"Andorians, Yes."

"I've been reading about them in the Vulcan database."

This 32mm scale resin model of an Andorian Male was bought as part of the Star Trek Adventures: The Original Series Landing Party Miniatures Set by "Modiphius Entertainment" and is sadly no longer available as a physical figure. However, the sculpt can still be purchased from the company as either an individual STL (Standard Triangle Language) file, or as part of their Star Trek Adventures - Print At Home - TOS Landing Party Set.

The lower half of the "militaristic, blue-skinned" Ensign was originally primed using some "Citadel" Abaddon Black. However, the Base Colour simply wouldn't stick to the miniature for some bizarre reason - even after a few coats, so in the end the model was treated to a layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, which proved much more 'adhesive'. Only then did I pick out the alien's boots and trousers in (more) "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Citadel Miniatures" WIPs - Joe Bananas, Don Uggie Apelino and Fast Eeek

The Federation's famous chest insignia was carefully pigmented using some "Vallejo" Gold and a smidgeon of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst the Andorian's Type-2 hand phaser was given a lick of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and subsequently shaded with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. As a final touch I gave the model's flesh a coat of "Vallejo" Deep Sky Blue and shaded it down with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade.

To be honest this turned out a little darker than I had envisaged so I highlighted the facial details and fingers with (more) "Vallejo" Deep Sky Blue. I also applied some "Two Thin Coats" White Star to the figure's hair, and subsequently darkened it down with some "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I did consider dry-brushing this area with a tad more White Star by "Two Thin Coats". But in the end thought it looked good as it was.

"Wizkids" WIPs - This Banderhobb has essentially been repainted from scratch after six years

Having completed an extra model from last month's randomly rolled challenge, I thought I'd better get cracking on the motley crew I've based for May. I've actually got five of these classic "Citadel Miniatures" from 1985 on my painting table, and decided to undercoat Don Uggie & The Ape Gang all at the same time. I did look at some of their colour schemes from within the pages of the science fiction anthology comic book "2000 A.D." too. However, as the apes' suits seemed to change depending on the colourist, I decided to simply go with some schemes which I thought would help make them stand out on my "Judge Dredd" tabletop.

Furthermore, as I'm taking part in the "Monster May(hem)" monthly challenge over on "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging" blog, I thought I'd better get cracking on an old Banderhobb I've had sat partially-painted in my hobby area for the past six years. As memory serves I gave up on this particular "large, Neutral Evil monstrosity" by "Wizkids" because I was struggling with doing his belly right, so this time round I have simplified what I what to do with the miniature and plan to focus on giving him lots of boils...

"Captain, I See Something."

"Kelowitz, Lang, flank out. Lay down fire on co-ordinates Mister Spock gave you."

This 32mm scale resin model of a Human Male was bought as part of the Star Trek Adventures: The Original Series Landing Party Miniatures Set by "Modiphius Entertainment" and is sadly no longer available as a physical figure. However, the sculpt can still be purchased from the company as either an individual STL (Standard Triangle Language) file, or as part of their Star Trek Adventures - Print At Home - TOS Landing Party Set.

The Ensign was actually primed using a combination of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Heavy Red. This was because I thought it would be easier to just base-layer the two distinct halves of the figure in its predominant colours. However, the "Citadel" Abaddon Black simply wouldn't stick to the miniature for some bizarre reason - even after a few coats, so in the end the model was given a complete lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and then had his boots/trousers pigmented in (more) "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Modiphius Entertainment" WIPs - This Andorian Ensign is almost finished

The human's famous chest insignia was carefully 'picked out' using some "Vallejo" Gold and a smidgeon of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst his Type-2 hand phaser was given a lick of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and subsequently shaded with a splosh or two of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Finally, as I wanted the model to represent O'Herlihy from the January 1967 televised episode "Arena", I applied some (additional) "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the miniature's hair.

Despite having completed my randomly rolled four-figure challenge for this month, I thought I might as well finish working on another of the "Star Trek" resin sprues found inside the drawer, so have been patiently working my way up an Andorian ensign too. Admittedly, there weren't any of the "warp-capable humanoid species from the moon Andoria" shown as being part of the U.S.S. Enterprise's crew in the Original Television Series. But I like to think that there some work aboard her in the background.

