Mark II Matilda

This Mark II Matilda was on display at Tankfest 26.

The Infantry Tank Mark II, better known as the Matilda, was a British infantry tank that served in World War II. It had a crew of four, was powered by two Leyland 6-cylinder diesel engines, and was armed with a 2-pounder gun and a machine gun.

The Matilda was designed in 1936 as a gun-armed counterpart to the first British infantry tank, the machine gun-armed A11 Infantry Tank Mark I. The Mark I was also known as the Matilda, and the larger A12 was initially known as the Matilda II, Matilda senior, or Waltzing Matilda. The Mark I was abandoned in 1940, and from then on the A12 was almost always known simply as “the Matilda.”

The Matilda was an excellent infantry support tank, thanks to its heavy armour. It was impervious to most German anti-tank guns at the time, and it could withstand heavy fire from enemy tanks. However, the Matilda was slow, with a top speed of only 14 mph. It was also not very well-armed, and its main gun, the 2-pounder, was effective against other tanks, but it had limited anti-personnel capabilities.

Despite its limitations, the Matilda was a valuable asset to the British Army during World War II. It was a reliable and well-liked tank by its crews, and it played a significant role in the North Africa Campaign. It was eventually replaced in front-line service by the lighter and less costly Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine beginning in late 1941, but the Matilda continued to serve in other roles until the end of the war.

Overall, the Matilda was a versatile and effective tank that served the British Army well during World War II. Its heavy armour made it a formidable opponent on the battlefield, and its reliability and popularity with its crews made it a valuable asset to the British war effort.

The Matilda II infantry tank from inside the Tank Museum.

A Matilda II infantry tank is at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester.

Undercoating the Empire of Man Witch Hunter

I was placing an order with Games Workshop and looking for something to add to ensure I could get free delivery. I found the online only Empire of Man Witch Hunter which I thought for £9 was cheap for Games Workshop.

This kit contains 3 metal components. I have to say I wasn’t clear if the two weapons had to be attached to the model, or if it was a choice. Looking over the web page on the Warhammer site, that didn’t really help. Searching Google also didn’t bring much to the situation. In the end I decided it was a choice and I constructed the model with the smaller sword and pistol rather than the great sword.

I landscaped the base of the model with some Citadel Sand.

I primed the model with Wraithbone spray.

Now onto the painting of the model.

Sons of Horus Kratos Heavy Assault Tank

This Sons of Horus Kratos Heavy Assault Tank was on display at Warhammer World.

Sons of Horus Kratos Heavy Assault Tank

Rooted in an Ancient Terran design originally fielded during the Unification Wars of Old Earth, the Kratos Heavy Assault Tank was extensively re-engineered following the Emperor’s historic treaty with Mars to serve as the ultimate spearhead for the Great Crusade. Purpose-built as a relentless line-breaker and unstoppable foe-hammer, this massive, grinding war machine bridges the gap between frontline battle tanks and super-heavy armored behemoths. Its heavily reinforced hull renders the Kratos all but impervious to conventional enemy fire, allowing it to anchor Legiones Astartes spearheads with a steady, inexorable advance. Bristling with overwhelming firepower, capable of mounting a devastating main armament such as a Kratos battle cannon, melta-blast gun, or volkite cardanelle alongside an array of sponson and hull weaponry, the Kratos unleashes an unrelenting barrage that shatters fortified positions and sweeps aside enemy armour, ensuring the Space Marine Legions crush all opposition in their path.

Constructing and priming the Carnosaur

I have always liked the Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur model for the  Seraphone army for Age of Sigmar. I thought it had potential for a mount for either my Feral Ork army, or for my Old World Orcs and Goblins force. Another idea was for a mount for my Warhammer 40k Tallarn forces.

The list price of the Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur model is £58, so I did consider that this was a little on the high side for a conversion. However as one of the releases of Hachett’s part works, you could get the two sprues of the model across two weeks for £9.99 per issue. What I did check out though was that you can get away with buying only one spruce, the one with issue #20. That sprue allows you to build the Carnosaur model. The second sprue provides the parts for the different riders and the parts needed for the Troglodon version of the kit. So, I picked up two issues of #20 as I only wanted the Carnosaur model.

The model has quite a few parts, and I was pleased that my initial assumption that I could build the model from just the one sprue was correct.

Having constructed the carnosaur model I fixed it temporarily to a base I had for painting.

I gave the model a white undercoat.

The next stage is decided what colour to paint the carnosaur.

High Elf Lord on a Fire Dragon

This High Elf Lord on a Fire Dragon was at Warhammer World.

A soaring symbol of Ulthuan’s ancient martial glory, a High Elf Lord astride a Fire Dragon is a magnificent yet terrifying sight upon the battlefield. Clad in Ithilmar armour and wielding masterwork weapons, the noble prince commands the skies with unmatched tactical skill. Beneath him, the Fire Dragon, a creature of immense size and terrifying temper, acts as a living furnace. Channeling the scorching heat of its fiery blood, the beast looses a blazing stream of incinerating breath that melts armour into liquid metal, while its rider strikes down enemy champions from atop his scaled perch.

