The 5 A-mech-os

 

This is the bounty hunter robot unit for Diehard miniatures that I picked up from their Kickstarter a while back. Very characterful, as you would expect from Diehard. They will obviously fit into any game, but would seem perfect for Strontium Dog or Judge Dredd.

I decided that they were too fun to paint in a coherent scheme, so I've just been plugging away at them as I felt like it, trying to vary the pallet. I pleased I did as well, as they seem more like individual characters - harking back to 2000ADs ABC Warriors.

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Something I've been wanting to do since starting my future city is to have some sort of video advertising board as part of the scenery. It has become a common enough sight in real life but is of course an iconic look for the Cyberpunk City of the future.

Another Horror From The Stars

 

This mystery figure has been hiding for years.

Cometh The Hour, Cometh The ... Wash?

 

This post marks 2 occasions.

Ooops!

 

I had decided ages ago that I didn't need a resin 3D printer. I have a FDM one for scenery, etc but didn't need one for minis as I have a substantial pile awaiting paint. 

But here I now am, having been tempted by a used production model (with very recent lcd screen change)  at a reduced £125 from Dave at Mighty Mini's UK , who is based round the corner from me (he was upgrading to a bigger model). Quite looking forward to the wee adventure once all the other paraphernalia arrives. More as it happens...

Arachnophilia

 

Another strange large miniature from the collection to oppose the human forces in Majestic 13 - an RAFM Call of Cthulhu Spider of Leng. It even comes with it's own baby spider (I'll hold off calling to cute!).

Near Future Troopers (part 2)

 

5 more troopers to join the initial dirty dozen. Still all from the Copplestone Castings range of Future Wars Assault Troopers, these are a selection from the two character packs. I'd have painted up the remaining 5 as well if I could find where I'd squirreled them away to, but these guys give me an easily identifiable leader.

All the dice rolls have been made for my first game, although there is a slight delay as I paint up the first alien assailant. I know you can use any figure, but when you roll a result and know you have a perfect miniature in you collection that just needs some attention with a paint brush you just have to postpone, don't you??

Lindberg 1/48 F-86A Sabre

Was up in the loft again making space to store Halo*Star's plastic sprue collection whilst he moves, and during shifting my own hidden gems around this model box toppled off the scale model stash. Obviously a sign!

Judge Dredd - Protection Racket at Mac's

 

It was just a routine check for illegal alien tech at Mac's Mechs when a report of approaching gangers came over the comms. "Oh, no", said Mac, "That'll be the Hughs Gangers looking for their monthly sub". 

"Not on my watch" commented Judge Barnes as he called over Rookie Judge Noble.

Judge Dredd Campaign #1.2 - Crossroads Ambush

After the narrow escape from the Sushi raid, the Ainsley Harriot gang thought they'd put down a marker on their turf. A squad was set out to ambush a Judge patrol at the edge of their turf.

Prime Winged Xenos

 

A quick new Xenos Terror paint up for Majestic 13 - one of the new Games Workshop Winged Prime Tyranids. I knew I wanted this fiend to be dark, and once constructed there was something about his wings that reminded me of Jeepers Creepers (although the wings are different) - so brown it had to be. Mainly a combination of Contrast paints over Zenithal/Dry brushed highlights. It's pretty effective for a single nightmare. The carapace and claws have a coat (of variating) Balthasar Gold to give a sharp metallic feel without loosing the brown-ness.

Could easily fit into a fantasy, sci-fi, or horror game - perfect really!

A couple of Frostgrave chums

 

Out of the blue, a couple of Frostgrave figures. These two are a result of my unfocused collection. I quite often have a couple of primed figures that sit at the edge of the paint mat. They are usual general squad figures with no fixed project and when I have some spare paint on my palette they get some of it. When they reach a certain level an evening is spent finishing them off. It lends it self to a colour scheme that doesn't match up to anything else and also gets a couple more figures painted for very little effort.

