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

Last month's output was a mixed bag of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Napoleonics

Thanks to a strong showing during the past four weeks, I'm pleased to say that I'm only 46 points short of beating my tally for last year's Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP), and resultantly only need to paint another ten 28mm scale miniatures which I started working on prior to last December. Much of this success has undoubtedly been due to my continuing love of "Wargames Foundry" and their Napoleonic range. But also to a very sudden interest in the original version of the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game (MESBG) by "Games Workshop" and a group of Hobbits' deadly encounter with lots of Uruk-hai at Parth Galen.  

Indeed, spurred on by this enthusiasm for Middle Earth I have already finished work on another 28mm scale Uruk-hai armed with a crossbow. Like a number of similarly equipped miniatures I currently have sat upon my hobby table, this particular metal "Games Workshop" figure had already been primed "Citadel" Abaddon Black from an earlier attempt to make it tabletop ready, so to begin with I just gave the model's armour and weapon/bolts a lick of "Scale 75" Decayed Metal, Thrash Metal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

 "We come to kill, by sun or moon."

I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red with a "Citadel” Devlan Mud wash onto the orc's flesh, and carefully applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade over the creature's shoes, loincloth, hair, gloves, straps, belt, pouches and crossbow. As a final step, I treated the brute’s knife sheath to a little “Vallejo” Heavy Brown and washed it with (more) “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade.

Alongside my personal challenge's final month, I thought I'd also participate in Angry Piper's Forced March challenge over on his blog "Dead Dick's Tavern and Temporary Lodging". This means that I'll be predominantly focusing upon getting at least one infantry (or cavalry) unit completed during the month - providing "its more than a one-model unit".

February 2026 - The year already seems to be shaping up into a battle between "Wargames Foundry" and "Games Workshop"

Currently I have a number of such units I want to get finished, not least of which would be a sizeable gathering of Uruk-hai - possibly for the old The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring mass-battle miniature wargame by "Games Workshop", so this new goal shouldn't really prove too problematic. In fact, my painting area is currently filled full of Napoleonic infantrymen, Alien Legionnaries, Beastmen and 3D prints which would adequately fit the bill if enough are pigmented.

As to whether or not something new might sneak up upon me as "The Lord Of The Rings" has, I cannot say. I have a number of one-off miniatures I would like to finally get finished - before they're probably stored away again in a box until next year's PPPP, and such diversions can invariably cause me to start wandering down yet another rabbit hole of wargaming which I hadn't anticipated venturing down before...

"Cybertronic Machinators..."

"...Are heavily armoured, bipedal combat robots."

This 28mm scale metal model used to be produced by “Target Games". But these days can be purchased from "Prince August" as part of their TG9524PB: Warzone Cybertronic Machinators four-figure set. Acting as a shock trooper for the Cybertronic corporation, I believe I picked this particular miniature up from a now long-closed second-hand wargaming store in Portsmouth way back at the start of the Millennium, and despite a couple of attempts in the past have only now finally got it tabletop ready.

Originally primed using "Citadel" Chaos Black, the automaton was base coated using "Vallejo" Gunmetal, shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal. I next carefully picked out the android's emblems using a combination of Ethereal Green by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. To be honest, I was rather tempted to leave the Machinator like this. However, I thought it looked a bit bland, so decided to 'pick out' some of the rather clunky-looking sculpt's other details.

"You have to have seen the steadfastness of one of the forces trained and led by Bonaparte."

First up I applied a layer of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the robot's shoulder-pads, knee-pads, and a few areas of internal workings so as to break up its predominantly 'silver' palette. I then gave its hydraulic tubing and sword handle a lick of "Vallejo" Bronze and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade in order to give the miniature a little bit more colour, before spotting its death mask eyes using a couple of dots of "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

In addition to this serious 'blast from the past' I have also completed another Napoleonic Frenchman by "Wargames Foundry". This 28mm scale metal model is part of their FN103 - Grenadiers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoat Marching set, and having been undercoated "Citadel" Abaddon Black, was largely pigmented using "Two Thin Coats" White Star, some heavily-watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, plenty of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and a load of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two more Voltigeurs at various stages of completion

I also 'picked out' the skirmisher's water bottle and strap in "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and subsequently dabbed a little Ethereal Green by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green on the Frenchman's epaulettes, lower plume and sword ribbon. Lastly, I gave the soldier's topmost pom-pom some "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and shaded it with a dash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I have also made some progress on the tiny, four-figure unit's remaining two members. These Voltigeurs take me a lot of time to work on, so I thought I'd take a leaf out of the advice I was given by "Warlord Games" painting team when I last visited them, and get the pair's faces done early on - apparently this should then motivate me to finish the rest of the models...

