Cult of Skaro

With 24 Time War Daleks in the Exterminate! core set and Davros pack combined, I've had plenty of room to play around with variants. To encourage myself to paint the standard Daleks, however, I've tried to space out painting the more interesting varieties. I painted Davros and the Emperor's Guard after six standard Daleks, and now the Cult of Skaro (and a battle damaged Dalek) after nine. For me, painting this many (17, 18 counting Davros) miniatures from a single faction is pretty impressive- I tend to lack the stamina for long term (or at least consecutive) projects.

Part of this is probably due to the speed and enjoyment of painting these sculpts. The only tedious part is painting the 56 balls (or hemispheres, rather) around the central section..
Dalek Sec in particular was enjoyable- I was very pleased with how he turned out, a gloss varnish over the power slats, head and hemispheres really made him stand out in a group. It makes me look forward even more to painting Tom Baker era Daleks, with their grey and glossy black color schemes!

I also corrected an error from my previous Daleks on these (I first noticed it when researching my 9th Doctor Dalek)- there is a silver frame around the lights on top, which I had mistakenly identified as clear.

YANA

Kindly old Professor Yana- found as a child on the border of the Silver Devastation, greatest scientific mind on Malcassario, seeker of Utopia...

And the Doctor's greatest friend and enemy, the Master.

Utopia is a favorite episode of mine. Despite the fact that I knew some of what was coming, it was a great reintroduction for a classic villain, with Derek Jacobi taking center stage as Yana/the Master and doing an excellent job as both. Interestingly enough, Big Finish Productions has brought this version of the Master back in a series of Time War audio dramas. The latter appearances of Jacobi as the Master was the biggest draw for me to this figure, as the Time War is one of my favorite aspects of the new show.

From what pictures I could find of the sculpts online, I was a little unsure of the detail- in person, however, there is plenty, subtler than, say, a GW miniature. While not the best sculpts of Warlord Games' line, they are certainly adequate- with the possible exception of Chantho's face, which seems off to me.

I'm not very pleased with the paint job, however. I made the mistake of using a new, spray primer on them, and it buried the already fine detail. I had to strip them, which failed to remove the heavy primer from all of the crevices. This is unfortunately most noticeable on Yana's face.

Still, the paint work is quite usable,  at tabletop distances the blemishes are less noticable.

Draconian Empire

The Draconians- a race of honor-bound, hierarchical reptiles- and uneasy allies of the Earth's Empire! They first appeared in the Third Doctor adventure Frontier in Space, when the Daleks (aided by the Master) attempt to start a war between the Draconians and the Humans to weaken them up prior to an invasion. They are some of the better designed creatures to emerge from the classic show, and were purportedly Jon Pertwee's favorite alien as he could interact with them much more believably then, say, a Drashig.

First is the Draconian Lord, wearing a green gem showing his status in the Emperor's court. This pose is based on a still of the Draconian ambassador to Earth, but interestingly has the design of a court official on the shoulders.

These miniatures are, as usual, from Warlord Games' 36mm Into the Time Vortex line. They're some of my favorite sculpts thus far in the line, the textures and folded robes really stand out and add interest to what could have been a pretty dull looking release.

Classic Doctor Who creatures are far from the easiest to paint! The mix of often dull tones, bad quality images and confusing prototype materials make difficult even figuring out what, exactly, the costumes looked like to begin with. I wound up taking a slight liberty with the Draconians' cloth robes- they were much darker (a satin in the case of the soldiers seen on the left) in the show, but a lighter tone made for a much better looking figure.

These wound up looking pretty good! I'm pleased with the effect I achieved on the scales in particular- it looks pretty much spot on.

This batch of miniatures are now available for purchase on Etsy- check out my shop for larger pictures and custom orders!

Dalek

One of the most memorable moments of the Doctor Who reboot came early, with the episode Dalek. It's also one of my favorite episodes, so when one of my Cult of Skaro miniatures suffered some surface damage during assembly, I knew what I'd do with it.

The Dalek on show is heavily damaged, with cracks in its casing and a great deal of wear and tear on the surface. I replicated the cracks with scored lines, in several places bending the plastic back from a gash or, once on each side, applying copy paper to a gouge to represent the peeling Dalekanium.

I also applied washes and liberal amounts of drybrushing to the surface, as the prototype is covered in dirt, dust and even verdigris around some of the hemis (or balls) and eyestalk.

I'm very pleased with how it's turned out- now I just need to write a scenario pitting him against 9th Doctor and Rose!

Comparison shot with a standard Dalek.

Warlord Games Zygons

A classic Doctor Who monster, the shapeshifting  Zygons first showed up in the 4th Doctor adventure Terror of the Zygons, where a shipload of them crashed in Loch Ness- their pet Skaraksen even became the Loch Ness Monster. They've shown up twice (as I recall) in the rebooted show, once in the 50th anniversary special, Day of the Doctor, and then in a two-parter at the end of season 9.

