"Now That I've Created The Badballs..."

"The world is ours, Snivelitch!"

These five 28mm scale resin models of some Microclopia are produced by "Precinct Omega", and can be bought as Code BM051 from their Ballmonsters! range. Designed to be used for a "mad-cap gaming experience that mixes board-game, wargame and bar billiards for an experience unlike anything you've ever played before", the miniatures also each came supplied with a clear plastic flying stand.

"Not if the Madballs can help it, Doktor!"

Having decided that my team of Ballmonsters would simply bounce towards their opponents along the ground rather than fly through the air (on easily breakable stands), I super-glued each helium-filled beachball onto a 25mm circular base, and primed them all "Vallejo" Heavy Red. I then drenched the cyclopean bonces in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before dry-brushing the lot with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - Three Autons have been based, primed and 'boxed off'

Next I 'picked out' all the carnivorous balls' teeth using a combination of "Vallejo" White and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and the majority of their eyes with "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre and a smidgen of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Finally, I applied a dot of "Citadel" Abaddon Black over a layer of pure "Vallejo" White to one of the Ballmonster's pupils so as to make it appear more like a normal eye.

With my first "Ballmonsters!" team completed, I've once again turned to "Black Tree Miniatures" and their extensive range of "Doctor Who" figures for a science fiction fix. I've a number of their sculpts on the painting table currently, including some Quarks and Sea Devil Warriors, but its a handful of classic factory floor Autons which has particularly caught my imagination; doubtless aided by repeated listenings to "Spearhead From Space".

"Otherworld Miniatures" WIPs - Two Barrow Guardians and a ('propped up') Death Worm

In addition, I am continuing to plough through my collection of "Dungeon & Dragon" models by "Otherworld Miniatures". The Hertfordshire-based manufacturer has very generously gifted me with two more of their excellent Barrow Guardians. So perhaps unsurprisingly the pair of stone custodians have gone straight to the top of my queue, and have already been assembled, pinned, based and primed.

I've also tried my hand with one of their Death Worms, but found the necrophidius to be an absolute swine to pigment. Not however, because the crisp detail is hard to reach with a brush-tip, but because the very nature of its pose seems to make it incredibly inclined to break wherever one vertebrae meets another. Having pinned the 'blessed beast' back together after one misfortune, and then had it snap to pieces again, I've super-glued it to an old plastic tombstone by "Renedra Limited".

"The Night Sinks Into My Bones... As I Stand In The Graveyard..."

"...I'm haunted by a ghost that only I can see."

These three 40mm circular bases of plastic Gravestones are made by “Renedra Limited” and can be found within their Terrain range. Comprising of 44 various gravestones, as well as two perched ravens, the pieces are sculpted by Steve May of “Immortal Miniatures”.

Frighteningly simple to paint, each headstone was given a couple of coats of "Citadel" Adeptus Grey and then heavily washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then brusquely dry-brushed each model with more "Citadel" Adeptus Grey before adding some "Vallejo" White to my palette and lightly brushing the face of each stone in order to highlight their inscriptions, carvings or signs of deterioration.

However if you fancy seeing some more lavishly-themed metal memorials then I highly recommend a quick visit to Roger's "Rantings From Under The Wargames Table" blog, and his 'grave development'... 

Plaguebearer WIPs - Plaguebearers in various stages of painting and washing

Personally I plan to use these Gravestones as scenery for the “ZombieTV” episode The Dead Will Rise, which actually takes place deep inside an old cemetery. But for now they’ll be added to the three Headstone bases I have previously painted, and give me the six infestation markers I require for my Weird War Two-inspired games of “Lost Patrol” by “Games Workshop”.

Whilst finishing off my current cluster of "Renedra Limited" Gravestones I have also continued to make some more progress on my monthly painting project; a small Host of Nurgle for “Age Of Sigmar” by “Games Workshop”. Having completed my test piece Plaguebearer I have settled upon a concoction of “Vallejo” Heavy Khaki, “Citadel” washes such as Thrakka Green and Crimson Carroburg, and "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre as my colours of choice.

