"What If I'm Stuck Being A Bear Forever..?"

"How am I gonna figure out how the whole changing-into-animals thing works..?"

This 35mm scale model of One Man Zoo in his bear form was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "C27 Studio". The sculpt is clearly inspired by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown's co-creation for "DC Comics" - Garfield Mark Logan (a.k.a Beast Boy or Changeling), and seemingly designed to be used as an 'alternative' figure for the Batman Miniatures Game rule-set.

Despite being rather unimpressed with this model's small(ish) size, I still super-glued it to an 'official' "Atomic Mass Games" Marvel Crisis Protocol base, as I originally thought the furry beast had been produced in 40mm scale - in line with the company 's other comic book characters. However, that now appears not to be the case, so disappointingly, all their "DC Comics" figures are noticeably smaller when compared to the larger "Marvel Worldwide" characters, essentially ruining any plans I had to mingle them together.

Both the Confederates and Union suffer with early deployment issues

The figure itself was pretty straightforward to paint and provided an excellent opportunity to test out more bottles from "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" range. The bear was therefore primed in Ethereal Green, shaded in Necrosis Green Wash and dry-brushed with (more) Ethereal Green. I then picked out all his claws and nose with some Wyvern Green and Logan's teeth with White Star. These areas were subsequently splashed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade respectively.

Alongside this rather underwhelming 42mm tall model, I have played my second game of ACW Epic Battles Black Powder over at the Solent Wargamers Club in Portsmouth. As in my first fight I needed to rely upon my good-natured opponent to bolster my Alabama and Florida Infantry Regiments, as well as borrow some additional Confederate cannons. To mix things up a bit we also both fielded some cavalry - which in game can pester flanks and redeploy as skirmishers.

The North's Cavalry unit dismount within some woodland

Having never used horsemen before I thought this was a great addition to the game, and really enjoyed Rick Priestley's easy rules for getting them to perform sweeping gallops along the troopers' lines, as well as the obligatory cavalry charge. Unfortunately, this inexperience did though lead to me somewhat bunching up my initial deployment, with the riders almost colliding with one of my foot regiments as I attempted to form up around a crossroads.

Happily however, things hadn't exactly gone according to plan for the Union either, with the North's four infantry columns squeezing out any opportunity for their artillery battery to open fire without having to navigate some woodland first. This meant for the moment at least, I wouldn't have to worry about President Lincoln's cannons mercilessly pounding away at my forces. But what I didn't take into account was how devastating old Abe's cavalrymen would be once they had dismounted and started sniping at me from the trees.

Johnny Reb's left flank caves in, leading to a desperate clash of cavalry

In fact, once the Yanks were in position firing at my left flank, my Confederate forces were quickly whittled away. So by the time the Union soldiers returned to their horses, I had already lost almost half my force and was facing down a nearly endless line of Northern troopers marching straight towards my remaining men in the centre. This really left me with just one opportunity and resulted into a massive cavalry charge between the two armies' horsemen. It was a close-run clash of sabres and appeared destined to go on for a turn or two more, when my Johnny Rebs shockingly decided to escape the battle and give the field to my victorious opponent.

"Changeling, Become Something Small... And Try Again."

"The transformation... hurts."

This 35mm scale miniature of One Man Zoo in his bird form was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "C27 Studio". The sculpt is clearly inspired by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown's co-creation for "DC Comics" - Garfield Mark Logan (a.k.a Beast Boy or Changeling), and seemingly designed to be used as an 'alternative' figure for the Batman Miniatures Game rule-set.

The actual sculpt also comes with a billow of smoke upon which the model's feet attach to - presumably depicting the Teen Titan's miraculous transformation. However, this made for a precarious looking perch in my mind, and I didn't want to risk damaging the ensemble either during painting or gaming. As a result, I simply plonked the bird upon a car wheel which "C27 Studio" supply as an STL file to help populate your bases with extra pieces of debris.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - Four Aquaphibians awaiting all of their details to be 'picked out'

In addition, I didn't pick up upon this model's diminutive size until after I had super-glued it to an 'official' "Atomic Mass Games" Marvel Crisis Protocol base, as all the company's other comic book characters that I've produced have been 40mm scale. This doesn't really impact upon this particular miniature. But does mean some of Changeling's other animal-based manifestations, as well as his human form, are disappointingly a little small when compared to the larger "Marvel Worldwide" characters I was hoping to intermingle them with.

