I am 21 going on 22

[Andrew Beasley]

Well I’m not (I’m over 60) but I’ve got the darn Rodgers and Hammerstein song going on in my head and its driven me potty for the last few days as it’s a different pitch to my tinnitus!

So after the break from real life for a short while (you do not want to go where I’ve been – and I’m not talking about Hull for my booster), I’ve tried to work out what I’m capable of next year AND not get too upset over missing!

First up is the no more ‘have for the sake of collecting’.

Having had to sort my mothers estate, its brought home the amount of things I have and sort that will mean zero to my family. It’s going to be a bit (not full on this year) of döstädning for me as well as cutting down purchases (not fussed if this does not reach zero – less than this year is the aim) that are not going to get used.

A quick hunt around found that I have lots of little odd bits / figures, so keep your eyes on the ‘for sale offers’ in The Trading Post here for bargains in the New Year.

Next Up – The ‘Small Games‘

As the new tablet regime from my GP has not really helped (and its going to take ages to get the specialists to review me again) This system is going to be my main focus for the year with:

• Playing more games on the felt and possibly
• Change the felt over to more ‘normal’ scenery
• Maybe move to hexes as per Mud, Blood and Steel
• Maybe use a Realm of Battle board as a 2×2 ‘mega’ game

I possibly may not manage to do any of these bits for the game (and that does not concern me at this time):

• Figures rather than blocks (I have some ACW / Napoleonic’s Warlord sprues I could dust off and ‘mash’ together – I’m short skirmishers in plastic though)
• Create a steampunk version using 2mm Land Ironclads
• Create a SciFi version using 2mm Germy figures

Third is Fantasy – rather simple.

• Songs of Blades
• Paleo Diet

In both cases I have figures but still need some terrain – the ruins from four could double up for 28mm SoBH though and TBH Paleo does not need a lot but it’s 15mm so no match to the above.

Forth is Outremer – Way left field at the moment but I do have some unpainted ruins that could be done dessert style.  I’m not convinced I have enough figures (see one above though) but I do like these from Mezzers and you can buy them in singles.

Last is SciFi – I’m just picking up the paint brush again and want to finish my sons T’au – maybe he will actually want to play in ’22 using the One Page Rules

The not a hope pile (2023 onwards I think):

• Paleo Diet 28mm – love the figures but only have a couple of humanoid ons and a few creatures.
• Ogre – opponents and long term planning are the issues here
• Chibi Ninja – will not play but may paint a few
• 15mm SciFi – may only keep my Moongrunt figures
• 15mm Fantasy – I may have enough for Dragon Rampant but not stressing over that at the minute.

 

So I am going to try:

1. Play more of my simple games
2. Not get stressed over the piles of bits around
3. Clear some of the ‘nice but why’ piles
4. Not to set a monthly plan – maybe general quarterly ‘aims’
5. Enjoy rather than worry – no analysis paralysis – just roll them dice.

And if I do not make it – I’m going to try my best not to get upset! (Looks like I have a motto for ’22 there).

[Jim Webster]

Looks like a plan, simple and low stress is always good 🙂

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[Norm S]

I think you saved the best until last ‘Enjoy rather than worry’.

I have spent a couple of years streamlining, but it has all been about wanting to learn / remember fewer rules and getting more games to the table, so I have gone more for series games / rules and generally lower complexity games. Good luck with your plan.

[Steven Francis]

All sounds good. Totally agree that the best thing you can do is take the relaxed approach to things you enjoy, and I tend to find that then leads to more productivity.

Best of luck with it all

[willz]

Good plan Andrew, this hobby is all about enjoyment.

[ian pillay]

Andrew, great ideas. Agree that taking the relaxed approach is good. You will enjoy your hobby more. I’ve been doing a hobby bingo this year. Although I’ve not got a full house it’s been enjoyable neverless. May your dice roll well in 2022.

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Shaun Travers]

Great plan and good to see you are not getting stressed over the plans.  I do make gaming plans for the next few years but I think of them as more “stuff I may possibly try and do that I would forget about if I don’t write it down”.

[Andrew Beasley]

The support is most kind – it is strange after three years of dark being able to make a plan this complex!

I did forget about painting the scenery for the Sci-Fi game (whoops) as its quite mindful and the big areas are helping me get brush control back.

ian pillay wrote:

…I’ve been doing a hobby bingo this year….

I was tempted by this and hunted a few blogs down to read a bit more but decided the pressure on me to complete would be way higher than the list. I then felt an utter twit as I could have shrunk the board down (blush)!

I may draft one up over Christmas. As I begin to tidy up I’ll have a better idea of the piles to do / go and could put the sales items on here as well…

Main “problem” with this forum are the great ideas folk come up with and they get my mind racing!!!

