The annual Blood & Plunder Secret Santa is back! Christmas is just over the horizon and for several years, Blood & Plunder players around the world have been participating in a Secret Santa event to promote some pirate holiday cheer! We’re a little behind this year, so there’s no time to lose!

TLDR Summary

• Exchange painted Blood & Plunder, Oak & Iron or Port Royal minis
• Sign up now
• Get pairings 11/22
• Ship your gift by 12/18
• Have fun

Read on for more precise info on the event, then fill out the form at the bottom of this page to participate!

Blood & Plunder Secret Santa

Adam Horton has graciously managed this event for several years, but he has retired this year and we’re stepping in to keep the tradition going!

Secret Santa Details

This is an “unofficial” event run by fans of the game. It’s a chance to share your work and some minis with other players in the community and hopefully you’ll get something cool for your own collection as well. I have several sets of minis from around the world in my collection now, and it’s a fun way to build connections.

We are opening this up to Oak & Iron and Port Royal players this year as well, assuming we get enough people for those games.

This year you just need to fill out the form with your name, address, and what nation(s) you play so we know what minis should be sent to you. Also, please indicate if you’re willing to ship to players outside the US. This is open to players around the world, but international shipping is getting a little rough out there and we really appreciate people that are up for international sharing.

What Should I Paint?

You have some freedom in what you paint/create, but it should be something in the ~$20 range that would fit into the nationality played by your assigned pirate. Good options include:

• Unit of 4 minis
• Fancy commander mini with some other accessory
• 1 mini and a small terrain piece
• An Oak & Iron Ship
• Port Royal custom mini with some sort of Objective Token

100% official content isn’t required but it’s probably safest and most polite, not knowing the exact preferences of the person your sending to. Some fun is acceptable, customizing a elf or santa mini, but I know most people would most value minis that can be used in a normal game. And make sure it’s appropriate and helpful given the nation your player plays!

The Captain Hook at the top of this article is a great example of fun, but playable!

What If I’m Not a Pro Painter?

You don’t need to be an expert painter to participate. Just do your best and put some love into it! If you’re great at terrain, maybe lean into that. If you’re best at “tabletop quality speed paint style,” lean into that a do a full unit. If you love modifying models, make a couple special characters using the plastic kits. Or if you’re a professional painter, pick up one of the Legendary Commanders for their nation and spend some extra time painting it up really well. Just lean into your strengths!

It should all be “playable.” Don’t spend a lot of time modifying Piet Heyn as the Energizer Bunny or something overly clever like that…

2025 Secret Santa Timeline

Sign up NOW! We started a bit late this year, so no time to lose!

We will take registrations for the 2025 Secret Santa until November 21st and then we will send out pairings and you can get to painting! It’s nice if you get your project shipped out in time to receive by Christmas, which would be by around 12/18 for domestic packages or 12/11 for international packages.

If you’re running late, drop us a line so we know you haven’t forgotten.

It’s smart to pick up some minis from your local store if possible since there’s no wait time. Or as soon as possible from Firelock Games. They are still fulfilling a Blood & Bayonets are their shipping time

How Much Does it Cost?

You should expect to spend $30-40. The only costs are the minis you send and the postage it takes to send it. International postage is a possibility, but will not be heedlessly assigned to you without consultation (a small package of 1 mini costs about $8.50 within the US and about $20 for international shipping).

Better to Give than Receive

Contrary to all pirate philosophy, this event is about giving more than getting. Please sign up with the goal of sending someone something cool, and not hoping to profit or come out ahead. The Blood & Plunder community is full of great people and you should get something great. But it’s possible you’ll get something worth less than you sent, but remember, it’s Christmas and your sending a gift. It’s not entirely transactional.

Sign Up Form

Sign of up for the Blood & Plunder Secret Santa today! Grab some minis and get to painting!

Here are some more Secret Santa projects from years past for some inspiration.