"The Maus Tank Was Originally Designed..."

"...To weigh approximately 100 tons and be armed with a 128 mm main gun..."

This 15mm scale multi-piece kit is produced by "Forged In Battle" as Code P-59 Maus Super Tank, and was bought from the "Westwind Productions" stall at "Warfare" last year. The resin hull is 12.8cm in length and 7.5cm wide, and comes on a pre-sculpted base. However, as I wanted my "heaviest fully enclosed armoured fighting vehicle ever built" to 'work' with my "Flames Of War" German D-Day Beach Defence Grenadier Company (using some unofficial rules), I decided to base it upon a Large and Medium plastic stand by "Battlefront Miniatures" instead.

"...And a 75 mm co-axial secondary gun."

"Captured by advancing Soviet military forces" following its completion in late 1944, the tank was assembled and thoroughly undercoated using "Vallejo" Leather Brown Surface Primer. It was then base layered in "Vallejo" Dark Yellow, shaded with plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade", and finally highlighted, courtesy of a rough dry-brush using (more) "Vallejo" Dark Yellow.

With the basics completed, I attempted to tie the colour of my Maus' tracks in with my usual basing palette by applying some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh and Agrax Earthshade over them. I also took the opportunity to 'pick out' its headlights with a combination of "White Star" by "Two Thin Coats" and a spot or two of "Vallejo" Pale Grey.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - These Guards are simply awaiting some washes

Finally, I settled down to patiently pick out the massive miniature's camouflage pattern - something which I had been unsuccessful applying upon a plastic Panzer IV by "Battlefront Miniatures" last year. Basically, areas of the hull and gun barrels were treated to some round(ish) splodges of “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, Luftwaffe Camouflage Green and Heavy Sienna, before all being sploshed with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade. Each area was later simply highlighted back up with (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, Luftwaffe Camouflage Green and Heavy Sienna.

The super heavy-tank's commander was predominantly pigmented in "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Whilst his gunner was undercoated in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, washed with “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Any details on the metal crew figures subsequently pigmented predominantly using “Vallejo” Gunmetal, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Sienna and a series of “Citadel” Shades.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - This Drone is slowly being highlighted up to "Vallejo" Silver

I had actually been working on the Maus for the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) as a submission for its Challenge Library's History bonus. But having left the AHPC early, I've simply been plodding on with it alongside some more "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" figures for my ongoing "Flash Gordon" project. These 28mm miniatures currently consist of a Major Domo Drone and four Uranian Royal Guards - all of which should soon be finished...

"The Origins Of The Dark Angels Remain Shrouded In Mystery."

"Few Imperial records of the Chapter's beginnings still exist."

This 15mm scale Orange Adder Combat Lifter is sold by “Alternative Armies” and can be purchased as Pack Code IAF036D from the company’s "The Ion Age" range. Supplied as a multi-piece metal and resin vehicle, it carries a Hermit Grenade Launcher, and is approximately 60mm long, 30mm wide and 25mm tall.

The model was super-glued on to a large-sized plastic "Flames Of War" stand by “Battlefront Miniatures”, and was primed in "Vallejo" Dark Green in order to be the start of a new (not) Dark Angels army. "Used for a variety of purposes and in many variants", the automobile was then enthusiastically drowned in “Citadel” Nuln Oil, before receiving a heavy dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Dark Green using a soft-bristled make-up brush.

"Nor are there many mentions of the part it played in the Emperor's Great Crusade."

I next applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the Combat Lifter's flexible skirt, side panel/window, rear vents, front headlamp frames and big gun. Some of these areas were subsequently 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. In addition, I used a dollop of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and a wash of "Vallejo" Pale Grey on the hover-tank's trio of lights, and lastly applied some old(ish) "Games Workshop" Dark Angels decals to mark the vehicle out as belonging to the First Legion.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I also took this opportunity to simultaneously pigment another Black Adder Combat Lifter too. Available from “Alternative Armies” as Pack Code IAF036C, this hover tank comes "armed with a Fretan Rail Gun in a turret mount", and was painted in exactly the same manner as the other vehicle, predominantly using "Vallejo" Dark Green and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Forged In Battle" WIPs - The lower hull is slowly being camouflaged

With my latest entries for the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, I have stuck with the theme of 15mm armoured automobiles by pushing on with the fiddly camouflage pattern I have been piloting on my hefty resin Maus by "Forged In Battle". This three-colour 'camo' technique is precisely the same as the one I've always used on my "Flames Of War" D-Day Beach Defence German infantry. However, I've never attempted it on such a large-sized miniature before.

Indeed I specifically purchased this tank from "Westwind Productions" at last year's "Warfare" wargaming show, after a previous attempt to apply camouflage to a plastic Panzer IV went horribly wrong, and resulted in my stripping the model back down to its bare-bones. This time round I'm trying to maintain my 'less is more' approach to Maus - albeit I have gone a little made with the pattern in a couple of places...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"No One Escapes. The Robomen See To That."

