"When They Jerk Into life..."

"...Their sickles twitch relentlessly looking for a fresh harvest."

This 28mm scale white metal model is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as MINI 431 Mast Beast B from the company's Folk Horror range. Sculpted by Steve Saleh, and presumably inspired by some of Evil's henchmen in Terry Gilliam's 1981 British adventure film "Time Bandits", the miniature was originally going to be one of my entries into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. But as that particular event concluded several weeks ago, I've simply finished painting him up to use as a ghost for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

The model was undercoated with plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. It was then shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had it's sickle treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil. In addition, the blade was sploshed with a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to try to weather it a bit, and later dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Luke Cage's flesh is being base layered, washed and highlighted

I next applied some "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand to the creature's ox-shaped skull and skeletal arm, washed them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and applied a little (more) "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand as a highlight. However, this didn't make the bones stand out as well as I had hoped, so I slowly drew a little White Star by "Two Thin Coats" across the uppermost parts of the skeleton in an effort to create something closer to the bleached effect I was aiming for.

Having now finished both of my Mast Beasts, I have found some more time to focus upon my "Marvel United" Luke Cage figure by "CoolMiniOrNot". This particular 40mm hard plastic model is one of several pieces from the boardgame which I currently have in my painting queue. However, it is also the one I most want to finish before my next game of the "Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game" (MMRPG) - so it shouldn't be too long before Power Man is ready to battle the forces of Hydra.

"Fat Dragon Games" WIPs - A Terran Light Cruiser

By far my biggest news hobby-wise though has to be the purchase of an A1 Mini 3D printer by "Bambu Lab", and my desire to produce all ten of the starships found inside "Battlefront Valkyrie" by "Fat Dragon Games". I actually bought this digitally downloadable game a while back, with the hope that my "Elegoo" Mars 5 resin printer would be able produce the models, bases and stands satisfactorily. But sadly, things didn't go to plan, with my aspiration to print the vessels flat on my build plate ending in a bit of a disaster.

As a result I've been waiting to get hold of a .2mm nozzle to give the STL (Standard Triangle Language) files a go using some PLA (Polylactic Acid), and have been rather thrilled with the results. I did originally print one of the Terran Light Cruisers out using the machine's basic .4mm hotend, simply to see how it turned out, and so now intend to paint the pair of them up together for comparison so I can show the reduction in striation lines which the much smaller Hotend provides...

"One Of The Crow King’s Favoured Constructs..."

"...These sinister skeletal giants appear to be nothing more than a swirling black cloth, topped with a horse's skull."

This 28mm scale white metal model is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as MINI 431 Mast Beast A from the company's Folk Horror range. Sculpted by Steve Saleh, and clearly giving off a vibe from Terry Gilliam's 1981 British adventure film "Time Bandits", the miniature was originally going to be one of my entries into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. But as that particular event concluded several weeks ago, I've simply finished painting him up to use as a ghost for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

The model was perhaps unsurprisingly primed using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. It was then drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had it's sickle 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also gave the blade a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to weather it a bit, and later treated the agricultural tool's edges to a delicate dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - Two of six Tribal Nations Wolves currently being worked on

With the basics completed I next applied some "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand to the monster's skull and skeletal arm, shaded them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and subsequently used a little (more) "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand as a highlight. However, this didn't make the bones stand out as well as I wanted, so I dabbed a little White Star by "Two Thin Coats" onto my brush-tip, and very patiently drew it across the parts to hopefully create something of a bleached effect.

Having completed the first of two Mast Beasts I currently have in my painting queue, I've found the time to get some of the basic colour work done on six 28mm metal Tribal Nations Wolves by "Warlord Games". As I've already previously pigmented four of these animals for my "Silver Bayonet" scenarios, I'm pretty happy I know what I need to do to get them finished, so intend to plough straight through these 'random encounters' over the next few hobby sessions.

"Station Forge" WIPs - These three GrimGuard Divers have been primed with "Vallejo" German Grey

In addition though, I have also managed to produce, base and prime five GrimGuard Divers by "Station Forge". I actually own an embarrassingly large amount of this manufacturer's STL (Standard Triangle Language) files as I've been busy supporting two of their Patreon memberships for quite some time. As a result I thought it was high time to power up my Mars 5 3D printer, swamp its tank with plenty of Elegoo" Water Washable Resin and create a basic squad of scuba-soldiers.

