A little consolidation.

After all the happiness involved in finishing a block of APCs yesterday, it got me thinking about how near to finishing the Grymn Tunnel Fighter army I really am. After all, there is more to the army than just the basic troop units...and finishing the last of the mechs will finish those off nicely...but what about the rest?

The army currently has 3 specialist units; a drone squad, a medic squad and a K9 squad. At the moment, none of those units have any transport and to be honest, the APCs that I have been using up until now just won't work so I would need to find something more appropriate.

Add to that, the start of another specialist unit that has a pair of OGrymn in it (please ignore the three APC's, it is just the WIP conversion that is of interest):

Click the Pic!

Click the Pic!

I am really unsure where I want to go with this unit. The OGrymn are quite rare (in Grymn society) so I only want to have the two of them in the unit. I will need to add a comms drone and 7 other troops to finish the unit off but I haven't decided how I want them armed...do I have a unit full of heavy weapons or bodyguards or even basic troops? Then I have to consider the size of the OGrymn and how they can be transported.

More questions are raised when I look at the Clanker units:

Click the Pic!

At the moment, I have two Clanker units and they each have 3 members. The models that they are converted from (Vulkan Battlesuits from the OOP Warzone game) are very unique and really suit the theme of this army. As a result...I have a further 15 of them in my cupboard. I have decided that I need to keep all these models for the Tunnel Fighters, rather than spreading them piecemeal over a range of projects so that means that I have to find a way of integrating them into the army. I have decided that three units of 7 clankers would be the best option because that would keep the colours down and also make each of the units fearsome opposition. 6 of the Clankers I have in the cupboard have weapons conversions (3 laser cannon and 3 heavy cannon) so it also made sense to build three units to take that into account.

So to sum up...

I need to finish the 4 mechs in order to complete the basic troop units.

I need to finish the OGrymn and 8 other squad members PLUS decide on a transport.

I need to decide on the transport for the 3 specialist units (drone, medic and K9).

I need to build and paint 15 Clankers and add them to those already finished.

THEN the army will be finished...

It is funny how slowing down to think about things really adds to the work-load!

See you from the forge!

Life is full of little mile-stones...

I'm sure that everyone remembers my Grymn Tunnel Fighter army, even though they have been neglected recently. Well, I have completed another little mile-stone because I have finished the last of the APCs for the basic troops. Each of my assault, tactical and command squads now have transport:

Click for BIG Pic!

I now have to think about painting the last four of the mechs and then I can start thinking about an army pic and pics of all of the completed units.

I am really quite happy about this :).

See you from the happy bus!

Recommendations

After a quiet day, doing little more than painting, I have a few WIP pix to show off. First, I have the last four of the Grymn Tunnel Fighter APCs:

Click the Pic!

I have finished the grey and started to base-coat all of the other bits. They are more or less at a point where, once the metals are washed and the windows filled in, it will be a case of adding the squad colours. The thing with these is that they have been sat on my shelf for a while and it was today that I decided to crack on with them.

Next was the second squad for the Void project:

Click the Pic!

As you can see, they are barely started but they are on their way.

So...I mentioned earlier that I was going to make a few suggestions for various sci-fi bits and bobs. I haven't included Games Workshop or Forge World because they always get the press...so here are a few stores that I like to visit:

For 28mm sci-fi miniatures, I would heartily recommend having a look through these links:

Hasslefree Miniatures (they have a December Bonus promotion on from tomorrow)

Heresy Miniatures

Studio McVey

Micropanzer (for vehicles too...when they get there)

Pig Iron Productions (for vehicles too)

Em4

Scotia Grendel (for vehicles too)

Copplestone Castings

Antenociti's Workshop (for vehicles too)

Other sci-fi miniature sizes:

Ground Zero Games (These are 25mm and 15mm and are certainly NOT 28mm)

Critical Mass Games (these are 15mm)

Rebel Miniatures (these are 15mm)

Khurasan Miniatures (these are 15mm and a small amount of 28mm)

Sci-fi vehicles: In addition to Antenociti's Workshop, Scotia Grendel, Pig Iron Productions and Micropanzer:

Daemonscape (these are the old Ground Zero Games vehicles for 25mm)

Old Crow Models (these are a mix of 25mm, 15mm and 6mm vehicles)

Other bits and bobs:

Hobby Link Japan (for everything Japanese from Mecha to vehicles)

Wayland Games (discount shop for all sorts of miniature related things)

Comet Miniatures (all sorts of kits...it's where all my VOTOMs kits came from)

Evil Mushroom Games (all sorts of stuff)

Fenris Games Ebay / Normal store (some awesome miniatures, vehicles and bases)

World of Twilight (a lovely range for an alternative fantasy world)

Ramshackle Games (cheap resin miniatures, vehicles, bases and other bits)

This list isn't exhaustive but there are some gems in there that are well worth a browse. I am also a fan of E-bay but I could never point you in specific directions there...there is too much variety.

