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 Main British Heavy Machine Gun Used In The Falklands War..."

"...Was the L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), a 7.62mm weapon."

These eight 10mm white metal British soldiers are by "Pendraken Miniatures" and were bought as part of their Falklands British Army Pack whilst I was visiting "Colours" 2023. Each 30mm x 40mm plastic base consists of two gunners and two loaders from the blister FLB28 - GPMG team, prone, helmet (5 teams) and were painted after I'd super-glued the four pairings onto their respective rectangular stands. 

The models were all primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey. I then began the patient process of 'picking out' all their boots, hands, faces and weapons with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before 'picking out' the troopers' skin with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade." These areas of flesh were later highlighted back up with a dab (more) of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone.

"The British invested all the money and energy it could raise into the Napoleonic Wars."

The soldiers' GPMGs and accompanying ammunition belts were simply pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also applied a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to some of the soldiers' waist pouches, just to slightly break up the monotony of their predominantly 'dirty green' attire.

Alongside these heavy weapon teams for my "Germany 1985" project, I have also managed to get a third 28mm scale metal Napoleonic British Grenadier tabletop ready too. Taken from the “Wargames Foundry". blister B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms, the figure 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.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These NASA Astronauts have been shaded using "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade 

In addition I 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.

Obviously, so time-consuming a model has meant that I've somewhat struggled to get much more done on the trio of NASA astronauts I recently assembled using some (failed) 3D printed models from the "Lunar" Two-Player Digital Starter Set by "Black Site Studios", and a handful of cast resin bitz I had left over from the company's original 2021 Core Game box. I'm hoping to still get these miniatures finished before the end of the month. But if not, then I'm currently considering simply rolling the project on into November - as I seem to have really caught the 'moon surface battle bug' presently...

"The Conflict Lasted Seventy-Four Days..."

"...And ended with an Argentine surrender on 14 June, returning the islands to British control."

These five 10mm metal British soldiers are by "Pendraken Miniatures" and were bought as part of their Falklands British Army Pack whilst I was visiting "Colours" 2023. The 30mm x 40mm plastic base is comprised of a single figure from the following codes: FLB25 - Officers, with SLR/SMG/map, helmet, FLB26 - Radio Operators, helmet, and FLB24 - Standing, firing SMG, helmet.

The models were all originally super-glued onto a wooden painting stick, undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey. I then began the patient process of 'picking out' all their boots, hands, faces and weapons with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before dabbing at the troopers' skin with a brush-tip covered in "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone.

"Klingon starships are known for their warrior culture and are primarily used for military purposes."

These areas were later shaded with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and highlighted back up with a smidgeon of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone. The soldiers' guns were simply pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to any visible rifle butts and the odd rear-located ammunition, as well as some "Two Thin Coats" White Star and (heavily watered-down) "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the officer's map.

Alongside the latest addition to my slowly growing "Germany 1985" project completed, I have managed to rattle off another Kurgun S-3 Scout spacecraft by "Fat Dragon Games". This vessel 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 as part of the "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Four Napoleonic German Grenadiers

The single-piece spacecraft was printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height, so as to minimise any striation lines on the finished miniature, and was largely painted in "Vallejo" Heavy Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. However, the (not) Klingon ship was later carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, and had its warp nacelle pigmented using a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

Lastly, I have not forgotten about my Napoleonic Austrian force using some of the fantastic 28mm metal figures by "Wargames Foundry", and resultantly have managed to get some basic layer colours on a quartet of identical models taken from their blister AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching. The first of these miniatures completed will be destined for my Austrian "The Silver Bayonet" warband, as I need one to fill out my seven-man squad - albeit I'll be using the British rules as for some reason the basic rule book doesn't allow me to bring any Jaegers as Riflemen...

"The British Government Dispatched A Naval Task Force..."

"...To engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault."

