Voluntary " In the Line Of Fire"

Started by Orcs, 10 November 2019, 11:19:45 PM

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Orcs

Its been a long while since we had an " In the line of Fire" introducing members.  Probably due to the time involved

So here is the template for anyone to copy and fill out to the level you are happy with. 

ABOUT YOU
Name:
Location:

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation:
What's the best job you've ever had?
What would your ideal occupation be?

GETTING INTO IT!
How did you get involved in wargaming?
What was your first figure?
Do you have a favourite period/genre?
How big is your figure collection?
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain?
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic?
What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you?

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on?
Do you have any long-term projects on the go?
Do you have any wargaming influences?

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it?
Which figure range is at the top of your request list?
Which individual item is at the top of your request list?
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly?
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy?
What has been your biggest one-off purchase?

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!
How many hours a week do you paint?
What kind of technique do you use?
Do you have a preferred brand of paint?
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic?
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters?
Do you have any painting/modelling tips?

PLAYING WITH IT!
How often do you get to game?
Do you belong to a local club?
Do you have a funny wargaming story?
And have you had any wargaming disasters?
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns?
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic?
How do you store your figures?

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment?
Do you have a favourite book?
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones?

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films?
And your 3 worst?
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows?
And right now?

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band?
And favourite album?
And your 3 favourite songs?

NOT RELATED TO IT!
What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy?
What do you drive?
Are you a breast of thigh person...
And who are your top 3 totty?
Do you have a favourite quote?
If you could do anything, what would it be?
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

Orcs

11 November 2019, 12:35:47 AM #1 Last Edit: 11 November 2019, 12:43:09 AM by Orcs
OK I had better fill it in as I can't really expect others to do it if I don't


ABOUT YOU
Name:Mark Webb (aka Orcs)
Location: Buckinghamshire, UK

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation: Network Manager for Communications company
What's the best job you've ever had? Working in an Elecrical repair Shop
What would your ideal occupation be? Working in  Armoured Vehicles restoration

GETTING INTO IT!

How did you get involved in wargaming?  I read "Charge!" or How to play wargames By Brigadier Peter Young and Lt Colonel JP Lawford. ( Ityped the rules out on my Dads Typwriter and still have them
What was your first figure? Airfix 1:32 Germans
Do you have a favourite period/genre? Rennaisance Italian wars, WW2
How big is your figure collection? Never counted , but I expect into 5 figures including  all scales
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain?  approx. 1500 all scales
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic? No Favouritism, the other figures may get demoralised.
What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you?  A good Game with freinds

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on? On my Painting table at the moment are 15mm Biblicals, 10mm Poles and 20mm Panzer lV's oh and 10mm French Foreign Legion
Do you have any long-term projects on the go? Several. 10mm Parthian, BEF and WW2 Russian. Just bought WW2 Japanese in the clearance sale
Do you have any wargaming influences? My club Tring Wargames and Sunjester - I blame him for 10mm French Foreign Legion and Bedouin, WSS Armies  and many other projects  

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it? I tend to buy it. I fortunately bought some lovely 20mm Buildings from Pete at BB miniatures before he retired.
Which figure range is at the top of your request list? 10mm Biblicals
Which individual item is at the top of your request list? 10mm Polish Armoured Train  
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly?. Pendraken obviously, but to many to mention here.
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy?  10mm 14th Army using a mix of WW2 and Korean War British
What has been your biggest one-off purchase? 20mm Buildings from BB miniatures. - but so worth it

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!

How many hours a week do you paint? 10- 20 hours - I work shifts and have a very forgiving partner
What kind of technique do you use? Block paint with washes and a bit of dry brushing.
Do you have a preferred brand of paint? I have paints going back 30 years, but use mainly Vallejo now for the range of colours
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic? I am very fortunate and have the 4th bedroom as a Den.
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters? Yes. several over the years. Worst was when I spilt red enamel paint over some completed 15mm - Had to repaint then all
Do you have any painting/modelling tips? Get an optivisor it makes painting so much easier and less tiring

PLAYING WITH IT!
How often do you get to game? This year I have averaged 1 night a week and  2 full day games a month
Do you belong to a local club? Yes Tring Wargames.
Do you have a funny wargaming story?
And have you had any wargaming disasters?
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns? Both have their place
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic? Not as such. But I have unlimited use of the dining room and the table is often up for months at a time.
How do you store your figures? Really Useful Boxes or box files. Its false economy not to have robust storage

