January 2013

A good month for the hobby.

PAINTING
14 x sci-fi figures and drones: 14 points
120 x ancients: 120
152 x WW2 Germans: 152

TOTAL: 286

I also finished rebasing the US Rifle Company.

Hit my painting goals for January but did not get in a full game after finishing the IABSM game.

Planning to get 4 more ancients units done in Feb, basing some of the OPFOR ancients, and playing a game of Starmada and a game of Song of the Splintered Lands.

GAMES
1 x IABSM
---My son also developed his own rules for using the new ancients figures on the Hexon terrain...he played 3 or 4 games with his friends.

OTHER
Finished reading the 2012 Wargamers Annual, Secrects of Wargames Design, More Secrets of Wargames Design, Wargames Illustrated, Miniature Wargaming, six history magazines, and a book on Napoleon's surgeon of the Guard.

SPENDING
Can of primer, Bag the Hun rules, Check Your 6 rules, a terrain project on kickstarter, and an order of Litko bases. No figures! ----I was doing good until the kickstarter!

I signed up for some Cold Wars games with my son in March. Looking forward to trying Fireball Forward and Check Your 6!


Pics of the new ancients figures:

January progress

I am off to a great start for January.

Finished rebasing the US Rifle Company and my British MGs/mortars. Also completed the Panzergrenadier Company (minus a few bases that are on order).

Painted the 12 sci-fi figures and my first imagi-ancients units...slingers.

Still looking to get two more ancients units painted and one or two games in this month.

Free to a good home

I would like to give away the 9 figures below to a good home.

I ask that you paint them and post a picture this year.

1st person to post a comment (with your e-mail address) gets the figures. US only.

They are the left overs from my Splintered Lands project.

See more at splinteredlightminis.com

Company on the attack

Finished another game of I Ain't Been Shot Mum with my British company.

I am continuing on as a campaign, tracking losses and seeing how my Big Men perform. This turned out to be a big win for the Allies due to some horrible rolling for the German defenders and the fact I could not get the MG42 team's card (or their Big Man, or the bonus firepower card).

The company recieved replacements to bring them up to full strength. Needed 12 and rolled that on the replacement die. Each battle, the die number will reduce...20-12-10-8-6-4...until the unit gets rotated out of the line.

The mission was to clear a ford across a river. The company had two Churchills and an armored car in support and could call on two more Churchills if the attack bogged down.

Major Jones started with a platoon on each side of the road and 3rd platoon coming up in support. The Germans are thought to be in platoon strength, supported by armor.

Recon starts forward to chek out the ford and farmhouse.

A hull down Marder damages the lead tank (but would miss many shots).

The vehicles traded shots through the game with horrible rolls all around.

Lucky break, 1st platoon spots an ambush and turns the tables on a German squad without taking casualties.

Meanwhile, the tanks are stalled along the road.

2inch mortars put down smoke to cover the MG42 in the farmhouse.

1st Platoon aggressively starts a flank attack and crosses the river.

When a STUG arrives to challenge the British tanks.

2nd Platoon runs into a squad on the other flank; 2nd squad takes casualties as they exit the stream.

1st Platoon brings up the PIAT team looking for a flank shot.

One of the tanks steals the PIAT team's kill but the STUG damages the armored car and the second tank.

The STUG has a good position but it is outnumbered and is about to get flanked by 1st Platoon.

The PIAT misses with the first shot.

The MG42 team pulls back from the house to set up on the hill. A German squad had already been shot up in the hilltop position.

The immobilized Churchill gets revenge and destroys the STUG (again stealing a kill from the PIAT team).

The MG42 team gets set up only to start taking fire from three squads and a 2inch mortar.

Outflanked and out of armor support, the Germans pull back before reinforcements come up (had a PanzerGrenadier platoon ready to go).

Another victory, and this time with light casualties.

2nd Platoon (all in 2nd Squad): 1 dead, 3 light wounded

Germans: 14 men, 1 Marder, 1 STUG


Had a great time running this solo battle. I thought the Germans would do better, but the MG42 just could not get effective fire and the ambush squad got spotted early on a lucky roll.

Notable performances: 1st Platoon for the agressive attack on the flank...especially 1st squad and the PIAT team.

2013 Plans

Time to look forward to my 2013 plans and review each project.

My goals for 2013:
1- Spend 50% less money than 2012. I am tracking all hobby expenses again this year.
2- Play games with the spaceships and Splintered Lands figures.
3- Paint last 12 of the sci-fi figures on hand.
4- Finish 152 German infantry (75% complete) and the German vehicles.
5- Build bocage/hedges
6- Attend Cold Wars and Historicon
7- Complete at least 50% of the on hand ancients figures.

My tasks for January:
- paint first ancients unit (12 slingers)
- finish rebasing US rifle company when the bases arrive from litko
- paint last 12 sci-fi figures on hand (arrived yesterday)
- play a game of either Starmada or Song of the Splintered Lands
- continue work on the German infantry company (finish by end of Feb)
- paint two more ancients units

If I can get these tasks accomplished, I will have started the year off very well.


CURRENT PROJECT REVIEW

Zaquetta (ancients/fantasy): This is the focus for 2013. I have 12 infantry, 6 skirmisher, and 6 cavalry units on hand plus some chariots, leaders, and elephants. I am considering adding in a "fantasy" element to this project. Intent is to paint what is on hand first and then make the decision, but will have to see if I can hold off buying more figures.

Ziva (Sci-fi): Focus will be on any additions to my New Vistula Legion force (such as the LRRP and scout figures) and maybe some vehicles. There are tons of 15mm sci-fi and modern figures out now and I have almost become overwhelmed with the options. Need to slow down and not buy every figure I see unless it adds to an existing force. I did participate in the Armies Army kickstarter and will get a painted platoon for my son as a present.

WW2: Bought a bunch of vehicles and troops on sale in Oct. Need to knock out the German infantry, guns, and vehicles. May try to get through them in the first part of the year. I Ain't Been Shot Mum are the rules of choice.

Katzenstein (imagi-nation): I have about 5 battalions and 5 cavalry regiments planned but not sure if I will get this done this year. Holding off on buying figures until I am sure. I do expect to return to this project as a focus for 2014.

Krasnovia (modern skirmish): This has morphed and merged with the Ziva project above. Basically it is one big individually mounted 15mm skirmish project with any sized force from squad to company.

Splintered Lands:  Not sure if they plan on releasing any more figures, but I now have one of each pose painted. Need to play with these guys too.

Starmada: I will get a game in with the space ships!

Terrain: Bought a VERY large batch of Kallistra Hexon II terrain. Looks great and I have the matching flock/grass to base future figures. I got some extra boards to try making my own unique features. Still undecided how to handle roads and rivers...might change out my existing stuff. The recent MDF wood buildings produced by several companies are very nice, may get some at conventions. I do want to build my own hedge sets.


FUTURE (Possible) PROJECTS

Not that I need any more projects, but these are some ideas I have for the future.

Pirates: I have a big bag of figures on hand and a few ships.

Wild West: Still a possibility, but only after the Pirates get done.

Civil War: Considering 6mm or the Blue Moon 18mm figures.

Napoleonics: Considering 6mm or the Blue Moon 18mm figures.

Gladiators: would go 28mm with a custom built arena if I take the plunge.

Slaughterloo/Flintloque: love the figures, but not my preferred scale.

Check Your 6!: getting interested in air combat. This would be a low cost and low figure count project. May try a game at a convention to see if I like it.

Spencer Smith Imagi-nation: I still think about starting another imagi-nation (larger scale).

Model Casting: Considering trying out my hand with casting my own figures from molds.