#RPGaDay2019 Day 21: The Vast Pile of Lead

With Day 21 of #RPGaDAY2019, the word "Vast" sent me back on an erroneous nostalgia trip.

My first thought was the slogan of the FLGS I worked at many moons ago, Dreamscape Comic.  "Vast and Diverse Selection" described the owner Nick's business plan to fill the store from shelf to shelf with a wide variety of stock.  When he had a staff to wrangle him in, it wouldn't be the overflowing collections of boxes it was in the last few years before he passed away.

Of coure, a quick search corrected my memories....

So let's talk about another vast topic, my lead pile.

Originally this blog was going to cover Gnome Wars, Legions of Steel, and playing games with my kids.  A decade later I'm still active in Gnome Wars, Legions of Steel is looking for playtesters for a Kickstarter relaunch, and I've played dozens of games with my kids, plus further expanded in historical wargaming.

This is the stuff I normally paint, German Schutztruppe - Pulp Figures

My Units for the Second Samoan Civil War Games I Run - More Pulp Figures

If we discount green army guys and GI Joes in the backyard, my first foray in miniatures for games would be all the lovely Grenadier figures at Hobby Hangout in Easton, displayed above the D&D books, Avalon Hill games, and right around the corner from the Lionel trains I was still interested in.

The first time I remember using figures was post-high school, running the test run of what would be the village of Eding.  A few Grenadier heroes on the grid of the castle from The Castle Guide and Dragonmen, because they were so gosh darn cool.

Dragonmen ala www.mikemonaco.wordpress.com

I survived most of my 2nd Edition AD&D days relying on dice for figures.  A cube of d6's was cheaper than any models back then.  With Hackmaster, I did buy into the Hackmaster minis.  Still have a couple  floating around, they're just big bulky, and a bit pricey.  IronWind actually still produces them.

One of the old Grenadier Wizards fighting a Reaper Bones "Oxidation Beast"  The fighter cowers in fear behind the wizard.

Thanks to Hackmaster I missed the glut of poorly pre-painted plastic minis with 3rd and 4th edition.  Not saying I wouldn't like two dozen old WotC kobolds to slap on the table at a moments notice, I just don't like the randomness and the ensuing aftermarket.

But even with a focus on gnomes, pulp era figures, historicals, I'm not immune to a Reaper Kickstarter:

Reaper Bones

I've never pledged for a "Vampire" level $100 box of goodies. Everything I've done has been a la carte, either stuff I thought I needed, or stuff that's pretty cool.

Reaper Bones

And let's not forget that thanks to Reaper, minis are now an under $5 impulse buy again at your FLGS.

Reaper Bones

Still, between Reapers, other Kickstarter deals, and random purchases, I've still acquired about two shoe boxes of loose minis still to be painted. (and that's not even including the other two boxes of just giant miniatures.)

Reaper Metal

It's nothing compared to hundreds upon hundreds of historical, sci-fi, and Battletech/OGRE figs sitting in even more shoeboxes, awaiting for the glorious day that paint will finally be applied.

Reaper Bones in front of a RAFM CoC Windwalker

Work, family, and the kids' schedules have been worse than previous years, with no signs of slowing down.  Couple that with water issues in the basement, where my painting bench is located, and it's just not been conducive to any relaxing project time. 

Some of the Reaper Bones Mouslings

Still, I try to have hope that I'll get some time to paint, and the it's either the fantasy figures, or a large scale unit that usually breaks to doldrums. There are giants to paint, or there are 30 Zulus for our Pulp Adventure game that need assembly and priming.

A random collection of wolves

My original three Grenadier heroes, surrounded by painted up Dollar Store spiders.