Lead Legionaries: "Fire, Fire! Heh-Heh!" Fire Markers from Bad Goblin Games

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

"Fire, Fire! Heh-Heh!" Fire Markers from Bad Goblin Games

At only $6 for a pack of 2, these flickering LED Fire Markers from Bad Goblin Games are a deal!

Sorry -- couldn't resist the Beavis & Butthead reference when introducing these fire markers! I picked up two packs of them from Bad Goblin Games at Siege of Augusta the other weekend. They are probably the most all-around useful of the various flickering LED markers 3-printed by Bad Goblin, as you can place them on or around anything, as well as on the table by themselves. Coming two to a pack, these come with their own tiny LED and battery that fits snugly in a cavity underneath the flames.

I decided that I wanted to give more depth to the colors of the flames this time, so added a wash of deep red to the brightly-colored orange plastic. I know that technically the darker colors would be further away from a flame's center (not nearer it), but I simply wanted was some veins of darker red-orange in the flicker. I'm not sure I made the wash dark enough, though. It does look a bit different, so I guess it was a success! One unexpected bonus was the wash -- I used a Vallejo acrylic red-orange -- got rid of the very plastic sheen that the flames have straight out of the pack. Hopefully, this gives more of a deeper glow when lit from inside.

I added a dark red-orange wash to the orange plastic flames which I feel gives them a deeper glow

For only $6 for a pack of two, you really can't beat the price. In the past, I tried to cutting away parts to modify an ordinary flickering LED candle from the craft store, in an effort to make them smaller. However, that was only partially successful. I don't know where Bad Goblin Games gets their tiny LEDs, but these are much smaller than what you'd get taking apart one you bought at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. So, I highly recommend miniature gamers picking some of these up. You can find a multitude of uses for them in your games, I am sure!

What else is on my painting desk at the moment? Well, five Viking characters from Brigade Games have been started. They will represent Ragnar Lothbrok and his family and friends in my Viking Town Raid game at Cincycon 2025. Their resin longship, purchased more than a decade ago, is nearing completion. I'm also working on a couple of the buildings I purchased from Miniature Building Authority at Siege of Augusta. So, stay tuned...!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025