Due to the sculpts being somewhat influenced by the Death Korps of Krieg Imperial Guard which features in "Warhammer 40k" by "Games Workshop", I actually plan on giving the figures a somewhat similar paint-scheme. However, as this particular unit of GrimGuard is clearly outfitted to fight underwater, I thought they'd all be predominantly wearing an off-black diving suit - possibly with the odd brass mask and some orange flippers..?

"These Lightning-Fast Wolf Packs..."

 "...Fight with a singular unity that can bring a foe many times their size..."

These four 28mm metal specimens of Canis lupus were produced by "Warlord Games" as part of their Mythic Americas range, and could be found inside the Nottingham-based company's five-figure Tribal Nations Wolves boxed set. The miniatures actually came with circular MDF bases. However, I soon super-glued them upon plastic 32mm round bases instead.

The quartet of canines were all primed using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then gave each beast's legs, belly, throat and maw a few heavy brushstrokes of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, shaded these areas with plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and subsequently dry-brushed them with (more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats".

"...Making them formidable allies."

This approach obviously created a strong contrast between the animals' upper and lower bodies, so I carefully dry-brushed the regions where the two colours clashed with some "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey. I also went back afterwards with some "Two Thin Coats" White Star and "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and touched up these parts to hopefully blend all the differently hued fur together even more.

As a final step I dotted each Wolves eyes and noses with some pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and traced out their fangs with a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. This actually made all the pack look a bit toothless to me. So I quickly went back with my brush-tip and ensured each miniature was sporting a few more teeth than appeared to have been sculpted on them.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Two Mast Beasts

To be honest, I wasn't particularly enthused to pigment these models - and I have six more to do yet before I've completed the two boxes I bought during a sale in November 2023. Admittedly they're not made of Warlord Resin - which I really dislike. But I did think the sculpting on them, especially around the faces, was a little too soft for my liking. In addition, my mojo for any sort of Mythic Americas project was badly dented by the manufacturer's recent announcement that they've dropped the range - albeit these figures are destined for my "Silver Bayonet" tabletop first and foremost.

In addition to my Wolves, I have also managed to make some progress on a pair of Mast Beasts by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". Like so many metal miniatures I seem to be painting these days, I plan to use this pair as 'random encounters' for any of my "Silver Bayonet" monster hunters unlucky enough to encounter a ghost or two. I actually hope to squeeze a fair few sculpts from Karl Perrotton's Folk Horror range into my painting queue over the next few months, as I greatly expand my gothic horror bestiary...

"Tunnel Spiders Are Large Spiders Resembling Tarantulas."

"Giant spiders are most commonly found underground, making their lairs on ceilings or in dark, web-filled crevices."

This pair of 28mm scale metal arachnids are produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their five model DEAL 290 Tunnel Spiders. Sculpted by Pedro Navarro, the miniatures were originally going to be one of my entries into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. But as that particular event concluded several weeks ago, I've simply finished painting them for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

The models were primed using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. The duo were then absolutely drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had their numerous eyes/spots 'picked out' with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. As a final touch I dotted all of the spiders' pupils with a little dab of "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion.

"So in August 1813, Austria formally declared war on France."

In addition these creepy crawlies I have also completed another 28mm scale Napoleonic Austrian by "Wargames Foundry". This metal model can be found inside blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running, and is the third of eight identical Napoleonic marksmen which can be found inside. Sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry, the sharpshooter comes in two separate pieces - the actual Austrian Light Infantryman with an open right hand, and his firearm, and was initially undercoated using plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey.

The miniature was then washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, enthusiastically dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, and had all its numerous straps 'picked out' using plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I next began tackling the Austrian's rifle, backpack, moustache and hair with a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and subsequently shaded these areas in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Big Head Chibis" WIPs - Tomb has been based, primed, and dry-brushed

I also slowly worked my way through the marksman's cuffs, collar, straps, fancy shoulder ribbon and hat plume using a combination of Wyvern Green by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, I applied a few licks of "Two Thin Coats" Cold Corpse Blue on the Jaeger's sleeping bag, and some well-placed dollops of "Vallejo" Gunmetal upon both his gun barrel and drinking canteen. All of these areas were later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Despite being nose-deep in cuffs, collars and epaulettes, I have also somewhat surprisingly managed to continue working on my 40mm project for "Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game" (MMRP) by "CoolMiniOrNot", using some of the marvellous STL (Standard Triangle Language) files by "Big Head Chibis". As a result I've managed to print out Tomb, and am busy painting him up to use as both the super-villain Tombstone - whose playable statistics are apparently found inside the MMRPG "Spider-Verse Expansion" - as well as a test-piece for a whole goon squad of mafia-style enforcers/minions...

"Spaceknights!"

