"Wizkids" Battle Report: Fantastic Four - The Black Panther Strikes - Part Two

THE BLACK PANTHER BATTLES ONE OF VICTOR VON DOOM'S METALLIC MINIONS

"The story so far… Doctor Doom has reactivated the super-strong android, Dragon Man and plans to use the automaton to kill the royal leader of Wakanda. Deducing the Latverian's scheme to usurp T'Challa's throne, Reed Richards and the rest of the Fantastic Four have intercepted the mad tyrant's assassination squad, and together with the Black Panther plan to put a stop to the diabolical plot..."

THE TABLETOP - A DESERTED PART OF NEW YORK CITY

"Wizkids" Battle Report: Fantastic Four - The Black Panther Strikes - Part One

Sue Storm-Richards continued to head east to contest Objective Five (Drinks Machine) with Dragon Man, whilst Ben Grimm slowly followed up behind her. Eager to bring his vibranium claws to bear upon his country's enemies, the Black Panther charged into the Doombot stood just north of the car [Attack: 4 + 2 dice for the Charge]. The chieftain of the Wakandan Panther Clan sliced through the automaton's defences [Heavy Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 5 or 6] and it exploded into a dozen burning pieces.

Meanwhile Reed Richards curled himself up into a ball and bounced into the gap between Objective One (Bin) and Objective Three (Debris). To his south, his fiery brother-in-law hurled a fireball at the Doombot approaching Objective Three, but discovered his attack was just out of range [Short Range: 10 inches].

With the battle now at its midway point, the Fantastic Four pressed forward with both T'Challa and the super-team's ultra-intelligent bendy-limbed leader charging into the Doombot which the Human Torch had moments before unsuccessfully tried to fry. The humanoid robot was crushed to pieces by the 'dynamic duo', and provided an ailing Johnny Storm with an opportunity to fly back to Objective Two (Grave) and secure it.

MISTER FANTASTIC, T'CHALLA, THE HUMAN TORCH AND THE THING IN ACTION

Further south-east The Thing continued his ponderous run towards Dragon Man, and quickened his pace when he saw Invisible Woman's force field missile simply bounce off of the formidably-sized android's skin [Heavy Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 5 or 6].

Having infuriatingly witnessed two of his three mechanical minions fall to the power of his hated arch-enemies, Doctor Doom ordered Professor Gregson Gilbert's creation to charge into Benjamin Grimm and watched with some satisfaction as the huge dragon-sized automaton pounded upon the hero's rocky hide [Attack: 3 + 2 dice for the Charge]. Fortunately for Aunt Petunia's favourite nephew though, only one of the blows actually did any lasting damage, and the Thing had plenty more left in the gas tank yet [Mass: 5].

With an angry yell, Latveria's benevolent monarch aimed one of his armoured gauntlets in the direction of the Black Panther, and momentarily gave a satisfied sneer behind his metal mask's face-plate as he saw his energy blast wound the king of Wakanda [Shooting: 2 dice]. Nearby, the tyrant's sole-surviving Doombot took a pot-shot at Sue Storm-Richards, but missed.

REED RICHARDS AND SUE STORM-RICHARDS TACKLE THE EVIL DOCTOR DOOM

Despite being under-fire, Invisible Woman reached Objective Five (Drinks Machine), and momentarily paused to watch The Thing impressively dent Dragon Man's artificial casing [Attack: 5 dice]. To the north-west, the Black Panther retreated back to the relative safety of Objective One (Bin), leaving Mister Fantastic to go toe-to-toe with Victor Von Doom; a brawl which saw Reed Richards successfully wound the "skilled sorcerer".

The time for words or even ranged attacks was clearly over, as the final Doombot flew across the battlefield into Invisible Woman. Ably protected by her psionic force field [Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 6], the female human mutate was unharmed, as was her husband, courtesy of his rubbery-flesh, when Doctor Doom punched him a mere second or two later.

Sadly, Ben Grimm did not come away from his bout with Dragon Man quite as unscathed, and suffered another wound at the clawed hands of the monstrously-winged robot.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR BRAVELY BATTLE THE FORCES OF DOCTOR DOOM

The contest's final round degenerated into a total punch-fest as both Sue Storm-Richards and her metallic counter-part exchanged superficial blows with one another. Whilst the Thing found his usually solid legs start to weaken as the supernatural villain he faced struck home with yet another powerful punch. Meanwhile "the son of a Romani witch" continued to ineffectively pummel away at Mister Fantastic's elastic torso, desperately trying to land a telling blow upon his most hated rival.

But time had to an end for Victor Von Doom, and with the Fantastic Four revealing seven Victory Points worth of Objectives to the Latverian dictator's zero, it was clear he had completely failed in his bid to seize the day and replace T'Challa as Wakanda's ruler...

