Saturday 19 March 2016

Citadel Judge Dredd Perps Part 1

Borag Thungg, Earthlet,
The 2000AD comic has always been close it my heart and most nights I wind down in bed reading one of the collected works books from the likes of Titan or Rebellion books, so this week I went through the myriad of undercoated miniatures I have queued up and dug out some citadel Judge Dredd miniatures. I tried to keep to my  previous cartoony style of painting these miniatures trying to emulate the colour and feel of the comic strips although I did take a little more time on the faces.

Firstly we have Link Angel, a member of the Angel Gang described by Mean as "too dumb to know how bad he is".

Link Angel
Link Angel - front
Link Angel - back

Next up we have his brother crazed cyborg Mean ‘Machine’ Angel, another of the Angel Gang and arch enemy of Judge Dredd, for such a simple character with only one real gimmick the head butt, he has entertained us for years in 2000AD stories. This miniature is based Mean’s first outing in the ‘The Judge Child Quest’ where is left arm is blasted off by Judge Dredd in prog 178.

Mean Machine Angel
Mean Machine Angel - front
Mean Machine Angel - Back

Drew is a NPC from the Judge Dredd RPG adventure supplementSlaughter Margin’, the miniature is a variant of the Perp Rizlo Butty, variant miniatures were a common feature of the Judge Dredd range and many of the miniatures were used as base models for the Rogue Trader Imperial Army range as well as citadel other ranges.

Drew (Slaughter Margin NPC)
Drew - front
Drew - back

Mek, another character from the ‘Slaughter Margin’ adventure, this miniature eventually made it's way into the Rogue Trader Imperial Army blisters and appeared on the second Rogue Trader flyer as an Imperial Assault trooper accompanied by a Robodog another Slaughter Margin NPC.  This one is a real ugly resculpt and it appears to be based on an old C100 Rogue Trader marine which one is still yet to be identified.

Rogue Trader Imperial Assault Trooper (Mek) & Robo-Dog (Mega-Hound)

Mek (Slaughter Margin NPC)

Mek - front
Mek - back

Judge Pike, a variant of the Spit Gun Suzi Perp miniature, She wields a Lawgiver mark 1 which any Dredd fan knows for a Perp that is very unwise so I assume she is a member of the Wally squad, whacky dressed to fit in with the futsies of Mega-city one 

Judge Pike


If anyone has a PDF copy of the Slaughter Margin adventure I would be very happy to hear from you, I don’t fancy tearing the loft apart looking for it.


Florix Grabundae for visiting, enjoy
J



Wednesday 16 March 2016

PARA3 Bots - Paranoia Robots

++ The Computer is your friend, all hail The Computer! Zzzzt! ++

I recently started some work on my recently Dettol and acetone stripped Paranoia Robots, many of you may remember during Golden Age of Citadel miniatures 1979-92, around 1986 Games Workshop held the licence to produce the Paranoia RPG game and accompanying miniatures, well I am lucky enough to own nearly all of these miniatures stashed well away with my citadel Judge Dredd miniatures.  Apart from the High Programmer the robots were the highlight of the range and it’s fair to say all the miniatures were perfect for the Games Workshop Judge Dredd RPG and could supplement other Sci-Fi games that swamped the oversubscribed market at the time.

Game wise If you were lucky enough to stay alive for more than 15 minutes and make it through the briefing, passed R&D pickup and out into a corridor you were likely to encounter one of the insane marauding robots that populated Alpha Complex attacking any unexpecting troubleshooter coming into sensory range. (my clones would rarely make it passed the briefing and during one campaign the GM had to increase our clones from 5 to 10, I was not grovelling to The Computer enough apparently)

There are 8 robots in the Citadel Paranoia range, these were supplied as two part models with an upper torso and lower section, the latter being the mode of transport, Hover Base, Robot Legs, Tracked Base and a Wheeled Base.  Adding one of the upper torso sections to your lower mode of transport gave you many configurations.

Jackobot
Scrubot
Docbot
Securobot
Funbot Sm-i-ly
Combot RR-7
Docbot 674-9
Mechbot

Here are the first 3 I have completed and there will be more following soon, Jackobot with wheeled base, Scrubot with robot legs and Docbot with robot leg, the are not the greatest of sculpts but they do have a lot of character.

Over the years I have picked up many robot miniatures for games like Paranoia from SFD/Slocombe warbots to Robo Rally board game robots, hoping that one day I would be able to play a robot rebellion game of Rogue Trader.

I am thinking of digging out my metal and plastic citadel Dr Who range Daleks, K9 and Davros for the legendary Rogue Trader vs Paranoia crossover scenario that appeared in White Dwarf 112 entitled "Vulture Warriors from Dimension X Meet Plenty of Cheerful Orks with Plasma Cannon" (VWDXMPCOPC).

