Featured post

NEWS: Totally Pawsome Policies for Interviews and Reviews - Thundermouser

  Hail Mighty Readers and Rollers of the Maths Rocks, We love to interview people in the TTRPG scene so if you are in one of the following r...

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

WARHAMMER 40K: Finished Orks Everywhere, Bloody Thousands of them... - Completed Army




Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks,

You might recall a while agon (21st December 2025) we posted our schedule to get our 40K Orks up to scratch and fully painted before 11th Edition.  Well, sadly the scheule fell out however I can now let you know that we've proudly managed to get them all done.  So yay.  (Only a three months behind the schedule, although we did add some extra mini's to the paint line up so its not as bad as it sounds.)


So we wanted to get a post out there to show you that it can be done, it is possible and whilst we're not Angel Giraldez, Juan Sanz (El Miniturista) or Lukas Holmstrom, we did manage it and painted them as we learned, improving as we went.  (As they say to learn you have to do.)  


So our very last mini is completely different to how we started.  (First, Trukk, which we really grubbied up with a hell of a lot of rust rather than leaving it as brightly as it is pictured here, last Wazdakka.)


Painting is rewarding and there are quite a few lessons that we learned along the way.  

1)  Mass painting is not for us.  (We painted our Kommando's as a unit and to be honest, we got pretty demoralised and board painting them as it felt like too much repetition, so what we did for future squads was divide them up into three or fours, painted them and then went for something a little different to refresh our head.)  Yes when you're painting up a unit for Warhammer Old World there is going to be a ton repetition as some units of 20 are going to really get to you.  However what you can do, and what we'd suggest is add some variation, whilst you can keep the colours similar you can vary shades or placement to show that whilst as a whole its cohesive, that its been used to do what you had with whats available.  Likewise if you can afford to get more than one unit at a time you can paint them up as different cities coming together as a unified front or even just split them into smaller groups to fully enjoy going from one aspect to another.


2)  You don't have to paint them as the box shows.  Yes, bit obvious in some respects as you are going to create them either in the force you love or modify the paint scheme to give you some interest and so you can work with the paints you have without having to buy more.


3)  Never get upset that later models are better than the first ones you did.  You learn, you improve and whilst you can respray and redo, its nice to be able to look back and see your progress.  Likewise, just because you start in a certain style, you can change as you go.  For example most of my Orks are pretty dark because I wanted them super grubby from playing in the mud, however Wazdakka is pretty bright and for me, I preferred that so I when I open 11th I'll be sticking with that style.  


4)  Try different artists paint styles out, I started with just my own experience but upon discovering  Angel Giraldez, I loved how his painting came out and with a book that introduced starter concepts, found it a good way to begin again and learn.  


5)  Paint Ranges are a matter of personal choice.  There's so many paints out there that its easy to get lost, if you find a paint range you like, stick with it.  There's no need to buy everything that the range puts out (I don't tend to buy purple as I really don't like it on my mini's) but if you find one that works for you and your individual style go with it.  Likewise its also good if you can find someone who shows you how to paint the mini's in a style you like, use what they do, its easier to follow along and add your own flair when you know how that paint is going to act.  


6)  Find a place you can paint.  This might be a table in the home, painting round a friends house or just a little space you call your own.  Regular painting, improves you skill.  I can't tell you how much I've improved by painting at least once every few nights on a basic schedule.  Yes I have a lot to learn like how to do more subtle lining but I am learning and improving with each mini.


In the future I will take a pic and show my paint space.  Its not a massive area, its not got everything a lot of people have and I have the odd piece that might seem strange but I love it.  Likewise we're also dipping our toes into other miniature hobbies like Warlords Konflict 47, Para Bellum's Conquest and Mantic's Kings of War.  Although these will be down to when we can afford the mini's.

All the best,


ThunderMouser

Sunday, 7 June 2026

NEWS: The Latest Updates from Kobold Press - Kobold Press


Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Rocks, 

Today we have an absolute ton of updates from Kobold Press.  They've had this to say:

Every Monday (June only currently), Kobold Keep will be revealing new deals on fan favourite titles with them kicking things off with a massive 40% off on their Necromancer card game.  To keep up to date with their deals, please go here.



