White Tiger (SMG Project)

Well there we go - White Tiger is done, just by the skin of my teeth!

My contribution to Forgotten Heroes (click for link) and it has been great watching various projects unfold - well done all. I promise to be better organised next year - although I feel my G.I. Joe stuff this month is in keeping with the whole thing too. :)

Thankfully this was a fairly simple paint job which helped speed things up. I was able to go a little messy doing the necklace with the knowledge I could tidy up the 'white' areas. The white was mainly done using Vallejo Pale Blue Grey as a base up to Off-White. For some deeper recesses I mixed in a bit of Blue Grey.

I decided to shade the eyes with a pale green to tie into the amulets he wears, representing the glow of mystical power they infuse into him. Other than that a pretty simple paint-job.

I also worked up a rules card for him for the defunct Spider-man Miniatures Game, just to complete the project. His Reputation cost may get a slight re-jig when I rework how I have engineered my best guesses for KM's points formula. I fear not, there are more home-brew conversions planned for SMG in the near-future.

SMG Painting Summary
SMG characters owned: 15+2
Percentage of owned characters painted: 47.1% (8 models)
MUMG minis re-based to fit my SMG: 0
SMG Project minis painted: 1

The Thing (MUMG)

The Thing is added to the 'done' list! Although I had not really planned on painting any more MUMG in 2016, when I bought the The Thing I assembled him pretty quickly in readiness for possible painting. My thinking was that with a simple colour scheme, he would be quite quick to do despite his large surface area (he is 65mm from the bottom of his base to the top of his head!). Then I found myself focusing on other stuff.

When I decided it was time to tackle the mini, the painting stages were: an orange-brown base layer; Devlan Mud wash (with some extra spot washes of AP Soft Tone); dry-brush the same brown; dry brush a lighter brown; then pick out top edges of  'rocks' with successively lighter highlights (4 passes on the highlights).

Because it was quite methodical work, the bulk of the painting felt pretty straightforward - even if he did get dropped on the floor at one point...

Finishing The Thing gives me 17 Levels of Superhuman Heroes (with Black Widow and Black Panther), or 16 Levels of Cosmic Heroes  (with Groot). I am most likely to play an Avengers style team I think so will be mostly adding to the Superhumans as things progress next year.

MUMG Painting Summary
MUMG characters owned: 24
Percentage of owned characters painted: 16.7% (4 models)

Black Panther

Black Panther is the third MUMG mini I have painted in the past couple of weeks, and will probably be the last one for a while from me, as I start to refocus on other lines. Black Panther is one of my favourite Avengers (he would make my ideal 'best seven' lineup without doubt), so being able to get a quick win in the painting was a real bonus.

Reading a run of Avengers comic books from the late 1960's when I was a teen (thanks Peter Atkins!) is what made me like the character, and I continued have ever since. Frequent positioned as ruler of the (fictional) African nation of Wakanda, T'Challa also bears the mantle of the Black Panther, having earned his right to the honourable name and trappings. I loved his inclusion in Captain America: Civil War, so as soon as I saw the mini (which I think is an excellent sculpt, and was very cleanly cast which was very welcome), I knew it would be one of the first MUMG characters I would paint.

The painting used my standard approach to not-black black, and the biggest struggle was trying to pick out the eye-piece lenses. I wish all minis and painting offered quick wins like this! Alas not!

If and when I start playing MUMG, I think Avengers/good guy superhumans will be the team i try, so will be built around Black Panther and Black Widow and building from there. If the 'standard' game size for MUMG is 50 levels, then to match that I think I am looking at something like another four or five minis to paint up.

MUMG Painting Progress
Minis Painted: 3 (16.7% of minis owned)
Minis owned: 18

Black Widow

Black Widow was another quick paint job after recently completing Groot, but in my more usual approach. I started this one, like Groot, as a way of getting a 'quick win' of getting something done after June's slowdown, and was surprised just how swiftly (for me, anyway) I was able to get the main work done. I found it a very nice model to paint, probably because of the quick turnaround as well as the subject matter. That said, I do need to soften the shading around the face so it doesn't look so heavy, which I only spotted after taking the picture!

The mini was an earlier Knight Models Marvel release and has been superseded by a different pose sculpt, both with same costume and trappings. Not sure whether she can be used in official Knight tournaments based on their proxy restrictions in BMG, but time will tell!

After painting so many (not-quite-black) black costumes lately, this was really straightforward, especially as she has four main colours. I opted for painting her hands as gloved rather than bare, since it just seems more logical she should have them. While tackling Widow, I have made a small start on her team-mate Black Panther who I hope is another quick win. After that, I don't plan to tackle another MUMG mini for a while as I want to get into some backlogs for Pulp City, GI Joe and BMG, and finally start some Dropzone Commander painting.