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!

"This Immensely Large Black Wolf Seems As Big As A Horse."

"It has fiery eyes, a thick coat of fur, and spikes crowning the top of its spine."

This 28mm scale Orr'ugs Wolf is produced by "Artisan Guild" and was downloaded for free as part of a multi-piece set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their "Patreon" subscription service. One of four different poses, this impressive sculpt was originally 80mm from nose to tail, but has actually been reduced in scale down to 'just' 45mm in "Chitubox" Basic to see whether it would work as a Dark Wolf for "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games".  

Initially I actually 3D printed four versions of the animal, ranging from 30mm, 35mm, 40mm and 45mm for a friend, so they could see which size they wanted to fit onto a 25mm circular base. In the end they went for the 40mm miniature, whereas I liked the notion of a larger beast sitting upon a 30mm circular stand. I still have a couple more wolves from "Warlord Games" Mythic Americas range to paint - to use as Dark Wolf proxies. However, I much prefer these figures in both size and detail, so may well print out another dozen or so at some point to use instead.

"The Kingdom of Great Britain (later the United Kingdom) was the most constant of France's enemies."

Produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer, the 'wandering monster' was primed using "Citadel" Abaddon Black and dry-brushed with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. It was then shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before being lightly dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. The brute's eyes, teeth and claws were patiently picked out using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and later washed with some "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson or Agrax Earthshade as appropriate.

In addition to my horror-themed 'test piece', I have also completed a second 28mm scale metal by “Wargames Foundry". Taken from their B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms set, the Napoleonic British soldier was predominantly pigmented using a combination of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Vallejo" Heavy Red. Both of these colours were subsequently sploshed with some watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to add a little shadow here and there.

"Knight Models" WIPs - Batman's base topper along with Peacemaker and Eagly

I also applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade to the figure's water bottle, and a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the Redcoat's bag. Lastly, I used a little "Vallejo" Neutral Grey on the miniature's blanket, and some Gold on his shako plate. These areas were then darkened down with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade respectively.

I've also been busy working on some more of the STLs provided by "Knight Models" as part of their "Batman Miniatures Game" Gotham Lord Tribe pledge on "My Mini Factory". Some of these models come on some incredibly detailed base toppers, so currently I'm slowly working my way through one for the Dark Knight himself, along with Peacemaker and his sidekick Eagly...

"I Will Enjoy Feasting On Your Bones!"

 "Bein' a reptile man ain't pretty."

This 35mm scale miniature of Killer Croc Thug is produced by "Knight Models" for their "Batman Miniature Game", and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file was part of the company's Gotham Lord Tribe pledge in September 2025 on "My Mini Factory", and also came with a base topper and 40mm lipped base (which was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer).

Sculpted to depict Waylon Jones' scaly alter-ego in an intimidating, no-nonsense pose, the figure was primed using a couple of layers of White Star by "Two Thin Coats", and had his shoes, belt and braces 'picked out' with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The super-villain's trousers were then given a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before being sploshed with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade in an effort to make them look like faded blue jeans.

"Black Site Studio" WIPs - These three Soviet Cosmonauts just need some shades and a tidy up

Killer Croc's flesh was first base coated with some "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and later shaded using "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and Agrax Earthshade. His scales were subsequently carefully dry-brushed with a little (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey. I also took this opportunity to patiently dot all the buckles on his braces using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, his vest was simply 'dirtied up' with some heavily-watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Staying with 3D prints, I have managed to get a bit more work done on a trio of Soviet Cosmonauts recently produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer. To be honest these particular figures have taken a lot longer than anticipated after initially pigmenting them all in "Vallejo" Heavy Red, as opposed to the "Two Thin Coats" Sanguine Scarlet I used on their comrades-in-arms last year.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Still quite a bit of work needed on these remaining British Grenadiers

Obviously this meant I had to repaint all three sculpts from scratch as the red hue was noticeably different from that of my other Russians. However, as my colour scheme for these communist moon men is very straightforward they shouldn't take too much longer - and as I have a handful more NASA Astronauts printed too, I'm hoping to get at least half a dozen of these "Black Site Studio" STLs tabletop ready before the end of the month.

