Thursday, April 9, 2015

What's next for 2015?

As my RSI from the Painting Challenge recedes, it's time to take a moment, drink a mug of tea, and think about what's next. Like most of us, there are about 50 projects I'd like to be working on, and I don't feel bad about flitting around between them, but it is a good thing to have some general aspirational hobby goals. In no particular order, here are my top ten projects for the rest of the year.

1. Victorian Zombie Apocalypse

This is one of those projects entirely driven by a desire to paint some shiny miniatures. I really like the look of the fictional c.1900 female Hussars made by Hinterland Miniatures. Most miniatures of female characters in our hobby have traditionally reflected a rather sad adolescent male fantasy. You know, 'I'm a lusty barbarian wench with a massive sword, so big in fact that I don't need any armour apart from this chain mail G-String.' That kind of thing. The thing I like about Hinterland is that they have made a range of plausible female warriors that actually look like real women. I'd be happy to give them to my daughter to play with.



And they do make a pack of zombiefied Hussars.... Which got me thinking. 'Cos Westwind also have a pack of Victorian zombies.... And Northstar's 'Society of Thule' box contains some zombiefied Prussian Jaegers..... So I wrote to Nick Eyre at Northstar, and he was more than happy to just sell me 15 or so of the zombies.

People seem to like 'In Her Majesty's Name'. And there are rules for zombies on the IHMN website. But terrain.... hmmm. Well, I visited Wargames Vault, and checked out the 'Historic Olde Towne' from Stoezel's Structures. It's cheap, it'll be fun to make, and basically will give me a nice big Victorian city layout, with interior detail.



It seems the planets have aligned. I've got some cool minis on the way to paint, a nice terrain layout to build, and some rules to drive it. I reckon this will be fun.

2. Finish my Romano-British Army/b>



I'm looking forward to seeing this army finished. They are mainly destined for Dux Bellorum, but will also work for Impetus and Sword and Spear.

3. 6mm ECW Armies



Paul of the Man Cave will be back around the end of the year, and by the time he returns I must have two large ECW armies painted.... Large in numbers, that is.

4. Late War Germans, Soviets and Brits



I already have some armies painted for Battle Group Fall of the Reich, but I aim to add to them every now and then during the year. I particularly enjoyed making some urban warfare bases for some Germans during the Painting Challenge, and plan to do more of these.

5. Urban Terrain

For my Fall of the Reich games, I really want some urban terrain. It will be expensive to try to do something sizeable in MDF, so I'm thinking about making a board with lots of rubble and partial buildings, with occasional more intact structures, and maybe even adapting paper models to bulk out the cityscape.

6. Retreat from Moscow 1812



Another project driven by stunning figures, I plan to keep chipping away at painting the stunning range made by the Perrys for Napoleon's retreat from Moscow. No idea what rules they might be suitable for, but even if I never game with them, they are a privilege to paint.

7. Curse Agema Miniatures and their lovely Republican Romans! Curse War and Peace Games for that time they sold them for less than half price!! Curse my Lack of will power!!!

Nothing to add to that really....

8. Early War Germans



Add a few bits and bobs to my Battle Group Barbarossa army.

9. Western Desert

I reckon this will mainly be a 2016 project, but I'll be waiting eagerly for the new Battle Group supplements for the desert. I'm now pretty much like one of Pavlov's dogs, conditioned to buy whatever Plastic Soldier Company put out, so I'll pick up whatever desert armour they put out that I can afford. If they put out a box of Crusaders and I can't afford them, I'll rob a bank.

10. Something Shiny that I Haven't Anticipated But will end up dominating several months of my life



So there we have it: Some aspirations for the year. Should keep me out of mischief.

10 comments:

  1. So many projects Alan and so little time. I just invested in IHMN myself. In regards to the desert you may need to wait quite a while 2016 like you said might be a better option but the toys are so nice and terrain might be less of a hassle than burnt out Berlin 1945.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy to have contributed to your list Alan. Don't worry, there are plenty more shiny things on the way.....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Point 10 will of course win.
    I'm in the same boat and have spent this gloriously sunny day fliting between the garden and inventorying my figs to work out a similar plan. Zombies are going to win, with a hospital from Grekwood Minatures.as a plan
    I have some of the Hinterland sailors and they are great, full of character and as you say realistic.

    ReplyDelete
  4. +1 x infinity on the 6mm ECW. I fear that this will be the start of us going into oner periods in this scale too though. The Peloponnesian War beckons us Alcibiades!

    I might just happen to have bought a bunch of the Hinterland Lady Hussars recently (I got the Trenchers set) and they are fantastic figs. Great to see you branching out from the strictly Historical too!

    Western Desert may be a 2016 focus but I've already started collecting :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. While I lost sight of you when real life took my eyes off the Painting Challenge, I look forward to following these projects in the year to come. The Victorian Zombies challenge ... it sounds fun, if a bit mad, and the idea of those lady Hussars (I agree, refreshingly welcome figures given how women are too often portrayed) kicking zed butt is very welcome.
    Best, Michael

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes I do love those Hinterland minis but I've never found a suitable use for them. Alas, one day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ha, I've just posted a similar blog entry. But dam you sir, the thing about lists is that require will power and reading the lists of others is a sure way to make you realise there are other projects worth pursuing! I now have to battle with myself and not add Victorian Zombie Apocalypse as a number 11!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Here is a nice summary of other 'normal' Lady sculpts
    http://thedicebaglady.net/female-miniatures/

    ReplyDelete
  9. I completely agree about decent lady models...I play with my 9 year old son (and my 5 year old daughter is already showing a keen interest).

    I acutally came up with an In Her Majesty's Name Company, Princess Augusta and Her Valkyries using the Hinterland Trench Warriors. Here's the link if you're interested: http://ihavewroughtmysimpleplan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/in-her-majestys-name-company-princess.html and here's an AAR : http://ihavewroughtmysimpleplan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/captain-harry-nelson-and-lost-tomb-of_12.html

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.