Well enough rambling on, please enjoy my painting efforts, the miniatures with the white background are new test shots using my new portable photo studio, any feedback is welcome :)

Docbot
Docbot - front
Docbot - back
Scrubot
Scrubot - front
Scrubot - back
Jackobot
Jackobot - front
Jackobot - back

I hope you enjoyed this post, plenty more to come so get following :)

Tuesday 8 March 2016

Chainsword Warrior

Hello Friends, I dropped by my local Games Workshop Birmingham UK the other day to take a look at the new Deathwatch Overkill miniatures as I found the Chaos Cultists sculpts in the Warhammer 40K Dark Vengeance were a bit of a let down so once bitten twice shy, I am happy to say that although not perfect they are much better, I then asked the duty manager of the shop to indulge me and  take a photo of yours truly holding the gigantic Chainsword displayed in the shop window, I was surprised that he said he had never handled the Chainsword before as if I worked there I would be swinging it around all the time. You cannot knock the customer service you get at Games Workshop stores and this post is a thumbs up to those people (although they have no clue about the Oldhammer miniatures I talk about when asked what I am working on). It is a great shame the footfall is falling but I blame the product, super overpriced and well out of pocket money range, sadly miniature collecting is no longer where the teenage paperboy can afford to spend his hard earned money.

Please enjoy this photo of me before I go about shredding the heresy littering the walls, I came out with some new brushes at an extortionate cost so it works out about even. :D



enjoy 
J

Friday 4 March 2016

New Chaos Beastman Gallery

Hello again,
I am on a bit of a roll and have added a new Chaos Beastman Gallery a showcase and reference for all my painted Oldhammer era Chaos Beastman Miniatures, more miniatures will be uploaded and added soon.

I am really getting the hang of this so expect more galleries to appear when I get some spare time.







Thursday 3 March 2016

New Rogue Trader Gallery

Hi Folks,
Please enjoy my new Rogue Trader Gallery a one stop page for all my painted Rogue Trader Miniatures, more miniatures will be uploaded and added soon :)





Thursday 18 February 2016

Paint Pot Restoration - Citadel Colour & Wargames Foundry Paints

Hi Friends, while I am still finishing off a whole bunch of miniatures for this blog and I thought I should share this easy paint pot restoration technique with you.

Now If you been painting Citadel miniatures like I have since the early 1980's you may have amassed quite a number of paints, I myself am probably nearing the 200 mark and although I mainly use Vallejo Model Color nowadays but on occasions I still go back to my Golden Age (pre 1992) Citadel Colour ranges and much has been blogged about these superb paints

I still own all the Citadel Colour paints sets and 95% of the paints are still close to full and in good working order the only problem is the many of the lids are broken and on ones that I have not opened for 20 years the plastic can be a bit brittle and snap forcing me to then prise the lid open with a screwdriver.

All the abuse during painting can lead to the ugly pots of beloved paint and the possibly of air drying your paints up so I went looking for a solution.

Now everybody knows that the original Citadel Colour range is still available now as the Coat D'Arms colour range but I didn't want to replace my original paints I wanted to revive them so I went looking for replacement pots, originally I wanted to transfer all my Citadel Colour into pipette type bottle like Vallejo paints but this was going to a lot of hard work and I am limited to about 4 hours a week painting time at the moment.

Anyway did a bit of Googling for a replacement pot solution and first came across these...

Coat D'Arms Empty Paint Pot Deal for £6.00 for 10

Coat D'Arms Paint Pot Lid for 0.15p each

Now the above solution looked a bit expensive once I had added the £3.50 P&P and when I have about 100 Citadel Colour paints with the white lids and then I came across these on eBay from a craft supplies seller...

Ebay 20 Empty Paint Pots for £7.55 (Buy it now) with Free P&P

I ordered 20 and tested them and they were perfect, in most cases I only have only needed to rip the old battered lid of and firmly push new lid on then I was left with a fully restored citadel colour pot.

Big bag of empty pots arrives at my workstation

Classic Citadel Hawk Turquoise was the first to get a make over as the lid shattered on me the other night and it was in danger of drying out.
Some of my Citadel Colour in retirement
And a few more waiting for a make over
This technique also works great with Wargames Foundry paints which surprisingly all the lids on mine were terribly broken and cracked now these are great paints which I use often so it probably just wear and tear rather than a fault with the product.


