And the results are in ..

Well the Pendraken painting competition results are in and, while I didn't have the success I was hoping for, I did manage to win the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category with my  Sardaukar from the movie Dune. 

It's funny how things occur, the Sardaukar were probably the fellas I put the least amount of effort into. I used a black SpeedPaint from Army Painter and then added green visors and some small details. 

The figures I placed the most effort into were my 10mm Sassanid Persians although I didn't necessarily think they came out the best. I was most proud of my Korean War Chinese, I really liked the end result and the snow effects. I also had some sentimental attachment to them because I purchased them directly from Leon over at the 2024 Claymore convention and had told them I would paint them up for the competition. 

There were some incredibly painted entries in the various categories and I am fortunate to have had some success. I appreciate those that voted for my entries so a thank you to all of the people who voted and participated. 

I have always enjoyed the competition, it's motivated me to paint some things that have languished in the queue. However it the 2025 competition may have been my last, at least it will be the last time I specifically paint for the competition. As I get older my eyes aren't quite what they used to be and I suspect that my painting quality will begin to noticeably suffer (if it hasn't already). I have also learned that photographing your minis is almost as important as painting them and I have accepted the fact that I'm not a very good at taking photographs.

I may enter something from time to time but I won't pre-plan projects specifically for the competition. I have been left with a large collection of partially painted projects that way and now it's time to start focusing my painting towards completing projects. However, I think I will use the prize gift certificate to purchase some 10mm Irish and English for the Nine Years War. Maybe a small new project...and who knows, maybe I will enter them into the 2026 Pendraken competition. 

Cold Wars 2025

At the end of February, HMGS held the 2025 Cold Wars convention. Cold Wars always seemed to be the runt of the three major HMGS conventions and recently had take a few years hiatus so it was a surprise that it made a comeback. The venue choice was an old one from year's past...the Eisenhower Conference Center in Gettysburg, PA. 

Decades ago, I remember going to an HMGS convention at the Eisenhower but I didn't really remember much about my experience. 

Work has been pretty chaotic and demanding recently and this was an opportunity for me to meet up with my friends Bill and Rob. We could push some lead, roll some dice and share a beer. 

The Eisenhower was a short drive and upon arrival I was a little underwhelmed with the facilities. There were two hotels (Eisenhower and Aspire) and an old indoor sports complex. Games were held at both hotels while the sports complex hosted registration, Wally's, the vendor Hall and tournaments. The buildings were spread out on the site but we were blessed with mild weather so it could have been much worse. In addition, the food selection left a little bit to be desired. 

Enough of the negativity, the games were good and I ended up purchasing more than anticipated. HMGS put together a convention that allowed me to play games, but hobby stuff and spend time with friends...and that's all that matters. For that I am grateful. 

Bill, Rob and I played a game of Blitz Bowl where my Skaven lost 11-0 to the Dwarf team handled by Rob and Bill. I really enjoyed the game and need to paint up all the other teams I own. 

The star of the convention was Kurt Vonnegut's long lost boardgame GHQ. The well-known author was apparently a little-known board game designer. GHQ is a mix of WW2 and Chess. It really makes you appreciate the primacy of combined arms. There is artillery (motorized, conventional and heavy), infantry (motorized and foot) and paratroopers. 

Friday night we managed to continue our tradition of playing in Brian's Friday Night naval game. Brian is the best game GM and his games are always a blast. This game was the much loved, Form on the Admiral's Wake. The scenario was a Napoleonic clash between British and Franco-Spanish fleets. 

I was an admiral with British and we lost pretty convincingly. We had some interesting personalities on both sides and it was really entertaining to see how their various gaming styles came though on the tabletop. Always so much fun, win or lose. 

There were some very cool looking games and I have to thank Rob for taking these pictures.  

Friday's Wally's was pretty disappointing but Saturday brought some good stuff being sold. I purchased a bunch of 15mm Aztecs from Gladiator/Black Hat, 15mm resin supply dumps and a large bag of 6mm Baccus War of the Roses (which turned out to have more 6mm ACW, 6mm Gauls and 15mm WW2 Japanese than WotR figures). 

At the vendor Hall, I picked up a really cool book by AK Interactive which depicted armored vehicles used by various factions of the Lebanese Civil War and also a book on the battle of Salamis. 

One of the first projects that I completed was my 15mm IDF and PLO for the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. I was always tempted to expand out my armies to include a few Lebanese factions. Perhaps the eye candy will inspire me to get that kick started. 

Despite my initial misgivings, the convention turned out to be very rewarding in various ways. Most important was the opportunity to spend good time with great friends.