"Hi..! I'm Squirrel Girl.!"

 "Yeah. Neat name, huh.?"

This "super rare" 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of Squirrel Girl was produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 056 from their 2011 Marvel “Heroclix” Captain America expansion. Born with "a genetic anomaly which gives her the ability to communicate with squirrels", Doreen Green was created by Will Murray (writer) and Steve Ditko (artist), and first appeared in the Winter 1991 edition of "Marvel Super-Heroes".

Separated from her 'clicky' stand and super-glued onto a plastic 25mm circular base well over a decade ago, this figure actually then sat unattended in a plastic drawer for a further five years before I finally primed over its pre-existing paintjob using some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. For some reason it was then rather disappointingly consigned back to the shadows until very recently, when I decided to dig the Great Lakes Avenger out and get her tabletop ready.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three of four Beastman slowly being progressed

As a result I 'picked out' Doreen's leotard with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before applying some "Two Thin Coats" Sword Hilt Burgundy to her waist pouches. As far as I can tell from the artist sketches I was using as a colour guide these bags are supposed to weave in and out of the super-heroine's furry costume. However, I simply couldn't see any such detail on the sculpt, so eventually just went with picking out the utility belt's buckle with a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

I next applied some "Citadel" Doombull Brown to Squirrel Girl's curly mop, and followed this up by sploshing her hair, as well as the human mutate's fur, tail and pouches with plenty of Agrax Earthshade. The majority of these areas were later carefully dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna or "Citadel" Doombull Brown as appropriate. As a last touch I gave the squirrel sat upon Green's shoulder a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and a dash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil - thus hopefully suggesting her trusty companion is Tippy-Toe.

"Trench Stench" WIPs - These Bomb Coffins are now about two thirds completed

Alongside my latest "Heroclix" miniature, I have also been busy tackling four Beastmen by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". This quartet haven't been in my collection for quite as long as Squirrel Girl. But have still probably been quietly gathering dust for a good three years, and as I fancy using them as Cultists in some future battles of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", I thought I'd better continue slapping some (more) paint on them 'toot sweet.'

Finally, I am still plugging away at three Bomb Coffins from the Ghosts of the Nomansland range by "Trench Stench". These "heavily armoured, tormented figures" are taking a lot longer to complete than I first anticipated on account of their swirling, somewhat fiddly to reach spectral flames - which I admit I initially intended to simply pigment grey as I thought it was supposed to be smoke...

"Summoning Her Strange Sonic Powers..."

 "...Black Canary hurls a whistling whammy at the retreating hearse."

This 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of Black Canary was produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 036 from their DC “Heroclix” Cosmic Justice expansion. "A metahuman who possesses a unique ability known as the Canary Cry", this comic book super-heroine was created by Dennis O'Neil and Dick Dillin, and first appeared in the November 1969 issue of "Justice League of America".

Somewhat unsympathetically chopped from her 'clicky' base and super-glued onto a plastic 25mm circular base, Dinah Laurel Lance had her rather thick previous paint-job primed over with a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue, before being doused in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. The figure's clothing and boots were then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue to bring out some of the sculpt's detail.

"Bring it through safely. Land it."

I next applied some "Vallejo" Neutral Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to her tights in an effort to suggest that these were at least slightly transparent, and 'picked out' her rectangular belt buckle using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Lastly, I gave Black Canary's hair as many coats of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow as it needed so it stopped looking green, sploshed the area in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and subsequently tried to build back some of its colour with (more) Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats".

In addition to Dinah Lance I have also finished another 28mm scale white metal model by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”, which can be bought either separately as Alien Legionary 1A, or as part of the company's four-figure Alien Legionnaries set. Sculpted by Ernst Veingart, the miniature is clearly strongly influenced by Danilo Donati's costume design for the Emperor Ming's minions seen in Mike Hodges' cult 1980 movie "Flash Gordon", and is part of an embarrassingly sizeable and is part of a unit I'm currently working on for the Angry Piper's "Forced March" painting event over on his "Dead Dick’s Tavern and Temporary Lodging" wargaming blog.

"Trench Stench" WIPs - These Bomb Coffins have had their spectral flames 'picked out'

The trooper was predominantly pigmented using "Vallejo" Heavy Red, "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and Abaddon Black. However,  his belt buckle and shoulder epaulettes were treated to a little "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, whilst his gloved hands received a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

I've also hopefully completed the 'larger part' of three Bomb Coffins from the Ghosts of the Nomansland range by "Trench Stench". These STL (Standard Triangle Language) files were produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer, and are already part of an embarrassingly large pile of grey (resin) I have made for my games set "in a horrifying alternate timeline of World War One..."

