Imperial Guard Platoon

 Hi!

I've been working away on making some tiny troops for a 40k 1st/2nd edition project that I've been humming and hahing over for years and making my own tiny figures seemed to be the perfect way of making my mad ponderings a reality!

Imperial Platoon

I've pained them up in classic 1st edition Imperial Guard colours of black flack jacket and helmet, grey uniforms and red visors (which got several coats of gloss varnish to give them a real bit of a reflection).

Command Squad

The command squad consists of a Leutenant with bolt pistol, power sword and carapace armour, a melta gun and a flamer for special weapons and a pair of troops with lasguns to provide security. 

I know that it's not really codex compliant for either 1st or 2nd but I've gone for a more fluff filled method of building as it just doesn't feel right to give them all special weapons or even two heavy weapons. Game wise, they're short ranged fire support should help stem the tide if baddies get close to Imperial lines!

1st Squad

1st squad has troopers supported by a heavy bolter and a grenade launcher while the sergeant has a chainsword.

I figure this is pretty likely to be standard kit for my Imperials giving them a decent level of long range firepower to hopefully whittle down foes before they get too close.

2nd Squad

2nd squad is supported by an auto cannon and a plasma gun giving them a bit more anti-armour capability and will give my small force some decent stopping power.

I still need to make a heavy weapon squad and possibly another basic squad but I'm really pleased with how they've turned out and am now contemplating making some vehicles for them too and it's been really pleasing to make and paint the little guys as it's been a bit of a dream to collect an Imperial Guard army for years but I just don't have the time, money, space or patience for a 28mm version so this has been a satisfying little project that is achievable!

I've got a couple of days worth of holiday left so I'll see what I can get done but in the meantime, All the best!

Sir Bedevere's Bunbury Siege Tower

 Hi!

I've been working away on my Monty Python and the Holy Grail themed warband and have finished a new unit in the form of Sir Bedevere's Bunbury Siege Tower!

Sir Bedevere's Mighty Siege Tower!

Made entirely from EVA foam, the siege tower is based on the Trojan rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail but with a few alterations and will be forming a suitable centrepiece to the army.

I'm planning on using it as a greater warbeast or possibly a chariot for Dragon Rampant but am not sure which suits the model best yet but it was pleasing to make such a silly model and I really enjoyed making the wooden monstrosity.

My next unit is going to be more infantry and possibly some archers to give my slowly forming army some ranged firepower and I'm thinking on making them up like the guards for the wedding guests but we'll see what I can come up with.

Trev and Simon the beasts crew

I've also got a squad of Imperial Guard done but I'll post them up as part of my next update as I've got a second squad mostly built and will see what other whimsical bits and bobs I can get finished over the next week.

Until then, All the best!

Tiny Troop Reinforcements - Men-at-Arms

 Hi!

So April has been a very busy period with work and all manner of Real Life shenanigans putting the spanner into the works when it comes to the hobby but I've managed to end the month with my Tiny Troop Men-at-Arms for my slowly developing Dragon/Lion Rampant King Arthur project.

Doughty Men-At-Arms

I've tried to give them a certain amount of individuality while still looking part of a unified unit and am rather pleased with how they turned out, especially the kettle helms and halberds!

As per usual, they're made from Sculpey heads and bodies and details are all EVA foam and a little bit of wire for the hafts of the Halberds. At some point, I feel I will need to bulk them out a bit with command models and banners but that's a job for another day, especially as Lion and Dragon Rampant only require 12 figures per unit.

The Assembled Retinue

I'm in need of adding another unit of halberds as well as lots of other exciting stuff such as archers, three headed giants, mysterious knights who say NI! and a large wooden rabbit but as things stand, I'm really pleased with progress on the tiny guys and am surprised by just how much character they're developing.

After this army is finished, I think I'll need to make some sort of themed opposition but am not currently sure what that's going to look like. I do have a unit of Goblins so could easily begin expanding that until I've got a full 24 point army and then can begin duking it out with a game or two!

It's not all been fantasy here either as I've just finished constructing my first Imperial Guard squad for some classic Rogue Trader/2nd edition 40k goodies too and will post pictures of them on my next update but for now, All the best!

Planet 28 Final Edition Kickstarter

 Hi!

Apologies for the lack of updates but a mixture of work and heading down south to deepest Wales for my sister in laws wedding has resulted in a decided lack of hobby time. 

While I was away, I spotted that Nick Evans, the creator of my favourite ruleset, Planet 28 has a new kickstarter going for the ultimate final edition of the game!

As a massive fan of the rulesets he's produced, I've backed the project and highly recommend the game itself to as its such a joy to play, simple enough to learn quickly but with enough to give it a good tactical feel and its a great sandbox to create pretty much anything you'd like to play too!

The project has already funded and smashed all its stretch goals too and there's even an STL for the cover character now available to boot:

I can't wait to get my hands on the new set to complete my collection and if you're interested in backing the project, Here's the LINK to the Kickstarter page.

In the meantime, All the best!

Tiny Troops- Monty Python and the Holy Grail Edition

 Hi!

I've been working away at expanding my unit of Crusaders into an entire army and for a bit of fun I decided to make some leaders for the warband and settled on none other than Arthur, King of the Britons along with his loyal retainers!

Camelot!

At present, I've got Arthur, Bedevere, Galahad, Lancelot, Robin and Bors to give me a six man unit for Lion or Dragon Rampant but plan on making their squires to make a 'mounted' option.

