(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Games Workshop” March 2024

"The Horus Heresy is a dark, far future military space opera."

Following my early departure from the Fourteenth Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), I figured this month may well provide an ideal opportunity to finish the last ten Sons Of Horus tactical Space Marines I need to fill out for my Traitor Legion's 500-point core force. I've actually got a few other partially-pigmented "Games Workshop" plastic figures to polish off too, including the army's Praetor and Esoterist Consul. But my main mission will be to get my (old) Mark IV armoured warriors completed and finally on the battlefield ready for some games.

To do this I'm planning on stepping away from my tried and trusted method of 'base layer/shade/dry-brush' in favour of leaving the final wash and rough highlights until the very end. This cunning notion should save me some significant time whenever I make a mistake by catching my brush tip on an armoured leg or arm, as in the past its resulted in my painstakingly redoing all of the above stages again - repairs which never quite look right despite my best efforts to blend the re-painted area back in with its surroundings.

"But they kill for survival, food, self-defence."

In addition though, I do still aim to finish off many of the miniatures I had set aside for the AHPC and its Challenge Library bonus points. One such potential entry (for the Science Fiction section) were five more 15mm alien models by "Ground Zero Games". Available as code SG15-X01 Xenomorphs, the six-figure pack contains two similar(ish) poses, and are clearly based upon H.R. Giger's famous extra-terrestrial killers from Ridley Scott's 1979 science fiction horror flick "Alien".

Ordinarily, I usually tackle 15mm miniatures individually on wooden sticks. However, on this occasion they were all permanently placed upon a "Battlefront Miniatures" large plastic base, before being primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The deadly creatures were then enthusiastically dry-brushed "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, and darkened back down with a positive drowning in "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

February 2024 - "Black Tree Design" has maintained its early lead due to my continuing interest in "Doctor Who"

There's probably little doubt that the last four weeks have not seen me at my most productive - largely due to my disenchantment with the AHPC and subsequent decision to take some time away from the painting table once I'd left the event. But I did still manage to rattle off a good few figures from my "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" backlog, as well as some more "Doctor Who" models by "Black Tree Design".

Looking to the imminent future, I aim to get many more science-fiction figures finished from both these manufacturers, as I've finally managed to start playing the latest incarnation of "7TV" and want to set several campaigns in the worlds of "Flash Gordon", "V", Planet Of The Apes" and "Doctor Who". Add this to my primary goal of getting another Space Marine squad completed, and all this enthusiasm bodes well for a busy time to be had...

"The Place Is Full Of Leathery Things Sealed..."

"...Soft to the touch."

These five 15mm alien models are by "Ground Zero Games" and can be bought as code SG15-X01 Xenomorphs. The six-figure pack contains two similar(ish) poses, and are clearly based upon H.R. Giger's famous extra-terrestrial killers from Ridley Scott's 1979 science fiction horror flick "Alien".

All the miniatures were super-glued in place upon a "Battlefront Miniatures" large plastic base, before being painted using my 'quick and dirty' method of dry-brushing "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey over a "Citadel" Abaddon Black undercoat. Each alien was then drowned in one or two applications of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, depending upon just how prominently the "Vallejo" "Heavy Bluegrey was showing through after its initial sploshing.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three X-Commandos

I had actually been saving these miniatures for later on in the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) as a submission for its Challenge Library's Science Fiction bonus. But now I've left the AHPC early, I fancied pigmenting them a bit sooner as they were relatively straightforward to finish - so took them down from where they've been sat for the past several years, gave them a quick dusting, and quickly got them tabletop ready.

With such a simple side-project, I have also have time to get cracking on four 28mm X-Commandos by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". Quite embarrassingly I recently discovered that I have a whole bag full of these body armoured bad-boys (and girls), so felt it was about time I added a few more to those I previously-painted back in March 2021.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - These Sea Devils have had their feet and bases pigmented and shaded

This substantial 'find' has proved doubly-timely as I aim to add the soldiers to my Heroic Sci-Fi genre Cast for a series of "7TV" games, using the rule-set's latest Neutral Extra cards - "Sarge" and "Soldier". These two-three point troopers will join my "Mysterious Stranger" and his trusty "Final Girl" in a series of 'linked' scenarios against the diabolical "Evil Overlord" and her nefarious minions.

Lastly, I've taken some additional 'baby-steps' with a load more 28mm Sea Devils by "Black Tree Design". Sticking with my present obsession for all-things "7TV", I recently purchased the game's "M.A.N.T.A. Ray 5" Feature Pack, and was delighted to find it contains the rules for the Villainous Extra "Nautican Warrior"; a role which I feel the "bipedal marine race" from "Doctor Who" will admirably fill...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

“Hulk Will Smash!”

“Now Hulk is free - - and no one will lock him up again.”

This 40mm scale model of the incredible Hulk is produced by "CoolMiniOrNot", and can be found inside the Marvel United Core Box. Designed by Edouard Guiton, Bruce Banner’s alter-ego is one of five costumed crime-fighters found inside the “fast-paced cooperative” board game, along with three super-villains.

