Category Archives: Miniatures

Forgotten Heroes: A Retrospective

As Forgotten Heroes draws to a close for 2026, I thought I might do a retrospective of my involvement with my favorite painting challenge. It’s the ten year anniversary of Forgotten Heroes, but I have only been a participant for nine of them, after Carrion Crow invited me to take part back in 2017. I remain very grateful that he did, because as I’ve just said, it’s my favorite painting challenge and I hope never to miss a year!

So, while you could go back through my site archives and just look at June every year since 2017, I’ll make it easier and show every miniature I’ve ever done for Forgotten Heroes in this post.

2017

The year that started it all for me! I decided to do the Liberty Legion, as I’m a sucker for WWII superhero comics. I repainted the official Heroclix versions of the Whizzer, Miss America, Thin Man and Union Jack, repainted an X-Men Angel miniature to make Red Raven, and actually tried my hand at converting Patriot, Jack Frost, Blue Diamond, and Spirit of ’76.

Blue Diamond was a DC Hawk clix with the cape removed and repainted, and Jack Frost was made from a Scorpion clis (minus the tail) with Quicksilver’s head.

Spirit of ’76 was made from a Doc Samson miniature along with Adam Warlock’s torso and cape. I did my best using green stuff to sculpt his tricornered hat. Patriot was a Wrecker miniature with a Kree soldier’s head, which is why he looks much beefier than Patriot should.

These look pretty rough, but that’s because back in 2017, I still thought I could see. Besides, we all start somewhere!

2018

I tried my hand at green stuff again in 2018, when I “sculpted” the costumes of Wun-darr the Aquarian and Plant Man. I also made Water Wizard (center), using a water jet from the Aquaman model I used for Aquarian’s head.

I did Vigilante, too.

2019

In 2019, Carrion Crow mixed it up a bit by suggesting we make heroes with a patriotic flair, i.e. representative of a nation.

I chose to make La Bandera, a pretty lame character who inspires revolution by channeling nationalistic fervor. She was in a Wolverine comic. More recognizable, perhaps, is The Red Cyclone himself, Zangief. I added some green stuff hair onto the chest, shins and head of a Blockbuster clix model, then repainted him.

2020

During Lockdown, I decided to start converting some First Comics characters. First was one of my favorite comics companies back in the 80’s and 90’s. Nexus (L) and Badger (R) were my first choices, and I’m very happy with both.

I also painted a Reaper “Goldar the Barbarian” as Kratos from God of War, using Forgotten Heroes as an excuse to do so, as like Zangief above, he’s hardly “forgotten.”

2021

Still under Lockdown a year later, I chose another First Comics character, Job Sable: Freelance (R). He was one of the easiest miniatures I ever converted, using another Quicksilver head on a Bullseye body. I also did Grips (L), a forgotten slasher vigilante from the 1980’s independent comics scene. Finally, I did The Crimson Hound, my friend Bruno’s character. Both Grips and the Crimson Hound used Reaper superheroes miniatures as their bases.

2022

2022 brought more than a lifting of Covid restrictions, it brought the Hypno-Hustler and Rainbow Boy! Four years later and I’m STILL not calling the Hustler done, as I haven’t painted a base I’m happy with yet. This one is just a placeholder so he can stand up for the picture.

As for Rainbow Boy, he was the first hero I made from The League of Regrettable Superheroes, a fantastic book that could be a manual for Forgotten Heroes submissions.

2023

I returned to First Comics in 2023 with Dreadstar, a character with a multi-company publication history, and Whisper, a character who, as far as I know, died along with First Comics. I’m pretty happy with both of these, especially Whisper, as I used a notoriously hideous Elektra figure as the base model and actually made it look good. THe green stuff work on Dreadstar is a little rough (as always), but his costume helps hide it. (He also marks the second Aquaman head I’ve used. That’s Aquaman and Quicksilver, 2-2.)

2024

Every once in a while you find the perfect base model to use for a conversion, and I couldn’t have had a better starting point for Judomaster (L) than Iron Fist. All he needed was a repaint. Another from the League of Regrettable Superheroes, Bee-Man was a hero I had never heard of (and it’s not surprising why). Finally, I tried my hand at Grendel, the Hunter Rose version. He’s probably the FH submission I’m most unhappy with. He’s too beefy to be Hunter Rose, and I’m pretty sour on my work here.

