200 and 5

Not certain if this really calls for a celebration, but this post is number 200. It is also the fifth anniversary of the start of this blog... 200 posts in 5 years is not much - some bloggers get that many in a year or less, but I guess it is a mark of doggedness that I continue to slog along.

Projects have come and gone over that time: Tau, Empire, renaissance, Punic wars. Mini sizes also, with dabblings in 6mm, 10mm, 15mm, and 25mm.

At least the size is sorted at 25mm now; I just need to focus on getting things done and play some games!



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Shifting gears once again

Once again there is a change in the plan here. If you take a look at this post on Threwdish Ways, I write about switching sizes for the Half Continent project. That decision makes Battles in Fifteen redundant - it will not be deleted anytime soon but it will go stagnant.

For the project list, Tékumel is going well, with some new minis about to hit the market. My old fantasy mini lead pile is getting smaller, slowly, with the painting of the orcs and Reptus close behind. Two things will change in the coming year, though: I need to get serious with selling off minis and games that are just taking up space; and I am considering a new historical project (ha ha ha). But, the fantasy and Half Continent stuff need attention first.


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Old Glory orcs, part 2

I have spent a little brush-time with some of my older minis, and here are the pics to prove it:


They are still a work-in-progress but not much needs to be done, bases mostly and some details.



I have tried to keep the color scheme simple, with only the few repeat poses having much variation.



I am pleasantly surprised with the skin color - Reaper Pro Paints Ruddy Flesh with a wash of GW Ogryn Flesh, and the non-green orc look suits me just fine!

I have 2 more sword-armed orcs and 6 with axes, with the final set - 6 bows - on order, and these will be done...


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A ship sketch

Here is a pic of a page of my gaming notebook, with the first doodles of a plan for a Half Continent naval vessel:


It is a 24 guns-broad frigate, and the sketch is the approximate size of the model in 1/600, although it is probably distorted a bit by the pic. The measurements at the top of the page do indicate the actual length and beam of the model.

The drawing is rough. It lacks a lot of deck detail, and the ship's boats are definitely way off in scale, but this is close to what I think the frigate might look like in model form. This page on DM Cornish's art site has some much better (by the originator of course!) of the ships I hope to imitate.

I will need to make a trip to the local hobby shop for some balsa and sheet plastic so I can start to put one together!

Table

Nothing new yet, just a pic of the painting table. I cleared it off, putting away stuff that I'm not really working on and making room for something new. Some old projects are still on the table: Tékumel, orcs, WW1 naval, and 1866 naval.


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