These models (from Warlord Games' Exterminate! line) are based on the redesign from Day of the Doctor.

All the red tones were very enjoyable to paint. I went back and did plenty of "research"- rewatching the relevant episodes before I painted them, resulting in a fairly screen-accurate paint job. I especially like the model on the left, the pose (I believe borrowed from a publicity still) is excellent.
These should be fun to field as agents in game- their shapeshifting abilities provide a nice twist to the standard factions.

Next up- the Cult of Skaro!

Men of Ograviss

The Ogrons are a race of ape-like humanoids who hail from the planet Ograviss in the far reaches of Mutter's Spiral. They are unintelligent, and highly obedient servants, which makes them ideal for the purposes of the Daleks...

The Ogrons appeared in a pair of serials with the Third Doctor- Day of the Daleks and Frontier in Space. In both they were agents of the Daleks- in the latter serial also working with the Master- providing brute force to supplement the Daleks' cunning.

Classic Doctor Who creatures are often tough to paint, and the Ogrons proved no exception. There is a dearth of good reference material for them, even in their original episodes the often patchy studio lighting and deteriorated tapes make an accurate color assessment difficult. 

Also, the original costumes for many of the creatures used mixed, low-quality pigments- so even when the colors can be identified, matching the tones proves tricky. For example, the flesh tones on the original Ogrons appear, under different lighting, black, brown or even a dark blue. I wound up painting it with my standard black/dark grey tones, but adding a slate blue between the base color and highlights. 

I'm fairly happy with how the colors on these Ogrons turned out, they're recognizable, and as close as I could get to the on-screen appearance. The dark vests were made of a glossy material- almost a cross between cheap leather and satin. I chose not to attempt this effect on the miniatures, as I felt it would look too noticeable, and overscale.

The Ogrons are also one of the many classic creatures I'd love to see return to the show. An episode revisiting the intrigue of the Third Doctor's adventures with the Galactic Federation and its diverse aliens (perhaps in the aftermath of Empress of Mars), would make an excellent addition to the new series.

Cold Steel

Cold, Logical, Emotionless...

...the dreaded Cybermen are one of the Doctor's oldest villains, returning time and again to threaten the universe. These particular Cybermen are (in their timeline, at least) the most recent incarnation, first encountered in the 11th Doctor episode Nightmare in Silver, and are, like my recently posted Daleks, intended for Warlord Games' Exterminate! game.

Being one color, they were a good bit easier to paint than most, but I really like how my paint triad (Army Painter's Gunmetal Grey/Plate Mail Metal/Shining Silver) turned out. They look as bright and as menacing as the onscreen Cybermen- especially their expressionless faces.

As well as the humanoid Cybermen, small animals, converted into Cybermats are also used to further the Cyber cause.

Upgrade or Delete!

City of the Daleks

While I don't think I've actually posted any of the miniatures on here, I've gotten into Warlord Games 's Exterminate! game. It's a fun game, and has the advantage of an excellent range of miniatures to support it. Warlord has had, over the summer, a painting contest- the existence of which I was unaware of until recently. Thankfully, I still had time to put together an Dalek-themed entry (the contest closed last night), and, now that it's finished, detail it here.

While the Daleks are Time War Daleks from the new show, I based the city on the original Dalek City seen in 1963's The Daleks with a few touches from other episodes. Also, like the original show, the set is very low budget. I constructed it from thin, cereal-box cardboard to replicate the plywood used on the original set, adding details using common items- Davros rests upon a small jar lid, while the display screen behind him is an old electrical outlet.

To add some depth to this control room, I added a pair of halls running off of it. Probably the most memorable part of the original Dalek city were these long, low halls. The distinctive geometry of the inner doorways were a little difficult to replicate, but I'm happy with how they turned out. You can also see wire inside the vent above the doors- for some reason, this fails to show up in any of the other pictures, but it is there!

This is a good shot of one of the standard Daleks- we'll see how long I can keep this up, but so far all of the Daleks have unique name tags under the eyestalks.

I really like this shot of Davros- he looks ready to command his pepperpot creations. Like the Daleks around him, he is from the new show- the control panel is much different from that on the original chair. The stellar chart behind him is from the Seventh Doctor adventure Remembrance of the Daleks, and shows the Skaroene system.

I'm very pleased with how this vignette turned out- it's a good homage to one of my favorite enemies of the Doctor, and displays my creations to good effect. 

Investigators of the Uncanny

The Victorian era saw great advancements in technology and science as humanity multiplied across the globe. With such great upheavals, and the exploration of hitherto forgotten regions, things began to stir from long slumber, and take notice of man. Most who were unlucky enough to encounter these terrors shunned them, and spent the rest of their lives trying to forget their existence. Others, however, saw the great risk posed by these creatures, and sought them out to protect the rest of humanity, including Dr. Hesselius, Sherlock Holmes, Carnacki the Ghost Hunter and the newly created Torchwood Institute. Lesser known among these brave souls was Thomas Cooke, professor of archaeology at Glasgow University, and his assistant Una MacDonnal.

