Author: anthony

Wargaming Shape

~ anthony ~ Leave a comment

I can safely that I have sadly started to conform to the stereotype within the hobby that its male participants of a certain age are also of a certain somatotype, or rather size if you prefer. And while I will swear to my dying day I never saw 100kgs on my scale, I did see a 99.8kg (or 220lbs) one morning which for someone who is only average height at best, it meant that I was carrying more than my fair share of poundage, and at worst I had simply gotten fat.

Not all my progress is solely focused on the gut

So I decided to buck the trend and through portion control and increasing the use of shanks pony, that I am going to do something about it. I still very much enjoy adult beverages and all the foods that make life worth living but am trying to imbibe through a lens of “moderation”.

Simply walking after work has helped my progress, a nearly 60min ramble at the end of each day where to avoid being “trapped in my own head” I use podcasts as distractions and inspiration. So in no particular order, these are some gaming and history podcasts that have helped me burn through 6kg so far, and will hopefully help me reach my next target.

Threads from the National Tapestry: Stories From the American Civil War, this is just great stories from different perspectives, battles, places, and people that make up the ACW. A refreshing take on some topics I know a little about, and some topics I had never explored from this period of time.

Anything But a One! adventures in Historical Miniature Wargaming, not much to say about this one. Three friends, having a laugh as a they explore historical wargaming in general and from their own remembered experiences.

Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy, one of my favourite wargaming magazines as a podcast, not the most regular of content, but it’s a fun diversion while the pavement passes under foot.

Little Wars FM, like the podcast from WSS, it’s not the most often updated, since I guess the team is more focussed on their video content, which is understandable, but the odd post just helps keep hobby motivation at a high.

The Pirate History, ditto above, but also since I have always loved Pirates and as I used to live in The Bahamas a stone’s throw from Fort Montague this just dovetails nicely with both interest and my kickstarter support of all things Blood and Plunder.

We Have Ways of Making You Talk, Al Murray & James Holland exploring all things WWII with a definite British bent, but also wide ranging theatres, topics, and opinions. Very easy to listen to, and I do love WWII.

I know there are others I have missed, but I have no real interest in trying to sync my phone to my computer to give me access beyond what I can find on the app that came on my iPhone. And given that when I did open the app on my computer it removed all the followed and downloaded content on my phone, I really don’t want the technological frustration, rather the simple audio distraction as I pound the pavement. And with 200+ for the The Pirate History alone, and 500+ We Have Ways, more than enough to burn through a few more kilos.

Battle of Seven Pines II

~ anthony ~ 2 Comments

So I wrote about the Battle of Seven Pines, the Redoubt, and my wish to create a digital model of the Twin Houses, which while they were two houses in real life, for the purposes of a digital model it is simply a single model reversed to create an opposite and then 3D printed in both variants. The creation and printing were completed quite some time ago, and the models sat languishing in the “pile of shame” awaiting some paint.

Twin House: Base matt black spray paint. (wood) Burnt Umber(223), dry-brush 50/50 Warm Grey(078)/Process Black(040),dry-brush Warm Grey(078), dry-brush Buff Titanium(024). (bricks) dry-brush Yellow Ochre(633), dry-brush Naples Yellow(634), dry-dry-brush AP Pure Red(WP1104), dry-brush AP Barbarian Flesh(WP1126)

Luckily it was also one of the “projects” I put in the “box of hope”, so a bit of spray-paint then successive layers of dry-brushing later, they are pretty much complete and since I have almost all the terrain elements I wanted when I started this project (save the Union Observation Balloon) I’m hoping when I move these safely to the wargaming room, I will be able to start looking at army lists and what not to refight a small section of this battle.

A “Box of Hope”

~ anthony ~ 1 Comment

I’ve mentioned in the last two posts that my job has seen me take a contracted position in India, or more specifically Mumbai, and as part of my shipping allowance I collated a single box of bits, that I now refer to as my “box of hope”. Thrown into this box were half finished projects, project expansions, terrain, figures, paints, and all the accompanying “bits and bobs” that a modeller needs to call himself a “War-Gamer”.

And while I was not successful in remembering to pack everything I would need, I have had to only buy small pieces (think skewers, glue, etc…) while here and the only large purchases have been spray paint which by their very nature are difficult to include in shipping.

The idea was, and remains, that by creating a “box of hope” from a “pile of shame” I might actually get a few things done and feel that I had made some progress in my collections given that opportunities to game in this part of the world are basically zero.

My “hope”…

  • ACW – 15mm – Mainly CSA, but also some USA infantry (paint & base)
  • ACW – 15mm – Seven Pines, Twin Houses (paint)
  • ACW – 15mm – Wilderness Tavern (paint)
  • ACW – 15mm – Generic wooden house (paint)
  • WW2 (Europe) – 20mm – Ruined buildings for Normandy. (build, wreck & paint)
  • WW2 (All) – 20mm – Wooden telegraph/power poles
  • WW2 (Far East) – 20mm – Japanese and Australians (rebase)
  • WW2 (Far East) – 20mm – Jungle scatter terrain. (build)
  • WW2 (Far East) – 20mm – Lanchester Armoured Car x3, (build & paint)
  • Dark Ages – 28mm – Woven fences

…if I can get through all this I will be quite happy, and depending on my progress I might have to swap the finished works into my collection in Singapore for something else to keep me busy.