These five 10mm metal British soldiers are by "Pendraken Miniatures" and were bought as part of their Falklands British Army Pack whilst I was visiting "Colours" 2023. The 30mm x 40mm plastic base is comprised of a single figure from the following codes: FLB20 - Advancing with SLR, helmet, FLB21 - Advancing under fire, helmet, FLB22 - Kneeling, firing SLR, helmet, FLB23 - Standing, firing SLR, helmet, and FLB24 - Standing, firing SMG, helmet.

The models were all originally super-glued onto a wooden painting stick, undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey. I then began the patient process of 'picking out' all their boots, hands, faces and weapons with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before dabbing at the troopers' skin with a brush-tip covered in "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone.

"The numerous languages spoken by the Austrian army made communication at all levels problematic."

These areas were later shaded with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and highlighted back up with a smidgeon of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone. The soldiers' guns were simply pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, I applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to any visible rifle butts and the odd rear-located ammunition.

With the latest addition to my slowly growing "Germany 1985" project finished - which is based upon the old Commodore 64 computer game by "Strategic Simulations Incorporated" - I have also just about squeezed in the fourth of this month's planned Napoleonic figures by "Wargames Foundry". Taken from their Austrian range's blister AN002 German Infantry Marching set, the 28mm scale metal model was primed using a couple of layers of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and shaded using some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"An asteroid was a type of planetary body that was generally smaller than a planetoid."

It was subsequently predominantly painted using "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade,"Vallejo" Heavy Red, "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, "Vallejo" Gunmetal, "Citadel" Nuln Oil, "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I've still got another half dozen of this self-same sculpt by the Perry Brothers to get tabletop ready, and aim to break the back of this task over the next four or so weeks - creating a small-sized unit of either Budweis or Leitmeritz volunteers for "Black Powder."

In addition, I've somehow completed a final entry for Dave Stone's Season of Scenery Challenge in the guise of a medium asteroid by "Fat Dragon Games". This 50mm tall space rock is included in the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set, and was produced using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. Super-glued to a 60mm round MDF base by "Warbases", it was essentially painted using "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, "Citadel" Nuln Oil and "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before having a sprinkling of 2mm tall Chilli Red flock added to its base so I can also use it as scatter terrain for any future 'moon-based' battles.

"Ripley, We Have To Talk."

 "We've lost contact with the colony on LV-426."

This trio of 10mm scale metal Xenomorphs are sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as either a pack of five single-pose sculpts under the code SFC2 Medium Creature Type 2, or as part of their SFC-AP Alien Creatures Army Pack. However, the sculpts are much closer to 15mm scale (from head to tail-tip) than 1/150th scale, so will rather conveniently mingle alongside my growing collection of deadly extra-terrestrials by "Ground Zero Games" rather than form part of a separately sized nest of the space "serpents".

In addition, I actually began working on these models a good few weeks ago, so they would contribute to last month's Monster May(hem) Challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog, as H.R. Giger's creation for the 1979 film "Alien" is still widely regarded as the most famous science-fiction monster of all time. However, an unexpected and rather disconcerting disinterest in any painting whatsoever completely ruined that cunning plan, so I figured I would simply just get the three xenomorphs tabletop ready now instead.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - The Red Hulk, Spider-Man (Miles Morales) and Korg

The miniatures themselves were understandably dead simple to pigment, thanks largely to the heavy-lifting being achieved via an undercoat of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The aliens were then dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, liberally sploshed in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later had their domed-heads touched up with a smidgeon (more) of Abaddon Black, so as to make them slightly stand out from the rest of each horrifying creature.

So straightforward a paint-job has also given me plenty more time to work on some of the "CoolMiniOr Not" figures I want to use for my foray into the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game (MMRPG). I have been desperately trying to stick to five of the six central super-heroes found in the rule-set's Escape From Planet Hulk Starter Set - namely Captain America, Black Panther, Storm, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), and Wolverine (Laura Kinney), with these "Marvel United" gaming pieces. But frankly, still haven't been able to resist working on a few of my favourite comic book characters as well.

