What's Next??

Decisions, decisions.........

Right then; I  already decided that the next Project that I intend to continue with and see through to completion is the Indian Mutiny in 28mm.

I need to check but I think I'm probably over half way through metal mountain that resulted from Mutineer Miniatures KickStarter back in 2013 with a few hundred figures left to paint.

Some of the figures that I have for 2 other Projects, namely Sikh Wars and Persian Napoleonics, can be utilised for the Indian Mutiny and vice-versa so I intend these projects being treated as contiguous greater undertaking.

To avoid some sort of 'Indian mega project fatigue' and painting boredom setting in I will keep a couple of smaller undertakings on the go in parallel. I've decided that the first 2 will be a28mm WWII Late War Germans Sd Kfz250 Aufklarungs Platoon for use with Bolt Action rules and 15mm Scottish Covenanters.

I belong to 2 separate gaming clubs, SSWG in Ilchester, and the Weymouth Levellers. The reason I mention this is that Bolt action is currently in vogue at SSWG and Martin Goddard (of Peter Pig fame) has just commenced playtesting of his re-write of his Regiment of Foote, English Civil War rules. My Covenanters were purchased about 15 years ago from Essex Miniatures  and will finally be used!

That's it then; decision made...............

Hip Hip Hurrah - A Project Concluded!!

That's the War of The Roses finished. The last 8 Scurrers and 16 Billmen painted and based.

All that leaves me is 28 partly made Perry Plastic Mounted Men at Arms. Being plastic they have no real resale value so I'm boxing them up and putting at the bottom of the Plastic Pile on the off-chance  that, one day, I find a use for them or decide to paint them and flog them on eBay.

Painting

Another of my New Years Resolutions was to paint more; something I have failed to do every year for the last 5 years!

This year I intend to be more organised and focussed.

My intention is to finish at least 2 major projects this year. Having spent some time pondering over which they should be I have decided on the War of the Roses and the Indian Mutiny. The reasoning behind this is that my WotR collection is about 95% complete and the Indian Mutiny probably 50%.

Over Christmas I have finished the following:
16  Perry plastic WotR mercenary pikemen,
24 Perry plastic WotR archers
1 Foundry Indian Mutiny Elephant and 3 crew.
3 Plastic Indian Mutiny Elephants with Mahouts.

So far this month I have finished:
40 Perry plastic WotR Dismounted Men at Arms
A Command Base consisting of 1 mounted and 2 foot Perry plastic WotR figures.

Perry plastic WotR dismounted Men at Arms

Perry WotR Command Group

I am currently painting 12 Perry Plastic WotR Billmen and 8 Perry plastic WotR Mounted Men at Arms which will complete the core of the Project. All that leaves is a further 24 Perry Mounted Men at Arms that I will either paint this month of dispose of. Either way by the end of January I will be able to say that I have finished a Project!

First Game of 2015

One of my New Year resolutions was to game more.

So far so good as I managed a game on Thursday evening at the South Somerset Wargames Group (SSWG), have one arranged at home on Monday afternoon and a third on Friday evening at the Levellers in Weymouth!

Thursday's  game was using Field of Glory when my 15mm Neo Assyrians took on Martin Hayes New kingdom Egyptians. It was a really enjoyable game where my Heavy Chariots and Guard Infantry managed to get to grips with the NKE centre and broke through but Martins Light Chariots got round both of my flanks won the day.

Chariots, supported by Guard Cavalry advance

The Chariots in combat

Monday's game will be my chance of revenge but I'll be using Neo Babylonians which will give me the option of using a more balance Army.

Friday I'm off to Weymouth to get involved with the playtesting of the rewrite of Peter Pigs ECW Rules.

The Dreaded Stocktake

Well I have managed to get to about two thirds of the cabinets containing 28mm unpainted lead and all the boxes of plastic. Although the totals are very approximate and undoubtedly underestimated
they are nonetheless quite scary:

ARMY	Manufacturer	Approx Number	Extras
New Kingdom Egyptian	Foundry	250
Assyrian	Foundry	400	10 Heavy Chariots
Sassinid Persian	Gripping Beast +	150
Macedonian		200
Indian		150
Hun	Foundry	100
Early Imperial Roman		250
Germanic Tribes		250
Mongol		150
Hussite	Kingmaker	160	8 War Wagons
ECW/TYW	Renegade, Warlord	800
17/18th Century Dutch		350
Napoleonic Austrians	Perry, Victrix,     Front Rank	300
Napoleonic French	Perry, Victrix, Warlord	1500
Napoleonic Persian	Westphalia Miniatures	480	KickStarter delivery Mar 2015
Napoleonic Bavarians		120
Indian Mutiny	Mutineer Miniatures	400
Sikh Wars	Studio Miniatures	750
Old West	Foundry	70	12 MDF Buildings
WWI French	Renegade	200
WWI German	Renegade +	120	Resin AV7
WWI British	Renegade +	160
VBCW		120	20+Vehicles
BoB/RCW		120
WWII German	Renegade, Warlord, Black Tree Design +	200	10 Vehicles
WWII Russian	Baker Co	140	10 Vehicles
WWII Finns	Baker Co	80	4 Vehicles
WWII Italians	Black Tree, Artizan,??	60	2 Vehicles
Total		8030

Blue indicates Projects that I have made inroads into. 

At current rates this represents about 20 years worth of painting so I need to decide which Projects/Periods to concentrate on, which to dispose of via eBay and Bring and Buys and which figures if any I can afford to get painted via Fernando Enterprises. 

Difficult decisions ahead; but ones that must be taken.

Watch this space!!!

New Year.....New Room

2015 is here and give or take a couple of days I've met target number one!!

Here are some photos of my, finally finished,  Gaming Room.

Library and Storage

And Again

Figure Cabinets and Table

And Again

I count myself very fortunate to have a dedicated Room that provides enough space for all my books and rules plus a 6'x4' permanent table.

In addition there is a double fitted wardrobe crammed to the gunwales  with unpainted figures and  a seperate storeroom that houses the bulk of the "Metal Mountain and the Plastic Pile"!!!

The room has been available for just over 4 years but this is the first time it has actually been in a usable state.

The second task was to stock-take the mountain/pile and prioritise them for 2015. That's a bit frightening but necessary so will be the subject of my next rambling Post!!