Sirens of lead

Once again, part way into a new project it's tossed to the roadside for a shinier, newer interest. It seems a word, a reference, a link within a forum or on TMP will zombie like steer me off course. Oh the sirens of lead men call me constantly! Within the past four months I've reorganized, rebased, purchased figures, dabbled with painting, bought books for research, and generally shuffle around both my painting area and my gaming table the following bit and pieces.
28mm ECW figures for a skirmish play test rule set from TFL
10mm ancients for Impetus (painting and rebasing)
28mm ancients for Impetus (painting and rebasing - purchased more figs)
28mm US Airborne for M&B WW2 (finishing out a weapons platoon - Actually got this finished)
28mm Dark Age figures for a skirmish rule set rumor heard on the TFL forum
36mm German WW2 figures purchased as a lark
28mm AWI Perry figures for Sharp Practice (this after finally reading "This Land Divided" a supplement for SP)
Advanced Squad Leader - pulled out my old board games and set up not one, but 3 different scenarios to relearn the rules for this monster from my past.
Rejoined my board game buddies at the local game store for a Combat Commander campaign game every other Sunday.
..and finally, Ambush Alley. I'd purchased a big handful of 20mm modern US and insurgents for this game and as usual started basing and laying down a base coat of paint about 6 months ago and put them away for something newer. Now I find an opponent living just 1/2 hour away and have promised to meet up after Christmas. Can't let my fickle nature distract me from AA till I have at least 40-50 figures finished.
Pictures to follow this weekend of what I have finished, promise.

Another switch in direction

Last month, after posting the pictures of my current projects it suddenly dawned on me I have a Demo game coming up real quick. I'm running Sharp Practice at Conquest in Santa Clara California on Labor Day weekend. I did have some figures purchased last winter which I never got around to painting for my spring demo in Sacrament for lack of time. To spice up the scenarios I've added some French Hussars, the 10th Regt. actually along with another Big Man.

Pictured to the right is the group of 8 Hussars and Big Man along with a 28mm figure so you can get the scale of the 40mm Perry's and Sash and Saber figures. Still an hour or two of detailing on the figures to do and then the base detail.
I'm going to make an effort to add the 3 remaining horsemen before Labor Day and make it a 10 figure group with trumpeter and Officer.

I'm really enjoying painting up these bigger figures and intend to throw another group of British infantry on the painting table to balance out my forces for the next gaming session after the Con.

After that the fall/winter will find me back on the Mud and Blood WW1 figures to demo in March 2010.

Oh....I've forgotten completely about the ECW figures for either the skirmish rules or the larger scale rules the TFL group is working on.

Ta

An ADHD update

Like many of you I flit between scales, periods and rule sets making incremental progress on a certain group of figures before something shiny catches my eye. Usually the shiny object is a harmless post on a forum or a link from TMP. I despise myself and occasionally clean off my panting table of all projects but the "one" I'm going to dedicate myself to finish. In reality it doesn't work quite as well as I'd like. This year, 2009, has seen me complete my initial batch of 40MM Napoleonic figures for a "Sharp Practice" demo in March. This is one project, about 120 foot figures and including terrain and buildings that I can be proud of, even though the 30 or so planned French cavalry figures and a few mounted officers have yet to be finished. In the midst of this Napoleonic painting spree for some strange reason I started an American FOW company and got about 75% finished before backing off. I don't even play FOW anymore. Then came the First World War and the Too Fat Lardies and Rob Bloom. I gobbled up "Through the Mud and the Blood" 28MM Scarab Austrians and Italians and Kallistra trenches.
I was devoted to WW1 and loved the figures, researching the period and reading the history. A Sunday visit in early June to my local stockist led me to a new rule set actually written by one of the owners of the store. Well, I couldn't buy the rules without buying at least a pack of figures as a colorful diversion from my feldgray Austrians so the "Quar" bumped my Austrians lads back a bit. Surely to be finished the minute the 5 pack of Quar were painted. Well, further trips to the store after reading the rules ("This Quar's War") led to buying a full section and command with some HMG support. Now here's where I always get bollocked up, I seem to be able to assemble, base and prime any amount of figures but the minute I begin painting in my sub-conscience I begin looking for something new. This past week had me follow a new thread on the Too Fat Lardies forum discussing a ECW version of the skirmish rules "Sharp Practice" a late 18th early 19th century set of rules. Out come the ECW figures I'd purchased over the past year awaiting the still to be published TFL rules tentatively called "In The Buff" The past week has seen me prime, assemble, base and slap a regimental coat color on about 50 figures.

So my dilemma continues, ECW skirmish for a play test rule set which may not happen? "Quar" for a club game which is happening the end of July? Or soldier on with the WW1 Austrians. Did I mention the Litko bases shipped today to rebase my 28mm ancients for Impetus?

God! minutes after publishing this I remembered the CWC 6mm Cold War project, Ambush Alley 20mm project, Star Trek miniatures and numerous board games set up and then taken down in the past 6 months. Where did I put my meds?

Summer projects

Kubla Khan passed me by this Memorial Day without running a "Too Fat Lardies" demo game. I try and do this 2-3 times a year here in California both for my own enjoyment and to spread the word. A wedding and a barbecue foiled my plans this year. Conquest San Francisco in September will be my next demo. Hopefully a "Through the mud and Blood" demo of the WW1 Lardie rules.
That said my Scarab Austrians and Italians for M&B were shunted aside as I latched onto a modern set of micro armor rules, "Cold War Commander" Thinking it'd be a piece of cake to paint up two forces quickly I'm bogged down now with painters block and spend my time reading board game rules and clipping counters like a fool. But! I've recently become involved in a kriegsspiel game covering the Great War battle of Cambrai. I'm playing the part of the IV British Corps commander, General Woollsey. I'll be updating both the Cambrai battle and posting some photos of my work bench projects soon.

Too Fat Lardies Normandy game day - Fall 2008

1. 

Fall 2008's Game day featured the Airborne operations on June 5/6 throughout the invasion area. Each team was assigned a scenario based on figures available. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday my team here in California bailed on me and I ended up running a solo game. Most Pictures and notes to follow soon.

What's on the work bench - January 2009

First entry in what I hope is a recurring habit. This is now about the third website attempt to collects my thoughts and photographs on my hobbies. The current project is 40mm Napoleonics for the Too Fat Lardies skirmish rules "Sharp Practice' I'm running a participation game in Sacramento the third weekend in March and have to hustle a bit to finish in time. Here's the current state of affairs. I've shown the big figures along side some 15mm vehicles to give you an idea of the scale. I'm sorely tempted to continue in 40mm for future projects like the ECW and Le Feu Sacre.