Well...that is that. I hope you find something in amongst that lot that opens your eyes to a wider miniature wargaming world.

See you from the foot-plate.

Was it a left...or a right?

As you may well have realised by now, I have real trouble sticking to one project. Only a couple of weeks ago, I was churning out super-Grymn by the dozen...but now, I seem to have been diverted by painting. I must admit that it usually goes like that...either one or the other and never the twain shall meet.

At least I haven't stopped altogether!

With the incentive driven project well under way, I give you the first small bike squad for the Void 1.1 challenge:

Click the Pic!

This is the first squad of the first platoon (hence the 11 marking). There are two more squads just like this one, waiting for some paint with the final member being a single officer. I went for a fairly flat look but thought a small amount of camouflage would help add a little pazzaz! At this moment in time, the finished squad has been gloss varnished to keep them protected and that will be covered with a matt varnish to take away the shine.

With a further change of direction, I have been dry-brushing the four remaining APCs for my Grymn Tunnel Fighter army. I think it just dawned on me that I only have a small handful of bits and bobs to finish and the army will be complete! I am of the opinion that I want this army finished by the new year so I need to get my skates on so that I can put it to bed, so to speak.

...mind you...

...I have to varnish the army as well...

...AAAAARGGGHHH!!!!

I have been thinking about the Mantic Space Dwarfs. I haven't decided on a paint scheme yet so I will be undercoating them in a light colour so that I have a broad spectrum of colours that would work from it. I think that I will be taking a 'modern' approach to their paint rather than the 'medieval' style of the miniatures and will likely go for a green or desert scheme. No metals will be present in the finished item.

The Spitfire needs some specially shaped pods to cover the engines. I am on the look out for them and will progress further once I have found them. I have a lot of filling to get done but would rather do it all once I have the pods on because they will have gaps as well.

The BIG terminator is still on the painting table and will be getting further washes. He needs to be a bit more shady...after all...he is a Chaos terminator ;).

The super-Grymn are still on the table. They haven't gone away but are just taking a breather.

Well...that is about it for this post but I am planning a second one later. Christmas is coming and I have a wide range of suggestions for those of you who haven't decided on the lead-pile list for the holidays. Grab a pen and paper and batten down the hatches for a few ideas for Christmas.

See you...later!

Shameless Advertising.

Christmas is coming and in a bit to divert your attention from big, shiny things from big, shiny manufacturers, I thought I'd plug a few things I've seen lately that would help out some of those smaller sellers who put the effort in and deserve a bit more custom.

I'll start with my favourite one; Hasslefree Miniatures. They have to come top of my list because they are the creators and sellers of Grymn (my favourite miniatures of all time). In the run up to Christmas, they have some cool new releases, including THIS, THIS and THIS. They have also started to release Grymn squad packs like THIS, THIS and THIS and also some Alien/adventurer packs like THIS and THIS. They are also the sellers of Twilight, a fantastic little range of miniatures by Mike Thorp. With new releases every month and the highly anticipated Grymn Walker, Hasslefree keeps the interest going.

Heresy Miniatures is another small miniatures manufacturer who has a constant flow of miniatures releases. Recently things have been chaotic with the Heresy Dragon but as that eventually levels out, there will hopefully be a plethora of new releases such as the recent ones like THIS, THIS and THIS as well as the already available Gang Pack. Heresy is where I buy all of my putty too...they also sell sculpting tools and clay shapers. It is a veritable one stop shop.

Old Crow Production make a wide range of resin vehicles and accessories. They sell them in various scales and include a range especially created for the Hammer's Slammers rule set. My favourite vehicles include the Glaive, Gladius and Slingshot. The quality is second to none, especially when compared to other resin producers.

