Top Ten Miniatures Of 2017 - An "Undercoat" Personal Choice

I was somewhat surprised but also extremely chuffed to be asked to choose my top ten miniatures of 2017 as posted upon Blaxkleric’s “Fantorical” blog. My selection is a personal choice and I am sure people will disagree with some or all of my choices, but if we all the liked the same things the world would be a dull place.

Before I get to the miniatures however, I just wanted to add a small amount of context to my choices. I have known Simon for a long time and vividly recall my first gaming session with him. I had been a long time collector of miniatures but unenthusiastic painter, so seeing his fully painted forces with superb terrain to play on was a revelation and inspired me to paint more. Indeed, I have painted more miniatures in recent years than I have for the previous few decades, and that in part is down to the motivation of wanting my forces to be painted so I can face Simon’s. “Fantorical” has also been a huge source of inspiration and motivation for me too, as well as those websites it links to.

When I started looking for my top ten it quickly became apparent there were a lot to pick from and my choice would be very hard. It is clear that this has been a year when “Doctor Who” has massively influenced this blog, as there are numerous gorgeous models I could have picked but sadly left off the list as I did not want it to become the “Doctor Who” show! Anyway, enough rambling from me, here is the top ten in time honoured tradition starting with number 10 and counting down to the top slot.

No. 10 - Mad Max and Interceptor by “Copplestone Castings” - January 14th & 26th

'The Interceptor' - Accompanied by Mad Max and Imperator Furiosa

I have cheated here and included two miniatures as one, but in my defence the two go together and can’t really be separated. I must confess to really enjoying the film “Mad Max: Fury Road” as I feel it really captures what a post-apocalyptic world could be like. The figure of Max is well painted and captures the film character well. However, what elevates this entry to the top ten is the imaginative use of an historical armoured car to become Max’s new interceptor. Who would think of that? Not me, that’s for sure. But you know what, the madness works and they look brilliant together. Also the car’s excellent rusting techniques really stand out and make this a memorable 2017 entry.

No. 9 - Napoleonic French Fusilier by "Victrix Limited" - November 29th

"Supplies of all sorts were inadequate, discipline was breaking down, desertion was increasing..."

I didn’t think I would choose this model as there are far more appealing miniatures that have appeared during the year in my opinion. However, when I took the time to look at the paint job it made me realise the effort that had gone into it. Massed ranks of soldiers don’t normally get this amount of love, so the fact the face was painted with great eyes and features, combined with the clean bright colours and straps that make soldiers from this period really stand out, makes this more than worthy of appearing in the top ten.

No. 8 - The Fisher King by "Warlord Games" - September 17th

"You are curious. You have seen the words, too. I can hear them tick inside you."

The “Doctor Who: Exterminate!” range of miniatures from “Warlord Games” have featured quite prominently on this blog and Simon has shown he clearly loves these models with the amount he has painted. I love how his Daleks and Cybermen are great examples of just how metal should be painted, but the Fisher King stands out for me for a number of reasons. Firstly, the creature itself is different and imaginative, secondly it looks evil and has a presence on the table top, and thirdly, it is a great example of painting with a limited pallet that captures the feel of the on-screen creature perfectly. The cloth pieces look old and dirty and compliment the bone-like sections of the monster really well, whilst at the same time providing just the right amount of contrast too. Great paint job.

No. 7 - Gorgon by "Reaper Miniatures" - September 25th

"The Gorgon is a magical beast that resembles a bull, covered in dusky metallic scales."

I always thought a Gorgon was from Greek myth, but again I was educated in the wider world of miniatures when this gigantic brass bull smashed onto the blog and took my breath away. First of all it is a great sculpt, but painting metal can be a tricky thing, especially if you don’t want it to look boring. This is weathered to look like it has a patina of age about it and the verdigris effect is just brilliant. I find this aspect of painting quite a challenge, so this is how you pull it off with style. A formidably-posed "Bones" model with its great paint job has consistently kept this one in my mind.

No. 6 - Putrid Blightlord by "Games Workshop" - March 29th

"Each of their number has been touched by Nurgle..."

One “Games Workshop” miniature that demonstrates just how the Nottingham-based company are so clever at creating models with depth and negative space, such as the intestines looping out of the stomach, is the Putrid Blightlord. Simon has been perfecting his rotting Nurgle skin for a while now and his Chaos Host as a whole is worthy of praise as an army that looks amazing on the table top. But this particular figure, which both looks great and poses a challenge to the painter, stands out for me for a number of reasons. The skin is done well and conveys that diseased and bloated gift the plague god gives to his followers, yet on top of that Simon has picked out boils, pustules etc, as well as created areas of distressed skin that just make this thing really stick in my memory. Another example of a good "Age Of Sigmar" sculpt and a good paint job coming together to create something special.

