It must be about six months ago that I started painting these tents, sleeping bags, and the sofa and TV on one of our “Covid-19 Zoom painting nights”. I remember that I almost finished them in the couple of hours that we spent together, but then they were forgotten until I rummaged through some figure containers today and lo and behold………..

“You’re sure of a big surprise”!!!!

Well I was when I found them.

“If you go down to the woods today”

“You had better be in disguise”

“For todays the day the zombies have their picnic”!!!

And yes I intend to use these in our zombie games of “Last Days”!!!!!

I really want this project completed by the end of January so that I can start gaming with the figures I have shown you over the last few blogs.

I have the two sampans and all the bits and bobs shown in the last blog to do:

And my Samurai complex still to complete.

On the plus side I have finished the Sarissa Japanese village watchtower.

I have also completed the Sarissa small farmlet with two houses and 2 animal enclosures.

How to make the cabbage patches can be found in a previous blog.

I have been extremely busy at work over the last few weeks leading up to Christmas and even though I am meant to be working part time easing into retirement Covid-19 has meant my services have been even more in demand and I am working almost full time again. Except for the week leading up to Christmas finishing gaming projects has been difficult. Fortunately I have completed a lot of minor projects that were almost there but not quite.

I have even had a chance to do a bit more on my Japanese village project. A while go I asked all and sundry if they had any ideas for how to make a Japanese garden that looked OK and yet was “table functional”. What is below is a combination of those and my own ideas.

I started with some hard yellow foam available in sheets from the larger Bunnings hardware shops. These were cut using a foam hot wire to provide the perimeter for the water garden. Some Sarissa Precision wooden walk ways were put together and painted red to provide contrast on the tabletop. In the end I did not use the moulded railway scenic rocks but have an idea for some small gardens. The centre piece of the garden is the stone pagoda which I picked up in the Ho Chi Minh city central market for a few dong many a year ago.

I then used Selleys “spackfilla” to create the water texture.

The water was then painted in exactly the same as I have already shown in detail back in August.

Next the rocks were painted.

I then put a wash of Agrax Earthshade over the water and rocks. When this was dry a light white dry brush was added to the water and rocks and some “plants” were added.

A thin coat of aquadhere was applied to the water surface.

The walkways were also glued into place at this time.

Finally a few more plants were added and some finishing touches with flocking to cover up the blemishes were completed. I am really happy with the final product.

I have one more garden to complete, but at this stage I am still working out if I will repeat the above, with slight variations, which will allow for longer walkways to fight over or to use the model rocks as stepping stones that would make for some interesting duels.

At this stage I am, thinking I will leave the walkways for a little dock area and go for the above as I have a few small sampans and assorted paraphernalia still to paint.

With our family get togethers all happening before Christmas this year it will be a quiet day with a picnic in the park. So we have prepared the sustenance already.

Must be “Bubbly time” somewhere in the world at the moment!

I hope you all have a very merry and safe Christmas today.

This blog was pre-written so that all I had to do was push the Ho! Ho! Ho! button first thing this morning.

FYI. There are now some excellent Santa figure ranges out there to celebrate the festive season with:

Reaper Miniatures

Foundry

Anvil

Wayland

Alternate Armies

Looks like the lead tank is a Finnish Mk1 Rudolph

Well this is my 11th blog of Christmas with just one more blog and 330 minutes to go before Santa arrives. Over the period of time it has taken to write these blogs 46 figures and one vehicle have been completed, 2 Christmas gifts from John G based and flocked, and 11 figures from my son “shown off” to you all. Quite a productive final week before Christmas.

The 11th blog returns to historical gaming with these Japanese bandits.

Kojirō leads a gang of bandits and brigands with a reputation for robbing travellers in sudden, vicious attacks. His lack of mercy has earned him the nickname ‘Oni’ – the demon.

Ruthless, cunning and upholding little to no honour, these bandits and brigands will fight for any side if they have the right amount of money. Nothing is too beneath them and nothing is too challenging, making them the ideal hire for anyone who wants a job done.

Kojirō’s has the ability to take Coin cards from samurai he cuts down, and make use of those cards for the rest of the battle. Combine that with other skill cards like Rotten to the Core, Ambush and Mob Tactics, and you have a dangerous bunch of thieves!

These two figures are based to be used as heroes or leaders.