The figure itself was pretty straightforward to paint and provided an excellent opportunity to test out more bottles from "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" range. The bird was therefore primed in Ethereal Green, shaded in Necrosis Green Wash and dry-brushed with (more) Ethereal Green. The rubber tyre was simply pigmented with Doom Death Black, whilst the wheel rim was treated to a combination of Sir Coates' Silver and Oblivion Black Wash.

"Papsikels Miniatures" WIPs - Big Boss Bigsie Dollar

Sticking with 3D prints, I have applied a thorough "Vallejo" Heavy Grey dry-brush over the five Aquaphibians I have been working on as palette test pieces. Produced by "Big Mr Tong" these "Stingray" antagonists are absolutely packed full of detail, so I now need to work out which fins, scales and spiny protrusions I'm going to 'pick out' with a darker green colour choice before finishing the small Supermarionation series squad off.

Lastly, I've been testing out some of the brown paints from "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" range on Big Boss Bigsie Dollar by "Papsikels Miniatures". I've actually enlarged this figure so it better matches its 32mm scale brethren using "Chitubox" Basic, as the first version I printed was significantly smaller than the rest of the models I was planning to use my not-Bixby Snyder with on the tabletop...

"What We Hoped To Achieve Was To Meet Our Makers."

"To get answers. Why they even made us in the first place."

This 32mm scale Omega Zelucerean Tamer is produced by "Papsikels Miniatures" and was downloaded as part of a free set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their PAPSIPACK Welcome Models subscription set on "Patreon”. Produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, the sculpt is clearly inspired by Ridley Scott’s 2012 science fiction film “Prometheus” and was predominantly painted using “Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats paint” range. 

Standing at an impressive 60mm, the figure is actually part of a two-piece set which has her right hand nonchalantly resting upon the head of a seemingly docile Xenomorph. However, as I just wanted the 'Engineer' on their own, I decided not to print  out the weirdly squatting, domesticated alien, and instead simply glued the miniature to a "Citadel" 40mm circular plastic base, before priming them with a double layer of Gravestone Blue.

"Big Mr Tong" WIPs - Four primed Aquaphibians awaiting the first of their shades

The Zelucerean Tamer was subsequently shaded using Oblivion Black Wash and dry-brushed with (more) Gravestone Blue. This really helped bring out all the partly organic looking details of her survival suit, including the hands - which appeared to have the fingers poking out of something akin to a pair of space mittens. However, I did think that the “Space Jockey” looked a tad boring as she was, so decided to pick out her stomach, throat and a pair of vents running along her shoulder-blades, using a combination of Sir Coates Silver and Oblivion Black Wash.

This palette somewhat tied into the motion picture stills I have seen of the technologically-advanced race's costumes, which generally appear to have a semi-translucent silvery/bone sheen to them. Lastly, I applied a couple of coats of Ivory Tusk to the Omega's bald head and fingers, washed these areas with watered-down “Citadel” Carroburg Crimson, and later spotted her eyes with Doom Death Black.

"C27 Studio" WIPs - One Man Zoo's undercoated Bird, Bear and Tiger

Sticking with 3D printed models, I have started work on a fifteen-figure strong contingent of Aquaphibians produced by "Big Mr Tong". Strongly influenced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 1964 television series "Stingray", these marvellous 28mm miniatures are admittedly somewhat larger in size to Mike Tongue's usual fare. But once finished I'm hoping I can still use them on the tabletop against some of the other factions the sculptor has released - or wait until he releases his own version of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (WASP).

