July 2025

Very busy hobby month.

I had a great time attending the HMGS (Historical Miniature Gaming Society) Historicon convention in Lancaster for a long weekend. Played 10 great games. Many thanks to the hosts for all these games (Peter, Greg, Buck, John, Dale, Mike B., Gunnar, Dave, Evan, Eric). Saw some regulars and met some new friends.  Spend way too much money, but kept the figure purchases to a minimum. I have set a goal for my self to paint them all before the Fall In convention in November. I did get the set of 28mm MDF pre-colored East Front buildings from Micro Arts Studios...I already have the Normandy set.  

Travel to the hotel from south NJ was 2:15 (2:00 getting home early Sunday). No issue with parking since I arrived wed afternoon, and I was fortunate to be staying at the onsite hotel. Food was acceptable, check in for the hotel and the convention were a breeze. Attendance numbers looks good from my end, but there are some vendors missing. I think that is the nature of online shopping now. I do like to brows and see some product in person before purchase, so I encourage the vendors to keep coming even if on site profit does not show it, there is probably an uptick in post convention online orders. 

I saw several father/son pairs, lots of kids (call it under age 20), and more woman gamers than I have in the past. All good things for the hobby. Good mix of historical an other (fantasy, sci fi) games. My personal experience and general observation is that this is good for the convention...I played historical and sci fi games with some of the same players so there is cross over. 

I have blown my budgeting plans for the year. Such is life. 

1st day at Gettysburg

Star Wars with Combat Patrol

Wild West

Victorian Science Fiction

2nd sci fi on the ship board

Galactic Heroes

Chain of Command in Normandy

Quar with Chain of Command

Battlefield HD in Sicily demo game 

Salamanca with Field of Battle

Loot!

Played in a 6mm (1/285) scale Vietnam game in the delta during club day. 

PAINTING 

93 points of VSF figures

Total: 93

YTD: 667

Next up: 

1) Finish on hand Quar

2) 7 units for VSF project

GAMING 

1 x club

10 x games at Historicon !

YTD: 24

BUDGET

$1076: $11 Quar subscription, $24 paint stand, $77 VSF miniatures, $680 at H'Con( rules, figures, paint/brushes, buildings), $154 bases, $130 kickstarter

YTD:  $2709 (Sold: $1367)   

December 2024 and year end wrap up

A very active hobby month. Besides the annual club Christmas game, I hosted a game at home for the first time...A Very British Civil War with the Combat Patrol rules. 

90 dark ages warriors

Some other highlights for the year:

I tried  Command and Colors Napoleonics like I have wanted to for some time. I enjoyed it, but it will not replace Field of Battle so I think I will sell off the two sets. I played the game with my original Kingdom of Katzenstein 15mm figures using the CCN rules on my HEXON terrain. First time the figures had been out in a dozen years!

The big purchase: a 3d resin printer. I treated myself to a retirement present and then got the assorted accoutrements for Christmas. This will become a 2025 extension of the hobby. 

The 28mm MDF pre-colored buildings from Micro Arts Studios were the other big purchase for the year. Built them all and have gotten them on the table a few times. I will look at more from their range. 

I updated my storage system to now have almost all figures stored in plastic containers with steel sheet/magnets. Only the Slaughterloo collection remains unmagnetized, but they are secure in RUBs. 

Part of my post-retirement clean up included some minor work in the basement. I took the opportunity to do some cleaning, organizing, and put down foam mats around the game table for insulation and comfort. 

My main focus on the miniature front this year have been the 28mm sci-fi Quar figures. Released in plastic and resin, they are fantastic sculpts with lots of character and lore. Lets the imagination run wild. 

As a filler project, I have been working on the 28mm generic fantasy figures...mostly plastic kits. I still need to finalize a clear direction for the project. I also finished off all of the on hand Burrows and Badgers figures (until the next kickstarter). 

PAINTING 

90 x 28mm Saxons/Vikings as generic fantasy warriors: 90

Total: 90

YTD: 528

GAMING 

1 x Club holiday game

1 x AVBCW with Combat Patrol with guests

YTD: 23

BUDGET

$192---, $11 Quar tribe subscription, $160 bases, $10 magazine

YTD:  $2004 (Sold: $440)

Plans for 2025

1) Next wave of Quar 

2) Focus on some terrain upgrades: trees, rivers, roads

3) Host a club game in Feb

4) Work on 6mm sci fi home brew rules with 3D printed figures

5) Spending <$2000, sell $500

6) Attend all 3 HMGS conventions

    Cold Wars (this one is a maybe)

    Historicon

    Fall In

7) Complete on hand 28mm fantasy figures

    a. Plastics

    b. Metals

8) Add to 28mm sci fi by getting select sprues instead of full boxes

PLANS FOR 2024

1- Attend Historicon:

-----Complete:  Attended

2- Spend <$2000:

-----So close!:  I did sell off $440 worth of items so met my goal on net.

