“This Nest Of Wingless Mole-like Mammals…”

“…Hover through a mild form of telekinesis.”

This 28mm scale white metal model of some Owl-Shrews is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their Alien Pets deal. The tiny animals are actually only 6mm in length individually and are designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

Sculpted by Andrew May, the diminutive critters were initially undercoated using "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and shaded with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. They were then dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before having their main bodies darkened with an extra application of "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. Finally, all of their eyes were ‘spotted’ with “Citadel” Abaddon Black.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - The Uruk-hai Crossbowmen have had their shoes and legs layered

Alongside the last of my Alien Pets, I have also been making steady progress on a small unit of Uruk-hai Crossbowmen for my 500 point strong Isengard army. One of the more interesting mechanics of the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game by “Games Workshop” is that armies have a bow limit due to “the many hundreds of arrows” needed during a confrontation, and as a result only one third (rounding up) of each force’s warrior models may be equipped with a bow.

In the past I’ve actually just used a small contingent of normal Orcs equipped with crude bows as the evil White Wizard’s missile troops. But this time round I thought I’d supply my initial scouting party with some much more thematically-based crossbows - which whilst significantly more cumbersome than my previous archers due to not being able to move and shoot in the same turn, will fire bolts twice the strength of an arrow when unleashed.

"Rocket Pig Games" WIPs - The Grave Gnasher's "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna weapon has been replaced with Gunmetal

Lastly, I’ve made some major inroads on my Grave Gnasher by “Rocket Pig Games”. This bizarre-looking 3D printed resin figure has actually proved a bit of a head-scratcher palette-wise as I’ve been in two minds as to whether it should be bedecked in precious gold or silver. My original plan was to use the 32mm miniature as the magical leader of Nature fighting off the mechanical machinations of a Clockwork Mage.

However, as the creature is clearly aligned to Death, I’ve already been contemplating using him as the commander of a third force firmly formed around the Undead. This change in the project’s direction has caused me to abandon my initial idea for the earth-based fiend to be wearing colourfully rich bracelets and weld a massive golden hammer, and instead re-paint the figure using a much more muted steel hand-weapon…

"This Horned Urz Cub..."

"...Has to be restrained with a zencollar and muzzle for safety."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Horned Urz Cub is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their Alien Pets 2 deal. Sculpted by Andrew May, and originally produced as a freebie to all backers of the company's Colony 87 - The Third Wave - 28mm Sci-Fi Civilians Kickstarter, the creature is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

Over twenty foot tall when fully grown, the prized extra-terrestrial bear was initially undercoated using "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, before dabbing the creature's fur in "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna using a piece of torn foam. The entire animal was then washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

"North Star Military Figures" WIPs - The two Shrieking Wolves have been primed, shaded and 'distressed' 

The ferocious predator's zencollar and muzzle were 'picked out' using a combination of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Gunmetal. This restraining device was later shaded in "Citadel" Abaddon Black and carefully highlighted with a touch more "Vallejo" Gunmetal. Finally, the Horned Urz's eyes were spotted with a couple of dabs of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and later washed using a little "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

Stepping away from the dizzying heights of "Colony 87" and making a frosty return to the snow-laden ruins of Felsted, I have spent some considerable time recently rummaging through my collection of unpainted models looking for a number of old "Frostgrave" miniatures I own by "North Star Military Figures". It's true that I intend to allocate this fantasy skirmish rule-set's second edition a considerable consignment of my valuable hobby-time over the next few months, in the hopes of pigmenting both a sizeable bestiary and some adventurous warbands.

"Kitbash Games" WIPs - Big Bot and The Shark are slowly having their details 'picked out'

However, I have also been spurred on by the announcement of it's science-fiction sequel "Stargrave" and the somewhat imminent release of a whole raft of new sculpts to specifically support it. This year I am absolutely determined to see through my New Year pledge of painting at least two models for every new one bought, so with this in mind, I thought I'd best get cracking on churning my way through my "North Star Military Figures" backlog; especially as I'm aware that the Nottingham-based company has already announced they'll be producing three twenty-figure strong boxes of plastic multi-part miniatures to go alongside their official metal range.

In addition, I've been plugging away at some more of my "Supers Unlimited" resin heroes by "Kitbash Games". such as Big Bot and the long-neglected Shark. I've still got quite a few of these super-heroes and villains to finish before I dare visit the manufacturer's store again, but hope to 'break the back' of this particular pile of shame by the end of next month...

