Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017...

Time once again for a What Was vs. What Might Be post. I quite enjoy reading other people's efforts in this regard and hopefully anyone who wanders past here today enjoys mine too...

So here's the obligatory annual round-up of:

1. What I planned to do
2. What I actually did
3. What I didn't do

Just for once it seems parts 1 and 2 coincided. Hold on to your hats!

Finish the WFB Savage Orcs
Done and dusted! I managed to knock this one off quite early on in the piece, thanks in no small part to last year's Painting Challenge. I even managed to get an army gallery up on the blog as proof.

Finish the 40K Space Marines

Another one nailed! I added a couple of bits and pieces to the outstanding pile to boot including a bashed about Land Raider which took some repair work but now looks the business. These guys also received the army gallery treatment.

Finish the Epic Squats

Phew! I only just managed to squeeze this one in (i.e. two days ago!) but that still counts. The paint is barely dry on the last few miniatures and the army gallery will be along in the future as documentary evidence. It'll be a big one - I have nearly 9000 points worth! In the meantime here's the land train...

Finish ALL the remaining Flames of War

Done! The last couple of items have just been completed and submitted to the Challenge blog. That's the very definition of cutting it close but I made it! The biggest part of this was all the outstanding DAK infantry, support weapons and artillery.

Finish my extra Dystopian Wars Britannian ships

Another winner for dinner. Yet to get an navy gallery but finished none-the-less. I made a rod for my own back by picking up a load more of this stuff for a sing at CANCON but still managed to smash these out and finish off everything needing painting. I didn't much like the original aircraft carrier prior to painting but I'm a big fan now...

So that'a ALL FIVE major goals knocked off. I'm still pinching myself about that and wondering where on earth I found the time and focus to make it happen. If only every year was like that!

Side Projects
There was also a list of side projects in case I got bored with the above:

• Orc Skirmish Warband
• Frostgrave Warband
• 40K Imperial Guard (Cadians)
• Finish off the Necromunda collection (Delaque, Ratskins, Pit Slaves, Chaos Cultists, etc.)
• 28mm French and Austrian Napoleonic skirmish
• 15mm French Napoleonics
• Runequest army for To the Strongest
• Continue the Imagination project

Of all these only the Imagination project really got a guernsey which is hardly surprising considering. At least I did manage a good effort in that regard...

At least some of the other stuff is slated for this year's Painting Challenge so that'll put a further dent in the list.

Other work...

Lists aside, I managed to build and/or paint a fair bit of other stuff too when the "distractibility index" reached the high end of the scale.

Games & Peeps...

We had out first Antipodean Bloggers Meet-up which was great fun. If you can make it this year we'd love to see you there!

In between all the painting and modelling I happily managed to get in some cracking games with some wonderful mates. Pick of the pile was ECW with Paul and Alan...

Awwww..... Sad face!

...and Imaginations with Evan...

Awwww... Sad dice!

Plus there was plenty more with all the other C&G lads including some smashing WFB Sunday arvo games with Russ, fingernail chewing Flames of War with Cory, bloodthirsty SAGA with Nug and cracking 40K with Marcus. Thanks lads!

All up not a bad 2016. Hope yours was just a good...

Glorious Plan Millsy 2017

So what about 2017 then? This is a bit up in the air at the moment, largely because 2016 was such a raging success projects-wise. I hadn't anticipated being in a position where I have nothing major locked in. This isn't to say the lead pile is manageable (or even properly documented!) but it does leave me with options...

Warhammer Fantasy Empire

These guys have continued to amass through 2016 and I'm keen to make a start. Still thinking about colour schemes and snaffling up odd items so that might not happen but you never know.

Something new???

I've got 3-4 potential new projects rattling around in my head which have been on hold while I whipped myself to finish other ones. I might just let myself off the leash a bit this year and hook into one of these....

• Bolt Action Kokoda Trail in 28mm
• 55 Days at Peking in either 28mm or 15mm
• 6mm or 2mm pike and musket, probably ECW

So that's it for another annual wrap. Before I go there's just time to wish you a Happy New Year from Evan, myself and all the C&G lads! Thanks for popping by. We'll see you in 2017.

