Welcome to the wonderful (and expensive) world of 28mm AWI CANCELLED

Well, that is it then.

After a year of selling off stuff, slowly building back to be able to paint and game again, and making plans, Kim (after much pushing of her best mate) put her foot down last night and proclaimed the attic must be cleared of all excess stuff pronto and I'm not allowed to buy anything anymore for quite some time. Else there would be consequences for our relationship. Her friend had gotten pretty mad at me for...well, various reasons, and pushed her into acting, for our mutual benefit.

Where I come from this is called emotional blackmail, she said it was in my best interest.

Always trying to avoid problems, I cancelled all trades planned for this and other projects, but spent a lot of time and today thinking about this. Is this really fair? Ok, I have a lot of stuff, and stuff needs to be sold, but I have sold over 2K of stuff in the last year. Does this show? No, of course not, it is all about miniatures...small things. I have a steady rythem of selling and a good thought process if I want to buy things (only current projects, only if I start them within a year, only from funds from sold items). I've made vast improvements to my hobby room. I'm actually looking forward to painting and playing again. It was Kim who told me I should get out more, which is what shows and the AWI project are all about. Or maybe I'm just being dense here, but being told to sell 3/4 of my stuff feels to me like a random figure of someone who has no grasp to what this hobby really is.

Collecting, painting and gaming.

As far as anyone I know or talk to, they all have quite a bit of space, shelving or attic devoted to the storage of their hobby. And it is not like having to sell 3/4's of it will me stop me wanting to buy new things, or go to cons, or learn new games and have evenings of fun with likeminded individuals. At least I hope not.

For some reason or other telling her this hobby is a big part of me and is the one last thing (next to my girls) that keeps me sane and gives me a good reason to get out of bed each day seems to be falling on deaf ears. It actually does with 9/10 of our combined family. Back in college many people were amazed I had the patience to paint such small things, now all I hear are things like "waste of money", "childish" and more comments like that. Not being helped by the fact the room is messy, and the attic does have a lot of stuff in it, and all my painted stuff that people used to wow about is stored in drawers cause I want to keep them safe. So you dont see what is going on in this room.

But threatening to do something about our relationship while we have 2 kids to raise made me snap somewhere in the middle of the night. To have the balls to say something tells me how detatched she is from our mutual reality. Or as Piers said, i should help her pack her things so she can leave. Nobody messes with my hobby. I never tolerated it from previous girlfriends, why would I tolerate it now? Well, because we have kids, and I go out of my way to avoid problems really, I've been bending over backwards for a solid year not to get on her bad side.

Having said that, I say, fuck it. Sales are good at the moment and I will list much more in the coming month. I'll grab a nice share of that for Crisis and have fun one last time this year, and buy what is on the list and maybe a few thinsg that fancy me, and put the rest back into my account for another day. I'll keep clearing stuff at my speed. I work all do, come home to cook and do chores, and have a few hours a night to myself. if I can't even have that, then what's the point?

So, no big group project for me. I can live with that.
No more purchases for some time. Fine, so be it.
No more hobby? Over my dead body.

Welcome to the wonderful (and expensive) world of 28mm AWI

Now that I have gone and joined the Dutch 2016 AWI project, and selected Colonial Militia, I'm for a world of hurt. Not only do I have to brush up my AWI knowledge (currently just hovering over 0), but I also need to find, base and paint enough miltia to fit a scenario of my choosing. And learn how to play the game. And not break the bank!

Yeah, no pressure!

Fortunately, because I can focus on Militia, I've now been told I can mix and match uniformed and ununiformed in the same unit. And because I will have no fixed paint scheme, it may not be as fast but there should be enough variation for me to keep going for a while (my aim will be a base a week, anything else is a bonus. If that base will be 4 figures (as Piers does) or 6 figures ( as the locals do) is yet to be decided). Fortunately, I have a lot of time till the game is started in August or September. I've already scouted a fine chap in Portugal who has 60 Militia and Continentals lying spare, so that would be a great start.

Planning this lead me to ponder what to do for Crisis this year. Sgts Mess won't be there this year so no impulse binging on little 20mm WW2 parts. Sofar I've got 50 pounds in my Paypal for pre orders and 110 euros spending cash (which inlcudes the 10 euro entry fee). I thought I would need to double that for all of my wants. So, I did the smart thing and made a list. And some terms to focus on.

Graveyard which technically falls under Mordheim/Frostgate, and 20mm Sci-Fi. So, 2-3 terms.

Just shopwise, that narrows it down to Brother Vinni, Crooked Dice, Fenris Games, Ainsty Castings and Magisters Militium. When I added up the list I was pleasantly surprised. 75 Pounds for mostly graveyard stuff, plus some merchants for Mordheim/Frostgate and some Robots. Even less if I'm honest cause I already have quite a few Brother Vinni stuff lying unpainted, so I'm looking at about 60 Pounds. Add to that some paint, some PSC 20mm armour boxes, a bag of bases and I'm up to 100 pounds.