The one aim in this case was that I was wanting to have another go at painting a dark skin tone. Here I started with a dark leather base, applied GW Doombull brown mixed with a touch of Miniature Paints Chocolate Brown to highlight, which turned out way too red, so I stippled some Coat D'Arms Hairy Brown on the highlight areas to bring the colour back and it seems to have turned out OK. More saved the situation than cemented a new colour scheme, but all a learning process.

The figures are both Northstar Frostgrave figures. The right hand one is from their sprue boxset that I thought I'd finally have a bash at constructing. The right hand figure is a metal that I received on the Frostgrave Ghost Archipelago Nickstarter. I can't find it one the site now so I'm not sure if it is temporally  out of stock, or discontinued or a Nick Starter exclusive. A witch doctor I may think? I await to be confirmed or corrected....

Demon Shruuf

 

This beauty is all built and painted and I've not even got a part to moan about this time!

Paladin Lady Monique

A single figure painting of Paladin Lady Monique from Heresy Miniatures. After years of painting my faces are still irritatingly hit or miss but fortunately she is looking downwards and on the table it looks fine to me as I'm perfectly happy how the rest of the model has turned out. The armour looks very pure thanks to the excellent Miniature Paints "Blue Steel".

It marks a "dangerous" period as I run down my "Skirmish Supplies" stock after the decision to shut it down. I'm now left sorting through the remaining stock, all of which I like. I need to be strong and not just keep the lot! I failed with this one though as the simple clean pose and modelling just lent itself to a quick paint job - oh well!!

Call of Cthulhu Flying Polyp

 

Well that was a fun evening slapping some paint on an old metal OOP version of RAFM's Flying Polyp from their Call of Cthulhu range. 

Airfix Junkers Ju87b-1 Stuka

In my previous model kit I mentioned that this kit might be finished in the near future. Well in the same blogging year counts, right?

Call of Cthulhu Yig

 

It's been slumbering for an eon, but the Yig is finally awakened.

Near Future Troopers (part 1)

 

The first set of Troopers for Majestic 13 have been completed. 

Never too Late

 

Halo*Star was been (slowly) painting up some Space Marine Scouts, and has just finished them in time for GW to phase them out! Timing is everything as they say.

WIP - Majestic 13 Troopers

 

I picked up a copy of Snarling Badgers new solo\coop ruleset "Majestic 13" this week, or at least the pdf with the hard copy on it's way. If you've not heard about it think "XCom", linked campaign missions of small squads taking on an Alien menace with different objectives and hazards. The game is miniature agnostic, so despite technically having figures already painted up that could step into the action, what better time than to delve into the depths of the lead pile and get some new painted figures done. It's almost as if we are forward planning or something!

McFatties and Mac's

 

A couple more buildings finished off for the Big Future City.

15mm Armour

 

A quick wee project. In my 15mm stash I discovered two vehicles - an APC and an armoured car (?) from an unknown manufacturer (I'd picked then up in a job lot somewhere). Anyway, a nice wee diversion.

Fats Hambo

 

From the new Block War Fatties pack I've painted Fats Hambo. I had a bash at Cammo Trousers to medium effect, but there is so much going on above the overhang that it doesn't get much scrutiny. Wielding a pistol and sharp pizza cutter, Fats is well snacked up with Pop Corn, fries, Juice, Ham subs and a hot dog bandolier.

More Completed Real Estate

 

Two more buildings for my future city have been finished off.

Building WIP

 A quick WIP post.

After being away on Holiday to the lovely North Wales coast, this last week hasn't seen me n the mood for painting, but I have been doing some easier focus work in the hobby shed in the form of putting together some mdf buildings that have been sitting around for a while.

White (Hover) Van Man

 A trio of new vehicles have been coloured in to add to the first Sportster

First up is the official Warlord Hover Van.

Judge Dredd Campaign #1.1 - The Go! Sushi Grab

Local Gang members have raided the Go! Sushi stall. Where are the Judges when innocent citizens really need them?

