I was reflecting on the last year or so in Flames of War gaming, and more and more talk feels like it is sliding toward the negative. This is a shame, as we are generally trying to keep it positive here in WWPD Land. Recognizing this, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect back on all the cool things that I still like about my involvement in this hobby.
All My Friends
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It is also super cool to head out to Historicon or GenCon and see people that we are familiar with. We talk, we argue, we discuss, we learn. All these years later, I am still meeting new folks and having fun with them. I can definitely say that I have friends all over the world, and that is a very fine thing, indeed.
The Painting
I love to make stuff. I REALLY do. Though I have slowed down a bit on the 15mm and gotten in to other things, I still like to fire up the old painting station from time to time. I do not plan to start up any totally different lists or nationalities, but I do love adding in obscure options for established armies (Germans), or adding some core options to my smaller collections (US). I REALLY need to decide something with my Brits...
There is just something about sitting down and planning out a new platoon, trying to find some good deals, getting models and knocking them out. I really like to paint a platoon at a time so that I can get a feeling of accomplishment. Taking that final photo and sharing it out through social media is just awesome.
There is just something about sitting down and planning out a new platoon, trying to find some good deals, getting models and knocking them out. I really like to paint a platoon at a time so that I can get a feeling of accomplishment. Taking that final photo and sharing it out through social media is just awesome.
This hobby has also gotten me in to teaching some basic classes at HMGS Hobby U. I love teaching the classes and I hope I have helped some new folks get in to miniature painting. We have great support from HMGS, Hobby U and the manufactures who supply us with stuff to paint. Super fun!
This is what attracted me to the game in the first place, and still a great attraction for me. I have read and researched many parts of World War 2 that I would probably not have learned about because of this game. I have also gone quite deeply in to some areas to create a more interesting list or terrain. I have had the opportunity to contribute to Wargames Illustrated and Bolt Action, which has been really fun.  |
| 29th for Bolt Action |
The History
Just the other day, I was working on lists for Scott's historical tournament. I emailed around to Mike Haught and Tarzan discussing German self-propelled anti-tank options facing the 29th west of Julich. It was amazing the amount of resources brought to bear on the problem. I saw an AAR on CARL from the 747th Tank Btn, and the questions flowed from there. My boys brought considerable resources in books and knowledge to bear and we worked it out. It was really fun to tackle the problem with some very knowledgeable friends who had genuine passion to get the history right.
The Tournaments
I still like hitting up the i95 tournaments. I think this has to do with the first thing I listed - hanging out with my friends. While I do enjoy tournaments, I have never really been that good at them. I do like the list building, the painting of new units, the strategizing, the totally wrong predictions and all that. I must confess that I really like EW and MW more than LW, but I still like to play in most of the local tournaments that I can get in. I never really tried all that hard to get all serious and win these anyway, but I am fairly serious about EW and MW. To me, the LW tournament is about coming up with some semi-good list with interesting models and weirdo or themed units. I do have fun at most of these events, because I get to hang with friends and play crazy lists.So there you have it! My fun may be a little dampened lately, but it certainly isn't gone! What's still fun to you?
