1st Annual Turkey Shoot!

It was Thanksgiving and Mordecai was told to "go get a turkey." Seemed simple enough...

So begins the rules for Turkey Shoot! It's a one person game in which the player assumes the role of a Pilgrim who, as the name suggests, has to shoot a turkey for dinner.

Yes. It's a Thanksgiving wargame!

After stumbling across these rules about two months back, I knew I wanted to make it a new Thanksgiving tradition. I rushed to find suitable models, which was more of a challenge than you might think. But after scrounging the internet for a while I found exactly what I needed. The turkey was completed with plenty of time to spare, as well as some of the necessary terrain. The Pilgrim, however, was put on the back burner due to school and so I didn't have a chance to finish him before Thanksgiving. But that sure didn't stop me from playing!

So without further ado, I give you the 1st Annual Turkey Shoot!

Mordecai was walking through the woods with his musket at the ready. There has to be a turkey out here somewhere, he thought to himself. The Pilgrim had been at it for hours and was about ready to turn back when he came upon a clearing and saw a very welcome sight...

A turkey! Unfortunately, however, the bird sensed Mordecai's presence and began to scurry away.

To his good fortune, however, the turkey emerged from behind the trees just a few feet away from the Pilgrim. Mordecai couldn't believe his luck! With a clear shot, he leveled his musket, took careful aim, and fired.

The powder flashed and a satisfying crack filled the air. The turkey was knocked over and Mordecai smiled to himself. But to his disbelief, however, the turkey got up immediately took flight. 

Again, however, the bird stopped just a few feet away from the Pilgrim. After quickly reloading, Mordecai fired another shot.

Sulfuric smoke again fired the air, but this time Mordecai completely missed. The turkey took flight and vanished from sight.

Looks like Mordecai and his family wouldn't be getting turkey tonight after all...

Die Göbbla Göbbla Tørkey

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I felt compelled to do something appropriate for the holiday. I therefore present, as the Swedish Chef would say, "Die Göbbla Göbbla Tørkey!"

Or, just a turkey.

He's a Pegasus mini I picked up on eBay for cheap (along with three other others....there may need to be an army of turkeys at some point in the future). I based him on a 40mm round base and then added the appropriate scenery: a rock (pebble), fallen branch (twig), and autumn leaves (colored birch seeds).

After studying several images of wild turkeys, I settled on this golden-brown color scheme. I had never noticed the purplish color of their heads before, and it was a challenge to try and match it to the photos. But I'm happy with how it turned out.

Overall, I don't think this was too bad for a first attempt. The turkey itself is alright, but I'm exceedingly pleased with how the base turned out! I've been really aching for a chance to try out these "autumn leaves."

Also, I discovered that there is a Thanksgiving wargame out there called "Turkey Shoot!" 

Yes...this exists. 

The rules were a little hard to come by. All the links to it were dead, but through some careful navigating of the internet I was able to find and download them. It's a one player game that is, quite literally, about a Pilgrim trying to shoot a turkey for dinner.  

And yes, I do fully intend on making this a new holiday tradition! 

And in closing, I must echo the words of the Swedish Chef:

"Børk! Børk! Børk!"

And after this, I will be returning to the diorama. I just needed a little break from it before moving on to the next phase.