Vikings Invade Pictland at World at War Convention

    Pictish Cavalry gallops towards a line of armored Viking raiders ready to hurl their javelins

We hadn't gotten a chance to play Lion Rampant lately, so I figured I would get my fix in by running two games of it at a regional convention. World at War is a two-day con, so I ran it in the afternoon on Friday and the morning on Saturday. Each game took slightly more than two hours, with six players each commanding a 17-point force (instead of the rules-recommended 24AP). The reason for this was I would have only a 6'x4' gaming surface because of the table sizes. This translated to each Viking command being composed of four units and each Pict one five units.

    I had a full table of players for both Friday & Saturday - here, Jenny assists new players with rules

As the convention neared, a moment of panic set in. How would I ever get all of those individually based 28mm figures out of my box and organized into commands on the tabletop in a reasonable amount of time? Personally, I have always disliked movement trays. However, I wanted the commands to be able to trade units before the game started. That way, they could weigh one flank heavier with missile troops, or mass their cavalry on one wing, giving the players more control over the battle. I hate convention games where the GM deploys all of the troops starting close to each other and all the players really do is march forward and roll dice. So, movement trays would make swapping units more logistically possible (and minimize wear and tear on the figures, weapons, etc.).

    Pictish army arrived in time to prevent the Vikings from looting the Celtic monastery!

 My friend had recently purchased a Bamboo Mini 3-D printer, so I showed him some examples of what I wanted. He did some searching and found an STL he could modify with the dimensions I gave him. I asked him to print it in brown filament to match my basing. In addition, I ordered a pack of paper steel and lined the bottom of each tray with that. I found some scrapbooking paper that looked like muddy ground and cut and glued a rectangle of it atop the paper steel and hide the bright white gaps between figures and edges. The new trays worked great, and I even added magnetic material to the bottom so the figures could stay inside the trays -- and the trays themselves would not slide around -- in my tin-lined boxes.

    Arrows & javelins fly as the two warbands approach, ready to settle the issue hand-to-hand

I had six players for each game, and others standing by who wanted to play. So, it obviously was popular. One gamer said he drove two hours mainly to participate in my game! That made me feel good, of course, as did all the praise on my paint jobs on the 28mm figs (especially the checks and tartans on the Picts). I added some eye candy to the tabletop with a scratch-built Pictish tower broch in flames on the Viking side of the table, and a Celtic monastery with beehive huts on the Pictish side. Otherwise, it was a fairly basic table set up with a fleece mat, trees, rocky areas, hills, and such. 

    Band of Pictish spearmen stand to receive the fierce charge of Viking housecarles (Elite Infantry)

In both games the Picts did some "horse trading" with units while the Vikings held firm with their one unit each of Elite Foot, Heavy Foot, Light Foot, and Archers. I think swapping around units helped the Picts, who won both games. In the first game, the Picts were aggressive and marched out to meet the Vikings. The Pictish Light Cavalry was particularly aggressive, even charging the Viking Light Foot and Archers. In the second game, the Picts held back, for the most part. They massed one wing of all missile troops. The poor Viking command opposite them did their best to minimize the shooting, cutting through a big woods to reduce casualties. However, their Courage Tests were poor, and time and again, they failed and would have to rally in place, giving the Picts another turn of shooting at them.

    Ground level view of the battle on Saturday as a huge Viking Jarl challenges his Pictish adversary

The fact that both games went the Picts' way, makes me wonder if something I did was wrong. The typical Pictish force had three units of five that could shoot, though two of those were shorter range javelins. Maybe 60% missile armed troops vs. 25% unbalanced the game? Or perhaps the one extra unit per command made things unbalanced? One thing that my friends and I do in all of our games in the Rampant series is use the rule from Rebels and Patriots that one activation failure does NOT end a player's turn. All units are given a chance to roll to activate every turn. If they fail, they stay in place, but the player can go on to the next unit until he has attempted to activate all of his troops. 

    'Bigger they are, harder they fall...!' proven by a tattooed Pictish leader about to deal the final blow

I realize that this perhaps over-values cheaper units, and certainly gives an edge to forces with more units. They will get a chance to activate all of their units every turn, unlike in a game with the standard rules which would end their turn on their first failure. That said, though, it could easily be the unit with fewer units that "craps out" on its first roll. I simply don't like a game hinging on this mechanic, and certainly not a multiplayer game at a convention. Imagine the poor player who fails on his first unit's roll and has to sit and watch while the other players on his side finish their turn. Then he sits while the opponents activate and move all of their troops. Imagine if when it is finally his turn to do something, he craps out on his first roll, again. "This game sucks!" is going to be going through their mind, and in my opinion, rightly so -- at least for a convention game!