"Some people were captured and were turned into Robomen, the slaves of the Daleks."

These four 28mm metal Robomen Guards are manufactured by "Black Tree Design" and can be purchased as Code DW129 Roboman Guard from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "Humans converted by the Daleks into wholly obedient slaves", these mindless minions first appeared in Terry Nation's November 1964 BBC Television story "The Dalek Invasion of Earth".

The quartet were initially primed using a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Warlord Games" Pitch Black, before being heavily dry-brushed with “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal and soaked in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then worked on their trousers, using a base layer of either "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Heavy Brown or Sombre Grey. The pants were subsequently shaded using some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade or Nuln Oil as appropriate, and roughly highlighted using a careful dry-brush of their original base layer colour.

"Westwind Productions" WIPs - This Maus is slowly being prepared for some camouflage markings

Their "large, helmet-like headsets" and firearms were simply 'picked out' with "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst their shirts received a lick of White Star by Duncan Rhodes' "Two Thin Coats" and a splodge of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to dirty them up. I also decided to try and break up the monotony of the group by selecting one figure and painting his jacket "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. This coat was later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo Sombre Grey.

With my latest contribution to the Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) completed, including an additional bonus 20-points for tying my entry in with the Challenge Library's Overdue and Returns section, I have finally started working on the 15mm resin Maus by "Forged In Battle" I purchased from "Westwind Productions" at last year's "Warfare" wargaming show. This hefty piece has now been base-layered and had all it's tracks pigmented so as to tie them in with the muddy-looking bases I like to predominantly give my models.

"Hyper Miniatures" WIPs - This Chibi Makoto is slowly being progressed

In addition, I've begun slowly progressing a 3D print of Makoto Nanaya, which I rather embarrassingly actually made using my Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer a good fourteen months ago. Composed of "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin, this Chibi can be found on "Thingiverse" as a free BlazBlue Fan Art STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Hyper Miniatures", and is hopefully destined for my "Marvel United" tabletop as a Hero (using the boardgame's Squirrel Girl deck).

To tie the figure in with the quite specific-looking style of stands used by "CoolMiniOrNot" for their official product, I've plonked the "soldier of the World Void Information Control Organization" onto a 30mm 6K Resin Crippled God Foundry base I bought from a seller on "eBay". At the time I thought the cobbled flooring would suit Makota quite well. But having subsequently primed the ensemble for the AHPC, I've discovered that what I thought was rubble, is actually a skull, bone and separate jaw - so have patiently picked these out first before moving onto Nanaya...

This posting and many others can now be viewed on the main "Fantorical" website.

"God Be Praised. I Am Victorious."

"Let this be a lesson to all enemies of the Cross of Christ."

This 28mm scale Vlad Dracul is produced by "Wargames Atlantic" and can be downloaded for free as part of a multi-piece set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from their "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the Transylvanian Count depicted in Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 horror film "Bram Stoker's Dracula", the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

Sculpted wearing the suit of armour he wore whilst campaigning against the Ottoman Empire, the figure was primed using a double-helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and shaded in "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. The model was then carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Red, before his helmet's eye-slits were patiently 'picked out' using a line or two of watered-down "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"Forged In Battle" WIP - This Maus has been undercoated using "Vallejo" Surface Primer Brown & Heavy Brown

Dracula's sword hilt was simply pigmented using a combination of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst the blade was initially base-layered with "Citadel" Abaddon Black, coated in "Vallejo" Gunmetal, washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and finally highlighted with a rough dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Gunmetal.

Having finished the first of several potential poses I have plannned for the Impaler using the "Wargames Atlantic" STL files, I have somewhat surprisingly started the annual ritual of assembling, basing and priming a myriad of miniatures for the somewhat imminent Fourteenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC). To be honest I wasn't planning on participating this year, as I currently have so many half-completed projects littering my hobby desk that I felt dedicating a few months to clearing them would be a much more worthwhile option.

"The Lord Of The Rings" WIPs - Three Black Numenoreans undercoated with "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black

However, having been directly contacted by the event's organiser, Curt Campbell, I thought it would be rude to say "no", and so have committed to my usual target of 500 points by the end of its thirteen-week run. To this end, I have built, based and primed the mammoth 15mm resin Maus by "Forged In Battle" I recently bought from "Westwind Productions" at "Warfare" 2023, as I fancied something reasonably straightforward to start my AHPC entries with.

In addition, I've started assembling the first of twelve Black Numenoreans from "The Lord Of The Rings", which I purchased from "eBay". These 28mm 3D printed 'worshippers of the Darkness' are not officially licenced figures for the "Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game" by "Games Workshop". But having got sick of waiting for the Nottingham-based company to re-release their range of 'corrupted men' for my Barad-Dur army, I finally bit the bullet and bought some proxies instead...