2025

Three repaints marked 2025: Chemistro, made from a repainted Thunderball, The Escapist, made from a repainted Animal Man, and the Phantom, a repainted Daredevil. I added the guns and the chains. No green stuff to speak of, which is why I think 2025 was a pretty strong year for me.

2026

And finally, this year I made Mr. Muscles and X. Mr. Muscles was an old Charlton character, another from the League of Regrettable Superheroes. I lucked out with this Johnny Quick miniature, as it only required a repaint. X was an old Dark Horse Comics character, an untra-violent vigilante no one should remember (even though I did).

All told, I’ve repainted and/or converted 33 miniatures for the Forgotten Heroes challenge, which is great, But what’s even better is seeing what everyone else does every year. After ten years of the challenge, there are just too many hobbyists and submissions to mention each and every one, but some deserve special shout-outs: Guys like Roger and Dave consistently blow me away with their sculpting talent. Who needs a base miniature when you can just make what you want from scratch? Remember Carrion Crow’s MODOK, made from a Hulk doll’s head? Michael Awdry made a brilliant Bouncing Boy out of a ping pong ball in Forgotten Heroes’ first year; this year he’s making Captain Caveman out of a peanut shell! And let’s not forget newcomer GroddsnSods, who blew us all away this year with TEN separate submissions, each one a work of art!

On a personal note (and one guaranteed to make the British uncomfortable), I’d like to thank Roger and Jeremy for creating this challenge and keeping it going every year, and thanks to Jeremy for hosting it, as always. I really do look forward to this painting challenge more than any other, and I’m honored you asked me to participate all those years ago. You’ve both been nothing but supportive, welcoming, and encouraging to me and everyone else in our hobby circle, a circle that, thanks to guys like you, is widening rather than shrinking. Although we’ve never met in person (hopefully someday), I count you both among my friends, and hope you feel the same way.

And if you don’t, you know what you can do? Go piss up a rope, ya damn dirty Brits!

Forgotten Heroes 2026: Mr. Muscles!

For my second (and likely final) submission for Forgotten Heroes, I offer you: Mr. Muscles!

Mr. Muscles was another Charlton Comics character (that company is fertile ground for Forgotten Heroes inspiration). I have it on good authority (Carrion Crow told me) that “Mr. Muscles” is also Roger’s nickname, on account of his rampant ‘roid use. I’ve never seen Roger myself, but the Crow assures me his physique is not natural. Kind of like the Liver King.

(Disclaimer: All the above regarding Roger and the Crow may be untrue, as in might not have actually happened.)

Anyway, Mr. Muscles’s story is as follows: his real name is Brett Carson, and he had polio. His doctors all told him he’d never walk again and he should just give up. But Brett didn’t do that, and miraculously not only reversed his polio with sheer willpower and what would later be known as “dynamic tension”, but he became Mr. Muscles, a physically-fit guy who ended up fighting criminals and murderers by using his physical fitness and muscles.

Mr. Muscles replaced the Blue Beetle comic and lasted two whole issues before vanishing into comic obscurity. I did not know who Mr. Muscles was before last month. I have the League of Regrettable Superheroes to thank for that.

This book is a great resource for Forgotten Heroes. It already gave me Rainbow Boy, shown here.

Anyway, to make Mr. Muscles, I used this Johnny Quick miniature.

I know, I know. It’s basically a repaint, with no real conversion work needed. But it’s what I can do at the moment.

And here’s Mr. Muscles! Astute folks may see that Mr. Muscles doesn’t wear gloves, but removing them was more trouble than it was worth, so my version has black gloves. The M on his chest was [particularly challenging with my old eyes, but I did what I could.

In just seven days, he can make you a man.

Check out those glutes!

Now, there IS another miniature I hope to do before the end of the month, but the odds are long because: a) I am extremely busy with other stuff, and b) I’m not 100% happy with the base miniature I have available. But I guarantee that he’s forgotten, and if I get around to doing him, I’d wager none of you have heard of him. Guess we’ll see.

