"The Weapon Is Ours..."

"...And safe because it guards itself."

This 28mm scale metal Supreme Commander was bought from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" way back at "Salute" 2016. But is now available as SKU: FED01 from "Beast In The Broch". Sculpted by Ernst Veingart, the miniature is clearly inspired by actress Jacqueline Pearce's unforgettable portrayal of Servalan during the BBC science fiction television series “Blake’s Seven” - even going so far as to wear the character's costume from the 1979 episode "Weapon".

Having already painted a figure of the "principal villain" before wearing an all-white dress, I was somewhat loathe to do so again. So instead decided to opt for a "Vallejo" Heavy Red undercoat, before sploshing her with plenty of "Citadel" Carroburg. The "powerful figure in the Terran Federation" was then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and had her skin 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - This Gell Guard has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

I also applied a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal" over a "Citadel" Abaddon Black layer on to the Supreme Commander's carbine pistol, as well as her elaborate neck collar. This part of the costume actually consisted of thin wire. However, as with the cloth's gossamer waist and sleeves, I thought a much more solid colour would suffice for my sanity's sake. The metallic areas were later shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Finally I tackled the miniature's face, and decided to go with some "Vallejo" Heavy Blue eye make-up and Heavy Red lipstick. Unfortunately, the raised detail on one side of the sculpt's head wasn't quite as pronounced as I would've liked, so ultimately I ended up painting in Servalan's instantly recognisable close-cropped haircut, as opposed to being able to simply allow my brush-tip to follow any contours on the figure.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - Three Italian Infantrymen have been assembled and undercoated

Sticking with metal miniatures I've owned for a few years, I have dug out five Gell Guards by "Black Tree Design" which I had initially planned to pigment during last year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). These "Doctor Who" monster from the anti-matter universe were bought way back in September 2020, and have rather embarrassingly been suffering at the bottom of my grit-tin for the past thirteen or so months. Resultantly, I figured it was high time I slapped some colours on them and tried to hint at the 'bubble-wrap' costumes which they wore during the televised story "The Three Doctors".

Furthermore, I simply couldn't resist assembling some more 28mm plastic World War Two Italians using some of the Italian Army & Blackshirts sprues "Warlord Games" have kindly been sending me, along with my recent orders. For now, I've simply settled upon a basic five-figure squad. But hope to expand upon this meagre "Bolt Action" force throughout the year whenever the opportunity arises... 

"Italian Officers Were A Mixed Bag..."

 "...With some enthusiastically serving in the Royal Italian Army..."

These two 28mm multi-part plastic miniatures were assembled using various parts taken from the Italian Army & Blackshirts sprue produced by "Warlord Games", and can be found inside a number of their boxed kits such as SKU: 402015801. However, I was lucky enough to be able to assemble them using a free sprue or two which the Nottingham-based company generously sent me as part of a much larger "Bolt Action" order, and plan for the pair to accompany my Company Commander as part of his Headquarters Unit on the battlefield.

To be totally honest I have never been a fan of kneeling down figures, and in the past have tried my best to avoid using such models whenever I can. For this project though, I didn't want to essentially waster a sixth of the options available to me, and thought I'd simply utilise the pose to represent my various squads' officers, or in this case, my Major's "immediate attendants". As a result I decided to have one chap pointing at something (in an effort to draw his superior's attention), and the other just 'hunkered down' waiting for an order.

"...And others reluctant to fight for seemingly worthless territories far from home."

The Italians were figure were undercoated using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then 'picked out' their water bottle, saddlebag, rifle strap and the odd leather strap using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also applied a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil" to the fascists' rifles and canteen stoppers, as well as a bit of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to their rifles.

