2019 - A Year in Review

Well another year draws to a close.

I lost track of the painting tally but it felt like a good year on the brushes, I'll put this down to the launch of the Haitian campaign which drives the painting queue as the games started to creep up in size, it's now been ongoing for a little under 12 months, which is most definitely a record. Based on previous campaigns which seem to fade away after a couple of months.

I did not get as many games in as I would have liked but I suspect that is true of every gamer. But I did make progress on a number of projects and started to clear out some of the lesser collections that not seen game time in many a year or were simply to few in number to put on a reasonable game.

As is customary in the blogosphere I have taken a look back over the past 12 months broken down by the four seasons. Frankie Valli and Vivaldi would be impressed :-)

January - March

The quarter started well with the kick off of the Haitian Campaign, I had press ganged a number of club members and others to play the part of the various factions and players set about hatching their evil schemes. 

Fuelled by players demands for extra troops a number of new units entered the table.

Ghost Archipelago continued to generate some fun games, with Atlantians, Pirates and Marines all fighting for the treasure hidden amongst the jungle ruins.

Marched finished with a Haitian outing at Hammerhead which generated plenty of interest amongst fellow gamers and gave me a target to finish more regulars and artillery.

April - June

A new project which rather surprisingly was finished in year for once, a trip down memory lane taking me back to the 1980's with Crooked Dice's not 'V' the mini-series.

Originally available through their kickstarter when they released 2 blister packs which honestly was not enough, but with a number of head swaps the Visitors are up to 20 strong. Enough for most games although I do need to tweak the flying lead rules a little more.

Although Diana is perhaps the most unluckiest leader being killed or wounded in every game played. Lets hope 2020 brings her a little more luck.

Meanwhile the Haitian Campaign hots up with multiple clashes in the North of the Island with both French and Spanish forces clashing with the Slave armies. 

July - September

The summer and back to another old project with the start of Red Pheonix the North Korean invasion of the South Korea driven largely by the launch of the Seven Days on the Rhine rules, I have yet to get a game on the table. But it was good to get the Infantry rebased in readiness for the first outing hopefully January.

The Wyvern Club were lucky enough to be invited to Keith Flint's Cotswold Wargaming day a fantastic event with plenty of games on offer and a bunch of friendly gamers to share ideas and inspiration with. I had the pleasure of meeting Stuart Asquith and was fortunate enough to win the game of the day.

Sadly Stuart passed away a few weeks ago, a real loss to the hobby but it was great to meet one of the stalwarts of the hobby before his passing.

October - December

Winter is coming..... More Haitians leave the painting queue, this time in the shape of the latest releases from Trent Miniatures, lets hope that 2020 brings some extra reinforcements to this excellent range of figures.

Meanwhile as the year draws to a close. Something evil begins to infect the land, the Witches are back and the Darkness is rising. Thanks to Rick Priestly's new Warlords of Erewhon Fantasy rules. 

The Elizabethan Zombie project is back on..... with extra's for all sides in the forthcoming conflict.

Game of the Year.

Well what a choice.... could it be the Haitian Sieges, the Death of Diana (again) or the Russian WW1 outing?

It has to be the Zombiefest set in the Worcestershire countryside. Fought over 2 nights it saw Britain over run with Zombies and the local constabulary fighting over scraps with the Birmingham Bikers.... 

 

What to expect of 2020

Having had some fun games with the Warlords of Erewhon rules you can definately expect an expansion of the Elizabethan Project, with both Spanish, English and the Army of Darkness lined up.

I have started to clear out some of the lesser projects which have never got off the ground, its amazing what you find in various boxes which were tucked away as the wargames butterfly came calling. I have enough Foundry bare metal to complete 2-3 extra Tudor units, but with a January sale on and paypal funds burning a hole in my pocket the London trained bands might finally enter the table along with more Spanish cavalry...

The forces of Darkness are likely to be bolstered by the Kickstarter from Fireforge Games which finally came through a year after my initial pledge and some random purchases on e-bay. I was bored one night and set myself a goal of winning stuff for under a tenner.....

I quite fancy a sword and sandal outing... The Infamy Infamy rules from the Two Fat Lardies sound good but I want to make use of my desert terrain rather than their setting of Northern Europe, so am tempted by New Kingdom Egyptians. With a release date around Salute it will give me time to draw up some forces and their opponents likely to be Hittie's rather than the Sea People.

Keeping with the Egypt theme the box of shame has thrown up a number of spare figures from the Perry twins which will complete the French Infantry for Egypt and if the e-bay auctions are a success perhaps some camelry is on the cards to bolster Napoleon's command.

