Core Space - Civilians

In Core Space, civilians, human or otherwise will often get caught up in the action. They perform the day to day duties needed to keep things running and are not used to being invaded by Traders or Purge and can therefore act irrationally. Although lightly armed, they are not trained soldiers and are prone to panic.
Civilians will sometimes trade with characters, join a Trader crew or attack them without provocation. Civilians can join a crew and likewise, a trader can retire and become a civilian. However, civilians are not always what they seem, so be careful. Civilians may be Galactic spies or even disguised Purge Live Ones on reconnaissance duty!

The three civilians to the left of these two photos are part of the boxed core set, whilst the other two were Kickstarter add-ons.
At the far left is Butler, privileged, pompous and entitled, he demands the best. His empty swagger hides a deeply insecure man whose fortunes have teetered on the brink more times than he cares to admit.
Gan'eek is a skilled engineer and tech designer who works in the rough end of the galaxy. He prefers to be in the thick of the action rather than take the soft posting that his family had arranged. He is a member of the Ech Triune race, renowned scientists and engineers.

In the centre of this group is Kaori. Young, strong and fast, she grew up on the mean streets working as a "runner", a foot courier who could deliver to places traffic could only dream of. She is a self-styled cyberpunk using her credits to buy and upgrade the tech she needs to stay one jump ahead of the competition.
A downtrodden plumber by trade, Treva Jole has spent the last few years fixing the hot tubs of the rich and famous. He looks on in envy at his customers but also envies the Traders' exciting lives on the edge, something Treva can't bring himself to commit to.
Finally, is Ooma, a member of an obscure species who ambles through life with his malfunctioning translator, the eternal tourist even on his homeworld. However, his bumbling facade hides an extremely sharp and in some ways, devious mind.
I always say that you can never have too many civilians whatever genre they belong to and that is certainly true of sci-fi civilians. I have already used some of these in my The Ace of Spades Campaign on my WOIN blog and will certainly use them when I start my new Judge Dredd campaign.

MC1 Citizens 08

In this post I'm showcasing three 28mm scale male Mega City One citizens, all of whom were sculpted by me. I've used them in other sci-fi games, as they are generic enough to be used in more than one sci-fi setting.

 The citizen at the far left serves a number of useful purposes. Is he just an ordinary shopper? Or is he something more sinister - a terrorist, perhaps? Is he carrying a bomb in his bags? Is that a real beard and moustache? Why the dark glasses and wide brimmed hat?
In the centre is the only named character out of this trio. He is Jon Kupishii, an office worker. He is carrying a briefcase and a folded up overcoat. Because he is keeping his head lowered, he might have a shady secret. Or maybe it's just a wise precaution because in a city with so many adults being unemployed, those with a job are often resented.

Finally is an anonymous shopper. This fashionable young man has been shopping for groceries at Mosgrove and Thrung, a well known department store (think Marks and Spencers), noted for their green bags with the distinctive white M&T logo.
I still have few more citizen types to show you but they'll keep for another time.

MC1 Citizens 07

Here are another four female citizens from Mega City One. These four 28mm scale figures were sculpted by me many years ago. Two of them are named NPCs whilst the other two are yet to be named.

At the far left is Mercedes Night. Mercedes is a private investigator who specialises in tracking down missing persons. She is carrying a torch in her right hand. Note that she is unarmed as she does not have a permit allowing her to carry restricted weapons. Although she can carry legally sanctioned weapons, she prefers not to.
Next up is Joanna Lubley, a blocker whose hobby is shopping for clothes, shoes, handbags and perfumes. When Games Workshop brought out the first Judge Dredd RPG in the 1980's they included a couple of sheets of cardboard NPCs for you to cut out and use in your games. One of those NPCs was Joanna and I based my sculpt on the picture of her.

Second from the right is another blocker, a citizen who spends her entire life in one city block. She is not based on any character that I'm aware of - she's just the product of my fertile imagination. In case you're wondering, those question marks on her jacket were drawn on her with a fine nibbed Rotring pen.
Finally, this brunette citizen was originally designed to be used in Cyberpunk games like Cyberpunk 2020 or Shadowrun, but of course she fits in just as well in Mega City One where I'll use her as a standard Citizen.

