"You Cannot Hide. I See You."

"There is no life in the void, only death".

This rather diminutive 28mm scale metal model of Frodo Baggins was produced by "Games Workshop", and could be found inside either the Nottingham-based company's "The Fellowship Of The Ring" boxed set [99111499002] or as part of their Frodo & Sam blister [99061461002]. Now long OOP (Out Of Production), I actually only recently discovered that I had this figure in my backlog of "The Lord Of The Rings" miniatures, and must have picked him up (probably with Sam, Merry and Pippin) second-hand at a show some years ago.

In addition, having already 'properly pigmented' an identical sculpt just last month, I was initially at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it. But then thought I could use it to simply represent the Hobbit actually putting on the One Ring - as per the "Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game" (MESBG) main rule-book. Resultantly, the entire piece was treated to a couple of coats of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, splattered with some heavily watered-down "Vallejo" Neutral Grey, and dry-brushed with (more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats".

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Three of four Uruk-hai armed with crossbows currently on the painting table 

Now admittedly, this may well seem like a bit of a waste of a model to some. However, behind the scenes it provided me with a rare opportunity to experiment with a variety of "Citadel" Shades to establish whether I could suggest that 'ethereal creatures' (such as The Army of the Dead or the "Dead faces in the Dead Marshes") were actually wearing coloured clothing.

Having covered this miniature in a cunning combination of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, Nuln Oil, Carroburg Crimson and Reikland Fleshshade though, and subsequently started giving the halfling a dry-brush of (more) "Two Thin Coats" White Star, it disappointingly became clear to me that my plan using fading inks wasn't going to work. I therefore decided to sadly re-prime Frodo with (even more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats", and apply the far simpler two-tone colour scheme I mention above.

"Trench Stench" WIPs - Three of five Dirt Knights currently being worked on

In addition to providing my Fellowship with a distinctive-looking Ring-bearer, I've assembled, undercoated and progressed a handful more Uruk-hai armed with crossbows too. This all-metal orc unit by "Games Workshop" will be added to my already quite-sizeable Isengard force for MESBG, and also contribute towards the Angry Piper's "Forced March" painting event over on his "Dead Dick’s Tavern and Temporary Lodging" wargaming blog.

Likewise, I have dusted down the five 32mm Dirt Knights by "Trench Stench" I printed and began painting back in October 2025. Recently I've been producing quite a considerable number of the manufacturer's "Trench Crusade" inspired models on my "Elegoo" Mars 5 3D printer, and thought I had better start getting on top of this fast-growing pile of grey before things get too badly out of hand...

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

Last month's output was a mixed bag of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Napoleonics

Thanks to a strong showing during the past four weeks, I'm pleased to say that I'm only 46 points short of beating my tally for last year's Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP), and resultantly only need to paint another ten 28mm scale miniatures which I started working on prior to last December. Much of this success has undoubtedly been due to my continuing love of "Wargames Foundry" and their Napoleonic range. But also to a very sudden interest in the original version of the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game (MESBG) by "Games Workshop" and a group of Hobbits' deadly encounter with lots of Uruk-hai at Parth Galen.  

Indeed, spurred on by this enthusiasm for Middle Earth I have already finished work on another 28mm scale Uruk-hai armed with a crossbow. Like a number of similarly equipped miniatures I currently have sat upon my hobby table, this particular metal "Games Workshop" figure had already been primed "Citadel" Abaddon Black from an earlier attempt to make it tabletop ready, so to begin with I just gave the model's armour and weapon/bolts a lick of "Scale 75" Decayed Metal, Thrash Metal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

 "We come to kill, by sun or moon."

I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red with a "Citadel” Devlan Mud wash onto the orc's flesh, and carefully applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade over the creature's shoes, loincloth, hair, gloves, straps, belt, pouches and crossbow. As a final step, I treated the brute’s knife sheath to a little “Vallejo” Heavy Brown and washed it with (more) “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade.