 "We have only won a battle, not the war!"

This 40mm scale model of Rum was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer, and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from the "Big Head Chibis" store on "Cults 3D". Clearly inspired by the toy-turned-superhero Rom - which was co-conceived by Scott Dankman for "Parker Brothers" in 1979 - I found the sculpt to be a little under-sized for my purposes, so increased the figure's height to 42.18mm in Chitubox before I printed him out.

In addition, as I wanted the Galadorian spaceknight to 'fall in' with my Marvel United models by "CoolMiniOrNot", I swapped out his 30mm base for one with slightly less height which was sculpted by "Crippled God Foundry". Once assembled, both were subsequently primed using plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and later treated the stone-brick stand to a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - The Abomination's shorts have been finished, so just his face is left to go

For Rom himself, I wanted to try and capture some of the shine of his famous "electronically supported malleable statis field armour skin", so patiently applied three separate coats of Heavy Metal by "Scale 75" over him. I then mixed up some "Citadel" Nuln Oil, Drakenhof Nightshade and plain tap water together, sploshed it all over the miniature, and finally gave it a dry-brush of (more) "Scale 75" Heavy Metal.

With the majority of the model now completed, I carefully gave the area around the cyborg's "eyesight synthesis device" a lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and blobbed a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red over his actual eyes. These two orbs were then shaded with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, and re-spotted with a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion. I also used a thick line of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson on Rom's Neutralizer too.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studios" - Two more Tunnel Spiders close to completion

Despite being somewhat distracted by "Big Head Chibis" wonderful range of STLs - I've bought and printed a good two dozen of them so far in recent days - I have still somewhat 'stuck to my guns' by making a little more progress on my "Marvel United" Abomination miniature too. Unlike Rom, I actually own the official Marvel Multiverse RPG (MMRPG) statistics for this comic book character, and fully intend to have the "CoolMiniOrNot" sculpt tabletop ready for a game by early next week.

Furthermore, I'm also working on two more Tunnel Spiders by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" which I had initially hoped to submit as entries into Angry Piper's annual "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. All the 'basics' have already been done on these oversized arachnids. But I still need to apply some washes and do a bit of a tidy up on the pair before they can be varnished/flocked...

"Tunnel Spiders Are Revolting, Simple Creatures..."

"...That feast on whatever prize their webs ensnare."

These two 28mm scale metal arachnids are manufactured by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their five model DEAL 290 Tunnel Spiders. Sculpted by Pedro Navarro, the miniatures were originally going to be one of my entries into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. But as that particular event has now been finished for several weeks, I've simply finished painting them for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

The models were undercoated using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. The duo were then absolutely drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had their numerous eyes/spots 'picked out' with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. As a final touch I dotted all of the spiders' pupils with a little dab of "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Korg just needs some dry-brushing and minor detail work

Alongside this pair of eight-legged horrors, I have managed to almost finish work on my 40mm plastic sculpt of Korg by "CoolMiniOrNot". This particular piece from the company's Marvel United boardgame is destined for a role in one of my upcoming games of the Marvel Multiverse RPG (MMRPG), so I've been steadily 'chipping away' at the Kronan gladiator to get him tabletop ready for some time.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for the super-strong 'Stone Man' has been somewhat rocked by the discovery that the character isn't actually playable in the "Escape From Planet Hulk" starter scenario as I thought, and instead can just be used as a source of "Inspiration" for the regular heroes as they tackle the adventure. I do believe there's a set of fan-made abilities available. However, as I'm still very much learning the game, I am currently just sticking to the official rules.

"Big Head Chibis" WIPs - All the areas on Lady have been 'boxed off' with "Citadel" Abaddon Black 

Happily though, my passion for MMRPG hasn't been too badly dented, due to the wonderful range of similarly-styled figures produced by "Big Head Chibis" as part of their "Patreon" monthly subscription. This will hopefully give me access to a ton of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files which I can print out on my "Elegoo" Mars 5 3D printer, and use for the numerous minions I will require for my battles.

One such miniature is Lady [Jaye]. Due to her jungle-flavoured attire, I'm planning on producing a handful of these sculpts to form a gang of poachers who will unwisely target the wildlife of Wakanda, and resultantly face the wrath of T'Challa - the Black Panther. I've also found a source of appropriately-sized bases to use for my various goon squads, courtesy of "Crippled God Foundry", after I found out the ones supplied by "Big Head Chibis" are much too tall when compared to those supplied with Marvel United. This means I'll now be able to print out as many as I need, whenever I need them, rather than rely upon "eBay" to buy them...