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

Resultantly, I've dug out a load of the figures from the board-game's various expansion boxes, with such notable luminaries as Red Hulk, Sauron, The Thing, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Groot, Sasquatch and Doctor Doom all unhelpfully littering my hobby table. I have also found my model of Korg. The Kronan gladiator plays a 'big' role in the MMRPG opening adventure I plan to play, so will need some tender loving care with my paintbrush if I wish to have him join the protagonists as an ally.

In addition, along with the "Enter Hydra" adventure, some maps, FAQ and Errata, I've found some free MMRPG character sheets online - one of which is for the X-Force videographer Doop. I know absolutely nothing about this extra-dimensional being, so thought it might be fun to have him as a possible team-member (or random encounter) for a future scenario should the opportunity arise...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "CoolMiniOrNot" June 2025

"In Marvel United, players must work together to stop the plans of an evil Super-villain."

After a pretty miserable May where I frankly painted next to nothing, I thought I'd try to remotivate myself by tackling a number of half-finished 40mm plastic super-heroes and villains by "CoolMiniOrNot". This will certainly help clear a little space on my hobby table as I rather embarrassingly own a fair few of these Marvel United gaming pieces, having decided to 'invest' in the range rather than purchase any more "Heroclix" figures, or those outrageously expensive models produced by "Atomic Mass Games" for Marvel Crisis Protocol.

Furthermore, I aim to complete all the various creatures by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" I began assembling and priming for Angry Piper's "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog. Obviously that particular event is now over. However, as I only managed to pigment a single entry for it, I thought I should at least conclude what I started - as opposed to my usual tactic of just sticking the things in a drawer, or plonking them on a shelf simply to gather dust.

"The United Nations called upon Argentina and the United Kingdom to reach a settlement of the sovereignty dispute."

With this mental attitude in mind, I have also finished five more 10mm metal British soldiers by "Pendraken Miniatures" which form part of the company's Falklands British Army Pack. Consisting of a single figure from the following codes: FLB20 - Advancing with SLR, helmet, FLB21 - Advancing under fire, helmet, FLB22 - Kneeling, firing SLR, helmet, FLB23 - Standing, firing SLR, helmet, and FLB24 - Standing, firing SMG, helmet, the quintet were super-glued onto a 30mm x 40mm plastic base.

The models were all undercoated with a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and drowned in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I then dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and patiently 'picked out' all their boots, hands, faces and weapons using "Citadel" Abaddon Black. For the troopers' skin I applied a little drop of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone, followed this up with a dash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and ended the process with a small highlight of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone. 

May 2025 - "Athena Miniatures" joins "Black Tree Design" as my favourite current manufacturer

Lastly, the soldiers' guns were simply given some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and splashed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst I applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to any visible rifle butts, and any visible rear ammunition belts or backpacks.

Despite the disappointing output of last month, this humble blog did receive its one millionth visit, which is definitely one milestone I never thought I'd reach. Whether such a landmark will help me break the current funk I'm suffering with I don't know. But it has already caused me to pick up my brushes for a few hours, so I'm increasingly hopeful I'll have a fair few miniatures to post about over the forthcoming weeks.

"My Mommy Always Said There Were No Monsters."

"No real ones. But there are."

These 10mm scale metal Xenomorphs are produced by “Pendraken Miniatures” as code SFC2 Medium Creature Type 2 from their Alien Creatures range, and come in a pack of five single-pose sculpts. Intriguing however, the sculpts are probably closer to 15mm scale (from head to tail-tip), so surprisingly sit down on the tabletop with my old collection of aliens by "Ground Zero Games" rather nicely.