MC1 Citizens 06

In this post and the next one I'm going to take a look at some of my female sci-fi citizens to use as inhabitants of Mega City One. Rather unusually, all five have been given names by me.

At the far left is Maria Mercurial, the star of an old Shadowrun scenario. The figure was produced by Ral Partha and she has cybernetic arms and legs. The sculpting on her is exquisite and perfectly proportioned. In MC1 she would be a Star, a notable singer with a big following of fans.
Next in line is Tina Merrill, who is either a Blocker or a Citizen. She is a very old figure produced by Citadel Miniatures as part of their Spacefarers range which were created long before Warhammer 40,000 came into being.
In the centre of the group is Takazumi Tomokumi a 1/48th scale model who came with a plastic Manga hover vehicle. I forget who exactly produced her and the vehicle but it was a Japanese firm. Given that she is a driver I've decided to make her a professional Driver. She will undoubtedly be one of the racers in the Superslab Slam scenario that appears in the Judge Dredd and the Worlds of 2000 AD rulebook (see p.203 -207).

Fourth in line in Zoe Heriot whom fans of Doctor Who may recognise as one of the companions of the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton). Her figures is produced by Black Tree Designs. I'll be using her as an Employee - a Personal Assistant to a corporate manager.
Last up is Kisten Galdot, a Blocker or Citizen. She was produced by West End Games as a rebel operative for their Star Wars range.

MC1 Citizens 05

Here are another five male citizens of Mega City One. From left to right the first and fourth figure were produced by Grenadier Miniatures as part of their  Traveller range. The second figure is from Citadel Miniatures Spacefarers range. The fifth figure is from Moonraker Miniature's Spacelords range. I have no idea who produced the third figure. As with the others he is a very old figure bought in the 1980's.
At the far left is an ambassador according to Grenadier Miniatures. I will use him as one of the Social Elite in Mega City One.
Next to him is another member of Mega City One's Social Elite. He is the only figure out of this batch that I have name. He is called Cyrano Curtiz.
Third in line is yet another Social Elite citizen. He is obviously dressed as an ancient Roman Senator. His mirror-shades look out of place but places him in a much later time period. The reason I bought him was to use him in my old The Ace of Spades Campaign using the GURPS rules. Many citizens of the Mercantile League dress up in ancient Roman costumes. Also, much of their architecture is inspired by the ancient Roman Empire. Given the wacky and weird costumes worn by many MC1 citizens, I figured he'd fit in well in this sprawling metropolis.

Second from the right is some kind of scientist. The best career option for him is the Boffin, who are skilled scientists and some of the most sought after citizens in the city.
Finally is a doctor. Sadly there is no career option for a doctor in Judge Dredd and the Worlds of 2000 AD, so I'll use the Medic career option from the N.E.W. rulebook for him. The beauty of the WOIN rulebooks is that they can all be used for cross overs.

MC1 Citizens 04

Continuing my look at my figures of Mega City One citizens here are six more males. These are a mixed bunch with the three to the left being the same figure from their 25mm scale Spacefarers sci-fi range (1980), the next two were produced by West End Games for their 25mm scale Star Wars range. Sadly I have no recollection of who made the figure at the far right. I do know that I bought him in the 1980's. Despite these all being 25mm scale figures they still fit in well with my 28mm to 32mm scale figures.

The figure at the far left was such a generic looking civilian that I bought three of them. Apart from their paint schemes, the first two are identical. The one at the far right is either a Blocker or a Citizen. Next to him is an Eldster as denoted by his pale grey hair. For the third one I added a can of a fizzy drink to his right hand.

Third from the left is the surly bartender, Cedo Partu from the Mos Eisley cantina on Tatooine from the film, Star Wars IV - A New Hope. He could be either a bartender or a barfly in Mega City One.
Next up is a rebel operative. I don't think he appeared in any of the films but he might have made a very brief appearance.
The unknown figure at the far right is just another generic sci-fi civilian.

