Last January I set out five irresolute things that I might or might not do in my gaming hobby for 2018.
I have achieved only a couple of these, becoming busy with new gaming and toy Soldier projects as is the way.
NGY 2018 Irresolution One – Carry on Converting
January was all this on Poundland’s penny dreadful figures https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/28/pound-store-plastic-figure-conversions-and-comparisons/
Success! Lots of this happened and figure repair on Broken Britains took over mid year.
NGY 2018 Irresolution Two – More solo short small skirmish games
Very few of these, as my games table was usually covered in Broken Britains but some enjoyable games such as:
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/pound-store-colonial-skirmish-parts-1-and-2/
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/mountie-ambush-game-15mm/
NGY 2018 Irresolution Three – Paint More Peter Laings
Apart from Deutsche Afrika Korps paint conversions, a handful of Mounties was all the Peter Laings I managed to paint.
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/24/peter-laing-15mm-ww2-dak-desert-africa-korps/
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/25/peter-laing-15mm-mounties-on-the-painting-table-rcmp/
I did even less or next to nothing about the next two.
NGY 2018 Irresolution Four – Full Metal Hic Jacet – Whoops! did nothing this year.
NGY 2018 Irresolution Five – Return to Planet Back Yarden – I seemed to spend all year enjoyably preparing for a 42mm or 54mm Garden Skirmish that never properly happened.
As I mentioned “It should be fun to look back in a year’s time to find out what shiny distractions cropped up during the New Gaming and Painting Year of 2018”. So what happened and how did 2018 go so enjoyably awry?
January 2018 – more pound store conversions (see Irresolutions 1) – on target so far
#FEMbruary 2018 – I didn’t expect this challenge of painting and collecting believable female models ranging from Bad Squiddo Land Girls to Suffragette Conversions from Airfix footballers https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/18/fembruary-2018-progress-so-far/
March 2018 – #MARCHing bands continued #FEMbruary activities – way off target already
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/marching-for-votes-for-women/
More centenaries in 2018 (WW1, Votes for Women) included two very different toy soldier folk such as Spike Milligan (April 17th) and Donald Featherstone, who would have been 100 on 20 March 2018.
In March and April 2018, some unusual WW1 anniversary themes that were “Not On The Western Front” started to creep in, ranging from Portuguese and Bulgarian infantry to later in the year Belgian Cycle troops.
I could blame Marvin over at Suburban Militarism for much of this distraction.
https://suburbanmilitarism.wordpress.com
May 2018 saw the gift arrival of some Broken Britain’s from John Forman, which set off a spate of 54mm figure repair including someone’s toy soldier metal detecting finds.
This repair bench activity continued throughout June, building up repaired and repainted 54mm Skirmish natives such as American Indians and Zulus.
July and August 2018 saw a switch to 54mm aircrew and aircraft conversions. A lot of this was focussed on preparing for garden games that never happened this year.
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/07/26/tsaf-aircraft-repaint-part-1/
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/12/tsaf-new-flying-banshee-biplane/
and a quick return to (almost) #FEMbruaryish female figure repairs and reprints, thanks to The Duchy of Tradgardland.
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/01/the-duchess-of-wellingtons-own/
August 2018 saw a brief dip of the toe in the waters of naval wargaming thanks to some eraser ships – maybe something to come back to in 2019?
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/23/featherstone-and-co-naval-war-games/
August 2018 – I reached the heady heights of 50 blog followers. What I most enjoy about this is that many of them are regular readers who take the time to comment on the blog posts.
And from the 51st follower, I learnt another new little history nugget, one of several this year.
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/06/black-birding-and-the-reverse-underground-railroad/
Other such 2018 discovery of history nuggets to inspire scenarios include:
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/auckland-invaded-1873/
September 2018 – more repairs and 54mm conversions, along with an outbreak of skeletons on my other blog Pound Store Plastic Warriors
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/08/skeletons-sir-farsunds-of-em/
October 2018 was distraction by scratch buildings
November 2018 saw the passing of Thor Sheil and Stan Lee, more coastal forts and a looming commando theme for 2019?
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/kaskowiski-1873-inspired-scenario/
December 2018 was an Advent Calendar madness of blogposts every day on very varied topics, a good way to finish off part drafted blog posts accumulated over several years. Everything from punk rock singer Toy Soldier collectors to Victorian toy soldier scraps!
So what next for 2019?
Several Irresolutions from 2018 to carry forward and possibly ignore.
NGY 2018 / 2019 Irresolution One – Carry on Converting (and repairing). I have a whole desk full of these hollowcast casualties to keep me busy …
NGY 2018/19 Irresolution Two – More solo short small skirmish games
NGY 2018/19 Irresolution Three – Paint More Peter Laings
Linked to
NGY 2018/19 Irresolution Four – Full Metal Hic Jacet – if I can find my Ancients Skirmish Mojo.
NGY 2018/ 19 Irresolution Five – Return to Planet Back Yarden – those 54mm space figures won’t paint themselves, you know!
Not forgetting all those American Civil War / Colonial / War of Independence figures who need finishing off and basing to fight skirmishes in the garden and tabletop against those Broken Britain’s Zulus and American Indians. All inspired by Wells’ Little Wars and Featherstone’s Close Wars rules. All of these duel purpose figures with a Bronte inspired ImagiNations twist of Angria Gondal and Glasstown, if real world, button-counting / ethical history proves too awkward. The Brontes! Arise Angria!
Chuck in some likely shiny distractions such as conversions for Secret Project SF – Strange Fruit Wars, some commando raid inspired skirmishes, lots more blogging and a bit of hot metal pouring (homecasting), who knows how the year will go?
I look forward again to reading everyone else’s foolishly optimistic Irresolutions and all your New Year of Gaming and Painting adventures.
It’s all for the love of Toy Soldiers!
Happy New Year!
Don’t forget – further distraction from your own resolute tasks exists at my other occasional toy soldier and gaming related blogs
Sidetracked https://sidetracked2017blog.wordpress.com
Pound Store Plastic Warriors https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com
And our Year reviews https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/colour-schemes-for-imagi-nations-uniforms/
Blogposted by Mark, Man of TIN / Pound Store Plastic Warriors blogs, 31st December 2018 / 1st January 2019.
The Brontes!
Man of Tin blog 