"A Transport Ship, No Armaments."

"Tractor beam. Send a squad to the docking port."

This two-piece Kurgan Small Transport vessel is by "Fat Dragon Games" and was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. It can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file as part of the company's Expansion Set Three for "Battlefront Valkyrie", and has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

As with my previously painted Terran Transport freighters I decided to give this unarmed spacecraft a somewhat different colour scheme to that used on my (not) Klingon starships, so primed the model with a generous, double-helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Khaki. The miniature was then washed using some significantly watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Khaki to help bring out all its details.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - The first of my rifle-carrying Nautican Warriors is almost finished

Lastly, the transport's propulsion unit was 'picked out' using my tried and tested combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red. To be honest I'm actually strongly considering using this propulsion unit - which has to be printed out separately - as a stand-a-lone shuttlecraft; albeit the vessel might look a little odd with the ship bottom piece needed for it to attach to a regular flight stand.

With yet another welcome addition to my Kurgun (not Klingon) fleet 'in the bag' I have started making some serious in-roads on the second Nautican Warrior I own by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". This figure will largely follow the 'test piece' I recently pigmented, but has been sculpted by Iain Colwell and Ian Mountain holding an energy rifle rather the sea-dwellers' traditional trident. I aim to pick up a few more of these miniatures from the company at the upcoming "Warfare" wargaming show in November, so am keen to get the quartet I currently own completed as soon as I can.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three of the Four Lunar Command figures I'm working on

Keeping my eye firmly focused on this month's painting theme, I've also based, gritted and primed all four of the models found in Karl Perrotton's Lunar Command set too. I must confess to being a bit cross with myself over the mix of poses with this particular 'blister', as I stupidly thought there were a few more purple-haired gun-totting ladies in the foursome than there really was.

Now there's no doubt that Wayne Peters has done a first-rate job in capturing the feel of the 1970 British science fiction television series "UFO" with these miniatures. But the majority are (understandably) a bit more 'desk-bound' than I need for my tabletop battles, so ordinarily I'd have simply bought just the one to use as my squad's leader, and then a handful of the sole 'bewigged technician' sporting a hand-weapon - another purchase pencilled in for "Warfare"...

"One Tiny Crack In The Hull..."

"...And our blood boils in thirteen seconds."

This Terran Large Transport vessel is by "Fat Dragon Games", and was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. It can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file as part of the company's Expansion Set Three for "Battlefront Valkyrie", and has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

As with my previously painted Terran Transport freighters I decided to forgo the usual predominantly "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey palette I have been using on my (not) Federation starships, and make the cargo-carrying spacecraft stand out by giving it a double helping of "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh as an prime/base coat instead. The miniature was then washed using some slightly watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) Rakarth Flesh to help bring out all its details. As a final touch, the transport's propulsion unit was 'picked out' using my tried and tested combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

The Imperial Fists get in close and personal, whilst the Sons of Horus form a line near a water feature.

Alongside my latest addition to my Terran fleet, I have also managed to squeeze in a battle using my homemade 15mm science fiction collaborative rules, "M.I.S.S.” - once again using a load of Xenomorphs by “Ground Zero Games”, 10mm Face Huggers by “Pendraken Miniatures” and Ion Age figures by "Alternative Armies". The game centred around an old ruined complex being infested by H.R. Giger’s famous aliens, and saw the Emperor deploy a combined force of Sons Of Horus and Crimson Fists to eradicate them.

For much of the onslaught the Space Marines were able to simply hold a line and whittle down their attackers with some impressive displays of ranged fire - The Warmaster's Legion doing a particularly fine job with its dreadnought whilst hugging the edge of a lagoon for added protection. However, a particularly strong horde of alien warriors did manage to reach the Crimson Fists quite early on in the game, and required the presence of the Chapter's white-helmeted Veteran Squad to finally be vanished.

Both Space Marine forces become embroiled in plenty of close combat towards the battle's end.

Indeed, the Crimson Fists seemed to become far more embroiled in the battle's close combat shenanigans for most of the fight as they pushed ever further forward so as to reach one of their main objectives, and even had their Sergeant charge into a small horde of Xenomorphs when the deadly extra-terrestrials threatened the Sons of Horus' main transport tank.

Ultimately though, even those who followed "the most favoured son of the Emperor" found themselves knee-deep in acidic alien blood, as the assault upon Mankind reached its climax, and the Space Marines managed to push on to capture the final goals needed to assure their victory. This was a cracking way to spend an afternoon, and perhaps unsurprisingly has resulted in my making a little order with "Alternative Armies" for some Ion Age reinforcements...