"Never Give Up!"

 "Never Surrender!"

This 28mm scale metal model of Galactic Explorer 1A is manufactured by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought individually as MINI 1927 from their Space Travellers range, or as part of their four-figure DEAL 492 Galactic Explorers I. Sculpted by Ari Níelsson, the miniature is clearly based upon actor Tim Allen's character Jason Nesmith/Commander Peter Quincy Taggart from Dean Parisot's 1999 science fiction film "Galaxy Quest".

The figure was primed with a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Neutral Grey, before having his boots, trousers, hair and much of his torso layered in "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then 'picked out' his insignia, epaulettes and Ion Nebulizer with a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and splosh of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also applied quite a heavy dry-brush to Taggart's pants and top, so as to slightly break up the predominantly black colour scheme.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Work has finally started on Squirrel Girl in earnest

Lastly, I tidied up all the "Vallejo" Neutral Grey areas, drowned the entire model with (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and patiently dry-brushed the Commander's upper tunic with a little (more) "Vallejo" Neutral Grey. I did consider applying some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to the miniature's hair, as per the 'official' display paintjob by "Mystic Spirals". But in the end decided that the movie version of the NSEA Protector's leader looked a lot darker - so stuck with the original "Citadel" Abaddon Black colour scheme.

Along with my Galactic Explorer, I have made some more progress on my (admittedly grand) design to paint a number of 40mm plastic Marvel United gaming pieces to use with the Marvel Multiverse RPG (MMRPG). As a change of pace though, I have momentarily swapped out the Kronan gladiator Korg I have been slowly working on for the much more dynamically-posed Squirrel Girl instead.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - This young apocalypse survivor is close to completion

This rejig of my painting priorities is only temporary, as I will need Thor's super-strong former foe when I play the MMRPG's Escape From Planet Hulk starter scenario. However, I have recently picked up the hardback copy of the ruleset, and discovered it has the statistics for Doreen Green's bushy-tailed alter-ego inside. This has encouraged me to put some (more) paint on the "CoolMiniOrNot" figure somewhat sooner than I was expecting, as I now may well swap Squirrel Girl into my team's roster instead of one of the super-heroes which come with the starter set.

Furthermore, I have quite quickly slapped a few coats on one of the models from Survivors Set 4 by "Athena Miniatures". I actually own two of this particular adolescent survivor of the apocalypse after owner John Caboche kindly snuck a couple of freebies into my most recent order - so I'm rather keen to at least get one of the duo tabletop ready as soon as possible...

"I Sense Great Fear In You, Skywalker."

"You have hate. You have anger. But you don't use them."

This 40mm scale model of Count Dooku is produced by "Atomic Mass Games", and comes as part of the company's "Star Wars: Shatterpoint Twice the Pride Squad Pack". Based upon the physical likeness of the late, great Sir Christopher Lee, the eight-piece miniature was assembled using the instructions found on the Minnesota-based manufacturer's website, and glued to one of the tabletop game's 40mm circular bases.

The "sinister Sith Lord" was first undercoated with a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before having his trousers pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then 'picked out' his belt and cloak with some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and doused the two areas with plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Korg's base layers have now all been applied

I applied a little smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to the once a respected Jedi Knight's lightsabre, and carefully (because it feels as fragile as anything) drew some "Vallejo" Heavy Red along its plasma blade. This particular part was later shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and delicately dry-brushed with a little (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

I also gave the hair and beard of Grand Master Yoda's former padawan a touch of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and a lick of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. As I wanted to try to capture Darth Tyranus' whiskers, I subsequently went back and dabbed at the sculpt's detail with (more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats". Finally, I gave Count Dooku's cape a thorough dry-brush of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna in order to add some shade in its folds.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Galactic Explorer is almost finished

With the first of eight planned "Star War: Shatterpoint" figures I have purchased finished, I have continued with my cunning plan to paint a number of Marvel United gaming pieces to use with the Marvel Multiverse RPG (MMRPG). My hobby desk is currently absolutely swamped with these Chibi-like 40mm plastic models by "CoolMiniOrNot". So to try and keep sane I am just focusing upon the Kronan gladiator Korg, who is encountered at the start of the MMRPG's Escape From Planet Hulk starter scenario.

In addition, I have found a few moments to potter away at one of the Galactic Explorers I quite recently purchased from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". I admittedly picked this particular (not "Galaxy Quest") figure as something different from all the larger-scaled stuff I'm presently focused upon, so I'm not really sure when I'll finally get the fellow tabletop ready...