Godzilla WIPs - The gigantic monster has been dry-brushed with two different shades of grey

The majority of my ten-strong unit of Plaguebearers are still in need of some "Citadel" Abaddon Black base layers, as well as additional putrescent washes. But I have managed to get something of a factory process going with them and already simply need to carefully dry-brush a second Nurgle minion before ‘picking out’ all their zits with yellow.

Finally I have undercoated, washed and dry-brushed one of "Wizkids" models from their "Godzilla" pre-painted collectible miniature game. This fearsome creature was originally purchased to be used as a basis for a conversion I had planned as one of my "Forgotten Heroes" challenge entries. But ultimately I liked the miniature's sculpt so much that I decided to simply re-base and paint the model as Ishiro Honda's famous film monster...

"Our Memorial Masons Are Skilled In Crafting Headstones..."

"Our expert team of stonemasons can create sentimental, everlasting tributes..."

These three 40mm circular bases of plastic Gravestones are made by “Renedra Limited” and can be found within their Terrain range. Comprising of 44 various gravestones, as well as two perched ravens, the pieces are sculpted by Steve May of “Immortal Miniatures”.

Devilishly simple to paint, each headstone was given a couple of coats of "Citadel" Adeptus Grey and then heavily washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then brusquely dry-brushed each model with more "Citadel" Adeptus Grey before adding some "Vallejo" White to my palette and lightly brushing the face of each stone in order to highlight their inscriptions, carvings or signs of deterioration.

Star Trek WIPs - Ensign Fodder, Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Commander Scott and Yeoman Rand

I actually hope to eventually use these Gravestones as scenery for the “ZombieTV” episode The Dead Will Rise, which takes place within the middle of a cemetery, as well as alternative spawn points for “Zombicide”. But for now they’ll provide me with some much needed infestation markers for my Weird War Two-inspired games of “Lost Patrol” by “Games Workshop”.

Sticking with the “two-player boxed game, set on a hostile jungle world on which nowhere is safe”, my rather straightforward dalliance with the dead’s gravesites has also given me a little time to make some progress on the “Space Vixens From Mars” personality figures I plan to paint up as proxies for a “Star Trek” inspired game of “Lost Patrol”. I’ve only managed to brush on a rough layer of “Citadel” Abaddon Black onto Captain Kirk, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott and undoubtedly some hapless red-shirted security ensign. But the miniatures are slowly starting to take shape. In addition I’ve also based and primed one of the range’s female models in order to represent the Captain’s yeoman, Janice Rand.

Evil Tree WIPs - This "Horrorclix" model has been repeated dry-brushed lighter shades of brown and grey

Finally I have all but completed painting the “Wizkids” Evil Tree figure found within their “Horrorclix” Starter Set. Interestingly this figure never actually came on one of the tabletop games’ famous clicky-bases and therefore initially seemed destined to become just another piece of scenery. However the quality of its sculpted gnarled trunks and horribly human face made the plastic piece seem far more suitable to actually being a living entity than a humble terrain feature.

As a result the miniature has endured a series of dry-brushes, each tip having been loaded with an increasingly lighter coloured brown, until I was happy that all of its detail had been properly highlighted. I’ve also subsequently given it a light dry-brush of Grey, just to weather the wood somewhat and now simply need to re-apply some washes to its darker areas before tidying the tree up and flocking its base.

"No One But... The Living Laser"

"Put them all together they spell LASER!"

This 28mm coloured plastic model of the Living Laser is by “Wizkids” and can be bought as number 017 from their “Heroclix” Marvel Avengers range. Originally just a small-time criminal who invented "small, wrist mounted lasers", Arthur Parks later joined the Lethal Legion and eventually mutated into an actual living laser when his body was transformed into photons by an explosion in space. Created by Stan Lee, Art Simek and Don Heck, the scientist first appeared in the November 1966 issue of "The Avengers".