"Enterprise, This Is Captain William Riker Of The Klingon Vessel Pagh."

"I order you to lower your shields and surrender."

This Kurgun B-1A Battlecruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as "Battlefront Valkyrie" Expansion Set 11 - albeit I was lucky enough to be sent this particular file for free by the tabletop gaming publisher. The two-piece spacecraft has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model, and measures an impressive 80mm in length.

The "sleek, heavily armoured behemoth" was primed with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Green and shaded with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I then enthusiastically dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, before 'picking out' its rear warp nacelle and "devastating massive plasma cannon" with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

"Beast In The Broch" WIPs - Alpha One and Alpha Two

Having completed so straightforward a miniature, I have also (finally) be able to make a start on the last two figures I need to finish from the Systemic Units set by "Beast In The Broch" - namely Alpha One and Alpha Two. This pair of 'leaders' are a bit more colourful than the quartet of Systemic Security minions I've recently been ploughing through, so will doubtless take a bit more time to get tabletop ready than their predominantly black-uniformed guards.

However, I will be incentivised by Graeme Dawson's recent announcement of some more (very welcome) additions to this science fiction range, including some FedSec Technicians and (male) Mutaints, as well as the imposing looking Alien Harvester - which bears an uncanny resemblance to the giant insects seen in the February 1980 television of "Blake's 7" entitled "The Harvest of Kairos". In addition, the company has also announced that a duo of space assassins and two rogue FedSec scientists are now up for pre-order too.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three of the four Alien Legionnaries I'm currently working on

I'm desperately trying to be good with all these temptations, especially as "Beast In The Broch" do a tantalising discount to the cost of their models when pre-ordered. But my painting queue is currently already overwhelmed with all the genres I want to get on my various battlefields, so I really don't want to get too overloaded. Plus I plan to pick up a few more Systemic Security units too, in order to better fill out my patrol squad, so it'll be a sizeable amount of miniatures when I'm actually ready to checkout my online basket.

To make matters worse, I'm also having to plod away at four more Alien Legionnaries by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" after failing to resist their recent release of a Submarine Security team and Lunar Command crew - all of which have already arrived at 'Fantorical Towers'. These have already joined the Nautican Warriors I have 'waiting in the wings', so I really need to add this predominantly red-coloured quarter to my Heartless Warmonger's ever-growing force as fast as I can...

"Leave Us, Or I Shall Have You Stripped Of Rank..."

"...And sent home in a transport!"

This Terran Medium Transport vessel is by "Fat Dragon Games", and was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. It can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file as part of the company's Expansion Set Three for "Battlefront Valkyrie", and has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

As with my previously painted Terran Small Transport freighter I decided to forgo the usual predominantly "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey palette I have been using on my (not) Federation starships, and make the weaponless spacecraft stand out from my fleet by giving it a double helping of "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh as an prime/base coat instead.

"State the circumstance by which you came to be aboard Deep Space Vehicle II."

The miniature was then shaded using some slightly watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) Rakarth Flesh to help bring out all its details. As a final touch, its propulsion unit was 'picked out' using my tried and tested combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

In addition to this vessel I've also found the time to finish another model by "Beast In The Broch" too. This 32mm scale pewter cast miniature of Systemic Security 4 can be brought either individually as SKU: ALI06 or as part of the six-figure Systemic Units set SKU: PAK 07. Digitally sculpted by Carl Stoelzel, I've painted the model up to resemble one of the System's guards as seen in the 1979 television episode of "Blake's Seven" entitled "Redemption".

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" - This Heinous Husk just needs some finer details to be 'picked out'

The guard was undercoated in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, and later shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then used plenty of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on the chap's visor and chest area (front and back), before tackling some of his finer details - like pigmenting the communications bracelet in "Scale 75" Decayed Metal and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, his hand-weapon in "Vallejo" Dead White and Pale Grey, and the minion's front-facing tubing in "Two Thin Coats" Ethereal Green and a smidgeon of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green.

Lastly, I have made some solid progress on my Heinous Husk by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". I'm really hoping to have this particular Machiavellian time traveller tabletop ready before the week is out so I can begin work in earnest on the company's Devil in Disguise sculpt. Once these are completed I can then begin ploughing my way through a number of Nautican Warrior and Alien Legionnaries, before I visit Karl Perrotton's stall at Warfare wargames show with a bit of a wish list in November...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge” [III/IV] February 2026

Last month's output was largely dominated by "Games Workshop" and "Wargames Foundry"

Sadly there can be little doubt then when compared to some of my past January outputs, the last four weeks have proved pretty disappointing productivity wise. Indeed, I didn't manage to pigment even half of what I achieved just a couple of years ago in 2023. Having said that though, a lot of time was lost due to a slow start, and currently my enthusiasm for the hobby is so strong - especially for "Wargames Foundry" and their Napoleonic range, that I fully expect to make up some ground throughout February.