That should be enough to keep me going, but time permitting there is always, more for the South Koreans, Water Margin, Russo Japanese War..... etc, etc will it every end :-)

Have a great New Year and may you always roll high.....

2017 A year in review.

Some what belated but I guess that's the problem with a weekend in between Christmas and New Year and limited time off, I thought I would look back over the past 12 months and review the progress of the projects undertaken and give some thought to the the year ahead.

When I consider the plans that I had for the year I am pretty pleased with the output, I looked back at my notes and had three projects ear marked for the year ahead.

Napoleon in Egypt - Sharp Practice 2
I finished the core French force of French Infantry together with a section of Coptics but never got round to the cavalry, however with the Perry Twins producing a number of new releases including cavalry perhaps 2018 could be the year?

Haiti Revolution - Sharp Practice 2
I surprised myself with just how much of these project left the paint table and marched on to the table top, I managed to complete a full force representing the Slave Army and the bulk of a free Peoples/Haitian force, they have yet to win a game when facing off against the Brits or the French but all of the games have been real fun. With some Christmas purchases tucked away plenty more to come this year.

 

Warlords of Atlantis - Cutlass!
Hhhmmm I did complete the core Pirate and Marine forces but struggled to give this project much game tim, perhaps with the release of Ghost Archipelago the Black Powder/Pulp Cross over will see this landing a little more firmly. It definately potential and with the native Indians painted up and the odd Sea Creature. I just need to spend some time pulling the formal background together and building the forces in GA. I just need that spark to get going on this.

As was the case with 2016 the year started so well, but time in front of the brushes fell away badly in the second part of the year, I blame the change in job, I had so hoped for gardening leave, so to did the wife, however our ideas for a "to do" list looked very different...
I am yet to beat the 2015 tool of in excess of 300 mini's but last years efforts was just shy of 200 foot figures not to shabby.

So what about the year ahead?
The Haitian Project will continue to expand, the most recent encounters have demonstrated the need for a few more Big Men for the Slave Forces, I have a couple of battalions of French which need painting up and have plans for cavalry and Artillery together with supporting characters.

Ghost Archipelago the first outing was fun, I will probably look to pull together a couple of standard force rosters for the Pirate and Marines before I crack on with the Northstar Crewmen. I was thinking more along the lines of lost crews from across various time lines crashing together with a sprinkly of magic for some crews... besides I need to find a way of using my crabs some how.

RJW for Sharp Practice 2, we have been playing a lot of SP2 lately and whilst designed for the period upto circa 1865 could it be pushed beyond that to 1905? With some new releases out from Tsuba including cavalry on the way for the Russians it could be the perfect excuse to increase the numbers on both sides.

Outside of that there are plenty of items hiding in the draw of shame, a 15mm Russian village, 28mm Modern Africans and some extra ACW troops... plenty to keep me going without the various distractions that are bound to come along.

New Paints
180 Foot Figures, 3 Cavalry Figures, 2 Fu Dogs, 3 Crabs, 8 Car Wrecks, 1 Ammo Cart, 16 Movement Trays, 5 Space Fighters, 7 Shock Markers, 8 Earthworks.

Month
January	New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 28 French Infantry - Perry Miniatures. 3 French Officers - Brigade Games New - Black Powder Pulp/Fantasy 28mm 8 Royal Marines - Black Scorpion Miniatures 11Pirates/Gentlemen - Black Scorpion Miniatures 1 Highwayman - Black Scorpion Miniatures
February	New - Chinese Fantasy 28mm 2 Fu Dogs - Watchful I Studio's  2 Flame Throwers - Curtney Miniatures. New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 5 French Artillery Crew - Brigade Games
March	New - Laserburn - Sci-fi 8 Car Wrecks
April	New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 2 French Maids - Front Rank Miniatures. 1 Ammo Cart. 2 Shock Markers.
May	New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 5 Shock Markers. 8 Coptic Legion Infantry - Perry Miniatures. New Haitian Revolution - Sharp Practice  24 Haitian Slaves/Maroons - Trent Miniatures
June	New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 5 Arab Engineers. New - Amazon Indians 28mm - SOBH 10 Copplestone Indians.  New Terrain 8 Earthworks
July	New Haitian Revolution - Sharp Practice  12 Haitian Slaves/Maroons - Wargames Foundry New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 18 movement Trays.
August	New Haitian Revolution - Sharp Practice  6 Chasseurs De Saint Dominic - Trent Miniatures 6 Chasseurs Des Irois -Trent Miniatures 6 Movement Trays New Russo-Jap War
Sept	Russian Priest. New Haitian Revolution - Sharp Practice  8 Free People Infantry - Trent Miniatures 2 Haitian Officers - Trent Miniatures New - Atlantis - 28mm - Cutlass! 2 Atlantians - Antediluvian miniatures 3 Crabs - Antediluvian miniatures
October	New Haitian Revolution - Sharp Practice  23 Freed Slaves - Trent Miniatures 10 Free People Infantry - Trent Miniatures 3 Haitian Slave Big Men - North Star 1 Mounted Officer - Trent Miniatures 10 Movement Trays Star Eagles - Space Fighters 4 Hawkmen Fighters 1 Ming Frigate.

