More scenic pieces

 Finding a little more time to myself in the last few evenings has allowed me to work on some more terrain pieces in my unpainted mountain for the Season of Scenery challenge.

The first of these are a pair of wrecked vehicles from the Waling Dead minis game. The car kinda looks like a Mercedes and the truck a Chevy in my mind. 

Painting was simple base/drybrush/multiple-washes. Tried to make them look like they’d been left out for a bit too. The sculpts are good enough for gaming and their price point and the box comes with duplicates too which is nice. 

These will find use in my (ever so slow cooking) zombie survival game project.

Joe’s Tows. No tow hook tho. Joe isn’t that smart. Neither is my freehand lol

Third piece to show is a statue I put together. 40mm base with a Gatorade bottle lid and an old metal Reaper miniatures kneeling Paladin on a curved lipped 25mm base. With a little dry brushing some washes and some basing elements to age it I think it came out looking better than where it started, which honestly wasn’t very encouraging! Lol

I think it’ll be usable for both fantasy games but also historical at a push? We’ll see. 

This post was put together exclusively on my iPhone so I hope it and the pics comes out okay, feel free to let me know.

Have moved onto something very different now these are drying after being varnished. Hope to have pics posted up soon.

As always, stay safe out there.

- Dai

Summer of Scenery Challenge (Part 1)

Been having some technical issues trying to get this post up, so apologies for the radio silence of late. Let's get on with the show, eh?


Dave over at the Wargmesculptor Blog announced he was starting a small challenge for any who wanted to sign up to get some or their scenery/terrain pieces built and painted in an effort to help get rid of our backlogs. So, I jumped in and decided I'd give it a go.

A Sarissa Precision mdf Helipad for my modern day zombies game that one day WILL be played, promise. Simple kit and even more simple paint job - will do for my table. Was inspired by the Left 4 Dead video games where the goal was to get to the helipad whilst fighting off masses of undead - best Zombie video games ever I feel.

A Mobile Office also in mdf by Sarissa Precision. Trickier to put together with those vertical struts, but looks good on the table. Same as the helipad, kept the paintjob very simple which also got it off my table swiftly. Thinking some day in the future to make a white board and find office furniture for the interior.

These two are a couple of Warhammer 40K ruins scatter pieces. Very simple drybrush paintjobs. I have another 7 or 8 pieces to go with these two recently primed. The Statue is from the now out of print Urban Conquest Warhammer 40K expansion and the ruins behind it are the last of the 3 piece also out of print Honoured Imperium scenic set that included the previously posted Statue and giant Aquila that I'd painted up.

These two small 28mm resin WW2 stockpiles can be used as either objectives or scatter terrain. They were a kind gift a long time ago from the estimable Stew (Click his name to see his very cool blog) after he ordered the Chain of Command rules and realized he had no intention of playing in 28mm! I have two others in the painting queue as well.

I tried to add a little interest with the poorly painted signs, but otherwise they are very simple paintjobs and based to be suitable for both winter or greener seasonal games.


Did you see the two Brit troops in that first pic? Yeah, I painted those up too. Here's some better pics.

These two are some more Commandos (Toting iconic Tommy guns) for my Dieppe Raid project. The helmeted chap I believe is by Blacktree and the kneeling Wargames Foundry. Both decent sculpts in their own rights. These two bring me up to 6 out of 8 done for my first squad. Lots still to go!

Last painted piece to show off is a small "Palette Cleanser" mini to help keep the mojo going. This chap is a Citadel Miniatures Beastman from 1980-something-or-rather. Had him since I were a young lad and he deserved to be painted up a long time before now but at least he's ready for... I dunno - not really sure how I'll use this one.

To finish up I also managed to stick together the last 10-man Brood Brothers squad for my Genestealer Cult and also a couple fun minis to make up a Rogue Trader and her retinue (Just for gits and shiggles really).

 Old 1980's Imperial Guard plastics mixed with more recent plastic Cadian bits and Genestealer Cult heads and nicknacks. Now I have three of these squads assembled, they just need some gap filling here and there and I can get to their basing so they can be primed.

