Hello All,
I hope you are keeping safe and sane at this difficult time. Of course there are more serious matters than wargaming to attend to. At the same time, many of us now have buckets of free time available for personal projects - and no excuses not to finally action them; so I thought I'd update you on some of mine, for your entertainment and diversion.
When I'm not applying for jobs - like Sisyphus - during the week (yes, I left B&Q on 1 March), I have several wargames' activities on the go.
1. 42mm November Uprising (1830-1831)
I'm currently painting two Polish light infantry battalions, and two Russian jaeger battalions, as well as officers (mounted and on foot) for both sides. I'm also starting to research an English-language book on the topic, from online and domestic sources, which is keeping my brain busy. Hope to do a game sometime this year!
2. Age of Bonaparte
This is a Napoleonic card-game I've invented, and I have almost finished producing cards for it (including French, Austrian, Russian, Prussian, Polish, Bavarian, Westphalian, Wurttemberg, and Saxon - Brits are printed but will have to wait!). I'll be using a 10x6ft grided bespoke gaming mat from Deepcut Studios (they're based in Lithuania). Having made some hills using Warbases' material with a green spray, and made woods by trimming oversize kitchen scourers, I'll be debuting the game at the club at the earliest opportunity, perhaps with a Battle of Leipzig scenario.
3. 20mm ACW
My erstwhile work colleague's now deceased father had a large painted 20mm plastic ACW collection, unbased. I bought a large chunk of it some time ago, and after buying more of the same off EBay, I've based it up for a game in May at home with my ex-colleague (which may or may not happen now). I'm still painting the bases of the gun crews, cavalry, and commanders. After that I will be repainting some Federals as Rebs. I have loads of great Warbases movement trays for this lot, and I may take it all down to the club for a 'retro ACW' game one day...
4. Gangs of Rus
Phil knows about this project. I've recently completed painting 60-odd figures for 'Gangs of Rus' - my 28mm Eastern Renaissance skirmish game (including womenfolk, holy men, mercenaries, and other characters), which I'd like to debut at the club sometime after this Coronavirus emergency. These go with my singly-based Eastern Renaissance collection, which has seen daylight at the club and Rob's war-room. You take charge of a faction (there are 12 including Poles, Cossacks, Moldavians, Transylvanians, Ruthenians, thugs, and mercenaries) and engage in diplomacy with other gangs to complete a scenario. It's kinda RPG meets skirmish, but set in the military borderlands of Poland-Lithuania, c. 1569-1683... I also recently bought six painted houses from Caliver books with take-off roofs, which should go well with this game, to add to my pre-existing terrain.
All in all, there are plenty of other projects: see picture of my boxed-up lead pile. These include: basing painted 20mm Napoleonics and Samurai from Ebay; finishing off my 6mm Napoleonic collection - including Austrians, great-coated infantry, and converting 6mm SYW into Napoleonics with a paintjob; adding AA-guns, field guns and light tanks (as well as more medium and heavy tanks) to my 2mm WW2 collection; 2mm Franco-Prussian; getting some more blocks done for my 'Universal Block system' (I've finished flags for all 30 Years' War nations - so a Battle of Rocroi game is on the cards); and even 10mm Samurai, and 10mm Crusades figures. Others are too embarrassing to mention... oh go on then, 10mm Sci-Fi; 2mm WW1 (massive set based but not painted); and piles of various frozen 15mm projects...
So there we have it. I'm keeping busy, and hope you all have something to keep your mind off things. Perhaps not alone in needing to save money, I am at least not buying MORE figures, but actually denting the lead-pile a bit. Other than that, I'm at home with my parents, sister, and cats now, and venturing out on walks and loo-roll raids. Hang on, that.... No. Absolutely no more new periods!
Stay strong. Hope to see you all soon,
Godspeed,
Piotr