I also thought these deadly extra-terrestrials would fit in rather nicely with the Monster May(hem) Challenge currently being held over on the "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog, as its rules specifically state that the entries needn't be limited to fantasy-based beasties. And frankly, I think there's only a few people who wouldn't think of H.R. Giger's creature from the 1979 film "Alien", if they were asked to name the most famous science-fiction monster of all time.

The models themselves were pretty simple to pigment, largely thanks to a double coat of "Citadel" Abaddon Black doing most of the work. The miniatures were then dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, drowned in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and later had their domed-heads touched up with a little (more) Abaddon Black, so as to make them slightly stand out from the rest of their horrifying horde. 

The Russians and British approach a revenant infested ruined chapel

Alongside my painting, I have also managed to play another game of "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Games". Having previously tackled a couple of the rule-book's PvP (Player verses Player) Scenarios, this time around we thought we'd try a co-operative game of "The Ruined Chapel", and set up a disconcertingly small 30" x 30" board accordingly. In addition, I dug through my collection of scenery and placed a ruin, six gravestones, four clue markers, half a dozen (straw bear) Revenants and plenty of trees as the set-up instructions directed.

As I wanted to use some of my Russians by "Wargames Foundry" for this battle, I selected a sword-wielding Officer, a pair of (recently pigmented) Moscow Militiamen as Irregulars and a lone Infantryman. Whilst my ally went with an assortment of British soldiers from so many different manufacturers as to almost set off my OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder). Fortunately, they were being led by a certain Major Richard Sharpe, so I had high hopes that the quartet would at least do a sterling job on the tabletop, even if their different physical sizes was rather jarring to me.

Just as soon as a Vampire appears the British flee from their position

Sadly, things went wrong straight from the start as my Officer bravely marched up to the closest Revenant emerging from behind its gravestone, and was savaged to death. To make matters worse, my British compatriots - having deployed in a corner opposite my own forces - realised that they were too close to one another and couldn't manoeuvre as they had hoped. This caused Wellington's men to waste some actions rejigging their respective positions, and set them up perfectly for the Vampire which appeared right behind them at the end of Turn One.

Disappointingly, things did not get any better for Major Sharpe's contingent in the subsequent fighting, as his soldiers failed to cause any damage whatsoever to the deadly blood-drinker in their midst. Admittedly, some musket fire did start to take its toil upon a pair of Revenants that were closing in upon them from the ruin. But both Richard and his fellow Rifleman took some significant damage themselves in return. Indeed, it eventually became clear that the surviving members of the group needed to head south away from the Vampire as fast as their mud-splattered boots would allow them.

***** 'Bravely ran away, away! When danger reared its ugly head, He bravely turned his tail and fled. Yes, brave Major Sharpe turned about. And gallantly he chickened out. Bravely taking to his feet. He beat a very brave retreat, Bravest of the brave, Major Sharpe!' *****

The brave Russians attempt to hold line against the Undead, as the British flee for their lives

Happily however, despite losing my Officer early on, the rest of my plucky Russians got busy bagging plenty of Revenants with their withering gun-fire. This eventually allowed my Infantryman to head into the ruin unmolested, and discover a bag of Silver Shot for his musket. In addition, the top fellow then uncovered a Small Icon, which would soon be needed to save him from the foul jaws of a Revenant.

Outside, an already dire situation was worsening for the remaining British, as a second Vampire emerged from the surrounding woodland to join his fellow Nosferatu in stalking Major Sharpe. Setting up a firing line along the southern-most edge of the map, both forces combined their musketry in a last ditch effort to keep the Undead horde approaching them at bay. This did momentarily appear to be working as one of the blood-drinkers was finally wounded. But in the end Richard and my Russian in the ruin fell, and this caused the rest of our fighters to understandably retreat back into the forest...

"If It Gets Off This Planet."

"It'll kill everything."

