Amazons approaching the Ghost Archipelago

Last year (not that long ago, really), Bad Squiddo Games launched a kickstarter that had a fair few dwarves I found great (female, of course, we're talking Bad Squiddo here), and after much humming and hawing, I decided to go all in on that. Which meant that I got not only a bunch of dwarves, but also a decent batch of amazons.

After some more hemming and hawing, I decided to initially paint them up as a crew for Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago, helped by the fact that I had about as many as necessary for a crew with some variations. And suddenly they found themselves with paint, long before the dwarves I initially pledged for... oops?

First up, we have the Heritor (in the center, with some blue stripes in her hair), the ships captain (and someone with a bit of tactical sense, to the left... she probably won't see the table all that often) and a mystic with some powerful abilities (right, and totally not able to murder you five ways from sunday)

A bit of heavily armed and armoured support is never a bad thing among the islands. Either a shield, for some protection (with a greek A, for amazon, inspired by the spartans and their L), a big axe/club thing for smashing skulls, or just incredibly heavy armour over the entire body (counts as Heavy Armour and a Shield).

Of course, sometimes the heavy help is too slow to get where they're needed. In that case, some faster people is needed. Two Tomb Robbers, for fast melee (that might have an unfortunate tendency to die a tad too fast) and an Archer leaping through the undergrowth.

Then there is the crew, of course, with a variety of weapons and lighter armour to protect against the dangers of the Archipelago (gamewise, these will all count as Hand Weapons and Shields, even if some of them seem suspiciously large for one-handed weapons). They're also all marked by having at least some equipment of copper, and not just the everpresent bronze. Cheaper stuff for those that hopefully won't need to use it too often (oh, who are we kidding, this is the Ghost Archipelago).

Finally, there are these two young wolves hanging around the ship, helping out where needed, being taught fighting (with their copper blades) by whomever's nearby, and generally being just adorable enough to not get thrown of in the nearest harbour for their mischief. The fact that one of them looks suspiciously like the Heritor, including blue stripes in her hair, might have something to do with it. (Gamewise, they're emergency crew)

Personally, I love these scuplts (although they deserve a greater painter than me), the only thing missing would be a more mage-y character (preferably neither of the "young sexbomb" or "old crone" categories that are so common) and perhaps a second archer (because I really want two in my crew). And lo and behold, didn't Annie hint last week at just such things coming "soon" from Bad Squiddo? Why, yes, I think she did. Guess I will have to do an emergency shop-stop once they drop, followed by clearing some space in the painting queue.

/Fool Out

New Years hobby resolution once again

Another year over, and the new one's just begun (as the song goes). And as the hangover subsides, it's time for me to look over how my hobby resolutions for last year went, and make some new ones.

• Paint the rest of the No Peace Beyond the Line kickstarter

As I put it down on the list, I knew this would be the main thing I would paint. And I can't say I was wrong.

• 50 Dutchmen

These got done, and expanded upon as well, so this is an unmitigated success.

• 40 generic europeans (which will be distributed among my other forces... don't know which yet)

Another unmitigated success... which then got expanded upon even further as I began the Scottish Militia

• a Piragua

I thought this was done, but somehow I managed to screw it up. She's currently stripped and waiting for take two. Bother.

• the Fluyt "Amelia"

As can be seen, she's done, and a beauty too. Even managed to get me going for painting more ships, size be darned (and aint that a good thing)

• The Galleon "Santa Barbara de Nicomedia"

Of course, that doesn't mean I've had the time to actually paint them all. Galleon is somewhere soon-ish in the queue, but not yet.

• My Blood & Plunder Natives need reinforcements. Get those, paint them

The natives most assuredly got reinforced.

• Finish my Blood & Plunder Frigate (this one should be easy, at least...)

Got her done early in the year, possibly because she was already halfway there by last January. And a small part of me wants to get another...

• Once the other B&P ships are finished, get a Bark (tentatively named Lydia) and paint it.

Lydia is bought, primed and waiting next to the Piragua... but not quite yet.

• Frostgrave

As with Blood & Plunder, I had several subsections and a plan (of sorts).

• The gnolls I didn't manage to get done 2018. Aiming for 20 fellows, with useful armaments for both normal Frostgrave and Ghost Archipelago

Yep, they're finally done. And just in time, too. We'll have to see if I get some silly ideas and expand them further.

• The all-female warband from the latest release of plastic female soldiers (all assemled already)

Not at all surprising, these got done quite fast. Lovely sculpts of lovely subjects tend to get punted to the front of the queue.

• At least three winter-themed treasures (all I have so far are very obviously summer/tropically themed).

Sort of done. One of these looks suspiciously green, but magic, dude. Ain't gotta explain jack all... I will probably expand with another treasure next time I paint Frostgrave stuff.

• Various monsters from Maze of Malcor

The monsters got delayed until "after the gnolls", and... well. The gnolls are done, so hopefully this year.

• Chain of Command (in 15mm)

Game's kind of died out again, but I should at least finish the projects I've started.