    Even MORE full table on Saturday, with a look at the full gaming area & other events in progress

So, seeing as how I intend to stick with the no turnover modification of Lion Rampant at conventions, and also at home games because our group prefers it that way, should I change anything? I think that in the future I will ensure each side has a balanced number of missile troops in this system. And I also will give them the same numbers of units per command. There is a definite chance that the Pictish players had better tactics or even simply better dice rolls. The Rampant system is a very dicey one! It is very easy to pick up, though, and I think works fine for teaching it quickly to new players at a convention. I think I will also make sure I have a larger table. I think the forces were a little cramped on the battlefield. Turns out that the convention also had eight foot wide tables -- d'oh! All of my years attending cons at Fort Meigs and I just realized this past weekend there are both six and eight foot wide tables...ha, ha!

    Friday's leader of the Pictish Light Cavalry was very aggressive, charging Viking Heavy Foot here

It was good to see the spectacle of all those Picts and Vikings on the table. The movement trays were a definite success. I think I will store most of my Dark Ages troops in those trays, too. Note that the trays are only for 12-figure units, not the 6-figure ones. It is easy enough to move those around on the tabletop, as well as handing them out to players. I'm contemplating whether I want to have my friend print up more so that I can put my Orcs and Goblins inside of them, as well as my Elven spearmen. I do have leftover paper steel (the most expensive part of the process). Maybe I'll count out how much I have and get him to print up enough trays to fully utilize my six sheets of the material.

    Pictish javelin men (Light Foot) form up to face a charge of armored Viking raiders (Heavy Foot)

Running Lion Rampant was a nice change of pace at a convention. Normally, I run skirmish games on smaller, but highly scenic tabletops. This was so easy to run it almost seemed like I was "slumming it" -- ha, ha! I really would like to grow the number of folks playing Lion Rampant (and Dragon Rampant), locally. To do that, I'll likely need to provide the troops, at least initially. So, this six-player game was a good test for taking the rules to local game stores. Will anything come of these plans? Not sure. I have a few feelers out there trying to get some other Central Ohio gamers to set up a recurring game day or night at one of the stores in town. Stay tuned to see if anything comes of it!

    Another shot of the battle lines about to clash, with both Picts & Vikings fighting fiercely

So, what's on my painting desk, you may ask? I have five Gringo40s Viet Cong that are almost completed. I also am working on another batch of mangrove trees for this weekend's Surviving 'Nam game at Hold the Line convention in Camp Perry, OH. So, those are my focus for this week, though today I did pull out some packs of "old figures" to be the next ones in line that I paint. Stay tuned to see what they are!

    Another shot of the Picts, on left, about to clash with the invading Viking warhost

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 234
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 237

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 22
• Terrain painted in 2026: 48

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 50
• Scatter painted in 2026: 75

    My players ponder their next move in Friday's game of Lion Rampant at World at War

Return to Franklinton & More 'Devilry Afoot' on the Frontier

    Halloween horror - residents of frontier Franklinton, Ohio, battle supernatural creatures

It had actually been since last Halloween that I ran my first game of Devilry Afoot for the Sunday Night gamers. I had been meaning to get back to it at some point in the intervening 12 months, but other projects kept claiming my attention. The arrival of Halloween forced my hand, and I set up a scenario based on one from the rulebook, and let the players know we'd be returning to the early settlement of Franklinton, late 1700s, in the Ohio Territory.

    Six brave Hunters of the supernatural enjoy treats on Halloween as well Devilry Afoot's tricks

Fortunately, it uses many of the same mechanics as Ilium: A Game of Heroes, which we'd played a few times recently. One major difference is characters must roll to activate rather than being automatically given two activations like in the Trojan War game. Also, Devilry Afoot is a cooperative game. The players take on the role of monster hunters, tracking down and trying to dispatch supernatural (or human) foes. Each of my players would control a Character and a Follower, so there would be 12 hunters on the table -- unless you count Marib Domigan's faithful bulldog, Henry, in which case there are 13! 