"Wizkids" Battle Report: Fantastic Four - The Black Panther Strikes

THE FANTASTIC FOUR AND THE BLACK PANTHER BATTLE DOCTOR DOOM AND DRAGON MAN

This game was played using some homemade rules (M.I.S.S.) in order to allow us to quickly field a handful of my re-painted "Heroclix" miniatures, and took place upon the "Warlord Games" 32.5" x 22" rubber Science Fiction Playmat. The battlefield was populated with a variety of scenery produced by "Wargame-Model-Mods", “Wargames Terrain Workshop” and "Mantic Games"; most notably an abandoned vehicle, three ruined buildings and some street furniture.

The Fantastic Four, who started in the south-west consisted of the super-team's original line-up, Mister Fantastic (10pts), Invisible Girl (10pts), The Thing (10pts) and the Human Torch (10pts), as well as the Black Panther (10pts). Whilst Doctor Doom's forces began the fight in the north-east corner, and consisted of the Latverian Monarch himself (15pts), three Doombots (total 30pts) and Dragon Man. The New York City battlescape had five strategic locations, each worth an unknown number of victory points. These would only be revealed at the end of Turn Six, and could only be claimed by an unopposed unit touching it.

THE TABLETOP - A DESERTED PART OF NEW YORK CITY

"The story so far… Doctor Doom has reactivated the super-strong android, Dragon Man and plans to use the automaton to kill the royal leader of Wakanda. Deducing the Latverian's scheme to usurp T'Challa's throne, Reed Richards and the rest of the Fantastic Four have intercepted the mad tyrant's assassination squad, and together with the Black Panther plan to put a stop to the diabolical plot..."

THE FANTASTIC FOUR ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE BLACK PANTHER FROM DOCTOR DOOM

Having won the initiative, Doctor Doom confidently strode [Move: 6"] to Objective Four (Oil Barrels) and from his position commanded his robotic slaves to fly up into the air and fan out south-west towards his hated opponents.

In response Sue Storm-Richards closed to within almost touching distance of Objective Two (Grave), whilst her younger brother flew fast [Move: 8"] beside her east towards Objective Five (Drinks Machine). The Thing slowly thundered along behind the pair [Move: 4"], admiringly watching the lighting quick Black Panther race away north-east in the direction of Objective One (Bin). Finally, Mister Fantastic rolled his rubbery-form up into a ball and bounced after the King of Wakanda.

"The first superhero of African descent in mainstream American comics" swiftly reached Objective One [Move: 8"] and impatiently waited as Reed Richards approached. The Human Torch continued to fly east towards Objective Five (Drinks Machine), noting that his sister was somewhat behind his fiery trail. Ben Grimm lumbered up to Objective Two (Grave).

VICTOR VON DOOM SEIZES AN EARLY OBJECTIVE AS THE FANTASTIC FOUR SPREAD OUT

The super-heroes were making far too much progress for Victor Von Doom's liking, so with a motion of his armoured gauntlet, the Latverian ruler directed one of his three Doombots and Dragon Man [Move: 4"] to head ever closer to Objective Five (Drinks Machine). In the mean time the powerful Sorcerer ordered his remaining two Doombots north-west to tackle the Black Panther.

Doctor Doom fixed Johnny Storm with a hard stare, and chuckled as his armour's targeting sensor's locked onto the flaming human mutate's form. Laser beams poured out of the despot's metallic glove [Shooting: 2 dice] and caused a single wound. First blood to the super-villain, albeit the Human Torch was far from out of the fight yet.

With an audible roar, Dragon Man flew ever faster towards towards Objective Five (Drinks Machine) and landed a foot-step away from it. The increase in pace however, had made Professor Gregson Gilbert's creation significantly more vulnerable for a short while [causing him to be hit on a roll of 4, 5 or 6 rather than a 5 or 6]. The two Doombots to the north split up so that one was heading straight for Objective Three (Debris), whilst the other flew past an abandoned car towards the Black panther and Objective One (Bin).

THE THING SECURES AN OBJECTIVE BUT THE HUMAN TORCH IS WOUNDED

The other Doombot joined his fearless master's barrage upon Johnny Storm by firing his own laser-weapons at the flaming youth [Shooting: 2 dice]. Initially the robot failed to strike its target, but due to Doom's proximity and leadership ability [Command: A friendly unit that is within 12" may re-roll a single dice roll once per turn] eventually damaged the Human Torch, reducing the Hothead down to just two health before the battle was even half-way through.

The Fantastic Four and their Wakandan ally may well have covered more ground than Doctor Doom's less agile, robotic force, but in doing so they had exposed themselves to the mad Latverian monarch's withering firepower...

To be continued...

"Wizkids" Battle Report: Fantastic Four - The Cosmic Cube Of Doom - Part Two

THE HUMAN TORCH AND MISTER FANTASTIC FACE THE BRUNT OF DOCTOR DOOM'S ATTACK

"The story so far… The Cosmic Cube has mysteriously appeared within a derelict suburb of New York City. The Fantastic Four want to take it into safe-keeping, but Doctor Doom intends to seize the cube for his own nefarious plans. Accompanied by three Doombots, the Latverian Monarch has therefore already launched a devastating attack upon Reed Richards and Johnny Storm..."

