Gruss vom Krampus!

Greetings from the Krampus! Europeans have been exchanging holiday greeting cards with those words and a horned devil known as the Krampus on them since the 1800s.

The Krampus or Christmas Devil is a helper to St. Nick (more on St. Nick in tomorrow's Santa post) in the Alpine countries. The Krampus is celebrated during the Krampusnacht (Night of the Krampus) the eve of St. Nicholas day (Dec 6th) where men in devil costumes caper through the streets holding torches demanding the traditional gift of schnapps of those they meet. The Krampus looks remarkably like the God Pan, the Grecian Woodland deity who was the Church's model for Satan, and major figure in the Roman Pagan Winter Solstice festival Saturalia. During the Saturalia slaves in Saytar or animal masks and baring torches ran through the streets of Roman demanding wine from their social betters and beating bad masters with switches. They sound very similar don't they? Its not surprising then that the Krampusnacht is traditionally celebrated in northern Italy and the Alpine regions of Austria & Germany the very regions where Roman Pagan and Pagan Germanic traditions coexisted in pre-Christian times.

He is also the personification of the even older entity known as the Wildman of the Wood (sometimes known as the Green Man in Britain). The Wildman of the Wood appears in many of the oldest Northern European tales including some of the earliest Arthurian tales. The chain he wears on his hands symbolized that this "wild devil" has been tamed by "Christianity" and now works for the saints, in this case St. Nick.

Note the wicker basket on his back to carry naughty children in to be drowned, eaten or carried of the Hell depending on the how old the story you're reading is.

So if your child has been bad this year send them to the Alps where they'll be taught a lesson by the Krampus.

(Please note the Fiends in Waistcoats do NOT approve of San Fransisco hipsters co-opting Krampusnact and turning it into yet another drunken frat party!)

Oops More Empire of the Dead Releases

Oops forgot these figures. Now I don't recall a "spirit vacuum" in the rulebook but this chap looks mad as a hatter and that's good enough for me.

Empire of the Dead New Releases

 

More of the EOTD Requiem KS miniatures have been released for general sale they include these two fine sets of Victorian servants. I'd say these sets are a must for all Gothic Horror gamers.

And these rather fine sets of villainous thugs. The first set contains some great brutes but the guy with the box in the second set projects a real air of menace to me. Say what you will about Westwind's utter cockup with their ETOD game support they are in my opinion still the best manufacturers of Victorian Gothic figures in true 28mm.

I am both delighted and outraged by these wonderful figures pictured above. I'm delighted because stylistically they are very much like the previous set of Order of the Dragon thugs giving the player a total of 8 (both sets) stylistically similar troops enough for a IHMN company if you play that game. I really hope a 3rd set with some thugs with rifles will be released in the near future that would be just perfect! These figures are brand new sculpts they were not part of the Requiem KS and so none of the KS backers have this particular set of figures. (hence the mild outrage) Its nice to see brand new Gothics from Westwind.

Also a few more resign vehicles have been release:

EOTD Police Dog Handler

The Police Special Branch Infernum Hound and Handler blister is now out. Backers of the Westwind Requiem KS have been awaiting this figure for nearly a year.

I'm sorry guys I've know about this for 2 weeks but the holidays have keep me of the computer for some time now. I'm horribly behind on Clint's wonderful naval game, the Padre's commandos, Wargamer girl's prodigious challenge output and I'm sure so much more. I'm furiously writing posts for you guys, expect a small flurry this week as I'll be very busy at work New Year's week. There will be more EOTD figure release photos, Christmas folklore and a London Board update in store for this Christmas week.

Knuckling Down

I've been slowly plugging away at the churchyard and church blocks of the London board though that currently consists of gluing bits of brick embossed vinyl onto the blocks for sidewalks and an alleyway. I'm also using a tombstone made of the rubbery plastic the Reaper Bones figures use so that piece required a watered down coat of Elmers (PVA) glue to prep it for painting. None of these steps make for compelling pictures but hopefully when the glue dries I'll have more pictures for Sunday. I'm knuckling down in an effort to get these two blocks finished by the new year.

Two Year Anniversary!

I wished to mention on the last day of November that this month (November) marks the second anniversary for Fiends in Waistcoats! Its now two years and 29,581 views later, but this would not be possible if not for the very kind comments left by many of you readers so thank you one and all! Without your kind comments I would have never kept up with this blog. Speaking of readers there are two new gentlemen following with Google +; Jimmy Fernades of Middle Earth Minis and Gordon Richards of I Have Wrought My Simple Plan I must say I love that title! Please use the links provided to check out their wonderful blogs.

