A Feast for Crows

As some of you may know, we like to use various animals as markers for Disorder/Out of Command, etc. in our games, referred to generically as "chickens", from the most prevalent variety that we have. I'm always on the lookout for new types, so when Mega Miniatures  announced that they would be ceasing production in 2013 and selling off their molds, I bought a bunch of their various types of birds and animals, which will gradually appear here. It just happened that I finished up the crows and a few others last night, and someone asked about the availability of 28mm ravens on TMP, so this post came to the top of the "to do list"!

Mega Minis crows with some Redoubt Renaissance casualty figures. 

George R. R. Martin would be proud of the carnage, no doubt.  "I find Lannister most to my liking!"

Here are the crows by themselves. They were painted Payne's Grey (a very dark blue grey), dry brushed Purple and then dry brushed again with Hippo Grey, a medium dark neutral grey. I gave them red eyes and yellow bills to make them standout a bit more, but strictly speaking both should be black. 

I did a little reading on Crows before I painted them - they are supposedly among the most intelligent of all birds, use tools, and cooperative strategies as well. All Crows (and Ravens) belong to the genus Corvus, a word perhaps familiar to most wargamers as the name given to the spiked boarding plank device used by Romans to even the naval aspect of the conflict between Rome and Carthage during the 2nd Punic War. Various species of Crows are found on all continents except Antarctica. Crows figure prominently in American Indian and other mythologies... as much as they are hated by farmers!

  

Along with the rows, I got a couple of squirrels. My daughter  having worked in a vet;s office for years (and presently in Veterinary school), we have rehabilitated quite a number of orphaned baby squirrels over the years - they are quite affectionate when they are young, and ordinarily are not weaned until they are 3-4 months of age. They are wild animals, though, and have to be released when ready, both for their own benefit and by law. 

 "Hmm, is that unit is acting a bit squirrelly?"

"Nah, the Commander is just nuts!"

(And one gamer at a convention asked us why we use animals as markers - well, they look a lot better than random chits, etc, and they are excellent fodder for bad jokes and one liners!) 

Now her's a fellow that I encountered coming out of the back door of the office late one night. At first I thought it was a stray cat - the staff had been leaving food out for one. Well, they attracted a Polecat, too! We put a stop to that after my nocturnal encounter, LOL!

"Your Generalship stinks!"

In our Napoleonic Imaginations campaign using Warplan 5/5, Barry's tongue in cheek country is Fuddland, with Elmer as ruler. Pepe le Peu holds some kind of office in the Fuddland Government; perhaps he'll appear on the tabletop in a future game?