Finally, I have managed to produce and prime a trio of 35mm scale miniatures by "C27 Studio" from their One Man Zoo kit. Having previously painted an all-green Gorilla, Tiger and Bird from the "Batman Miniatures Game" Teen Titans Bat-Box by "Knight Models" almost four years ago, I thought I'd see whether I could use some of “Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats paint” range to better capture the cartoon green of (not) Beast Boy's bear, tiger and bird...

"OCP Is Proud To Present The Future Of Urban Pacification."

"RoboCop Two."

This 28mm scale FKMSA Failed Experimental Battledroid Series 1 is produced by "Papsikels Miniatures" and was downloaded for free as part of a set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their "Patreon" RoboCorps March 2023 subscription service, The model was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is clearly inspired by one of the "Roboflops" depicted in Irvin Kershner's 1990 science fiction film "RoboCop 2".

As can (hopefully) be seen the cyborg is incredibly detailed with all its pistons, cables, circuitry and wiring. But also, in my opinion at least, rather fragile when it comes to tabletop gaming and being manhandled across a battlefield. Resultantly, I decided to anchor the figure's ankles down onto a "Citadel" 25mm circular base by placing a piece of rock sculpted by "C27 Studio" between its feet. Only then was the miniature primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and base coated in Sir Coates Silver from "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" paint range.

"The Panzer IV was the most numerous German tank."

I next applied some Oblivion Black Wash over the model, and subsequently gave it a dry-brush of (more) Sir Coates Silver. I next picked out both its helmet and rock with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, "Citadel" Nuln Oil" and a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey on the stone. Finally, the poor suicidal police officer's skull was pigmented in "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" Ivory Tusk, "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and some watered-down Flesh Tearer's Red...

Alongside my Failed Experiment, I have managed to paint two more plastic 15mm Panzerkampfwagen IV tanks by “Battlefront Miniatures”. Found inside the company’s “Hit The Beach” starter set for “Flames Of War”, the pair of armoured vehicles were predominantly completed using a double coat of "Vallejo" German Grey, a wash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" German Grey, as a much lighter dry-brush of Sombre Grey.

"Papsikels Miniatures" WIPs - A Future Killer, Future Saviour and FKMSA Experimental Battle Mech Series 3

In addition I 'picked out' the models' spades, stowage, and tow-cables using a mixture of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil" or "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also painted the Panzer IV's machine guns and rear-situated mufflers with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and shaded these parts in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and Agrax Eathshade, before 'attacking' their tank's tracks with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh and Agrax Earthshade.

With the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) now officially finished for another year, I am hoping to clear out an already embarrassingly full draw of "Papsikels Miniatures" over the next few weeks, starting with some of the science fiction range's more recognisable STLs. My Future Killer, Future Saviour, and FKMSA Experimental Battle Mech Series 3, have now been dry-brushed with their respective "Vallejo" base colours, so should soon have all their well-defined details picked out...

"Judgment Day Is Inevitable."

"A T-X was sent back through time to eliminate your lieutenants."

These three 32mm scale E-800 Exterminators are produced by "Papsikels Miniatures" and were downloaded for free as part of a set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their "Patreon" The Exterminator December 2022 subscription service, The miniatures were produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and are clearly based upon James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd's science-fiction "Terminator" franchise.

The trio were all primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and treated to both two layers of Sir Coates Silver by "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" and a hearty dousing in Oblivion Black Wash. The "artificially intelligent autonomous war machine[s]" were then carefully dry-brushed with (more) Sir Coates Silver and had their eyes picked out with a spot of Demon Red and a dab of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Finally, due to wanting their metallic hand-weapons to somewhat stand out from the rest of the E-800 Exterminators shiny surfaces, I applied a second shade of Oblivion Black Wash over all the firearms.