Prof. Cooke, originally from Somerset, became well known as an archaeologist during excavations in Mesopotamia, and was hailed for his meticulous craft while still a young man. However, after discovering the buried ziggurat of Anu, he suffered a strange breakdown, and vanished for several years. He reappeared strangely aged, although exhibiting the same sharp mind and insight, and soon accepted Glasgow's offered professorship.

Professor Cooke, Reaper's Benedict Baker, is a great looking miniature, and I had fun adding lots of detail to his clothes, including a Cthulhu pattern on the waistcoat. He holds the Fool card from the Tarot pack featured in Charles Williams' novel The Greater Trumps.

Ms. MacDonnal, a medical student at Anderson's College, assists the Professor on many of his investigations. She hails from the Outer Hebrides, and her knowledge of both farm life and folklore is a boon to Cooke, who is often impatient dealing with the people around him.

Originally intended as Pathfinder witch Nella Cailean, the miniature painted up well as Ms. MacDonnal, the less historical leather pouches at her waist serving well as a medical kit. She had a cat, who was playing with the feather in her hand that I have yet to paint. The shoulder cape is painted in the ancient Donald tartan.

This was a really fun and different project to work on, and I enjoyed writing the background to their investigations. Having the ability to create a story around each model, and then watching it unfold, is what really appeals to me about both tabletop and RPG gaming, and I love to blur the lines between the two!

Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow

At last, the Doctor!

After being put on trial by the Time Lords, and sentenced to an exile on 20th century Earth, the Doctor regenerated for the second time. This Doctor was played by John Pertwee, already well known for his comic roles. The most 'action hero' of the Doctors, he soon became UNIT's scientific advisor, helping avert the threats of many alien species before his exile was lifted, and he traveled the universe again.

The miniature came from Crooked Dice, labeled as Hugo Solomon. It's a great sculpt, very dynamic, and the likeness of Pertwee is incredible. It's a real pity that he's no longer available. Behind him is a TARDIS from Reaper, which has an unfortunate habit of attracting dust, as can be seen in the picture. I'm still trying to fix that, so far unsuccessfuly.

Check out my Etsy Shop for custom orders and pre-painted miniatures.

Ice Warriors from Mars

Ice Warriors, the ancient inhabitants of Mars, have met the Doctor on several occasions during his second and third regenerations, also reappearing in the Eleventh Doctor episode Cold War. A race of honor-bound warriors, they are often at odds with the Doctor, and his less violent means of conflict solving.

The miniatures are from Harlequin/Black Tree Design's original series range, and are good representations of the on-screen Ice Warriors, standing a head taller than the average human.

They were easy to paint, one overall green and a handful of details, but I like how they turned out.

In addition to the standard warriors, I got Ice Lord Izlyr from the Third Doctor adventure The Curse of Peladon to lead my Warriors into battle. Certainly one of my campiest paint-jobs!

A slight issue with the Izlyr model- on the show he has claws similar to the Warriors, not gloved hands. Still, I'm pleased with them, they were enjoyable to paint, and make a good, classic villain for any Doctor to face.

As always, check out my Etsy Shop for custom commissions, and pre-painted miniatures.

Exterminate! The New Dalek Paradigim

I painted up some more Doctor Who figures, the infamous Daleks!

Emotionally unstable pepperpots with plungers, the Daleks are the oldest, and perhaps most iconic recurring Who villain, featuring in the second-ever story-arch. They've gone a long way since 1963, and this is the most recent, although short lived, incarnation of the Daleks- the brightly colored new Paradigim from Victory of the Daleks.

 The different colors denote function on-show. This is the lowest rank, the Drone. They were a straight forward paint job and some I think turned out quite well. The balls around the hemis were time consuming, but really add to the effect.

These are from the same set as my Weeping Angels, sold with Doctor Who Adventure Magazine as a special. While not my favorite Daleks, these stand out well against a muted setting, perfect for something like the Dalek Invasion of Earth's ruined London.

Here's the gruff-voiced Supreme, highest in the Dalek hierarchy. The Paradigim consists of five different Daleks, all of which I have models for. These three also appeared briefly in The Pandorica Opens, transmatting down to Stonehenge to help imprison the Doctor.

The main problem with these models, to me, is the oversimplified rear- still, it's an excellent, to scale model for a cheap toy!

Lastly, the Dalek Eternal. A strange Dalek with a mysterious function, said to be involved with the purified continuation of the Dalek race. Whether a fanatic priesthood or serious-minded genetic scientists, plenty of scenarios spring to mind based around this Dalek!

In addition to the bright reds and yellows, I think the gunmetal on the shoulders and neck also turned out well, setting the dominant color off to good effect.
I have started on some terrain to go with them, based on the main set from Daleks Take Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks, from which these three will be well prepared to launch their schemes of galactic domination and extermination!

Want your own inch-high Dalek army? Check out my Etsy shop for pre-painted miniatures, and custom orders.