With my Headquarters Unit now complete, and totalling 56pts for the (Inexperienced) officer and his two (Inexperienced) men - at least according to the Italian Army PDF released by "Warlord Games" in September 2024 - I am busy assembling a few five-model squads to represent the various elements of my force's Infantry, such as the Camicie Nere (Blackshirts) Militia and Bersaglieri. All of these units will be created using the manufacturer's plastic sprues; albeit I do plan to pick up some of their metal blisters so as to field a few support teams too.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This Space Marine is having some of his details 'picked out' in "Vallejo" Gold

Alongside this soon-to-be blossoming "Bolt Action" project, I am patiently working my way through the last of my currently-built 28mm multi-part plastic Sons of Horus Space Marines for "The Horus Heresy" by "Games Workshop". Rather than tackle these remaining MK IV armoured Adeptus Astartes en-mass, I'm finding the detailed sculpts to be much more manageable when pigmented individually - especially my ten-man unit's incredibly 'busy' Sergeant.

I aim to make this particular range of figures one of my focal points for the forthcoming year, as I would really like to get at least one game under my belt before "the largest and the most successful hobby miniatures company in the world" bring out a new edition of the rules - as per the current circulating rumours. In addition, I own a fair few more plastic kits for it, many of which have been rather embarrassingly just sat gathering dust on a shelf since I first bought the Warhammer: Horus Heresy - Age Of Darkness box way back in June 2022...

"Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini Was An Italian Dictator..."

"...Who founded and led the National Fascist Party."

This 28mm multi-part plastic miniature was assembled using various parts taken from the Italian Army & Blackshirts sprue produced by "Warlord Games", and can be found inside a number of their boxed kits such as SKU: 402015801. However, my model was assembled from a free sprue the Nottingham-based manufacturer kindly sent me as part of a much larger "Bolt Action" order, and could well become the start of an Italian army for "the ultimate World War II tabletop miniatures game" next year.

With this potential project in mind, I thought I'd probably best start with my force's Officer, and having perused the various pieces available to me, felt that I could a fair representation of the "Duce of the Italian Social Republic" himself. Indeed, not only did the sprue appear to contain a 'spot on' head. But it also included the country's famous "Che vuoi?" hand gesture too.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - Four of the eight British NBC troopers currently being progressed

Once assembled, the figure was primed using a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then tried to take inspiration from the uniform plates which feature inside the "Armies Of Italy and the Axis" guidebook by "Osprey Publishing", by picking out Mussolini's water bottle, pistol holder, and odd leather strap with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. These items were later washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

I also applied a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil" to Benito's pistol and shovel, as well as a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the emblem on his felt fez. In reality I believe this symbol was a large gold-on-red eagle. However, the sculpt appeared to simply be a rectangle, so I just carefully followed the detail's edges with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, rather than try to do anything particularly fanciful.

"Diehard Miniatures" WIPs - After a few shades and dry-brushes, this undead astronaut's bones are finished 

Having completed this rather impulsive ensemble, I have settled down to progressing all eight British Squaddies dressed in Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) sold by "Athena Miniatures". This unit is still in its early stages. But I'm happy with the miniatures' palette, and even plan to do some camouflage upon their ammunition grab bags - as per some 'official' photographs I've seen.

In addition, I've stumbled upon a 30mm metal undead astronaut by "Diehard Miniatures", which I apparently first put a brush-tip to just over five years ago. These sorts of long abandoned projects are just what my current Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge is all about, so as I'm in a moon-themed mood anyway, I thought I'd finally get the ghoulish rocketeer completed. Plus, I understand you can only buy the mode as part of the manufacturer's Skeletal Spacemen Unit 1 set - so presumably his four comrades-in-death are lurking around my backlog pile somewhere too...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Para Bellum Games" - Conquest display table

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

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

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

"That Thing Is Thirty Minutes Old!"

"In a few hours it'll grow up.  If it reaches a place with people..."

This 32mm scale Xeno Brood Sentry is sculpted by Micha Gerhardt and can be downloaded for free as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "Papsikels Miniatures" PAPSIPACK Welcome Models subscription set on "Patreon". Clearly inspired by H.R.Giger's infamous deadly xenomorphs, the figure was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

Inspired by a statue of a xenomorph crouched on all fours which H.R. Giger had exhibited at the opening of the Austrian Ars Electronica institute in 2013, the brutal-looking extra-terrestrial was super-glued to a "Citadel" 60mm circular base and primed in Doom Death Black by "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats". I then gave the model an enthusiastic dry-brush of Scorched Earth and shaded it with Oblivion Black Wash to help make the creature's base layer look very dark indeed.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - The Afrika Korps have been dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Desert Yellow

I next (re)dry-brushed the miniature with (more) Scorched Earth, before applying a light highlight of Dust Bowl across all the prominent raised areas. Finally, to help blend all the different browns together, I heartily splashed Battle Mud Wash all over it. This left me just needing to 'pick out' all the alien's metal teeth with a combination of Sir Coates Silver and Oblivion Black Wash, as well as apply a coat of Doom Death Black (and later "Coat D'arms" Gloss Varnish) across its forehead and scorpion-like stinger tail.