"Papsikels Miniatures" WIPS - Two Series 5 Sexycops and a FKMSA Failed Experimental Battle Droid Series 1

In addition to my latest submission for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) I have also slowly started working on some of the figures from "Papsikels Miniatures" latest "Patreon" release entitled "Corpo Cops". These models vary in scale between 28mm and 32mm, and are clearly strongly influenced by Paul Verhoeven's 1987 science fiction film "Robocop", as well as the $53.4 million grossing movie's subsequent sequels.

For now I'm planning on focusing upon both the FKMSA Battle Police Series 5 Sexycops and a series of FKMSA Failed Experimental Battle Droid Series 1 miniatures. I'm actually finding some of these sculpts to be so finely-detailed that they're probably not destined to survive long on a tabletop unaided. So have already added at least one resin boulder (manufactured by "C27 Studio") to a figure to support its meticulously researched but super-delicate limbs.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - This Panzer IV has been stripped clean and reprimed

Lastly, I've made more progress on the Panzer IV unit I intend to field as part of my 50-point German D-Day Defence Force for "Flames Of War". Having put aside my frustration with trying to achieve any sort of camouflage on the "Battlefront Miniatures" tanks, I have decided to instead focus on 'picking out' a number of each armoured vehicle's details. These should prove reasonably straightforward to paint and break-up an otherwise rather monotonous dark grey colour scheme.

Initially, I had intended to build a fourth 15mm Panzerkampfwagen from a spare sprue, as I felt the model upon which I piloted my unsuccessful tan-green-brown pattern upon was far too full of clumpy paint to be saved - especially after I tried layering it with two coats of "Vallejo" German Grey. However, I have since soaked the thing in approximately 120ml of Paint Remover by "Green Stuff World" for a few hours. This solution has almost completely removed any trace of my previous disaster, and resultantly lead to me (re)priming the tank in a combination of "Vallejo" Black Prime and "Citadel" Abaddon Black in an effort to bring it my battlefield after all...

"The Engineers Have A Multitude Of Different Names."

"Deciphered hieroglyphic tablets found in Tanaka 5 referred to them as Ossians."

These three 32mm scale Yurneyan Golem Exofist Mask figures are produced by "Papsikels Miniatures" and were downloaded as part of a free set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their PAPSIPACK Welcome Models subscription set on "Patreon”. Produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, I had initially planned to 'field' four of the figures. But one of the models' arms failed to print – probably due to my overloading the build plate.

The 55mm tall sculpts are recognisably inspired by Ridley Scott’s 2012 science fiction film “Prometheus” and were predominantly painted using “Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats paint” range. They were all primed with a double helping of Gravestone Blue, shaded using Oblivion Black Wash and dry-brushed with (more) Gravestone Blue. This really helped bring out all the partly organic looking details of their survival suits.

"C27 Studio" WIPs - Conroy has been primed and dry-brushed

However, I thought the “Space Jockeys” looked a little bland so decided to pick out their stomachs, fingers and throats using a combination of Sir Coates Silver and Oblivion Black Wash. This somewhat tied into some of the pictures I have seen of the alien’s costumes for the movies, which appear to have a somewhat silvery/fleshy sheen to them. As a final step I applied Ivory Tusk to their heads, washed these areas with watered-down “Citadel” Carroburg Crimson, and dotted their eyes with Doom Death Black.

Alongside my latest submission to the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, I have been working on a Kevin Conroy tribute sculpt by "C27 Studio". The company ordinarily create 40mm scaled miniatures which are similar in size to those found in the "Marvel Crisis Protocol" super-hero game by "Atomic Mass Games". But this particular figure of the Dark Knight from "Batman: The Animated Television Series", has been crafted at the somewhat smaller scale of 35mm - hence it's been placed on a "Citadel" 40mm circular base.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - A Panzer IV now sporting a "Vallejo" German Grey colour scheme

In addition, I have been plugging away at the remaining models by "Battlefront Miniatures" which I need so as to complete my initial 50-point strong German D-Day Defence Force for "Flames Of War". Things had been going reasonably well, with my 7.5cm Anti-Tank guns even receiving some odd spots of camouflage over their "Vallejo" Dark Yellow undercoat/wash/dry-brush as a precursor for doing something similar to a quartet of similarly-primed Panzer IV tanks.

