Saturday 31 December 2011

Year's End Reflection


The time for contemplation....again, The wargaming year in review for 2011

I guess with the new year, it is natural to look upon the past 12 months to see if all those promises, desires and wargaming pleasures have been fulfilled. Hmmm.

On the plus side I have good health. Except for somewhat poorer eyesight. Age, I guess.
On the negative, I don't game as much as I would like. I mostly solo to be honest. I have a big table but not time to culture a gaming group. I think I was too late for “I own a large table and big room. Come and we can use it.” Too many of the older guys already have them set up and a regular group.

However with age and within the hobby for over 30 years, I have collected huge numbers of figures and big armies. I rarely can have a game with any more than twice a decade it would seem. Not only that, I have about half in 15mm and the other half in 28mm not counting the various other naval, air and miscellaneous periods and 'projects' I have dabbled in. It is nice to see all the stuff I have painted yet extremely frustrating that I can not use them on a regular basis. Loving it all and much time passing gathering up the pewter has conspired to put me in this spot. However selling any of it is, at this stage, unthinkable.

But, of course, I still collect more. I have not gone to totally zero buy mode, but I have moderated the purchasing to very few. I still love the thrill of getting the package in the mail. Like a kid at Christmas. Silly for an old guy, but there you go.
I have been trading a little bit lately however, trading stuff I will NEVER get to, for stuff I may LIKELY. While the mail costs are there, the trades are fair and both sides benefit. Another man's junk is your treasure as it were. Thus I am consolidating many of the 'projects' . They are bigger, but less of them.

So what are these “projects”? Well, the War of 1812 continues to capture my attention. Just bought some sailors for additional land actions. Let's see: 2 big US regiments, 3 British, sailors; say 180 or so to go - so far , but that is expected to grow.
Then the SYW with Hessian, Brunswick and Hanoverian forces [near 900 in total]. These are done but to fight them is the French; primered and waiting in boxes (for 14 years!) to be painted. 17 battalions of 12 , with 16 squadrons of 4 cavalry. Do the math yourself...I don't want to scare myself. [Artillery already done however, whoo hoo] . I have a special imagi-nation collection which is growing but not getting painted. The French in America AWI at Savannah force only half done and not ready yet. And smaller (ahem) collections for DBA style games perhaps which have not been out of the blisters yet. (sigh) Oh , I forgot my c.1690 collection. It is big also. Needs some more cavalry though (sigh, again). And I have many more interests but you get the idea.
only some of the boxes full of my painted 28mm


That was only the 28mms. For my 15mm, I have a large Zulu type contingent to paint; many more DBA armies; and some extra units to a large ACW Fire and Fury force, both North and South which has not been used for a couple of years. Did I mention my 1859 armies? Both painted collections are over 1,200 strong.
...and yes, only some of the containers full of my painted 15mm armies


Do we think the man with 40 fast, expensive cars in his driveway with only the ability to drive only one at a time, a silly person?

Anyway, I will putter away at getting some of this done, and played with, during this new year. I will not promise anything more. Doesn't hold long anyway........