In addition, I've temporarily postponed a couple of new projects I had begun to 'scratch away' at, in favour of firmly focusing upon my Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP) and making far more in-roads towards my target tally for that. Last year I managed to finally finish 246 points worth of semi-completed figures, and was planning to better that this time round. However, having just past my personal challenge's half-way stage, I've only got 119 points tabletop ready - so have set aside my plans for Napoleonic cavalry and cannon units (some of which have literally just arrived through my letter box), and swapped them out for a sizeable selection of already-based Austrian Fusiliers, Moscow Militiamen and Frenchmen marching in greatcoats.

"In military operations, hours determine success and campaigns."

To get things off with something of a bang I have finally managed to get a coat of "Vallejo" Matt Varnish on an eighth skirmisher I have had loitering around my painting desk for quite some while. Found inside the “Wargames Foundry" blister FN054 - Light Infantry Chasseurs Advancing, the miniature Frenchman was undercoated using a little "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before having his uniform/cuffs layered in "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade.

The soldier's various leather straps were treated to some White Star by "Two Thin Coats", before being 'weathered' with some watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Furthermore, I 'picked out' all of his extra details, using colours such as as "Vallejo" Heavy Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green for the man's epaulettes and sabre-briquet ribbons, "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on his bedroll, and "Two Thin Coats" White, Skulker Yellow, and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade for the Frenchman's helmet plume.

January 2026 - "Blood Bowl", Napoleonic Soldiers and Super-Heroes dominate the current chart

Alongside my burgeoning Black Powder collection, I am also planning on working through a number of primed "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" models I've had lurking in a drawer beside me for many a month. Whether this encourages to return to the company's skirmish ruleset "7TV" I don't know. But there's a good chance many of the figures will make an appearance on my "Silver Bayonet" tabletop as I primarily use Karl Perrotton's miniatures for any encounters my warband might have with wandering monsters, the Undead or musket-carrying bandits.

Lastly, I'm still very much in the mood for producing various items of scenery with my "Bambu Lab" A1 Mini, and am quietly working away in the background on some of the terrific terrain I received as free STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from "Steamforged Games" as part of their Warmachine 3D: Gravediggers release in April 2025. I've also got a bit of a backlog building courtesy of "Saucermen Studios" and their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter. So expect to see a fair few Whether ruined walls, trench systems, bunkers, towers and concrete barricades appearing over the coming months.

"The Negh'Var Was Intended To Represent The Most Powerful Ship..."

"...In the Klingon fleet as Gowron's flagship."

This Kurgun C4-A Light Cruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two-piece spacecraft has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model, and measures an impressive 80mm in length.

The spacecraft was primed with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Green and shaded with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I then enthusiastically dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, before 'picking out' its warp nacelle and (forward-facing) antimatter-based photon torpedo launcher with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

"Target Games" WIPs - A pair of Cybertronic Machinators

In addition to bulking out my Kurgun Fleet, I have dusted down a pair of old metal Cybertronic Machinators by "Target Games". I actually began pigmenting this duo over five years ago, but believe I actually bought them at the turn of the Third Millennium - meaning they've been sat in my Pile of Potential for approximately twenty five years old. I know very little about the Cybertronic Corporation to be honest, apart from these particular robots essentially being pretty much fodder on the battlefield.

At the time I bought them I was infinitely more invested in the now out-of-print Collectible Card Game "Doomtrooper" - which was also based upon the Mutant Chronicles franchise, rather than the Swedish company's Warzone figures. However, having had a good rummage through my backlog, I've found I own quite a sizeable number of models from the range - so thought I might see if I can quickly produce a handful of combatants aside for a little homebrew skirmish game.

"Loot Studios" WIPs - This multi-part 3D print of a Megalodon has been assembled and primed

I am also clearly still in something of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey mood, having recently chosen the Game Color Paint for all my "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" concrete barricades by "Saucermen Studios", so have started slapping some of it onto my Megalodon by "Loot Studios". This absolute monster of a multi-part predator was rather embarrassingly all 3D-printed around this time last year, and sadly lead to the demise of my poor "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro whilst I was producing the giant fish's middle torso.