Newly updated for D&D 5.5E, their Creature Codex is now available for purchase here.

Available in hardcover, PDF, and Roll20, Creature Codex Revised updates the best foes from the 5E edition (also available on DriveThru Rpg), making them ready to deploy in 5.5e adventures.

Whilst we're also on items in stock, their Tome of Beasts 3 is now officially back to purchase at this location.

At 424 pages, Tome of Beasts 3 brings you:

Void knights and breakwater trolls

Musk deer and fiend lords

Prismatic dragons and royal chimeras

Stained glass moths and voidclaw zombies

Tar golems and witchwillows

Kobold drake riders and hellfire giants.


All the best,


ThunderMouser

Saturday, 6 June 2026

NEWS ROUND-UP: 31st May 2026 - 6th June 2026 - Various

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks,

There are days when we get so many notifications that we worry we don't carry enough news for all our readers out there, so as such we've added a new feature over the last couple of weeks where, those articles that aren't mentioned get included in the news round up at the end of the week.  Here's whats been happening:



Archvillain Games have sent out the latest update for their Gamefound: Archvillain Games: Encounters: Death and Beyond campaign and with just four days to go, its a time to not delay getting your pledge in.
.
Now with over $600,000 in pledges against their $15,000 goal, they've unlocked five free miniatures for all who pledge to the campaign and with over a $600 saving for the bigger pledges (which can be split into more manageable payment chunks (see their site for details), and also with customs friendly shipping.  

In addition to this Erevan’s Guide to Death & Beyond: Archvillains first Kickstarter campaign is on special offer if you didn't pick it up originally.  For more information please go here.






Elderbrain's Backerkit campaign has now closed for their Spawn of the Mindrender book.  They had this to say:  
"Greetings, cherished Hive Mind!
What an incredible finish! 

Thanks to your unwavering support and phenomenal enthusiasm, we've reached a funding amount of $218,395 in these final exhilarating moments!

Your passionate engagement, insightful suggestions, and genuine excitement have made this campaign an unforgettable experience. We're deeply grateful to have such a dedicated community, and we promise—the adventure will be amazing and absolutely worth it. We can’t wait to get it into your hands!

Starting immediately, we’ll prepare the BackerKit surveys to collect information on your pledges and give you the opportunity to upgrade them or select add-ons you missed during the live campaign. We will also be working closely with backers from the Spawns Hero Box pledge level to create their custom NPC portraits and with Spawns Legend Box backers to specify their custom full-body NPCs and Windrip City locations. We will integrate these images into the final edit.

Once the surveys are complete, we will start fulfillment of your legacy PDF rewards for Crown of the Oathbreaker, Torrents of the Spellhoarder, and Scepter of the Lightbringer. For physical rewards that include our three existing books and accessories, you will have the option to request immediate shipment (however, double shipping rates will apply to Spawns of the Mindrender rewards when they are available).  

We’re beyond excited and humbled to bring this book and its accessories to life and fully realize them with you. Your feedback has been instrumental!

From the deepest reaches of our collective gratitude,

Your friends at Team Elderbrain"




Crippled God Foundry have reached out for those who have play tested the alpha of The Dread Torch to send them feedback.  

To download the rules so you can provide them with feedback please go here.

In addition to this they want to know:
"Would you like us to continue providing monthly D&D 5E-compatible content for the miniatures (such as lore, stat blocks, encounters, or adventures), or is this content not something you are interested in?

To be transparent, the theme of our miniature releases will not change. We will continue creating fantasy miniatures and terrain inspired by popular tabletop RPGs, movies, literature, and other fantasy influences.

As part of our future plans, we intend to focus on the development of the Dread Torch game system alongside our community. However, we want to hear your thoughts and preferences so we can make the best decisions moving forward."


 


Steamforged Games, have released the mid-year update for Warmachine that they've been promising for a little while, here's what they've had to say about it:
"
...we want to introduce small, targeted changes to key outlier models. We’ve changed only the models we feel really need to be changed right now, and nothing more. This isn’t a full January update. This is, in video game language, a patch.

