Shadows of Brimstone Undead Outlaws

As soon as I saw that Flying Frog Productions were bringing out a new boxed set of figures called Undead Outlaws for Shadows of Brimstone I knew I wanted them. I bought my set from an eBay seller for a much cheaper price than buying them direct from the Flying Frog webstore. Plus postage was free and I had no customs charges to worry about. A win-win deal!
These are actually smart zombies, in that they have retained the memory of how to fire a gun, much like the Smartie Zombies in High Moon.

Outlaws are a common occurrence throughout the region around the ruins of Brimstone. Even before the town blew up and the portals began to open, the gold rush and Dark Stone rush that grew the town out of control also lured in outlaws and bandits by the thousands. Once the devastation occurred and the Darkness came, countless number of these outlaws fell into shadow. Some became mutants, others fell to the curse of the Lycan or began meddling in dark Magiks, and many more began to rise from the grave as Undead. It wasn't long before the Undead Outlaws fell back into their old ways of robbing, rustling and mayhem. Perhaps it was just faint memories of their old lives seeping back in, or maybe they have a cold purpose, with a mind for revenge on the land of the living.
The most famous of all is a dark, rotting figure known only as the Undead Gunslinger. Whoever he was in life, no one can say for sure. But in death, he has become the most cold killer in the land, earning the nickname of the "Fastest Dead in the West". He travels the roads and shadows, challenging any who cross his path to a duel. Few survive to tell the tale. Feared for his quick draw, his cold silence and his sinister stare, the Undead Gunslinger is an unstoppable force, back from Hell and hungry for revenge. As a Legendary Enemy, the Undead Gunslinger is a dangerous foe to face. He is capable of dealing out horrendous amounts of damage with his six-shooters, using special Deadman's Shots bullets to terrorise his opponents.
I think it's safe to say, he is clearly based on Clint Eastwood's "The Man With No Name" from the Dollar trilogy of films. He is a superb sculpt in a very dramatic pose, with his ragged poncho flowing in the wind behind him. With his cheroot clamped in his mouth he just exudes menace as he fires away with both guns blazing.

The other three Undead Outlaws are all the same sculpt. However, they came with separate left arms, so by gluing them on in different positions I was able to make each one look unique. Varied paint jobs helped to differentiate them even further.

Thieves, rustlers and robbers in life, these Undead Outlaws have returned from the grave to bring death to the world of the living. Memories of their past lives have lead them to continue the life of the outlaw, robbing banks and trains, and gunning down any who would stand in their way. Undead Outlaws are predominantly Ranged Enemies that have the Shootout Standard Ability to guide how they move and attack each turn. As Undead, they also have high Defence and are fearsome Enemies to engage in a firefight.

These three figures were all identical one-piece sculpts. The one at the far left is the original sculpt. For the other two, I cut off their left arms and repositioned them so that each outlaw looks unique. I don't like having multiple figures all in exactly the same pose.
Although designed for use in Shadows of Brimstone, I will most certainly be using this set in my High Moon games as well. I am absolutely delighted with this set. The Undead Outlaws boxed set of seven 32mm scale figures costs $39.95 from the Flying Frog webstore plus a minimum $24.00 postage and whatever charges Customs and Excise want to extort you for and you can see why I opted for eBay. There is currently a set on eBay for sale at £34.86 plus free post and packing if any one is interested. It's dearer than what I paid, but still a good price. Better still, Amazon UK have 12 sets in stock for sale at £33.72.

Shadows of Brimstone - Old West Allies 02

I recently paced an order with Flying Frog Productions for four more Old West Allies to use with their Shadows of Brimstone game and my other Wild West games. Allies are not as fully developed as the Heroes but the two human figures shown here could be upgraded to Hero status if you so wanted.