Lastly, I'm still 'soldiering on' with a few more British Grenadiers from the "Wargames Foundry" blister B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms. My enthusiasm for the Newark-based manufacturer's Napoleonic range has taken a little dent due to my planned trip up to their store being cancelled at the last minute by the facility experiencing electrical issues - and therefore having no lighting. I had been hoping to pick up a few more reinforcements for Wellington's Redcoats to help strengthen my resolve to get at least four of the fiddly soldiers finished. But I'll now have to wait until I make either a journey to East Stoke next year, or they hold a Christmas sale...

"The Right Stuff..?"

 "That's what they used to be called."

This 32mm resin miniature is produced by "Black Site Studios", and forms part of the Lunar Core Game pre-order I made with the American-based manufacturer just over four years ago in July 2021. However, the model is currently available as either part of the five-figure set SKU: LNR6809BSS - NASA Astronauts, or the manufacturer's Two-Player Starter Box, and was assembled using elements taken from the numerous hands, weapons and equipment pieces which came inside my old starter box.

Prior to painting, the spaceman was super-glued onto a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, rather than one of the bases which came with the kit, and then equipped him with a large monkey wrench, as well as what I initially thought was a storage container. As I actually plan to use this range for a homebrew version of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games", I thought I could simply paint his box white, and 'turn him' into a Doctor - and indeed, that is still my plan for the chap. But I have since seen the game's Item Card "Explosive Charge", which suggests the device he's carrying is disconcertingly meant to be a bomb.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These three Soviet Cosmonauts have been primed in "Vallejo" Heavy Red

The miniature was undercoated with a couple of licks of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, drenched in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue. I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to a piece of insulation material running along the edge of the astronaut's backpack so as to potentially break up the monotony of the rocketeer's palette a little bit. This didn't turn out half as well as I had hoped though, due to the colour's hue being a little too close to the predominant colour to stand out - especially once they'd both been sploshed with the same "Citadel" Colour Shade.

The American's hand-weapon was simply based coated with Citadel "Abaddon Black", layered in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. For his medical kit, I gave both the box and its straps a few applications of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and subsequently shaded the entire area with some heavily watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I also added a Red Cross emblem onto it so as to better mark the figure out as a medic - a task easier said than done as the decal was rather old and frustratingly came in two separate parts: the plain white circle and the red cross.

"Knight Models" WIPs - Killer Croc just needs a dry-brush and some tidying up before being finished

Perhaps unsurprisingly as I'm in something of a "Lunar" mood, I have 3D printed, based and primed three (more) Soviet Cosmonauts on my "Elegoo" Mars 5 in Water Washable Resin. I managed to pick up these STL (Standard Triangle Language) files at a reduced price in December last year, and frankly don't think much of them at all due to their being no customisation options, as well as them being somewhat smaller than the company's resin cast models.

Far more impressive have been all the "Batman Miniatures Game" figures I have received from "Knight Models" as part of my Gotham Lord Tribe on "My Mini Factory". In particular, I've really been enjoying pigmenting their Killer Croc Thug sculpt, and hope to have Waylon Jones' scale-covered alter-ego tabletop ready within the next few days...

"In The Early Anglo-Saxon Period Most Of Essex Was Covered By Forests."

"So meadow lands suitable for producing good hay were rare and valuable."

This 32mm scale model of a (medium) Anglo-Saxon Haystack was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer, and is available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from the "Last Sword Miniatures" webstore. Measuring 100mm in height and approximately 75mm in width, the piece of scenery was super-glued onto a 80mm circular MDF base by "Warbases". I also drilled five holes into the base just in case there was still any uncured resin inside the hollow print, which could allow any lingering fumes to properly vent.

Unfortunately during the printing process (where I was printing two of the model on a single plate) a few of the supports failed around one of the haystack's timber legs and caused it to mis-print the bottom of it. Luckily, the rest of the sculpt turned out fine, so I was able to simply cut away the offending part with a modelling knife, and use some Green Stuff to build up the ground around it so as to cover over the gap.

"They wore fur caps, white uniform and white breeches, and short black gaiters."

