Monday, January 1, 2018

2017: The Year in Review



       Another year in the books already, which means it is time for the Annual Hobby and Blog Review. Strike up the band if you will, please, sir!

EXPENSES:

October 2017
Three Armies Spanish 64#, $89
Adolfo Ramos flags  37E  $45.29
Really Useful Boxes x 7  ($25 off coupon from staples) $58.93

November 2017
Barnes and Noble 96.07  (Oman Volumes 1-2-3, Neil Thomas one Hour Wargames, 4 decks of cards.
Brigade Games 201.45   (Spanish Artillery, Cavalry, Guerrillas)

December 2017
Old Glory Order $221  (Sea Peoples Infantry (30), ECW Pikemen Montero Caps (60), ECR Musketeers Montero (30), ECW Command Unarmored (20), ECW Falling Wounded (20) and ECW Wounded (20), 3 Carts (Blue Moon), 3 large Southwestern style polyurethane foam rocks).


4th QUARTER TOTAL  $652.81

3RD QUARTER TOTAL  $1,151.97

2ND QUARTER TOTAL:  $578.73  

1st QUARTER TOTAL = $523.47

2017 TOTAL + $ 2,906.98


(Way over budget, probably the most hobby spending ever for me in a single year)



Oman's History, Volume 1. I couldn't bring myself to pay for ta hardcover edition, espwecially considering there are something like 9 volumes!

From the Battle of Coruna to the end of the Talavera Campaign.


For some reason not titled as volume 3, but so it is! I also have no ides what the names of the other gentleman are doing on the front cover, as other  than as perhaps series advisers, there is not a word from them within. 



I have been meaning to pick this one up for some time, and with the 25% off sale at Barnwes and Noble, it was a go.  My rationale for acquiring this book was first and foremost the scenario ideas, and then the possibility that it might prove useful should I be able to interest either or both of my two grandsons in the Hobby a few years hence. 



Needed some more card decks for To the strongest! with different backs, and at 25% off...


Ditto!


Guerrillas from the Brigade Games order, taking full advantage of their Black Friday sale!


Un poco Guerillas mas!


Spanish Dragoon command, newly released at Fall In!


Enough Dragoons for a 2nd unit, in different poses.


Enough Spanish Line Cavalry for a 2nd unit, but still awaiting release of their Command pack.


Garochista Lancers x 6...  also awaiting release of command figures. 


Cannon from Brigade games - 2 x 12#, 2 x Howitzers, 4 x 6#
2 more sets of Artillerymen were also acquired. 


Caballos!


From the Old Glory order. When I was perusing the OG site, I stumbled upon a listing for "Three Brown Polyurethane Rocks", painted for $50. With the Army Card discount, that's just $30, or about 7.50 each. Sold! 


While obviously intended for Skirmish gaming in the American Southwest, I intend to use them for Hill terrain for my Chariot era armies. The bright blue "water" will probably be replaced with black or dark brown. 


These will fit in one or two 6" boxes for To the Strongest!


OG order - these ECW troops, mostly in Montero caps, will be used to add some scruffy, raw units to my ECW collection, in anticipation of the release of Simon and Andrew's ECW rules. Brent Oman's Field of Battle based ECW rules are also due out soon, and they will work just as well with that, too. I may need to add a bit more cavalry as well. My Card doesn't expire for another 2 months.  Hnmmm...

A minor expansion for the anti-Egyptian alliance, plus some (Blue Moon) carts... about $12.50 each with The Card.  What might I have in mind for those?



PAINTING:


January 2017
16 British Hussars (Old Glory)   160 pts
Total 240 pts

February 2017
24 Canaanite Spearmen (12 rehab, 12 new) (? Foundry)  90 pts
1 Sphinx  30 pts
24 Spearmen (rehab) (? Foundry Hyskos)  60 pts
12 Bowmen (rehab) (? Foundry ? Hyskos) 30 pts
8 Slingers (rehab) (? Foundry)  20 pts
27 Hitite Axemen (rehab) (? Foundry)  68 pts
8 KGL Light Cavalry (Old Glory)  80 pts
Total 378 pts

March 2017
9 Assyrian LC (BTD)    90 pts
10 Canaanite Chariots (Rehab)  175 pts
2 new Canaanite officers  10 pts
9 Jugs
8 Prussian Landwehr Cavalry (Old Glory)  80 pts
Total 355 pts

1st Quarter Total = 973 points

April 2017
None completed

May 2017
Assyrian HC (Foundry) 6 figures  = 60 pts
Assyrian Heavy Chariots (Hinchliffe) 4 = 220 pts 

June 2017
Palmyran Archers (Old Glory)  12 = 60 pts
4 Units Imperial Roman Infantry (Black tree Designs)  48 = 240 pts

July 2017
Sassanid Archers 24, Sassanid Spearmen 24, Sassanid  Leaders 4, Sassanid Kataphtactoi 6, Roman Auxillia 12, Palmyran Archers 12, Palmyran Regular Light Cavalry 8, Roman Archers 12, Palmyran Irregular Light Cavalry 8, Palmyran Leaders 4, Imperial Roman Generals 6 = 720 pts

August 2017
Tehenu Libyan Archers and Leaders 30, Philistine Javelinmen and Leaders 30 = 300 pts

September 2017
Spanish Napoleonic Line Infantry "Valencia" 18 = 90 pts

October 2017
Spanish Napoleonic Line Infantry "Reina", Burgos", "Guadalajara", 54 = 270 pts

November 2017
Voluntarios de Madrid (Militia), Voluntarios de Navarra (Militia), CVazadores "!st barcelona", Cazadotres "Gerona"  72 = 360 pts

December 2017
Voluntarios de Castilla (Line), Ordones Militario (Line), Sevilla (Line), Converged Grenadiers (72), Roman Legion (12) = 420 pts


4TH QUARTER TOTAL:  1,050 pts

3RD QUARTER TOTAL:  1,110 pts

2nd QUARTER TOTAL:  580 pts

1st QUARTER TOTAL:  973 pts


2017 TOTAL: 3,713 points


I'd say 4,000 points is probably about the most I could ever do in a year. There was no painting in April as that was the month that my office moved and I had to crash learn and transition to using a new Electronic Health Record in the office. As I knew from the first time I implemented a new EHR 10 years ago, it took 6 months for my hours worked to return back down to normal. No wonder most physicians have a love/hate relationship with their EHR's!  Even better is that I get to do it again in 2 months... ugh! 