"Straw Bears May Be Derived From The Medieval Carnival Figure Of The Wild Man."

"They were also interpreted by early folklorists as personifications of Winter."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Strawbear is manufactured by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought individually as MINI 466 from their Folk Horror range. However, the single-cast piece can also be purchased as part of the Lincolnshire-based company's four-figure DEAL 148 Mummer Procession, along with a Hobby Horse, Accordionist and Drummer.

Spookily, having previously purchased a number of these Andrew May sculpts separately, I stumbled upon this particular miniature whilst rummaging through my rewards from the May 2018 "Children of the Fields - Folk Horror 28mm Miniatures" Kickstarter, as it was unlocked as the campaign's £22,000 stretch goal. I therefore decided to quickly add it to my growing Strohbären as I use them as 'generic' Revenants for my games of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", and at the time had hoped to use it as an entry into Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Sauron, Baron Zemo and Squirrel Girl

The model was primed using a couple of coats of “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and liberally drenched in “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. It was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and a little (lighter-coloured) Buff, before being sporadically splotched using some “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade and Biel-Tan Green. Finally, all of these colours were blended together with a second dry-brush of (more) “Vallejo” Buff.

With such a straightforward paint-job finished, I have also been able to get cracking on a number of the "CoolMiniOrNot" 40mm plastic super-heroes and villains I plan to pigment this month from their Marvel United boardgame. I was originally planning on using these rather cartoony-looking sculpts for some four-figure-a-side punch-ups based upon "The Silver Bayonet" rule-set by "Osprey Games" (with some homebrew tweaks). However, having spotted the recent release of the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game (MMRPG) Escape From Planet Hulk Starter Set I've had a bit of a rethink.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Red Hulk, Spider-Man (Miles Morales) and Venom

Indeed, having been a major fan of the 1984 Marvel Super Heroes (MSH) role playing game published by "TSR", I've actually ordered the box. Yet rather than fork out for the Deluxe Edition, which I understand contains some 2D acrylic standees of the six main characters, I thought I'd use my Marvel United miniatures instead - so have dug out Captain America, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Wolverine, (Laura Kinney), Storm, and Black Panther.

Furthermore, I figured I might as well try to do something similar for my MSH starter scenario too - "Day of the Octopus". Those followers with a long memory will recall I actually somewhat successfully attempted to do this using some "Heroclix" sculpts by "Wizkids" a good while back - and might actually carry that project forwards in the future. However for now, I have plonked Marvel United models of The Thing, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) and Spider-Man (Peter Parker) on my painting table to see just where this plan takes me...

"A Legendary Hero..."

"...To lead your Blood Angels into battle."

This small stand of two 15mm miniatures by "Alternative Armies" is comprised of a figure taken from their "The Ion Age" limited edition pack IAFL01 Hackett and Tasker, and one from Code IAF008 Retained Knight Post Charlie. The sculpts are designed to be used with the company’s “Patrol Angis” rule-set. But I’ve based and painted mine as a (proxy) Blood Angels Legion/Chapter Special Character for a home-brew game I've somewhat loosely based within the early Warhammer 30k/40k universe.

Perhaps understandably, it was the model of "the highly ranked Knight Commander Hackett" which took most of my attention, and not just because the little chap "is restricted to 500 numbered packs after which the moulds with these miniatures will be destroyed." As a result he was primed using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, base-layered with plenty of Gold, and finally heavily shaded in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Two Mast Beasts and a Strawbear

I then dry-brushed the leader with (more) "Vallejo" Gold, before settling down to the rather time-consuming task of picking out all the micro-details on his space-armour. This largely meant carefully tracing out Hackett's shoulder-pads with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Two Thin Coats" White Star, as well as dotting the odd piece in "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson". I also carefully picked out the model's sword hilt using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Finally, I decided against making the figure's sword blade particularly colourful, as I didn't want it to clash with all its gold armour. So stuck to simply pigmenting the Octa Sword with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also chose not to give the sculpt's robotic arm any special attention, preferring instead to leave it gold so it would just mingle in with the rest of the colour scheme.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Two Tunnel Spiders and a Goat Kin

The Retained Knight was much more straightforward to get tabletop ready, having been undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Red. The 'beaky' space marine was subsequently heavily washed with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. Finally, the crouched guy's hand-weapon was layered with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and later treated to a combination of “Vallejo" Gunmetal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

Despite getting these two miniatures finished in a reasonably quick time period, I have disappointingly not made much progress on a number of metal figures by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" I was hoping to submit as entries into Angry Piper's annual "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. Quite bizarrely, I've probably been wargaming more than painting over the past few weeks. But do still intend to get a number of these weird creatures finished in reasonably quick succession, as I want them as super-natural encounters for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games". 

