One important note (before I get into some nice new figures) there will be a contest for all you figure painters. There will be several categories, for different individual figures, units and dioramas of all sizes. There will be a small entry fee, but there will also be some nice prizes.

The last few months, there has been an increase in Cowboy-Old West skirmish gaming: from gunfights in the "Real Good Corral," to "Ma Barker shoots the Jane's gang," the use of hand-crafted and wild western figures has gotten Old Glory to put out a new set of rules and a new line of figures the rules are called War Paint and give structure to gunfights, Indian raids and even the bigger Indian wars. The difference between these and Desperado or the Rules with No Name is that they include usable mass combat and archery rules. They also have rules for 1840's weapons when cavalry had single shot pistols and carbines and the Native Americans had bows and 'trade muskets'. The only set of rules that I remember having this ability to do skirmishing between bow-armed Sac and Fox and US volunteers as well as High Noon gunfights was Boot Hill. Yes, I am sure that bows and such will be added to some rules, but this already has them. The rules retail at $12.50 (or less).

The Warpaint figure line is new, and I have seen only four of the new packs. The first pack costs $25.00 WP-18 is a Stage Coach with driver, and Shotgun and six horses. The coach has a solid body, with seperate sides (and could have benefitted from some passengers). The full kit has 23 pieces, and 4 different poses for the six horses. I wish there had been a drawing included, so I could tell where the harness pieces went.

WP-1 'Plains Indians Chiefs' set includes ten mounted figures. There were five different horses, and ten different 'chiefs'. One wears a cavalry style hat, there are six different eagle feather bonnet wearers, one who has a mix of buffalo head and eagle feathers, one with a bear's head headdress and one with only two feathers in his hair. Their weapons include spears, rifles, coup sticks and tomahawks. The figures are beautiful works of sculpture and fit well with other 25-27mm medium figures. The horses are not fat! One has a Roman nose, and the poses are lively. These might be fun to paint - as "paints." Not being regular military, the horse colors can be fun, as can the warriors outfits! The set comes with ten shields in five different styles. This set retails for $21.00.

WP-9 is 'Plains Indian Villagers.' There were 31 figures in the pack I opened there was nine separate poses and one dog. Since there was only one dog in the bag, it may have been a mistake. There are three seated men. One holds a pipe, one wears a wolf headdress, and one has feathers in his hair. There is one child in a cloak. There is one person (either gender?) wearing an ankle length cloak. The other figures are women, including one in a fringed dress, one holding a child, one carrying wood, and wearing a cloak, one in a fringed dress with cloak, holding out her hand. These figures fit well with the Chieftains, and also can be painted colorfully. You might even have a blond or red-head captive. Again, this retails for $21.00.

WP-21 is a Sac-Fox Dismounted Wamors' Another $21.00 set with 30 dismounted warriors. There is plenty of variety here! The figures are in two parts: upper body and lower body. There are five different lower bodies with different leg positioning. There are ten different upper bodies with several weapons and poses. There were fifteen shields included with five different designs. These figures can be put together to rnake so many combinations, and positions that you could have a couple of hundred and never have the same figure. Again you can paint them different bright colors as well. This will be more variety than my Gauls! Weapons include bows, rifles, tomahawk and some figure are left empty-handed, so you can add weapons of your choice.

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