Alongside my personal challenge's final month, I thought I'd also participate in Angry Piper's Forced March challenge over on his blog "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging". This means that I'll be predominantly focusing upon getting at least one infantry (or cavalry) unit completed during the month - providing "its more than a one-model unit".

February 2026 - The year already seems to be shaping up into a battle between "Wargames Foundry" and "Games Workshop"

Currently I have a number of such units I want to get finished, not least of which would be a sizeable gathering of Uruk-hai - possibly for the old The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring mass-battle miniature wargame by "Games Workshop", so this new goal shouldn't really prove too problematic. In fact, my painting area is currently filled full of Napoleonic infantrymen, Alien Legionnaries, Beastmen and 3D prints which would adequately fit the bill if enough are pigmented.

As to whether or not something new might sneak up upon me as "The Lord Of The Rings" has, I cannot say. I have a number of one-off miniatures I would like to finally get finished - before they're probably stored away again in a box until next year's PPPP, and such diversions can invariably cause me to start wandering down yet another rabbit hole of wargaming which I hadn't anticipated venturing down before...

"The Forbidden Zone Was Once A Paradise."

"Your breed made a desert of it, ages ago."

This 28mm scale white metal model is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either separately as Simian Minion 2B, or as part of their four-figure Simian Minions 2 set. Sculpted by Andrew May, the miniature is clearly strongly influenced by actor Maurice Evans' portrayal of Doctor Zaius in the 1968 film "Planet of the Apes", and rather frustratingly required a partial re-paint at one stage when things went a little sour whilst working on the orangutan politician's coat and trousers.

Originally primed with a lick or two of "Vallejo" Heavy Orange, the Minister of Science's boots and leather shoulder covering were treated to a layer of Heavy Sienna. I then washed the entire model with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and started to dry-brush the authority on simian science's jacket with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Orange. However, despite the "Games Workshop" shade having worked just fine on the aforementioned brown areas, it had somehow turned into a disconcertingly dark, gloopy mess everywhere else.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Sam, Pippin and Merry have all been undercoated

This strange reaction seems to have been caused by the "Vallejo" Heavy Orange transforming into an almost plastic-like skin once dry, and resulted in me having to reapply the paint all over the Chief Defender of the Faith's sleeves, pants and tunic a second time to cover all the ruddy mess. Disappointingly, I was never able to completely mask this mistake as the Game Color paint is quite transparent. But eventually I got to the stage where I was able to give Doctor Zaius a heavily-watered down wash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and semi-successfully highlight the garment back up with a dry-brush of (even more) "Vallejo" Heavy Orange. 

With the bulk of the model now done, I turned my attention to picking out some of the details, such as simply applying some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the orangutan's undershirt. I also used a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on the figure's flesh, and later lined his fingers, cheeks and lips with a smidgeon more "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Lastly, I gave the miniature's hair a brush-tip full of Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats", darkened it down with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and brightened it back up with a dry-brush of (more) "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and a delicate touch of White Star.

"Big Head Chibis" WIPs - Stan, Amand, and "WT"

Alongside Doctor Zaius I have also found the time to undercoat three more hobbits by "Games Workshop" from the Nottingham-based manufacturer's old "The Lord Of The Rings" range. As with the Frodo Baggins I recently painted, I believe Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took are all from the now long out of production (OOP) "The Fellowship Of The Ring" boxed set - albeit I believe I bought them second-hand at a wargaming show.

Somewhat strangely (and suddenly) I've also found myself in the mood for some more games of the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game, and resultantly recently picked up a copy of its Spider-Verse and Avengers expansion books. This has perhaps inevitably lead to me dusting down some of the 3D prints I produced last year by "Big Head Chibis" - as I have a distinct lack of civilians to use as objectives (e.g. kidnap victims) in my scenarios... 

“I Will Take The Ring."

"Though I do not know the way.”

