2010 Recap and 2011 Plan

2010 was a big year in painting, but only so-so for gaming. I hope to balance things out more in 2011 but I do still have a load of lead on hand.

Overall Plans:
1- Attend the 3 HMGS conventions
2- Spend less- focus on accessories vs lead and terrain
3- Complete several projects before starting any new ones

Painting Totals for 2010:
J-94
F-52
M-24
A-116
M-144
J-0
J-99
A-253
S-137
O-118
N-213
D- 129
TOTAL:  1389

PROJECT STATUS

Flames of War: Mature - I have two large company plus size forces painted. I may purchase an item at each convention, but my pledge is to paint any FoW items within 30 days of purchase.

Modern Skirmish: In Progress- Lots of figures painted. I use Flying Lead rules by Ganesha Games. This is my go to project to play with my son when not playing the Memior '44 board game. I just bought the last of the Rebel Mini figures I want and I plan to pick up a helo and two HMMWVs at Cold Wars (QRF?). This project has one month of painting to become mature.

Imagi-Nation: In Progress. I expect to mature this project in the first half of the year. I will always continue to build as this is what started it all for me, but I will have plenty of units done for now.

Space Ships: In Progress. Have not played a game yet...but I expect to get these done before Summer as they are simple to paint, and are already primed. I need to buy some fighter stands.

Splintered Light: In Progress. My favorite figures. Need to get a game with these guys played. This is a slow and steady project just for fun.

Ancient Imagi-Nation: Ready to start. My next big project. I have figures on hand but I am not going to start until I mature the projects listed above.

Pirates: Ready to start. Figures are all on hand, but I am not going to start until 2012. I do have my eyes on some of the Old Glory ships to join the pirates.

Wild West: Future. No figures yet...I like the Blue Moon figures and may pick them up at Historicon if I finish some of the other projects.

Sci-Fi Skirmish: Future. Recently getting interested in starting 15mm Sci-fi for skirmish and squad type battles. Lots of nice figures, and some would work well as a "near-future" setting with my modern skirmish figures.


2011 PLANS
January
1- finish last of the 6 imagi-nation infantry units

February
1- 8 x 8 figure imagi-nation cavalry units

March (Cold Wars)
1- 4 x 8 figure imagination cavalry units
2- remaining imagi-nation generals
3- imagi-nation "sappers and miners"

April
1- imagi-nation civilians
2- FoW purchases from convention

May
1- imagi-nation baggage train

June
1- modern skirmish figures and vehicles

July (Historicon)
1- convention purchases
2- space ships

August
1- SL miniatures: Mice, Weasels, Fox, Raccoons
2- Review on hand figures and plan to finish by end of year

September
1-  Begin ancients

October
1- ancients

November (Fall-In)
1- ancients
2- prime figures for the winter

December
1- ancients

The 2011 plan is much more loose and fluid than my projected plans from August of 2010. I expect to only paint about 50% of the # of miniatures as in 2010 so I can game more, and to avoid burn out.

PLANNED PURCHASES
1- Remaining items from the Miniature Building Authority 15mm range...want to have 1 of each
2- a few vehicles for FoW...Marders, PZ IV, US aircraft
3- a helo and couple of HMMWVs (look at QRF)
4- replenish my basing supplies
5- continue to get one of each SL animal
6- look at the Blue Moon wild west figure
7- Sci-fi skirmish...opening a new can of worms...should wait till 2012
8- Total Scenic System has lots of great terrain bits

His Majesty's Native Infantry, Metedeconk

The second of the Native infantry units from Merica.

His Majesty's Native Infantry, Manasquan

The first of two units of native irregulars raised on the Merican colonies.

Christmas Loot

A few items recieved for Christmas:

1- Wargaming in History Volume 2
2- Issues 101-150 of Miniature Wargames on CD
3- Brushes
4- Fort Wilderness from Blue Moon...15/18mm fort

November 2010 Painting Totals

A good month after starting off slow and having to overcome some painters block. The focus this month was on finishing up the remaining Flames of War figures so no progress on other projects. It does feel good to mature this project. I will add items when the mood strikes, most likely when going to the HMGS conventions.

Flames of War:

2 x STUG III: 4 pts
4 x GE half-tracks: 8 pts
5 x US half-tracks: 10 pts
US Armored Rifle Platoon with dismounted machineguns: 58 pts
US Rifle Platoon: 41 pts
FS Sniper section: 6 pts
FS Platoon: 46 pts
FS Mortar Platoon: 24 pts
FS Machinegun Platoon: 16 pts

TOTAL: 213 points !!!!

Gaming:
1 game of Memior '44
1 game of Flying Lead

Next month:
8 x 12 figure infantry units for imagi-nation (colonial figures)
Rest of the modern skirmish figures
SL Foxes

Escort Duty Battle Report

Played a game of Flying Lead with my son. This is the Ganesha Games skirmish game using the Song of Blades and Heroes rules. I took some ideas from the Hearts and Minds supplement too..I made a set of cards for events to happen as the game progressed. There are cards for the enemy to appear, civilians to show up, a news crew, IEDs, sniper attack...

A US squad (9 men) with attached medic has a mission to link up with an informant at the mosque and escort him back to the pick up point for a helicopter extraction. The objective is at the end of a dirt road running through a few buildings.

 The squad moves out with the SAW gunners taking up positions on both flanks. SPC Jones checks out a parked truck...

 They can see the objective down the road...

 BOOM! an IED blows up the truck but Jones escapes with a few bumps and bruises [lost by 1 but his body armor protected him]...

A news crew responds to the IED blast...

 Locals come out to see what is happening...

 SNIPER! a single shot rings out killing CPL Baker [rolled a 6 vs a 1]...

 The news crew interviews one of the soldiers while also filming the dead body...

 Despite the loss of Baker, the patrol links up with with informant and his body guards...

 They move out to join up with the other fire team...

 Just in time for some insurgents to come over the hill and block the path to the LZ...

 BOOM! Another IED rips into the team. SPC Brown (medic) is killed while CPL Grant, a civilian, and one of the body guards go down wounded. The informant is unhurt but shaken from the blast...[this was a key part of the battle, I had drawn the card for this IED before and rolled to see how many turns before it went off (2)...the "civilian" who had been working by the truck had started running away when I drew the card as an indicator...my son picked up on the running but thought he was going to get more insurgents, not setting the bomb]

 The insurgents wound SPC Smith and move in to take him prisoner...great fotage on the news...

 AMBUSH! Insurgents open fire from the house by the IED site, wounding Staff Sergeant Bradley...With casualties out of hand, the squad calls in the helo to make a hasty pick-up...

 The casualties are carried to the extraction point...

 SPC Wayne earns the Silver Star for carrying the wounded CPL Grant to the dust-off...

The squad accomplishes the mission but at a heavy cost:
1 POW
2 KIA-missing
2 WIA
1 Died of Wounds (body guard)

This game was lots of fun even as things went south for my son's squad. The sniper shot was a lucky roll  {after my son picked a card from the middle of the deck instead of taking from the top---his own fualt}, and the timing on the second IED as too funny. My son likes to ask to drive the trucks so they were a natural draw, and he took lots of time checking each building along the route {this caused extra card draws}.

I stopped pulling cards after the 2nd IED as things were getting very ugly. Tried to reinforce the need to not leave anyone behind, and he did have a collect all the wounded he could...but two were out of range, and the last was dead...he left him behind because the insurgents were closing on the LZ.

Fallshcrimjager Platoon with snipers and flamethrowers

The last of the Flames of War troops on hand. This matures my first project. I will add to the collection periodically...Marders and some armored cars would be good additions.