A place holder for a new thread where I'll record all of my games and painting throughout the year of 2023.
My aim is to play 50 games. This feels a lot higher than I normally play but I like to set my targets high!
Painting I want to get my Romans done for C&K, my Rebel army for Fighting for Mexico and some Samurai done. On top of this, I'll be revisiting one or two older projects to fill in gaps. And of course if we get a new range from Martin whether that be Italian Wars, Boer War or something else entirely, they will be added in to the mix as well.
Anyone else want to chart their progress for the year?
Hello Sean
Come on down for two days and we can get 7 games in of CK.
martin :)
Since my modelling/painting targets are not game driven I am unlikely to meet any notional deadlines I set. I'll be very interested to see how your MexRev rebels come along in 2023 as mine has stalled somewhat and I too want to complete this period to my satisfaction. I am currently deep down the AK47 R rabbit hole and not likely to emerge until probably summer! Looking forward to seeing some eye candy to inspire me. Best of luck with your 2023 projects
Neil
This is a great initiative that I will follow with interest, Sean.
After a very disappointing last 6 months on the painting front, I will not attempt such a commitment, but instead try to surprise myself with what I manage to complete!
Simon
Well I like to see a bit of ambition. Some of my hopes for 2022 didn't materialise - St Albans is still short 5 bases of figures, plus the two bridges and some arrow and disorder markers, but I am still hopeful to complete soon. Can't really do the same as you Sean as I am not wedded to 15mm exclusively. I hope to play about 25 games this coming year, but there will be 28mm, 10mm, 6mm and 3mm in there as well as 15mm, although the 3mm will be using the PP ACW Riverine figures.
One of the joys of retirement is that you don't have to set deadlines. So no pressure. I find that way I actually do more. This last year I have painted more and gamed more than I have for years.
This year I hope to finish my winter Finns (which won't take long), paint some more HI ships, paint Villanistas for Mexico, early war British WW2, a Russian Civil War force, more ECW and Bloody Barons. If I don't finish them no problem. If I change my mind no problem. If I do more great.
John
Quote from: Sean Clark on December 30, 2022, 11:06:40 PM
>
My aim is to play 50 games. This feels a lot higher than I normally play but I like to set my targets high!
Great idea, Sean and the best of luck. Are you hoping to play a big variety, or will RFCM games constitute the majority?
Martin
(PS ex-pat Alan Saunders set himself a target of 52 different games over 2022...you can see his progress on his blog, one of my regular 'go-to's' -
http://hordesofthethings.blogspot.com/2022/12/what-christmas-tanker.html )
Quote from: Martin Smith on December 31, 2022, 09:58:54 AM
Great idea, Sean and the best of luck. Are you hoping to play a big variety, or will RFCM games constitute the majority?
Martin
(PS ex-pat Alan Saunders set himself a target of 52 different games over 2022...you can see his progress on his blog, one of my regular 'go-to's' -
http://hordesofthethings.blogspot.com/2022/12/what-christmas-tanker.html )
Alan's blog was an inspiration for this.
My game total will likely include many different rules and periods, even fantasy! I would expect around half of the games I play to be RFCM, but my friend is very much into the Black Powder stable of rules as well various 'Rampant' rules from Osprey so they will be featuring quite a bit.
@Martin...I'll be in touch about a visit. Plenty of games days to look forward thanks to Stewart, each one typically involves 3 games of more so they will certainly help towards the totaal.
I've never logged the number of games played before so it is more out of interest than setting myself a definitive target. However, I would like to play at least 1 game from every RFCM rule book, plus the odd revisit of a couple of the older rules such as a very old set of ancients rules produced by the Levellers!
As for the painting, I'm not setting a target number, just listing the projects I would like to complete. I will log the number of figures I paint. My estimate is 1,000, which seems a lot but I can get through a lot of figures in a very short space of time when I put my mind to it. Inevitably this will involve fallow periods, but in my productive periods I should get it done.