This small 28mm scale metal model of Frodo Baggins was produced by "Games Workshop", and could be found inside the Nottingham-based company's "The Fellowship Of The Ring" boxed set for their "The Lord Of The Rings" range. Now OOP (Out Of Production), I actually bought mine second-hand from a stall at a wargaming show many years ago, and have been meaning to get around to (re)painting him ever since.

Having already been rather brusquely pigmented by its original owner, I did initially consider simply slapping some "Citadel" Abaddon Black over the entire sculpt to cover it up. However, as the miniature was so small, I figured that approach would probably clog up a lot of the Hobbit's detail, so instead just left the Ringbearer alone and painted straight over the top of its former brushwork.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Three of five Uruk-hai armed with a crossbow currently being worked on

Resultantly, I carefully applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade to all of Frodo's flesh, and later highlighted these areas up with some (more) lines of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone. I then gave his Jacket a lick of "Citadel" Doombull Brown and his trousers a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. Both of these garments were subsequently washed with plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

I used a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red for the model's tiny waistcoat, before slapping some Heavy Green over the figure's cloak. As with the miniature's pants and coat, I drenched these parts in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade - albeit I did go back and dry-brush the Halfling's cape with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green. As a final touch I gave his short-sword and cloak pin a brush-tip of "Vallejo" Gunmetal, and darkened these items down with a smidgeon of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Prussian Field Marshall Blucher on horse

As I'm clearly very much in the mood for "The Lord Of The Rings", I have unearthed (and in at least one case (re)glued) a handful more of the range's Uruk-hai armed with a crossbows. These 28mm multi-piece metal miniatures have come from a number of sources and resultantly are already at various stages of completion. Due to the "Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game" (MESBG) only allowing a third of your force's models to be armed with bows, I'm not sure just how many of Saruman the White's minions I'll actually get finished. But if I can rattle them all off then I may well dig out the classic "War of The Ring" ruleset by "Games Workshop" and see whether I have enough Uruk-hai tabletop ready to play that too.

So sudden an obsession with Middle Earth though doesn't mean for a minute that I plan to take my eye off of my Napoleonic project for "Black Powder". Admittedly, all the colourful details on the French Voltigeurs I'm currently plodding through has somewhat dampened my spirits when it comes to applying my brush to musket-carrying infantrymen. However, in order to break up this monotony I've picked back up my "Wargames Foundry" mounted figure of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher from their blister PN055A Field Marshall Blucher with Generals Gneisenau, Yorck and Kleist, with the aspiration of getting the Prussian Generalfeldmarschall finished within the next week or so...

"You're Making Me Nervous, Wastelander."

"Back off now, or I will open fire."

This 28mm scale Power Armoured Trooper is sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a ten-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the "high-protection Power Armour" depicted in the "Fallout" post-apocalyptic role-playing video games, the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer.

However, as I wanted to use these particular figure with "Fallout: Factions" by "Modiphius Entertainment", and therefore needed it to be 42mm in height, I significantly upscaled the sculpt using "Chitubox" Basic by 122.74%. Furthermore, I decided to 3D print him out using medium supports - simply to ensure he survived any suction issues my resin vat might cause - and whilst such thick supports did cause a few indentations once removed, I felt they could easily be 'written off' as battle damage.

"I've got full authority to gun you down if you don't comply. Back off."

To make matters even more complicated though, I also wanted this particular survivor to be the flame-thrower carrying leader/champion of my Brotherhood Of Steel faction. This meant I had to go searching through my various bitz boxes to locate some suitable plastic parts from a couple of the numerous "Games Workshop" "Warhammer 40k" sprues I own, and then spend a good hour kit-bashing the Trooper together.