Fashioned in a bright, light blue hard plastic, the gaming piece was initially primed with a double-helping of “Vallejo” Escorpena Green, liberally shaded in “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Escorpena Green. I then applied a heavily water-down wash of “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green over the entire founding Avenger, before ‘finishing off’ all his muscular flesh with a second (and much lighter) dry-brush of “Vallejo” Escorpena Green.

The Blood Angels and Imperial Guard cautiously approach an alien-infested swamp

The gamma scientist’s trousers were pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Violet and "Citadel" Druchii Violet. Whilst his hair was layered with “Vallejo” Heavy Black Green, washed with “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and later dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Black Green and a little Heavy Green. Finally, the Hulk’s tongue was ‘picked out’ with “Vallejo” Heavy Red, and his teeth in White. Both of these areas were subsequently shaded with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade.

With the third of my Marvel United figures finished, I’ve spent some more time further play-testing 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 two games centred around a swamp being infested by H.R. Giger’s famous aliens, and saw the Throneworld’s administration deploy a combined force of Imperial Guard, Crimson Fists and Blood Angels to eradicate them.

The Crimson Fists and Imperial Guard get in close and personal with a wave of Facehuggers

The first ‘cleansing’ was successfully achieved by the Astra Militarum and Sanguinius’ Chapter locating some of the site’s disused technology, and subsequently swapping the different pump devices between two locations so as to drain the Alien’s partially submerged hive of water. This conflict was a close-fought scenario, with the Imperial Guard desperately trying to provide covering fire from the safety of the woods whilst the Blood Angels tried to move the machinery.

In the end, due to a ‘flood of facehuggers’ the roles were soon reversed, and it ultimately fell upon mortal men to complete the mission, rather than the partially-overwhelmed Space Marines. The second battle simply saw a full-on face-off between the two opposing forces, with the Blood Angels accompanied by plenty of Crimson Fist battle-brothers. This was an absolute blast with the Astra Militarum successfully sweeping the area in front of the forests clear of any extra-terrestrials with their Lasrifle fire, and the Adeptus Astartes eventually getting in close with plenty of Alien warrior drones…

“It's A Question Of Simian Survival.”

“The sooner they're exterminated, the better.”

This 28mm scale white metal model of a 'savage Simian Minion straight from the lab' is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either separately under code SKU: MINI 98 or as part of their Simian Minions four-figure collection SKU: DEAL 39. The miniature was initially primed with two coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being enthusiastically dry-brushed in Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal.

The Ape with Baton was then drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and had its trousers and sleeves pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Violet and "Citadel" Druchii Violet. Its face, ammunition belt, rifle and strap were treated to a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, whilst the soldier's wooden stick was painted using some Charred Brown. Finally, all of these areas were later shaded using "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and the gorilla’s firearm was given a little "Citadel" Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil.

The 'Crimson Fists' tackle a Xenomorph infestation alongside the 'Imperial Guard'

With another of my Simian Minions completed, I’ve spent some considerable time further play-testing my homemade 15mm science fiction collaborative rules, "M.I.S.S.”, using a load of Xenomorphs by “Ground Zero Games”, 10mm Face Huggers by “Pendraken Miniatures” and Ion Age figures by "Alternative Armies". The two games centred around a futuristic settlement coming under attack by H.R. Giger’s famous aliens, and saw the forces of Mankind first fend off the horde, and then in the second battle desperately try to reconnect the damaged power supply to the colony.

The opening foray really saw the ‘Imperial Guard’ take something of a battering to the North, as they pushed through the recently evacuated buildings and past some woodland to take up a defensive position near some toxic waste pools. Fortunately, the ‘Crimson Fist Space Marines’ to their south were made of much sterner stuff, and managed to slowly push forwards against a combination of Infant Xenomorphs and Drone Warriors.

Both the Crimson Fists and Imperial Guard deploy their armoured vehicles

For the subsequent scenario, we added a couple of armoured vehicles to our respective forces, such as an 'Adeptus Astartes Whirlwind' and initially struggled to locate the colony’s power station. Then, the space marines had to make a somewhat risky venture further into the increasingly alien-infested community to locate and retrieve the spare parts required to fix its generators.

Throughout much of this confrontation the ‘Astra Militarum’ kept up a steady barrage of missiles and rail-gun bullets upon a seemingly endless swarm of fast-moving Face Huggers, which left the unconquerable ‘Crimson Fists’ to focus upon the game’s objective. Ultimately though, both missions were successful due to some strong team-work between Mankind’s forces, and many enlisted Guardsmen overcoming their fear of the Xenomorphs just long enough to occasionally cause the alien horde to pause in its relentless onslaught…

“I'm In The Middle Of An Interrogation.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

This 28mm metal miniature of Natalia, Female Secret Agent is by "Reaper Miniatures" and comes from their Chronoscope range under code 50149. I bought the model just as soon as I spotted it on Planetmut’s excellent blog “PM Painting”, as I thought it would make an excellent addition to my party of adventurers for Gamma World.