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment? Flag 4 , about the Costal Forces in the Mediterranean
Do you have a favourite book? Lord Of The Rings
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones?  Not really, at £5 each I would rather buy a book

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films? Cross of Iron, Lord of the Rings Trilogy. and The Great Escape
And your 3 worst? :- 300, Eyes Wide Shut, Nuns on the Run (do not ask)
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows? :- Dads Army, Only Fools and Horses, The Big Bang Theory
And right now?  World On Fire, Any Of Simon Reeves programs. Vikings

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band? Thin Lizzy
And favourite album? Bat out of Hell
And your 3 favourite songs? THin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar,Meatloaf -   Bat out of Hell, ELO - The Way Lifes Meant To Be 


NOT RELATED TO IT!

What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy? Clay Pigeon Shooting, Rifle Shooting
What do you drive? Audi A3 / Ford Focus
Are you a breast of thigh person... Do I have to chose?
And who are your top 3 totty? Angela Scanlon, Caroline Catz, Tamla Kari
Do you have a favourite quote? "The cynics are right nine times out of ten." H.L Mencken .
If you could do anything, what would it be?  Retire now
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

steve_holmes_11

Haven't seen one since I joined, here goes.

ABOUT YOU
Name:    Stephen Holmes
Location:    Thornliebank, Glasgow

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation:   Half hearted jobseeker since being made redundant, also carer for my elderly mother in law.
What's the best job you've ever had?    Project manager for datacentre builds based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
What would your ideal occupation be?   Trout farmer.

GETTING INTO IT!
How did you get involved in wargaming?    Airfix, Featherstone, Local Library.
What was your first figure?                    I cannot remember.
Do you have a favourite period/genre?  No.
How big is your figure collection?  10 16" square pizza boxes and 3 similar sized shelves in a tall cupboard.
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain? Crikey chaps, we're going to need more sherpas.
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic?    No to both
What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you?    Friendship, fun games, lifelong learning.

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on?    Several retinues for a history + fantasy Age of Exploration Indian Ocean setting.
Do you have any long-term projects on the go?  The one mentioned above, also a division of 6mm Napoleonic French.
Do you have any wargaming influences?    Spent a long time looking for satisfactory rules - currently enjoying the works of Dan Mersey, Andrea Sfiligoi and Too Fat Lardies.

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it?   Some of each,
Which figure range is at the top of your request list?    Currently planning a "No Purchase 2020" - but since you talked me into it, Essex Miniatures Renaissance Mughals.
Which individual item is at the top of your request list?
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly?    Pendraken (Shop and Forum), Peter Pig, Essex Miniatures, Magister Militum, Baccus6mm, Heroics and Ros.
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy?    Essex Miniatures Renaissance Mughals and Indian opposition.
What has been your biggest one-off purchase?   Ral Partha Demonworld, a large contingent of Orcs, and many big creatures as the INdian Ocean Fantasy elements.

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!
How many hours a week do you paint? Probably 12 at present, but this is atypical, 3 or 4 would be normal.
What kind of technique do you use?  A production line that Marc Brunel or Henry Ford would recognise: Spray Prime, Basecoat uniformly in bulk, details 24-48 figures at a time, brush varnish, base and store.
Do you have a preferred brand of paint?   Coat D'Arms with Vallejo a second. Big tubes of bargain shop artists acrylic for terrain items.
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic?   It's my dining table, my stuff is designed to unpack and put away fairly quickly.
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters?   Proper Preparation and Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
Do you have any painting/modelling tips?   Take a while to understand what the sculptor has given you, prepare (Flasg removal and priming), plan the order of painting and basing, select figures for your units before painting their details.

PLAYING WITH IT!
How often do you get to game?  20 - 30 games per year.
Do you belong to a local club?    No
Do you have a funny wargaming story?   Probably zillions of them, I like to get into character as I play.
And have you had any wargaming disasters?   Only scenarios that have badly misfired: The ones that turned out to be "Team X can't win", or ones where the dice completely ruined one army's day (Not much fun to lose like that, and not much fun to lose like that).
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns?   Short-ish games, and short campaigns of linked games.
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic?  No
How do you store your figures?  Magnetic bases on mild steel sheet. Most armies in 16" square pizza boxes, some taller pieces in old style steel biscuit / sweetie selection tins.