3- >12 games:

-----Complete: almost double!

4- Work on projects: (focusing on adding to some smaller projects instead of a large figure count)

---a. Quar: start when released:

-----Complete: Painted first two groups, will continue in 2025.

---b. Burrows and Badgers (paint the last kickstarter, and order next!)- 26 figures:

-----Complete: all on hand painted, next batch in 2025

---c. Paint two batches of fantasy figures-49:

-----Complete: painted several batches, big jump on this project

---d. Paint one batch of sci fi figures- 21:

-----Complete

---e. Paint a AVBCW BUF platoon- 30?:

-----Completed 60

5-Put together the rest of the Battlesystem card terrain

-----Not Complete: I bought and built a big batch of MDF buildings. I may sell the Battlesystem. 

Purchase plans:

1) Quar when released...soon!: done

2) Next Burrows and Badgers kickstarter in Feb.: done

3) BUF platoon, need to decide on figures. look at historicon or order with Quar from Wargames Atlantic if BEF are released.: done

4) Several 28mm plastic Stargrave/Wargames Atlantic boxes (5).--- look at historicon, WA order: pushed to 2025

5) Some paints, brushes, bases.: Purchased

6) Maybe upgrade my trees, rivers, and roads: still in planning.

Project Update: 9 projects

Quar:

---Last Painted: June, 2024

---Last Gamed: Sep, 2024

Slaughterloo:

---Last Painted: Dec, 2023

---Last Gamed: Jan, 2024

28mm Fantasy:

---Last Painted: Dec, 2024

---Last Gamed: Feb, 2024

Burrows and Badgers:

---Last Painted: Sep, 2024

---Last Gamed: Jan, 2023

Pulp:

---Last Painted: Jan, 2023

---Last Gamed: Jun, 2020

A Very British Civil War:

---Last Painted: Oct, 2024

---Last Gamed: Dec, 2024

28mm Sci Fi:

---Last Painted: Feb, 2024

---Last Gamed: Jan, 2022

Fantasy 15mm:

---Last Painted: Jul, 2019

---Last Gamed: Jul, 2021

Kingdom of Katzenstein 15mm Imagi-nation:

---Last Painted: Dec, 2018

---Last Gamed: Nov, 2024

September 2024

Although I missed the club game day again this month (I will be there in October!), I did make some nice hobby progress and spent only $11. 

I finished the Burrows and Badgers project...until they release more.

I also put together more of the Micro Arts Studio 28mm pre-colored MDF building. They are very nice. I picked up the whole Normandy collection at Historicon. I’ll post a shot of them all when built.

Next up for painting...two boxes of 28mm plastic BEF and WW1 Brits for use in the AVBCW project. 

I may try to host a game with that collection using Combat Patrol rules in November or December.

I have also committed to running a Pulp game for the club in Feb.

PAINTING 

26x Burrows and Badgers Figures

Total: 26

YTD: 319

GAMING 

1 x Chain of Command with Quar

YTD: 17

BUDGET

$11 Quar tribe subscription

YTD: $1524 (Sold: $440)

Burrows and Badgers

 I finished the last 26 of the Burrows and Badgers figures. Fantastic miniatures with such character. 

I've played a few solo games, good fun. A second addition is in the works. A great small scale skirmish game...could be a good gateway for younger players. 

I'll continue to collect any new figures as they are released, with the goal of painting them in the month received to keep the collection up to date.

https://burrowsandbadgers.com/

https://www.oathswornminiatures.co.uk/

August 2024

A quiet month due to work. I missed the club game and did not get a chance to start any solo games until the last week. 

Finished the second to last batch of Burrows and Badgers figures. September focus will be on the final set, and then the 60 or so figures for AVBCW in October. 

PAINTING 

31 x Burrows and Badgers Figures

Total: 31

YTD: 293

GAMING 

0

YTD: 16

BUDGET

$11!: $11 Quar tribe subscription

YTD: $1513 (Sold: $440)

July 2024 and Historicon

A big month with a great club game and a trip to Historicon.