Another company that I buy from fairly regularly is Scotia Grendel. They sell a wide range of products for various games that have been around forever (it seems). Void1.1, Kryomek, Leviathan are just a few of the games covered. I am a fan of THESE for my Grymn vehicles and quite often buy from the Void1.1 range.

If you want a wide range of products at knock down prices, you can do worse than trying Wayland Games. I could link to a huge number of products but I would run out of space. Pop along and have a look...they are also the only reliable UK seller of Heavy Gear stuff so if that floats your boat then this is the place to go.

Do you need plasticard? Evil Mushroom Games sells all sorts of model making accessories and is a very handy place for everything from putty to plasticard. Always quick to deliver, they are definitely one place I visit a lot for my scratch-building needs. They also have a range of scenery and accessories including a wide range of resin bases.

I know this is a fairly short list but I usually frequent these for everything I don't buy on E-bay or at the shops. Every time I have ordered, I have received top service and with Hasslefree and Heresy, you get sweets in with your order too!

In the current economic climate, small producers are suffering so it is worth throwing a few of your hard earned sheckles in their direction to keep the miniatures world vibrant.

Just my opinion.

See you from the mall!

There's a Storm-Rage Coming...

To follow on from yesterday's Mantic review, I have managed to find the time to get to my Stormrage Veterans. Here's the box:

Click the Pic!

It is a standard video style box but is a little bit thinner than the one the Steel Warriors came in. Inside we have a pamphlet, two pieces of foam, a sprue of bases (five spare) and the miniatures themselves. When they arrived they weren't floating loose in the box but were packed in a very small plastic bag (possibly too small as I could see there being issues with the contents damaging themselves). The components in the picture have not been snipped from sprues or altered in any way...they were individual pieces:

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Here is a close up of the three different types of miniature:

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The Stormrage Veterans are made of Mantic's 'Plastic Resin'. There was no indication of what glue to use on them so I used Superglue (cyanoacrylate) on one and liquid polystyrene glue on another...both worked well! Cleaning them was slightly more involved than the Steel Warriors because the material is slightly more brittle than standard polystyrene and the small amount of clean-up that was required took slightly longer...but it wasn't an ordeal and there was no mould slip to worry about. The two different gunners are single pose with no variation possible (you can't even swap the weapons between the two different bodies). The leader is single pose with the option of either a pointing hand or one holding a big hammer.

Once they were assembled, there was something that really stood out about them and that can be seen in this comparison picture with a Steel Warrior:

Click the Pic!

It was immediately apparent that the Stormrage Veterans are smaller than the Steel Warriors. Stylistically, they fit together perfectly but size wise, they could be a completely different race. For me, mixing the sizes isn't a problem but for the more discerning gamer, I can see this being a deal-breaker...which is a terrible shame.

Conclusion: Easy to clean but it takes slightly longer than a Steel Warrior, simple to assemble once cleaned with no extra trimming required and can be glued together with standard plastic glue. Stylistically, they go well with their basic troopers but they are markedly smaller. There is a lack of variety in pose.

I like these but would have preferred them to have been in the same material as the Steel Warriors. I would also have preferred them to have been the same size as their basic brothers as the difference is quite plain to see. I can see a lot of gamers having real concerns over the size difference especially because the smaller troops have the heavier weapons!

Once I have assembled the leader, I will post pix but I see no reason to expect that assembly will be any different to the ones here.

See you from the top of the pine-pole!

Twice...in one day?

Another welcome is due! Welcome Qalpha! I hope you find something cool in one of the side-streets or alleys of Inso's World...if you don't, it may find you!

So...here is one of the boxes that turned up in the post...a box of ten Steel Warriors:

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Inside the box I found 6 sprues: 5 identical troop sprues and one with ten bases on it. There was also two pieces of foam and an advertising pamphlet...I was expecting a Mantic point but was disappointed:

Click the Pic!

Here is a pic of one of the sprues from the front and the back:

Click the Pic!

...and here is a pic of the bases and a small squad of assembled Steel Warriors:

Click the Pic!

Looking at the assembled troops: from the left, we have two un-poseable troops, Two troops with a poseable head (chosen from a selection of three) and a Sgt/leader with different equipment and poseable head.

Cleaning: Once clipped from the sprues, the cut lines were removed with a scalpel and any mould lines were scraped off in seconds. No issues to speak of.