MC1 Citizens 03

I still have lots more figures of Mega City One citizens to show you so without further ado, here is the next batch. These six figures were all produced by Citadel Miniatures in the 1980's. The three to the left were alternate Time Lords from their Doctor Who range. The next two are from their Judge Dredd range of figures and the final figure is a Rogue Trader psyker. Most of them have not been named.

First in line is a Social Elite civilian wearing the most extravagant clothing to show off his wealth and eccentricity.
Second from the left is an African-American Citizen. He walks with a limp hence his need to use a walking cane.
Next up is another eccentrically dressed Citizen. He is carrying a "boom box" in his right hand

Moving on is a Blocker. This figure was originally a perp holding a pistol but I clipped off his pistol to convert him into a Blocker. His T-Shirt features Belinda Plook, who was most notably arrested by Judge Dredd whilst performing at the Megavision Song Concert. Note that I have made figures of Belinda and her band which I'll show in a later post.
The only named character from this group is the second from the right. She is Melda Dreep, a Blocker, who lit the fuse to the Block Wars when someone from a rival block dropped an ice cream on her head. As a result, Block Mania spread throughout Mega City One resulting in a massive death toll. The Block Mania story was a prologue to the much longer The Apocalypse War story.
Finally is a Psyker citizen. Psykers are individuals with psionic powers but are not members of Justice Department. Justice Department tries to recruit as many psykers as possible into their Psi Division; however, many with appropriate talents are unable to be Judges. Some may be too old to enter the Academy of Law – although the age limit can be raised for those whose powers are revealed at a later date there is a limit to this. If powers are first spotted in a teenager or adult then they are considered far too old to become a Judge.

MC1 Citizens 02

Preparations are well in hand for the start of my new Judge Dredd campaign. In the past, I have shown a lot of my Judges, Perps and Robots but not many Citizens. In this post and the next few posts I'll be showcasing a lot more of my Citizen figures starting with these six, all produced by Moonraker Miniatures as part of their Spacelords range. Most of my Citizens have not been given names but some have.

At the far left is a male citizen from set 3706 - Civilians. Based on the career choices in the Judge Dredd and the Worlds of 2000 AD rulebook, I'd class him as a bog standard Citizen - one of the multitudes living in Mega City One who try to keep their heads down to stay out of trouble. Alternatively, he could be a Blocker.
Next in line is a Ship's Crewman from set 3720 - Ship's Crew. He could be a Pilot, Scientist or Engineer or even a Smuggler. He'll be in big trouble if the Judges spot him smoking that cigar!
Third from the left is another Citizen or Blocker who is also from set 3706 - Civilians. Blockers were born and raised in a city block and quite often spend their whole lives there, never venturing outdoors. After all, the block provides all they would ever want.

Third from the right is an armed civilian from set 3701 - Adventurers. He could be a small business owner or perhaps even a Survivalist. Note that ownership of a pistol is not necessarily a criminal offence - it all depends upon the type of pistol.
Second from the right is another Civilian from set 3706 - Civilians. He, too, is armed and is very similar to the previous Citizen in that he too, is armed with a Pistol.
Last up is the only female of this group and the only one I have named. She is Falujah Faliraki, the fourth figure from set 3706 - Civilians. In my mind, she has to be one of the Social Elite where she attends all the best social functions that happen in the best blocks in the sector.

Assorted Dominatrices 01

I do like to mix things up on my blog and here's a post I'm sure no one will have been expecting! I'm taking a look at my collection of dominatrix figures from assorted companies. I do have a reason for showing these, which will be revealed below.