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment?   The Junior Officers' Reading Club: Killing Time and Fighting Wars by Patrick Hennessey
Do you have a favourite book?   Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones?   No

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films?   Goodfellas, Casablanca, The Blues Brothers.
And your 3 worst?    Probably hasn't been made yet - Picture a buddy movie featuring Adam Sandler and Danny Dyer - now imagine it's 2 worse sequels.
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows?   Thunderbirds, Banana Splits, Scooby Doo.
And right now?    Plebs

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band?   A variable roster, cannot make my mind up.
And favourite album?
And your 3 favourite songs?

NOT RELATED TO IT!
What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy?    Breeding Carp
What do you drive?   Skoda Fabia / Decathlon Triban 500
Are you a breast of thigh person...   If we're talking Chicken, then Kentucky Fried.
And who are your top 3 totty?   Monica Bellucci, Lois Griffin, Rachel Riley (off of the Countdowns).
Do you have a favourite quote?    "Everything must be made as simple as possible. But not simpler."― Albert Einstein
If you could do anything, what would it be?   Self levitate while being invisible.

Techno

Really well done for starting this off, Mark !!  =D> :-bd =D>

Brilliant idea.
Great stuff from both you and Steve. :)

Cheers - Phil

Aksu

ABOUT YOU
Name: Aksu Anttila
Location: Helsinki, Finland

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation: UX Designer for a tech startup
What's the best job you've ever had? Running a project trying to find solutions to illiteracy of young men.
What would your ideal occupation be? Man of letters.

GETTING INTO IT!
How did you get involved in wargaming? Airfix guide to wargaming at a tender age of 12.
What was your first figure? For Gaming: Airfix plastic napoleonics.
Do you have a favourite period/genre? Napoleonics and WW2 when looking at actual hours spent gaming. Louis XIV for painting.
How big is your figure collection? Not too large, less than 100 lbs.
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain? About the same size as painted collection.
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic? Something from Pendraken LoA range probably.
What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you? Talking bobbins with the chaps at the club.

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on? Trying to paint enough LoA for a good Maurice game. And doing various CoC 20mm armies.
Do you have any long-term projects on the go? Rebasing most of my 15mm Naps.
Do you have any wargaming influences? Not really.

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it? Scratch build mostly, buy trees.
Which figure range is at the top of your request list? No requests really.
Which individual item is at the top of your request list? 20mm WW2 Russian scouts with camo capes.
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly? Pendraken forum, lardies forum and blog.
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy? New brushes and better lights for my studio.
What has been your biggest one-off purchase? 6mm Soviet and German figures from H&Ros to run a Spearhead Prokhorovka multiplayer game. Including all the artillery pieces that never got to the table.

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!
How many hours a week do you paint? Too few nowadays. Maybe one.
What kind of technique do you use? Uniform colour basecoat, block colours, highlights, washes. Or black basecoat.
Do you have a preferred brand of paint? Vallejo Model Colours.
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic?
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters? Spray priming an entire 15 mm Aztec army and the figures looked like they are covered in dust. Never got the surface smooth.
Do you have any painting/modelling tips? Use lots of light, paint for gaming distance, don't use a magnifying glass unless you are going for hero photos.

PLAYING WITH IT!
How often do you get to game? Once a week.
Do you belong to a local club? Yes.
Do you have a funny wargaming story? Setting up a Peninsular game for several hours, and the entire spanish army routing after 10 minutes of play. Game over. Time for a pint.
And have you had any wargaming disasters? See above.
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns? Campaigns that produce short games.
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic? Not at home.
How do you store your figures? Biscuit tins with magnet bases, and KR cases for maybe 10% of the collection.

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment? Chinese scifi - "three body problem".
Do you have a favourite book? Too many, depends on the genre what to list.
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones? Nope.

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films? Too many to list, but: "Draughtman's contract (1982)", "Children of Men (2006)". A lot of 70s dystopian scifi is quite good in my book. Maybe "THX 1138" or "Rollerball".
And your 3 worst? "Liquid Sky (1982)", "Bernie (1996)" - the only film I've ever walked out of. I went to film school so I have a pretty high tolerance for awful films. I hate almost the entire ouvre of Q. Tarantino.
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows? -
And right now? -

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band? I listen to a lot of old soul. Maybe the Apollas.
And favourite album?
And your 3 favourite songs? "Gone with the wind is my love" by Rita and the Tiaras, "Mr Creator" by the Apollas, and for something completely different: "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme - La Cérémonie des Turcs" By Jean-Baptiste Lully