[Andrew Beasley]

Well with Christmas being delayed (daughter has recovered fine from Covid and allowed out again) I spent time thinking on Ian’s note and creating a list of bits to do:

• (1/1) Paint one T’au Etherial
• Play one Small Game
• Paint two T’au warriors
• Paint Deathguard special figure
• Paint two Deathguard figures
• (2/1) Make a Palaeo-Diet terrain piece and use it in a game
• Paint two Poxwalkers
• Play one Small Game
• Play one game of SoBH with three figures per side
• Make four trees for 15mm and use them for a Palaeo-Diet game
• (3/1) Make a set of roads for Small Game and use them
• Make a Palaeo-Diet river and use it
• Make a set of rivers / bridge(s) / ford(s)for Small Game and use them
• Make the one by one foam base
• Play one game of Small Game
• (4/1) Buy an Outremer figure and paint it
• Paint two 40K buildings
• Paint a fantasy figure and use it in a SoBH game
• Paint three T’au drones
• Paint two Poxwalkers
• (5/1) Make two Palaeo-Diet hills
• Paint two ruins and use them in a SoBH game with four figures per side
• Make a lake for the Small Game and one for Palaeo-Diet and use both in a game
• Make a wood and use it in the Small Game
• Make a set of rough terrain and play with it in Palaeo-Diet

These give me about two tasks a month if I’m to complete them all in ’22 so it’s more of a big big challenge than I expected to be honest but I’m not worried if it’s not finished as it’s more a driver than a must do.  I’ve decided to let the dice select what I am doing as this should let me keep the interest up over the year while still sticking to the gaming aims above 🙂

The items will fit into a five by five grid (with a very small font) so if I roll two D6 I can add a few fun bits if either dice roll the ‘6’ or a duplicate is rolled:

• If a 6 pick from row / column of other dice (inc done items)
• If two 6s pick anything (inc done items)
• Flip row / column if the square is done but re-roll if both are done

The list is more crafting/ painting than I thought but I will see about slipping an extra game or two in as the year goes 🙂

[Jim Webster]

What will you do in the afternoon?     😉

Seriously it’s good to have a plan

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[ian pillay]

If the link works then this has my ramblings on last years hobby bingo card and the new condensed one for 2022.

https://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/2021/12/18/nearly-at-the-end/

 

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

Jim Webster wrote:

What will you do in the afternoon? 😉 …

I’m hoping that most of the tasks are less than 4 hours ‘work’ time and I know the size of games will easily be done in that time. With care I think I can get an afternoon or evening a week where my mind will cope and if not then I can carry the task over. Some of the build tasks will have to be spread to give drying time so that can help.

ian pillay wrote:

If the link works…

Your links fine and the Sept post sums it up very well:

…bingo card helps focus projects

 

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

I like that hobby bingo idea. Just may have to try that!

–jeff

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

So the first roll is a 5 and a 1 giving me the challenge to make two little hills for my 15mm Palaeo-Diet figures.

With luck this should be a zero cost project unless some of the paint has set from lack of use 🙂

I’ll add a pic or two here in a few days but not sure if I’ll start a PD thread yet as I’m not sure where the figures are! Lucky this did not have a game as part of the challenge (but who knows if the figures turn up in my bits hunt…)

 

 

[Andrew Beasley]

For the Outremer figure I’m going to have a play with Armoria for the shield design…

I hope that at some point a simple one will come up!

 

[Jim Webster]

I confess to going for simple designs 🙂

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

Arrrggggghhhhh (begin rant)

I cannot find my sculptamold box – it’s a bright yellow 19l RUB one and I’ve put it away safe for Christmas somewhere!!!

This year is not looking good – bring on 2023 please 🙁

(end rant)

 

[Andrew Beasley]

10 days later – found it.  No wonder I lost it – buried at the bottom of a storage unit and its a white box…  Must have looked at it many many times and ignored it.

Started to list bits by location – oh the ideas for games I had and money I’ve spent is giving me the giggles. (Hummmm manic phase??)

Now to queue up a nice pod-cast and get back on to these darn hills.

Was beginning to think I would have to use papier-mâché as I found the little box of plaster a week ago.

 

[Jim Webster]

I hate it when boxes change colour when your back is turned. They’re always doing it to me 🙂

Books change the colour of their covers as well!

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[ian pillay]

Those hills look brilliant. Are you taking orders..??? 😊

I loose stuff all the time. Annoying when you put it away as one colour and it turns up another. Glad you found it.

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

Slight warp on the undercoated one but not an issue on the mat I use so I’m not going to try and correct it.

