Last of the Woodland Animals & Creatures for Devilry Afoot

    Three 28mm wolves and a coyote skinwalker to bedevil my players in our new 'Devilry Afoot' games

I was in a bit of a hurry to get as many of the 28mm woodland animals done as I could before this past Sunday's game. In the end, I squeezed in only three wolves and a special monster that would appear in the scenario. The other ones (raccoons, badgers, foxes) are sitting on my desk with their base coat applied. No hurry to finish them, now. As it turned out, the shamans did not summon a single woodland animal! I ended up using only my previously painted deer figure as a spirit animal when one of the shamans rolled "Flee" on their action table. So, essentially, most of two week's worth of work for naught!

    I used Google Images to do my best to get the wolves coloring right, like this timberwolf

The wolves are -- I believe -- Ral Partha/Iron Wind Metals. If someone knows differently, please comment on my blog so that I can change the information here. I actually have more wolves in my unpainted drawers. Some are closer to 15mm scale while others are meant to be huge dire wolf types. These were the middle ones -- big enough to look scary next to 28mm miniatures!

    Pictures don't really bring out the contrast between the white, black & gray areas on this wolf

I chose three different colors -- a classic black and white wolf (almost Siberian Husky looking), a brown timber wolf style one, and a dark "black" wolf. The black and white wolf got a light gray base coat followed by very light gray highlighting. I then did white highlighting in the areas that looked white on the photograph of an appropriately colored wolf I was looking at. Last, I added in black patches where the photo showed. His claws and mouth was painted black with pale yellow teeth, while his eyes were done with a black oval filled in with light yellow. A dark brown eye filled the pupil, and he was done. 

The timber wolf had a light brown base coat with khaki dry brush. I then added white similarly to I had done above, and darker brown in the appropriate places. I think it is very useful to have a page of Google Images pulled up of the animal you're trying to paint. It helps you get the coloring done correctly and makes it look right in people's minds. 

    You've got to have at least 1 black wolf -- too iconic of an image to ignore...these pics came out nice

The black wolf was done with a very dark gray base coat and slightly lighter gray dry brush. I added in just a few patches of a medium or lighter gray in places that the photograph showed, mainly to give it contrast. This wolf probably went the fastest as he was mostly the dark gray color. As with the other two, he was given yellow eyes and a dark brown eyeball. All in all, I'm happy with how these three wolves came out, and I am sure I will be able to use them in a number of other games. Note to self: Don't sell these woodland animals! I don't want to have to do them again...haha!

    Painted this Brigade Games werewolf as a coyote skinwalker - really like how the coloring came out

The final figure mentioned above, but was a werewolf from the pack of two I bought from Brigade Games. (part of the Dracula's America line). Wolves look like coyotes, for the most part. The monster I imagined for this past Sunday's scenario would be a Coyote Skinwalker. I chose the leaner looking of the two from the pack and once again pulled up Google Images. He would look similar to the timber wolf, but more lightly colored. I began with a light tan base coat, dry brushed white, then started applying darker patches for the fur. It was a mix of a few different colors of dry brushing or direct brush strokes -- medium and dark brown.

At first, I wasn't sure if I liked how it was coming out. The further I got along with it, though, the more pleased I was. There was a lot of dry brushing and painting tiny strokes of darker fur on this model. Unlike the other animals, I did a dark brown vehicle wash over him and feel it really pulled the various colors together. Sometimes a darker wash can hide your dry brushing. Other times it does a good job of pulling various colors together into a smoother transition from one tone to the other. I painted his eyes and mouth similarly to the wolves. His claws were done first in black with a bone colored top coat. I really liked the way her turned out. Now, I just need to find figures for skinwalkers equivalent to other animal types! 

    One final look at danger running through the forests around Franklinton in frontier America

Other than the aforementioned abandoned animals like the raccoons, my painting desk was fairly clear once I finished off these four. Since then, I have pulled out another batch of goblin archers for my Dragon Rampant army. In addition, I am going into full assembly line mode on my bamboo patches for my Vietnam games. My first method was an abject failure and looked terrible. I finally came up with a new idea, and I like how it turns out. The prototype is mostly done, and is on a 1.5" wooden base. I'm satisfied it will look good, so just this morning started up another five bases of bamboo. I have a feeling this will take awhile, so don't expect a quick post of my bamboo anytime soon! The good news is that my recent progress means I am only 32 figures "in the hole" on Acquired vs. Painted for Miniatures. As long as I don't go crazy and buy a bunch of stuff, I think I will make it into the green this year, after all....

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 290
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 258

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 136
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 201

The Coming Storm - First Game of Devilry Afoot

    Mid-game view of our first Devilry Afoot game - you can see the circles of lantern light vs. shadows

For weeks, tribal drumming at night was heard from a nearby hill by the residents of Franklinton, a new settlement in the Ohio Territory. As the drumming built to a crescendo, each night storms of deep rolling thunder would roll in. Their thunder matched the drums' bass pulsation. Unnatural flickering lighting in brilliant colors would illuminate the night. Worried by the storms' growing intensity, the Marib and Enoch Domigan called together a meeting of their secret society of supernatural hunters. Something had to be done. Each storm was more violent than the last, and in the morning, livestock would often be found ripped apart. The Monsignor, visiting from the north, agreed and said the storms would only get worse until the town was torn apart by nature -- and the Devil's -- fury.

    Board after setup with the stone altar on the hilltop in the center & hunters arriving on the edges

The next night, six hunters gathered as the witching hour began -- when the drumming would usually start. The co-founder of the Society, Marib Domigan, her friend Sarah Starling, lawyer Orris Parish, the Monsignor, scholar Jacob Shade, and the former Indian captive Jeremiah Armstrong each brought a trusted man so their number would equal 12 -- same as the Apostles of Christ. Marib also brought her faithful English bulldog, Henry, who feared no night shadows. His throaty growls answered both the drums and thunder as they pulsated through the night in unholy rhythm. For some reason, the dog's growls brought both courage to the hunters and a thrill of anticipation. The time had arrived for the Society to act. Franklinton would strike back at the devils that had besieged their village in recent weeks. For the missing hunters, for the strangely torn apart livestock, and for the fearful, godly folk of the Ohio Territory's newest settlement, they would seek out the enemy tonight and attempt to destroy it.

