Gainfully Unemployed

As of 22nd February I have been out of work. Politics, mainly, being the reason - my line manager being an inherently (very) insecure person took umbrage at me challenging him to manage me properly back in October, and spent three months constructing an elaborate and unbeatable case for my dismissal. No great drama though, the job was unutterably shit - it must have been, I saw what he was up to, and took no steps to prevent it from happening.

Obviously money is a worry, but it was a worry when I was working, so no change on that front. On the positive it means I get to enjoy some time to myself, and don't have to fret about being on the 07:00 hrs to London Bridge, working 70+ hours a week, or any of the relentless nonsense which accompanies business sales these day.

So, all that means I've had time to take stock of the wargaming situation, and be utterly ruthless in the projects on the go.

First to fall was the 28mm WW2 - I'd sold all the scenery to Stuart a while back, so all of the early war stuff has been sold now. The late war British Paras from Artizan have been donated to someone I know who works at a Children's Home. The BAM Paras are being painted for sale - pics to follow in the next few days. Rather pleased with them actually, so they might end up staying.

The huge Musketeer early Saxon army - originally bought for WAB - has been trimmed down, and there's over a hundred of them going on eBay this week. Unless anyone wants to make me an offer. All unpainted. The stuff I have painted will be kept for Saga or TFL's latest rules (which look very good).

The Splintered Light collection is staying... oh yes, my precious. Just laid them all out on the dining table this evening. Around 250 miniatures I've had from David in the last 2 years; 3 Dragons, some 100 15mm Dark Ages, and 150 or so Splintered Lands - Goblins, Dwarfs, Beastlands, Rebels, and Faithful.

There's still the matter of the 10mm Redline Napoleonics - I have two small armies; Brits and French, around half painted so far. Completely lost interest in them, and they don't seem to be worth anything on eBay. I expect they'll stay, purely on the basis of it not being worth the effort of selling them.

Lastly there's the handful of fantasy things I have - RBG, Heresy, etc - they'll stay also, because one day I'll get round to painting them.

So, lots of painting doing at the moment, especially since I've had a bit of an epiphany and started undercoating Grey primer, rather than black. Much happier with the results, as you'll see this week. Got two dozen more BAM paras to do, then I'm going to start on the Bat Clan Goblins. Also think I'll make an effort with the SSL/SFB mash-up this week too, between interviews.

Rules for Kids

My daughter is now 5, and whilst thankfully not the spitting image of me, she is rather keen on Dragons, Goblins, and especially the Splintered Light animals - Skirrels being a particular favourite.

I've been encouraging the love of Fantasy since birth. Apart from the vast array of stuff from the likes of Splintered Light, Heresy, Hasslefree, Red Box Games, etc, kicking about the house, she's always been allowed, nay encouraged, to thumb through things like Paul Bonner's Out Of The Forests (can't recommend this book enough, it's beautiful). There's also subtle stuff like Julia Donaldson & Axel Schiffer's Gruffalo, Zog, and other books which are very good, and unarguably close to the Tolkien-esque fantasy world I inhabit.

When Mike was down the other week, offspring insisted on selecting my Warband (Skirrels and Bunnies), and lining the rest of the collection up on the nearest hill "to watch". This, to me, means she's ready to begin the first steps to geekhood.

So, I've downloaded the rather excellent Song of Fur & Buttons from Ganesha. SFB was written by Ben at Darwin Games, AKA Kermit. The basic premise of SFB is hinged around Eureka Games' splendidly daft Teddy Bear range, and runs as a narrative game - very good it is too. In fact, it's so splendid I'm going to get some Eureka teddies to play it with.

In the meantime though, I'm taking inspiration from SFB and going to adapt SSL into a similar vein; a sort of Nursery Rhyme of Splintered Lands. A bit of simplification of the special abilities into something a five year English girl can relate to, and perhaps some changes to the activation or combat system, and create a narrative adventure campaign based on the miniatures I have... think Hobbit meets Wind in the Willows meets Watership Down, all taken from my enormous Splintered Light collection, which is going to get dropped/chewed/pressed into service; the Not Wind in The Willows, the Badgers, Goblins, Squirrels, Foxes, Mice, and Dragons.

Progress as it happens.

No photos today, have a browse of Ben's excellent blog instead!