Random: How to Get Rid of a Pile of Potential

Sometimes, there are things I want to write about and topics to touch on that do not fit neatly into a category.  Spend anytime with Wargamers and you will soon find out one of the common problems that they face.  It is called a Pile of Shame.  All of the miniatures that they have purchased but have not managed to paint or projects that were abandoned half-way through the process.  This is one of the things that seems to unify all wargamers and a common topic of moaning and ribbing online.  

This situation is so common, that Wargamer folklore has sprung up around the topic.  It is said that a Wargamer can live forever as long as they never paint all their models!  If you paint them all, you are putting yourself at mortal peril!  It almost makes the Pile of Shame justifiable! 

First off, I do not really see anything inherently wrong with a Pile of Shame.  In fact, I prefer to call it a Pile of Potential.  As long as you are not endangering your families income stream, running out of space, or otherwise negatively impacting those around you then it is fine.  Your Pile of Potential helped feed some other people's kids and helped your money spread through the economy.  I prefer if miniatures get used though, so let's talk about how to get rid of that Pile of Potential and how to keep it gone. 

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

The best way to handle a Pile of Potential is to not accumulate one to begin with.  That means that you do not buy models until you have finished the ones you are working on. You do not start a new project until an old project is complete.  You do not buy models faster than you can paint or play with them.  

Of course, anyone who is a wargamer knows the danger of this route too.  Many of us have started a project only for the miniature line to be discontinues before we finished it, the Meta of a game we play to change, or the rules edition churn comes and invalidates what you have been doing.  Therefore, there is a large incentive to "buy it all" as soon as you can.  In fact, I myself tend to get all the models I need for a project in one big batch, enough for two sides at least.  Typically, that means you will have more models than you can paint at a time.   

If you do this, you will inevitably have a Pile of Potential at some point.  I typically have 1 project I am working on painting, and one in the hopper.  I never have a Pile of Potential that extends beyond a secondary project.  For example, I might be working on the two armies for the Battle of Kadesh, my back-up is the latest Heroquest Expansion, and that's it.  No other projects with miniatures sitting around.  This way, if I need a palette cleanser I have it, or if I finish a project I can immediately roll into the next without hesitation.  Once I roll into the back-up I can consider what my next project will be.  This gives me incentive to keep the painting machine rolling without creating an unmanageable Pile of Potential.   

Time for a Pound of Cure! 

Chance are if you are on this blog, it is too late for you.  The Prevention Phase of your Pile of Potential is over.  It is now time to manage it and work it down.  It is now time for a pound of cure.  

1. Prioritize your Pile

Before you do anything, you need to go in and prioritize your Pile of Potential into what you want to see on the tabletop next.  It can be helpful to schedule a game or tourney with the models to give you a hard deadline to finish or give you a shot of ambition.  However, I rarely do that.  It should be enough to see them completed because the models or project alone brings you pleasure.

If you look at models in you Pile of Potential and the thought of painting them, completing them, or displaying them does nothing for you then it is time to "dump" that project.  Move it on to someone else who will feel that way about them.  Why horde what you no longer want?  You can give them away, sell them, or just throw them out.  I am a fan of just giving them away to other gamers.  You might see them again someday across the tabletop! 

2. Lower your Standards

I look across the internet and see an ocean of coll, well-painted models.  One thing I notice is that most really high-quality painters do not paint armies, they paint miniatures.  They are lucky if at the end of the year they have 1-playable unit.  Do not aspire to them!  That way is a trap!  Instead, you need to focus on getting minis to the table.  

Consider the following:  

• In most games, they are going to be at arm's length away or greater.  That is three to six feet away from you.  Are you going to see subtle shading?  How about highlights?  Will you see how you carefully dotted the eyes?  

• Next, most armies act in units of troops.  How often do you look at the individual models in a unit?  Do you notice where the soldier's belt has a splotch of green on it where is should be brown?  How about if the spear colors slightly overlaps the hand?  Unless you have the eyes of an Eagle, you won't notice.  Therefore, most details on a model are irrelevant.  

• Consider your scale.  There is a different level of detail needed for a 54mm model vs a 6mm model.  One you can see the straps and hooks on at range, while the other is simply dots of color.  

• What do you see on the table?  In most games, you are looking at the back of your troop!  That is normally their backpack and pants!  You don't even get to see their faces in battle!

When I say, lower your standards; I mean paint to the level that makes a game piece playable.  This is typically base colors + a wash + a base of some type.  That is it.  You can spend more time on the front ranks, the standards, the officers if you wish but every moment spent on such things is less time painting other models in your army for effects that are not noticeable on the game board or even while on display waiting to fight.  

Is it your best painting?  No!  Does anyone know or care?  Also, No!  Paint to the level needed to play.  