THE TABLETOP - A RUN DOWN PART OF NEW YORK CITY

"Wizkids" Battle Report: Fantastic Four - The Cosmic Cube Of Doom - Part One

With a loud bellow of "It's Clobberin' Time!", The Thing charged into Doctor Doom, using his additional pace to buckle the plating of the medieval-looking monarch's armour [Attack: 5 + 2 dice for the Charge]. The "skilled sorcerer" was ordinarily had to hit due to his armour's augmentation [Heavy Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 5 or 6], and his "elaborate schemes" [Stupefy: Opponent's are -1 Attack/Shoot when fighting this model]. But the sheer formidability of Ben Grimm's assault meant that Victor Von Doom suffered two wounds.

Sensing her husband's plight, Sue Storm-Richards stopped trying to whittle down her opposition with force field projectiles and headed towards Objective Three (Cosmic Cube). Mister Fantastic headed west towards the abandoned vehicle in order to get his elastic fists into range of the evil doctor's Doombots [Short Range Shoot: 2 dice]. Meanwhile the Human Torch attempted to melt the mechanoid confronting him in the ruined building. Unfortunately though, the robot was proving to be annoyingly fire-proof.

THE THING CHARGES INTO DOCTOR DOOM AND STRIKES A BLOW FOR THE FANTASTIC FOUR

Reed Richards charged into Doombot Omega, and managed to penetrate the android's armour. Only Doctor Doom could save the automaton now [Command: A friendly unit that is within 12" may re-roll a single dice roll once per turn], but it wasn't to be and the construct exploded into flames.

Johnny Storm attempted to continue the destruction by burning his way through Doombot Alpha, yet was once again thwarted by the machine's tenacity to survive. Ben Grimm continued to pound away at Victor von Doom, but the Latverian Monarch's armour was proving difficult to best. It truly was looking set to be a slug-fest of Stan Lee proportions in the centre of the battlefield. Sue Storm-Richards attempted to connect with another of her force field projectiles at Doombot Beta, however the missile missed its intended target.

Inspired by it's creator's commanding presence nearby, Doombot Alpha chopped away at the Human Torch inside the ruined building, and struck the human mutate a painful blow. Only Johnny's fiery form [Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 6] prevented the youth from taking a final, unconscious-rendering wound. Things weren't looking good for Flame-head.

MISTER FANTASTIC DESTROYS A DOOMBOT, AS VICTOR BATTLES THE BEN GRIMM

Doctor Doom continued to wrestle with Ben Grimm, the two powerhouses testing each other for physical weaknesses, whilst Doomboot Beta ineffectively returned fire upon Invisible Girl.

Mister Fantastic reached Objective Two (Oil Barrels) and readied himself to throw a far-reaching punch at his arch-nemesis should the fiend overcome the Thing. However, Reed didn't think he needed to worry too much as he saw Ben Grimm jolt the "skilled sorcerer" with an earth-shattering punch. Victor von Doom didn't look as if he was going to last much longer...

In the north-west corner, buried within the ruined building, Johnny Storm continued to struggle with Doombot Alpha, whilst his sister, Susan, made a mental note to visit the X-Men's Danger Room at some point in the near future and brush up on her marksmanship.

REED RICHARDS RUSHES TO THE THING'S AID, AS DOCTOR DOOM THREATENS THE WORLD

Doctor Doom realised that the battle was now brutally balanced. The Latverian Monarch failed once again to hurt his rocky-hided foe, whilst his armour's in-built sensors informed him of Doombot Alpha's stalemate with the Human Torch. A scream to the east however, informed him that Doombot Beta had finally caught Invisible Girl a glancing blow. The woman's invisibility [Stupefy: Opponent's are -1 Attack/Shoot when fighting this model] had made her a difficult target, but once struck, the Storm-Richards' defensive shield [Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 6] had easily been penetrated by the automaton's armour-piercing laser technology [Armour Piercing: Models with Armour may not make any saving roll].

With the fight having entered its final stage, Doombot Beta took Objective Five (Statue) revealing a single Victory Point, whilst its fellow robot attempted to defeat a wilting Human Torch. Fortunately for the Fantastic Four the fiery youth survived the attack. Enraged at his androids' failure to overcome their foes, Doctor Doom battered Ben Grimm with a ferocious wallop which caused the Thing to visibly shudder. However, it was not enough to fell the former pilot, and Aunt Petunia's favourite nephew had enough still in him to return the favour...

INVISIBLE GIRL CAPTURES THE COSMIC CUBE, WHILST A DOOMBOT TAKES A STATUE

With an alarming bang and shower of sparks, Victor Von Doom broke apart as a result of Benjamin Grimm's latest punch, collapsing to the ground and revealing himself to be a simple facsimile of the Latverian Monarch. Sensing victory was at hand, Sue Storm-Richards captured Objective Three (Cosmic Cube) which was worth five Victory Points and Reed Richards remained by Objective Two (Oil Barrels) claiming four Victory Points. The battle was over and the Fantastic Four had clearly outfought Doctor Doom's evil robotic forces...