"You Are Under Arrest, British Scum!"

 "Come out from hiding!"

This 28mm metal model is produced by "Athena Miniatures" as part of their Apocalypse Survivors range, and comes from the company's AS12 Russian NBC four-figure set. I've been working on a dozen of these sculpts since stumbling across them whilst at "Warfare" 2024, and with this final figure now finished intend to use them for some classic "Invasion!" skirmishes set during the classic comic book strip created by Pat Mills for "2000 A.D." in the late Seventies.

The Soviet Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence trooper was initially undercoated using a couple of layers of “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, and shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. He was then dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII so as to bring out all the folds/creases in his rubber suit, and subsequently had his buttons 'picked out' with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

The Russians and British square of against one another whilst investigating some grisly murders

This fairly simple palette meant that the miniature was predominantly finished quite quickly. However, I thought the model looked a tad plain, so decided to break its overall look up a bit by using a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Neutral Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on both the Russian's gloves and over-boots. I also thought the soldier would look more menacing if I painstakingly applied some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to his firearm and eye lenses. As a final touch then trooper's respirator and rifle butt was given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

In addition to my painting, I have also managed to play another game of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games". This time round we decided to have a straightforward shootout between a force of British adventurers and my Russians, so chose to use the rule-set's opening scenario - The Investigation. However, rather than have a Hobgoblin suddenly appear during the battle, we decided to have a (Straw) Troll emerge instead.

The Russians bravely look for clues whilst being peppered by the British infantrymen

Things definitely got off with a better bang for the British as their 95th Riflemen managed to successfully pepper the Russian infantrymen. The sharpshooters' more accurate rifles clearly gave them a distinct advantage over their musket-wielding opponents, and began racking up hit after hit. Disappointingly, a good deal of the recruitment costs spent by Tsar Alexander I's officer had been foolishly placed at the feet of a peasant who claimed he could transform into a formidable Were-bear.

Once the (Straw) Troll appears the British quickly ask the Russians for a ceasefire

But after a few rounds, during which the Moscow Militia came under increasing fire, there wasn't a sign of the huge hairy animal anywhere to be found. Instead, the Russian's brave leader uncovered the aforementioned large (Straw) Troll which had been slaughtering the locals, and quickly agreed with Major Sharpe of the British contingent to combine their forces to confront the brute. This team-work seemed to be a splendid idea, and before long the monster terrorising the English line was taken down.

"My Mommy Always Said There Were No Monsters."

"No real ones. But there are."

These 10mm scale metal Xenomorphs are produced by “Pendraken Miniatures” as code SFC2 Medium Creature Type 2 from their Alien Creatures range, and come in a pack of five single-pose sculpts. Intriguing however, the sculpts are probably closer to 15mm scale (from head to tail-tip), so surprisingly sit down on the tabletop with my old collection of aliens by "Ground Zero Games" rather nicely.

I also thought these deadly extra-terrestrials would fit in rather nicely with the Monster May(hem) Challenge currently being held over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog, as its rules specifically state that the entries needn't be limited to fantasy-based beasties. And frankly, I think there's only a few people who wouldn't think of H.R. Giger's creature from the 1979 film "Alien", if they were asked to name the most famous science-fiction monster of all time.

The models themselves were pretty simple to pigment, largely thanks to a double coat of "Citadel" Abaddon Black doing most of the work. The miniatures were then dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later had their domed-heads touched up with a little (more) Abaddon Black, so as to make them slightly stand out from the rest of their horrifying horde. 

The Russians and British approach a revenant infested ruined chapel

Alongside my painting, I have also managed to play another game of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games". Having previously tackled a couple of the rule-book's PvP (Player verses Player) Scenarios, this time around we thought we'd try a co-operative game of "The Ruined Chapel", and set up a disconcertingly small 30" x 30" board accordingly. In addition, I dug through my collection of scenery and placed a ruin, six gravestones, four clue markers, half a dozen (straw bear) Revenants and plenty of trees as the set-up instructions directed.

As I wanted to use some of my Russians by "Wargames Foundry" for this battle, I selected a sword-wielding Officer, a pair of (recently pigmented) Moscow Militiamen as Irregulars and a lone Infantryman. Whilst my ally went with an assortment of British soldiers from so many different manufacturers as to almost set off my OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder). Fortunately, they were being led by a certain Major Richard Sharpe, so I had high hopes that the quartet would at least do a sterling job on the tabletop, even if their different physical sizes was rather jarring to me.