“A Powerful Medium Scout And Recon 'Mech…”

“…The Ice Ferret was regarded as something of a foreign concept when it was first encountered.”

This 1:285 scale pre-built plastic model of an Ice Ferret is produced by “Catalyst Game Labs” and can be found together with a Gargoyle, Hellbringer, Mad Dog, and Viper in the company’s “Battletech: Clan Heavy Striker Star” boxed set. All the pre-assembled miniatures also come with an assortment of MechWarrior pilot and Alpha Strike cards depicting various colour schemes. But as I plan to use this particular sculpt as a Levasseur class French War Walker for an upcoming Weird War Two campaign using some homemade rules, I decided to go with a predominantly pale blue palette.

“Well armoured and fast” the 31mm tall figure was initially given a double undercoat of “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey and shaded in “Citadel” Drakenhof Nightshade. It was then dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey with a softly-bristled make-up blusher brush, and had its tiny cockpit windows ‘picked out’ with the odd a dab of “Citadel” Abaddon Black.

Die Unordnung accompanies the German Forces as they push towards the British line

In order to add a bit of interest to the rather lightly-coloured model I decided to add a few ‘points of interest’ on both its arms and torso by ‘picking out’ the war walker’s shoulder-pads, top hatch and a rear-placed panel using a combination of “Vallejo” German Grey and “Citadel” Nuln Oil. I later gave these diminutive areas a delicate dry-brush of (more) “Vallejo” German Grey to help highlight their details.

I also applied some “Citadel” Abaddon Black to both the Ice Ferret’s Extended Range Particle Projector Cannon and Streak SRM-2 (missile) Launcher, before pigmenting them with some “Vallejo” Gunmetal and later on, a splash of “Citadel” Nuln Oil. Finally, I applied some French roundels by “Decal Details” to the mech’s front legs, and unsuccessfully attempted to add the Tricolore to the machine’s upper torso. Unfortunately, the French National flag simply couldn’t fit in the limited space provided and after a couple of failed efforts where the transfer eventually started to disintegrate, I gave up.

Liberty Lady defeats both some Nazi Zombies and Die Unordnung

With my latest “Battletech” model by “Catalyst Game Labs” completed, I managed to pay a visit to the LVL Up Gaming Store in Bournemouth so as to play-test some homemade 28mm Weird War Two rules called "M.I.S.S." On this occasion I brought along some figures taken from my old “Secrets Of The Third Reich” collection by "Westwind Productions", and some of the resin “Supers Unlimited” sculpts by “Kitbash Games”.

The two battles were played over a somewhat congested Middle Eastern settlement, and both the Allies and Axis forces came away with a victory apiece. There were a good many highlights to the games, such as a Zombie horde devouring an entire unit of brave British Paras in a single turn, and Liberty Lady successfully duking it out against a group of Zeds before literally pulling Die Unordnung [The Mess] down from the top of a tactically-crucial building…

"Air Elementals Are Fast, Flying Creatures Made Of Living Air."

"Primitive and territorial, they resent being summoned or doing the bidding of mortals..."

These four 15mm scale metal miniatures of some Lesser Air Elementals are produced by “Alternative Armies” and can be bought either separately as blister HOT88 Lesser Elementals or as part of the company's pre-made twenty-four point strong HOTT1017 Elemental Army pack. The diminutive sculpts count as Lurkers for "Hordes Of The Things", with two figures sitting upon a rather barren-looking 40mm x 30mm base.

Each model was initially super-glued upon a wooden baton to help my brush-tip better reach all their details, and subsequently primed with two coats of "Vallejo" White. The animated vortexes were then shaded using the "Vallejo" Game Color Wash Pale Grey, before being dry-brushed with (more) White.

"...And much prefer to spend their time on the Plane of Air, swooping and racing through the endless skies."

I did consider applying a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to folds of the billowing figures, as I have done before when painting 28mm sculpts of Air Elementals. But ultimately, I decided to leave well enough alone. I did however, spot the creatures' mouths with a tiny dollop of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before covering them with some additional "Vallejo" Pale Grey" so as to tone down its darkness.

In addition to my latest "Alternative Armies" miniatures I have completed a 28mm metal model are from "Westwind Productions" "Secrets Of The Third Reich" blister B-SOTR05 British Commando Carbines. This figure has actually had his Gas Mask Head replaced with one taken from the manufacturer’s excellent ‘Separate Head System’ ‘blister’ SHS-SOTR09 “British Para Heads In Berets With Gas Masks”, as I want him to be part of an Airborne Infantry section on my “Konflikt ‘47” battleground.

"Commandos and paratroopers played a vital role in ensuring the landings at Normandy went to plan."

