"The Great Intelligence Is Back..."

"...And its robot Yeti are roaming the streets and the underground tunnels."

These three 28mm metal Yeti were produced by “Warlord Games” as part of the Nottingham-based company's "special limited-time offer" Doctor Who: Web Of Fear set. The blister also contained a kneeling figure of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, as well as Professor Travers, and were provided for free with any orders of £75 or more. However, they are now long Out Of Production (OOP), so I recently ended up buying this particular collection of miniatures second-hand.

Based upon the furry robots from Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln's February 1968 televised story "The Web Of Fear", the trio were all undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and 'drowned' in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. They were then all dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before being treated to a light dusting of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Lastly, the classic monsters' eyes were picked out with "Vallejo" White, Sun Yellow, "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and an additional highlight of "Vallejo" Sun Yellow.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Four French Napoleonic Fusiliers being slowly progressed

With my 'blast from the past' completed, I have been pottering about on a quartet of Fusiliers in Greatcoat Marching by "Wargames Foundry". These identical sculpts will form the backbone of my initial Napoleonic French force using the "Xenos Rampant" ruleset by "Osprey Publishing" (as a unit of Light Infantry), and were originally going to all be pigmented wearing plain white trousers - as per their 'official' colour scheme on the trader's website.

However, to be honest the casting/sculpting on these figures is a little 'rough around the edges where each soldier's legs meet the underside of their knee-length jackets. As a result I started to really struggle when it came to painting a reasonably straight line between the different areas. Having 'battled' with two sculpts and plenty of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" I therefore decided that the other models would be wearing different coloured trousers - and was rather delighted to see from my reference plates that the Fusiliers did wear brown or blue pants from time to time.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - This 10mm Sherman Firefly tank has been primed, shaded & dry-brushed

Sticking with historical stuff, I have also been making some progress on a unit of Allied Sherman Fireflies for my Battle of the Bulge campaign. These 10mm medium tanks by "Pendraken Miniatures" were originally simply going to form part of my British force. But having spotted (and subsequently purchased) some WWII Commonwealth Markings and Flag decals from Leon's stall at Colours 2023, I thought I'd try to make them stand out a little more on the tabletop by turning them into the Second Canadian Armoured Brigade instead.

Unlike many of the armoured vehicles I've recently been putting my brush too, these Fireflies are the company's latest designs, and are absolutely packed full of detail. Ordinarily, I really do like to predominantly just basecoat, shade and dry-brush my tanks in order to quickly get them on tabletop. But it seems such a shame to rush these particular Shermans, that I plan to 'pick out' the odd shovel and fire-axe on their hulls, before calling them finished...

"Pierre De Rohan..."

"...Came from a famous French family who had fought their king's wars for many years."

This 28mm metal model of a Renaissance Knight is produced by "Steel Fist Miniatures" and was bought as part of the ten-figure Code REN 20 - Foot Knights Deal from their Italian Wars 1494-1538 range. The sculpt can also be purchased as part of a pair under Code REN 01 - Foot Knights, and whilst not specifically named as the "close advisor of Kings Louis XI , Charles VIII and Louis XII" was painted with Pierre de Rohan in mind.

The "Marshal of France since at least 1475", the multi-part model proved slightly cumbersome to assemble before painting, due to the caster's belief that the figure's massive number of helmet plumes would apparently stay attached with just the smallest of nodules fixing it in place. Considering just how heavy the panaches were I decided a much safer option was to file down the 'underwhelming peg' and pin the collection of feathers in place with wire.

"Steel Fist Miniatures" WIPs - Three more Foot Knights currently on the painting table

Only once this ensemble had been super-glued together and given an appropriately long time to harden, did I dare apply a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to "the youngest of the Rohan-Guéméné family." This was then followed up by a combination of Sir Coates Silver from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before the armour and blade were given a thorough dry-brush of (more) Sir Coates Silver .

I did initially consider colouring de Rohan's plumes in an elaborate mixture of white and blues. However, having perused the marvellously sculpted feathers, the headdress appeared a little too fiddly for me to easily 'pick out' the odd area with a brush-tip, so I ultimately decided to go with an all "Vallejo" Heavy Blue palette. This was subsequently shaded with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade and later carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - This 10mm Sherman Firefly tank has been primed and shaded

With the recent arrival of eight Foot Knights Attacking from "Steel Fist Miniatures", along with my two missing models from my first order, I've found my mojo for this skirmish-sized Italian Wars project to have bounded back with great aplomb. So perhaps unsurprisingly, I have made some steady progress on some more combatants in the Battle of Fornovo, with several other figures impatiently waiting in the wings.