    Old Grubb carrying a lantern, illuminating him & Jeremiah Armstrong, while Old Sarge advances

Unbeknownst to the brave hunters from the Society, three shamans drummed and dance furiously on the Cursed Hill less than a mile away. They danced around a stone altar surrounded by a ring of oddly shaped stones. Guarding their backs were three fanatically devoted Delaware braves, stripped to the waist and painted for war. Occasionally the three warriors would hear the echo of a howl in the woods, far away. The braves knew that the medicine men were summoning not only the forces of nature to send against the trespassers, but also those from the spirit world. The braves also knew their tribal chiefs had instructed them not to follow the way preached by Tecumseh's brother, Tenskwatawa. All three felt Tenskwatawa was right, though. Only by summoning help from the spirit world would the tribes be powerful enough to drive the invaders away. The chiefs may have signed the Treaty of Greenville, but the braves believed its words did not bind the shamans nor the true believers of their religion. They would continue the fight and call upon the aid of the spirit world to regain the land that once theirs. 

    Advancing in the shadows, from left Jacob Shade, Marib Domigan & her dog Henry, and MacAfee

The society split into two groups to approach the cursed hill from different directions. Marib, her faithful servant MacAfee, and Henry padded silently through the trees. To their left, they saw the lantern glow of Mr. Shade and his man, Old Grub, as they advanced. Also illuminated by Old Grub's lantern were the young woodsman Jeremiah Armstrong, who had been kidnapped in his youth by Indians, and the gleaming halberd of his devoted, older friend nicknamed Old Sarge. As silently as they could, they moved forward, making out a ring of strange trees bare of any leaves, then the circle of stones, and finally the altar. Dark shapes cavorted around it.

    Shamans and Indian warriors on the hilltop react to the approach of the hunters from two sides

On the other side of the hill, Sarah Starling led a group that included her neighbor, John Huffman, village lawyer Orris Parish and his neighbor Arthur O'Harra, and dimly visible in the distance, the Monsignor. He was accompanied by Domigan family servant Hanby, who held aloft his lantern. These glowing yellow orbs of light alerted the shamans and Indian warriors to the approach of the society. Blue lightning crackled overhead, and suddenly, men and women were in motion all around the hill. One of the shamans strode purposefully down the hill towards Marib. The shadows seemed to make the masked Indian grow larger. At her side, Henry growled menacingly. MacAfee fired off a shot of his blunderbuss, but it appeared to miss. A crashing in the undergrowth to the shaman's right preceded a loud voice ringing through the woods. "Damn you, devil!" Old Sarge cursed as he charged. "This is for my cattle you and your demons have slaughtered!" The former Revolutionary War soldier swung his halberd, but it missed the shaman.

    Old Grubb charges a shaman stalking towards them, while Marib & her friends hurry to help

Suddenly, a flash and pistol shot boomed out from behind the shaman. The tongue of flame briefly illuminated Jacob Shade, who had crept behind the distracted shaman and fired upon him. The pistol ball took the shaman between the shoulders. His arms flew up, and he fell forward on his face and lay unmoving. "See you in Hell," Shade muttered. Soon, the woods were full of the flash and bang of musket and pistol shots. Lanterns waved wildly as the Indian braves fired at the advancing Society members, whose return fired crashed out in reply. Seeing his compatriot fall, one of the shamans raised his arms and screamed a long, ululating cry. Old Sarge's eyes grew wide and he turned and fell back through the trees. Seeing the society members wavering, the shaman dashed down the hill to his right towards Old Grubb's circle of light. Waiting for him, Jeremiah raised his musket and sighted down the barrel and whispered, "I see you, uncle, but I will not let you harm my friends." Another crash of musket fire. The shaman, who had just taken a swipe at Old Grub, missing, yelped as Jeremiah's musket ball struck him. 

    First shaman down! Scholar Jacob Shade sneaks behind him and fells him with a pistol shot

"Mother of God," Old Grubb gasped. Before his eyes, the shaman's form wavered and a towering buck stood in its place. The deer glanced once in Jeremiah's direction and then crashed away back up the hill, gathering speed as it raced past the stones. It stopped just outside of the circle of light thrown by Orris Parish's lantern. Realizing a real deer would be nowhere near the chaos on the hilltop, Parish fired his pistol into the deer's bulk. He then backed away slowly from the unnatural animal. 

    One shaman howls in response from the hilltop, causing some hunters to back off in fear

Not far away, one of the Indian braves charged down the hill towards Sarah, where she stood holding her lantern aloft. She held her dagger, pointing it at the Indian's painted face in her other hand. Feet pounded through the undergrowth and both Arthur O'Harra and John Huffman raced to her side. Furious fighting ensued, and soon the Indian brave lay dead at their feet. Sarah automatically reached for her medicine bag and began to kneel to check his wounds. "My lady," John said reaching out to her shoulder, "you can treat him later. For now, the fight is still afoot..." Sarah closed the flap and followed John and Arthur up the hill. 

    Wounded Indian warrior charges toward physician Sarah Starling as fights break out across the hill

On the other side of the hill, another Indian warrior was engaged in melee with Marib and Henry. Orris Parish raced to her aid, also, as the giant deer ran off. Blood was spilled amongst all the combatants, until finally the Indian lay dead at their feet. All across the hilltop, the Society's hunters were gaining the upper hand. Just then, a terrifying howl erupted from the woods behind Marib. A coyote skinwalker appeared at the end of the trees -- more than man height, covered in fur, and stalking erect on its hind legs. Several society members edge backwards. Indian shamans and warriors were one thing, but here was truly a demon from Hell! One man stood firm, though. Jacob Shade muttered a term in the tribal tongue, recognizing the form of the creature from one of his books on the supernatural. "Yee Naaldlooshii -- I do not fear you!" The creature turned its head and charged at Shade who slashed at it eyes with his dagger. The two fought, Shade pulling his reloaded pistol out and firing it. The skinwalker howled in pain. Shade grunted as one of its slashes drew blood from his shoulder.