Unfortunately for some bizarre reason though, I inexplicably decided to veer away from doing small, self-isolated batches of coloration, and instead chose to use some "Vallejo" Luftwaffe Camo Green as a guide by snaking the odd line over the first of my armoured vehicles. Before I knew it this haphazard spider's web had got completely out of hand, and my attempt to rein it all in with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown just looked like messy splodges. As a result, and in view of having my first game pencilled in for late next week, I have subsequently decided to keep this particular tank formation nice and straightforward, by sticking with "Vallejo" German Grey and some trusty "Citadel" Nuln Oil shade...

Miss Fantorical 2022 - An "Undercoat" Painting Pageant

Once again, I have been given the honour of picking my top 10 painted miniatures of the past year for this blog. However, I thought I would do something slightly different this time and pick a favourite miniature for each month, before selecting an overall winner. My choices are based on the miniature, the paint job, the rule of cool and other eclectic factors, such as nostalgia etc. This format means some great models didn’t make the cut, but those are the rules - only one per month! You may disagree, which is fine, as we all like different things.

January - Ro-Jaws by "Wargames Foundry" - January 21st

This was picked because of a number of reasons. I love the metallic green colour scheme first of all. Coloured metals look amazing and this really makes the robot pop for me. However, it is the nostalgia factor that hits me too. Reading "2000 AD" in my youth has great memories for me. The stories and characters were just incredible and really made me love both science-fiction and fantasy to this day, so seeing the smart mouthed robot brought to life was a real treat.

February - sMG34 Machine-gun Team by "Battlefront Miniatures" - February 15th

There have been a large number of blog posts in 2022 featuring Flames of War infantry stands. These are multiple 15mm soldiers on bases that form teams that make up larger formations. Firstly, the details on these diminutive sculpts is amazing. Secondly, the painting is top notch with details picked out superbly, camouflage painted on individual helmets and other great touches that make these really stand out to me. They also look amazing in a group shot and will look stunning in any future battle reports. Fantastic little project.

March - American Civil War Command Strip by "Warlord Games" - March 5th

These "Epic" models are something of a revelation to me. A strip of ten soldiers in one piece of plastic that still have individual details that I think look incredible. Again, the paint scheme elevates them further with each Confederate trooper having different coloured bits of uniform like trousers and jackets. Considering that these models are approximately 13mm in scale that is just insane! But they look great for it. These just look phenomenal to me.

April - Black Widow by "CoolMiniOrNot" - April 30th

This 40mm miniature comes from the Marvel United miniature game and just oozes personality. It is instantly recognisable as the Marvel character from the comics and films, but is just refreshingly different, while also being instantly familiar. It is packed full of detail and the paint scheme captures the ex-Soviet assassin turned Avenger brilliantly. I remember reading this blog post vividly and being blown away by it. Fantastic stuff!

May - Red Skull by "CoolMiniOrNot" - May 19th

Now, before you say anything I want to admit to breaking a rule I had here. I didn’t want to pick multiple miniatures from the same manufacturer/genre to increase variety and not have my favourite themes dominate. However, I just love this miniature. Again, from Marvel United it is a cartoon/chibi-like representation of Hydra's leader that looks sensational. The pose, the haughty look, the paint scheme, I could go on. This has the wow factor for me.

June - Strawbear by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" - June 13th

A total change for this pick. I am still not entirely sure what a strawbear is. Is it a person wearing straw as part of a carnival procession or is it a creature made of straw? Dunno! What it is though is quirky and different. It looks simplistic as it is just straw but the paint scheme just makes me look closer. There are different colours in there like greens that make it look so interesting. Different, unusual and not something I have seen before. All good in my opinion.

