"...But it ended in TERR-OR!"

 That title is based on something an old friend of mine used to say. It can be added to any hackneyed sentence to start a movie intro;

 "It started as a simple walk in the park..."  

     "It began as a simple homework assignment..." 

          "It seemed to be a normal day for Archie and Jughead..."

                    "... BUT IT ENDED IN TERROR!"

You folks get the picture. This also explains the whys and wherefores of the photos included in this blog. My interest in "The Silver Bayonet" continues and I've also discovered some weirdness in another set of rule, one that shall remain nameless for the time being. So I need monsters and weird things. Like these...

From a pack called "Evil Toys", the Teddy Bear of Destruction

"Edward the Construct"
A sort of Frankenstein's creature with a huge tenderizer.
He's full of scars and stitchmarks.

A Halfling woman who appears to have had too much
No-Doze. The figure is actually nicer than my paint job
makes it out to be.

A large Hag.
... livin' in a van down by the river,
eatin' a steady diet of gov'ment cheese.
Actually I don't want to know WHAT she eats!

A smaller Hag... but no less hungry or nasty.

A rather creepy entry; supposed to be a Wendigo.
The legend says the creature is always hungry and never
satisfied no matter how much it has eaten... usually humans.

Another view of the Creeper

A "living statue"
Always a nasty surprise for adventurers.

I refer to this fellow as an "average size green dragon."
He was partnered with the Halfling woman seen above.

A box. What could be in it? Just about anything!
Legal papers! Extra ammunition! Gadgets and gizmos!
Lizards! Scrapple! We'll all have to wait to find out!

A barrel. As above.
Filled with... fish? Black powder? Water? Rum?
Kimchi? Stay tuned.

A massive mushroom; my latest discovery at the Doller Store.
It could be intelligent. It could be the source of intoxicating and 
psychedelic spores, Ukrainian-style Stroganoff, or a quick and nasty death.

On the historical side, a RAFM casting of a grenadier of the
Black Watch from their French & Indian War range.

From the same range, a "hatman" of the Royal American
Regiment. The regiment was recruited in North America
and was heavily German/Swiss in its personnel.
Blue facings and blue breeches for a Royal regiment!

Years ago, I worked in clay doing counseling with teenagers.
There were days I felt like this when I came home.

"...BUT IT ENDED IN TERROR!"

Before I go..

In the Deep End

     My foray into the world of "The Silver Bayonet" continues and I think I stepped into the deep end. I do like the game and I'm seeing variant versions of it - ACW, AWI, 7YW, 30YW, WWII, Wild West (Wilder West?), Alamo and Texas Independence... and on from there.

     Because of where I live and because of some family connections and because I reenact the War of 1812, a lot of my painting and building is for a North American setting. I'm hoping to do some more gaming using these rules once the Province of Ontario's COVID-19 lockdown in relieved. (Stay healthy, friends!) Until then, I'll paint.

My Austrian Force... an armed friar as investigator (Foundry), Grenz infantry as scout
(all Perry from here on), dhampir in grenadier uniform, Officer commanding, Grenadier
sapper (called a "Zimmerman" in the Austrian forces), Jager, Jager junior officer/Occultist,
Hungarian grenadier  

The "Bench" - Extra figures for replacement or variety
Grenzer, occultist or artilleryman, Jager in 1805 uniform (I like the helmet!),
Jager in 1812 uniform, Infantryman. (All Perry figures)

Hornist used as either an occultist or artilleryman.
The uniform is of the artillery Handlagerdienst, troops who provided
muscle to move the guns.

Infantryman
There are loads of possible facings for Austrian troops

A Jager in the 1805 uniform
(I really like the crested helmet!)

Jager in the 1809+ uniform
The Corsehut is cool too.

I call him "Father Vasili", a Foundry figure from the Cossack range
Hand cross, pistol in belt, staff, and klabok, he's a great Orthodox priest!
My son is considering a Russian force so Vasili may transfer to that outfit.