    One of the shamans stalk towards Old Grubb as Jeremiah Armstrong prepares to fire at him

Old Grubb, seeing his young friend in danger, charged into the fray. He slashed wildly with his dagger as the lantern swung in his grasp. The flickering yellow light seemed to affect the skinwalker more than his dagger thrusts, though. The melee continued as thunder boomed out, again, and all could smell the approach of the rain on the gusting wind. All around the hilltop, the hunters of Franklinton had gained the upper hand. All three shamans and Indian braves lay motionless in the grass As they looked up to where Grubb and Shade fought with the nightmare coyote-man, the skies opened up. Drenching sheets of rain crashed down on the hilltop like a wave on the shore. Marib reached out to Henry who she could not see, though he stood next to her. She clutched his collar and shouted, "Home, Henry!" The dog began to tug her in the proper direction, downhill. She called out to MacAfee, reaching her hand out into the rain. She felt the Scotsman grab it, and fall into step beside her.

    Marib, Henry, & MacAfee close in on the hilltop guarded by an Indian brave with musket

Shade called to Grubb, whose lantern had become extinguished in the torrent of rain. He heard no answer, and warily felt around till he stumbled over a crumpled form at his feet. It was Grubb, curled into a ball and shuddering in pain. He looked around for the skinwalker, but no attack came. Apparently, the wounded horror had withdrawn into the trees. Shade scooped up his neighbor in his arms and began stumbling towards where he thought Franklinton lay. Unseen in the torrents of rain, the Society's other hunters did the same. 

    The Coyote Skinwalker has charged Shade at left, while Marib, Henry & a shaman melee in center

As the rain slowly let up, and the thunder rolled away into the distance, the society's hunters finally looked up. They could dimly see the outline of Franklinton's homes in the clouded moonlight. Sarah raced to her side, already unshouldering her medical bag. "Grubb...is he...?" Shade set him down, reassuring her that he was still alive. The young physician began treating his wounds. Others who had been injured walked over and stood, waiting for her attention, as well. The Monsignor arrived, and taking bandages from Sarah's pouch, began to treat those who were bleeding. After each wound he bandaged, the Catholic priest muttered in Latin, saying a blessing on it to help ensure the healing. 

    In a bloody melee, the final shaman falls to the combined blows of Marib, Henry, & Orris Parish

 "Marib...?" A voice called out from the direction of Franklinton. It was her brother Enoch, racing to the small group of hunters. "Mr. Culbertson and I kept an eye out on the town -- nothing approached. Is everyone okay?"

Marib nodded. "We have won. Sarah says Old Grubb will be fine, and the rest of us, myself included, will also survive our wounds. The Society has won, and driven the devil drummers from the Cursed Hill..."

    Shaman lies in the grass, felled by the Society, as Hanby & the Monsignor investigate the hill

We played our first game of Devilry Afoot last night. We had six players, each of whom controlled a character and a follower. Opposing them were three shamans (witches), three braves (outlaws), and one Coyote Skinwalker that would appear on turn 3. The board was the recommended 2'x2' square, but all six of my players felt it was a tad small for so many figures. I agreed, and will likely enlarge it to 3'x3' for the next game. I wasn't exactly sure how to balance out the forces of hunters and horrors. I decided to err on the side of caution and make the enemy force a bit weaker. I certainly succeeded in that, as only one Follower was taken out of action, Old Grubb, and none of the characters. All of the shamans and Indian braves were taken out of action. The skinwalker had taken two of its three wounds when Turn 5 arrived and the first roll to end the game was a "10," which brought the rain and closed the struggle. 

Although Devilry Afoot has "bounties" for each monster in the game, it does not have a corresponding points system for the players to balance things out. Each scenario lists a recommended number of characters to oppose the monsters in it, but I'm sure it will take some tweaking to figure out how to make a balanced game. The players learned the fairly simple rules easily enough. The only mistakes were things I forgot. I did not remember to do the Opportunity Attacks for the defender when the attacker misses until turn two or so. Once everyone knew about it, we remembered it easily enough. 

    Old Sarge helps Marib & Henry finish off an Indian warrior during the end stages of the game

I was disappointed that the shamans did not summon any woodland animals to their aid on their action rolls. There was only one attempt and it failed. All of those 28mm animals I painted up...haha! I did forget until about turn 2 that when a shaman flees or hides it changes into spirit animal form. I remembered it after that, though. All in all, things progressed easily enough. The game took only about two hours to play, despite having 12 chits in the bag for the hunter side (one for each of six characters and followers), and 5-8 for the monsters (the three for the skinwalker not being put in till turn 3). So, it moved along quickly enough.

My biggest question is if my decision to give each player a character AND a follower was truly necessary? I will ask my players about it. Would they have been fine controlling just one hunter -- their character? I was worried that they wouldn't get to do much with only one figure under their control. Unfortunately, one of my player's character and follower really didn't get a chance to do much. I think that was more a function of his starting location being fairly far away and also that the others polished off the bad guys before he could get in range to do much. If the players are willing to try it with no followers and just their main characters, I will do that for the second game.  

I think the Devilry Afoot combat and movement system works fine. The QRS I had designed helped players and myself adjudicate the shooting and combat quickly enough. I was worried about the randomness of the separate roll to wound, but I think it added a nice touch of uncertainty. The players picked up on how to use the 4" circle of lantern light to their advantage. Groups of characters and followers tended to cluster around the light, which not only made their activations a higher percentage of success, it also helped them in combat or shooting. Same with the player controlling Marib who had a dog. Dogs are a pain in the butt for the monsters, and Mike S used Henry the bulldog well. The stout old canine did suffer one wound, but will be back for more devil-hunting action next time!

