Search the Community

A new kickstarter from Hasslefree Miniatures.: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hfminis/hf-minis-galactic-universe-sci-fi-miniatures/description While I personally have never had any real problems from this manufacturer, I'm aware that many people have had some nightmare experiences. So I am in for a dozen metal figures with fingers firmly crossed. Caveat emptor!

Hasslefree has a lot of great modern and zompocalypse sculpts. Billy Ray, from their New Orleans Five set, is exceptionally versatile. No gun, but a nice big wrench and a practical cap. If you're going to have a low-stakes, low-lethality modern game, it's good to have someone who knows how to fix things. That's Billy Ray. I glued on an extra toolkit from Bombshell. He'll make a good meddling teen. I realize after the fact that I made a Leroy Army Surplus sign on the other side of the Quonset hut as well as a Leroy's Plumbing shirt...no doubt the Leroy family is a big player in a small town. Other Meddling Teens may include a field hockey enthusiast, our student townsfolk, and of course the original inspirations.

From left, PC Sam Ford, Katie, Parker and Aaron.

From left: Lisa Lambaste, security guard Ken (painted as a Vermont state trooper), Red Raine, and Beth.

I've previously posted Hasslefree's Velma analogue 'Louise' as a Miskatonic library assistant. High time I got the rest of the gang together. A cheap toy VW bus is key to this whole thing. The flowers and turquoise are my addition. We have Not-Fred-for-Legal-Reasons! (Barney, postapocalyptic version. No ascot, sadly, but a more dynamic sculpt.) Not-Daphne! (Felicity, also post-apoc version; she looks good with a bat) Not-Shaggy and his Great Dane! (Wolsey, standard version, and Hamlet; the box of SNAX I made from a chunk of sprue) And Not-Velma (Louise, featured in another post.) More turnaround pix: What sorts of shenanigans would these meddling teens get up to? and why would they be hired by the circus? (Obviously, the circus doesn't want or need the regular police, even if they could help with spooky crimes.) ' Shaggy would immediately volunteer to check out the midway, I think. "Hey Scoob! You ever had a turkey leg...wrapped in cotton candy?" *doglike sounds vaguely approximating the phrase "Not yet!"* Daphne splits off to search for clues (there are plenty), Behold! A performer about to take a Louisville Slugger straight to the groin! Somebody has released the animals from the Beast-Tamer's act! Good thing Barney knows how to make himself look big and loud, not like panther prey! That'll scare them off. Nothing beats legwork and research for getting to the bottom of a problem. Somebody's been embezzling and cooking the books, if Velma's calculations are correct (they are). Hope you enjoy...I certainly did!

Hasslefree specializes in characterful badasses, and I thought it good to paint a few of them up like my merc Frank Russo. Meet the Major, Ekaterina, Rowen, Alex, and Tank, along with their previously posted colleagues: In several cases they have been modified or accessorized. My FLGS had some leftover GW Bitz they were kind enough to let me plunder, and between that, a GW scout walker's leftover bitz, and Bombshell tool sprues there were plenty of canisters and accessories to go around. Here is the Major. (Hasslefree designation Major Hoare.) I added the gas tanks and the hose to his weapon. One canister is pyrophoric, the other, an extinguisher. The Major is acutely aware of which is connected at all times. I assume the cigar is a futuristic electronic device, for that would be most unsafe otherwise. Ekaterina appears to be one of Hasslefree's analogues to Black Widow. I added some canisters and a Bombshell machete. Rowen here really sold me on this project. Love that dynamic and confident stroll, and the flippy hairstyle. They are very secure in who they are, even more so with a portable GW missile strapped to their back. Alex has access to guns and grenades but prefers sharp blades. [This mini, unlike his colleagues, comes in like six pieces; pin and glue accordingly.] And of course there is Tank. Tank is not Hasslefree, but rather a leftover GW scout walker pilot. I've posted in the past about diversity in minis, and resolved to follow through on that by giving him a souped-up wheelchair/personal mobility device with some extra bells and whistles. Tank sees your wheelchair-inaccessible stairs and is prepared to turn them into an accessible ramp of smoking rubble. GW parts plus parts from a toy car I found under a refrigerator. And lastly, a repaint of Bombshell's Maelee, to get her in line with the Task Force dress code. Also added a couple pouches and canisters. Together they make a formidable team, good for spacefuture or cyberpunk settings. What sorts of mayhem mightn't they get up to...for the right price, of course?