GAMES:

January - March 2017  - nil.

April: Ran Egypt vs Assyria with To the Strongest at HAVOC, Ran and played in Grossbeeren 1813 at HAVOC with Snappy Nappy, Assisted with and played in 1809 Italian Campaign in a Day with Snappy Nappy

May: Battle of Fitchwoods from our Lannes Napoleonic Campaign with Field of Battle, 2nd ed.

June: None

July 2017 (Historicon)  Ran Palmyra vs Sassanids with To the Strongest!, Ravenna 1512 with Hostile Realms, Raab 1809 with Field of Battle 2nd edition, Egypt vs Assyria with To the Strongest!; played in Reichenberg using Piquet: Cartouche 

August 2017: Ran/played in The Alliance of Baal with To the Strongest!

September 2017:  None

October 2017:  Lessie's Moor with For King and Parliament! (final playtest version)

December 2017:  None. I was scheduled to run a big Ancient game for Jared's middle school game club in early December, but we got snowed out. Now reschedule for January. 

TOTAL:  10 games played and/or run. Still under goal of 1 per month. 



Our good friends love history and thus "get" my hobby, so when they saw the local hobby store was selling off their inventory of Ospreys at a steep discount, they stepped in! This looks quite interesting from skimming through it already.


Likewise!


There seems


to be a
\

Peninsular theme


to Christmas this year!


They actually visited Shrewsbury a number of years back. 


Light reading.


Back to the Peninsula once again!


A very happy, prosperous and healthy
 New Year 
 to all my readers, friends, & fellow bloggers!

Peter

24 comments:

  1. Great collection of reading material. And truly an impressive production of units
    Hope to see more in 2918

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Gary. Now I just have to find time to read some of it. I expect to be productive in 2018, if perhaps not quite at the pace of 2017!

      Delete
  2. Thanks for the continued production of outstanding hobby resources for the rest of us Peter.

    Posting your actual expenditures makes you a far braver man then I

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Jake. I do need to start posting some Spanish uniform information in 2018, though.

      As far as expenses, I certainly expect to spend much less in 2018. Still it's less than a lot of other things in our budget!

      Delete
    2. Transparency is the best policy. Aside from which, if I ever wanted to hide something from my wife, here on the blog would be about as good as the bottom of the Marianas Trench, LOL!

      Delete
    3. It is not so much about hiding spending from a spouse but maintaining some plausible deniability from myself!

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    4. LOL! I'd say that's all the more a reason to track the expenses with even a fraction of the passion devoted to productivity! :-)

      Delete
    5. Oh, it’s tracked; just not published!

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    6. Yep. Not only is the total not published, I don't even sum it up! If I did, I might plunge into a deep depression...

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    7. Perhaps the biggest question then is... is the Lead Pile growing or shrinking? The painted collections certainly are increasing at a most satisfying rate!

      Delete
  3. What a great 2017! I hope 2018 is just as good!

    What do you think of the Old Glory ECW troops? I was impressed with their line.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Scott. The Old Glory ECW line seems very nice, on a par with their other later ranges - Italian Wars, Eastern Renaissance. It is too bad they aren't doing any new releases in 25/28 mm, though.

      Delete
  4. Impressive production and progress must get my own review done, cheers Peter!

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    Replies
    1. Thabnks, Mark. I shudder to think of your production numbers! :-)

      Delete
  5. A productive and impressive year Peter...And Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice steady output for the year, and even more impressive when the office move is taken into account.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lawrence. My production definitely fell into phases, as usual, chiefly related to anticipated games.

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  7. 2017 was very, very good for you! I'm with you that 4-5,000 painting points is about all I can handle given other demands on my time. I really should cut back on even those levels and focus more on the gaming aspect of the hobby.

    Thomas' OHW is a great, little book and the scenarios, alone, are definitely worth the price.

    I expect more great stuff from you in 2018!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I'd agree that it was a good year - I didn't cite the PELA award at Historicon 2017 - any year you can garner one of those is definitely a good year!

      I could do with more gaming time and a bit less productivity considering the size of my painted forces is well over 12,000 28mm troops. Of course, your total is probably 2 - 3 times that number!

      I read through Thomas in about a hour, and I think it accomplishes what it sets out to do quite well. it obviously can be tweaked quite a bit, but the more you do that the more you'd probably just be better of going to a different set and up a notch or two in complexity. I hope i get a chance to try them with a grandson or two in future years!

      The 2018 planning post should be coming within the week! :-)

      Delete
  8. A really productive year, I like OHW my nieces husband had a go and is now painting an army! That's a big spend for a number of years I kept mine to about £300 a year, I think it's more like £700 which is about the equivalent of two pints of beer in a pub every week, I don't really drink now so I think that's ok! Interested to see how your Spanish all come out and what else is in store.
    Best Iain

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's certainly as good a recommendation for OHW as there can be, eh?
    I certainly hope to keep my 2018 expenses to roughly hal;f of those for 2017. I don't just count direct purchases, but the expense of attending conventions, storage etc for a truer picture.

    ReplyDelete