At the far left is another saloon girl sculpt, and seeing as the saloon girl is a Hero archetype, you could definitely use her as a Hero or an Ally. She is armed with a two-shot Derringer pistol. I must admit that I do love saloon girl figures, whether they are armed or not. As is now the norm with the Shadows of Brimstone figures, she is cast in resin. She was a two part sculpt with the joint at her waist. To help reinforce the join, I drilled holes into both parts and used a short length of a paper clip to pin the two halves in place after applying a small amount of superglue. I stuck her to one of my 25mm diameter MDF bases, which I much prefer to the wide brimmed 30mm diameter plastic bases that these figures come supplied with.
Next up is the Indian Brave ally. So often, the native Americans are seen as the bad guys so I do appreciate the fact that Flying Frog have made this plains warrior an ally. He too, was a two-piece casting, with his hands and tomahawk being a separate piece that very easily slotted into place at his waist. I haven't decided which tribe he'll belong to or what his name will be. His name will very much depend upon his tribe. The Fantasy Name Generator website has a section for naming native Americans, which I'll certainly be using. See here - https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/native_american_names.php#.WxvQYYoo-Ul
However, Flying Frog have recently released a new mission pack expansion called The Black Fang Tribe, which finally introduces Native Americans to the game, so there's a good chance that I'll make him a member of that tribe. I've just checked up on Amazon UK and they have 12 copies of this supplement in stock, so I'm placing an order for a set immediately.

Finally, the two dogs were sold as a pair and they are classed as Man's Best Friend and Stray Dog. Man's Best Friend has been painted up as a Doberman breed. He looks big and intimidating and is clearly alert. Google Images helped me get his colouration just right. The Stray Dog, in comparison, looks very pitiful and forlorn. If you look closely, you can actually see his ribcage, which reinforces the fact that he is most likely a stray.
These are all fantastic sculpts. The two humans could appear in any of my Wild West and Weird West games. The dogs, however, are so generic that they could appear in almost any game or setting. All four figures are still available for sale in the Flying Frog webstore. The saloon girl costs $8.00. The Indian Brave costs $10.00 and the dogs cost $12.00 for the pair.

Six Gun Sound Scenario 01 - Gunfight at Stillwater

Finally I present my first ever Wild West batrep. This has been a long time in the coming but is something I have been dying to do ever since I started blogging. It has taken me a long time to build up my collection of Wild West buildings, figures and scenery in 28-32mm scale. Now my collection is of such a size that this batrep is possible. I am using the Six Gun Sound: Blaze of Glory rulebook with a few changes and additions from the upgraded, simpler and faster to play sequel. I much prefer the original version because it is so much more detailed.

This is my town set up, primarily using buildings from 4Ground. Now I know they are expensive, but to me the price is worth it because they are incredibly detailed and best of all, they come pre-painted. This is a huge time saver, however, I do paint the edges to blend in with the appropriate colour and to hide the dark wood. This is a tip I learnt from making my card buildings - always paint your edges.

The town of Stillwater, New Mexico is close to the border with Mexico. It has a main street running from south at the bottom of this photo to north at the top. A side street runs east and west.
As I said, most of my buildings are from 4Ground, but the one exception is the sheriff's office and jail, which I purchased from TT Combat. It came unpainted. Painting it wasn't too hard but it was time consuming. It did help me in that I used coloured card on the interior walls and I stuck black, fine-grade sandpaper on the roof.

This view of the crossroads shows from left to right at the top of the photo, a two-storey building under construction, the undertakers and across the street, the hardware store. A chuck wagon stands outside the store. This was a plastic construction kit in 1/48th scale that I bought many years ago. I don't know which company made it, but I do recall it was a Japanese company. Sadly, it did not come with horses.

At the western side of the main street is the only two-storey house in the town, with its family of four standing outside. Next to it is the land office and at the corner of the crossroads is Miss Kitty's Hotel, run by Kitty Trent. The name hotel is a bit misleading as the establishment is actually a brothel.

At the other side of the crossroads is Rogan's Bar, run by the strong-willed and tough miss Cathie Rogan. The upper floor is a bunkhouse for travellers looking for a cheap place to stay overnight. Next to the bar is a single-storey building under construction. The town is expanding northwards.

Here is a view up the side street. The two buildings at the bottom of the picture are single-storey houses for some of the town's residents. Some residents live and sleep in their own establishments.

In the north-east corner of the town is a small lake, from which the town got its name of Stillwater. This wonderful terrain piece came from Wargames Terrain Workshop, and its owner, Dave Stone, kindly painted it for me. I did ask him to and I was thrilled with the result. Dave added a rattlesnake to it, which is such a cool touch! It is only just visible at the top of the lake and directly below the topmost cactus. Note that my glasses are visible to the left of the house. I never noticed that they were there until after I'd posted this picture. Silly me!

