The KINNIKU MAN USB Drive. Now that rocks.

I admire the evil glower of Robin Mask and Wars Man, and perhaps the serene contentment of Ramen Man, but the frantic look of Anime Anger on Kinniku has me sold.

Sigh, you captured me with those six pack abs, Kinniku Man!

And the centerpiece of that snippet, the Hand Grenade itself, is now available from THINKGEEK DOT COM.



The perfect gift accessory for the 2007 Christmas Season! Just click on the Grenade, and count to 5, no 3, and go to ThinkGeek to get one for yourself.

Boardgamegeek recently published their GIFT GUIDE FOR 2007, featuring boardgame recommendations for all ages and tastes. This list is certainly geared towards the family or euro game customer, primarily, but if that interests you, have a look

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Board_Game_Gift_Guide_2007

I would find it useful if I were looking for an easy entre into the boardgaming hobby (say, beyond the Parcheesi, Monopoly, and Checkers).

Enjoy!

Oh dear...

Well, unfortunately Drey was feeling under the weather and I had to take her to Kaiser yesterday, so my big plans to run OPERATION POLAR VENGEANCE will have to wait for a more convenient time (probably next year, dammit). It's a pity, but family comes before hobbies.

The scenario was quite complex, like the first one. This one takes place two years after, when Sam Scrooge-Walton has had time to recover from wounds and build up another polar invasion force. In the meantime, the Pole has seen some changes as well... a bitter, alcoholic Kris Kringle dumps his wife of 200 years for a Santa groupie. The elves are unionized and harder to get motivated now. Santa has instituted the North Pole Defense Force, a force of giant amulatory wooden soldiers, as his personal bodyguard. Sherman is disaffected and querolous, but still loyal at the core. Another elf, Hymie, is contemplating setting up his own toy company and taking several elfs with him when he goes. Professor Marvel in R&D is working on new arms designs.

Did the disaffected, dumped Mrs. Claus go live in a cottage and bake cookies somewhere? Nope. She becomes the "mole" for the Wal*Mart force and leads them into the Internal ring of the NP defense ring through ways only she would know. The scenario starts with TWO large Wal*Mart trucks breaking through the defense ring and smashing into the Toy Factory complex. As Walton has already bribed the U.S. military for a little bit of expensive satelitte time, he has managed an orbital bombardment before his troops arrived. The effect on the factory is devastating. Walton's force is beefed up this time, with far more SWAT and corporate cops then the last time, as well as the Purim Gang, representatives of a competing holiday.

So my prediction would be that it would have been a much bigger bloodbath than last time....

I'm getting one for all my friends...

Annual Christmas Figure Survey UPDATE

Happy Holidays, believers! This is an update to the annual Christmas Holiday figure survey, the first of which was posted LAST YEAR. Most of the information on that post is still accurate. This post will update any existing lines as well as point out any limited release "holiday figures" that companies release in onesies and twosies around this time of year.

For starters, Eureka Miniatures released a bevy of TOY TOWN toy soldiers. These aren't explicitly for Christmas, but they have a magnificent "nutcracker" look to them and I include them in my Holiday themed games.



Eureka did put out a limited edition "Arky" figure (an "Arky" is their trademark logo) with an exagerated Christmas hat, for anyone ordering in the month of December. I couldn't find a picture of this figure.

Toy Town figs Available at both Eureka (AU) and Eureka (US). Ordering policies are on both website's respective shopping cart pages.

SCALE CREEP had this lovely Winter/Christmasy vignette posted on The Miniatures Page as an illustration for a news item. Alas, I cannot find any more details on it on their webpage. Direct any inquiries to Mark at Scale Creep.



Team Frog released "the Baker's Dozen".. Christmas Gingerbread men and a Pilsbury Doughboy leader:



Their order page is HERE.

WARGAME SUPPLY DUMP released a few more figures in their popular Santa Claus Wars line:

Elves "Bernie" and "Mike" (similar to existing elves. One carries a standard, the other a flamethrower).

Dead Snowmen Casualty figures:



and Dougie the anthropomorphic Singing Christmas Tree:



Ordering page is HERE.