The two-piece figure was actually rather fiddly to assemble due to her disconcertingly fragile-looking limbs, but once the super-glue had set I was able to undercoat the covert operative with “Vallejo” Black Prime. I then treated the miniature to a couple of layers of “Citadel” Abaddon Black, heavily dry-brushed her with “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal, and picked out her gun holster, leg strap and belt with Heavy Sienna.

"The others must have cannibalized it for the blood!"

I also applied some “Vallejo” Gunmetal to the deadly assassin’s pistol, before all of these areas were ‘drowned’ in “Citadel” Nuln Oil. The not-Black Widow’s belt buckle and thigh gadget were treated to a combination of “Vallejo” Gold and “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, before I gave Natalia’s hair a lick of “Vallejo” Heavy Red. This was subsequently shaded with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, and carefully dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Red.

Alongside this submission to the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), I also entered (as my final entry) five more 15mm metal Xenomorphs by "Ground Zero Games". The figures are available as code SG15-X01 from the company’s Stargrunt Infantry range, and come in packs of six figures (consisting of two alternative sculpts).

The tanks have been assembled with different sets of Schürzen armour

Due to using the models for some homemade rules, the deadly extra-terrestrials were super-glued onto either a medium or small-sized plastic “Flames Of War” stand by “Battlefront Miniatures”, and primed using two layers of “Citadel” Abaddon Black. The Internecivus raptus’ were then dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey, before being given a double-helping of “Citadel” Nuln Oil in order to help tone down their highlights and better blend them in.

Lastly, I have finally assembled and primed the four plastic Panzer IV (7.5cm) tanks I plan to add to my German Beach Defence Company for “Flames Of War”. The “Hit The Beach” Starter Set by “Battlefront Miniatures” actually only contains three of the vehicles so as to make a 16 point platoon. However, having had a rummage through the numerous sprues I collected for their skirmish game “Tanks”, I’ve been able to add a fourth tank and bolster the unit up to 22 points worth of heavy armour.

"The Kit Fox Is A Light Clan OmniMech…”

“…With long-range combat as a primary focus.”

This 1:285 scale pre-built plastic model of a Kit Fox is produced by “Catalyst Game Labs” and can be found in the “BattleTech: Clan Fire Star” along with a Warhawk, Cougar, Fire Moth, and Nova Cat. All the pre-assembled miniatures also come with an assortment of MechWarrior pilot and Alpha Strike cards depicting various colour schemes. But as I plan to use this particular sculpt as a Caudron-Renault class French War Walker for an upcoming Weird War Two campaign using some homemade rules, I decided to go with a predominantly pale blue palette.

“Often fielded by Clan Jade Falcon”, the 32mm tall figure was initially primed with a double layer of “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey and washed using “Citadel” Drakenhof Nightshade. The thirty ton vehicle was then dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey with a softly-bristled make-up blusher brush, before having a small circular access hatch and grill section ‘picked out’ with a combination of German Grey and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

"They mostly come at night...mostly."

I also applied a base layer of “Citadel” Abaddon Black to the Kit Fox’s Extended Range Large Laser and Small Pulse Laser (on its left arm), 5-X Autocannon, Streak Short Range Missile rack SRM-4 rack and accompanying vents. These areas were all later treated to a lick of “Vallejo” Gunmetal and a generous splash of “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

Lastly, I slapped a Tricolore by “Decal Details” just above Babylon-built machine’s cockpit, and two super-tiny Croix de Lorraine on its legs. I was also hoping to use a couple of French roundels, as I have previously done on the two other mechs I’ve allocated to France’s Weird War effort. However, despite owning the transfers in several diminutive sizes, I simply couldn’t find an area of armour plating large enough to accommodate them.

"Reaper Miniatures" WIPs - Natalia, Female Secret Agent is having her final details 'picked out'.

Alongside my latest Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge entry I have also submitted five 15mm scale metal Xenomorphs by “Ground Zero Games”. These models were super-glued onto a large-sized plastic “Flames Of War” stand by “Battlefront Miniatures”, and primed using two layers of “Citadel” Abaddon Black. The extra-terrestrials were later dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey, before being given a double-helping of “Citadel” Nuln Oil in order to help tone down their highlights and better blend them in.

Finally, I’ve found a little time to continue working on the 28mm model Natalia, Female Secret Agent by “Reaper Miniatures” I recently purchased. This not-Black Widow has really reinvigorated my hobby enthusiasm and could well be finished within a week or two of my buying her – something I’m not particularly prone to do these days…

“The Warhawk Was Powered By A Massive 340 XL Engine…”

“…That gave it a top speed of 64.8 km/h and mounted thirteen and a half tons of Ferro-Fibrous armour.”

This 1:285 scale pre-built plastic model of a Warhawk is produced by “Catalyst Game Labs” and can be found in the “BattleTech: Clan Fire Star” along with a Kit Fox, Cougar, Fire Moth, and Nova Cat. All the pre-assembled miniatures also come with an assortment of MechWarrior pilot and Alpha Strike cards depicting various colour schemes. But as I plan to use this particular sculpt as a Bloch class French War Walker for an upcoming Weird War Two campaign using some homemade rules, I decided to go with a predominantly pale blue palette.