The figure at the far right was made by SLAP Miniatures but is no longer available from them as they have stopped making 28mm scale figures to concentrate on making 15mm scale figures. Bleurgh! 😠There is no question at all that she is a dominatrix with her black leather costume and whip. Someone is about to get a right thrashing from her.
Next up is Dominatrix Libby sculpted by Kevin White for Hasslefree Miniatures and available here - https://www.hfminis.co.uk/shop?product=dominatrix-libby~hfa048&category=modern-%26%0D%0Apost%252dapoc~%2Anew-moderns%2A
She is the reason for this post. As I am preparing for my new Judge Dredd campaign I realised I needed a figure of a Pleasure Robot, who had to look human. Dominatrix Libby was my number one choice and because she is going to be a robot I renamed her £1BBY. You'll be seeing more of her soon if you follow my WOIN blog. The question is - will she be a help or a hindrance to the Judges?

The next three figures are very old miniatures. The woman wearing the red robes was a wizard for a very early version of Warhammer made by Citadel Miniatures. I believe she was supposed to be based on glamour model Samantha Fox (who remembers her?) but if so, it's a poor likeness. She is the only one not to be armed with a whip: instead she has a dagger or short sword by her left side.
The manufacturer of the Dominatrix in the black Basque and holding a cat-of-nine-tails sadly eludes me. All I know is that I bought her in the mid to late 1980's. Her head appears to be too oversized for her body but otherwise she's not a bad sculpt.
Finally is a Dominatrix produced by Denizen Miniatures and still available from their webstore as FA49 Dungeon Mistress priced at £1.45. She is 25mm scale but I don't mind that as females are generally smaller than males and people do come in all shapes and sizes. The sculpting on her is exquisite.

Warlord Games 11th Doctor and his Companions

In this post I'm reviewing the figures from the 11th Doctor and Companions set from the Doctor Who range of 35mm scale pewter figures by Warlord Games.

Youthful in appearance, but centuries old, the 11th Doctor (as played by Matt Smith) loved life but had little time for those who did him wrong. A fondness for hats and Jammie Dodgers, he was adventurous and unpredictable. His main companions included feisty Scot, Amy Pond (as played by Karen Gillen), her husband Rory Williams (as played by Arthur Darvill) and the mysterious Clara Oswald, aka the Impossible Girl (as played by Jenna-Louise Coleman). He also frequently appeared alongside Professor River Song (as played by Alex Kingston), a fellow time traveller, with whom he shared a romantic storyline which resulted in them marrying.

From left to right the figures are the 11th Doctor, River Song, Clara Oswald, Amy Pond and Rory Williams. Note that the figure of Clara is the second to be made by Warlord Games in this range, with the first appearing in the 12th Doctor and Companions set. This makes me very happy as Clara is my favourite companion from all of the series. She had star appeal in abundance! I liked Matt Smith a lot and I was very fond of all of these companions. They were all worthy allies of the Doctor who put in many fine performances.
This boxed set of five figures also includes 12 cards to use in the Exterminate! skirmish game. It costs £22.00 form the Warlord Games webstore.

Warlord Games 9th Doctor and his Companions

I recently bought some more boxed sets of Warlord Games Doctor Who miniatures, which included the 4th Doctor (as played by Tom Baker), the 9th Doctor (as played by Christopher Eccleston), the 11th Doctor (as played by Matt Smith) and their companions. In this post I'm focussing on the 9th Doctor and his four companions.

Battle-scarred, but with a great love of life and adventure, the 9th Doctor invited 19 year old shopgirl Rose Tyler (as played by Billie Piper) aboard the TARDIS for a trip of a lifetime. Later joined by time traveller Captain Jack Harkness from the 51st Century (as played by John Barrowman), and occasionally assisted by Rose's boyfriend, Mickey Smith (as played by Noel Clarke) and Rose's mother, Jackie (as  played by Camille Coduri), their adventures took them from Victorian Cardiff to the end of the world, fighting enemies old and new, including Autons, Daleks and the Slitheen.