"It Remains Unknown If This Sentient Fungus..."

"...Is a native or mutation triggered by hazardous wasters."

This 28mm scale white metal model of an Ambulatory Fungoid is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought alongside a Horned Urz cub as part of their Alien Pets 2 deal. Sculpted by Andrew May, and originally produced as a freebie to all backers of the company's Colony 87 - The Third Wave - 28mm Sci-Fi Civilians Kickstarter, the creature is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

"Growing in the vast labyrinth of tunnels, sewers, Maran-Tchi cysts and chambers below the outpost", the alien was initially undercoated using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey before being shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then painted the walking mushroom's top with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and sporadically spotted its irregular lumps with some White using a piece of torn foam.

"Privateer Press" WIPs - The Paladin Enforcer is slowly having all his detail 'picked out'

This entire area was subsequently shaded with plenty of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and its spots reapplied with more "Vallejo" White over the same bumps as before. This gave the impressive of some dots slowly emerging alongside others which were already fully-visible. As a final step I 'picked out' the Fungoid's numerous eyes with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green.

With the latest of my "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" alien pets finished I have managed to keep my momentum going with the three Paladin Enforcers I'm currently pigmenting for "Warcaster: Neo-Mechanika". These multi-part metal miniatures by "Privateer Press" were a little fiddly to assemble, but now they've been primed, shaded and dry-brushed I'm hoping to now be on the home straight to getting my Iron Star Alliance Starter Set completed before the end of the month.

"Kitbash Games" WIPs - Lightning Bug has had all his "Vallejo" Brass shaded and dry-brushed

In addition, I have tried to dedicate some hobby-time to getting my Lightning Bug by "Kitbash Games" ready for the tabletop. The somewhat small resin super-hero was actually released as part of the manufacturer's first "Supers Unlimited" Kickstarter. However I have waited until recently to purchase the fellow after some casting failures saw its sculpt get revised to be both "slightly bulkier and approximately 1 or 2mm taller in relative terms."

As with so many of the figures from this range I have also decided to steer well away from both the 'official' character and colour scheme, so as to use my miniature as part of a Weird War Two campaign I have planned using some homemade rules. To this end, I won't be giving the model a predominantly black costume, but rather a red and brass one in order to better represent the Soviet splendour of the Bolshevik Bug...

'The Curious Karakulak.'

"A non-sentient species of omnivorous and gregarious canids."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Karakulak is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their Alien Pets deal. The animal is 26mm in length and is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

The extra-terrestrial fox was initially undercoated using "Vallejo" White, before being washed in some quite heavily watered-down "Citadel" Druchii Violet and dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" White. I then set about pigmenting the creature's toes and nose with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before finishing it off by dotting its eyes with a combination of "Vallejo" Turquoise and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade.

"Blue is potentially the second-most intelligent piece of life on this planet and she’s the last of her kind."

In addition to the latest of my "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" alien pets I have also finished working on the third of my 30mm tall plastic Velociraptor figures produced by “Mondo Games”. This Late Cretaceous "dromaeosaurid dinosaur" was seemingly sculpted to depict Blue from the 2015 American film "Jurassic World" and can be found inside the Jurassic Park: Ingen Vs. Raptors board game for "Unmatched".

Having initially chopped the miniature from its 25mm stand with a sharp modelling knife and subsequently glued it upon a 40mm circular base instead, the predator was primed using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then 'picked out' all the Raptor's claws and sharp tiny teeth with "Vallejo" White and later treated them to a wash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade too.

"Kitbash Games" WIPs - Big Bot has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

As a second to last step I 'dotted' both the Velociraptor's eyes with a spot or two of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre and a dash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. I then finished the predatory dinosaur off by coating its tongue with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Setting aside my finished figures I've also managed to get some basic layering, shading and dry-brushing completed on my resin model of Big Bot by "Kitbash Games". This rather formidably-sized resin sculpt was created as part of the Supers Unlimited Teamstarter 1: Aegis Kickstarter campaign, and whilst its 'official' palette is extremely colourful, I have decided to go with a somewhat rusty metallic scheme which better suits its resemblance to one of my "Mooretoons" cartoon strip characters - Tin Man.

"He Slimed Me."

"That's great. Actual physical contact. Can you move?"

This 28mm scale metal model of an Ectoplasmic Entity is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought from their Heroes and Allies range as part of their Paranormal Exterminators 1 deal. Designed to be used with the manufacturer's "fun, cinematic style skirmish" game 7TV - Second Edition, the spectral sculpt is clearly influenced by the character Slimer from the "Ghostbusters" franchise.