The above picture best illustrations my image of the storied British Wargames Club well dressed Gentlemen and the occasional Lady whiling away their leisure time in well appointed parlous served by dinner jacketed waiters. I suspect a gathering of the Rejects would closely resemble the above image. 

Streets

Not a very sexy update I'm afraid just streets for the London board. These street boards pictured above are 12"x7" and they will be painted to match my cobble stone bases. The 4'x4' London board will be made up of 24 1/4" hardboard sections 12 12"x7" street sections and 12 12"x9" city block sections with the buildings mounted on top. Now some will say this concept won't allow a lot of different set up options but setup it's self shouldn't take to long as all the buildings will be glued to the city block boards.

The Fiends in Waistcoats Guide to Victorian Zombie Miniatures

 

As you are now doubt aware of my Victorian zombie project and many of you may like Bob The Zombie Dude's (hope you like your new title Bob) wonder how will I get "Victorian" zombies?
I thought I'd take a moment to show you dear readers the growing number of Victorian Zombie miniatures on the market today. Now I'm qualifying "zombie miniature" as the classic shambler type there are a number of armed undead cowboy miniatures on the market but they don't fit my zombie definition so they are not included here. I'll update this when more figures become commercially available over time.
Westwind Productions

 

EOTD Victorian Zombies(metal) 

There are 10 in the box though only 7 are pictured on the back of the box) 

 Hinterland Miniatures

  Zombie Hussars (metal)

Wyrd Games

Rotten Belles Dead Ladies of the Night (metal)

Madam Sybelle (metal OOP)

Rotten Belles (2nd ed plastic)

Shadows of Redchapel (2nd ed crew set plastic includes new Rotten Belles & new Madam Sybelle)

The Drowned (metal)

Mindless Zombies (metal)

Reaper Miniatures

 

Zombie Miners (metal)

OOP Horrorclix Freakshow

Zombie Ventriloquist (OOP soft plastic)

Zombie Strongman (OOP soft plastic)

Pierced Zombie (OOP soft plastic)

 

 Zombie Confectioner (OOP soft plastic)

A Little More Done This Week

Ok principle construction is now finished the blank spaces on the board are for trees there will be two of them. The tombs & tombstones are a combination of Ainsty Castings, Lemax, GW and home made. Next up will be some putty landscaping and the brick sidewalks.

Progress in Fits & Starts

You might be wondering just what it is your looking at right now, you are looking my home made zombie feasting markers. Yes these markers will denote zombies feasting on human flesh in progress in ATZ viewing such a thing will cause civilian characters to make a Rep test. As you can see they are made from Horrorclix vampire & victim figures on my home made street bases.

I'd also like to welcome three more new readers who are following with Goggle + Rune Heart of the German language blog Game Department, Roy Williamson of the Paint Table Satuday  Google community, I wasn't aware it had become a community, and Pat G. who is a member of the Google community Adventures in the East Mark I couldn't find a blog associated with you Pat (other than your wife's) so if you have on let me know. Welcome dear readers!

Churchyard Re-Built

Some of you dear readers my recall my old graveyard piece this terrain bit suffered two brutal assaults (knocked of the shelf) by the Devil's Kitten (see here) and was in very sorry shape the foam tombstones didn't survive. I've re-built it or in the processes anyway by adding Aintsy Casting monuments & tombs and Lemax  Halloween village tombstones.

Zombtober 2014 The Aftermath

Zombtober 2014 wasn't the push period I had hoped it would be do entirely to Real Life concerns. As the above picture shows the Victorian Horde is of pitiful size, but I began several miniatures in October that I plan to finish of this month.

I've also received my Roadkill order from Johnny Borg I've created a test base for the dead horses.

Well that's it for tonight.

Dinovember

Now that November is upon us some bloggers have jumped right into the next themed painting event "Dinovember" I will not be participating in this event. But I've discovered an American (and I think Canadian) craft store that has some of the best plastic dinosaurs I've every seen out side of a museum gift store. The store is (aptly) named Michael's Craft Store and has many pre-painted hard plastic figures for sale.

Reaper Minatures Good Service

Lunatic R. order these lovely new Reaper zombies for his modern zombie project and what did he find in his package but a trick or treat bag!

Which contained these free goodies! Thanks Reaper!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Last Call For "Roadkill"

Roadkill is a limited edition collection of corpses by the man behind the now defunct MegaMini's line. Every wargamer no mater what period they play could use animal and human corpses an this line at 80 different miniatures. I wanted dead horses for my post Zombie London Roadkill has two the one pictured above and this decomposed one that looks like zombies had a nibble.

There are human and even mystery as in unsolved mystery corpses.

You can order direct through his store johnny borg castings. They are only available until October 31st so hurry. World wide shipping is on $10 US!!!!