The outdoor toilets are card models. The smaller one to the left was produced by World Works Games as part of their TLX Deadfall range. The larger one behind the sheriff's office was produced by Stoelzel's Structures as part of their Fatal Frontier set. I built two of each for my town.

And so we come to the scenario itself. I played a simple Gunfight encounter (p.35 of Blaze of Glory) and this was GF-2 where one side is outnumbered by the other. Obviously the encounter took place in town. The two female bandidas are after the four man outlaw gang after they shot and killed a good friend of theirs.

In this encounter the characters face off at the shortest effective range of all the characters involved. That was 8" for two of the outlaws. Although technically this is outlaws verses outlaws I called it outlaws verses bandidas, because the two females are Mexican outlaws known as bandidas. Note that males are known as bandidos.

The two females are from left to right Sara Sandoval and Maria Alvarez and both are Rep:5 Gunman Bandida Stars. Yes, I know this goes against the rules that a gang can only have one Star leader but I'm using a house rule that allows me two Stars as leaders. Sara has the Attributes Marksman, Lucky and Knife Fighter and she is armed with two Colt .45 Pistols and four Throwing Knives. Maria has the Attributes  Marksman, Lucky and Resilient and is armed with two Colt .45 Pistols. These figures are from my Shadows of Brimstone collection. Maria is appropriately enough, a Mexican Bandida and Sara is actually a Bounty Hunter figure.

The four outlaws whom Maria and Sara are after are a mixed bunch. From left to right are Benito Zedilla, a Rep:4 Gunman Bandido Grunt, Andrew Calder, a Rep:4 Gunman Bounty Hunter Grunt, Thomas McKay, a Rep:4 Gunman Gunslinger Star and leader of this gang, and "Wild Willy" Wilkes, a Rep:4 Cowboy Mountain Man Grunt. Zedilla is armed with a 12 Gauge Scattergun and has the Attributes Marksman and Dumbass. Calder is armed with two Colt .45 Pistols and has the Attributes Marksman and Initiative. McKay is armed with a Colt .45 Pistol and a .44 Derringer Pistol and has the Attributes Marksman, Nerves of Steel and Tough. Wilkes is armed with a Springfield .58 Rifle and a Bowie Knife and has the Attributes Brawler and Marksman. All four figures were produced by EM4 Miniatures.

Before the combat begins both sides must roll 2d6 verses their Sand scores for the Flinch test. Stars can choose their results, so Maria, Sara and McKay automatically passed 2d6 and could draw as normal. Zedilla and Calder also passed 2d6 but Wilkes only passed 1d6 and Flinched, giving him a -1d6 penalty on the Draw table.
Next, everyone rolled a number of d6 equal to their Rep for the Draw and applied appropriate modifiers. All Gunmen (that's everyone except Wilkes) got a +1d6 bonus and counted passes on 1 to 4 instead of 1 to 3 (this rule appears in the new version of Six Gun Sound and I liked it so much that I used it. Cowboys pass on rolls of 1 to 3 and Townsfolk on rolls of 1 to 2.). Zedilla suffered a -1d6 penalty for drawing a weapon that wasn't a pistol, derringer, knife or tomahawk. The same rule applied to Wilkes who decided to use his Rifle instead of his Knife. Finally, Wilkes suffered another -1d6 penalty for Flinching. Wilkes would only count passes on a 1 to 3 because he was a Cowboy, not a Gunman. So the results were as follows from highest to lowest -
Maria rolled 6d6 and passed 5.
Sara rolled 6d6 and passed 4.
Calder rolled rolled 5d6 and passed 3.
McKay rolled 5d6 and passed 2.
Wilkes rolled 2d6, and passed 2.
Zedilla rolled 3d6 and passed 1.