I had intended to use the prehistoric shark for a simple set of homebrew rules featuring deep-sea divers battling it across a sea-themed tabletop populated with small islands. Indeed, I actually finished both its separately based fin and tail. However, despite visiting a couple of wargaming shows last year, I simply couldn't find anyone selling the tiny land masses I had in mind for the 'seascape'. Now though, I can easily produce my own on my "Bambu Labs" A1 Mini, so the project is very much on again...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge” [II/IV] January 2026

Last month's output ranged from spacecraft to spacemen, and even a small bit of terrain

Having already completed a quarter of my latest Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP) I thought I'd spend the next four or so weeks focusing upon a number of 28mm plastic soldiers produced by "Warlord Games" - which frankly have been gathering dust on my shelves for far too many months. The majority of these figures will be World War Two Italians, as having bought the Nottingham-based company's "Bolt Action" Third Edition rulebook, as well downloaded their Italy Army List [dated September 2024], I thought I might finally finish a force of Benito Mussolini's fascists I've previously assembled, based and undercoated.

In addition, I couldn't resist recently picking up a copy of Issue 454 of "Wargames Illustrated" as it had a sprue of US Firefly Jump Infantry 'cello-taped' to its front cover. In the past I've experimented with "Konflikt '47" using my quite considerably-sized collection of "Secrets Third Reich" miniatures by "West Wind Productions". But never got on with that range's Jet Soldiers - finding the sculpts significantly smaller than the rest of my models. So thought I might try the 'official' figures for a change, and maybe even pick up half-a-dozen Axis Stahltruppen Heavy Infantry as opposition if the mood takes me.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - Three of the six US Firefly Jump Infantry I've assembled for "Konflikt '47"

I'm also eager to continue working on the brood of Zeek Scuttlers by "Artisan Guild" I have produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer. With my unit of Burrowers now finished and ready to represent a Tidal Swarm for the Trident Realm Of Neritica in "Kings Of War", I plan to get both my army's leader and a couple of basic infantry units completed 'toot sweet.'

Lastly, I haven't forgotten how badly my Napoleonic project has started floundering in recent times. I was fully expecting to have doubled the number of French skirmishers and Russian militia I could field over the past few weeks. However, disappointingly I haven't finished a single one, and now enter a year in which I had planned to solely focus upon cavalry units rather than (more) infantry. As a result I hope to get the eight outstanding soldiers finished as soon as I can, and then potentially look at only doing a handful of horsemen before plunging back to more muskets and bayonets.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This Napoleonic French skirmisher is now close to competition

There can be little doubt that my productivity over the past few months has been somewhat low when compared to my output of previous years. To be fair a lot of this has been down to the sheer variety of miniatures currently available to me - something which has caused me to leap from one manufacturer to another with little rhyme or reason. The number of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files I now own in embarrassingly high and means I now spend a lot of my hobby time tinkering with my 3D printers rather than actually putting a brush-tip on a model.

Somewhat disconcertingly I don't see that changing any time soon either, as I have now started printing and painting scenery too - something I've always tried to avoid in the past. Of particular note has to be the numerous pieces of scenery I just acquired from "Saucermen Studios" via their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter. Whether it be ruined walls, trench systems, bunkers, towers or concrete barricades, I am currently slowly producing as much of this stuff as my "Bambu Lab" A1 Mini can cope with - and then I'll be moving onto another terrain project concerning various sewers, dungeons and pyramids following the success of "Death x Tiles: The Lost Temple" campaign by "Cast N Play"...

Top Ten Miniatures Of 2025 - A "Rantings From Under The Wargames Table" Viewpoint

It’s that time again folk’s, when once a year Simon lets me play fast and loose with his blog and pick what are in my opinion the ten best miniatures he has painted in 2025. Each year this gets harder to do as there is just so much good stuff to choose from. So without further ado let’s get stuck in to the real stars of the show…the miniatures.

No. 10 - Plague Lord by “Mantic Games” - November 18th

If you're only an occasional visitor to this blog you could be forgiven for thinking it’s all just 28mm stuff. But regulars will be more aware that Simon does tend to “dip his toe” into other scales as well, and a perfect example of this are these smashing 10mm scale versions of Mantic Games' “First Generation Plague Lord” figures. Now I have the 28mm version of a figure very similar to this, and I have to say my painting of that is no more detailed than this tiny rendition - truly outstanding stuff!

No. 9 - Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms by “Wargames Foundry” - November 10th

Simon’s continued efforts within his Napoleonic project cannot help but be admired. As something I flirted with many years back I am well aware of how taxing and soul destroying gazing upon rows and rows of intricate infantry can be, so each time another of his perfectly pigmented Napoleonic protagonists appears on his blog I have to tip my hat both to his exceeding good paintwork, and his resilience. I chose this British line infantry soldier for the Top Ten, as he sums up perfectly both the period and quality Simon has put into it.