Assembling: In order to get a tight fit for the torso onto the leg section, a small amount of trimming was required on the top inner corners of the leg piece (just where the rear fits in behind the shoulders). Apart from that, basic assembly is simple. I used polystyrene cement and it worked well. The only issue I have is that there were no instructions in the box so there are a couple of components that I am not sure of (the hose piece for one)...so I may have missed out on a vital component.

Conclusions: The plastic that is used is polystyrene so standard plastic glue is OK. Cleaning was hardly necessary. Assembly required a small amount of fettling but didn't take too long. The troops are fairly static with limited to no poseability. You have enough components to make ten basic troopers or five basic and five Sgt/leader models. The addition of an assembly sheet would make understanding what some of the small components are much easier.

I think that for the price, they are a very cool way to build a sizeable army. They have just enough variety to make them interesting but would probably get a bit samey if you want a HUGE army.

I am now looking forward to getting a pair of Stormrage Veterans assembled so that they can join this squad and I can get some painting done.

My next small review will be on the Stormrage Veterans.

See you from the turret.

New arrivals

Before I start, I'd like to welcome Dave to Inso's World. I hope you find something to keep your interest here.

You know what it's like...you wait a week and then two parcels turn up at once (only a 'metaphorical' week).

Yesterday, I received my parcel from Heresy Miniatures that contained a roll of Green Stuff and a bunch of their fine Trench Coat gangers. I have all of the gang except for the juves and a couple of Slicks with alternative weapons. They are an excellent set of miniatures and I really should start painting them but at the moment I will have to just admire them in their metal state because I have too much on.

The second parcel I received was from Mantic Games and it contained a box of Steel Warriors and a box of Stormrage Veterans. I will be posting more about these at a later date but am really quite impressed by them at the moment.

I have managed to find the time to wash the VASA bikes and have started the highlighting process with a repeat of the base-coat. They are coming along nicely and I hope to have something decent to show off in Sunday's blog post.

Yesterday's celebration went really well and we had a good time with our children at a restaurant last night. Roll on to the next one.

See you from the bus stop!

Celebrations.

Today, is a very special day.

20 years ago, I got married to my awesome wife.

Many people have got married but not to a completely obsessed model maker, painter, sculptor and serviceman...especially one with so many different personalities that it would make a normal person need to sit down for a stiff drink...never mind my sense of humour!!!

Over the last 20 years, we have moved about a bit, had triumphs and tragedies, differences of opinions, highs and lows but through it all there has always been the one thing that has kept us together...we are completely mad about each other.

Yep...it's all very soppy but today, I can be soppy!

Next year, I will have been married longer than I haven't but I can rest easy, knowing that It will have been a great trip all the way.

20 years...and I remember the very moment she stole my heart :)

See you over the bridge :)

Stepping into the Void!

First up, I'd like to welcome Leutenant Brittan to Inso's World and seeing as tonight's little foray is all as a result of his suggestions and idea's, I hope that he enjoys the ride. Welcome LB!

Well, I have been encouraged by Leutenant Brittan to start painting some VOID 1.1 stuff and seeing as I have an awful lot of unpainted miniatures, I have decided to join in with his painting pledge (£10-00 worth each month...ish).

I will be starting with VASA and although I won't be painting to any set list, I will be painting to a theme and making sure that the factions are kept in their place.

So, since Sunday, in between night shifts, I have base-coated the first unit: Three Viper Wing bikes and a Hero & Liander Combination:



I will be washing these and highlighting over the coming days/weeks but hope to have them finished a long way before the month limit runs out.

It is good to get the first step out of the way :) .

This unit is the first of three that are identical. I will add a leader (Viper Wing Sgt...acting as a lieutenant for the platoon) to make 13 bikes in all. These will make up red platoon.

Isn't it funny how things just pop up every now and then...I guess I am just fickle.

See you from here...no, there...NO, here...

Into the Void.

I have been reading some stuff over at Lead Adventure Forum (amongst other places) and have been encouraged to start painting a few of the many Void 1.1 miniatures that I have in my collection.

The main instigator is 'lieutenantbrittan' and if you check out the blog list over on the right, you'll see a link to his blog.

The idea is that you paint £10-00 worth of Void stuff each month. Now I already have all of the Void stuff I won't be following exactly...but what I aim to do is get a small unit painted as often as I can manage, in between the super-soldiers, Spitfire and Terminator that I am currently working on.

To start, I have a small unit of Viper Wing bikes consisting of 3 bikes and a bike with side-car. I have assembled them, cleaned and based them and they are in the process of getting an under-coat ready for the painting to start proper.