These 10mm scale metal Xenomorphs are produced by “Pendraken Miniatures” as code SFC5 Small Creature from their Alien Creatures range, and come in a pack of ten single-pose sculpts. Somewhat disconcertingly though, the models are actually 15mm in height from base to tail-tip, so seemingly fit in far better with other figures from that larger scale rather than anything else found inside the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer's 'Old Science Fiction' range.  

The critters definitely seem to show H.R. Giger’s creations during the early stages of their transition from Chest-burster to adult drone, so in August 2021 I simply pigmented them as smaller versions of the dark grey/black "endoparasitoid extra-terrestrial species" depicted on the Silver Screen. This time round though I was tempted to change their palette to the much lighter, almost white-coloured hue seen in Ridley Scott's 2017 film "Alien: Covenant".

"London Is Only Thirty Minutes Away!"

However, as I was planning on just adding these miniatures to my current horde of Xenomorphs, I eventually decided to stick with their 'original' colour, and subsequently undercoated them with a couple of lashings of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The models were then dry-brushed using "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, and treated to a double-helping of "Citadel" Nuln Oil so as to tie them in with the rest of their brethren.

One change I did make though was to create two bases of four figures each, in order to represent a pack of the predators rushing at their prey, as opposed to just plonking them in pairs upon the small plastic "Flames Of War" stands by "Battlefront Miniatures" I have used in the past. This was done purely to add an extra element to my homemade rules, and increase the chances that the young Xenomorphs' opposition could potentially get swamped by the rambunctious infants - and resultantly be torn to bloody shreds by them.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This Austrian Jaeger is having all his details 'picked out'

In addition to my latest Alien reinforcements, I have completed another of my Soviet invaders by "Athena Miniatures". Taken from my third AS12 Russian NBC four-figure set, this 28mm metal model was painted using “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII , "Citadel" Nuln Oil, "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

Finally, I have started to turn my attention to an Austrian Light Infantryman from the "Wargames Foundry" blister AN038 Jaegers 1805-15 Running. This will be a test piece so I can work out how best to tackle all the soldier's straps, cuffs and collars, before moving on to paint at least another three identical figures to form a tiny unit (for "Black Powder")...

"Remaining In Moscow For Five Weeks..."

"Napoleon awaited a peace proposal that never materialized."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their RN043 Moscow Militia with Muskets set. The figure is one of eight Napoleonic Russian soldiers sculpted by Alan Perry found in the blister, and is based upon a 'typical' member of the nation's civilian population who played a "crucial, though indirect, role in Napoleon's defeat in Russia."

The chap was primed using a couple of layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and had his trousers pigmented with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Neutral Grey. I then gave his winter jacket a healthy lick of "Vallejo" Neutral Grey, and thoroughly shaded the coat with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. As a final touch for this particular process, I went back with some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey and dry-brushed the Russian's sleeves and the bottom of his greatcoat.

"As early November arrived, snowfall and frost complicated the retreat."

All of the militia member's numerous straps, his ammunition box, baggage and headwear were treated to some "Citadel" Abaddon Black, whilst his waist sash was 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. I also took this opportunity to apply a little "Vallejo" Gunmetal to the man's water bottle, musket and hat decoration. These areas were were later washed with a spot of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

With a quartet of these particular Napoleonic Russians now finished , I have also found the time to put together an MDF movement tray for them by "Warbases". Admittedly, the four-figure stand will only represent a tiny unit on my "Black Powder" battlefield. But it does mean that I should still be able to play some games of the "Warlord Games" rule-set in the near future.

"You just said the company is coming for it." 

In addition, I've completed another three 10mm metal endoparasitoid extra-terrestrials by "Pendraken Miniatures", which I recently stumbled upon whilst searching through some plastic containers. These models can be purchased from the company's old Science Fiction range as SFC1 Medium creature, type 1, or as part of their SFC-AP Alien Creatures Army Pack.

Due to my wanting these sculpts to replicated the dog-like Xenomorphs seen in David Fincher's 1992 movie "Aliens 3", they were predominantly painted using "Vallejo" Charred Brown and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Albeit, I also applied a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the domes of their heads as well...