Alongside my latest submission to the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) I have continued to make some progress upon the first batch of six 28mm plastic German soldiers by "Warlord Games" I have planned for "Bolt Action". I'm actually trying a 'patient factory process' with these figures by simply pigmenting a certain part of each miniature each day (e.g. applying a shade or picking out all their boots).

"Wizkids" WIPs - Groot Thor has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

This way I hope to not get too overwhelmed by all their fiddly little details, like water bottles, pouches, combat knives and goggles, as I ordinarily would when facing such 'complicated' hobby pieces. So far this process is working really well, albeit having primed, shaded and dry-brushed my 'dirty half dozen' I'm only now getting to work on their footwear. However, it is allowing me to methodically paint a bit of each infantryman per hobby session, without them distracting me for too long from the call of my current science-fiction craving...

Lastly, and perhaps not unsurprisingly considering my present enthusiasm for all things super-hero based, I have started working on another 28mm pre-painted plastic "Heroclix" model by "Wizkids" predominantly using colours chosen from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" range. This time round I've gone for the rather large Groot Thor from the New Jersey-based company's The Mighty Thor Marvel Heroclix collection, as I rather fancied something a bit different from the norm - and a member of the Thor Corps from Battleworld fits that bill rather nicely.

"Sauron Was A Brilliant Argentinian Hypnotherapist."

"He also became a human-pteranodon hybrid and would-be-conqueror of the "Savage Land"

This 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of Sauron was produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 029 from their Marvel “Heroclix” Wolverine & The X-Men range. After being bitten by mutant pterodactyls, physician Doctor Karl Lykos was transformed into a humanoid Pteranodon, who was "able to absorb the life force of others through touch." Created by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams, the Savage Lands mutate made its first appearance in the September 1969 issue of "The X-Men by "Marvel Comics".

Clipped from the figure's 'clicky' base and super-glued upon a plastic 25mm circular base, the super-villain was treated to a double-coat of Ethereal Green from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" paint range so as to cover up its previous paint-job, shaded in Battle Mud Wash, and thoroughly dry-brushed with (more) Ethereal Green. I then 'picked out' his tongue using a combination of Sanguine Scarlet and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, before dotting in the energy vampire's mesmerising eyes with a smidgeon of "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow over a "Citadel" Abaddon Black base layer.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - The Afrika Korps have been primed with "Vallejo" Desert Yellow

Finally, I applied two layers of Sorceror's Cloak from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" over Lykos' torn loin-cloth and shaded it with "Citadel" Druchii Violet. To be honest I had originally intended to pigment the garment in yellow, as per the miniature's 'official' paint scheme. But having recently played quite a bit of the computer game "Marvel Snap", I decided to go with the colour he wears on his digital card instead.

Along with my latest offering for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), I have also assembled and primed half a dozen 28mm plastic German soldiers by "Warlord Games" to use with their "Bolt Action" World War Two (Second Edition) rule-set. Admittedly, the last thing I currently need is another project, but to begin with I'll only be using a single figure to represent a unit of infantrymen, so the temporary distraction shouldn't be too severe.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - The Afrika Korps have been shaded with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade

As I already own a sizeable German Eastern Front Army (in 10mm) and a burgeoning D-Day Defence Force (in 15mm), I thought I'd move to a much hotter theatre of battle by building a contingent of Afrika Korps. However, I can't say I'm particularly impressed by the poses offered by the Nottingham-based manufacturer's thirty-figure Infantry boxed set, as most of them seem to be stumbling forward with their heads down, or lying on the ground.

