Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2023 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

Having purchased an "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer just before 2023 began, I was utterly convinced that over the course of the year my usual source of miniature manufacturers were going to be wholly replaced by the various “Patreon” service memberships I subscribed to. Initially, that was the case too, as in my enthusiasm for the 'new technology' I both bought a veritable army of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files, and produced an almost endless array of grey, "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin models with which to litter my painting area.

Intriguingly though, despite this strong early showing, I increasingly found myself returning to the physical heft of metal miniatures, and even started buying from many of my mainstay manufacturers once again. Admittedly, this surprising development did not cause me to completely turn my back upon all the 3D sculpted science fiction oddities and the fantasy-based denizens of dungeons I owned. But it definitely lead to a noticeable slow down in my painting of the 'grey wave' I was creating, in favour of numerous metal and plastic models - with many being historically based...

No. 10 - "Steel Fist Miniatures" - "Italian Wars"

I must confess to this being one of my most disappointing projects of the year, considering just how much enthusiasm I had for it when I purchased my initial ten Foot Knights from "Steel Fist Miniatures". I had never had an interest in the Italian Wars before, but having watched a few "YouTube" videos on the subject, and bought "Fornovo 1495: France's bloody fighting retreat" by "Osprey Publishing", I was 'well in the mood'. Sadly, an incorrect order, an all-too easily broken figure, numerous assembly issues with the multi-piece metal models, a delayed second order, and then the website's temporary closure (admittedly due to illness), utterly sapped any drive I had to finish even two five-men strong forces.

No. 10 - "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" - "7TV  Second Edition"

Perhaps one of the biggest shocks of 2023 was just how pitifully few figures I pigmented from Karl Perrotton's company. The wonderful mixture of spy-fi, science fiction and fantasy miniatures which the Lincolnshire-based business produces has made it my favourite model manufacturer for the past two years running. However, for the first nine months of this year, I clearly got my usual fix of "space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life" from other avenues - predominantly 3D printed STL files based upon such classic franchises as "Doctor Who", "Alien", "Robo-Cop" and "Terminator".

No. 9 - "CoolMiniOrNot" - "Zombicide"

Despite owning more versions, expansion boxes and hard-backed scenario books of the cooperative boardgame "Zombicide" than I probably care to consider, I had never really settled down to purposely painting a batch of them until the arrival of Marvel Zombies. Spurred on by a deep-interest in comic book super-heroes, and an increasing disinterest in my once-popular range of "Heroclix" meta-humans, I suddenly found myself pigmenting a handful of plastic figures - in both their survivor and undead states.

No. 8 - "Battlefront Miniatures" - "Flames Of War"

Having previously painted quite a sizeable contingent of 15mm scale German Panzer-grenadiers, heavy machinegun teams and mortar units in the past, it seemed clear that my infantry would require some much needed armour/artillery if they were to succeed on the battlefields of World War Two. However, despite giving all of my Panzer tanks a rather basic dark grey palette, much of this initial enthusiasm was eventually watered-down by a lack of both games, and the time-consuming camouflage pattern I developed for my 7.5cm Tank-Hunter Platoon.

No. 7 - "Black Tree Design" - "Doctor Who"

Whilst the modern day interpretation of the "British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC" caused me to lose all interest in the actual show, I did find myself (once again) seeking some comfort in this company's somewhat clunky sculpts of the programme's Classic era - most notably the early days of actor Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Third Doctor. Resultantly, I found myself pigmenting a Martian delegate from the Galactic Federation, a plethora of boiler-suit wearing Autons, and even a trio of long-forgotten Quarks which had been sat gathering dust on my hobby table for longer than I care to recall.

No. 6 - "Wargames Foundry" - "Napoleonic Range"

I have always wanted to own enough 28mm Napoleonic figures to be able to have a decent game of Black Powder or some-such rule-set, and this was the year I decided to finally try to make it happen. Of course, this is going to be a long-term project. But having made some decisions regarding just how much detail I was going to paint on my colourfully-costumed collection, I got a good handful of British, French and Russian infantrymen finished - plus even managed to visit the company's shop in Newark.

No. 5 - "Games Workshop" - "The Lord Of The Rings" & "The Horus Heresy"

Being one of my mainstay manufacturers over the years, I definitely didn't get anywhere near as many "Citadel" miniatures tabletop ready as I had anticipated for this twelve month period. Much of this unproductiveness was due to the sheer number of Sons of Horus traitor marines required for even a simple game of Warhammer 30,000 eventually grinding me down, and if not for a renewed interest in their Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game (or at least painting the predominantly black Ring Wraiths) it's arguably doubtful that the studio would even feature on this list.