The new student assistant at Miskatonic's Orne Library! Already Ms Dinklage (Hasslefree's "Louise") has proven to be adept at scholarship and library science, and not easily frightened (this latter being a VERY useful job skill at Ol' Misk). When asked about her tremendous sang-froid she was evasive, mentioning 'friends from [her] summer job' and 'travels in dark corners of the earth.' With some of her fellow-students: And with others on the library faculty:

After giving both Buckland and the Miner a jaunty yellow-and-white scheme, it came burning hot into my mind that they should be part of a team of space roughnecks/asteroid miners/problem solvers. This is the rest of that team. First, Kulgara. She's a Pathfinder model, from the 'Iron Gods' adventure, and is a techno-badelf. What a great Space Orc. I think her vambraced fists count as construction equipment, and the ridiculously huge chainsaw (with knuckle spikes, in case you have a chainsaw fight and need to punch someone?) is beautifully over-the-top. I'm not sure what the lever-matic tool on her back is supposed to be. The giant wrench is from Bombshell. She's definitely in the right line of work here. Next up, Sluggo, the Space Henchman. Noseless and brutish, with gangly but muscular arms and a dyspeptic expression. I thought at first of making him the same species as the Andromedans, but decided against it and gave him a pale Vampiric Flesh+Magos Purple sluglike complexion. Jetpack is Bombshell again. I love jetpacks, though I'm afraid this one gets in the way of his suspendies. Serendipitously, I remembered the weird little Slimer-like alien I had leftover from Betty, Space Heroine (50150). It, too, has a big round noseless head, rubbery aspect, wiry limbs, and short legs! Perhaps it and Sluggo here are the same species; it certainly looks like it could hench in a pinch. I'll call it Squish. Also got a fella in a hazmat suit with some kind of Geiger-counter sensor or such, from Hasslefree. Seen here in a routine check of goo emissions levels. Just carrying out assigned tasks, nothing suspicious here. And here's the whole greasy roustabout crew:

Dungeon-crawling! They say it's a young humanoid's game, but that's not always true. A lifetime of experience and the survival skills necessary to get to one's golden or even orichalcum years are pretty useful. Here's Sebastian, a knight of some experience from Hasslefree. Well armored and cautious, probably why he's still around. And another, less cautious but equally seasoned adventurer, Conran the Barbarian, also from Hasslefree. More pictures: Here he is bonding with the grandkids (Serris, 02997 and Cuth Wolfson, 03701) and at his day job. (Conran is definitely a version of Pratchett's Cohen the Barbarian, who conceded that after a few hours of fighting a ten-thousand-man army he might start getting tired too--but so would his enemies, as they would be running uphill at that point.) Fighter and barbarian-thief are a good start, but a well-rounded party should also have an arcanist and a healer. Jos Gebbler, 14317, and Estra, 60198, seem like good fits. A combined three centuries of adventuring experience pays off! But there are threats yet older than they...

Because we need more badelf fighting ladies. Kev White, the sculptor, seems to have paid attention during "The First Avenger." Great uniform details. But I've already got the muscular and dynamic Zenith (50080) in that role, so I went with our neighbors to the North. The shield is, again, my addition. More angles: Superhero team-up time! And another mission (feat. Dirk Goodspeed, 50195, and Sasquatch, 50011). More Squatch:

“OMG, I found a Nokia and it still works!” So, I’ve been in a painting funk for a while. Then a friend suggested we try out Zona Alfa, which AIUI is a post apoc skirmish game set in Eastern Europe. It only needs 4-10 minis to start off, so I decided to get off my arse and paint up a Warband. “Karolina’s Angels” will probably have 4-6 members. The first member is Luce (AKA HFA121 “Widow” from Hasslefree) Hopefully I will have enough drive to paint the rest. Thanks for looking.