Admittedly, this probably makes a lot of sense in real life, as you'd want to keep yourself low to the sand dunes with all those bullets and bombs whizzing about. However, from a painting perspective it means I'm going to have to reach my brush-tip up into some quite confined areas, which will probably never see the light of day once on the battlefield. As a result, I wish a few of the plastic models were actually stood upright, and may well stand them on the odd rock in future, simply so their faces are more accessible...

“The Adder Is Capable Of Carrying A Relatively Heavy Weapons Payload…”

“…That can surprise an unsuspecting enemy, even at extreme ranges.”

This 1:285 scale pre-built plastic model of an Adder is produced by “Catalyst Game Labs” and can be found together with an Executioner, Timber Wolf, Nova, and Grendel in the company’s “Battletech: Clan Invasion” boxed set. All the pre-assembled miniatures in this “supplement to the BattleTech: A Game of Armoured Combat box” come with an assortment of Alpha Strike cards depicting various colour schemes. But as I plan to use this particular sculpt as a Sopwith class British War Walker for an upcoming Weird War Two campaign using some homemade rules, I decided to go with a predominantly light brown palette.

“Codenamed Puma by Inner Sphere forces who first engaged it”, the 33mm tall figure was initially given a double undercoat of “Vallejo” Earth and shaded in “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. It was then dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Earth with a softly-bristled make-up blusher brush, and had its rather prominent cockpit’s windows ‘picked out’ with a dab of “Citadel” Abaddon Black.

"We shall fight on the beaches."

Originally, my plan for this machine’s colour scheme was to somewhat match that of the two Shadow Cat models I have previously painted as Hawker class British War Walkers. So with that in mind I started to apply a layer of “Vallejo” Heavy Green to the light Clan OmniMech’s legs. However, I soon gave up on this idea as I simply didn’t like the overall look of the contrasting colours in that area, and frankly was finding it devilishly hard to get my brush-tip underneath the squat-looking sculpt’s blocky carapace.

In the end I therefore settled upon simply ‘picking out’ a couple of the Adder’s much more prominently-placed armour plates with a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Green and “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green. Before applying some “Vallejo” Gunmetal, and later a splattering of “Citadel” Nuln Oil, to the model’s pair of Extended Range (ER) Particle Projector Cannons, some air vents, shoulder-joints, ankle-joints and knee-joints. In addition, I repainted the figure’s nose cone, having felt the “Vallejo” Heavy Red I had initially decided upon made the war machine look too much like Rudolph the Reindeer.

"We shall go on to the end."

Lastly, I dug out three of the smallest Union Flag transfers I could find within my assortment of “Decal Details” and placed them upon the three (Ferro-Fibrous) armour plates I had previously pigmented green. This really made the red, white and blue of the national colours stand out, and gave the small-sized mech a distinctly patriotic feel.

Alongside my latest addition to my ever-growing “Battletech” collection I have also finished the largest (and final) "Bolt Action" Shell Hole produced by “Warlord Games” for this month’s Season Of Scenery Challenge. This dual-crater was super-glued onto an 80mm “Citadel” round base and given an Abaddon Black undercoat, a rough layer of Doombull Brown, a highlight of Rakarth Flesh and finally, a splash Agrax Earthshade wash.

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Season Of Scenery" July 2021

"Approximately 40,000 bombs were dropped on Poland's Koźle Basin during World War Two."

This month's effort to diminish my ‘peak of potential’ will be significantly shaped by Dave Stone’s second annual Season of Scenery challenge over on his excellent “Wargames Terrain Workshop” blog. Ordinarily, I’m not the greatest fan of painting terrain, preferring to buy pre-pigmented buildings, walls and rock formations from the likes of “Gale Force Nine”, “Battle Systems” or “Tablescape” whenever possible.

However, I thought I’d use this event to hopefully power through a load of untouched plastic and resin pieces which has been sat upon my hobby table gathering dust for many a year or two. To start with I’ve quickly finished three of the remaining Shell Holes and Craters by “Warlord Games” I originally started working on in September last year.

