"They March Through The Woodlands Singing Songs..."

"...That tell how they have righted wrongs."

This 28mm "white metal model" of a Shrew Warrior is "supplied unpainted" by “Oathsworn Miniatures", and can be purchased as Code BB10 from their "Burrows And Badgers" range. One of the more "abundant" races of beast in Northymbra, this small mole-like mammal comes equipped with a one-handed weapon and light shield, as well as heavy armour.

The "long-nosed mouse" actually comes supplied with its own "integral metal base", so was rather easily transfixed to a 30mm plastic circular lipped base with super-glue, before being under-coated using some "Vallejo" Black Surface Primer. His fur was then layered with Black and dry-brushed Heavy Charcoal. A dab of Black was also used for the tiny fighter's nose and eyes.

Green Lizard WIPs - The exotic warrior's patinated bronze needs finishing

All of the "fiercely territorial" animal's plate armour, as well as its shield, helmet and sword were pigmented with two layers of "Citadel" Ironbreaker and washed with Nuln Oil. These areas were later dry-brushed with (more) Ironbreaker, whilst its leather straps were simply treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

Endowed with a 'voracious appetite', the non-rodent's tunic was 'picked out' with some "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I also managed to get my brush-tip onto two pouches worn upon the diminutive warrior's waist, and resultantly gave them a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and Heavy Red respectively. Finally both of these small bags were shaded using a smidgen (more) Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter".

Viridian Chigoe WIP - The multi-part plastic extra-terrestrial has been assembled and primed

Alongside my "tenacious, and short tempered" Shrew, I have also made some significant progress on the County Durham-based company's Green Lizard. Due to the reptile's exotic country of origin, I plan to colour his plate armour with some patinated bronze, as I thought the contrast between the discoloured metal and the cold-blooded creature's green scaly skin. However, I am still sorely tempted to additionally paint its head bright blue as in the official "Oathsworn Miniatures" paint job.

With an eye already on next month's "Wild West Exodus" mini-project, I have managed to assemble one of three multi-part plastic Viridian Chigoes for my Watchers posse. These miniatures, now manufactured by "Warcradle Studios", have proved incredibly frustrating to assemble due to their instructions having to be downloaded from their website as opposed to being found within the Viridian Clade Posse Set I bought at "Salute" 2018, and my discontent with their packaging has only increased since discovering I have super-glued a couple of the wrong pieces onto my figures...

"You Are Inferior."

"Man will be reborn as Cyberman, but you will perish under maximum deletion."

This 43mm tall metal miniature of a Cybus Industries metallic exoskeleton is from a private collection and thus not commercially available. Fortunately though, I was lucky enough to be sent a quartet of the "monotonous cybernetic creatures" as a fabulous gift by Simon Quinton of "Brummie's Wargaming Blog", and have painted this particular model up as a Cyber-Leader.

Prior to priming, the three piece figure had his arms pinned to his shoulders using some wire, and was subsequently super-glued upon a normal 25mm circular plastic base. To be honest it actually took me quite a while to decide which stand to use for the 'upgraded human', as I wasn't sure with which ranges/genres the unique sculpt would fit in with.

"Burrows & Badgers" WIPs - The Sparrow Warrior Angus Quickbeak and a Green Lizard

In fact, at one point I even considered placing him on the larger-sized lipped bases I use for my "Frostgrave" miniatures and using him as some sort of a magic-born metallic construct. Ultimately however, I decided to go with a base which would let me potentially use the figure as a Cyber-giant alongside my "Black Tree Design" "Doctor Who" models, as well as the majority of my "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" and "Heroclix" models. In addition I wouldn't be at all surprised if the towering silver giant didn't make an appearance in my long-delayed "Expedition To Barrier Peaks" "Dungeons & Dragons" campaign as a futuristic robot enforcer...   

The Cyberman was initially undercoated with a base-coat of "Vallejo" Black Surface Primer and later given a double layer of "Citadel" Ironbreaker. It was then washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Ironbreaker. As a final touch, I picked out the automaton's famous head handlebars with some "Vallejo" Black in order to 'designate' it as a Cyber-leader, and darkened its joints with an application of "Citadel" Badab Black.

Chigoe Beta WIP - The Viridian extra-terrestrial has been assembled, based and under-coated

Moving across to this month's themed mini-project, I have been busy trying to progress both a Sparrow Warrior and a Green Lizard for my "Burrows And Badgers" warband. Both of these "Oathsworn Miniatures" are absolutely packed full of detail, and are proving great fun to paint with all their tiny weapons, pouches, armour plates and straps. Sadly, those anticipating a tartan apparel for Angus Quickbeak will be sorely disappointed as I plan to simply pigment his raiment red as opposed to any complicated criss-crossed pattern.