Shooting was carried out from highest result to lowest with ties being resolved simultaneously. When a character fires, it targets an opponent. That opponent must return fire. Each character must be targetted once before another character can be targetted twice. Maria went first and using her Marksman Attribute which allowed her to roll twice on the Ranged Combat table, counting the best result, but only for single shots. She fired once at Calder rolling a 5 and a 2. The 5 gave her a score of 10 because you add the dice roll to the character's Rep score. A 10 counted as a hit. Rolling on the Shooting Damage table, she rolled a 9, which was a hit in the gut. If hit by a Pistol, Carbine, Scattergun at 3", Shotgun at 6", Rifle, Buffalo Gun or Tomahawk the character was Out Of Fight, otherwise, the character rolled on the I'm Hit table. So Calder measured his length on the ground and took no further part in the fight.

Next up Sara fired once at McKay and like Maria, she used her Marksman Attribute. She rolled a 6 and a 3. The 6 gave her a score of 11 - a hit and she got to choose the result on the Shooting Damage table for rolling so high. She chose result 5 - hit in the head and Obviously Dead. With McKay being a Star I rolled for his Star Power Advantage to reduce the damage he'd taken. He rolled 4d6 for his Rep score and needed results of 1 to 3. Unfortunately for him I rolled high with rolls of 6, 6, 5 and 4 - all misses and the two 6s reduced his Star Power Rep to 2. I could have used his Cheating Death Advantage, which would have allowed him to be removed from the table to a place of safety, but that would have reduced his Rep by one level to Rep:3. I decided not to bother because for narrative purposes it made sense that he got killed.

Next to fire was Wilkes. He fired his Rifle, which could only target one character per turn. He shot at Sara and using his Marksman Attribute rolled a 3 and a 3, giving him scores of 7 and 7 - both a miss.
Zedilla fired his Scattergun at Maria and it could hit three targets but Zedilla concentrated all three shots on Maria. He rolled 5,4 and 1, giving him results of 9, 8 and 5. The 9 was a hit, the 8 misses because it was the second or higher target, and the 5 was an obvious miss. When firing a Scattergun you roll twice on the Shooting Damage table and count both results. He rolled a 4 and a 7 on the Shooting Damage table scoring a hit in the leg and a hit in the gun arm (if this had been at range 3" or less, Maria would have been Out Of Fight but the range was 8") and forcing Maria to roll twice on the I'm Hit table to see what the extent of her injuries are. She rolled 2d6 verses her Toughness of 5 and passed 2d6 twice, scoring a just a scratch result. She remained standing but must take the Being Shot At test.
At this point with everyone still standing and having fired, Reaction Tests had to be taken. I used the Reaction Test tables from the second edition rules. Stars can choose their result so Maria and Sara therefore chose to pass 2d6 verses their Rep and could Return Fire. Zedilla and Wilkes had to roll for Being Shot At and Man Down. They only rolled once but applied the worst result of the two tables. They both passed 2d6 giving them a Return Fire result on the Being Shot At table and a Carry On result on the Man Down table. Therefore they took the Carry On result, which allowed them to act as normal. And yes, this would allow them to Return Fire if they wanted to and more importantly, if they were able to, because Maria and Sara were about to Return Fire.

Maria shot first and once again used her Marksman Attribute to fire once at Zedilla. I should point out that Marksman is a Class Ability that all Gunmen characters receive. She rolled a 5 and a 2, giving her scores of 10 and 7. Obviously, she took the 10, which was a hit. Rolling on the Shooting Damage table she scored a 9. Zedilla was hit in the gut and was Out Of Fight.

Next it was Sara's turn to shoot. She used her Marksman Attribute to fire once at Wilkes with her Colt .45 Pistol. She rolled a 6 and a 1, giving her scores of 11 and 6. The 11 was an excellent result as it allowed her to choose the result on the Damage table without having to roll for it. She chose result 12 - hit in the chest and Obviously Dead.