From left to right are the 9th Doctor, Captain Jack Harkness, Mickey Smith, Rose Tyler and Jackie Tyler. Note that this is the second figure of Rose that Warlord Games has made. She also appears in the 10th Doctor and his Companions set. The sculpts are all excellent, and have faithfully captured the likenesses of the five characters. They are statically posed but I have no problem with that. The four companions would make excellent generic civilians in any contemporary game. I rather liked Christopher Eccleston's performance as the 9th Doctor but after it was announced that he was leaving after just one series, it came as no surprise to me. I never expected him to be a long serving Doctor. As for his companions, I liked them all immensely, especially Rose and Jackie.
This boxed set of five 35mm scale figures also includes 12 cards to use in the Exterminate! skirmish game. It costs £22.00 form the Warlord Games webstore.

Black Scorpion Townsfolk 02

Following on from my last post here are the rest of my Black Scorpion 32mm scale townsfolk from their Tombstone range of figures. I haven't got round to naming any of these yet but it's just a matter of time before I do.

These five figures come from the Civilians 03 set. At the far left is a dog, which I was pleasantly surprised to see included. Another useful figure is the little boy holding a poster. Figures of Wild West children are extremely rare, so once again, I was mighty pleased that he's included in the set.

In the centre of the group is a banjo player. Note his holstered pistol on his right hip. Next in line is a farmer or homesteader with a 12 Gauge Double-Barrelled Shotgun.
Finally, is a drunken cowboy who is having difficulty walking in a straight line. He has his revolver drawn but the chances of him hitting anything with it must be very remote.
This set of five figures cost £9.60 from Black Scorpion's webstore.

This next set of figures are the Town Watch, the brave folk who volunteer to join a sheriff's posse or defend their town from bandits and outlaws. They are a mixed bunch, that's for sure. At the far left is an elderly bespectacled gentleman armed with a .45 Colt Army Revolver and a 12 Gauge Double-Barrelled Shotgun.
Next up is another old timer who also wields a 12 Gauge Double-Barrelled Shotgun.

Not as old as the previous two, but still getting on in years as denoted by his greying hair, the gent second from the right is left-handed and is firing a .45 Colt Army Revolver.
Last in line is a spunky lady who means business as she wields a 12 Gauge Sawn-Off Double-Barrelled Shotgun. This set of four figure also costs £9.60.
As always, the sculpting of these resin-cast figures is just superb. They were very crisp and a pleasure to paint. They are also so full of character - each one looks like he or she has a story to tell - and I love that in a figure.
Note that my next posts will concentrate on my Zomtober challenge. Progress is going really well.

Black Scorpion Townsfolk 01

In this, the first of two posts, I'm reviewing a couple of sets of Black Scorpion 32mm scale Townsfolk from their Tombstone range of resin cast figures.

The four figures to the left are the Civilians 1 set, consisting of a miner/prospector, a store owner with broom, an elderly fat gentleman and a young lady with umbrella. I haven't named any of these yet. This set costs £9.60 for the four figures.

At the far right is a rambler and Humphrey the dog. I named the rambler as Russell Tucker, or as most folk call him, "Ole Man Tucker." He and Humphrey are inseparable, which is rather appropriate given that they are a one-piece casting. Together, they cost £4.50.

Next up are Civilians 2, which also consists of four figures -  a blacksmith, a bartender, a doctor and a middle-aged lady. This set also costs £9.60.

All of these figures are crisply sculpted and were a joy to paint. I will be using them in my Six Gun Sound games and I will name them all and give them character record cards.

Dead Man's Hand Civilians 01

Anyone interested in playing Wild West games in 28mm - 32mm scale, can't have failed to notice just how many companies cater to this range. There are lots! 😊 My favourites are Black Scorpion, Flying Frog Productions, North Star and Reaper. I have just started collecting figures from the Knuckleduster Miniatures 32mm Gunfighters' Ball range and I like them so much, I want them all! I tend to favour the larger scale figures but I am quite happy to mix and match 32mm scale figures with 28mm scale figures. Last month, I purchased some furniture items and civilian figures from the Dead Man's Hand 28mm scale range, and it is these civilians I want to showcase here.

These three figures are from the Civilian Bank Figures Set and have been designed for use with the 4Ground Bank, although there is no reason why you couldn't use them with any other bank you have. The female included in this set could be a secretary working at the bank or, more likely, is a customer.

