Minis: Local Dealer

Psstt... kid, wanna buy some crunk? Make you feel like the High Lord himself.

There was something about the sculpt that made me think that this chap was shady. It's either the shifty eyes or man-bun, methinks. This "herb" merchant is from the Ion Age Far Traders set. I kept things very simple as it was a ten minute job. The main colours on the clothes are Pink Horror and Jokaero Orange.

To be completely honest, I can't really identify what he's holding so it's painted as a green-brown organic blob of some sort. I'm pretty sure you smoke it. There was more of the ... stuff at his feet so it received the same tender, through paintjob. He'll grace some manner of futuristic neo-bazaar, I believe.

Minis: Commando Joe and Paws

Thought for the Day: Against the traitor, the rebel and the alien, there is no fair way to fight. Harry them, hunt them, hang them.

I must confess that Death World Forest is my new favourite colour. It's got a wonderfully militaristic tone about it. Commando Joe (from the Year Two Collection) is largely inspired by what I vaguely remember of Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man. I left the hair basecoated white and used Dark Flesh on the skin. Having used a bright purple on a few models, I went with Daemonette Hide as it's that bit darker and duller. There's an arrogance to his pose that I really liked.

Paws (from the Year Three Collection) is intended as his robotic companion, some manner of jungle fighting bot. Some light silver drybrushing was needed to counteract the dull scheme. I'm not convinced it worked but he's going into action regardless.

Again, they're a nice scenario element. I've got a few more bits to paint for pleasure before I have the time to start focusing on squads.

Minis: The Green Saint

The assassin known only as the Green Saint has long since passed into the realm of myth and legend. The story goes that on one day each year, the Green Saint appears to assassinate a particularly cruel or brutal noble. They claim that no guard can stop him, no threat can sway him and no bribe can turn his blade. Of course, all right-thinking people know that this is just a fairytale and that the killings attributed to the Saint are actually just the result of inter-familial squabbles and political maneuvering amongst the aristocracy. Similar beliefs are held on other planets where the population have not fully acclimatised themselves to the Imperial order. - Heretical and deluded beliefs of the common folk, sector XGAL, vol. 17.

Another single model finished. It's from the Ion Age Year Three Collection, Padraig Malig. Really easy to paint, details are clean and free of mold lines. Obviously, the colour scheme chooses itself. In my head, it's a cross between a leprechaun and the Boondock Saints. The main challenge was getting the head of the pint just so but, thankfully, years of first-hand research saw me right.

The original pose was a bit self-defeating in that the model is hunched forward hiding the details of the face and chest so I added a rocky base, using fragments of cork tile to tilt it sharply backwards and really let it be seen.

On a side note, I was initially a bit surprised and put off by the face which brought up echos of the ape-like representations of the Irish in the 19th century British and American press. Now before anyone presumes anti-Irish sentiments on the part of the sculptor, a quick look on the website reveals that they chose to base the model on their goblinesque race, the Malig and it's the addition of the beard that inadvertently echos "the Irish ape".

The clothes are Warpstone Glow and Ceramite White, the hat, belt and boots are Abbadon Black with Retributor Armour for the buckles, the skin is Kislev Flesh with Jokaero Orange hair. The weapons are Runefang Steel. Finally, Rakarth Flesh for the creamy head of the pint. I haven't quite managed to blend the model's base into the rock but it's servicable.

He'll go into storage awaiting a suitable debut.

Minis: The Last Pumpkinite and Friend

The Pumpkinite is actually indigenous to the sector around Ursis Prime and were quite common in the pre-Imperial era. Colonisation led to a rapid drop in their numbers as human settlements, xenophobia and the effects of rapid industrialisation took their usual toll on the native ecosystems. Their death knell sounded ten years ago when it was discovered that their pustules contain a powdery substance which has unique psychotropic effects. The jaded tastes of the planetary nobility quickly created a huge demand for this Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkinite hunters scoured the region bare of any remnant populations. It is suspected that no more than a handful remain and this individual might in fact be the last of his kind. - Expedition log fragment, recovered in Upsela Heights sector.