I asked the players if they enjoyed the game enough for me to run it again, and they said yes (in varying degrees of enthusiasm). No one seemed to hate it, which is a good thing -- considering all the time I've spent painting up stuff for it! So, hopefully, stay tuned for more Devilry Afoot in Franklinton in 1797 Ohio...!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 290
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 254

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 136
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 201  

Native American Shamans & Their Spirit Animals for Devilry Afoot

    First enemies for my players in my Devilry Afoot games -- Native American shamans ("witches")

Once I decided that I was indeed going to run my first game of Devilry Afoot for the guys on Sunday, I sat down and began to make out the player aids. Upon creating them, I realized that I had more figures to paint than I thought I did -- uh-oh! I knew I had to get at least two more shamans painted up. They would be stand-ins for witches in my frontier America Franklinton setting for my campaign. No problem -- they were already in the pipeline! What wasn't in the pipeline were all the woodland animals that I would need to paint up. 

    Two 28mm bears - one from Ral Partha on left and the other from Reaper Miniatures on right

Long ago, I used to have a lot of woodland animals painted up as part of my 15mm Fantasy armies. I used Ral Partha/Iron Wind 25mm figures for them, so all I would have to do would be pop them off their multi-bases, right? Um, except...well, I sold all my 15mm Hordes of the Things armies! No problem, I have plenty of 25mm/28mm animals in my unpainted collection. When I am at conventions and I see some that strike my fancy, I pick them up (even though I may not currently have a use for them). Ahem, I am looking at your Badger Games with the Bad Squiddo line you carry! So, I'll just paint some of them up...except there is less than a week before the game. "Houston, er Franklinton, we have a problem...!"

    Three 28mm Beavers from Bad Squiddo games -- these woodland animals painted up very quickly!

The day I realized that I pulled out all of my 28mm animals and set aside ones that will be useful in Devilry Afoot. In the rules, witches -- shamans, that is -- switch back and forth between an animal form and human form. That works perfect for the Native American theme with spirit animals and all that. Witches can also summon "Imps" in the rules. I decided to switch that out to woodland animals who answer the shamans call for help. Each shaman can have up to two woodland animals on the table at one time. Suddenly, I need three spirit form animals and six woodland animals. I went downstairs into my fantasy figures box and found a depressingly small amount already painted up. One bear, a handful of deer, some snakes, a few pumas, and a boar. Yikes! I need to get painting!!

    I used the photo on the blister pack of 'Freyja's Wildcats' from Bad Squiddo as inspiration for these

In the end, I pulled out quite a few figures to paint up. The larger ones were two more bears (one Reaper and one Iron Wind), three 28mm wolves (not sure of the manufacturer, three Bad Squiddo beavers, and two Bad Squiddo wildcats. The smaller creatures were two badgers (Iron Wind), two raccoons (Primaevel Designs line from Acheson Creations), and two foxes (Iron Wind). I based them up first, epoxying them onto likely size bases of MDF or plastic. Once dry, I quickly brush primed them with Liquitex White Gesso. And the next morning, I went downstairs and saw 16 white animals looking at me. No kindly brownies had painted them up overnight -- drat! So, I had to figure out how I was going to do this. I decided to split them into two batches.

    My favorite of the three 28mm Native American shamans that I painted up for my first scenario

First, though, I would do the base coat on all 16 of them (15 actually, one fox sat on the sidelines because I counted wrong and didn't pull out a base for him). Yes, that's how much of a hurry I was in! Once they were all base coated, I decided to finish each animal species before moving on to the next. The bears were first. I had done a dark brown base coat, so next I did a Camo Brown dry brush. A little bit of black around their eyes, a little khaki highlight here and there, and they were mostly done. I did the detail work on their mouths and claws and was able to set them aside as complete. These aren't Splintered Light Miniatures animals, so they're not wearing any equipment -- no swords or shields, here!

  Very interesting kneeling and masked pose for this shaman - I tried to decorate each article of clothing

The beavers were next. Dark brown base coat, Camo brown dry brush, and then some orange-brown highlights here and there. I had Google Image pages of each species pulled up and referred to them as I was painting. They also received some khaki highlighting. Eyes and hands were black, and the tail got a dark gray dry brush over the dark brown base. Woo-hoo! Two species down!! This could work. On to the wildcats! 

  Last of the 3 shamans that I painted up - I wasn't ecstatic about the decorations, but they were okay

One nice thing about buying animal miniatures from Bad Squiddo is there is typically a color image of what the miniatures should like fully painted on the front of the blister pack. This was the Freyja's Wildcats pack, and I have to admit that is not how I have seen wildcats depicted before. Nevertheless, they did look really cool. Maybe they are Freyja's really large house cats? I did my best to follow the photograph and did a fair job of it, I think. I did change the eye color to yellow. There are some cats that have blue eyes, but I felt that would be a little jarring for most people. I mixed dry brushing with painting individual streaks of darker or lighter colored fur. I'm really happy with how they came out, though doubtless my friend Keith will look at me, deadpan, and say, "No, those aren't wildcats."

I'm saving the last for the figures that were painted up first, I guess. These three Native American shamans were bought a long time ago from Conquest Miniatures, now carried by Warlord Games. I couldn't find these particular figures on their website, though, but I'm pretty sure that's where I got them from. I painted one from the pack up long ago, and the three remaining sat untouched in my unpainted lead drawer for close to a decade. The first scenario of Devilry Afoot calls for three witches, er shamans, and I had only one. Heck with it! I decided to paint up all three. They came out fairly good, and it gave me a chance to relive my days of painting Indian tribesmen with lots of bead work and patterns.

    The rules we will be using for my 'Franklinton 1797' frontier America horror campaign

I hurried these figures through the basing process so that they actually caught up with the latest batch of finished orcs. I tossed in a few flower tufts on the animal and shaman bases just to make them pop a bit, but otherwise I used my standard flocking system for these figures. The more astute of you are asking, "But what about the wolves, badgers, raccoons, and fox?" They were still sitting base coated on my desk, patiently waiting their turn. I really don't need ALL of them done in time for the game. There is one more figure in that second batch that DOES need to get completed. So, stay tuned for another post hopefully soon!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 290
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 254

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 136
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 201

Armored Orcs for Dragon Rampant

 

    Batch of six 28mm Gripping Beast armored orcs from their Ragnarok range for Dragon Rampant

No fancy Lord of the Rings movie quote for this batch of orcs, unfortunately. Here are six more orcs to add to my horde that I am painting up to use with Dragon Rampant fantasy miniatures rules. They are from the Gripping Beast's fantasy Ragnarok line of 28mm metal miniatures. Once again, I sifted through the figures I bought earlier this year to find a batch that looked relatively similar. I think it makes painting them go quicker when they have similar equipment.