I love what I’m seeing everywhere else. Aside from the usual suspects who are here every year, Awdry’s Captain Caveman is spectacular and @groddsnsods has outdone us all with ten submissions, all fantastic and inspirational! And @spoontastic_minis on Instagram is working on a Golden Age Sandman miniature that shows some real promise. Head over to Carrion Crow’s Buffet for a full list of participants and show them some love!

Forgotten Heroes 2026: X

For my first submission for Forgotten Heroes this year, I present everyone’s favorite edgelord, ultra-violent, anonymous vigilante with a weird BDSM look to ever come out of the 90’s: X!

Wait, you don’t remember X? The guy with a padlock around his neck and only one eyehole in his mask? He was one of the “heroes” from Dark Horse Comics’ Comics Greatest World line. Well, I can’t really tell you his story, because although I have the first 15 or so issues of his comic, I tried reading them prior to making this miniature and I could barely get through 2 issues. It was written by Mike Baron, creator of Badger (which I like a lot). Needless to say, it’s not his best work.

But fret not. My description pretty much sums up all you need to know about him.

Anyway, to make X I used three Heroclix miniatures: Deathstroke and Selene pictured above…

And because I’m a dummy who forgets to take pictures of miniatures before he converts them, this Deadshot miniature, of which I only had one. I beheaded both Deadshot and Deathstroke, used Deathstroke’s head on Deadshot’s body, and cut Selene’s cape off and attached it. I added a little putty for his ripped cape around his neck and “sculpted” the ridiculous padlock. Then I painted him.

I think he came out ok.

Looks like I could have done a better job of removing that thing on Deadshot’s chest, but whatever.

I have at least one more to contribute to the challenge this year, so check back!

Monster May(hem) 2026: Exeunt Omnes

Today brings May to a close, and thus another Monster May(hem) comes to an end. You would think that as the guy who hosts this challenge every year I’d be a bit more prolific, but alas, for the second year in a row I have failed to paint the miniature sitting in the middle of my desk, mainly because I can’t remember the colors I used the first time around.

So, it looks like Y’Golonac is the only thing you’re getting from me this year. Luckily, there are some greatly talented individuals who also contributed, as you know. So, to my knowledge, here is the final list of contributors with links so you can drop by and show your support, as well as ooh and ahh over the submissions! (I’ll keep an eye out for any last-minute or even late submissions and add them to this list, never fear.)

  • Simon, from Fantorical, painted a Banderhobb and a Death Dog. I had no idea what a Banderhobb was, but it sure looks cool!
  • Dave, from Wargames Terrain Workshop, painted a bunch of Gnarloc Riders, then two Star Wars monsters, a Lugga Beast and a Varactyl. Being Dave, he also sculpted a swamp monster which looks great and I’m guessing will be available for purchase in his shop
  • Roger, from Rantings From Under the Wargames Table, painted up a “Brute” miniature, as well as a cute baby owlbear. But then he painted Megalon and Mothra, two of Godzilla’s kaiju playmates, so he really brought the monsters this year!
  • Tom, from Good Ground, painted a terrifying thing he calls an “uber-ghoul”, but posted it to his Instagram accout.
  • Jeremy, aka Carrion Crow, painted a Cheese Golem, one of the coolest miniatures I’ve seen in a while!
  • Tim, from The Safe Hole painted a “Goliath Monstrosity” (and eldritch horror) and a Skeletal Dragon! Tim’s a newcomer to Monster May(hem) this year! Hope you’ll be back in 2027, Tim!
  • Jon from Jon’s Hobby Desk painted a Giant Ape (and some swell furniture!) for Heroquest!
  • and finally, comin’ out of the box with a surprise submission is Sabrina, aka Uthwulfsminis, with a scratch-built “lump monster” sculpted using Play-Doh and potato eyes. You gotta see this thing! It’s gross!

Thanks to everyone for jumping in and getting your monster on! Monster May(hem) without contributors would just be May, after all!

But tomorrow is June…and that means my favorite painting challenge of them all is nigh! Forgotten Heroes turns ten years old this year! I’ve been fortunate to take part in most of those (eight, I think), and if you want to join in, drop by Carrion Crow’s Buffet, as he’s the guy who hosts it every year. I still don’t know what I’m gonna do, so I’d best consult the archives!

