The Riddler (BMG)

The Riddler is my first finished mini for the Batman Miniatures game/DC Comics range of models from Knight Models.

As soon as I saw the first mini in the line (Batman, naturally) I was impressed, and when  I learned of the range I was in. I don't play the Arkham series of video games which much of the imagery and character design for this range is drawn, but I do like the minis range. A lot. So much so I can see myself collecting the loot given a chance. They have already begun to diversify the line to include DC Comics characters from outside the games (Deathstroke; Green Arrow), Watchmen characters, and other DC movie characters (some Dark Knight characters; Superman as seen in the Man of Steel), so it is an increasingly eclectic mix.

I don't know that I will ever actually play the game to be honest. The current English translation is in need of a lot of work I feel, although it clearly has a strong following among fans of the rules, and I have a much more established preference when it comes to super-powered gaming! But the minis are mostly great, although the metal is super-soft which is less than pleasing, and at least one mini (DKR Bane) is clearly out of the established scale, but they are tolerable issues.

The sculpting is exquisite in my humble opinion. Ultimately I struggled with this, simply because some parts to paint were so finely detailed. That said, I am fairly happy with the final result all told, and I will continue to add to my collection of the minis. I just expect to paint them occasionally, focusing more on other ranges I am more likely to game with right now (Pulp City; Anima Tactics; MERCS; and Freebooters Fate). Still, maybe another will be painted up before too long, just watch this space....

Zomtober 2013 Reflections

So another Zomtober draws to a close (for most; some die-hards are still adding to their walking dead and survivor stock-piles! Good on you guys!), and here are the four minis I managed for the project.

I am very happy because I hit all my planned deadlines (for me that is a 'big thing') plus I also managed to finish off another six minis for other games and ranges, so my most prolific month of the year so far!

Finally, if Zomtober participants want to add a comment below, then I will tally up everyone's undertakings in this post.

Zomtober Tallies (click names for links to blogs)
Rob & Charlie (Four Colour Super Minis): 30 Zombies and 11 Survivors
Brummie: 3 Survivors
Pulp Citizen: 4 Zombies
Dizbuster from BotLL: 2 Survivors and 4 Zombies
Blaidd Dwrg: 6 Zombies and 4 Survivors
Robert Audin: 2 Zombies and 1 Survivor
Kieron: 22 Zombies, 2 Survivors, 4 Cops, 8 Civilians who aren't meant to survive...
Colgar6: 4 survivors and 4 zombies
Michael Awdry: 9 Zombies
Shelldrake: 19 zombies and 18 commandos painted up for Zomtober
Panzer Kaput: 4 zombies and 2 survivors
Jon Shields: 12 zombies and 3 survivors.
Matt: 15 regular zombies, plus one giant super zombie!
Kasper: 4 Survivors
Rwwin: 14 survivors and 13 zeds
Modhail: 3 Survivors, 2 "Personality" Zombies (Waldo and Mime), 12 Lampposts, 1 Section of pavement, 9 Gas canisters, 4 Fire extinguishers, 1 "Soylent Green" vending machine, 9 Zombies*, And 1 Portolet....

Guys, if you add your name and Zomtober output to the comments I will update the list accordingly.

Zomtober 2013 (Week 4)

Posted with a day to spare, and finished 4 days early; get in!

The last of my Zombie Clowns  for now; I would like to find at least one more that fits well enough with the two smaller Tengu ones.

In Zomtober I have added 4 Zombies to the 'horde', and done enough work on at least one other Zombie to finish it quite quickly when I feel like doing so, and in all have painted 10 minis this month (so far: 4 Zombies; 4 Anima Tactics; 2 Pulp City), taking me to 53 minis painted for the year, and surpassing the target I set for myself at the beginning of 2013. Time to aim for 60 painted minis in 2013 now I think!

Anyway here is the last of my Zomtober entries, and I just wanted to take a moment to say 'very well done' to everyone who has taken part or offered encouragement.

In the next couple of days I will post a thread so people can comment their totals and we can track just how many extra Survivors and Zombies were added to the Zompocalypse in Zomtober 2013!

Another Undead Over On The Anima Tactician

This has been a very productive month for me - 10 minis so far and counting...

Zomtober has helped a lot to give me a boost with bother painting, including some Undead stuff for Anima Tactician. This stuff could have qualified for Zomtober, but I decided it should not deter me from painting some of the Zombie backlog, so I did not count them towards the targets.

Click here for the latest Anima Tactics Undead unit, another Type-005...

Zomtober 2013 (Week 3)

After the lead in of the Anima Tactics mini earlier, here is my intended entry for week 3 - another Zombie Clown.

This one is also by Tengu, and is one of a pair that have separate heads and arms to add variety. This is my 24th Zombie in total, and also the 49th mini I have painted this year. The Zombie horde (well horde is being generous, but what else can it be called?) started a couple of years back, and has so far only really featured in games of Pulp City, but I have been working up some ideas for a Zombie rule-set, so Zomtober has proven a productive period for me in more ways than one.

Aside from Zomtober, I began the year with the intention of painting at least 50 models after the paltry 24 completed by me in 2012. well I have now doubled 2012's total, and I am very close to achieving my my target with a couple of months to go. I am a slow painter who loses motivation quite easily, so I am pretty chuffed with my output so far. If I could hit 55-60 minis painted in 2013, that would be very cool. Assuming I hit my original goal, I may stretch the target in blocks of 5 and see how I progress.

I am pretty confident that barring disaster I will have a fourth and maybe fifth Zomtober mini completed by next Sunday. In addition, Rob and I have one of our annual battle reports lined up for the end of the week which will need to be turned around within four days...

Over on Anima Tactician - An Undead Appears....

Click picture for link

I should have my next Zomtober mini finished later, but in the mean-time, there is this Undead I have posted to the Anima Tactician.

More images and discussion if you follow the link.

My Zomtober motivation has spilled over into other things which is cool.

Zomtober 2013 (Week 2)

Another week, another deadline met, another walker added to the cause!

I will never be as prolific as so many of the guys taking part in Zomtober, but I hope for all of us it is about getting something done we may have been struggling to do otherwise. For me that is certainly true - this mini was started many, many months ago and is only now at last complete. He is the second of a planned trio (since I paint my Zombies to match up in groups of 3), and although not brilliant, he will do. The orange was a bugger to do though!

Engaging in Zomtober has actually helped me get paint on to non-Zombie minis, so that is positive too. For example I finished Cenette here on my Anima Tactician blog simply because of renewed motivation, which was a nice bonus.

Back to Zomtober, I was thinking I should create a central post listing everyone who took part and how much they achieved (whether 1 mini or 100 hundred, it doesn't matter, just taking part and getting stuff finished is the key).

Coming up I don't yet know if it will be more Zombie Clowns or the last of this 'orange trio' next. Stay tuned. And finally, good luck to everyone with each week of Zomtober.