2012 A Review

It is common practice at this time of year to revisit your Blogging year with a short review detailing notable posts or articles. This is such a post.

I'll start with something that I call The Pledge, an attempt by me to reduce my lead mountain and paint some miniatures. The Pledge was my own variation of The Lead Adventure Painters League which posts a new group of painted miniatures each week during the contest period. I have the goal of a group a month rather than one a week. A series of On-Line builds that has seen Joccian Ratmen, Todoroni  and even giant Gingerbread men finished and based.

I am fully aware that the initial aim has not been fully met, but I am pleased with the finished and painted miniature groups and see this as a great step forward for me.

I have also had a number of Masterclass Articles published on Barking Irons Online as well as two terrain articled published in Miniature Wargames. All this in addition to the on-going work on my own terrain building book 'Building Wargame Terrain' which is moving along well and expected to be published in the first half of 2013.

The later On-Line Builds featured on this Blog include a new Game called S.P.Q.Orc published by Maveryc Games, a game similar to Flintloque - in fact written by Max Coxhead, one of the driving forces behind the original Flintloque game that features heavily on this Blog and a game system that I enjoy collecting, painting and writing for.

2012 also saw a couple of large commissions - which although finished and completed, they are still to be officially launched and therefore I am not able to talk about them (yet). I have enjoyed these modelling interludes which offer me some serious modelling challenges.

I also renewed my acquaintance with SALUTE, my first visit to this iconic show since it was held at Kensington. It was a long and tiring day, but one that still lives long in the memory. I believe that the best, or more accurately the most enjoyable show was Scale Model World - the IPMS show at Telford in November. I also attended Games Expo - Birmingham and the Allumwell Show, two shows that as well as being local to me are great modelling and gaming shows. Two of the friendliest shows I know of.

Late in 2012, I finally got around to joining The Society of Fantasy and Science Fiction Wargamers (SFSFW) and earlier this month took delivery of my first ever Ragnarok as a member, even though I have previously written for the magazine and have many old issues in my collection.

So where do I go in 2013?

I am going to continue with The Pledge - setting myself the challenge to produce at least ten groups of painted miniatures during the year. The 'How to build Wargame Terrain' book will need some finalizing work before publication, but I am confident that it will be completed in the first six months of 2013. I will post details once I have them.

I have been asked to attend SALUTE 2013, but am still to make a decision as to whether I will attend - it is a very long day out and as I usually work weekends - a days holiday!  I will be visiting Alumwell and more-than-likely Games Expo, so keep an eye out for the grey Dampfpanzerwagon T-shirt!

I intend continuing with my gaming and scenario writing as featured in this years Orcs in the Webbe Advent Calendar 2012 where I had four such articles. This is something I enjoy almost as much as building terrain and painting model soldiers.

So there you have it - a short (actually not so short) review and look forward to next year.

2012 has seen this Blog reach its fourth anniversary, with 978 post (not including this one), 347 followers and a regular view total of over 9000 hits a month or 260,000 hits since I installed a counter - in May 2008.

Thank you to all who post comments - they are greatly appreciated and very, very welcome.

Happy New Year.

Tony