Silver Tower Minotaur

Every so often, when I have time, I paint up another of my Silver Tower models.

This one is some sort of magical giant minotaur with Celtic tattoos and a sorcerer's club. All very Tzeentch. The face is great but unfortunately hidden under the horns.

Great model.

Dr Who: Into The Time Vortex

Now that production is well under way, those delightful people at Warlord Games have sent me examples of the first models.

To remind people, I wrote the rulebook that will eventually be released to back these models. Working with a major IP property like Dr Who is an extremely complicated affair with many people having to approve of all steps, so this takes time.

When it came to naming the game, we thought long and hard. There have been a number of Dr Who tabletop games before so we couldn't just use a 'does what it says on the label' name like Doctor Who Tabletop Game.

I suggested "Into the Vortex": it may not be entirely coincidental that I had just finished writing a novel plotted by David Drake and called "Into the Maelstrom".....see my sidebar, top right..

Paul Sawyer of Warlord Games smiled upon the idea but felt that any Doctor Who game must include 'Time' in the title......so we settled on "Into the Time Vortex".

Paul was editor of White Dwarf in its glory days and thinks much more graphically than I do and I have to say I very much like the way the title is displayed....I suspect the game will just be known as 'Time Vortex'.

The way the models are painted by the professionals at Warlord is subject to BBC approval, like everything else about the game but we amateurs can paint our minis any way we like.

I therefore intend to paint these amazing models and put them up on this blog, so it can be seen what a truly mediocre painter can do.

Horus Heresy: Ahzek Ahriman

Ahzek Ahriman, Chief Librarian of The Thousand Sons, the XV Legion,

The model is from the Horus Heresy, Burning of Prospero boardgame.

The model is painted in Tamiya Metallic Red spray paint. This is the best attempt at a metallic red available in acrylic to my knowledge.

Superb model, like all in the Horus Heresy range.

Review: Atlantis Miniatures Goblins

I am not a great fan of orcs, one of Tolkien's less happy inventions, but I do like goblins. In GW, goblins have been degraded to caricatures so when I saw an Atlantis Minis kickstarter with some neat models I ventured £30 and eventually got these.

I have a chief, brute, standard bearer, a drummer and six boys with assorted weapons.

The sculpting is excellent; each model is full of character.

I am well pleased with them and might buy a few more off their website shop.

The resin is fragile and somewhat super-glue resistant but it takes paint well.

Atlantis is based in the UK so you won't get hammered by our new sooper-dooper Brexit Pound in your pocket.

Recommended.

Burning of Prospero: Custodes

I have finished my first squad for The Burning of Prospero and I have to say the models are terrific.

This photo shows the standard bearer - but you guessed that.

The Custodes are the Emp's personal bodyguards, something like the Queen's Brigade of Guards, so I wanted to show them in squeaky clean polished armour. I therefore eschewed my usual wash technique and used highlights instead, restricting washes to the 'soft' parts of the uniform.

The models were spray in Humbrol Deep Gold and highlighted with Vallejo shining gold.

I went for royal blue as the contrasting colour on 'soft' components: it seemed appropriate.

The bases are in light blue grey with arcane symbols added to represent the floors of the Prospero capital.

Warlord Games Plastic Dalek - First Glimpse

First look at the Warlord Games new plastic Dalek in heroic 28mm.

My Thoughts: very imaginative but perhaps a little too innovative guys.