No. 5 - Slitheen by "Warlord Games" - October 2nd

"Ahhhh... Excuse me. Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?"

I included these three “Doctor Who: Exterminate!” miniatures as they sum up what a well painted model should do: they make you smile and inspire you to paint and create something as good. The paint job is relatively simple in terms of the colours used, but that shouldn’t take away from what is achieved here. Firstly, if you have seen “Doctor Who” you instantly know what this is! Secondly, it captures these slightly comical aliens perfectly, and thirdly, it makes me want to have these figures. The bright colours, the well-executed painted job, everything about this is just awesome!!

No. 4 - Soda Machine by "Wargames Terrain Workshop" - August 7th

"Dr Pepper, so misunderstood."

I usually prefer miniatures over scenery, but this "Dr Pepper" vending machine is just a superb creation. Painted to be a rusted and forgotten piece of machinery on a starship for his “Barrier Peaks” project, this has everything for me. Excellent painting, a masterclass in weathering and the use of a decal that has been blended into the paint job seamlessly. A highly imaginative piece that just looks awesome.

No. 3 - Shipwreck from a "Private Collection" - September 26th

"See the target, shoot the target is his philosophy."

I had heard of “G.I. Joe”, but that was about the limit of my knowledge of this miniatures range. So when these models first appeared on “Fantorical” it reinforced my opinion that Simon will always be able to surprise me with the figures he finds and paints. This for me was a great paintjob first and foremost. The face is just excellent and is the focal point for me, but then the other elements are so well done, such as the naval shirt, the lovely blue trousers and that superb parrot - the whole thing comes together brilliantly. Having seen this miniature for real it is even better than the blog posting! Just a great overall piece.

No. 2 - Batman (Adam West) by "Knight Models" - June 27th

"Hand me down the shark repellent Bat-spray!"

Comics and super heroes were not something I was that interested in until I met Simon. But his painted miniatures for this genre, combined with his encyclopaedic knowledge on the subject when he answered my never ending questions, made me look into them more. His “Brown Bag” comic blog also got me inspired, so now I am a fan of the Batman Miniatures Game and even read the comics (I am currently catching up on “Batman Rebirth” at the moment). This posting stuck in my mind for a number of reasons. The paint job is great and captures the sixties version of the Batman character perfectly, with the bat symbol lovingly picked out and the cape well shaded showing the care that went into it. However sometimes emotions elevate things in your consciousness and the fact that this was posted as a tribute to the actor Adam West, who had sadly just passed away, made it more than just a well painted model. It became a tribute; something done and posted with feeling, and you can never underestimate the power of that.

No. 1 - Balewind Vortex by "Games Workshop" - February 2nd

"...Summoned by a wizard as a platform from which to cast powerful spells."

“Games Workshop” seem to divide opinion like no other, although I am not always sure why. The company has made significant strides in 2017 to engage with the community and I feel it has changed for the better; albeit their technically impressive kits are not always the easiest to paint. Having faced this fiendish creation while battling in the’ Mortal Realms’ I can confirm it is quite annoying when the Balewind Vortex is conjured into existence. However, it’s always a delight to look at because of how well painted it is. It’s made of several contrasting elements such as the magical vortex and the platforms made of various materials such as stone, metal and bone. All of these are done to a high standard: the vortex looks magical when you see it and the stone elements of the platform just look brilliant. Time and effort clearly went into this and it shows.

Well that concludes the top ten and the reasons behind them. Happy New Year to all the readers of “Fantorical”.

Mutants & Death Ray Guns Report: Judge Dredd & Mad Max Verses T-800 Terminators

JUDGE DREDD AND MAD MAX BATTLE KILLER T-800 ROBOTS

This game was played using the basic rules of “Mutants And Death Ray Guns” by “Ganesha Games”, and is the second in a series of adventures involving Mega-City One's toughest lawman as he attempts to thwart the break-out of a virus strain left over from the Great Germ War. The scenario comprised of a small party of four Pure Human characters facing a larger (and slightly more expensive) group of Pure Robots across a 3’ x 3’ tabletop populated with some "Battlefield In A Box" Badlands terrain by “Gale Force Nine” and some additional resin pieces by "Wargames Terrain Workshop".

“The story so far… Finding his city once again threatened by the deadly 2T(FRU)T virus, Judge Dredd has travelled into the Cursed Earth so as to search for vaccine crates. Accompanied by Judge Giant (Senior), Old Stoney Face encounters the road warrior Mad Max and Immortan Joe's favoured soldier, Imperator Furiosa. Together, the band of heroes follow a rumour that some T-800 Terminators might have data on a long-lost supply of medicine."