    Closeups of two of the poses -- this time I remembered to do a better job mixing up the weapons

I believe that most (if not all) are from the Uruk Hearthguard range/packs. They are all armored in chainmail with steel helmets and shields. This time I did a better job of mixing up the weapons I glued onto them. Two got short swords, two spears, and two axes. Yay! I remembered this time! I am quickly running out of weapons, though, that I received when my friend Jeff sent me this very large purchase that Rusty and I split. So, I'm likely going to have to increase the number of spear-armed troops as I am already digging into the spare 28mm weapons I have in my collection. 

    The orc on the left is probably my favorite pose, & with helms covering their faces, I didn't paint eyes

When I started painting these, I decided not to pop them off the round MDF bases that Jeff had glued them onto. His MDF rounds are quite a bit thicker than my Litko ones I used on the first couple batches. So, they do stand visibly heftier on these, especially once I add my magnetic material to the bottom. Hopefully, though, once they're all mixed together on the tabletop, the difference won't be too apparent. Because I am definitely NOT going back and re-basing them...haha!

    I think the orcs & goblins with no helms show more character than these, but the orcs still look good

I painted these pretty much exactly like the last batch of armored goblins. Same three-step flesh tone, same chainmail base coat and dry brush, and same mix of pale or dark colors for orc clothes. The shields are a mix of tribal-like designs and things that seemed like they belong on an orc's shield, like snakes and glaring eyes. I got really positive feedback on the shields I did for the goblins, so figured why mess with success? I probably rushed washing the face of the shields with my black or brown vehicle wash, though. The black micron pen I used on the design smeared a bit on one or two of them. Normally, if I wait a couple days, the ink has dried sufficiently that there is no smearing. Sometimes to avoid this, I have even done a first spray of clearcoat to make sure. I usually do my first clear coat after the washing step, though. I may have to rethink this, and for the orcs and goblins, wash the shields after I put the first layer of flocking on them (when I usually do my first spray). Hmmm...

    A good look at the tribal-like designs I used for the shields, again - most turned out pretty nice

Anyway, I am excited to see people posting on the Facebook groups I'm on that they have begun receiving Osprey's Dragon Rampant, 2nd Edition, in the mail. I pre-ordered mine through my friends Rusty and James at Firelands Games. He says he will most likely have it for me when I see them November 14-15 at Hold the Line convention in Camp Perry, OH. My friends Mike S and Keith have also each ordered a copy, so I look forward to games of Dragon Rampant in 2026!

    Final look at this batch of six armored orcs -- I'm up to 37 figs painted for my army

So, what else is on my painting desk? It was actually rather crowded while I was finishing these guys off. I have decided to forge ahead and run my initial game of Devilry Afoot this coming Sunday in honor of Halloween. So, not only did I pull out three more Native American shamans (who will substitute as witches in my Franklinton 1797 campaign), but I also had a dozen or so woodland animals crowding my desk space, too. In the rules, witches/shamans switch back and forth between human and animal form. So, I am painting some "spirit animal" forms for the shamans. Witches can also summon imps in Devilry Afoot. For my frontier America setting, though, I'm substituting woodland animals being called by the shaman as an equivalent for the witches' imps. So, taking time away from these orcs being completed were shamans, bears, wolves, beavers, and wildcats. It was quite the race to get as many of them done in time for Sunday's game as possible. There was also a surprise monster that the shamans are trying to summon to bedevil the settlers of Franklinton, Ohio. Just in case any of my players are reading this, I'll hold off on announcing what they will be up against besides the shamans. Stay turned...LOTS of updates in the next few days!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 290
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 244

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 136
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 201 

Devilry Afoot Followers & More

    'It's behind you!' My next batch of Devilry Afoot figures stalked by the mythical Nyah-Gwaheh

It's kind of appropriate that I'm painting figures up for games of Devilry Afoot so close to Halloween. When I slid the second batch over onto the main area of my painting desk, I decided to toss in an extra miniature. I bought it awhile back at the Guardtower local game shop and that I thought would work for the Iroquoian mythical creature Nyah-Gwaheh. Often nicknamed the naked bear, this fierce creature supposedly has a large upper torso and a slender lower body. I actually have forgotten what Reaper calls this miniature, but for me, it's the naked bear!

Another look at my 2nd batch of Hunters & Followers for Devilry Afoot unaware of their deadly peril

All but one of the human figures in this batch are meant for Followers rather than Hunters. I modified two of them so they would be holding lanterns. The third figure that I modified is for Enoch Domigan, the brother from the sibling pair who founded the supernatural hunting society in 1797 in Franklinton, Ohio. I took one of the servants from the Brigade Games pack, Milady and Household Staff. The "servant" holding his hands behind his back as he strode forward purposefully was well-dressed and seemed to have a noble air about him. I slid a sword in his hands that are held behind his back and painted him up as a Gentleman archetype for the game. The similarly attired servant hold his hand outstretched was given a lantern and became a Follower. The other four figures came from a massive bag of 28mm figures my friend Mike S lent me. He knew I was looking for some that would work for the early frontier America period, when colonists were still using matchlocks and the occasional suit of armor. I picked out four of them (Dixon? Essex? Anyone know??) that I thought would make great Followers for Devilry Afoot, and included them in this batch.

    Enoch Domigan in jacket on the right, with a servant holding a lantern as they explore the woods

I didn't want Enoch to be "twinning" with his sister, who I'd painted dark green. So, I gave him a fairly standard dark blue coat with red trim. The lace on the facings was done in white, while that around the pockets was red. His neck scarf is in the hunting society's trademark blood red, while his vest is pale yellow and trousers are tan. I gave him a powdered wig and black boots with silver buckles. His servant has a dark blue vest, gray shirt, and faded blue pants. His wide boots are a worn leather, while his hat is a faded black. I like his puffy cheeks and bulbous nose, and the way he grips his knife scanning the area around him for dangers. I gave him gray feathers in his hat because he's a servant, after all -- he can't be outfancying his social betters!