"Strange Object In The Imperial Vortex."

"Object entering our control range, approaching the Sea of Fire."

This 28mm scale white metal model is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either separately as Alien Legionary 1D, or as part of their four-figure Alien Legionnaries set. Sculpted by Ernst Veingart, the miniature is clearly strongly influenced by Danilo Donati's costume design for the Emperor Ming's minions seen in Mike Hodges' cult 1980 movie "Flash Gordon", and, along with a number of its scarlet-coloured comrade-in-arms, has rather embarrassingly been sat awaiting some attention on my painting table for a couple of years now.

Initially primed using a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, the trooper was given a dousing in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, before being dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. The guard then had all of his leather straps and belt carefully 'picked out' with a smidgeon of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Furthermore, his belt buckle and shoulder epaulettes were subsequently were treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Wizkids" WIPs - Sergeant Rock, Squirrel Girl and Black Canary

In order to create the illusion that the legionary's gloves were made from a different material to his robes, I gave the figure's hands a lick of "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion, before shading them with a quick splash of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Lastly I applied some "Vallejo" Gunmetal to his face-mask's lenses and shaded the tiny areas with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

With just two more of these Alien Legionnaries left to complete before I can submit the finished unit into the Angry Piper's "Forced March" painting event over on his "Dead Dick’s Tavern and Temporary Lodging" wargaming blog, I've decided to dust down a few (really) old "Heroclix" models by "Wizkids" to help break up the monotony of pigmenting the same, similar-looking miniatures. Indeed, having now finished four of Ming's gas-mask wearing hoodlums in recent weeks, I must confess to losing some of my motivation to get the significantly-sized squad finally finished.

"Trench Stench" WIPs - A trio of Bomb Coffins

I had initially hoped that this trio of 28mm re-paints would prove fairly quick to get tabletop ready. But unlike the Black Canary - who I began progressing late last year, my Sergeant Rock and (to a lesser extent) Squirrel Girl will actually need some significant effort on account of Old Father Time taking its toll upon my earlier work. In fact, DC Comics' non-commissioned officer will effectively need a total overhaul after I discovered the figure was covered in tiny white blotches.

I've also decided to tap into my interest of "Trench Crusade" by producing and undercoating a trio Bomb Coffins from the Ghosts of the Nomansland range by "Trench Stench". These "hazardous battlefield obstacles" were created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer, and should give me another opportunity to devise a reasonably quick method of creating ethereal-looking undead creatures...

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://rantingsfromunderthewargamestable.wordpress.com/

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

Cheers Roger.

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

"We'll get a freighter."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"All You Have To Do..."

 "...Is stare Death in the face!"

This 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of Black Mask was produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 010 from their DC “Heroclix” Collateral Damage expansion. "Commonly depicted as a brutal and ruthless crime lord in Gotham City who has a fixation with masks", this comic book super-villain was created by Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake, and first appeared in the August 1985 issue of "Batman".

Rather unceremoniously snapped from its 'clicky' base and super-glued onto a plastic 25mm circular base, Roman Sionis was undercoated using plenty of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before being dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then gave his shirt and teeth a little touch of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and a wash of heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is."

The mass murderer's partially-destroyed metal walkway was given a lick of "Vallejo" Gunmetal, splashed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal. As I wanted to suggest the place was falling apart, I also sporadically added some dabs of Extreme Rust Wash by "Mig Productions" to it, and semi-blended these in with (another) dry-brush of "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

I was tempted to add a little colour to the ensemble by following the miniature's original colour scheme and making the ladder red. However, this struck me as being a bit too distracting for my liking, so in the end I simply settled for pigmenting his briefcase with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Saucermen Studios" WIPs - This Concrete Defence Wall is having all its details 'picked out'

Moving over to my current obsession with all things 3D printed, I've also completed a pair of 32mm Soviet Cosmonauts by "Black Site Studios". Their STL (Standard Triangle Language) file is from the company's Two-Player Digital Starter Set, and before being predominantly painted in "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, were both slightly upscaled by 1% due to the original sculpt appearing to be a bit more slender in its proportions than the cast resin Eastern Bloc astronauts I already own.

Lastly, I am continuing to progress a test piece of "Trench Crusade" inspired scenery which I recently produced on my "Bambu Labs" A1 Mini 3D printer. This small Concrete Defence Wall is made by "Saucermen Studios" as part of their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter, and is being used as a pilot piece for the colour scheme I plan to use for all my terrain "set in a horrifying alternate timeline of World War One."