“Introduced by Clan Smoke Jaguar in 2999”, the 43mm tall figure was initially given a double undercoat of “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey and shaded in “Citadel” Drakenhof Nightshade. It was then dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey with a softly-bristled make-up blusher brush, and had its cockpit windows ‘picked out’ with the odd dab of “Citadel” Abaddon Black.

"Ground Zero Games" WIPs - These Xenomorphs have been primed, based-coated and dry-brushed

I also applied a base layer of “Citadel” Abaddon Black to the Warhawk’s four Extended Range Particle Projector Cannons and LRM-10 Launcher, as well as numerous vents and the odd piece of armour plating. These areas were all later treated to a lick of “Vallejo” Gunmetal and a generous splash of “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

Finally, I stuck some French roundels by “Decal Details” to the mech’s front legs, the Tricolore to the machine’s upper carapace and the name “Boiurgueil” to its hull. These transfers actually took quite a few attempts as I found that they started to disintegrate very quickly in the water if I waited too long for them to detach themselves from their paper.

"Reaper Miniatures" WIPs - Natalia, Female Secret Agent is just having her details 'picked out'.

In addition to my latest Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge entry I have been progressing twenty 15mm scale metal Xenomorphs by “Ground Zero Games”. These are the last of the alien figures I purchased from the company’s Stargrunt Infantry range last year, and have been based on the small, medium and large Flames of War bases produced by “Battlefront Miniatures” to represent different sized packs of Xenomorph XX121.

Lastly, I've managed to get my hands on the 28mm model Natalia, Female Secret Agent by “Reaper Miniatures”. I spotted this striking not-Black Widow figure on Planetmut’s excellent blog “PM Painting”, and thought it would make an excellent proxy for the actress Scarlett Johansson, so the Academy Award nominee could join my other adventurers in their exploits on Gamma World…

“Flesh Hounds Are The Powerful Daemonic Attack Dogs Of Khorne.”

“They dash into combat at high speed and tear their foes apart with razor sharp claws.”

These three plastic 6mm scale Flesh Hounds used to beproduced by "Games Workshop" for their tabletop wargame "Epic", and disappointingly are now long Out Of Production (OOP). However I was fortunate enough to stumble across a small tub of these daemonic canines from the second-hand stall, “Lesley’s Bitz Box”, whilst visiting "Colours" at Newbury three years ago, and thought I should finally paint up a single unit as a pilot piece.

Before I could even begin to apply a brush to these tiny figures though, I needed to make some repairs to a couple of their spiked tails, which had somehow been broken during their storage. In the past I’d have probably just dumped the damaged dogs in the bin. But as these models are apparently rather difficult to acquire these days, I was willing to spend the extra time fixing them up with a little drilling and an application or two of plastic glue, rather than just throw them away.

Xenomorphs - Made up of figures from "Ground Zero Games" and "Pendraken Miniatures"

Once mended the trio were all super-glued onto a thin strip of wood, and primed using two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Red. They were then washed using "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and very carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. I subsequently 'picked out' their back spines and head crests with some “Citadel” Abaddon Black and their teeth with a combination of “Vallejo” White and “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade.

With my tiny test base finished, I have found the time to also complete six more 15mm scale metal miniatures by “Ground Zero Games”. These Xenomorphs are available as code SG15-X01 from the company’s Stargrunt Infantry range, and were super-glued in pairs upon three medium-sized plastic “Flames Of War” stands by “Battlefront Miniatures”.

"Tangent Miniatures" WIPs - The Recruiter has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

The vicious extra-terrestrials were undercoated with a double-helping of “Citadel” Abaddon Black. They were then somewhat softly dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey, before being given a wash of “Citadel” Nuln Oil in order to help tone down their highlights and better blend them in.

Lastly, I have based, primed, layered, shaded and dry-brushed another 28mm metal miniature by “Tangent Miniatures”. The Recruiter/Conman is from their Space Warriors range and delightfully bares more than a passing resemblance to Centauri from Nick Castle’s 1984 science fiction flick “The Last Starfighter”.

“The Son Of A Bitch Is Huge.”

“According to Mother, he's a primitive form of encephalopod.”

These four 15mm scale metal miniatures of some Xenomorphs are produced by “Ground Zero Games” as code SG15-X01 from their Stargrunt Infantry range, and come in packs of six figures (consisting of two alternative sculpts). The models are actually 22mm in height from head to base, and make excellent proxies for the LV-426 life-forms seen in James Cameron’s 1986 science fiction action film “Aliens”.

The quartet were super-glued onto a pair of medium-sized plastic “Flames Of War” stands by “Battlefront Miniatures”, and primed using two layers of “Citadel” Abaddon Black. The extra-terrestrials were then dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey, before being given a wash of “Citadel” Nuln Oil in order to help tone down their highlights and better blend them in.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - A German NCO, Machine-gunner and his Loader

I’ve actually got a fair few more of these miniatures left to paint up, as they’ll form the backbone of the invading Xenomorph force I currently use for the vast majority of my 15mm sci-fi battles. As a result I have already paired up half-dozen extra aliens on three additional bases, as well as a handful of single figures on some smaller stands. I’m even considering populating a couple of “Flames Of War” large-sized bases to create a truly-terrifying ‘horde’ unit or two.