July - Space Marine Sergeant by "Games Workshop" - July 4th

I have to confess I love the Horus Heresy. I have read the books, love the lore and do like the models, so it is perhaps unsurprising I have included this Sons of Horus sergeant. I really like the shade of green that these space marines have for their power armour. It looks amazing. This guy also looks full of character as well: his brutal looking Mk3 armour, his sergeant's helmet crest  and that wicked looking claw just make the Age of Darkness come to life for me. Great stuff once again.

August - Sentry Robot by "Twisted Pinnacle 3D" - August 2nd

Sculpted by "Big Mr Tong", this mechanical sentinel bears more than a passing resemblance to the robot bad guys in the 1979 Disney film, "The Black Hole". The film had some great designs for its robots (although the less said about the film’s ending the better!) and this simple but effective paint scheme just captures my memories of those images perfectly. Again, something different that brings back memories and nostalgia. This blog is superb at showcasing the unusual and the quirky and I love it for that.

September - Zygon by "Encounter Terrain" - September 9th

This blog has shown off a lot of miniatures themed around "Doctor Who" and I fondly recall models from other ranges showcasing lots of the BBC science-fiction teleision series' villains in the past. However, once again, we have a different take on the familiar. This 3d printed model is sculpted by SplunJohnny in a very appealing and different style. Slightly comic book, definitely stylised but still eye catching and appealing. The skin tones look amazingly smooth, eye catching and another master class in how to paint eyes. Just memorable on so many levels.

October - Frankenstein’s Monster by "Encounter Terrain" - October 31st

Yes, I know it is a miniature from the same designer as the Zygon. Rule broken again! But just hear me out here. It looks so cool. The design has that classic arms out straight legged walk of so many Frankenstein tropes, and I love it for that. It just makes me smile. Another example of a well designed miniature brought to life that just appeals on so many levels. Are there better painted miniatures on this blog? Yep. However, it isn’t just about that its about so many other things and the fact I smile when I see this means it is the pick of the month!

November - Yeti by "Warlord Games" - November 8th

I don’t really remember these "Doctor Who" villains from the television series back in the day. But I am aware of them as part of the science-fiction programme's pantheon of baddies. I just like the whole package here, the sculpt, the paint scheme, the throwback to a time when the budgets for "Doctor Who" were smaller than the cost of a weekly family food shop today. The fact when I googled them this looked just like the images I saw was everything. Simon is very good at painting fur and although a simple paint scheme again they just pop for me.

December - Lazer Face by "C27 Studio" - December 14th

This (not) Destroyer is once again a character from "Marvel Comics". However, it is a very different style to those already mentioned. I recall this brute from the movie "Thor" and it cut an imposing and destructive figure! I just like this sculpt. It looks big, it looks interesting and it looks distinctive. It is just painted in a metallic hue, but I just love this paint job as it looks amazing. So much so that it has sold me on the "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" paint range which were used to bring this to life.

And the winner of Miss Fantorical 2022 is...

Lazer Face by "C27 Studio"

I just love the way this one is painted. Less is more. Get the basics right and it just pops.

Well that was fun. I am looking forward to more of the same in 2023 as I find this blog a source of inspiration to get my own miniatures painted. It's a fun read while enjoying a coffee and a great source of both the unusual and often different miniatures which reminds you that there is a lot more out there than just the stuff produced by the bigger companies. What would you have picked? The world would be boring if we all liked the same thing, right?

“Blonsky Became A Large Scaly Humanoid Even Stronger Than The Hulk.”

“In accordance with [Stan] Lee's wishes, the character defeated the Hulk in their first battle.”

This 40mm scale miniature of Namaste Haiku was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "C27 Studio". The 60mm tall sculpt is clearly inspired by Stan Lee's comic book co-creation - The Abomination, and designed to be used as an 'alternative' figure for the Marvel Crisis Protocol rule-set.

