Finding Supplies

So, let me start off by saying I am the kind of person who likes to be prepared for things.  When I find a tool I like, I buy two, just in case one breaks or gets lost.  I find a paint I like, I tend to have a few, or a line on them.  New box that works well?  I will probably use several, might as well have them ready.  

That being said, I rarely find myself in a situation where I run out of something and am unable to replace it.  But, it does happen, and is incredibly frustrating.  

In this case, it would be the Battlefront spray paint, specifically the Mid/Late War German Armor (dunkelgelb or a medium dark yellow).  It was perfect for a base coat.  Put a layer on, airbrush the other camo colors, add details, and that was that.  Naturally, it has been out of stock since 2012 when I got back into playing.  I had figured I would exhaust my supply, paint all my vehicles, and by the time I got back into playing (or whenever I saw it available) I would pick up a new can.  Turns out, it never came back into stock.  Looks like they just quit making it, and even the other companies that tried up make up for the lack have also run out.  

This could be a mixed blessing, I suppose.  In 1945, at the end of the war, many vehicles were rushed right out of the factories with a variety of paint jobs done, so I could paint different units in different styles to reflect this.  I also managed to get most of my armor base coated in the spray while I had it, so there are only a few units that really NEED it.  Still, frustrating.  Feels like I am reinventing the process I had set up.  

Also trying to find suppliers for the few models I still need.  Bartertown has gotten me much of what I needed, but there are still a few packs I need to buy to be done with it.  No stores in my area stock Flames of War, so I am back to looking online.  Joy.  

Ah well, at least something is getting done.

Back Home and Gaming Again

That was quite a break.  Between getting ready to head home from the middle east, to the actual move, then settling in, gaming took a back seat to just about everything else.  That is not to say I was not gaming, just that I did not have the time to really write about it.  My apologies to anyone that actually reads these.  I am hoping to correct the sporadic nature of my posts.

While I was away, some things changed in the games I played.

Flames of War - I picked up two more late-war books covering German and US forces.  Between the main four I own (Bridge at Remagen, Desperate Measures, Blood Guts and Glory, and Nuts!) I have enough to run a nice mix from both.  Settled on the Heavy Panzer list from Bridge at Remagen, the Panzer Kampfgruppe from Desperate Measures, and the Volksgrenadier list from Nuts! as the primary three.  I could do more, but those have a nice overlap and use a good portion of the miniatures I own currently.  I would have dropped the Volks, but I have already finished nearly half the army, so might as well get that one wrapped up.

For the US there are two armored lists (one in Bridge the other in BG&G) that are pretty much the same, with a few different options.  Good news there is that I also pretty much have everything I need.  All I really want is enough to have 2-3 decent forces to play with, because I think the odds of finding local FoW players is slim to none.  The gaming community here is fairly small, and seems to be limited to 40k and Warmachine.  If I have two nice looking armies, maybe I can inspire folks to give it a try.

SAGA - They finished up SAGA in the Viking age with the Byzantine supplement while I was still deployed.  Nothing new there.  Then they went and released a set of SAGA rules for the Crusades (Saga: The Cross and the Crescent).  Naturally, I had them on pre-order.  I think they are getting delivered this week.

I am sticking with my plan of doing them up in 15mm.  Originally I had considered doing a single force in 25/28mm, and even traded for a full Norman army to assemble.  While I am not sure if I want to follow through with that or not (it mostly depends on how much I can get done over the next month with other projects).  15mm is quick and easy, and cheap.  I can assemble several forces, and even get a decent table set up without too much effort.  Pretty much everything I play is in 15mm, and it just works better.  I might be supplying both sides for every game I play, but I had planned to do that anyway, and this way I can afford to do so.

Heavy Gear - We got a whole new rules set while I was away.  Frustrating, because everything I had planned to do with the Southern list I assembled has to be reevaluated.  The Northern list I was working on (the Crazy 8's!) also got changed.  Presently, the rules are in the Beta Test stage, they even released a cheap printed rulebook for that.  As it stands, I am thinking I will just use the models I have to actually PLAY, maybe assemble a few other squads, and worry about the overall scope of the units once the rules are set.  As I said, it is still very frustrating... Putting together a few lists and buying models for those lists, just to have them tossed aside with a rules change.  That is a big part of why I quit playing 40k and anything else made by Games Workshop.  Still, they have one free one here, the rules DID need an overhaul, and it looks to be an improvement.

Force on Force/Tomorrows War - I wish I could say I had some grand plans here, but that is not the case.  I have my painted forces for FoF and any Zombie related game, but they have been in foam since they got painted.  I can barely find anyone interested in gaming in general.  I THINK I could get some military interest in FoF, based on the tactical nature of the game, but my heart is just not in it right now.  I know I am not trimming back on those games, but I would need some serious interest from another player to get going again there.  Possible, but not a high priority.  Same deal though, I have a few models that do need to get painted up.

I am going to have quite a bit of free time over the next few weeks, so my plan is to write up a plan of action with getting models assembled and painted, see what I can get done, and adjust as necessary after that.  I have trimmed out so many other games, I am down to the few that I have any interest in at all, but if I can not muster the interest in the time I have (currently in abundance) then I should probably reevaluate the whole thing.  Lets see how I do.