To reassure folks, our intention is not to remove powerful models from the game, nor to supercharge weak models into the stratosphere. The aim is always to adjust outlier models to help their win rates move closer to 50% and for play rates to be less concentrated around specific leaders.

We do review the win rates and play rates of models as shown on Longshanks. However, this is only one aspect of data we review to inform changes. 

The Warmachine team remains committed to regularly playing games at clubs, events, and on our own kitchen tables. Between our own experiences, the incredibly valuable feedback of our playtesters, and available public data, we strive to be as well-equipped as possible to make judgement calls for the good of Warmachine.

For information on the changes please go here.



June also see's the release of their monthly STL's which brings cursed fellblades, volatile rocket crews, wandering swordsmen, and enough shattered ruins to drag your tabletops straight into the wastelands of Immoren.  For more information go here.






Loot Studio's has announced that they are running their 3D Printing Course again, entitled 3D Printing Hero.  To learn more please go here.
In addition to this they've also sent a reminder about May's STL release:
"One of the most culturally wealthy places on the continent, Panshaw is plagued by misfortune. Gnolls, vampires, cultists, and dragons have caused trouble for the city and its inhabitants, threatening to annihilate such culture and leave nothing for future societies.

After all these years of crisis, the city is still, but tremors have made the Magistrates of Panshaw notice that something darker and more dangerous is living beneath their soil.  

The Undercaves were sitting just a few feet under the beloved Panshaw, as big as a continent, with a self-sustaining ecosystem. The problem is that the danger lurking in the darkness was destabilizing its structural pillars.

Inhabited by braves and fools, the Undercaves were a threat like no other. Forming a trio to descend the hole, the Magistrate called heroes to solve the problem and report to them so that they could start rebuilding the city of Panshaw. 

As nothing is easy in Panshaw, this sick, strange darkness comes with a Deep Dragon creeping in and haunting every time. Her offspring is already being seen by other evil creatures. Even though dark elves shouldn’t trouble her, something worse is threatening the offspring, and now she lays her eggs just beneath Panshaw!

With all these problems, they could’ve miscounted the webs from all the spiders…"




Cast n' Play have also announced this months (Junes) release titled "Rise of the Undead.  To purchase the STL's please go here, and pictured (left) are our personal favourites of the Undead climbing out of their graves, we need more things like this for our tabletops please people.





If you haven't already ordered your copy of Warhammer: The Old World TTRPG, Cubicle 7 wanted us to let you know that its now available for shipping (we're assuming its back in stock with them having fulfilled the massive amount of orders from those who went of the mega deal.)  To order yours please go here.




Well Chooms, Alpha is behind us all now and Weird Co are launching into the reveal season for Welcome to Night City, to keep in the loop and see the new drops please go here.

To discuss and chat about all things Cyberpunk TCG, go to their discord here.

There is also the latest of their fabulous podcast here (on YT) where Cree "Kawa" Gunning and PaweÅ‚ Burza, have invited the latest addition to the WeirdCo marketing team, Steve “LD” George, to celebrate the beginning of reveal season and chat about the first wave of Welcome to Night City spoilers alongside some deck building.





Once again, we wanted to thank Ramona, the designer of the beautiful page break we've been using.  You can follow her here on Bluesky and enjoy many of her art pieces or here is her website where you can also request commissions.

Friday, 5 June 2026

NEWS: Halo Flashpoint - Mantic Games




Mantic Games have let us know about the latest update for Halo: Flashpoint.  The key headlines from this are:

1)  A major new release wave focused on the Battle for Zeta Halo is coming this summer, expanding both UNSC and Banished forces

2)  The UNSC Marines expansion adds Corporals, Medics, Marines and Spartan Tomas Horvath from Halo Infinite

3)  Banished Reinforcements introduces a Sangheili Enforcer alongside the much-anticipated Unggoy Grunts and Kig-Yar Jackals


4)  Three new MasterCraft Resin Spartan Killer character models are also coming: Jega ’Rdomnai, Hyperius and Tovarus

5)  The Halo: Flashpoint 1.5 Rules Update has been shaped by 18 months of games played around the world, valuable player suggestions and organised play data.