In addition, spurned on by my recent purchases at the "Pendraken Miniatures" stall at Colours 2023, most notably some Canadian armoured decals, I have also been busy putting a brush to some of the last 10mm Allied World War Two tanks I previously picked up off of Leon whilst visiting Salute 2023. These three M4A4 Sherman Fireflies still have some work to go. But with a dedicated session or two should soon be busy representing the Second Canadian Armoured Brigade for Late War (Winter) campaign.

“Colours" Showcase 2023

"Yes! We are on for Colours 23."

With my pleasant memories of last year's show at Newbury Racecourse, Berkshire, still firmly ensconced in my mind, it would arguably have been rather remiss of me to have failed to attend this year's "Colours" by Newbury & Reading Wargaming Society'. Sure, my previous journey to the site's Car Park 4 was a chaotic nightmare. But having learnt my lesson to check the show's website beforehand for directions, I felt reasonably confident that I'd be able to make the ninety minute long journey with far fewer frustrations than last time.

A view or two of the First Floor, including the "Lard Zone"

Disconcertingly though, my Sat Nav had other ideas, insisting that I enter the market town from the wrong direction and resultantly forcing me to slowly fight my way through some seriously heavy Saturday morning traffic. To make matters worse, it also repeatedly attempted to take me to the main entrance at the western side of the venue, so ultimately ended up being binned in favour of my memory from twelve months ago. This eventually saw me through safely enough, however, the complete lack of signs along the route was not helpful, and would certainly have been greatly appreciated.

Some of the demonstration/participation games put on by "Two Fat Lardies"

To mix things up a bit this time round, I decided to 'hit' the First Floor traders first. This choice turned out to be a good one too, as the large spacious area wasn't particularly busy, so I was able to mooch about the stalls relatively freely. Quite possibly the highlight of this initial 'scouting trip' was "Scarab Miniatures", who were selling some truly fantastic looking 28mm metal Great War figures for a mere 'pound a pop'. As such, I could quite easily have walked away with a significantly heavy bag load full of Austrians and French. Luckily, it was a little too early in the day to 'hit the trigger' quite yet, so I moved on before my wallet had a chance to inadvertently fly open.

More demonstration/participation games put on by "Two Fat Lardies"

Enjoyably, I next encountered the "Lard Zone" which had previously seen a lot of success at "Salute" 2023. Run by "Two Fat Lardies", this space had several of the company's games running, so I spent a short while thoroughly enjoying the different tables, genres and rule-sets on display. In addition, I was able to have a good look at the scenic wares of "The Last Valley", "F4 Freddie Terra Firma" and "Last Man, Last Bullet" - the latter of which had a number of World War One trench-works and Black Powder-era earthworks at various scales. A number of these seemed rather suitable for the American Civil War as well, so we ended up nattering for ten minutes about fortifications during this conflict, such as those at the Battle of Fredericksburg,

Plenty of scenic pieces on show by "The Last Valley, "Last Man, Last Bullet" & "F4 Freddie Terra Firma"

Following on from these visits, I ascended to the Second Floor and joined the jostle along the length of the show's Bring and Buy sale. To be honest, I found this one of the few disappointing aspects of this year's "Colours", as there simply wasn't a great deal to catch my interest due to it largely consisting of boxes full of painted miniatures. Doubtless many a visitor interested in such purchases scooped up a bargain or two. But for me there was a distinct lack of bare metal or plastic.

Some of the demonstration/participation games put on by the Society of Ancients

Instead, I busied myself looking at the different demonstration/participation games filling up the floor. A number of these caught my eye, most notably a 6mm battle being shown by the Society of Ancients for their intriguing "Mortem Et Gloriam" (MeG) rules. This biblical battle looked good and I was rather impressed when one of the members highlighted that the much larger sized tabletops surrounding me were all using the same game - just in different scales. Bemusingly though, I was then handed over to another fellow who seemingly felt the best way to sell me on the "multi-award-winning ancients wargames rules" was by quickly 'putting me in my place' for daring to even suggest that "Xenos Rampant" could be used to play some Napoleonic skirmishes - something I'm currently working towards.