2016 A year in review.

Another year gone in a flash.
Hard to believe the blog has been going 5 and a half years, in what is now the New Year custom, I thought I would look back over the past 12 months and review the projects undertaken and consider the potential ideas for the year ahead.

The year started so well with a reasonable amount of time in front of the brushes, but I fell away badly in the second part of the year, what with real life challanges and illness. Still I do find that the Christmas break is a great way of kick starting the year ahead.

Surprisingly I kept new projects to only a few and actually completed a couple of them to a point where now I am only looking at impulse purchases at future shows - I am a sucker for all things shiny.
Most of my focus was again in the Far East with Japanese cavalry finally making it to the gaming for the RJW.

The largest project came due to a new recruit over at the Wyverns in the form of Furphy who had a passion for modern warfare in particular Chechnya.

Chechnya & Urban Sci-fi - 15mm

I had been looking for quite a while for a set of ultra modern rules which allowed me to put on large scale skirmishes without the book keeping of some of the current crop of modern squad level games. I found myself drifting back into retro gaming of the 1980's with the use of Laserburn, Imperial commander. Loads of Dice, Casualties and fun.

I completed a modern Russian force complete with BMP's and BTR's, Chechin insurgents and supporting Artillery.

If that were not enough, the Russians were expanded to include some more modern/Sci-Fi vehicles and walkers to combat an impulse purchase from Rebel Miniatures in the US - Out of world invaders who happened to have landed in Eastern Europe.
Or simply an excuse to use the growing collection of resin buildings.

Not to bad at all two projects completed in full in less than 6 months.

With the mass of new releases for the Cold War wargaming in 2016/2017 who knows this may see a further expansion in the year ahead, besides I have a Russian village that's sitting in a box some where which needs to join the paint queue.

The Water Margin/Sung Chinese - 28mm

Having agreed to put on a participation game at Hammerhead in March the Water Margin Project continued apace. With cavalry and more government forces added to the collection.

Hammerhead was a cracking days gaming with oriential fortune cookies for all who took part.

I had loose plans for converting Dux Britanniarum to Ancient China but the release of Watchful Studio's Kickstarter provided me with some fantasy elements (which have yet to grace the table) so I switched to Advanced Songs of Blades and Heroes which gave the right feel, however I now have enough forces to use for Dragon Rampant for larger conflicts if I actually sat down and worked out the stats.

Napoleon in Egypt - Sharp Practice 2

Finally in the later part of the year, the Egypt project was back up and running, the nudge provided by the release of the Too Fat Lardies - Sharp Practice 2 and the campaign rules - Dawns and Departures.
This upgrade is begining to last as long as the campaign itself.

A number of these mini's have been languishing in their storage box for a year or so, but with new releases from Brigade Games and Perry Miniatures the project is very much back on for 2017.

So what else for the year ahead?

So far the plans are some what loose but they do have a Black Powder feel to them.

Napoleon in Egypt - Sharp Practice 2
I need to finish the core French force which are in the final stages on the paint table - Perry Miniatures have produced a number of new releases including cavalry for the French so these will be a muster - just can't decide on camels or horses?

Haiti Revolution - Sharp Practice 2
Ever since the Lardy day back in the summer I have been drawn to the Haiti Revolution, I am justifying the purchases as another excuse to use my jungle terrain, but the truth is, Trent miniatures produce some lovely figures and the period is crying out to be gamed using Sharp Practice.
British, French, Spanish, Slaves and Free People.

Warlords of Atlantis - Cutlass!
Since the impulse purchase from Antediluvian miniatures and their excellent Atlantians I have an urge for a Black Powder/Pulp cross over skirmish affair.

I picked up a number of packs of Black Scorpions Pirate range during the 2016 show circuit that have not seen the light of day yet. Perhaps a coastal community attacked by the Atlantians or maybe something a little more main stream wreckers vs Crown forces?

I am not sure whether this was to much junk telly over Christmas. But why do I find myself Googling 28mm crabs?

Outside of these firm ideas, I can see more colonials making an appearance due to the fun games we have had with Dan Mersey's excellent rules The Men who would be Kings.