"Diehard Miniatures" WIPs - These three Krupps Corp troopers have been primed in "Vallejo" German Grey

Lastly, I have managed to base and prime three of the models found inside the Krupps Corp unit blister I was lucky enough to buy at Salute 2026. This "explorer faction that have a long standing rivalry with the E-Corp agents" immediately captured my imagination as they are clearly inspired by the Norts from the "Rogue Trooper" comic book series in "2000 A.D.", and resultantly caused me to start planning a future battlefield based upon Nu Earth.

For now though I just want to get a small squad of these "Diehard Miniatures" sculpts painted, and then take it from there. I do believe I have some Genetic Infantrymen by "Mongoose Publishing" somewhere, and possibly some of the E-Corp agents mentioned in the Krupps Corp troopers' blurb. But with my long-term Napoleonic and American Civil War projects still on the go, I don't really want to leap into another genre with both feet...

"The Trial Never Ends."

"I'm extraordinarily selfish. But it has served me so well in the past."

This 32mm scale resin model of Q was bought as part of the Star Trek Adventures Iconic Villains Miniatures Set by "Modiphius Entertainment" and is sadly no longer available as a physical figure. However, the sculpt, featuring an excellent likeness of actor John de Lancie, can still be purchased from the company as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from their Print At Home range.

The "extra-dimensional being of unknown origin" was originally undercoated in "Vallejo" Heavy Red, drenched with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and then heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red. His shirt and robe's sleeves were then carefully 'picked out' with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before I used a combination of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on his ornate neck-chain.

"Modiphius Entertainment" - These two Red Shirts have been assembled, primed and base-layered

I next pigmented the so-called judge's gloves with some additional "Vallejo" Heavy Red too. But later felt this made them blend in with the rest of Q's attire. As a result I went in and applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to just the inside of the super-being's sleeves, and subsequently used a little trusty "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion on his gloves. This area was shaded with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson, before I carefully lined the upper fingers with a tad more "Vallejo" Dark Vermillion.

With the enigmatic Q completed I was planning on finishing off the range's Sulu figure. However, I quickly realised that I had either misplaced or run out of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre - which I had previously used on the figure's shirt. As a result I simply grabbed a couple of sprues from the Star Trek Adventures Iconic Landing Party Set by "Modiphius Entertainment" I own, and assembled a pair of ultimately doomed Red Shirts.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - It's early days yet on these four Napoleonic French Carabiniers

This actually proved a little bit more difficult than I planned as the resin cast miniatures were multi-part and didn't seem to take to super-glue very well at all. In the end I had to use a little ball of green-stuff to hold the limbs in place whilst the adhesive dried, and so by the time my Human and Andorian were ready to be painted, my order of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre off of "eBay" had also arrived.

In addition to feeding my current "Star Trek" fix, I have based, primed and begun putting a rough base layer on a quartet of Napoleonic Frenchmen from blister FN062 - Light Infantry Carabiniers In Campaign Dress And Colpacks Marching by "Wargames Foundry". Like a fool I actually thought from just looking at them from the front that these would be quite simple (and therefore quick) to get tabletop ready. However, the sheer amount of detail sculpted onto their rears is flabberghasting, and will doubtless cause me a few headache-filled hobby sessions trying to work out what colour each piece of kit is...

"Enterprise Is Cleared For Launch."

"Hailing frequencies open, sir."

This 32mm scale resin model of Lieutenant Uhura was bought as part of the Star Trek Adventures Original Series Miniatures Set by "Modiphius Entertainment" and is sadly no longer available as a physical figure. However, the sculpt, featuring an excellent likeness of actress Nichelle Nichols, can still be purchased from the company as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file from their Print At Home range.

The Bridge Officer was initially primed using a layer or two of "Vallejo" Heavy Red before having her uniform shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. This clothing was then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red, before it's iconic insignia and Nyota's rank wrist stripes were carefully 'picked out' using a little "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"This is not merely a fight for survival."