    Sarah Starling & John Huffman arrive on the board edge while Old Sarge & Jeremiah forge ahead

The scenario is called Lost in the Woods. It features a group of children (called "Innocents" in the rules) in the center of the table who the players must rescue and escort off their table edge back to their homes in Franklinton. Stalking the children (and Hunters) would be two animated scarecrows (Bogeymen) and four Skinwalkers (Indian shamans who have become trapped in the form of their spirit animal).  In our first game, the ratio of monsters I used for the players seemed insufficient, and the players had a relatively easy time of it. So, I raised the ante a bit, and increased the ratio slightly. Devilry Afoot does not have a point system to enable you to balance the scenarios, so you have to use your best judgement.

    In the board's far corner, a Jogah (Pact Devil) & Skinwalker lurk, hoping to entice the kids forward

Returning to the story of the new settlement on the Ohio frontier, the supernatural society formed by brother and sister pair Marib and Enoch Domigan had enjoyed several quiet months after the wild night of the storms. However, lately, parents in the town have been shaking their heads and talking about strange tales their children have been telling them. The boys and girls claim that a tiny old man has been tapping on their windows late at night, and asking them to come out and play. Marib and Enoch enlisted the aide of the tracker and hunter, Jeremiah Armstrong. Listening to their story, he shook his head and said one word, "Jogah." At the siblings' prompting, he elaborated. Jeremiah explained that the Iroquois tell stories of a tiny forest people -- about the size of children -- who play pranks on the tribesmen, but are dangerous to disrespect or annoy. He investigated the homes of the parents who'd complained about the tapping, and did see footprints of small moccasins or shoes, but could not tell if they belonged to children of the town or something else.

    Animated by an Indian shaman's sorcery, a scarecrow (Bogeyman) shambles towards lantern lilght

Marib and Enoch spread the word to all the families to warn their children not to go outside at night or respond to the tapping or whistling that some mentioned. Many of the parents laughed at such nonsense as a "little people" prowling the town at night. The siblings held a meeting of their society, though, and summoned the Monsignor down from French territory to attend, as well. The society agreed to set up nightly patrols roaming Franklinton's streets. One week after the patrols began, the night's calm was broken by screaming coming from several homes. Three children were missing from their beds! Jeremiah, musket in hand, followed the tracks of children and said they were headed towards the forest. Quickly, a search party of the supernatural hunters was formed and they set out in pursuit.

    One of the four Skinwalkers stalks through the darkness towards the unaware lost boys & girl

The Jogah would be what Devilry Afoot calls a Pact Devil. In this "Lost in the Woods" scenario, if any child comes in contact with the Jogah, they will be kidnapped and drawn away into the spirit world forever. In game terms, Innocents can be either "Unaware" of the dangers or "Aware." They begin Unaware and will move 4"  each turn towards the Jogah. They become Aware only when a Character or Follower comes in contact with them, or they are within 6" of a monster (Scarecrows or Skinwalkers in this game). After that, when the Innocents chip is drawn from the turn sequence bag, they will flee 6" directly away from the monster. In Devilry Afoot, you place one chip in the bag for each player, and three each for the Scarecrows and Skinwalkers. When a monster's chip is drawn, all of that type activate by rolling on a chart to see what they will do. There is only one chip for the Innocents.

    A Skinwalker howls, prowling through the enchanted mushroom grove - 'hungry grass' in the game

The players arrived on the board edge while the monsters began within 6" of one of the other three board edges. Slowly, the Skinwalkers and the animated Scarecrows began stalking towards either the children in the center or the Hunters, whichever was closer. In fact, as each monster chip was drawn (and the Innocents' was not), we began to wonder if the Monsters would get within attacking range before the kids even moved! As luck would have it, when one Skinwalker was within Attacking range, it instead rolled to "Intimidate" for its action. The Coyote Skinwalker threw back its head and howled with a bloodcurdling scream. The children promptly bolted 6" away and out of the monster's reach.

    Aware of their danger at last, the innocent town children begin to flee towards the players

Two of the four Skinwalkers kept stalking the kids, but the Innocents' chip would be drawn just as they were getting close enough again to attack. The children continued to shriek and sprint away. Meanwhile, one of the scarecrows was stalking through the woods towards Marib Domigan and her Follower MacAfee. Henry's deep growls alerted the two to the magically animated creature's approach. They still gasped when they saw the fiend emerge from the dark shadows of the trees. On the other board edge, the Monsignor boldly pressed forward beyond the circle of illumination cast by Domigan servant Hanby's lantern, which he held aloft in a trembling hand. Yellow eyes tracked the Monsignor's movement, and one of the Skinwalkers soon charged forward and slashed with its claws at the Catholic priest. If anyone was nearby to see the Monsignor duck the deadly swipe, they would wonder how the older man could move so quickly. He bravely stood his ground, though, and quoted Bible scriptures at the creature. The Skinwalker held its clawed hands to its ears, howled ,and fled into the darkness. It soon returned, though, only to be driven off once again by the Monsignor quoting God's words, again.

