900th Post -THANK YOU ALL

That's right, this is the 900th published post and I have all you followers new and old to thank for keeping me blogging away. It's a great opportunity to look back at the blog and into the future.

It all started on the 8th of September 2011 so it's going on 4 years old, not bad for something that was set up to record my unsteady steps back into wargaming after about 20 or so years rest. So much had changed in those years. Techniques had improved and of course the internet had allowed these new ideas to spread around the wargaming and painting world to the benefit of all.

I also needed the help though my basic skills were surprisingly quick to come back I found that such as the army painter dip made my work so much better. Indeed I was to dip so many old figures making them look much better when I came to rebase them that it felt almost like new armies!

Whilst I was happy to jazz up old figures I had no wish to go back to old rules and found Fields of Glory for Ancients more to my liking. More recently I have moved on again to Hail Caesar which gives a faster game and whilst it has less historical feel I much prefer the faster looser game and expect it to remain my staple for Ancients for years to come.

I flirted with Imputus but disliked some of the rule systems and the one army I painted up for it was sold when my opponent when off in a huff over something (never did find out why, or being honest care).

I also made a move that in the end was the biggest change to my future wargameing choices and that was the finishing off of the 6mm Irregular French army and playing it against my Irregular Prussians. However buying the Baccus figures to add to my French saw me sell off the two armies and replace with a mix of Adler and Baccus and of course cross pollinate over a number of other periods in 6mm.

The crowning glory of 6mm for me was Dr Mikes painting clinic that Ian showed me how to paint 6mm faster and with more impact. So a big thanks to both of them. This has lead to me being able to paint up my half of Project Waterloo and beyond. When I started back into 6mm I had almost no experience painting buildings and through Total Battle Miniatures and Timecast started to learn how to paint up buildings and of course since have moved onto Leven Miniatures where I have had such a concentrated experience and have much improved in style and finish.

Two other new area's of interest have both been 28mm. Western gunfights and Saga are both fairly low figure count interests but they have caught my children's interest and have allowed me the opportunity to share this wonderful hobby with them, such a very valuable and precious time.

Not that it stops there, two good old mates who stayed with the games have again crossed swords with me and much fun and blood has been shred over our figures.

A rather unexpected but VERY welcome effect of starting the blog has been the making of lots of new friends and new wargaming buddies. I really could not put a price on that, especially the support I received whilst ill and trying to get my self back on track and the main success was hobby related.

As for the future, I think as work settles down and I get used to the new pace I will again post almost as regular as I ever have. With Project Waterloo almost complete (less than three weeks to the Joy of Six) more time will be available for doing many other projects that have taken a back seat. Although Lee wanting to send Napoleon into Russia will see yet more Napoleonic legions marching off my desk, other periods and scales will still get plenty of opportunities, well at least till I am given my list of figures and date to get them done :-)

Whilst blogging seems to be a tad less fashionable than Facebook groups I think it will far out last these once the full realisation of how temporary your offerings tend to be compared with a living blog like I write and follow.

So again to all you lot, thanks for coming round and here's to the next 900 posts!