I next painted Uhura's boots and hair with pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to her legs, hands and face. As I wanted to suggest that the linguistics specialist was wearing tights, I gave her legs a wash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil, whilst the rest of the woman's flesh was treated to some Agrax Earthshade. Finally, I dotted Nyota's earpiece and Type-2 hand phaser with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and darkened the devices down with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

In addition to Lieutenant Uhura I have also completed a second 32mm scale Bomb Coffin by "Trench Stench". As with the first Sarcophagus Mine I recently completed, this model was downloaded for free as part of their three-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from the company's "Patreon" subscription service.

"Perry Miniatures" WIPs - These four confederate soldiers have had all their different areas 'boxed'

Forming part of their Ghosts of the Nomansland range for "Trench Crusade", and produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer, the miniature was predominantly pigmented using "Vallejo" Bronze and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade over a "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna undercoat. In addition I used White Star by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green for the sculpt's spooky spectral flames.

Despite all these 'distractions', I haven't forgotten about the first four Confederate soldiers from my recently acquired the American Civil War - Battle in a Box starter set either, and have managed to spend a little time on the "Perry Miniatures" 'boxing off' all their different coloured areas. This process has certainly made me rethink my technique for future American Civil War combatants - as they're all going to be primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black from now on...

"The Testudo Bird Is Imported From The Core Worlds..."

"...For its delicious meat and rock-hard shell."

This 28mm scale metal model of a Testudo Bird is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as part of their Alien Pets deal. The "flightless creature", which "is renowned for its stupidity", is only 13mm tall and is designed to be used with the company's other "Colony 87" sci-fi civilian miniatures "for any RPGs and tabletop wargames."

The bird was originally undercoated using a double helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, before being shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. It was then mercilessly dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red before having its tortoise-like shell (and frustratingly difficult to reach underbelly) layered with paint taken from an old pot of the "Citadel" Foundation colour Calthan Brown.

"Future Wars" WIPs - This Zombie Trooper has had its arms and legs repainted.

The shell was later washed with some Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter" and I 'picked out' the tiny extra-terrestrial's eyes with some "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre. Finally, having looked at the 'official' paint-job on the "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" website, I decided to dry-brush the tiny monster's beak with a little "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and blend it in with the Testudo Bird's red face.

Alongside my latest Alien Pet I have been patiently restoring a previously (somewhat poorly-painted) Zombie Trooper from Mark Copplestone's "Future Wars" range. The figure has proved an absolute joy to 'touch up' owing to all of its easy-to-reach detail, and I think my idea of actually pigmenting his automatic rifle, metal knee-pads and ammunition pouches will pay off well once the figure is finished, varnished and based.

"Modiphius Entertainment" WIPs - These three Federation Officers have had their flesh layered

Unfortunately, I have had to spend a bit more time on the miniature than I first anticipated, on account of my inability to match the dark blue of his re-worked overalls with the colour of his sleeves. As a result, I have subsequently re-painted all of his clothing, as opposed to just his legs, and simply left the tear in his right sleeve alone so it still shows the animated corpse's livid green flesh.

Lastly, I've managed to make a little more progress on three of the figures found inside the Star Trek Adventures: The Next Generation Away Team boxed set by "Modiphius Entertainment". Being predominantly black in colour, I'm hoping these Federation officers will prove reasonably straightforward to get on the tabletop, and have already 'bedded down' the initial "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone layers on Lieutenant Commander Lian Zhang (Conn Officer) and a Male Tellarite, as well as the light blue flesh of Cuellas Zharath, the U.S.S. Magellan's Andorian Chief of Security.

 

"Fire Elementals Are Quick, Cruel Creatures Of Living Flame."

"They enjoy frightening beings weaker than themselves, and terrorizing any creature they can set on fire."

This 15mm scale miniature of a Giant Fire Elemental is produced by “Alternative Armies” and can be bought either separately as blister HOT84 or as part of the company's pre-made twenty-four point strong HOTT1017 Elemental Army pack. Despite its scale "one piece metal monster" is actually 43mm tall and counts as a Behemoth for "Hordes Of The Things", with the fiery figure sitting somewhat centrally upon a 40mm x 40mm base.

Having super-glued the model to its plastic stand, it was primed with two coats of "Vallejo" Sun Yellow and shaded using a little "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. The neutral creature was then dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Sun Yellow, some Heavy Orange, a little Heavy Red and finally a tiny amount of Dark Vermillion.