Originally I had planned to simply paint this figure using a dark green colour and just get it finished quickly with a splash of shade and a thorough dry-brush. But it then occurred to me that it would make the ideal test piece for my newly acquired "Vallejo" Fluorescent Green. As a result I primed the spooky ghost with "Vallejo" White and subsequently applied a couple of coats of Fluorescent Green over the entire miniature.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Sentient Fungus has been primed. shaded and dry-brushed

I then drowned "Onionhead" in "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and dusted the figure down with a "Vallejo" White dry-brush. This provided the figure with a sort of Zenithal highlight which I was able to patiently glaze with numerous layers of "Vallejo" Fluorescent Green. The trick really was to allow each passing of the paint to fully dry before applying the next coat, and to focus on those areas of the model, such as the ghoul's face and stomach which had really caught the "Vallejo" White.

The Ectoplasmic Entity's mouth was pigmented using "Citadel" Abaddon Black, whilst his teeth were treated to a combination of "Vallejo" White and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally I 'spotted' Slimer's eyes with a couple of dabs of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre and resisted the urge to shade them, so as to ensure they stood out that little bit more from the rest of the model.

"Frostgrave" WIPs - This White Gorilla is slowly having all its flesh 'picked out' and shaded

Alongside "Little Spud" I have been speedily making my way through the final four of the company's Alien Pets range, including their recently released Horned Urz cub and Sentient Fungus. With the exception of their bizarre insect-eating Vermilepus, I've really enjoyed pigmenting this line of "Colony 87" models, and potentially plan on using some of them as alternatives to the Vermin Swarms/Feral Dogs encountered as Zone Hostiles in "Zona Alfa" by "Osprey Wargames".

Lastly, I have finally made some significant in-roads on my White Gorilla for "Frostgrave". I've actually lost count how many times I've picked this "North Star Military Figures" model up and quickly put back down again, as I find the disappointing sculpt to be a real motivation-killer whenever I try to paint it. However, I've finally knuckled down to get all the ape's flesh areas finished and now just need to tidy up its hairy fur before I can call the beast done...

“I’m A Knockout!”

"Dorothea bounced them before they got themselves a death sentence."

This 28mm scale resin model of Kayo the Bouncer is produced by "Kitbash Games", and was purchased from their highly successful "Supers Unlimited" Miniatures "Kickstarter" in August 2019. Described as being "six-four without heels and broad shouldered", as well as "abnormally strong and resistant to harm", I actually plan to use the figure as a Soviet super-hero known as Mother Russia for an upcoming Weird War Two campaign utilising some homemade rules.

Having super-glued Dorothea Locke onto a 28mm lipped base, I primed the occasional bar-tender at The Junction with a double coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Red before shading her in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. I then applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to the experimental subject's leather boots and gloves, and shaded them with some Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter".

A lone X-Commando dares to enter the mysterious City of the Great Apes

I also spread some "Citadel" Doombull Brown over Kayo's hair, and in an effort to contrast it to the colour of her gloves and boots, washed it with a fair amount of "Citadel" Nuln Oil before delicately dry-brushing the well-defined area with (more) "Citadel" Doombull Brown. Lastly, I gave Locke a 1/285 Soviet Star (consisting of a red emblem with a white outline) transfer by "Decal Details" to tie her in with both my own backstory of her being a Russian military powerhouse, and her Socialist Republic team-mate, Stalingrad.

With the latest of my "Supers Unlimited" miniatures completed, I have 'snuck in' the time to re-paint one of the X-Commando models by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" I actually finished back in November 2019. At the time I recall rather rushing the female red beret by simply 'picking out' her hip-holster in "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and then drowning the predominantly black uniformed soldier in "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - The Karakulak has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

This palette invariably caused the empty leather pistol pouch and its accompanying leg straps to disappear amidst the rest of the Department X agent's attire. Recently however, I have been working on the remaining three figures from this blister, and having applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to their leather-work, thought I'd take the time to do something similar to their comrade-in-arms.

Sticking with "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" I've additionally started to 'get to grips' with the last few of the company's Alien Pets. Bought from their "Colony 87" sci-fi range, I thought I'd make some inroads on my wolf-like Karakulak first, and go with a somewhat subtle purplish-white colour scheme...

"The Bizarre Insect-Eating Vermilepus."