    Circles of light illuminate small patches of forest as the monster close in on Hunters & children

Meanwhile, Jeremiah Armstrong waved the children towards him, calling to them with reassuring words. When they reached him, Jeremiah urged them to continue towards the lantern light, where village doctor Sarah Starling and her neighbor John Huffman waited to escort them to safety. Jeremiah turned as he heard the howls of a Skinwalker drawing near. In the Wyandot tongue, he admonished the creature, "I hear your pain, uncle, but your anger must not be taken out on these innocent babes." He raised his musket, sighted along the barrel at the yellow eyes reflecting in the lantern light, and fired. To Jeremiah's left, the voice of occultist Jacob Shade boomed into the night, "Yee Naaldooshi, we do not fear you. In our town, you will find only your death!"
 

    Jeremiah calls to the children & instructs them to flee towards the safety of Sarah & John

Two Skinwalkers roared at Shade's challenge and loped towards the top-hatted Shade and his servant, Old Grubb. Despite the fearsome look of the approaching creatures, Old Grubb's hand holding the lantern did not shake. He pulled his large knife from its sheath. Next to him, Shade sighted down the barrel of his long pistol, took in a breath, let half of it out, and squeezed the trigger. A howl of pain from one of the vicious looking creatures told him that his ball had struck true. The pair of creatures continued to charge towards the two Franklinton men, though. Behind them, a devilish shriek carried through the dark forest as the animated scarecrow charged Marib, MacAfee, and Henry. The dog's furious barking, along with the shouts of Marib and MacAfee rang out,adding to the chaos of the night.

    Denied their easy prey, Skinwalkers howl in frustration & continue towards the Hunters

Meanwhile, Sarah Starling and John Huffman embraced the terrified children. She looked them in their eyes and asked, "Can you be brave?" Three frightened, tear-streaked faces nodded. "Then run to Enoch. He will escort you to safety." Sarah shouted to Enoch Domigan, who began calling to the children to run to the sound of his voice. "Go, children -- we need to help Mr. Shade. He looks like he's in trouble!" The children darted off, yelling for Enoch who returned their calls and waved his arms in the darkness. "Let's go, John, Mr. Shade appears to be fighting two of those beasts at one time. I fear something awful may have happened to Old Grubb!"
 

    MacAfee fires off a shot from his blunderbuss at the hideous shape emerging from the gloom

As the pair darted towards the wildly swinging circle of Grubb's lantern, they heard the voice of the Monsignor raised even higher as he rebuked the Skinwalker, raising his right hand and making the sign of the cross with it. Hanby raced to his side and slashed at the Skinwalker with his dagger. The Monsignor also pulled forth a gleaming dagger and plunged it towards the snarling form of the Skinwalker. Once again, the creature darted off, howling. They could hear it begin to circle them in the darkness. "Have faith, young man," the Monsignor soothed. "God in his infinite mercy will protect us from this demon of the New World!" 

    Fearing no evil, the Monsignor & Hanby battle with a persistent Skinwalker within the circle of light

Upon arriving, Sarah and John found both Mr. Shade and one of the Skinwalkers lying bleeding on the ground. Old Grubb had returned to his master's side and was slashing at the Skinwalker's eyes, hoping to drive it off. Huffman raced up to the Skinwalker, who did not hear his approach, and swung his musket with all his might. It cracked against the creature's head, which howled, staggering backwards. Huffman reversed the weapon, pulled back the hammer from half-cocked position, and fired. A blast of flame and the gunpowder's roar rang out. The Skinwalker tumbled to the grass, the black powder smoke drifting over its twitching form.

    Monsters & supernatural hunters draw blood in the woods as howls add to the chaos of night

Another musket shot rang out, as the reloaded Jermiah fired at the Skinwalker, again. After the shot, Old Sarge stepped in front of Jeremiah with his Revolutionary War spontoon raised to eye level, protecting the younger man from the creature's charge while he reloaded. Behind them, they heard Marib's clear voice raised in triumph as she skewered the scarecrow with her sword and watched it slump to the ground. Henry pounced in and tore off one of its straw-stuffed legs and shook it madly, his deep growls adding to the ruckus. 
 

