2013: The Year In Review

It's that time again where we look back at the year past, and take stock, before making plans for the year ahead.

This year has most definitely been the year of Dystopian Legions for me. I have painted a little over half of the minis I have for the game, and all the rest have at least a basecoat on.

Models that I have completed include:

1 Lieutenant
1 Section of 6 Line Infantry, (+Sgt, Musician & Specialist)
1 Section of 6 KRRC (+Sgt & Musician)
1 Section of 6 91st Infantry
2 HMGs (1 and 2)
2 Basset Tankettes
1 Bertie
The crew for the Armstrong Gun

I have a bunch more to finish off, but they'll have to wait for next year now. I also have an APC I got as a pressie, and have ordered the Light Dragoons to round out my force.

What's more, I have played a whopping 6 games of DL this year. I take pictures of each one, with the intention of writing up battle reports, but that has just not happened. In summary though, my first couple of games were wash-outs. My Britannians are very soft and squishy in melee, and my Hussars take a little getting used to. Once the games started going up above 100 point (Starter Box size) they came more into their own, being able to use their superior firepower at range to lay down enough fire to do some damage before getting trapped in melee.

I'm doing alright against the Prussians, I really love my Terrier and my Field Gun. The Lethal Ability is just wonderful against models with multiple wounds. Against the Empire of the Blazing Sun (Japanese) I'm still struggling to find the best combination of forces.  There are a couple of local players who own FSA armies, but they have yet to throw down against my mighty Britannians.


Anyway, here are some shots of my last game against EotBS.

Facing off

Line Infantry, ready for the push forward

You can't hide...

In other goals, I have tried hard to keep up with the Colore Ton Monde challenges this tear, and have done okay. I dropped the ball in January and October, but managed to get the rest done in time. 

I have tried to update my Gallery, but I seem to have reached the limit if 20 pages. Who knew the interwebs had page limits? I'll have to find a way around that.

For 2014:

First off, I want to finish my Britannians that are more than half painted, as well as the APC (a New Years gift) and Dragoons. (ordered, but not yet arrived)  I was initially tempted to buy into the Antarticans when they come out, but I'm going to hold off on that. One army for a game I don't play regularly enough is more than enough for now.

Other games that I am interested in playing in the coming year include Saga, Muskets and Tomahawks, and The Hobbit. Yes, the Hobbit!. I have just watched the second film, and I am very keen to give the game a try. If only I can find a way to do so without giving GW full Price for their minis. Maybe I'll get some of the first wave of minis in some sales over xmas. I do have some Rohirrim for the LoTR battle game I can paint up (they also double as vikings for SAGA, so win win!).

This is, of course, alongside the games of Warmahordes and WFB (at 500 points) should be more than enough to be getting on with.

Happy New Year to you all, and Happy gaming!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Went to see the Hobbit last night. It was awesome.

It was really great to take another trip into the Middle Earth as imagined by Peter Jackson (and Alan Lee, and the rest of the minds behind this work)

I'm not 100% convinced of Martin Freeman in the role, he brings a little too much Arthur Dent to his Bilbo, at least for this the first of the trilogy, but I hope as the character evolves over the next 2 films, that this becomes less of a thing.

Saw it in 3D 48 fps (frames per second), or whatever the new technology is. I think it worked rather well. I had listened to a review before going where it said this technology meant that, with some of the slower scenes, it was like being at a live production at the theatre, rather than being in a cinema. i think I agree with this statement, although I am not perfectly comfortable with the 3D glasses yet, and wouldn't mind the chane to see the film in 2D, just to be sure.



Cracking hat Bofur!



Some other thoughts:

I want a hat like Bofur's.

I thought that Balin was played by Ken Stott, then wasn't so sure. Turns out I was right.

The Golum scene rocked, and was almost (if not exactly) word for word from the book. Especially in 3D, it really was like being in the room with the two as they matched wits.

It hasn't so much made me want to buy into the Hobbit wargame, as is currently being pedalled by GW (although, I do fear that if/when they release a Thranduil mounted on an Elk figure, I will have to buy it), but it really really took me back to my youth, where me and a few friends would sit round a table each and every Sunday (for quite a few years) playing MERP. As GM, that meant I was steeped in Middle Earth lore, if not from the primary sources, then at least from the I.C.E modules for the game, of which I had a rather impressive collection. Those were the days!

Off to rewatch the first trilogy.

I leave you with Thranduil on an Elk, just because!

Source, as the film stills I found online were not so great.