The model was undercoated using "Citadel" Doombull Brown and washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. I used some "Vallejo" Charred Brown, "Citadel" Ironbreaker, "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on his rifle, and an old OOP pot of “Citadel” Knarlock Green, Biel-Tan Green and later Devlan Mud on the veteran soldier's body armour.

The Paratrooper's gas mask filter was painted using a combination of "Citadel" Knarloc Green and Devlan Mud, whilst the eye filters were simply ‘picked out’ with Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil. The figure's famous red headwear was pigmented with "Citadel" Mechrite Red, before receiving a couple of generous coats of Bloodletter. This glazing technique was applied as an alternative to my former concoction of "Citadel" Blood Red and Baal Red, as rather disappointingly, both products have long since been withdrawn by “Games Workshop”.

"Each Section Was Led By A Corporal..."

"...Armed with a Sten submachine gun."

This 28mm metal model is from the "West Wind Productions" "Secrets Of The Third Reich" blister B-SOTR04 Sten-B. However, rather than use the miniature for Andy Cooper's "Weird WWII game", this British soldier will actually form part of a (Regular) Infantry Section for "Konflikt '47" by "Warlord Games". Indeed, the figure will actually represent the section's "high quality" NCO, armed with a trusty submachine-gun.

The Tommy was initially primed using "Citadel" Doombull Brown and washed with an old pot of "Citadel" Devlan Mud. Once dry the infantryman's weapon, boots and large ammunition pouch were pigmented in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, whilst his bullet proof vest was painted using some Calthan Brown. In addition, I 'picked out' the infantryman's gas mask filter with a dab of "Citadel" Knarloc Green too.

Space Commander Travis wonders what could possibly lurk behind the closed hatchway

Both of these areas were darkened using (more) "Citadel" Devlan Mud. Finally, I 'spotted' the Corporal's eye-goggles with a combination of "Citadel" Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil, before applying some "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade" to the soldier's hands, ears and neck.

With my 500-point strong Great Britain And The Commonwealth army almost completed, I managed to make another visit to the LVL Up Gaming Store in Bournemouth so as to play-test some cooperative rules for my homemade brew entitled "M.I.S.S." On this occasion I brought along some figures taken from my old collection of science fiction miniatures by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", and some cardboard sections from the first edition of the Alien Versus Predator Board Game by "Prodos Games".

Supreme Commander Servalan sacrifices her Federation Troopers to the hungry space mutants

The scenarios we played involved Supreme Commander Servalan and Space Commander Travis leading a boarding party of troopers on board a Terran Federation Science Station which had suddenly ceased communicating with Star One. Needless to say, this was due to an alien viral infection getting out of control and turning the laboratory workers into nightmarish blobs of disease-ridden death.

We managed to get in five games during the afternoon, four of which we won, and one of which turned into a total bloodbath, as the mutated scientists devoured everyone in sight, including the noteworthy Section Leader Klegg; who up until this point had somehow managed to survive every exploration of the space station. Hopefully, we'll get some more games in next month, as I hope to add the Liberator's crew, some event cards and additional scenarios to the "Blake's Seven" proceedings...

"Nothing Will Grow Here."

"There's just a trace of hydrocarbons, and most of the nitrogen is locked into nitrates."

This 28mm scale white metal model of an Albion Rocket Corporation Astronaut is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either separately or as part of their ARC Astronauts three-figure deal. The sculpt comes with a helmet-wearing head, but as I wanted to use him as a proxy for Thomas Dodge from the 1968 movie "Planet Of The Apes" I swapped this part out for a bearded Human Minion Head instead.

"A man of science with a thirst for knowledge of the unknown", the Lieutenant was primed using two coats of "Vallejo" White, shaded in Pale Grey and dry-brushed with (more) White. I then 'boxed off' several of his cosmonaut suit's numerous buttons with a little watered-down "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before applying the combinations of "Vallejo" Heavy Red with "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson", "Vallejo" Heavy Blue" with "Citadel" Asurman Blue, and "Vallejo" Heavy Grey with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green onto them.

"Man the guns. Join the Apes."

To slightly contrast with the member of the Icarus' plain white uniform I gave Dodge's data pad a coat of "Citadel" Ironbreaker and washed it in Nuln Oil, rather than leave the electronic device "Vallejo" White as I had originally planned. Finally, Thomas' hands and face were treated to a coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and a dash of "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

Momentarily stepping away from painting figures, I have managed to re-base the second of two 50 Cal HMG 'Comanche' U.S. Battle Suits by "West Wind Productions" I aim to re-purpose for "Konflikt '47" by "Warlord Games". This hefty metal miniature comes from Andy Cooper's "Secrets Of The Third Reich" range, and is part of a ‘US Armoured Infantry’ starter set I first started working on over a decade ago. However, despite being noticeably smaller, I thought the model would make a good temporary substitute for an Allied Coyote Light Walker, and give me a chance to try out the single-crew vehicle's formidable firepower on the battlefield before investing in one of "Warlord Games" resin/metal kits.

