"The Trapper Will Smother Any Prey Trapped Within It."

"Those caught by the initial attack are prevented from using weapons by the great musculature of the Trapper."

This 45mm square pre-painted plastic model of an Earth Elemental is produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 031 their Volo's and Mordenkainen's Foes range of "Dungeons & Dragons" figures. A "large sheet-like monster that disguises itself as a floor or ceiling", the rare creature made its first appearance in December 1975 within the pages of "The Strategic Review".

"Resistant to both fire and cold damage" the amorphous form was initially primed using a double-layer of “Vallejo” Dark Grey, positively drowned in “Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo Dark Grey. I then applied a couple of even coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey to the 'flat body the fiend conforms to the floor surface of its lair' and washed that with (more) "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Dungeons & Dragons" WIPs - The Banderhobb has had been used as a test-piece for a number of techniques

As "Trappers are 95% likely to appear as a normal stone floor when tested by any normal means", I dry-brushed this upper surface with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, just as if I were painting the paving tiles of a dungeon. This process actually made a bit of a mess of some of my earlier work with the "Vallejo" Dark Grey, so as a final touch I simply went back and tidied the monster's edges up.

Despite the Tenth Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge entering its final few weeks, and my still needing to pigment approximately another forty or so 28mm miniatures to achieve my annual target for the event, I have spent some of my precious hobby-time fooling around with a large plastic Banderhobb by "Wizkids". This giant bipedal toad from the New Jersey-based company's "Dungeons & Dragons" range arrived with a horrible pre-paint job which predominantly consisted of a jarringly yellow dry-brush all over the figure's dark green base-layer.

"Wizkids" WIPs - The Yochlol has been primed, shaded, dry-brushed and tidied-up

Having scrutinised some 'official' illustrations depicting "the enigmatic monsters of shadow and flesh", this colour scheme itself wasn't actually too wide of mark; albeit its their bloated stomach and gullet which are predominantly yellow. As a result I've been testing out some wet-blending, sponging and simple layering to see which technique works best for me, as I've little experience of painting paler underbellies...

Far more straightforward a subject have been three "Wizkids" Yochlols, which despite some initial priming problems, now seem to be close to completion. The 28mm scale demons really didn't like my disconcertingly translucent "Vallejo" Heavy Goldenbrown until they'd be undercoated with a couple of layers of Heavy Brown first. But now they just need their red cyclopean eyes to be 'dabbed' in place before being finished.