"Modiphius Entertainment" WIPs - Three more Federation Officers have been based, primed and dry-brushed

Disappointingly, I was not impressed with the final result, as the soft detail on the rounded edges of the elemental's flames didn't seem to take terribly well to this technique. As a result, the monster simply looked predominantly red in colour, so I hastily repeated the dry-brushing process; only this time I sporadically applied my brush-tip to different areas of the miniature rather than simply cover the entire thing with it.

With the latest addition to my Elemental Army completed I have continued to assemble some of the models found inside the Star Trek Adventures: The Next Generation Away Team boxed set by "Modiphius Entertainment". Initially, I had hoped to used most of the contents to make the characters found in The Roleplaying Game Starter Set box. Yet to my utter frustration, my Federation Officers didn't come with separate heads (as I had assumed from the packaging), only incredibly difficult to position wafer-thin limbs.

"Mongoose Publishing" WIPs - The three undead Judges have been dusted down ready for layering

I have however managed to make some suitable proxies for Lieutenant Commander Lian Zhang (Conn Officer) and Cuellas Zharath, the U.S.S. Magellan's Andorian Chief of Security. But fear the Galaxy-class starship's First Officer, Commander Lenaris Los, will have to become a Vulcan on the tabletop, as the only human male figure seems far more suited to represent Trill, Hanor Del, courtesy of all the equipment the sculpt is carrying.

Lastly, I hope to spend the rest of the year focusing on finishing off some of the past projects I've worked on. With Zomtober very much in view, I thought I'd start by painting some partially-pigmented zombie Judges I've had gathering dust for a couple of years. These "Judge Dredd" miniatures are made up of parts taken from both "Mongoose Publishing" and "Mantic Games" figures, which I then pinned/super-glued together to form a trio of the walking dead...

"An Earth Elemental Plods Forward Like A Walking Hill..."

"...Club-like arms of jagged stone swinging at its sides."

This 15mm scale metal miniature of a Giant Earth Elemental is produced by “Alternative Armies” and can be bought either separately as blister HOT85 or as part of the company's pre-made twenty-four point strong HOTT1017 Elemental Army pack. Despite its scale the sculpt is actually 60mm tall and counts as a Behemoth for "Hordes Of The Things", with the solitary figure sitting squarely upon a 40mm x 40mm base.

Having super-glued the model its plastic base, it was primed with two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and washed using "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. Quite bizarrely, this regular combination seems to have re-acted rather badly on this occasion and actually caused the "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna to evaporate before my very eyes.

"Modiphius Entertainment" WIPs - The Andorian has been based, primed and dry-brushed

As a result, it took several more layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, plus some shading using "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade" before the large figure was ready to be dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. I was then going to further highlight the towering creature with some "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. But was frankly worried that the Elemental wouldn't weather a second abrasive dry-brushing too well, so ultimately decided to simply leave the somewhat uninspiring miniature alone.

Alongside my latest addition to my Elemental Army I have also assembled one of the models found inside the Star Trek Adventures: The Next Generation Away Team boxed set by "Modiphius Entertainment". This somewhat impulse mini-project has been spurred on by my participation in some RPG sessions using the Andorian Lieutenant Thor Th'shrahrir; the experienced Flight Controller aboard the U.S.S. Franz Boas.

"Black Tree Design" WIPs - The Zygons have been primed and washed

My character is currently the pilot of a prototype shuttle-craft which has been dispatched under the watchful eye of Commander Onovren to investigate a faint subspace distress beacon from a nearby system. The RPG is already three sessions into the adventure, and things are definitely heating up now the long-forgotten Earth colony our shuttle-craft's crew have discovered believes we're responsible for sabotaging their town's only source of food and water...

Lastly, I recently uncovered a party of Zygons by "Black Tree Design", which I thought might make for a straightforwardly swift "Doctor Who" force for my homemade rule-set M.I.S.S. The sculpts are based upon the extra-terrestrial shape-shifters from the 1975 televised adventure "Terror of the Zygons", so rather than predominantly paint them "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone as I've repeatedly done with my "Warlord Games" Nu-Who re-imaginings, I went for the more colourful Heavy Orange instead.