"Why Do We Have To Kill It?"

 "It'll kill them all."

These three 10mm metal endoparasitoid extra-terrestrials are by "Pendraken Miniatures" and can be purchased from their old Science Fiction range as SFC1 Medium creature, type 1. I actually bought these many years ago as part of their SFC-AP Alien Creatures Army Pack, and, due to their quite alarming size, thought they'd mix in very well with my large swarm of 15mm "Ground Zero Games" Xenomorphs which I assembled way back in 2014.

However, rather than just pigment them predominantly in black, I thought I'd tap into the sculpts' dog-like pose, and replicate the brown palette used for the canine-formed killer in David Fincher's 1992 movie "Aliens 3". I also figured I'd plonk all three of the models onto a single Medium "Flames Of War" base by "Battlefront Miniatures", so as to hopefully imbue them with the feel of a hunting pack.

"You try and stop us Volgans taking your food, eh..?"

The figures were undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" Charred Brown and Leather Brown Surface Primer, and subsequently base-layered in (pure) Charred Brown. I then heavily washed the trio using plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Unfortunately, as seems to happen a lot with my metal models these days, I found that the "Games Workshop" Shade somehow disintegrated certain areas of my prime/base coat, so resultantly I had to rather annoyingly go back and redo the aforementioned processes once (or even twice) more, simply to ensure that the Aliens had a lick of paint all over them.

In the end, I also decided to give the Xenomorphs a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Charred Brown, simply to completely ensure that no metal was still peeking through my paint-job. In addition, I applied a couple of brush-tips of "Citadel" Abaddon Black across each extra-terrestrial's dome-shaped head, to help make them stand out all the more on the battlefield.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three figures from the Galactic Explorers 1 pack

Alongside these pieces, I have also finished work on another of my Soviet invaders by "Athena Miniatures". Taken from my third AS12 Russian NBC four-figure set, this 28mm metal model was largely painted using  “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Though I did pick out any wooden areas/buttons using a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Lastly, I've purchased, assembled and primed the entire quartet from "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" recent released Galactic Explorers 1. This was most definitely an impulse buy, as I wanted some extra figures to help 'bulk out' an order, and felt they would be rather straightforward to get tabletop ready. Plus, as a big fan of Dean Parisot's satirical science fiction comedy film "Galaxy Quest", they were impossible to resist...

"The Falklands War Was A Ten-Week Undeclared War..."

 "...Between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982, over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic..." 

These forty 10mm metal British soldiers are by "Pendraken Miniatures" and were bought as part of their Falklands British Army Pack whilst I was visiting "Colours" 2023. Each 30mm x 40mm plastic base is comprised of a single figure from the following codes: FLB20 - Advancing with SLR, helmet, FLB21 - Advancing under fire, helmet, FLB22 - Kneeling, firing SLR, helmet, FLB23 - Standing, firing SLR, helmet, and FLB24 - Standing, firing SMG, helmet.

The models were all originally super-glued onto wooden painting sticks, undercoated with a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I then dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, and began the tricky process of 'picking out' all their boots, hands, faces and weapons with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"...The Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. ."

The troopers' skin was pigmented using a dollop or two of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone, followed by a dash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade, and a highlight of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone. Whilst their guns were simply given some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and sploshed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Lastly, I applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to any visible rifle butts, and frankly thought I'd finished them.

However, as I actually intend to use these figures to recreate some battles akin to the old Commodore 64 computer game "Germany 1985" by "Strategic Simulations Incorporated", I thought I'd also give each soldiers' rear ammunition belt a touch of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. This palette might not be historically accurate. But it will help me identify British units if I do indeed go down the route of 'creating' other NATO/Commonwealth forces to thwart their Soviet Opposition - and use more of these "Pendraken Miniatures" sculpts for them too.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - This riderless Devil Dinosaur has been repaired and undercoated

Perhaps understandably wanting to paint something in a significantly larger scale to all these 10mm shenanigans, I have also started working on a broken 40mm plastic Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur model by "CoolMiniOrNot". This serious handful of a gaming piece is from the manufacturer's now somewhat infamous Marvel United Multiverse Kickstarter, and arrived damaged, so was very kindly gifted to me to do with as I wanted, once an intact replacement had been received.