Staying with “the most popular scale for pre-20th Century wargaming”, I’ve managed to get another stand’s worth of infantry primed, shaded and dry-brushed for my “Flames Of War” German Panzergrenadier Platoon. These plastic soldiers by “Battlefront Miniatures” are proving a lot of fun to pigment, but due to their sculpts’ incredible level of detail, they are taking a tad longer to finish than I had initially expected; especially when it comes to painting the odd camouflaged helmet covering.

"Catalyst Games Labs" WIPs - A Griffin and Wolverine

Lastly, I have been focusing a little hobby-time upon two of my “Battletech” 1:285 scale plastic models by “Catalyst Game Labs”. I recently decided to add some green and black to my Griffin mech, so as to better represent the colours predominantly used on the old Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" aircraft. Until this particular plastic model becomes available outside of the Battletech Beginner Box I don’t expect to get my hands on any more, so wanted to include as many nods to the Japanese carrier-based fighter as I could.

Infinitely less demanding has been the Wolverine I plan to use as a Russian Yakovlev (Yak) medium-class war walker. As I’ve previously painted two Wasp mechs in a largely green palette, with the war machine having a single red hand to provide some contrast, I plan to replicate the scheme on this significantly larger model too – which will hopefully provide some striking cohesiveness to the Soviet forces on the tabletop.

“By Early 1944, Things Had Changed.”

“It was clear that the coast of France would be the next battlefield...”

These three plastic 15mm miniatures are sold by “Battlefront Miniatures” and can be found inside the company’s “Hit The Beach” starter set for “Flames Of War”. The figures consist of an Officer, Panzerfaust and NCO, and together create a Unit Leader MG42 team for the first of two German Panzergrenadier Platoons.

As with all my other “FoW” German soldiers, the figures were initially super-glued onto wooden strips, before being primed in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were then ‘picked out’ predominantly using “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal, Buff, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades.

The Imperial Guard face a swarm of Xenomorphs and Face Huggers on their right flank

With another of my German Panzergrenadier stands completed, I’ve been lucky enough to squeeze in a second visit to the LVL Up Gaming Store in Bournemouth within the space of a fortnight so as to play-test my homemade 15mm science fiction rules, "M.I.S.S.” As before I brought along some Xenomorphs by “Ground Zero Games”, a smattering of 10mm Face Huggers by “Pendraken Miniatures” and some figures by "Alternative Armies". However, to change things around a bit, I also took some vehicles from my “The Ion Age” collection.

The three-stage campaign was played across a small settlement, a couple of toxic pools and a pair of small(ish) woodlands. After each scenario the tabletop was turned 90 degrees, so that by the end of the day, Mankind was actually having to approach the deserted colony through the trees. Once again it pitted a troop of Crimson Fist Space Marines and Imperial Guard against a deadly horde of ferocious extra-terrestrials (which was directed by some simple AI mechanics), but this time Humanity were accompanied by plenty of hover-tanks and wheeled combat cars. Each game lasted six turns, and to win, we had to hold ten points worth of objectives – which had been covertly strewn across the 3 x 3 tabletop.

The Imperial Guard are torn apart by aliens as the Space Marines try to hold them back

The opening scenario was probably the easiest of the encounters as the combined firepower of the vehicles ensured that the Xenomorphs were never going to get too close to the settlement. In addition, the value of the two objectives inside the village meant the infantry were never required to push any further forward, so simply formed up in an overwhelming line of guns, missiles and rockets.

The next two fights were significantly harder, with the alien warriors actually defeating our combined forces at the end of the second skirmish. Much of their success in these games was due to some poor dice rolling by the Imperial Guard when it came to them overcoming the Intimidation factor of firing upon an oncoming Xenomorph, and as a result the deadly extra-terrestrials soon got into close combat with the nervous soldiers. They even managed to tear apart a combat car at one stage too.

“After The Defeat Of France In 1940…”

“…Western Europe became a military backwater for the German Army.”

These three plastic 15mm miniatures are sold by “Battlefront Miniatures” and can be found inside the company’s “Hit The Beach” starter set for “Flames Of War”. The figures consist of an Officer, Panzerfaust and NCO, and together create a 2iC Command Panzerfaust SMG team for the Panzergrenadier Company Headquarters.

As with all my other “FoW” German soldiers, the figures were initially super-glued onto wooden strips, before being primed in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were then ‘picked out’ predominantly using “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna, Gunmetal, Buff, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades.

A unit of Guardsmen are transformed into alien drones

With both of my Panzergrenadier Company Headquarter stands now completed, I have managed to pay a visit to the LVL Up Gaming Store in Bournemouth so as to play-test some homemade 15mm science fiction rules using my "M.I.S.S." game engine. For this particular series of battles I brought along some figures taken from my “The Ion Age” collection by "Alternative Armies", some Xenomorphs by “Ground Zero Games”, and a smattering of 10mm Face Huggers by “Pendraken Miniatures”.