"Wizkids" Battle Report: Fantastic Four - The Cosmic Cube Of Doom

THE FANTASTIC FOUR BATTLE DOCTOR DOOM FOR THE COSMIC CUBE

This game was played using some homemade rules (M.I.S.S.) in order to allow us to quickly field a handful of my re-painted "Heroclix" miniatures, and took place upon the Atlanta Suburbs 20" x 20" rubber gaming mat produced by "Mantic Games". The battlefield was populated with a variety of scenery produced by “Wargames Terrain Workshop” and "Mantic Games", most notably an abandoned vehicle, a ruined building and a series of wooden fences.

The Fantastic Four, which started in the north-east, consisted of the super-team's original line-up, Mister Fantastic (10pts), Invisible Girl (10pts), The Thing (10pts) and the Human Torch (10pts). Whilst Doctor Doom's forces began the fight in the south-west corner, and consisted of the Latverian Monarch himself (15pts), along with three Doombots (total 30pts). The New York City battlescape had five strategic locations, each worth an unknown number of victory points. These would only be revealed at the end of Turn Six, and could only be claimed by an unopposed unit touching it.

THE TABLETOP - A RUN DOWN PART OF NEW YORK CITY

"The story so far… The Cosmic Cube has mysteriously appeared within a derelict suburb of New York City. Detecting the object's great power using his equipment inside the Baxter Building, Reed Richards has rushed to the device in order to take it into safe-keeping. But having arrived, Mister Fantastic has realised that he is not the only one to have uncovered the Cosmic Cube's location. Doctor Doom has speedily travelled from his Latverian Castle to seize the cube for himself..."

DOCTOR DOOM ORDERS HIS DOOMBOTS TO CLAIM THE COSMIC CUBE

Having won the initiative, Doctor Doom ordered his robotic companions to fan out away from the south-western corner. The Doombots were slower than their master [Move: 4"] so he impatiently commanded for Doombot Alpha to run north towards Objective One (Debris) and Doombot Beta to run east in the direction of Objective Five (Statue). Although this extra impetus enabled the automatons to travel further than normal [an additional 2" each], it also meant that the two Doombots were now easier targets to attack [causing them to be hit on a roll of 4, 5 or 6 rather than a 5 or 6]. Doombot Omega simply secured Objective Two (Oil Barrels) and watched his armoured monarch approach his position, making sure to place an abandoned vehicle between his himself and his hated opponents.

In response, Johnny Storm took to the sky [using Flight - ignore all terrain] and used his impressive speed [Move: 8"] to quickly close the gap between himself and Objective One (Debris). The Human Torch's sister, Sue Storm-Richards, made her way to Objective Four (Bin), whilst Benjamin Grimm slowly stomped [Move: 4"] towards Objective Three (Cosmic Cube). To the south, Reed Richards headed towards Objective Five (Statue).

VICTOR VON DOOM'S ROBOTS SPREAD OUT AND ENGAGE THE FANTASTIC FOUR

Seizing the opportunity, the Human Torch flew over the ruined building in the north-west corner, and landed right beside Objective One (Debris). The Thing got ever closer to Objective Two (Cosmic Cube) and Mister Fantastic continued moving south towards Objective Five (Statue). Invisible Girl however, decided that it was time to take the fight to Doctor Doom's forces, and resultantly sent a pair of her force field projections [Shooting: 2 dice] flying towards Doombot Alpha. One of the projectiles struck the automaton, but failed to damage it due to its "advanced armour" [Heavy Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 5 or 6].

Despite being under-fire from Sue Storm-Richards, Doombot Alpha continued north and approached the ruined building within which both Objective One (Debris) and Johnny Storm were housed. Doombot Beta pressed east towards Objective Five (Statue), whilst Victor von Doom moved further around the abandoned vehicle and placed himself between his more vulnerable robot and The Thing. The Latverian Monarch not only wore the same armour as his automatons [Heavy Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 5 or 6], but because of his "elaborate schemes" was far harder to successfully hit [Stupefy: Opponent's are -1 Attack/Shoot when fighting this model].

Doombot Omega aimed his energy gauntlet at Mister Fantastic's 'bendy' form and unleashed the weapon's beams [Shoot: 2 dice]. The leader of the Fantastic Four was soundly struck by one of the attacks, and despite his elastic body providing him with a modicum of protection [Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 6], Reed Richards took a wound.

THE HUMAN TORCH SECURES AN OBJECTIVE BUT MISTER FANTASTIC IS WOUNDED

With the battle already approaching its half-way point, Doombot Alpha ignited its jet-boots and flew into the Ruined Building and straight at the Human Torch. The charge gave the automaton some additional momentum [Attack: 2 + 2 dice for the Charge], and one its devastating karate chops found its mark. Johnny Storm admittedly had some protection from such blows on account of his fiery physique [Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 6], but it wasn't enough to prevent the successful strike.