THE TABLETOP - THE CURSED EARTH

Positioned in the northeast, Judge Dredd assembled his small force just behind Mad Max's black Interceptor, with a somewhat clear view of some promising-looking robot remains. The lawman's mission was to extract eight points worth of data from various locations dotted about the barren landscape before his party were either eliminated by the murderous killer robots which were known to inhabit the local plateau, or the 'intelligence deposits' were wantonly destroyed.

Because the Judges were wearing standard street-uniform, they were all treated as having a Flak Jacket (for armour) as well as carrying a pistol (to represent a lawgiver). "Old Stoney Face" had the additional special rules for being a Hero [always automatically rolls one success, regardless of their Quality], as well as being the group's Champion [+1 to Combat Score] and Leader [Quality increases by +1]. Judge Giant was made Steadfast [+1 Morale Rolls]. Max Rockatansky was also given the Hero trait, as well as Opportunistic [+1 to Activation rolls if there is a Knocked Down or Transfixed opponent a Short move of hi,]. He was given a Shotgun [+2 Combat Score]. Imperator Furiosa was awarded the special rule Coup-de-Grace [May immediately perform another attack against an opponent they've just Knocked Down in hand-to-hand combat] and Sharpshooter [+1 to Hit with ranged weapons but suffers -1 in melee combat]. She was given a Sniper Rifle [Long range and +2 Combat Score].

T-800 TERMINATORS PREPARE TO DESTROY SOME HUMAN INTRUDERS

The T-800 robots were grouped together as if emerging from the southwest. They were all treated as if they had Heavy Armour [If the model is beaten in Combat by only one point, the armour turns the blow and the round is a draw], and armed with Assault Rifles [Long range and +2 Combat Score]. In addition they were given the special rule Energy Cell [useful to manage "Ammunition Expenditure"].

The Terminators won the Initiative and immediately started to move northeast, with three of Skynet's first cybernetic organisms stomping towards a nearby Wrecked Car, and the remaining two moving west towards a Toxic Pool.

Judge Dredd moved west towards a large outcrop of rocks, whilst Max (with three successes) closed to within almost touching distance of some robot remains [Objective Two]. Furiosa, clutching her firearm, took up a sniping position behind the interceptor and Judge Giant started his 'long walk' towards a tall ruin [Objective Four] in the south.

MAD MAX REACHES SOME ROBOT REMAINS AS THE TERMINATORS FAN OUT

Detecting non-robotic lifeforms approaching their positions, the sentient hyperalloy endoskeletons momentarily paused in order to calculate the best strategy to nullify their oncoming opponents (or rather immediately failed their first Activation roll).

Using his experience of 'Hot Dog Runs', Joe Dredd ran behind a small rocky outcrop just northeast of a small grave marker [Objective One], and steadied himself ready to start shooting at any T-800s which unwisely approached his position from the southwest. Mad Max set about collecting data from the robot remains [Objective Two] and 'bagged' three points of intelligence regarding the long lost 2T(FRU)T virus vaccine. He then sprinted towards the Badlands Plateau. Furiosa, realising it would be some time until a Terminator entered her sniper rifle's range, headed west to give Dredd some added support. Judge Giant continued moving south.

AS MAX APPROACHES THE PLATEAU, A T-800 SIZES UP JUDGE DREDD

A T-800 marched towards Judge Dredd's position and opened fire. The robot's target was thrice its assault rifle's range and in cover, so it took a hefty -3 penalty, but because the weapon itself carried a +2 Combat bonus it was still a potentially lethal attack. Indeed, the outcome initially showed "Old Stoney Face" would have died a Gruesome Death, if he hadn't utilised his "once per game" Hero ability, which allowed him to "re-roll a single Combat or Quality roll." This 'second chance' fortunately lead to both the shot simply missing its target and the robot's weapon jamming.

A second Terminator joined the 'momentarily weaponless' T-800 intending to destroy some nearby oil barrels [Objective Three]. Whilst another of the Neural Net Processor CPU-driven automatons stalked past the Wrecked Car towards the Badlands Plateau.

As Judge Dredd calmly waited for a Terminator to enter his lawgiver's range, Furiosa moved ever further west into to provide him with even more firepower support. Max athletically hauled himself up onto the top of the Badlands Plateau and approached a rusty Dr. Pepper drinks machine [Objective Five]. Judge Giant continued south, trying to put the small ruin [Objective Four] between himself and the robots' assault rifles.

