The Look at My Miniature Year 2015

When I started this blog few years ago the aim was to create some sort of diary. Maybe also share pictures and stories of hobby projects and games through the year. Now it's the time to look back on a year 2015 through my beloved hobby once again.

Painting and modeling

WWII

WWII painting and collecting has been still on top of the list on my painting priorities. Now it seems that when I started collecting WWII figures, mainly from Warlord Games, there seems no end to that. For some reason they just spark my interest and fuel my inspiration again and again.

During the year I've completed many armies for Bot Action and still keep on starting new. During first months of the year I completed quite large troop ofUS Marines and some months later US Armored infantry with sizable amount of tanks as they are armored infantry. During spring months I painted also Blitzkrieg Germans with some tanks and later on motorcycle squad. During early summer it was time to move to Continuation war Finns.

Along that project I modeled themed gaming and demonstration table based on  Portinhoikka crossroads, famous historical battle scene during Tali-Ihantala fight. I put some dedication to that project and it ended up to be featured on Warlord web site. I'm happy! And also I started armies for Russian both summer and winter. But these projects still wait to be completed.

Crusades came and went

Early year 2015 saw also brief venture on Crusades era miniatures as I painted an army of St John and some early Crusaders for our club games. It was quite nice to paint some fighters for Levant for variation to olive drab and field grey. And of course thy are most heroic and fun to paint as such.

Napoleonic s

During the year I also added some units for my 15mm Napoleonic collection. There were start of the Poles and some additions for French and Russian armies as well as troop of Dutch cavalry. But nothing much. Maybe I go back to painting Poles on 2016 if and when our Leipzig project proceeds.

Back to modern

On the previous year modern miniatures returned back on the program as we started once again Force on Force gaming on the club. Also nothing big only few units of Rhodesian native infantry and generic military police or

mercenary troopers. Now I realize, I haven't published any pictures of these.

Gaming and events

There was once again quite busy gaming year. Bolt Action was on top of the list, how else. I'd say a
game of Bolt a week was normal pace. We also arranged two BA gaming days on our club where clubs Bolt gamers get together to have a game and a talk. New gamer were also initiated to beloved game of Bolt. Bolt Action was also presented to public on Tabletop Gaming Day and on big event Suuri Snadi.

Last year saw also many Black Powder games as we started our 1812 Napoleonic campaign and fought
many fights of French against Russia until we reached Borodino. That was one of the largest games this year. Some six thousand figures on table. A game that lasted full 11 hours and almost wasted me. Great fun. There was also another big one, Waterloo refight later summer.


During last year I tried some new games for medieval gaming. Deus Vult, Saga/Crescent & Cross and Lion Rampart were on the table, so to say. Deus Vult is promising, not many games though. Lion Rampart was nice and easy with no special gimmicks. As Saga is too full of those gamey features, and is not in my taste.

And off course there was War Head Christmas tournament Civil War where War Head team members celebrated startingYuletide by having very friendly and strongly thematic WH40K tournament. My only time last year when I did Warhammer 40K. But if you do, do with best possible way, War Head style.

Last year we went once again to Hamburg Tactica to participate weekend gaming event. Absolutely my favorite two day happening in nice and friendly atmosphere. Lots to see and experience and loads of inspiration to be taken back home. It will be on the schedule this year too.

Thoughts for the next year

Once again active year with this somewhat eccentric hobby. Painting mood was good throughout the
year and quite amount of figures got ready for games, some just got stored to wait the game to appear. Now looking back the year, I painted almost evert day when I was at home. Painting sessions were from quick hour up to six hour sits during weekends, so sometimes my painting pipeline got empty. This was remedied by ordering quickly more.

As I have many times pointed I'm more of a painter and modeler than gamer. I really enjoy painting nice figures on highest standard I can reach. I go for quality and detail more than speed, so I could spend some time with interesting figure getting it more and more detailed. I still haven't counted how many figures got painted this year, but I believe something around 350 - 400. Or should I say, I figure per day.

There was an active gaming year also, even if I just stated myself as a painter. I found myself in our Club having a game or two a week, so some could even challenge the non-gamer statement. But the games I like to play should be based on scenario and should have strong theme, historical if possible. I just don't want play so called competitive games with miniatures and miniature rule sets, there are way better ways to compete, if that rings your bells. No nicely themed, dramatic and preferably historically set scenario, that my thing. On one interview mr. John Stallard from Warlord Games said, he's historical-romantic gamers, I think I'm too!

Well, this was my year of miniatures. Now toward the next...