Realising that Ben Grimm was getting ever closer to his precarious position, Doctor Doom fired at the Human Mutate [Shooting: 2 dice] and hit with both. The Thing's rocky hide gave him superb protection [Heavy Armour: Saves any hits on a roll of 5 or 6], yet was readily penetrated by the Latverian Monarch's lethal laser beams [Armour Piercing: Opponent's are -1 Armour Saves]. Turning at his team-mate's roar of pain, though Aunt Petunia's favourite nephew still had plenty of gas left in his tank, Reed Richard found himself to be the target of an energy blast from Doombot Omega, and promptly screamed as the robot's laser beam wounded him for a second time...

To be continued...

"The Perimeter Isss Clear!"

"It ssseemsss ssssomething has been inssscribed."

This 28mm scale plastic "Wizkids" model of Manphibian was kit-bashed predominantly using the scaly green extra-terrestrial's miniature from their "Heroclix" Amazing Spider-Man range. However, because the pre-painted figure has no feet (on account of the original sculpt depicting "the creature from the deep" stalking through the waters of a lake), I additionally super-glued some boots, grenades and pouches belonging to a "Games Workshop" Cadian soldier onto the miniature.

Created by Marv Wolfman, Tony Isabella, Dave Cockrum and Sam Grainger, the alien first made his comic book appearance in the September 1975 issue of "Legion of Monsters" by "Marvel Comics", and would develop from being a simple monster seemingly seeking revenge upon the murderer of his mate, into a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Special Threat Assessment for Known Extranormalities (S.T.A.K.E.) department and one of Dum Dum Dugan's "Howling Commandos".

Gorgon WIPs - The Brass Bull now requires just a final dry-brush of "Vallejo" Brass

The miniature was initially primed with “Vallejo” Heavy Grey, and then had its boots and numerous large waist-bags painted using a combination of White and Pale Grey. His automatic rifle was undercoated with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, double-layered with Ironbreaker and finally treated to two washes of Nuln Oil.

In order to try and give Manphibian's skin a "shimmer quality" I shaded the entirety of the S.H.I.E.L.D. weaponsmith's scales with both Biel- Tan Green and Agrax Earthshade and subsequently used a little Carroburg Crimson on and around his webbing, and some Druchii Violet in the model's darker recesses. The entire monster was then lightly dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Heavy Grey. As a final touch I highlighted the extra-terrestrial's eyes with "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.  

Hammerer WIPs - The constructs have been assembled, primed and based

With my latest entry for this month's "Forgotten Heroes" challenge finished, I have spent a little time washing and dry-brushing a Brass Bull by "Reaper Miniatures". This large "Bones" figure will double as both a formidable-looking statue and as a living Gorgon for my forthcoming "Dungeons & Dragons" campaign, and, besides needing it's paved stone-slab base to be painted, simply requires a final dry-brush with "Vallejo" Brass to be tabletop ready. 

In addition, I have assembled, based and primed three metal "Chainmail" Hammerer models. Sculpted by Jim Warner, these large Out Of Production (OOP) constructs will be used as proxy Police Robots for "Metamorphosis Alpha", and may well accompany my small Twig Blight band as extra guards of "the metal doored cave" which is initially encountered by the Grand Duchy of Geoff's adventurers in "Expedition to the Barrier Peaks".

"No Two Snowflakes Are Exactly Alike."

"Frozen to her core, fragile Crystal became frigid Killer Frost, an ice maiden..."

This 28mm coloured plastic “Wizkids” model of Killer Frost can be bought as miniature number 47 from the DC Comics “Heroclix” Unleashed range. "Formerly... an adversary of the superhero Firestorm", Doctor Crystal Frost's alter-ego was created by Gerry Conway and artist Al Milgrom, and made her first comic book appearance in the June 1978 issue of "Firestorm".

Able "to absorb heat from external sources and transmute it into waves of cold", the miniature was undercoated with “Vallejo” White, washed with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and subsequently dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" White. I then carefully 'picked out' some of the details of her face, hands and legs with some watered-down "Citadel" Asurmen Blue.

"We broke one of our spears ...trying to make the thing hiss and let us in the cave."

As well as finishing my affiliate of the Secret Society of Super Villains, I have also completed an anachronistic objective marker/piece of scenery for my “Metamorphosis Alpha" project. This resin (spacecraft) deck hatch can be bought from E-bay Store "Second City Games" and comes as part of their impressive Sci-Fi Scenery Airlocks, Cargo Bay Door, Hatchway auction.

Super-glued upon a thin 40mm circular base, the access door was initially primed with "Citadel "Abaddon Black, layered with two coats of "Vallejo" Gunmetal Grey and washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. It was then dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Gunmetal Grey before being treated to a hearty application of "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash.

Dalek WIPs - The Two Imperial Guards and damaged Dalek just need some washes to be applied

In order to help blend this modeller's product in with the rest of the scenic piece, the hatchway was once again dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Gunmetal Grey and then had some of its brighter surfaces toned down with more Extreme Rust Wash; albeit this time the foul-smelling "Mig Productions" solution was applied from a very-well shaken bottle in order to 'water-down' the rust particles on the brush. As a final touch the model's base was flocked using "Citadel" snow, so it would better fit in with the cold wasteland my "Metamorphosis Alpha" campaign will start in.

