What's on the table - October 2016

So we're into the last quarter of the year and here's the list of what's on the table as we start October:

• Cromwell 1/76th Pz IV H (2014)
• Newline Designs 10mm Greek Hoplites (2015)
• Oathsworn Miniatures Burrows and Badgers Adder Mage (2016)
• Oathsworn Miniatures Burrows and Badgers Otter Rogue (2016)
• Oathsworn Miniatures Burrows and Badgers Weasel (2016)
• Revell 1/76th Comet (2014)

Oathsworn Adder, Otter and Weasel primed and ready for painting

Ah, the Cromwell Pz IVH bless it. Stlll there and still not much happening. I periodically inspect the ultra-flimsy badly fitting turret shurtzen, scratch my head and then put it back on the table again. It's a pity that overall it's such a nice model as I'd be tempted to use it as a wreck otherwise. I'm also tempted to hybridise it with an with a poor old Fujimi Pz-IVJ that has seen better days. If I put the two together I may get a half decent model.

The Matchbox/Revell Comet has been a nice kit to do and that should be finished this month. I think I bought it with an idea of a 1946 Red Army v Brits "what if" scenario. This will be the third British tank I've built this year and will do a write up on the 3 kits at some stage.

I'm still thinking about the 'Nam project, just finished reading Matterhorn and waiting for what Peter Pig release before taking this any further. I believe that PP are revamping their 'Nam range November time. I have a couple of packs of PP WW2 figures that I purposely bought at Salute just to see if I can still paint this scale so I'll try and fit them in during October which will help my decision making. 

I've also been mulling over finally redecorating and revamping the room where I do my painting and modelling.  I bought a filing cabinet off eBay a while back for the purpose of organising my 15mm and 20mm collection and it's sat there empty. With the weather and light changing I think it'll be good to start sorting that out. I'm also playing with the idea of seeing if I can find a nice old desk to replace my current uncomfortable painting table and chair. It's all towards the greater good.

Research and scale questions

As mentioned in my last post I've started thinking about a new project. To this end I went through my book collection and also picked some up through my excellent local library service. Here they are:

This week my copy of the Flames of War Tour of Duty supplement arrived. I'm very happy with it, it's very good background info for whatever rules and whatever figures I end up using. It was a bit of a steal for £8.99 off eBay.

I still haven't completely decided what scale to collect 'Nam in. I have an Indo-China collection with 40-50 20mm Liberation Minis Viet-Minh figures, a few buildings, some palm trees and other assorted terrain bits that would all do very well. That leaves me to add in some AK-47, RPG and RPD armed troops and that would almost be one side complete. 

For the USA and or ANZACs I'd have to start from scratch. Dependant on the size of force and how much armour I wanted this could be costly.

Or the alternative is to go with 10mm using Pendraken and Timecast. All excellent stuff. Decisions, decisions but I've made a start and will look at properly costing out what size force I want to collect before I make any purchases. 

Just one more new project

As we approach the middle of the month I thought I'd better do an update for my not so many readers.

The month so far has been a titanic struggle or perhaps that should be a struggle with Titans. I've finally gotten round to painting the Skorne Titan Gladiator and Cannoneer that came with the small Skorne army that I got off eBay in 2014. These are big figures covered in detail and are taking up all my hobby time. 

As I persevere with these I'm thinking of starting a new project. The last new project I started was back in 2013 when I took a diversion to Afghanistan and which ended up as a 1920s NW Frontier project. Since then all of my purchases and time has been spent on adding to existing projects. Ah, not quite true as I bought a load of Burrows and Badgers minis at Salute.  However, that doesn't count.

In the frame and being researched at the moment are:

• Six day war - 6mm or 10mm 
• Vietnam war - 10mm
• 1980s Europe - 6mm

I've definitely been influenced by the Battlefront offerings for each of these eras, but I baulk at paying the BF prices. However, I do like their books and their website is full of useful information. 

The three conflicts offer something different for me. 10mm is a brand new scale. And for the Six day war and 1980s Europe these would involve far more armour than I currently use for my WW2 games which are no more than a troop of armour per side. 

I'm currently working out costings, looking at suitable ranges and manufacturers and reading about the conflicts. I'm hoping that by the end of the month I'll have made a decision and ordered my first units.