Go North Young Man

 It must be the change of the seasons, or just the fact that the models and period are so interesting, but I've taken a second look at the Great Northern War, having previously made an aborted attempt a couple of years ago.

Of course, I am going with the excellent Ebor Miniatures ranges and have decided that I'll start with Swedes and Danes rather than the standard Russians. Now that doesn't mean I'll not be collecting Russians, because of course, I shall after Christmas. 

I normally don't buy anyththing after October 31st, picking up in January, but I broke my own 'purdah' rules and decided 'What the Helsinki!' ordering a few models to get me started.

I went with 12 guns and crew, 30 regiments of cavalry and 50 regiments of foot, which should give me a nicely sized collection based around the Battle Of Helsinborg. In the new year, I'll probably add 15 units of Russian foot and 20 of cavalry. From there I have no other plans, but I'm sure I'll add more cavalry to the Swedes and flesh out the Russians a little.

I am starting to get a little bit of fantasy fatigue at present. Now, I am not suggesting a waning in my interest, but rather, having cleaned up several thousand models to be sent to my painter (who, is sending me back sveral hundred Goblin and Red Orc troops next week) I have run out of steam, just 69 Elven cavalry from completion... Thus, my worktops up in my studio are covered in Elves piled high ,awaiting packing in units for sending to the painter.

I'm lacking enthusiasm for spending a couple more weekends up there, but unless I do, they won't be sent. It's a wargaming First World problem I know, but there you go...

I was just this morning refleting in an email to Roger (having just trussed up, and oiled the breasts of a bird - alas only a chicken for dinner) where I reflected that the sterile and unimaginative models you see offered as 'fantasy' today woul probably result in me not getting into the hobby were I to be a teenager in this age of plastic and corporate crap. I don't even know if I'd be drawn into historical gaming either.

There seems to be a lot less availability of varieties of period these days, and the whole concept of every other game being 'the latest skirnmish sensation' supported for a year or two and then seen on sales sites all over the world, leaves me as cold as the chicken I just prepared.

There are no models which speak to me in the way that Q.T 25s or Mike's Models 15s did. The reliance on piss poor 3D jigsaws for terrain or rules which are 300 pages of eye porn with no real use other than to justify a high price tag and hook in gamers who will mentally convince themselves that they will be playing games like those in the pics spread liberally through whatever book they have just bought.

Sadly, most of them don't have the skill or funds to ever make it happen and thus, their latest 'faction' will be sold under the auspices of being a 'family emergency/unexpected repair bill/ unfinished project' forcing the sale of this much treasured pile of part built grey plastic, perhaps primed, the text of the advert being craftted to try and get a sympathetic buyer for what's essentially a pile of crap. And so, all over the world similar piles of crap are being passed around at god knows what costs in terms of carbon footprint, being sold for less each time, until a dealer buys it at a fraction of the original price, pimping it out at the same price the original owner sold it for. And so, life goes on.

Already, we are seeing a flood of the latest 'Epic' ancients release from Watlord Games being sold all over the place. Face it people, few of you are going to be able to paint those tiny little figures to the standard you see in your mind's eye. I can, but I won't because frankly I already paint so much small stuff every day of my life - It's why I rarely pick up a paint brush for personal projects.

I think that the more interesting a product line is, the more chance there is of it staying in your collection. I'm as guilty as the next gamer of selling stuff. Hell, a friend once commented that my grave stone would read 'Here lies Mark Hides - Wanna buy an army'

But now, I carefully curate my collection (it's only taken 43 out of 46 of my years in the hobby to get to around to taking this approach) and buy more of less. I target a period after reading up on it. I pay little attention to trends and never allow a publisher or manufacturer to influence me with glossy books or photo features in a magazine (don't get me started on those wastes of paper and printer's ink) because I know where that road leads.

Christmas is approaching and as usual I'll be closing my doors for a month to allow me to do some gaming with friends and unwind. I've been busily booking retaurants and visits to assorted museums and stately piles. This year the memsahib and I have taken memberships with Chatsworth Hose. After all we eat at several restaurants on the estate, use a jeweller based in the courtyard and love to walk around the house and gardens (if you want to see some decent Van Dyck paintings, you have to go there) so the price is actually worth it, because we go thgere a lot.

Over Christmas, we are there for 3 meals, two garden visits and two jaunts around the house itself. I have also booked an eclectic spread of restaurants stretching from Leeds to Nottingham, and of course the Peak District. Our family never bother coming over ay Christmas, preferring to literally take the presents and run, making weak-assed excuses, but there you go.

I confess, I am ready for a break now, so I'm counting the days...

TTFN