A selection of models from "Gringo 40's" Vietnam range

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I therefore decided to promptly leave the area utterly uninvested in MeG, and instead briefly made my way around the other pitched battles before moving down to the Ground Floor.  This was absolutely bustling with activity, with several stalls momentarily capturing my attention. Of particular note was "Gringo 40's", whose range of Vietnam War and Napoleonics had me drooling over their display cabinets.

A selection of models from "Gringo 40's" Napoleonic range

Ultimately however, I only succumbed to the usual suspects of "Warlord Games" and "Pendraken Miniatures" - who managed to ensnare me with a 15mm all-metal Siege Mortar Battery for Black Powder Epic Battles: American Civil War, and a ton of 10mm World War armoured vehicles respectively. Indeed, I felt a bit guilty just buying from two manufacturers who I regularly purchase from online, rather than from one of the numerous 'cottage industry' companies present at the show. But in the end, I decided to simply support my current hobby projects, rather than 'dip my toe' in yet another period or genre...

“Wargames Foundry" Showcase 2023

"Welcome to the home of 28mm wargaming miniatures!"

Thanks to discovering an embarrassingly large stash of twenty-year-old "Wargames Foundry" Napoleonic blisters recently, and acknowledging that if I was ever going to own the fully-painted masses of 28mm brightly-coloured voltigeurs, grenadiers and riflemen I have always wanted, I would need to do it now, I decided to make the four-hour trip up Newark to visit the manufacturer's premises for the first time. The venue is surprisingly hard to find if relying upon a Sat Nav as it's tucked away alongside an old church, and somewhat disconcertingly requires a drive along a single lane dirt road with a death-defying sheer drop on the passenger's side.

The first few shelves of painted miniatures to assault the senses as you enter "Wargames Foundry"

Happily however, the staff were very helpful providing me with precise instructions when I called them for assistance, and even courteously came out to check if I was alright following me abandoning my vehicle alongside a nearby building. The entranceway is actually quite surreal with its bright blue door and cream-painted brick walls. But once inside the astonishingly large property is absolutely crammed full of wonderful-looking display cabinets and an almost endless sea of packed blister racks - covering every single range the company produce.

Some of the classic Genestealer Cultists and large scale ACW on display

Furthermore, I was somewhat astonished to see a few well-laid out gaming tables in the venue, which apparently can be hired out to customers who want to play a game or two at the Carriage Court. Having found my bearings, I made my way to the farthest room on my right and began casually mooching at the absolutely fabulous collection of fully-pigmented 'Oldhammer' miniatures on show. These were gorgeously painted, and incredibly nostalgic to an old gaming grognard like me, with some truly classic Genestealer Cultists from Warhammer 40,ooo catching my eye - including a throned Patriarch and accompanying limousines.

The company's old OOP "2000 A.D." range of figures including Judge Dredd & Rogue Trooper

Alongside these 'blasts from the past' I also spotted the company's old range of "2000 AD" related characters, and some astoundingly large American Civil War figures (possibly 40mm), which considering my current obsession with ACW Epic Battles Black Powder by "Warlord Games" immediately caught my imagination. Indeed, there were quite a few potential distractions for the wargamer not completely committed to their current cause/s, especially once I started actually scouring all the marvellous models on sale in their allotted ranges and spied such notable periods as the Great War, the Franco Prussian War and even the Elizabethan era.

Some of the truly tempting genres and painted figures currently on sale

Ultimately though, I managed to resist temptation and eventually made my way through the various rooms until I reached the Napoleonic blisters. This area was still showing signs of hosting the very recent "Bring Out Your Lead" annual gaming event, with all the racks being enveloped in plastic wrapping for protection whilst they had been stored away. This initially made looking at the models I was interested in a bit difficult. But a quick word with the staff soon saw a pair of scissors being produced to cut down the temporary barriers, and I was left to pick out a modest number of French, Austrian, German and Bavarian blisters.

Just some of the painted "Wargames Foundry" Roman range of models

I was also hoping to pick up a pack of British Riflemen, which included an officer and some nicely dynamic 'sharpshooters' in a variety of poses. Sadly though, I simply couldn't see it amongst the myriad of Highlanders and Line infantrymen, so had a word with the staff to find out when it would next be in stock. A few minutes later, the incredibly amiable chap behind the desk came back from the casters with my sought after soldiers in a little plastic bag. I thought this was excellent service and has definitely guaranteed a return visit next year - once I've pigmented my my current purchases...

"Francesco Had A Career As A Condottiero..."

 "...Acting as Venice's commander from 1489 to 1498."