I'm also slowly assembling, basing and priming the Viridian Clade models I want to paint in earnest next month as part of a "Wild West Exodus" push. This plastic Chigoe Beta comes as a rather fiddly thirteen piece kit, and required me to print out its assembly instructions from off the "Warcradle Studios" website in order to ensure I had put it together correctly...

"Master Of All Matter!"

"Rassilon's discovery, all mine. I shall have supreme power over the universe."

This 28mm metal model of the Master is produced by “Black Tree Design", and can be bought from their "Doctor Who" range as code DW431 Decaying Master. Sculpted to replicate the emaciated renegade Time Lord when he was rescued by Chancellor Goth on the planet Tersurus, this incarnation of the Master sought the power of the Eye of Harmony in order to "restart his regeneration cycle, even though Gallifrey would be destroyed by doing so", and first appeared in the October 1976 BBC Television story “The Deadly Assassin”.

The miniature was initially undercoated with two layers of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. The despicable villain was then shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before having his putrefying hands and face 'picked out' with a combination of "Vallejo" Iraqi Sand and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

Sontaran WIPs - Stike, Linx and Varl have all been primed and dry-brushed

As a final touch I painted the time-travelling fiend's 'soulless' eyes with "Vallejo" Dead White, and 'pooled' a little Strong Tone Quickshade by "The Army Painter" over them. I also tried to highlight the Master's skeletal teeth with (more) "Vallejo" Dead White, but found the tiny detail incredibly difficult to find with my brush-tip. In the end I therefore settled upon a brusque application of acrylic across the mouth area, and blended it in with a second application of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

With my interest in "Doctor Who" maintaining an all-time high currently, and spurred on by my recently painted "Black Tree Design" Sontaran Warrior, I have based, primed and dry-brushed three more of the company's "militaristic clones". These characterful miniatures represent Jingo Linx from the Third Doctor adventure "The Time Warrior", as well as Stike and Varl from the Sixth Doctor story "The Two Doctors".

Locust Beta WIP - The Viridian extra-terrestrial has been assembled, based and under-coated

Disappointingly I've discovered that unlike the Daleks, Cybermen, Sea Devils, Ice Warriors, Draconians and Autons, "Black Tree Design" don't do an 'army' collection for their Sontaran figures. So resultantly, I'm now somewhat tempted to purchase a few more basic Sontaran Warrior sculpts and use the aforementioned 'named' models as officers in order to replicate their "eternal war throughout Mutter's Spiral against the Rutan Host." Of course, I don't own any Rutan miniatures either, so this is clearly a "Doctor Who" project for another day...

By way of a diversion, I have also assembled the second of my Viridian Clade models for "Wild West Exodus". This plastic Locust Beta came in a whopping thirteen pieces, and actually required me to print out its instructions from off the "Warcradle Studios" website in order to ensure I had super-glued it together correctly. I have high hopes for this "Sci-Fi Western Miniatures Game" and plan to get my extra-terrestrial posse all primed ready for a big painting push in a couple of months time.

"Salute" Loot 2018 - Part One Of Two

"Star Trek Adventures" WIPs - Two Romulan Uhlans and Khan Noonien Singh

This year's annual pilgrimage to the ExCeL convention centre in Custom House, East London has undoubtedly added somewhat to my collection of metal, plastic and resin miniatures, as well as greatly widened my interest in a couple more of our hobby's vast pantheon of genres. Indeed, having only travelled up to "Salute" 2018 with just one 'definite' purchase on my shopping list (some OOP "Nexus Miniatures" Caprican Legion Troopers kindly sold to me by "Wargames Terrain Workshop"), I was rather surprised by the sheer range of loot I found within my various carrier bags upon leaving the disagreeably stuffy, dimly-lit venue...

My first impulse purchase however, courtesy of a flyer found within a disconcertingly sparse goodie bag, was arguably a no-brainer for a science fiction fan such as myself, and actually caused me to make a bee-line straight for the "Modiphius Entertainment" stall just as soon as the show started. Apparently an exclusive miniature, this resin model of Khan Noonien Singh from the 1982 motion picture "Star Trek: The Wrath Of Khan" was being given away for free by the British games and entertainment publisher "with every Star Trek Adventures purchase whilst stocks last!"

"Burrows And Badgers" WIPs - A Sparrow Warrior, Adder Warrior and Mouse

Disappointingly however, I wasn't that impressed with what I had to pay in order to make a "Star Trek Adventures purchase", and in the end slightly begrudgingly handed over a whopping forty quid for a measly ten 32mm Romulan Strike Team miniatures; a somewhat expensive outgoing considering that I have subsequently found the company's resin to easily 'tear' when being cleaned with a modelling knife or file, and the figures' stands awkwardly bent - to the point where I've decided not to use them at all and replaced them with plastic 28mm lipped bases instead...