The model was undercoated using a couple of licks of “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and enthusiastically drenched in “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. It was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Dark Yellow and a little (lighter-coloured) Buff. The haystack's poles were simply given a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, darkened down using a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and finally highlighted back up with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

In addition to my second of several planned haystacks, I have completed another Napoleonic Austrian by "Wargames Foundry". This 28mm metal sculpt is from their AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching blister and was undercoated in "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then applied a base layer of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to his uniform, and washed it with a little heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to bring out its details.

"Knight Models" WIPs - Killer Croc just needs his scaly hide completed

I next applied a combination of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to the infantryman's collar, cuffs, waist-band, helmet and turnbacks, before 'picking out' his water bottle and bayonet with some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The Grenadier's sabre hilt, scabbard tip, ammunition pouch and helmet plate were simply pigmented using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, I added a smidgeon of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and Wyvern Green to the miniature's head plume and later washed these areas with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil respectively.

Despite all these time-consuming details I've also made more progress on my Killer Croc Thug by "Knight Models". This "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin 3D figure has really caught my imagination, and as I'm planning on using it for my own 'homebrew' rules rather than the official "Batman Miniatures Game" - which apparently requires a phone app to play - I may well print out a couple more of the hulking bruiser for my tabletop to use as scaly minions for a 'bigger' Waylon Jones sculpt, once this one is finished...

"As The Klingons Are Portrayed As A Warrior Culture..."

"...The Empire is shown to use warships almost exclusively."

This Kurgun C3-A Heavy Cruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two-piece spacecraft has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model, and measures an impressive 80mm in length.

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

"The first Austrian grenadiers came into being in 1700."

Alongside the latest addition to my (not) Klingon Defence Force, I have finished two more Napoleonic Austrians by "Wargames Foundry". This pair of identical 28mm metal sculpts are from their AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching blister and were primed using a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then applied a base layer of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to the majority of their uniforms, and weathered it with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I next applied a combination of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to each elite infantryman's collar, cuffs, waist-band, helmet and turnbacks, before 'picking out' their water bottles and bayonets with some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

The Grenadiers' sabre hilts, scabbard tips, ammunition pouches and helmet plates were simply pigmented using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Lastly I added a smidgeon of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and Wyvern Green to each model's head plume - in line with the colours used on the "Wargames Foundry" website. Both of these areas were later washed with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil respectively.

"Knight Models" WIPs - This Killer Croc Thug is being painted from the boots up

Despite so much of my spare time being taken up with using my brush-tip lately, I have still managed to continue producing a fair few models using some "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer, and "Knight Models" recent announcement that they were going to be releasing their "Batman Miniature Game" (BMG) range as STL (Standard Triangle Language) files has only helped increase my enthusiasm for this side-hobby. Indeed, I've already gone 'all-in' on their Gotham Lord Tribe on "My Mini Factory".

As a result I've been busy using both my aforementioned Mars 5 and A1 Mini to create a number of Gotham City's darker denizens, as well as their respective bases. To begin this 'unforeseen' project, I thought I'd tackle a Killer Croc Thug from The Joker’s crew. Now, I have no intention of actually playing the BMG itself - despite being sent the rulebook, cards, counters, tokens and scenery from the "extremely competitive skirmish" game's starter set as PDFs. But I did think I could (once again) utilise "The Silver Bayonet" or "Five Parsecs From Home" rules with some homebrew additions...

"You're Fish."

"Fish come out of the water and they die."

This 35mm scale metal miniature of the Black Manta is produced by "Knight Models" for their "Batman Miniature Game", and can be purchased as either part of the DC Universe/Batman Miniature Game: Secret Society of Super-villains set, along with Killer Frost and Professor Zoom, or as a single blistered figure. Sculpted to depict the "ruthless and murderous underwater-based mercenary" wearing his infamous "nigh-invulnerable battle-suit", the archenemy of Aquaman was created by Bob Haney and artist Nick Cardy, and made his first appearance in the September 1967 issue of "Aquaman" by "DC Comics".