The light brown just about matches the mud on the map to the naked eye but looks different on camera. I do have a problem with edges – I never seem to get the flock neat so I may leave a bit of the edge visible and and a sprinkling of grit / dry brush.

They are not the tallest of hills (being less than 20mm) so may end up as rough terrain if I make some bigger ones one day but game wise they will work fine for this year.

Just hope the doc tomorrow and nurse practitioner the week after can help me out of this rut as I am well behind where I wanted to be and it is bothering me despite trying not to let it.

[ian pillay]

Hang in there Andrew you will be back on top soon. The terrain looks brilliant by the way.

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Jim Webster]

I do like the hills, they may not be terribly high but they’re usable, and useful. Figures can sit on them without sliding all over the place and are still obviously on a hill

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

Right, two hills done – highest facing off a giant bear:

lowest – facing off a very upset chicken:

I’m a lot happier leaving the gritty edge but will make it thinner next time and have a go at blending the flock a bit more though the camera does highlight the contrast more than the eye.

I need some better bush material than the generic clump flock I’m using (the plain dark green lumps in the second picture) – again a sort out may help find something 🙂 Also a few more ‘flowers’ and a strip of lighter tuffs would not go a miss but that can wait for now – I can retro stick if I need too.

So by the power of DuckDuckHack, I’ve got a 1 and a 2 as the next task (OK – I could have dug my dice out but the internet was handy) so it’s time for a game of ‘Shambolic Command‘ and see if Red can get a foothold in North Lincolnshire.

 

[Jim Webster]

They l0ok very nice, and also usable for deploying troops on  🙂

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

OK – looks like I’m going trees this time (2/5).

I could use some of the pre-made trees I have and base them up (they are pink blossom style) but may not go with the 15mm figure or have some Woodland Scenics trunks and fibre that may be more suitable. I also have some ‘sticks’ that could make fallen trunks – nice to be spoilt for choice 🙂

Though the sea-foam ones look sweet, I have no stalks or even tried it so I’ll go with what I’ve got this year. The really good news is I know where both set of bits are and think I can find my figures (no I did not put the hills in the same place – I’m not that organised YET).

Just for your edification and giggles – I was going to be a forester (40+ years ago) but ended up in IT by accident…

[ian pillay]

Those hills look amazing!

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

I’ve had a dig today and found an in-tree-gin pinle of bits – in fact you could say the result is very tree-mendous (oak, I’ll chop the tree jokes now – sorry).

I know I’ve never found trees at a low cost I like but never thought I had so many bits 🙂 In fact, I bet I’ve spent more on bits than buying some reasonable trees many years ago ! ! !

Top row:

1. A cheap eBay tree that I tried spraying and flocking – real yuk
2. Two WS frames with toy stuffing ‘hair’ to give a frame and different under-spray colours

Bottom row:

1. A WS ‘pine’ tree with their dark coniferous flock. The picture is actually a bit lighter than the near black foamy bits
2. A WS ‘pine’ tree with stuffing covering and flock
3. Two ‘Japanese’ blossom trees from eBay (25mm size technically)

All look large compared to the 15mm figure in the middle but trees are large in real life…

I need to have a look for some light coloured flock as I seem to tend to dark mixes on bases / hills etc and stop the stuffing ones looking too much like lollipops (more gaps I think). The bags do have a few slightly smaller branches / frames that I can use and along with a few of the green blossom ones gives me enough to reach this goal and finish off a few of my outstanding pile.

Not sure if I’ll use 2p coins or make a little stand – it will depend on the balance as I knock things over frequently.

The rules, mat and figures are handy but I’ll have to read the book again as I honestly cannot remember them – may be I should have stuck to just a couple of rule sets as I’m getting bothered already. Trees first as that will give me time to read / practise bits and get the mud in my mind flowing.

[Jim Webster]

The 2p coin as a base is a good idea, it gives them stability, lowering the centre of gravity. Indeed you might find with some of the taller or bigger ones you need a bit more

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[Mike]

I use 2ps, but my WS trees look a bit smaller.    ?

[Andrew Beasley]

Mike wrote:

I use 2ps, but my WS trees look a bit smaller. ?

Worry not, ‘they’ say size does not matter 🙂 except in trees in my mind it seems…

All these trees came out of a work box that was created for the Ninja game I was dreaming about using the 25mm (ish) Chibi figures from Ninja All Stars and would be bigger than expected for 15mm. I have a pack of the smaller size but these where the first I came across and decided to complete them as test while playing around with the lighter spray and flock.