    A woodsman Follower carries his trusty axe, while MacAfee holds his blunderbuss to defend himself

I really liked these next two figures for Followers. The masked and hooded man carrying an axe seemed perfect for a Woodsman hired by one of the wealthier inhabitants of Franklin to bring back game for the table. I painted him in green and brown tones to blend in with the trees as he hunts in the area around the town. The baggy trousers might be a tad out of style for 1797, but they would be cooler in the humidity beneath the trees. The mask gives him an almost Dread Pirate Roberts look, which only adds to the the stylish nature of the pose. Equally stylish is MacAfee, the very Scottish looking Follower in the plaid kilt and dark blue tam. I really like the way the tartan pattern came out. I painted it a red-brown with a dark cherry brown "grid" of horizontal and vertical stripes. To make the pattern pop, so to speak, I added a faded yellow dot at the intersections of the dark brown lines. MacAfee was given a brown vest jacket with wide, than cuffs. His undershirt is pale yellow and his cap is the traditional dark blue. The blunderbuss is a cool addition to the figure, and looks like it could give the supernatural creatures prowling the woods a painful surprise!

    Marib Domigan's servant Hanby, helpful holds a lantern, while Old Sarge carries a trusty halberd

Also from the servants in the Brigade Games pack is Hanby, helpfully holding aloft a lantern. Characters in light activate easier than those in shadow in the Devilry Afoot rules. So, some figures in a party are going to need to carry a lantern or torch (or perhaps "flaming brand" for the Brits, who think a torch is a flashlight? Haha). I gave him a matching jacket to Milady Marib from the first batch of hunters, and pale yellow trim with white lace. As a proper household servant, he wears a powdered wig and stoic expression, which may or may not crack when he spots one of the horrors that his lady is pursuing in the woods! Old Sarge is a retired soldier from the Revolutionary War. Since no one seemed to mind, he took his halberd pikestaff, which he'd carried for more than a decade, with him when he retired from the colors. Its wicked point might give even the angriest Nayh-Gwaheh a second thought when they see its gleaming at eye level! I painted Old Sarge in faded colors, tans and greys. I love the fact that he is barefoot and his bent floppy hat almost falls over his eyes. Marib gave him his blood reck scarf to show that he belongs amongst the society's followers. Doubtless, the retired soldier will prove useful in defending the people of Franklinton from the unspeakable terrors prowling the woods!

    I felt I was off to a good start in painting mythical Native American creatures with this 'naked bear'

Speaking of terrors, here is the first that I painted up for my Native American mythical creatures. It is from WizKids and is apparently something called an Aerorian Reverser. It is a white plastic figure that feels similar to the Reaper Bones line. I gave him a first coat of Liquitex White Gesso. Since he showed up on my table about the same time as I was working on a batch of orcs, I decided to give his skin the same treatment, for the most part. It looked really good on the orcs and goblins. He received a walnut brown base coat, raw sienna dry brush, and very sparing khaki highlights. There are some many Incredible Hulk-like folds and "cuts" in his muscles that I wanted a flesh that I knew would look good but also looked brown and bear-like. His head and ears are not so bear like, but I am reasoning that it was more on account of his size and bipedal nature that the tribes called his kin "bears." I really like how his roaring mouth came out. The interior of his mouth is painted blood red with cardinal red highlights. The teeth were painted black first, then picked out in pale yellow. I did the same for the nails on his feet. I used the same pale yellow for the "whites" of his eyes, and a did a dark red-brown do for his eyes. At the last moment, I decided to use my narrowest nib black Micron pen and gave him a pupil, too. I really like how it made the eyes pop more!

    Close up of the roaring mouth of the Nyah-Gwaheh -- I thought the mouth and eyes came out nice

I don't know if the naked bear will show up in the first scenario I run of Devilry Afoot. I was originally planning on the hunters facing off against Native American shamans, their followers, and perhaps a skinwalker. This guy seems like overkill in that first mission -- I don't want to kill all of them off in the first game! Still, he is a terrifying looking creature, and perfect for horror skirmish gaming! I am exactly one week away from perhaps running that first game, so I'm not sure if I have time to get any skinwalkers done. I guess we'll have to stay tuned and see if I get some more monsters painted up quickly for the upcoming game (or if I don't get everything ready and back off and run something else).

    The back of the creature is also thickly muscled and cut deeply -- perfect for drybrushing!

What else is on my tabletop? Well, of course, another batch of six orcs from Gripping Beast. I also have three shamans fairly far long -- they should definitely be ready in time. Otherwise, I've stalled on scratch-building my stands of bamboo. I wasn't crazy with how my first idea was looking. So, I'm trying a second idea out to see if it looks more like what I want. I do have three rice paddies done, though, and will post pictures of them as soon as I get around to that. More to come!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 290
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 238

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 136
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 201

3rd Playtest of Surviving 'Nam - 'Perfect Ambush'

    A platoon of the Big Red One infantry division patrols a trail in Vietnam, headed for an ambush!

Cpl. Hawk was on point for the Big Red One, leading a column of 15 U.S. Army infantrymen through an area of dense jungle. Intel had advised that this area was very active with Viet Cong, but so far the two squads and headquarters element were having a walk in the park. Supposedly, in another klick or two, they'd rendezvous with the trucks to take them back to base. As the winding trail straightened out, Hawk could see it take a sharp bend to the left up ahead. He shook his head, and called just loud enough so the squad leader, Cpl. Kern, could hear, "Stay frosty and keep your spacing...this looks like a perfect ambush spot!"

    Troop dispositions at contact, with V.C. troops circled and the platoon moving to the right to exit

Just as the words left his mouth, the heavy, humid air of the jungle was shattered by gunfire. As one, the platoon hit the dirt. Kern called, "Contact nine o'clock and 12 o'clock -- and bunker between the two!" Immediately, the soldiers began to move off the relatively open trail and into the woods on the left and right. In the front of the column, soldiers began to pour fire into the bunker and the jungle to their left and front. Firing from his hip and trailed by his radioman Pfc. Byars, 2nd Lt. Cooper cursed as his M16 jammed. "Piece of shit!" 