"Manufactorum Imperialis" WIPs - The large crane is being painted in sub-assemblies

In addition, I've also been working on some more of my "Games Workshop" Manufactorum Imperialis scenery for "Adeptus Titanicus" in the (ambitious) hope of owning both a fully-painted Legio Mortis force and accompanying terrain by the end of next month. I don't usually paint in sub-assemblies, but the pair of huge industrial cranes which come in the boxed set simply screamed to be pigmented in at least two parts.

Frustratingly, despite having done this the actual crane arms themselves are proving to be something of a nightmare due to all the inaccessible areas created by its metal struts. As a result I've somewhat scaled down my plans for these pieces, and instead now plan to simply have the monstrous machines predominantly painted "Vallejo" Heavy Red, with its various metallic areas only being 'picked out' where I'm easily able to reach them with my brush-tip...

"Taylor! Don't Treat Him That Way!"

"It's humiliating!"

This 28mm scale white metal model of a Simian is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either separately or as part of their Simian Minions II four-figure collection. However, I was Lucky enough to purchase mine through the company's successful 7TV:Apocalypse "Kickstarter" as I thought the sculpt would make an excellent proxy for Doctor Kira from Franklin J. Schaffner's 1968 science fiction film "Planet Of The Apes".

A "chimpanzee psychologist and veterinarian", the miniature was undercoated with a double-layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Green, washed with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and subsequently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo Heavy Green. Her skirt and sleeves were then painted in "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, shaded using some Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter", and carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab.

"Up And At 'Em."

I applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade to the tiny amount of fur peeking out from Kira's sleeves, and used the exact same mixture for her leather chest covering too. Finally I 'picked out' her flesh using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and later gave these areas a splash of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

Alongside finishing the latest addition to my "Planet Of The Apes" project, I have also completed one of the soldiers found inside the "Secrets Of The Third Reich" blister B-SOTR05 British Commando Carbines by "West Wind Productions". This figure will prove a welcome addition to one of my British Army's two (Regular) Infantry Squads for "Konflikt '47" by "Warlord Games" and help me take a step closer to achieving my current goal of being able to field a 500 point Great Britain and the Commonweath force.

"West Wind Productions" WIPs - Two British Commandos and an American Second Lieutenant

Unfortunately, I did have one slight problem pigmenting the carbine-carrying Tommy, and that was matching up his old "Games Workshop" colour scheme using their Out Of Production (OOP) Foundation Range with the "Citadel" Base paints available today. Luckily, I still have a few spare pots of Calthan Brown and Knarloc Green lurking about, and whilst I couldn't source any Dark Flesh I soon found its modern-day alternative, Doombull Brown, to be a pretty precise alternative.

I've also dug deep into my collection of unpainted "West Wind Productions" miniatures and assembled one of the four models found inside blister US-SOTR03 US Armoured Infantry Squad Command to use as an officer for an American reinforced platoon. I already have ten US troopers painted up from my "Secrets Of The Third Reich" days, as well as a couple of battlesuits, so hope to just paint up a handful more figures in the near future in order to own a 500 points force representing the United States too.   

"Yich! What Strange Creatures!!!"

"All the ballmonsters love the microballs." 

These five 28mm scale resin models of some Microballs are produced by "Precinct Omega", and can be bought as Code BM052 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 blister contains Scar, Nosey, Flathead, Toothless and Pointy.

"They probably couldn't eat more than three at once, though."

The pack also came with some clear plastic flying stands. However, as I wanted my "giant, carnivorous, helium-filled, bad-tempered beachballs" to bounce across the ground rather than simply fly through the air, I super-glued each 'head' onto a 25mm circular base instead. All of the miniatures were then primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, before being drowned in Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter" and dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

With the basics now finished, I slowly worked my way through all the Ballmonsters' teeth using "Vallejo" White, and their numerous spikes with a little Iraqi Sand. All of these areas were later washed using "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, I spotted the various eyes with either a splodge or two of "Vallejo" White or Heavy Red, and suitably shaded them with a dash of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson.

"West Wind Productions" WIPs - Three Commandos, two carrying Carbines and an NCO with a SMG

Having completed the last of the "Precinct Omega" miniatures I purchased at "Beachhead" 2020, I have managed to find a little hobby time to progress the three British Commandos by "West Wind Productions" I need to make battle-ready so as to play some 500-point games of "Konflikt '47" by "Warlord Games". Luckily one of the carbine-carrying soldiers was already partially-painted, so most of my attention has been focused upon the other two necessary figures; especially the NCO armed with an SMG who had to first be assembled from straight out of the box.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Two Apes armed with baton and an ARC Astronaut

In addition, I have concluded the sixth of my twelve dedicated painting sessions for my twenty-four hour 'Paint An Entire Project" Challenge using "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" models. I'm nowhere near where I had hoped to be at the halfway stage. But am confident that the second of my Albion Rocket Corporation Astronauts should soon be completed, as well as the first of my many planned Apes armed with baton.