"Currently in the New Suicide Squad under the command of Amanda Waller" this four-piece model was carefully assembled and primed using a double layer of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The "expert in mechanical engineering and military tactics" was then enthusiastically dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal before being drenched in "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Heroclix" WIPs - Zzzax is slowly being dry-brushed with increasingly lighter shades of yellow

I 'picked out' Black Manta's advanced technological suit, his jet pack propulsion system, wrist-mounted speargun, diving helmet and hand-weapon with a combination of "Citadel" Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil. Later I dry-brushed both the helmet, jet pack and Death Ray with (more) "Citadel" Ironbreaker. As a final touch I layered his eye lenses with Vallejo" Heavy Red, and shaded them in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

Sticking with the theme of super-villains, I have continued to labour away at my 60mm tall plastic "Heroclix" miniature of Zzzax. This electrical foe of the incredible Hulk has patiently had all his detail dry-brushed with numerous, ever-increasingly light tones of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre to the point of almost pure White, and is now ready for me to experiment upon using my recently purchased bottle of the "Vallejo" Model Color, Yellow Fluorescent...

"Wizkids" WIPs - A Dire Wraith, a U-Man and the Abomination

In addition, I have been pottering about on a number of other models manufactured by "Wizids", including another of Bruce Banner's arch-nemesis, namely Emil Blonsky's alter-ego, the Abomination. This old figure is one of my all-time favourites produced by the New Jersey-based company, as it depicts the former KGB agent in his original mutated guise, and has proved an absolute pleasure to prime, shade and dry-brush.

I've also found some time to 'crack on' with the four remaining U-Men I want to complete so as to provide the nefarious Nazi, Major Maxim, with a suitably-sized retinue of sinister frogmen. Plus, having taken a ‘deep-dive’ into my “Heroclix” backlog, I have located, re-based and undercoated another eight-figure strong sisterhood of Dire Wraiths with which to potentially threaten the “Marvel Wordwide” universe with...

"Your Insolence Has Exhausted My Patience."

"Your persistence is admirable. But your arrogance will prove fatal!"

This 45mm tall plastic “Wizkids” model of Major Maxim is miniature number 054 from their Indy “Heroclix” range and depicts the Hammer operative during a raid upon Eddy Owen's house in England, when the "robotic monstrosity" was searching for a mystical artefact from Atlantis known as the Helmet of Second Sight. Working for a secret organisation "built out of the remnants of the Nazi Empire", the cyborg first appeared in the August 1998 issue of “Danger Girl” and was created by J. Scott Campbell Andy Hartnell.

Willing to "stop at nothing to complete his orders", Maxim was initially primed using some "Vallejo" Black and then treated to a coat of "Citadel" Abbadon Black. I did consider subsequently dry-brushing the figure with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal, as I do for all my predominantly black miniatures. But decided against it as I wanted the hulking brute to appear as devilishly dark as he does in the heavily saturated "Cliffhanger" colour comic books.

"Wizkids" WIPs - Four of the eight "Heroclix" U-Men currently on the painting table

The Major's belt buckle, pipes, medal, breathing apparatus, goggles and cap badge were painted with "Citadel" Ironbreaker and later shaded using some Nuln Oil. I then picked out his armband with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, and tidied up its sculpted Hammer emblem with a touch of Abaddon Black.

As a final touch I dotted the fascist fiend's eyes with a couple of dabs of "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion, and washed them with (more) "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. I also pigmented the fluid tanks at the sides of Maxim's breathing apparatus with "Vallejo" Steel Grey", before dappling the areas with "Citadel" Asurmen Blue.

"Knight Models" WIPs - The Black Manta has been dry-brushed, layered and shaded

Having finished Major Maxim I wanted to give him some Hammer agents to command as quickly as possible, so having painted some "Wizkids" U-Men in the past, I quickly dug out some more figures from my embarrassingly large "Heroclix" backlog. However, as I wanted some of these frogmen to be armed with specialist weapons, I converted a few of their firearms using some spare pieces of "Gale Force Nine" 15mm plastic tanks.

In addition, my recent trip to "Beachhead" 2020 reminded me that at last year's show I bought a few cheap "DC Comics" super-villains made by "Knight Models" for their "Batman Miniatures Game". Considering I am currently using a lot of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Ironbreaker, my figure of Black Manta therefore seemed an obvious subject to paint alongside my U-Men... 

"I Am Awake!"

"And I thirst for vengeance!"

