This Slap Dash Life

@Mcslapdash
65 Followers
39 Following
168 Posts
Aussie wargamer. High school teacher. Parent. Muso. Time poor, too busy.
Slap-Dash paint & slap down terrain. Love old school 1/72. Love face to face wargaming and live by the 3ft rule.
I run a school games club where we play tabletop miniatures…anything from fantasy, sci-fi and historical games.
I post mostly as a sort of hobby diary. All the best to you, keep smiling, keep playing and painting.
Wargamer
Aussie
1/72

A tiny but giant step for me.

After more than a year of being completely unmotivated, I returned to these 1/72 100YW French Knights (Accurate brand). These guys have been sitting on my shelf mocking me for far too long. I just spent the arvo in the warm autumn sunshine touching up these bases.

Nothing too crazy.

Now to get back to my old habit of daily dabbling in the hobby. If I can, it’ll do wonders for my mental health & my temperament.

If only I can find the time!

Corps Command ‘Totensonntag: First Battle of Sidi Rezegh, 1941 ‘. I’ve forgotten the joys of a simple hex & counter game…pushing counters around, rolling a few dice…simple modifiers. Nothing too complex. I bought this game years ago, sold it, then picked it up this year at CanCon for $10. It’s already paid for itself. I’ve just spent a leisurely few turns watching the Brits try to hold off a gallant push by the Italians on the first day. #wargaming #boardwargaming #wargames #boardgames
I am on Easter break and for the first time in months I’ve decided to kick back, let all my commitments slide..and learn a new Wargame. ‘Warfighter’ solitaire. It’s quite fiddly and requires a lot of look-ups. For years I have been searching for the perfect WW2 solitaire system. This game has potential but it’s overloaded with chrome and the rulebook/s are confusing to say the least. I’m ambling through it and having an ok time. It would probably be smoother as an rpg. #wargaming #boardgames

I let my little blog slide last year.

Work, family and musical projects got crazy busy. The game & painting club continued throughout the year until September when this happened.

I left my paintbox in the car after work and a bunch of my citadel paints burst open and spilled and congealed. It was a minor disaster that just took the wind out of my hobby sails.

I’ve got a little energy now to tackle the problem and get painting again.

21 bottles ruined so far…and counting.

Happy New Year!

A week ago I snaffled up these old #avalonhill #wargames on Marketplace for $130. Panzerblitz was unpunched!

I once had a copy of #squadleader … I always liked it but I purged my collection about 15 years ago (250 games!).

Over the past year I’ve had that urge to get back into #hexandcounter games. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the scenarios, the slower pace, the smaller footprint…?

Yesterday I set up and played through an SL infantry scenario. It’s showing its age, but it’s still fun.

We have started our #warhammer painting club at my school. Our first session had 15 students signing up, choosing their figures from the batch I was given…and then the students had a go at priming their models.

It’s all new to them, even using the spray cans…

Great to see it’s an activity that attracts all types from the school cohort , by that I mean not just boys, but lots of girls and non-binary students as well.

Once the word got out I was inundated with more requests to join the club.

Astonishing generosity from a young #canberra bloke. He posted to a local #warhammercommunity #wargaming FB group looking to donate his models and paints.

I reached out and told him about our school gaming group. He said I could come and grab the stuff.

There is so much useful stuff that we can use. Complete models, ready to prime plus loads of paints and basing materials.

Last year the painting workshops I ran were popular, so this donation will go down a treat.

Thank you friend.

Once a blue moon, the stars align and I find the time, space and mental energy to tackle an old-school wargame.

#wargames with paper, chits & charts.

I’ve spent a lazy Sunday afternoon - on week retreat - reading, noodling on guitar and teaching myself ‘Silent War’.

It’s not insanely complex but there are a lot of procedural rolls to keep track of.

I just wish I was of retired leisure-class so I could set up and play these games more often.
#wargaming

End of term. Our weekly gaming group keeps plugging away. Our #FistfulofLead games are usually quite larger with up to 8 or 9 players. Sometimes even more.

I’ve learned to strip it down to ensure the game keeps flowing and everyone gets a turn. The objectives are typically short and sweet. It’s a miracle but most times the games resolve with clear winners.

We only have a limited lunch break to get it up and running. Meaning we can’t faff about with special rules!

#wargaming #tabletop

Today I ran a ‘Agincourt’ teamwork simulation for my Year 8 students. We have been studying Medieval History, castles, 1066, chivalry, heraldry….the students have to deploy the English troops to try to win…then they have to present their plans to class using a set of guided questions I have given them.

The students instinctively see the opportunities of the terrain and the tactical edge of the longbow.

The best part is where they are working together, problem solving and presenting to class.