore thought it would make a great start to February to get another MK IV wearing Adeptus Astartes from the "Games Workshop" Betrayal At Calth boxed set completed. Rather embarrassingly, I've been working on this particular ten-man squad since last Summer, so would really like to see the back of it so I can focus on some of the army's characters instead.

January 2025 - "Black Tree Design" takes an early lead, just as they did last year

The miniature was predominantly painted using "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, "Citadel" Nuln Oil, "Vallejo" Gold, and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Although I also applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the fellow's knee-joints, elbow-joints, right shoulder-pad, backpack and Bolter. This left me needing to simply treat the odd breathing tube and firearm part to a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, whilst also plonking a spot of "Scalecolor" Speed Metal and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red into the Space Marine's eye slits.

With one of the lowest productivity scores recorded for a January since I first started keeping a tally of my output over a decade ago, it's hard not to view the past few weeks as a major let-down - especially as without my aforementioned last-minute obsession with "Black Tree Design" it would be significantly lower. My hope for this month though is to actually start getting some more games in (and post a few Battle Reports too), as this always help instil me with a sense of passion and purpose for a painting project...

"Revive The Warriors."

"The warriors have survived."

This 28mm metal model is produced by "Black Tree Design" and can be bought as DW510 - Armoured Sea Devil from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "Awoken in 2084 A.D. by a group of Silurians who believed peace with humanity was impossible", the figure is clearly based upon the "amphibious Earth reptiles" seen in Johnny Byrne's 1984 television story "Warriors Of The Deep".

Undercoated with a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, the "fascinating deep sea species" was subsequently dry-brushed using some "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and sploshed in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Some of the details on the shock trooper's uniform, along with the creature's hand-weapon, were then 'picked out' using a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a dash (more) of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Nothing seems to touch them. Nothing. Over."

The Sea Devil's flesh was simply given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before being shaded using some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, despite the sculpt not quite matching the monster's samurai-looking helmet as it appeared on the small screen, it's ornate headwear was carefully treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Alongside my Peter Davison foe, I have also completed a fifth of Omega's blob-like minions from Bob Baker and Dave Martin's 1972 television story "The Three Doctors". This 28mm metal model also comes from the Penzance-based company's "Doctor Range" by "Black Tree Design" and is available as DW336 - Gell Guard. The figure was initially primed using a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Orange, washed in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and randomly dry-brushed using a little "Vallejo" Gold and Gunmetal.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Another Sons of Horus space marine having his details 'picked out'

It was then given a couple of coats of watered-down "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red in an effort to capture their somewhat metallic-looking blistered costume. The Gell Guard's large singular eye was pigmented using "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion, and later shaded with a little "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Lastly, its pincer claw received a brush-tip full of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and a dash of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

Following on from these time-travelling terrors, I've managed to make some quite considerable progress on another of my Sons Of Horus traitor space marines by "Games Workshop". I was hoping to have this particular 28mm multi-part plastic fellow finished much earlier into this month. But disappointingly, it now looks like I'll still be painting a number of Horus Lupercal's dark-hearted followers well into February too...

"More Of A Legend Than A Living, Breathing Creature."

"The Megalodon is known only by often disregarded tales told by the few who survived their attacks."

This 32mm scale Megalodon Shark Tail was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin both on a Mars 3 Pro and Mars 5 3D Printer, and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "Loot Studios" as part of their "Forgotten Beasts" Sci-Fi Subscription bundle. 97mm tall and 95mm in length, the miniature actually comes in two separate pieces, with the 'Splash' needing to be printed on its own.

Once super-glued together, I plonked the ensemble onto a 65mm plastic circular base, and slowly began adding plenty of ripples on the stand's bare surface using Green Stuff. I created the waves by slowing circling the putty with a modelling knife, and repeatedly digging the blade into it so as to cause various swirls. The entire area was then given a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue, and drowned in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade.

"We're under attack from all sides. Weapons are useless."

I then repeatedly used a make-up blusher brush loaded with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue to patiently catch all the numerous ridges sculpted onto the Splash. This paint was increasingly lightened by my adding a little bit more "Vallejo" White to the mix with each passing, and once I was happy with the overall look of blue-tinged waves, I applied some pure White to the spray's very edges.

With the base completed, I next turned my attention to the tail fin and primed it with plenty of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, before shading the T-shaped print with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The Megalodon was subsequently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and later had all its injuries washed with a little "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Lastly, it was given a second dry-brush of (even more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and a lick of Neutral Grey.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - This Armoured Sea Devil is having all its detail 'picked out'

In addition, I have also completed two more 28mm metal models produced by "Black Tree Design" from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. Available as DW336 - Gell Guard and DW347 - Gell Guard II, these figures are apparently based upon the "shapeless lumpy-globule-like creatures" seen in Bob Baker and Dave Martin's 1972 television story "The Three Doctors", and were predominantly pigmented using "Vallejo" Heavy Orange, Gold, Gunmetal and the "Citadel" Contrast colour Flesh Tearers Red.

With my interest in the BBC Science Fiction show's classic monsters disconcertingly increasing in strength, I've also begun working on an Armoured Sea Devil from Peter Davison's tenure as the Fifth Doctor. Like the Gell Guards I've previously finished, I had primed and based a significant number of these sculpts for last year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), so hope to patiently plod my way through them over the next few weeks...

"Holy Moses! What's That?"

"They seem to be springing out all over the place."

These two 28mm metal models are produced by "Black Tree Design" and are available as DW336 - Gell Guard and DW347 - Gell Guard II from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "Blob-like creatures which Omega made while trapped in a Black Hole domain made of anti-matter", these figures are clearly based upon the "shapeless lumpy-globule-like creatures" seen in Bob Baker and Dave Martin's 1972 television story "The Three Doctors".

Primed using a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Orange, the duo were washed in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and sporadically dry-brushed using a little "Vallejo" Gold and Gunmetal. They were then treated to some watered-down "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red in an effort to capture their somewhat metallic-looking blistered costume. Unfortunately, a single layer of the Contrast paint didn't provide enough of an even coverage over the details though, so I eventually ended up giving the renegade Time Lord's minions a second 'going over.'

"Fire at will!"

This did make the monsters a little more red than I had intended. But at least seemed to have gotten the job done - at least until I applied some "Vallejo" Matt Varnish to each model, and disconcertingly watched much of the "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red evaporate under my brush..!?! In an effort to thwart this problem, I combined a quantity of the "Citadel" Contrast colour with some "Vallejo" Matt Varnish, and tried to seal my paint-job a second time. Sadly, this didn't really either...

As a result I slapped some 'pure' "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red over each Gell Guard, and only when that was well and truly dry, did I carefully apply a tiny amount of "Vallejo" Matt Varnish to the figures blob by blob. After a fair few touch-ups, this process finally seemed to work, and despite having some Doctor Who creatures which were far rosier than I had anticipated, I was subsequently able to apply some "Vallejo" Gloss Varnish to them without any further problems.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - These three Space Marines are at various stages of completion

Lastly, I gave each large cyclopean eye a lick or two of "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion, and later shaded them all with a splash of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. This combination worked so well that I decided to then use "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson on the underlings' pincer-clawed hands too - simply so the fearsome limb which can shoot explosives, stood out a bit more from the rest of Omega's simple servants.

Alongside my Jon Pertwee era monsters I have some slight in-roads on the last of my "Games Workshop" Sons of Horus traitor space marines. I've let myself get a little distracted from this month's goal to complete these "Horus Heresy" traitors, so have plonked the trio 'front-and-centre' in my painting queue and hope to get at least a couple of them completed within the next week or so...