Monster May(hem) 2026: Y’Golonac

My first submission for Monster May(hem) this year is that wild and crazy guy, Y’Golonac!

Y’Golonac is a Great Old One, an entity of the Cthulhu mythos, created by Ramsey Campbell in his short story “Cold Print”, published in 1969. He is the god of depravity and perversion. Seriously. This guy gets up to some twisted shit.

Y’Golonac usually manifests from the body of one of his worshippers, but he can manifest from the body of anyone who has read or spoke his name aloud. So, congratulations! You’re on that list now, too. When he does, the unfortunate vessel grows into a huge, headless, flabby monstrosity and sprouts bloody, slavering mouths from the palms of his hands. Cool, huh?

This miniature is a 3D print. I forget who designed it, but it’s actually quite good (not my usual opinion of printed minis). He fit together nicely and you can’t see the putty I used to fill the small gaps. I based him in Army Painter Peachy Flesh, which is the only paint I own from their Speedpaints line. It’s a wash that I found a bit too orange, so I dulled it with some Reaper Rosy Flesh. The tongues in his hands were painted Bugman’s Glow and washed with Druchii Violet and highlighted with some Tentacle Pink and white. and I used a Reaper Ivory trio over Steel Legion Drab for the teeth. The seam where his head should be was painted in Baal Red wash.

Y’Golonac is the subject of a Christmas song by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, set to the tune of “Feliz Navidad”, that’s been in my head on repeat every time I sat down to paint. It’s a hoot.

Hoping to finish one more before the month’s end, but in the meantime be sure to check out everyone else’s fine work here:

  • Simon, from Fantorical, painted both a Banderhobb and a Death Dog!
  • Dave, from Wargames Terrain Workshop, has done several Gnarloc Riders, and then went full-on Star Wars (as is his wont), completing (as of now) a Lugga Beast and a Varactyl, neither of which I was familiar with!
  • Roger, from Rantings From Under the Wargames Table, painted up a “Brute” miniature, as well as a cute baby owlbear. There’s no rule saying your monsters can’t be cute, so check it out!
  • Azazel, from Azazel’s Bitz Box
  • Tom, from Good Ground, painted a terrifying thing he calls an “uber-ghoul”, but posted it to his Instagram accout.
  • Jeremy, aka Carrion Crow, has joined the challenge with a Cheese Golem, a miniature I didn’t know I needed until now!
  • Tim, from The Safe Hole painted a “Goliath Monstrosity” (and eldritch horror) and a Skeletal Dragon! Both look great!
  • Mike @sasquatchminis

There’s still plenty of time to join the challenge or paint more stuff before the end of May, so keep checking back for updates!

Monster May(hem) 2026: First Update

No monsters from me yet (big surprise), but I did paint this guy, who is obviously not a monster and does not count, but I thought I’d share him anyway. I paint a piper for every 100 posts I do in Instagram. This is my ninth piper, even though I have 800 posts, because my first post was a piper, too. Maybe I’ll post them all here sometime.

Incidentally, I’ve got some problems with this guy. First, he’s 3D printed. Second, he was digitally sculpted by someone who has no idea what a bagpiper looks like. This posture is appalling and unmanageable. Look at a photo, man. There’s a reason we use a cord to bind the drone pipes together. And lastly, the flames. The fucking flames.

Anyway, it’s a week into Monster May(hem), and here’s what you may have missed, First our list of participants this year. It’s still not too late to jump in, so I expect this list will get longer!

And from Instagram:

Mike @sasquatchminis

That’s it so far, but like I said, I have a few people who want to participate but can’t fully commit. And I can’t blame them. There are a lot of challenges run by lots of people out there. You gotta pick and choose which ones appeal to you most, and I’m always a big proponent of trying new stuff. So, if you want to give Monster May(hem) a pass in favor of something else, no sweat! It’ll be here next year!

Check back soon. I’ll update as we go!