"He's a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land..."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Vermilepus is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their Alien Pets deal. The animal is only 18mm tall and is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

The miniature was initially undercoated using "Vallejo" Heavy Violet, before being soaked in "Citadel" Druchii Violet and dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Violet. I then set about pigmenting its feathery throat and chest with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, but this proved surprisingly difficult and time-consuming as I couldn't quite make out where the plumes actually started just beneath it's head.

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - The Black Widow and Venom

As a final touch I decided to 'spot' the long-eared extra-terrestrial's eyes with a dab of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre, and shade them using a little "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. All in all, I found the Vermilepus a really frustrating model to pigment, and actually went through other two colour schemes before settling upon this predominantly dark one. In addition, I quickly realised that my basing had completely covered over the overly-long claws of the alien, adding an extra layer of frustration to what should have been a straightforward paint-job. 

Speaking of perplexing projects, I have persevered with the white spider markings on my Venom by "Atomic Mass Games" for a couple more hours, trying to follow the emblem's super-soft detail with my brush-tip. Luckily, the idea to wash the motif's thin wavy lines with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil has really helped me follow the sculpt's edges enormously, but I'm still not particularly happy with the wobbliness of the final result.

"Diehard Miniatures" WIP - The Bounty Hunter has been assembled, pinned and primed

Fortunately, I'm finding the Black Widow figure from the "Marvel Crisis Protocol" Core Set much more fun to work on, even though I'm attempting to paint Natasha Romanova in her alternative all-white costume. Indeed, I've already completed the miniature's detailed base and started slowly 'picking out' all the super-spy's various straps with "Citadel" Abaddon Black...

Lastly, I was rather pleased to receive a small consignment of models from "Diehard Miniatures" following their recent Black Friday Bounty Hunters webstore offer, Of particular interest was their excellent multi-part metal sculpt of a Brando-Elite fugitive recovery agent, who, having been assembled, pinned and primed, has gone straight onto my painting table for some tender loving care.

"Somehow, Over The Centuries..."

"...At least one strain evolved to produce rats the size of cats."

These (additional) three 28mm scale metal models of some Giant Rats are produced by “North Star Military Figures” and can be purchased as code FGV309 - Boar & Giant Rats from their “Frostgrave" Range. According to Joseph A. McCullough's lore for Felstad, these large rodents "scavenged what food they could" in the frozen city, "including potions and other magic items."

The trio were originally undercoated "Citadel" Abaddon Black, mercilessly dry-brushed "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Their limbs, tails, ears and noses were then painted using a mixture of "Vallejo" Heavy Warmgrey and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, before being dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Warmgrey.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - The Vermilepus has gone through three different paint schemes

I subsequently spent a little time 'feathering' the join between the Giant Rats' furry hides and limbs with some additional "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and 'picked out' their sharp front teeth using a combination of "Vallejo" White and Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter". Finally I dotted the vermins' evil eyes with a spot of "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

Having completed the last of my Giant Rats for "Frostgrave", I have partly turned my attention back to the remaining miniatures I haven't yet finished from the Alien Pets blister by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". Unfortunately, the Vermilepus has proved particularly frustrating due to my dislike for the colour schemes I have chosen.

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - The Black Widow's base has been finished

Initially I had intended to pigment the "bizarre insect-eating" extra-terrestrial in the light green palette used by the 'official' paint-job, but I wasn't at all happy with how this appeared 'in the flesh'. As a result, thinking the little critter looked a lot like a little elephant, I thought I'd give it light grey skin instead. However, following some dry-brushing, this too didn't turn out quite as well as I thought...  

Alongside this 'dithering' though, I have managed to complete the base-work on the two different sculpts of the Black Widow I currently own for "Marvel Crisis Protocol" by "Atomic Mass Games". These were a lot of fun, with the more MCU-based incarnation of Natasha Romanova giving me an opportunity to once again dabble with the "Citadel" Technical Paint Nihilakh Oxide.

"Many Believe This Nickname Comes From Their Distinctive Headgear..."

"...When in fact it derives from jibes by the Colonial Police."