    Occult researcher Jacob Shade & a Skinwalker have both fallen as the others battle desperately

Sarah Starling's voice also rang out beneath the trees. "Mr. Shade is sorely wounded! And Grubb is beset! Help is needed here." Marib heard her friend Sarah's call, and responded that she and MacAfee were on their way. As John stepped to aid Grubb in his struggle with the wolf-like creature, Sarah bent to tend to look at Shade's wounds. She pulled a poultice from her pouch and wrapped around the worst of the bleeding slashes. She heard the man grunt in pain, and was thankful he was still alive. She'd feared the worst when she saw him motionless on the ground. As Marib and her companions raced up, the Skinwalker fled into the shadows again. As it disappeared, Grubb raced to Shade's side and assisted Sarah in tending him.

 

    Though MacAfee is bleeding, the trio including stout Henry have defeated the animated scarecrow

The society's Hunters called to each other through the woods and agreed to withdraw. The children had been saved, and it was their job to ensure the safety of the town -- not eradicate every demon of the forest. On one side, the Monsignor and Hanby slowly backed away, the priest calling out more admonitions from God upon the beast prowling in the darkness. They were joined by the lawyer Orris Parrish, pistol raised and pointing into the darkness. Not far from them, Sarge and Jeremiah, withdrew with spontoon and musket raised, each covering the other's movements. Arthur O'Hara raced up to join them, his musket raised to deter the creature's charge, as well. Meanwhile, Grubb and Sarah raised Shade to his feet, who grimaced, and allowed them to help him limp towards safety. They headed towards the village, guarded by John Huffman to their rear.

    Old Sarge brandishes his Revolutionary War spontoon at a Skinwalker while Jeremaih reloads

Once again, the players defeated their supernatural opponents, though it was a near thing with the Innocents. Twice, a Skinwalker had the children with Attack distance and twice it did not roll to "Attack." They continued to prowl after them, but it only took another move before they reached Jeremiah Armstrong, who would be able to protect them. Jacob Shade was taken out of action, but with Sarah Starling there to heal one wound back with her poultice, I ruled that he was alive and would be able to recover. Several other hunters took wounds. Two of the Skinwalkers were slain, as was one of the animated Scarecrows. All in all, a bit closer of a fight.

I reached out to my players to ensure they are enjoying the games. So far, none have given me an indication that they are not enjoying Devilry Afoot. I felt a little...unfulfilled (?), though, by how the game progressed. To me, it didn't seem like the players had a lot of choice in what they should do each time their turn came up. Maybe it was the scenario? Also, the pace seemed a little slow -- bu that could be the fault of 12 Hunters and 8 monsters all on the tabletop. Maybe I was expecting a more wide open skirmish? Either way, I didn't come away ecstatic about how the game unfolded. I'll quiz my players more to make sure they don't feel the same and are just being nice. If they want to keep playing, I will keep running it. The most important thing is THEY are having fun, and that I enjoy putting the games on. Stay tuned to see if more Devilry is Afoot!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 234
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 237

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 22
• Terrain painted in 2026: 48

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 50
• Scatter painted in 2026: 75

A Batch of Dark Ages Cavalry for the Win!

    With these 5 Dark Ages cavalry, I have now painted more minis than I acquired in 2026 -- woo-hoo!

For a couple years now, I've been tracking the number of miniatures I've acquired (bought or given to me) vs. miniatures painted. With this batch of five Dark Age cavalry, I am now "over the top" and have painted more minis than I've acquired for 2026. As Theoden would say, "Victory!" Assuming I don't go crazy and make a big purchase before the end of the year, I should stay "ahead" and theoretically continue reducing my unpainted pile until the end of the year.

    I believe that these are all Gripping Beast 28mm metal cavalry except the rider in the middle

I chose to do these five Dark Ages cavalry because I actually could use more of them for Dark Ages games of Lion Rampant. At the upcoming World at War convention at Fort Meigs, Perrysburg, OH, I will be running a Picts vs. Vikings scenario. So, hopefully these will see the tabletop that weekend. The good thing about Dark Ages soldiers, whether foot or mounted, is that they all look so similar. A Saxon or Pict or Frank all look relatively the same.

