Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge - More and Betterer Preparations & Annoying Social Commentary

 

Its roughly 5:16am on Dec 19th and preparations for the impending start of the Challenge continue at a frantic pace here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  Legions of tiny 6mm Romans have been glue to popsicle sticks and primed.  This morning's efforts have shifted back to terrain making for my 15mm Stalingrad project.  I need a bunch of hexes made to finish up the table - about 350 to be exact.  I cut these ones out this morning.  Most of them are the standard 1/2 inch think but the ones on the far right are 1/4 inch thick and will be used for the Volga River and making terrain with depressions - like trenches!

Here's an example of a test trench section I made a few weeks ago.  The area in front of Pavlov's house (upper left of the picture) was heavily entrenched and for the Campaign version of the game I want to give players the option to build trenches and "alter" the terrain board.

I will need to get a ruling from the snowlord on how to treat some of the "landmark" buildings that have been scratch built but not painted prior to the start of this year's Challenge.  Two examples are the Univermag Dept Store and the Soviet State Bank building.  I think I should discount their points by 50% but there is a logical argument they should not be able to earn any points.  Either way is fine - I've got plenty of other buildings to make!

The reason the trench is so wide is to allow standard Flames of War bases to fit.  These trenches need some more design "flourish" to be really look good but the basic concept works.  And yes I have purchased some pre-painted Germans and Soviet troops from Gajo Miniatures.  They are way better than I can manage and having 3/4's of the needed figures "done" makes this project doable.

*** WARNING: SELF IMPORTANT ETHICAL LECTURING FOLLOWS BELOW ***

The other major activity this time of year is Christmas preparations, which this year are pretty easy.  MB and I elected to go light on the whole "gift" thing - we really don't need anything and have decided to use those funds plus a little more to make a donation to our local food bank to help them cope with the unprecedented level of demand.  One of the cruelists aspects of this plague is it exacts its highest toll on our most vulnerable population segments and has economically savaged the lower end of the economic ladder.  The level of demand on our local food bank is at a historic level.  I was speaking with the head of a local Food Bank and she was in tears recounting how they had to turn some families away because there was no inventory.  There's a double whammy at play here as a large source of food donations are local restaurants and they just can't do that right now.  There is no shame in needing help during a crisis - there is shame in choosing not to provide that help when you can.

Please note, this isn't a veiled rant against social distancing - those restrictions are needed and more than justified.  Its more that the rest of us need to step up and help out rather than whine about the injustice of wearing a face mask to protect others.