2017: what does it hold for me? (McBeth)

Plans are afoot!

Now that Gamesmas and ValleyCon 2017 are over I can look at gathering my thoughts regarding the coming year (seeing its now February y'know). Plans, both well thought and diabolical, race through my head, but as usual with new year's resolutions of restricting the intake of bad things such as chocolate and booze, I thought I'd hold back on getting too exited about new projects and try and limit myself. At the moment, I only have two projects that require figures to paint and I find myself turning more and more to the idea of terrain making. One complication for this year for me will be that Mrs McBeth (no wait, that sounds like I'm talking about my mum!), err Lady McBeth (oh yes. MUCH better :| ) and I have plans to renovate the house (not into Cawdor Castle though. that was vetoed very early on!) which that will mean the games room will need to be first packed, then moved, then cleaned and we will likely be living at the mother-in-law's for a couple of weeks or months.

Republican Romans for Impetvs

I had already started this project last year with several purchases of A&A Miniatures excellent Gaulish/Celtic figures. The initial idea was to do Carthaginians, but then just before Christmas I saw Mighty Ape had a sale on Victrix's Republican Romans in chain mail (Lorica Hamata for you nerds out there) so I snapped them up as a pressie to myself. The opening did not last until Christmas day and I had already opened them and finished painting two bases of Velites by Christmas morning!

The list consists of two legions supported by various locals. The celts are kind of trying to be Celtiburians or Spanishy-celty dudes to try and make sense that I also have Numidian cavalry in the force too.

I also picked up some Warlord Games slingers and the great little Pullo and Vorenus figures to act as my commanders. These are unfortunately still 'in transit'. Mr Bowman is trying to hunt down where the package has got to :(

I've been using the LBM shield transfers for both the Celts and the Romans and they are lovely, but bloody fiddly! It took a few to get the hang of it. My main problem was matching the colour of the red Roman shields to cover all the white showing through.

Late War Germans for Bolt Action

I had been looking for an OPFOR for my 51st HD army and when Regimenteer Bob "Mad as a cut Snake" Pearce was selling off a box of the Warlord Grenadiers, I threw cash at him and grabbed the box. The plan was to wait until the Romans were complete before I purchase any more figures for the army, but because I won the Flames of War competition at ValleyCon 2017, I had a few $$ worth of vouchers to spend at Mighty Ape! I also picked up Poochie's StuG IIIG from the bring and buy table :)

The plan is for a small, mobile force with lots of firepower - very German. Plenty of Stg44s and panzerfausts and MG42s in one section. No HMGs or mortars, but maybe some Sturmpionere and flame throwers!

Odds and Sods

- basing vampires for IHMN

I've had these for a while now and McZermof kindly pointed out during our Gamesmas game of IHMN that I should really finish them.

- painting arc cannon for IHMN

Again, McZermof pointed out that I've had this figure for my British rifle company for IHMN for quite some time undercoated and on the painting shelf.

- Austrians 15mm

I think my first posts on the blog was me painting the Austrians for Napoleon at War. Some recent motivation has come up to have these finished so with only two battalions to go I should get these done this year. (Seeing I painted a French army in the last 4 months of 2016 for another project...)

- 25mm AWI

After last year's fantastic Black Powder game of AWI, I have a whole heap of sprues of Continental infantry in my basement. I reckon there are about 4-5 regiments there so the aim will be to break up some of the other projects and paint a regiment every so often.

Terrain

As always, there is a heap of terrain projects that I'd like to do but I find myself limited by time and ability.

- Cornfields
These would be great to have for any game but in particular the AWI games that I'm not playing :) There is a great product from JTT's that has O Scale ripe corn stalks, but at $30 per 28 stalks they are expensive. I think I could find cheaper versions, maybe via eBay or AliExpress...

- Buildings for Frostgrave
I made these last year and want to expand the ruins to have some arches and walls to break LOS

Well, thats about it. Of course, as this blog is about a motley collection of magpies, these plans will change and be augmented by whatever new shiny comes along!

Maybe...