This 28mm scale resin miniature of a Trigon Portal is one of the eleven resin miniatures which can be found inside the Teen Titans Bat-Box for the "Batman Miniatures Game" by "Knight Models", and is used as an objective marker during the Teen Titans scenario: Portal of Evil. Able to bestow two Victory Points to "its owner when they control it", this marker's owner can also score "an additional Victory Point for each friendly model controlling it after the first, up to an additional two Victory points", and can cause "all models within 8 inches" to suffer a "Push effect of four inches (no roll is required) directly away from the portal."

The single-piece casting was primed using a double coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, and thoroughly dry-brushed with some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. I then started building up the magical doorway's highlights using "Vallejo" Heavy Orange, Heavy Ochre, Iraqi Sand and a smidgen of Dead White. The entire ensemble was subsequently glazed using "Citadel" Bloodletter.

"Crooked Dice" WIPs - This Fishfolk Devil has been primed, washed and dry-brushed

Having ensured that I had one less miniature in my painting queue, I recently made the annual trip up to the Rivermead Leisure Centre in Reading for the Wargames Association of Reading's event "Warfare". Ordinarily, as "one of the largest [shows] in the country", this convention causes my wallet considerable pain, as I usually come away with a number of purchases I could never have anticipated buying prior to walking through its doors.

Disconcertingly however, I didn't find this year's array of traders to be especially enticing, with the notable exception of "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", who not only ensured that I walked away with a handful of their characterful Fishfolk Devils. But also a reassuringly heavy copy of their 7TV: Pulp Boxed Set, a "tabletop skirmish game inspired by the American cinema serials and pulp magazines of the 1930's and 1940's", which was on sale at a modest discount for the weekend of the show.

"Warcry" WIPs - An almost completed Iron Legionary and Drillmaster

Indeed, even the much publicised "ever popular (and huge) bring and buy" sale didn't get close to making me put my hand in my pocket, and in the end the only 'out of production' figures I found of interest were three blisters of metal "Confrontation" models by "Rackham", which were simply sat on the table of a dealer in the main hall. It was though certainly nice to once again briefly meet up with fellow blogger Ray Rousell of "Don't Throw A One" fame.

Setting aside my disappointment with "Warfare", I have almost finished the fifth member of my Iron Golem warband for "Warcry". Chock full of excruciatingly annoying fine detail, these hard plastic "Games Workshop" figures have proved frustratingly time-consuming to progress, but having changed tactics so as to pigment their brass-work first, I'm hopeful that I've now discovered a method of painting the heavily-armoured warriors that little bit quicker than before...

"His -- His Skin! It's Turned Green!"

"We've made it! He'll remain in that form for twenty-four hours -- Until he's defeated the disease!"

This 28mm scale figure of Beast Boy is one of the eleven multi-part resin miniatures which can be found inside the Teen Titans Bat-Box for the "Batman Miniatures Game" by "Knight Models", and represents Garfield Logan during his tenure on the teenage super-group. "A shapeshifter who possesses the ability to metamorph into any animal he chooses, "Gar" first appearing in the November 1965 issue of "The Doom Patrol" by "DC Comics", but was then later re-invented by Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez into the Changeling for the October 1980 issue of "DC Comics Presents".

One of only two single-piece castings within the expansion set, this figure was infinitely more straightforward to prepare for basing than some of its multi-part compatriots, and was primed using a double coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Red. Beast Boy was then thoroughly drenched in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson before being dry-brushed with some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

"This is the most fantastic thing in the world!"

Unfortunately, this is where my frustration with this slender sculpt began to mount, as despite some careful brushwork, I found I simply couldn't see where all the white markings were which covered the metahuman's costume. I did attempt to try and 'pick out' the Changeling's chest chevron using some "Vallejo" Dead White, but soon gave up in exasperation when I found myself unable to find even the slightest indentation in the miniature's clothing for that particular piece of detail.

As a result I decided to stick to simply pigmenting Logan's gloves and legging bottoms with "Vallejo" Dead White, and kept the rest of his attire predominantly red. Slightly disconcertingly though, even this compromise proved a bit of a time-consuming challenge, as the edges weren't as smoothly-sculpted as I would have expected, and ultimately left little opportunity for me to subsequently shade them with a little "Vallejo" Pale Grey wash...