Likewise these two can be used for heroes, leaders, or lieutenants

2 Strongmen or enforcers

Archers and Musket men

Bandits and Brigands with katana, staff, and marching.

Now that I have two forces complete for “Test of Honour”, ninjas and bandits, I am hoping I might be able to have a few games with them over the Christmas break. Now that can go onto the Santa wishlist.

Just a short blog today as we hurry to get ready for that guy in the red suit being pulled through the Australian night sky by six white boomers.!!!

The figure below first appeared unpainted in a blog back in March 2019 together with the pygmies which were finally painted earlier this year.

This figure is from Black Army Games and whilst being a fairly plain model has come up exceptionally well.

If I don’t catch up with you tomorrow from Guru Pig and all of the guys at P.I.G.S. we hope you have a safe and very merry Christmas.

Our youngest son and daughter in-law were unfortunately working this Christmas and so we need to celebrate a few days early.

Here is what he gave me from Santa’s workshop (Whiz Kids).

All of these will be great for my new Egyptian Fantasy project.

THANKS BEN

I know that etiquette and wargaming are a contradiction in terms but I thought I should have a rant about it anyway.

You’ve probably been in this situation before: It’s Christmas morning, and your wife eagerly hands over a gift she’s excited for you to open. The anticipation is high, but when you unwrap it………………………………………….!!??

How do you react?

Most people will put on a happy face and thank her politely — which is the right thing to do. But what do you do with that unwanted gift in the days and months afterwards?

When you are talking about wargame re-gifting is this any different?

Well my wife has learnt that if she wants to buy me something for wargaming to ask for a list from which she can choose as this certainly makes sure it is something I will like and not be re-gifted.

On the other hand, we have all seen “real treasures” in someone else’s collection that they will never use but you are afraid to ask for.

To overcome the problem, we have a “Kris Kringle” tradition in our gaming group of choosing something from your collection that is “horrible”, that is “something you will never use”, and “never know why you bought it in the first place”. Of course, we would never have anything like that in our collection would we!

This year I steered away from that and put together a “dice tray” and a blister of dice for everyone that I had lovingly made. Whilst it was a hit I had let the team down and cheated.

The reason why is because the whole objective of the re-gifting is NOT to provide your mates with something they might use, but to get rid of that “pile of ship” in your cupboard and add to the pile in theirs.! You have utterly failed if they actually do like it!

Well I am glad to say that my re-gift from John G this year failed the test by a long way on both counts. I liked it and he cheated by asking if I wanted it in the first place!!

I am currently working on a set of fantasy rules set in Ancient Egypt and this is what he gave me:

Obviously a “Sphinx” and a “Giant scorpion” will fit with the Egyptian fantasy theme.

You can never have enough thugs in your Batman collection can you. Here are the latest to finally make the figure shelves.

I think this finally completes my Batman collection………… at least until the next purchase.

I picked up these models from Hasslefree and Studio Miniatures because they looked cool and I thought would make an interestingly themed game.

As usual this is based upon very definitive primary source material being the cult film “Bubba Hotep“

Whilst definitely NOT being an Elvis fan I love the movie Bubba Hotep. The plot is hilarious with Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) and a black “JFK” (Ossie Davis) staying in a nursing home where nothing happens – until a wayward Egyptian mummy comes and sucks out the old people’s souls thru how can I say this delicately – from where the sun don’t shine! The two decide to fight back and the rest is history. So there you have it…. that’s what happened to the real Elvis.

For old codgers like me the film has a serious side as it deals with the issues of positive ageing in a world that values youth, but as this is not a serious blog I will not go there.

However……………………………. nah – just kidding!

BUBBA

Bubba is available from Hasslefree Miniatures.

“AARON”

Aaron is available from Studio Miniatures.

Unfortunately I am still waiting upon Australia Post for my Pulp Miniatures wheelchair figure to represent Ossie Davis. Hopefully it will arrive before I end up in one.

I also have some suitable Great Escape Games Miniatures from their “Malevolent Seven” gang that will do as a suitable “cowboy” Hotep mummy figure.

Unfortunately these will need to wait a little while.

I will also use the figures for my “Merciless Thug Gang” in the Last Days of the Zombie Apocalypse rules. “Bubba” will do as the Leader and “Aaron” as his Crony.

I had to finish with this picture because “He ain’t nothin but a Hound Dog” “In the Ghetto” who is “All Shook Up” because we made his “Jailhouse Rock”. I could go on but I won’t!