(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge” December 2023

"There are fixed points throughout time where things must stay exactly the way they are."

This month's increasingly desperate drive to 'whittle away' at my bloated backlog was originally going to see me start a sixteen week 'purge' of any half-finished or simply 3D printed miniatures surrounding my hobby space.  However, having been kindly contacted by Curt Campbell, I have decided to significantly change this plan and join the Fourteenth Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) instead.

Luckily the event doesn't actually begin until the first day of Winter (December 21st), so I intend to spend the intervening period busily 'priming up' enough models to successfully complete my usual 500-point target - albeit I do intend to significantly lessen this burden by gaining bonus points throughout the event's various themed challenges. In addition, I also aim to begin completing a number of the aforementioned 'nearly-done' figures and vehicles I have already set aside for my own personal Partially-Painted project, predominantly focusing upon a number of miniatures by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio".

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three Sci-Fi figures at various stages of completion

An embarrassingly large number of these models have sat gathering dust within my storage drawers for far too long, and should 'close some gaps' in a few of my tabletop ready collections. First up are the two Federated Security Command models I recently re-primed, shaded and dry-brushed after a seven and a half year delay. I'm hoping this pair of "Blake's Seven" influenced villains will be pretty straightforward, even if I have decided to apply a predominantly red colour scheme to the Supreme Commander figure - having already used Servalan's more usual all-white palette on the range's Classic FedSec sculpt some time ago.

To mix things up though, I've now added one of the Lincolnshire-based company's 28mm metal science fiction Heroes to the queue, who was perhaps unsurprisingly Out Of Production (OOP) for quite a while whilst "Warlord Games" owned the official licence for "The Doctor Who Miniatures Game". Like the Psychotic Renegade and his evil mistress, this silver-haired time traveller's initial undercoat had become somewhat chipped over time, so he has received a "Citadel" Abaddon Black 'touch-up', before having his smoking jacket base-layered in "Vallejo" Heavy Red.

November 2023 - Little movement amongst my Top Five Manufacturers of the year

Despite getting many a model ready for the battlefield over the last thirty days, I must confess to being a little disappointed in my overall output. This was perhaps somewhat due to so many figures stemming from the Napoleonic range of "Wargames Foundry" and resultantly requiring some considerable time to fully complete. I did intend to off-set this 'burden' with some much more straightforward 3D prints, such as a giant Laputian Robot by "Big Mr Tong" and Vlad Dracul by "Wargames Atlantic". But clearly such 'quick' paint-jobs were not enough.

Furthermore, towards the end of November I became rather distracted by the plastic 32mm miniatures found inside the "Marvel Zombies" starter sets for Zombicide. Of particular note was the cooperative board game's undead Hulk sculpt, which took an incredible amount of patience to pigment - especially after a varnishing mishap meant the large figure required some significant touch-ups. I am admittedly hoping to get some more completed before the New Year kicks in. However, I doubt I'll be willingly tackling any models quite so formidable to put a brush-tip too...

"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...

"Hulk Hungry!!"

"Hulk have to eat! Hulk starving!"

This 32mm scale plastic model of an undead Hulk is produced by “CoolMiniOrNot” and can be found inside the "Marvel Zombies: Core Box" for Zombicide. "A rampaging beast who becomes eager to eat human flesh", this particular incarnation of Bruce Banner's alter-ego was created by Mark Millar and Greg Land for the August 2005 issue of "Ultimate Fantastic Four" by "Marvel Comics".

Initially primed using "Vallejo" Escorpena Green, the miniature was sploshed with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and enthusiastically dry-brushed using (more) "Vallejo" Escorpena Green. His eyes were then picked out with "Two Thin Coats" White Star, some heavily watered-down "Vallejo" Turquoise and two further dots of (more) White Star by "Two Thin Coats".