Top Ten Miniatures Of 2019 - An "Undercoat" Personal Choice

Well 2019 has come and gone and there were lots of highlights to remember. We had the end of the Star Wars trilogy trilogies, Avengers Endgame saw the stunning sacrifices of Black Widow, Iron Man and Cap and I think there was an election! In terms of the miniature painting hobby some highlights included the Clone Wars coming to "Star Wars Legion", the superb "Warcry" from "Games Workshop" and the great new "Marvel Crisis Protocol" game from "Atomic Mass Games".

It also means I get the chance to review the miniatures painted on the "Fantorical" blog for the year. And what a year it was too, with a huge output making my choices very hard indeed. My choices are a personal opinion based on a variety of factors, such as the painting, the imagination used and of course the rule of cool! So, without further ado onto the list, in reverse order of course!

No. 10 - Borg by "Modiphius Entertainment" - August 16th

These Borg are part of a much larger force painted over the course of the year and these ones just stood out to me. I think the paint scheme has done a great job of capturing the menace of these iconic "Star Trek" villains and the collective as a whole has been a great project for the year.

No. 9 - Punchline by “Kitbash Games” - January 10th

This miniature is from a "Kickstarter" project and uses several superhero/super villain tropes to come up with a great looking figure that has been painted very well in my opinion. I like the paint scheme of this one enormously making it an easy choice for the Top Ten.

No. 8 - Imperial Royal Guards by "Fantasy Flight Games" - February 7th

These stunning miniatures are from the original "Star Wars trilogy" and are the personal bodyguards of the Emperor himself. I chose these because, a) they are from Star Wars! And b) they are a great exercise in painting red. I find red quite a tricky colour at times and these miniatures are an example of how to paint the colour effectively!

No. 7 - Deinonychus by "Copplestone Castings" - December 15th.

These miniatures are great sculpts and I just adore the painting. The colours used are very natural (if we can say natural for a species that is extinct and we don’t know what the colour of their skin was!!). I just think these look really great overall and would look awesome on any dinosaur themed game!

No. 6 -  Skeleton Swordsmen by "Lucid Eye Publications" - December 8th

The whole "Toon Realms" range has featured quite heavily on this blog but I just adored the skeletons. A simple enough colour scheme but done so well they just stand out as the pick of the bunch for me. The bone colour has been painted superbly in my opinion and looks fantastic. Just a cracking group to look at!

No. 5 - Romulans by “Modiphius Entertainment” - September 27th.

Another "Star Trek" entry in my Top Ten. I just like everything about these: the sculpts look great, the paint scheme really captures the look of these enigmatic villains and overall they look great! The skin and faces have been painted really well on these miniatures and the colour scheme really reflects how they look in the television series.

No. 4 - Drathro by "Black Tree Design" - July 25th

I just really like this miniature. It is from the "Doctor Who" television show and has a look about it that I just adore. The paint scheme looks deceptively simple but the metallics have been painted superbly in my opinion and make the whole thing so memorable. I think Simon has really mastered painting metallic and I am jealous of the way he paints them as they look so realistic. A great looking mini!!

No. 3 - Iron Golem Armator by "Games Workshop" - October 4th

The whole "Warcry" series of miniatures has really caught my imagination this year as they are well sculpted and really capture the different facets of chaos in the Warhammer universe. There are eight Iron Golems in the warband who are heavily armoured in a really distinctive style and this duardin (dwarf in old money!) is my pick of the bunch. The metallics and the red armour are just great on this mini. I know that the painting process on these particular miniatures has been a bit of a trial but in the end they have turned out great.

No. 2 - Wookie Warriors by "Fantasy Flight Games" - January 18th

Another "Star Wars" entry in the Top Ten. The wookies are one of my favourite alien races in George Lucas' universe and these miniatures look awesome and capture the “walking carpets” brilliantly. The paint job on these minis is really good. The fur has been painted brilliantly and the accessories and weapons have been picked out so they don’t get lost in the vast amount of hair!! Great looking unit.

No. 1 - Hexgorger Skulls by "Games Workshop" - April 19th.