No. 8 - Falklands British Infantry by “Pendraken Miniatures” - August 30th

More British infantry at the number eight spot too. Though this time we jump forward over a hundred years and down a scale or two, with these sublime versions of troops dispatched to the Falkland Islands during the 1982 conflict. Painting 10mm figures looks easy, but I know from experience that to get results as good as this requires a lot of skill and a steady hand to pick-out all the details - something that has been done with real aplomb here.

No. 7 - Dalek by “Black Tree Designs” - February 24th

Daleks. The scourge of the universe! Who doesn’t love a Dalek? Well basically anyone who has to paint them. It’s the domes that are the killer, and of course there are so many of them too - fifty six in fact! And they all have to be perfect. Luckily the ones on show here are as is the classic dark grey colour scheme made popular by “Genesis of the Daleks”. I have great admiration for a well painted Dalek, and Simon’s are some of the best I’ve seen.

No. 6 - Kurgun C3-A Heavy Cruiser by “Fat Dragon Games” – September 24th

Always one to cut his own path when it comes to starting a new project, Simon decided to do some “Star Trek” universe gaming, But rather than use “Official” miniatures he found some that though conveying the flavour of the original television series, were in my opinion much cooler looking! This was never more evident than in this version of a Klingon Heavy Cruiser. The ship's design is awesome, and the dark green colour scheme is both alien and menacing in equal measure. Absolute top work!

No. 5 - Gell Guard 2 by “Black Tree Designs” - January 20th

Well I was mightily impressed with the painting of this miniature (and the other two also painted about the same time) - both when they appeared for the first time, and again when I set about compiling this Top Ten. But it was when I saw the actual episodes of Doctor Who it appears in again this week on “U& Eden”, due to them re-showing "The Three Doctors" over the festive period, that I was struck by just how incredibly accurate Simon’s rendition is. Seriously 'Google it' and be amazed! I like my figures to be finished with a matt varnish, whereas Simon prefers a gloss finish and I have to say it works a treat on these guys. They could have glided straight out of the story. Beautifully done!

No. 4 - Retained Knight by "Alternative Armies" - May 30th

I’ve already mentioned my admiration for Simon’s ability to find alternatives to official figures to play games with, and perhaps my favourite version of this is his 15mm take on “Warhammer 40K” using miniatures from Alternative Armies “Ion Age” range. Figures for this project have made my Top Ten before in previous years. But this “Special Character” clad in gold with “Blood Angels” red accents was just too good to pass over this year, and has again got me perusing the “Alternative Armies” website!

No. 3 - Andre the Giant by “Hasbro” - September 4th

Though the classic era of the World Wrestling Federation “WWF” passed me by, I did of course know who all the main players were as they were pretty much household names and popular toys at the time. And it was the “toy like” appearance of this lovely figure that really spoke to me. This is hardly a surprise as he was scaled down to just (just?) 70mm tall by Simon, but still a massive figure by our standards. The painting is of course up to Simon’s normal high standards and even more impressive due to the increased height of the model. It really brings the character's oversized personality to wonderful life.

No. 2 - Korg by “CoolMiniorNot” - July 7th

If you like your superheroes  “Chibi” style then you’ve come to the right place, as there have been many super (pardon the pun) large headed versions of all your Marvel favourites appearing on this blog over the last twelve months. Indeed, it was our mutual love of all things “Superhero” that originally brought Simon, myself and our respective blogs together in the first place. Resultantly, it would just be so wrong of me not to include at least one of this genre in my Top Ten list, and it was a difficult choice too as they have all been so good. But the absolute perfection in colour palette and execution of Korg, along I admit with him being a favourite character of mine, just edged him above the rest.

No. 1 - Bat Sentry by “Wizkids” - December 12th

So we come to the top of the tree, the big kahuna as it were, and what I hear you ask could keep the beautifully painted miniatures above from the Number One spot? Well strangely enough I did put a Batmobile in my Top Ten last year. But this is on a whole new level! The Batmobile/Bat Sentry is a sort of “Transformer” that I didn’t even know existed until I read Simon's post (see you learn stuff here as well as basking in the lovely painted miniatures!). Of course I’ve waxed lyrical about his exceptional skill with black coloured miniatures before, and that is on show in spades here too, contrasting to perfection with the radiant yellow Bat symbol that fair glows upon its chest, as well as the red menacing eyes. Then add in the dark metallic’s on the joints and accents, and you have what looks like a simple black miniature, but is in fact covered in small yet important details. Like good movie music it is there but it don’t shout, just subtly enhances the whole viewing experience. Absolutely gorgeous, and a perfect example of Simon’s work, this is my number one of 2025!