This leads to a corollary.  Once a model is painted, it is painted.  Never revisit it and never paint it again.  If it has paint, it is all right.  The only time this is acceptable, is if you have nothing else to do, no Pile of Potential; and you really, really need to paint right now!  

Batch-Paint!  

If you are working through a Pile of Potential you will have to learn to batch paint.  Batch-painting is simply painting in an assembly line like fashion on multiple troops at once.  If you paint one miniature at a time, you will never get a project completed, not even for very low model count skirmish games.  It is not an efficient use of your painting time.  

If you are like me, you have a family, friends, career, and other hobbies you like to do.  You can not spend hours a week on painting models.  You have a window of opportunity.  Therefore, you have to make the most of whatever time you have to paint by painting the most models you can at once.  

batch Painting means you line up all the models you need for a unit.  10 is a popular number but sometimes units are larger depending on the wargame.  I have painted as many as 60 guys at once.  You get out all the paints you will need for skin-tones, and then you paint all the skin for the batch at once.  Then, you get out the paints for the shoes, and you paint all of the batches shoes.  Then you get the trouser colors and paint all their trousers.  Then their vests, then their jackets, etc. etc.  You work up until you paint all the buckles and buttons last.  You let them dry and then the next day you give them a wash.  

To finish you provide a simple and repeatable base.  Even a simple coat of paint will do.  Maybe paint the base and dip it in flock.  Then, paint the base rim brown or black.  Once a project is done, you can line them all up and spray them with a protective coat.  

Units that wear a uniform are great for this as they will all be using the same color at the same general place.  I.e. all their boots are black, their pants red, and their jackets blue, with a black hat.  However, this technique also works fine with non-uniformed troops. However, you paint ever third or fifth guy with the color and then repeat the process with the next color.               

The most important step of batch painting, is to set-up the finished models for a nice photo-shoot, snap great pictures, set them up for display or storage.  Then, go online and celebrate with your gaming group or fellow wargamers what you have accomplished.  This small celebration helps give you the momentum to get to the next unit.  

Overcoming the Hard Part

The hardest part of dealing with your Pile of Potential is dealing with your Pile of Potential.  That means, the hardest part of the process is getting yourself to paint.  The only way to do that is to paint.  

Unlike many of you, I do not leave my projects and painting supplies out on my desk.  I have them all stored away but accessible. Therefore, when it is time to paint it is a commitment of time and effort.  I accompany this with the ritual of preparing my workstation for the effort and this gets my brain committed to painting.  In addition, it also signals to the others in my household that I am committed to a project.  Unlike most, I do not watch movies, listen to books, or surf the internet when I am painting.  At most, I will turn on some music as background noise.

Since starting is the hardest part, I use the ritual to help get my mind into the painting space and secondly I avoid anything that will make starting harder.  That means, I determine what I am going to paint before I sit down.  I decide how I am going to paint it ahead of time or in the moment of painting.  Once something is painted, I never go back and change it.  Since I am typically batch painting, once the last model is painted, typically the first one is dry and ready to go for the next color.  Once you start you need to keep the momentum up and not stop painting, because once you do you will have a hard time starting again. 

If I am not sure what to do, I do not watch TV and I do not scroll online.  I perform my ritual and set-up to paint.  I do not wait for inspiration and I do not wait to see if I feel like painting.  If I ever am not sure what to do or sense that I am waiting around I pull out my paints.  This can be at anytime, late at night, during the day, on weekends.  I never want to paint but if I have a moment where I am unsure what to do next; that is when I strike.  The desire to paint is secondary to the act of painting itself.

If you want until you are inspired or want to paint, you will NEVER get your Pile of Potential done.      

Painters Anonymous

I have all ready shared a few of my tips and hacks to get rid of my Pile of Potential.  I have been relatively successful for most of my painting career.  However, there are times when even I can not do it alone.  I find something that really helps me is to make painting a social activity.  

Thankfully, I am part of the True Crit Gaming Guild.  The Guild is just as focused on painting and finishing models as it is on playing games.  There is a regular Painting Social where we all come together with projects, paints, brushes, and other tools.  We sit around tables, drink tea and coffee, chat and paint.  This helps getting over the hurdle of just starting to paint.  

In addition, I have learned a lot of great tips and tricks from others.  We celebrate each others 'wins and successes.  We cheer each other on.  We help each other get over procrastination.  We admire each others' work.  I am lucky to be able to sit around and engage with and paint with a lot of great painters.  

This is another great tool to uncap your own inner momentum to get and keep painting.  It is about you, but also helping the group.  If you are familiar with Maslowe's Hierarchy of Needs, you know that Group is more important than your own self-esteem.  Therefore, it can be really helpful to make your efforts to eliminate your Pile of Potential a group effort and not a solo show.  