As I planned on using this model as an experiment to see what "Vallejo" paints would make a good base colour for Gold, apart from my trusty Heavy Sienna, I gave the figure an undercoat of Heavy Ochre, and then washed it with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. This gave the miniature a far less shadowy look than when I ordinarily wash them with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and made the Living Laser appear far brighter in colour once I'd dry-brushed him with more "Vallejo" Gold.

Gravestones WIPs - "Lost Patrol" requires six of these 'infestation' tokens

In addition to Arthur Parks' alter-ego I have managed to start painting the "Renedra Limited" plastic gravestone bases I plan on using for some more Weird War Two-themed games of "Lost Patrol". These 40mm circular bases aren't quite as elaborate as the first three I assembled. But contain some nice inscriptions which I felt would be overlooked if I cluttered them up too much.

The models themselves should be fairly simply to finish off now the headstones have been undercoated, washed and dry-brushed. Although I do plan to go over them all with a lighter grey in order to bring out each sculpt's impressive carvings.

"Mantic Games" Scenery WIPs - A barricade and discarded door

Sticking with scenery, I've managed to make some more progress with a couple of the barricades and wooden doors found within the Twentieth Century Brick Urban Accessories set produced by "Mantic Games".

These plastic fortifications appear to be constructed with all manner of everyday objects, such as wooden boxes, metal bars, corrugated panels and beer kegs, and should help me separate the different zones of my "Zombicide" board from one another. I also hope to paint at least five different coloured discarded doors for my tabletop, to use as entranceways into the different ruins...

"Any Minute Now He'll Yell Flame On 'N' Go Flying Outta Here!"

"That tears it! No more nice guy! I'm doing some Thing-type stomping around here --"

This 28mm coloured plastic model of the Human Torch is by “Wizkids” and can be bought as number 072 from their “Heroclix” Marvel Fantastic Forces range. Unlike the previous Johnny Storm miniature I’ve painted, which was a good representation as to how Jack “King” Kirby drew the comic book character, this particular sculpt has the youngest member of the Fantastic Four entirely ablaze.

As a result the figure was initially undercoated with “Vallejo” Heavy Orange and then heavily washed with the “Citadel” glaze Bloodletter. In order to try and bring out the model’s wonderful detail I then dry-brushed it with more “Vallejo” Heavy Orange before highlighting the human mutate’s flames with Heavy Ochre. Finally I applied some additional Heavy Ochre to the miniature’s raised edges with a “Winsor & Newton” University Series 000 brush.

Gravestones WIPs - "Lost Patrol" requires six of these 'infestation' tokens

 Having recently played some games of “Lost Patrol” by “Games Workshop” using models taken from my “West Wind Productions” “Secrets Of The Third Reich” collection, I did realise that in order to play the rules fully I would need to create some suitably Weird War Two themed objective bases to use as infestation markers; especially as these tokens ‘allow you to place more Nazi Zombies on a tile, even if it is not at the end of a path.’

Thinking you probably couldn’t get more appropriate than six grave markers, I’ve cobbled together some 40mm circular bases using some of the plastic Gravestones manufactured by “Renedra Limited”. For now these objectives have simply been assembled and undercoated. But should soon be shaded and dry-brushed so as to allow Steve May’s wonderful sculpting stand out…

Re-Painting the Undead - These Zombie Troopers have been partially re-painted and re-based

Lastly I have finished re-painting some of my old collection of “Copplestone Castings”. These three weapon-carrying Zombies are from their Code FW23 Zombie Trooper and, having previously had numerous areas ‘blocked in’, have had some additional washes added to the figures as well.

Now properly based, these gun-toting cadavers will help populate a rather macabre -looking tabletop I have planned based upon the 2015 “Mad Max: Fury Road” motion picture. I still need to ‘touch up’ and re-base three more similarly distressed Undead models. But once they are ‘overhauled’ I should then be able to quickly finish painting my project’s titular character as well as a couple of 1/55th scale armoured vehicles I recently spied on the “North Star Military Figures” website.