NOT RELATED TO IT!
What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy? Recently went back to model railroading (N scale, the scale of champions i.e. 10 mm). Reading, watching old SciFi. Cooking for the missus.
What do you drive? Used to have an Austin Mailer in 1984. Haven't had a car since then.
Are you a breast of thigh person... -
And who are your top 3 totty? -
Do you have a favourite quote? "Amor Fati" by F. Nietsche.
If you could do anything, what would it be? Anything? Bring universal harmony and world peace?
[/quote]

fsn

ABOUT YOU
Name: Frederick Simeon Nobbs
Location:Sitting down in the study

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation:Training manager
What's the best job you've ever had?Programmer in Fortran & Cobol & BASIC+
What would your ideal occupation be?Anne Hathaway's Dresser

GETTING INTO IT!
How did you get involved in wargaming?As a child Pater was in BFPO Germany. Due to a severe injury I was regularly transported to the RAF Hospital at Wegberg. This meant driving along the autobahn, where I saw lots of big green tanks. Guess what kind? back in this country, I found a copy of Wargames by the Blessed Featherstone in the local library and the rest is geography.
What was your first figure?Airfix - probably Infantry Combat Group and their 1st attempt at WWII Germans
Do you have a favourite period/genre?I have a different one every week, but anything between the Trojan War to 1967, missing out the 16th & 17th Centuries, Africa and Asia.
How big is your figure collection? About 11787 infantry, 1842 cavalry, 220 guns, 447 command, 685 vehicles, 301 ships and 1334 aircraft ... plus the two Pendraken packages that arrived today.
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain?The Nappies, and some odds and ends.
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic? Not really ... I sort of like my Confederate divisional general with his dog
What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you?Enjoyment

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on? Singular? Flodden English, Arab Dark Age and some 1960s stuff I found last week.
Do you have any long-term projects on the go? Arthur's Britain, Imperial Rome, Byzantines, Chinese WWII, IndoChina ...
Do you have any wargaming influences?The Blessed Featherstone.

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it? Buy
Which figure range is at the top of your request list? Superhero
Which individual item is at the top of your request list?Airborne Morris for towing 17pdrs
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly?None really, aside from manufacturers
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy?Dunno, 'cos I'd have to find a period, research it, plan the purchase ...
What has been your biggest one-off purchase?Again, dunno. Spent about £200 on the wargames room recently. Does that count?

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!
How many hours a week do you paint?5-10
What kind of technique do you use?Slosh it on and hope for the best. Undercoat, basecoat, wash, maybe some highlights, varnish.
Do you have a preferred brand of paint?Vallejo
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic?Yes, and yes, thank you
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters?Pretty much everything isn't great, but I don't have disasters.
Do you have any painting/modelling tips?Don't ask me - listen to someone who knows what they're doing.

PLAYING WITH IT!
How often do you get to game?Since I got the new room, any time I want. I spent quite a bit of time over the weekend.
Do you belong to a local club?Hell no!
Do you have a funny wargaming story?Not unless you consider my baby brother falling onto a Greek phalanx, and coming up with hoplites stick in his hands and arms. Actually, I was quite annoyed at the time.
And have you had any wargaming disasters?I once had a Greek army get rolled up by failing morale checks after the flank slingers got hit for about 2 casualties.
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns?As a solo gamer, it's all the same to me.
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic?Yes and yes,. thank you.
How do you store your figures? Really Useful Box company 11l boxes.   

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment? Hackett's The Third World War
Do you have a favourite book?Many - Altmark's German Combat Uniforms 1933-45; David Howarth's Waterloo, A near Run Thing; The Blessed Featherstone's War Games
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones? Not now

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films?A Bridge Too Far, The Battle of the River Plate, The Duellists
And your 3 worst?Avengers (insert name here), Captain Marvel,  Spiderman (insert name here) ~ no I'm not a Marvel fan, how did you guess?
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows?Captain Scarlet, The Avengers (with Diana Rigg); Batman: the Animated Series,
And right now?Killing Eve; Only Connect; and (guilty pleasure) Richard Osman's House of Games

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band?Does the Academy of Ancient Music count as a 'band'? Fleetwood Mac, The Cars, 10cc
And favourite album?I have 18 versions of Purcell's Opera "Dido and Aeneas".
And your 3 favourite songs?Purcell's Dido's Lament, Gershwin's Night and Day, Jason Mraz's I'm Yours

NOT RELATED TO IT!
What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy?There are others? I draw, write and photograph
What do you drive?Mitsubishi Colt
Are you a breast of thigh person...There are other options
And who are your top 3 totty?Anne Hathaway, Victoria Coren, Olivia de Haviland
Do you have a favourite quote?Call no man happy until he is dead - Solon
If you could do anything, what would it be?Make women realise that the sexiest thing on the planet is middle aged, cuddly men - preferably balding.
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

