The Year in Preview

...In which our protagonist wastes his time and yours by sharing his hobby plans for next year, even though experience shows that only abject boredom creates any interest whatsoever in such things.

Yes, the 6mm Borodino project will continue in 2010. No, the 6mm Borodino project will not be finished in 2010.

Alas, despite a strong push through the autumn months, it looks like 2009 is going to end with a whimper rather than a bang, at least as far as Mike's Leadpile is concerned. I came, I saw, I... had too much else to do, as it turns out. In fact, for the first time ever, I can actually report no new progress whatsoever since my last post. Well, nothing worth talking about, at least.

Get on with the preview, you damn fool

Anyway, despite the disappointing finish, I'm staying optimistic about 2010. There are lots of projects I want to do, and, what's more, some of those I even expect to do. In no particular order, here are a few that could or should happen:

1. More 10mm Ancients for Basic Impetus. I kicked off the first of these "lazy side projects" with the Celtic hordes over the last few months. Since 10mm Ancients comprise a hefty chunk of the leadpile, I would expect to see at least a few other forces inch their way towards completion in 2010.

Everyone "knows" Romans wore red.

2. The French and Indian War. Also known as the Seven Years' War in North America, or as the Guerre de la Conquête. It's the quintessential Canadian war-- although at the time, the Canadiens all spoke French. In any case, I won't feel like a proper Canuck until I've done something with this one.

Snow, trees and rocks. Yep, that's Canada.

3. Borodino! I'm hoping to finish this project for the bicentennary of the battle in 2012. It's going to be a long, hard slog to get there though, as I've raised the bar rather high on this one.

I haven't been shy about experimenting with my Napoleonics figures. Sometimes the results have been everything I could have hoped for. But only sometimes.

4. Wars of the Inca. This was a civilization that saw both sides of imperialism within a very short time. In the late 15th century, they were on the up-and-up, ruthlessly conquering the largest and most populous of the Mesoamerican empires; by the early 16th they were being devastated by smallpox and falling victim the predatory opportunism of the young Spanish empire.

Fear and Loathing in 16th-century Peru.

5. Armies of the Dark Ages (or, as they've been re-branded, Late Antiquity). I kicked off Mike's Leadpile by showing some 10mm late Romans. While the 10mm project seems to have stalled along with the product line itself, the period continues to fascinate. Great empires, migratory kingdoms, multicultural barbarian hordes, marauding pirates, all against a background of ever-shifting alliances and intrigue... what's not to like?

Late Romans in 10mm. Remember these guys?