Monday 19 September 2016

Preparing for the Winter offensive

Not a lot of painting has been done at BLMA HQ recently. Four units of Gauls are sitting on my desk and have been for a couple of weeks. I started them but haven't had the time (or the energy) to continue...I will slap on some extra paint this week and I'm sure once I restart things will move along. However before I do this I decided to distract myself buying some more miniatures! Its OK, I've not completely lost my mind, I have a plan....

My recent purchases are phase one of my Winter Offensive (meaning the Analogue Challenge Winter Challenge). This year I want to go into the challenge prepared and with a proper plan of attack. I know that as usual time will be limited - possibly more so than last year - so the more I can do before the challenge starts the better. We can prep and undercoat our mini's before the Challenge begins, we just can't start painting them. Some of the figures I have in mind will need a LOT of prep beforehand and if I can this done before I start all the better to hit my target. 

So what is my plan and what have I bought? I'm determined to skip the bonus rounds not because I don't enjoy them - I always enjoy seeing the submissions of fellow challengers - but I find them too much of a distraction from the task of completing models I will actually game with. Instead I am going into this years Challenge with three armies to paint for both my WWII North Africa project and for my growing collection of ancient farces for use with the To The Strongest rules. 

North Africa - I am planning on painting British and Italian tank companies for Operation Compass (General Wavells 1940 offensive against the Italians in western Egypt and Libya). Initially I planned on buying these from GHQ as the quality of their micro-armour is outstanding, unfortunately the price is too. My order would have topped off over £150 and that gave me pause for thought. So I checked out the ranges offered by H&R and was able to buy the same force for the princely sum of £27. Needless to say the miser in me went for the cheaper option! 

Pyrric Army - The other models I have bought are an extension of my ancients collection. I have decided to give my Polybian Romans someone else to fight, aside from the Carthaginian's. I have long wanted to paint some units of Macedonian Phalangitai and in the end I opted to build an army around this objective. So I will be starting a Pyrric army in the early part of the period I have been working on. I have made more work for myself though as I have chosen to buy pikemen with 'open hands' and will use clipped dressmaking pins for the pikes. This is a lot of prep work (prep and undercoating can be completed before the challenge starts) and I have no idea how hard this may be or how long it will take, hence my desire to buy the models now, three months before the Painting Challenge starts.

I must be crazy, but I'm quite excited by all this expenditure. Clearly happiness is a growing lead mountain!

12 comments:

  1. Good to Know.
    I have also do some buying for the challenge (and myself). And Also North Africa 8th Army. But in a different scale.

    I wish you luck in the challenge and at least you will have more practice this year than young Raymond! Who has hardly picked up a brush! (So I am told)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm banking on having a clear plan to get me through this year. Time is even more constrained this year than last so I have to be even more organised.

      Delete
  2. Good luck Lee! I'm going to be right there with you painting Macedonian phalangists I think!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You aren't alone Lee - I've already started my purchasing and the "spreadsheet of success" is being built!

    I too find the Challenge rounds a bit of a distraction, but I'll do one or two if I can fit them into my planned projects.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Be careful Paul.. Paint too much and you inherit Millsys GIMP ...

      Delete
    2. It is indeed a burden I fear :-)
      What exactly is the qualification measure I need to go near but not surpass?

      Delete
  4. Good to see a proper plan being developed. Look forward to seeing what comes of your paint desk Lee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I entered the Challenge late least year but got a lot done. I want to take it a little easier this time, hence the forward planning.

      Delete
  5. Only a couple of weeks without painting! That's nothing, my painting mojo went on holiday about 2 months ago and I'm still waiting for it to come back. But good luck with the phalangites, I picked up some of the H & R Alexandrian Macedonian types on Ebay a few weeks ago and luckily, the figures are made with attached pikes. There is no way I would glue pikes to 6mm figures, it's bad enough in 10mm!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its not a lack of Mojo, its a lack of time that has kept me away from the desk. The wife is a primary school Teacher is therefore insanely busy and I have been helping as much as I can by doing most of the household jobs...end result has been little time to paint. Things will improve as we settle into the new routine, but right now I'm to busy to think straight let alone paint.

      Delete
  6. Packages arriving in the mail makes a gamer happy indeed. I will have a reduced work area so will have a much lower goal than past challenges. But hope to participate all the same. Like you I can find the Bonus entries a distraction from getting things done. cheers

    ReplyDelete
  7. What are these strange words.....brush.....painting .....and Challenge?????

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for leaving a comment. I always try to reply as soon as I can, so why not pop back later and continue the conversation. In the meantime, keep rolling high!