FierceKitty

12 November 2019, 02:41:48 AM #6 Last Edit: 12 November 2019, 03:15:53 AM by FierceKitty
ABOUT YOU
Name: Alexander Hay-Whitton
Location:  Bangkok

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation:   Teacher
What's the best job you've ever had?   TEFL trainer and head teacher, Brno
What would your ideal occupation be?  Corrupt renaissance cardinal/harpsichordist

GETTING INTO IT!
How did you get involved in wargaming?   Newspaper article which included a 'phone number and a suggestion that a club in Cape Town would enhance life for many.
What was your first figure?   Box of Airfix Injuns.
Do you have a favourite period/genre?    Variable, but Pike and Shot, Ancients, and SYW jostle each other.
How big is your figure collection?  Over fifty armies, all 10mm (barring naval support and Wendy houses)
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain?  I have less of a problem with this than most. I've got about 75% of my Vikings to be done; should be ready before the Saturnalia.
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic?   Maybe my Seleucid elephants. I posted a photograph some years ago.
What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you?   Having fun with buddies playing history with a strong aesthetic element. I like to win, but don't mind losing (fortunately!).

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on?     Vikings.
Do you have any long-term projects on the go?   Most are done by now.
Do you have any wargaming influences?    Many fellow gamers who've pointed out roads worth following; historical accounts which have done the same. Bach, who proves beyond debate that terrifying complexity can be smooth-flowing and very satisfying.

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it?    Both. But I do like resin terrain features.
Which figure range is at the top of your request list?   Ming Chinese, perhaps.
Which individual item is at the top of your request list?    Since a whole range has been granted me recently, I feel I should moderate my demands a bit.
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly?   This, LAF; TMP, though I usually just skim the topics now.
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy?    A couple of Japanese woodblock prints.
What has been your biggest one-off purchase?   The joint Republican Roman, Seleucid, and Carthaginian order I resumed ancients with.

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!
How many hours a week do you paint?   Quite a lot now. I'm semi-retired. But often none. I've got most of what I want.
What kind of technique do you use?   Clean them up, black undercoat, acryllics; flesh first. Base with epoxy glue on card. Varnish with artist's fixative.
Do you have a preferred brand of paint?  No. I'm really not good enough.
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic?   Normal table. I can't leave stuff set up, with hordes of kitties loose in the building.
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters?  I've mentioned it before, but the aerosol flock which I thought was a light brown paint; turned a 6mm army into teddy bears.
Do you have any painting/modelling tips?   Good felt-tip markers are a Godsend for tartans, stripy trousers, shield designs, and belts. Opera on headphones is a good way of making marathons more enjoyable.
How often do you get to game?   Most weeks. It took a while, but Lee enjoys it, now that she knows she can often win. (I wish she'd read a bit and see why she can't have an army composed entirely of grenadiers!)
Do you belong to a local club?   I AM just about the local club. I've founded one or two in my time.
Do you have a funny wargaming story?   Mmm, a treadhead once ignored my Soviet cavalry, because we all know they're useless in modern warfare. This is true, of course, but not if you fail to shoot at them and they turn your infantry flank. He did realise just after the slaughter that his tanks were now facing the Russian attack without infantry support. I couldn't have got away with it a second time.
And have you had any wargaming disasters?   A regional championship in Cape Town. I was distracted by a tourist watching and speaking Italian, and had to take the opportunity to show off my own grasp of the language (I'm no Petrarch, I should add). He didn't need the explanation, being a member of the Parma club, but we chatted a bit; and I neglected to launch a critical samurai charge I'd been carefully setting up. Came the next round, they had been wiped out by the ashigaru muskets they should have swept away. I didn't take the gold that year.
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns?   Campaigns are fun, but have the built-in problem that they're less enjoyable for someone who's been knocked down.
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic?  Just the dining room.
How do you store your figures?   I had a cupboard made to my specifications a few years ago. A wise decision.

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment?    Persuasion. Also Armies and Enemies of the Dark Ages.
Do you have a favourite book?   Emma or Farewell, My Lovely. Closer to home, no. 1 for wargames is Duffy's The Military Experience in the Age of Reason.
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones?  I don't buy them. They were always of interest mainly for advertisements, and the 'net does a far better job. The articles usually were, and remain, badly written and poorly composed pieces (I said usually), with the added irritation these days of far too much 28mm, whose current domination seems to me a big step backwards.

