David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Saturday 20 June 2020

It's Half Time...

...but is it oranges or lemons on the plate? As we are moving beyond the longest day of the year and towards the end of June, it seemed like a good idea to reflect on how things had gone here in GHQ since I rashly outlined my hopes and plans hobbywise at the beginning of the year. Well, the obvious answer is very much not as I hoped! There have been no games played in GHQ since mid March. Up until then we had played a dozen games and I was gearing up for the first of a series of North American set games from the F&IW, via the AWI, the War Of 1812-15, and finally the ACW. That would have left me with a campaign series of ACW games from July onwards, borrowing ideas from Longstreet, the event cards from Bull Run to Gettysburg, and Black Powder. Obviously, with all the Corona virus malarkey, that all went tits up!
I just don't get solo games. I enjoy the face to face nature of social wargamingl, not social distancing! I have had one game laid out in GHQ though, a War of 1812-15 extravaganza. Dan was due to take photos to accompany an article I'd written for WI but obviously lockdown put the mockers on that. With online tuition I took the photos myself over three days and if you saw the weekly Bitesize WI you will have seen the end product in issue 3. If you missed it the article is in the July issue as WI returns to its print format.
Although I eschewed gaming I did continue painting, although my monthly totals remained around 50 figures each month. I did a little terrain building, converting two 15mm barns by Warbases into 28mm cabins for North American games, also featured in Bitesize WI. Finally, and probably in a mad moment of optimism, I embarked on a new project in 28mm, the Punic Wars! (As an aside, the 15mm Cold War Gone Hot is available if anyone fancies taking it off my hands. It's a complete game still all in its original boxes and includes Seven Days to the Rhine rules and cards.)
I'm not sure if there is any virtue right now in looking forward to the 'Second Half', after all as a Walsall supporter of 56 years you get inured to disappointment after getting your hopes up. As I'm in the 'more at risk' age group I reluctantly expect it will be a while before Phil, Jon and I meet up for a game or two. I'll press on with my Punic Wars project in the meantime. I've an order in with Aventine Miniatures for some Allied Legion figures to supplement a purchase from Colonel Bill's and with A&A Miniatures for some Carthaginian war elephants and Nubian light infantry. I was hopeful of poping to Foundry for some Spanish infantry and cavalry and a look at the Celt options, but it doesn't seem as if their factory shop is reopening yet. It's a bugger this coronavirus malarkey and no mistake! Keep safe, and sane!

14 comments:

  1. I'm the opposite of you David, in that I'm OK with solo gaming and so have been able to carry on as it were, but my painting has ground to a halt, due to lack of drive and available space, with the family having to social distance in the house for the most part. I'm hoping painting will resume soon (I even dug them out to give them the once over) as I feel the urge to finish some units. Keeping sane a tad tricky but fingers crossed all safe so far...

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    1. Best wishes SteveJ, hope you are painting soon.

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  2. Alas don't see any gaming the rest of the year so I would rather play solo than not at all. Good see that you are upbeat and started a new project with gusto, my WTA project will be on hold for the time being while I finish off and add odd items to the current ones. Here's to better times ahead chin up and KBO

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    1. God, that first sentence is depressing! Might as well sign off now then...

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  3. Well at least your knocking out a very nice punic wars project ! I'm with you on solo gaming but at least I've pressganged my daughter into a game!
    Best Iain

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    1. I feel that I may have gone a bit wild, but I feared no hobby activity at all if I didn't have something new to whet my hobby appetite.

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  4. The Romans’ are looking great David......certainly the lockdown has and is a challenge. I can recommend (as a fall back) some virtual gaming even if by email as it is nice to her some figures fighting ont he table

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement Matt! A tad of fat finger syndrome near the end though?😉

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  5. There will be a tsunami of wargaming when this is over.

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  6. Hi David- Like you I'm not a fan of Solo gaming- certainly prefer a real opponent...I've written some Rules which I could play test Solo -but my heart isn't in it. I've enjoyed reading through your wealth of Posts - most inspiring-Thank you. Cheers. KEV. ( Sydney- AUSTRALIA).

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    1. G'day Kev! Pleased you dropped by and enjoyed what you found.

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  7. Keep your chin up David gaming will return and your Romans look great!

    Christopher

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to encourage me, I've needed it of late. It's all very tedious!

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