This 28mm scale metal model of a 'Shellhead' is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either individually or as part of their Security Troopers four-figure deal. Dedicated to protecting "our law-abiding citizens... within the spaceport’s zenfield" the figure is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

The kneeling guard was originally undercoated using two coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and enthusiastically dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. His only visible metal knee-pad, digital information pad, and canister lid were then 'picked out' with "Vallejo" Gunmetal, before all of these parts were drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"North Star Military Figures" WIPs - These three Giant Rats now need to be 'tidied up'

The trooper's face plate and side-arm were initially treated to a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and, along with his mask's breathing holes, given a coat of Brass. Due to wanting this particular model to slightly stand out from the rest of the squad, I additionally 'picked out' his pistol's holster and leg straps with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

All of these areas were later shaded using a combination of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter". As a final touch I delicately dry-brushed the model's pitted face-plate with several sweeps of "Vallejo" Brass, simply to catch the raised detail of the helmet's pitted mesh.

"North Star Military Figures" WIPs - These two Tribal Archers have been assembled and primed

With all four members of my Security Troopers unit for Dave Stone's latest (Unity) Community Challenge now completed, I have been able to spend some extra time pigmenting the first three of six Giant Rats by "North Star Military Figures" for "Frostgrave" Second Edition. All of these rodents' "Vallejo" Heavy Warmgrey flesh has now been shaded and dry-brushed, so the trio of the black-furred pests simply need their fur 'touching up' before being essentially finished.

I have also assembled, based and primed the first two new members for my Witches warband using parts taken from the excellent "Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago" hard plastic Tribals boxed set. These two archers cost 75 gold coins each, and come armed with a bow, quiver, dagger and light armour (wooden tribal mask). They're obviously going to be a bit cold wandering the streets of Felstad with so much exposed flesh, so I like to think their magician concocted an invigorating potion of warmth or some such before they agreed to accompany him on the mission...

"Millions Flocked To The Colony."

"The rich and the powerful, the ambitious and the desperate."

These two 28mm scale metal models of a pair of Security Troopers are sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either individually or as part of the Lincolnshire-based manufacturer's Security Troopers four-figure deal. Dedicated to protecting "our law-abiding citizens... within the spaceport’s zenfield" these 'Shellheads' are designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

Both guards were originally undercoated using two coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and thoroughly dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. Their metal knee-pads and automatic weapons were then 'picked out' with "Vallejo" Gunmetal, before all of these areas were drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - Spider-Man's base has now been finished

Each trooper's face plate was treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Dark Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green, whilst their side-arms and breathing valves were given a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. The pistols and mask apparatus were subsequently pigmented using a little "Vallejo" Brass and shaded with Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter".

With my Security Troopers unit for Dave Stone's latest (Unity) Community Challenge three-quarters finished, I have continued to work on the Spider-Man figure found inside the Marvel Crisis Protocol Core Set by "Atomic Mass Games". The hard plastic model's base has taken a little longer than I anticipated as my plan for it to contain a simple-looking steel girder didn't look quite right, until after I decided to dirty it up and apply some additional weathering effects upon it.

"North Star Military Figures" WIPs - These three Giant Rats have had their flesh areas base-coated

Lastly, I've managed to make some small progress on three Giant Rats by "North Star Military Figures" for "Frostgrave" Second Edition. I've yet to shade the rodents' "Vallejo" Heavy Warmgrey limbs, ears and noses with some "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, but have been somewhat inspired to get these finished having found a further trio of the black-furred pests in my embarrassingly large backlog of metal miniatures.

I also want to get these animals fully-painted so I can settle down to concentrate on the eight plastic dark-skinned natives I have now successfully assembled from the "Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago" plastic Tribals boxed set. These multi-part feathered warriors will completely the soldiers I finished for my initial Witch's warband, and hopefully let me search Felstad for its exotic treasures with a more thematic force...

"Colony 87 Had Grown In Power Over The Decades."

"It was now the most important centre for trade, industry, science and arts in the sector."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Security Trooper is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either individually or as part of their Security Troopers four-figure deal. Dedicated to protecting "our law-abiding citizens... within the spaceport’s zenfield" the "shellhead" is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

The guard was originally undercoated using two coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and thoroughly dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. His metal knee-pads and automatic weapon were then 'picked out' with "Vallejo" Gunmetal, before all of these areas were drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - Spider-Man is slowly having his elaborate base painted

The trooper's face plate and side-arm were initially treated to a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and subsequently, along with his mask's breathing holes, given a coat of Brass. I later shaded these areas with a splash of Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter", and carefully dry-brushed the model's face-plate with a couple of brushstrokes of "Vallejo" Brass.

Having finished the first of my miniatures for Dave Stone's latest (Unity) Community Challenge, I've also found some hobby time to make a little progress on the Spider-Man figure found inside the Marvel Crisis Protocol Core Set by "Atomic Mass Games". The super-hero's rather cluttered base is now mostly finished, so I should soon be able to start working on Peter Parker's actual alter-ego...

