The Minstrel Boy: Smile when you say that, pardner.

For reasons unknown to me, I've developed a taste for skirmish gaming in what might be called the Old American West. There are still plenty of skirmishes in the modern American West, but they don't interest me. The idea of a limited number of figures all armed with roughly the same weapons interests me. Something like "The Three Musketeers" sword fight gamess or Sardukar vs. Fremen in the Dune sci-fi setting holds some interest for me. So I jumped in with both feet.

Alan Quartermain... not really Wild West but close enough.
My wife insisted. (Copplestone Castings limited edition figure)

A gunfighter I named Billy Stahl
after the good friend who painted the figure for me 25 years ago.

Buffalo Bill Cody is what Reaper Miniatures calls this fellow.
He has the right rough-and-tumble look about him for the game.

Doc Holiday - another Reaper fig
Dapper and deadly.

Trooper Landry - a good start for the US Cavalry part of the game
Another Bill Stahl gift

Reaper's Lobo Sanchez -
Sandals, bottle, iguana... what more could I say? (Reaper)

Lobo's best friend in his bottle... I mean, his iguana, Ignatio!

Dusty... one tough guy from Reaper

Malcolm Reynolds or maybe his ancestor (Reaper)

Our lawman, Marshal O'Dowd
I have no idea how long I've had this figure and his knife.

Nameless Lambert... another Reaper figure

Pancho (Manufacturer unknown)
Short but deadly.

Pepperbox Mercer - six barrels of hurt
(Reaper)

Rustler Jake (Reaper)
I think he's a rustler since he has gloves on. He's the only working man!

Shotgun Sally (Reaper)
Beware of sunburn!

Bearpaw, a scout (RAFM figure)

Bearpaw's brother, Ed
RAFM figures come in two's... so we have twins!

Grizzly Jim (Reaper)

Pecos Wil... also from Reaper
No, they're not twins. (They were born 2 years apart.)
Yes, they are the same figure. Paint can do a lot!

Shady Kate (Reaper)
At least these Wild West gunfight females wear a bit more
than many of the D&D females.

Swift Wind (Unknown)
I thought he deserved a checked shirt.

Tall Jizelle (Reaper)
Big gun, big hat, small waist.
(I named her; Reaper called her by another alias.)

Ted the Gun (Reaper)
Very business-like.

The Madam (Reaper)
complete with lever-action Winchester.
The house NEVER loses.

Is it the payroll from the mine?
Is it fabulous documents of great import?
Is it a heart (or gizzard) for Dr. Frankenstein?
You'll have to wait for the next episode!

--From Old Glory's Maori Wars range--
British troops painted as Canadian Militia for the Fenian Raids
Maybe they'll show up at the border of a norther state...