Perhaps French Foreign Legion as I look to expand my desert terrain and give it more uses or even Pathans but this could be a little more challanging on the terrain front.
Mongols could make an appearance to give me a few more uses for the Chinese village - but the thought of more cavalry - eek.
And then there could be a couple of purchases to support some of the newer rule sets Broken Legion, Rogue Stars - both of which offer interesting campaign ideas.

Well all in all 2017 should be another fun year if only I can keep a focus.......

On the painting front 2016 was a pretty good performance producing over 200 foot figures but well short of the 300+ from 2015.

The 2016 results by month.

Month
January	New - Russo-Japanese 28mm 2 Shock Markers, 2 Horseholders, 8 Horses - Tsuba Miniatures. Japanese Heavy Machine Team - Tsuba Miniatures. 9 Japanese Cavalry - Tsuba Miniatures. New - Pulp/Fantasy 28mm 6 Cold Ones - RAFM Miniatures 9 Fishmen - Black Tree Miniatures New - Sung Chinese 28mm 10 Rebel Infantry - Curtney Miniatures
February	New - Chinese Fantasy 28mm 9 Terracotta Warriors - Watchful I Studio's  10 Zombies - Watchful I Studio's 2 Revenue Collectors - Curtney Miniatures. New - At close quarters - Chechnya 2 Lorries, 5 AFV's, 2 Tanks. New - Russo-Japanese 28mm 12 Jump off points.
March	New - At close quarters - Chechnya 1 Artillery piece - 4 crew. 27 Russian Infantry- Eureka Miniatures New - Sung Chinese 28mm 11 Rebel Infantry - Curtney Miniatures 4 Chinese Wizards New - Terrain Oasis
April	New - Sung Chinese 28mm 14 Provincial Infantry - Curtney Miniatures
May	New - At close quarters - Chechnya 16 Russian NVD Infantry- Eureka Miniatures 11 Russian Support Troops- Eureka Miniatures New - Laserburn - Sci-fi Russians 17 Power Armoured Infantry 3 Tracked Drones 27 Alien Invaders - Rebel Mini's New - Starship Troopers 1 CHAS Droid. New - Sung Chinese 28mm 2 Barricades
June	New - Sung Chinese 28mm 8 Rebel Archers - Curtney Miniatures 6 Government Soldiers - Curtney Miniatures 4 Chinese Wagon's - Colonel Bills. 12 Rebel Cavalry - Curtney Miniatures
July	New - Laserburn - Sci-fi 4 Car Wrecks New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 18 movement Trays.
August	New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 2 French Light Infantry - Brigade Games 2 Ottoman Skirmishers - Brigade Games.
Sept	New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 1 Water Cart. 1 Water Boy - Brigade Games 1 Priest - Brigade Games New - Atlantis - 28mm - Cutlass! 6 Atlantians - Antediluvian miniatures
October	New - Napoleon in Egypt 28mm - Sharp Practice 4 Mameluk Cavalry - Brigade Games.
November	Nothing
December	Nothing

Painted Total 2016 New Paints 207 Foot Figures, 25 Cavalry Figures, 8 Horses, 4 Wagons, 18 Movement Trays, 12 Jump off Points, 2 Shock Markers, 2 Tanks, 2 Lorries, 5 AFV's, 3 Drones, 1 Artillery Piece, 1 Water Cart,  1 large Robot, 2 Barricades, 4 Car Wrecks, 1 Terrain Piece. 210 Followers

The race is on...... End of year count down....

Back in August I set myself the challange of clearing the "odds & sods" that I had built up over the years, whilst I did not achieve the required results it did focus the mind and has allowed me to back fill several projects.

With plans a foot for next year, I really need to focus on clearing several of the items languishing on the paint table.

• A couple of shock markers for the US Marines for Chain of Command, a Senior and Junior Leader for the Marine Corps.
• A member of the Press Corp for modern day Africa.
• Senior and Junior Leader for converting my late war Russians to Chain of Command.
• 2 AT Guns for the Russians as support options.
• A Tudor Artillery piece for the Elizabethan Wars.
• Women, Children, Engineers and a surgeon for Ireland.

Right, that's reminded me how much I've got to do, I must get back to the painting table.

Happy New Year - 2013 in summary

Another year has past and time for a rack up of the years efforts.

I started the year determined to record my efforts as a means of focusing on certain projects and to try and stop me wandering off on various smaller projects. Apart from a few distractions such as "Planet of the Apes" I have kept pretty much to the plan....