And so the Gunfight at Stillwater came to a bloody end with the four outlaws lying dead and dying in the dirt. Maria and Sara had avenged their friend and they left town for further adventures. Neither increased in Reputation.
Conclusion
I played this game on a 4' by 3' table and I didn't think the buildings I had would fill the table. Individually they don't have big footprints but when put together, I was surprised at how much space they took up. I may have to get a 6' by 4' battle mat for future games as there are still a lot more buildings I want to buy, some of which have much bigger footprints, such as the 4Ground livery stable and corral or the 4Ground bank or the 4Ground Sassy Gal saloon. Playing this certainly gave me food for thought. I also want more scatter terrain, fences and saddled horses with and without riders.
As for the rules, I'm fortunate in being very familiar with the Two Hour Games rule systems. However, Six Gun Sound: Blaze of Glory is different to many other THW games in that it is incredibly detailed. For example, it has rules for hitting various body parts on humans and horses and more detailed rules for cover, horses and wagons. I love this extra level of detail and so I'm a huge fan of this game.
To be honest the game went pretty much the way I thought it would. Maria and Sara had the advantage of higher Reps but the outlaws had the advantage of numbers. Unfortunately for them, they didn't make it count. When Calder and McKay went down, Zedilla and Wilkes could have turned the tide but Wilkes missed and although Zedilla scored a hit on Maria, she shrugged it off. Bad news for them!
I know that this batrep was very rules heavy and that was deliberate. After all, this was my first Six Gun Sound batrep, and I'm sure most of you are unfamiliar with the rules. I would hope that future batreps would be more narrative driven with fewer references to the rules. Now that I have played my first Wild West batrep, you can expect a lot more.

Now then, in my last post I asked you to name the film in which Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz played Sara Sandoval and Maria Alvarez respectively? The answer is Bandidas, a 2006 French/Mexican/American comedy/action Western film directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg and produced and written by Luc Besson. It tells the tale of two very different women in late 19th century Mexico who become a bank robbing duo in an effort to combat a ruthless enforcer terrorising their town. It is very much a popcorn movie, not to be taken seriously but it is a lot of fun and Salma and Penelope are so lovable and so beautiful you can't help but like them. Here's some photos of them.

Sara Sandoval and Maria Alvarez played by Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz.

Maria teaches Sara how to shoot. She is not so good with a pistol but an expert at knife throwing.

Maria the feisty, poor peasant girl with her twin Colt .45 revolvers.

Sara, pampered daughter of a rich landowner, takes aim with her Colt.45 revolver.

A scene near the end of the film taken after a running battle on a train.

Maria and Sara looking so cute and adorable. Who couldn't fall in love with them?

Shadows of Brimstone Heroes 05

I mentioned in my last Monthly Musings that I have been painting a lot of Weird/Wild West figures and in this post I want to show you six more Heroes that I recently finished for Flying Frog Productions' Shadows of Brimstone game. This time, I have the Cowboy, the Gambler and the Outlaw archetypes, shown from left to right respectively.

The quintessential hero of the Old West, the life of a cowboy is full of rough-riding adventure, fancy rope-work and sleeping under the stars. Out on the range, there's never a dull moment! Whether it be herding cattle, fighting off outlaws, rustlers and demons or just riding the trails on a trusty horse, the cowboys are the watchmen of the frontier, every one an American legend waiting to be made. Cowboys are rough and tumble, hearty folk that can brush off most damage, be it physical or mental. Living life on the edge, a cowboy's greatest asset is his potentially unending supply of Grit, not to mention his ability to Rope his opponents with a Lasso, keeping them tied up and under control. When you're a cowboy, you just can't help but live life on the edge.
Gamblers may not have won the West, but they had the most fun winning the war of words and wits around the card table in saloons and gambling halls across the new frontier. With nimble fingers, a cunning smile, and an elaborate plan, looking three steps ahead, a gambler was more than just a showman or performer; he was an artist. Lying, cheating and stealing was all part of the show when your reputation as a card shark and scoundrel was on the line. No gambler worth his salt would let a little thing like honesty get in the way of his next big score. The gambler is all about sleight of hand, card and dice manipulation, and gaming the system using his Gambling Tricks. He is not the toughest fighter or fastest gun around but with a bit of fortune on his side, he can pull off cunning combos and lucky manoeuvrers that other Heroes wouldn't even dream possible. This makes him a fun Hero for players who like to think outside the rules... not cheating per se (most of the time anyway), but bending and twisting them, with a wink and a smile.

