Tuesday 11 March 2008

Frustratingly slow work.... and reduced hours

I told you all it would happen...

I have started painting a unit of 24 roman velite and a second of 24 Thracian peltasts, the first look finished except shields, and the second are taking forever as they are all diferent colours, hate irregulars...

I have also only been able to get in around 10 hours of work this month so far, as i have been playing'Field of glory', Rich is happy and convinced they are us and good, i am still thinking they are too slow, maybe the spate of boardgames has removed my ability to appreciate the grind of a real wargame, i dunno.

I have been mostly basing up ancient units for the my mythical Roman campaign, allies now exist for Spanish troops, Africans and warbands from Gaul and Germany, i also found my chariots i had in storage, 5 foundry chariots are mid construction, didnt find a Boudicca tho, so she is on the shopping list from Salute. Still wainting on my elephants from Newline too.

Hopefully should be able to get thru this painting slump and get 10 units ready for the Bring and buy, then i will crack on with the last of the painting orders. Then i will push at the Tricorn boys, the whole reason for here!!!!!!!!

cheers Shaun

Saturday 1 March 2008

public answer to maccwar's query

Hiya
Should probably put up things like manufacturer and scale. do'h

The Romans are all Foundry, 28mm. I would have purchased these around about 5 years ago, they were based and sprayed black in January.
The Acw are a mix of Dixon and Redoubt, 28mm. Painting Orders.
THe Napoleonic are Elite and Newline Designs, 28mm. Painting orders or Bring n Buy.

To be honest i really dont know how i am getting this much done, well i do know, its all down to hours served, thats 2 hours before work, and then 3 evenings of 4 hours and then usually another 8 hours over the weekend. SO around 30 hours per week on average. on top of a 9 til 5 job... and yes i am tired now, and have had a weekend off so far, altho my son wants another painting lesson with some orcs he found of mine. Also the time available will now be reduced as my GFs college courses are ending, also the Larp season will start in full force reducing time down again, the winter months (September to April) will be more productive for me than the summer ones.

Not having to set up/take down the painting station has increased productivity, also the non based painting orders sped things up and i owe the roman figures their shields, so a leeeeeetle bit cheaty. On average i prep 4 units at a time all the way thru to black, then i paint in pairs, so at between 48 and 96 figures completed a week this soon adds up.

I will be doing some 10mm soon, i count these at 1 PP per 5 figures painted. The figures are for use with 'Field of Glory' which we are grinding our way thru slowly, but having just read that dadie&piombo have a new set out for Salute 08, using large bases of troops and single pieces which take markers, have ordered some as they claim to be Fast Play.... FOG plays in 4 hours at a minimum so far, not encouraging for me..... dragged up on 40k and Warhammer, I need my rules fast, fun and furious, from turn 2 i need blood and turn 6 i am expecting to see some distinct winner, we could always go back to Warmaster, which i did like a lot to be honest.

I was gonna do some Magazine reveiws, but i am too harsh a critic i'm afraid.

Wargames Illustrated is still pretty
Wargames - Strategy and Soldiers is still hit n miss (even with pictures of Graham Wards Austrians in it, yet again uncredited figures painted by me... altho around 10 years ago)
and BattleGames is still informative.

Still miss the Journal tho, Rich is still waiting for Neil to 'hand over the reigns' but its been 6 months now....... ho hum

Please feel free to ask any more questions, might start doing aerial shots of the painting table at the start of play each day...

cheers shaun