"Batman's New Batmobile Upgrade..."

 "...Makes it more powerful than ever."

This 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of the Bat Sentry was produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 097 from their DC “Heroclix” Unleashed range. Designed as a new, robotic upgrade for the Batmobile, such automated defence drones were created by Bill Finger, and actually first appeared way back in the December 1956 issue of "Batman".

Unceremoniously clipped from the figure's 'clicky' base and super-glued upon a plastic 65mm circular base, the robot was given a couple of licks of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, enthusiastically dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and completely sploshed in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to all of the machine's metallic areas, such as its joints and the underside of Batmobile.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These four Soviet Cosmonauts just need some washes and tidy up

With the majority of the Bat Sentry completed, I then spent some time carefully 'picking out' the odd detail to help bring the model a little colour. Foremost of these areas was the model's eyes and chest symbol, which were pigmented in "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and a spot of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. The car's headlights were simply covered in some White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and then shaded with (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Alongside my first completed "Heroclix" figure in over eighteen months, I have also found a little more time to work on the metallic areas of my latest "Lunar" painting project. These four Soviet Cosmonauts will probably be the last of the "Spectre Miniatures" 3D prints I work on for a while, as I really want to get cracking on some of the other Moon-based factions I actually own on sprues.

"Wizkids" WIPs - The Penguin, Black Canary and the Black Mask

Foremost of these will be the Chinese Taikonauts, who come armed with a rather formidable Pickhammer. As with both the Russian and NASA astronauts I've previously painted, I'm planning on initially just assembling what can be constructed from their basic boxed set before I begin buying/printing any STL (Standard Triangle Language) files to supplement my force - albeit currently, "Black Site Studios" don't have any R.O.C. Taikonauts available as digital files on their webstore.

Lastly, I've made a bit more progress on some more "Heroclix" miniatures I recently dusted down from my plastic backlog on a bit of a whim. The actual scale of the Penguin sculpt is a little off-putting to be honest, when he's compared to the much less cartoony size of the Black Mask and Black Canary. However, if such irregular proportions was a deal breaker with my wargaming obsessive-compulsive disorder then I'd never have collected/painted such a huge number of the models in the first place...

"NASA Eventually Lost The Space Race..."

"...To Alexei Leonov and his fellow cosmonauts in 1969."

This 32mm NASA Astronaut is produced by "Black Site Studios" for their "Lunar" skirmish game, and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file comes as part of the company's Two-Player Digital Starter Set, but has been converted in order to better represent a pistol-packing space sapper.

As a result the figure's empty hands were carefully snipped off with a pair of modelling clippers and replaced with cast resin ones carrying a Markam S11 pistol and an explosive charge. Both of these 'bitz' were taken from the sprues I had left over from assembling my initial American faction using the aforementioned starter box, and readily adhered to the 3D print with a spot of super-glue.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - Four Soviet Cosmonauts carrying mass shotguns

The miniature was stuck onto a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, and undercoated with "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue. It was then drenched in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue to help better bring out all the space suit's various details. In addition I applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to the piece of insulation material running along the edge of the astronaut's backpack in order to slightly break up the monotony of the spaceman's palette a little bit.

The model's hand-weapon was quickly given a lick of Citadel "Abaddon Black", layered in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst his detonation device was 'picked out' using a combination of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and some watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade so as to match the colour scheme on the charge's game card. Lastly, his helmet's visor received a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, a couple of strokes of Gold, and a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Wizkids" WIPs - The Black Mask, the Black Canary and the Penguin

Sticking with "Lunar" I have also made some significant progress on some more Soviet Cosmonauts from the range, which I recently 3D printed. Apart from a couple of the Russians being 'mirrored' using "Chitubox", these figures have not been converted, as I want to build up a sizeable number of communist goons to use as potential 'gun-fodder' in my collaborative games using a homebrew adaption of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".

Finally, I suddenly seem to have been bitten by the "Wizkids" bug once again after a good couple of years. This is largely due to me wanting to play some villain verses villain battles set in Gotham City, using many of Batman's arch-enemies, and realising that I don't actually have a couple of the Dark Knight's most notable Rogues tabletop ready. As a result I've dusted down some old "Heroclix" figures of the Penguin and the Black Mask, as well as a fairly straightforward sculpt of the Black Canary - to use as a potential random encounter during my games...

"Spurred On By A Feeling Of Manifest Destiny..."

 "...The United States was able to rally its people behind a new desire for space heroes rooted in a nation's pride."

