Some Christmas events and gifts

December was a busy month for me. Advent and the Christmas season can be over-whelming in a number of ways. We also had some really cold weather with the associated travel issues. In any event, I survived and here I am, wanting to blog again.

I took some mediocre photos of some of the things I've been painting and I thought I'd share them. (This is the blog equivalent of dumping my virtual trash basket into your living room. Still, you'd do it to me.)

We ran into a company in the UK called Bad Squddo Games, which specializes in "realistic" female miniature figurines, marketed by a number of manufacturers. Chain mail bikinis and skin-tight cat suits are not to be found there. Both my wife, Beth and my daughter, Katie - both gamers - thought some of those would be great. My son, Rob also got some female Vikings, some of whom bear a great resemblance to the female characters in the TV show "Vikings." They're on his painting table now.

First, a gift for my wife, one half of Star Trek: TNG's Duras Sisters, Lursa and B'Etor.

And the other half.

And a body guard with a bat'leth. Much more classic than the disruptors carried by the other figures.

These were fun figures to paint and turned out pretty well. Beth made suggestions
as to the painting schemes. The figures even depicted the famous (or infamous)
"Klingon Kleavage."

Katie's figures were WWII female Soviet snipers. The standing set of snipers was
not completed in time for the photo session. There's a shooter and a spotter in each set,
both in camouflage cape and pilotka forage cap.

The Mosin-Nagant scoped rifle really does look rather nice.
The figures are smaller than male figures but are not overly petite.

I also -selfishly- painted some figures for myself.

One of my Christmas presents was a box of Gripping Beast Plastic Late Roman figures.
I opted to paint them as legionaries, but a white tunic paint job would be right for Auxila.
They are quite nice and glue together very nicely.

The legionary spearman of  Legion palatinae Pannoniciani seniores.
(Pray pardon me if my Latin is off.)

A bucinator of the same unit.

Lastly, a centurio or officer of that legion.
I hope to make a Saga warband  of these because I've heard that rules are coming out for that.

WWII Polish cavalry bugler by Warlord Miniatures.
Their use in the Polish campaign as mounted infantry is a minor fascination for me.

Then some older figures I've gotten around to painting.

A werewolf.
I don't know where I got him, which manufacturer made him, or what I'm going to do with him,
but I've painted him and he looks seriously troubled.

A regiment of the Union Iron Brigade of the West for the ACW.
15mm Old Glory figures.
I haven't decided what unit they are yet. I've got to check what I've already painted.
However, the garage is REALLY cold right now.

The regimental command stand.

Regiment Royal Pologne for my small French SYW contingent.
Essex miniatures obtained at a bring-and-buy...
... where bargains go to die.

Finally, my son, Rob and his dog, Atlas.
They live up in London, but were here for Christmas weekend.
A serious case of "puppy love."