Got the pistol toting Rogue Trader off a nice Ebay cheapie auction. Liked the character when they first showed her off from their first Blackstone Fortress expansion or something. The red chap to her right is an Adeptus Mechanicus trooper. I felt he'd make for a good right-hand-man. Those three primed-grey fellows in the rear are old 1980's Citadel Miniatures Chainsaw Warriors from a very much out-of-print game. They'll be her muscle I think.

And that's it - long post, but I guess that's what happens when one doesn't post for over a month (!!!). Stay healthy and safe out there!

Zomtober 2019 (Week 4 - Final Week)

Last week of Zomtober 2019! And look at me, i actually met the deadline (albeit a bit late in the day).

I give you Jennifer,  survivor of the apocalypse.  When the dead rose,  she found solace in her meth cooking hide to step up and crush zombie-brain.

I believe she's a sculpt from the Across the Dead Earth range.  Fun sculpt too.

O and i got started on a trio of mastiffs.

Zomtober 2019 (Week 3)

"Wait, what happened to Zomtober 2019 Week 2 Dai?"

Well, life was rather fun, too fun, and then there was my 43rd birthday and so... yeah. Week 2 ended up being a bust.

But even so, here's week 3's offering,  a much rather tardy birthday present for my mate John who turned 40 last December.

Astute readers might recognise this mini as the infamous Lemmy Kilmister, sadly deceased front man of the metal band, Motorhead. John is a Lemmy nut so when i saw this zombie-survivor version of the musician, i knew i had to buy one and  paint it up for John.

Next week's Zomtober entry will be on time and.  Promise.

Zomtober 2018! (Week 4 - the finale!)

I made the deadline! Well, PST... 

Last week of Zomtober and all involved have put out some stirling work. 

Seeing as my week 3 post was only done yesterday or something, I've had precious little time to get my week4 hobby progress finished up for posting. Well, it's done now.

This is Harper. He was a finances bloke who spent too much time on his phone telling his brokers to "Buy buy buy!" or "Sell you idiot!" and whilst on a particularly heated call whilst walking to his favourite overpriced coffee vendor, he inadvertently stormed right into the largest zombie herd in town. So he lost his face. And his stomach lining. How he kept his eyes... is anyone's guess. 

Thanks to all for the encouragement throughout this month!

Next up, some long  unloved commissions that I'm sick to death of being around.

Zomtober 2018! (A rather late Week 3)

Between my birthday last weekend and a real social life (for once) painting and blogging opportunities were few and far between. So, 6 days late here is my Zomtober week 3 offering!

I call them Marcia and Mercedes.  Both are by Wargames Factory for Project Z.

One day and a bit to get my final week 4 offering painted up and posted! (Which might just happen seeing as its taking a flippin age to download the bloody great data lump for Red Dead Redemption 2 on my ps4.... *grumble*)

Zomtober 2018! (Week 2)

Week 2 is almost passed and i am actually on schedule for once.

This is a big zombie bloke from Project: Z by Warlord Games. He's the 2nd one I've painted up and is rather cool wielding that stop sign (british btw version, no idea how he got it mind).

Once again, bit fast and dirty paintjob but he'll do.

Zomtober 2018! (Week 1)

It's here again! The month in which (some) hobbyists dedicate their month-o'-October work to some "tober" or another. (Ork/Dread/Ink/mastur/etc)

I aim to fulfill the Zombie side of things cos, ya know, it's October and Halloween and that just makes far more sense than working on greenskins, walking robot sarcophagi, drawing or other stuff.

And the rules are really simple. Just post some painted zombie figs or zombie theme'd (Survivors, etc) figs that one has worked on (And completed!) each Sunday of October. There's a nice group of blogs that have jumped on the Zomtober bandwagon this year and Simon Quinton's blog has a roll listing if anyone is interested in checking out some more Zomtober theme'd posts.

I started painting these a bit late due to some unexpected health issues with my boy mid-week so not more to post than a couple of walkers for Week 1, but they'll do!

These two are Mr Roadkill and Missus Half-Baked. Really like zombies that are a flipping mess and they certainly fit that bill. Might want to wear ankle/shin protection!

This puppy just loves everyone!

Wowzers! Over a month since my last post!

Well, hobby mojo was next to dead so didn't feel like painting at all after my trip back home to the UK. Until this week, that is.