The outlaw is also a quintessential part of the American West. A rogue and a scoundrel, outlaws live by their own code, stealing what they want and having a good time getting away with it! With a shot into the air and a smile, an outlaw lives life to the fullest, knowing that every breath could be his last. Whether the law catches up to him or his luck runs out, an outlaw knows his days are numbered. His only hope rests in becoming a legend before becoming a corpse. Outlaws are a bit of a wild card in that they are very versatile. They can lay down a lot of fire and are great at moving quickly in the shadows. Of course this comes at a price in that they are not very accurate with a gun and they do not gain a lot of Health over time. One of the coolest elements of being an outlaw though is the ability to rob the Outpost Bank in Town. This can give you a big influx of cash to buy cool gear and pay bribes to keep you out of jail. One important note is that outlaws may not collect on Bounties posted in Town.
These 32mm scale figures are made of resin and are all multi-part miniatures apart from the female gambler who is the only one-piece casting. They are extremely well detailed and beautifully sculpted. Flying Frogs' sculptors have really got their act together now. As is usual, each set comes with male and female versions, which I wholeheartedly approve of. The Outlaw set was one of the first expansion sets to be released but proved extremely elusive to purchase... at least at a reasonable price! I often saw this set going for nearly £100.00 on eBay, a price I refused to pay. Eventually, after years of waiting, I found an eBay seller who had a set for sale at a much lower price and I was finally able to add the pair to my collection. I also bought the Cowboy and Gambler sets from eBay, but they were much easier to acquire. It just goes to show that perseverance can pay off. At the time of writing, the only Hero set I am missing is the Wandering Samurai set. Hopefully, it'll turn up on eBay at a reasonable price.
Although these six figures are designed for play in Shadows of Brimstone, there is no reason why they couldn't be used in other Wild West games. To me, these were essential purchases.

Shadows of Brimstone Heroes 04

Still sticking with Shadows of Brimstone, here are four more Heroes to use in the game - the Frontier Doc and the Jargano Native, both with male and female versions. I recently bought these four figures from a seller on eBay for a very reasonable price. He had glued them, painted them and stuck then on two pence pieces. I don't know what he glued them with (probably polystyrene cement) but they just came apart in my hands. Also, the paintwork was sloppy and amateurish. The basing was unusual but I went along with them, although I did add my own sand and gravel to the bases. I used superglue to stick the figures back together, which is recommended for resin figures and gave them brand new paint jobs. I am very happy with how they turned out.

If there's one thing that the Old West frontier is known for, it's being deadly! Whether it comes from the barrel of a gun, the bite of a venomous snake or being crushed by the constricting grip of a slimy tentacle, death lurks around every corner. That's why frontier docs are so commonplace throughout the West. They may not be the toughest or the fastest, but the doctor is vital for patching you up and keeping the Hero posse going one bandage at a time. These are resin castings, each coming in two pieces, with the arm holding the collection jars being separate. The collection jar is a special piece of Starting Gear that helps define the character. These are superb sculpts and will no doubt, see use in other Wild West games. The standard of sculpting with the new resin figures for Shadows of Brimstone is very high. Height-wise, they are very compatible with the Tombstone figures from Black Scorpion or the Knuckleduster 32mm scale range of Wild West figures.

Legend has it that the ancestors of the tribal native humans of Jargano were originally from Earth, finding their way through an ancient portal and becoming trapped on the other side. Struggling to survive for millennia against aggressive tribes of Serpentmen and all manner of vicious and primal creatures of the swamp, these native hunters of Jargano have become renowned for being perhaps the deadliest and fiercest warriors of any world. The Jargano native is a savage and primitive hunter from the murky swamp world of Jargano. Still bearing his or her tribal weapons and gladiatorial skills, learned in the savage, pre-historic lands of his home, the Jargano native is an expert tracker, hunter and hand-to-hand fighter. Though they do not understand written language or technology, their keen senses and combat reflexes make them a fierce addition to any posse. These resin cast figures came in three parts with both arms being separate pieces. The person who sold them to me had added a bow and quiver of arrows to the back of the male warrior. I thought that this was an excellent idea, as they are skilled in archery. Note that their daggers have been painted to represent flint and not metal. I have painted them with bronzed skin, so they could double as native Americans in a standard Wild West game. Another option is to use them in a pre-historic setting, where they'd fit in perfectly.

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.

Shadows of Brimstone Scafford Gang Mutants 01

I covered the Shadows of Brimstone Scafford Gang in a previous post (see here ) but I recently bought some more figures for the gang and here they are.