Once finished, the model was super-glued onto a 40mm circular plastic base, primed in "Scale75" Thrash Metal, shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Scale75" Thrash Metal. I then carefully 'picked out' all of his visible elbow, knee and shoulder joints, as well as the chap's breathing tubes with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before applying a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red" and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to his right shoulder-pad.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Frodo just needs his hair painted before being finished

Lastly, I sporadically applied some Extreme Rust Wash by "Mig Productions" to various parts of the soldier's heavy armour and 'thrown together' weapon to represent their poor, badly weathered condition, and then gave the entire ensemble a light dry-brush of (even more) "Scale75" Thrash Metal to help blend it all the different colours together - including his "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil rear-mounted fuel tanks.

With such a time-consuming project, I haven't really had much time to progress anything else apart from the old 28mm metal miniature of Frodo Baggins I recently became reacquainted with whilst rummaging through my backlog looking for something else. I believe that this wonderful little sculpt comes from "the original metal Fellowship of the Ring boxed set that "Games Workshop" released in 2001", and has rather surprisingly reignited a desire in me to play some more "Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game" in the near future...

"The Voltigeurs Were French Military Skirmish Units..."

"...Created in 1804 by Emperor Napoleon."

This 28mm scale metal model is manufactured by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their FN103 - Grenadiers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoat Marching set. The figure is one of eight identical Napoleonic French infantrymen sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry found in the blister, and has proved surprisingly time-consuming due to its numerous colourful details.

"Skilled at sharpshooting", the soldier was first undercoated in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and had all of his leather straps, as well as trousers and shako covering, pigmented with a combination of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I then carefully applied some "Vallejo" Sombre Grey to his greatcoat, shaded it with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later highlighted it back up with a little more "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This second-hand Frodo Baggins is finally getting some love

I next 'picked out' the skirmisher's water bottle and strap with some "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before plonking a little Ethereal Green by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green on the Frenchman's epaulettes, lower plume and sword ribbon. Lastly, I dabbed a spot or two of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow onto his topmost pom-pom, and shaded it with a dash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

With the first 'recruit' of my tiny, four-figure Voltigeur unit completed, I have spent some time digging through my backlog of half-finished projects looking for something contrastingly different to work on. One such model I found is an old 28mm metal miniature of Frodo Baggins by "Games Workshop" which I believe I picked up second-hand from a wargames show many, many moons ago.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - More Alien Legionnaries getting ready to be recruited

The hobbit has clearly received some sort of paint-job from his previous owner, and ordinarily I would just give such a figure a quick lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to cover it over with. However, as this figure is so small, I thought some of its minute details were probably already in danger of being clogged up, so have decided to simply apply my own palette directly on it instead.

In addition, I have selected three more Alien Legionnaries by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" from my "7TV" collection to paint up as the Emperor Ming's minions from Mike Hodges' 1980 science fiction movie "Flash Gordon". As with the trio I've recently done, these miniatures had previously just been given a prime in "Vallejo" Heavy Red, so now need to have all their black straps, gold shoulder-pads and eye lenses properly 'picked out' before being tabletop ready...

Miss Fantorical 2025 - An "Undercoat" Painting Pageant

Another twelve months have flown by and once again I have been asked to do a review of the "Fantorical" miniatures painting blog for the year just gone. As has become traditional, I have picked a miniature for each month and then picked an overall favourite. My choices are based on the paint job, the miniature itself, what I think is interesting and some other factors - such as quirkiness, and how unusual they are. Some months had some straight forward choices, whereas others proved to be a much harder decision with multiple models that would ordinarily have made a straightforward pick in a different month. Rules are rules though, and unfortunately some great painted miniatures therefore didn’t make it onto this list.

January - Megalodon Dorsal Fin (Submerged) by "Loot Studios" - January 13th

This is such an interesting miniature. It is a 3D print of a shark fin cutting through some water, and as well as being a really nice miniature with some excellent water effects, it also conjures up some iconic images. Indeed, the music of John Williams just comes into my head when I see it. The paint scheme is simple. But I think the water has been painted especially nicely.