These models are from "Age of Sigmar" and are prayers summoned onto the battlefield by the followers of the Blood God, Khorne. They look awesome in my opinion. All of the elements have been painted brilliantly: the bone looks tremendous, I really like the shading and the way it gives the appearance of aged bone, the blood flowing from them looks really effective and overall they look stunning. They are a real centre piece model that will be a stand out in this army. A great bit of painting that has resulted in a fantastic model that has stuck in my memory since I first saw it.

Well that concludes my Top Ten and the reasons behind them. Happy New Year to all the readers of “Fantorical”.

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Toon Realms" December 2019

"Lucid Eye Publications" WIPs - Twelve of their skeletons are currently being dry-brushed and pigmented

Along with sixty-seven other participants I currently plan to use the first three weeks of this month prepping and priming all manner of miniatures so as to have them 'match ready' for the Tenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). However, as per last year I am also determined to vastly reduce my mountain of models over the next four months by specifically targeting all the figures I currently own which have previously received the odd lick of paint or two in an entirely separate personal challenge too.

As a result, I have plucked my incomplete horde of Skeleton Swordsmen and Lord Rascal's Skeleton Warriors by "Lucid Eye Publications" from their somewhat cobwebbed hobby drawer, with the intention of completing the half-finished Undead army for my Partially-Painted Pledge. In addition, these bony fighters will also make a nice entry as part of Phil Curran's "Deadcember" over on his excellent "Dizbusters Gaming Ephemera" blog.

"Modiphius Entertainment" WIPs - These Romulan Centurions are now ready for their details to be 'picked out'

I've actually found returning to these dozen "cartoon scale white metal" figures a little daunting at first, as, after several months of inactivity, it took me a couple of attempts to properly replicate their 'bleached bone' palette of "Vallejo" Dark Sand, "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and "Vallejo" White. Fortunately, I think I have it down to 'a fine art' once again, and am now quickly progressing through their ranks with a twenty-four strong table-top ready army of Lord Rascal's Undead finest in my sights... 

Also earmarked for completion before the AHPC begins on the 21st December 2019, are the four remaining Romulan Centurions by "Modiphius Entertainment" I have left over from the company's "Star Trek Adventures" Strike Team boxed set. I'm hoping my (secondary and perhaps overly optimistic) plan to not actually purchase any more miniatures until "Salute" 2020, should mean I can crack on through my significant collection of these 32mm scale resin models, and actually enter those currently still 'sat in their box' untouched for the AHPC itself.

November 2019 - "Black Tree Design" continues to prove very popular despite its significant postal delays

Productivity wise, the past four weeks have proved to be my busiest November by far, and resultantly I have my sights firmly locked on beating my best annual painting tally ever of 1,136 points (approximately 227 x 28mm figures). Much of the month's success was down to an overwhelming compulsion to pigment many more superhero related models, whether they simply be "Wizkids" re-paints taken from their "Heroclix" range, or the larger scale resin figures produced by "Knight Models" for their Teen Titans Bat-box.

Indeed, this comic book bug will at least carry on until the end of the year, courtesy of both the AHPC and my Partially-Painted Pledge, as I have so many "Marvel Worldwide" and "DC Comics" characters already lined up as potential entries for both events. However, looking back at November's achievement, I must also give a nod to “Modiphius Entertainment” and their Borg Collective boxed set, whose excellent sculpts inspired me to finally finish the last five drones I had originally planned to submit for “Zomtober” 2019.

"This Time Nothing's Going To Stop Me!"

"You don't have what it takes to be the Hulk."

This 43mm tall plastic “Wizkids” model of the Red Hulk is miniature number 050 from the Marvel “Heroclix” Web Of Spider-Man range and depicts General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross following his transformation at the hands of Advance Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) and Intelligencia. Empowered “in order to be able to better fight the original Hulk”, the American soldier’s alter-ego first appeared in the January 2008 issue of “Hulk” and was created by Jean Loeb and Ed McGuiness.

Described by Marvel Editor Mark Paniccia as “absolutely uninhibited, [and] tactically intelligent”, the formidably-sized figure was super-glued upon a 40mm circular base before being undercoated in a double-layer of “Vallejo” Heavy Red. He was then shaded using some “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and heavily dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Red so as to bring out all the sculpt’s marvellous muscles.

"It's working! I can feel the ring's power returning!"