I haven't decided on colour schemes yet...but they will be quite dark and maybe 'urban' themed in some way. I won't be following the schemes in the Void rule book and although these are VASA vehicles, they will be acting as generic sci-fi (because I don't game, it doesn't really matter).

I have had these sitting in the cupboard for ages so it is a good excuse to get something going...watch this space!

On top of this, I have managed to sell some Orca battle-suits which have funded a purchase of some Mantic Space Dwarfs. I have 10 basic troops and 5 heavy troops ordered and on their way from Wayland Games. Hopefully they will arrive soon and I can throw a basic paint job on them. I reckon base-coat, wash and base-coat should do it. I will also be aiming to undo some of the misconceptions of the bird-beak helmets by painting them in the same colours as the rest of the armour...we shall see if it works.

See you from the river!

Meet you at angels...watch for the Hun in the sun...

After a VERY hectic week at work and a lot of unsettled nights, I was certainly glad to see Friday and the end of my shift. Once I had landed, I managed to finish sculpting Captain Britain and then started the painting process. By the end of Saturday, the Captain was all finished with just the base needing to dry before the pix could be taken. Well, he is now finished and here he is wth the rest of the Super-Team:

Click the Pic!

Captain Britain is probably my favourite super Grymn so far. He took me from despair to joy, from nearly being thrown in the bin to being finished and nicely painted. I am quite chuffed that I managed to get the lion and the various union flags looking as neat as they do...so that is why he is my favourite so far. The next one will be Beast and of course, Goliath will be ticking along in the background because he is an absolute monster of a sculpt!

While I have been waiting for the putty to dry, I have been ticking along with the War-Smith and have washed him with Devlan Mud and started to highlight up. Here he is again and although he is still very WIP, his details are starting to stand out a little:

Click the Pic!

From a previous post, you will remember me saying that I wanted to sci-fi up a Spitfire. Well, yesterday, I bought a 1/72nd scale Italeri kit of a Spitfire Mk9 and have been tinkering with it a little today. So far I have split it right down the middle and widened the body. It is now big enough for a Grymn pilot and will have plenty of space to house the gas-turbine engines in the wing-roots. The wings have been fractionally swept (a very tiny amount) so the cannons will have to be removed...but they were going to get replaced anyway; they need to meet the demands of the larger scale.

I plan to make the aircraft 'fly-by-wire' so there will be no external control wires but there will be little bulges that will house the PFCUs. The engines in the wings will be nicely shaped to be part of the wings (a bit like the Nimrod), with the air intakes being in the nose of the aircraft (where the exhausts would normally be). With the propeller being removed, there is a nice space for a shaped nose-cone...and that will mean that there may be space for a bit of nose art...it all depends.

I may end up filling the cockpit with a pilot and details but at the moment, I am thinking that it will be solid and blocked in (it depends on whether I can build a see through canopy or not).

I'm sorry about not having pix of her at the moment but she is most certainly looking under the weather and doesn't want to show off her new lines just yet...but soon, she will have the strength of character to oblige!

Well, that is about it. I hope to see you all again soon.

See you from bleachers!

Maybe the muse still lives?

I was really worried that Captain Britain had caused my muse to leave town. After ripping his face off twice and worrying over his legs for far too long, I finally decided to add a bit of extra to the shoulders and everything fell into place. Here is Captain Britain, ready to be painted:

Click the Pic!

As you can see, he is just as small as all the others and will fit in fine. He has been on the painting table since yesterday and thanks to a bit of a sleepless night, he is finished except for the base...but I'll post the pics when that is finished (I have to let the glue dry before I paint it...so it will be tomorrow). Can you imagine how hard it was to paint the union jacks on his wrists? VERY!

On to other things and today, I bought a model kit of a Spitfire Mk9. It will be interesting to see what happens when I start to chop it up and move stuff about. I am curious to see how much I can change it without it losing it's classic lines...

The mind boggles!

See you over the barricades!

The most beautiful thing.

Every day, I walk past a Spitfire as I travel to work. This is what it used to look like:

Click the Pic!

It isn't a real one, it is a fibreglass replica but it still looks like a thing of beauty. Anyway, I digress...recently, it has been away for a bit of a spruce up and repaint and has returned with a set of D-Day markings and it looks all shiny and new.

