Christmas is Nutcracker Season

                          Christmas and Nutcrackers are a staple at our house. So, it's time to ready the largest "Nutcracker/Toy Soldier I have ever made, Sgt. Preston (AKA Rudolf Rasendale II-incognito). 

                                       

In 2017 Therri challenged me to make a six-foot tall nutcracker toy soldier.

I started with some plastic drainpipes and a hollow concrete foundation tube

First coats of paint, it was summer and 100+f (38 c) degrees in the shade.

                                              Now for a nice Victorian mustache.

                                                       Be honest... how do I look?

                                                                    Much better.

                           We are getting there, hat, jacket, pants, even boots.
                                             

                                      Hair, by my chinny, chin, chin and head.

                                             You can never have enough gold bling.

                                                       Just a little tuck here,

                                                          and of course, here.

                                                          Finishing touches.

Sgt. Preston is six feet (1.83 m) tall, not counting his feather. It took less the two weeks to finish him, while his components pieces and decorations cost less $100. He is the commander of our army of Nutcrackers, we have over 400 ranging in size from 12.5mm (1/2 inch) to life size Sgt. Preston.

                                         

See here for some of our Nutcracker collection:

Holidays at Therri & Rick's: The Nutcrackers Christmas

Any Cover is Good Cover in a Firefight

When the battlefield is a hot firefight grab some cover as any cover is better than none. Here are some examples I have made and painted over the years. All but the hogsheads, brick masonry, rooftop, spider holes and bunker complex are scratch builds. Lots more can be found here:

World Historyprof: Game Terrain

           

Nature's own- stone, wood or brush.

Cargo holders like these "Hogsheads."

  Old ruins or new.

Blasted tree trunks.

Shell holes, even in ruins.

    Loopholed walls and barricades.

   Brick masonry is a standard.

Second floors and rooftops.

Old barns.

Trenches behind wire.

Or how about old school wooden stockades.

Then we have more solid, semi-permeant structures of wood, corrugated iron, steel and concrete from spider holes to pill boxes.

         

How about a full-scale concrete and steel bunker complex.

                       

And if worse comes to worst get down as close to the ground as he can and blast away.

 

This is Your Final Warning

With the visage of the daemon that rules this land staring malevolently at foolish intruders... 

this stark totem is littered with the relics of those who failed to heed its warning

Death awaits those who dare to cross this boundary. You have been warned.

This is a plastic piece from Godtear that I painted earlier this year.

What's on the Worktable December 10, 2024

I'm in a Fantasy-Super Hero mood as the worktable models show. 

From right to left a Jotnar (Ragnarök); Ork King, Dwarf king 4 dwarves and totem with a Goblin shaman behind them (all Godtear); three Crisis protocol figures including the "Mummy" and last but not least Loki from (Ragnarök).

All are plastic, I also have some WWII pieces, but they are yet to be primed. As to scale, the smaller dwarves are about 30mm.scale. The holidays are a busy time, yet I hope to finish most of these before New Years.

Figures Painted in November '24

First piece I painted in November was Lord Rotgut.

Holiday prep really cut into my painting in November as I only finished 29 pieces.

Here is the months list: Fantasy 12- 4 Winged warriors, 8 Lord rotgut and minions. Terrain 2-15mm Peasant Farmhouses. Steampunk 6- 7 Steam-Mech Warriors. Second World War 5- 5 1/285 M-3 Motor Carraige AT-Halftracks. All except the metal M-3's were plastic pieces.

The last piece I finished was this 15mm scale peasant house from the Joan of Arc Game.

Fear When the Moon is Full and a Wolf Howl Shatters the Night

"Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers at night, may wolf become when the Wolfbane blooms and the Autumn Moon is Bright!"

With a blood curdling howl at the Moon, the Wolfman begins his hunt. 

Be he called the Bleidd-ddyn, Loup-Garou, Varcolac, Varulv, Vulkodlaka or Wolfman he (yes, there can also be Wolfwomen) is cursed to transform form from human to beast where the blood lust takes control only to be sated by a fresh kill.

Only the rising of the Sun, or death, can return the Wolfman to human form. 

Till then, this victim of wolf lycanthropy is doomed to hunt and kill when the Moon is full. When as a beast he has no family, no friends, no loved ones...only potential prey.  So, fear the full Moon, lest you become the next bloody quarry of the Wolfman.

This is a plastic piece from Crisis Protocol that I painted in November.

My, My What Big...Spikes You Have

With a definite smell of fresh blood in the ail the cursed Hoplite Hiktos Nuluk realizes he is once again in the presence of a predator carnivore.  

"Great Zeus, what kind of beast is this monster? With so many sharp huge boney spikes."

"Fenris (Fenrir), son of Loki." Replies the great wolf, "and I am looking for my midday meal...you." 

For the full adventures of Brave Hiktos Nuluk check here:

World Historyprof: Brave Hiktos Nuluk

 for this version of Fenris check here:

World Historyprof: When the World Ends the Fenris Wolf Will Be There