Just as soon as a Vampire appears the British flee from their position

Sadly, things went wrong straight from the start as my Officer bravely marched up to the closest Revenant emerging from behind its gravestone, and was savaged to death. To make matters worse, my British compatriots - having deployed in a corner opposite my own forces - realised that they were too close to one another and couldn't manoeuvre as they had hoped. This caused Wellington's men to waste some actions rejigging their respective positions, and set them up perfectly for the Vampire which appeared right behind them at the end of Turn One.

Disappointingly, things did not get any better for Major Sharpe's contingent in the subsequent fighting, as his soldiers failed to cause any damage whatsoever to the deadly blood-drinker in their midst. Admittedly, some musket fire did start to take its toil upon a pair of Revenants that were closing in upon them from the ruin. But both Richard and his fellow Rifleman took some significant damage themselves in return. Indeed, it eventually became clear that the surviving members of the group needed to head south away from the Vampire as fast as their mud-splattered boots would allow them.

***** 'Bravely ran away, away! When danger reared its ugly head, He bravely turned his tail and fled. Yes, brave Major Sharpe turned about. And gallantly he chickened out. Bravely taking to his feet. He beat a very brave retreat, Bravest of the brave, Major Sharpe!' *****

The brave Russians attempt to hold line against the Undead, as the British flee for their lives

Happily however, despite losing my Officer early on, the rest of my plucky Russians got busy bagging plenty of Revenants with their withering gun-fire. This eventually allowed my Infantryman to head into the ruin unmolested, and discover a bag of Silver Shot for his musket. In addition, the top fellow then uncovered a Small Icon, which would soon be needed to save him from the foul jaws of a Revenant.

Outside, an already dire situation was worsening for the remaining British, as a second Vampire emerged from the surrounding woodland to join his fellow Nosferatu in stalking Major Sharpe. Setting up a firing line along the southern-most edge of the map, both forces combined their musketry in a last ditch effort to keep the Undead horde approaching them at bay. This did momentarily appear to be working as one of the blood-drinkers was finally wounded. But in the end Richard and my Russian in the ruin fell, and this caused the rest of our fighters to understandably retreat back into the forest...

The Jägers Operated As Independent Battalions..."

"...Assigned to the various brigades, as required, and soon proved their worth in the field."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running. The figure is one of eight identical Napoleonic marksmen sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry found in the set, and somewhat surprisingly come in two separate pieces - the actual Austrian Light Infantryman with an open right hand, and his firearm.

As I own ten of the exact same-looking miniature, following a successful bid on "eBay" late last year, I thought I'd use this particular sharpshooter as a test piece for a (reasonably) straightforward paint scheme, before possibly pigmenting the rest of my 'win' in batches of two or three. Resultantly, I undercoated him with a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey in an attempt to get the majority of his semi-famous uniform completed almost before I'd really started. 

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two more Austrian Jaegers set to soon appear on the tabletop

In hindsight, this was probably a minor mistake though, as I soon discovered that much more of the soldier required a lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black than the Opaque "Vallejo" Game Colour I primed him with. However, discovering such things is precisely why I was only working on a single model, and at least the lighter colour allowed me to see all the different areas on the incredibly-detailed miniature - especially once I had shaded his limbs with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and roughly highlighted them with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey.

With the basics now finished, I began tackling the Austrian's rifle, backpack, moustache and hair with a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. These areas were later darkened down with a wash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also patiently worked my way through the marksman's cuffs, collar, straps, fancy shoulder ribbon and hat plume with a combination of Wyvern Green by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. This somewhat tied the sharpshooter in with my British 95th Riflemen, as I used these exact paints on their uniforms too.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three of the four figures from the Galactic Explorers pack

Furthermore, I thought I'd try some "Two Thin Coats" Cold Corpse Blue on the chap's sleeping bag, before 'picking out' his gun barrel and drinking canteen with a brush-tip of "Vallejo" Gunmetal. All of these parts were later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, I applied a dollop of "Vallejo" Gold to the soldier's coat buttons, sabre handle and hat crest, and then darkened its vibrancy down with a splosh of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Alongside my first Jaeger I have also managed to make a little bit of progress on three of the four Galactic Explorers I recently purchased from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". These models still have a long way to go to become tabletop ready. But proved a reasonably straightforward distraction from all the fine detail found upon my Perry Brothers' Napoleonic miniature...

"Why Do We Have To Kill It?"

 "It'll kill them all."

