2018 - Review of my Hobby Year

At the beginning of the year I blogged a set of resolutions to take into 2018. So I thought it would be interesting, though likely depressing, to review some of these given 2018 will soon pass by.

1.   I will finish one project before I start another…

Complete and utter failure! I did finish one project some French Light Infantry but then they had been sitting around waiting for years.

Something that actually got finished!

 

I nearly completed the Warlord Ancients starter set but the last six Gauls have been waiting patiently for some transfers on their shields for about six months now.

The mysterious BS Donnybrook project got some items finished but not to a point I could play a game.

The BS Project

 

6mm Napoleonics continued to pile up but not yet been finished or played with.

1812 - Russians still awaiting a French offensive

 

In the meantime I managed to find Kill Team, Blackstone Fortress, Star Wars Legion and Blood Red Skies starter sets and yet never managed to start any of them.

I would type ‘could do better’ but ‘could do something’ seems much more appropriate!

 

2.   Play more games

More failure here. Unfortunately, there were no League of Augsburg weekends this year so I didn’t get my normal fix of Huguenot hedonism and indecision making. I played one game of Star Wars Armada and there’s a half played game of WH40K in the garage I started in June…

 



Star Destroyer in all its glory

3.   Take more photos

Eh… not really… plenty of posts are sans pictures.

 

4.   Kick the WH40K habit

I tried, honest I did, but the temptation of the dark side has been strong this year… next year isn’t looking much better.

One of many moments of weakness...

 

5.   Use that airbrush

Again, a no. Despite having a shiny new one and a fume cupboard to allow indoor spraying, it remains an unloved and unused piece of kit.

So on the minus side I haven’t succeeded in any of my New Year resolutions for 2018. On the plus side I won’t have to think too hard about resolutions for 2019.

Merry Christmas to everybody in blog land.

August - December Count

I’ve been very remiss in keeping the count of finished miniatures going this year.

Of course that might be down to sheer embarrassment as since the Cuirassier crisis hit in the middle of the year I’ve not actually finished anything. All effort has gone on getting the 13^th Cavalry Division spruced up and ready for action at Waterloo in mid-June 2019.

I would like to report that the cuirassiers have stopped me from purchasing other items but well… I’m weak and they are so… shiny. All I can take solace in is that if I gave in to every whim and fashion that wargaming throws at us it could be a lot worse!

So here is the sad August count:

Bought:

·       6 Mosquitoes for Blood Red Skies – an absolute moment of weakness but it is my favourite WWII aircraft. It has also resulted in me humming the 633 Squadron theme incessantly. I’m sure somebody will put me out of my misery soon, there is a fine collection of sharp and blunt instruments in our kitchen after all.

·       6 Hurricanes for Blood Red Skies – this was for a Battle of Britain project I came up with and started before the cuirassiers trotted into view

·       4 assorted Necrons for Warhammer 40K – joining the pile of another unpainted army

·        Kill Team box set – 10 Mechanicus and 10 Genestealer cults miniatures

·       1 Ork buggy – always loved the Orks in 40K ever since the first metal box set and the new models are fantastically, shiny, spikey and orky

·       1 Ork mekanik

·       Blackstone Fortress game – this contained several WH40K mythos models that have never been available before including traitor guardsman and rogue psykers. Haven’t tried the game yet but it can be played solo so there’s a chance it will get rolled out soon. 44 miniatures in all

·         7 Star Wars Legion Rebel Fleet troopers

·         111 Cuirassiers

·         4 guns and crew (20 in all) – French horse artillery

5 monthly: -210

Yearly: -205

Well, given the point of the count is to demonstrate I’m finishing more than I buy, that’s a disaster!

At least 2019 will zero the count!

Cuirassier Update - November 2018

I tried hard to get somewhere this month, even took a week of work and dedicated it to the cause. The focus was horses. A few of which (10) got finished:

Horses from the 2nd squadron of the First Cuirassier Regiment

But there are plenty more waiting to be assigned:



Dark brown horses ready for assignment

Chestnuts ready to be finished off
 

I don't feel I'm making the progress I would want and I am struggling with some of the details - in particular painting a legible '4'.

Still six months to go yet...

National Museum of Flight

Another museum visit during my sabbatical earlier this year. This time the trip was to the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune. There was a fair mix of civil and military aircraft. The civil highlight  was undoubtedly the Concorde hanger.

East Fortune itself was a RAF station and evidence of bomb shelters and the like can be seen around the field.

Finally, here are some pictures from the hanger containing military aircraft.

ME 163

Lightning - one of my favourites!

Aero S-103 (Mig 15 built under license in Yugoslavia)

Spitfire

Vulcan