6)  A new Rulebook and Tokens Pack gives players an easier, more flexible way to begin and build their collection


They've also let us know that "Existing players will benefit from a frictionless transition, including automatic web app updates, an update pack included free in early September’s new release bundle, plus free updated cards with the first print run of the new rulebook and token pack."


More information as we get it.


All the best,


ThunderMouser

OPENING AND UNBOXING: Kings of War: Depth Horrors - Mantic Games






Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks,

Its taken a while but we've now unboxed and built some more miniatures.  In this case Mantic's Kings of War: Trident Kingdom's Depth Horrors.  We hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts as well as any queries about other miniatures you'd like to see us open and put together.





All the best,



ThunderMouser

Thursday, 4 June 2026

MONTHLY MINIATURES: The Chains of Gor Mazul - The Crippled God Foundry

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Rocks, 
June see's the latest monthly STL release from Crippled God Foundry, The Chains of Gor Mazul.   

Here's what they had to say about this brand new release:
"Beneath the Black Basilica of Karros, something ancient stirs…

For centuries, the Iron Pilgrims guarded the chained tomb of Gor Mazul — a demon so terrible that entire kingdoms were sacrificed to imprison him. But now the seals weaken, the dead walk beneath the sacred halls, and the crusaders sent into the catacombs have vanished without a trace.

Descend into the darkness below the basilica, uncover what happened to the missing pilgrims, and stop the awakening of Gor Mazul before the final chains are broken...


Greetings Heroes!

June release is about demons, corrupted knights and brave paladins in an adventure to stop the ascension of a powerful demon- plus we show you a teaser of our new project that we put a lot of work and we think that you will like.

⛓ In "The Chains of Gor-Mazul" release you will find:
Gor-Mazul – Size: G, 150mm base

Brakkar the Warden - Size: L, 50mm base

Kharvek the Carrion King - Size: L, 40mm base

Droggar the Siege Beast - Size: L, 40mm base

Malgor The manipulator - Size: H, 60mm base

Dame Helvaine the Paladin - Size: M, 25mm base

The Iron Pilgrims - 4 models, Size: M, 32mm base

Helvaine the Hollow, Fallen Paladin - Size: M, 25mm base

The Hollow Pilgrims - 4 models, Size: M, 32mm base

Thematic Bases for the miniatures!

Chains of Gor-Mazul: Adventure PDF Supplement for Dread Torch game system





All the best,


ThunderMouser



Wednesday, 3 June 2026

NEWS: John Blanche has Passed.

When someone we've discovered passes away, we tend to think back to things like our interactions with them as well as what they brought to our own lives and whilst for many its John Blanches own unique art style that many will remember alongside him being the grandfather of grim dark, for me, I was lucky enough to have met him when he worked at Games Workshops head office, of all the people we were going to meet, he was the one I was most excited for, as I always keenly remember flicking through my new issues of White Dwarf to see if there as a new piece by the legendary artist whose choice of colours as well as linework always stood out.


As I, and a few others entered his office, there he was sat behind his desk, his Catachan Giant on the shelf caught my attention as I recall seeing the close ups of it in White Dwarf and was in love with how he's modified it to fit his image.  As he looked at us all, he gave us the welcome to head office speech and asked where we'd already been and were yet to go.  

Whilst it was only a short meeting I was pleased that I got to see in person some of his works alongside that giant that had captured my imagination for years.  And yet when I think back now, I really find it strange that one of his most iconic pieces of the Emperor on the Golden Throne has since been revisited in the latest animation as an empty throne.  Whether this is alluding to something darker or his return we have yet to learn but currently I like to think of it as a tribute hidden to the Grimdark throne growing cold now that he is no longer with us.

Finally I never really got to thank him for making my adventures into wargaming so memorable or even paint a mini in his style and whilst there are paint sets out there with colours he picked himself, I don't know if I'll ever have the heart to try and imitate pieces like the Knight Panther as it'll never look right to my eyes.  All I can say is I hope that he rests well and pass on my heart felt thoughts to all who will miss this artistic giant.


ThunderMouser