When in need of painting inspiration .. just paint Sci Fi or Fantasy, nobody can say you are wrong!

Games Workshop "late 1980's or early 1990's era" Space Orcs for Space Crusade which is an early (or just before) Xmas painting project, where I intend to run a retro Space Crusade game for my original D&D friends (see below, early stages of work): 

What can I say, they have only been waiting to be finished for about twenty years! Passed on to me by a nephew who grew up when I didn't!

The "Look" that is in for 2024 - Sci-Fi Bounty Hunter Dude!

If I could pick a look for 2024, in a world filled with uncertainly .. I think this might be a the one - "Don't Mess" with this dude (see below, a 28mm Sci-Fi figure I picked up at Conference of Wargamers (CoW) 2023 [manufacturer TBC]): 

Quite pleased with the Space Bounty Hunter "look". He is  obviously displeased to be stranded on a far distant planet probably in the middle of a Laz-Gun fight! 

A Study in Dry-Brushing "Gun Metal": Necrons

I will say it again and again, for me a historical painting impasse is often unblocked by a trip down Fantasy or Science Fiction lane. In this case it was a return to Necron metallic robotic Vallejo Gun Metal and an exercise dry-brushing. I applaud the Games Workshop design team for some incredible robotic sculpts, but try as they might with other worldly paint schemes, but I am going to always see them as Terminators and steely-gun metal (see below, my Necron hoard gathered across a decade): 

At least they have all been, primed, then black-washed and dry-brushed gun metal. What follows will be silver highlights and perhaps inking in detail. The "orb" power sources need a unearthly shade of green or the like. I seem to have a platoon like structure of three squads of eleven and a HQ unit, not far away from Chain of Command! A welcome "Work In Progress" (WIP). 

Science Fiction Distraction - 28mm Troopers

Picked up this collection from CoW2021 (see below, a set of sci-fi troopers to battle beyond the asteroids - apologies for the distant shot but please trust me as closer-up they have an Oriental Samurai look): 

Team A will be pitched against (or with) Team B (see below, a funky street-punk feel to them IMHO. Apologies as I did not catch the manufacturer .. maybe GZG or Outland?)

They have been given the Army Painter spray undercoat treatment (see below, I am thinking about colour scheme - shiny metallic jumps to mind): 

As to rules Star Grunts, Traveller's Striker and Rogue Stars-Stargrave, as well as perhaps an excuse to crack open GDW Snapshot. Think I will use them to battle against my Cybermen and Daleks for started and perhaps StarGrunt .. although I spotted that they have their own figure ranged released!

Manufacturing Source Confirmed as: Ground Zero Games (GZG)  

Nurgles .. Fun with Painting .. Nominally Fantasy/Sci-Fi

The good thing with good old "make-it-up" fantasy and science fiction is that nobody can really tell you are doing it wrong and really anything goes, especially when you are talking boiling beasts of  Chaos like GW Nurgles (see below, this was a little bit of an exercise in dry-brushing, first pass Army Painter Primer [Grey], then Vallejo Brown Dipping Formula, then Vallejo Dark Flesh, using a slightly worse for wear GW/Citadel Dry Brushing Brush): 

Just for experimentation I decided to throw an ink glaze (Vallejo Skin Ink) over it to get a wet look (see below, admittedly most of this would be lost when I dry brush but inaccessible places will still look dark, dank and wet): 

I now have a wet looking band of Nurgle miscreants (see below, the "game" they are being painted for is a "Party of Demons in Hell" take on FrostGrave - which should be interesting, I intend to mix and match to make an "old ball bunch"):

I then stopped the batch process and took one through to completion, or at least very near completion (see below, dry brushed passes of 50:50 Vallejo Caymen Green/Camp Green, Vallejo Camo, Vallejo Rotten Flesh on the main body): 

Another, this time close-up view, in the unnatural light of day for this "demon-thing" (see below, Vallejo Blood Red, for flesh - boils Vallejo Vermin Brown "tapped" on some with with Vallejo Off White): 

I also plan to use these as standard "biggish monsters" for RPG [Undead and Chaos]. Painting wise I experimented here and there on the other bits, such as introducing Vallejo Blue Ink into the guts finding an old guide to painting miniatures useful, but having to convert "old" GW to closest Vallejo. I had fun basically :) 

Bad Boys But They Look So Good .. Tyranids ...

You gotta love the bad guys sometimes, particularly when they are of the deadly reptilian kind (see below, two enjoyable painting projects of yesteryear - Games Workshop Tyranid Warriors): 

They have been the last thing many a Space Marine saw on a Space Crusade mission ;) 

Also perfect for inclusion in a game of Stargrave methinks!