High Elf Mage on a Fire Dragon also at Warhammer World.

As with many models in the Old World range for Warhammer, this kit can be built as a High Elf Archmage on a Moon Dragon, or as here, as both a High Elf Lord and a High Elf Mage on a Fire Dragon.

Priming the Cathayan Grand Cannons

When I made a trip to Warhammer World in June 2025 I was pleased to see the then new models for the Army of Grand Cathay for Warhammer Old World on display. I really liked the Cathayan Sentinel especially the paint job which made it look like it was terracotta. I also saw a posting on the Warhammer Community site about where Lewis from the Warhammer Studio had painted some Jade Warriors as terracotta warriors. I started thinking about creating and painting a whole army in this style, so I bought a Cathayan Sentinel and the Grand Cathay Battalion.

I started constructing the Jade Warriors. After finishing some of those models I started on the Grand Cannon and the crew.

Cast in the likeness of roaring dragons, the Grand Cannons of Cathay unleash torrents of flame and iron upon the foe.  Whether saturating a wide front or concentrating their explosive power into a single, devastating projectile for sieges, they remain a cornerstone of Cathayan might.

I constructed the cannon and the crew, including the mercenary ogre.

I have been thinking about how I will paint the Grand Cannon. The human crew will be terracotta like the Jade Warriors. I think I will also need to reflect on how to paint the Ogre Loaders, who are mercenaries. First thoughts are to paint them as terracotta too. As for the cannon itself, that I think will be more brass than clay. I think a cannon made out of terracotta would explode upon firing.

I landscaped the bases of the models with some Citadel Sand and slate pieces.

I did not fix the cannon to the base, so that both the base will be easier to paint as well as the underside of the cannon.

I then primed the crew models with Wraithbone spray.

For the cannon I used Leadbelcher and for the base Wraithbone.

Next stage will be the base coat for the crew, whilst the cannon will be painted with some brass.

Sherman M4A3E2 “Jumbo”

Europe’s only running Sherman M4A3E2 “Jumbo” made its debut at Tankfest from June 26-28. Shipped from the Bastogne Barracks in Belgium, the rare World War Two assault tank ran in the arena.

The standard Sherman armour was too thin against German anti-tank guns. The US Army modified it. They welded heavy steel plates onto the tank hull. The frontal armour of 4” was twice that of the standard Sherman tank. Troops called it the “Jumbo” because of its heavy, bulky frame. You can clearly see the extra frontal armour on the tank.

Only 254 Jumbos were built to lead heavy attacks.

Undercoating the Jade Lancers

When I made a trip to Warhammer World in June 2025 I was pleased to see the then new models for the Army of Grand Cathay for Warhammer Old World on display. I really liked the Cathayan Sentinel especially the paint job which made it look like it was terracotta. I also saw a posting on the Warhammer Community site about where Lewis from the Warhammer Studio had painted some Jade Warriors as terracotta warriors.

I started thinking about creating and painting a whole army in this style, so I bought a Cathayan Sentinel and the Grand Cathay Battalion. I started constructing the Jade Warriors. After finishing some of those models I started on the Grand Cannon and the Jade Lancers.

I do think the construction of the Jade Lancers is quite complicated, the horses are made up of quite a few components. Most of the horses have only one hoof on the ground, something that you couldn’t do with metal models, but can with plastic.

I landscaped the base of the Jade Lancer with some Citadel Sand.

I then primed the model with Wraithbone spray.

Next stage will be the base coat.

The Siege of Volganoff at Warhammer World

The Siege of Volganoff pitted the disciplined defenders of the Empire against a massive, besieging Orc and Goblin army. At first, the defense held strong; Imperial wizards rained down destructive spells from high positions while artillery batteries systematically shattered the greenskin ranks. However, the Orcs retaliated with devastating assets of their own, deploying crude, ramshackle siege engines alongside flying monstrous beasts that swooped down to tear apart the garrison on the walls. As the deafening thunder of black-powder firearms clashed with the bloodthirsty war cries of the horde, the city’s gates began to splinter, leaving the ultimate fate of Volganoff hanging in the balance.

The Siege of Volganoff was originally displayed as the Siege of Altdorf at Games Day 2010 and was then put into place at Warhammer World in 2015. A few years later it was reduced in size. The Chaos forces were replaced with Orcs and the the “new” diorama was entitled the Siege of Volganoff.

I have always liked this diorama, which utilised the plastic Warhammer Mighty Fortress kit. The original Siege of Altdorf diorama was much bigger, but the castles in both are of a similar size. Volganoff loses the breached walls and a few towers, but gains a circular tower, which is a taller extended version of the now retired Witchfate Tor Tower of Sorcery.

Whereas the Siege of Altdorf had Chaos as the main protagonist, the forces attacking Volganoff are orcs. There is a wonderful scratch-built Orc siege engine. Defending are numerous Empire Steam Tanks. In the skies, Orc Wyverns attack from above. So much to see in this one diorama.

More photographs of the Siege of Volganoff.