February -  Sundance by "Great Escape Games" - February 28th

Moving from 3D prints to an old school metal miniature we have a wild west figure that I thought was different and very charming. I have been tempted by Dead Man’s Hand for a while after playing a demo game at a wargames show, so maybe that is why I picked this particular miniature model. The painting is great, and you are drawn to the face as you always should be. I just really like this one and not a Stetson in sight!

March - Ned Kelly by "Great Escape Games" - March 12th

Now, I don’t really like to pick two miniatures from the same range, and certainly not one after the other, as variety and unusual choices are part of my picking process. However, sometimes things just work against that! This is a model of an iconic outlaw that I remember from a television show when I was young, and whose appearance is both unique and very different. His inclusion in a cowboy game was a great idea, and he just has so much to like about him from the painting, to the quirkiness and the nostalgia.

April - Moscow Militia by "Wargames Foundry" - April 18th

I do have a soft spot for Napoleonic miniatures as "The Silver Bayonet" is one of my favourite games at the moment. This one is slightly unusual in that the bright colours you would normally associate with the period are replaced with grey and brown - which I thought was very interesting. It is the painting on this one though that really grabbed my attention, especially the face. It looks absolutely amazing with superb eyes, and a truly stoic/determined expression that really appeals. Great painting on this one.

May - Retained Knight by "Alternative Armies" - May 30th

This was picked with a massive amount of personal bias as I just love the Blood Angels Space Marine Legion in the Horus Heresy era, and as these "Ion Age" miniatures were painted to represent them I was hooked straight away. We do though move from 28mm to 15mm in scale, and I have to say the detail picked out on this smaller sculpt is very impressive. Just look at the loin cloths and shoulder pads. But it is the gold armour of the hero that really stands out here. Massive personal bias but who cares!

June - Doop by "CoolMiniOrNot" - June 18th

Tough month this one, with some lovely miniatures to pick from and I went for one I had never heard of before! Why? Well, he just looks fun and I think that the vibrant green paint scheme just makes him really really pop. At first I thought it was slimer from Ghostbusters, so after reading the posting it made me go and look up this comic book character. Interesting little mini and really good painting.

July - Space Marine Praetor by "Games Workshop" - July 14th

Another tough pick as I really liked Abomination painted/posted during this month. But my love of the Horus Heresy just pipped him to the post with this monster of a space marine ("Games Workshop" does mess up scales a lot!) hero which was slightly converted from the plastic original. I think the Sons of Horus paint colour is excellent and he does look so cool.

August - Hungarian Officer by "Wargames Foundry" - August 21st

More Napoleonics you say? Yes, I reply. I can just hear the theme music to "Sharpe" as I type! This fella is a complete contrast to the previous Russian choice with bright colours and lots of golden bling - Much more like it! I think it is the unusual white and blue colours that I like about this one too, which look so good and make him stand out in my opinion.

September - Andre the Giant by "Hasbro" - September 4th

One of the reasons I enjoy browsing "Fantorical" is the unusual miniatures that you come across, and this one appeared from way out of left field. I don’t know much about wrestling. But I have heard of this gentleman - helped enormously by a memorable appearance in "The Princess Bride". So, a miniature based on an action figure? Interesting and very quirky. However, it is the painting on this one that won me over as the skin and face are just top notch. Excellent painting on full display here.

October - Killer Croc Thug by "Knight Models" - October 20th

I really like Batman and have a soft spot for the excellent sculpts of "Knight Models", so this one was always in contention. I think this is a good example of a photograph not doing full justice to a painted miniature as it looks so good in the green scaly flesh. As well as the excellent reptilian skin, the colour of the jeans is a particular standout for me as they look so good. All round just a nice sculpt and a nice paint job.

November - Plague Lord by "Mantic Games" - November 24th

A 10mm scale model of what appears to be a bit of a giant monstrosity on the battlefield. I just love the way these have all been painted. They all look so good in my opinion that I had to include one of the three posted on "Fantorical".

