looking back ... looking ahead

 Looking back at 2021, I'm pleased to see a couple of fantastic commissions bookend the year:

18mm Crimean Russians

A Song of Ice and Fire - Lannister force

A Song of Ice and Fire - Stark force

I am happy that they all turned out so well.

Then came another big 28mm project off the list.  A Brigantine!

the whole project was done in a few weeks

So the year was not a waste, yet there were times when the games were thin or just a solo action:

an ECW game from the spring of 2021

the Lorraine forces were completed also

The lead pile from Jeff got smaller from my painting of them and gifting away some more.

The live games via the net also continued, as I got time in to help a fellow game organizer on the Atlantic coast:

Mac Duff at the frontier!

Along with running my own Corunna game:

final shot from the game, thanking the players online

Then came news that we were going to have to move before the end of the year ... and any games that I might have wanted to do MUST be done before September (realistically) in order to allow space and time to pack and move ...

We did a tribute game to Jeff, including his entire Stagonian vs Saxe-Bearstein tricorne armies:

the Stagonians only did damage ... it was a drawn battle

Then an ECW campaign battle during the summer:

the Monckton Farleigh ECW campaign battle

I knew that any more tabletop games I wanted to do MUST be done right away, so I found a keen player via twitch and we did a few Shako 2 games:

July 11th - lost communications so I
ended up doing the game solo
(testing new system)

July 18th game

Aug 22nd game

Then came what would turn out to be the final ECW game at the old house location:

Freezing Lane

table set up and ready to start

where the power went out shortly after the game started, and we hardly skipped a beat:

table moved outside and continuing the action

I did a couple of pirates games in preparation for the game in the Dungeon with the lads

Pirates in the Dungeon

 

Many errors (mostly regarding cannon) were made - yet lots of laughs for everyone involved, so fun was had either way.

Then came the aforementioned A Song of Ice and Fire commission.

All in all a busy games space - even with COVID restrictions and only 7 months of game time available.

Looking ahead ... ?

Pretty slim game action, with snow continuing to fall here, meaning tough travel conditions for most folks to come here, or likewise for me to schlep the games materials out anywhere.  So expect little in the way of games until spring.

My own personal space for setting up ... anything doesn't exist yet - I'm borrowing a corner of my son's desk to operate my computer right now.

I planned to do some updates to the coverings of the metal base stands (I found some camouflage fuzzy throw blankets which ought to do quite nicely) and this boxing day (well week really) I ordered new tree kits from woodland scenics, which ought to arrive sometime in the new year, and will be doing an update to my forests and hedgerows - Rob's work has inspired me to have better surroundings for the minis to fight in.

one version of the camouflage throw

 

the other version of fuzzy throw

More renovations to complete then more unpacking then more re-arranging before any games space could be expected to be set up at all.  Again not seeing much starting in that direction until spring or really summer actually, since the deck and roof and exterior repairs are still awaiting my attention and will have to be done before any games action take place.

Happy new year everyone.

vista view of the park that backs on to our property