I have always been a huge fan of the Spitfire because it is the most beautiful aircraft ever made. The great thing about the one near my work-place is that it is from a reconnaissance squadron so it never had any guns in the wings. All weapons and every other piece of equipment that wasn't needed, were removed to keep the aircraft light, fast and fuel efficient. That means that it is as clean lined as a Spitfire can get...and it is superb.

...as usual, this got me thinking...

Would it be possible to build a sci-fi Spitfire that kept the lines of the original but was altered enough to be a sci-fi, sub-sonic, fighter aircraft?

...I suppose we'll just have to see, won't we?

See you from the drawing board.

Even Stranger Days...

Once upon a time,

In a galaxy far, far away...

After a profound Remembrance ceremony this morning, I wondered what to do for the rest of the day. I didn't get very much sleep at all last night so anything too detailed was right out so I had to find something a little less immersing... and then I realised that I had something that I had just dug out of my cupboard that would be perfect for the task.

Yes...it has been lurking in my cupboard for a good few years.

Yes...it is a Terminator space marine.

Yes...it is a lot bigger than it should be.

Here is a War-Smith for the Dire Wolves; a renegade band of space marines:

Click the Pic!

He is only base coated but I guess I'll be getting on with it for a week or so. It may finally end up complete...who knows?

On a more familiar note, I have managed to rescue Captain Britain so not all hope is lost on the super-soldier programme.

Time ticks by...

See you from the taxi.

With a bump...

I just thought I'd post a small update before I go to the Remembrance ceremony today.

I realised yesterday that Captain Britain has done it...

As I ripped his face of for the third time and realised that his proportions were off I knew that my sculpting muse had come to an end. I must admit that I have been pleasantly surprised at how long it has lasted but am a little disappointed that I didn't get through the whole super team before it left.

What does this mean?

First of all, the sculpting side of things will slow right down and actually sculpting will be a difficult process. Because I will be gnarly doing that, I will probably end up getting annoyed with painting...

It's a bit of a wotsit really.

You never know though. Maybe it is a blip and I'll get straight back to things.

In the mean time, here is Fixit of the Star League:

Click the Pic!

He is a miniature that hasn't been converted in any way. He has just been painted and based. He is from Studio McVey and I bought him at Salute this year.

I have extracted a rather old sculpt from the cupboard and have put an undercoat on it. It is a real departure from everything I have done recently and should pander to a wider audience. Maybe some of the more mainstream forums I post on will generate a few replies to my topics with this one...who knows?

Remember the fallen today. Remember the veteran's who made it through, though not quite unscathed.

I REMEMBER THEM.

With Remembrance in Mind.

Remembrance Sunday is tomorrow.

Every year, I think of those who gave their lives in service to their monarch and country.

Each year, many more fall and each year, many more are wounded of body, mind and spirit as a result of the work they do.

They are suffering every day, as a result.

We owe them a debt and that debt is paid by keeping their memory safe and by handing it down, from generation to generation.

Tomorrow, with my family, I will be at a remembrance service to hear the names of the fallen called and to give thanks for their ultimate sacrifice. It will also be a time to think of those who have been injured, maimed or mentally scarred whilst doing their duty. They suffer their duty every day.

A poem I wrote today...

Remember Them.

Forward to the breach my son,

Grab a bayonet, grab your gun,

Charge with purpose at the hun,

You can rest when you are done.

In the heat of battle cry,

As blood is spilled and bullets fly,

Give your guts now, don’t be shy,

If courage fails then you will die.

Think of friends at home, at rest,

Give for them now, do your best,

Now’s the time to take the test,

Give your all, although hard-pressed.

You’ve done your utmost from the start,

Rest your head; you’ve done your part,

Sleep my son and still your heart,

Lay with brothers on the cart.

Through mud and snow and sun and rain,

Lay peacefully, you’ve earned refrain,

Unburdened now from earthly pain,

Just memories of you remain.

Of sacrifice for home and King

Of how you gave up everything

Of how you lay down in the spring

And now, in gratitude we sing.

Show not sorrow. Shed no tear.

Just remember every the year,

Those who pushed, through pain and fear.

Protecting those, who they held dear.

See you at the going down of the sun.

And then there were three...

Before I start, I'd like to welcome Aaron Bailey to Inso's World. Welcome Aaron; I hope you enjoy your stay here but watch out for the pace of changing ideas...it may catch you out if you are not careful :).