The two males are obviously bank staff. The elderly gentleman in the centre is holding a large book, probably an accounts ledger. The younger male at the right is surrendering, no doubt the victim of a bank robbery. I have yet to name any of these characters and the 4Ground Bank is still on my shopping list, but it is a model I will definitely be buying. This set of three figures costs just £5.00.

This next set is the Civilian Bar Staff Set, or more specifically, Rogan's Bar Staff. Rogan's Bar is another 4Ground model, and I do have it made and painted, which is the main reason I particularly wanted this set. Yet again, you could use any appropriate figures to replace these three, but I was happy to use these "officially" produced miniatures.

At the far left is Cathie "Cat" Rogan, the daughter of the bar's original owner, Jim Rogan, who was murdered 10 miles out of town a few years ago. No one knows who killed him or why, but they hadn't counted on Cat being so determined to make a success of the bar. Cat is cool, determined and resourceful, with a good head for business. Three years ago, she extended the bar upwards by adding a bunkhouse for travellers to rest overnight. 

The two males are the middle-aged bartender, holding a bottle, and an elderly general assistant who is brushing the floor. I have yet to give them names. This set of figures also costs £5.00 for all three.

This photo, taken from the Dead Man's Hand webstore, shows the three staff members standing outside Rogan's Bar. Note that I have based my figures on 20mm diameter slottabases, for two reasons - one, it gives them a smaller footprint, and seeing as they are in static poses, works well for them, and two, it just gives them a bit more height against my 32mm scale figures.

The third set I bought was the Undertaker's Staff Set. Yet again, these were designed to go with the 4Ground Undertaker's building, which I do have, and it is also made and painted. According to the signs on the building, it belongs to one C.F. Caldwell, so I named the undertaker, standing at the far left, Charles Franklin Caldwell.

In the centre of the trio is the firm's carpenter, who not only makes coffins, but also furniture items as well. At the far right is the firm's young assistant and general dogsbody. I shall name these two in due course. Yet again, this set of figures costs £5.00.

This photo, is also taken from the Dead Man's Hand webstore and shows the three figures inside the Undertaker's building. Here's a link to the webstore - http://www.greatescapegames.co.uk/deadmanshand/dmhminiatures/civilians.html
Whilst not essential purchases, these will help populate my towns and make for useful bystanders and NPCs. They are very well sculpted but note that they are true 28mm scale, which makes them look a bit small when compared to 32mm scale figures. This doesn't bother me, but it might be a concern to some of you. Note that they come with integral metal bases and not slottabases.

Shadows of Brimstone - Old West Allies 01

As I mentioned in my last Monthly Musings post I have been doing a lot of work on my Wild/Weird West project, including painting lots more figures. The eight figures I'm showing here are classed as Old West Allies, and whilst they were produced by Flying Frog Productions for their Shadows of Brimstone game they are generic enough to be used in any Wild West game.
When Dark Stone was first discovered in the area around Brimstone, outsiders flooded in, looking to get rich. Now, they come looking to make a name for themselves (and maybe get rich along the way too). Though many of those that arrive are true Heroes in their own right, most are common folk with dollars in their eyes, blinding them to the horrors that await. Hiring themselves out as henchmen, they join up with posses heading into the dark mines. The flood of fortune seekers and merchants have also brought with them supplies and pack mules to carry the load, blacksmiths to support the effort and forge the "black rock", and faithful dog companions to help in hunting through the dark places of the world.

At the far left is, of course, a blacksmith. With the discovery of Dark Stone and the rush to get rich, blacksmiths have become a good ally to have at your side. Between shoeing horses, forging the black rock and maintaining weaponry, there is more call than ever for a good blacksmith than ever before. A rugged and sturdy fighter, a blacksmith can hold his own in a fight, but can also work with Dark Stone in the field to enhance the rest of the posse's attacks. This is a one-piece casting made of plastic and he is my first Old West blacksmith figure. I recently bought the Sarissa MDF blacksmith's building, which I have yet to make, so he'll be right at home in there.