Wargames Foundry paints really did need saving and are now restored good as new

thanks for visiting now get painting... and following this blog 
cheers
J




Thursday 14 January 2016

Rogue Trader - Space Dark Elf Trooper


Hello Friends,
My latest painted miniature is the Space Dark Elf Trooper who was released on the Warhammer 40,00 Rogue Trader March 1987 mail order flyer along with other famous rarities like the Piscean (Saharduin) warrior and the Imperial Bodyguard. A good example of the original miniature can be seen here.

It was an enjoyable miniature to paint and I went with a purple/violet scheme as I done with previous Dark Eldar projects, I think it brings out their malevolence, it is certainly an interesting miniature covered in intricate pipes, tubes and bands which required lots of concentration to paint neatly. His weapon resembles a Flamer but could also be some sort of Shuriken Catapult if that's what you like, his armour is mesh (chainmail) and carapace plates and he is equipped with a power pack for his armour/weapon or some sort of flight pack.

I would probably say the detailing on the sculpt was probably the reason the Space Dark Eldar did not get it's own range, all that tubing must have been tough to cast and must off lead to lots of failed miniatures, I think all examples of miniature I have seen the tubing has small breaks and missing bits in random areas.

Space Dark Elf Trooper - sideview
Space Dark Elf Trooper - front
Space Dark Elf Trooper - sideview
Space Dark Elf Trooper - back

More random miniatures in the pipeline so stay tuned

WIP my current projects

I hope you enjoyed this post so get following
thanks
J

Wednesday 23 December 2015

RT601 - Scum


Hi Folks, here is my my latest painted miniature the aptly named 'Scum' or more fondly know as Space Eunuch due to inscription on his base tag, now what the hell is a Space Eunuch? 

So here is the dictionary definition of a Eunuch for those who do not know: "a man who has been castrated, especially (in the past) one employed to guard the women's living areas at an oriental court", you know big bald headed guy's with a single earring, baggy trousers, guarding the harem in many a Arabian Knights tale.


Now I was thinking a Space Marine is the perfect eunuch as they are about as sexless as you can get and this miniature would fit the bill for the adventuring penitent Marine from the Ian Watson novel. He would also make a nice boarding party member and looks like he would be first on to any captured Spaceship, a pit fighter, body guard, the list is endless.

This was a nice miniature to paint as he has an interesting armour harness and Chainsword, I distressed these a little but tried not to go overboard as this would blur the details.

He also had a bit of a badly sculpted fist where the palm poked out like a massive ball which I didn't discover until I was painting him so I didn't have a chance to file it down so I managed paint it as a Grenade. 

I am going to name space Eunuch after a real historical Eunuch would rose to be one of the most powerful men in Europe at the time, Narses. (Read up if you don't know his story)

Scum aka Space Eunuch - front

Scum - back


An end is in sight for my Rogue Trader Adventurers project, 8 more miniatures to paint.

thanks for visiting 
J

Friday 4 December 2015

RT601 - Adventurers - Bandit, Tech-Priest Schlan and Psyker


Hi Folks, 
I am still on my Rogue Trader Adventurers project (although I am struggling with the temptation to get back to my Chaos Beastmen and the latest miniatures I have completed is a lovely trio Bandit, Tech-Priest Schlan and Psyker from the RT601 - Adventurers range published in White Dwarf 99 back in March 1988.

First we have Bandit in my mind he is none other than George Peppard in Battle Beyond the Stars, the space cowboy in this much watch Stars Wars clone, every time it is on I watch and love this movie with my childhood eyes. I have painted this miniature several times over the years but this time I thought I would have a go at a glow effect on his Eldar Lasgun, I still haven't got the technique down yet but I'll keep trying.


Bandit - front

Bandit - back
Second up we have Tech-Priest Schlan of the Adeptus Mechanicus who sports a staff adorned with a imperial wing symbol from way before the current cog and skull emblem, I didn't really enjoy painting this miniature as there was lots of swallow details which even the thinnest of paint seem to obscure.


Tech-Priest Schlan - front

Tech-Priest Schlan - back


Lastly we have Psyker, another rare Rogue Trader female sculpt in a great dynamic pose, she wouldn't be out of place in Inquisitor Eisenhorn's retinue, banishing Daemonhosts or maybe as a Pariah.

Psyker - front

Psyker - back

hope you enjoyed this post, please get following all you lurkers :D

Two more Adventurers on the paint station, stay tuned.
J


Thursday 12 November 2015

RT601 - Adventurers - Eldar Trader

Hi Folks, 
I am finally getting back my Rogue Trader Adventurers, the project that this blog was originally created for and the latest miniature I have completed is the Eldar Trader from the RT601 - Adventurers range published in White Dwarf 99 back in March 1988.

Progress on my project can be seen here.