The three-stage campaign was played across a small(ish) settlement, which had been built up around a couple of bubbling toxic pits, and involved us pitting a troop of Crimson Fist Space Marines and Imperial Guard against an ever-increasing horde of deadly extra-terrestrials (which was directed by some simple AI mechanics). Each game lasted six turns, and to win, we had to hold ten points worth of objectives – which had been covertly strewn across the 3 x 3 tabletop.

The Imperial Guard and Space Marines battle Xenomorph Warriors

The opening scenario involved the Forces of Mankind solely encountering a swarm of Face Huggers which sped towards their lines from three separate craters located just beyond the northern outskirts of the abandoned colony. This enabled us to get used to the game’s core rules and tremble in terror at just how fast the tiny aliens could traverse the terrain before they were upon our infantry. Luckily, Humanity was able to prevail, but one particular highlight was witnessing a unit of Imperial Guard succumb to the Face Huggers and transform in Xenomorph drones during the following turn.

The next two fights was infinitely closer, as actual alien warriors accompanied the swarm of incoming Face Huggers. These humanoid-shaped extra-terrestrials were particularly deadly for the Imperial Guard as the soldiers always have to pass an intimidation test before they can attack them. Luckily, the Crimson Fists suffered no such set-backs, with the Space Marines’ Missile Launcher team proving especially adept at culling any alien foolish enough to get within their sights, and as a result the settlement was ultimately purged of its impurities. At least until next time…

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2014 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

The fifth article covering my favourite miniature manufacturers over the years, this period focused predominantly upon my obsession with World War Two, whether it be the odd 10mm Soviet tank by "Pendraken Miniatures", some 28mm Allied vehicles originally cast by "Bolt Action Miniatures", or a veritable horde of brain-hungry German zombies by "Westwind Productions". However, it also encapsulated a remarkable fascination with some of the smaller scales within the hobby, such as 6mm and 15mm, which seemed to stem from a desire to pigment a variety of Modern Day British forces, as well as some "Rogue Trader" era inspired 'space knights'.

No.10 (Joint) - "Bolt Action Miniatures" - "Bolt Action"

It’s incredible to think just how long this particular resin model of a British Daimler Dingo Mk II Scout Car was left languishing in my ‘To do’ pile. But considering that “Bolt Action’s splendid line of 28mm World War Two miniatures and vehicles” was sold to “Warlord Games” in late 2008, this resin automobile must have been sat gathering dust on my painting table for a good six years or so before being finished. Fortunately, despite having little interest in historical gaming, the scout car made a welcome armoured mobile unit for my allies “Weird War Two” force using the “Savage Worlds” rule-set by “Pinnacle Entertainment Group”.

No.10 (Joint) - "Warlord Games" - "Bolt Action"

Despite having little interest in actually playing Rick Priestley and Alessio Cavatore’s “Bolt Action” tabletop game itself, this “re-release from the BEF Miniatures range” was one of a small handful of vehicles I planned to add to my British Commonwealth forces for “Weird War Two”. However, unlike the partially-painted A11 Matilda Mark I Infantry Tank which was meant to accompany it, this “classic light truck” was not only completed, but actually saw some occasional battlefield action; albeit my Flying Standard 10' "Tilly" Truck's most enigmatic role was probably being a simple ‘prop’ for a game of “Zombie TV” by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”, which saw Doctor Who and U.N.I.T. battle an ever-increasing invasion of Cybermen….

No.8 - "Pendraken Miniatures" - "Alien Creatures"

Something of a mixed bag, but predominantly motivated by a desire to reinforce my H.R. Giger aliens with an alternative fast-moving unit, this Middlesbrough-based manufacturer initially caught my eye courtesy of their somewhat oversized 10mm Face Huggers. These diminutive parasitoids not only proved straightforward to paint, but fortuitously proved perfectly scaled to accompany my larger “Ground Zero Games” Xenomorphs in their bloody battle against Humankind. In addition, I was rather pleased to pigment a few stands of reinforcements for both my English Civil War Royalist Army, and Russian (winter) World War Two force.

No.7 - "Ground Zero Games" - "Xenomorphs"

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to H.R. Giger’s famous motion picture extra-terrestrials, these xenomorphs seemed the perfect opponents for my 15mm Prydian Army by “The Ion Age”, and finally saw some tabletop action as a sizeable antagonistic horde during the year despite actually being bought at “Colours” 2013. To make their journey to the battlefield even more remarkable though, a number of the figures were actually stripped in methylated spirits and re-painted during this period, whilst others were re-based from their original 40mm x 60mm rectangular stands onto some “Battlefront Miniatures” bases so as to better tie-in with a never-realised “Flames Of War” cross-over…

No.6 - "The Ion Age" - "The Prydian Army"

Strongly influenced by this 15mm range’s nostalgia-inducing similarities to the old “Rogue Trader” miniatures by “Games Workshop”, I returned from “Salute” 2014 with a rather sizeable consignment of these models and quickly set to work painting up a small(ish) force of Retained Knights and the Prydian Army Muster. Admittedly, I didn’t actually pigment these figures in their “famous red and white” uniforms, but my desire to field some proxy Crimson Fist Space Marines and Imperial Guard still saw a fair few of these figures on the tabletop, as well as a couple of vehicles.