MAD MAX REACHES FOR A REFRESHING DRINK AS THE TERMINATORS TAKE UP FIRING POSITIONS

The Terminator with the weapons jam failed to clear his firearm. The 800 series beside him fired at Dredd, missed his target and reached the oil barrels [Objective Three]. The robot closest to the Badlands Plateau started to clamber up the rock formation's natural steps.

Taking a bit more 'heat' than he liked in his current position, Judge Dredd moved back behind a rocky outcrop a bit further northwest. Furiosa moved to take up his vacant position. Mad Max collected two points of data from the derelict Dr. Pepper drinks machine [Objective Five], whilst Giant, having reached and subsequently searched the ruin [Objective Four] for one point of intelligence, ineffectively fired his lawgiver at the T-800 climbing the Plateau's rocky stairway.

With a demoralising explosion, a Terminator destroyed the oil barrels [Objective Three], setting four points of data alight in the process. To the east one robot fired at Judge Giant but missed (and also ran out of ammunition), and another 'hunkered down' beside the Wrecked Car.

MAD MAX BATTLES A T-800 TERMINATOR ON TOP OF A BADLANDS PLATEAU

Sensing the moment had come for decisive action, Dredd broke cover and rushed south towards the grave marker [Objective One]. The Senior Street Judge had left himself badly exposed, but his effort could win him the day, if there was enough vaccine data buried beneath the tiny tombstone. Furiosa fired her sniper rifle at the closest Terminator and found her weapon jammed. Max rushed towards the T-800 clambering up the Badlands Plateau and at almost point-blank range discharged his shotgun at the automaton. The firearm ineffectively clicked... it had misfired!! Judge Giant also tried to dispatch the robot fast-approaching Rockatansky, but also failed to hit his target.

The Terminator stood by the remains of the oil barrels and took an aimed shot at Dredd. Incredibly, the T-800 momentarily staggered back as its assault rifle blew up in its hands. The robot with the jammed firearm finally cleared its chamber, and the 800 series by the Wrecked Car harmlessly fired towards Judge Giant. The endoskeleton in front of Max raised its weapon and momentarily appeared to have gunned the road warrior down. But using his "once per game" Hero ability, Rockatansky, despite still being Knocked Down, actually cheated death and saw the Terminator's weapon blow up!

JUDGE DREDD ATTEMPTS TO WIN THE DAY AS MAD MAX IS SHOT BY A TERMINATOR

Miraculously, the assault rifle of the fifth T-800, who had just joined its colleague beside the Wrecked Car and fired at Judge Giant, also exploded in its users hands. Skynet had clearly issued them with some bad stock. With so many ineffective opponents momentarily 'out of action', Dredd continued on to the grave marker [Objective One], collected the five points of data buried beneath it, and sealed a strong victory for his team-mates and Mega-City One's Justice Department.  

"A Swirling, Violently Swaying Vortex Of Fell Energies..."

"...Summoned by a wizard as a platform from which to cast powerful spells."

This 28mm scale Balewind Vortex has been assembled from the "multi-part plastic kit" produced by “Games Workshop” and can be summoned onto the “Age Of Sigmar” battlefield by a (non-monster) wizard successfully "casting [a] value of 7". A "terrifying sight to behold" the spell immediately creates a howling gust of wind to "push any aggressors away from the wizard who called it" and leaves "him unmolested to blast away with the amplified magical abilities he gleans from the Vortex."

Having decided to paint the piece of scenery in three separate stages, and then super-glue the pieces together at the end, I initially primed the model's wonderfully detailed base with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and dry-brushed it with "Vallejo" Turquoise. I then carefully tried to highlight the stone skull's finer detail by lightly drawing my brush over these areas with Verdigris.

"A wizard atop a Balewind Vortex can banish it and return to the ground."

With this stage of the painting complete, I subsequently 'picked out' all the tiny skulls with a combination of Iraqi Sand and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and all the metalwork with "Citadel" Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil. As I wanted the metal to look neglected and dull, I decided against dry-brushing these areas with more Ironbreaker.

In order to paint the spell's fell energies, I undercoated the vortex with two coats of "Vallejo" White, and washed it, first with "Citadel" Thrakka Green, and secondly with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. The entire model was then roughly dry-brushed with some additional "Vallejo" White to help make the sculpt's fantastic-looking screaming faces all the more spectral.

Shanty Hut WIP - The dwelling's corrugated iron needs dry-brushing with more "Vallejo" Gunmetal Grey

Finally, I turned my attention to painting the wizard's platform in precisely the same manner and colours as I had done the Balewind's base. Unfortunately, this took several attempts to get right, as I seemingly had forgotten how to create the dark blue effect with the "Vallejo" Turquoise I had achieved a couple of weeks earlier. In the end though, perseverance paid off, and having varnished the entire ensemble with "Coat d'arms" Gloss Varnish, my 135mm tall Vortex was complete and ready to allow any wizard atop it to "double the range of any spells they attempt to cast."