    The V.C. bunker dead ahead of M60 gunner Pfc. George, who would duel with it for a couple turns

Where the trail took its bend, a V.C. armed with an RPG rose and fired to his left. There was a flash and loud explosion. Leaves and branches fell like rain. The men could hear Pfc. Tatum screaming as he went down. Dammit, Hawk thought, first blood to the V.C.!  Meanwhile, more V.C. popped up from spider hole fighting positions along the left side of the platoon's column. The sounds of their AK-47's and older bolt-action rifles threatened to overwhelm the senses of the U.S. soldiers. At the rear of the column, Cpl. Frey of 2nd Squad pointed out a V.C. to his M79 gunner, Pfc. Janowicz. The bloop gunner squinted, raised his shotgun-like weapon and fired. Boom! A flash and a scream brought a smile to the eagle-eyed M79 gunner, "Got 'em, boss!"

    The soldiers quickly move off the trail and into the cover of the trees once the firing begins

Back at the front of the column, the former, Pogue Pfc. Otis, was proving his worth, again. He fired a burst at the RPG gunner who'd taken out Tatum. The grenade launcher went flying as the guerrilla threw up his hands, then collapsed. Behind him, Pvt. Cassidy chucked, "Get some, O-thai!" This was the former rear area private's second month with 1st Squad, and he was proving useful. "You are officially not a cherry anymore, O-thai!" Suddenly, the humid air whistled with the sound of incoming mortar rounds. Men hit the dirt again, but looked up hopefully when the rounds impacted solidly on the V.C. bunker.

    Pfc. Tatum is hit by the explosion of an RPG round, fired by the V.C. at the top left

Lt. Cooper called out, "Relax, boys -- those are mine!" Smoke rose from the bunker and sticks and leaves continued to fall like rain all around. The men of 1st Squad looked at each other and grinned. Cassidy shouted, "Holeee shit! Get some L.T.!!" The machine gun inside the bunker chattered again after the smoke cleared, and it was obvious at least one V.C. soldier was still alive inside. The platoon's M60 gunner, Pfc. George, was targeting the bunker, but his shots seemed to be having no effect on the enemy inside the stout wooden construction.

    Lt. Cooper removes his helmet to better spot his Fire Mission's rounds fall on the bunker

Cpl. Kern called over to his friend. "Hawk - toss a grenade through the opening. That'll finish them off!" Hawk looked uncertain, but slung his M16 and pulled out a grenade. He rose to a crouch and pulled the pin, when suddenly automatic weapon fired tore through the jungle all around him. Startled, he dropped to the ground and lost his grip on the grenade, cursing and reaching for it frantically. BOOM! "Oh shit," Kern called out. "Hawk's down!" The corporal rose and fired wildly into the surrounding jungle, blaming himself for his friend's wounding. More fire tore through the jungle, and Kern yelped and went down, too. Things weren't going well with 1st Squad -- three soldiers were down already. 

    Stupid! I had Cpl. Hawk prepare a grenade, even though he wouldn't be able to throw it till next turn

At the rear of the column, Cpl. Frey pointed out another V.C. raising up out of his spider hole to Janowicz. "I see 'em, boss." He angled his grenade launcher, estimating the distance carefully. "Now you see him..." BOOM! The round landed on target. "Now, you don't -- that's how you do it, boss! You can buy me a beer back at base..." Frey patted Janowicz as he ran by him, motioning him to move on up. As he neared Pfc. Griffin who had taken cover in the trees on the right side of the trail, he saw movement beyond him. Griffin heard the crunching of undergrowth behind him at the same time and turned. His eyes widened, bright white against his dark skin. A squad of four V.C. had appeared, outflanking them. The V.C. noticed Griffin at the same time and fired through the trees at him. His back to a thick tree, he was unharmed, but the other soldiers all hit the dirt around him.

    Outflanked! Four V.C. riflemen appear on the right & rear of 2nd Squad - a dangerous moment

Seeing the enemy bunched up, Griffin pulled out a grenade, prepared it, and lobbed it towards the oncoming V.C. The fragmentation grenade bounced once and exploded. Three of the four went down, screaming. "Good toss, Griffin!" Kern called. To Cpl. Frank, the platoon medic, he yelled for him to hurry up the trail. It sounded like 1st Squad was taking casualties. He fired at the remaining V.C., but missed. Frank took off running through the trees, but after a few steps, his boots snagged a wire. A stick grenade exploded at his feet and Frank went down, rolling and grabbing his leg. 

    A quick-thinking Pfc. Griffin tosses a grenade at the squad, taking out 3 V.C. with one attack

Meanwhile, 1st Squad and HQ were starting to take care of business. Pvt. Cassidy fired a M79 round and landed in perfectly between two enemy. The explosion tossed them into the undergrowth, where they lay still. Pfc. George and his assistant gunner Pvt. Warfield, loaded another belt into the M60. Fire laced out from the barrel, this time striking home through the bunker opening and killing the last V.C. machine gunner inside. George swiveled and fired to his left, where the large V.C. squad was guarding another bend in the trail. One went down and the others flattened themselves, pinned by the machine gun's suppressing fire. Another V.C. fell backwards as George lowered his aim. Cooper's radioman fired into the jungle while the lieutenant was taking a call from the battalion colonel. He saw one V.C. go down, but wasn't sure if he'd hit him or just made him keep his head down. 

    Pvt. Cassidy shows he's a pretty good shot with the M79, too -- not just Janowicz!

Another V.C. with a RPG popped up in the jungle to the left of radioman. Frantic fire from the U.S. soldiers poured into the jungle around him. It wasn't until Lt. Cooper called in another fire mission on the position that the RPG gunner finally went down. Meanwhile, men were checking on their comrades who had been hit. Pfc. Otis called out that Tatum was hurt bad and couldn't walk. After helping George load a fresh belt, Warfield dashed through the trees to check on Hawk. He bandaged up the now twice-wounded corporal, joking that he'd take home two Purple Hearts, now. Hawk held out his hand and Warfield helped him up. He grimaced but nodded to say he was good. Dashing up from 2nd Squad, Pfc. Carter checked on the medic. Together, they bound up his leg wound with a bandage the medic pulled out of his bag. He gave Carter a thumbs up and used his rifle to leverage himself to his feet and took a few steps. He nodded to show he was good, as well.