The next three figures are assorted henchmen. Mercenaries and hired hands, henchmen are the easiest ally to find. Everyone and their brother it seems (often literally), has come to find their fortune in the battered lands around Brimstone. But most do not realise the terrors that dwell down in the mines, and the probable gruesome fate that awaits them. These plastic figures came in three parts - one single common body and legs, a choice of two right hands (one holding a pick, the other a pistol) and a choice of three heads. I used all three heads and both hands, but rather than duplicate the the weapons, I cut the third henchman's arm off at the elbow and remodelled it with Milliput so that his hand is resting against his pouch.

Dogs are a common sight on the frontier, helping to guide cattle, protect territory, or just roaming the streets of every settlement as strays. There is no ally more loyal than the faithful dog, sniffing out valuable treasures, running ahead to scout the area for threats, or holding off hordes of creatures with their fearsome bark. This was also a one-piece plastic casting and is such a versatile figure that he could be used in so many games and genres.
Pack mules are the work horses of the Old West. Loaded down with all manner of tools, gear, supplies and loot, a pack mule can be indispensable for hauling around the extra equipment and treasures collected throughout an Adventure. Though slow and non-aggressive, a pack mule can be easily spooked, kicking wildly as it finds its way out of danger. This plastic figure came in four parts - right and left body and right and left equipment packs. It is the only pack mule I have and oddly enough, it is my favourite figure out of this set. The dog comes a close second. These are the six figures that you get in the Old West Allies boxed set.

Included in the boxed set are cards for Ally Specialities, giving them different abilities or gear and modifying their cost to hire. In addition, there are different types of henchmen you can hire. Figures for some of them are available from the Flying Frog webstore, which is where I got mine. The Mexican bandido is known only as Loco, although I gave him the surname of Lopez, as it is nicely alliterative. He is basically a lesser version of the Bandido Hero with his pistol and dynamite. He is a two piece resin casting, with his sombrero a separate piece.
Another specialist ally currently available is the mutant blacksmith. His lower face and the right side of his torso are covered in tentacles. He would most likely be found in one of the mutant towns that are cropping up around Brimstone. He is a one piece casting made of resin.
These are extremely useful figures and I am very pleased that Flying Frog are producing these generic Old West figures. Not only are they are a useful addition to Shadows of Brimstone, but they will certainly see use in my more normal Six Gun Sound campaign. I just need to give them names.

Wargames Terrain Workshop Wasteland Scavengers 01

A relatively new range of figures from the prolific Dave Stone of Wargames Terrain Workshop is this range of Wasteland Scavengers, which at present comprises of these three figures shown below.

At the far left is the child. He is 19mm tall, although he is sitting down. All the figures are made of resin and come with integral 25mm diameter bases. He appears to have found the steering controls of a vehicle, possibly a jet bike, and he is pretending to drive it. He costs £3.00.
My favourite figure out of the trio is the adult woman. I think she's a great sculpt, but I must warn you that she stands 39mm tall, which may make her far too tall for some of you. Scale creep or is she just a very tall woman? I'm going with the latter. She carries a large wrench in her right hand and has a bag of assorted items slung over her left shoulder. She costs £4.00.

Finally, is the old lady. She is hunched down as she drags along a sack of looted items, including a robot arm. She looks rather furtive, but who can blame her? She is 24mm tall and she costs £3.00.
These three figures are generic enough to appear in many settings from a contemporary zombie apocalypse world, to near future and sci-fi. I have then stored away with my Judge Dredd figures as  I figure they'll fit in well in either Mega City 1 or in the Cursed Earth.
I know that Dave has plans for expanding this range and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

Here, I have repainted the female, giving her blue skin, and I have added my figure of Vampifan to the photo to show you just how tall Dave's figures are.

Assorted Wild West Children 01

As I mentioned in a reply to one of the comments made last time, finding figures of Wild West female townsfolk is hard but finding figures of children for this genre is even harder. Fortunately, I do have some. Here's a sample of some of them.