    The rider was leftover from a batch of mounted Dark Ages Britons I painted a decade-plus ago 

Most of the riders were bare-handed and needed weapons. I chose to also give one of the figures a javelin in his shield hand, as well. For their weapons, I used a mix of swords and spears. Next, I epoxied the riders to the horses before priming. Once cured in place overnight, I began by working on the horses. I have a few color combinations that I like for horses, so I used them here. Once I finished the horse's color and highlighted it, I did the manes, reins and straps, plus any other miscellaneous metal fittings or tassels. I save the horse blanket for after I've chosen the colors of the rider's clothes so that it can complement how I painted the rider.

    I used a leftover horse from my Moorish Saga army to mount the rider in red - very interesting pose!

As for the riders, I do them the same as I do for most foot figures. I begin with the skin, do the armor or main tunic color next, and essentially work my way outwards. Three of the figures have chain or scale mail, while two appear unarmored. These aren't mean to be command figures, but standard horse troopers. So, I don't need to worry about banners or anything fancy like that. I tend to use pale colors when painting medieval or Ancient troops because I figure their clothes or uniforms are worn repeatedly and fade in color over time. Still, if you can afford a mount and armor, you're probably fairly wealthy in the Dark Ages, so I splurged with a few brighter colors, too. For their. hair color, I used a variety of common European hair colors. The more variety, the more irregular a force looks!

    I liked how the cloaks came out, but wish I had done more to 'jazz up' the rider on the left

I also went with more basic shield patterns for these five troopers. I have tried using decals more than once, but always fail spectacularly at them. So, I always hand-paint my shields (or use my micron pens for fine detail our outlining work). I have been using pill-shaped bases like these for my cavalry ever since I began (and since stopped) playing Saga. I'm not sure why I prefer them, nowadays. Maybe they look less chunky than large, rectangular ones? Either way, the shape is certainly more common and easier to find now, but I doubt I will ever go back and re-base my rectangular-based cavalry.

    I finished these guys today & they will be used in a game tomorrow - can't beat that for timing!

What else is on my painting desk? I have five Viet Cong guerrillas from Gringo40s that are moving along nicely. I have also begun the next batch of four mangrove trees my friend Mike W printed for me. And I sat down a few days ago and made a list of batches of "new" and "old" purchases in my unpainted lead pile that I wanted to paint up soon. Think of it as an "On Deck Circle" in American baseball...ha, ha! So, stay tuned. Though we are in November already, there's plenty more on the way!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 234
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 237

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 22
• Terrain painted in 2026: 48

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 50
• Scatter painted in 2026: 75

Glowing Mushrooms Purchased from Bad Goblin Games

 

    Their undersides glowing eerily, I picked up these 4 LED Large Mushrooms for Bad Goblin Games

I picked up four different colors of LED Large Mushrooms from Bad Goblin Games' at Historicon this past July. They had them displayed with their glowing, colored undersides and I simply couldn't pass them up. I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but the purchase won out on the coolness factor. Fast forward to today, and they are finished up and I *DO* know what I'm going to do with them (besides show you to them in this blog post)! These are another item they produce in conjunction with Fat Dragon Games, like the glowing Scrying Pool that I painted up earlier this year.

    The glowing mushrooms with three of my Hunters from my Devilry Afoot campaign in foreground

As I prepare for this Sunday's game of Devilry Afoot -- and the resurrection of my Franklinton campaign -- I noticed that the upcoming scenario has a terrain feature called Hungry Grass. Characters entering it must make a check, otherwise they fall into an enchanted sleep. I don't have grass that looks particularly hungry, but I do have a very cool, magically glowing mushroom grove, though! These mushrooms are perfect for a distinctive piece of terrain that will provide great eye candy, too.

    The LED light are bright enough to see their glow when the lights are turned on, too...!

My friends from Bad Goblin Games sell them in packs of different colors. I had picked out four colors that I thought looked neat, and decided to match the mushroom's cap to the glowing color underneath, or the "gills" as Brian and Liz called them. The base with one to two other mushrooms sprouting up from it comes separately from the large cap, or top of the mushroom. I couldn't figure out how to put it together so it wouldn't keep falling off during the game, but Brian and Liz told me the simple solution. You super glue the colored gills to the stem of the mushroom. Then the LED fits in a hollowed out section of the underside of the cap. You place that on top of the gills with the bulb protruding into the hollow tube and voila! It sticks together and can be easily removed at the end of the game to take the battery out.