Highland officer by Vixtrix

Highland soldier by Vixtrix

Highland piper by Vixtrix
Maybe the pipes scare ghosties and ghoulies away.
Maybe they help the troops morale.
No matter what... I HAD to do one.

While scrounging through some boxes of unpainted figs, what do I find?
Enough 1806 Prussians to do a Silver Bayonet force!
L to R - Two infantrymen, Lutheran/Evangalisch pastor as Investigator, Hauptmann
commanding, Occultist with ritual halberd (sounds good to me), Jager rifleman, Pioneer/Sapper
(Manufacturer unknown)

Deer Woman spirit of First Nations lore
Defender of womenfolk, but equally nasty to others
(Paymaster Miniatures)

Flying Head Spirit of Iroquois lore
Seriously nasty and carnivorous
(Flint & Feather Miniatures)

Hairless Bear Spirit - Iroquois/Lenape lore
Also carnivorous (Is there a theme here?)
(Flint & Feather Miniatures)

Wendigo (Paymaster Miniatures)
Carnivorous (again) and ever hungry
It seems to appear in First Nations lore all over.

A pixie with a spear -- who knows what's in those woods?
(Reaper Bones Mini)

Another armed pixie -- loaded for bear, as it were
(Reaper Bones Mini)

Vampire Bat from Games Workshop
We all need a few of these for a game in Sub-Carpathian Ruthenia!

Jo-Ga-Oh from Paymaster Miniatures
It seems the Iroquois had dwarf-ish folk who threw rocks
... a lot!

I'm still working on a Sasquatch and some goblins. I've also looted my D&D and Traveller figures for appropriate "things." And there is a delivery of Irish rebels somewhere out there. So there will be more later!

The Silver Bayonet -- early trials

 The Silver Bayonet is Osprey Publishing's horror-Napoleonic skirmish game and I think it's a good one! The author, Joseph A McCullough, has done a nice job on this game. I saw it out of the corner of my eye a short time back... and dismissed it. I don't like horror stuff. I can deal with Godzilla kicking over Tokyo, but I can't stomach vampires and werewolves and the like.

I was wrong. The game is superb.

    The game is based in the Napoleonic period, a time of great war and upheaval, with the major powers of Europe (France, Britain, Spain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia) represented and a nod is given to lesser powers if the players want to set up a unit from those places. The premise is this: malevolent beings called "the Harvestmen" feed off of human suffering and terror. Whether they started the wars or just gorged themselves on what humans did is immaterial. These "Harvestmen" work through legendary beings on earth - ghosts, vampires, revenants, werewolves, goblins, and the like. All the major powers have put together teams to combat these critters, using veteran troops of great courage, investigators, occult practitioners, and even some legendary folks. (I'm using the term "legendary" rather than "mythological" out of respect for the spiritual beliefs of certain people, like the First Nations peoples here in Canada. Legends could be real, while myths imply something made up to the modern Western mind.)

    Since my family and I have lots of troops for skirmish gaming of the War of 1812, we took that path. I have Austrians on my painting table, but that will take some time to finish. My son saw the rules, inhaled them, and wanted to try them out. So on Boxing Day, we put together four teams for The Silver Bayonet.

My son, Robb's British-Canadian force
L to R: Supernatural investigator, infantryman, officer commanding, Highlander,
First Nations scout, junior officer, riflemen
(The green uniforms are the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles, a tough
Canadian Fencible unit in the War of 1812.)

My wife, Beth's Lenni Lenape force (She has First Nation's heritage)
(I was given their names in the Lenape language.)
L to R: 2 rifle-armed warriors (Xinkwëlëpay and Sek'téh), the Sachem commanding
(Chitkunk'tek),  the Shaman (Occultist named Mpaola),the Wise Woman
(doctor named Nushénakw), 2 more rifle-armed warriors (Tahkoxi and Pamputis)
{In English - Big Deer, Black Heart, Quiet Heart, Spirit Man, Mother Tree-willow, 
Little Turtle, and Snapping Turtle}

My eldest, Kaise's "servant of the Harvestmen" force
L to R: hobgoblin, 2 wolves, Troll, Changeling commanding, Imp/Pixie
(The idea of running the "monsters" intrigued them, so they used a fan-based
variant to work up these nasties.)