Thanks to Jana Wang on TMP, I have discovered the 28mm Nativity Set from MAGISTER MILITUM.



Their page has been down the last three times I tried to get ordering information; I will update this when I can.

AMAZON MINIATURES "Santa Claws Gang" had a few more items and a couple of reindeer added since last year:

(no pictures are on site)

SGF08 Reindeer (2) £2.50
SGF10 Christmas Present Pack £2.50
SGF11 Christmas Poultry £2.25
SGF12 Christmas Provisions £3.00

Amazon's Santa Claws gang can be ordered directly from the catalogue page itself. General ordering policies are located here.

THUNDERBOLT MOUNTAIN had an extremely limited run of a Nativity Scene (lovely work!) but alas, it is already sold out.



Nice to know someone remembered Christmas isn't only about Santa Claus....

THE FOUNDRY has a long term tradition of putting out limited edition holiday figures and this year was no exception.

Spotted on Foundry Web Page:

Christmas Day Scrooge and Tiny Tim!


The Gnome Range from BRIGADE GAMES isn't explicitly a range of Christmas figures, but they certainly fit in a North Pole or Christmas themed game, if you squint. Regardless, there is a Santa Gnome Figure that certainly makes the cut:



Ordering policies on the respective page on the Brigade Games site, under Shopping Cart.

MISSED THESE LAST YEAR

FREEBOOTER's "Clockwork Santa"...



HERESY has an interesting "Fallen Santa" which didn't make the cut last year:



REAPER has their trademark "Sophie" figure that has been "Santafied" in the past:



Note that Reaper has released a variant of this figure (Sophie) for the past five years running. THIS YEAR'S FIGURE is more of a "Winter theme" than a "Christmas theme" miniature, but for most part "Sophie" is sculpted around the holidays. Reaper has a large selection of Angel figures, which sort of fit the theme, too.

You Can Help with the Holiday Figure Survey!

If you know of another line of figures with a Christmas theme, please contact me, and I will update this list during the year. If you are a manufacturer with additions to your line, please contact me before December next year and I'll update next time I publish this in Dec 2007.



Thanks to all of my fellow TMPers for their suggestions!

Too Late, alas!

I wish Ed Texiera had released this just a wee bit earlier than TWO DAYS BEFORE I WAS RUNNING A CHRISTMAS GAME!! Thanks, Ed!

SANTA CLAUS WARS is derived strongly from other THW systems, notably something called 5150, which I am unfamiliar with. I was considering using their urban warfare/modern rules set as a change of pace this year (TRWNN was marginal at best for last year) but I've gone aheadw with the BLOOD AND SWASH thing. I couldn't switch gears this late in the game.

Still, it's a nice little system and we might run next year's game using these rules, they look very straightforward and tidy, like a lot of TWH stuff. The game is structure specifically for Roger Webb's WARGAME SUPPLY DEPOT Santa line (great Santa and snowmen, not crazy about the elves, see last year's survey at that link), which is a good place to start. My scenario is a bit more complex than the one in the rulebook but it might be able to scale upward.

LINK FOR THE DOWNLOAD You may have to join the THW Yahoogroup to access this file.

Thanks again, Ed, and have a Merry Christmas.

Appended: I took a look at these rules while waiting to get my picture taken for a lab badge today. This ain't no rocket science, and with the exception of the somewhat complex reaction rules, are very playable. I may yet give it a try.

Bad Santa! Bad, bad, BAD..

Just because it's THE MOST SEARCHED FOR ITEM ON THIS BLOG this time of year, here's a reprise of an oldy but goody...



Have yourself a sweet-ass Christmas...

Everyone sing along!

It's beginning to look a lot like fish-men

Lyrics

It's beginning to look a lot like fish-men
Everywhere I go;
From the minute I got to town
And started to look around
I thought these ill-bred people's gillslits showed.
I'm beginning to hear a lot of fish-men
Right outside my door,
As I try to escape in fright
To the moonlit Innsmouth night
I can hear some more.

They speak with guttural croaks and to hear them provokes
A profound desire to flee
Their eyes never blink and quite frankly they stink
Like a carcass washed up from the sea.

