Five years ago today I started this blog. The purpose was to document my hobby. I wanted to discuss my projects and pass on a few ideas as I went. It has been fun.
When I look back over that time, there have been quite a number of projects.
On the armies front I started or completed (in no particular order):
Russo-Japanese War
• Russian
• Japanese
Crimean War
• British
• French
• Russian
• Sardinian
War of Spanish Succession Bavarians
Dark Ages
• Viking
• Saxon
Napoleonic
• 1812 Russians
• 1812 French
• 1813 Prussians expansion
• Retreat from Moscow French
• Retreat from Moscow Russian
• French in Egypt - French
WWI 1914
• German
• French
• Belgian
• British
• Indian
First Carlist War
• Carlists
• Christinos
• British Auxiliary Legion
• French Foreign Legion
Wars of the Roses
• forces for both factions, plus mercenaries
War of 1812 Americans
1866 Ironclads
• Austrian
• Italian
These projects have provided a net gain to the collection of 4,778 foot figures, 632 mounted figures, 81 guns, 57 pieces of equipment and 29 ships
Then there were the terrain projects, which are too extensive to list completely, but they include:
• the Roman Villa
• the set used for the Crimean War game
• the WWI town (intact and in ruins)
• the winter village
• the Dark Ages buildings
• The East Africa set
• The Chinese set (for the Russo-Japanese War)
It had been my intention to celebrate the event with a giveaway, but I have been too busy to organise it. Maybe I will hold that for another milestone.
Instead I have taken a leaf out of Aly Morrison's book and posted a few photos of some pre-blog games.
2005 the Battle of Pea Ridge (or Elkhorn Tavern). This was a game set in winter and will be remembered by many of the players by the number of times they were stabbed by the hundreds of home made winter trees that I made using twisted wire.
2008 - The Austro-Prussian War in Italy. I was particularly pleased with this game because every figure and building was sculpted and painted by me.
2010 - Franco-Prussian War, with that dreaded balloon
2010 - WWI in Palestine. None of the work was mine, but it was such a fun game.
2012 - Austro-Prussian War.
2012 - WWII in North Africa in 15mm
Congratulation on reaching the five-year blogpoint, Mark!
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure looking in to see what is new. At the rate you produce painted figures, there is always something new to view.
Thanks for five great years!
Thank you Jonathan. It doesn't seem like five years and when I look back at the sheer volume of lead (and plastic) painted it is quite frightening!
DeleteI think you underrate yourself - you manage to pump out a fair number of figures too!
Great stuff Mark...
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on five years blogging.
Love the Austrian-Prussian game...it’s really nice to play with the toys that you have made yourself isn’t it.
I have an other couple posts worth of pictures still to put up... I thought I would spread it out a bit to avoid over stimulation... in myself and viewers... ;-)
All the best. Aly
Thanks Aly. I concur it is immensely satisfying to see your own work on the table. I was particularly pleased with the Italian village, which was months of work with each of those bloody tiles being individually rolled and formed from epoxy putty.
DeleteI look forward to your next batch of eye candy.
Happy 5th anniversary !
ReplyDeleteThank you Tony.
DeleteBeautiful tables, and close ups...during 5 years!
ReplyDeleteThank you Phil.
DeleteSome great looking battles in there Mark. I had no idea that you had sculpted your own figures for 1866!
ReplyDeleteAll those games were played down your way too, Nathan, at Tarawera. Yes I sculpted and cast the Austrians and Italians. I also scuplted Bavarians, Hanoverains and Saxons. Unfortunately the mould maker did a really bad job of the Saxons and the masters were destroyed. The Bavarians and Hanoverains are still in my study somewhere.
DeleteCongratulations awesome horde of miniatures and terrain!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark. Not all of the horde is mine, but a good percentage of it is.
DeleteTHat is quite a tally Mark.
ReplyDeleteHere's to the next 5 years :-)
Cheers
Stu
Thsnks Stu. It has been fun.
DeleteNice variety there Mark. I like having a blog as it reminds me what I have done and when I did it, especially as stuff tends to get packed away and it is easily forgotten a few years down the track.
ReplyDeleteI agree it is an interesting way to reflect on various projects. I also think that blogs fill an interesting role in our hobby. The gaming element is highly social and for me the most enjoyable aspect. But for probably 90% of the time, the when we build armies and plan games, it is a very much a solitary hobby - I manage to paint every week, but I am lucky if I get 20 games a year. I think that the blog helps to fill that gap between preparing for battle and the game.
DeleteWow that's a highly productive 5 years and I agree with you that a blog fills the gap between painting and gaming and for me some sort of stocktake and record very impressive!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain. I often use the blog archive to try to remember..."now when did I do that"... I have a database to keep a record of the collection.
Delete