"The Negh'Var Was Intended To Represent The Most Powerful Ship..."

"...In the Klingon fleet as Gowron's flagship."

This Kurgun C4-A Light Cruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two-piece spacecraft has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model, and measures an impressive 80mm in length.

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

"Target Games" WIPs - A pair of Cybertronic Machinators

In addition to bulking out my Kurgun Fleet, I have dusted down a pair of old metal Cybertronic Machinators by "Target Games". I actually began pigmenting this duo over five years ago, but believe I actually bought them at the turn of the Third Millennium - meaning they've been sat in my Pile of Potential for approximately twenty five years old. I know very little about the Cybertronic Corporation to be honest, apart from these particular robots essentially being pretty much fodder on the battlefield.

At the time I bought them I was infinitely more invested in the now out-of-print Collectible Card Game "Doomtrooper" - which was also based upon the Mutant Chronicles franchise, rather than the Swedish company's Warzone figures. However, having had a good rummage through my backlog, I've found I own quite a sizeable number of models from the range - so thought I might see if I can quickly produce a handful of combatants aside for a little homebrew skirmish game.

"Loot Studios" WIPs - This multi-part 3D print of a Megalodon has been assembled and primed

I am also clearly still in something of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey mood, having recently chosen the Game Color Paint for all my "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" concrete barricades by "Saucermen Studios", so have started slapping some of it onto my Megalodon by "Loot Studios". This absolute monster of a multi-part predator was rather embarrassingly all 3D-printed around this time last year, and sadly lead to the demise of my poor "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro whilst I was producing the giant fish's middle torso.

I had intended to use the prehistoric shark for a simple set of homebrew rules featuring deep-sea divers battling it across a sea-themed tabletop populated with small islands. Indeed, I actually finished both its separately based fin and tail. However, despite visiting a couple of wargaming shows last year, I simply couldn't find anyone selling the tiny land masses I had in mind for the 'seascape'. Now though, I can easily produce my own on my "Bambu Labs" A1 Mini, so the project is very much on again...

"Ochre Jellies Were A Dangerous Variety Of Subterranean Ooze."

"The ochre jelly extended itself and latched onto a victim, proceeding to constrict and engulf them."

This 28mm scale pewter model of a Large Ochre Jelly is manufactured by "Otherworld Miniatures" and is available under code DM7d from their range of Dungeon Monsters. Hand-sculpted by Paul Muller, the ooze lurks "in dungeons, slowly creeping along floors, walls, and ceilings... looking for victims", and featured in the 1977 edition of "The Monster Manual" by Tactical Studies Rules".

"Capable of dissolving any organic material" with its yellow-orange coloured acid, I initially super-glued this unaligned ooze to a plastic "Citadel" 40mm circular base, but quickly discovered that this gave me absolutely no room to manoeuvre when it came to gritting its base with modelling sand. As a result, the jelly was re-based onto a "Citadel" 50mm circular stand and primed using a few coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Goldbrown.

"The jelly can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings..."

The "clean-up crew" creature was then enthusiastically washed using a copious amount of "Citadel" Gryphonne Sepia, and later doused in its deeper folds with some Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter". Lastly, the giant amoeba was dry-brushed using some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Golden Brown.

This particular model was actually found in a long forgotten box of goodies produced by "Otherworld Miniatures" which also contained a single casting from their twin-pack DM7e, Small Ochre Jellies. The monster ordinarily turns into two of these smaller versions of itself when sliced apart by a sword or similar bladed weapon. However, the fact I have lost one of them didn't stop me from painting the other figure alongside its much larger version.

"Warzone" WIPs - The pair of Cybertronic Machinators have been primed, layered and shaded

In addition to discovering some more oozes, slimes and jellies for my "Dungeons & Dragons" adventures, I also found a collection of old Warzone Mutant Chronicles by the sadly defunct "Swedish publisher of roleplaying games", Target Games. Two of these miniatures, a couple of Cybertronic Machinators particularly caught my attention, and were immediately based/undercoated.

Knowing very little about the actual model range myself, as at the time of its popularity I was far more interested in the out-of-print collectible card game "Doomtrooper", I don't know a great deal about this universe, and therefore have little idea as to the lethal-looking robots' colour scheme. However, a predominantly silver and dark grey palette seems to be the most popular choice judging from the photographs I've seen, so that's the way I plan to go...