March 2025 - Part One

1 March 2025

English Civil War

I much prefer the journey rather than the destination these days. Getting there is so much more fun than seeing the final end result which is cool in itself but doesn't provide the memories whenever viewed as much as the struggles, modifications, adaptations, and so on.

Found some basing material yesterday and thus spent tonight cutting them for my units. Still need to basecoat several units like Hopton's and Bard's. Started detailing Duke of York's and Talbot's. As stated, King's Lifeguards and Prince Rupert's Blew regiments are very much done with only the basing, flocking and some minor final detailing to complete them out. 

Tweaking the numbers, I was able to accommodate adding Talbot's Foote without forsaking the original listings which is a good thing. All that's missing from the above list therefore is Shrewsbury Foote. This would give the Royalist seven complete infantry units (regimental level). Excluded but next on the painting program are the Forlorn Hope, the firelocks, and dismounted dragoons. Cheers.

============================

2nd March 2025

Some .45 Adventure gaming

Tidying up the studio of late and happened across some old terrain/buildings from my 28mm gangster era. Decided to have a quick game of .45 Adventure to pass the time as the power went out throughout the area for over an hour. Wasn't a real game as such but more a reacquaintance. Didn't go into the details of the ruleset but skimmed over the basics of the game.

Scenario was rivalry between two local gangs - one American-style gangster with the flashy suits and violin cases coming up against an Asian-Triad style criminals - that had finally reached boiling over point with both sides declaring a spontaneous turf war in the industrial area outside of Biggstown. 

Outcome was less important than simply enjoying a simple hour of gaming, as it should. 

Going to continue reviving this fun game into the week. Next scene will be a Main street scenario with cops and hoodlums. Will print out some game sheets as well. And hopefully provide a more detailed batrep rather than the result. Should be interesting. 

=====================

3 March 2025

Studio tidy up

Resumed tidying up the studio. Realised that I have loads of stuff to finish and complete. Will try and take the same approach as I did with the Battle of Borodino project. Which is focus on one element of the project and bring that part to completion.

The list of projects as part of 2025 builds are manifold however.

1. Kelly's Heroes table. Large project. Easily the largest since the Battle of the Borodino in scope and size. Begun long ago (back in the 2010s). Made a passionate start. Interrupted thereafter with half-pie efforts over the decade. At around 30% complete with a fair number of structures mostly completed. Lot of final work needed to bring it to full completion and use. Still on the lookout for a tiger tank (a main character from the movie). Should take the whole year.
2. Generic terrain and structures items. Many started but never finished as something new popped up to distract me (as you do). Low priority but still needing completion.
3. Pulp Fiction. Main Street, USA, from the Prohibition and through to the Great Depression era. More interested in this period from the small scale gaming and narrative one can weave.
4. American Civil War. Final last fling. Red River campaign and rulesets to be finalised. Flitting with several but nothing has firmed. Terrain and buildings are few and will probably require some constructions. Priority is low though so it may never eventuate (the buildings and terrain elements that is).
5. Shelving. Need more shelves for storage. Finding the right shelving is important so I understand.
6. WW2 modular terrain (see further down). An unfinished project. Ran out of steam while putting it together. 

Shown above are a couple of pieces (right) with the train line emerging from the mountain tunnel. Also in storage is the Lizardmen temple display board that I hope to get some usage using the old ruleset. And then there is a French Foreign Legion fort that is something I've always wanted to build but I have no figures. Maybe use it for an updated WW2 desert scenario for Rapid Fire perhaps? Wait and see. At least now I can place stored items once again in this closet space.

Various modular pieces belonging to the Kelly's Heroes table. Eight pieces counted thus far. The table therefore will be large. Already attached polystyrene as basis for landscaping and the overhead railway that is meant to pass through the town. Was able to mark out the locations of the various buildings after designing the layout. 

Part of the town centre. Loads of buildings. Built card buildings. Lots and lots of detailing still remains (inset doorways, balcony, window framing, walls, etc.) to bring it up to scratch for the game so I reckon. A good two months work here (given my snail pace progress). 

There are a number of terrain boards (hills, surrounding landscape) in this project that still need constructing, not just finishing. Various notable structures, such as the ruined castle (above right) on the outskirts of the town, are basically done. Or started. The Sanitorium is not shown but is also almost done.  

Never going to win awards for my construction skills. Or even design work. Doesn't really matter: as I stated so many times before, I enjoy getting to where I'm going. I don't mind reinventing the wheel. Or relearning skills or techniques already learned or known. It's the enjoyment of filling up time doing something I like doing. 

Six modular boards. Originally designed for WW2 Rapid Fire. Setting: Europe. Possibly Normandy bocage region. Includes a small lake/pond, destroyed village, hedgerows, undulating ground, docking area, hamlets, and so on. 

Shown this before. Unopened boxes of minis. Wife really wants me to sell them off. Contemplating it although not this year. Most are 1/72 Napoleonic, a period I'm done with for now. Medieval as well (for Lion Rampant). Forming part of my various piles of shame located throughout the studio.

More Piles of Shame. Many are opened and work begun on them but not finished. Mostly 15mm, 20mm and 28mm. Not shown are two house moving cartons filled with 40K and Warhammer Fantasy (before the renaming due to copyright claims). There are odds and sods from other interested periods, mostly naval and airwargaming. So it's not just land warfare materiel.

Any drawer space is crammed with minis. These are part of my WW2 collection. For Rapid Fire. 

Sometimes I run out of drawer space for my minis. 

Ran out of small storage cells and tubs for my Borodino project. What I could fit, I did. The rest found space on the shelving in the bathroom (see below).

These buildings are from the La Haye Saint set for the Battle of Waterloo. Made a start. Time to finish them off.

Minis stored away that haven't been used in a while. Sitting atop a cabinet with mostly accessories - dice, small terrain items, mats for naval.

About halfway through cleaning up the studio. But already it's yielded much. So much that I really have no excuse not to be doing something hobby-wise. Should be an interesting year therefore. But I've said that before as well. Wish me luck. Cheers.

=======================

Moved lots of modular boards out of the cluttered closet space (previous photo) and restored them in a spot more accessible as this is another major project for this year: (2) WW2 European battle board. Six boards I believe. Without measuring, I'd speculate the boards make for a 6' by 4' table.