One Man's Pain

A forlorn figure stands, clears his throat, and in a mousy voice stutters “Hello I’m John, and I’m a Wargamer”. Desultory clapping and knowing nods emanate from those assembled, sharing the old chap’s pain.

As 2000 closes and I am looking at my carefully husbanded piles, a familiar site in most Wargamer’s abodes, I think it safe to say. I am thinking I shall make a New Year’s resolution: I will not buy any figures for wargaming in 2001.

Why? A damn good question, well it comes back to those piles, as all things do. I’ve hundreds, if not thousands, of unpainted figures – some I brought with me when emigrated from London in ’76 – those were the days. I want to try and get round to using some of those WWII &I aircraft, WWII & I ships, Napoleonic ships, Napoleonic land armies – in 6mm, 15mm & 25mm, American Civil War 15mm & 20mm, Jacobite Rebellion and Skirmish games without number. The list goes on (and on).

Let’s get painting and playing all those non Games Workshop figures and games we all have.

I will regularly share with you, the reader, what I hope will be success story of one man’s fight back against an addiction. Follow the faltering footfalls only in the Big ‘Uns News Letter & the pages of OK!

The Flexible Warrior

What’s that under there? Blimy I don’t remember buying these… Turning over, the still cellophane wrapped box of Russian Knights (XII – XIII Century) from Italeri.

The first thing I notice are the pretty pictures of well-armoured troops in action poses. The next thing is the yellow price tag proclaiming Ł3!

Open the box reveals 2 sprues. The first has 5 rows of 5 foot troops. Each row has identical figures. They are:

archer with a quilted jacket
armoured knight with flail
foot solder

The Temperance League

Well it’s two months into my year on the wagon - no purchases those treats from hell, and I have to report that despite being coerced into going to the Foundry factory twice in that time I have parted with no money.

On the painting front I haven’t been able to pick up a “000”, although I did manage 200 square feet of bedroom wall, so that’s something! Oh and there looks like more to come.

I have been thinking about painting and decided on a regime of painting just 10 figures each week. That should produce about 500 figures in a year. I’m not going to worry about the scale of the figures for now. A painted figure is a painted figure.

I’m hoping to concentrate my efforts on my 20mm ancient Egyptians for WAB, a 15mm ancient Egyptian army for DBA and Sally’s 15mm Ghaznavid DBA army.

That’s it for now folks.