Along with a 75mm scale version, the model also comes with its own 50mm circular base. However, as I dislike trying to print off anything of that size which is supposedly (super) flat, I decided to just print out the rubble upon which Emil Blonsky’s alter-ego stands and then superglue it upon an 'official' spare plastic stand by "Atomic Mass Games". I then used some green-stuff to blend the join in, and primed the entire ensemble with "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"C27 Studio" WIPs - Namaste Haiku shaded, dry-brushed and base-layered

‘Deliberately exposing himself to a greater quantity of the same gamma radiation that transformed Bruce Banner into the Hulk’, I decided to use the former KGB agent as an opportunity to test out some of "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" I've recently been sent by "Trans Atlantis Games" to trial. As a result, I applied a double-helping of Emerald Green over Haiku to use as a prime, shaded the miniature with Battle Mud Wash, and dry-brushed him with (more) Emerald Green. I later used a similar process for the rubble, swapping out "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" colours for "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil to as to match the basing palette I’ve previously used on my ‘official’ Marvel Crisis Protocol figures.

I initially picked out the hideous lizard-like creature’s eyes, torn trousers, teeth, finger nails and toe nails with Doom Death Black by “Two Thin Coats”, and subsequently applied either White Star, Skulker Yellow or Marine Blue to the appropriate areas. With the exception of the monster’s clothing – which was given a liberal shade of “Citadel” Drakenhof Nightshade – all these parts were then washed with (more) Battle Mud Wash by “Two Thin Coats” so as to dirty them up. Finally, I went back in with some additional Emerald Green and Skulker Yellow to help tidy things up, as well as bring a little focus to the super-villain’s deep-set pupils.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - This Panzer IV has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

Alongside my first entry into the Thirteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, I have also managed to make some steady progress on a 'test' 15mm scale plastic Panzer IV by "Battlefront Miniatures". This tank will be one of four fully tracked armoured fighting vehicles I want to field as part of my 50-point German D-Day Defence force for "Flames Of War", and has rather embarrassingly been sat gathering dust upon my hobby table for quite a while.

Part of this delay has admittedly been because I simply couldn't make up my mind as to what camouflage scheme I wanted to use for my tanks. The hard-backed "Colours Of War" painting guide by "Battlefront Miniatures" is rather good at suggesting a variety of different palettes, as have been the numerous colour historical photographs I've perused. However, in the end I was rather intrigued by the notion that Panzer IV crews would pigment their chassis in all sorts of different designs dependent upon what materials were to hand and their particular fancy. As a result I plan to apply a scheme similar to the one I used for all the Panzergrenadiers' helmets, in an effort to tie the entire force together...

"The Destroyer Is Forged From An Unknown And Enchanted Metal."

"The armour was stored away in the Temple of Darkness, but it was found by Loki."

This 40mm scale miniature of Lazer Face was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "C27 Studio". The approximately 70mm tall sculpt is clearly inspired by Stan Lee's comic book co-creation - The Destroyer, and designed to be used as an 'alternative' figure for the Marvel Crisis Protocol rule-set.

Along with a 75mm scale version, the model also comes with its own 50mm circular base. However, as I struggle to print anything of that size flat, I decided to simply print out the rubble upon which the "enchanted suit of armor" stands and then superglue it upon an 'official' spare plastic stand by "Atomic Mass Games". I then used some green-stuff to blend the join in, and primed the entire ensemble with "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

Abe Sapien and Hellboy encounter a Sinister Bird, a Frog Swarm and Supernatural Fires

"Forged by the King of the Norse gods, Odin", I decided to use the miniature as an opportunity to test out some of "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" I've recently been sent by "Trans Atlantis Games" to trial. Resultantly, I applied a single layer of Sir Coates Silver over Lazer Face, shaded it with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed it with (more) Sir Coates Silver. I later used a similar process for the rubble, swapping out "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" colour for "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, and adding some splodges of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the mix to dirty the broken ground up a bit more.

With hindsight I should have taken some additional time checking and trimming away a series of 'pimples' left over from the miniature's supports before I started painting the miniature. However, I didn't properly spot them running down the back of the sculpt's legs until later on, by which time I was almost finished and didn't want to have to re-prime. layer, wash, and dry-brush the re-cleaned area - as that always seems to stand out, in my eyes at least, no matter how careful I try to be to blend the repair work in with the original pigmentation.