No. 4 - "Big Mr Tong" - "Dune"

With my 3D printing skills rapidly improving, I quickly found myself producing a seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of Mike Tongue's small-sized 28mm miniatures. Sadly many of these models went straight into a plastic container for a forthcoming 'rainy day'. But some, such as his marvellous Sardaukar sculpts, went straight onto my painting table, and enabled me to eventually field an impressive fifteen-figure strong unit of the Padishah Emperor's elite military force. Coupled with some (more) Sentry Robots inspired by "The Black Hole", as well as a giant automaton from "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", and I was extremely happy paying out for my Patreon membership with "Big Mr Tong".

No. 3 - "Warlord Games" - "American Civil War"

With hindsight, it is incredible that I managed to paint so many of this Nottingham-based company's 15mm scale plastic figures, as I absolutely hated putting a brush-tip to the seemingly never-ending, fiddly lines of infantrymen. Indeed, by the time I completed all the models found on the free sprue I received with Issue 397 of "Wargames Illustrated", I had almost had enough of the range - and that was despite playing a few games of Black Powder with them at my local wargaming club.

No. 2 - "Pendraken Miniatures" - "World War Two"

There can be no doubt in my mind that this was a bit of shocker, as before March I had little interest in resurrecting my long-forgotten 10mm Battle Of The Bulge project. A chance encounter with a bag containing half a dozen Sherman tanks completely changed all that, and before I knew it I was not only pigmenting the sizeable backlog of armoured vehicles I already owned, but buying numerous new ones from "Pendraken Miniatures" - both online and in person at shows. Furthermore, I started collecting and gaming the fictious Operation Sea Lion, which overall caused me to produce a whopping 42 armoured vehicles throughout the year.

No. 1 - "Papsikels Miniatures" - "Aliens" & "The Terminator"

Quite possibly, considering my love of both science fiction movie franchises and 3D printing, this particular creator was always going to be a tough act to beat. In fact, for a while, my utter infatuation with their STL files was close to stopping me buying any more physical figures ever again, and whilst I still visited a few wargaming shows, I was always offsetting the cost of metal/plastic models against the price of just one bottle of "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin and how many "Papsikels Miniatures" I could produce using it.

Miss Fantorical 2023 - An "Undercoat" Painting Pageant

Better late than never and hopefully a welcome break from elections, sport and hot sweltering days, here are my top picks from the "Fantorical" blog from 2023. Following on from my last set of choices, I have picked a miniature for each month and then picked an overall favourite. My selections are based on the miniature, the paint job, the rule of cool and other eclectic factors, such as nostalgia etc. This means some great models didn’t make the list as it is only one per month and I tried to avoid picking the same type of model if it appeared over multiple months. You may disagree, which is fine, as we all like different things and I encourage you to comment on what your favourite(s) were/are.

January - Cheetah Aliens by "Papsikels Miniatures" - January 18th

These 3D printed miniatures by "Papsikels Miniatures" really caught my eye. There have been a lot of "Alien/s" themed miniatures from this manufacturer's range of STLs. But these ones were different from the more traditional alien we know and love (to run away from!), and the poses were very dynamic too. The painting also captured the xenomorph look. Terrific stuff.

February - E-800 Exterminators by "Papsikels Miniatures" - February 27th

A second choice from this manufacturer - which I have allowed myself to do as it is a different range and we have moved from the organic to the robotic. These miniatures are just awesome and demonstrate that Simon has really mastered the painting of metals and metal work. They look utterly gorgeous and a squad of these on the tabletop would be glorious (and deadly I am sure!).

March - Pak 40 Anti-Tank Gun by "Battlefront Miniatures" - March 31st

This 15mm model is for the "Flames of War" game and, being a bit older, I seem to find myself drifting away from my usual love of sci-fi/fantasy more often towards historical miniatures these days. This model is basically a little diorama of soldiers working a gun on the battlefield and is full of character, life and has no right to be a tabletop miniature as it is so much more. There are ammunition boxes, camouflage and loads of little details that make this a must pick for me.

April - Failed Experimental Battledroid Series 1-B by "Papsikels Miniatures" - April 20th

I get it! I am in danger of being boring here by picking another miniature from this manufacturer. But that just shows how full of character these sculpts are. This model is unusual with some really fine and delicate details. However, it is the cracking painting that really got me here. The metals are amazing as usual. Plus, all the cyborg's wires and other little details have been are picked out too.

