Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019

G'day All,

I'm a little late with my annual looking back / looking forward post this year because I've been on hols. It's something I enjoy though as I always find it motivating and it helps kick me into gear for the year ahead. Here we go...

This year has seen the Distractability Index at close to an all-time high and whilst that has got loads of stuff done, it means a LOT of it wasn't from Glorious Plan Millsy 2018 (or maybe it was?).

Focus! Focus damn you!!

The plan for 2018 consisted of three main goals...

1. Continuation of the 55 Days at Peking Project

This one stalled big time. Too much of a good thing proved to be a bit of a killer for the enthusiasm but I did still manage to knock out a unit of Japanese Infantry.

I also managed to get a couple of games in which was great fun.

On the plus side I jumped on the Warbases Boxer Rebellion Kickstarter and will be shortly receiving another 8 beautiful building kits in the post. Add those to the table plus a few unfinished items and it will really look the duck's nuts! Enthusiasm restored.

2. More Warhammer Fantasy Empire

Great progress with the Empire in 2018, largely thanks to the first Old World Army Challenge spurring me on. It's back again this year and I'll be continuing my Empire so there will be a lot more stuff completed in 2019.

3. Other Stuff Yet to be Decided

I hinted that SAGA Crusaders might make an appearance and they did. Well, the start of them anyway... The rest are prepped and will be appearing over the next few months in AHPC IX. I'm also tray basing as you can see for use in To the Strongest!

Now I mentioned earlier that the Distractability Index played a bit part in 2018 and here's proof...

Konflikt '47 United States Army

Unplanned and not even on the lead pile. One beer, a chat and suddenly I have a large (but painted!) US Army for Konflikt '47 and Bolt Action.

Kill Team

Another "where the hell did that come from" effort means I also have a Heretic Astartes Kill Team, the Half Dozen Second Cousins of Chaos...

Fantasy Skirmish Warband for Frostgrave

If Evan gets his finger out we might actually play a game one day...

And quite a few randoms as well...

For King and Parliament

Finally, Simon Miller's For King and Parliament got designed and laid out. It's proved a huge success and I'm absolutely stoked for him!

Glorious Plan Millsy 2019

Finish the SAGA Crusaders
Already started, fully prepped and I'm keen as mustard to get these done.

Konflikt '47 Germans
Yep, I bought another army. Double face palm.

To the Strongest Later Medieval
TWO armies for this, of which I already have approximately 60% of the material in the Cupboard of Shame - Burgundian Ordonnance and Italian Condottieri.

Warhammer Fantasy Empire
There's another 1000 points to be painted for OWAC II.

More Commission Design Work
I currently have another two projects on the go, both well advanced. One is for an existing client and the other a new one.

Plus goodness knows what else!

Happy New Year people. Looking forward to seeing all your stuff and welcoming you here in 2019.

Cheers,
Millsy

AHPC Prep - Saga Milites Christi

G'day Peeps!

Yep, it's that time again! As the days lengthen and the weather warms up my mind always turns to the upcoming Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. This will be my seventh go around and my enthusiasm and excitement is every bit as much as ever it has been.

This year I have decided to focus on a few projects in their entirety e.g. start, work through and finish and entire faction or army for a game system within the Challenge window. I've done this before and it was an extremely satisfying experience I must say.

On the card this year is a double-purpose Crusades army - a 12 point Milites Christi warband for SAGA Crescent & Cross and at the same time a decent sized start on a Later Crusader force for To the Strongest!

All the cutting, swearing and gluing is finished now. Apart from some nice command and character figs currently on their way from 1st Corps this is everything...

The vast bulk of it are the wonderful Fireforge Games Templar and Sergeants boxes. Lovely sculpts with loads of options and the price per fig is brilliant. I also pinched a bunch of bow arms from my leftover Perry Miniatures stuff tp make some archers, and also some Mordheim odds and sods for extra interest. All three vendors are pretty much exactly the same scale and mix perfectly.

In total the force will be:

• Warlord and hangers on
• Bishop and hangers on
• A couple of spare commanders for To the Strongest!
• 2 x mounted Knights (2 x 4 figs)
• 2 x foot Knights (2 x 4 figs)
• 2 x mounted Sergeants (2 x 8 figs)
• 2 x foot Sergeants with hand weapons (2 x 8 figs)
• 2 x foot Sergeants with crossbows (2 x 8 figs)
• 1 x foot Sergeants with bows (1 x 8 figs)

This works out to around 500pts in Challenge terms so that's a really solid block of points towards my total in one go. Eventually I will add some Turcopoles, a camp and some other bits for To the Strongest! but this will do for now.

I'll use Warbases trays for both ease of movement in SAGA and as unit trays for To the Strongest!

Next up is undercoating and basing to complete the prep...

Cheers,
Millsy