Mid-Week Update

This is something of a catch-all update post.

Although I have not played a figure game in a few weeks, I did play Scenario 5 from Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit #1 earlier this month, so it hasn't been a total gaming drought. However, with the first quarter of 2021 on the books, and the first third nearly so, I decided to take a look at how I'm doing with my declared goals for the year.

That tall stack of Germans is a mix of squads, squad weapons, and DM markers.

 

Painting-wise, the late 19th C. Russians are done and they have already been on the gaming table. The WWI Austrians are well underway - which, I've realized, is usually where my desire to paint begins to wain. I think it's painting the little bits and bobs that I find tiresome.

I am happy to paint the trousers, tunic, boots, flesh , helmet, gun and even packs (although not the straps so much), but the other kit - grenades, scabbards, canteens...yawn. It's probably not surprising my favorite figures to paint are the Marx and Airfix WWII Russians, as they have almost no kit to speak of.

Not painting the bits and bobs isn't an option however, unless it's a "paint conversion". My OCD, perhaps not as intense as in others, is still noticeable. Not painting at all is an option but that ship has mostly sailed.

On the gaming front, counting everything together including some homebrew playtesting, I've played some 27 games or so.

Battle for Moscow. I really need to clip these counters.

I have managed at least one hex-and-counter game per month (Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit  (ASLSK) #1 and Battle for Moscow). I really appreciate the all-in-one nature of the board games. I don't need to paint anything or build terrain or even provide dice in some cases. Scenarios are always ready to go. Everything is in the box or ziplock package. The rules can require some serious study (ASLSK I'm looking at  you) but that's not true of every game and certainly isn't unique to board games.  The more I can make setting up and playing miniatures like setting up a board game the better, I think (I have ideas about this) .

Speaking of figure games, I haven't put one on the table in April yet, but that will be rectified shortly. I have played quite a few this year with a variety of rules including my own homebrew (WW2 and Late 19th C.), One Hour Wargames, One Hour Skirmish Wargames, Disposable Heroes / Coffin for Seven Brothers, Panzer Kids, and Crossfire.

A play test gladiator match using a D&D tile box as the arena.

I even managed to play an aerial game which was just a pie-in-the-sky idea (no pun intended) back in January. Since then, I've doubled the size of my plane collection (from two to four!), but have yet to get them back out. Too many options, not enough time.

There's still plenty of time though until the halfway point of 2021 and my plans remain basically the same:

• Play 1 figure game per month.
• Play 1 hex-and-counter board game per month 
• May's entry will be a replay of Burning Mountains, which will require 7+ hours of gaming time.
  
• Finish painting the first WWI Austrians.

Outside of gaming, I received my first Pfizer vaccine jab, and I'm going next week for the second. I don't game in person with others, so it really doesn't relate to gaming but still, kind of important.