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So there you go, ten wonderful miniatures from a blog full of wonderful miniatures, and if you follow the links some damn fine reading as well! So grab a cup (or glass) of your tipple of choice and go back to enjoy a year’s worth of great blogging. It’ll get you in the mood for all the wonder that is no doubt to come over the next twelve months. If you want to read some good writing and see some not so good miniatures, then you can check out Simon’s take of my last two years work (yes I’ve been much less prolific than him I’m afraid) here…

https://rantingsfromunderthewargamestable.wordpress.com/

All that leaves me to do is first off thank Simon once again for letting me “tend his baby” for a night. I hope I haven’t turned away too many of his followers, and of course to wish all of you out there in blog-land the very best New Year. I hope all your endeavours, be them gaming or otherwise, are as successful as you wish, and the year proves to be healthy, safe, successful and secure for us all.

Cheers Roger.

"An Immersive Set Of Modular Terrain..."

"...For Grimdark Trench Warfare."

This Concrete Defence Wall was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and was produced by "Saucermen Studios" as part of their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter. The smaller of two similarly themed cement-based barricades in the range, it has been printed using a 0.4mm nozzle, with a 0.14mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished product.

The model was initially undercoated using "Vallejo" Neutral Grey, and subsequently base layered with a coat of the somewhat darker Sombre Grey. I then applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Gunmetal over the barricade's reinforced viewpoint, and later sploshed the entire piece of terrain with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Saucermen Studios" - This Concrete Defence Wall has had all its spikes and emblems coated with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna

I next patiently dry-brushed all the concrete with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and the metal plate with (more) Gunmetal. I also applied a few drops of Extreme Rust Wash by "Mig Productions" to the bolts holding the armour sheet in place to hopefully suggest some wear and tear. Lastly, I gave both the spikes and crosses a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before 'picking' them out with a little Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

As I'm now reasonably happy with this palette, I have perhaps unsurprisingly started working on the second, and significantly longer, Concrete Defence Wall which "Saucermen Studios" produce. Like its smaller 'brother-in-arms' this barricade will be free-standing rather than based, and despite its size should prove reasonably straightforward to complete as it doesn't have any steel plates bolted around its windows.

"A transport ship or ferry was a limited role starship."

Lastly, I have completed a second Terran Small Transport vessel by "Fat Dragon Games", which was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. Available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file as part of the company's Expansion Set Three for "Battlefront Valkyrie", the spacecraft was printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

The miniature was primed using "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh, washed with some slightly watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) Rakarth Flesh. In addition, I decided to 'pick out' its propulsion unit using a base layer of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and then a splash of "Citadel" Talassar Blue...

"The Bureaucratic Mentality Is The Only Constant In The Universe."

"We'll get a freighter."

This Terran Small Transport vessel is by "Fat Dragon Games", and was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. It can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file as part of the company's Expansion Set Three for "Battlefront Valkyrie", and has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

Initially I was simply going to use the same "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey colour scheme on the tiny freighter as I use on all my (not) Federation starships. However, I thought it might be nice to make the spacecraft stand out a little more from my fleet, so decided upon a double helping of "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh as an undercoat instead.

"Saucermen Studios" WIPs - Having initially primed this Concrete Defence Wall with "Vallejo" Neutral Grey, I've now decided to re-paint it using Sombre Grey instead

The miniature was then washed with some slightly watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) Rakarth Flesh to help bring out all its details. Finally, its propulsion unit was 'picked out' using my tried and tested combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

With so straightforward a paint-job completed, I have managed to find some time to almost finish pigmenting my test piece for some planned games of "Trench Crusade" in 2026. This small Concrete Defence Wall is made by "Saucermen Studios" as part of their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter, and is one of several pieces from the range which I've had my A1 Mini busily producing.

"Wizkids" WIPs - Despite some issues the Black Canary is close to completion

As the model is terrain - and they'll doubtless be a fair few pieces littering my tabletop - I am working on a reasonably simple palette which should be fairly quick to apply, but also still look quite effective. Unlike the vast majority of the buildings etc I paint, I am also not planning on basing a lot of these fortifications on plastic or MDF stands, as their footprints would clearly require several bespoke, irregularly-shaped bases to be specially made for them. 

Lastly, I've made a bit more progress on my "Heroclix" miniature of the Black Canary by "Wizkids". To be honest, now my initial enthusiasm for this particular member of the Justice League has subsided, I'm finding her a little tough to keep picking up due to the sheer lack of detail on the sculpt. I'm not sure if it's simply a bad figure, an overly thick pre-paint job, or a combination of both. But it's proving quite difficult to ascertain what parts of poor Dinah Laurel Lance are costume, and what's not...