May - Groot Thor by "Wizkids" - May 22nd

I know that there are a vast number of Superhero comics, and that includes some weird/whacky stuff and what if scenarios. But I did not know that Groot had this character variant. When I saw it I was like Groot as Thor? What the heck is this!?! It immediately caught my imagination, mainly due to the excellent painting that brought it to life. The tree like details have been expertly painted and it just looks fabulous and full of character. So good!

June - Zombie Silver Surfer by "CoolMiniOrNot" - June 30th

I find the whole Marvel zombies thing weird and intriguing at the same time. It is also great to see heroes and villains as zombies, and this miniature is, quite frankly, awesome. I was wondering how the Silver Surfer could be “zombified” and this is how! I think it is just incredible how a being made of metal can be painted so you know it’s a zombie. Everything about this just screams quality.

July - Napoleonic British Riflemen by "Wargames Foundry" - July 31st

Last year there were an increasing number of Napoleonic miniatures appearing on this blog and they really caught my eye. This period of history looks great on the tabletop, but brings with it untold challenges in terms of the details and colours in those magnificent uniforms. This uniform, whilst not the most colourful, is arguably the most iconic - mainly due to a certain Richard Sharpe I would suggest. I love these. They just look great. I would so love to paint some Napoleonic troops. However, that is one deep rabbit hole to jump down. Hats off to you Sir, these are great.

August - Confederate Soldiers by "Warlord Games" - August 14th

Look at the picture. These are 15mm soldiers. You could be mistaken for believing they were 28mm. This unit is not only painted as a themed Florida unit, but they have different coloured trousers, hats, facial hair etc! The attention to detail is phenomenal and makes these a worthy choice in my opinion because of the effort and love that has been poured into these diminutive soldiers. Finished off by those excellent flags, this little unit looks stunning!

September - Renaissance Knight by "Steel Fist Miniatures" - September 25th

A few of these Italian Wars miniatures were painted in 2023, and were both unusual and full of character. I picked this gentleman as he isn’t sporting the usual steel armour, but a black lacquered set banded in gold. He looks great, as well different and memorable. A great little miniature.

October - Tiger II by "Pendraken Miniatures" - October 13th

This monstrous vehicle is from a 10mm range of miniatures and part of a frightening number of tiny tanks that have been painted on this blog. This one stands out because of its size, and I felt unable to not include a vehicle from this range due to the absolutely phenomenal time and effort that was put into them. A group shot of this army must look glorious!

November - Napoleonic French Fusiliers by "Wargames Foundry" - November 6th

Ooops! I broke a rule and repeated both a manufacturer and genre. I make no apologies as these miniatures look stunning and are so full of character. The Perry Twins are so good at sculpting aren’t they? And the painting has made me believe they are trudging away from Moscow bedraggled and defeated. I must stop myself from ordering a box of Perry Napoleonics…….

December - Orr’ugs Wolf by "Artisan Guild" - December 9th

This is a 3D print from a fantasy range of miniatures that has really stood out for me by giving off some serious World of Warcraft vibes. I also adore this sculpt. However, the painting really brings this to life with the fur looking absolutely amazing. I really love the transition from light to dark with the darker coloured facial features making this wolf look very nasty indeed. I adore the painting on this so much. It is stunning.

Well that is my top 12. My overall favourite is……

The Artisan Guild Wolf. I cannot tell you how well painted this miniature is. It is absolutely brilliant. Amazing. Glorious.

Hopefully I will be forgiven for my tardy submission of my review of 2023 as it brought back memories and hopefully inspired you to look at past entries for inspiration. Perhaps you might also now give some of these manufacturers a look too as they are well worth a peep. Goodbye and thanks for reading.

Top Ten Manufacturers Of 2022 - A "Fantorical" Viewpoint

Without a doubt the biggest change to my hobby during these twelve months has undoubtedly been the arrival of an "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer and my subsequent subscription to various “Patreon” service memberships. Indeed, my desire to print/paint the increasingly numerous STL (Standard Triangle Language) files which I own has completely changed my attitude towards both online buying from non-digital manufacturers and those selling their wares (whether it be plastic, resin or metal) at wargaming shows.