Also known as Rulk or The IncREDible Hulk, I applied pure “Citadel” Abaddon Black to the behemoth’s ripped shorts, hair, and nails. I also dabbed his eyes, which can emit heat at will during non-engaged periods, with a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Ochre and “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade.

Sticking with my mountain of “Heroclix” models, I have also finished a fifth hard light construct from “Wizkids” War of Light DC "Heroclix" range to use as a Green Lantern themed objective marker. This Violet Lantern Spotlight is miniature number R106.12 and was super-glued onto one of the thin 40mm circular bases I use for the vast majority of my scenario markers.

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

Initially I had contemplated painting the scenic piece as a proxy for the Bat Signal, but as “Wizkids” have actually produced just such a model, I ultimately decided to use this model for my Green Lantern Corps, and resultantly simply gave it a handful of coats of "Vallejo" Dark Green so as to ensure its translucent pink plastic was completely masked. I then thoroughly washed it with some "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green Shade, and heavily dry-brushed it using some (more) "Vallejo" Dark Green.

I was a bit disappointed during "Zomtober" 2019 that I never quite finished all of the "Star Trek Adventures" Borg Drones I had prepared for the month-long challenge. But fortunately, my last two  “Modiphius Entertainment” cybernetic aliens are finally ready to be drenched in “Citadel” Nuln Oil, before having some additional highlights added to their areas of flesh…

"We Must Return To The Collective."

"The sick and injured are reabsorbed. Others take their place."

These three 32mm scale resin miniatures of Borg drones are manufactured by “Modiphius Entertainment” and form part of their ten-figure strong Borg Collective boxed set. “Designed for use with the Star Trek Adventures roleplaying game”, these models are based upon the American science fiction franchise’s cybernetic aliens which made their first television appearance in the May 1989 episode “Q Who”.

Created by executive producer Maurice Hurley as an alternative to the disappointingly unthreatening Ferengi, the Borg were simply based on 28mm lipped plastic bases instead of their supplied (sometimes slightly warped) 30mm resin scenic stands, and primed with two coats of “Citadel” Abaddon Black. They were then heavily dry-brushed using some “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal”, and much more lightly dry-brushed with “Citadel” Ironbreaker so as provide the myriad of cables that snaked around their bodies with a metallic-looking highlight.

"On a Borg ship we live with the thoughts of the others in our minds.

I later applied some additional “Citadel” Ironbreaker to the cyborgs’ multi-purpose prosthesis, some of their facial implants, and wiring. These areas, along with my original dry-brushing, were subsequently tidied up using a little more “Citadel” Abaddon Black and then shaded with Nuln Oil, before being lightly dry-brushed with (more) Ironbreaker.

Some parts of the Borg's bodysuits were also ‘picked out’ using a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil. As I wanted to give the Borg’s flesh a somewhat necrotic look, I base-coated their faces and the odd elbow with “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey, washed them with “Citadel” Nuln Oil and later added some extra “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey to their noses, cheeks and brows.

"Warcry" WIPs - This Iron Golem has had all his chainmail and weapons primed, washed and dry-brushed

Having previously painted several of the television series' "recurring antagonists" previously, I stuck to ‘dotting’ the male drone’s eye with "Vallejo" Dead White, and straightforwardly spotted the female eye sockets with a dab of “Citadel” Abaddon Black. Lastly, I placed a tiny dollop of “Vallejo” Dark Vermillion at the end of each model’s “sophisticated ocular implant” and shaded it with “Citadel” Bloodletter.

Shifting focus to my much more time consuming collection of "Warcry" miniatures by "Games Workshop", I have made some strong progress on the second of my Iron Golem warband's Legionaries. Armed with two formidably-spiked fighting hammers, this hard plastic sculpt is definitely making me regret gluing some optional bolas onto his left hip, as the spare weapon has ended up almost completely blocking my brush-tip's access to the figure's frustratingly detailed 'under-carriage'...

"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...

"Willpower Isn't A Problem For Something Like This."

"John's constructs are built from the inside out."