Having broken into the Xavier Institute, an Undead Hulk tackles the Silver Surfer

At this stage I also applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Violet across the Hulk's torn trousers, shaded them with "Citadel" Druchii Violet, and dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Violet. I also took the opportunity to layer the exposured internal flesh of the "hungriest" Marvel Zombie, with a few licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone. All of these areas would later be splodged with some thinned down "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

To try and blend all the gory wounds and putrification pustules covering the sculpt, I liberally applied "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson around them, and then carefully dry-brushed (more) "Vallejo" Escorpena Green over them. As a final touch these blood-soaked injuries, along with the monster's teeth, were treated to (even more) "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and the Contrast colour Flesh Tearers Red.

The Black Panther battles zombie versions of Iceman, the Silver Surfer and the Hulk

For the Hulk's base, I originally used a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil for the rubble, and "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil for the twisted girder. Both of these elements were later dry-brushed with additional "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and Gunmetal as appropriate. The two somewhat fiddly to reach Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I,M.) helmets enjoyed a couple of base-coats of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Following a dry-brush of (more) Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats", all of these areas were given a serious spattering of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson and Flesh Tearers Red.

At this stage I had thought the figure finished. However, my latest bottle of "Vallejo" Matt Varnish had other ideas. Apparently consisting of "a new, quick drying formula" this product literally stripped away huge swathes of the "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, Escorpena Green and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red from the miniature, and continued to do so even after I repeatedly repainted the damage. Resultantly, I must have 'touched up' the model four or five times before it was at long last tabletop ready.

"The 95th Regiment Of Foot Was A New Formation In 1808..."

"...Having originated with the experimental Corps of Riflemen raised in 1800."

This 28mm scale metal model is sold by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased either as part of their identical eight-figure B081 Riflemen Advancing blister, or the Nottinghamshire-based company's B080 British Riflemen set. I actually picked mine up directly from the Newark-based company when I visited their premises earlier this year.

The Napoleonic soldier was primed using a mixture of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and Vallejo Surface Primer Black, before having the majority of his famous uniform pigmented in Wyvern Green by "Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then moved on to the Greenjacket's water bottle with a smattering of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade, whilst carefully drawing some "Two Thin Coats" White Star over the model's bread-bag.

Some British Riflemen encounter a formation of French Fusiliers

I next selected a little "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade for the Rifleman's gunpowder horn, and sploshed both the container and aforementioned linen haversack with some "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. This left me with just the infantryman's backpack and Baker Rifle, so I applied a basecoat of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey to the top of his knapsack, Gunmetal to his firearm and Shako badge, and Heavy Sienna to the odd strap and firearm. All these areas were subsequently washed in "Citadel" Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade as appropriate.

As a final touch, I picked out the soldiers' scabbard and plume pin with a dab of "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, as well as some "Two Thin Coats" Wyvern Green and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to the headdress itself. In addition, I carefully applied some slightly thinned-down "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the soldier's collar, shako, epaulettes and cuffs so as to tidy them up from where my brush-point had previously got a little careless with other colours.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - These figures have been primed. shaded and dry-brushed

Following the completion of my fourth British Napoleonic figure, I have momentarily turned my attention to a pair of Federated Security Command figures by "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio", which I rather embarassingly bought at Salute 2016, assembled/undercoated just as soon has I got home, and then plonked away in a drawer untouched for over seven years. Indeed, Karl Perrotton doesn't even sell them anymore, having agreed to move both his Future Freedom Fighters and Federated Security miniature ranges over to "Beast In The Broch" a couple of years later.

Despite being 'under cover' the two models were in surprisingly pretty poor condition, so I have re-primed them using a mixture of "Vallejo" Gloss Black/"Warlord Games" Pitch Black and "Vallejo" Heavy Red, before starting to shade and dry-brush them. I've strangely been inspired to paint the pair as a result of listening to the old "Big Finish" audio play "Blake's 7: Warship", which I probably haven't properly listened to since its release way back in January 2013...

"Bobby Is At The Xavier Institute When It Is Attacked..."

"...And arrives at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier with the other X-Men and Magneto."

This 32mm scale plastic model of an undead Bobby Drake is produced by “CoolMiniOrNot” and can be found inside the "Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance" expansion set for Zombicide. Unsuccessfully "sent back down to the surface to battle the zombies" by the Leader of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Resistance, this particular incarnation of Iceman was created by Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips for the May 2007 issue of "Marvel Zombies: Dead Days" by "Marvel Comics".