    A priest from Franklinton rails against the 'Devil's Fungus' - his faith armor vs. their evil powers

I primed the cap and base with Liquitex White Gesso before I glued the colored plastic gill piece atop each mushroom. Next, I did the stem color for the main lighted mushroom and the 1-2 smaller ones on each base. I chose an off-white, darker tan, and light gray as my colors. I also painted the underside of the cap in that color, though I am not 100% sure it was necessary. Each got a lighter shade of dry brushing once it had dried overnight. Next, I painted the caps, similarly dry brushing them the next day. The dots on the top are called "warts" (honestly, I didn't know that), and I painted those off-white or light gray, as well, to match the stem. 

    Franklinton's herbalist & healer has a different take on the properties of these strange, giant fungi

Once that was all done, I gave all parts of the mushroom except the colored plastic gills a dark brown or black wash. This gave it a more earthy and "dirty" look. I mean, eating a mushroom is just like eating dirt, right? Ha, ha -- mushroom overs probably will disagree! Next, I did the flocking on the base, starting with my usual painting of the surface with a 50/50 mixture of brown paint and white glue. White it is wet, I sprinkle on Fine Brown Ballast from Woodland Scenics. After drying overnight, I paint the ballast with a 50/50 white glue and water mixture and sprinkle on Blended Earth Turf. I covered the colored plastic gills with painter's tape and gave the mushrooms their first spray coat. 

    How will the Franklinton hunters fare against the magical properties of the giant mushrooms?

Next came full strength white glue dabbed on and spread with an old brush. I sprinkle that with Blended Green Grass, which is then decorated with various types of tufts, including a flower to match the cap color (why not?). One more spray coat and these four bases of glowing mushrooms were done! They painted up extremely quickly and look great on the tabletop -- or at least I think so. In fact, I was so excited about how they looked in my pictures that I sent the photos of to Brian and Liz to share with them! Ha, ha!! Expect to see them on the tabletop in this coming Sunday's game of Devilry Afoot!

    Now that I know what I'm using them for, I'm glad that I bought four of the mushrooms!

What else is on my painting desk? Right now, just two things. I have five Dark Ages mounted troops that have their horses and flesh on the riders done. I also am assembling a batch of five Gringo40s Viet Cong. Their arms with rifles come separate and you have to glue them into the arm socket at their elbow. For terrain, I will likely prep another batch of mangrove trees so I can have them ready in time for a mid-November game. Otherwise, I am expecting my production to keep whirring along as my total of Painted Miniatures approaches (and soon passes up) my sum of Acquired Miniatures. Finally! It took till essentially November to get on top, again. So, I'm happy that annual goal has been accomplished.

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 234
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 232

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 22
• Terrain painted in 2026: 48

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 50
• Scatter painted in 2026: 75

3-D Printed Spider Hole Guerrillas and Some Waterfowl

    5 'Spider Holes' for my games of Surviving 'Nam - they are 3-D printed from Discount Hobbies

As I mentioned in my post about my purchases at Advance the Colors 2026, I picked up five spider holes (individual, tunnel-like fighting positions) with Viet Cong soldiers emerging or shooting from them. They were 3-D printed by a new vendor to our con, Discount Hobbies 3-D Printing. Harold, the owner, also carries my Surviving 'Nam rules, and has been enthusiastically printing up stuff to sell for the game. I know I had kind of sworn off buying 3-D printed figs because of their fragility, but I couldn't pass these up. It would save me a lot of time scratch-building my own spider holes and finding soldiers to cut in half to put inside them. MUCH more convenient!

    Close up of a Viet Cong rifleman emerging from a spider hole fighting position - I liked the bamboo!

I decided to base them on 1.5" birch wood circles from the local craft store. The circles are thick, so the positions will be raised up off the surface of the table a bit. However, I figured that would be an advantage to seeing them hidden amidst the terrain! Many of us remember a game in which we found a hidden soldier while picking up at the end. Their "commander" had forgotten about the well-camouflaged soldier and lost him in the terrain! Anyway, epoxying the spider holes atop their base and adding magnetic material underneath was step 1 (or 1 & 1A). Next, I primed them with Liquitex White Gesso. I decided I would wait to build up the vegetation around the fighting position until after I painted the soldier.

    I picked out a variety of poses emerging from the spider holes & think they turned out well

The flesh on the figure was done first, then the uniform color. I used a mix of colors like I have done with the rest of my Viet Cong soldiers -- black, khaki, gray, and faded olive drab. The next step was to do the straps and ammo pouches. Most were done in tan or light olive drab. I did the same colors on the soldier's helmets. Each helmet also had a band around it, so those were done in the appropriate, matching colors, as well. While I was painting, I kept wondering what the big hoodie-looking thing creeping down their back was supposed to be. I finally decided it must be a really big scarf. Many of my other V.C. from Crucible Crush or Gringo40s had scarfs around their necks. Even U.S. soldiers in Vietnam began to wear them around their neck to prevent chafing. In keeping with my previously painted V.C., I did their scarfs in red.