I wish I'd paid attention to that crazy drunken man.
He tried to warn me all about old Marsh's Deep One clan.

It's beginning to look a lot like Fish-men
Everywhere I go;
They can dynamite Devil Reef,
but that'll bring no relief,
Y'ha N'thlei is deeper than they know.
I'll continue to see a lot of fish-men
That I guarantee.
For the fish-man I really fear
is the one who's in the mirror
And he looks like me.
He looks just like me.

Download the MP3 here

Now, just the ladies...

The Great Old Ones are coming to town

Lyrics

You'd better watch out; you'd better go hide.
An Elder Sign is needed for this Yuletide.
Great Old Ones are coming to town.

They're making a fist and shaking it twice. 
They're going to hit you naughty or nice. 
Great Old Ones are coming to town. 

They're bringing ugly shoggoths, And horrid Deep Ones too. 
Shub Niggurath is waking up, 
And so is Cthulhu. 

So you'd better watch out, you'd better go 'way, 
Before the big guy comes up from R'lyeh. 
Great Old Ones are coming town.

Download the MP3...

Now, just the dudes!

I'll have a blue Solstice without you...

LYRICS

II'll have a blue solstice, Cthulhu.
I'll be so blue thinking what you'll do.
Sacrifices of red on the blue open sea
Won't mean a thing until you're here with me.

Until your blue nightmares awke me,
And all my blue angels forsake me,
You'll be down in your tomb, in cyclopean gloom
And I'll have a blue, blue blue blue solstice.

(spoken) Oh Cthulhu, baby, c'mon up out of that tomb. 
I can't stop thinking about your huge flabby claws, 
them little wings of yours, that grotesque scaly body, 
and them big ol' tentacles wrapped around me. 
Oh darlin', I can't go on without you.

You'll be down in your tomb in cyclopean gloom
And I'll have a blue, blue blue blue solstice.

Download the MP3...

Disclaimer: Lyrics copyright the HP Lovecraft Historical Society, Music by respective copyright holders. Please check out the VERY SCARY SOLSTICE CD on Lovecraftiana, where you will find many more songs of this disturbing ilk.

Illustration by DrChrissy

NORTHOP 2006: Return to the Pole*

As some of you might remember from next year, Harry Morris and I ran a Christmas game for our TNGG club at the Game Parlor, Chantilly Va. I really enjoyed that one and wanted to put together a sequel of sorts. So here it is, NORTHOP 2006: Return to the Pole*.

As you might recall, last years' game ended with a decisive North Pole victory due to Sam Walton underestimating his opponents in an uncharacteristic fashion. This year, he hopes to put that behind him by doubling his forces and bringing in the Chanukah Gang as Allies. Walton's primary target will be taking out Santa's toy factory with ancilliary targets of taking as many presents with him when the raiding force exfiltrates (industrial espionage, of course)

Design Notes:

We will likely be changing from TRWNN (which worked after a fashion but proved to be somewhat unbalanced) to BLOOD AND SWASH, heavily converted. Here are some conversion and scenario notes for next week.

NORTHOP 2006: RETURN TO THE POLE*

Walt has:

For the North Pole Force:

Several Armed Elves from the Amazon line
A decent (unarmed) painted Father Christmas (acts like a leader)
2 Mounties (reserve figs.. they have rifles)
Professor Marvel and the Naughty Elf (controlling snowmen)
A couple of unpainted Copplestone evil snowmen
more Elves from Amazon (recent purchase)
About a squad (12 figs maybe) of the new Eureka toy soldiers, unpainted
A Horde (dozens) of gingerbread people, wielding candy canes


For the Wal*Mart Force:
Two squads unpainted hassidic gunmen (The Channukah Gang)
TWO Wal*Mart trucks this year
One large batch (approx 20 figs) "Longshoremen's Union" figures

Terrain:

Many many gingerbread houses (ceramic)
miscelaneous presents and such
some hills


Harry has:

For the North Pole Force:

Evil Snowmen from Copplestone
Teddy Bear troops?
Santa with a bazooka
2 "Bumbles" or abominable snowmen, from the Rudolph show (souveniers).