"North Star Military Figures" WIPs - These three rats have had their bases dry-brushed and shaded

Finally, with the arrival of my "Frostgrave" Second Edition, I have been rummaging around my unpainted collection of official sculpts by "North Star Military Figures", whilst waiting for the plastic glue on my latest additions to my Witch's warband to dry. I actually plan on assembling my new recruits from the "Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago" plastic Tribals boxed set, but such an undertaking will require a little patience as I carefully put together my hardy warriors for the tabletop.

As a result I thought I'd get myself in the mood by pigmenting a trio of giants rats from the rule-set's original release. These three rodents have been sat loitering upon my painting table for a good few years, so hopefully they'll be finished in good time. ready to confront any hapless treasure seeker foolish enough to believe they can walk the streets of wintry Felstad unmolested...

"Killmonger Will Protect You From Harm!"

"You'll take nothing from me ever again!"

This 40mm scale plastic figure of Erik Killmonger is produced by “Atomic Mass Games” and can be bought as part of  the company's Black Panther & Killmonger expansion set for "Marvel Crisis Protocol". Assembled using fourteen separate pieces, not including its stand, the model depicts the "fallen son of Wakanda" standing upon a statue of a black panther with his hand-weapons raised.

The miniature was initially primed using two layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and had his combat trousers painted using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I then layered all of N'Jadaka's bare flesh with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, his spear shaft and sword handle with "Citadel" Doombull Brown, and his spear-tip's straps with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - Venom and Spider-Man

All of these areas were subsequently shaded with a mixture of Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter" and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Killmonger's gold and ivory necklace was pigmented in "Vallejo" Gold and White, before being washed with some more Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter". Whilst his sword blade, pommel, spear-tip, belt-buckle and metal knee-pads were treated to some "Citadel" Ironbreaker (or "Vallejo" Gunmetal) and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

The figure's pre-modelled street pavement was undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. It was then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey using a make-up brush. Finally, I very carefully dry-brushed the obsidian statue of a black panther with "Vallejo" Turquoise and shaded that with "Citadel" Nuln Oil as well.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - The four security troopers have had their details 'picked out'

Having completed my first 'pairing' of arch-rivals for "Marvel Crisis Protocol", I have set to work in earnest on the duo of Venom and Spider-Man. Luckily, my model of Eddie Brock's alter-ego had already been built and primed, so I have currently just laid down some rough "Vallejo" White layers on his symbiote's spider-markings, as well as washed them with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, in order to better see the delicate design I'm going to be painting.

I've also managed to make some further progress on the four "Colony 87" Security Troopers by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" which I plan on submitting to Dave Stone's latest Community Challenge. In a single session I have completed all of the base layers for the quartet's knee-pads, automatic rifles, data-pads, face-masks and pistols, so now just need to layer in some "Vallejo" Gold and Brass, before applying the different washes...

"Other Natives Of Colony 87 Are..."

"...A strange tree dwelling feathered chameleiod."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Chameleiod is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their Alien Pets deal. The animal is only 7mm tall and is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

The miniature was initially undercoated using "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, before being drenched in "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. The tiny little critter was then thoroughly dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, before having its bulbous eyes 'picked out' with a dollop of "Vallejo" White and a dab of "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Someone give me a gun!"

In addition to my most recent Alien Pet I have finished restoring a previously pigmented Zombie Trooper from Mark Copplestone's "Future Wars" range. The figure's rather uninspiring paint-job was unfortunately damaged when I was re-basing him a few years ago, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to give the walking cadaver quite a significant makeover.

For starters his overalls have been completely redone using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and an old pot of "Citadel" Asurmen Blue, whilst his rifle and metal-kneepads were treated to a mixture of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel Nuln Oil". I also picked out a number of the dead soldier's pouches with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and some Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter".

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - Killmonger has had most of his detail 'picked out' and shaded

Lastly, I've found some more hobby time to work on a small number of hard plastic models by "Atomic Mass Games" for their Marvel Crisis Protocol super-hero tabletop game. I haven't really worked on this increasingly large range figures for quite a while, but with the imminent release of the Uncanny X-Men, Brotherthood Of Evil Mutants and Inhumans, I thought it was about time I cleared some space in my backlog.