With this particular piece of scenery finished, I have been steadily progressing the first of four Post-Apocalyptic Shanty Huts by "Wargames Terrain Workshop". Incredibly detailed both inside and out, I have almost finished the dwelling's roughshod roof and liberally washed all the structures corrugated iron panelling with some "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash...

"Tweak!"

"Twurk!"

This 28mm resin model of Tweak was sculpted for me by the very generous Dave Stone of "Wargames Terrain Workshop" fame, and resultantly can't actually be bought from his company's webstore. A major character in the "Judge Dredd" epic "The Cursed Earth", which ran within the pages of "2000 A.D." from May to October 1978, this brown furry alien would help Mega-City One's toughest Lawman deliver a vaccine for the killer virus 2T(FRU)T to Mega City Two.

Initially primed with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, the "noble and loyal creature" was heavily washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and subsequently dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. I then painted his nose, hands and feet with the slightly lighter colour Heavy Brown, before applying a layer of Strong Tone Quickshade over these areas as well.

Shanty Hut WIP - The dwelling has lots of metallic areas yet to paint, as well as its interior

Described by the "Judge Dredd Wiki" as having "large black eyes and a snout", as well as "donkey-like ears and large hands with three large claws", I 'picked out' Tweak's claws with a combination of "Vallejo" White and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and additionally highlighted his eyes with "Vallejo" Charred Brown and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

Alongside being a submission for the Seventh Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, Tweak is also my entry into a friendly "Tweak Off!" suggested by (sculptor) Dave. As a result you can see both Dave and Bryan's painted extraterrestrial on "Vampifan's World Of The Undead" and Andy's finished version on "Da Gobbo's Grotto".

Mindless One WIP - The hulking giants all need their red cyclopean eyes tidied up and washed 

Sticking with "Wargames Terrain Workshop" I have started painting the first of four of their fantastically-detailed Post-Apocalyptic Shanty Huts. This dwelling will be submitted into the AHPC Terrain: 'Home' Themed Bonus Round, and also prove a piece of useful scenery for my "Mad Max" project. For now I've simply based the resin model upon an oval 90 x 120mm MDF laser cut base by "Green Stuff World", and started to paint the building's wooden parts...

Lastly, having recently finished painting my "Wizkids" model of the "Marvel Worldwide" super-villain Nightmare, I have started work on seven "Heroclix" Mindless Ones to accompany him. I've actually previously painted two of these towering monsters before, and subsequently ordered some more from "Troll And Toad" as soon as they had more in stock so as to give the evil ruler of a "Dream Dimension" a truly fitting retinue.

"They Got My Blood, Now Its My Car!"

"So I exist in this wasteland... A man, reduced to a single instinct: Survive."

This 1/55th Scale Mgebrov Single-Turret Armoured Car can be bought from "Coppletone Castings" as code K53 and is actually produced by "The Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company". Designed and sold to compliment the manufacturer's "Back Of Beyond " range of miniatures, I actually purchased the resin model in order to use it as a rusty 'steampunk' version of Mad Max's famous Interceptor for my fledgling "Mad Max: Fury Road" project.

Unsurprisingly the kit, also available from "North Star Military Figures", is supplied unpainted and unassembled, and actually proved somewhat cumbersome to put together as a result if it arriving with no instructions. This omission was eventually overcome largely thanks to a picture of the vehicle on the "Copplestone Castings" website, and a bit of drilling (so as to accommodate the metal wheels).

"That's mine!"

In addition to the model, I also separately prepared a "Games Workshop" 120mm x 92mm oval base for it to sit upon, by marking out the position of its wheels and gritting around them. The base was then primed with "Citadel" Chaos Black, and dry-brushed first with Doombull Brown and then Rakarth Flesh. As a last step I washed the stand with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and left it to dry...

The 'Interceptor' itself was initially primed with two coats of "Citadel" Chaos Black and subsequently dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. I then 'picked out' it's turret weapon and wheels with Ironbreaker, and heavily washed with the entire vehicle with "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

'The Interceptor' - Accompanied by Mad Max and Imperator Furiosa

With the car's basic layers finished, I then took some "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash, and having shaken the bottle vigorously, simply administered the particle-charged solution over the majority of the model using a "medium sized round soft paintbrush". Once this had thoroughly dried, and the bottle's contents had been given time to settle to the bottom, I roughly dappled a far more sediment-filled brush over all the seams, rivets and bolts. This technique really seemed to help build up some thick rust in the deeper recesses of the vehicle.