So here i present you some of the stuff that I can show off from the paint station:

Actually just finished this current model by Games Workshop of a Beast of Nurgle. It was a pain to put together as a kit, but the finished model looks pretty good (if one picks the least cartoony options.).

Painting took a few lengthy sessions and i had lots of time to get stuck in yesterday and today seeing as I've been home looking after a feverish 13-year-old.

What i painted originally to get me back in the mood are as follows. Just simple contemporary zombies and some 3D printed scatter terrain pieces. Nothing fancy, but a nice reintroduction to painting.

I like to call 2nd from left "Pegs"

Next up? Well, I've got some Badgers and Burrows minis on the desk and maybe just maybe I'll work some more on those poor unloved Winter Germans, or, heaven forbid I remember to get back to the commissions i should have finished an age ago!?

Something fishy (Part 1 - Carcharodon Primaris WIP, and a few other tidbits)

Hobby mojo has been sputtering at best since my last post. I've sat multiple times to try and work on those poor unloved Winter Germans and.... well nothing.

Then a good mate at work got into the new Warhammer40k edition and it got me nostalgic. Worse still,  it got me appreciating the new space marine Primaris sculpts as they were the "larger-than-life" superhuman combat monsters that the fluff always described, but that never really felt correctly represented by the model range produced up until these new releases. Whilst i didn't go nuts and start a new army or anything so silly, i did pick up a (very affordable) handful of these cool new space marines - just because.

Here's the first in the Carcharodons scheme. (Carcharodons now the new name for the old school "Space Sharks" chapter of space marines.) I read the recently released Black Library novel my James McNiven: Carcharodons Red Tithe and got sudden inspiration to paint my newly acquired armoured giants in the livery of these secretive and brutal (Dare I say it, more brutal than the famed Space Wolves?) wanderers in space.

This sculpt is one of the lieutenants from the current 40k starter set, easy to assemble with lots of cool detail and WAY better proportions than the older marine range:

Couldn't fix the lighting on this one, so forgive the oversaturation.

Pre-head attachment. This pic to highlight both the naff freehanded chapter symbol and my first attempt at power-weapon effects.

Carcharodons/Space Sharks now have a strong Polynesian theme and adorn their armour and pale skin with islander style tattoo designs. Did a bit of research and had a go freehanding some on his pauldron. It'll do.

That's not all the painting ive done, i managed to get in a pitiful pair of Zomtober Zombies done to add to my growing group. Officer Douglas and Doctor Shaddix both succumbed to the virus whilst trying to hold out against the undead onslaught at the veterinary pratice that the good doctor resided at. Sadly it was an infected three toed sloth that got them both. Tragic.

I also managed to sneak in a 3rd zombie, Ms Stroker, still walking about town in mid-stroke apparently after being bitten trying to save wee Willy Finkle who was floating in the local County dipping pool. Little did she know he was just playing dead and waiting for a snack to come splashing his way.

My birthday came and went and with it my sanity, but that's a story for another time. For my birthday, my lovely mother gifted me a pair of books that I'd been coveting but had held off on picking up because they were from France and pretty steep in price after shipping. So there we are, more reference material for yet another Bolt Action project. The failed Dieppe Landing of 1942 by the allies was an awful disaster of an operation, but it helped the organisers of DDay to see mistakes never to repeat again. Unfortunately almost a 1/4 of the men sent never made it back - a horrid price to pay for lessons learnt. I also found the "Ranger at Dieppe" novel at my local library, which is an easy read and describes the newly founded US Rangers who were sent to the UK to learn Commando techniques so that the US could finally boast an elite special forces unit of their own. Armed with these I have gotten the urge to get working on my early/mid war Bolt Action army - watch this space.

Lastly, a small bit of non miniatures hobby painting. With halloween here as i type (and intermittently answer my front door to costumed children), i feel a small bit of pride as my son goes off in search of sweets  with his mates wearing a mask that i toiled over so he'll have the look he was hoping for. Here's me in the mask from last night, then afterward is the spawn in his whole nasty yucky chest beared ensemble.  About two hours went into this dollar store plain mask to get it to look as good as my patience and the medium to hand would allow. It'll do.