December - Bat Sentry by "Wizkids" - December 12th

"Heroclix" miniatures are sometimes a bit ropey when it comes to the sculpt and the material. However, this one looks excellent and I thought it was actually produced by "Knight Models" at first. This is a lovely looking model that has been painted so well Just an overall great combination of miniature and paint job.

Well, that is my top 12. My overall favourite is……

The unusual and quirky and exceptionally well painted Andre the Giant by "Hasbro"! Just very different and so well done.

I am sure my choices were not always the same as yours so feel free to say what your favourites of 2025 were and may your pile of unpainted miniatures reduce in 2026!

"Sam Will Give You A Ride."

"Just tell him where to go, and he'll go.”

This decidedly diminutive 28mm scale metal model of Samwise Gamgee was produced by "Games Workshop", and could be bought as part of the two figure Frodo & Sam In Orc Armour blister from the Nottingham-based company's "The Lord Of The Rings" range. Now OOP (Out Of Production), I actually picked this miniature up from a wargaming show's second-hand stall many years ago, and have been meaning to get around to painting him ever since.

Despite the figure already having some sort of black undercoat on it, courtesy of its former owner, I decided to dust it down and give it an additional lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The "loyal companion" was then layered with Thrash Metal by "Scale 75", shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and very lightly dry-brushed with (more) "Scale 75" Thrash Metal.

"We are the Uruk-hai: we do not stop the fight for night or day, for fair weather or for storm."

I next began 'picking out' all of the sculpt's fur leggings, sword scabbard, belt and cloth under garments with either "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, Heavy Sienna, and Beasty Brown, before treating them to a splosh of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, the heavily-disguised Hobbit's numerous leather straps, and thick gloves were simply layered in "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

Alongside Samwise the Brave, I have also finished work on another 28mm scale Uruk-hai armed with a crossbow. This metal "Games Workshop" miniature had already been primed "Citadel" Abaddon Black from an earlier attempt to make it tabletop ready, so I simply gave the model's armour and hand-weapon a lick of "Scale 75" Decayed Metal, Thrash Metal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This Austrian Infantryman is being painted from the boots up

I achieved the colour of the Orc's bare flesh by using "Vallejo" Heavy Red with a "Citadel” Devlan Mud wash, and carefully applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on the creature's shoes, loincloth, hair, gloves, straps, belt, pouches and crossbow. As a last step, I treated the brute’s knife sheath to a little “Vallejo” Heavy Brown and highlighted his teeth in White. Both of these areas were later washed with (more) “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade.

With this month's big push towards progressing my Napoleonic Black Powder forces still foremost in my mind, I have begun plugging away at the predominantly white uniforms of four Austrian infantrymen by "Wargames Foundry". I've already pigmented a quartet of these 28mm scale metal from the company's AN002 German Infantry Marching blister in the past to create a tiny unit for my Coalition army, and plan to use this miniatures to double its strength so I can field a small unit instead... 

(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.

"Fickle Madame Victory Remained Firmly Out Of Reach For Everybody."

"This battle was a draw."

"Hello Blood Bowl fans, and welcome to another mind-blowing broadcast of Friday Night Football. I'm Jim Maddenberg and along with Elf playing legend-turned-commentator Thom Grassyglade, I’ll be bringing you all the biggest rumours circulating around our favourite amateur incarnation of Fantasy Football.”

“Once again, much of this programme's focus sits with Bluebeard's Bombardiers, who have forked out an impressive 140,000 copper pieces for the dynamic duo of Beggerlug Christmas and Uthaek Mudshaper - Two Dwarf Blocker Linemen who really mean business."

"Mutual exhaustion led to a truce being called, and the leaders of both sides attempted to parley."