Finally, I've made some good 'in-roads' on two more plastic Daleks by "Warlord Games", as well as my destroyed Dalek objective marker. Having already painted up six of the extra-terrestrial mutants' "ultimate" Time War casings, I thought I'd try a slightly different colour scheme instead, so I'm painting my latest additions as Imperial Guards.

"The Very Definition Of Corporate Control."

"A terminal virus within the body corporate."

This 28mm plastic “Wizkids” model of (the) Ghost can be bought as miniature number 28 from the Marvel “Heroclix” Armour Wars range. The super-villain turned "anti-hero figure" was originally created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton to be "one of Iron Man's foes", and made his first comic book appearance in the June 1987 issue of "Iron Man". An "anti-capitalist saboteur who seeks to destroy various political and economic institutions he views as oppressive", the Ghost wears "a battlesuit of his own design" which "enables him to turn himself and any objects he touches invisible or intangible."

Primed with “Vallejo” White in order to 'cover up' its initial pre-paint, the former IT researcher was washed with Pale Grey and then dry-brushed with more White. His eyes were then 'picked out' with the careful application of some watered-down "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"After ten seconds, the blood pillar will recede and in its place will be the devil..."

In addition to completing my member of Thunderbolts, I have also finished re-working an old "Wizkids" plastic column into a grisly objective marker/piece of scenery. This particular 48mm tall model is from the out of production "Mage Knight" Dungeons Miniatures Game Artifacts Set 1, and could arguably have simply been super-glued to a base and varnished; it's pre-paint was so good. However, I quite fancied dry-brushing its multiple-faced column, and felt if I was going to do that, then it only seemed reasonable to start from scratch...

As a result, I undercoated the entire figure with "Citadel" Chaos Black, applied a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Red to the gory pillar, and washed this area with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Once dry, the column was highlighted with more "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and I completed the '3D dungeon accessory' by painting its stone base and capital with a combination of Dark Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Brass Bull WIPs - The "Menaian Bull" has been primed and layered

Finally, I have started preparing a number of "Reaper Miniatures" I plan to use for my forthcoming "Metamorphosis Alpha" and "Expedition to the Barrier Peaks" campaigns. The models are all from the company's various "Bones" ranges, and whilst I'm not admittedly a fan of the "unpainted polymer" they're cast in, I really don't think you can quibble about their price; especially for some of their larger monsters.

This Brass Bull is a good case in point, and measures an impressive 90mm from tail-tip to horn-point. Admittedly, I'm not quite sure how I'll utilise quite such a formidable-looking adversary when Level One of Gary Gygax's "Dungeons & Dragons" module consists of just the Officials, Officers and Technicians Quarters. But I'm pretty sure I'll come up with some reason as to why the adventurers encounter a "Menaian Bull" amongst the crashed spaceship's maze of corridors, compartments and automatons. 

"He's Not Your Typical Werewolf."

"A werewolf? How effective is that? Full Moon's what, twice a month?"

This 28mm scale plastic model of the “Marvel Worldwide” character Warwolf was kit-bashed together using the top half of a "Mage Knight" Feral Werewolf, a "Games Workshop" powerfist and the legs of a "Heroclix" S.H.I.E.L.D. Trooper. The conversion piece initially looked rather top-heavy, so after pinning the lycanthrope’s torso to his legs, I used some grey-stuff to make the waist fill out a little more smoothly. In addition, I 'bulked up' the area by cutting off the figure's original waist pouch and replaced it with a number of larger bags and grenades, courtesy of a "Warhammer 40K" Cadian Trooper sprue.

I actually began building this ‘Forgotten Hero’ for last year’s challenge, as I wanted to ‘convert’ a number of "Wizkids" figures into some of the lesser known members of the "Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D."; a sadly short-lived comic book series which depicted the escapades of a top secret division of operatives who "defend the world against super human threats too dangerous for normal men." Created by Richard Buckler in 2005, Martin Reyna is the leader of Area Thirteen's S.T.A.K.E. team, and received the codename Warwolf due to the Gene Package embedded on his right mechanical arm which can be used to transform him into a werewolf.

Deck Hatch WIPs - This doorway will eventually lead to the 300 year-old starship Warden

The miniature was initially primed “Vallejo” White, with its furry torso and head receiving a coat of Heavy Sienna. I then began tidying up and highlighting all the figure’s pouches, as well as his boots and belt with Pale Grey. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent’s distinctive blue uniform was painted using a combination of Heavy Blue and “Citadel” Drakenhof Nightshade (with some Asurmen Blue too).

I tackled Reyna’s fur by washing it with “The Army Painter” Heavy Strong Tone Quickshade and dry-brushing it with more “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna. Ordinarily, I’m perfectly satisfied with this finish, but on this occasion thought a light highlight of Heavy Brown over the werewolf’s head and claws would help bring out the figure’s finer detail in these areas.