I saw a video from Miniature Realms where he had the Warlord ones I thought but the ACW Antietam table video (starts as he is showing it) does not have them so I maybe I have the wrong person. The video did send me on a hunt and I found these at 50mm and these at 2 inch  but finally think I found them as part of the range created by ‘The Model Tree Shop‘

YouTube has 100s of videos but they are often wire twisting but I’ve a couple queued up to watch and to read Thuseld blog (of course) before I get the flock out. It’s stopped raining so I’m going to try a quick light green spray on a couple first.

 

[Andrew Beasley]

Got a little carried away making a tree base:

[Jim Webster]

Because of the colour and lack of scale I first thought it was a pool  🙂

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

Grrr, arghhh etc etc

Oh – am I not popular around the house this evening or what… 🙂

Had to throw away about 1/3rd a tin of Rust-Oleum matt varnish. It was great last week then its been a right pain as it stunk the house out as I could not leave bits outside due to the weather. It also decided to dissolve the fibre I was using to bulk out the trees – this was like the WS Poly Fibre but used for stuffing animals (dear lady has a black bin bag full of the stuff) and not suffered from this during my testing.

No idea why (especially as I spray outside and then leave the bits to dry under the stairs in a cupboard); the tin was warm and well shaken – very odd.

If that was not bad enough – I used some sticky stuff remover to get two labels off a RUB that I have emptied and that stink was worse. Even I opened the windows and left the room. Only tipped the bottle onto the paper towel once and screwed the lid back on after 30 seconds or so.  Have to say it worked great though.

Just call me Mud Beasley for a week please (blush)

Jim Webster wrote:

Because of the colour and lack of scale I first thought it was a pool

Give that man the prize – I found my old tiles while looking for the trees so went a bit mad for the base.  The mad urge to do bits from last week has settled down (says he here at 00:37) so I can get back to my trees with luck tomorrow.

Off to have a cuppa and slice of rhubarb pie now (sleep pattern way off norm so this is my tea time pud for me). Even got some Greek Yogurt / Yoghourt / Yogourt  / Yoğurmak so its all good.

[Andrew Beasley]

Sorted the trees over the last few days and got them sprayed so I’m now not turning the house a spotted green!  Had to use my posh varnish but it’s better than it sitting in the cupboard going off 🙂

I know the pond was not in this task and it’s more than four trees but what the heck! I’ll count the ready made and part done  as 1/2 it’s closer then.

Found the figures and rules (finding them complex to read through but I think that’s just me and the bad patch) so time to dig up the mat and give it a go.

Look out for – Not Mammoth Again on the Slow Mind thread soon.

Still not found my 25s so SoBH may be an issue – may manually select a task or two till I find them / paint them up.

 

[Jim Webster]

They look just fine 🙂

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[Andrew Beasley]

While wondering the Interweb, I stumbled across the ‘Strength and Honour’ teaser game (the rules are not out yet – possible Easter) and the intro to terrain making for it by Rich of TooFatLardies making woods and swamps. (Since discovered there is a Facebook groups / page – but I’m still not joining so that’s why I may only have just found it…)

Though I use flat towels for ‘grass roof’ buildings in 28mm, this was the first application I had seen for a real bobbly towel / mat and TBH I think it will go well with the blocks for task 5/5 above.

Searching for pictures led me to the author Mark Blackhouse on Twitter and his army / forests:

(Hope he does not mind me showing this)

and his interview on YouTube by Storm of Steel Wargaming (though it does not show much of the table going by the scrub through I’ve just done).

The 2mm look very nice (not sure but I think they are the Warbases Antonine Miniatures ) and a big step up from the Irregular ones but I do like my solid blocks 🙂 and the resin ones from Forward March.

Looks like there is a Dunhem visit in store for me and a bobble mat purchase – green / brown / both? I’m in Scunthorpe Monday for an eye test – wonder if I could sneak a visit without the good lady???

I had thought about flock, clump foliage or the cobweb style stuffing but I think this fits better with the 2mm rather than the larger result I would end up with and the Irregular cast ones are way too tall (18-20mm) or have seen better days.

Anyway – that’s too much computing for today so a cuppa, book and possibly music is in line for me next (was up till 6:30 Monday night / Tuesday morning dreading my medicine discussion and times are still weird for me).

[Jim Webster]

Mark makes a lot of his army bases from miliput or similar. Modelling clay would do. But he’s gifted like that 🙂

https://jimssfnovelsandwargamerules.wordpress.com/

[ian pillay]

Wow! That looks brilliant. An army looking like an army. Neat idea on using bobbley towels for tiny trees!

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[Darkest Star Games]

Ooo, thanks for that link to the terrain video, I’ve been looking for ways to make better forests for 3mm and this might just be the key!

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Author]

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