For the Wal*Mart Force:

About three squads (maybe four) of SWAT figures, in different colors.

Terrain:

A nice white felt groundcloth with sparklies in it.
Some christmas packages in scale.
A nice large Ruined Factory
Diverse little hills and snowbanks, styrofoam

Steve Gibson has:

The new glacier terrain bits from Heroscape
(more SWAT Guys?)

Combining this all together, we get a force that looks like this:

NORTH POLE FORCE:

Santa (Commanding) Santa can move independently or stop and command any North Pole Force on the board, including the beasts and snowmen.
Sherman, Lead Elf and Executive Officer (Commands , 9" radius)

About 15 Armed Elves. Each Elf can command up to 3 stands of gingerpeople previously dormant (not commanded this turn) Gingerpeople stands. Once a gingerperson stand is commanded, a bead is placed upon it to show that.

Professor Marvel, Naughty Elf and the Evil Snowmen. The Professor commands Snowmen to do things in his turn. He can move and command up to 4" radius. Naughty Elf (a girl) can beguile once a turn, which means the opposing unit rolls versus save or loses an action this turn. She works in tandem with the professor.

Mounties: two Canadian Mounties, 1 mounted and 1 not. Both with rifles. Use as reserve.
Bumbles: Abombinable Snowmen toys. Large Beserk Melee beasts. can be commanded by Santa, Sherman, and Professor Marvel. Use as reserve.

The Ginger Horde: Dozens of stands of gingerpeople, in single, double and triple stands. They wield melee weapons only and have to be controlled by elves or Santa.

Toy Soldier Platoon: Act like ordinary unit, but don't take morale checks for unit losses (other than leader).

Teddy Bear Unit: Act like ordinary unit, but they ignore the first hit of the game.

WAL*MART FORCE:

Leader: Ebenezer Walton
Captain Diaz: Executive Officer.

Grey Squad: About 5-7 guys with modern weapons.
White Squad: Ditto
Blue Squad: DItto

We may need more of these.

Longshoreman thugs. About 15 to 20 gangs of melee thugs. Can be split into two groups if neccesary.

Conversion Notes for Blood and Swash:

Changing Character Labels

Swashbuckler = Mythic Hero
Hero = Hero
Swordsman = Veteran
Man-at-Arms = Stooge
New Category = Drone
New Category = Berserker

A Drone has stats similar to the other categories, but has to be directed by OTHER characters to take actions.
E.G., Gingerbread people

A Berserker requires a controller.. but when it isn't being controlled it can act in a random (often vicious) manner.

Characters:

Good Guys

Santa: Mythic Hero
Sherman: Hero
All the Elves: Hero
Professor Marvel: Veteran
Wooden Soldiers: Veterans
Teddy Bears: Veterans
Naughty Elf: Veteran
Mounties: Hero and Veteran
Bumbles: Berserker
Snowmen: Drone
Gingerbread Men: Drones

Bad Guys

Ebenezer Walton: Mythic Hero
Captain Diaz: Hero
All the SWAT guys: Hero
Longshoremen: Veteran
The Chanukah Gang: Veteran + Hero



Battleplan: One factor that hampered Wal*Mart's progress last year was the terrain stopping the truck outside of the village. Walton has doubled the trucks, and plans on penetrating as far into the perimeter of NPV before deploying his teams. IT should be interesting, and a lot bloodier for the Santa side!

* ..

NOTE: Steve rightly pointed out that NORTHOP 06 didn't sound macho enough, so we're changing this to OPERATON POLAR VENGEANCE: The Battle of the Factories

The Pageant of Peace and National Christmas Tree

We went downtown to catch the annual Pageant of Peace on the Ellipse in front of the White House today. Drey spotted an open parking spot in the oncoming lane and executed a perfect bootlegger turn on Constitution Ave. That's my girl..



On the way (at 18th and Constitution), I had to ponder... who the heck is Jose Artigas? Oh! That's him...
Man, that guy got around.



Garrett says: "Hey look, Dad! This Gatorade bottle costs 3 dollars!"



George??? Laura?? Are you home??? Wooo Hoo! Sorry to barge in like this...



