Wednesday 16 September 2015

Naughty or Nice?

Have you been naughty?
Well this year I have signed up to be a secret Santa, actually I have signed up to be two.

 You may know that Ian runs one at http://walladvantage2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/its-secret-santa-time-again-secret.html runs an annual Secret Santa Project for poor misunderstood unfortunate wargamers. Well as I am one I thought to join in.


Here are the rules (Taken from his Blog)

Below are the rules in a little more detail.

1. To enter you need to either have a blog or be a regular follower of this blog already. This is to give confidence to all involved that everyone will follow through to the end. If you have a blog and don't follow this one it's OK to join in.


2. The present should be around £15 plus postage (best to buy the present actually in the country the receiver lives in so cutting down postage costs)

3. It's OK to have a wish list but it's just as good to buy something you think the person would like. Blog details of your target are given so you can snoop.


4. Whilst it's not essential it really added to Cath's enjoyment when the SS checked in with her to let her know target had incoming.

5. You should promote the Secret Santa on your blog to hopefully increase the numbers joining in.


6. You should sign up by 1st November so to allow time for picking gifts.

7. Gifts should arrive by 20th December if possible. It's fine to get the supplier to send direct and I would be cheeky and ask them to gift wrap  ;-)


8. Item/s should be wargame related though it's OK to throw in something odd if you want to.

Well that's all I can think of at the moment regards rules etc. You have right up to the 1st of November to sign up but I would appreciate some early birds as it makes organising it that much easier. I will need the blog name and an e-mail address for you (plus your real name)
Something nice to look at. If you are on the Nice list.

9. You can sign up by sending me an email via the gadget to the right of the posts or details in the comments section.  Those returning only need to let me know they are in again and any change of details as Cath has last years details.
 
So you have until November 1 if you are interested. In Joining the fun.
 
Additionally: A second Secret Santa run by Chris can be found Here. http://cstoesen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-santa-clause-2015.html 
 
And here are his rules..
Rule number 1:
To enter you need to either have a blog or be a regular follower of this blog (or Ian's) already. This is to give confidence to all involved that everyone will follow through to the end. If you have a blog and don't follow this one it's OK to join in. (I would still appreciate it if you did follow)
Rule number 2:
The idea is that each person involved buys a figure or figures to the value of less than £5 and paints them up to fit in with what the target blogger wargames or collects. Best would be some kind of command for the bigger scales but maybe a unit or two of such as 6mm or a building or... you get the idea.
 
Rule number 3:
Please try to send out your items so that they will arrive by December 20th in plenty of time for the big day. I will send out who you have on September 30th.
Rule number 4:
Please post on your blog about your participation. The more we can get on board, the more fun for all of us.
Rule number 5:
This is not intended to be a cheap alternative to Ian's Secret SantaTM. Instead it is a great opportunity to send and receive something that will be special BECAUSE it's a one off from a fellow blogger. Not that you have to limit yourself to something useful, feel free to paint up something that will just sit aside the painting desk or study etc and just give pleasure.
 
So having entered them both I thought to give my prospective Secret Santas a few Hints (Un -subtle).
 
Firstly though If you think of something I would Like that is not on the list, get it I am sure I will like it no matter what and it may be something I would not have thought of.
 
But if you want to be safe and sure I will love it, here are a few suggestions. Top right is a gadget which has the suggestions listed in alphabetical order. I went Alphabetically so not to sway your opinions.
 
 
V= Virgin Project so you are guaranteed to get me something I just do not have.
I have put a picture by each idea so you should not miss any that way. But I know I would no matter what anyone else did! 

 
V Lovecraft Horror. 28mm. I am thinking in the new year of starting some Lovecraft horror Wargaming. As such I would be looking for Deepones, Hybrids, Fishermen, Cultists and the like. http://blackcatbases.com/ sell them all if you did not know where to find them. Takes me back to my youth of playing Call of C'thulhu, Maybe a second childhood is approaching nah I have not left the first one yet!
 
 
 
 
 
 
V Ice Age animals. 28mm. For a while now I have been thinking about LEWIS and CLARKE mapping America and Canada. I had wondered what it would be like if they came across a lost world. can you imagine a game wher Mountain men armed with a Musket would try to hunt Smiladon or mammoths. Gosh that would be a squeaky bum time! But you know some fool (brave soul) would! Dee Zee miniatures have them on eBay on occasion, but as a new project any manufacture would do,
 
V Naval wargames from "Transition Period to Modern Day" I have never really gotten into Naval wargames in the past as I was put of by some bad experiences in my teens. But now I am Older (much older) I am ready to have another try at this style of wargames. As it is a New project I am not fixed on a manufacture or scale (but small is good) or even setting. So feel free to go crazy anything from 1905 Russian Japanese, to Greenpeace anti whaling is good for me. perhaps WW2 Pacific has the widest choice though.
 
Pendraken 10 mm I would look to increase my 10mm Samurai armies(No Peasants though.) As I canalways use extra 10mm Sams Just for continuity I would stick to Pendraken as other manufactures tend not to fit in too well with the armies I already have.
 
V. Pendraken 10mm Mongols. I have none and while they could be used to fight against my Samurai armies they would realistically be slightly too early so I am actually thinking of  using them for "Lion Rampant" or even "Dragon Rampant" as they would be a nice nomadic force  and I have always like horse armies. Even If I am rubbish at using them. So no Infantry please.
 
 
 
V Pendraken 10mmWW1 Turkish. It may seem odd to ask for
WW1 Turkish troops when I have no interest in Galipoli as a wargame. But there is a whole theatre of war that is seldom looked at in WW1 Palestine. I would choose Turkish troops to start with as I am not sure if I will want to start my 10mm Arab revolt force before Christmas or not. But as another club member already has started a Imperial force starting the Turks might be a good idea as I will have someone to fight straight away without having to paint 2 armies!
 