No. 5 - "Pulp Figures" - "Boys In Blue"

Pigmented purely as a somewhat straightforward submission for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, as part of a Pulp-themed side-challenge, these ten Boys In Blue were supposedly the spearhead of a huge push of Bob Murch’s miniatures for the event featuring many more figures from the Canadian sculptor’s Gangland Justice Range. Sadly however, despite managing to include the first black police officer in New York City,  Sergeant Samuel J. Battle, as well as a vintage call box and fire hydrant into the mix, my momentum for this project disappointingly soon petered out just before the year’s end…

No.4 - "GHQ Models" - "Micro Armour"

As a wargamer I am somewhat prone to impulse purchases, and never has this weakness been more aptly demonstrated than by the Micro Armour boxed sets by “GHQ” I bought at “Colours” in 2011. Three years later and I finally started to plough my way through both my Modern British Combat Team and Modern Mujahadin/Al Qaeda Combat Team. These “super detailed 1:285 scale figures” were incredibly fun to paint, despite their eye-watering diminutive size, and I became so enthused with the range that I even managed to finish a fair few vehicles for my British forces as well.

No.3 - "Mongoose Publishing" - "Judge Dredd"

There can be little doubt that the 2012 “Judge Dredd” Kickstarter by “Mongoose Publishing” had both a positive and negative impact upon my hobby. True, the tardiness in the company's sculpting, casting and delivery of their supporters’ numerous pledges would debatably ruin their reputation. But it also provided me with an opportunity to slowly pick my way through a number of Street Judges, two versions of “Old Stony Face” himself, and the arch-nemesis of Mega-City One’s toughest lawman, Judge Death. I even managed to pigment Nu-Earth’s last surviving Genetic Infantryman, despite having wisely ‘backed out’ from Mongoose Matt’s calamitous “Rogue Trooper” Kickstarter at the last minute…

No.2 - "Westwind Productions" - "Secrets Of The Third Reich"

Thoroughly enthused by the “Weird War Two” setting for “Savage Worlds” by “Pinnacle Entertainment Group”, and the sheer range of supernatural forces on offer by “Westwind Productions” and their “Secrets Of The Third Reich” miniature range, it was probably inevitable I was going to end up painting a significant number of zombies for my battlefield; both German and Soviet. In addition, the Oldham-based manufacturer also lured me into their darkly Gothic Steampunk Victorian setting, with four well-sculpted London Bobbies from their tremendously successful Kickstarter “Empire Of The Dead: Requiem”.

No.1 - "Wizkids" - "Heroclix"

Undoubtedly inspired by several battle reports utilising the “7TV” rule-set by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”, and much more “Marvel Worldwide” focused than “DC Comics”, my collection of re-painted (and re-based) plastic “Wizkids” models saw its numbers significantly swell throughout 2014. However, it arguably wasn’t until the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge towards the very end of the year that I truly ‘knuckled down’ with my “Heroclix” and polished off a small raiding force of U-Men to follow the Black Manta, as well as a trio of Dreadnought robots to do the bidding of Ultron.

Top Ten Miniatures Of 2018 - A "Rantings From Under The Wargames Table" Viewpoint

Well the year is nearly at an end and so it’s that time again, when both Simon and myself hand over the reins of our respective blogs to each other. This means that I get at least one piece of quality writing (actually it’s two this year) on my blog, and Simon gets to moan at me for picking the wrong figures from his prestigious output for the year. However to quote Eric Morecombe - “I’m picking all the right figures, but not necessarily in the right order!”. Anyway this is always a joy to do, even if Simon has it much easier than me as he doesn’t have anywhere near as many posts to sort through over on my blog!

Right, well, before I get into the list, I’ll just clarify a few of the ground rules, figures are only eligible for the list if they were completed in 2018, no “works in progress” allowed, and vehicles or pieces of scenery can also count for list entries, So now that’s sorted on with the Top Ten itself…

No. 10 - Demon Bunny by "Wizkids – July 13th

One of the great things about Simon’s blog is that you really don’t know what you are going to get, and this amazing find from the “Wizkids” “HorrorClix” figure range is a great example of that. Re-painted to represent the “Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog” of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” fame, this wonderfully horrific looking “lupus” was as wonderful as it was terrifying!

No. 9 - Darkmantle by "Wizkids" - February 16th

Another “Wizids” figure at number nine, this time from their “Dungeons and Dragons miniatures game”. This wonderfully weird creature was given a remarkably simple paint-job by Simon, yet that doesn’t detract from the gruesomely great result. It instantly reminded me of “The Mire Beast” from the classic “Doctor Who” Dalek story “The Chase”, and became one of those “I’ll get one of those myself one day figures”. Sadly however, that day has not yet arrived, but if anyone has one going spare?