Final Thoughts

The Pile of Potential is a perennial problem for wargamers.  It is a constant topic of conversation, discussion, and moaning.  However, a Pile of Potential is a choice.  It does not have to be.  I have shared my tips and tricks for dealing with a Pile of Potential which includes prioritizing, getting the output you need, make sure you start, and that you do not always have to go it alone.  Therefore, I would love to hear about how you have managed your Pile of Potential.  Once it is gone, it is much easier to keep in check. 

Until next time.....

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Wargame Design: Sea People for In Strife and Conflict

One group of people I did not include for In Strife and Conflict were the (in)famous raiders of the Late Bronze Age; the Sea Peoples.  I did not initially add them because they did not have much interaction with the Assyrians.  The Assyrians were a Mesopotamian power at the height of the Sea Peoples encroachments.  The Sea Peoples were primarily operating on the coasts of the Eastern Mediterranean.  It was not until after the Broze Age collapse and the rise of the Neo-Assyrians.  The Assyrians moved westward and scooped up many of the remanent city-states left in the post Hittite and post-Sea People world.  Since In Strife and Conflict was focused on Assyrians, it did not seem like the Sea Peoples were a useful addition to the rules. 

 

However, the Sea People are a staple of the chariot war genre.  When people think of Chariot Wars, they soon think of the Bronze Age collapse; and that takes them straight to Sea Peoples.  Now, I am not a personal believer in the “Violent Migration” theory of the Bronze Age collapse, but there is no doubt the Sea People played a part in the system collapse that happened.  Plus, there is plenty of evidence about the Sea Peoples. 

 

There are a couple of things that make the Sea People a bit of a conundrum when trying to integrate them into Chariot Wars.  These are:

1. They have limited use of light chariots
2. They are mostly a light infantry force
3. There should be a lot of them
4. They were accompanied by their families
5. There is no real clear idea what this army looks like
6. It is made up of several tribes of people from across the Mediterranean

So, how does one go about making a Line-of-Battle for such an ill-defined, non-army, army?  Well, let’s dive into it. 

 

Who Are the Sea People?

Good question.  For many years, no one really knew.  However, they existed based on plenty of evidence left by the Egyptians.  This includes pictoral and written evidence.  Thanks to this evidence, Historians keep trying to trace the origins of the various tribes of the Sea People.  The origins of the Sea Peoples are not entirely relevant to the discussion here.  However, they hailed from Sicily, Sardinia, the Aegean, Anatolia, etc.  Before the Sea People “invasion” and the Bronze Age collapse these tribes and peoples were known in the area and even served as auxiliaries and allies of the city-states that would later collapse. 

 

For example, the Sherden was one of the tribes that made up the Sea Peoples.  However, we also know that they made up Ramses II Royal Guards and took part in the Battle of Kadesh.  At the same battle, the list of Hittite allies included tribes that would later be associated with the Sea Peoples.  The Sea Peoples seemed to have a mercenary, subject, or military relationship with the Chariot cultures of the region.  They were not strangers or unknown invaders. 

We also have wall reliefs that depict the Sea Peoples bringing their families with them in ox-drawn carts.  The Egyptians claim that the Sea Peoples came in great numbers but it is unclear how many were actual combatants?  This indicates that they were not looking for spoils and portable wealth.  They were looking to settle and move-in.  They were not “raiders” at all. 

 

All or our records on the Sea Peoples comes from what written and visual records remain from their enemies.  The writers assume that the readers are familiar with the situation.  Therefore, we are getting a limited and one-sided image of these peoples.  Other evidence comes from archeological evidence, which due to age is limited to certain materials.  Huge swathes of the culture of the Sea Peoples is unknown to us and potentially unknowable. 

This scene from the north wall of Medinet Habu is often used to illustrate the Egyptian campaign against the Sea Peoples, in what has come to be known as the Battle of the Delta (c. 1175 BC),^[1] during the reign of Ramesses III. While accompanying hieroglyphs do not name Egypt's enemies, describing them simply as being from "northern countries", early scholars noted the similarities between the hairstyles and accessories worn by the combatants and other reliefs in which such groups are named. Wikimedia Commons

The Sea Peoples Military

Again, we are working with very limited evidence on what the military of the Sea Peoples looked like. Indeed, creating a “universal” picture may not even be realistic considering the cosmopolitan nature of the Sea Peoples themselves.  We know a bit about the Sherden, who used helmets, corselets, and greaves.  We also know that they used round shields of Bronze, swords, and spears.  Occasionally, iron swords are mentioned as well.  For other tribes, Archers and thrown missiles weapons like Javelins also appear to be part of their arsenal.  However, different tribes seem to have had distinctive head gear or equipment.  It is unclear if this also meant that they had a different role on the battlefield.