"Flames Of War" WIPs - A Panzerfaust, an Officer and an NCO have been primed

I’ve previously finished the smallest of this set’s craters to act as an Artillery Barrage marker for "Konflikt '47", so having super-glued the remaining pieces to appropriately-sized “Citadel” round bases and given them an Abaddon Black undercoat, they were treated to a rough layer of Doombull Brown, a highlight of Rakarth Flesh and finally, a splash Agrax Earthshade wash.

In addition, I have gone halves on the “Hit The Beach” starter set for “Flames Of War” by “Battlefront Miniatures” in (yet) another attempt to try wargaming World War Two in 15mm scale. I’ll be tackling the two Panzergrenadier platoons and accompanying Panzer IV tanks for this particular project, and having acquired the recommended “Vallejo” colours for their uniforms, have made a start on my army’s Formation Command Panzerfaust SMG team.

June 2021 - No great change in my favourite manufacturers during the past month

Painting wise, the past four weeks have resulted in the second most productive June I’ve so far achieved. Admittedly, that is arguably hardly difficult as this particular month has historically always proved to be my worst time of the year for hobbying, but considering the significant number of 1:285 scale “Battletech” models by “Catalyst Game Labs” I finished during the period I’m rather pleased with my end result.

Frustratingly, this (6mm) turn out has though rather overtly demonstrated one of the weaknesses in the old “Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge” scoring system I use for recording my outputs, as despite pigmenting eleven mechs in a single month “Catalyst Game Labs” are simply no-where to be seen on my Top Manufacturer’s Chart. This is due to each model being awarded points dependent upon its scale rather than physical size (or time taken to actually complete). Ordinarily, this tends to even itself out over the course of a year with various tiny or straightforward 28mm figures creating some ‘slack’ for the much larger models I put a brush-tip to. However, for some of the smaller scales it’s a little harder to generate this 'slack', with just two points being the most some of the “Battletech” miniatures can achieve, even though some of them are actually 40mm in height…

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2014 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

The fifth article covering my favourite miniature manufacturers over the years, this period focused predominantly upon my obsession with World War Two, whether it be the odd 10mm Soviet tank by "Pendraken Miniatures", some 28mm Allied vehicles originally cast by "Bolt Action Miniatures", or a veritable horde of brain-hungry German zombies by "Westwind Productions". However, it also encapsulated a remarkable fascination with some of the smaller scales within the hobby, such as 6mm and 15mm, which seemed to stem from a desire to pigment a variety of Modern Day British forces, as well as some "Rogue Trader" era inspired 'space knights'.

No.10 (Joint) - "Bolt Action Miniatures" - "Bolt Action"

It’s incredible to think just how long this particular resin model of a British Daimler Dingo Mk II Scout Car was left languishing in my ‘To do’ pile. But considering that “Bolt Action’s splendid line of 28mm World War Two miniatures and vehicles” was sold to “Warlord Games” in late 2008, this resin automobile must have been sat gathering dust on my painting table for a good six years or so before being finished. Fortunately, despite having little interest in historical gaming, the scout car made a welcome armoured mobile unit for my allies “Weird War Two” force using the “Savage Worlds” rule-set by “Pinnacle Entertainment Group”.

No.10 (Joint) - "Warlord Games" - "Bolt Action"

Despite having little interest in actually playing Rick Priestley and Alessio Cavatore’s “Bolt Action” tabletop game itself, this “re-release from the BEF Miniatures range” was one of a small handful of vehicles I planned to add to my British Commonwealth forces for “Weird War Two”. However, unlike the partially-painted A11 Matilda Mark I Infantry Tank which was meant to accompany it, this “classic light truck” was not only completed, but actually saw some occasional battlefield action; albeit my Flying Standard 10' "Tilly" Truck's most enigmatic role was probably being a simple ‘prop’ for a game of “Zombie TV” by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”, which saw Doctor Who and U.N.I.T. battle an ever-increasing invasion of Cybermen….

No.8 - "Pendraken Miniatures" - "Alien Creatures"

Something of a mixed bag, but predominantly motivated by a desire to reinforce my H.R. Giger aliens with an alternative fast-moving unit, this Middlesbrough-based manufacturer initially caught my eye courtesy of their somewhat oversized 10mm Face Huggers. These diminutive parasitoids not only proved straightforward to paint, but fortuitously proved perfectly scaled to accompany my larger “Ground Zero Games” Xenomorphs in their bloody battle against Humankind. In addition, I was rather pleased to pigment a few stands of reinforcements for both my English Civil War Royalist Army, and Russian (winter) World War Two force.