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films? Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Alexander Nevsky. Honourable mention to Tampopo, Gosford Park, Hope and Glory, V for Vendetta, and The Erotic Adventures of Onan, the Enormous Gorilla with the Huge Willy, later retitled The Battleship Potemkin (Monty Python Fans will know what I'm talking about.)
And your 3 worst? Cromwell, Morons from Outer Space, Persona (How did Bergman EVER get his reputation?)
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows?  Dr Who, Monty Python, Babylon 5. Honourable mention to Penny Dreadful.
And right now? The new tale of intrigue, lust, treachery, toplessness, and the uncanny in a gelateria; yes, I'm talking about Game of Cones.

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band?   The Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
And favourite album?   Pieter Jan Belder's performance of the Goldberg Variations.
And your 3 favourite songs? La ci Darem la Mano, Wotan's farewell to Bruennhilde, and the Sword Song in Siegfried.

NOT RELATED TO IT!
What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy?   Cooking, art galleries, bridge, shogi, travel.
What do you drive?    Those days are long gone. I daren't face Bangkok traffic with me at the wheel. Chekov's gun is a child's toy by comparison.
Are you a breast of thigh person...     What is a "breast of thigh"? It sounds like something from Hieronymous Bosch.
And who are your top 3 totty?   Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Yueh.
Do you have a favourite quote?   "Save the gerund! Screw the whale." (Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing). Honourable mention: "Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the sea." " Why, as men do a-land; the great ones eat up the little ones." (William Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre).
If you could do anything, what would it be?   Persuade the world not to have children that won't get enough to eat. (Or, perhaps, find a cure for religion.)
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

Sandinista

ABOUT YOU
Name: Ian Robertson
Location: South Auckland, NZ

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation: Local Government Officer
What's the best job you've ever had? Political organiser for a prominent UK Socialist party in late '80s - early 90s. A lot of changes during that time
What would your ideal occupation be? Motorcycle tour guide

GETTING INTO IT!
How did you get involved in wargaming? Finding Donald Featherstone books in the local library
What was your first figure? Airfix 1/32 commandos
Do you have a favourite period/genre? Renaissance - by this I mean anything from Wars of the Roses to the Nine Years War, including the middle east & India
How big is your figure collection? probably over 10,000
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain? about 2-3% of that
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic? Probably the Pendraken LoA range
What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you? The social aspect

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on? 15mm Italian Wars - League of Cambrai era
Do you have any long-term projects on the go? 10mm fantasy, I keep adding a bit every now and then
Do you have any wargaming influences? Not really, but beery nights with friends often produce new projects

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it? Both, I  do enjoy the creation of terrain
Which figure range is at the top of your request list? 10mm 18th century Ottoman Turks
Which individual item is at the top of your request list?
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly? This one, TMP, LAF and various blogs and facebook
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy? More 15mm Italian Wars figures
What has been your biggest one-off purchase? Pendraken LoA range

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!
How many hours a week do you paint? about 6
What kind of technique do you use? varies I have not settled on a style which is probably why I dislike painting
Do you have a preferred brand of paint? Vellejo acrylics
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic? Yes, a room shared with the PC
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters? Rebased a couple of units bought off ebay, only to discover most were conversions and fell apart during the rebasing process
Do you have any painting/modelling tips? use gaming distance as your standard and don't look at "gaming porn" photos

PLAYING WITH IT!
How often do you get to game? 3-4 times a month
Do you belong to a local club? Yes, South Auckland
Do you have a funny wargaming story? Probably, but can't recall
And have you had any wargaming disasters?  Probably, but can't recall
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns? Both have there merits, though I do enjoy a good campaign
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic? Yes, one of the spare bedrooms is mine, all mine  :D  :D  :D
How do you store your figures? mainly box files and storage boxes

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment? St Ruth's Fatal Gamble - The battle of Aughrim 1691
Do you have a favourite book? Too many to list
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones? I am a P&SS member, so the Arquebusier is the only regular one I get

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films? Land and Freedom, The Wind That Shook The Barley, Kes
And your 3 worst? The Stupids - the only film I have walked out of plus any Marvel movie
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows? The Young Ones, The World at War - sparked my interest in history, The Tube - a staple pre-pub watch on a Friday night
And right now? Taskmaster

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band? A hard choice between The Clash and Hawkwind
And favourite album? Space Ritual by Hakwind - the best live album ever
And your 3 favourite songs? Ghetto Defendant by The Clash, Bodies by the SexPistols, Lord of Light by Hawkwind - Lemmy's bass playing  8)