This 37mm tall plastic “Wizkids” model of a Violet Lantern Stop Sign is miniature number R106.13 from the War of Light DC "Heroclix" range, and could be found inside the New Jersey-based company's Lantern Corps Power Batteries Red & Violet boxed set. Depicting one of the Star Sapphires' telekinetically controlled solid light constructs, this 3D Special Object was released as part of a "six-month story-line Organized Play program" in 2014 which actually included the release of a Violet Lantern Corps' Power Battery, along with several differently-shaped constructs, such as a decoy, catapult, crossbow and scissors.

The construct was first removed from its dinky "Wizkids" base and subsequently super-glued onto one of the thin 40mm circular bases I use for the vast majority of my objective markers. As I wanted to use this model for my Green Lantern Corps, it was then treated to three coats of "Vallejo" Dark Green so as to ensure its translucent pink plastic was completely masked in paint.

"Heroclix" WIPs - A Gotham City Police Officer, Squirrel Girl and a Skrull Commando

The miniature was later thoroughly washed with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green Shade and heavily dry-brushed using some (more) "Vallejo" Dark Green. It's stand was initially primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and dry-brushed using both Doombull Brown and the base colour Rakarth Flesh. Finally, it was somewhat drowned in Agrax Earthshade, sealed using some PVA glue and flocked with static grass.

I'm currently nitpicking my way through quite a few partially-painted "Heroclix" miniatures, following the recent discovery of a sizeable tub full of the debased and/or broken plastic figures. This find has proved additionally distracting on account of its contents featuring some of my favourite comic book characters, such as the shape-shifting Skrulls, Gotham City's always outgunned Police Department, and the bushy-tailed Great Lakes Avenger known as Squirrel Girl.

"Star Trek" WIPs - These Borg drones need to be tidied up before being washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil

Hopefully, many of these models will see some tabletop action as a result of my desire to return to the zed-covered streets of both "Zombicide" by "Guillotine Games" and "Resident Evil 2: The Board Game" by "Steamforged Games Limited"; albeit with a super-heroic twist. But having downloaded the rules to "Marvel: Crisis Protocol" by "Atomic Mass Games", I might just see whether I can give that skirmish game a try-out before my pre-ordered starter set arrives...

Despite the final "Zomtober" 2019 weekend already being 'in the books', I am also still hoping to finish painting the last five “Modiphius Entertainment” Borg drones I have remaining from their "Star Trek Adventures" role-playing game before the end of the month. These nicely-detailed figures have now all been dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal and "Citadel" Ironbreaker, so just need to be tidied up with a little Abaddon Black before being doused in Nuln Oil...

Iron Legionaries Are The Core Of Any Iron Golem Warband."

"Those fighting in the Eightpoints hope to prove themselves to Archaon..."

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". "Boasting an excellent toughness... when armed with shields", this figure came in five separate pieces and included the option to either be armed with a spiked mace or battle hammer.

Having glued the close-range fighter upon its 28mm circular base, the brutal warrior 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 chest, pigmented 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.

"Heroclix" WIPs - These Skrulls are all having their black boots, pants and gloves 'picked out'

This Contrast colour provided the superb smith's shoulder-pads, helmet, spiked knee-guard, shin-plate, back-plate and gut-protector a metallic red hue, which also allowed some of the "Vallejo" Brass underneath to shine through. The Legionary's chain-mail loincloth, face-plate, chain-link belt, straps, vicious-looking hammer and bolas were painted in "Citadel" Ironbreaker, and subsequently shaded with Nuln Oil.

Due to some poor results in the past, I 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 shaft of the Iron Golems' hand-weapon with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Blue, and later shaded it using some out of production "Citadel" Badab Black. 

"You are an imperfect being, created by an imperfect being."

With the complexity of another "Games Workshop" highly-detailed plastic miniature behind me, I have attempted to regain some of my hobbying sanity by quietly persevering with a quartet of Skrulls by "Wizkids". These old "Heroclix" Skrull Commando sculpts are proving significantly easier to progress, and should hopefully soon be ready to face the likes of Reed Richards and the rest of the Fantastic Four on my tabletop.

This being the fourth week of "Zomtober", I have also been busy progressing three more female Borg drones by “Modiphius Entertainment”. These identical resin figures were predominantly painted in the same way as the rest of my Borg Collective, with the exception of their "Vallejo" Dark Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green eye lenses, and a couple of entirely "Citadel" Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil cybernetic limbs...