I have predominantly been painting Black Panther's arch-nemesis, Erik Killmonger, and fortunately have only a little dry-brushing left to do on the mercenary's blades before the impressively posed sculpt is finished. However, I have also dusted down my miniature of Venom and assembled the 'original' Spider-Man multi-part kit from the Marvel Crisis Protocol Core Box.

"The Squppet Is An Amphiran Import."

"This octopoid pet is genetically engineered to emit a range of empathic waves."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Squppet is sold by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their Alien Pets deal. "Soothing to infants and also used by Baung junkies as a downer", the creature is only 9mm tall and is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

The animal was originally primed with two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Warmgrey, before being shaded in "Citadel" Druchii Violet. It was then enthusiastically dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Warmgrey, before having its tiny eyes 'picked out' with a combination of Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - The Security Troopers have been assembled, primed and dry-brushed

Sticking with "Colony 87", I've managed to find the time to assemble the range's Security Troopers in preparation of using them as my entry for Dave Stone's latest Community Challenge over on his excellent wargame sculptor's blog "Wargames Terrain Workshop". The event will take place over the next four weeks and is designed to represent "the unity of the gaming community" by tasking its entrants to fully paint a unit of their choice/genre during this period.

As a result I've already had my pin-vice, drill, wire and green-stuff out, and primed my quartet of "shellheads" with some "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The port guards are designed to protect any law-abiding citizens doing business within the spacestation's zenfield, but I actually thought it might be fun to use them as some sort of pet catchers who are after an escaped consignment of alien critters running amok through the facility.

"Atomic Mass Games" WIPs - Killmonger is slowly being painted from the ground up

In addition, I have finally once again picked up my model of Erik Killmonger by "Atomic Mass Games". and started working my way up the Black Panther's arch-nemesis. The "Asmodee" studio have been rather prolific in their release schedule for the "tabletop hobby miniatures game set in the Marvel Universe", and I've therefore been feeling under increasing pressure to get at least a few of my figures finished before the year is over.

Fortunately, I've previously pigmented N'Jadaka's concrete stand, and the base layer of  the miniature's combat pants, so I have managed to quite quickly finish both the obsidian statue the super-villain is standing upon with a mixture of "Vallejo" Turquoise and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, as well as his trousers. This should mean that the bare-chested hunter should be quite quick to complete, once all his flesh has been 'blocked in' and shaded...

"The Testudo Bird Is Imported From The Core Worlds..."

"...For its delicious meat and rock-hard shell."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Testudo Bird is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their Alien Pets deal. The "flightless creature", which "is renowned for its stupidity", is only 13mm tall and is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

The bird was originally undercoated using a double helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, before being shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. It was then mercilessly dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red before having its tortoise-like shell (and frustratingly difficult to reach underbelly) layered with paint taken from an old pot of the "Citadel" Foundation colour Calthan Brown.

"Future Wars" WIPs - This Zombie Trooper has had its arms and legs repainted.

The shell was later washed with some Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter" and I 'picked out' the tiny extra-terrestrial's eyes with some "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre. Finally, having looked at the 'official' paint-job on the "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" website, I decided to dry-brush the tiny monster's beak with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and blend it in with the Testudo Bird's red face.

Alongside my latest Alien Pet I have been patiently restoring a previously (somewhat poorly-painted) Zombie Trooper from Mark Copplestone's "Future Wars" range. The figure has proved an absolute joy to 'touch up' owing to all of its easy-to-reach detail, and I think my idea of actually pigmenting his automatic rifle, metal knee-pads and ammunition pouches will pay off well once the figure is finished, varnished and based.

"Modiphius Entertainment" WIPs - These three Federation Officers have had their flesh layered

Unfortunately, I have had to spend a bit more time on the miniature than I first anticipated, on account of my inability to match the dark blue of his re-worked overalls with the colour of his sleeves. As a result, I have subsequently re-painted all of his clothing, as opposed to just his legs, and simply left the tear in his right sleeve alone so it still shows the animated corpse's livid green flesh.

Lastly, I've managed to make a little more progress on three of the figures found inside the Star Trek Adventures: The Next Generation Away Team boxed set by "Modiphius Entertainment". Being predominantly black in colour, I'm hoping these Federation officers will prove reasonably straightforward to get on the tabletop, and have already 'bedded down' the initial "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone layers on Lieutenant Commander Lian Zhang (Conn Officer) and a Male Tellarite, as well as the light blue flesh of Cuellas Zharath, the U.S.S. Magellan's Andorian Chief of Security.