"You're spot on there, Jim. This pair of 28mm scale second-hand metal miniatures were undercoated in “Vallejo” Heavy Blue, and subsequently had their trousers, padded shirts and helmets washed with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. The Dwarves' boots were then 'picked out' "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before their steel toe-caps, and other bits of armour were treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Sticking with the club's colour scheme, both Christmas and Mudshaper's gloves and shoulder-pads were later pigmented with "Vallejo" Heavy Red, given a liberal splosh of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, and a carefully placed highlight or two of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. Lastly, Beggerlug's famous beard had a little "Two Thin Coats" White Star daubed all over his facial hair, as well as a dash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil."

"Games Workshop" WIPs - The beginnings of the Dumbledune Daisies; a Dwarf Blocker and Blitzer

"Marvellous stuff, Thom. But these welcome additions to Bruldrin Bluebeard the Third's impressive team roster isn't the only news of the hour, is it..? I understand that a third Dwarf team has announced its intention to compete locally, and they're the Dumbledune Daisies. Just before this transmission terminates, can you give our viewers any insights into this latest Blood Bowl Sevens squad..?"

"For now we just know that their manager is head-hunting as many Troll Slayers and Blitzers as the rules permit for an amateur side, and the players will apparently be sporting dark green uniforms with white helmets. Furthermore, there's a lot of gossip that they intend to plaster their faces with yellow paint just prior to kick-off..!!"

"Dwarfs Tend To Use A Running Game..."

"...Grinding their opponents into the ground as they go."

"Salutations Blood Bowl fans, and welcome to this year's first exciting edition of Friday Night Football. I'm Jim Maddenberg and along with my pointy-eared co-commentator Thom Grassyglade, I’ll be bringing you all the latest news featuring our favourite amateur incarnation of Fantasy Football.”

“By far the biggest Blood Bowl Sevens' story is that Bluebeard's Bombardiers have managed to make two more signings for their squad, with Bazzel Merrygut being paid 85,000 copper pieces and Undig Stronghood receiving 70,000 copper bits for his time. Both second edition Dwarves will join team captain Reuben Redboots on the pitch, and are a clear example of the money gold miner-turned-club owner Bruldrin Bluebeard the Third is willing to pay so as to field a competitive side."

"Most Dwarf teams believe that have a lasting right to alter the laws as they choose."

“Indeed they are, Jim. The two 28mm scale second-hand metal miniatures were primed with a double layer of “Vallejo” Heavy Blue, before having their trousers, padded shirts and helmets shaded in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. The Dwarves' boots were then base-coated using either a combination of "Vallejo" Beasty Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, or Abaddon Black and Nuln Oil."

"I understand that the duo's steel toe-caps and other metal adornments, such as Stronghood's spiked shoulder-pads, were 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, Thom..? That should really put a glint in the eyes of their opponents on a sunny day."

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Three more Dwarf players have been primed and had their details 'boxed in'

"Correct, Jim. Furthermore, both Merrygut and Stronghood's gloves and shoulder-pads were treated to plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, a good dousing in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, and finally a patient highlight of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. If nothing else Bluebeard's Bombardiers should look pretty colourful on the pitch - whether it be grass-covered turf or the far less physically forgiving Astrogranite." 

"Thanks, Thom. Now just before we leave you I understand that the club have also announced their intention to add even more Dwarf Blocker Linemen to their ranks in the near future. So expect an exciting update when we see you next on Friday Night Football..."

"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...

"Praetor Was One Of The Highest Military Ranks..."

"...A Space Marine could reach during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy era in the Legiones Astartes."

This 28mm plastic miniature of a Space Marine Praetor is by "Games Workshop" and comes from the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set by "Games Workshop". The multi-part figure has been assembled wearing MK VI armour and has had a resin Sons of Horus "Forge World" shoulder-pad super-glued onto him so as to specifically mark him out as belonging to the Traitor Legion.

Unfortunately, the figure also required me to glue an old severed head (I believe from a Nurgle Plague Bearer's sprue) onto his right hip, so as to cover up a slight misalignment with the HQ Choice's large cloak. This was entirely due to my using the aforementioned "Forge World" shoulder-pad than any actual issue with the twenty-seven piece kit, and seemed to work out rather well. I also took the opportunity not to use the head supplied, but rather use a much more Roman Centurion-looking one from my bitz box.

