Update

So, besides the 250th anniversary game of Lexington and Concord, see American Revolution page, I've been working on Robin Hood collection and started painting some figures.  I've also continued to downsize my Banana Wars collection to more manageable numbers and need to, perhaps, revisit the Old West to reduce even further.  I expect the next to the last set of terrain items, including my Robin Hood castle to arrive today and I just ordered some more items yesterday to round out my terrain needs.  One last order may be made to get a version of the Jungle Cruise building from Disneyland to use as a centerpiece for certain pulp games.  

I need to sort out a few more battalions for AWI for Bunker Hill and get those painted and then get going on my Three Musketeers.  And - big maybe - get a start on my Stone Age or maybe my Vikings this year.  But, pretty much done with collecting figures - I just don't need more, quite the opposite.  Though I admit to adding some Old Glory 15s riflemen recently for my AWI.  

So far, 2025 is proving a fairly productive hobby year.  We'll see out it goes moving forward.

Completed Painting Challenge

 Back on October 1, 2024, I started a one hundred day + 10 reserve days painting challenge.  The plus ten was to build in cushion for some gaming conventions and the holidays and I ended up using all ten 'reserve' days.   I count the challenge as a success because on the last day, January 18, 2025, I had completed 1,023 figures with most of them table ready and the rest just needing based textured and seal coating.   That makes four years running I've painted over 1,000 figures per year.  Maybe not prize winning paint jobs but a figure painted on the table is a pretty good prize in and of itself.  And I contend that once a game is under way, the paint job barely matters most of the time. 

Charlie's Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles game

Charlie G. ran a game of Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles at Great Escape Games this past Friday with six players - each of us having three units plus a leader.  It was a "break through" scenario and his firsts time running the rules.  I was on the side of the Zanzibaris who needed to exit down the road or near it.

I started the game with the Ace of Spades and moved one of my units down the road towards our objective.  Got shot up and ended up having to pull back - there on the left above - and took some shock.

Mike's forces followed up in support and he to got a bit beat up.

Merrick, also on our side, lined the bridge (very cool from Miniatures Building Authority - as was the hut and the black thing (a tent but not up the usual MBA standards).

Mark, one of our opponents kept our left rear busy, his unit bottom left above.

And, again, Merrick on the bridge.  My third - and last surviving - unit middle left with a white stone denoting 'out of ammo' so only firing with half of dice did some good execution.  But by the end of the game our units up near the road had been wiped out.  My leader, by the tent, pulled back to the last unit and called out that he and his men had urgent business back at the tribal council fires.  And then he turned and cast a terrible spell on our enemy, no doubt dampening their victorious celebrations!  😜