Blather, Waffle and Poppycock!

[fsn]

So... you know how I've been banging on about my next project is the Ottoman Napoleonics? Well it is ... -ish. I'm in the purchasing stage, so will be buying amounts monthly over the next six months or so.

Well, maybe 7, 'cos I had to buy those BMPs for the 1973 Egyptians. 

"So what Nobby?" I hear you cry.

a) Don't be mean - I'm not made of stone.
b) I'll tell you - as if I wasn't going to.

Let me take you back through the mists of time ...

*Cough* Why do the mists of time smell like unwashed socks? *cough*

It is February 2013. The German Pope resigns and an Argentinian cardinal will soon take over and give him shelter. Edward Snowden is about to release US secret documents before taking a long trip to Moscow, and da yout was chanting along to that lovely ballad "Get Up (Rattle)" by that crew of rapscallions the Bingo Players. 

In a chilly Runcorn, a fresh faced yet ruggedly manly Nobby (I know, 10 years and I haven't aged a day) joins this august forum.* I was greeted and welcomed by Techno (the original, not the upgraded cyber one - the steam powered analogue one) and Lord Speedy before his ennoblement, and NikHarwood and other notables, some of who still haunt these hallowed corridors and some who don't.   

Butterfly mind strike #1
I'd been buying Pendraken for a while. Mostly WWII and ACW, but since 2014 was coming up, and that was of course the 700th Anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, I strayed slightly from my plan into a smallish project to recreate the great battle. 

Being a Pendraken neophyte, I bought all I needed from Pendraken - spearmen, archers, cavalry ... and the schiltron. (Yes, we'll come to that.) The thing about butterflies is that they tend to be short lived - bit like Edward II's army - so the Bannockburn project reached the purchase stage then became the foundation of my lead mountain as I moved on to something else.

Now back to 2023!

*Cough* *Snurt* Sorry, that was me this time.

With a six (or possibly 7) month - let's face it if Pendraken release Amazons or SciFi or something, it could take a while - so lets just say a "purchase time envelope of indeterminate and flexible duration" for the Ottomans, I returned to my lead mountain and dug out the Bannockburn box. I wanted a project for Xpress paints, and nothing that had a uniform would do, and the C14 would be a nice test bed. Archers ... OK, infantry ... doable, cavalry ... I could make it work, schiltron ... oh.

I'm looking for and I had bought .
Yeah, I could have had a go ... but I'm sorry, I wasn't feeling it. The Pendraken offering was too regular, too disciplined, too ... civilised. I needed an alternative.  I scanned the rest of the Pendraken catalogue but nothing yelled that I could not take their freedom in a throaty Australian burr.

That's when I did it. First it was T35s (since replaced by true Pendraken versions), then it was pig faced bascinets (since replaced by true Pendraken versions), then it was Chieftains (soon to be replaced by true Pendraken versions) and now it is C14 Scots (I hope I don't detect a pattern.) I have sinned. I have strayed from the path to walk another. I replaced my Pendraken pikemen with specialist Schiltron figures.    

They are slightly bigger than the Pendraken, but that boosts my view of the innate physical superiority of the Scottish over the English.

Butterfly mind strike #2
Unfortunately, whilst browsing the catalogue of this snake in the Garden of Pendraken, I noticed they also did a Wild West Range. OK, they called it "Pony Wars", but it's all cowboys and Apaches to me.

Of course, by Apache, I mean not   No! No more butterflies!


To cut a long story short, although, and I have to be very clear about this, my current project is Ottoman Napoleonics, I am currently painting some C14 Scots and some 1880s Americans, some of who may not actually be from Pendraken.   


* 10th April 2013 I posted "I apologise in advance for my future verbose postings." Can't say I didn't warn you.   


 

[fsn]

Footnote: Fortunately, the Apache Helicopter was introduced in 1986, too late for my Cold War forces of 1984.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Reminds me, must paint my version of medieval Scots, and my Imperialist German, and my Jewish Zealots, and my Woodland Indians, and my Dacians and...

[fsn]

I hear you, Sir. 

Actually my lead mountain isn't that bad.

Some of the new Greeks, a miscellany I've proxied to be Byzantines, and the Samurai.  Oh, and some 1:600 WWII ships, and the 1:600 Pacific War aircraft. 

Barely 2000 pieces.

[Macsen Wledig]

my lead pile is growing 

[fsn]

Perils of the Pendraken, I'm afraid.

You just think you're got it beaten and then *kapow* they release more new goodies.

[Macsen Wledig]

sorry, just thought I should fess up again

[fsn]

Since it is well known that wargamers do not outlast their lead mountain, I have created a spreadsheet which documents my purchases, painting and consigning of unused figures to the spares box. From this, I can calculate my approximate demise date.

As at today, since 2013 I have

• Bought                 28629
• Painted                 22680
• Spares                   2341
• Lead mountain     3608

I am buying (on average) 252 pieces per month, putting 34 in the spares box per month and painting 344 per month.

Thus, my lead mountain reduces by 126 figures per month, giving me 29 months to clear the mountain.

Estimated demise somewhere between 17/06/25 and 14/07/25. 


Why so many spares? Mostly from post 1900 ranges. If I want a platoon of US Cold War Infantry, I want 3-4 M72s, and get a pack of 5 teams so 2-4 spare figures. Similarly radio operators, officers, etc all generate figures that don't fit into the OOB.

[fsn]

Barely 2000 pieces.

By that, I of course, mean 3608.

[Macsen Wledig]

wow, alot of detail there. I just look at the number of really useful boxes full and make a guess 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

I dont dare count mine. Latest additions are in the hands of Royal Mail. Supposed to be here yesterday but tracking says now with North West Centre having been in Nottingham for 2 days. Supposed to be 48 hrs tracked and dispatched by Warlord (sorry Leon) on Wednesday.

[DecemDave]

Estimated demise somewhere between 17/06/25 and 14/07/25. 

Oh no!     
Clearly you must take yourself to a well known Middlesborough emporium as soon as possible and buy load more .
Preferably with heads

[fsn]

You can see why I'm so keen for new Pendraken releases.   

[Macsen Wledig]

its a major job cataloguing them all.....

[Heedless Horseman]

Lead Piles can be a real PITA, sometimes.