Finishing 28mm 1870 Prussian infantry brigade

I spent today finishing my last 28mm 1870 Prussian infantry battalion.  The figures need to be flocked and sealed.  However, this completes my 28mm 1870 Prussian infantry brigade.  I'm now halfway done with my 28mm 1870 Franco-Prussian armies.  I'll have enough to play test Chassepot and Needlegun rules in June 2013.  I'm wanting to run the battle of Woerth for Die Con 13/Barracks Battles 2013 at the con.  I still need to complete my 25mm European buildings before I can really play test Larry Brom's rules.  The rest of the year with deal with the other half of my 28mm 1870 armies.  I have a brigade of Zouaves and Turcos to paint followed by a 28mm brigade of 1870 Bavarian infantry.  There are also odd units like a regiment of dismounted Chasseurs d'Afrique, too. 

I am getting painting done.  But this is such an undertaking, I'm not sure how to frame it.  I have other projects in the background I'd like to get to.  However, the 28mm FPW project has consumed the painting time I've devoted each week, I'm not going to be to get anything else done.  I have worked on other small projects like 28mm High Elf infantry and the odd sample figure. 

But my imagination is larger than my time to devote to painting.  I've picked up the following things this year to eventually do:  28mm Vikings, 28mm Vietnam US Marines and Vietnam civilians, 15mm WWII British Paras for FoW, and 28mm Gendarmes for Italian Wars.  I look at what I have in my immediate storage contain to work on for next year.  It's 28mm Trojan War figures.  I also have 30mm GW vehicles, bikes, and figures to eventually paint.  That isn't including the 28mm Vikings, 28mm Vietnam, and 15mm FoW stuff.  This will keep me painting for years.  But my biggest cost besides painting supplies is storage containers for my figures.  I'm thinking about going with Battlefoam for my future projects.  That's another expense I'll have to deal with as I round out my figure collection...   

WIP, High Elves, 12APR13

Here are some photos of WIP, High Elves, 12APR13.  The figures are almost done.  There is also a random SYW British Drummer and FPW 1870 Chasseur Afrique infantry figure in with the High Archers.  The two historical figures were samples from Foundry and Askari Miniatures I finally got around to painting.

                                          WIP, 28mm High Elf Archers with random historical figs, 12APR13.

                                          WIP, 28mm High Elf Spearmen, 12APR13.

Photos from the SYW Convention in South Bend, IN

Here are some photos of games from the SYW Convention in South Bend, IN last weekend:

                                         Don Cox playing in a 28mm Tricorne game.

                                         A Prussian vs. Austrian game.  Not sure on scale.

                                          Players enjoying themselves at the SYW Convention.

                       My 15mm Austrians vs. Allies game that never happened due to a lack of players

SYW Convention

Don Cox and I went to the Seven Years War Convention in South Bend, IN this past weekend.  I didn't get a chance to play in any games because of the odd timing most of the games started and the fact Don and I ran late getting lunch both days the convention was opened.  I didn't have enough people for my 15mm SYW game.  If I go to the convention again, I'm tempted not to bring anything and just game.  The large games had players.  They got most of the attention.  I didn't have enough players for the amount of troops I have on the board.  That's life.  I've had that happen to me in the past.  And it will still happen to me in the future. 

So I spent the convention wandering around, watching games, and buying books and miniatures.  I broke down and dealt with Rob Walter of Eureka Miniatures USA.  I picked some Dark Ages and Italian Wars figures.  They went into my storage pile when I came home.  I also read through the Ospreys I bought at the convention, too. 

However, our luck getting food was awful.  Many restaurants have closed down in South Bend.  Those that are still open close early like 4 PM on Saturday afternoon (this was Subway)!  Orders were also screwed up in both South Bend and Terra Haute, IN.  Don and I were glad to leave Indiana yesterday afternoon.  So this convention was a loss for me.  There's a question where the next one will be held.  If it's moved closer to St. Louis, MO like the western outskirts of Chicago, IL, I'll definitely go.  If it's moved further east, I probably won't be bothered. 

There are other conventions I'd like to go.  Colonial Barracks is one.  I've spent my money for the year as far as national conventions go.  The SYW Convention is still worth attending if you haven't made it.  It's small enough not to worry about having someone walk off with your figures.  However, I wish there was more of an effort to get games to start on time.  It would have given me more of a chance to play than just sit around a table and talk with people.  That's my only complaint this year....