Eldar Trader - front

Eldar Trader - side

Eldar Trader - back
Eldar Trader - side

Now I don't like to gloat but this miniature cost me the tidy sum of $1 from eBay U.S, well actually $5 as there were 5 Rogue Trader Eldar in the auction lot and no one was buying so I had to rescue him as I did not have the time to strip my terribly enamel painted original from the 80's.  
I did really enjoy painting this miniature, he sports the obligatory Rogue Trader mohican (which I have talked about before) and is covered in the trappings of a swashbuckling spacefarering trader, tights, codpiece, jewellery and a discrete weapon. I went for gold jewellery as I imagine him landing on savage human fringe worlds and impressing all those greedy little eyes with all things shiny while relieving them of their rare xenos artefacts.  There is quite a wide gap on his base that is reserved for a Gyrinx (page 213 RT rulebook), I was given two suitable cat miniatures by Paul over at Sho3box a long time ago (be sure to follow his superb work)  but alas they are too big for the base and still sit half finished, I recently found a little present in a trade in the shape of a realistic tiny Squirrel miniature that fits the gap perfect and I am sure painted neon blue or something would pass as a Gyrinx.  I would like to get your thoughts on the Squirrel proxy before I commit (no Ptera-Squirrel on page 215 suggestions please that's just ridiculous :D).



Eldar Trader with proposed Gyrinx
Squirrel Gyrinx

I think the Eldar Trader miniature really captures the Rogue Trader universe as illustrated in the Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader rulebook, a good example is page 188 of the Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader rulebook which has similar character concepts that would not be out of place in the RT601 - Adventurers range.


Page 188 Rogue Trader Adventuers


I went with a Gyrinx familiar in the end :D


I hope you enjoyed this post, please get following all you lurkers :D

More Adventurers on the paint station as we speak.
J

Friday 25 September 2015

Low output - Beastmen and other stuff


Hello! Welcome back, it's the end of my holiday season (if only work would stop ringing me during said season) and my miniatures are getting some well deserved attention so I have got back to the task in hand and finished some more Chaos Beastmen, speed painted a classic Citadel limited edition miniature and got caught up in a Yogi frenzy (see below).

First we have preslotta C38 Chaos Beastman 'Horseman', well not much to say about this miniature other than it's a naked bloke with hooves who you would struggle to outrun, I remember as a teenager tittering with my rocker mates at this miniatures todger, I'll leave it at that :D


Horseman - side
Horseman - front
Horseman - side
Next we have a CH4 Chaos Beastman 'Vrak', I don't think he was meant to be based on any animal in particular which seems to be the case for many of this range and he even has a true Beastman name 'Vrak' departing from the old names like 'Koala-man' (if only he existed :D), the miniatures were very bestial a precursor to where we are today I think.  For the shield I did not have time to paint it so I dug out a arcane armorial decal (another example here) and stuck it on and in this case the gum was faulty so I had to set it with Microsol, a must have for any serious painter/modeller as it sets the decal, sinks in and follows the contours it is adhered to. 

Vrak - side
Vrak - side
Then I had a day off and was sorting out the thousands of slottabases into a new box I purchased from Aldi and low & behold I found the missing foot to Tinman (mentioned here in the comments back in 2013, thanks Orlygg :D) stuck to a 40x40mm base so after breaking off the crudely sculpted replacement and a bit of pinning and medium Superglue he was good as new.  Tinman was a limited edition miniature (LE14) who appeared in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle scenario 'The Crude, the Mad and the Rusty' with his maker 'Oxy O'cetylene' the dwarf engineer (I am not a big fan of dwarves so I won't be painting him in a hurry), I went on to paint him aiming for a heavily corroded look, I was testing the new Citadel Nihilakh Oxide techinical paint as I don't seem to be able to find a good copper oxide colour, for the normal rust I used my tried and tested method detailed here. Overall I am happy with the results and to compliment the rusty colours I added some Autumn tufts with leaf fall, which are widely available on ebay.


Tinman - front
Tinman - back

The last miniature on today's post is 'Yogi Yakamoto' from the Citadel Judge Dredd range JD13 Sky Surfers, he appeared in the Judge Dredd story 'The Midnight Surfer',  I painted this miniature after being inspired by several pictures of this miniature on the Oldhammer Facebook group. I copied the colours he was in the comic strip except I accidentally painted his chest which should have been flesh coloured. More will follow as I enjoyed painting this miniature.

Yogi the Sky Surfer with original Citadel flying base
Banzai! Yogi's Sky Surfboard

Here's my new box from Aldi with all my spare slottabases neatly organised, we'll see how long that lasts, plastic shields next. :D




Thanks for visiting now get following this blog.
J