At the far left is Sergeant Caleb Bunker, a veteran of the American Civil War who fought alongside Colonel Scafford and who became a trusted lieutenant of the gang. In the Scafford Gang boxed set, there are rules for using Scafford Lieutenants but no figures for them. The rules recommend substituting Colonel Scafford himself for a Lieutenant or if both figures are required, using one of the normal outlaws as the Lieutenant. Now that Flying Frog have produced this figure, the problem is solved. His mutations include a third arm and a mass of writhing tentacles around his chin and lower head. I painted his skin in Foundry Cadaverous Flesh 46 to give him that extra mutant look. He still wears his Confederate uniform but it is tattered and dirty. I do wonder where he got a coat with three arms? The figure is a one-piece casting made of resin and is very detailed, but he is heroically scaled, standing 35mm tall. He is a very cool sculpt.

The other three figures shown here are from the Dark Stone Brutes set. The Scafford Gang is one of the most notorious Mutant Outlaw gangs in the West. They make their hideouts up in the hills and mines around Brimstone and have become hideously mutated by the corrupting effects of the Dark Stone there. The Dark Stone Brutes are members of the Scafford Gang that have become fused with rock and Dark Stone, itself, growing out of control to become hulking monsters. Towering over other humans, the Dark Stone Brutes have become crazed, responding only to fellow members of their gang, and smashing any others that come too close, with their powerful rocky arms. These are multi-part plastic figures. The one in the white shirt has not been converted but the other two have. For the one in the black shirt I repositioned his left arm, whilst for the one in the sand shirt, I repositioned his right arm, which required a bit of Milliput to fill in the gap at the elbow. The Dark Stone Brutes are about 45mm tall and have been mounted on 40mm diameter bases that came with them.
I bought Sergeant Bunker directly from the Flying Frog webstore, where he is still available for $10.00. Note that he is a limited edition figure so I don't know how much longer he'll be available for sale. The Dark Stone Brutes set was purchased from a seller on eBay for £15.00. You can still get it for that price on eBay. If you order direct from the Flying Frog webstore, the set costs $19.99.

Shadows of Brimstone Harvesters

Sticking with my current Weird West theme, here are three interdimensional aliens that were produced for Flying Frog's Shadows of Brimstone game - the Harvesters. Using tears in the fabric of space to pass between worlds, these interdimensional travellers  cross over in search of raw materials and artefacts to collect. Wearing heavy environmental suits to protect them from the hazards of our reality, the Harvesters are nearly indestructible. Often times they are connected to their own world through long hoses that stretch out behind them and extend back through a shimmering gateway, bringing whatever substances they require to sustain them in our world. Lumbering but ruthless, the Harvesters are relentless in their search for anything of interest or value to bring back to their own dimension.

Harvesters are alien collectors from another dimension that wear massive suits of powered armour to "dive" into other worlds. They seek out new technology, ancient artefacts and all forms of Dark Stone to take back home with them. The Heavy Environment Suits that the Harvesters wear make them almost impervious to harm. This gives them a brutally high Defence and makes them immune to Critical Hits as well as damage from explosives (like Dynamite) and Environment/Weather sources.
Harvesters also have several special attacks that can be triggered by Grappling their opponents - when they roll doubles on their Combat to Hit rolls! This double To hit roll determines which special Grapple Attack is triggered and happens even if the double rolled would miss. One ability called Bash means that the Hero hit is Bounced D3 times (just like Dynamite Bounces) in random directions using the Dynamite Bounce Chart. This Bounce will move the Hero model through any other models in the path, but if the space they would end on is already occupied (or would hit a wall), place the Hero in the last unoccupied space moved through.

These plastic figures came in five parts, not including their bases. Very helpfully, their arms can rotate, allowing you to pose them differently as I have done. They look very much like old-style deep sea divers crossed with sci-fi powered armour. It is rather unusual to see such aliens who'd be more at home in a sci-fi setting than in a Weird West game, but dimensional travel is a major feature of Shadows of Brimstone so that means anything goes. I'm thinking of having these three aliens pop up in Mega City One in my Judge Dredd Miniatures Game campaign. Note that they are very tall, standing roughly 50mm high. They are glued onto 40mm diameter bases.