Anyway, no pressure will be applied. This will be simply my diary for 2023 and it'll be nice to look back on in 365 days time!
Happy New Year!
Happy new year Sean,
Don't forget at least 5 or 6 games at the Weymouth Weekend, are they included in your 50?
Stewart
They will be counted! I managed 7 this year 🙂
Well paint up and finish a few more HI ships for now. ( can't believe I need to buy the Monitor !)
1918 British for S/B for this year.
PBI bits and pieces.
Hopefully start on my ECW forces.
Bloody Barons, bring them up to the newer standard.
Play a few games.
Miles
My 2023 adventures have yet to begin..but for the first time in weeks, I can feel the itch to get painting again and to get a ge on before the end of the month. With 2 fantasy battle games played, it's a slow start on the hopes to play 50+ games.
Update over the weekend hopefully.
Glad to see you're getting back into the saddle, Sean!
Simon
Quote from: Colonel Kilgore on January 25, 2023, 01:39:57 PM
Glad to see you're getting back into the saddle, Sean!
Simon
Seconded. Good news.
I feel inspired to paint some professional troops for AK47 Republic (I've been browsing the PP website and will order a couple of the "newer" packs to mix in with my original packs).
Best wishes
8 games so far this year.
Zero games so far this year but one horrible case of flu.
Well the best laid plans have ground to a halt.
I've not painted a thing since before Christmas and I've played precisely 2 wargames (Kings of War, lost both) and 1 boardgame (Zombiecide, we all got eaten) this year.
Tomorrow is March which means it's the month of 🇲🇽 Mexico. I have my Governement army 95% painted. I'd really like to get my buildings and Rebels done but at this rate it's unlikely. Though as I have as before, when motivation strikes I can do a lot in a short space of time.
It's a good job this forum exists for me to feel included in the hobby. Currently reading Almost a Miracle about the AWI and watched the film 'Mosul' which is rather good and had me wanting to play AK47 and to buy some HumVees 😚
I hope you're painting and gaming are going better than mine!
Quote from: Sean Clark on February 28, 2023, 05:13:48 PM
I hope you're painting and gaming are going better than mine!
Have a wild guess on that one, Sean - you're not alone!
Simon
Still chugging away at the AK47, both scenery and figures, and I can attest to how nice the Professionals look, Smoking Gun... I've seeded them amongst my 1960s Foreign Legion with FFL beret headswaps and they really look the part!
Neil
Finally got my first game of the year in last week. A Walter Schnaffs FPW game which went against the odds as the defending French won, with some remarkable luck. This gave me the opportunity to weave a narrative around the game to put the result in context. For an historical game this had some real D&D and fantasy moments.
Not alone Sean. Played 1 game so far this year (possibly 2 but my memory may be faulty).
Having problems getting the motivation going for painting but have made a start on my AWI stuff to use for French Indian War.
So far got the British Regulars painted (except the ones I got from EBAY pre painted - They are good enough for me), About 25 bases (75 figs) of Militia. Another 10 to go and I can think about basing them. Problem is they have come from a range of sources and want to mix the figure up a bit so all attached to bases by bluetak for painting right now. Got about 50 Indians to paint so far, some mounted officers and a few guns. Hoping to get these all done by End of March (fat chance) Then can turn my mind to the French.
Ah well, away to Lanzerote next week. Maybe that will give me some ooommmpppffffffff.
Derek
Ben and I have played about 7 games so far this year. Ben has couple of friends, who's dads also war game so we have been playing a number of tag team games, home and away in the local area. Now for the heretic admission, it's all 40k, (Tau, Imperial Guard, Marines and Orks). A lot of painting has been going on to get new units and scenery ready. So the start to 2023 has been good for getting back into playing, unfortunately it's not been PP.
David & Ben
Now then gents! Been an enjoyable couple of months so far.