All of these are plastic figures, with the four to the left coming from an old boxed set of Airfix 1/72nd scale (20mm scale) Cowboys. I got these as a child during the 1960's, and I still have the figures from that boxed set. Seeing as I was after figures of children, their lack of height compared to 28mm scale figures actually worked to my advantage. The small girl and boy at the far left were designed as children for that set. Now they fit in as young children, in the 4 to 7 age bracket.

The next two figures in line were adults from that set but work well as older children in 28mm scale. I have to admit that the detail on them is muted, especially on their faces, which are very featureless. But, no matter. They suffice for my needs as crowd fillers. The figure at the far right was given to me by my dad. He used to collect Lledo vintage cars and vehicles and this figure came with an old newspaper delivery van. He is true 28mm scale and although he is meant to be from the 1930's I thought he'd fit in with my Wild West figures. He is also the only one of these children whom I have named. I called him Joey Black, after an NPC of the same name who appeared in an old TSR Boot Hill scenario called Mad Mesa. Joey was a paperboy working for the Mad Mesa Gazette, so it seemed appropriate to use this figure for him.
I'm currently painting a couple of child heroes for the Shadows of Brimstone game - male and female orphans, and they are superb sculpts. Not all children need be innocent bystanders. I strongly approve of Flying Frog's decision to include children as hero characters in their Weird West game. I'm planning on buying the two Wild West children figures from Reaper's excellent Chronoscope range next month, so expect to see some armed children here soon.

Assorted Wild West Female Civilians 01

In this post I'm reviewing some of the assorted Wild West female civilians that I've amassed over the years. It is rather sad that figure manufacturers make far more male characters for Wild West gaming than females. Actually, this is true of most genres. Certainly amongst the civilian population you'd expect a roughly 50/50 split, but that is most definitely not the case when it comes to the Wild West. For sure, civilians are mainly used for background fodder or for obstacles to be helped or avoided. But even if they are just used to populate a town without taking any part, they are worth having to add a sense of realism to a gaming board.

At the far left is a 25mm scale Ral Partha female homesteader with baby. She is beautifully sculpted and whilst she is on the small side, I don't mind. Females are, generally speaking, smaller than males. My one criticism of this figure is that I'm not happy with the way I painted the baby's face. It looks more like a doll than a real baby!
Moving on, next to her is a very old Hinchliffe Models townswoman. I recently repainted her, as I wasn't happy with my original paint scheme. She has the look of a plucky woman who is up for a challenge. For such an old figure, she looks remarkably good.

 The next two ladies were both produced by Citadel Miniatures. Yes, I know, Citadel never made any Wild West figures. The woman in the light brown dress was part of a long out of production Mythos Investigators range. She is supposed to be used in a 1920's setting, but I thought she'd work just as well as a Wild West townswoman.
 The old lady at the far right is a conversion of a Judge Dredd perp known as Mad Ma Mahaffy. I cut her arms off and remodelled them out of Milliput. She has such a timeless look about her that she could fit in anywhere from the 1800's to the present day. I'm using her in my Wild West setting as a shop owner.

At the far left of this trio is another Hinchliffe Models 28mm scale figure - a Victorian lady, who certainly doesn't look out of place in a Wild West setting. She has also benefited from a recent repaint. With her bright yellow dress she'll certainly stand out in a crowd.

I close with a pair of female civilians who are amongst the oldest figures in my 28mm scale Wild West collection. They are from a small range of Wild West figures made by Minifigs in the late 1970's and have been out of production for many years now. They were designed as 25mm scale figures but being old women, I think their lack of height, when placed next to 28mm scale figures, works to their advantage. The old lady in the black dress is the original sculpt. On the other one, I removed her bible and repositioned her right arm. I also added a collar to her dress.
They certainly aren't the most exciting figures I've shown on my blog but they serve their purpose as innocent bystanders that I'll use in Six Gun Sound. Plus, you can never have too many civilian figures.