Offering a free miniature was clearly the right way for a manufacturer to go though, in order to grab both my attention and hard-earned funds. I have never really considered gaming with cute furry animals before, but simply couldn't help myself from buying a warband or three at the "Oathsworn Miniatures" stall when I spotted the free mouse adventurer which came with their "Burrows And Badgers" rule-book.

"Wild West Exodus" WIP - This Viridian Alpha has simply been assembled, based and primed 

It's clear I'm going to have to dedicate a month or so to this "tabletop skirmish game that takes place in the Kingdom of Northymbra", as I went a bit silly and picked up quite an array of warriors, mages and cut-throats from their "range of [metal] anthropomorphic animal miniatures." In particular I was rather taken by a heavily-armoured Adder Warrior and heroically-posed Sparrow Warrior...

I also happened upon another irresistible temptation whilst passing the "Warcradle Studios" "Wild West Exodus" display. Their extra-terrestrial Watchers simply smack of 'Cowboys verses Aliens' to me, and thus I now own a copy of their remarkably well-priced Viridian Clade Starter Set. Not only does this hefty box contain enough resin/plastic models to form a posse, but it also includes a softback rule-book, tokens, templates, dice and cards.

"You Are Proof. That Emotions Destroy You."

"Originally evolving on Earth's lost twin planet of Mondas..."

This 28mm scale plastic model of a Cyberman is produced by “Warlord Games” and is one of the twelve Mondasians found within the "Doctor Who: Exterminate!" "fast-paced tabletop miniatures game". Created by Dr. Kit Pedler and story editor Gerry Davis in 1966, these particular sculpts are based upon the "technologically advanced Cybermen" which appeared in the May 2013 BBC Television series story "Nightmare In Silver", and, due to their sprue containing a selection of separate right arms, can be assembled in a variety of poses.

As I plan to use this Cyberman in order to play the game's introductory scenario "A Meeting Of Metal", I decided to turn him into the species' Cyber Leader by building the miniature so it best replicated the illustration of the character's recruitment card. This caused me to pose the model as if the silver giant was in mid-stride, with his integral cyber-gun arm raised, and about to fire. In addition, I assembled three small cyborgs to use as his accompanying Cybermat Swarm; an extra base of diminutive guards which comes free "as the Leader's Retinue special trait."

"...The Cybermen were humanoids who strove to improve their bodies... through radical cybernetic implants."

The figure was primed with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and then treated to a double coat of Ironbreaker. It was then washed with Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with more "Ironbreaker". To make the Cyber Leader stand out on the tabletop that little bit more, I picked out his chest piece with a combination of Nihilakh Oxide and Drakenhof Nightshade.

With my Cyber Leader finished I subsequently painted the first of the miniatures needed for his faction's two Cybermen recruitment cards. These add "four Cybermen per card", so using the aforementioned techniques explained above I quickly had the beginnings of an impressive-looking Cyber Force. As a final step though I super-glued some lead shot beads to the underside of all their bases in order to give the Mondasians the hefty gravitas in the hand I felt the metallic monstrosities deserved.

Captain Nimue WIP - The "Legendary" miniature's  waves have been primed, washed and dry-brushed

Sticking with my "Salute" swag, I was rather pleased to discover upon arriving at the "South London Warlords" show that one of my free promotional models this year was a fantastic-looking diorama of Captain Nimue for "Wild West Exodus". This wonderful sculpt genuinely caught my imagination as I slowly shuffled forward in the increasingly lengthy entry queue, and I was determined to find out more about the "fickle force for change in the Wild West." 

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about either the rule-set or "Exodus" universe, except that I (perhaps foolishly) quit the game's Kickstarter just before it successfully finished, and that more recently the franchise has been acquired by "Wayland Games". But that hasn't deterred me from spending a considerable time piecing together the incredibly complicated multi-part plastic kit, and working on its frothing wave crest.

Blackheart leads the Union against Ballista and his Engineers in a 'friendly' game of Guild Ball

The rest of the miniature appears equally as engaging to paint, with the "formidable adversary" presumably perched atop "the newly dubbed HMS Nautilus", fighting off some huge tentacled mechanical squid with her trusty trident, and proved a doubly welcome 'freebie' when I discovered its new owners (trading as "Warcradle Studios") were literally giving away the "35mm Wild West Sci-Fi Miniatures Game" rulebook at their stall.

Weighing in with a hefty 300 pages, the vast majority of which is fantastic fluff, this hardback tome is a real treat to the eyes, and provides a tantalising glimpse into the world of Jesse James, General Ulysses S. Grant, Billy the Kid and Chief Sitting Bull. In addition, it came with a voucher allowing me to receive a free copy of the rulebook's second edition once it is released. How horrifically tempting an enticement is that..?