 

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Future Wars" November 2020

"Future Wars" WIPs - This Zombie Trooper is having his weapons, rifle and legs repainted

This month's themed attempt to reduce my mountain of metal, plastic and resin models will be somewhat different than my normal overly-optimistic projects, as I essentially plan to just continue working through the number of Undead related miniatures I had hoped to complete over the past few weeks as part of Zomtober. However, rather than tackle anything new, my initial goal will be to simply complete repainting/restoring a handful of old zombie sculpts by "Copplestone Castings", and then take things from there...

First up will be a Zombie Trooper from Mark Copplestone's "Future Wars" range, which not only required rebasing, but also a major repaint, courtesy of its decade old predominantly all-black colour scheme. Resultantly, I have already 'picked out' the soldier's heavy firearm, some of his ammo pouches and his trousers with some base layers ready for shading - tricky stuff to be honest as I'm having to pigment over the PVA glue I used to apply to protect my paint-jobs.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - The Alien Pets are all at different stages of completion

I've previously used my rebased models from "Copplestone Castings" to replace the rather disappointing softly-detailed plastic sculpts found inside "Resident Evil 2: The Board Game" by "Steamforged Games", and hope that by finishing a few more of the walking dead it'll encourage me to get the rather enjoyable "cooperative horror board game" back out the cupboard. In addition, I do still own quite a few other unpainted zombies from the "Future Wars" range, so could possibly be encouraged to make a start on them too...

Alongside my restoration work though I'll definitely be cracking on with some more of the colourfully characterful Alien Pets by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". These diminutive sculpt's from the company's "Colony 87" range have really helped restore my somewhat flagging mojo recently, and got me back to the painting table after a short sabbatical.

October 2020 - "Alternative Armies" enters my Top Five favourite Manufacturers for the first time

Productivity wise, it is difficult not to see the past month as something of a major disappointment. Apart from a single post-apocalypse survivor, self-sculpted using "Hero Forge", I didn't manage to complete any of the other zombie-related models I had lined up for the Zomtober challenge, including three Justice Department brain-hungry cadavers which were already both assembled from different converted body-parts and even partially-painted.

True, I did manage to finish off the remaining (Fire) Elemental unit for my 15mm "Hordes Of The Things" army using "Alternative Armies" miniatures, leaving just the force's wizard residing far back in my painting queue, and additionally scratched my persistent "Doctor Who" itch with five shape-shifting Zygons by "Black Tree Design". But none of these monsters or aliens were particularly planned, nor frustratingly really helped motivate me to crack on with my intended project.

"The Squirrel Man Of Sevastopol..."

"...Was legendary for killing zombies whilst protecting the local squirrel population."

This 28mm hard plastic model is from "Hero Forge Custom Miniatures" and was designed using their online character design platform as a 'test piece' to see just what the quality of their 3D printed figures was like. The sculpt was incredibly simple to assemble from all the various body parts, costumes, equipment and weapons the website has to offer, and is largely based upon how I imagine myself looking should the Zombie Apocalypse actually occur.

The model did come on a pre-sculpted circular base, but in order to fit in better with some of my other zed-bashing miniatures I decided to snip around the stand's edges with a pair of pliers, and attach him to a 28mm lipped based instead. The figure was then treated to a double undercoat of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and vigorously dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal.

"Mongoose Publishing" WIPs - The three undead Judges are slowly having their uniforms 'picked out'

I then 'picked out' the zombie survivor's numerous buttons and belt buckle with "Citadel" Ironbreaker, and his formidable firearm with Leadbelcher. All of these areas, along with the man's trousers and long leather trenchcoat, were drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The zed-killer's shoes were re-painted pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black to help them stand out a little more.

Finally, the squirrel and warrior's big bushy beard was pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. Whilst his stained T-Shirt was given a coat of "Vallejo" White and a splash of Pale Grey.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - The alien pets have been based and primed

With the first of my Zomtober entries completed, I've made a little progress on three Mega-City One walking cadavers I converted using metal pieces from "Mongoose Publishing" and plastic parts from "Mantic Games". The entire trio will represent Undead Judges on my tabletop, so I have been slowly working my way through the tattered remants of their Justice Department uniforms.

In addition, I have also been busy basing and priming some more of the super-cute Alien Pets produced by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". I must confess that these "Colony 87" miniatures strongly remind me of the Japanese media franchise "Pokemon", and as a result, I have been watching a few of the cartoon series' earliest episodes so as to further motivate me to paint them.