A Giant Boss Frog Monster tears the B.P.R.D. field agents apart

In addition to completing the first of my figures by "C27 Studio", I have also managed to play some more "Hellboy: The Board Game" by "Mantic Games", unsuccessfully pitting Anung un Rama and Abe Sapien up against a supposedly mild infestation of Frog Monsters. This adventure really didn't go very well at all, with the Deck of Doom placing the two B.P.R.D. Field Agents onto their back feet almost straight from the start.

Alongside the usual hazards of Frog Swarms and "Supernatural Fires", we experienced a Sinister Bird, "A Heavy Moon" (which stunned the duo completely out of the blue", ,"Ambush" and even a super-powered Frog Monster who was invisible to the naked eye. To make matters worse, the monstrous Boss Frog Creature then descended upon us whilst we lay unconscious in a confined space, quickly splattering Abe's brains all over a wall and sending Hellboy flying into an even smaller adjacent room where he was pummelled to death. Next time we'll be sending in a full-team of four operatives...

"So, What Do You Think Got To My Tractor?"

"Something the commies built? Some kind of monster? Something from outer space?"

This 28mm scale Giant Robot is produced by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", and can be bought as SKU: MINI 688 from their Science Fiction range. Sculpted by Andrew May, the multi-piece resin kit comes with a choice of two hands (claw or death ray), and stands approximately 90mm in height. Due to my wanting this 'towering war machine' to be fielded alongside my previously-pigmented Killbots and Spybots, it was undercoated with a double helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey before being drenched in "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green.

I then applied a dry-brush of "Vallejo" Gunmetal to the entire miniature, making sure to especially 'hit' the edges of its head and numerous rivets, and shaded it further with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. To build upon this illusion of the automaton being significantly weathered I later drenched it in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and meticulously dabbed each head with a splodge of "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash. Once this time-consuming process was completed, I attempted to blend everything together with a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey.

CC27 Studio WIPs - Lazer Face and Namaste Haiku primed with the "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" range

This technique was rather patiently done as I wanted to ensure that some of the previously-used "Vallejo" Gunmetal still shone through so as to the pair a slight metallic sheen. Once finished, the Giant Robot's cyclopean eye and chest laser were subsequently spotted with a combination of "Scalecolor" Speed Metal and the "Citadel" Contrast colour Flesh Tearers Red. Finally, I applied some fifteen year old American military decals to the deadly machine, feeling that the transfers rather faded, bleached look would suit a towering droid which was still stalking a post-apocalyptic battlefield.

In addition to the Giant Robot, I have also been busy testing out a number of paints from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" range. These were very kindly sent out by Peter Buxton of "Trans Atlantis Games" and, whilst I've only so far tried out a handful of the colours generously posted to me, they have already become my favourite pigments within just a day.

C27 Studio WIPs - Alien Soldier, I Know Kung-Fu, and Duck-tective

I've been using them on some of the 40mm scale STL (Standard Triangle Language) files by "C27 Studio" I've recently created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, as I wanted to see how well they covered the super-heroic figures with a single application. Being just a tabletop standard painter I'm always keen to try to 'miss a step' in the painting process by priming my miniatures in their main colour, so this experiment provided me with an opportunity to try out the mainstays White Star and Doom Death Black, as well as Emerald Green and Sir Coates Silver.

The dropper bottles all come with agitators inside of them, so a simple shake of each pot certainly seems to mix up their contents good enough for my uses. Furthermore, I've been pleased with how smooth-flowing each colour's consistency is straight from the nozzle, with only White Star (perhaps unsurprisingly) being a bit 'goopier' than its peers. All of them though have provided me with a solid foundation for future layers, with Sir Coates Silver arguably being the most impressive (over an undercoat of "Citadel" Abaddon Black) and I'm now looking forward to getting some further washes/other pigments from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" range onto the models over the next few hobby sessions...