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Writer's pictureBlaxkleric

"The Mechanical Monsters Ruled With An Iron Fist..."

Updated: Dec 15, 2023


"...And cold logic by mad scientist Dr Ulysses Argo."

This 28mm scale resin model of a Titan is produced by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio” and can be bought as SKU: MINI 94 Titan A (Reaching) from their Villains and Monsters range. The kit comes in three parts, and had its arms pinned into place with both some copper wire and green-stuff, before being permanently attached using some super-glue.


Approximately 45mm in height, the large robot is supposed to represent one of Doctor Ulysses Argo’s metallic minions for the second edition of the skirmish rule-set “7TV”. But as I wanted it to tie in with the significantly larger Talos figure I have previously painted, I decided to give the machine a palette more in keeping with the giant statue's appearance in Don Chaffey’s 1963 film “Jason And The Argonauts”.

"Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" WIPs - Three part-way finished Simian Minions

Resultantly, the entire miniature was primed in “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna and later layered with Bronze. The mechanical construct was then shaded using plenty of “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, before being dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” Bronze. Lastly, I applied various amounts of “Citadel” Nihilakh Oxide onto its numerous joints and ridges. These areas were later blended in with the rest of the miniature with a (third) dry-brush of “Vallejo” Bronze.


With the last of my five planned submissions for the Monster May(hem) challenge completed, I have started working on three more of the Lincolnshire-based manufacturer's Simian Minions. These Apes with Baton are the last of this particular sculpt I own, and once finished should provide my "Planet Of The Apes" project with a fair number of Gorilla soldiers.

"CoolMiniOrNot” WIPs - Iron Man and Captain America

In addition, I've spent some time progressing my hard plastic Iron Man figure from the Marvel United boardgame by "CoolMiniOrNot”, I had previously hoped to use "Scalecolor" Ruby Alchemy for the Golden Avenger’s armour. But after applying a shade of "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to a test area on the sculpt's leg, it soon became clear that at best Shellhead's armoured suit was going to be pink and gold, as opposed to his famous red and gold.


This caused me to search for an alternative solution, and in the end I decided to purchase a bottle of the highly recommended "Vallejo" Red from their Mecha Colour range. In anticipation of the paint's arrival, I decided to give Tony Stark's alter-ego a rough coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and I'm rather pleased I did so too. For disappointingly, the new Mecha Colour, whilst a lovely bright vibrant red, is strangely not metallic in any way, despite being "designed especially for painting Robots, Gundam, Transformer and Gunplas figures..."

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wargamesterrainworkshop
wargamesterrainworkshop
Jun 13, 2022

Excellent job on the Titan Simon, and some good progress on the rest.

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Blaxkleric
Blaxkleric
Jun 13, 2022
Replying to

Thanks Dave. Lots of different minis on the go currently. Trying to steadily work my way through them.

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wsd50
Jun 08, 2022

Cracking work on the Titan, mate.


Cheers Roger.

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Blaxkleric
Blaxkleric
Jun 08, 2022
Replying to

Cheers Roger. Really enjoying these larger Crooked Dice models, and looking forward to another Monster Mayhem next year.

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undercoat2670
Jun 07, 2022

Your weathered metallic painting is really top notch. Great stuff as always.

Interesting that the Vallejo Mecha range isn't metallic paints but colours for painting mechs! A very curious choice of name. I do like those Marvel minis enormously as they are so characterful. I was also surprised at the quality of them after seeing them in the flesh the other day as they are very very good indeed.

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Blaxkleric
Blaxkleric
Jun 07, 2022
Replying to

Thanks Undercoat. More weathered metallics to come at some point soon, as Crooked Dice have messaged me to say the three titans I recently ordered are in the post. I'm trying to paint up whatever arrives asap these days, so expect them to get done sooner rather than later. 😉


What has really baffled me is that my Google-Fu had the Mecha Colour Red come up as the top metallic red paint.!?! Hopefully, the colour will look good though, once shaded and dry-brushed.

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planetmut
Jun 07, 2022

Great painting again on the giant robot, Simon, you do a really good job on the weathered bronze look. Your use of the verdigris is superb!


Sorry to hear about your woes with painting Iron Man. Vallejo don't do a metallic red, although if you have the red shade I'm thinking of it's a very vibrant one. You could try getting some metallic medium and mixing your own, I guess. It should be on Amazon. I've got it and it does work well.

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Blaxkleric
Blaxkleric
Jun 07, 2022
Replying to

Cheers Matt. I always worry people will get bored with an endless string of weathered Brass/Bronze statues LOL. I have three more to paint when they arrive, but will probably hold fire on those until they're all done with their variant weapon arms. I do have a group pic to come though, as this is the last of ten 28mm scale figures I needed to paint for one of my early Weekly Challenges for this year.


It was bizarre, as I searched for best metallic red paint and everyone kept talking about the Mecha Colour Red by Vallejo. I'm just going to stick with that tbh, shade Iron Man with Crimson Carroburg and leave it at that. LOL.

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Simon Quinton
Simon Quinton
Jun 06, 2022

Brilliant job on the Argonaut!

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Blaxkleric
Blaxkleric
Jun 06, 2022
Replying to

Thanks very much indeed, Simon. Splendid models, and so I've ordered three more with the weapon arm variants so I can really field a formidable force.

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