Foxtrot was fun to paint. She comes with two bodies, two heads and two sets of weapons so it's possible to make her up as a crazy-haired gasmask-wearing nutter or Hasslefree's version of Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road. As you can see, I decided on the crazy-haired gasmask-wearing nutter. Her right hand is separate, so fun and games ensued trying to get it glued to her wrist. I didn't dare attempt to drill/pin it as there was barely enough space for the drill bit and I had visions of wrecking the metal. The stock of her AK was on the verge of falling off, so I just did away with it. Her base is the usual Liquitex modelling paste, sand and paint.

There's a patch of wasteground on Beechwood Avenue where the old primary school used to stand until destroyed by a bomb on the afternoon of April 11, 1941. Locals have long said that spot is haunted. Pedestrians say there's a cold patch as you walk past it. Kids dare each other to touch the walls, although few actually will. Dogs shy away from the area. Some people even claim to have seen a small girl wearing a gasmask. This is all obviously rubbish. But Rose is still waiting for her mummy.

This is my version of Grond from Hasslefree Miniatures. I've had the figure for a while but never got around to him. I can't really tell why I picked him up now (might have been that I wanted something to try my Valejo steel color on), but after I started I had trouble putting him down. I'm really happy with how he turned out, and with very little resistance as well. I had trouble with the eyes. I would have preferred a "normal" straight ahead stare, but every time I filled the left eye it had him looking to his right. After three attempts with the same result I figured it was meant to be.

Because I have finaly off a couple of days, I`ll take the chance to upload one wip project more. But that`s enough for the moment. This will gonna be a diorama in the end and I started it as group project at my german home forum the Bemalforum. Sometimes we just consider a topic and the members of the forum try to keep to this topic with their projects. I started this as group project with the topic "Make love not war". I didn`t get it finished in time, but I don`t mind and nevertheless finish it as I have planned it. Concept: As said the topic is "Make love not war" and so this was a good opportunity for creating a battle scene with antagonists such as "Love" vs. "Hate", "Good" vs. "Evil" and so on. In the case here the Space Marine represents love and the good one. Haha. Alyx is representing hate and the bad one. This whole project has a meaning and a message and it is: "Hate is little fearful child and love is a huge, self contended Space Marine able to protect you." I drilled a hole into the gun of the Space Marine and later he will shoot with flowers LOL. I will also add anything peaceful into his empty hand (I still consider what exactly, suggestions for the empty hand are welcome). The side of the base where the Space Marine is standing on will be very colourful with green gras, plants and most of all with a lot of colourful flowers. The side of the base where Alyx is standing on will be monochromatic black/white as herfself is also only painted monochromatic black/white. The only colour which will be added later to Alyx and her side of the base will be bloodred. Her fist will be covered with blood later and it will drop on the base too. Base: What I wish to create here are 2 different spheres. One colourful and bright, full of hope and love (Space Marine`s side), the other one (Alyx`s side) liveless dark and just dried and dead plants and simply everything will be painted only in black/white apart from the blood at Alyx`s fist and on the base. Maybe I will put the Teddy (she is originally holding in her hand) on her side of her base too and paint it still colourful as a symbol of her lost childhood. The concept is finished and determined. I`m only open for suggestions in details which support the basic idea. I had help by Mortimer and Ildfus Mahler (both members of the Bemalforum). Mortimer is my muse and he had the idea to add a Hasslefree child to the scene and Ildfus helps me to plan and execute my ideas for the base. So there are already other painters involved here for supporting this project and I will follow the advice by Ildfus Mahler mainly. So: Of course ideas are welcomed, but please be not upset if I let myself mainly guided by Ildfus, because I "engaged" him as my teacher for all concerning the base at this project. Thanks to Ildfus Mahler and Mortimer at this opportunity (for the case if they read it here). Technique: Oh well, this is really a hard task. I used this Space Marine for to practise maximum contrast which means I cover a range up from deep black to pure white. This is inspired by the outstanding and excellent work of the amazing painter Glaze O also known as Glaze Over. This means: Here are supposed multiple light sources (not only one from above like it is the case in zenithal highlighting) for determining the highlights/reflections. It is all painted in non metallic metal black, which was really a stupid idea Any other colour wouldn´t make this stress I have right now with all this greys, black and white aaaargh. The multiple light sources make the nmm looking intresting no matter from what angle you look at it and so this is advanced nmm painting. I mixed in some dark blue into the black for increasing the metallic look. Pictures are more blue than in real, I have to change the white balance settings for the next wip photos. In basic it is wetblending in the beginning, followed by layering (70%-80%) and partially I used two brush technique (30%-40%). Glaze Over has written on his blog that he only uses two brush technique for to create this wonderful shiny nmm effect, but I`m not very common with this technique and so I just used it partially until now. Nothing is really finished here and I`m still working on almost all blendings for to get them smoother and for to get the contrast higher. I guess I have painted over 50 hours until now (mainly tedious layering without any end) at the Space Marine and this sucks a bit haha. This is a challenge for me and the only miniature at the moment where I really try to improve my skills as a painter. All other paintjobs at the moment are just on my recent level (not very challenging), but this one here is meant as challenge for me. As always: All kind of feedback is appreciated. Sorry this last image is too dark at the lower part, but the wooden base is to see. Both will be put on the same base which is a wooden socket.