No.7 - "Ground Zero Games" - "Xenomorphs"

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to H.R. Giger’s famous motion picture extra-terrestrials, these xenomorphs seemed the perfect opponents for my 15mm Prydian Army by “The Ion Age”, and finally saw some tabletop action as a sizeable antagonistic horde during the year despite actually being bought at “Colours” 2013. To make their journey to the battlefield even more remarkable though, a number of the figures were actually stripped in methylated spirits and re-painted during this period, whilst others were re-based from their original 40mm x 60mm rectangular stands onto some “Battlefront Miniatures” bases so as to better tie-in with a never-realised “Flames Of War” cross-over…

No.6 - "The Ion Age" - "The Prydian Army"

Strongly influenced by this 15mm range’s nostalgia-inducing similarities to the old “Rogue Trader” miniatures by “Games Workshop”, I returned from “Salute” 2014 with a rather sizeable consignment of these models and quickly set to work painting up a small(ish) force of Retained Knights and the Prydian Army Muster. Admittedly, I didn’t actually pigment these figures in their “famous red and white” uniforms, but my desire to field some proxy Crimson Fist Space Marines and Imperial Guard still saw a fair few of these figures on the tabletop, as well as a couple of vehicles.

No. 5 - "Pulp Figures" - "Boys In Blue"

Pigmented purely as a somewhat straightforward submission for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, as part of a Pulp-themed side-challenge, these ten Boys In Blue were supposedly the spearhead of a huge push of Bob Murch’s miniatures for the event featuring many more figures from the Canadian sculptor’s Gangland Justice Range. Sadly however, despite managing to include the first black police officer in New York City,  Sergeant Samuel J. Battle, as well as a vintage call box and fire hydrant into the mix, my momentum for this project disappointingly soon petered out just before the year’s end…

No.4 - "GHQ Models" - "Micro Armour"

As a wargamer I am somewhat prone to impulse purchases, and never has this weakness been more aptly demonstrated than by the Micro Armour boxed sets by “GHQ” I bought at “Colours” in 2011. Three years later and I finally started to plough my way through both my Modern British Combat Team and Modern Mujahadin/Al Qaeda Combat Team. These “super detailed 1:285 scale figures” were incredibly fun to paint, despite their eye-watering diminutive size, and I became so enthused with the range that I even managed to finish a fair few vehicles for my British forces as well.

No.3 - "Mongoose Publishing" - "Judge Dredd"

There can be little doubt that the 2012 “Judge Dredd” Kickstarter by “Mongoose Publishing” had both a positive and negative impact upon my hobby. True, the tardiness in the company's sculpting, casting and delivery of their supporters’ numerous pledges would debatably ruin their reputation. But it also provided me with an opportunity to slowly pick my way through a number of Street Judges, two versions of “Old Stony Face” himself, and the arch-nemesis of Mega-City One’s toughest lawman, Judge Death. I even managed to pigment Nu-Earth’s last surviving Genetic Infantryman, despite having wisely ‘backed out’ from Mongoose Matt’s calamitous “Rogue Trooper” Kickstarter at the last minute…

No.2 - "Westwind Productions" - "Secrets Of The Third Reich"

Thoroughly enthused by the “Weird War Two” setting for “Savage Worlds” by “Pinnacle Entertainment Group”, and the sheer range of supernatural forces on offer by “Westwind Productions” and their “Secrets Of The Third Reich” miniature range, it was probably inevitable I was going to end up painting a significant number of zombies for my battlefield; both German and Soviet. In addition, the Oldham-based manufacturer also lured me into their darkly Gothic Steampunk Victorian setting, with four well-sculpted London Bobbies from their tremendously successful Kickstarter “Empire Of The Dead: Requiem”.