    In my game, they're all armed with small arms, but I liked how some had binoculars like this one

As I did each step, I would dry brush it in a lighter shade after it had dried. Once the clothes were all done, it was time to paint their weapons. There seemed to be at least a couple different types of small arms they were carrying, though I don't particularly worry about that. The Viet Cong did not always have the best equipment, so a mish-mash of weaponry was actually a bonus. I painted the guns in Iron Wind Steel first, then the wood parts in a medium brown, and finally Pewter highlights on the metal bits. A couple appear to have rifle slings, which I missed until the end -- oops!

    I also like how the resin plants I'm adding to the bases turned out - nice mix of vegetation

The eyes were next, and they turned out fairly well. A clay colored line was all I did for their mouth. I also added black for their hair peeking out from underneath the helmet. The skin and clothes were given a brown wash, while the weapons received a black one. Each fighting position is designed with a cover to conceal it, some in the hands of the soldier and others tilted up against it. I painted these earth red, which I typically do for the bases themselves. Now it was time to camouflage the position! First, I painted the cover and ground with white glue and then sprinkled on Woodland Scenics Blended Earth Turf. Once dry, they got their first spray of clearcoat. Next, I added Blended Green Grass on top of most of the turf, leaving the dirt showing in a couple places. 

    In addition to pose variety, I mixed things up with uniform colors - black, khaki, & gray

Now it was time to add in resin plants I've begun using for bases of my Vietnam figures. Most are from Green Stuff World, and show various types of leaves. These are were epoxied onto the ballast, and once dry, painted a dark green and then dry brushed a lighter one. Next, I glued tufts from various sources onto each tunnel cover and around the bases. Once this stage was done, they received a final clear spray coat. In the end, I felt that these went fairly quickly. Now, I have actual, cool-looking spider holes to place on the table when an Event Card calls for it in my game! If you don't feel like scratch building your own spider holes, I highly recommend these from Discount Hobbies 3-D Printing! Thanks, Harold, for making my crafting a bit easier!

    Inspired by other painters, I decided to add these 3 waterfowl to my 28mm Vietnam collection

While I was painting these five bases, I was also working on three waterfowl that I had purchased from Miniature Building Authority at ATC, as well. They are sold as a goose, swan, and a Pelican. For the heck of it, I Googled for images of waterfowl common to the Mekong delta. Thus, the goose and swan became a Bronze Wing Jacana and the pelican a Greater Egret. Why paint up waterfowl for a Vietnam skirmish game? I have to confess that the amazing terrain of one of my play testers -- David Frederick (on Lead Adventure Forum as "Digits"), is responsible. Blame him! I am trying to copy some of his amazing modeling details, and his random waterfowl in rice paddies or rivers just look so good to me!

    Two Bronze Wing Jacanas floating in the mangrove swamp in Vietnam

I trimmed the legs off of the goose and made sure it and the swan had a relatively flat surface on the bottom. I wanted to put them on clear bases so it looked like they were floating on the water's surface. The one flapping its wings would hopefully look like it is getting ready to take off and the other would simply be paddling along. I painted the Pelican/Egret's post he was standing on like it was a tree stump sticking up out of the water. I'll stick these birds here and there on the board in my next game and see if they player's notice...ha, ha!

    Greater Egret posing on a stump in front of my recently-created mangrove trees

Otherwise, what else is on my painting desk? Nearly completed are four LED-lit Giant Mushrooms from Bad Goblin Games that I will use in this Sunday's game of Devilry Afoot. There is a type of terrain called "Hungry Grass" in the game. Instead of grass, mine will be a fairy forest of glowing giant mushrooms! I am also working on five Dark Age mounted troops that have been sitting for quite some time in my unpainted collection. Hopefully, they will be done in time to use Nov. 6-7 at my game at World at War game day(s) at Fort Meigs, Perrysbury, OH. So, stay tuned for more stuff soon!

    One final look at the five spider holes ready to surprise my players in games of 'Surviving 'Nam'

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 234
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 232

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 22
• Terrain painted in 2026: 44

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 50
• Scatter painted in 2026: 75