Pendraken 10mm Colonial. I already have enough 10mm Zulus and British. So maybe More Marhdists (I am short of Cavalry and Camalry) but I have no Egyptians if you want to keep it in the Sudan. But I would be very interested as well in the NW Frontier (again no British) Afghani Tribesmen, The dress and clothing of the Afghanis has not altered very much so Afghani Tribesman could be used to fight anything from Napoleonic Battles (1st Anglo Afghan war) all the way through the colonial perion to the 5th Anglo Afghan war ( Not much of a war as it only lasted a few days) and nothing to really wargame all very one sided.
 
 
 
V Van Helsing 28mm. Taking inspiration from the film of the same name, We have werewolves,witches Vampires and Villagers. As well as Heroes and Villains. I would be looking to use the "Songs of Blades and Heroes" rules to create some skirmish games. . Figure wise I would look at vampire wars by Westend Games or perhaps any ECW figures for village militia or town watch. This really is a very open subject so feel free to let your imagination run wild. Maybe a Frankenstein's Monster or a Fu Manchoo  or Crooked Dice Scarecrows, or a gypsy caravan or two.
 
 
V Western Desert WW2. 6mm (Heroics and Ross preferred). I would like to start using FOW in 6mm Western Desert. Italians, British (and Commonwealth) or Germans preferred but US troops were also present. I like the early - mid war period best before the German Big cats come along. £15 would easily be enough for a company with support for any of the three nations listed, 2 companies if you just got tanks! I already have a 6 MM desert board with Terrain and have been greatly Inspired by Big Lee (but don't tell him). So an easy project to start and finish..
 
Anything else. well yes As mentioned I do have a desert board (in 2 different scales, -6mm and 20mm) So Arab Israeli wars or Imperial Rome in the desert or biblical in 6mm or crusades or French foreign Legion (Riff war) or anything you can think of that I would Like. But any of the suggestions above are the easy and obvious choices. Most of the above (but not all) periods have firearms, so perhaps that is another clue. But the choice really is yours as I know I will be happy with any wargame stuff, brushes and paints included! But no underwear please as I still believe in Santa!
 
I hope to have given my secret Santa a few Ideas. Mostly it is about fun and having a good game. So whomever my Secret Santa is I hope they can enjoy my choices as much as I have enjoyed Voicing them. Good Luck to you who ever you are and I hope I have given you more than enough to choose from.
 
Cheers Clint

16 comments:

  1. That list is a bit early LOL, good job you have it on the sidebar ;-)

    Good to have you on board and thanks for the plug

    Ian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ian, It may be early but I want peoples list early as it gives me more time to think and plot and plan. (thinking is slow for me).
      Well it may in all eventuality be early but it is done and I hope it gives a wide enough choice.

      Remember shop early for Christmas (all my Christmas shopping is now done and wrapped and put away! It is because I am so Unorganised that I have done it early)

      Delete
  2. Is the link to the right working? I've clicked on it, but can't get it to work.

    That's quite some list! I'm stuck trying to make one. Ancient Egyptian stuff in 28mm is my only sensible thought. All my other projects are near complete in the purchasing department [I don't want to go any bigger] and I'm trying to just work with a limited number of projects.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, you were altering the link - I can now get it to work :)

      Delete
    2. Thanks Roy.
      I had to change the link to get it working, it should come back to this post in days, weeks and months time, which should give my secret Santa a clear insight.

      It is a list and a half, but I wanted to make is so that everyone might find something they are interested in. They are all projects for the future so whatever is selected I know I will get them done. I just did not want a list to limited that the SS would feel constrained. No body wants that as it would take away the fun.

      28mm Egyptians. So Stu will be short of them for a few years.

      Delete
    3. No, unfortunately I'll be getting my Egyptians from Dark Fable Miniatures, direct. There is a couple of bits that I can get through Stu, but they'll be new kit from the likes of Ainsty and Unfeasibly.

      Delete
  3. I can tell you thought long and hard about the list Clint!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ray. because I missed out last year (ant the year before) on the fun I wanted to give my Santa a few varied choices.

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Thanks Bob I knew I could count on you. Less than 100 days until 25th December now!

      Delete
  5. Hmm, what an interesting list! Maybe I should write my own such "wants" list, not so much for a secret Santa but rather to air and clarify my own priorities :-) .

    For the Ice Age mammals, the DeeZee range is readily available from Arcane Scenery (http://arcanesceneryandmodels.co.uk/product-category/deezee-miniatures/). I think that the occasional eBay listing of such models is likely to be theirs.

    As for "Van Helsing", I suggest that you take a look at the "Fear and Faith" rules. They're a derivative of "Song of Blades and Heroes" and are designed exactly for this type of game. Also consider figures from Blue Moon Manufacturing: http://www.oldgloryuk.com/things-that-go-bump-in-the-night/41/134/374/384 . Their figures are slightly old-style sculpts, but are cheap and would fit this subject very well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you C6, I really like all the suggestions, Maybemy secret Santa will follow them, and maybe they will have some of their own.

      I would advise writing your own lists as by doing so my thoughts became slightly more focused. With luck yours will too.

      Delete
  6. I guess it pays to advertise early for Xmas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Joe. By posting early it does give a fella time to think and order anything they might need to and look around. Not that they have to of course, but better early than Late I suspect.

      Delete
  7. Christmas!! its September surely Halloween is next :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Simon, less than 100 days to go! You had best start soon!

      Delete

Please feel free to leave a comment.