No.1 - "Wizkids" - "Heroclix"

Undoubtedly inspired by several battle reports utilising the “7TV” rule-set by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”, and much more “Marvel Worldwide” focused than “DC Comics”, my collection of re-painted (and re-based) plastic “Wizkids” models saw its numbers significantly swell throughout 2014. However, it arguably wasn’t until the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge towards the very end of the year that I truly ‘knuckled down’ with my “Heroclix” and polished off a small raiding force of U-Men to follow the Black Manta, as well as a trio of Dreadnought robots to do the bidding of Ultron.

“At The Beginning Of This War, Megalomania Was The Only Form Of Sanity.”

"Politics is more dangerous than war, for in war you are only killed once."

This 28mm scale model of Winston Churcill is produced by “Warlord Games”, and came free as a special edition figure when I ordered the "Bolt Action" Second Edition Campaign book "Operation Sea Lion" direct from the Nottingham-based manufacturer's web store. Sculpted to represent "the most stalwart of British Prime Ministers" during an inspection of invasion defences near Hartlepool, on July 21st 1940, the single cast figure comes armed with a .45 calibre Thompson Sub Machine Gun. 

Initially, I had contemplated simply painting the miniature predominantly black, and just giving "the roaring lion" a dry-brush of "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal in order to provide some straightforward shading. However, having spotted a colourised version of the politician carrying the Tommy Gun and wearing a distinctly grey pinstriped suit, I decided to prime the model using some Dark Grey instead.

"Doctor Who" WIPs - A Time Wars drone, the Dalek Interrogator Prime, and a Dalek Scientist

The former army officer was then washed in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Dark Grey. I did momentarily consider trying to 'draw on' the formal suit's eye-watering vertical pattern, but quickly chose to leave well enough alone, and instead just 'picked out' Churchill's shoes and hat with a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

Winston's hair, cigar and rifle butt were pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. Whilst the rest of his firearm was treated to some "Citadel" Ironbreaker and a splash of Nuln Oil. Finally, the member of parliament had his handkerchief, shirt and cuffs marked out with a tiny amount of "Vallejo" White.

"Empire Of Dust" WIPs - The swarms contain scarab beetles, scorpions, snakes and large flies

Sticking with "Warlord Games" figures, I have made some significant progress on three of their plastic Daleks for the "Doctor Who: Exterminate" miniatures game. Two of the Mark III travel machines actually follow those of the Dalek Interrogator Prime and Dalek Scientist as imagined in the audio plays by "Big Finish", whereas the third will simply be a slightly converted Time Wars drone.

Lastly, I've based and primed an Empire of Dust swarm regiment for the BlackJack Legacy Slow Grow "Kings of War" Army Challenge. Originally I had thought these three square stands of scarab beetles would be a reasonably simple way to attain 60pts for the tabletop. But once I'd actually perused the metal sculpts in more detail, it has quickly become clear that each base contains far more than just the stout-bodied insects...

"...The Arm Of A Zombie Reached Up And Pulled A Lever."

"Clanking mechanisms that had lain dormant for ten centuries creaked into life."

These two 28mm scale Ghosts form part of the "twenty six detailed and fully assembled miniatures in coloured plastic" found inside the "Dungeon Saga: The Dwarf King`s Quest" boxed game by "Mantic Games", and initially appear in the boxed set's sixth adventure, "Turned Around". Each desperately dragging a heavy ball and chain, the restless spirits haunt the corridors of an ungodly crypt located at the farthest end of the scenario's rotating rooms and are able to "Walk Through Walls"...

Initially primed with two coats of "Vallejo" Black, both figures were heavily dry-brushed with Heavy Charcoal before having their crippling encumbrances 'picked out' using a combination of "Citadel" Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil. As I wanted the metallic objects to appear somewhat ancient and soiled I then applied some "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash to them, and blended it in with the help of a delicate dry-brush of (more) "Citadel" Ironbreaker.

"The Ion Age" WIPs - The Muster Patrol Trooper has had all his base layers blocked in

I've rather embarrassingly actually owned an unpainted Undead "Kings Of War" army for several years now, and one of the main reasons I bought "Dungeon Saga" was so I could paint up a number of its decaying denizens and subsequently use them for "Mantic Games" tabletop mass battle rule-set. As a result, I've found myself becoming increasingly irked by the large paving stone bases upon which the Necromancer Overlord's minions stand, and with these two miniatures finally decided to take the plunge and re-based them upon the 20mm square bases predominantly used by Undead infantry troops.