Cheers,

Millsy

Off and running in Painting Challenge VII

So with about a week of hols under my belt (to say nothing of my own body weight in Christmas munchies) I've made a modest start in this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge.

My first post was something of a pick-n-mix of stuff to round out various projects...

There's more pics and some background on the Challenge blog.

Cheers,
Millsy

Merry Christmas!

It's been something of a tumultuous year here at Chez Millsy but one thing has remained constant - my enjoyment of my gaming hobby. The reason for that is quite simple. I have a wonderful set of intelligent, witty and caring gaming buddies both here in Australia and also around the world. You guys help keep me sane and made the more unpleasant aspects of 2016 seem a lot less overwhelming.

So from Evan, myself and all our the boys here at Canister & Grape a very Merry Christmas! We hope you have a safe and enjoyable time and that you perhaps find a new toy or two under the tree tomorrow morning.

Cheers,

Millsy

CANCON 2017 Aussie Wargame Bloggers Meet-up

After the success of last year's inaugural CANCON Aussie Wargame Bloggers Meet-up we'll be going around again this year. Kiwis (and even "Northern Folk") are welcome too cause we should always play nice and be neighbourly.... :-)

Here's what's on offer for Saturday 28th January 2017:

• 1:00pm - Initial meet-up in the Board Games section in the Northern Hall at CANCON to say g'day, check out respective loot bags and plan for any shared afternoon shenanigans. 
• 6:00pm(ish) - Pub dinner and extended tall story session.

After last year's demands for a SAGA campaign book resulted in it being delivered just a few months later surely we can achieve something even bigger in 2017. Thinking caps on people!

If you're an Aussie blogger feel free to pinch any and all of this post to spread the word.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Millsy

Heroic Fighters of the Known World, Part the Second

Back in July this year I posted about how I'd managed to get my sweaty little grippers on a complete set of Heroic Fighters of the Known World. I was most pleased about this (to say the least!) and waxed lyrical at some length...

Today I finished painting four of the set of eight miniatures. I wanted to get these done before the Challenge kicked off as they're not something I want to rush. Here's how they appeared in the Citadel box art of the time.

And here's how mine look now they're got a new coat of paint. I had intended to take individual pics but it started to rain and I was lucky to get these groups shots in. Left to right we have Lord Aquila, The Moon Duke, Manfred and Ulrik Ulrikson.

At the time I acquired them I had intended to paint them exactly as they appeared in the box art. For some reason I became increasingly dissatisfied with that decision and in the end went my own path in varying degrees, keeping some elements and adding my own spin on others. I'm quite comfortable with the final paint job and won't be second guessing myself so all good.

There's no way I'm going to finish the other four members of the team before the Challenge kicks off so I'll have to see whether I'm inclined to spend time on them during or afterward. More on that when it happens.

Cheers,
Millsy

Classic Wargames Books Collection continues to grow...

Most of the time my insomnia drives me bonkers. There's a good reason sleep deprivation is considered a form of torture and an effective one at that. Just occasionally though it works in my favour, like this morning when I managed to find the mother of all fleaBay auctions to add to my Classic Wargames Book Collection.

Check this out... six titles from the Knight's Battles for Wargamers series in great condition and all in one auction. I've already got a copy of Saratoga 1777 but it's not in the best nick so happy to replace with the copy here AND add another five titles.

I also managed to find a copy of Dettingen 1743 in reasonable condition, leaving just Oudenarde 1708 and Minden 1759 left to complete the series. If you have either of these last two and would be willing to part with the please let me know via the contact form or by email if you have it.

For those interested in some background on the series the Lone Warrior blog has a well written and informative review written by Rob Morgan.

Recent acquisitions plus the six additional titles found today will boost the collection total to 83 books. There's currently another 39 on the wishlist, some of which are inordinately hard to find so patience (and perhaps more insomnia) will be required to assist in finding the remaining missing titles.

Edit: I've created a new page with my wishlist on it for those who are willing to sell or trade things I don't already have. Thanks Jonathan for kicking me into gear, I've been meaning to do that for ages...

Cheers,
Millsy