Gath of Baal and Monster May(hem) 2026

That’s Death Dealer, a classic painting by the great Frank Frazetta, a print of which hangs on the wall of my basement / hobby space / criminal headquarters. You may be familiar with this image (if you’re not, you likely wandered here by mistake), but did you know that there was a series of novels written by James Silke (and Frank Frazetta) that gave this image a full-blown character, with adventures of his own?

First, I am a great admirer of Frazetta. He’s my favorite fantasy artist hands-down, and in a world where Larry Elmore, the late great Keith Parkinson, the Hildebrandt brothers, Denis Beauvais, Michael Whelan and John Howe all exist, that’s saying something (for me, at least). If you ask me who the greatest of the great is, it’s Frazetta. Period. The documentary about his life both before and after his strokes, Painting with Fire, released seven years prior to his death, is fucking phenomenal. In it, Frank is seen drawing with his left hand AFTER suffering a stroke that made it difficult for him to use his right hand, and it still looks amazing. You can (and should) watch it free on YouTube.


But, other than being the guy who envisioned this character and painted him, I am unclear how much influence Frazetta really had on the writing. Likely, not much. James Silke wrote the prose. It spanned a series of four novels, shown here.

These Tor paperbacks came out in the late 1980’s and now go for stupid money on eBay, likely because the rights are tied up in the Frazetta estate and haven’t been reprinted, although I have no firsthand knowledge if that is true. All I know is despite the cover damage to my Book 3, shown here, I could still sell these bad boys for a pretty penny. But I won’t.

So what is the story? Well, let’s see if I can remember, It’s been a while. At a time “before Atlantis”, a guy named Gath of Baal put on a horned helmet and couldn’t take it off. It made him pretty invincible, and let him breathe fire at times, but it was stuck permanently to his head. He fought against a horde of “barbarians” called Kitzaaks, which, IIRC, seemed to be a stand-in for not-Mongols (although if it’s pre-Atlantis, that’s not right…). Gath killed lots of people, and he could maybe get his helmet off if he fell in love. There was a female character named Robin Lakehair (I remember that dumb name to this day) who, again, IIRC (it’s been over 30 years since I read these), was innocent enough to remove his helmet. (Eyeroll). There was something about a super-sexy, almost-naked, voluptuous Frazetta-drawn woman with a big sabretooth tiger in there somewhere, and lots of blood and slaughter throughout. I remember being entertained, but I was also 16 when these came out. Maybe I’m wrong about these details, since it’s been so long. Maybe I should read them again.

Anyway, turns out even before the books, the amazing Frazetta art inspired a sculptor. This is Ral Partha’s classic Super Hero with Axe (01-015). I’m not sure who sculpted it, but it has the Dennis MIze look about it. He has a mounted version, too, which looks (actionably) like the famous Death Dealer painting, above. I don’t have that one.

This was one of Owen’s Miniatures, which, if you may recall, I stored for several years in the hope my friend would return to the miniatures-painting fold. Alas, he is lost to the hobby, so upon his request I transferred his vast collection of miniatures to his niece, now a gamer herself. I did not hesitate to pass the trove of minis on to the next generation, but I did keep a few. And this is one.

Gath of Baal, the Death Dealer.

1976. That’s an early one indeed.

But that’s only part of the story! It’s almost May, and that means MONSTER MAY(HEM) is back!!!

What is Monster May(hem)? Why, it’s the month you paint monsters, of course. Any monster will do, although it should be a proper MONSTER, something big and mean, like this Avatar of the Abyss I did last year. I mean something truly beastly; like an Elder God, a dragon, or even a rust monster. Your monster(s) doesn’t have to be strictly a fantasy miniature, and it may be any scale and from any manufacturer.

How many monsters you paint is up to you. The minimum is one, of course; but feel free to do as many as you like. The only caveat is that they get painted sometime in May. I will link to your stuff throughout the month, and (if it’s not there already) add your blog/website/social media to the blogroll on the side! If you don’t have a site of your own and still want to participate, I’ll happily host your pictures here and ensure you get proper attribution! So if you’re in, let me know in the comments below or reach out on Instagram. I’ll post the list of participants in the next post. Until then, go find some monsters to paint!

I bought a monster especially for Monster May(hem) this year, and I still have one unfinished on my desk from last year. Hope I can get to both!