It seems to have been the year of the marker base, I am not sure what that says for my luck during gaming that I need so many casaulty and low ammo markers. But it did give me a great excuse to use those figures often ignored or avoided in various blister packs.
Thanks Sidney for starting this idea.... look where it's taken me :-)

 

First 2013 in numbers...

New Paints
290 Foot Figures.
29 Mounted Figures
5 Gatling Guns, Artillery Pieces.

2 Wagons
31 Casualty Markers
7 Low Ammo Bases
8 Jump off points
62 Movement Trays
7 Terrain Pieces.

90 Blog postings

138 Followers !!!
Thank you so much to all of you who follow my ramblings it's probably this that has kept the tally so high for the year, it was great to meet some of you at the various show which the Wyvern Wargamers put on and to gain new members at our club, it really does make the effort worth while.

I set out this time last year to document the projects and plans in terms of an end of year report, I would call it a B- much was completed but many of the projects simply did not get enough focus.

Will the Starship Trooper Project ever get completed ?

Projects and Progress FY12 -13

 

Russo Japanese War - 28mm

I spotted these in November last year, excellent designs by Paul Hicks and produced by Tsuba Miniatures, the range is growing and for once I am in at the basement level, where my speed of painting matches the releases, plenty of scope for Trench Warfare, Sieges and open battles.
Initially 4 sections aside but plenty of scope for Cavalry, sailors and trains.
This is the major project for 2013.

Really pleased with how this has progressed, I have managed to keep pace with Tsuba releases and added additional units, to the point where I have enough foot units for the Russians for a large Mud & Blood encounter, This year the plan is for more Cavalary for both sides and more period terrain including trenches and gun enplacements.
It was great to put on a game at Wyvern's Too Fat Lardies Day - Market Larden this really got my foundation for this growing collection. 

Elizabethan Irish Wars 28mm

With the Irish largely complete last year due mainly through the cross over with SAGA, the English are in need of reinforcements, at least 3 pike blocks are needed plus Cavalary and Calivers.

Nothing to show this year, although with the restructuring of the Foundry range and the re-emergance of the Monolith range under Crann Tara Miniatures and of course TAG's new range could see this picking up in 2014.

Boxer Rebellion 15mm

After 10 years I have finally settled on a rule set that works for the period both big and small battles, Mud & Blood from the two fat lardies, fits perfectly for this, with a few tweaks to the cards for the separate nationalities, the figure collection needs a revamp, the paint job is over 10 years old, completed before I had changed my painting style to include inking and shade tones, they are also coated with a gloss varnish which makes them rather to shiny.
Basing them on 1p's was fine when you had 30 figures, but at over 300 hundred it's not the best gaming experience, so they are in need of rebasing.
There is also the small task of another 4 bags from old Glory to finish off.

I did not expect this to be top of the painting list last year in all honesty it was on the potential ebay list, but thanks to Simon and his Colonial adaptions for Big Battles in Sharp Practice the Boxers were firmly back on the agenda.
Painted some 10 years earlier it's amazing what a new wash and some improve basing does for the collection.
418 Foot Figures, 17 Mounted Figures, 4 Artillery Pieces, 2 AT Guns, 2 HMG's, 10 Terrain Pieces.
Still 4 bags of Old Glory to finish off.

Napoleon in Egypt

The Egyptians/Ottoman's are in a reasonable state with cavalry and Infantry for both however they could do with some artillery to support them, the French are nowhere near being ready to face up against them, I brought a box of Victrix plastic infantry from Victrix, nice figures but I am losing bayonets already, I just can't see them being a long term investment so the plan is to switch to Brigades Miniatures metal offering.

The Egyptian project continues to move along slowing aided by the occasional campaign game of

Ensign Claude Canard and his Friend and mentor Ensign Côtelettes de Mouton of the French Sloop "Le Vendeen". This year saw the introduction of Ottoman regulars and artillery and finally the half painted Arab Cavalry cleared the paint table.

 

 

The French were bolstered by Brigade games's French Infantry in Desert uniforms and some jolly sailors, you can expect to see a couple of extra units this year I am sure.

Starship Troopers 28mm

Under coated and based but they have not left the draw for 18 months, a nice figure range produced by 1st corp, they might only take a couple of days due to the colours required, I just need that spark to get them done.

Nothing.... oh the shame - Should this be the New Years resolution?

When I said I had remained on track, I forgot to mention the rebasing of my WW2 15mm Grermans for Chain of Command, a great set of rules, thanks Rich for putting WW2 back in vogue and then there was the kick starter Project for "All Quiet on the Martin Front" which should allow me to complete my Victorian collection for War of the Worlds.

2014 Promises to be busy.

Happy New Year All.