NOT RELATED TO IT!
What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy? Motorbikes, Bass guitar, exploring NZ
What do you drive? Triumph Bonnieville Bobber, Suzuki SV650S - still not got a car
Are you a breast of thigh person... I am a sucker for pretty eyes in a cute face
And who are your top 3 totty? Debbie Harry, Souixsie Sue, Sandy Denny
Do you have a favourite quote?  "No attempt at ethical or social seduction can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin." Aneurin Bevan
If you could do anything, what would it be? Time travel would be good, going back to all the iconic gigs and festivals of the 60's and 70's - with tickets of course  ;)

Cheers
Ian

petercooman

12 November 2019, 08:45:39 AM #8 Last Edit: 12 November 2019, 08:48:27 AM by petercooman
ABOUT YOU
Name: Peter Cooman
Location: Ninove, Belgium

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation: Medium/high voltage testlead/jumper assembly
What's the best job you've ever had? Lab technician (nothing fun about the job, but had every evening free to do modelling/painting)
What would your ideal occupation be? Something In the army museum in Brussels! (they sell model kits in the gift shop  ;D )

GETTING INTO IT!
How did you get involved in wargaming? Passed by a local game store by the age of 12
What was your first figure? esci russian infantry 1/72 from the waterloo museum shop
Do you have a favourite period/genre? WWII / Napoleonics
How big is your figure collection? at the moment of writing this should be about 9000+
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain? 2322 models
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic? bretonnian grail knight on foot (in the middle of the picture in armour)

What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you? the learning about history part

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on? 28mm napoleonics for the peninsular war
Do you have any long-term projects on the go? d'Erlons 1st corps attack at waterloo
Do you have any wargaming influences? Series like band of brothers or sharpe!

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it? both
Which figure range is at the top of your request list? 10 mm Belgians for wwII !
Which individual item is at the top of your request list? Chasseurs ardennais
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly? LAF, wargame vault
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy? Save them for the release of the pendraken greeks very soon!
What has been your biggest one-off purchase? a complete 2nd edition metal cadian army on a forum

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!
How many hours a week do you paint? don't count, but can be anything from 0 to 30
What kind of technique do you use? i love using washes
Do you have a preferred brand of paint? vallejo/gw
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic? nope, have to set up every time
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters? fresh pot of chestnut ink on my mothers best chair!
Do you have any painting/modelling tips? always keep a wet brush in your water pot, wiping off a mistake is faster than having to repaint

PLAYING WITH IT!
How often do you get to game? Normally every other thursday (solo games whenever i have the time)
Do you belong to a local club? no
Do you have a funny wargaming story?  No, this is serious bussiness  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
And have you had any wargaming disasters? someone spilling a coke over my bkcII book and figures
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns? both, but depends on the people playing. campaigns are no fun if there is min/maxing in the group, do prefer them if played in spirit of the period/game
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic? No, just use the dining room table
How do you store your figures? in boxes in a cupboard

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment? sharpe practice rulebook
Do you have a favourite book? longest day by cornelius ryan
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones? nope none

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films? longest day, lord of the rings trilogy  (that's 3 but it's really one long movie), waterloo (the 1970 one)
And your 3 worst? i watch a lot of b-movies so too many to count !
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows? sharpe, band of brothers and off course black adder!
And right now? enjoyed carnival row, and war of the worlds is not too shabby either

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band? manowar
And favourite album? triumph of steel
And your 3 favourite songs? battle hymn by manowar, number of the beast by iron maiden, march or die by motorhead

NOT RELATED TO IT!
What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy? some computer games
What do you drive? opel karl
Are you a breast of thigh person... breast
And who are your top 3 totty? really don't know so how about, michelle rodriguez, tara reid, lauren ridloff (yeah i totally just typed celebrity in google and picked 3  ;D )
Do you have a favourite quote?     The only way to do great work is to love what you do.    — Steve Jobs.
If you could do anything, what would it be? Not go to work ever again, because it's just a waste of time really. (this is what happens when you hate your job  ;D )

sunjester

Quote from: petercooman on 12 November 2019, 08:45:39 AM
Something In the army museum in Brussels! (they sell model kits in the gift shop  ;D )


That museum is a fantastic day out! More than a day really, we had to go back on a second occasion just to see everything we hadn't had time for the first time.
Plus it has a bar with a reasonable selection of beer :x