Let me know if you want to take part by dropping a comment here or emailing me at angrypiper@angrypiper.com. Or, you could always DM me on Instagram @angrypiper.

Paint those monsters!

Forced March Update: Galacteers!

Forced March is drawing to a close, and I’ve finally finished a unit of miniatures! These are Galacteers, from Hydra Miniatures, and I’ve had them for about fifteen years. In fact, my first posts on this site were some War Rocket ships, Galacteers and Imperials, and I’ve previously painted some Galacteer characters (you can see them at the end). These guys are just the rank-and-file scrubs, complete with a heavy weapon.

Started out by priming them white, figuring I’d paint all the other colors around the white uniforms and just highlight up. Easy, right? Well, yeah. Maybe once upon a time. But these took much longer to paint because I kept fucking up and getting paint on the white parts, so, by the time I got to the white, I had a lot to fix. Damn these eyes!

Still, not too shabby when they’re all painted up, and completing them after all this time means I have no more Hydra miniatures outstanding in the pile of shame. This gives me a feeling of accomplishment I haven’t felt since finishing off my Pulp Figures years ago.

Here’s an image of the squad with all the Hydra characters in the front row. Done!

But of course, I am not the only one taking part in Forced March! Below find the other participants and their awesome submissions. As usual, if I forgot someone or something, let me know and I will certainly correct it. Like any “real life” forced march, I expect some stragglers over the next few days (I might even be one of them!). Be sure to drop by these blogs/accounts and lend your support!

  • Simon, from Fantorical, completed a unit of Uruk-Hai crossbowmen (crossboworcs?), some Alien Legionnaires and is working on some Beastmen, both of these from Crooked Dice (a company I wish I could patronize more)
  • Dave, from Wargames Terrain Workshop has been busy indeed, with a squad of Star Wars Imperial Scout Troopers, some old-school metal Space Marine Scouts, a squadron of Space Marine Speeders, and some Star Wars Imperial Stormtroopers! Add in some Wookies and a few more Space Marines and a unit of Raptors, and you’ve got a typical month of painting for Dave. The man is a machine!
  • Roger, from Rantings From Under the Wargames Table, painted a unit of Forge Fathers (Mantic Squats), and then did a unit of Plague Zombies! Awesome, Roger!
  • Azazel, from Azazel’s Bitz Box, paints so much stuff all the time that I’m not even sure he painted anything for Forced March! If so, I can’t find it, so LMK if I’m wrong, Azazel!
  • Tom, from Good Ground, painted a squad of Iron Warriors Space Marines!

And the Instagram crowd:

  • James, @spoontasticminis has been painting Emperor’s Children Space Marines all month, which more than qualify for Forced March.
  • Sabrina, @Uthwulfsminis is working on a squad of Space Marine Beakies that she has dubbed the “Pumpkin Spice” marines. Whether that’s an official chapter name or blasphemous heresy is for the Emperor to decide.
  • A newcomer this year, @horridperson, is a hobbyist close to my heart, as they have been working on tons of Star Trek miniatures lately! And even though they said they forgot about Forced March, they painted enough miniatures to make a unit: the Commune, a TOS-era reimagining of the Borg. Very cool! (I need to play some Star Trek miniatures games again).
  • @groddsnods did what he does best, converted and painted some Heroclix into a unit of Steve Ditko’s Madmen! This could have easily been an entry for Forgotten Heroes, too…but I’m sure we’ll see more awesome stuff in June!

And that’s another challenge sorted. I was hoping to get at least one more unit done, but that doesn’t seem likely. They might show up a few days into April, though, so check back soon! Monster May(hem) will be here before you know it!

Forced March Update 2 (and Honeyacre Militia)

We’re in the thick of it now, folks! Forced March continues with some lovely submissions from seemingly everyone but me, but rest assured I am working on my first infantry unit and should have it posted soon. For now, a quick recap of the participants and their submissions thus far. As always, please let me know if I’ve missed anyone!