• The 21 Panzer Divison  platoon really needs some support. Get to it.

Done and ready for a game. And I might have to expand them as I find some of weird and wonderful machines the 21st drove in France.

• Get them some opposition: a british rifle platoon (with support)

Due to a combination of not finding the kit I wanted, and the game dying out, I haven't even looked all that much at these. Perhaps for the future.

• Concurrently to the above, paint more 15mm tanks. Try to clear out the "to paint" shelf, then get started on the "to build" piles and whatever else I have scattered around.

I got some done, so there's now slightly more space on the shelf (that promptly got occupied by some pirates)

• Finish up an understrength company of canadian Sherman tanks (5 to go, but they need to be assemled as well)

These are done, at least. I have no idea what to use them for, but done's done and a good one.

• Oathmark is set to release heavily armored dwarves. I will need at least one box of 30.

Done, at the same time as I expanded and/or (temporarily) finished my band of dwarves. Well, 20 of them, at least. The rest are currently spared for some ideas to finish bouncing around and get nailed down.

• Paint up more Landsknecht (there is a list)

Got a few done, but I've mostly been distracted by other stuff. A prime example of the hobby flame burning hot, but not so long. That said, I've recently gotten to use them for SAGA: Age of Magic, and something has rekindled here. Hopefully I get at least a pikeblock finished this year.

At least the knights on monsters (Creatures for AoM) got done. That was a project that got put on hold for too long.

• Perry Miniatures are releasing Agincourt mounted knights. Get them, assemble them, paint them. Possibly as a second army for The Ninth Age.

They're assembled, but it has not been a good year for painting horses here, so there's still not a speck of paint on them... However, I have some ideas for SAGA: Age of Magic here as well, so I might finally get them done, or at least 25 of them.

• If the fellows at the club get their Napoleonics going, I will probably have to join in. For that, I need to decide on what regiment of redcoats to paint.

The fellows didn't get it going, so I haven't bothered to look at these... not too much, at least. I'm tempted to do some (british) Highlanders, though.

• Time and money permitting, I'll try to get a wargaming table of my own.

Time and money hasn't permitted, so nope. I will probably put the very idea on the backburner for now, and figure out solutions "later".


Of course, I didn't only paint what I had made a resolution though (although these resolutions and a painting planner has meant that the amount of unplanned stuff has been reduced).

First and foremost of the "oopsies" would be the Scottish Militia for Blood & Plunder mentioned above. And somehow, a Tartana managed to sneak its way onto my shelf. It's currently primed and waiting for some paints (that's ship #3 on the "soon" list).

There is also the fact that Gaslands Refueled exploded at the club, so there's been a pair of cars for that. And there might just be some more, if it continues to be as popular (one wants options to play with, y'know).


Of course, I can't exactly show how I managed to fulfill all resolutions and not follow up with new ones. As with last year, these are more guidelines and less rules, but they do keep me focused. Anyway for 2020, my resolutions to paint are:

• Bad Squiddo Games released some Amazons in a kickstarter. I got them, just need to paint them (which should be quick, as they're already primed and waiting)
• Bad Squiddo Games also released some Dwarves at the same time. These are not primed yet, but should also get some loving paint. Possibly, I'll combine them with some Oathmark and/or Atlantis Miniatures Dwarves.
• The Landsknecht need more love. Let's aim for the pikeblock being done, and hopefully some crossbowmen as well.
• Shipwise, I have a Bark, a Tartana and a Piragua that need some paint (these are all from last year, and primed, so should be quick)
• Expand the Blood & Plunder French with some more Sailors (also primed and ready)
• Similar for the Blood & Plunder Spanish, one starter box should round out my force nicely.
• Dito (although smaller) for the Blood & Plunder Dutch, they can do with a few more sailors, mostly to get up to units of 8. And maybe a second unit of Enter Ploeg
• The Galleon! Keep the shippainting going, get this humongous thing done.
• Firelock is also releasing a 6th Rate Frigate for Blood & Plunder... I need it! Even if it's supposedly almost as huge and the Galleon
• Oak & Iron is incoming. Since I intend to run demos for this come Gothcon, it will be catapulted to the front of the queue as soon as I get it.
• Blood & Valor (also from Firelock) is coming, I should probably look into it (which means whichever plastic ww1 army I find most interresting... or go with Italians, because my competence at the table shouldn't prevent me from playing historically)
• Take 2 on the Mace of Malcor Monsters for Frostgrave.
• Victrix Vikings have caught my eyes, and I'm tempted to get a pack to paint as Jomsvikings for SAGA
• Perry Mounted Knights are assembled, but still waiting for paint. Let's try to do something about that. Perhaps I can use them for SAGA: Age of Magic...
• Speaking of SAGA: Age of Magic, I have 2, or potentially 3, new ideas for warbands, either on their way (yay, kickstarters), or at least planned for purchase as soon as the FLGS gets them. (I'm being non-specific in the interrest of being coy with the fellows at the club, always fun springing surprises on them)

Any bets for how much of this I actually manage to get done?

Happy New Year

/Fool out