"Warcry" WIPs - This Iron Legionary is slowly having all his metalwork painted

Garfield's head, arms and legs were given a double-layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Green, drowned with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green, and lightly dry-brushed with some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green. Lastly, I applied a couple of dots of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to Beast Boy's eyes, and tidied his face up a little with a touch more "Vallejo" Heavy Green.

Despite my issues with my latest "Knight Models" model, I am still ploughing my way through my Iron Golem warband, and have almost finished the third of my Iron Legionaries. I've actually tried a different approach with this highly-detailed hard plastic "Games Workshop" figure by painting all of his extensive brass armour first, and then slowly working my way through all his flesh and plain metalwork afterwards...

"More Than Just Warriors, The Iron Golem Are Superb Smiths..."

"...Believing flesh to be impermanent where metal is eternal."

This 28mm scale model of an Iron Legionary is one of the eight multi-part plastic miniatures which can be found inside the Iron Golem "Warcry" warband boxed set by “Games Workshop". Harnessing "the raging magma-flows" the Ferrium Mountains "spits forth" so as to forge his weapons and armour, this figure came in five separate pieces and included the option to either be armed with some spinning bolas or a pair of battle hammers.

Having glued the "living battering ram" upon its 28mm circular base, the entire ensemble was primed with two layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, and had all of his numerous pieces of armour, as well as some tiny symbolic hammers dangling from his crescent moon-shaped chest-plate, painted using a combination of Brass and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. The vast majority of these areas were then given to a coat of the "Citadel" Flesh Tearer Red, which had been previously 'watered down' using some Contrast Medium.

Iron Golem WIPs - The Legionaries "Vallejo" Brass armour was slowly 'picked out' before being shaded

This Contrast colour emboldened the warrior's shoulder-pads, helmet, shin-plate, back-plate, chest-plate and gut-protector with a metallic red hue, which partially allowed some of the "Vallejo" Brass underneath to shine through. I did however, decide to leave the Legionary's spiked knee-guard and right wrist bracelet 'pure' Brass in order to help break-up the fighter's somewhat overpowering ruby palette. The Iron Golem's chain-mail loincloth, face-plate, chain-link belt, straps, and brain-bludgeoning hammers were painted in "Citadel" Ironbreaker, and subsequently shaded with Nuln Oil.

To be honest, it was at this stage that I was really starting to regret adding the spare bolas to the grisly combatant's left hip, as not only did the extra weapon make it frustratingly difficult to reach the sculpt's now partially covered details underneath it. But it also repeatedly 'caught' my brush, disconcertingly deflecting its tip to strike either the Chaos soldier's left-handed weapon or his left leg's armour. Many a time this annoying 'bump' caused me to have to repaint either the aforementioned battle hammer or his limb. 

"Knight Models" WIPs - The Trigon Portal has been slowly dry-brushed in increasingly lighter colours

In addition I also stepped away from the warband's 'official' "Games Workshop" pale grey skin and instead applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade to all the chaos warrior's flesh. Lastly, I 'picked out' the shafts of the Iron Golems' hand-weapons with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Blue, and later shaded them using some out of production "Citadel" Badab Black.

Alongside my "Warcry" figures, I have been slowly making some more progress on the contents of the Batman Miniatures: Teen Titans boxed set by “Knight Models”. I still have a fair few of the models to assemble and base, but spotted the Bat-box's Trigon Portal as a reasonably straightforward painting project which is also central to the expansion's Teen Titan free scenario entitled Portal of Evil...

"Turns Out A Talking Bengal Tiger Freaks Everyone Out."

"Maybe I should've picked something a little cuddlier to change into?"

This 28mm scale figure of a Tiger is one of the eleven multi-part resin miniatures which can be found inside the Teen Titans Bat-Box for the "Batman Miniatures Game" by "Knight Models", and represents the superhero Garfield Logan in his tiger form. Inadvertently given his transformational powers by his parents, when they subjected him to "an untested serum" based upon the West African green monkey in order to save his life, Beast Boy was created by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown, and made his first appearance in the November 1965 issue of "The Doom Patrol" by "DC Comics".

The Panthera tigris came in three pieces, and as a result was reasonably straightforward to assemble, albeit the thigh of its separate back leg left a bit of a gap when fitted against its hind quarters. The entire model was simply primed with a double-layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Green and shaded using a generous amount of "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green.