  • Simon, from Fantorical, is working on a unit of Uruk-Hai crossbowmen (crossboworcs?)
  • Dave, from Wargames Terrain Workshop has been busy indeed, with a squad of Star Wars Imperial Scout Troopers, some old-school metal Space Marine Scouts, a squadron of Space Marine Speeders, and some Star Wars Imperial Stormtroopers, to boot! Dave always brings his A game to every challenge and this one is no exception!
  • Roger, from Rantings From Under the Wargames Table, has completed a unit of Forge Fathers (Mantic Squats). I love those miniatures!
  • Azazel, from Azazel’s Bitz Box
  • Tom, from Good Ground, painted a squad of Iron Warriors Space Marines

And on Instagram:

  • James, @spoontasticminis is working on some Emperor’s Children Space Marines
  • Sabrina, @Uthwulfsminis is working on a squad of Space Marines, too, and best of all, they’re MK VI Beakies!!!! (As they SHOULD BE!!)
  • A newcomer this year, whose name I do not know, @horridperson
  • And finally, @groddsnods

Be sure to check out these very creative folks and their impressive efforts!

I’ve been late with my submissions because I’ve been bogged down in a project since December that was originally supposed to be completed by the end of the year. I knew if I paused mid-way to work on Forced March, I would likely never return to it, so I made myself finish before doing anything else. I present The Honeyacre Militia!

These are Halflings from Wargames Atlantic. They do NOT count for Forced March, because I started them in December. Particularly attentive visitors to this site may recognize five of these fellows from a couple of years ago, when I painted up a sprue that came free with my copy of Miniature Wargames magazine. I always liked the way they looked, they paint up nicely, and so I bought a box of them last year, figuring I’d throw them together and use them in my never-to-be-completed-or-played Empire army. Instead, I made a militia based on a settlement of Halflings in my current AD&D campaign.

It is a failure of my character that I often do things against my best interests, knowing myself as I do. For example, I have posted that I have no patience for plastic, and yet I bought and assembled 40 plastic halflings on a whim that soon became a millstone around my neck. (Yes, I still have 20 more of these motherfuckers to paint. Not happening soon.) My lack of patience has not changed, but I still really like the look of these models when assembled and painted, so hopefully this will be worth it in the end.

You can arm your halflings with spears/halberds, slings or bows, and there are individual bits available for character models. The spears are long and look great, but they’re also quite fragile with a tendency to break, which is a bummer. Between the militia and the other, unpainted unit of halflings I used up all my spears, only to have 2 of them break about halfway down the shaft, so I guess now I have two (unpainted) halflings armed with quarterstaffs.

These halflings armed with slings are pretty cool. They made me realize I have very few miniatures armed with slings.

I used the bows the least, although I like the look of the archers very much. The hero with the horn was painted a few years ago, part of the original five (the other four were spearmen).

I guess the spears are long enough to double as standards if you wanted to add a banner, but it would have been nice to have a dedicated banner pole in the box. There is a little bit that looks like a chicken that may be intended to replace the spear tip for this purpose, but I didn’t use it.

I gave my hero an old GW shield, because the shields that come on the sprue are laughably tiny.

Honeyacre is known for its mead, hence the shield device. Painting a bee freehand on a shield the size of a dime is a skill I no longer possess, if ever I had it.

A closeup of the heroes.

Like I said, these don’t count towards my challenge this month, but now that I’m free of these halflings at last, I’m available to start on my first infantry unit for Forced March: some miniatures that harken back to the earliest days of Dead Dick’s Tavern!

Forced March: First Update

Nothing from me yet, although work continues apace on that long-delayed project from December. I have primed, based and readied two small units for eventual painting this month. Meanwhile, have a look at some of the other participants, because stuff is already rolling in! Drop by their sites and lend some support and encouragement!

These are all the participants thus far, along with any Forced March submissions I am aware of. If I missed anything (or anyone), let me know!

Meanwhile, over on Instagram:

  • James, @spoontasticminis
  • possibly Sabrina, @Uthwulfsminis
  • A newcomer this year, whose name I do not know, but who has thus far not lived up to their namesake, @horridperson
  • And a latecomer to the challenge (it’s never too late), @groddsnods, who I just bet will be joining us for Forgotten Heroes in June, too!

Whatever these folks do, whether for Forced March or not, is worth a look. You won’t find a more supportive and inspiring group of hobbyists out there. Check them out.