Resultantly, I have cut off the prehistoric monster's bust rider, green-stuffed the subsequent hole, filed down my repairs, and slapped a basic "Vallejo" Russian Uniform WWII undercoat on the beast. My plan is to simply turn Jack Kirby's comic book creation into a generic Tyrannosaurus Rex, and use the figure for some actual tabletop gaming - as opposed to anything related to the boardgame. In addition, as I actually own a copy of Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur myself, I might paint them up later on for some carnivore verses carnivore action... 

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2023 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

Having purchased an "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer just before 2023 began, I was utterly convinced that over the course of the year my usual source of miniature manufacturers were going to be wholly replaced by the various “Patreon” service memberships I subscribed to. Initially, that was the case too, as in my enthusiasm for the 'new technology' I both bought a veritable army of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files, and produced an almost endless array of grey, "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin models with which to litter my painting area.

Intriguingly though, despite this strong early showing, I increasingly found myself returning to the physical heft of metal miniatures, and even started buying from many of my mainstay manufacturers once again. Admittedly, this surprising development did not cause me to completely turn my back upon all the 3D sculpted science fiction oddities and the fantasy-based denizens of dungeons I owned. But it definitely lead to a noticeable slow down in my painting of the 'grey wave' I was creating, in favour of numerous metal and plastic models - with many being historically based...

No. 10 - "Steel Fist Miniatures" - "Italian Wars"

I must confess to this being one of my most disappointing projects of the year, considering just how much enthusiasm I had for it when I purchased my initial ten Foot Knights from "Steel Fist Miniatures". I had never had an interest in the Italian Wars before, but having watched a few "YouTube" videos on the subject, and bought "Fornovo 1495: France's bloody fighting retreat" by "Osprey Publishing", I was 'well in the mood'. Sadly, an incorrect order, an all-too easily broken figure, numerous assembly issues with the multi-piece metal models, a delayed second order, and then the website's temporary closure (admittedly due to illness), utterly sapped any drive I had to finish even two five-men strong forces.

No. 10 - "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" - "7TV  Second Edition"

Perhaps one of the biggest shocks of 2023 was just how pitifully few figures I pigmented from Karl Perrotton's company. The wonderful mixture of spy-fi, science fiction and fantasy miniatures which the Lincolnshire-based business produces has made it my favourite model manufacturer for the past two years running. However, for the first nine months of this year, I clearly got my usual fix of "space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life" from other avenues - predominantly 3D printed STL files based upon such classic franchises as "Doctor Who", "Alien", "Robo-Cop" and "Terminator".

No. 9 - "CoolMiniOrNot" - "Zombicide"

Despite owning more versions, expansion boxes and hard-backed scenario books of the cooperative boardgame "Zombicide" than I probably care to consider, I had never really settled down to purposely painting a batch of them until the arrival of Marvel Zombies. Spurred on by a deep-interest in comic book super-heroes, and an increasing disinterest in my once-popular range of "Heroclix" meta-humans, I suddenly found myself pigmenting a handful of plastic figures - in both their survivor and undead states.

No. 8 - "Battlefront Miniatures" - "Flames Of War"

Having previously painted quite a sizeable contingent of 15mm scale German Panzer-grenadiers, heavy machinegun teams and mortar units in the past, it seemed clear that my infantry would require some much needed armour/artillery if they were to succeed on the battlefields of World War Two. However, despite giving all of my Panzer tanks a rather basic dark grey palette, much of this initial enthusiasm was eventually watered-down by a lack of both games, and the time-consuming camouflage pattern I developed for my 7.5cm Tank-Hunter Platoon.