Indeed, I've already started on a second Simian Minion in the hope of quickly devising a knack/system with which to pigment the eight-gorilla strong party. The soldiers' predominantly black leather uniform is certainly helping matters, and I've even gone so far as to utilise a Leader Simian head for one of the figures so as to mark him out as a sergeant or officer...

"Beware The Beast Man, For He Is The Devil's Pawn."

 "Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport, or lust, or greed."

This 28mm scale white metal model of a Simian is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought either separately or as part of their Simian Minions II four-figure collection. However, I was fortunate enough to obtain mine through the company's successful 7TV:Apocalypse "Kickstarter" as I thought the 'passive chimp' would make an excellent proxy for Doctor Cornelius from Franklin J. Schaffner's 1968 science fiction film "Planet Of The Apes".

"A chimpanzee archaeologist and historian", the figure was initially primed with two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Green, washed with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and subsequently dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo Heavy Green. His sleeves were then painted in "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, and both his fur and leather chest covering with Heavy Sienna. All three of these areas were later shaded using "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

"West Wind Productions" WIPs - Three Commandos, two armed with Carbines and the other with an SMG

Finally I applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade to Cornelius' flesh, and simply pigmented his furry head in "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Initially I did try 'picking out' the simian's fingers and facial details using a touch more "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, but quickly abandoned this idea as I thought the contrast was a bit too much.

Having recently found myself playing some "Konflikt '47" by "Warlord Games" I have perhaps unsurprisingly started work on a few more models to help expand my British and Commonwealth Army up to 500 points. Although at some point I plan to incorporate some of the Nottingham-based manufacturer's official miniatures into my force, I'm currently only using my old "Secrets Of The Third Reich" collection by "West Wind Productions", and so resultantly have simply assembled three more of their excellent British Commandos.

"Adeptus Titanicus" WIPs - The Warhound Titan legs have been layered, shaded and weathered

Two of these figures, both armed with a Carbine rifle, will simply help me better pad out a squad of regular infantry and, in the case of the red beret-wearing soldier, an Airborne Infantry Section. However, the third model will enable me to better identify my NCOs on the tabletop as he's replaced his rifle with an SMG (for an additional 3 points).

I've also not been slacking on making some visible progress on the first of two Warhound Titans I want to field for "Adeptus Titanicus" by "Games Workshop". Indeed, I've now finished the legs to the mechanical brute, and simply now need to complete its gun-laden hull before the heavily-armed monster is ready for some action during the Emperor's "brutal civil war".

"Brown Mould Grows In Damp Subterranean Areas..."

"...And it grows by absorbing heat."

This 28mm scale pewter model of a Brown Mould was produced by "Otherworld Miniatures" as part of their DM7b Slimes, Oozes and Jellies II collection. Hand-sculpted by Paul Muller, I actually purchased this model many years ago and had previously painted it a garishly bright orange before storing it away in a plastic container for safekeeping.

Having 'relocated' the "dungeon hazard" onto a much more suitable "Citadel" 50mm circular base and (re)primed the monster with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, I enthusiastically shaded it with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. I then patiently dry-brushed the fungus with some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

The vast majority of the Wehrmacht are wiped out by a massive British artillery bombardment

In addition to polishing off the last of my Dungeon Clean-Up Crew by "Otherworld Miniatures", I've also managed to get in a couple more games of "Konflikt '47" by "Warlord Games". Admittedly, the forces concerned only comprised of 200 points each, but they at least provided me with an opportunity to reacquaint myself with the rule-set and once again get to grips with gaming mechanics such as pinning, rallying and animated corpses...

The opening game certainly did not go as planned for the Wehrmacht and their experimental Totenkorps Squad. At one point it did look like the zombies were finally going to literally get their teeth stuck into some Tommy flesh, but the small seven-cadaver sized unit was simply too small to withstand the withering fire assailing their undead flesh from the Commonwealth Lines.

The British infantry hunker down as a German zombie horde fast approaches

In addition, some top work by the British Artillery Forward Observer, who incredibly comes as a free unit courtesy of Great Britain's "Artillery Support" Army Special Rule, rained merry hell down upon the rest of the German soldiers. Indeed, having only just recovered from a massive bombardment which badly pinned the majority of the Wehrmacht infantry down, almost the entire German force was then wiped off the battlefield with a ferociously precise follow-up barrage.

Fortunately, the next conflict was a much more even battle, with both sides walking away with a hard-fought draw. This time round though the Totenkorps at least managed to engage their enemy in close combat. However, the British Second Lieutenant soon put the last of the unholy squad back beneath the ground with a desperately brave shot of his pistol. In addition, the British Artillery was far less effective, even badly pinning a few of the Commonwealth's own infantry towards the end of the conflict...