However, whilst this somewhat alarming transformation to my hobby habits has undoubtedly caused a few ripples to the companies I ordinarily turn to for my tabletop goodness, the relative lateness of my introduction to the likes of “Big Mr Tong” and “C27 Studio” haven’t been anywhere near as impactive as I feel they are going to be in 2023. Furthermore, I still have a number of painting projects ‘on the go’ which very much rely upon the sculpts of “Games Workshop”, “Battlefront Miniatures” and “North Star Military Figures” to keep them going. So, I’m pretty confident that the future will not become entirely obsessed with "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin produced models…

No. 10 - "Catalyst Game Labs" - "Battletech"

Whilst I disappointingly pigmented many more infantrymen than mechs from this vast range than I had intended, as well as failed to start the Weird War Two campaign I had planned using some homemade card-based rules, I was still somewhat pleased to at least make a small dent in my embarrassingly large collection of these 1:285 scale plastic models. Furthermore, alongside my French, German and Polish walkers, I also managed to rebase, if not prime and shade, some of the other giant armoured vehicles I own, which should hopefully encourage me to maintain an interest in this project for many moons to come.

No. 9 – “North Star Military Figures” – “Gaslands”

Despite me having no actual interest in playing Mike Hutchinson’s popular ruleset “Gaslands” or even his subsequent “ultimate Director’s Cut”, I did quite suddenly develop an unhealthy interest in “car-on-car destruction in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.” Admittedly, much of this enthusiasm was actually based upon a highly disquieting and somewhat short-lived obsession with the “Hot Wheels” toy vehicle range by “Mattel”. But it did cause me to build (and even convert) four 20mm plastic Motorcyclist kits from the Implements of Carnage One sprue by “North Star Military Figures”.

No. 8 – “Alternative Armies” – “The Ion Age”

Fuelled by playing more battles within a two-day period than I can fully recollect, this range of 15mm science-fiction figures was arguably always going to receive some attention during the year. However, it actually wasn’t until I got hold of some "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green paint that I finally started working on some ‘reinforcements’, and then I didn’t just stop at pigmenting Retained Knights. But also, a hefty resin Battle Taxi, even heavier metal Havelock Type 57 Battlesuit and a special edition Witch Knight.

No. 7 – “Twisted Pinnacle 3D” – “Sentry Robots”

With Walt Disney’s 1979 science fiction film “The Black Hole” being one of my favourite movies of all-time, there probably was little doubt I was going to pick up a bag of these awesome resin robots when I first saw them on “Etsy”. However, having received them a little worse for wear from their postal journey, and identified that their sculptor, Mike Tongue, ran his own Patreon subscription service, I used these terrific figures as motivation to help spur me on to purchasing my own 3D printer.

No. 6 – “Big Mr Tong” – “Cybermen”

By far my most popular supplier of STL files on Patreon for this particular period by tapping into my love of all things “Doctor Who”, this range of 28mm scale resin miniatures kept my 3D printer incredibly busy during its first few months, and also helped me to better understand the usefulness of supporting models using “Chitubox” Basic. Disappointingly, my plans for a large campaign featuring many of the different factions Mike Tongue has sculpted never disappointingly materialised, despite my completing a sizeable squad of Cybermen.

No. 5 – “Battlefront Miniatures” – “Flames Of War”

Despite not actually finishing my planned 50-point strong German D-Day I did end up pigmenting an impressive number of “Battlefront Miniatures” 15mm infantrymen – whether they be part of several MG34 and K98 Rifle Teams or a quartet of sMG34 Machine-Gun Teams. To be honest though I badly underestimated just how many figures I needed to finish in order to field two full-strength Panzergrenadier Platoons, and over time this fatigue caused my enthusiasm for the project to trail off quite dramatically.

No. 4 – “Encounter Terrain/Splunjohnny” – “Doctor Who”

Initially, these cartoon-like sculpts by Splunjohnny looked set to snap me out of a “Doctor Who” funk which had somewhat plagued me since “Warlord Games” seemingly stopped caring about releasing any new miniatures for their officially licenced tabletop game “Exterminate!” Sure, I had to reply upon “Encounter Terrain” to 3D print my models in 40mm scale and at a tenner a piece this was making my quite sizeable forces of Zygons and Cybermen a tad expensive. But I thought they looked incredible and were definitely enjoyable to put a brush-tip to – At least until I bought my own printer and discovered how devilishly difficult it was going to be to produce the marvellous figures at precisely the same size as Jo Levin’s company did.

No. 3 – “Warlord Games” – “Black Powder Epic Battles: American Civil War”

Having previously only dabbled with the American Civil War thanks to an ill-advised impulse purchase of some 15mm metal Union figures by “Peter Pig”, I genuinely saw this plastic product by “Warlord Games” as an easily accessible entry into some seriously large-scale battles featuring rifles, horse and cannon. Disappointingly though, I soon realised that my painting technique/style simply did not work well on the ten-man strips of miniatures. Indeed, I repeatedly found myself yearning for the ‘tiny terrors’ to be individual infantrymen, as I felt that would help alleviate some of the inaccessibility issues I was having with the soldiers’ fine detail, and resultantly speed up my entire process.