Random Things That Appeared In An Amazon Shopping Trolley Over The Past Months

Why? Because .. it looked good and was at a discounted price .. and my powers of resistance were low .. (see below, a "shiny" Sci-Fi adventure game for £20 .. after all I have to do something with all those Space Marines and other various Sci-Fi figures): 

Although a Chain of Command buff, I have heard too many good reports from people playing the alternative too .. so again I was victim of a discounted price (see below, although it is safe to say I was a happy victim, another £20 .. could be expensive if I get all the supplements):  

Third and final was Rangers of Shadow deep, a Fantasy (relatively light .. in comparison to 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons) adventure game .. yes again discounted .. please note this was not one mad single Amazon shopping trip, but rather multiple over months (see below, this one was also a Kindle edition whereas the other two were physical): 

The latter (Rangers) was with a selection of LOTR miniatures I have yet to paint in mind. Game on (after reading the rules that is)!

Warlord Games - Cybermen

The merciless killers of the Dr Who. A squad because simply one won't do they come in packs (see below washed and off the sprue .. tempted not even to paint them .. but I will): 

Something for the Daleks to shoot at! Good old fashioned Science Fiction fun!

Daleks and "Why not?"

They are "the" iconic Sci-Fi, horror, cult, best of the BBC generation spanning "baddies". So when Warlord Games were selling some sprue off at half price it was a 'no brainer' (see below, the distinctive Dalek chassis is clearly visible alongside some equally 'unmissable' Warlord game "sales" sprue):  

With twelve Daleks you can pretty much take over the world, especially if you allow them to fly! Personally as a person brought up on the black and white telly I think that is cheating (see below, I am thinking various colour schemes are required from red, while, yellow, gold and black):  

As I am a heretical Sci-Fi person that freely mixes genres these can be thrown up against Space Marines, Star Trek, Star Wars to Traveller. The only limitation is your imagination,

Another Corona Virus Project: Paint me a Space Marine the 'Eavy Metal Way (Old School)

I do like following the GW "instruction manuals" that pass on the trade secrets of the Heavy Metal painters (see below, this is dated back to 2008, so old in fact the paint ranges [as in the curious names of the paints] are well out of date, but thankfully they still translate to Vallejo Game Colour instead): 

Flicking to page 89 my attention was caught by the guide's "how to paint a Space (Ultra) Marine the 'Eavy Metal way". What can I say, I have many GW Space Marines, painted to varying degrees of quality, from fast skim to over-painted and too fussy. This time I am going to try the milky many coats better than one thick coat approach (see below, my Space Marine in waiting with his heavy weapon - note the dramatic black and white imagery, this particular Space Marine comes from the Space Marine Command Pack): 

My "blue phase" of Space Marine painting and so many shades of blue at that (layers of Ultra Marine Blue, [recesses with Imperial Blue and Black] mixed with with Space Wolves Grey to a fine line of pure Space Wolves Gray as an edge highlight). The difference here is that rather than over paint large areas with a shade-base-highlight of successive "same colour" thickly painted; it was a case of many thin coats of one colour with a dark colour in the recess, with the armoured parts mixed with increasing amounts of a contrast colour [Space Wolves Grey] - retreating each new layer to the edges of the armour very quickly (see below, the bulk of painting is actually done now, with the rest more a finishing and touching up exercise - paint less seems to work): 

Next, the "eyes have it" (see below, a very detailed sequence of ultra fine detailing to the tiny patches of the model that make up the eyes; shade red, base red, orange highlight, dwarf flesh bottom half of the "lens [eye]", with a tint sparkle of white in the top back corner [I kid you not] - this took some patience and steady hands to do): 

One mean looking Space Marine .. a tiny difference to the model but the eyes really does transform the figure (see below, a finishing touch yet to come, will be to "gloss varnish" the eye and "matte varnish" the rest of the figure): 

The "weapon" and "gold trim" are next up (see below, here are the arcane 'Eavy Metal instructions to follow by the latter - base colour, wash, touch-up and fine line highlight): 

Gun [or rather heavy weapon] finished and Gold Trim applied (see below, 90% done but just a few extra chrome bits to do):

Little bits left to do. Badge emblems [white skulls and green laurels] and parchments [ribbons and vellum] are added with a shade-base-highlight and wash combination (see below, the finished product - minus the base texture and features that has to come):