My United States force
L to R: sapper/"pioneer", infantryman, Supernatural investigator, officer
commanding, occultist, Scout (Kentucky Volunteer), rifleman

   Robb set up the table and Kaise watched the rules. Robb's Royal force faced my US force in one of the book's scenarios, although not the first one. 5 "clues" were placed according to the scenario and it all began.

The barn in the centre of the board was surrounded by clues.

An over-head view of the farmstead and surrounding trees.

As above, with my force mustering on the left side of the photo.

Robb's officer looks the situation over.

Each "clue" had an undead revenant right at it. As I moved onto the field, one caught sight of my force and moved ponderously toward it. Robb moved through a wooded area and was not so easily spotted.

Well, I made a crappy role and what appeared? A demon... taking the place of 
the revenant I had put down a moment ago.
(No actual demon figures were available so this pun'kin-head scarecrow 
agreed take the promotion and fill in.)

Of course, the demon saw and charged my pioneer. Eventually, the infantryman, the
officer, and the occultist joined the fray. The occultist (a more powerful character than 
I expected) enchanted the pioneer's axe, and we put that critter down after much blood-letting.

Meanwhile, Robb's scout and rifleman skulked around the storage house.

Still skulking

The officer got into the barn while the Highlander found "the Artifact" and began to 
carry it off. What was the "Artifact"? I don't know. Must have been whisky considering
how quickly that bearded kilt carried it off. 

Right at the end, a final revenant appeared to annoy Robb's force as the carried off the "Artifact."
Annoyed rather than damaged or worried.

In the meantime, my team was being shot up and cut to ribbons by Robb's musketry and rifle fire. So he won his first game of The Silver Bayonet and I lost. 

But it was a load of fun.

We broke for a bite of lunch and then reset for Robb, Beth, and I to play a three-sided game. (A little clunky, but it does work.) 

The Crown Silver Bayonet force prepares to enter.

The US rifleman, supernatural investigator, and infantryman scurry in.
The rifleman has already taken 5 points of damage from the Glengarry rifleman.

The Lenni Lenape ("Delaware") warband glides through the forest.

The Crown force shows itself.
The paper in front of the rifleman is "smoke" showing he's fired his rifle. 

Look who jumped up to fight the Lenni Lenape band!

...who proceeded to swarm the werewolf and make short work of him.

Werewolf? No werewolf here!

The US pioneer takes cover as the American force takes MORE casualties.
Meanwhile the brave infantryman moves to engage both a clue and 2 Crown figures
while the occultist looks on.

Another werewolf appears! the Crown forces shoot to take it down!

4 wolves entered at the four corners of the board right at the end.
This one killed my occultist.

We ran out of wolf figures so this were-moose filled in. (He so flexible!)

Well, this is a fun game and we all enjoyed playing. We have to get more familiar with some of parts of the rules. The "fate pool" is an interesting twist, as is melding hit and damage rolls for fighting. Robb intends to collect either a Prussian or Russian force. My Austrians are in process, and I may find some French if I find the right price for a dozen figs. (You can field a great force with a dozen figures, with gives you a normal force of 8 with a deep "bench" to try other options.)

We'll be seeing more of this. I wish a great Christmas season and happy New Year to all who are reading this.

Here's a few Candid Shots:

The American Supernatural Investigator

The Changling

A wacky, wild Pixie

The Crown forces' scout

Chitkuni'tek, the Lenni Lenape Sachem (leader)

The American Sapper
(The proper term for US forces is "pioneer." Each company in a regiment had one pioneer.
"Sappers, Miners, and Bombardiers" were a separate specialist corps.)