Despite not having a game specifically planned for the monthly club game day, Sam B. brought out Victory at Sea for a test game...that we played through until my Bismarck blew up from a critical hit!

Victory at Sea

Bismarck blows up!

Big batch of Burrows and Badgers figures on the painting table. I think I will finish them all this year. 

Historicon: Fun four days in Lancaster PA. Played in 6 games and spent too much on the whole range of Micro Arts Studios pre-painted MDF Normandy buildings. 

Bag the Hun

Naughty Fox in a Sharpe Practice game

Sharpe Practice

Operation Sea Lion with Combat Patrol rules

A Bridge Too Far

Operational scale Normandy landing with Breakthrough rules

A Very British Civil War

Wars of Ozz

PAINTING 

28 x Burrows and Badgers Figures

Total: 28

YTD: 262

GAMING 

1 x Victory at Sea at the Club

1 x Quar Chain of Command

6 x at Historicon

YTD: 16

BUDGET

$798!: $11 Quar tribe subscription, $12 bases, Historicon buys---two boxes of figures, the buildings, and some supplies.

YTD: $1502 (Sold: $440)

June 2024

Time for a mid-year review.

Spent more than planned this month with HMGS/Historicon registration and stocking up on some pre and basing supplies. Still doing OK for the year...we will see how Historicon spending goes.

Finished the second phase of my Quar sci-fi project. I am waiting for more options to be released so I can kitbash up the third phase in the project to give me large platoons for each side.

Finished another group of Burrows and Badgers figures...after this batch (and the arrival of the kickstarter next month) I will have 85 figures to go. Primed all the ones on hand. 

Club game- Man o' War

Burrows and Badgers

PAINTING 

36 x Quar 

21 x Burrows and Badgers

Total: 57 

YTD: 234 

GAMING 

1 x Man O' War 

1 x Quar Chain of Command

YTD: 8 

BUDGET

 $211, $70 historicon registration/HMGS, $11 on more Quar (STL files subscription monthly for future 3D printing), $120 on supplies, $10 rules

YTD: $704 (Sold: $440)

PLANS FOR 2024

1- Attend Historicon:

-----Registered

2- Spend <$2000:

-----On Target

3- >12 games:

-----On target

4- Work on projects: (focusing on adding to some smaller projects instead of a large figure count)

---a. Quar: start when released:

-----Done...waiting on more to be released

---b. Burrows and Badgers (paint the last kickstarter, and order next!)- 26 figures:

-----Painted three batches----85 to go

---c. Paint two batches of fantasy figures-49:

-----Painted two batches

---d. Paint one batch of sci fi figures- 21:

-----Painted them up

---e. Paint a AVBCW BUF platoon- 30?:

-----To be purchased in July

5-Put together the rest of the Battlesystem card terrain

-----Not started----considering switching to MDF and/or 3D printed

Purchase plans:

1) Quar when released...soon!: done

2) Next Burrows and Badgers kickstarter in Feb.: done

3) BUF platoon, need to decide on figures. look at historicon or order with Quar from Wargames Atlantic if BEF are released.: July

4) Several 28mm plastic Stargrave/Wargames Atlantic boxes (5).--- look at historicon, WA order: July

5) Some paints, brushes, bases.: Purchased

6) Maybe upgrade my trees, rivers, and roads: still in planning.

Project Update: 9 projects

Quar:

---Last Painted: June, 2024

---Last Gamed: June, 2024

Slaughterloo:

---Last Painted: Dec, 2023

---Last Gamed: Jan, 2024

28mm Fantasy:

---Last Painted: Jan, 2024

---Last Gamed: Feb, 2024

Burrows and Badgers:

---Last Painted: June, 2024

---Last Gamed: Jan, 2023

Pulp:

---Last Painted: Jan, 2023

---Last Gamed: Jun, 2020

A Very British Civil War:

---Last Painted: Jul, 2019

---Last Gamed: Mar, 2024

28mm Sci Fi:

---Last Painted: Feb, 2024

---Last Gamed: Jan, 2022

Fantasy 15mm:

---Last Painted: Jul, 2019

---Last Gamed: Jul, 2021

Kingdom of Katzenstein 15mm Imagi-nation:

---Last Painted: Dec, 2018

---Last Gamed: Dec, 2011