"Crooked Dice" WIPs - These Great Apes have been primed and dry-brushed

I then heavily dry-brushed the entire ensemble with some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, before finishing the "solitary but social predator" off with a couple of spots of "Citadel" Abaddon Black for its eyes. To be honest I was sorely tempted at this stage to leave the figure well enough alone, especially as I had seen a few others plainly paint the megafauna. Yet even I soon succumbed to the necessity of having to pick out some stripes along the tiger's back, underbelly, limbs and tail.

Originally, I tried using some pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black for the animal's markings, similar to those seen on the real McCoy. However, these appeared a little too dark for my liking, so ultimately I mixed some "Vallejo" Dark Green with a smidgen of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and used this combination for my stripes. As a last touch I applied a second dry-brush of "Vallejo" Heavy Green across the entire tiger in order to better blend everything together.

"Crooked Dice" WIPs - These multi-part Protoplasmic Terrors have been primed and dry-brushed

Staying within the animal kingdom, I have also received, based and primed three Great Apes from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio". These dynamically-sculpted metal miniatures are significantly smaller than the Lincoln-based company's Giant Ape, but are a huge improvement over the paltry pre-painted plastic "Heroclix" figure of Mikhlo the gorilla I recently painted.

In addition, I have bought some their disconcertingly different Protoplasmic Terrors, which I stupidly failed to buy when I visited the "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" stall at "Colours" 2019. These resin kits have proved a lot of fun to assemble, as they come with a variety of tentacles which can be attached (or in my case pinned into place) in a number of ways...

"The Demon's Fist Belongs To The Shadows"

"No, Trigon -- They might not fight you, but I will."

This 28mm scale figure of Raven is one of the eleven multi-part resin miniatures which can be found inside the Teen Titans Bat-Box for the "Batman Miniatures Game" by "Knight Models", and depicts the Cambion wearing a costume which is similar to that worn when she reformed "the Teen Titans as the New Teen Titans [so as] to fight her father." A "powerful empath who can sense emotions and control her soul-self" Rachel Roth's alter-ego was created by Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and made her first appearance in the October 1980 issue of "DC Comics Presents".

Despite the "daughter of a demon father" coming in just two pieces, the model still proved something of a problem to prepare for priming, courtesy of the delicate cloaked head and separate main torso resisting all efforts to remain super-glued together. However, after a lengthy wait I was finally able to prime the figure with two coats of the old 'out-of-production' "Citadel" Foundation colour Necron Abyss.

"Star Trek" WIPs - These Borg drones have been base-layered prior to being washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil

Perhaps understandably, this paint took a fair bit of stirring in the pot before it provided an even pigmentation, but it eventually gave Raven a nice disconcertingly blue undercoat, which I could then later shade with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The miniature was subsequently dry-brushed using (more) "Citadel" Necron Abyss, and this process took a fair amount of time as I was very aware of just how fragile the connection was between the magic user's petite feet and her circular slotta base. 

With the vast majority of Trigon's daughter now complete, I 'picked out' her flesh using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. These areas, especially her face were later highlighted with a touch more "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone. I also used this opportunity to angle the dark shadows masking the woman's eyes, and dabbed a spot of "Vallejo" Heavy Violet and "Citadel" Druchii Violet over her lips.

"Black Cast Bases" WIPs - These tiny squirrels just need a bit of a tidy up before being finished

Finally, I applied a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna across the empath's belt, covered this with some Gold, and later washed it in "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. To be honest, there are a number of extra details on the official "Knight Models" paint-job which I would dearly loved to have followed with this figure, but for sanity's sake simply could not tackle, or, in some cases, even see on the physical model. These were most notably some of Raven's fingers poking out through her fingerless gloves, her hood's throat clasp and her all-white eyes.

Every now and then I stumble upon a range of miniatures which makes me scratch my head in wonder, and then purchase a few to test my painting skills. One such genre are these 28mm scale Squirrels by "Black Cat Bases", which can be found as part of the Hampshire-based company's Small Animals collection. I've bought a few as I hope to use them as potential 'wound' makers for my "Heroclix" Squirrel Girl once I've finished her re-paint...