"The Larval Stage Of The Scuttler..."

"...Burrowers crawl low on six chitinous limbs, their bodies pressed close to the ground."

This 32mm scale Zeek Burrower is produced by "Artisan Guild", and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file for the figure comes as part of the company's October "Guildhall" subscription release, and represents an immature Zeek Scuttler.

According to their creator Andrea Tarabella these insectoid-shaped creatures are constantly building "a growing mound of stolen treasures" from those who reside within the Scourgelands, and are foolish enough not to protect their property. However, I plan to use them to represent the Trident Realm Of Neritica for "Kings Of War" by "Mantic Games", and have resultantly been pigmenting a trio of these younglings to represent a Tidal Swarm.

"Fat Dragon Games" WIPs - Two small Cargo ships and a Kurgun C3-A Heavy Cruiser  

The figure was therefore super-glued onto a 40mm circular base and primed with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. It was then drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, and dabbed with a little "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green so as to create the illusion of algae sticking to the crab-like creature's limbs and lower carapace. These areas was later blended in with a second dry-brush of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

For the creature's top-most carapace I applied a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, shaded the chitinous armour in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. The Zeek's eyes were subsequently picked out with a little Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats" and washed with a small amount of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Finally, the entire model was treated to a heavily watered-down layer of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to help smooth down all of the dry-brushing.

"Saucermen Studios" WIPs - One of two Concrete Defence Walls currently being painted

With my KoW Tidal Swarm now two-thirds completed, I had intended to move on to finishing some of the remaining Soviet Cosmonauts I have left over from an impulsive stretch using my "Elegoo" Mars 5 3D printer. Somewhat disconcertingly though I have now developed a real love of producing spaceships and terrain with my "Bambu Labs" A1 Mini 3D printer instead - in particular I have utilised my .2mm nozzle and churned out another Kurgun vessel along with a couple of small cargo craft by "Fat Dragon Games" from their "Battlefront Valkyrie" range.

In addition, with my .4mm hot-end fitted, I've begun merrily manufacturing the first pieces of scenery I recently received from "Saucermen Studios" as part of their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter. Clearly aimed at fans of "Trench Crusade", I have printed/primed one of their impressive Concrete Defence walls, with the intention of creating a suitably-sized collection of terrain pieces for some future science fiction battles...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge" [I/IV] December 2025

Painting output for November 2025

Having had a rather lack-lustre November where I was much more focused upon 3D printing more miniatures than actually getting any paint on them, I thought I had better knuckle down for the following month and begin my annual Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP) -  a seventeen week long personal challenge to pigment as much of my unfinished backlog as I can. Last year I only managed to whittle away at half of the models I had planned to pigment - attaining a total of just 246 points using my tried and tested productivity scoring system. So this time round I have a target to beat. 

First in the firing line are a number of 32mm Soviet Cosmonauts (and a couple of NASA Astronauts) by "Black Site Studios" which I produced on my "Elegoo" Mars 5 3D printer for their "Lunar" skirmish game. Rather embarrassingly, all of these figures should have finished by now, so I aim to get the vast majority of them tabletop ready toot sweet. In addition, I aim to play a few games featuring the models in order to test out my homebrew Moonscape rules based upon "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Publishing". This always helps refuel my enthusiasm for a project, so I'm hoping it will help re-energise this one too.

"Artisan Guild" WIPs - These Zeek Scuttlers have all been primed using "Vallejo" Heavy Brown

In addition, I really want to get cracking on a number of Zeek Scuttlers I recently printed to use for "Kings Of War" by "Mantic Games". I'll be adapting this race of insectoid thieves into some crab-like denizens so as to represent the Trident Realm Of Neritica, and am close to completing my predominantly brown-green colour scheme's test piece. A good percentage of my starting force - consisting of a leader with three infantry regiments and a swarm are already based ready for my paint-brush, so with any luck a number of these wonderfully-detailed STL (Standard Triangle Language) files will be fully varnished and flocked before the PPPP concludes.

Sticking with "Mantic Games" and 3D printing, I'm also hoping to knuckle down and get a fair few of the Nottingham-based manufacturer's Epic Warpath miniatures done. Perhaps unsurprisingly given how many of the 10mm models I can squeeze onto my Mars 5's build plate, I already face an almost overwhelming sea of grey resin soldiers, infected monsters and space dwarves. So I really need to get a fair few finished before I'm completely overwhelmed by them.