As I wanted the automobile to appear somewhat well-cared for, despite its post-apocalyptic environment, I decided to 'clean' the car up a bit by dry-brushing certain areas with more "Citadel" Abaddon Black. In addition to this, I tidied up the wheels, weapon, and painted the headlight with a combination of "Vallejo" White and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"The Horns Of Nimon" WIPs - The intergalactic locusts are slowly being base-coated and tidied up

Having fixed the vehicle to its 'finished' base (as the car's clearance was so low as to make painting its stand impossible otherwise) I shook my bottle of "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash once again and applied the 'watery' solution over the edges of my recent dry-brushing, so as to tone down its starkness. The 'Interceptor' was then gloss varnished.

Alongside my latest submission to the Seventh Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge I have started work on another batch of “Doctor Who” miniatures by "Black Tree Design”. I've already painted up five Nimon from the December 1979 BBC Television story “The Horns Of Nimon” this month. But having found more of the bull-headed 'intergalactic locusts' buried amidst my ample lead mountain I thought I'd give them some additional reinforcements with which to bring down the gullible Skonnan Empire...

"Who Dares To Enter The Chamber Of Doctor Doom?"

"For no one knows what's best for you... except your mighty sovereign... Doctor Doom!"

This 28mm pre-painted plastic model of Doctor Doom is by “Wizkids” and can be bought as number 105 from their Marvel “Heroclix” Secret Invasion range. The son of Romani witch Cynthia Von Doom, Victor is the leader of the Eastern European nation of Latveria, and "both a genius inventor and a sorcerer." Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the July 1962 edition of "The Fantastic Four" and would go to be the chief opponent of Reed Richards super-team.

Originally undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Green in order to 'cover over' the figure's somewhat 'slapdash' pre-paint, the facially disfigured monarch was washed with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and subsequently dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Heavy Green. I then layered the suit of armour (with "scowling mask") which Victor forged whilst living with a clan of Tibetan monks, with "Citadel" Ironbreaker and later washed it with Nuln Oil.

"Stand aside for the glory that is Doom!"

With both Doctor Doom's "trademark metal mask and green cloak" essentially finished, I turned my attention to 'picking out' the model's belt and buckle  with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and Gold. Both of these areas were then washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. As a final touch I lightly 'dry-brushed' the armour with more "Citadel" Ironbreaker in order to give it a bit more shine.

Alongside the "soul-stirring…super sensational new villain" I additionally painted three of the character's infamous Doombots. These unarmed automatons can be bought as number 006 from their Marvel “Heroclix” Galactic Guardians range and actually "have the face of the real Doctor Doom but with no hood." Regularly used by Latveria's sovereign on missions "where he fears defeat", the robots are sometimes programmed to actually believe themselves to be the real Doctor Doom..

Jungle Trooper WIPs - These models will be painted up to resemble some "Mad Max" War Boys

In addition to my submission for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge East Bonus Round I have started to progress probably the final group of "Copplestone Castings" miniatures I'll currently paint as part of this month's "Mad Max" project. These Jungle Troopers will obviously look a little out of place fighting across a post-apocalyptic Australian desert, so instead I hope to turn them into some of Immortan Joe's (more militaristic-looking) War Boys.

Heavily armed, yet wearing rusty plate armour, I intend to use these figures as further guinea pigs for some "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash, and see whether I can really grim up their helmets, knives and (to a lesser extent) automatic rifles. I may even try out a watered down "Vallejo" White wash over their skin and "Citadel" Ironbreaker across their mouths so they "will arrive at the gates of Valhalla, shiny and chrome!"

"Nightmare Forever Walks The Earth."

"He is called Nightmare. And he was not given that name lightly."

This 28mm pre-painted plastic model of Nightmare is by “Wizkids” and can be bought as number 118 from their Marvel: Universe “Heroclix” range. The evil ruler of a "Dream Dimension", where tormented humans are brought during their sleep, this "demon from the dimension Everinnye" was the first foe Doctor Strange encountered during the Sorcerer Supreme's comic book adventures. "Dependent on the human race's need to dream" the super-villain was created by Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and made his first appearance in the July 1963 "Marvel Comics Group" edition of "Strange Tales".

Initially primed with a double layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Green in order to 'mask' the "Super Rare" 35mm tall model's pre-paint, the Dweller-in-Darkness' cousin was heavily washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and then dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Heavy Green. With his bodysuit and ragged cape finished I 'picked out' his chalk-white flesh with a combination of "Vallejo" White and Pale Flesh. Finally Nightmare's "wild green hair" was painted by dry-brushing Heavy Green over a "Citadel" Abaddon Black base coat, and subsequently washing it with Nuln Oil.