So...I decided that I wasn't going to keep this picture for Sunday and thought I'd show it off now. the Star League now has a third member; Torphig:

Click the Pic!

Torphig has an alien artefact on his stomach that enables him to generate weapons out of pure energy.

Torphig is also a departure from the rest of the League because he is the first one that isn't home sculpted. He is a conversion (as seen in the last post). I think he fits in perfectly though.

On the topic of the Star League, I have a further member on my painting table at the moment. He is a completely un-converted, metal miniature that I picked up at Salute this year. I will post more information when I post pix.

E-Bay has been kind to me again with another cheap haul of Void Miniatures. At the time of bidding, I was only after 5 of the 19 but now they have arrived and I have seen them up close, I quite like them all because they have a real 'villainous henchmen' feel about them. Once I have sorted things out with them, I am sure more information will be forth coming.

Well...that's it for now.

See you from the lounge door-way!

A funny thing happened on the way...

...to the shopping cart.

Here is the way my mind works:

1. I want to buy some Green Stuff and the first place I always go for it, is Heresy Miniatures.

2. I have some of the Trench-coat gangers in my collection but I am not sure how many.

3. I have a look which ones I have, check the site and realise I need a bunch to finish the gang.

4. Seeing as I am ordering Green Stuff, I may as well order the gang members.

5. As I put away all of the gang members that I have checked, I start looking in their box.

6. In amongst things I find some miniatures that I had forgotten...one of which is this one:

Click the Pic!

7. I think...'what a good miniature for the Star League' so I add a few bits and he's ready to join.

The miniature above was sent to me by a mate of mine called Mike (who, coincidentally, is responsible for the Twilight range of miniatures) a while ago and has lain in wait for the perfect opportunity to surface...and this is it. He will make an excellent League member and I think he will be able to generate a pistol out of energy, rather than needing a holster or any means to carry the thing about.

...and all this came about because I needed to order some Green Stuff.

It is funny the way things happen.

See you in the garden of serendipity!

Well...throw a little candy cane red in there...

Good morning everyone. I'd like to start by extending a warm welcome to our latest follower CPBelt. Welcome! I hope that you enjoy the turbulent idea stream that runs through Inso's World...it's the way I do things :) .

So...Iron Man got finished. Here he is before paint:

Click the Pic!

...and here he is after paint:

Click the Pic!

I really enjoyed painting this one because he took very little time due to the very limited colour palette. He is also another one that improved in the paint (in my opinion).

It is quite strange because Iron Man really highlighted the fact that small facets of an idea create the overall impression. To explain myself I can say that I could have sculpted practically any style of armoured body but as long as I added the right style of mask, I would have ended up with a recognisable Iron Man...the mask makes the man. Add to that the colours and we have an overall impression of Iron Man no matter how little the armour resembles the actual character...

...now there's an idea.

Generic characters with tiny little design cues being IP free. Add a distinctive paint job and all of a sudden you have a recognised character from a Marvel/DC universe.

Goliath is big...in fact, he is REALLY big. I have added some flesh to his wire frame using Milliput because it is cheaper to buy than Green Stuff. Even as an OGrymn he will be approximately 60mm tall. If I am not particularly careful, Goliath may be the one that breaks my muse...so I will be ticking along with him while I sculpt other, smaller heroes. Out of all of the various Hank Pym costumes, I have decided to go for the following one but with additional ear-covers in yellow:

Click the Pic!

There are various versions of the same costume including one that gets rid of the spiky boot/glove tops so I will be doing that version.

With Goliath, you will have to close one eye when you look at him because he will be a slightly hunched OGrymn with shorter proportioned legs, extended torso and over-large head. Unlike the Goliath in the comic books, he won't be able to shrink/grow and would never have had that ability. What we have is a character that is already giant sized, taking a super-serum and gaining additional strength, toughness and durability compared to his counterparts...and bearing in mind that an OGrymn is already quite a brute, he will be quite exceptional in Grymn society.

OGrymn are genetic throwbacks from Grymn DNA. They are born, just like Grymn but grow at an alarming rate. They are very rare and as a result are treated as gods among Grymn; practically revered! They are trained and tutored through their lives to be leaders and great fighters and what they want, they generally get. When the Grymn super-soldier program was approached by an OGrymn who wanted to join, they had to radically change certain parts of the facility to be able to fit the bulk of an OGrymn in. They also had to be very careful with their calculations because to harm an OGrymn would be considered an inexcusable crime. Once they had triple checked everything, they went ahead and Goliath was created.

