Lawmen!

In the Old West, it was up to the lawmen to enforce the Rule of Law.  In those days, the Rule of Law sprang from the barrel of a Colt .45, AKA "The Handgun that Won the West. This tough looking crew is distinguished from the Outlaws and Desperadoes only on account of their badges.

Speaking of badges, "Knockin' on Heavens Door" seems appropriate right now.

"Mama, take this badge off of me,
I can't use it any more.

It's gettin' dark, too dark to see

I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door."

Mama, put my guns in the ground

I can't shoot them anymore.

That long black cloud is comin' down

I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door.

Cowboys & O'Leary Cowgirls!

Another set of gunslingers for Dead Man's Hand.  The cowboys should be easy to identify on the tabletop as most of them sport leather chaps.  I do like the fellow in the red shirt best.  Looks like he's checking to see if he has any bullets left in the chamber.  I can imagine him standing over a bad guy and saying "You're thinking, "Did he fire six shots or only five?" To tell you the truth, I forgot myself in all this excitement. So let me take a look. I'll be damned. I'm out."   BLAM!!!

Months ago, I had the great fortune to win the O'Leary girls in a drawing at O'Leary Miniatures.  Anne is back at it again with another giveaway, bigger and better than ever! She's got loads of prizes and her giveaway is sponsored in part by author Patrick Hatt. You can find Mr. Hatt's Amazon Writers Page HERE.  It's pretty cool that a writer and a painter teamed up like this. Do head over to her blog and put yourself in for the big drawing.

I keep Anne's girls up on my painting desk for inspiration. I'ts a double edged sword though as they can be, um, distracting. When I play Dead Man's Hand, I'll have the hottest outlaws on the table.  Thanks Anne!

"You girls are purdy!"

Showdown at Gucci Gulch...and the men were blown away.

I've got a set of lawmen and civilians to finish this project and then it's on to 2 new factions for Saga.  The bonus for the Irish warband is that they be run in Dux Britanniarum once Two Fat Lardies release the DB supplement this winter.  It's great when a set of figures can pull double duty like this.

Dead Man's Hand Desperados

"Washington is not a place to live in. The rents are high, the food is bad, the dust is disgusting and the morals are deplorable. Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country."

Horace Greeley wrote these famous words in 1865 in a New York Tribune editorial. In it, he encouraged Civil War veterans to take advantage of the Homestead Act and colonize the public lands.  And why not? After the Civil War, some Southern soldiers returned home to discover they'd lost everything. Other veterans found it impossible to return to their old way of life on the farm or in the city. Some veterans went West for a fresh start, some for the solitude, and others dreaming of fame and fortune.  That's the long-winded explanation for the Civil War veterans in the set below.

The Desperado set might be my favorite in the Dead Man's Hand line.  They're a wild and colorful bunch, and that's how I think they've turned out. If you field this set, I wonder if there is a chance that the Union and Confederate fellow go after each other instead of the enemy?  

I can't resist the opportunity to share Linda Ronstadt's live performance of Desperado. There's no go-go dancers, bright lights, foam fingers or distractions of any kind. Just Linda, a piano and nearly silent audience. Brilliant!