Showing off the sacred vellum scrolls and protection rites with red rosette (see below, note the skull eagle on the back is just a 'spare part' added on by me - yes I am a GW heretic, I will be turned to Chaos [I already have a pack of Chaos Space Marines]): 

In retrospect one of the things I like about the model is the fine Grey Wolf fine highlight lines, minimalist but very effective (see below, his Chaos cleansing path lays ahead of him): 

Phew, done (bar the basing! Even if he is a glorified grunt he was worth it as I have painted a Space Marine I am proud of and plan to pass on some of the techniques to more my historical models(see below, ready for a Space Hulk or a Black Fortress near you): 

There are five figures in all for the Command Pack, but I will take a break before moving onto the one. Al in all it was a slow "week's worth" of hobby painting time spent on this one figure - not a factory production line method for sure!

So I got some "Space Marine Command Figures" - Why do I bother with GW figures?

I do not consider myself a Games Workshop 40K wargamer - not at all. The toys I have amassed over the years (decades) are bought purely out of the Sci-Fi feel good factor - spawned I think from the sculpts and art work rather than belief in their universe (Note: GW have still done very well out of me). No I am not a 40K gamer per se, I do not possess the complete 40K Orc hide-bound rule tome for one thing. I do not posses any complete "army". I have a basic knowledge of the 'sequence of play' from a starter/primer magazine used to lure people in but I am sure I would be torn apart in a "competitive shop game". Over the years I have acquired various "now out of date" Codex's from second hand shops or bought some new (Tau, Necrons and Tyranids - now out of date) to assist painting and modelling, but artwork first or a cheap bargain is my motto. All this is not going to stop me from buying some Space Marine Command characters (old school, not Primus) .. because I see a use for them in an expanded Space Crusade system (see below, I class these as "character painting projects"):  

My children, well my eldest son for now, have inherited my Sci-Fi and fantasy troops as I was running out of space in the loft so they surreptitiously "moved into a downstairs bedroom" (I should really call it a tactical loan). I have never fought a Warhammer 40K with my "own" troops but have enjoyed an intro squad game at a shop (they were very complementary about my Tyranids). The one club game I once played was with other peoples toys (Orcs [me] versus Chaos Space Marines) and frankly was a terrible experience, as I was one half of a historical gamer pairing trying to understand the system, thankfully some "grown-up" (middle-aged) teenagers came over to help and salvaged something. I didn't even get to do a proper "Waagh" ;) 

My hope is to recycle these troops 'character' into exploring "The Black Fortresses" (modern versions of the Space Hulks to my mind) akin to move-style horror RPG. I'll mix in other ranges. So although for 90-95% time I enjoy ignoring GW, I still like that they are there - particularly as I will freely borrow from their paint ranges and techniques.  

The Blackstone Fortress: Heroes, Adventurers and Rogues

The unboxing moves onto the assembly phase of a new "Game in a Box" present ;) 

One of the constants of GW "Games in the Box" is the large collection plastic sprue that comes with them.  Some of the Heroes, Adventurers and Rogues I can recognise from existing races and existing "plastic runs" from the GW 50K Universe, other are well more exotic (see below, two halflings [or are they dwarves?], a Kroot, a navigator(?), an impressive heavily armed robot, a "Ranger" with "sniper rifle" plus other characters who would probably not buy you a beer in the Hobbit's Armpit): 

All begging for a coat of paint. 

The Blackstone Fortress Unboxing

It came (see below, a birthday present to myself which I will play with the kids, but make no mistake I will be the biggest kid): 

Behold the land of sprue all of which looks totally compatible with standard 40K stuff, so Warhammer Quest is my excuse for me to make use of GW 40K miniatures I buy "for no apparent reason other that I have to have them" - so I may indeed by their target audience (see below, the adventurer sprue was most beguiling, though some of the baddies were "yuppy" too - spindle drones coming immediately to mind and a nice Chaos Lord):  

Lots of deck cards and fancy dice too (see below, nice, I am resisting the temptation 

Ah, reading material (see below, be sure to read this soon, before unsealing the cards and popping teh playing boards but after the miniature assembly): 

Ah, multiple books .. my eye fixates on the "assembly instructions" (see below, I shall try not to be drawn into the depths of the background - I just noted that there seemed to be many "Black Fortresses" floating around, a bit like Space Hulks from Space Crusade perhaps): 

First impression on unboxing .. looks very good! Winter is coming and this may just keep me entertained during the dark nights ,, the Imperial Robot has already "caught my eye" as a painting project!  