Einstein and Lovecraft

It sounds like a daytime TV lite detective series, but it isn't. My "paint what you fancy not what you feel you should" phase goes on with these two figures from a Kickstarter by Bears Head miniatures from 2019.

As inconsistent as ever, the HP Lovecraft figure is ok but I had trouble with the face. The star pup gives him a bit of context though. The Albert Einstein figure, however, is right on the money. Really happy how recognisable he is.

Both these figures will no doubt be background civilian figures in my Judge Dress games, but can be interesting plot pointsobjectives for scenarios. Lovecraft will also make an ideal leader for a Cthulhu themed warband.

Biker Gang

As a bit of a change from sci-fi I thought I'd do some figures that I've no real agenda for. These Copplestone Bikers have been sitting primed for a long time so it's nice to be able to have them ready for any Zombie games (like County Road Z which I keep looking at!)

The League of Fatties

Probably one of the more iconic packs from the Warlord Judge Dredd range is the League of Fatties, with their corpulent bodies, belly wheels and eating trays. These sculpts certainly do them justice to the original material. I had a bit of bother with painting the folds, wanting to make sure they were visible but at the same time I was painting them a too dark giving a very cartoony look. In the end I'm happy with them, all be it they are on the cartoony side more. But given the subject matter I don't think that's too out of character.

Karl's Tech Parts

 

A finished building for my Future City.

Do Hover cars go VROOM?

 

With a street scenario coming up for Judge Dredd it was obvious that some vehicles would be nice to set the scene. 

Painting the P.B.I.

Just a quicky painting post, more for my own future self really.

Fiends Reunited

Who doesn't enjoy a quick project? Rules changes in 6th ed. WHFB saw Ghouls go from a rank-and-file unit to a skirmisher formation. With that in mind, I decided to cover both rule sets with different movement trays for them. Not that I play both systems, its nice to just daydream and they look great...

New Rules - County Road Z

 

My print copy of County Road Z popped through the door the other day. It is a solo\coop game, a genre which seems to have really picked up since the Global Covid Hooha.. The game is focused on building a community of survivors. Half the game is on the tabletop, with scenarios scavenging for resources or a particular narrative, and half is "off table" building, organising and fortifying your community base. 

Still in the reading stages but it's have me looking at my Zombie game supplies (again) in the Hobby Shed.

available in pdf and Print on Demand from Wargame Vault.

[Judge Dredd] Home in Time for Tea

 

Halo*Star was over for our second game of Judge Dredd. We decided to try and consolidate the game in our failing memories, but making use of the Big Meg and Armoury cards this time. The narrative for the scenario?  The gangers from David Dickinson Block had been out and about, but now it was time to get back to the block before Celebrity Bargain Hunt started on the Holo-units. Unfortunately for them their earlier activities had drawn the attention of The Judges, and they had plans to intercept.

Lindberg 1/72 OS2U Kingfisher

 

At the start of December, between work, Xmas and combined weariness my painting mojo level dropped right down. This time, as I have done in the past, I decided to try making a model from my stash. The kit I actually chose was an 1/72 Airfix Stuka that my son had gifted me last Christmas (which is build and primed now so hopefully will make an appearance here in the near future), but whilst getting the decorations down from the loft I noticed the box had broken for this Kingfisher so pulled it down as well.

Refurbed: The Black Coach

With my first post on Sam’s blog, I’m going with the Black Coach from the Vampire Counts. I don’t have any “before” pictures as this blog post was an afterthought. Originally, I was just going to replace the base as it was mounted on sturdy artist’s canvas board and it did the job for 25 years. However, as I’m sprucing up my army to a slightly better standard, I wanted the Coach to have the same base and look as the other units. Then I went a bit further and thought I could improve it a bit with more highlights and a repaint of wheels etc. When I lifted it out of the box, it fell apart…. a sign that it must be redone!!!