The last time I pre ordered from Foundry, there was only a 1 figure bonus, so the only saving you really have is on shipping. Having said that, there are some AWI packs I'm interested in. As always, do I buy them now or do I wait when the lot is painted. Decisions, decisions. Not helped by the fact the Dutch AWI group is planning a group buy from Perry.

Thing is, I'm going over each and every possible purchase with a fine tooth comb. Will I build it within a year? Can it wait another year? What are the chances of this item showing up second hand coming year? Where will I find the money? How can I save money?

Well, the last things should not be a problem. I have a big box of Epic stuff that I will be selling soon, and also a lot of other GW boxes that I really have no need for (What do I need a 40K Predator tank for if all I do is skimrish? What do I look like, a Bolt Action player?). And I'm saving money by my decision not to buy premade 3rd World slums (at 4-5 Pounds a hut) I've been holding off for over a year now but by just buying a 10 sheet pack of fine wave cardboard for 2,50 euro and making my own. I want a dozens of buildings so I just went and saved myself more then a 100 Pounds. The items I did pick will be for this year, barring the PSC stuff that I buy for my German army, that is for next year. And you never know what the Bring and Buy will bring. Always a dangerous one, that Bring and Buy.

At least one thing will be free, Jasper from the WSS magazine has some Steel Master magazines for free that I will gladly take off his hands. I love reading those, with my high school French :) Pretty pictures too.

So, did I mention painting? A lot of painting? Thank the Lord for Christy.

End of times or a new beginning?

We had a lovely week, great weather, visits to the pool, the zoo and a fabulous bird of prey show (now I finally know what Johnny Rook means, as I had one race between my legs!) and are now calming down :) 1 more week with chores in and around the house and trying to grab some time for myself. Well, I can try :)

On a different but related event, just before we left, we received word that City Council will help with  daycare for the twins. Great news as we can't otherwise afford it and Kim needs the downtime badly. It does mean we lose all spending money, period. All money left over after the basics like rent, food, gas and insurance goes to the council.

What does this mean?

Well, no money for at least a year, for starters.

Is that a bad thing? Well, as long as the car and other expensive things don't break down, we have little savings and family willing to help out.

Sounds bad, but it isn't. (eternal optimist speaking)

A. Good for the kids, as they get to spend time with other kids their age and they can learn from them
B. Good for Kim, as she gets time off to help herself and as soon as therapy starts, get more help.
C. Good for me. Really? Yes, really.

Let's face it, one of my hobby problems is that I have too much stuff. Way too much. My other problem is that I spend too easily. Yes, I've cut down a lot in the last year, but still. So, lets turn this into something beneficial. I mean, no money means no soda or snacks, and that can only be good! I even ate a apple today :)

I can still sell stuff, and will continue to do so. Proceeds can only go 2 ways, either in my Paypal or straight to my bank account. Since I'm in the red, bank account is good. Paypal will only be used after  agreement with Kim for items that can fill out current and active projects only. Seems simple enough.

So, with that in mind, how does it go from now?

Well, there is plenty of stuff to do. While I was on holiday I received several packages. 1 was a bag of second hand Liberation miniatures (US Army Rangers) from Rob at the Guild that will be perfect for  for my Black Hawk Down project (I did buy them for that) after I finish the Delta's. I also received 2 motivators, a Ssh40 Russian helmet from the fifties for when I start the WW2 Russians that went for way less then militaria sites charge you, and it is practically brand new. I also received a Dutch Royal Navy sailors cap from the Eighties (not that they have changed) from a former Dutch sailor as a motivation  for my 1/3000 naval stuff.

I have enough projects to cover me for a year, so I don't see any problems, and my wife and kids will be better for it :) What is not to like? ;)

I just means that conquering the lead mountain challenge has become indefinite.

Project management and a brief holiday

I'll be leaving for a short holiday tomorrow with the wife and kids to get away from it all. It will be nice to be a week without internet and just a good book in the evening. Can't wait.

Meanwhile, at home..... I had a brainwave earlier this week in that the boxes I use to send out stuff actually make good project boxes. A bit on the big side (a bit bigger then A4 size) but very suitable, as as I can get them from work for free (we only get these from one customer who packs all of his motherboards in the same standard box, and we don't use them for shipping as they are single layer cardboard, so we just throw them out) I have a unlimited supply.

So, 5 minutes with my trusty labelwriter gives me this:

All of my current projects, (not so) neatly stacked and labelled. I plan to repack my older projects in the same manner and store them in the attic for now. Anything on my desk now (that does not belong into any of the Ikea sorting boxes I have) should be put in bags and boxes asap and stored in the attic.

Of the 7 projects you see (3x 20mm and 4x 28mm) the Bandit Buntai box is a future one cause I feel my skills are not up to that task yet. The EW Germans have the problem that with half the army missing in the post, and not sufficient funds to buy replacements, this has stalled before it has started. The other 5 I can work on now.