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2014 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

The fifth article covering my favourite miniature manufacturers over the years, this period focused predominantly upon my obsession with World War Two, whether it be the odd 10mm Soviet tank by "Pendraken Miniatures", some 28mm Allied vehicles originally cast by "Bolt Action Miniatures", or a veritable horde of brain-hungry German zombies by "Westwind Productions". However, it also encapsulated a remarkable fascination with some of the smaller scales within the hobby, such as 6mm and 15mm, which seemed to stem from a desire to pigment a variety of Modern Day British forces, as well as some "Rogue Trader" era inspired 'space knights'.

No.10 (Joint) - "Bolt Action Miniatures" - "Bolt Action"

It’s incredible to think just how long this particular resin model of a British Daimler Dingo Mk II Scout Car was left languishing in my ‘To do’ pile. But considering that “Bolt Action’s splendid line of 28mm World War Two miniatures and vehicles” was sold to “Warlord Games” in late 2008, this resin automobile must have been sat gathering dust on my painting table for a good six years or so before being finished. Fortunately, despite having little interest in historical gaming, the scout car made a welcome armoured mobile unit for my allies “Weird War Two” force using the “Savage Worlds” rule-set by “Pinnacle Entertainment Group”.

No.10 (Joint) - "Warlord Games" - "Bolt Action"

Despite having little interest in actually playing Rick Priestley and Alessio Cavatore’s “Bolt Action” tabletop game itself, this “re-release from the BEF Miniatures range” was one of a small handful of vehicles I planned to add to my British Commonwealth forces for “Weird War Two”. However, unlike the partially-painted A11 Matilda Mark I Infantry Tank which was meant to accompany it, this “classic light truck” was not only completed, but actually saw some occasional battlefield action; albeit my Flying Standard 10' "Tilly" Truck's most enigmatic role was probably being a simple ‘prop’ for a game of “Zombie TV” by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”, which saw Doctor Who and U.N.I.T. battle an ever-increasing invasion of Cybermen….

No.8 - "Pendraken Miniatures" - "Alien Creatures"

Something of a mixed bag, but predominantly motivated by a desire to reinforce my H.R. Giger aliens with an alternative fast-moving unit, this Middlesbrough-based manufacturer initially caught my eye courtesy of their somewhat oversized 10mm Face Huggers. These diminutive parasitoids not only proved straightforward to paint, but fortuitously proved perfectly scaled to accompany my larger “Ground Zero Games” Xenomorphs in their bloody battle against Humankind. In addition, I was rather pleased to pigment a few stands of reinforcements for both my English Civil War Royalist Army, and Russian (winter) World War Two force.

No.7 - "Ground Zero Games" - "Xenomorphs"

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to H.R. Giger’s famous motion picture extra-terrestrials, these xenomorphs seemed the perfect opponents for my 15mm Prydian Army by “The Ion Age”, and finally saw some tabletop action as a sizeable antagonistic horde during the year despite actually being bought at “Colours” 2013. To make their journey to the battlefield even more remarkable though, a number of the figures were actually stripped in methylated spirits and re-painted during this period, whilst others were re-based from their original 40mm x 60mm rectangular stands onto some “Battlefront Miniatures” bases so as to better tie-in with a never-realised “Flames Of War” cross-over…

No.6 - "The Ion Age" - "The Prydian Army"

Strongly influenced by this 15mm range’s nostalgia-inducing similarities to the old “Rogue Trader” miniatures by “Games Workshop”, I returned from “Salute” 2014 with a rather sizeable consignment of these models and quickly set to work painting up a small(ish) force of Retained Knights and the Prydian Army Muster. Admittedly, I didn’t actually pigment these figures in their “famous red and white” uniforms, but my desire to field some proxy Crimson Fist Space Marines and Imperial Guard still saw a fair few of these figures on the tabletop, as well as a couple of vehicles.

No. 5 - "Pulp Figures" - "Boys In Blue"

Pigmented purely as a somewhat straightforward submission for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, as part of a Pulp-themed side-challenge, these ten Boys In Blue were supposedly the spearhead of a huge push of Bob Murch’s miniatures for the event featuring many more figures from the Canadian sculptor’s Gangland Justice Range. Sadly however, despite managing to include the first black police officer in New York City,  Sergeant Samuel J. Battle, as well as a vintage call box and fire hydrant into the mix, my momentum for this project disappointingly soon petered out just before the year’s end…

No.4 - "GHQ Models" - "Micro Armour"

As a wargamer I am somewhat prone to impulse purchases, and never has this weakness been more aptly demonstrated than by the Micro Armour boxed sets by “GHQ” I bought at “Colours” in 2011. Three years later and I finally started to plough my way through both my Modern British Combat Team and Modern Mujahadin/Al Qaeda Combat Team. These “super detailed 1:285 scale figures” were incredibly fun to paint, despite their eye-watering diminutive size, and I became so enthused with the range that I even managed to finish a fair few vehicles for my British forces as well.