    The extra Fire Mission card came in handy as Cooper's strike takes out a V.C. RPG gunner

Lt. Cooper shouted over the gunfire, "We have an alternate pickup point, men! Gather up the wounded, exfil the way we came in!" Just as he and his radioman stood, a single shot rang out from the trees to the left. Cooper pitched forward and dropped like a stone, unmoving. Byars reached for him, rolling him over. Another single shot rang out. Byars fell on top of his lieutenant. The single shot barked again, whizzing past Pfc. George's head and causing him to duck and crouch down.

    A shot of the platoon 'taking care of business' and downing V.C. all around them

"Sniper 10 o'clock! Let him have it!" The surviving members of 1st Squad poured fire into the trees where the sniper fire had come from. No one seemed to be able to him him, though, and the single shots rang out again and again. Thankfully, the incoming fire seemed to be rattling his aim, as no one else was hit. Eventually, Pfc. George was able to take the deadly sniper down with his M60. Meanwhile, Cpl. Kern was back on his feet, also only lightly wounded. Carter and Otis were carrying Tatum between them, and the medic was sprinting towards the Cooper and his radioman. 

    Peek inside the  bunker as Pfc. George's M60 finally finishes off the last of the machine gun crew

Cpl. Hawk limped down the trail, tracing a circle with his fingers in the air. "Everyone up! Grab the wounded. We're leaving!" 1st Squad and HQ fell slowly back, carrying their wounded with them. Byars turned out to be okay, the bulky radio having absorbed the bullet. He was helping carry the C.O., who looked messed up. As they reached 2nd Squad, Janowicz and Griffin were guarding the woods to either side. The joke died on Janowicz's lips when he saw the limp form of the lieutenant being carried towards him on the trail. Cpl. Kern patted both of the rear guards on the shoulder as he walked by, praising their good work today. Janowicz couldn't resist and held up four fingers to Griffin to show how many V.C. he'd killed. Griffin grinned, then flashed a full hand and a single finger. Janowicz looked surprised, mouthed the word six, and nodded appreciatively. With those two guarding their rear, the platoon withdrew down the trail.

    After finishing off the bunker, George switches fire with his 'hog' to this V.C. squad

This was my third solo playtest of  Surviving 'Nam: A Year "In Country" with Mr. Charles rules. Before the game, I made a number of tweaks to the rules. I am very fortunate in that I have more than a half dozen groups of players testing these cooperative miniatures rules for me in the U.S., U.K., and Italy. A consensus seemed to say the rules worked well, but were fairly deadly and lethal to the U.S. soldiers. So, I dialed back the "Danger Levels," and added some non-lethal cards to the event card deck. I really liked the way this game played out. The only time the doo-doo really seemed to hit the fan was when I had a run of consecutive bad dice rolls. 

    The 'sitrep' late in the game, with soldiers checking on wounded comrades, while others keep firing

And then just when it seemed things were in hand ,and the platoon was taking care of business, that damned sniper showed up! When rolling to avoid his shots, my men threw consecutive a 2, 3, and another 3. My firing at him was equally pathetic until the M60 finally took him out. Surprisingly, the bunker LMG ended up doing nothing to my platoon. Neither did the two LMG-armed troops that popped up in 2nd Squad's area. Janowicz and Griffin took them out quickly and handily. As it was, 15 men marched down the trail, and only two needed to be carried out -- Pfc. Tatum and the unfortunate 2nd. Lt. Cooper. The other wounded walked out on their own. I consider that casualty rate acceptable -- especially in a scenario that is supposed to be a classic, L-shaped ambush.

    Getting to those who have been hit and are 'Down' is a key part of the rules & managing your squad

Sadly, the rolls took a turn for the worse on the Post-Battle Recovery Chart. Cooper lost a limb and his war is over. Two of the Lightly Wounded, though, Cpl. Hawk and Cpl. Kern, apparently were toughing out worse wounds than they appeared. Kern will be out for two months and Hawk for three. Hawk's wounding was my fault (or Kern's?). I used Kern's squad leader ability to have Hawk prepare a grenade, even though he wouldn't be able to throw it till Hawk's own activation. Before he got his turn, though, a V.C. shot him and got a "Pin" result, which means the soldier drops the grenade and is automatically "Down." A bit of an "own goal," as they would say in soccer! Griffin made up for it later, though, with his beautiful grenade toss at the V.C. squad that had outflanked the rear of the column.

    'Let's go, people - we're moving out!' Cpl. Hawk & Cpl. Kern get the troops moving off-table

So, I guess it was another game where you didn't want to be in charge! The lieutenant is out, Kern is in Da Nang recuperating, and the next likely 1st Squad leader is in a hospital in Japan recovering, too.  The sole remaining part of the platoon's leadership is Cpl. Frey. of 2nd Squad He recommend to Ltc. Meyer that Pfc. Griffin be promoted to corporal and given 1st Squad. The colonel agreed, and also pulled some strings. Another poor Pogue (People Other than Grunts) was transferred from the rear to 2nd Squad to replace Griffin. What's more, a brand new cherry "Butterbar" will be joining the platoon next mission, 2nd Lt. Fickell. The good news is the platoon's 12-month tour of Vietnam is now 25% over. Who knows? Some of them may survive Vietnam yet!

    Pfc. Carter & Pfc. Otis combine to carry a wounded Tatum faster

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 290
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 231

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 136
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 201

So, what's been going on with my painting? I have finished my second batch of six figures for Devilry Afoot. I am underway on the next group of orcs, and am also mixing in some Native American shamans for my Franklinton campaign. Expect another update soon with pics of those finished figures. I also need to take some photos of the rice paddies I made (and you may catch a glimpse of in the photo below!).  

    Near the battle's end, the field is littered with the wounded and dead at the site of a 'Perfect Ambush'