Sorted my admin, started (sporadically) going to a club in Derby in January and that's been great - met some nice chaps and played a couple of games using Maneouvre Group rules for modern mech combat. Lovely stuff. Also been continuing online games over Zoom with the usual group and played games of What a Tanker and 02-Hundred Hours, as well as kicking off a RPG campaign using Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. AND managed to get down to see my mate Phil for a weekend; he's got a copy of Undaunted Stalingrad and we hammered through a dozen games together. Really really good.
I'd planned to do more modelling and painting (I've finished a total of six tanks and one plane in January and February, which frankly is appalling) and also to do more solo gaming - not done any at all as it's turned out, but happy enough with that given I've managed to get plenty of games in otherwise.
BUT it's 1st March - we aren't even a sixth of the way through the year yet (not until tomorrow, anyway - good old short February!) and there's so much time left to do more. I might even properly get down to some painting eh.
All the best
JJ
This year I have developed a problem with my wrists so can't paint to well so have sent out an army to be painted and I was lucky to buy a huge painted Western force (about 600 figures & 40 wagons)
I'm lucky where I live in that I have two local groups and Entoyment hobby centre so normal game at least twice a week.
Managed 25 games (C&K, Hamerin Iron, Pirate raids)over 16 meetings.
Stewart
Played quite a few war-games this year either at Entoyment on Piggy Days or ar Wessex Wargames Society in the New Forest which meets twice a month. I've painted plenty as well (C & K Vikings and MexRev buildings mainly). I've also been playing lots of boardgames at a convention and at two groups that meet monthly.
I just need to find time to re-organise my stuff.
John
I think the problem is that I live too far away from the south coast! I'm fairly sure that if I lived the Weymouth/Bournemouth area I'd be playing way more games. Still I'll be getting at least 3 games in this month with Mexico day and hopefully at least a couple more at some point t.
I'm very interested in the new Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0. I may try these on my Rebels.
No pictures, but I've painted something!
3 stands of Villistas and 4 stands of pirates. I used Cobtrast paints, but then still gave them a wash of Agrax Earthshade. Seraphim Sepia would probably have worked better. But more tomorrow.
Well done Sean! The first step can often be the hardest one on the return to painting!
I look forward to some pictures in due course.
Simon
(https://i.postimg.cc/RWnf9HwL/20230303-192339.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RWnf9HwL)
(https://i.postimg.cc/wyFRFcdg/20230303-192413.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/wyFRFcdg)
Here are my first painted figureds of the year, 62 days in.
The green is perhaps a bit too green for the Mexicans but it'll stand out on the table!
I would say that those paints worked exceptionally well - I particularly like the pirates, Sean.
Simon
They look good Sean, how many figures to go?
Hope to see your Mexicans on the 25th
Stewart
You could always put a brownish contrast or wash over the green.
John
I'm coming down for the 25th Stewart. Not sure if it'll be Government of Rebels yet. The Rebels are the army box Martin did last year and are as follows:
2 x 11 foot
2 x 13 cavalry
2 guns
Might need to place a quick order for a couple of extra bits. The trouble is I bought most of my Mexico last year and I'm not sure where it all is 😁
Your paint scheme has certainly brought out the folds in the castings.
What primer / undercoat did you use, Sean?
Simon
Cracking on with the Northern Rebels for Mexico. This lot amounts to two mounted units of 13 bases each (10 extra bases coming from additions. There are also 4 single bases of bombers.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Wt8VJxND/20230304-160724.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Wt8VJxND)
To be honest Simon, because these were icebreakers, I used cheap white acrylic paint from The Works painted on. Now I've got the bug again I'll be spraying them using Halfords White primer.
Hi. Sean
I have a rebel and government force so should have a few spar bases
Stewart
Quote from: Sean Clark on March 04, 2023, 04:12:07 PM
To be honest Simon, because these were icebreakers, I used cheap white acrylic paint from The Works painted on. Now I've got the bug again I'll be spraying them using Halfords White primer.