In other depressing news, the manager of the local GW and a dear friend of mine got fired. As a result, I will no longer be using the friday night hobby club at the GW (and many more people with me) as we all support the manager (and not GW for this insane move).

As my wife does like to see me go out once a week to preserve my sanity, I've contacted my old gaming buddy Modhail to do a weekly/bi-weekly friday night hobby and/or gaming session. In a few weeks time this will start and we'll see how it will work. One week at his place, one week at mine seems to be the idea. And mutually motivating to get things done, I like that :) Even his wife approves! Just brilliant :)

Welcome to Nelengele! A overview.

Nelengele is a former British colony in a area we in the real world call Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso. It gained its independence on the 8th of August 1966. Compared to other countries in Africa it is a large country with many tribes and ranging from desert to tropical conditions, covering almost 2.5 million square kilometers, although there are more then a few contested areas with the neighbouring countries.

The national flag of Nelengele as we know it today was instituted in 1968 when General-for-Life Emmanuel Nwude took over the country in a coup. He wanted the flag to symbolize the patriotism of the Eastern and Western tribes entering an era of peace (completely ignoring the Northern tribes, of which later more) hence the blue-white-blue flag.

The official language is English, but in the North a large part of the population speaks French. Several dialects are spoken by the various tribes.

Agriculture dominates the country (coconuts, corn and sugar for export), with uranium, salt and tungsten mining in the sparsely populated north. Oil is found in the south and at sea. Iron and tin is also found in the south but barely developed and the same goes for deposits of gold, coal, lead and bauxite. Large foreign companies dominate what little mining there is, and the oil industry is dominated by CLAM (Colonial Liquid Assets Monopoly)

By the time of the last census it was found the country just tipped at 100 million citizens, mostly in the South. Illiteracy has dropped by 27% since General-for-Life Emmanuel Nwude took power and his wife Adele Nwunde-Darling instituted a program to get kids into school. Infant mortality dropped by a mere 7%, though this is to be attributed to rebel activity and large areas suffering from Nelengele fever which targets mostly the young, sick and elderly, and for which no cure is found yet. The average family has 5,7 children, and men are expected to live for 51 years. Women however have a life-expectancy of about 55 years. Despite a extensive hospital building program the country still ranks low on the doctor- patient ratio, 0,025 per 1000 patients.

The army is conscripted, and over 150.000 strong, on paper. In reality corruption is rife and recruiters can be bought off by the wealthy, and commissions in the officer corps bought. Some units only exist on paper or are severely understaffed. The Lifeguard (or Finyezi) is the best equipped unit in the army and fiercely loyal, easily recognized by their yellow berets. But in the Northern regions the army barely rises above militia status. Equipment wise it is a hodge podge of WW2 vintage equipment mixed with modern items mixed with prototypes from various companies. Also, simmering conflict with their neighbours and rebel activity means the army is stretched thin resource wise in those areas.

Foreign influences include the USA, USSR and China. The UN has a resolution in place to help and protect refugees in rebel contested areas, though in reality they are powerless as no support is given by the government.

(Oh, and where did I get the name Nelengele from? Well, before my girl could say the word water or drink she just pointed and said Nelengele (or something sounding like that!))

Turning spam into something useful

Received a email in my spambox last night from a chap called Nkuku Nnekwu, if I'd like to sign for 25 million in 5000 dollar deposits on my account. Western Union of course.


Enterprising fella. Let's give him a job. :)


Nkuku Nnekwu has been the Finance Minister and the head of the First National Bank of Nelengele since before General-for-Life Emmanuel Nwude rise to power. Highly regarded in the upper ranks of the regime, Nnekwu skill in balancing the books and keeping the Nelengele Pound stable has made him a favourite of Nwude. This was cemented when one of Nwudes elder sons married Nnekwus daughter a few years ago.


Nkuku Nnekwu, a small and stocky man, hails from the northern tribes, where Nelengele skirts the great desert. Fiercely independent, this area caused the former colonial rulers much trouble until they instituted a large literacy program as well as the industrialization of the local salt lakes, bringing moderate wealth to the area and calming the tribes. His father managed the production of salts from the Agala lake, greatly improving the output by diverting river water with a canal program. His success led to great personal wealth and made it possible for a young Nnekwu to study Corporate Finance in Switzerland.


His estate is in the south, near the Capital. He owns a large game reserve as well as several canning factories (fish and corn) which export around Africa. A rumour that just won't die is that he also deals in diamonds, making frequent trips to Belgium. As Nelengele has no known diamond mines, it is a bit of a mistery where these would come from. Others say he had a mistress in Belgium.

Clean up of dead links - I could use your assistance!

I noticed some pictures on my Blog no longer seemed to work.

I am taking steps to relink all of the missing items, starting with my popular Shapeway post.

I you see any of my posts that have missing pictures, let me know and I will get right on it getting them back up online. I of course will spend a few evenings checking the lot myself.