Prepping for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge and PolderCon

Like Guy, I too have signed up for this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. Guy has already explained how the Challenge works, so that saves me the trouble. Instead, I figured I'd just take a look at my own preparations. Apart from prepping and base-coating some miniatures, preparation really seems to consist of clearing the painting table. I don't know about you, but mine is permanently beset with half completed, barely started and almost finished miniatures. I know there are wargamers who are very organised and project-based. They start a set of minis, finish them, and get on to the next. Unfortunately, that's just not me.

So, in late November, I took stock of everything that was going on - too much, obviously - to see how much I could reasonably finish. I haven't just got too many half-painted minis, I also paint slowly, so time for a good selection. However, it helps that I'm one of the game hosts at PolderCon, to be held in Utrecht on the 11th of February. I'm planning to run Chain of Command with a scratch German force against British paras.

I've already got a complete Fallschirmjäger platoon and multiple sections of various German units, so that scratch force won't be an issue. But my British paras aren't complete yet. To my embarrassment, I see I started a platoon as part of our 'Project Platoon' in 2011, but unlike Christy, who easily finished her unit, I didn't. Over the years, I did add some figures, but I was still lacking various riflemen, stengunners, a 2" Mortar team and a PIAT team. They were all there, in a box, part-painted, but definitely not finished. Because of the rules of the Challenge, semi-painted minis are a no-go, so they had to be finished before its start.

Next is the always ongoing AWI project. That, in itself, has lacked focus a bit but there's at least been constant progress. At the moment (yes, that may change) the focus is on the end of the southern campaign, perhaps working my way back. That probably has something to do as well with the wonderful older Foundry figures of which I've got quite a few. The 3rd of Foot, present at Eutaw Springs, is commonly thought to have been in complete 1768 warrant dress, so that was a good excuse. I'd started two bases a while ago, so I planned to get those done as well.

A basing session will have to take place later, but here's some pics for bearing up with my babbling...