Happy New Year - and 2017 in review

Happy New Year out there - may you have a great , happy and healthy year in 2018.

2017 hobby wise has been a really a good year with lots going on. In the AHPC 7 I completed my Mahdist forces for the Sudan - This years through Challenge 8 while not completing everything else it will leave me with only the last dregs of it to do.

5 years after starting I played out the Battle of El Teb with the guys from the Old Guard club .

I took a Sudan game on tour as well at Hammerhead and both Partisan shows and had a load of fun playing and talking to people.

The loose association that is the Old Guard wargame club continues to thrive and we have managed a meet up every 4-6 weeks through the year for a days gaming - and I have made most of them .The Club project we did of the 10mm ACW game we put on in November felt like a good achievement. We are trying to work out a 2018 project at the moment - but its like herding cats ... with dementia...

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Jame,me, John,Martin,Pete,Angus, Steve - "The Old Guard"

As a group we played a couple of games of Flame of War WW2 Normandy with Jame collection. Martin put on a cracking VBCW , Pete gave us WW1 aircraft , and we played my cowboys too..

the new man cave has come to fruition

from this

The business end - plenty of painting space 

completed with a gaming table! - more business to be done on this during this year 

I also attended the Crisis show - again meeting up with a bunch of friends around the blog-o-sphere - i will be back there next year.

i agree with Curt the venue does look like bombed out U boat pen.

Me, RobP, ChristoperS, JakeK, Jerry & Christine Miller, Nick, Curt and Mikef

Curt, Chris,Nick,Stefan and Sid

As for 2018 - plans are:-
Painting and modelling
1- get the last major units fro the Sudan collection done
2- Do some confederate ACW for my 10mm - and maybe bump up the Union forces too.
3- The 1/300th modern forces that have been massed to get some games in - first one planned 13th Jan
4- Complete a 15mm WW2 American force.

Shows and Gaming
1) Regular gaming with the Old Guard - look like Wings of Glory WW1 and WW2 will feature here. - i will run a couple of large games for the lads too.
2)- attend the Crisis show and Battleground - not sure at all about others due to date clashes by the look if it.
3) Sort out running the full big Sudan game


As for other things , i am sure dealing with newly arrived grandson Harry James will provide plenty of other distractions - i was told "please don't turn him into a geek!" - my mission over the next years is of course clear!

Happy New Year - everyone!

Xmas loot

Well now the day has been and gone - its time to take stock of the stash - and its been a good one.

First up was my Secret Santa gIft - various 28mm Perry Sudan and Victorias little wars stuff - which will go to making some great vignette pieces - good choice S/S

A bit of reading material

new files , milliput , varnish and brush cleaner

new desk top tools for fiddly soldering jobs

a dremel work station which allows it hang free if need be and add it in to make a drill/router  set

some game mat carrying cases from Deep Cut for two of my existing mats plus a new one

and new 6x4 desert mat , made from neoprene 

So all in all a good stock up -

Hope you all had a good time!

Seasons Greetings

Seasons Greetings to all my friends out there . Have a great time

Challenge prep time is nearly up..

I have cleared the paint desk of its last lurkers - and they are winging their way across to Canada.

Stradiots - done... ready to grace a table in Canada

As for challenge preparation I have kicked off some big units for early submission, and to get the unit with the most work done early - well as no one has invented tartan paint it will take a while 

Yes - it a very big unit of Highlanders

Camels - of course

And something a bit different - I will leave you to guess. 

I have a load of other various  stuff cleaned up and ready to go. but not too bothered about the undercoats not being done yet as its not a sprint , more a marathon. My winter challenge will I think be pretty diverse this year. looking forward to it. 

Work in Progress update and New Project.

I managed a few sessions last week and am pushing through the last of the paint table lurkers which are some Perry Miniatures Stradiots for Curt the Snowlord . They will be finished this week. I just have the last bit of highlights and the penants to finish off before parcelling up and sending them to the frozen north.

These have lurked on desk a bit too long so good to see them moving along

In addition I have made a small start on my WW2 ETO Americans, with the start of the Sherman tanks. These are by Plastic Soldier and went to together nicely- I have another 17 vehicles to build , and mix of Sherman variants, Start light tanks and the ubiquitous M3 half tracks . I want to get them all built before breaking out the airbrush . I could do with some Tank Destroyer bits, jeeps , armoured cars etc . The current plan is to use for Battlegroup rules with some of the lads from the Old Guard .

I will also be doing some prep work this week for the upcoming challenge with a few large units for the Sudan project in the offing. I have a few small parcels still to arrive with some extra lead mountain supplies for the winter. 

Oh and I would like to confirm that my Secret Santa present has turned up... and I eagerly await opening day!