I’m a historical miniature wargamer. That means I have lots of figures. Many are painted. Many are not. I have little actual talent in the hobby. I’m not a great gamer. I’m a mediocre painter. But I do have perseverance and I can get things done. Sort of. Kind of.

Last week I finished the last of my Maximilian in Mexico figures. I began focusing on completing what I had left in November, and look they’re done. There’s a story about these guys. I began painting figures for Maximilian and specifically Camerone in the 1990’s, like 1996. They were the original Foundry figures. I used them for other stuff too, and then I just kind of tucked them away and they lived quietly in my garage. They were singly mounted and after falling in love with Rebels and Patriots I decided I could remount them 3-2-1 for those rules. So I did. It is my first major re-mounting project and there are more planned.

I wouldn’t say this is my most-played with project, but I’ve run several games the last three years or so. I’ve also added a bunch of figures, mostly from Foundry and Gringo 40’s, but a few from TVAG. I added lots for Camerone, but I had a pile of minis divided up into units and stuffed in sandwich bags waiting for paint. Now they are all done, painted and mounted and ready to go. How many are there? Well, there are far more than I ever thought, and I did the unthinkable and counted. I have 795 French, Imperial and Mexican figures in 84 units plus leaders. Damn.

Another box I can check this month is rebasing the last of my Aztec units for Quetzacoatl Rampant. This is a project David Sullivan and I began together six or eight years ago. We played it a few times and moved on to other things as we often do. The rules were something that grew out of Lion Rampant. It was fun, but moving all those singly mounted figures around took a long time and was hard on the figs. It might have been fine if they were stuck on larger (25mm) round bases, but I didn’t and so now they’ve been 3-2-1ed as I now mount all my Daniel Mersey projects. Actually that’s a lie. My Xenos Rampant figures are singles.

I wish it had been quick and dirty, but I think I started the re-mount in September. It went in fits and starts, but it’s done. 415 Aztec, Spanish and Tlaxcallan figures in 40 units plus command figures. Though I’m not likely to leap right into the projects, there are two even larger remounts waiting-my 100 Years War Lion Rampant figures and my Space 1889 figures which I’ll configure (and perhaps need to paint more figures) for The Men Who Would Be Kings. Really looking forward to it. Kinda. Sorta.

Just to wrap up, April has been a kind of thin gaming month. Just the way it goes. I’ll make my first Wednesday gaming appearance this week. The really great news, is that with these projects done, I can just dork around the rest of April and paint whatever I want. I have some Alternative Armies Orcs that are calling my name.