Shadows of Brimstone Zombies

I don't know why it has taken me so long to paint these 12 zombies from the Shadows of Brimstone starter set, The Swamps of Death. I guess I was probably thinking, keep the best till last, but sadly, so much other stuff got in the way that I kept putting them further and further back. Anyway, I recently had a big painting session of zombies and they finally got done.

It is not uncommon nowadays, in the areas around Brimstone, for the dead to rise back up from their shallow graves and seek out the living to feed upon. And in these parts, there is no shortage of dead. As animated corpses, these undead nightmares are slow and shambling, but attack in large numbers to surround their hapless victims. Feeling no pain and without fear for their own well-being, Hungry Dead, as they are often referred to, are very difficult to kill. Often an inexperienced foe will empty shot after shot into them, doing little more than blowing off small chunks or fingers. This, of course, does nothing to stop them and often just leads to one or more zombie joining the ranks, as they tear him apart and infect him with their zombie plague.

These twelve plastic figures in the boxed set come in three poses. The six shown above are the most numerous. The two at the far left are the standard figure. They come in four parts - body and head, legs and separate arms. Having separate arms means you can pose them differently, which is a big help. For the other four figures, I have converted each one separately. The zombie third in line from the left has had a writhing mass of intestines sculpted on him, as they spill from a gaping stomach wound. It would have been remiss of me not to have done this particular conversion! Moving on, the next two have had hats added to their heads. The zombie second from the left also had a bandanna added around his neck and his left arm lopped off at the elbow. The zombie at the far left was a very clever conversion. By leaving his legs off I was able to pose him as a crawler zombie. A very simple but effective conversion.

You get three each of the other two poses. The males are meant to be zombie miners and once again, the one at the far left is the standard figure. The one second from the left had his hat cut off to donate to one of the zombies shown above. I sculpted the top of his head with Milliput to show him bare-headed. I also repositioned his pickaxe. For the third zombie miner, I simply cut off his hand and pickaxe and sculpted on a bit of bone showing through his wrist.

The three female zombies were all one-piece castings. The one in the red, black and white dress is not converted. The woman in the green and black dress has had her right arm cut off. The last one, in the blue and ochre dress, has had a head swap. I used one of my spare heads from the Warlord Games Project Z female zombies set to make her look different to the others.
These make a nice small horde of Weird West zombies. I quite like their poses and I certainly had a lot of fun making them all look different. I do enjoy converting zombie figures. I hope I have shown that they don't all have to look the same but if that's what you want then go ahead. Personally, I like my figures to appear unique. Although these are designed for use in Shadows of Brimstone, there is no reason not to use them in other games. Dracula's America and High Moon immediately spring to my mind. I'll be showing more Weird West zombies over the next few posts.

Shadows of Brimstone Dark Stone Hydra

I recently bought this huge monster, the Dark Stone Hydra, for my Shadows of Brimstone game. I was able to buy him for a reasonable price on eBay. In the first photo, I have included a figure of a 28mm scale female to give you a clear indication of the size of this monster. He is huge! Any one of those heads could easily swallow a man whole.

Not all creatures that stalk the canyons and mines around Brimstone are from an Other World. When the resonating horde of Dark Stone blew Brimstone off the map, it released waves of Void energy across the land, tainting the earth and mutating man and beast alike. The Dark Stone Hydra is one such creation; a common rattlesnake, found throughout the deserts of the South-west, grown massive by the twisting powers of the Dark Stone.

With multiple hissing heads, spiked Dark Stone shards protruding from its body, and a brutal Dark Stone rattle,these savage beasts are a terror beyond imagining, made all the more frightening by their common appearance throughout the region.

The Dark Stone Hydra is a gigantic and terrifying beast. It is not only massive, but also fast and deadly as it strikes, slithering between models to change targets and snapping with all of its fanged heads. The Dark Stone radiation that taints this creature also exudes from its body, corrupting those that stray too close, and its ability to regenerate damage offsets the fact that it loses power as you cut off its heads.

This figure came in ten parts, not including its 50mm diameter base. The assembly instructions for it were clear and precise. It went together very well. I copied the colour scheme for it from the box art, but I painted my Dark Stone rattle and shards in gloss black instead of purple. It is a most impressive model and the sculpting and pose of it is first rate. There are a few of these currently available for sale on eBay, with the cheapest being offered for just £20.