Blather, Waffle and Poppycock!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

I mean, it's an option.

I was once offered the North Korean army. I don't mean figures, I mean the NORTH KOREAN ARMY.

Nowhere to store it, though.

Can I offer you a large bridge in Sidney ?

[Last Hussar]

Have you accidentally hit clickbate, and now you have a bridge on your drive?

[fsn]

Every few years I seen to post a "I'm running out of projects" post.

I've been looking at the Pendraken catalogue and have dabbled in every one of Pendraken's 10mm categories. This is not to say that I have indulged in every range. I field no Ancient Persians, have no interest in Aztecs, or colonial conflicts, and have sworn off "Malplaquet to Maida".

I eagerly await the forthcoming Pendraken Amazons    and SF ranges. The Bronze Age armies will be fun, and are the Ancient Indians still on the list?

What then? At the moment, I have 1810 Spanish, Anglo-Portuguese and Joseph's Spanish armies purchased and in some respects painted. For Napoleonics, my choices seem to be Saxon, Italian, Neapolitan or Westphalian. In other words 4 white coated armies.    I could also do Baden or 1815 Dutch-Belgian, but after that the Napoleonic well is dry. (No, I'm not doing India or the 1812.)

I have a mild hankering for a Chocolate Box, Little Wars type of conflict. Something late C19, where I can be historically mildly inaccurate. Standardise sizes for units, same size armies for each country. This is what I think of as being a "mid level" game, maybe 400-500 figures per side. It's a low stress, fun project. To be honest the only thing holding me back is the lack of suitable British Guards Brigade figures - thought there are other British, Prussian, Austrian, French, Bavarian, and Russian options. 

Similarly, I could do a 1929 Britain vs France. I'm missing a Lewis gunner in a cap, and nobody seems to do a Carden-Lloyd carrier in 10mm. There are Brodie helmet and pith helmet options - perhaps Gunner Sugden could crew the Lewis?  It's the lack of a Carden-Lloyd that puts this one on the back burner. I also wanted to do this so I could field the Char 2C, but I've done that now. 

Which brings us to WWI. I see two options here ... maybe three. 1914 I would handle as a "mid level" game. Plenty of colourful units - French Cuirassiers, Belgian Guides, kilted Highlanders. Even thought about using the 1904 Russian Maxim with some dogs for the (in)famous Belgian dog machine guns. 

Conversely, 1918, when the trenches have been largely left behind, and fighting had got "through mud and blood to the green fields beyond." This would be a company level game - about 100-150 infantry supported by a couple of tanks, half battery of guns, etc, etc. Setting it in 1918 avoids that nasty terrain build.

Finally for WWI, I could perhaps do something on the Mesopotamian campaign. Some lovely stuff in the Pendraken range. Again, this would be a company level game, but if I'm being honest I'm more interested in the variety of armoured cars than the camels. Besides, when Pendraken released giraffes, I did an East African project which scratches most of the itches from Mespot.

What about WWII? There are a couple of gaps I could fill. I have some lovely KV1, T35s, and T28s from the Soviet 1941, but have nothing for Soviet 1944. Frankly, it doesn't move me much. For some reason I can't get excited by T34s; late war Soviet kit generally.

I could look at The Western Desert. I have, I think, most if not all of the hardware either in North West Europe 1940, or Italy 1943. Do I want the same thing, but painted sand yellow? Maybe.

At the other end of the thermometer is the Russo-Finnish Wars. Obviously one would want to model the Winter aspect, but I'm not really interested in creating a set of scenery but in white. I could do the much neglected Summer fighting. I'd probably just need to buy many more pine trees.   

A more distant possibilities is Border Reivers. This would be a true skirmish game, and I'd end up buying a pack of 30 figures and use maybe 4 or 5. Quite fancy crafting a Peel Tower though.

For some reason, I am drawn to the Texian Revolution (Alamo) and the Mexican Expedition of 1917. The Mexicans of the 1830s can be mostly proxied, but the Americans come up a bit short. There's a dearth on both sides for 1917. Having said that, some of the new ACW range may be suitable to fight at the Alamo.    Need to look at that one.


I've done a lot of bright uniforms and horsies recently. I would appreciate a change, some camouflage and things with engines would be good.


As I say, I have 3 armies ready to paint. That will take me some time. My painting is at a low level at the moment- only about 200 figures per month. That gives me about 15 months of painting to do.

I need Leon to come in as a deus ex machina to bestow many goodies. Though it didn't go so well last time.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

I know something you don't! 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

I know something you don't! 

You tease

[fsn]

I know something you don't! 

Aha!

Since I am hoping for Amazons, Indians and Squids, then I assume that Pendraken are going to release something different.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Amazonian Indian Squids? 

[Last Hussar]

Every few years I seem to post a "I'm running out of projects" post.

Have... you tried... actually gaming with them. Y'know, just for a change?

[fsn]

Have... you tried... actually gaming with them. Y'know, just for a change?

Oh, I do.

I tend to paint in the evenings and play at the weekends. If I have a week off, I will usually spend most of it painting. I rarely record anything about a game. Usually think "that was a good one" then realise I haven't recorded anything about it at all.

Bottom line. I have no social life. I don't go anywhere. My whole life is bound up in 10mm figures. Without Pendraken, my life would be completely empty of meaning. 

(Do you think that may get me a Carden-LLoyd carrier?)

[d_Guy]

Border Reivers

[d_Guy]

Getting a fitted sheet on a King size (American) bed is like stringing a 140lbs long bow. Stuffing a duvet into its cover is like throwing a resisting convict off the Tarpeian Rock. At least that's what I think.

[fsn]

Border Reivers

That one is a very real option. It's a 300 year scope - I'm thinking something  with morions.



Some of my kin are Armstrongs. 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Getting a fitted sheet on a King size (American) bed is like stringing a 140lbs long bow. Stuffing a duvet into its cover is like throwing a resisting convict off the Tarpeian Rock. At least that's what I think.

No, putting on a duvet is the opening to a fifth dimensional wormhole

[Last Hussar]

Easy to put on a duvet cover.

At the moment though, I'm not bothering, just the cover.

[d_Guy]

No, putting on a duvet is the opening to a fifth dimensional wormhole

I could support that comparison as well since the best approach seems to be to crawl into the cover and pull the duvet in behind you.