Back to No Good

I am finally back from Origins. It was a great show, and outdoing our wildest expectations. With it out of the way all I have left for the summer is planning for GenCon, and lots of painting.

 Having returned I am finding myself fighting NOT to get excited and involved in the new GW Age of Sigmar. This is a real challenge as for the first time in years I really like both armies in the starter set. Wait, I hear you say. But those are undead, and you hate undead. True, but they are wraiths. Celtic mythology and Lord of the Rings both include wraiths and I love these works. So…

This now brings the projects for 2018 up to 4 remaining. Medieval, which I really need to get back to painting, Age of Sigmar 2^nd Edition, (No, no no, but…), Adeptus Titanicus and either my Twilight 2000/AK47, or America Civil War 1968 (I really can only do one of these at most). Medieval I am on the hook for, so just need to refocus and get the paint brush working again. Adeptus is likely unless the Secret project gets accepted. AK47 Twilight, and ACW 1968 are running neck and neck, but are the most likely not to make it. Ancients may sneak in, but that is really my 2019 goal (Wait! Ancients? Where did that come from). I can likely get 2 of these done, if I paint every week. Only time will tell.

Title Picture

What are all those games on the top of the page I hear you ask. Good question. These are several my favorite things to play. 

Slaughterloo

I have a very special place in my heart for Napoleonic uniforms and tactics. I also love the odd and off the wall. Alternative Armies caters to both with their 28mm Slaughterloo game. In this world humans are all gone, but the Elves (French), Orcs (English), Rats (Scotts), and Dogs (Austria) fight on. Some day I may take the plunge into historical Nappies. Well at least paint a few French Cavalry figures. 

Rommel

Strategic WWII by Sam Mustafa via Honor Game. These are 6mm Australians defending against the German Sea Lion invasion campaign I ran. Sam is a name you are likely to see on here a lot. I like a lot of his designs.

Flames of War

Yup, the popular WWII miniatures game. This is a 15mm very late war battle I ran. US forces assault a German occupied town. I have played these rules since first edition. These are the armies that have seen the most time on the gaming field. Over the years the rules we use change, but the troops carry on. 

Toy Soldiers

One of my biggest figure collections are the 28mm Eureka miniature. I have well over 400 hundred of these painted and I keep adding on. Originally designed as my catchall force to play all black powder period games, they have evolved into a period of their own. Using my own rules, the armies of Nodd and Otherwhen are at perpetual war.

Emptying the Bucket

Carthaginian Plastic Pile

Taking the bit between my teeth I am starting to work on the bucket list projects. Today I picked up a pile of figures for my Carthaginian army. I already have a lot of the Pyric and Romans figures, so this is the next force. I have never had a Carthaginian force in any scale, which is very odd since this is my favorite ancient’s army. Once I get around to this project they will be first on the painting table. 

Perry Union Artillery Battery for Longstreet

I have already painted a full Union force for Longstreet, so adding the Confederates is simple project, especially since I have had Perry plastic figures to do just that for years. Of note is the first figure I ever painted was of a Reb. I never have played the southerners, as my personally family history is all about the “Boys in Blue”. Seems natural from a group of folks that lived in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. 

Fireforge Archers and Spearmen

The third group is the big thing in my gaming world now. At the beginning of May I started work on my Medieval project. I have a goal of 200 figures painted by September and have made a start. This is all for a campaign I plan to run in October. With that said, it is time to give the keyboard a rest and get back to my painting.

Bucket List

Over the years, and there have been more than a few, there are miniatures projects I have thought about, started, stopped, and completed. Now that I am nearing my golden year, with retirement not to far around the corner, I have been thinking about the projects I absolutely want to finish. All of these are using 28mm figures. 

•      Medieval Armies – Enough to run a good size campaign.

•      Ancients – Carthaginian, Pyric, and Republican Roman. Enough of each to put on multi-player battles.

•       ACW Confederates to match against my Union forces for Longstreet.

These are the big three as everyone of these I have either done in 15mm and now want bigger figures, or more accurately I want more spectacle. I am of the opinion you can always play with more figures.

The problem with all my games is I hate to paint. I’m rather good at it, but I never enjoyed it. I would always rather write rules, create campaigns, or best still, play games. The question then remains, “Will any of this ever get finished?”