Ithoriel

ABOUT YOU
Name: Mike Headden
Location: Edinburgh

PAYING FOR IT!
Current occupation: Retired
What's the best job you've ever had? IT Training and Support for the local school admin staff
What would your ideal occupation be? Either Lugal of Lagash, King of Kish, Lord of the Four Quarters OR retiree :)

GETTING INTO IT!
How did you get involved in wargaming?Found Don Featherstone's "Naval Wargames" in the local public library in 1965
What was your first figure? Betterwear (sic) cowboys
Do you have a favourite period/genre? Early Pleistocene to the End of Time
How big is your figure collection? Counting the size of your army brings the ire of the gods upon you
And how big is your unpainted lead mountain? About 98% of the above
Do you have a favourite model in your collection. And do you have a pic? Currently, my 6mm Sumerian Donkey-Carts

What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you? Planning projects and collecting figures for them.

PLANNING IT
What project are you currently working on? 1/2400 Renaissance naval/ 1/200 Punic Wars naval/ 3mm WW2 NWE/ 6mm Mesopotamian Early Bronze Age/ 10mm WW2 Eastern Front / 15mm Prehistoric Humans/ 28mm chibi Ninja
Do you have any long-term projects on the go? See answer above!
Do you have any wargaming influences? Books, films, TV, friends, t'internet

BUYING IT!
Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it? Yes. Both in equal measure
Which figure range is at the top of your request list? Get thee behind me! I'm still working my way through the existing ones :)
Which individual item is at the top of your request list? See answer above.
Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly? Pendraken forum, The Wargames Website, traders own sites
If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy? A bottle of Ardbeg Corryvreckan!
What has been your biggest one-off purchase? No idea. I tend to buy little and often rather than making huge purchases. Not quite a purchase but I got around £600 worth of GW stuff for writing articles for their house magazines.

PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!
How many hours a week do you paint? More like how many minutes. I loathe painting but like the end result and can't be doing with figures other people have painted.
What kind of technique do you use? Varies by what I'm painting
Do you have a preferred brand of paint? I mostly use Vallejo and GW. More convenience than preference
Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic? Yes, table in the living room – the joy of solo living.
Have you had any painting/modelling disasters? Does supergluing my hand to the table more than once count?
Do you have any painting/modelling tips? Don't superglue your hand to he table.

PLAYING WITH IT!
How often do you get to game? Board games twice a week. Figure games increasingly erratic.
Do you belong to a local club? Not any more
Do you have a funny wargaming story?
And have you had any wargaming disasters? Too many to count
Do you prefer short games or long campaigns? Long
Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic? Dining table doubles as a 1800mm x 120mm wargames table – see comment above about the joys of solo living :)
How do you store your figures? Figures and board games are stuffed into every available space in cupboards and under furniture in a mix of Really Useful Boxes, cardboard boxes, biscuit tins, etc

READING ABOUT IT!
What are you reading at the moment? Mainly internet articles about the Indus Valley Civilisation
Do you have a favourite book? Many
Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones? Not any more

WATCHING IT!
What are your 3 favourite films? Changes day-to-day ... if not hour-to-hour!
And your 3 worst? Way too long a list to cut down to 3
What are your all-time top 3 TV shows? Right now – The Expanse, Firefly and Babylon 5. Ask me again in half an hour and it will probably be different!
And right now? Ransom, Private Eyes and Only Connect

LISTENING TO IT!
Who is your favourite band? Don't have one
And favourite album? Album .... don't you put photographs in those?
And your 3 favourite songs? Right now – Ava Max "Sweet but Psycho" Selena Gomez "Same Old Love"  Billie Eilish  "Bad Guy"


NOT RELATED TO IT!
What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy? Watching movies, cooking for others,
What do you drive? Other people mad :)  Shanks Pony, public transport and taxis get me around
Are you a breast of thigh person... To channel my inner Bercow "The eyes have it! The eyes have it!"
And who are your top 3 totty? Ladies I know in real life who's names would mean nothing to any of you.
Do you have a favourite quote? I have so many that the only one worth listing here is

Oscar Wilde: I wish I had said that.
James McNeill Whistler: You will, Oscar, you will.

If you could do anything, what would it be? Make people be nice to each other :)
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

petercooman

Quote from: sunjester on 12 November 2019, 09:52:15 AM
That museum is a fantastic day out! More than a day really, we had to go back on a second occasion just to see everything we hadn't had time for the first time.
Plus it has a bar with a reasonable selection of beer :x

Yes it is great! Especially the tanks!