I got an invite to join a group of gamers locally who are gearing up to start a fresh campaign of Osprey's Dracula's America - a western skirmish that can be played perfectly straight as a historical western game, or can be played as gothic horror in an 1870s America where Count Dracula has become President. Yes, you read that right.
The game had been kind of vaguely on my radar, I knew I had friends (not local) who were fans, but I hadn't been interested in picking up a new period and a new ruleset.
So naturally, having been invited to join a group who were playing it and loved it, I picked up a new period and a new ruleset, along with one of Northstar's prepackaged warbands. Or, I should say, my wife Gina picked it up for me - the two Wargames Among the Warplanes days excluded, 2025 hasn't been a great year for gaming, especially (non-solo) wargaming, for me. She was so excited that I'd been invited to join this group that she handed me her credit card and told me to buy whatever I needed.
It arrived today:
And after dinner I set to work getting everyone cleaned up, flash trimmed and mold lines filed before gluing them to bases.
I also recalled I had another Native American figure in one of my project boxes - a Crow Warrior Woman from Clearco Miniatures, a very small (one-man) operation out of Spain that offers an eclectic mix of Native Americans, Neanderthals and modern zombie hunters. I'd received the figure as a complimentary inclusion in an order I'd placed with Mana Press last year and, not knowing what to do with it at the time, I dug her out and assembled her (her right hand, holding a rifle, is a separate piece), adding her to the collection; she might be subbed in for one of these figures, or be available as a future member of the posse.
Tomorrow I'll get these 10 figures primed and then I can start painting. The current plan is to begin playing some time in October and I will not be caught with half-painted figures, I can tell you that!
Figures Acquired in 2025: 167
Figures Painted in 2025: 139
Oh, lovely project!
ReplyDeleteWaiting for more :)
Thank you! I'm excited for these!
DeleteWow - the most impressive part of this story is the support from your wife - she is definitely a keeper! The Spanish Squaw looks like a great figure too - look forward to seeing them all painted up Bill!
ReplyDeleteThank you! She's a very enthusiastic supporter of my hobby, and as the primary breadwinner in our household, she likes to get me hobby things whenever she can.
DeleteNow you are just showing off!😆
DeleteExciting news! I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on with Dracula's America. Its a great looking game and I'm rather surprised that it never got as much interest as Frostgrave or Stargrave!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It looks really good just from first read-through.
DeleteI love how Gina is happy to give you presents related to the hobby. I remember, long ago, when my best gaming friend's wife was defending his hobby to another woman, she said, "Hey, at least when he's out gaming, I know he's hanging out with a bunch of guys and not in some bar where cheap women hang out and playing pool...!" Ha, ha!! Anyway, I look forward to following your Dracula's America project and games. Congrats on finding a group!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike! It helps that she sees direct parallels between my hobbies and hers. She knits, and she has (by her own admission) champagne tastes when it comes to yarn. The stuff she buys to knit with is handspun wool and alpaca, hand-dyed in small batches by independent creators working out of their garages...she's about as likely to buy Red Heart acrylic yarn from the craft store as I am to buy the latest Warhammer 40K release.
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