"Praetors were commanders second only to their Primarchs in skill, battle prowess, and intellect in their respective Legions."

The ensemble was initially primed with "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, before being heavily washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green. I also applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to his Bolt Pistol holster, backpack, leg-mounted ammunition pouches, mighty Power Axe, chain mail and armour straps. The vast majority of these areas were later treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, or "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade as appropriate.

I also gave all the parts of the Praetor destined to be "Vallejo" Gold with a lick of Heavy Sienna first, and then once they had been 'hit' with the metallic colour, sploshed them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. All these various details, most notably the Space Marine's shoulder-pads, forearms and shin-guards were subsequently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Gold.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This Napoleonic Austrian Jaeger is almost finished

The traitor's axe-handle, helmet, and various ornamental gems were layered with "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. The senior Astartes officer's cloak was also given a couple of brush-loads of "Vallejo" Heavy Red. However, it was subsequently washed with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before the piece of clothing received an obligatory dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

Sticking with time-consuming, fiddly figures, I have also managed to make some progress on a pair of 28mm metal Napoleonic Austrians by “Wargames Foundry", which have been loitering about my hobby desk for far too long. These identical sculpts can be found inside blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running, and once finished will give me a four-man strong skirmish unit for my slowly increasing Coalition force...

"His Divine Majesty King Groot The Twenty-Third."

"Monarch of Planet X, custodian of the branch worlds, ruler of all the shades."

This 40mm scale model of Groot is made by "CoolMiniOrNot", and was unlocked during the company's hugely successful February 2020 Kickstarter for "Marvel United" when it achieved a whopping $2,866,168 in funding. Originally created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby as an invading monster for the November 1960 issue of "Tales to Astonish" for "Marvel Comics", the figure can be found inside the boardgame's Season One expansion box entitled "Guardians Of The Galaxy Remix".

Produced in a light blue hard plastic, I was initially going to prime the miniature with either "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna or Charred Brown, as both of these colours have excellent coverage. However, having used these paints on my "Wizkids" and "Atomic Mass Games" sculpts of Groot, I always felt they were much too dark for the "sentient tree-like creature", so in the end went with a couple of layers of "Two Thin Coats" Ancient Forest instead.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - The Abomination has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

The figure was subsequently washed with plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, dry-brushed with (more) Ancient Forest by "Two Thin Coats", and had the odd splosh of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green pushed into its joints, cracks and crevices. Then, so as to blend all these colours together, I added a smidgeon of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to my Ancient Forest, and delicately gave the entire ensemble one final dry-brush.

Lastly, I decided to 'drop' a couple of spots of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow into the extra-terrestrial's eye-sockets, darkened them down with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and dot them with (a little more) Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats". This brought the model much more in line with Groot's comic book incarnation than the black-eyed, CGI (Computer-generated imagery) version seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This Praetor's cloak has been base-layered in preparation of a shade

In addition to the first of my "Marvel United" Guardians Of The Galaxy miniatures, I've also been busy making progress on another of the co-operative board-game's pieces for an upcoming Marvel Multiverse RPG (MMRPG) scenario. As with my finished "Flora colossus from Planet X", I have previously pigmented a couple of Abominations before - so hope to have Emil Blonsky's super-strong alter-ego ready for the tabletop in quick order.

I have also not completely forgotten about completing the Praetor I need to lead my Sons Of Horus force for "The Horus Heresy". This mixture of pieces by "Games Workshop" and "Forge World" is actually rather close to having a coat of varnish slapped over him - especially now I've finally dry-brushed the trio of skulls riding atop his backpack. However, I still need to carefully trace his fiddly-flowing cape with some "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and sort out then traitor space marine's aforementioned backpack too...