Friday 21 March 2014

Last entry into the Challenge & Tomorrows Reject game




Damn the Challenge’s finished!! 

I finished a lot higher than I thought I would this year, but I’m very happy with 17th place. I’ve just gone back to work after 21 days off, I had loads of plans, I thought I’d get some painting done for the Challenge, perhaps get a few games in and get frustrated playing loads of Call of Duty. But fate aka my Father-in-Law stepped in and slapped me right round the face!!!

I should be grateful and I am, but…….

He gave me and the Mrs some dosh to buy a new kitchen, so I spent nearly the whole 3 weeks stuck in the kitchen ripping out the cupboards and tiles, re-plastering the ceiling and walls, putting all the new cupboards in and re-tiling! Now this has earned me a few brownie points, but in the end I was looking forward to going back to work, which for me is quite depressing!!!!

I did get a little painting done though; I sat up until about 2 in the morning one evening, with matchsticks keeping my eyes open, splashing on some paint with a 4 inch brush, onto some unloved Dark Age casualties, for the Last Stand bonus round. It wasn’t my planned entry, which was some more Old Glory Crusader figures that needed me to be really awake to paint, so this was my next best…..






I did finish some other figures that I just didn't have time to base up, I’ll be doing that this weekend, so look out for two NYW French infantry units and a handful of 28mm FIW figures I painted up for Postie. They would have pushed me up to 13th place, but que sera sera.

As I’m back on nights, I’m also missing Saturday’s game (damn you Postie!) But today the devil insisted that I go round and inspect the game, which looks terrific. But I did take a few pics with the promise that I’d only use 1 of the game, just to wet your whistle!!! See the first pic above.

The Little Devil himself!
Posties had this for years and it’s the first time its been out on the tabletop. I’m gutted I’m missing it!!!
Not sure what side I'd rather be on, but let's say I think the Romans are in trouble!!!

Lastly apologies must go to Fran, he couldn't make it to Cavalier last month, so he gave me a small list of figures and paint that he wanted me to get him, so he could paint them up for the Last Stand bonus round in Curt’s Challenge. I did buy them, but then forgot about dropping them over to him and now I can’t find the bloody things!!!

Lucky we’re going to Salute eh?

58 comments:

  1. Hard luck spending your hols on a DIY project. At least you have something to show for your efforts.

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    1. Thanks Millsy but, I'm still not convinced!

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  2. Why can't we see your work on the kitchen ?
    maybe it could count for the Challenge as Bonus Work ?

    And I like :
    -the castle in the first picture
    -and of course your casualties !

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    1. I'll take a pic of the kitchen if you want, just imagine how many bonus points I would get!!!

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  3. A new kitchen is worth a year of brownie points. Easy.

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    1. I'll tell the mrs its a years worth then!!!

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  4. Bad luck for your holiday, stay- cations are usually honey-do-listed into oblivion! ;)
    My wife usually loosens the leash a bit if I'm good, hopefully your wife does the same!
    Looking forward to the FIW figs! ;)

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    1. There was no time for the leash to be loosened, I'm afraid!!! :0(

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  5. Well done on 17th Ray, I'd call that a pretty solid performance. Brownie points are always worth earning! Great looking milecastle too!

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  6. 17th eh ? Better than the expected 19th and given the quality of the other competitors' entries I think congratulations are in order.
    As for the kitchen, what can I say ? Real life sux but on the plus side, you must have some Brownie points in the bag with the missus (maybe not so many though with Fran)

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    1. I wanted to get more done, but I'm happy with 17th. Real life sometimes does indeed suck....bigtime!!!

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  7. Like the casualties!
    Sorry you're working nights. I don't think I could handle that anymore.

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    1. I don't mind nights, been doing them for 10 years now, weekend nights are the best, that's when the brush comes out!!

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  8. congrats on finishing the Challenge strongly - I appreciated all your encouragement throughout.
    I am back on 1:1 scale modelling in the Laundry also... but happy wife = happy life!

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  9. Having seen the mile fort I have decided I do not want to play the game today. It looks hard. Shame you will not be there but with luck you might pop in for a brief period. As mentioned in the email, sort out when you have a Saturday free and I'll put you a game on. All the best mate.

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  10. While in the short term the new kitchen-project is a bore and drag on the hobby-time, in the long run it will make the missus happy and a happy missus equals more leniency towards future hobby-endeavours so I think it will pay off. I wish I had a father-in-law who would give me a new kitchen...

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  11. Fantastic looking casualties and castle...courage for the nights!

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  12. Casualties look great Ray! Congrats on taking 17th place too!

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  13. Great looking casualty figures. I'm sure you lost the figs as a way of preventing Fran from getting more points done than you in the challenge!

    New Kitchen eh! At least 6 months of Brownie points easy!

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  14. Ray, really enjoyed your entries... it was great to have you along as a fellow challenger. I would never have thought, that I would come out on top of you. Thanks to your father in law for the kitchen!!! :-P

    I know the feeling about last minute entries. Six more hours and I could have done 200 more, but my eyes got too tired in the end!

    Enjoy your game today!

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    Replies
    1. Good ol' Colin, he just didn't know he was sabotaging me!

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  15. That siege game is looking damn good. Can you fiddle your way in down the road?

    FMB

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  16. Love that little fortress, Ray! And poor Fran, I smell some ebil treachery there :)

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  17. Ray
    I am jealous of your new kitchen. SWMBO has been threatening to take a sledge hammer to ours for years. The castle looks great as do the figs.
    Use your brownie points wisely.
    Cheers, PD

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    1. Well I suppose the mrs did have a point, I put the original kitchen in 20 odd years ago, while I was married to someone else!!!

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  18. You're an idiot, they're are figures from Clint and Anne as well!

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  19. Like the casualties Ray. 17th is damned respectable sir. Kitchen smitchen!

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  20. Nice looking game - lovely terrain. Congrats on another impressive Challenge. Best, Dean

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  21. Hey, Ray. nice work on the casualties. Congrats on the remodel.

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  22. Tough luck on the non wargame-related work, but you did a good job on those Ray. And I'm sure waiting for the game's pictures now.

    Cheers
    Seb

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  23. At least you got some painting done! It could be worse!

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    1. Yep you're right, I could have done bugger all!!

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  24. I bet the figures are still there somewhere, probably next to something or under something. Maybe something you moved during the project. You wouldn't throw them out by mistake, right? So they must be there.

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    1. Yeah, the house is still a bit upside down, but I found them in a bag with some plumbing bits in?? Not sure who put them in there???

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  25. Too bad you can't make the game. That first pic has me intrigued -- I hope Fran and Lee take pics!

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    1. Fran can't go, he's stuck at work too, but I'm sure Lee will be taking loads of pics as well as Clint!

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  26. A new kitchen is a great project too; you can use some of your Wargamer skills...

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    1. I'd rather be using them skills elsewhere Juan.

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  27. While I do appreciate the new kitchen, I'm equally gutted about the lost 3 weeks.
    And Fran, Yes I am, but you already new that! But I've found them after loads of frantic searching!!!

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  28. A new kitchen and Brownie points to boot, Salute could be expensive this year then!

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  29. Great entries to the challenge this year Ray, you certainly did some different things. Nice work.

    john

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  30. That fort does look great! As consolation brownie points always come in handy later on.

    Christopher

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  31. Impressive fort, looking forward to the AAR.

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