Originally undercoated using a mixture of "Vallejo" White Surface Primer and their White Model Colour paint, the figure and his impressively sculpted skull-headed base were absolutely drenched in a torrent of Drakenhof Nightshade, before being given several patient dry-brushes of "Two Thin Coats" White Star using an old make-up brush. The founding X-Man's eyes were then picked out with (more) "Two Thin Coats" White Star, some heavily watered-down "Vallejo" Turquoise and two further dots of White Star by "Two Thin Coats".

"Wargames Atlantic" WIPs - These two Vlad the Impaler figures have been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

For the final, gory touch, the brain-chomping zombie's mouth was splodged in "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red, dry-brushed with (even more) "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and subsequently bloodied back up with a dab or two of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. I did consider adding some additional claret to other parts of the mutant-turned-walking dead comic book character - possibly even mixing some extra "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson in with the sculpt's base to better separate it from Bobby. But in the end I felt that less was probably more with this particular miniature.

Alongside this latest addition to my slowly growing collection of Zombicide gaming pieces, I have also managed to 3D print a couple of 28mm multi-part Vlad Dracul figures by "Wargames Atlantic" in "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin. These STL (Standard Triangle Language) files were clearly inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula", and having read Peter Breau's excellent Weird War One comic "Mud And Madness", in which the Transylvanian Count is penned aiding the Kaiser's army, I thought the Eastern nobleman might make an eye-catching Commander for my own fantasy-based German WW1 contigent using "Xenos Rampant".

"Games Workshop" WIPs - These three Sons of Horus Space Marines have been assembled and primed

I did actually plan on pigmenting a third variant of the model, using some more of the surplus weapon arms which come with the digital product - such as a huge two-handed pike. However, for some reason my Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer wasn't apparently too happy with the third torso on its build plate, so simply produced a flat puddle of semi-cured resin in its spot. Of course, this means I've now got an excuse to make another batch of body parts, and may well take up this opportunity to include some First World War hand-guns or rifles for the Impaler to hold.

Lastly, I've primed another trio of 28mm MK IV former Luna Wolves Space Marines by "Games Workshop". These traitors were assembled using the sprues found in the now sadly Out Of Production (OOP) "The Horus Heresy: Betrayal at Calth" boardgame, and once completed will help form a third tactical infantry unit for my Sons of Horus legion. I really am finding myself to be increasingly enthused to complete this project, so aim to properly knuckle down next month in order to quickly get the Warmaster's renegades battling across the world of Isstvan III.

"Nothing Could Be Heard."

"But the infernal din of their discharge."

This 15mm scale plastic Confederate Artillery piece is produced by “Warlord Games” and is from the Nottingham-based company's "Epic Battles: American Civil War" range. One of four identical grey-coloured sprues I bought via "eBay" way back in January 2022, the large gun and figures were originally going to be painted separately on wooden sticks.

However, having found that technique incredibly time-consuming, the entire ensemble was eventually permanently attached to its square stand using plastic glue, and primed with a couple of coats of “Citadel” Abaddon Black. I then focused upon the cannon's wooden carriage and wheels with a double-helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, as well as plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to help 'dirty it up'. Finally, the artillery piece itself was 'picked out' using a combination of "Vallejo" Bronze and (more) "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - These three Sons of Horus Space Marines have been assembled and primed

Owing to my desire to tie this particular cannon in with my Florida regiment, I painted the majority of the four crewmen using a combination of "Vallejo" Sombrey Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I did though want to mix their attire up a little bit, so put a pair of the Johnny Rebs in "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade trousers. I also took this opportunity to pigment any broad-rimmed bonnets (or rather Straw Hats) with a mixture of "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre and "Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow, before sploshing them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

With my basic Confederate force now complete (at least for now), I have managed to undercoat some more 28mm MK IV former Luna Wolves Space Marines by "Games Workshop". To be honest, I was somewhat in two minds as to whether I was going to work on this particular scale much more this year, due to my interest in the much smaller Adeptus Astartes figures found inside the "Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Legions Imperialis" box set - which "Games Workshop" have been struggling to put on shops' shelves for the past few months.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - Zombie Iceman has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