Armoured Car WIPs - The 'Interceptor' has been weathered and based upon a "Games Workshop" oval stand

Sadly, this nigh-omnipotent character isn't eligible for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge as I began working on him just before the tournament started. So as a result, I have simultaneously been applying a second layer of "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash over the rivets and panels of my "Copplestone Castings" Mgebrov Single-Turret Armoured Car. This additional layer really produced lots of thick rust amongst the vehicle's plating and welding, and whilst the result was somewhat overkill for "Mad Max" Rockatansky's ride, I did think it would suit a less-loved truck I hope to later add to my post-apocalypse project.

For now though I have toned down the car's evident decay to something more in keeping with a somewhat reasonably well-maintained automobile of the dune roads by dry-brushing certain areas with "Citadel" Abaddon Black. In addition, I have tidied up the wheels and weapon, as well as fixed the 'Interceptor' to a pre-prepared gritted and painted "Games Workshop" 120mm x 92mm oval base.

Tweak WIPs: The alien has been washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade

Lastly, and spurred on by Dave Stone kindly emailing me pictures of his completed Tweak, I have been persevering on own resin figure of Judge Dredd's alien ally during his trek across "The Cursed Earth". Initially painted "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, I have subsequently dry-brushed the "noble and loyal creature" and 'picked out' the lighter areas of his fur with some Heavy Brown...

"The Voord Were Trying To Penetrate The Walls."

"Shall I follow and destroy them?"

These 28mm models of Yartek and six Voord are currently sold by "Black Tree Design” as part of their "Doctor Who" range under codes DW121 Voord Warrior and DW125 Voord Leader. The figures are based upon the treacherous aliens encountered by the First Doctor in the 1964 BBC Television serial "The Keys Of Marinus" and were originally designed by "Harlequin Miniatures" for the company's OOP rule-set "Doctor Who: Invasion Earth".

"The first in a long line of deliberate, but generally unsuccessful, attempts to find an enemy as popular as the Daleks" the Voord were all primed with a double-layer of "Citadel" Chaos Black before being heavily dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. Each model was then washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and, as the semi-aquatic aliens simply "wore a complete black bodysuit, which was similar to a frogman's wetsuit and flippers", could arguably have simply been left at that...

"There is no escape now except for us."

However, in order to try and break up their monotone look a little, I decided to slightly step away from their ‘official’ colour scheme by ‘picking out’ their belts and eyes with “Vallejo” Heavy Charcoal, and their diving (lead) weights with Heavy Bluegrey. In addition, I painted the Voords’ commando-style knives with “Citadel” Ironbreaker. All of these areas were then subsequently washed with Nuln Oil and their hand-weapons dry-brushed with more Ironbreaker.

Because the telepathic humanoids are only cast in a single pose, I tried to break up my raiding party’s look by slightly adjusting each figures’ right arm. This decision immediately met with disaster as the first model’s knife-blade snapped off, leaving me in a bit of a quandary. Fortunately, I had a spare similarly-sized knife-wielding hand from a pack of previously painted Evil Hooded Minions by “Pulp Figures”, so was able to chop the damaged Voord’s hand off and pin on a new one; albeit the blade is facing the other way. The rest of the ‘delicate’ miniatures were then left well alone…

"I want them here when the final key is inserted and my power is absolute."

The model of Yartek was somewhat more interesting to paint on account of his sculpt capturing the leader after he had "discovered how to resist the Conscience of Marinus" and killed its Keeper, Arbitan. As a result the Chief Voord is actually depicted dressed in the dead man's robe and was thus predominantly treated to a combination of "Vallejo" White and Pale Grey. The garment was then dry-brushed with more White. Yartek's stolen chain of office was 'picked out' with Gold and simply washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

Despite failing to capture the imagination of the science fiction programme's audience in the Sixties, the Voord have made several appearances in "Doctor Who" lore as a result of them battling the Daleks ("Doctor Who And The Daleks" sweet cigarette cards), evolving into the "entirely cybernetic creatures called Cybermen" ("The World Shapers" comic book) and featuring in the "Big Finish" audio play "Domain of the Voord".

Armoured Car WIPs - The 'Interceptor' is increasingly being weathered and rusted

With so many classic "Doctor Who" models being painted recently, I have found my attention being momentarily diverted from this month's "Mad Max" project. However, that hasn't stopped me making a little progress on the "Copplestone Castings" Mgebrov Single-Turret Armoured Car I plan to use as Rockatansky's ride. Purchased via "North Star Military Figures" this 1/55th Scale resin vehicle has not only been primed, dry-brushed and washed black, but has had its metal wheels and machine-gun 'picked out'.