No. 8 - Arnulf by "Games Workshop" - May 18th

Though I make it no secret that I am neither a "Games Workshop" fanboy, nor someone who will be dipping their toe into the expensive “Age of Sigmar” pool, I have to admit that they do produce some truly awesome miniatures now and again. Arnulf and the rest of the miniatures Simon painted up from “Garrek’s Reavers” were all pretty awe inspiring, and would make a great band of Barbarians for pretty much any game, especially as a fantastic bunch of "Frostgrave" mercenaries. Ultimately though I chose Arnulf as my favourite as the painting of his flesh is just so right, along with his well suited metallic coloured weapons and helmet. A cracking figure!

No. 7 - Orange Adder Combat Lifter by "The Ion Age" - October 12th

All the 15mm “Ion Age” figures and vehicles Simon has produced over the last year are worthy of inclusion here so it was after much “to’ing & fro’ing” that I finally decided upon this particular model. I think what swung it for me in the end was the wonderful “Crimson Fists” Space Marine chapter inspired colour scheme. Painted to the usual high standard this is going to look mighty impressive on the battlefield.

No. 6 - The Master by "Warlord Games" - July 25th

I have said it before, Simon excels at painting black! He’s also pretty good at painting “Doctor Who” characters too. So this 32mm version of Roger Delgado’s version of the classic villain was always going to be in the running for this years “Top Ten”. As always the colour match is absolutely spot on with even the grey at the actor’s temples exemplary, and the painting itself seamlessly accurate. Painting black is hard (well it is for me anyway), but Simon makes it look easy, and that’s the real skill.

No. 5 - Hybrid by "Wizkids" - January 30th

Simon’s almost encyclopedic knowledge of super-heroes and super-villains stands him in good stead on many occasions, allowing him to pick up and enhance many an obscure character from “comic book history”. “Jimmy Marks” meant nothing to me until he appeared on "Fantorical" as Hybrid, but fortunately Simon accompanied the excellent paintwork he’d applied to the figure with a great little bit of background too. These little insights are always a pleasure to read and go to prove that he really knows his stuff. What struck me most though was what a great job he’d done on the figure!

No. 4 - Astronaut Action Man by "Ground Zero Games" – December 17th

15mm figures is something I have stayed right away from this year, whilst Simon on the other hand has produced some beautiful “little fellows” with the wonderful “Ion Age” figures very nearly making it onto this list themselves. It was however when he started showcasing these stunning Astronaut figures as part of his “Race to the Moon” Action Man project that he really outdid himself, with some top notch painting on both the figures and vehicles. I even warmed to his idea of basing them on “green flocked” bases once I’d seen them.

No. 3 - Mei-Lin Mayfair by "Statuesque Miniatures" - August 31st

Okay, so I’ve established that Simon can do black, but he is equally at home with white! This gorgeous figure by "Statuesque Miniatures" has been given this treatment to perfection. He intends to use her as a stand in for Major Mira Killian from “Ghost in the Shell” and should look mighty impressive on the table, especially surrounded by the rest of his “Killer Fembots”. Many of Simon's miniatures are deceptively monochrome, but this is not to say that the paintwork is basic or simple, layer after layer is built up producing a well-rounded finish, it’s just like good movie music, when it works you don’t realise it’s there!

No. 2 - Mandrels by "Black Tree Design" December 28th

Simon has painted a lot of "Doctor Who" miniatures this year (and I do mean a lot!), taking figures from both “Black Tree Design” and “Warlord Games” ranges. To be honest, the 32mm offerings from “Warlord Games” are the better representations, but I do have a soft spot for the 28mm figures “Black Tree” produce. As a result I was having a tough time deciding between “Kettlewells Robot” or one of the excellent “Sontarans” to add to this list when just before the deadline up popped these marvellous alien beasties from one of the all-time great stories “The Nightmare of Eden”. The colours are, as always, perfectly true to the originals, the details are spot-on, and the shading is absolutely first rate. Some of the best figures Simon has produced in my opinion.

No. 1 - Garrp Croaak by "Oathsworn Miniatures" - June 18th

So I hear you ask if they were so good, what has made it to the top of Simon's painting tree this year? Well the funny thing is each time I have done one of these “Top Ten’s” I wrangle and debate about what is going to be in it and what position they will take. Yet every year I know what will be number one as soon as I begin looking back through Simon's posts (if not sooner). This year was no different as the second I saw this 'so ugly he’s cute' little toad mage I knew he would top this year’s pile. In fact all of the figures Simon has painted from this range could have been in this list but I’ve tried to limit myself. The painting and colours are subtle and perfect, and his trademark gloss finish works so well with this chap, I could go on and wax lyrical regarding the subtle shading on his throat and the perfect colour used on his “bone staff”, but the truth is I just love everything about him. Just a truly great miniature, and that’s why he’s number one in my book.

So that’s it for another year, the votes are in (well mine are anyway and they are the only ones that count!). You may not agree with all (or any) of my choices but these are my personal favourites. Obviously, you will have your own (they are wrong, but what can you do!). As always I’ll finish by saying a huge thank you to Simon for letting me play “fast and loose” with his baby, and I will now give control back into the hands it is safest with. Here’s to another great year's painting and modelling on the pages of “Fantorical” in 2019.

A very happy New Year to you all, Cheers Roger.

And don't forget to check out Blax The Kleric's Top Ten of 2018 over on "Rantings From Under The Wargames Table"