November 2025 - No change whatsoever with my favourite manufacturers of the year

Lastly, I still own an embarrassing number of unfinished Napoleonic Infantrymen by "Wargames Foundry" - many of which I first worked on over a year ago. This particular Black Powder project has fallen way behind schedule, and I now doubt I'll ever catch-up to where I wanted to be with it. However, next year I fully intend to get some cavalry units completed, and maybe the odd cannon crew too - both of which are needed to play Mike Lambo's "Battles of Napoleonic Europe: A Solitaire Wargame" properly.

My fingers are most definitely crossed that all these plans will help bolster my wargaming fruitfulness after the worst November I've experienced since I first began keeping a record of my hobby productivity over a decade ago. Of course, I wouldn't have minded too much if it was due to me being more busy playing than painting. But sadly that simply hasn't been the case...

"The Heavy Cruiser Is One Of The Few Starfleet Ship Designs..."

"...To have more than two nacelles."

This Terran C-6 Heavy Cruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The multi-piece starship has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

Quite interestingly the vessel also comes with a rig STL, which allows you to produce a docking bay of sorts that helps line up the spacecraft's rearmost engine with the hull. Unfortunately, I ended up originally placing my vessel's third warp nacelle back to front, so had to literally tear it off from its support to place it the right way round. Considering how quickly super-glue sets when using PLA this 'manoeuvre' caused quite a bit of damage to the 3D print, so I ended up attaching the piece in line with its fellow engines (as opposed to being a little behind them) so as to cover up my misdemeanour.

"Mantic Games" WIPs - These Plague Lords are having their blue armour 'picked out'

Happily, I don't think my error is too noticeable, even if you look underneath the spacecraft, and will either represent a prototype/refitted Heavy Cruiser, or perhaps a Federation-class dreadnought in my games. The mistake did though rather drastically dampen my enthusiasm for the range, and coupled with my recent preference for resin 3D printing over PLA, has caused my entire (not) "Star Trek" starship project to come to a rather abrupt halt - at least until now that is.

Like all of my other Terran vessels, the miniature was undercoated using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then patiently dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before 'picking out' all three of the warp nacelles on its propulsion units with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This Centurion has been base-layered, shaded and dry-brushed

Alongside my U.S.S. Federation I have continued to dabble with a trio of 10mm scale Plague Lords by "Mantic Games". I'm still currently in two minds as to whether I will support the Nottingham-based manufacturer's "Epic Warpath" Campaign on "My Mini Factory". But these fun little STLs are certainly swaying me, and I hope to also pigment a couple of Enforcer and Asterian test pieces too before I need to come to a decision.

Lastly, I've finally assembled the Centurion in MKII power armour that comes inside the "Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Saturnine" boxed set by "Games Workshop". Frankly, this was an absolute nightmare (not of my making) to assemble, and in the end I had to resort to relocating the model's Servo-skull simply to provide the space marine's back standard with some much-needed stability...

"The U.S. Space Program..."

 "...Grew out of the ashes of World War Two."

This 32mm NASA Astronaut is produced by "Black Site Studios" for their "Lunar" skirmish game, and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file comes as part of the company's Two-Player Digital Starter Set and represents the American faction's commander. carrying a Markam S11 pistol.

The spaceman was super-glued onto a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, primed using "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, drenched in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue. I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to a piece of insulation material running along the edge of the astronaut's backpack in order to slightly break up the monotony of the rocketeer's palette a little bit.

"Fat Dragon Games" WIPs - This Terran C-6 Heavy Cruiser is slowly being shaded

The astronaut's hand-weapon was simply based coated with Citadel "Abaddon Black", layered in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst his somewhat futuristically-shaped helmet visor was given a base layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. This area was subsequently treated to some "Vallejo" Gold, plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and a final lick of (more) "Vallejo" Gold.

As I was planning on using this model as my U.S.A. force's leader, I thought I'd take advantage of his differently designed helmet by applying a couple of brush-tips full of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" across its top, and subsequently shading the area with some heavily watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. This probably wouldn't be the best of ideas in an actual fire-fight on the moon's surface. However, it should certainly make the gaming piece visible on the tabletop.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This British Grenadier is being painted from the boots up

Alongside my latest "Lunar" miniature I have also been working on a Terran C-6 Heavy Cruiser by "Fat Dragon Games". Created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer this multi-piece starship caused me a few issues whilst initially assembling it - due to user error - so has been sat gathering dust for while with nothing but a "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey undercoat covering it.

In addition, I am close to completing the last of my tiny, four-man unit of British Grenadiers using figures taken from the "Wargames Foundry" blister B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms. This remaining model still has a few details which require 'picking out' and shading. But now I've had my enthusiasm for all things Black Powder re-energised by Mike Lambo's solitaire wargame "Battles Of Napoleonic Europe", should be finished soon enough...