In addition, I have started to slowly build up the franchise's famous rust-look on the automobile using "Mig Productions" Extreme Rust Wash. The first application was simply administered over the entire car using a "medium sized round soft paintbrush". Whilst the second is slowly being dappled over all the seams, rivets and bolts with a piece of makeup sponge in order to try and build up the layers of rust.

"I Have No Idea What It Could Be. It Was Greyish In Colour..."

"Not every discovery has been announced."

These five 28mm metal models of Grey Aliens are produced by “Copplestone Castings” and can be bought as code FW36 from their Future Wars range. Supposedly the extraterrestrial beings responsible for "forty-three percent of all reported alien encounters in the United States", these aliens are named for their unique skin colour and were made famous "from earlier depictions of the Roswell UFO incident from 1947."

"At no time, when the astronauts were in space were they alone: There was a constant surveillance by UFOs."

Smoothly sculpted and somewhat diminutive models, the figures were initially undercoated with two coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. The aliens were then dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before receiving a second heavily watered-down wash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.  Finally, the gun-toting 'leader' had his space weapon painted using a combination of "Vallejo" Brass and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

With these latest (admittedly odd) additions to my "Mad Max" project completed, I have momentarily turned my attention towards painting a rather smashing sculpt of Tweak; one of Judge Dredd's "most important allies" during the lawman's epic adventure across "The Cursed Earth". This 28mm scale resin model was an extremely generous Christmas gift from Dave Stone and, now I have super-glued it upon one of plastic circular slotta bases I use for all my "2000 A.D." related miniatures, has been given a generous double-coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna.

Tweak WIPs: The alien has been undercoated "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and subsequently washed 

Described in the "Judge Dredd Wiki" as a "furry alien with dark brown fur covering the majority of his body... [and] large black eyes" I initially planned to simply dry-brush the figure and 'pick out' his claws. However, having scrutinised his appearance in "Tweak's Story" it's clear the "leader of an unnamed planet" actually has lighter fur around his snout and formidable-looking hands, so I'll be applying a lighter brown to these areas in order to make the "noble and loyal creature" far less monotone in colour.

"Max. My Name Is Max."

"My world is fire. And blood. Once, I was a cop..."

This 28mm metal model of a Road Warrior was produced by “Copplestone Castings” as code FWX1 and was actually a freebie (along with a "Future Wars" order) from "North Star Military Figures". The sculpt has clearly been heavily influenced by actor Tom Hardy's portrayal of Max Rockatansky, as seen in the 2016 motion picture "Mad Max: Fury Road", so as a result I have tried to stick to the colour scheme of the former Australian Highway Patrolman's costume from that film.

The model was therefore initially undercoated with two coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black and dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal. I then washed the one-time member of the Main Force Patrol with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and subsequently painted his boots using a combination of "Vallejo" Charred Brown and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.

"Heroclix" WIPS - Servo-Guard, Darkseid and Doombot

With the miniature's main layering now finished, I started to pick out all his pouches, his blanket, his spare knee-pad, his shotgun's stock and some tubing with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, Iraqi Sand and Heavy Sienna. All of these areas were then washed with more "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade. Finally, I painted his firearm's barrel and trigger with "Citadel" Ironbreaker and Nuln Oil, and his scarf with Chaos Black.

Unfortunately, because I started painting Mad Max before the start of the Seventh Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, he isn't eligible for entry. However, that doesn't mean I have slackened in my output for the three-month long contest, and have been steadily progressing a number of plastic figures by "Wizkids" 'behind-the-scenes'. Indeed, I have already completed one of my "Heroclix" Doombots, and have therefore started work on the second of three identical models.

"Doctor Who" WIPs - Morbius and Yartek the Voord

Similarly, I have been putting the final touches on my "Black Tree Design" miniature of Yartek; the villainous Voord responsible for murdering Arbitan in the 1964 television serial "Doctor Who And The Keys Of Marinus". Once finished, this frog-suit-wearing extra-terrestrial will actually lead six of his entirely black-clad brethren as a sizeable 'William Hartnell era' submission for the AHPC.

In addition, I've also begun work on one of the most murderous Timelords yet depicted on the BBC science fiction programme, Morbius. Perhaps best known for having had his brain placed inside a transparent plastic artificial case by Mehendri Solon (as depicted in his "Black tree Design" sculpt), the "notorious and malevolent renegade" President of Gallifrey has more recently come to my notice courtesy of the "Big Finish" audio story "The Vengeance Of Morbius".

THE COSMIC CUBE WARS - The Hulk, Captain America, Spider-Man and Howard The Duck must save New York