These three 10mm metal endoparasitoid extra-terrestrials are by "Pendraken Miniatures" and can be purchased from their old Science Fiction range as SFC1 Medium creature, type 1. I actually bought these many years ago as part of their SFC-AP Alien Creatures Army Pack, and, due to their quite alarming size, thought they'd mix in very well with my large swarm of 15mm "Ground Zero Games" Xenomorphs which I assembled way back in 2014.

However, rather than just pigment them predominantly in black, I thought I'd tap into the sculpts' dog-like pose, and replicate the brown palette used for the canine-formed killer in David Fincher's 1992 movie "Aliens 3". I also figured I'd plonk all three of the models onto a single Medium "Flames Of War" base by "Battlefront Miniatures", so as to hopefully imbue them with the feel of a hunting pack.

"You try and stop us Volgans taking your food, eh..?"

The figures were undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Charred Brown and Leather Brown Surface Primer, and subsequently base-layered in (pure) Charred Brown. I then heavily washed the trio using plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Unfortunately, as seems to happen a lot with my metal models these days, I found that the "Games Workshop" Shade somehow disintegrated certain areas of my prime/base coat, so resultantly I had to rather annoyingly go back and redo the aforementioned processes once (or even twice) more, simply to ensure that the Aliens had a lick of paint all over them.

In the end, I also decided to give the Xenomorphs a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Charred Brown, simply to completely ensure that no metal was still peeking through my paint-job. In addition, I applied a couple of brush-tips of "Citadel" Abaddon Black across each extra-terrestrial's dome-shaped head, to help make them stand out all the more on the battlefield.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three figures from the Galactic Explorers 1 pack

Alongside these pieces, I have also finished work on another of my Soviet invaders by "Athena Miniatures". Taken from my third AS12 Russian NBC four-figure set, this 28mm metal model was largely painted using  “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Though I did pick out any wooden areas/buttons using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Lastly, I've purchased, assembled and primed the entire quartet from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" recent released Galactic Explorers 1. This was most definitely an impulse buy, as I wanted some extra figures to help 'bulk out' an order, and felt they would be rather straightforward to get tabletop ready. Plus, as a big fan of Dean Parisot's satirical science fiction comedy film "Galaxy Quest", they were impossible to resist...

"Bubo Was Forged By Hephaestus..."

"...And sent by Athena to aid Perseus in his quest to save the princess Andromeda."

This 28mm scale metal Clockwork Owl is produced by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", and was an early bird miniature from their successful "7TV Fantasy Genre Guide" Kickstarter in October last year. Sculpted by Matthew Kent, the figure is clearly inspired by the remote controlled/stop motion model seen in Desmond Davis' 1981 fantasy adventure film "Clash of the Titans".

Due to the mythical, mechanical marvel's diminutive size, as well as my concerns over whether his thin perch would actually survive my usual painting process, I decided to pigment the little fellow a bit differently from how I ordinarily tackle my miniatures, and rely upon "Citadel" Nuln Oil to separate different coloured areas from one another - as opposed to using thin lines of "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Athena Miniatures" WIPs - Three (of the four) Russian NBC Troopers currently being worked on

As a result Bubo and his stand were carefully primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, layered in Gold and washed using "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. I then gave the entire bird a careful dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Gold, before giving the owl's face and chest a light dusting of Gunmetal. These two areas were subsequently darkened down with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and re-highlighted using some very carefully placed dabs of (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

Finally, I managed to drop a tiny spot of "Citadel" Abaddon Black into the eye sockets of the model, and later dot them with "Vallejo" Heavy Red. I also decided to simply shade the figure's perch with some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brush it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. I did consider using a metallic paint for the stand. But in the end felt it would easily blend in with the Clockwork Owl, so chose a much less glamourous-looking, somewhat bland colour for it instead.

"Great Escape Games" WIPs - Butch Cassidy, the Scarred Man and John Bridges

Along with my recently received "Kickstarter" goodies from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", I have also taken possession of four more 28mm Russian NBC troopers by "Athena Miniatures". I wasn't actually planning on getting any more of these sculpts for a while, as I was planning on focusing my energies upon the company's Spetsnaz models instead. However, as the opportunity arose to make an order with the Swindon-based manufacturer with free postage and packing, I thought I might as well.

Perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly, given my current preoccupation with "Great Escape Games" and their "Dead Man's Hand" range of outlaws, I have also dug out from my extensive backlog a couple more purchases I made way back at "Salute" 2019. These figures of John Bridges and the Scarred Man have been plonked alongside my current 'on-the-go' model of Butch Cassidy, so should now get some much-needed love and attention in quick(ish) succession...