No. 2 – “Games Workshop” – “The Horus Heresy” and “Epic”

Quite possibly one of my most consistent manufacturing mainstays, I initially thought that the majority of my “Games Workshop” models for this period were going to come from the Nottingham-based company’s long Out of Production (OOP) Epic range, as opposed to any of their newer lines. But that mentality eventually changed when I acquired their Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set and began ‘grinding out’ a plethora of Sons of Horus tactical space marines. Sprinkle in some old school Blood Bowl dwarves, as well as a couple of characters from their Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, and I was clearly greatly enamoured with the former “bedroom mail-order company” all year round.

No. 1 – “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” – “7TV Second Edition”

Featuring a veritable mishmash of post-apocalyptic creatures, space age androids and future assassins, I repeatedly dipped into my backlog of Karl Perrotton’s marvellous metal figures throughout the past twelve months. Initially, I seemed set to finally polish off a number of Simian Minions I’ve had lurking around my hobby table for more years than I care to remember. Yet, having then been distracted by some the company’s large resin miniatures for a couple of months, I eventually started slowly working my way through the numerous late Jim Bowen sculpts “Crooked Dice” re-released (via a highly successful Kickstarter) as part of their classic Near Future and Cyberpunk Corporate Wars range.

"Development Of The PaK 40 Began In 1939..."

"...With both Krupp and Rheinmetall developing designs for testing and adoption."

This plastic 15mm 7.5cm Anti-Tank Gun team is sold by “Battlefront Miniatures” and is one of two eight-piece sprues (not including crew) which can be found inside the company’s “Hit The Beach” starter set for “Flames Of War”. The models consists of a single Panzerabwehrkanone 40 gun with four soldiers, and is the second of three stands I aim to field as part of a full-strength 7.5cm Tank Hunter Platoon for my German Beach Defence Company. 

Initially undercoated using a double-helping of "Vallejo" Dark Yellow, the gun was washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Dark Yellow. I then applied some sporadic patches of camouflage across the weapon, using a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, Luftwaffe Camouflage Green and Heavy Sienna. All of these areas were subsequently washed with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, before being highlighted back up with (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, of Luftwaffe Camouflage Green and Heavy Sienna. Lastly, I applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the Pak 40's rubber tyres.

"Wargames Atlantic" WIPs - These Three German Infantry (1916-1918) have been assembled & primed

With the Anti-Tank gun finished, I turned my attention to pigmenting the crew. The majority of these figures were painted in situ. But I quickly decided to paint the team's NCO whilst he was temporarily super-glued to a wooden stick. As with all my other “FoW” German soldiers, the miniatures were primed in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were then ‘picked out’ predominantly using “Vallejo” Gunmetal, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades.

In addition, the crew's fully-open shell box was quickly treated to some "Vallejo" Buff and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst it's contents were given a lick of "Vallejo" Brass, a dash of (more) "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and a smidgeon of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to their tips. This colour scheme was then also applied to the two large projectiles which the soldiers were in the process of loading into their weapon.

"Wargames Atlantic" WIPs - More German Infantry (1916-1918) have been assembled & primed

Having completed the latest addition to my German D-Day Defence Grenadier Company, I have started assembling a half-dozen German Infantry (1916-1918) by "Wargames Atlantic". These multi-part plastic soldiers will form the start of a potentially rather large Weird War One project using the Early Great War Conscripts detachment list found towards the back of Daniel Mersey and Richard Cowen's science fiction wargame battles rule-book "Xenos Rampant". But for now I'm simply aiming to get a few of the figures tabletop ready.

Furthermore, I'm planning on using the miniatures as some test pieces for a monthly personal challenge where I spend twelve hours (spread across a few consecutive evenings) tirelessly putting a brush to just my select few models - as opposed to moving from different scales, genres and manufacturers multiple times throughout a single hobby session. I'm hoping this approach will help me quickly paint a core unit for various game systems, which I can then simply add to a bit more haphazardly as time goes by...

"The Official German Designation Was Panzerkampfwagen II."

"The vehicle had originally been designed as a stopgap while larger, more advanced tanks were developed."

This resin and plastic 15mm Panzerkampfwagen II used to be produced by “Battlefront Miniatures” and is one of five models found inside the company’s now sadly Out Of Production (OOP) Panzer II Light Tank Platoon boxed set for “Flames Of War”. Each armoured vehicle consists of a number of pieces, including an optional stowage bin for the back of the turret and a plastic commander standing within an open hatch.