Having just a little bit offtime at the moment, but this gives me at least the chance to post a second recent/actual wip. It is Titania by Hasslefree and I`m really in love with this sculpt. Yes she is very tiny, but nevertheless good to paint I think. Apart from that she is really beautiful and I enjoy each brushstroke at her and I have pleasure in working her skin out as good as possible. This is first the second wip photo, but I`m painting at her since a while already and she looks almost finished. I will go on painting her a little bit and I still consider about a freehand at this piece of fabric she is holding in her hand, but I`m not sure yet. Concept: My plans are to create a nice magical forest base for her. I wish to sculpt a tree with a face and he is looking at her bottom and smiles haha. Apart from that a bit water, mushrooms, little animals, maybe glowing crystals or colourful flowers and so on. As always: I could need your help when it comes to building up the base. As always: All kind of feedback is appreciated If you have questions concerning painting technique and/or which paints/colours I used, feel free to ask. Linked for nudity: Titania 1: https://stra.to/ap/9zhV05Jv/s/6b612d1935a4bd799613bcc15d38a388/Titania Hasslefree Vhaidra wip 2a.jpg?id=134250321 Titania 2: https://stra.to/ap/9zhV05Jv/s/6b612d1935a4bd799613bcc15d38a388/Titania Hasslefree Vhaidra wip 2b.jpg?id=134250326 Titania 3: https://stra.to/ap/9zhV05Jv/s/6b612d1935a4bd799613bcc15d38a388/Titania Hasslefree Vhaidra wip 2c.jpg?id=134250331 Titania 4: https://stra.to/ap/9zhV05Jv/s/6b612d1935a4bd799613bcc15d38a388/Titania Hasslefree Vhaidra wip 2d.jpg?id=134250336

Some time ago I bought this figure in a sale at German shop battlefield berlin. I never really intended to paint this figure. It was ... to buy something that was cheap. But recently I had so much pain assembling and painting vehicles and miniatures that I just started working on this one as some kind of desperation. I mean ... I cannot ruin something that I never intended to do. To my own surprise this one came out quite well. As of now it's - I think - the best one of my figures since ... almost 2 years now. To be honest - I have no idea what I did there and I think I couldn't recreate it on another figure. But that's okay. I am satisfied with it. Now it's just the boots and the sword and the belt left. So ... let's get to my second nemesis right after paint skin tones: NMM. I have no idea how to do that. Any advice on good video tutorials which I can have a look at? And I mean tutorials, not "This is the beginning .... and this how it looks when it's finished." Anyway - that's the figure so far:

Well, after quite a lot of chaos, construction and unmotivated explosions, Zetta is finally finished. Check WIP ->here<-. She is my first finished figure in over two years, and I am happy she turned out the way she did. I am not so happy with her face. I messed it up in the end pretty badly, and I am disappointed - but it can't be helped. Therefore, I finished her before I could do a lot more damage. Thanks again to @Xiwo Xeraseand @Cyradisfor the help. That's the kind of help I was looking for. (oh, yes - and thanks to @Silvervane, who was once again made into a group of houses for the purpose of having an epic name for some backyard village - lol. Sorry :-D) Anyways - I handed her in for the current painting contest called "Bounty Hunter", at a German forum, which requires the maker to create a story and the figure. We will see how it turns out. For a complete presentation, I tried to translate the text into English. I hope I did it mostly correctly, as this was my first unassisted translation of a longer text since 2016 or so. You are absolutely free to correct me if you wish to, but I guess - except for this forum - no one else will read the English version. Thanks again and enjoy.

This is Hasslefree HFD104 Drya Lafhelgasdottir, sculpted by Tre Manor, and not, as I identified all through the WIP thread, a Red Box Games dwarf. I think I was confused because she was by Tre Manor. She is also the last, the seventh, of the dwarves I painted for the project "Jade Green and Seven Dwarfs," an effort both to get some dwarves painted up for general gaming use, and to make a group of Jadeborn for a game of Exalted. This is a photo of all the project's figures together:

I have an Hasslefree HFN002 "Louise" mini. I intend to paint her up as author Gemma Files, to be added to a diorama complete by the end of February. Here is the before pic.

Anybody have a current line on Hasslefree in the United States? I know Fantization used to carry them, but not any more. Noble Knight has a small selection, but not what I need. And obviously I can order direct, but the Atlantic is an unreasonable multiplier on shipping costs, in my experience. Also, for as long as I've been on these forums you'd think I'd have noticed this before, but it's odd to me there's not a specific forum for "non-Reaper manufacturer discussion." This topic in particular could fit in at least three different forums without really being 100% on-topic for any of them, and could be a logical off-topic fit in a couple others.

Hasslefree has some fun sci fi characters, including quite a few space dwarves. This is HG405, Pilot Hayden. I'm not entirely sure, but I think she might be a tribute to Starbuck on the "Battlestar Galactica" remake. She has a cigar and a complex gun. It's the first time I've painted a gun where I'm reasonably happy at how the shiny look turned out.

So I realized I only had one painted dwarf (!) when one of my GMs asked me if I had anything for the Jadeborn, a race in Exalted that is roughly equivalent to dwarves except for the 0.001% who are roughly equivalent to elves. And they are also sort of stone golems. Based on jade. I thought Reaper's 60184: Meyanda, Android Priestess, sculpted by Bobby Jackson, would do well for one of the elfy artisan Jadeborn and I pulled out a random assortment of seven (because of course) dwarves for the worker and warrior Jadeborn. All paints used are Golden Matte Fluid Acrylics. Color mixes are (usually) noted, but not exact ratios. Questions are welcomed and I will try to answer them. Critiques are appreciated. This is the way I usually start miniature figures: Lightly primed with Titanium White, then when that is dry, washing it over with Burnt Umber. Burnt Umber is a dark, transparent pigment that settles into crannies when thinned down and shows the details very well. It also gives a nice warm undertone to later paint layers. I left a few crystal and gem areas white so they will have more luminosity later. Left to right: Reaper 60184, Meyanda Android Priestess; Ral Partha; Hasslefree HFD014 Hatherley; Oathsworn Miniatures; Oathsworn Miniatures; Red Box Games; Stonehaven Miniatures; Reaper 14143: Kara Foehunter, Dwarf Hero Details: The Ral Partha dwarf is tiny!