This 28mm metal model of a Renaissance Knight is produced by "Steel Fist Miniatures" and was bought as part of the ten-figure Code REN 20 - Foot Knights Deal from their Italian Wars 1494-1538 range. The sculpt can also be purchased as part of a pair under Code REN 05 - Foot Knights, and whilst not specifically named as the Marquess of Mantua, was painted with Francesco II Gonzaga in mind.

"Regarded as the finest knight in Italy", the multi-part model was super-glued together and given a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, followed by a combination of Sir Coates Silver from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The armour and blade were then given a dry-brush of (more) Sir Coates Silver before receiving two more 'drownings' of "Citadel" Nuln Oil. This was because Francesco appeared to always be wearing black armour in his portrait pictures, and whilst I didn't want to go that way with this particular sculpt, I did want to make his suit appear a little darker than normal.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - These Russians are slowly having their details 'picked out'

Due to selecting this particular miniature to represent "the commander-in-chief of the army of the Italian League in the Battle of Fornovo", I 'picked out' his barely visible moustache with a dab of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and splosh of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, before applying plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to his skirt - a colour which would starkly contrast with the predominantly blue palette I am planning for their French opposition. In addition, I did a little research on the Marquess of Mantua's flag for this historical period, and decided to represent its red cross with four black dragons on a white background with his helmet's plumes.

Resultantly, the various feathered hackles were painted using White Star and some heavily watered-down Carcharodon Grey by "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats", pure "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and "Vallejo" Heavy Red with plenty of the "Citadel" Shade Carroburg Crimson. As a final touch I dabbed a little "Vallejo" Gold" and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade over the pommel of Francesco's sword.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - Three Yeti from "Doctor Who" which have been based and primed

With the second of my Battle of Fornovo combatants completed, I have focused much more of my hobby time upon some more of the 28mm Russian Infantry in Oilskin Covered 1812 Shako Marching by "Wargames Foundry" I want to field as part of my Third Coalition force. These soldiers will initially form up alongside a pair of already finished British 95th Riflemen for some skirmish games of "Xenos Rampant". At least they will once I complete the handful of Napoleon's French Fusiliers I intend to field as their early opposition.

To help me have a break from all the white straps of the early Nineteenth Century uniforms, I've also assembled and primed (using a mixture of "Vallejo" Primer Leather Brown and Heavy Sienna) three large metal Yeti by "Warlord Games". These 28mm scale classic monsters from the "Doctor Who" science fiction television series are now sadly OOP (out of production) since the Nottingham-based company lost the licence. But I was recently lucky enough to snag a trio of the models second-hand, so have wasted no time in getting them ready for my brush-tip...

“Warlord Games Open Day" Showcase 2023

"The ever-popular Warlord Games Open Day makes its triumphant return for 2023."

As I hadn't ventured up to "Warlord Games" Headquarters in Nottingham since it moved to its new site at Finch Close in 2020, I decided to attend this year's "traditional annual Open Day and partake in John Stallard's "celebration of our great hobby". The new venue certainly looked much more spacious than the company's previous collection of outhouses and side buildings, but to be honest I did miss the opportunity to visit "North Star Military Figures" first whilst waiting for the event to start.

Some of the gaming tables featuring World War Two "Bolt Action" and Napoleonic "Black Powder"

Furthermore, despite a couple of large canopies being erected outside in the front car park to 'house' a series of excellent-looking participation games, I still thought there wasn't much room to move about in - especially once all two hundred plus attendees had arrived. This 'press of people' vying for a natter with their favourite YouTuber, rules writer or games designer was doubtless a testament to the popularity of the show. However, a couple of times I simply put products I was planning to buy back on their respective racks in the sales area because I couldn't see a way through to everything I wanted to 'pick up' and so thought I'd try again later on.

The huge Culloden 1746 participation table using "Black Powder"

Minor quibbles aside, the tables on display were absolutely first-rate, and once I'd been given my goodie bag, complete with a superb 28mm metal Desmond Doss Open Day Figure, some paints, a '0' size paintbrush and much appreciated US Marine Corps plastic sprue, I sought inspiration at a rather comfortably-sized Napoleonic Black Powder table and later, an awe-inspiringly large ACW Epic Battles 'feast for the eyes'. Both these layouts and subsequent chat with the chaps behind them, immediately got me enthusiastically thinking about my own similarly-themed projects - which is just the sort of buzz I like to get from such shows.