Having been lucky enough to purchase this marvellous kit for a very reasonable price at Salute 50, I must admit to later becoming a little overwhelmed by all its tiny parts when I first opened the package. Happily however, there's an excellent assembly guide on the New Zealand-based manufacturer's website, including a video by YouTuber Wargamerontour, which soon helped make sense of where all the fiddly metal bits needed to be placed and super-glued.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - Three Crusader II tanks at various stages of painting

Once I was happy with my ensemble - I decided to use one of the stowage bins as I thought they looked super-cool - I permanently attached "the most numerous tank in the German Panzer divisions at the beginning of the war" onto a medium-sized "Flames Of War" rectangular stand and base-coated it with two layers of "Vallejo" German Grey. I then shaded the Panzer II with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, heavily dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" German Grey, and finished the basics off with a light dry-brush of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

I next 'picked out' the light tank's spade, stowage, and fire-axe using appropriate combinations of "Vallejo" Gunmetal, "Citadel" Nuln Oil", "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. As a final step I tied the colour of my armoured vehicle's tracks in with my usual basing palette by applying some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh and Agrax Earthshade over them, and added a single Balkenkreuz decal to the turret.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Three Sons of Horus Space Marines ready for their details to be 'picked out'

Staying with Second World War tanks I have made more progress on three of the six Crusader II tanks I bought from "Pendraken Miniatures" booth at Salute 50. These British armoured vehicles were originally intended for my Battle Of The Bulge project, but as I have since discovered the the "cruiser" predominantly saw action during the Allies' North African campaign, I thought I'd add them to my (non-Winter) Early War project instead - which essentially just means using green flock not white on their bases.

In addition, having been somewhat spurred on by my recent purchase of "Xenos Rampant" by "Osprey Games", I have been working on another trio of 28mm plastic Space Marine by "Games Workshop" from their Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set. These multi-part figures have been assembled wearing MK VI armour and will form part of a (second) ten-man strong tactical squad for my five-hundred-point Sons of Horus traitor force.

"With Its Heavy Armour, The Matilda II Was An Excellent Infantry Support Tank..."

"...But with somewhat limited speed and armament."

These two 10mm metal British infantry tanks are sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code BRV2 - Matilda II, and were discovered amidst a pile of other armoured vehicles produced by the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer whilst I was searching through some partially-forgotten plastic containers. Originally, I had hoped to simply use them as the beginnings of a British World War Two Winter collection - which is how all my 10mm armoured vehicles have been based to date. But after some rudimentary research into their history it was clear that the A12 was best known for its exploits in North Africa.

Furthermore, I also momentarily dithered around pigmenting them to use as Russian tanks, due to the Soviets deploying them during the Battle of Moscow. However, as the "crews often complained that snow and dirt were accumulating behind the skirt panels", and I still own a large amount of unpainted Russian models, I decided to simply use the Matilda II's as the motivator for starting a new 10mm (non-Winter) World War Two project instead.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - This Crusader II Tank has been primed, base coated and shaded

I therefore applied a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Russian Uniform over the miniatures and subsequently drenched them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The tanks were then enthusiastically dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Russian Uniform WW2 before I finished their tracks off using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Abaddon Black. In addition, I added a couple of Union Jacks to their turrets - which whilst wholly inaccurate, make the Matilda IIs stand out as being distinctly British, as to opposed to being just another armoured vehicle in the Allies' arsenal.

Sticking with both "Pendraken Miniatures" and armoured vehicles, I have made some good progress on three Crusader II tanks I bought from the company's super-busy stall at Salute 50. To be honest this purchase fairly typified my naïve disorientation as to which British fighting vehicles I needed for my Battle Of The Bulge project, as the "cruiser" actually served in North Africa, not Bastogne - Albeit I did read that the Crusader was later relegated "to secondary duties, such as anti-aircraft mounts", so may have seen a little use in North West Europe..?

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - This Panzer II is slowly having its details 'picked out'

To make matters worse, I also somehow stuck two identical blisters in my little shopping basket, along with a trio of Crusader III models too - so now the bulk of my British (non-Winter) World War Two project will invariably have to be Crusaders - at least for the time being. This isn't ideal, as similar to my Winter War project, I wanted to field a large variety of the tanks (and other guns) which were involved in the various battles. But at least once finished I'll have a strong contingent for any Allied operations in Tunisia, and the vehicle was additionally used for training back in the United Kingdom during 1942, so could be fielded for some Operation Sea Lion scenarios.

