Friday, October 31, 2008

Focus Dave, Focus!




So many Periods so little time. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it. I know somwhere it's said that to really do miniatures right you have to focus on one or two periods and concentrate your time and resources on them and not get distracted by the trap of pursuing too many periods. I've rarely met a gamer who can faithfully stick to that rule except for the notable and fantastically talented few...like Phil at the magnificent Pils-Holstein Campaign. My garage is full of half finished projects that speak to my inability to concentrate when it comes to little men.

That being said, being careful not to get spread too thin has become a necessary survival skill— if not to save my marriage (because she is a VERY understanding spouse...) then at least to keep my Paypal account from groaning under the weight of all that purchased metal yet to be painted.

I've collected figures at one time or another for nearly every major historical period out there and not a few weird Sci Fi detours as well (let's see AT 43 would be my latest in that category...). Most of these eventually get sold, some never to return, but some that, like the seasons, return because either a new line of figures comes out, or a new scale is introduced, or a new set of rules, or I just happen to have a refreshed interest in the period. 40mm has been that for me and it has brought back English Civil War (...had two collections prior in 15mm and 25mm), and French and Indian War (...had a nice collection in 25mm). I recently let go of a huge collection of 25mm Colonials and I know someday that period will come back because the "narrative" of colonial gaming can be such a blast...(as colonial wargamers know, the sun rises and sets on the the Major Generals site!)

The images of my workbench tell the tale... 25s and 40s sitting side by side...and those 10mm Ancients...well that's another story...

One rule in all this stands supreme....NEVER SELL YOUR TERRAIN ;)! ... because you may always come back to the period... I opened a box in my garage the other day that contained a nice scratchbuilt Pathan village...hmmm...maybe I shouldn't have sold those colonials...

6 comments:

Bluebear Jeff said...

Hey, you resemble me . . . very similar indeed.

Let's see, right now I'm concentrating on SYW 28mm forces (RSM) . . . but I really like the change-of-pace that the Colonial period gives.

Of course I have small 25mm Ral Parthas AND large 28mm Old Glory . . . and, no, they do NOT go together . . . I should sell one and put the money in the other . . . but which?

And I'm very much thinking of doing 15mm WSS AND 40mm ECW . . . I've been buying research books for both.

Meanwhile, gathering dust are over a half dozen full WRG Ancients armies in both 15mm and 25mm scales (I think it is 7 in 15mm and 8 or 9 in 25mm) . . . and did I mention the boxes of lead?

Then of course their are the WWI biplanes and the sailing ships . . . and the WarHammer stuff in both Fantasy and 40K . . . and well the list goes on and on.


-- Jeff

littlejohn said...

Indeed we are a Band of Brothers ;) !!

abdul666 said...

I must be an anomaly *also* from this viewpoint-neither texceptional nor talented, just monomanuac? During my whole career of active wargamer I managed to remain faithful to the 'all female Ancient - Medieval army' I started in the (disappointed) hope to convert my daughter and have a permanent opponent at home. Colored thousand of nipples with waterproof utra-fine felt pens...

Now I was 'hooked' to the hobby some.. 36, 37 years ago by 'The War Game' and the (fictitious, preferably: did you see the parade of VFS flags in 'The Companion'?) mid-18th C. still titillate me... But the 'monomaniac' nature remains: would I be tempted by colonial warfare -or its steampunk variant- I'd do it in a fictitious 18th C. setting...

Happy talented painter you are, btw!
Compliments,
Jean-Louis

littlejohn said...

I too share the daughter who might have been turned to gaming...and she heroically spent game nights at our local hobby shop (now defunct...) underneath the table with her stuffed bears :) while daddy pushed lead around but she was a trooper none the less! The fictitious 18th as well as 19th century continue to fascinate me as well, though I've yet to paint up a fictitious unit yet....but soon I'm going to break out of the Austrian vs Prussian mold! Wow!... all female Ancient/Medieval...now that's interesting! ;)
...and many thanks for the kind words on my painting.

littlejohn said...

...And might I add that the Lyon area is one of the most beautiful places I have had the pleasure to visit I still treasure some of the drawings I made there several years ago!

abdul666 said...

I was born and always lived here, but I'm sure there there are parts of Lyon you know far better than I do!


I'm now retired also as a wargamer, so I'm toying with ideas rather than playing with toy soldiers. I came back (in purely wanton form) to my first wargaming flame, the Lace Wars, but my previous "all female" inclination is still manifest. In my own (tiny, neutral, peaceful & non-wargaming) Imagi-Nation, women enjoy a perfect equality of civic rights - actually, spending less time than the men boasting and exchanging doubtful stories while playing cards, they have in practice the upper hand in most domains. Some play a very important, and very special, role in the State 'diplomacy' and security. Feminin persons are locally preeminent,
with a few specially 'interesting' characters among them...

As for an "all female Lace Wars army"... well I'm not the only freak with such an idea: an Australian wargamer is currently building such a force. Seemingly he managed to fund an 'Eureka100' by himself?
Grenadiers and various cavalry type have been announced 'in the pipeline' years ago, but the range appears 'on hold' since may 2007: only 'ordinary' infantry, and artillery (crew and pieces) are available (and, it seems, not easily so).
By mere (nostalgic?) curiosity I try to maintain a list of (25-30mm) ‘armed' 18th C. women (yes, it's the right post: just scroll down to the 3rd §): mostly pirates but a few ‘highwaywomen': thus I could only build a ‘warband’ («Fanatic Irregular Charging Infantry» in WRG 1685-1835 parlance).
Anyway, unless some unknown great-great cousin makes me heir of his oil fields...

Are you tempted by an Imagi-Nation, Ch. "The War Game" Grant's Vereinigte Freie Städte fashion? Not only they allow you to set the scale and objectives of the campaign in accordance to your wishes, but to "create" its History, Geography, Economy, political system, genealogy (and conflicts within) its ruling line... to design its uniforms and flags is for some of us an additional source of enjoyement. Besides, fictitious settings are specially propicious to the RPG-like 'plots' and 'spies vs counterspies games'...

Obviously I got carried away!
Best regards,
Jean-Louis