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 
May I wish you and yours a happy and healthy 2019,
All the best,
Bob
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Many thanks Bob!
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Distractions are welcome as long as they’re fun! ‘Enjoyably awry’, indeed. Very much looking forward to seeing (at least some) of these come to fruition over the year. Personally, I’d love to see more Bronte imagi-nation activity – but don’t let me distract you! 😉
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The Bronte stuff is fearfully tangled and bitty in origin but it’s on the list!
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Thank you for the various nuggets of information you have sent me over the last 12 months. You have inspired me to pull out my old Timpo toys and to play a skirmish game around a Timpo trainset set in the Wild West. Best wishes for the new year.
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Excellent – the Timpo Train Set is a classic toy for classic figures. I never had the Timpo train set but had figures and some small western buildings. The Wilko train set from last year reminded me of this Timpo Train Set a lot. Enjoy the Skirmish!
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As always, your blog continues to inspire me to reach higher goals, and inspires me with endless ideas and creativity. I have also added your blog to favourites on my new blog). Happy New Year, and may your gaming table never cease to bring you joy and happiness.
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Steve
I’m glad you enjoy my blogs. I enjoy writing them!
I look forward to reading your blog, which I had a quick look at and I hope that your Stephen and Shelby painted figures are a delight. (I have seen a couple of their 54mm YouTube videos.)
The Prince August 54mm chess pawn pieces have a good old fashioned toy soldier look. I have a couple of these Prince August chess pawn moulds for the American Civil War, Alamo and Waterloo which could all have Imagi-Nations uses and have done a few test castings, enough to want to do some more when I have time. You can see these at
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/prince-august-chess-pawn-toy-soldiers/
Many best wishes for your Gaming Year and blog! Mark Man of TIN
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Thanks for the speedy reply, I took a look at the link you offered and smiled happily (because the Alamo and the American Civil War pawn moulds were indeed already on my hot list). Prince August being just an hour`s drive away for me means I can go in and pick up stuff from them quite easily… best of all `cos I know them (I wrote the blurb for their Waterloo exhibition and delivered a 50 minute live talk about the battle) they will make me custom moulds if I ask them nicely.. they`re really obliging folk.
Sadly, the commission over in America fell through last night, as the guys are simply too busy to commit to such a large order at the moment. BUT all is not lost, as I will now fall back to plan B, and will save my pennies for a month or so and then take a trip over to the Prince August shop and order myself enough moulds to flesh out two entire armies and go the ` do it myself ` route. The proposed plans for doing Napoleonic Peninsular may very well expand now to more of an Imagi-Nation theme… something the eclectic range of Prince August 54mm moulds will allow for nicely (and means I can go mad in the shop and buy Scottish Black Watch, Queens Guard Grenadiers, Alamo and American Civil War pawns from their chess sets, a Cannon and crew and perhaps even a few vignettes… oh and a suitably generic cavalry figure of course hehe). Good time ahead 🙂
Meanwhile your excellent site will continue to inspire me, while I carry on making and painting more Napoleonic chess set pawns. I think these will do for 95th Rifles too now I come to think about it. Now if I can only find a way to convert some of these WWII Army Men ^^
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Plan B sounds good fun. Worth checking sizes re whether The Jacobite chess pawns oddly are 32mm not 54mm?
Tradition of London also do interesting unpainted 54mm castings (not homecast) range that may flesh out officers and character figures, likewise Irregular Miniatures http://www.irregularminiatures.co.uk/indexes/54mmindex.htm
The 54mm Waterloo Napoleonic home cast Prince August (PA) range feel slightly stockier 54mm Military Miniatures compared to the more Toy style 54mm chess pawn pieces. Likewise the 54mm traditional toy soldiers casting sets, which are very versatile. At least you will hopefully be able to view and compare all the finished figures in the PA factory before buying moulds. To be fair not all men are all of the same build anyway.
There is a chatty 54mm Wargames forum called Little Wars Revisited online worth joining.
Other interesting 54mm metal companies include Imperial Miniatures and Dorset Toy Soldiers.
PA used to carry the Dunken Range of moulds from America including Airfix / Matchbox WW2 54mm copies. Miniature Molds in America carry their own range of Waterloo Chess sets, ACW and Napoleonic figures (Britain’s Deetail and Airfix copies?) including cavalry but I don’t know from their website if they ship outside North America? https://www.miniaturemolds.com/Waterloo-Chess-Set-Molds_c51.htm
Not quite sure what you mean by “Now if I can only find a way to convert some of these WWII Army Men” – James in Australia (Quantrills Toy Soldiers blog) has been doing some paint conversions and head swaps with WW2 figure into ImagiNations figures. Doug Shand likewise with WW2 plastic Australians etc back to ECW. Flexible figures include the Airfix WW2 Japanese figures in soft kepi and puttees. These make passable ACW / ImagiNations style troops.
Almost too many fun things to do. Best of luck!
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Plan B has me quite excited now: DIY is always nice isn’t it. I was being lazy for once and fulfilling a lifelong dream of having someone else paint for me haha.. but meh! it wasn’t to be, so I`m back to the old grindstone (and do I ook depressed by it – yeeeey, nope ^). Yes Irregular Miniatures are cool, I`ve been using them for several decades now and Ian is a great guy, obliging and easy to talk to on the phone, and I already use their 54mm range for personalities types (and I have my eye on the Naval gun and crew: plus their new Spanish guerrillas).
That chess set you gave the link to sure is beautiful isn’t it. But I think I will stick with Prince August and flesh these out with a few Irregular Miniatures. I am tempted to get some Call to Arms 1/32nd plastic cavalry (to save a lot of money) but I am undecided. Your knowledge of figure companies is pretty vast. I thought I knew most, but you have mentioned a few companies I have not heard of before.
I will check out Little Wars Revisited for sure, and thank you for that. I`m still a 54mm newbie really, but must admit I am liking it that way. It feels new, and fresh, and unexplored. The trouble is that once we get familiar with our hobby subject, the magic can all so often dry up with it. I did that with my Zulu gaming, and studied it to death until the magic I was trying to achieve was sucked dry. There I was wanting to recreate the atmosphere of the Zulu and Zulu Dawn films and before I knew it, I was criticising the films for being inaccurate, wrong and…. well the lifelong charm I had always innocently enjoyed was stolen from me. Nowadays I am more careful, and often avoid strict accuracy and historical correctness, especially if doing so will endanger innocent playability and toy soldier style charm I so look for and enjoy.
VERY interested in seeing Quantrill’s Toy Soldier Blog, but the only link I could find for that took me to an old blog with nothing in it on the subject of Army Men conversions. I think I must have found the wrong one.. and sadly not the right one.
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Try this link http://quantrillstoysoldiers.blogspot.com/?wref=bif
The Little Wars revisited forum folk should be good on recent 54mm plastics, not my area.
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Thank you so much for that 🙂
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Great survey of your splendid gaming year and thoughts upon 2019. I am going to try to get more projects moved along but pressurize myself less if I do not get on as fast as I planned. Enjoy the hobby more and let’s see where the journey takes me…
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As the Slow Movement say, buy a slow car and enjoy the journey! I look forward to seeing and reading about your relaxed coming year of games.
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