Jack Tar! The mighty sailors on the seas of fate - as someone who was going to join the (merchant) navy when a teen, before other things prevented it, I'm always a fan of the Naval Brigades of the late Victorian Period. Although, the only pub I never drank in, when still in my home town, was the British Tar - and I've drank in some right dives, let me tell you. Cellar nights stretched into Cellar days......
I digress. These are a mix of Perry and Warlord, I've had them for some time but did the sensible work of getting the duller stuff out of the way first, leaving lots of the good stuff to enjoy towards the end of my various projects.
Plans........well, I think at some point, I'll add a unit of RMLI in the 1879 Dark Blue and White uniform, so that these can also be used in AZW gaming as well.
Lets have a look at what was considered this time last year:
1. KEEP GOING, BUT BEHAVE
Hmmm, 50/50 on this one, I think. Painting kept going, yes, but I bought at least two new armies that, strictly speaking, I didn't really need to. They were both painted and completed though, so generally its a huge net minus on the models owned:models painted ratio, as I cleared quite a lot.
Also avoided starting any new eras, which is a good thing, plus cleared out some dead ones that weren't going anywhere.
2. EMPTY THE BOX OF SHAME
50/50 again - as about half got done, but thats not empty, is it!
3. A BIT OF NICE PAINTING
Yeah, I think so. Some of the conversions and smaller things I've done over the year complete this, looking back.
4. GETTING MEDIEVAL
Ah, well, we all know what happened to any gaming plans last year.
5. LANDSKNECHTS
80% done, I reckon. 30/40 models left, but other stuff in front at the moment. Confident these will be finished some point this year, no sweat.
6. DARK AGES
Nope, didn't do it. Did do a Dwarf army in this period garb, so that counts, I suppose.
7. TERRAIN
New hills! Very happy with those. Didn't overly bother with any other terrain.
8. MASSIVE ROBOT DEATH
Yep, all finished and done. Not actually played it, though.
So, looking forward to 2021 plans..........although, to my mind 2020 started when we all left work into lockdown and 2021 won't really start until we come out of lockdown or whatever term they are using for it this week.
1. NAPOLEONICS
Its time, they need to be finished. I am determined to do this and get that monkey off my back. Confident I can do it, but then I look at that box of cavalry and tremble in fear.
2. ZULU
Finish this - its not far off really, but its probably gonna expand too
3. SUDAN
See #2
4. MEDIEVAL
See #2
5. SOLO GAMING
I think I'm the only person that didn't try it last year! Although, weirdly, I have loads of books, materials and rules ready for it, as it was looking like something I've needed to do even before Thee Plague arrived. My problem is..........I'll just paint instead. I need to actively say "don't paint, don't overthink it, just throw some terrain and models down and get the rules going!"
So many ideas, so many concepts, but I just need to actively do it and put the brushes down.
6. VICTORIAN SCIENCE FICTION
This is not going to be big, but I like having a planned, budgeted approach to building things sometimes. So, French, British and Prussias VSF forces, perhaps using reskinned Black Powder rules. I've already got the British base done, essentially, so add some steam tanks, some characters and there we go.
Budget @ £60 per force, no more. Wait for those lovely Franco-Prussia War minis that the Perrys previewed a while ago for the other two forces. Strictly small scale project, limited scope and one to do for the enjoyment of it.
That should do it for plans, I reckon. Lets see how they go...........
Dwarfs, good old stout unchanging dwarfs!
Back in the day (i.e. the 90s) I had a classic metal dwarf army which I painted and used a couple of times, but then sold on for reasons (i.e. being completely skint).
Always fancied getting another one at some point, but held off each time for one reason or another - not too keen on the various plastics out there, not wanting to invest in an army I'd relatively recently sold off, or similar.
Another factor is that they needed to be the right models.
Idle browsing for some dark ages minis, on a whim, and come across the Conqueror Models dark ages Dwarf range and was taken with them - right look, right price and right time.
Right, mental purchase done...........so, how to set about it? By buying a couple of blocks, painting them fully, then getting the next one, but doing this quickly enough to strike whilst the iron is hot and keep it hot! I specifically didn't want this to end up as a zombie project, lingering away in a half life of not finished, yet not done enough to be presentable.
So, three week turnaround of dedicated sessions and here we are - The Dwarf Throng of Eirich Ravensoak