The Pumpkinite is from Ion Age's Year Three Collection and the scientist is from their Xenobiologist set. Despite their comical appearance, the Pumpkinite was an apex predator in its time. They move quickly across rough terrain and can spray a pungent solution that stuns their target. Many an incautious hunter met a grisly end, paralysed by their musk and torn to shreds. The colour scheme is straightforward, a mix of Jokaero Orange, Warboss Green and Evil Suns Scarlet.

The Imperium does actually have a few "scientists" and I felt this was a apt time to paint one. We've got a Xenobiologist, dressed in Warboss Green and Teclis Blue. The equipment is daubed in Averland Sunset and Ironbreaker. Now, I suspect his approach to xenobiology is Imperial Standard which generally involves strong nets, sticking them in a cage and shocking them before the inevitable dissection. On a side note, I suspect that this guy was responsible for the infamous "blunt, clumsy claws" genestealer entry in the Imperial primer.

Minis: Wild Bill

I fight with my pistol to get to my rifle - which I shouldn't have put down in the first place! - Wild Bill, random drinking bout.

Time is at a premium currently so I'm focusing on quick little jobs to keep the project ticking over. This chap is from Ion Age's Precinct Adventurers set. Looking at him, I was reminded of the Firefly series so the decision was made to go with a duller, even drab, colour scheme. Clearly, he's a rogue gun slinger operating on the fringes of society or some such thing.

So many browns used here: Skrag Brown, XV-88, Dryad Bark and Tuskgor Fur on the coat. To break things up a little bit, I threw Averland Sunset on the vest and gloves which... didn't do much to break things up. So I went with Mephiston Red on the trim in a bit to jazz it up slightly. To my surprise (and delight), it all came out nicely. The model itself is lovely, the pose is quite dynamic and has the added benefit of allowing access to all its nooks and crannies.

Now, without a squad, he's less useful for large games but there are plenty of narrative rulesets out there to try.

Minis: Harlan-Branz Freight

Re: Uniform Redesign
To: Local Operating Officer, Ursis Prime

We regret to report that a redesign is not authorized at this time. Our trading position in the wider sector has weakened over the past three business cycles and Ursis Prime remains critical to our profitability. While we are saddened by the reports of worker discontent flaring into violent actions against administrative staff, we must remind you that the new uniforms were designed by Governor Windzor's beloved daughter. He appears to share his daughter's inexplicably positive view of her "creations" and any alterations will result in political difficulties. I regret to say that the styling of the Mk. 2 Harlan-Branz liftbot can be attributed to the same source. Our focus groups indicate that rather than presenting a friendly appearance, it is, rather, "creepy", "likely to cause night terrors in children and livestock" and "downright hideous". Again, our hands are tied.

While avoiding mass painting squads and vehicles, I've gathered a mix of miniatures to provide a bit of colour in my scenarios. Harlan-Branz are a very minor trading power in the wider sector but, due to their close links with the Winzors, they dominate the mass freight sector on Ursis. Think of them as the Generic-Corp of my particular setting.

The human minis are all from Ion Age's Starport Staff. The bot is from their Year Two Collection. The sculpts are tidy and easy to work with. The only difficulty was working out if the headsets were inside or outside the hood. I've gone with inside, a better set of eyes may disagree. Tiny irrational quibble mentioned, I loved the robot. In fact, the entire idea was sparked by the robot, from the name of the company to the paint scheme.

I went with base coats of Genestealer Purple and Ceramite White as I figured they wanted their staff and robots to look as non threatening as possible. I think it provides a suitable strong contrast for 15mm minis and adds a certain corporate branding feel to the paintjob. I used Skrag Brown on their boots as I wanted them to look lighter and less functional than those of my combat troops. Following on from my pledge to avoid a mono-chrome future, I went with a mix of skin tones, using Kislev Flesh, Cadian Fleshtone and Terracotta to mix things up.