This 32mm NASA Astronaut is produced by "Black Site Studios" for their "Lunar" skirmish game, and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file comes as part of the company's Two-Player Digital Starter Set, but has been both 'mirrored' and quite heavily converted in order to represent an experienced fighter on the Moon's surface.

Indeed, as I plan to use this range of miniatures for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games" - with some lunar surface homebrew amendments - I thought this model would make an excellent Veteran Hunter for my American faction, so subsequently kitted him out with some extra shoulder pads, a Markam S11 pistol and some spare oxygen tanks. All of these additional 'bitz' were taken from the remaining cast resin pieces I had left over from the aforementioned Starter Box.

"Artisan Guild" WIPs - These Zeek Scuttlers have been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

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

Of course at this point I realised that in 'mirroring' the STL on Chitubox I had inadvertently moved the tubing to the American's left side. However, I don't think it's terribly noticeable or distracting from the figure himself - and perhaps could be seen to denote the chap is simply left-handed..? The miniature's hand-weapons were quickly treated to a lick of Citadel "Abaddon Black", layered in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and later shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Wizkids" WIPs - This old "Heroclix" figure has been dusted down so its details can be 'picked out'

In addition to finishing my veteran NASA Astronaut, I have also been busy pigmenting a quartet of Zeek Scuttlers I aim to use for "Kings Of War" by "Mantic Games". These insectoids will hopefully make good proxies for the Trident Realm Of Neritica, and should prove pretty straightforward to get tabletop ready on account of their predominantly brown (with a little bit of green to represent sea algae).

I'm also very much aware that my annual Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP) challenge is aimed at getting many of my long-forgotten, half-started projects tabletop ready, so with that in mind I've picked up an old plastic "Heroclix" Bat Sentry miniature I began working on way back in February 2020. This 75mm tall model comes from "Wizkids" DC HeroClix Unleashed expansion, and is one of the random encounters I have planned for a campaign based around Batman's main villains fighting for territory against one another in Gotham City.

"It's A Megalodon."

"It's circling back."

This 32mm scale Megalodon Dorsal Fin (Submerged) was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer, and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from "Loot Studios" as part of their "Forgotten Beasts" Sci-Fi Subscription bundle. 50mm tall and 80mm in length, the miniature actually comes in two separate pieces, with the 'Splash' needing to be printed on its own.

I was initially tempted to plonk the ensemble onto a "Citadel" circular stand. But then decided that one of the Nottingham-based company's plastic 52mm x 90mm oval bases would greatly reduce the amount of waves I would need to create in Green Stuff, as well as add to the overall dynamic of the giant fin cutting straight through the water at a serious rate of knots. Resultantly, I super-glued the huge spray down, and once I'd finished painstaking 'cutting in' plenty of ripples on the putty with a modelling knife, gave the entire piece a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and a splosh of "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade.

"Alternative Armies" WIPs - A converted Retained Knight Commander with Octa Power Sword

I then repeatedly just added a little bit more "Vallejo" White to the mix, and used a make-up blusher brush to patiently lighten all the numerous ridges sculpted onto the Splash. Once I was happy with the waves pigmentation, I picked up a much smaller make-up brush, and applied some pure "Vallejo" White to the very edges of the spray.

With the larger piece completed, I next turned my attention to the fin and primed it with a combination of "Vallejo" Neutral Grey and Sombre Grey, before shading the triangular print with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The Megalodon was subsequently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and later had all its injuries washed with a little "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Lastly, it was given a second dry-brush of (even more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and a last lick of Neutral Grey.

"Wizkids" WIPs - S.T.R.I.P.E. is having all his red armour 'picked out'

Alongside this opening trip to "a strange, different reality, where the moon intercepted the gigantic meteor that would bring extinction to all dinosaurs", I have also been working on a 28mm metal model by "Alternative Armies" which I first bought and converted approximately four years ago. This Retained Knight Commander with Octa Power Sword was given a pair of plastic "Games Workshop" Blood Angel wings so I could better use it as a Sanguinius proxy for my 15mm Horus Heresy project using "The Ion Age" range - and once the base colours/washes were applied has disconcertingly just sat in a drawer until now.

I've also 'dug out' an age-old "Heroclix" sculpt of S.T.R.I.P.E. by "Wizkids". This supposedly "super rare" 28mm scale plastic figure has previously been cut off of its flying stand and been potentially pigmented in "Citadel" Leadbelcher to cover its pre-paint-job, before being set aside for a rainy day. So I figured I apply some "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to Pat Dugan's armoured suit, and see whether that motivates me to finally finish the Star-Spangled Kid's side-kick...