Well they worked very well, Sean. I'd read online that the choice of primer was important for the Contrast Paints to behave properly. Stynylrez (my current favourite - two coats brushed on) primer (white or grey) apparently works well with Contrast Paints too.
Simon
Indeed Sean. I have seen painting tutorials extolling the virtues of zenithel priming, but I have had great results just using Vallejo grey primer, then contrast, then regular paints for detail and a very few highlights, mainly flesh, white and armour. This speeds up painting enormously and is more than adequate for a gaming figure, as opposed to a competition figure.
Simon,
I think the marketing hype when Contrast arrived suggested that the primer mattered. It doesn't in my experience.
Andy,
I think it is a nice new type of paint to add to our reportoire. Vallejo have their own version which is very good apparently at half the cost and the new Army Painter Speed Paint 2.0 sounds like they've fixed the reactivation issue. I use a lot of Army Painter paints so will be giving them a try.
Be interested to know how you get on with the Speed Paints Sean. I bought the initial batch of 10 to see how they went. Very impressed at first, until i started using adjacent paints and highlights. What a disaster. I should really just bin them as a failed experiment.
Yes that was a real mis-step, especially them blaming the painters for not using the paints properly!
The 2.0 release seems to have fixed it. There are several videos where they are reviewed and no issues have arisen. The preorder is live now and I think release is sometime in April.
I'd missed that Vallejo had brought out their range of contract paints, Sean.
But now I know that it's called Vallejo Xpress Color, even if it doesn't seem to be that widely stocked in the UK yet.
The Vallejo range seems to be somewhat smaller than Games Workshop's one, but at a similar price point to Army Painter's, if I've got that right?
Simon
Yep. On initial glance the colours are more fantasy based than military. Pendraken did say they stocked them but seem to be out of stock of most at the moment.
Probably because they come from Spain. Bit like I can't get Pedigree dog food at the moment.
I finally played my first Piggie game of the year last night. Spanish Civil War with me using an International Brigade company against Adès Falangist Militia. We had a great time as usual. 8 never like talking a out winning or losing. It's the taking part and social element that make a game for me. It can appear unseemly to talk about who was the best player and whether q player made some tactically questionable decisions. I'm afraid the pictures aren't up to much but hopefully show off how the whole thing looked.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pyHLPH5G/20230310-210431.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/pyHLPH5G)
(https://i.postimg.cc/342VtzKW/20230310-210449.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/342VtzKW)
(https://i.postimg.cc/hQgw6Mjs/20230310-210502.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hQgw6Mjs)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dZBXYdZY/20230310-211619.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dZBXYdZY)
(https://i.postimg.cc/crdyb1tW/20230310-211636.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/crdyb1tW)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5jSN0Rwx/20230310-214218.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5jSN0Rwx)
(https://i.postimg.cc/jLv00Vy7/20230310-214225.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jLv00Vy7)
(https://i.postimg.cc/TKw8TkcH/20230310-214237.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/TKw8TkcH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/zyXNVDq7/20230310-214245.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zyXNVDq7)
OK I lost. But whose counting! 🤣
Who/how killed the two tanks?
martin :)
Nice looking game
Stewart
Hi Sean,
Nice looking game. It looks like someone died on that hill.
Best wishes,
Martin Buck
Martin
The field guns killed the tanks. We may have got this wrong, but went with 2 dice against vehicles. I found myself very rusty on the rules, despite having read through them beforehand. It didn't spoil our enjoyment of the game though.
Very nice scenery!
Neil
That's a very nice looking game, Sean. Glad you had fun!
Simon
I agree, Not my period but an interesting looking table nonetheless, with lots of period flavour!
Neil
Very much in agreement with your game philosophy Sean. Just getting stuck in and seeing events unfold is the greatest pleasure I take from a game, win or lose.