In addition to finally finishing my pair of Ghosts, I have also made some significant progress on the first two Muster Patrol models I want to add to my current meagre-sized 15mm Prydian Army by "The Ion Age". Approximately four years ago I actually decided to start a weekly painting challenge for three months by 'picking' a painting subject based upon the turn of a playing card every seven days, and perhaps unsurprisingly ended up painting a small collection of figures from across a variety of ranges. These days I'm more concerned with monthly painting targets, yet felt the principle was still sound, and so have set myself the target of finishing forty points worth of the marvellously characterful science-fiction figures over the next thirty-one days instead.

"Bolt Action" WIPs - A German soldier, Rommel and a British Tommy

I have actually 'borrowed' the points system from the annual "Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge", and have been using its methodology to track my painting output over the past few years. For 15mm scale models I'm going to need to paint up a fair few foot soldiers as they only weigh in at two points each. However, as vehicles are worth six points apiece you can expect a handful of vehicles to promptly appear too so as to supplement my total tally over the next few weeks. To begin with though I'm hopeful this nearly-finished Standard Bearer, along with his Captain, will get me off to a reasonable start...

Lastly, I had the pleasure of attending "Warlord Games" Open Day on Saturday 22nd September 2018, and amongst my loot managed to not only bag the event's two free "Bolt Action" miniatures entitled "War Without Hate", but also their Western Desert Campaign Book's special figure of Rommel. I actually ended up buying quite a bit from the Nottingham-based manufactuer's Second World War range, as well as a few "Konflikt '47" weird war infantry units too, so expect plenty of vampires, werewolves, zombies and armoured exo-skeletons in the near future.

"Those Who March With Us Will Certainly Face Abuse..."

"...Misunderstanding, bitter animosity, and possibly the ferocity of struggle and of danger."

These two 28mm metal miniatures of Sir Oswald Moseley's bodyguards can be bought, along with their British Union of Facists leader, as Code 403012203 from the "Warlord Games" German Army range, and are "modelled upon Mussolini's fascist party." Costing an additional 13 points per man, the Blackshirts' rules can be found within the "Bolt Action" book "Campaign: Sea Lion", and accompany the former "Conservative MP for Harrow" everywhere on the battlefield.

Initially undercoated with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, the para-militarists were highlighted with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The bruisers' belt buckles were painted using a combination of Ironbreaker and (more) Nuln Oil, whilst their hair was 'picked out' using either "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade or "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Judoon Ghost WIPs - The Fisher King's minion has been washed and dry-brushed

Finally, one thug's club was pigmented with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and his companion's knuckleduster was given a lick of "Vallejo" Brass. Both of these areas were then treated to a wash of "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

To be honest, despite the straightforward palette, I found both of these miniatures quite a struggle to finish on account of their faces, and particularly their small eyes. I know that some hobbyists prefer to avoid painting pupils by simply applying a dark wash into a sculpt's facial recesses, and I've never been so tempted to follow such a technique as I was with these two chaps. In the end though, having found it impossible to pinpoint two spots of white for each eye, I settled for just the one and hope they don't appear too cross-eyed as a result.

Snakeskin Harvest Marker WIPs - The dead "Guild Ball" player can be used as an alternative sculpt on the pitch 

Sticking with "Warlord Games", I've been asked to pen an article for their "Doctor Who: Exterminate!" website as to how I went about converting my two Judoon ghosts to accompany their towering Fisher King miniature on the tabletop. As a result, I've spent a bit of time progressing the final figure's paint-job, and thus hope to have the undead extra-terrestrial mercenary finished and ready for posting by next week.

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, I've also found myself momentarily drawn back to "Guild Ball" by "Steamforged Games Limited". The company recently released "The Dark Harvest" boxed set as a seasonal special edition to celebrate Halloween, and as soon as I saw it contained deceased versions of the players who have so far been killed whilst playing the medieval sports game, I knew I had to paint them up...