No. 7 - "Black Tree Design" - "Doctor Who"

Whilst the modern day interpretation of the "British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC" caused me to lose all interest in the actual show, I did find myself (once again) seeking some comfort in this company's somewhat clunky sculpts of the programme's Classic era - most notably the early days of actor Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Third Doctor. Resultantly, I found myself pigmenting a Martian delegate from the Galactic Federation, a plethora of boiler-suit wearing Autons, and even a trio of long-forgotten Quarks which had been sat gathering dust on my hobby table for longer than I care to recall.

No. 6 - "Wargames Foundry" - "Napoleonic Range"

I have always wanted to own enough 28mm Napoleonic figures to be able to have a decent game of Black Powder or some-such rule-set, and this was the year I decided to finally try to make it happen. Of course, this is going to be a long-term project. But having made some decisions regarding just how much detail I was going to paint on my colourfully-costumed collection, I got a good handful of British, French and Russian infantrymen finished - plus even managed to visit the company's shop in Newark.

No. 5 - "Games Workshop" - "The Lord Of The Rings" & "The Horus Heresy"

Being one of my mainstay manufacturers over the years, I definitely didn't get anywhere near as many "Citadel" miniatures tabletop ready as I had anticipated for this twelve month period. Much of this unproductiveness was due to the sheer number of Sons of Horus traitor marines required for even a simple game of Warhammer 30,000 eventually grinding me down, and if not for a renewed interest in their Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game (or at least painting the predominantly black Ring Wraiths) it's arguably doubtful that the studio would even feature on this list.

No. 4 - "Big Mr Tong" - "Dune"

With my 3D printing skills rapidly improving, I quickly found myself producing a seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of Mike Tongue's small-sized 28mm miniatures. Sadly many of these models went straight into a plastic container for a forthcoming 'rainy day'. But some, such as his marvellous Sardaukar sculpts, went straight onto my painting table, and enabled me to eventually field an impressive fifteen-figure strong unit of the Padishah Emperor's elite military force. Coupled with some (more) Sentry Robots inspired by "The Black Hole", as well as a giant automaton from "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", and I was extremely happy paying out for my Patreon membership with "Big Mr Tong".

No. 3 - "Warlord Games" - "American Civil War"

With hindsight, it is incredible that I managed to paint so many of this Nottingham-based company's 15mm scale plastic figures, as I absolutely hated putting a brush-tip to the seemingly never-ending, fiddly lines of infantrymen. Indeed, by the time I completed all the models found on the free sprue I received with Issue 397 of "Wargames Illustrated", I had almost had enough of the range - and that was despite playing a few games of Black Powder with them at my local wargaming club.

No. 2 - "Pendraken Miniatures" - "World War Two"

There can be no doubt in my mind that this was a bit of shocker, as before March I had little interest in resurrecting my long-forgotten 10mm Battle Of The Bulge project. A chance encounter with a bag containing half a dozen Sherman tanks completely changed all that, and before I knew it I was not only pigmenting the sizeable backlog of armoured vehicles I already owned, but buying numerous new ones from "Pendraken Miniatures" - both online and in person at shows. Furthermore, I started collecting and gaming the fictious Operation Sea Lion, which overall caused me to produce a whopping 42 armoured vehicles throughout the year.

No. 1 - "Papsikels Miniatures" - "Aliens" & "The Terminator"

Quite possibly, considering my love of both science fiction movie franchises and 3D printing, this particular creator was always going to be a tough act to beat. In fact, for a while, my utter infatuation with their STL files was close to stopping me buying any more physical figures ever again, and whilst I still visited a few wargaming shows, I was always offsetting the cost of metal/plastic models against the price of just one bottle of "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin and how many "Papsikels Miniatures" I could produce using it.