Finally, I have almost finished one of the five "Flames Of War" Panzer II tanks by "Battlefront Miniatures" I also picked up whilst at Salute 50. I picked up this old 15mm resin and metal boxed set as the new "Berlin: German" campaign book mentions that you can field them as part of a Tank Training Company, and whilst I really like the current plastic kits, I got my quintet a lot cheaper than the pre-order price I've seen for just three of the latest Panzer II sprues...

"Churchills Saw Widespread Action In Normandy."

"It is sometimes called the "Heavy Churchill" and was given the specification number "A42" in 1945."

These two 10mm metal British infantry tanks are sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code BRV41 - Churchill VII, 75mm, and were found amongst a number of the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer's other armoured vehicles in a recent recce of my lead mountain. Initially, I had planned to use them as the start of an early World War Two (non-winter) Allied force, having previously pigmented both a Soviet and German snow-flocked force for an old version of the rule-set "Blitzkrieg Commander".

However, having done a bit of research I found that the tank was actually present during the "Battle Of The Bulge" and beautifully captured in the picture Churchills Advance by Nicolas Trudgian, so decided to simply add them to my Allied contingent for that campaign instead. I also got myself into a little bit of a quandary surrounding the vehicles' hue as the excellent "Colours Of War" painting guide by "Battlefront Miniatures" and "Vallejo" recommended a combination of Bronze Green and Black Wash - which frankly sounded a little dark for my liking.

"It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war."

Fortunately, I saw that the book also subsequently suggested a "layering" of Russian Uniform WW2, so went with that particular (somewhat) lighted green colour as my prime and then later sploshed the Churchills with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to act as a simple shade. One highlight with (more) "Vallejo" Russian Uniform WW2 later and I had the basis of a palette which stood out from both the much darker "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab of my American armoured vehicles, and, perhaps more importantly, the sorely missed "Citadel" Knarloc Green Russian tanks. Furthermore, I always find a lighter tone of pigmentation always better suits smaller scale miniatures.

I finished the armoured vehicles by 'picking out' their predominantly covered tank tracks using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before deciding upon which decals to apply to them. Originally, I was going to just use some triangular squadron markings on their turrets, with perhaps the odd tank recognition flash on the hull. This would certainly be more historically accurate. But in the end I felt I wanted them to stand out as being British (with the possibility of painting more to represent other Commonwealth countries), so inaccurately slapped a couple of Union Jacks on the turrets instead.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - An M5 Stuart tank layered in "Vallejo" US Olive Drab and shaded

With the latest finds from my 'pinnacle of potential' painted, I have perhaps unsurprisingly started wading into the goodies produced by "Pendraken Miniatures" I recently purchased at Salute 50, and resultantly got cracking on a trio of 10mm M5 Stuart tanks I want to field as part of the American Battle Of The Bulge forces. These lovely little models have so far been primed with "Vallejo" Earth, layered using "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, and partially-drowned in "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - A Panzer II tank layered in "Vallejo" German Grey and shaded

Lastly, I have made some slight progress on one of the five "Flames Of War" Panzer II tanks by "Battlefront Miniatures" I also picked up whilst at Salute 50. Quite understandably, this 15mm 'test piece' contains quite a bit more detail than its smaller scaled brethren, so has only been primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, base-coated with "Vallejo" German Grey and shaded using "Citadel" Nuln Oil...

“Salute 50" Showcase 2023 - Part Three: The Loot

"Warlord Games" WIPs - This Viking Jarl has been primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey

To be brutally honest, I only really had a couple of things on my 'To Buy' list before I stepped foot into the ExCeL convention centre at Custom House, as my hobby mentality has definitely changed over the past six months thanks to my purchase of an "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro 3D printer. Indeed, my original plan was to predominantly spend my time participating in a handful of games whose rules I was unfamiliar with (e.g. Oathmark: Battles Of A Lost Age" by "Osprey Games") and meet up with a few friendly faces - as opposed to the reality of me ultimately staggering out of the hall with a backpack crammed full of lead, plastic and MDF...

The first indication I had that things were not going to pan out as I thought came with the South London Warlords' Salute 50 goodie bag, which included a special 28mm scale figure. In the past I've usually just set this miniatures aside for a 'rainy day' or, as I did with Paul Hicks' Boy With Spitfire model in 2021, turned them into a statue/tabletop objective marker. This year's Viking Jarl though genuinely captured my imagination, not least because both its creation and subsequent paint-job were wonderfully written up in the show's guide produced by "Miniature Wargames".

