Farewell To A Most Unusual Year - And A Recap Of Projects Completed

Farewell to 2020 - quite an extraordinary year and end of the decade. Personally, it wasn't all bad as I got to telework from home most of the year. This, coupled with the "Stay in Your Cave!" mandate from the Ephors resulted in a lot of painting projects getting done. Some of which I would never had considered otherwise (hint: ECW and revisiting Macedonian-Successors). Gaming-wise, I only played in one actual game; a Bolt Action Tank War game in January - just before the pestilence descended upon us. Since I've pretty much been painting non-stop as a distraction, and figured I should catalog the work here for posterity. Here they are in a somewhat chronological order.

Warlord and Perry Napoleonic British and French, Swiss and Polish, as well as some Nassauers and KGL. Some of the figures came with the Warlord Games La Haye Sainte set.

The Warlord Games La Haye Sainte MDF kit - this was something I was hoping to host at our annual big con, Enfilade in May; or possibly later in the year at a game at Fort Steilacoom. Alas, it remains to be seen when this can happen.

The Bolt Action Tank War game I hosted in January. At the time, no one had any idea we'd soon be locked away from each other and all face-to-face gaming a cherished memory. 

Thanks to a buddy gifting me a sprue of Victrix EIR figures, I went ahead to build a small EIR army with more Victrix and some Warlord Games Auxiliaries and Aventine Archers as well.

Of course, the Romans needing an appropriate opponent, I had to build a Celt/Gaul/Briton army too. Most of the figures are Warlord Games with some Victrix and Renegade (2 chariots) filling in.

Odds and sods in a not exact chorological order of work: a Mitrailleuse gun and crew from Spencer Smith (30mm, but fit well with 28's) to support the FPW French; some 60mm plastic Romans and Celts from Expeditionary Force - just a whimsical sidebar project; Victrix Polish Lancers; Victrix Macedonian phalagites and heavy cav wedge; and finally the actual first figure I painted in 2020 - a 120mm Verlinden resin figure of Henry Plantagenet.

Early in the Fall, one of our local gaming stores (The Panzer Depot), announced a going out of business sale where I picked up a couple of boxes of Warlord Games ECW figures. This soon led to me getting a Warlord Games Battalia starter set - then it was downhill from there. I just picked up the "To Kill A King" supplement too - so another project I'd love to get on the table.

Finally, a few more plastic infantry completed in December: Wargames Atlantic WW1 Germans; Warlord Games French Napoleonics and Victrix British Napoleonics - courtesy of the figures gifted to me by another buddy - one who regrets ever considering multi-part plastics.

So, all in all a strange, but not all bad year - at least for painting projects. Another thing which I ended up realizing was how much weight I gained from staying home more. Staying at home had me eating a lot more than when I would be at work. Maybe it was the boredom, or the uniqueness of staying home so much. I've since slowed down and now watching how much and what I eat.

As far as 2021 projects - besides awaiting the release of the Wargames Atlantic WWI French, I just placed an "Army Deal" order of Napoleonic Russians from the Perrys. The state agency where I work has us teleworking through the new year, so figured I will have more brush time ahead. Wishing you a safe and awesome New Year!