Killer Frost WIPs - A nice straightforward case of white undercoat, blue wash and white dry-brush

Disconcertingly, I then faced a similar dilemma with Warwolf’s jagged teeth and mouth. The anti-hero’s open jaws are full of teeth, tongue and slobbering lips, as well as a roof which has lots of delicate tissue ridges sculpted upon it. However, I felt that if I painted the inside of the palate red, then that would clash with Martin’s lolling tongue and simply make the entire snout look far too busy. As a result I simply ‘brushed’ all the fangs with “Vallejo” White and a dab of “The Army Painter” Heavy Strong Tone Quickshade, whilst ‘picking out’ his tongue with “Vallejo” Heavy Red and “Citadel” Carroburg Crimson.

With this week’s submission to “Forgotten Heroes” completed I have managed to spend a little time working on a simple objective marker I plan to use for my opening game of James M. Ward’s “Metamorphosis Alpha”. This rusty resin (spacecraft) deck hatch is by “Second City Games”, and once finished will be flocked with snow ready for my unsuspecting winter-clothed "Dungeons And Dragons" party to negotiate and unlock…

The Zygons attempt to stop the Daleks from activating a stellar converter and destroying the Earth

Finally, as something of a straightforward distraction, I have primed, washed and dry-brushed a rather simplistic-looking sculpt of the "DC Comics" super-villain, Killer Frost. Destined to be given a snow-flocked base, this pre-coloured plastic "Wizkids" miniature of Doctor Crystal Frost will ultimately be used as the perfect "foil for Firestorm", once I've actually gotten round to painting up a "Heroclix" miniature of the Nuclear Man himself. 

"You're All Puppets, Tangled in Strings."

"There are no strings on me."

This 28mm plastic “Wizkids” model of Ultron-14 can be bought as miniature number 30 from the Marvel “Heroclix” Age Of Ultron range. The robot is "most recognised as a nemesis of the Avengers" and was the first "Marvel Comics" character to wield the fictitious metal alloy adamantium. He made his first appearance in the July 1968 issue of "The Avengers" and was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.

Version 14 was responsible for the creation of Alkhema, the War Toy, "whose mind was based on that of Mockingbird." But was ultimately defeated by the "West Coast Avengers" when his 'automaton mate' eventually rebelled against him" despite her sharing his twisted desire to replace humanity with machine life. 

Warwolf WIPs - The converted plastic model has now had all of its shredded clothing painted and washed

Initially primed with “Citadel” Ironbreaker in order to mask its rather flat-looking pre-paint, Ultron-14 was washed with Nuln Oil and then dry-brushed with more Ironbreaker. His mechanical maw was 'picked out' with Abaddon Black, and his fiery eyes painted using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

Sticking with "Marvel Worldwide" influenced figures, I have focused much of the past few days' hobby-time upon a conversion I've previously 'engineered' using pieces taken from a "Mage Knight" Feral Werewolf, a "Games Workshop" Space Marine, and a "Heroclix" S.H.I.E.L.D. Trooper. This miniature of the cyber-werewolf Martin Reyna was originally one of my planned submissions for last year's "Forgotten Heroes" challenge, and even comes complete with a grey stuff sculpted utility belt, with accompanying plastic grenades and pouches.

Twig Blight WIPs - The tiny models have all been primed, washed and doubly dry-brushed

Unfortunately, I never got to finish the former team leader of S.T.A.K.E. before the event was over, so this year I am determined to get Warwolf done. As a result I have already completed the model’s S.H.I.E.L.D. belt pouches and shoulder-guard, as well as painted/washed the anti-heroes' torn blue uniform. Now all I need do is wash his furry torso, apply some brown dry-brushes and pick out the figure's sharp fangs...

Finally, I have started working on three Twig Blights for my "Expedition To The Barrier Peaks" campaign. These tiny OOP "Dungeons & Dragons" models by "Wizards Of The Coast" have spent an eternity sat within my collection, but seem to be just the sort of "neutral evil" plant monster that would accompany a party of Vegepygmies in protecting a crashed spaceships's long overgrown entrance-way.

"And Then Came The Sickness."

"Forests rotted from the inside, and the filth of Chaos streamed forth in noxious waves."

These two 28mm Plaguebearers can be assembled from the sprues found inside the "Games Workshop" Plaguebearers of Nurgle boxed set, and are the final pair of miniatures needed so I can finally field a twenty-strong unit of the Plague God's loathsome Lesser Daemons for "Age Of Sigmar". Destined to form the centre of my Befouling Host of Nurgle's 'battleline', and flanked by at least one Herald of Nurgle, I'm hoping these boil-covered Tallymen will prove well worth the 200 points the rule-set's "General's Handbook" currently states they cost. 

Both figures, as well as the Nurgling, were initially given an undercoat of “Vallejo” Heavy Khaki and washed with “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green. The bloated warriors were then dry-brushed with more “Vallejo” Heavy Khaki before having their horns, open sores and teeth ‘picked out" with “Citadel” Abaddon Black.