Luckily though, this lengthy delay, combined with a hefty price tag, has completely eroded my interest in another project set within the "fictional galaxy-spanning civil war", so rather than painstakingly working my way through an eye-watering 223 8mm tall plastic miniatures, I aim to simply push on with pigmenting a third ten-man unit of tactical infantrymen for my heroic-sized Traitor army instead. Indeed, I'm hoping to get this sizeable formation finished before the end of December, and finally get some games of "The Horus Heresy - Age of Darkness" under my belt.

In addition to slapping a pot of "Citadel" Sons of Horus Green all over the place, I've found a little hobby time to continue my current 'love affair' with "Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game" by "CoolMiniOrNot". Admittedly, my Undead Iceman actually comes from the game's "Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance" expansion set. But that hasn't stopped me from wanting to get Bobby Drake's brain-chomping alter-ego tabletop ready in a hurry...

"The Laputian Robot Troopers Are Primitive Automatons."

"The first robot seen in the film is revealed to have fallen from Laputa, which is found by the military."

This 28mm scale Laputian Robot Trooper was sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a five-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon the giant mechanical bodyguards depicted in Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film "Laputa: Castle in the Sky", the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

Designed to "protect and serve the Laputian royal bloodline at all costs", the 107mm tall figure was initially undercoated in a mixture of "Vallejo" Surface Primer Leather Brown and Heavy Sienna, before being base-layered in Decayed Metal by "Scale 75". It was then mercilessly drowned in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and brusquely dry-brushed with (more) "Scale 75" Decayed Metal so as to highlight its "extremely strong, dark armour." I also took the opportunity to 'pick out' its "bean-shaped" face plate with a combination of "Vallejo" Brass and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

"CoolMiniOrNot" WIPs - This Zombie Hulk still needs a tidy up and his base finishing

Finally, the Heavenly Trooper's crest of the Laputian royal family was dabbed in "Vallejo" Heavy Red and washed with a tiny amount of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Having completed the test piece for this force, I may well now work on the printing supports for the remaining four STL files in "Chitubox" Basic, so I can 'field' a five-figure strong squad for my ongoing Robot Space Wars project using many of the other automaton-based miniatures released by "Big Mr Tong".

Alongside my Laputian Robot, I've also managed to make more progress on my Zombie Hulk by "CoolMiniOrNot". Originally, I had rather naively planned on haphazardly pigmenting my way through the "Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game" core box until I had four finished super-heroes, a few Zombie Heroes (!?!), and some bystanders to rescue. However, as it turns out, the rules for playing the non-undead metahumans are actually contained in the "Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance" expansion, so my aspirations have somewhat changed to accommodate some of the plastic models from that box too.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Two Russian soldiers, a French Chasseur and British Rifleman

Disconcertingly though, considering that the base set contains a whopping eighty-seven 28mm miniatures on its own, this move somewhat significantly raises the overall figure count of the project - especially as I actually own all the cooperative board game's Kickstarter exclusive miniatures too, and will doubtless fancy slipping the odd one or ten into my already overcrowded painting schedule from time to time. Resultantly, I'm simply going to try to stick to just four heroes, an equal number of zombie foes and bystanders, as well as a smattering of the game's basic walking dead. This should give me enough to play a series of small scenarios in the new year, and additionally encourage me to apply my brush-tip to even more of the comic book characters as my campaign continues.

Luckily, my current obsession with "Zombicide" has not completely eroded my enthusiasm for my long-running Napoleonic Wars project, and I've still made some noticeable in-roads on my current quartet of "Wargames Foundry" miniatures over the past few days. I've obviously got quite a bit of work left to do on the two Russian infantrymen. But I'm pretty sure a focused session or two should see the British and French troopers 'tabletop' ready - which is lucky really as I have a load of models taken from blister FN103 - Grenadiers Or Voltigeurs In Greatcoat Marching now based, ready to be added to the Emperor's Grande Armée...