Birthday Present - The Black Fortress

I am still a big kid, so a shiny toy in a sale for my birthday treat is a no-brainer (see below, a current GW offering that is a mix between Hero Quest and Space Crusade - family fun [it is my birthday and I chose which games to play, you can hear the groans already] and there are plenty of toys to put together to paint later): 

Watch out for a game report coming soon.

More 28mm but it's not WWII rather it's Fantasy instead - Khorne Bloodletters

Following the perverted logic that if you leave me alone long enough in a shop (particularly one where there is models of any kind in) I will find something I like and invent a reason sufficiently plausible to my vulnerable mind to persuade me to buy. I have so acquired a pack of Bloodletters of Khorne - why? Well they fit into both Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres (well, at least to Games Workshops taxonomy of things - 40K and Age of Sigmar compatible) looked easy to build and fun to paint. They also came in a back of ten which meant they were a standard army box and not one of the exotic expensive specials. If I get as far as painting one up then it can prowl the dungeons of the D&D universe (or should that be multi-verses) scary the whits out of the shorter (20mm) adventurers! (see below, a horde of assembled monsters waiting to be processed):

I am thinking they will get the dunk and dip treatment and be painted to individual colour schemes, as opposed to an army formula. After all there are Fire (Red), Cold (Blue), Bile (Green) and Sun worshipping (Yellow) demons! I feel the need to go "Nurgle" in the not so near future ;)

Somethings are just for Fun: Gretchins

I was wandering round my local Boyes store and came across the "model" aisle and saw they had started stocking GW products, with a discount. GW is a fringe interest of mine, more on the Sci-Fi figures of "interest front" as opposed to playing 40K. Space Crusade is the closest I really come. The big stuff has frightening price tags but oddities like "Gretchins" almost accommodate sensible pricing - 11 miniatures for under £9 was 'almost' value. However the animation of the characters finally sold it to me (see below, the big dude in the middle is their Orc master): 

However, for the record, I am not a fan of "Orcs in Space". It's all a bit of Space Crusade fun really!

Strange Bedfellows: Malburians and Tyranids/Necrons from Warhammer 40K - Painting Tray Update

In preparation for a replay of The Battle of Ramillies in January 2019 I am in the midst of preparing a unit of Spanish-Italian troops for the French Army in 28mm. Behind them lie my Tyranid and Necron foes strange bedfellows on the pairing table. It is a case of transfering the painting techniques in one period across to another (see below, Vallejo Paints and Wash greatly come to my aid):

Progress Update: The Malburians have their "shade" colours down, all that need to be done is lighten up the figures with a "light grey" base and follow with a "white highlight" on the tunics. The Malburian "fancy stuff" (laces, garters and stockings and cuffs) for this unit [Grimaldi] are mainly 'red'. I have instated the "factory production line" system getting little bits of the same thing done across the whole unit in one night!

Better Paint the "Big Ones" Then (Warhammer 40K Tyranids)

Well it looks after the little play test in the friendly Games Workshop environment I need to think about painting up some bigger models to frighten the local neighbourhood Space Marines Primaris. The first candidate is a mean up-close and personal Hive Tyrant that has HUGE crab like rending claws as well as hideous looking Scythed Talons. That's not mentioning the spiked thing on its tail and spear-like barbs emanating from his/her/its chest. I built it at random just to look nasty (see below, I am going with a Green/Brown colour scheme from a base of Airfix Primer Grey (01) washed in Vallejo Sepia Brown - The interior green was Vallejo Game Colour Dark Green dry brushed over with Vallejo Sick Green):

I like the Shade and Base colouring but it does need a highligt which I will draw back to using standard "wet" brushes rather than the flat "dry" brush ones. Vallejo Game Colour Scorpion Green and White will be mixed in fro the highlights (see below, the rear of the armoured carapace - also note the adrenal gland I couldn't help myself adding in):

Less advanced on the 'painting station' (a motorway petrol station in comparison to the deluxe holiday hotel from David Crook's blog) is a "friendly" [not] Carniflex looking absolutely vile and hideous in the best tradition of the Tyranids (see below, here the matt black spray [Humbrol Acrylic I think] can had come out to give a very solid undercoat - to highlight features [as everything was very black] I "dry" brushed a light white highlighter to help define its features [I was also experimenting with the new Citadel "gel" paints]):

This guy is bad - I was partly regretting not making him a "close combat specialist" as well, being lured into the large phallic long gun! In wargaming terms I know this just means I will have to buy another one [someday]. I was planning to adopt the same colour scheme Green/Black but "brown washing" seems inappropriate until he gets a little more colour on his pallet (see below, long range weapons always come in useful!):