No.3 - "Mongoose Publishing" - "Judge Dredd"

There can be little doubt that the 2012 “Judge Dredd” Kickstarter by “Mongoose Publishing” had both a positive and negative impact upon my hobby. True, the tardiness in the company's sculpting, casting and delivery of their supporters’ numerous pledges would debatably ruin their reputation. But it also provided me with an opportunity to slowly pick my way through a number of Street Judges, two versions of “Old Stony Face” himself, and the arch-nemesis of Mega-City One’s toughest lawman, Judge Death. I even managed to pigment Nu-Earth’s last surviving Genetic Infantryman, despite having wisely ‘backed out’ from Mongoose Matt’s calamitous “Rogue Trooper” Kickstarter at the last minute…

No.2 - "Westwind Productions" - "Secrets Of The Third Reich"

Thoroughly enthused by the “Weird War Two” setting for “Savage Worlds” by “Pinnacle Entertainment Group”, and the sheer range of supernatural forces on offer by “Westwind Productions” and their “Secrets Of The Third Reich” miniature range, it was probably inevitable I was going to end up painting a significant number of zombies for my battlefield; both German and Soviet. In addition, the Oldham-based manufacturer also lured me into their darkly Gothic Steampunk Victorian setting, with four well-sculpted London Bobbies from their tremendously successful Kickstarter “Empire Of The Dead: Requiem”.

No.1 - "Wizkids" - "Heroclix"

Undoubtedly inspired by several battle reports utilising the “7TV” rule-set by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”, and much more “Marvel Worldwide” focused than “DC Comics”, my collection of re-painted (and re-based) plastic “Wizkids” models saw its numbers significantly swell throughout 2014. However, it arguably wasn’t until the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge towards the very end of the year that I truly ‘knuckled down’ with my “Heroclix” and polished off a small raiding force of U-Men to follow the Black Manta, as well as a trio of Dreadnought robots to do the bidding of Ultron.

“Kryptonite Vision Is Only A Fraction Of My Power.”

"Now you can feel the rest!!"

This 60mm tall plastic “Wizkids” model of Metallo is miniature number 085 from the DC "Heroclix" Unleashed expansion and depicts John Corben after Professor Vale transplanted the small-time con man’s brain “into a robotic alloy body, which was powered by a two-pound chunk of kryptonite.” Originally depicted as “an unnamed scientist calling himself Metalo who wore a powered suit of steel armour”, the supervillain was created by Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino, and made his first appearance in the May 1959 issue of “Action Comics”.

Initially primed “Citadel” Abaddon Black so as to cover its pre-existing paint-job, the member of the Injustice League was treated to a layer of Ironbreaker before being thoroughly washed with Nuln Oil. The Cyborg was then dry-brushed with (more) “Citadel” Ironbreaker, and had all the numerous thick cables snaking about his body ‘picked out’ with Abaddon Black.

"Heroclix" WIPs - Iron Man, a Skrull Commando and the Blue Beetle

Corben’s kryptonite power source, which quickly replaced his body’s less efficient uranium capsule, was pigmented using a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Grey and “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green. This mixture was subsequently used for Metallo’s eyes after I decided against going with the red lenses seen on the official “Heroclix” paint-scheme.

The unexpected recent addition of several more “Wizkids” miniatures to my collection has definitely seen my super-hero batteries get recharged, and as a result I have been somewhat busy removing a range of pre-painted plastics from their ‘clicky bases’ and super-gluing them to an assortment of circular stands instead. Foremost of these has to be the Wild West flavoured Iron Man from the Battleworld: The Valley, whose steam-powered armour suit comes armed with a formidable-looking flame-thrower.

"Field a force of stalwart US Armoured Infantry against the horrors of the Armageddon!"

Alongside this alternative version of Tony Stark I have also primed a rather nice sculpt of Jaime Reyes as the Blue Beetle, and added two more Skrull Commandos to my ever-growing Super Skrull invasion force mini-project. To be honest, I'm not particularly a fan of the Blue Beetle's third incarnation, much preferring Ted Kord's Silver Age version. But I did start to warm to the Teen Titan following the youngster's adventures in the 2008 American animated television series "Batman: The Brave and the Bold".

Momentarily stepping away from painting figures, I have managed to re-base the first of two 50 Cal HMG 'Comanche' U.S. Battle Suits by "Westwind Productions" I want to see return to my tabletop. This hefty metal miniature comes from Andy Cooper's "Secrets Of The Third Reich" range, and is part of a ‘US Armoured Infantry’ starter set I pigmented nine years ago...