There's a group of smaller "state" trees that have been clustered around the big Kahuna from time immemorial. Each state decorates their own tree with thematic ornaments. Various civic or educational institutions provide the ornaments. In Virginia, my state, it's usually an elementary school. Last year's ornaments were made by a school in Springfield (about five miles from here). I would consider it quite an honor, myself.



One of the features of the Pageant of Peace is how local train enthusiast clubs drop by and set up G-scale rail layouts around the Big Kahuna. This year's layout wasn't as complicated as the ones in the past. I wonder if the lads are getting old.





And here's the Big Kahuna.. didn't get the stats on this beast, but it was hay-yuge...



And here it is, all lit up in its Sunday go to meeting suit...







Here's the mighty Virginia tree. Decorated by the good folks at an elementary school down in the Tidewater area, I think.





Given how cold it was, one tradition of the Pageant was very much appreciated.. the gigantic Mutant Yule Log, make that a Yule tree...





Woo hoo! No kidding it was this high!



Nodody's stealing this baby Jesus..



It started getting freezing out; and as we will be back tomorrow for Annie to perform with the Girl Scouts, we bid the Pageant farewell...



Merry Christmas, everyone!

Fezziwig in grease stains

This piece of video doesn't do the subject justice. The Shell Station station owner at the corner of Old Keene Mill road and Rolling Road makes a huge point of decorating for Christmas-- giant 10 foot inflatable snowmen and santas, lights all over the place, etc. This year he did synchronized Christmas lights! If you drive by his station and tune your radio to 100.7, you can see the music the lights are "dancing" to. I'd love to meet the owner sometime-- I'm picturing a modern Fezziwig with grease stains. He doesn't have to this... he'll continue to sell gas whether he celebrates Christmas or not. I have a soft spot in my heart for a vendor like this...


Assorted Photos showing the kind of investment this guy makes in Christmas decor. Click to enlarge:

God Bless Us, Every One!

Just like last year and most years, I am working the stocking stuffer "little presents" approach for my kids. They have a pretty warped sense of humor, the little tykes. Lord knows where they get it from. So I have to put a little thought into the kinds of things that will appeal to them.

One again, my favorite source of supply is the fantabulous purveyor of weird things on the West Coast, ARCHIE MCPHEE of Seattle, Washington. I assure you, they are very much worth a browse on their ONLINE CATALOGUE, this time of year. You will be inspired.

For starters, a little sweet...

For both kids, a little reminder that home is where the heart is.. an anatomical gummy heart. Mmmmmm yummy, kids!



Ponder the moral implications of cannibalism as you chomp on this thick and chewy gummy heart. Each 4" tall, 90 gram hunk of gummy candy is realistically detailed to look just like the vital organ that is beating in your chest right now!

For Anne: Seven deadly sins Wristbands..

Those rubber bracelets are all the rage at the moment, why not convey a message of salvation?



It started with yellow wristbands before moving on to every color of the rainbow and every cause under the sun. That's great for positive, constructive people, but what about the cynics and smart alecks? Where are their wristbands? Each of theses Seven deadly sins Wristbands celebrates a human weakness. Whether you enjoy gluttony, greed or plain old lust, just slip on one of these rubber wristbands and show off your fatal flaw. Fits most adult wrists

And Gar, the little carnivore, will enjoy MEAT LOVERS wristbands, I can tell..



I personally liked the new Carnival Freak Show action play set... I may pick up a few of these, ostensibly for the kids...





Last year I got Anne a Barista action figure, this year I think she needs an Albino Bowler.



And Gar got a Blackbeard the Pirate figure last year, so I think getting him CARL JUNG is absolutely neccesary this year.



He's also on a pirate kick, and so he NEEDS a what would a pirate do? spinning folder...



Finally, Annie has a spiritual side, and I often remind her that if he she doesn't study hard in school, she will need to learn how to say "You want fries with that?" So what better present than SAINT MARTHA: PATRON SAINT OF WAITERS AND WAITRESSES?



As for me, Mcphee let me down last year and ran out of Mexican Wrestling masks (the perfect spice for the bedroom, of course!) so I'm ordering two sets..



Another fine Mcphee Christmas!!!