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio " WIPs - Three Borgo Pass Tribesmen primed in "Vallejo" Heavy Blue

Resultantly, when I started to work my way around the stalls located against the concourse's walls, having immediately turned right from the entrance, I was already thinking about when I'd have the time to build Warlord Games' warrior "festooned with booty pillaged during his fifty year reign". and what else I could assemble alongside of him whilst waiting for the superglue to dry. This mentality stuck with me throughout the event, and would later spur me on to search out a number of bargains I hadn't even considered beforehand.

One thing I did have on my meagre shopping list though was a set (or ultimately two) of Retro Dungeon Tiles by "Warbases", which I'd luckily seen advertised the night before on social media. Somehow, I actually managed to bypass their stall during my opening circle of the venue, having never spotted the giant banner waving above their spot. So once I realised my mistake I hurried straight over to their location and gleefully poured over the four sheets of "high quality printed tiles" before parting with my cash.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three Man-Ape Cultists primed in "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna

It was at this point that things started to go badly awry though as en route back to my pre-planned circuit around the vendors, the always-friendly Karl Perrotton of “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” lured me into his booth and gave me an opportunity to peruse some of his latest offerings. This particular company has been a mainstay of my hobby since they started trading, and whilst so many of the figures I paint/play with these days are 3D resin prints, I have always enjoyed working on their range of 28mm metal "7TV" miniatures.

Suffice to say my love of Crooked Dice models also means I have a towering backlog of 'unloved lead' back home. But that simply couldn't prevent me from picking up the superb-looking Stalwart Sidekicks, Borgo Pass Tribesmen and Man-Ape Cultists (the last two items coming from Karl's recently successful 7TV Dracula Kickstarter) for some future Indiana Jones flavoured horror/pulp gaming - most likely using the yet to be released new 7TV Core Rulebook - "a 288 page hardback consolidating eight years and four boxed sets of cinematic skirmish rules in one place."

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three of their four Stalwart Sidekicks

Having now clearly already crossed a 'mental line' I proceeded to "Pendraken Miniatures", where I initially fooled myself into thinking I was simply going to buy a blister of Churchill VII tanks to add to the pair I am currently pigmenting to use with some homemade rules. Afterall, I've since discovered a whole horde of long-forgotten 10mm armoured vehicles in my loft... One basket later and I was thanking Leon for kindly putting a veritable ton of metal models into a plastic carrier bag for me, and walking away asking myself just why I needed almost every conceivable type of tank the Allies had ever fielded during the Second World War. Not to mention the variety of German Panzers I picked up too...

My next buys didn't actually come until much later in the day, after I'd spent a very pleasant lunch chatting to a well-mannered youth who politely asked to sit at the table I was occupying, and then proceeded to enthusiastically show me the two Traveller RPG books he'd bought. The first occurred when I spotted some well-priced "Flames Of War" scenery at the "Entoyment Wargaming And Hobby Centre" stall. To be honest this area was absolutely packed full of similarly-eager buyers on account of some genuine bargains. In fact I would have certainly picked up a fully-painted Brick Factory by "Gale Force Nine" if the sheer size of its box hadn't put me off.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - These three M5 Stuart tanks have been primed with "Vallejo" Earth

Instead I had to content myself with a set of the Battlefront Group Company's Factory Chimneys and an incredibly inexpensive 15mm Tiger Heavy Tank Platoon for "Flames Of War"  - which was marked up at so good a deal that the chap at the till double-checked the price before ringing the sale through. I had a similar experience at "Frome Model Centre" booth shortly afterwards, where I snagged an old metal/resin Panzer II Light Tank Platoon for just twenty quid. The seller wanted twice that much at first until I pointed to the sticky label and he very graciously admitted a mistake had been made and subsequently sold it to me at the much lower price.

With a rather heavy bag and already slightly aching shoulder, that should have been it for my Salute 50 loot. However, as I approached the way out I spotted an enormous banner of a Terminator, or rather a T-800 in its default machine form. Now, having recently 3D printed and painted a whole host of Skynet's death-dealing robots I did not take much convincing from co-author Mark Rapson to pick up a copy of his The Terminator Role-Playing Game Quick Start Rules by "Nightfall Games". In addition to signing my copy, he also sold me another of his rule systems, SLA Industries Second Edition for just a couple of quid.

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - One of five Panzer II's base-coated with Vallejo" German Grey

And thus ended my swag for the day - significantly more than I had perhaps somewhat naively anticipated, but also a darn sight less than what I would have carried away if I'd brought along a second strong bag. Overall though I was very pleased with myself. I got some terrific bargains for "Flames Of War" - which is very much my favoured wargame currently, picked up the goodies I had planned to get from "Warbases" and "Pendraken Miniatures", and, as per my annual tradition at this very special show, bought something for a game I'd never considered before...