Royal Retinue

I've also been working on a unit of twelve men at arms to give me some numbers and will post pictures of them when I'm finished but I'm really pleased with the tiny knights as I hope they're relatively easy to identify with their tiny hand painted heraldry.

I must admit that this project is a little bit silly but it's developing a bit of a life of its own as I now need a three headed giant, a black knight and his component pieces, the Knights Who Say Ni, Tim the Enchanter, wedding guests, some obnoxious Frenchmen and a giant wooden rabbit...

I suspect that this project is going to take quite a while to complete but has been such fun, I can't help but keep working on it!

In other news, I've also begun work on making a platoon of Imperial Guard so I can tick off another hobby obsession as I eventually plan on making Tiny Troop versions of every force for 2nd edition 40k and wanted to start with recreating my old Imperial Guard army from back in the day but more on that next time.

In the meantime, All the best!

Aeronef British Dig Squadron

 Hi!

Just a quick update today as I've got a load of things to take pics of and post about but never enough time to get it all done!

I recently picked up some interesting wooden beads from a local craft bank and thought they'd make excellent airships. As per usual, the beads sat in my bits box for a couple of months until I rummaged them out and set to work turning them into dirigibles! 

British Dig Squadron

The basic body is made from an oval wooden bead approximately 25mm long while the nose cone is a plastic rhinestone. The tail assemblies are made from EVA foam and some small beads while the gondola's are also small pieces of EVA foam too.

In keeping with the super cheap hobby vibe I've had going this year, I didn't buy flight stands but used some MDF bases from Warbases (absolutely top company by the way!), a hexagon of thick paper and a small nail to give me some properly sturdy bases as I am rather sick of using the old plastic flight stands which have a tendency of snapping!

The total cost for the three digs, is about 30p and while they look a little high tech for a VSF or Steampunk game such as Aeronef, they'll do the job in a pinch.

I've really enjoyed making the tiny vessels, and have another four in various stages of completion and will post up the entire fleet once it's done!

In the meantime, All the best!

Junker Update and Tiny Troops How to Guide

 Hi!

I've finished my Junkers for the time being and am busily working on and have completed my Exo Armour squad:

Junker Exo Armour Squad

Built from engineering rigs and armed with Grape Guns and Cestus fists, Exo Armour squads are the brutal close combat specialists that the Junker legions deploy into the thickest of combats.

Junker Exo Armour Detail

I'm really pleased with how they turned out and they've painted up really nicely too with just enough of the original vibe to be recognisable as the unit types they're supposed to be!

Junkers of the XVII legion

Here's what they looked like without a coat of paint:

Exo Armour Unpainted

As they only stand about 15mm tall, there's no need to go full on adding lots of little fiddly details, just the basic shapes. Compare the early 3d sprites for computer games compared to now!

Also the coat of paint makes a massive difference as its easy to paint in panel lines, small bits and bobs such as armour plates, etc that bring the models to life. They're going to be viewed at arms length after all so there's quite a few little cheats that can be done during painting .

So without further ado, here's the tutorial!

Supplies you'll need:

Some Sculpey or Fimo clay.

A sheet of EVA foam.

Superglue, Scissors and a knife.

The first step is to make the bodies and heads.

Roll out a block of sculpey and with a sharp knife, cut it into small cubes which will form the main body of all the infantry I make. For the heads, it possible to use beads but I tend to just roll out some sculpey or Fimo into small balls as I prefer not to have to fill the holes that beads tend to have in them.

Once the bodies and heads have been cooked, its time to start construction! I cut a thin piece of EVA foam into long batons about 4-5mm wide then cut them into small rectangles. I tend to just use scissors for this and aren't too particular about making sure everything is perfectly sized.

Once the heads have been glued on I add a small rectangle of EVA foam to the bottom to represent legs. I only use one but its easy enough to use two pieces one on top of the other to make the figure taller. Next add two small pieces of EVA foam to represent shoulders and voila, the figure is pretty much made. After this its just a case of adding details to give the figure definition.

Once the figure has been built, I glue them onto small buttons which have a slip of paper glued over the buttonholes as it makes basing look a bit better.

Small pieces of foam can then be used to add armour, backpacks, helmets, hats and uncounted other bits and bobs to make them look like a proper little person. Guns, swords, shields and whatnot are also made from EVA foam. I had been concerned about the durability of such little fellows, especially as they're made of foam and a bit of glue but I've dropped them repeatedly and they just seem to bounce!

Androsynths

It's very easy to substitute different shaped objects for heads, such as the Androsynths above with their larger cube heads or the knights I've made which have cylinder heads made from cut up sausages of sculpey.

The most important part of the build process it so get the general look and feel of the original figure and with a bit of experimentation and bodging, they are remarkably effective to represent whatever army you want

So there you are! Tiny troops can be made quick, cheaply and very easily for the fraction of a cost of actual miniatures. They've been a bit of a revelation for me as I've really enjoyed making all the tiny figures and am very happy with how they are turning out and indeed what a boon its been for my hobby!

My next unit is built and ready to prime and while I'm meandering through different projects there's a sense of industry and achievement to working on them all, no matter the subject. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up the momentum over the course of the year and build and paint enough bits and bobs to play all manner of interesting games as the weather improves.

Junkers vs Farpoint Salvage

Hopefully, I'll have another update later this week with the next handful of painted odds and ends but in the meantime, All the best!