6 Month Mountain Reduction and Painting Challenge!

I saw this challenge on The Spider Web of History blog, and thought that seeing other's who suffer from the same "hoarder" mentality that I clearly have with miniatures, would help motivate me to get painting!

http://historyspiderweb.blogspot.ca/2015/05/alright-everybody-its-time-for-2nd.html

There are about 36 other participants signed up for this challenge and it's amazing how diverse the group is in what they like. It seems like looking at everyone's blogs we're hitting all the possible time periods and scales, it's really neat to see!

For this first post I really just wanted to take one day and really inventory EXACTY what I have and then what I realistically think I can get completed. This is my gift to the guys and girls in the challenge - think of these photos as validation that what you think you have is bad, really isn't!

I initially wanted to inventory each box, but quickly realized that if I went ahead and did that, first I'd probably just throw up, but more importantly I would quickly get depressed at the realization that I'm never going to build and paint everything in these boxes. Trust me though when I say each and every box you will see is full.

I Love pirates, who doesn't right!? The good thing, one of the smaller boxes. The bad thing, probably never will get touched. The other box is 28mm Old Glory American War of Independence figures. I enjoy this time period, but never enough to buy figures - until I got like 40 bags from FRP Games at 75% off. It was only like $7 - $8 per bag of 30 metal figures. How could I possibly pass that deal up? Chalk another one up to the probably never will get touched pile.

 I have so much Old Glory 28mm American Civil War figures it's absolutely insane. This box is bursting and probably weighs in close to 30 pounds.

I got sucked into Flames of War three or four years ago and this is one small box of figures that are at least based. A 15mm metal American Civil War box sits underneath - got this off of Ebay a few years ago, again, another deal too good to pass up.

As a kid growing up who wasn't fascinated by Zulu and Zulu Dawn?! Stanley Baker, Michael Caine, Burt Lancaster... brilliant! I'd always wanted to game this battle and got a great deal on these sets last year at Historicon. This is one I'd really love to complete, but let's be serious, look how much more you have to scroll down.

This a full box of West Wind Games Secrets of the Third Reich. Hey look, I spelled "reich" wrong on the box. Anyway, I was always kind of fascinated by the idea of an alternative post 1945 world and again, another steal deal both on Ebay and at FRP Games.

 This is the box I hope to really get into -  the Old West and Pulp I mean. The Lord of the Rings, from Games Workshop, as brilliant as the films were, these should probably get sold. The Old West, Dead Man's Hand rules set by Great Escape Games, and the Pulp Era, Pulp Alley rules set by David and Mila Phipps, are the two games I'm really focused on right on. Fingers crossed I make some headway here.

Damn you Shawn Morris - The Terrain Guy on You Tube - his videos sucked me right into the Flames of War game four years ago, plus the vehicles are super cool. Seriously though, Shawn's videos and tables are just amazing and if you have never seen them I highly recommend them, even if you aren't into the game you'll be inspired by his work.

The white boxes in the middle are all the really big 4Ground kits that need built - the ones to the left have been built, yeah me! - all WWII era. I think converting and upgrading the 4Ground buildings is really what I'm good at and hope to get to a couple of these before December.

Oh Bolt Action, how I wish you were all painted and I knew how to play. This box is full of US Rangers, US Airborne support teams, British Airborne and support teams, various German troops, and probably 10 or so vehicles from both the allies and axis.

Almost to the end! The bottom left box is full, and I do mean full, of more 4Ground kits. Mostly 28mm, but there are some 15mm in there (intended for FOW).  Lots of row houses, both bombed out and normal versions, some Age of Black Powder buildings, fences, and for sure another stagecoach. Above that in the white box is more Old West. Who the hell knows what's in the box below it, I couldn't even bring myself to look.

Now we get to the part where you get to see why I joined. Despite what you've seen above, I'm really not an idiot (ok, debatable), and I know I'm never going to get all of this painted, but I really hope to make a dent here. This is more 28mm Old Glory ACW figures, all in various states of chaos. Again, a large portion of this collection was purchased second hand in what I'll term the "Deal of the Century". The problem is the various states of chaos - some are completely untouched, some are primed, some are painted horrifically (even for me!) and need stripped, some are broken, some are partially painted, etc.

 

The goal here for me is to clean up and finish all the figured that have been primed or have already started to be painted. There is a ton. You can already see the ones primed and started on popsicle sticks, but the plastic containers with the red tops are full of figures that are also primed. Ridiculous. I need more friends with an interest in historical miniatures so I can start a club and have "Painting Night" once a week!

More ACW figures along with some primed Brigade Games and Bob Murch pulp figures.

Here is my start at the Bolt Action figures. I felt I was moving along quite nicely, not sure what derailed me. Squirrel. The US Airborne are probably 90% done, the British Airborne 70%, the Waffen SS 70%, the late war Germans are at least based. There are some of the Zulu Warriors in there as well, bases need finished.

 

More ACW figured along with some primed Old West figures both from Brigade Games - the "not" Deadwood figures - and Blue Moon's citizens.

So, ACW clean up, Old West and Pulp. That is my focus for thi - oh look, another sale at FRP Games