What A Difference A Year Makes...

 I can't believe that we are on the brink of a year since Covid-19 started it's strafing run.

Kayte and I were on the road to Vapnartak, listening to the news, when it was announced that York was in the crosshairs.

At the time I was just getting over what I thought was flu on steroids, and was weakened and not my usual bright self - perhaps I had had it. Lord knows I'd never felt so ill in my life. But hey, ho..

Roger was sans car at the time, and called off at the last minute so our planned meet up was canned, but I ran into an old Sheffield friend, Tony Kirk and his partner, so there was some serious catching up to do. To be honest, it was a show where I bought nothing of consequence, despite having a four figure sum in my pocket, waiting to be spent.

Since 1989, I've had a system whereby, from January to March I saved money ahead of the defunct Triples show, and then saved whatever I could based on my show calendar until October 31st where I went into winter quarters banking and spending nothing on gaming projects. And I have to say that it's worked very well, and was exactly what I'd done at the start of last year... The plan would have worked, were it not for those pesky bugs.

A year on, and the way that I plan and undertake my acquisitions has changed, and changed for the better I think. I decided last year, to spend money on building sensible but considerable armies, starting with ECW which, is a rather serious interest of mine, bordering on an addiction. I am now at the point where I have 6 mounted officers and an artillery piece to paint myself, for the entire project to be completed with a force of around 750 pieces.

I went to the Hammerhead show and bought nothing much, thence we were thrown into lockdown.

To be honest, I was pretty happy at my lack of purchases and that was when I really get into the idea of just commissioning armies. I decided to buy matched armies in future, of around 300 pieces in 28mm each, using metal where possible.

I've decided on Mongol and Russian this year, but as I had cash left at Christmas and a sum saved over the last quarter of 2020, I was in a position to declare the project complete as of March this year, meaning that I will then start to bank away funds for the next project; and to that end, I started to think of what I may do.

I have a bee in my bonnet for early 15th century gaming. I'd looked at the possibility of Baron's Wars forces, but then I was drawn to the struggle between the Tudor and the Percy factions, culminating in the battle of Shrewsbury, which has longbow heavy forces, not unlike the Wars Of The Roses and with the added bonus of the much prettier armour of the 100 Years War. 

I can add to that down the line with Scottish and Welsh forces, and of course French.

I was bothering Roger this morning with a list of armies for the next three years, and I had closed the list with Cape Wars, which Roger pointed out had been rejected by me before. I sulked with a coffee, and then had a think as I worked, and I had a terrible urge to do Franco Prussian War, but, as Roger has an immense collection of 30mm FPW 'flats' I reconsidered that and I think I may revisit my plans for the War Of The Triple Alliance or perhaps Aztecs.

Roger, is a gadfly, after my own heart so he has shelved his ECW army ( BOOOOOO! HIIISSSSSS! ) and started fiddling with 28mm Samurai and Mongols. When he gets fed up with stringing 28mm bows, he'll go back and do something with the ECW, I am sure. Personally I think he's scared of the New Model Army which, is understandable of course...

I've also taken the decision to look again at my terrain plans, and I decided to sell my Noch modular boards and go with a domestic replacement from Last Valley, as well as a decent selection of orchards, roads, streams, marshes and copses. I have a large number of pine trees and a rather splendid pre painted medieval walled farm, and a box of stone walls awaiting paint.

Moving forward, I'll probably spend a fixed amount with Last Valley at shows in future, because I like the style and feel of their product, and the consistency of same. 

I've had a wake up call over the last couple of years with both my parents dying and the resulting breakdown in family relations, which has made me tackle my hobby proactively. This time last year I was expecting to welcoming Roger back to his home city, but that bastard bug, put pay to that. Fingers crossed that will be a temporary delay and so, I am working hard to get ready for some serious gaming when my dear friend does see fit to return. We are not getting any younger and the thought of gaming with one of my oldest friends is always on my mind.

To be honest, speaking via email to Roger almost every day has stopped me going mad, but more importantly it's made me truly appreciate what real friendship is.

I'm also looking forward to possibly getting Roger to play Call of Cthulhu and Basic D&D. Heck, I think I may even lower myself to Tunnels & Trolls. Indeed, the rules that Roger sent me at Christmas is next to me as I type this epistle. When you remember that I worked for Chris Harvey Games / Flying Buffalo U.K it makes sense that I play the game on which that company was built.

It was one of those oddities that the role playing groups I gamed with did not play T&T, but friends with whom I played miniature games did so in their own RPG groups - there were many gaming groups in Sheffield back in the day, and we were an incestuous bunch who spread our gaming, in the manner of the favours of a tuppenny strumpet.

At times, in the style of orgy goers, we played with everyone and came together in one place, normally Wednesday evenings at Sheffield Wargames Society There were certain lines that we didn't cross however, so although I owned T&T, I never actually got to play it. I mean, I gamed with around 30 people back then, so the idea of lots of little sub groups didn't seem odd.

Well, the smell of chicken, mushrooms and white wine is drifting from the kitchen, and Tuesday is Frasier night, so if you'll excuse me, I'll sign off and hit the shower.

Stay safe!

TTFN