The Ghost WIPs - The industrial saboteur has been primed, washed and dry-brushed

In order to represent the diseased Plaguebearers' long suffering with Nurgle’s Rot, I coated various parts of their stomach-churning anatomy with either “Vallejo” Heavy Red or Heavy Warmgrey, and subsequently washed these areas with “Citadel” Carroburg Crimson. Finally the pair's boils and pimples were dabbed with a spot of “Vallejo” Heavy Ochre and then treated to some “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade.

This year's visit to the "MCM London Comic Con" has also helped refuel my interest in "Age Of Sigmar" as I was able to purchase a copy of the "Games Workshop" Skirmish rules whilst there. This latest publication from the Nottingham-based company promises the opportunity to "take command of a small but elite group of warriors in fast-paced, objective-focused battles", and has already seen me assemble a 50-renown warband of Nurgle.  

"Expedition To The Barrier Peaks"

In addition, the country's leading event for all "sci-fi fans, gamers, comic collectors, movie buffs and anime enthusiasts" also featured both a display of the leading actors costumes worn during "DC Films" 2017 motion picture "Wonder Woman", and the formidable presence of "The Incredible Hulk" television actor Lou Ferrigno. This has undoubtedly given me something of a 'superhero' bug currently, and as a result I have found myself re-basing and priming a number of straightforward "Wizkids" figures.

My "Heroclix" figure of the Ghost is a case in point, who, despite being sculpted to represent the industrial saboteur as he looked when he was originally Iron Man's arch-nemesis, as opposed to the version who later repeatedly battled Spider-Man, has leapt up my painting queue and been quickly undercoated "Vallejo" White, washed with Pale Grey and dry-brushed.

Daleks battle Cybermen and Cybermats in order to locate the cargo of a crashed space freighter

However, perhaps my biggest 'motivator' at "MCM London Comic Con" was my chance find of the "Dungeon & Dragon" module "Expedition To The Barrier Peaks". This out-of-print 1980 "playing aid" by "TSR Hobbies Inc", which includes a "deluxe set" of over sixty illustrations, was "the official Dungeons & Dragons Tournament scenario at Origins II", and was written by Gary Gygax as an introductory adventure into the world of "Metamorphosis Alpha". As you can probably imagine it'll now form the basis of a sci-fi/fantasy campaign using the "Mutants And Death Ray Guns" rule-set by "Ganesha Games"... 

"Explorators Report... Status Priority Red."

"Fate has delivered into our hands the remains of one of the enemy raiders."

This 28mm metal model of a Necron Raider was produced back in 1997 by "Games Workshop" and is one of five mechanical warriors which were included in the "Warhammer 40K" race's boxed set. Previously mutilated in order to provide some other figures with cybernetic limbs, this formidable sculpt was very generously gifted to me by Dave Stone of "Wargames Terrain Workshop" fame, and has resultantly become the first of three Necron-themed objective markers I have planned to accompany my small-sized 'Oldhammer 40K' Necron raiding party. 

Having first been super-glued to a thin 40mm base, and appropriately angled with the aid of some "Gale Force Nine" Grey Stuff, the defunct automaton was primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and subsequently layered with Ironbreaker. The skeletal robot was then washed with Nuln Oil, roughly dry-brushed with more Ironbreaker, liberally treated to a coating of "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash, and finally given a second dry-brush of Ironbreaker.

Ultron-14 WIPs - The robot has been primed, washed and dry-brushed

A similar technique was applied to the Necron warrior's Gauss Flayer using "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash; albeit the weapon's tip was painted using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Khaki and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. As a last touch, so as to imbue the distressed machine with an Egyptian aura, the robot's detailed collar was 'picked out' using "Vallejo" Gold and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, Vallejo "Heavy Blue" and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade", as well as "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

Sticking with the metallic robot theme, I have started work on an Ultron-14 "Heroclix" model I found whilst scrambling through my pre-painted "Wizkids" collection for some odds and ends to send Steve from "The Game Cupboard". I've painted up a previous incarnation of the Avengers' nemesis before, but felt this upgraded variant, capable of "Thermal Targeting", would make a welcome addition to my ever-growing horde of insane comic book automatons.

Time War Daleks WIPS - The Kaleds have had their eye-stalks, sensors, weapons and plungers all 'picked out'

For now I have simply primed the model with some "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and started building up the artificial intelligence's adamantium outer armour with a combination of Nuln oil and patiently dry-brushed Ironbreaker. However, before Ultron-14 is finished I hope to have 'picked out' his red optical sensors and darkly foreboding skull-like maw.

Finally, I have finished all the layers needed on three more of my "Warlord Games" Daleks, and now simply need to apply a variety of washes over the Kaled Mark III travel machines to finish them. As a result I'm hoping to get these models varnished and flocked over the next few days, and finally settle down to play "A Meeting Of Metal"; the opening scenario to the "Doctor Who: Exterminate!" "fast-paced tabletop miniatures game."