More background will be coming soon.

See you from the giant's boot!

I am...Iron Man!

Welcome to Vern; the newest traveller through Inso's World. It is great to have you aboard and make sure you comment on the things that interest you because it may influence what gets posted :).

I have finished a week of night shifts and as usual, I finish at 07:30 and return home. Once I am out of my uniform and into some civvies, it's off to town for a cooked breakfast and then a day of pottering about and tinkering with things. I don't generally have a sleep on the last morning because I won't sleep at night so I just stay up and occasionally dose for a few minutes. Fortunately, I am generally in a lovely, dopey, relaxed frame of mind that is perfect for those jobs that require a lot of patience...

...like sculpting :).

As a result, I have finished sculpting Iron Man. Unfortunately, I started painting him before editing the pix...so there aren't any at the moment.

In addition to that, Captain Britain is more or less finished from the waist down. Now I need to sort out the rest of him but he is ticking along nicely.

Seeing as I am in the right mood...I watched Iron Man two again this evening. It is a cracking film purely as a result of Iron Man, War Machine, the drones and 'big suit with whips guy'. It really makes me appreciate the joys of modern digital special effects...AWESOME!

So...where the heck am I at with the super-soldier project?

Well, once Iron Man is finished I have these to make:

Captain Britain

Rescue

Demolition Man

Beast

...and I have decided to add an OGrymn to the programme. He will be dressed as Goliath, resplendent in blue and yellow spandex :).

I was thinking that there may come a time where an OGrymn might decide that he wants to undergo the upgrades and because they are revered in Grymn society...how could the scientists refuse?

I am listening to all of the suggestions I have been getting and there is likely going to come a time where some other characters get sculpted but I am holding on until I have my little band finished first...so keep the suggestions coming in because they may well appear if I think they fit the bill.

What about the Wrecking Crew? Can there be villainous Grymn? Would they fight amongst themselves? Who knows?

See you in the reflection of the final tear from a dying man!

She Hulk in all her glory.

Seeing as I finished painting her this afternoon, I thought I'd post pix of She-Hulk with the rest of the team:

Click the Pic!

I hope you like her.

The next one along will be Iron Man and I have heard talk that there may be an OGrymn joining the team in the form of Goliath (Hank Pym style).

Now who would have thought it?!

See you from the centre of the nuclear blast!

She Hulk

I wasn't going to post this today but I guess I couldn't resist it...Sunday's post may be a little sparse as a result! Any way, here is She-Hulk and she's going primal:

Click the Pic!

I am quite happy with her in general but her face isn't as pretty as I would have liked.

I thought that her wavy hair didn't suit this sculpt so I back-combed it and gave it more body so it added to the RAAARRGGGHHH effect of her.

I was never going to sculpt her as a glamour girl, I just didn't think that aspect of her comic persona suited my image of what she should be...hence, she is a bit more bumpy than her comic book pix. She is a Grymn Super-Soldier remember!

See you from the big chair!

Sorted...

After all the indecision about the Iron Man design, I have decided which direction to go in by means of 'trial and error'. I started by sculpting an armature and whilst looking at pix of the various Iron Man armour types, I just sculpted bits and bobs and went where the muse took me. Fortunately, the muse has been helpful so the sculpt is looking good...

...She-Hulk just needs her hands finishing and a general clean-up. She may be a little more muscular than a lot of people would be expecting but I have gone for a more 'angry' temperament for her and to quote the Marvel site, she doesn't always maintain complete control while she is Green. That said, I will be smoothing things down a bit so that she doesn't look too angular.

The Mushroom Spore Launcher has got a base coat and is ticking along...but he is low on the priority.

I reckon that by Sunday, the super team will be at 7 (not necessarily all painted...) and the mushroom will be pretty much the same as it is.

See you from the saddle of my Dragon!

EDIT:

From the rubble of a destroyed building, the defeated form of Abomination staggers forth; only to drop, face down on to the scored earth. As the dust settles, a shape coalesces from a blurry outline into a tall, muscular, green-skinned, woman. Standing next to the unconscious villain, she brushed her hands together, flicked her hair from her face and said...

"Any one for coffee? I really fancy a Mocha"...

With that, She Hulk strode off while the SHIELD agents scooped up Abomination and secured him in custody.

Yes...She-Hulk is finished :)