Phalanx

Phalanx is my third Pulp City Supreme this month (yay!), and finishing him means I have hit my planned goal for the year (more yay!) with a few months to go. Painting Phalanx also takes me to 142 painted Pulp City minis, which leaves me just 8 more short of the next milestone achievement of 150 painted minis from the range. I will probably have to commit to a big picture of them all when I get to that stage (I did something similar when I went past 100 a few years back).

Phalanx is a member of the Forgotten, forged by Hellsmith to lead the Mecha Spartans. If his body is ever destroyed, he is reborn into a Mecha Spartan shell, transforming it into his traditional form.

In game terms Phalanx is a typical Forgotten, on a 40 mm base as most of them are. He is tough and hard-hitting despite being a Support Supreme, and with cheap (Level 1) Mecha Spartans around, you can keep him in the game a long time.

I cleaned up and prepared Phalanx at the same time as Cro Mag. The painting on this one was super quick by my standards, started and finished on the same day, with a simple palette and use of washes, a bit of dry-brushing and simple highlights. That said, I am pretty pleased with how he turned out despite the fast turnaround. Not sure what my next Pulp City painting will be, although I want to get TINY! and Grimmsham done as soon as I can, and maybe White Tiger and 100 Voices too. If I get 3 more minis painted fro the range before the end of the year, then I will have exceeded my 2014 and 2015 combined output.

Phalanx
Villain, Support, Level 2, Science
40 mm

Cro Mag

Cro Mag smash!

Cro Mag kind of jumped my 'planned painting queue' for Pulp City, and I am glad he did and that I how have him finished! Cro Mag is big, have no doubt, roughly 3 inches to the top of his head piece from the bottom of his base (that base is 50 mm across!). It is always satisfying to be able to put a big guy Powerhouse on the table, and I needed more Villain Powerhouse options painted, so Cro Mag was a perfect option. More importantly, painting Cro Mag leaves me just 1 mini short of the target I set for my own Pulp City painting at the start of the year. The pictures have washed out the highlights a little, but I am happy with the overall outcome (although his left heel needs a touch up).

Cro Mag is prehistoric man come to superhuman life in contemporary Pulp City, a rampaging creature often working for Mysterious Man. Even by Powerhouse standards, he is far from bright, and is pretty much all in all a destructive force of nature.

Powerhouses are beasts in combat, they just take a bit of getting used to since they do not supply AP to the Pool, and because you want to get the best out of their Power Up dice. Two Powerhouses going toe-to-toe with plenty of Objects to Manipulate (either Throw or Smash with) is just great fun, and really evokes the spirit of over-the-top battles we wanted to create with these massive Supremes. Cro Mag is no exception to any of that!

The mini comes in just two parts and is cast in resin, making it very simple to prepare and assemble, and easy to game with. For his colour scheme I generally followed the brown fur/blue skin of the studio version.

It is nice to get another 'big mini' done, and I still have a number of Powerhouses to paint (eight in all right now, although I have started on TINY!). Now he is painted, I am hoping Cro Mag makes it to the table before too long, and it also reminds me I need to paint up 100 Voices as another Leader option for him!

Cro Mag
Villain, Powerhouse, Level 3, Mystery
50 mm

Chernobog

Another Supreme finished (my 140th painted Pulp City mini!), and this one has taken much longer than planned. I started painting this alt-Perun as Chernobog during the Cold war Kickstarter campaign, but then he got sidelined unfortunately. With some renewed painting resolve in July I finally managed to tackle him properly and that gives my first Supreme in readiness for the arrival of the Red Republik. Even better, the alt-card for Chernobog (which we unlocked as a special Stretch Goal during the campaign) allows him to work as a Forgotten as well, giving this mighty godling somewhat divided allegiances.

Chernobog returned to the mortal realm when he heeded a summons from the Red Republik using an imprisoned Perun. Chernobog answered the call, freeing his ‘brother’ as he arrived, while he listened to another voice, whispering he should bide his time with the Red Republik until the time was right to claim his rightful place in the Forgotten.

Just as Perun can be to Hero, Nature and Supreme Alliance Teams, Chernobog can be a very powerful model for Villain, Forgotten and Red Republik Teams bringing hard-hitting close combat, decent ranged attack at standard AP and an area effect ability all in one package, all backed up by bonuses from Flight and his Fire and Darkness Elements. He is vulnerable on Agility, so is ripe pickings for long-range types like Gentleman.

Painting Chernobog gets me a step closer to this year's planned goal, which I still hope to exceed. A couple more painted minis and I will match what I wanted, so hopefully I will get there sooner than later!

Chernobog
Villain, Brawler, Level 2, Nature
30 mm

Sneak Peak: The Master

Pulp City SE fans will have been wondering about The Master for The Way Faction - we recently showed off the concept art for him and here he is in all his glory!

The Master won't be the next new release (look for new releases to resume once Cold War fulfilment is done), but work on him is underway so watch out for him in the future!