The American Civil War and 'Pike & Shotte' Epic Battle boards

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the day though was bumping into wargames author, Roger Gerrish, and spending a good half an hour chatting about his upcoming plans for Konflikt '47, all things Star Trek and visiting various historical battlefields. I had already managed to exchange a few words with the likes of Chris Peach (now of "The Painting Phase" fame) and Stuart Mack (from "Miniature Realms Studios"). But Roger's knowledge of numerous rulesets, the challenges of working on an officially licenced "Doctor Who" game, and the current hobby obsession with Weird War One was thoroughly entertaining.

A selection of the "2000 A.D." related miniatures "Warlord Games" are due to release

Likewise, the highly-anticipated tour of "Warlord Games" was an experience simply not to be missed, and proved an incredibly enjoyable ninety minutes of talking with some of the industry's leading designers, sculptors, painters, and manufacturers. In addition, I was able to see some of the upcoming miniatures planned for release over the next twelve months, and this included a look at all the A.B.C. Warriors figures taken straight from the pages of the British science fiction anthology comic "2000 A.D."

Some of "Warlord Games" 28mm ranges - American Civil War, Slaine and Doctor Who

Cast in Warlord Resin Plus, it was made clear to us just how difficult and expensive it would be to produce such large war robots in either resin or metal, courtesy of some enlightening demonstrations from each of the respective departments. I really was flabbergasted by how speedily efficient the Siocast machines were, especially when compared to the two-three day long process it takes for the company to produce its resin vehicles. Moreover, by the end of the day I'd been given a crisply-detailed 28mm Skull Sword Champion and US Marine as examples of just how this "new formulation differs from the current Warlord Resin" - as well as a 28mm metal Robin Hood from the highly informative and entertaining Peter Hely...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Warlord Games” September 2023

“War means fighting, and fighting means killing.”

Having thoroughly enjoyed my first few games of ACW Epic Battles Black Powder over at the Solent Wargamers Club in Portsmouth, I thought that this month I'd once again focus upon my 15mm Confederate Army for Rick Priestly and Jarvis Johnson's rule-set. I'm probably a little over a third of the way through the "Warlord Games" miniatures I need to paint for a small scale game, and therefore hope to 'lick' at least another three twenty-figure stands into shape over the next four weeks.

However, whether all of these soldiers will be Johnny Rebs is debatable, as I'd quite like to start building a similarly-sized Union force up to act as opposition for a dedicated campaign or two. To that end I have purchased and started work on a battalion of Iron Brigade - something I ultimately envision consisting of an impressive fifteen infantry stands spread across three "regular" regiments.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Four primed Napoleonic Russian infantrymen

In addition to these rather optimistic goals, I am hoping to start a somewhat more manageable Napoleonic project using various 28mm metal figures by "Wargames Foundry" - after discovering an absolute ton of the Nottingham-based manufacturer's old blisters in my loft. I have previously attempted a few similar enterprises in the past, most notably using "Victrix" plastics way back in 2011 and then again in 2017-2018. But the sheer scale of pigmenting such a colossally colourful endeavour has always sapped my enthusiasm quite quickly.

This time round though, I intend to begin with just a handful of miniatures aside, and rather controversially use/adapt "Xenos Rampant" by "Osprey Publishing" for some skirmishes. This should allow me to pick and choose particular sculpts which catch my eye (or rather have few white straps) and perhaps over time help me build towards a large enough collection where I can potentially consider Black Powder. or General d'Armee/Sharp Practice by "Two Fat Lardies", Furthermore, I aim to 'field' a mixture of different Allies against the French Empire, so will initially be adding some more Russian infantrymen to my already finished British Riflemen for a tenuous Third Coalition force.

August 2023 - "Pendraken Miniatures" & "Warlord Games" trump the resin-based "Big Mr Tong"

Astoundingly, my productivity currently appears to be at an all-time high for this point in the year, with last month proving my busiest August since 'records began'. Indeed, my obsession with "Pendraken Miniatures" 10mm metal WW2 range and "Warlord Games" array of 15mm plastic ACW models, has remarkably proved my belief that 3D printed figures would dominate my hobby-time this year as being completely wrong.

It would also seem that my interest in 28mm scale wargaming is on a surprising decline, probably thanks to my developing love of large-scale rule-sets which allow me to provide 'flanking sweeps' with regiments/armoured units. My intention to play some small-level Napoleonic encounters may well slightly address this imbalance over the next four weeks. But with most of my focus settling upon the American Civil War, I don't see me presently having the time to apply a few coats to many more larger-sized miniatures...