The recruiting, equipping and training is done, the rules have been refreshed, the terrain hastily made up and the table set.
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| A small encounter between Dominion forces and Rebels as a new campaign season opens. |
This has to be the fastest I've ever gone from the germ of an idea to the first game with newly painted soldiers taking the field. Nine days from the first thought of putting together a 'battle in a box' of some kind to playing the first game (that's a couple of hours of hobby time over nine days) . The first five days were spent examining my options given a $0 budget, the next 4 days saw some 74 figures painted in roughly 10 hours including minor conversions to over half of them (eg such as removing brims from kepis to make 'pork pie' forage caps etc). Luckily I didn't need to do much research to roughly duplicate an existing collection.
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| OK, the little guy is not an exact replica but he's a toy soldier not a model! |
One of my first decisions, even before choosing the period, was that I wasn't going to do any complex conversions or any carefully detailed and shaded painting on a horde of tiny (less than 20mm) boardgame pieces that were going to hide in a box with a few outings a year IF they were lucky. My decision to tie the small game to my 54mm collection and backstory, made the whole thing easier.
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| The Dominion forces seen from far, far away... |
It didn't take long to realize that my eyes, esp my depth of focus and speed of refocusing, and my steadiness of hand has deteriorated again from last winter when I painted up the new Hat 1/72 ACW figures. The toy soldier route was a good decision from that angle but these also remind me of my old Marx Miniature Playset figures.
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| Some of the handful of least damaged 30mm Marx hard plastic figures from my Over The Top playset. |
But enough jawing! I need a bite to eat and then there is a battle to fight!
You demonstrate a rapid mobilization schedule. Well done!
ReplyDeleteInspiration + opportunity.
DeleteMust admit I keep getting tempted with the idea of doing a gridded wargame. There are too many temptations in life. I think it was Woody Allen who said 'I can resist anything except temptation' - know the feeling well.
ReplyDeleteIts not really needed for this, but saves fitting a small ruler into my box...(and needing to read the tiny numbers on the ruler!)
DeleteIt is strange how the Muse of War Gaming - let's call her Agone Polimika - takes one ... and how the veterans of many a tabletop battle set out for entirely new adventures. It never gets old.
ReplyDeleteHopefully not!
Delete>my eyes, esp my depth of focus and speed of refocusing, and my steadiness of hand has deteriorated again from last winter
ReplyDelete8O
In the future, pls consider circumscribing oneself from describing these painting-related inhibitors. Such expositions interfere with my own certainty re: my immorality. Thank-you.
>I need a bite to eat and then there is a battle to fight!
That's right! 'Ave a bite before the fight!
Btw, I find all armies undergoing a moderate level of "alterations" are indeed satisfying.
DeleteJust remember, however bad things are, they can ALWAYS get worse!
DeleteVery nicely done and your ten day project is a good measure of enthusiasm for the project.I would be surprised if this does not come off the shelf more than you think, it will be especially useful for testing new rules ideas.
ReplyDeletePartly growing enthusiasm, partly serendipity. I can certainly see it coming out more often if I have more health issues or circumstances change and I lose my dedicated games room.
DeleteThose boardgame figures are looking great Ross
ReplyDeleteRather surprisingly so really.
DeleteGreat looking set up , I do like your idea .
ReplyDeleteLike most of my good ideas I borrowed and adapted other peoples' ideas. :)
DeleteWonderful little setup. Your figures look fantastic (despite your professed inadequacies due to focus issues. Note: Monet had focus/eye issues and his painting turned out alright as well. See - https://eye-see-mag.com/en/glasses-culture/great-artists-eyesight-problems). I look forward to the battle. Will you be using the portable Wargame rules, or (more likely) some of your own devising?
ReplyDeleteThe Portable Wargame would work as well as anything but 10 years ago, inspired by it I started working on my own equivalent but lower level game, largely for 19thC games called "The Square Brigadier" and that's what I'll be using.
DeleteBravo! I've yet to turn the corner on my attempt at a (not quite) pocket army system. Looking forward to seeing next steps.
ReplyDeleteI think I might have (or maybe once had ) a coat with pockets big enough to slip the box into....
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