I am going to take my time over the above and enjoy the journey ;)

A Walk on the Dark Side - A Warhammer 40K Tutorial (Adult Beginner)

Taking a leaf from a very respected ex-soldier who is avidly and earnestly promoting wargaming as a professional science to aid the military and political planners of the present and the future; when he said, "sneer at nothing!" I looked at the Warhammer 40K Core Rules, and in the same vein as the mouse in "The Gruffalo" - I looked at the rules and the rules looked good! So it was time for my Tyranids to fulfil their wargaming destiny against the deadly (and I mean deadly) Space marine Primaris of the Ultra Marines [the opposition provided by the GW shop, fresh from the demo table]. I took the opportunity of enlisting in an adults beginner's class which meant I took on the local shop's resident rule "doyen and GW Jedi Master" to me, playing the part of the novice "Padawan" (see below, my Tyranid Hormagaunts rush to seek cover behind some ruins [wargaming destiny fulfilled] - I was pleased to draw some very praiseworthy comments on my painting style from my Jedi 40K Master and we exchanged painting tips all night):

The enemy, these dudes are the "Space Marines Primaris" (SMP) [singleton figures of which are] currently being given away as an introductory offering to entice new blood (or in my case "old blood" lured back in a different direction) into the hobby. The thing to bear in mind is that the SMP are tough hombres taking two hits [traditional Space Marines only had one], shoot well and don't run away (see below, a sergeant and four troopers alongside a "hero" - Lieutenant [4 HPs]):

About that shooting! Six of my brood fall to a deadly hail of lead from the Space Marine Primaris' powerful bolters - despite my Gaunts being in cover. Well this looks like it is going to be a short introductory game - but I was informed much to my relief that the Tyranids are one of the 40K races that can ignore normal morale rolls due to in their case the 'hive mind' effect, that is until the 'mind node' (monster) is killed. This as an army or race of pure killing machines, which makes them very, very dangerous and respected by their opponents (see below, the "devastation" wrought on me and I had just been complemented for "not getting caught out in the open" by my Jedi master - then he rolled really good dice, still the show must go on):

Undaunted I charged out and just got enough distance to take it to the Lieutenant Tyranid fashion "tooth and [rending] claw" with my two surviving Hormagaunts [aka "grunts"] and my leader a pumped-up Tyranid Warrior acting as a Tyranid Prime. The attack seems to be successful as we hear the Lieutenant emit several painful grunting noises  (see below, the game seems already loaded with several satisfying player moments, even if I have a nagging sense of doom about what is coming next):

In pile the Space Marine Primaris to help their leader in his "hour of need" but mercifully "all the attacks" (and there were many a dice thrown) manage only "one hit" on my 6 HP Tyranid Prime (see below):

I "rend" back and rip the Lieutenant to pieces - "Man Down!" (I think I am getting into the mind set of the Tyranids nicely here) and earn myself a VP for the "first unit" kill [the "hero" counting as a unit]. Nevertheless the Space Marine Primaris' are throwing a lot of close combat dice again (see below, it is amazing to see that the lowly Hormagaunt is still alive):

Again those deadly "rending claws" show no mercy and this time a lowly Space Marine Primaris succumbs (see below, again the last Hormagaunt is frantically weaving and taunting the Space Marine Primaris Sergeant who is throwing a successive string of 1's an 2's which are just plain misses - too bad):

As the shop was about to close the game had to be called. The last Space Marine Primaris Sergeant attack kills my remaining Hormagaunt (boo hoo!), but I don't care as I am a Tyranid Prime [the local manifestation of the "Hive Mind"] and I am in the middle of eating a bunch of Space Marine Primaris and they taste good (see below):

I am down to half hit points [3] but think I would at least take another two Space Marine Primaris with me if the fight continued. I was awarded a respectable 2:1 win by my Jedi 40K Master, but more importantly, I was very pleased with "how" the rules played - although until you played them you don't know them. I thought on reading them I knew them but the run through highlighted some very important parts - some coming from the relative weighting effects of the troop stats. There were few (that I could see) opportunities for "wargaming cheesiness" and the fun element was coming through nicely. The pedigree of eight rule revisions shows. We ended the night in a discussion of where to take my armies next. It was very, very soft sell (I was fearing walking away with several more boxes of expensive models at a loss to explain why?) but rather the opposite I was encouraged to paint more of what I already had and come back for another lesson - which I will do! My next task is to try to explain the rules to the kids!

;)