Alive and kicking

Just a quick note to show I am still here - old operating system wasn't allowing access and could not update but have new computer.  Finally!   

Avoiding a Year off

As in not letting a whole year go between posts.  Pirates not abandoned, focus on other collections this year: AWI, Pony West, Colonials.  Will circle back to the pirates at some point.

Most "recent" Pirate Ship acquisition

Not really recent, been awaiting work for a couple of busily distracted years, but here is a 'new' pirate ship not yet removed from its stand and with its keel still in place.

 Just a couple of quick views similar to each other, evidence of eventual forward progress towards completion of the pirate collection.

Resurrection or New Direction?

I have been asked to resurrect my giant pirate game for a convention next year.  However, the timing of the convention is not good being on Easter weekend.  And then there is my desire to turn the collection in a different direction with one principle town - with a fort - and maybe a smaller piratical lair.  Also, I am seriously thinking of reducing the size of the collection though I do have a couple of hundred additional pirates to finish painting.  Last, there is the fact that my focus is on other collections these days and I don't want to derail that forward progress.  Time will tell.

And, yes, I have regained access to this - and other - blogs that got 'lost' for a time; don't know why just couldn't access it.  Seems fixed for now and that is good.

Oh, and I've added a very nice pirate ship to my collection I'll have to try and get a picture of and post here.

Tick-tock

Time marches on and little progress - though the figures are primed and based and ready for painting but who knows the when as far as when it will happen.  Been working on other projects with what little time I've had for the hobby the last year or so.  AWI, Old West, and now the renewed Boxer Rebellion project have soaked up most of my limited time.

Progress!

Well, a small bit of progress and a nice acquisition.  I have a new pirate ship and a smaller ship to join my fleet.  It is another two mantle piece ships to be converted to semi-water line.  I've also decided to go ahead and finish painting the last of the pirate figures in need of painting (I hope!).

This adds up to 358 pieces but that includes one horse and five pieces of artillery, 20 casualty figures, and one mermaid (not quite sure how to incorporate her into the games but what the heck, she makes one stand three figures.  I have four more mermaids and four sea witches or whatever they are but I just use them as game markers with a monotonic paint scheme).

I did the final sorting tonight and allocated bases for the figures.  Now just a matter of cleaning them, priming them, and pre-basing them before painting and texturing the bases.  And then sealing.

Oh, I've also added a Vauban fortress and a variety of structures as stated earlier for my pirate town (or towns).  I will be basing the towns and maybe building some town walls.  The fortress will be on two levels, a lower level somewhat damaged and the upper level in tact.  Rather than keep this as multiple pieces I'm just going to make it a single permanent model on a rocky base - and thus be able to get rid of the 'part' lines between pieces.  But I will be sure and leave a means of access for any attacking force to use!

So, progress on the pirate front, if small.  And I worked on the storage closet for these and other items today, instead of the floor and one shelf there are now a total of five shelves so a lot easier to get to things to work on them.

Progress is good.  Photos in due course.

(Looks like those hacking slavs are at it again, 245 visits from Russia in the last month.  Post-commie pusillanimous bastards.  Though if there are any legitimately interested folk from Russia you are, of course, most welcome.)

Pirate Futures

No, sorry, this is not an investment opportunity.

Rather, rereading about one of the mega games, I've made a firm decision.  Either a pirate game will be focused on sea action.  Or it will be focused on land action.  Trying to do both seems to dilute the effect.  Besides, if there is ship action, no one seems interested in the land action.  But I'm not giving up entirely on having landing actions.  Just have to make that a critical component of victory/success in a game.

And I am also working on improving the towns, probably incorporating into fewer towns to have two or three larger towns.  I'm thinking fewer factions might work better.

I do have some more pirates still to paint including an all female crew.  But that is all down the road a bit as I continue to focus on finishing the French and Indian War and get started on the Old West.  (And maybe make some adjustments in the ACW arena.)