In at least one pictoral representation, we see the Sea People making use of Chariots of a similar design to the Egyptians.  However, it is unclear if this is just an artist interpretation as that is what an army “should have” or if the artist was an eyewitness or working with an eyewitness of the battle.  There is not much other evidence to support that the Sea Peoples used chariots.  They are not discussed often, and the descriptions of battles are often only fragmentary or a line or two at best.  

 

There is a reference to the Sea People using a two-pronged land and sea strategy at the Battle of the Delta.  There is also reference to ships appearing in other sources.  This led to the name “Se Peoples” but not all the tribes associated and named as the Sea Peoples have any connection with the sea.  Therefore, even the term Sea Peoples could be a bit of a misnomer.  We do not know much about their sailing ability, ships, or their Naval prowess.  As the Battle of the Delta the naval arm of the invasion was defeated, but so was the land arm. 

 

We have no idea how the Sea Peoples organized themselves.  No idea who was in charge, no idea how they coordinated, and no idea how they fought as units.  Therefore, we have to make a lot of assumptions when it comes to the organization of Sea People armies. 

 

The sources seem to indicate that they were a fast moving, infantry-based army.  They operated as mostly light infantry, with a core of heavily armed and armored Sherden.  It is unclear how they integrated ranged weapons into their forces.  However, they seemed to favor close-up combat where many chariot based armies preferred archery or other ranged attacks as the primary attack arm. 

Beyond these broad strokes, we know very little else about the Sea Peoples military structures, doctrines, or how they fought.  The chroniclers at the time do not leave much detail.  The archeological record is not much better. 

Ramses II's Sherden Royal Guard at the front of his armies

 

Creating the Sea People Line-of-Battle

First off, I use 6mm miniatures on 60mm x 60mm bases for my games of In Strife and Conflict.  However, the game itself is base and model agnostic though.  You can use single-based 28mm, multi-based 15mm, or whatever you want.  The rules are interested in Unit-vs-Unit combat and does not have any casualty removal.  Therefore, when I talk about this Line-of-Battle I am refer to it by units.  

I think we have seen that the Sea People are not a homogenous group.  That means, as I build this Line-Of-Battle I will assume that various infantry troop types are available to them.  This could be split up on tribal lines, or a mix of headgear and weaponry as the army builder sees fit.  I think having different tribes represent different unit types is an attractive option to differentiate units on the battlefield but is probably not a realistic portrayal of how they operated in the field.  However, sometimes the needs of expediency make sense on the tabletop where they do not on the battlefield.  

Second, I went and reviewed the Unit Profiles in the core In Strife and Conflict rules.  Thankfully, they are a bit generic with some options.  I think these will represent the Sea People unit types we have seen well.  After I have a basic list, I will think if any other special Chrome is needed.  Here is what I think fits in with the line-of-battle based on the evidence and the needs of the army as a playable force: 

Light Chariots W/Javelins

Professional Infantry

Levy Infantry

Irregular Infantry

Skirmishers

Mounted Infantry (?) 

The core would be Professional Infantry, possibly Sherden.  The Levy and Irregular Infantry would give them numbers for flanking and Rear attacks.  A limited number of light chariot with javelins would fit the bill for what we see about the Battle of Djahy.  Skirmishers and Irregular would give them some enhanced mobility to pin enemy formations for the others to maneuver into position.  They would also allow them to use terrain to advantage. 

One thing I am noticing right away, is that general Infantry does not have access to Javelins.  This is something I will need to create some Chrome for them.  There are two ways to go about it.  The first is a unit upgrade as a Shoot weapon.  The second is to use a system similar to my Roman Legions in Wars of the Republic as a rule that is triggered by using King's Decree to reduce enemy armor.  This would give them some additional punch up close, but reduce their range options. 

The Mounted Infantry is a question mark to represent ox-drawn carts.  We see them in the artwork, but for moving families and not troops.  Therefore, I am not sure I want to add them in to the army list at this point.  

In the core rules there are two Special Rules that maybe appropriate for the Sea Peoples.  They are Iron Weapons, which some sources claim the Sea Peoples had limited numbers of.  The other is Terror.  This would impact how other units reacted to their charges or their ability to charge them.  Then, I might add a Thrown Weapons special rule for the Professional Troops to help with their "shock assault" capabilities. 

Sea Peoples in conflict with the Egyptians in the battle of Djahy.  Wikimedia Commons

I decided on the following:   

Sea People Line-of-Battle

0-2 Professional Infantry

- Thrown Weapons for +2 points

0-2 Light Chariots

- Javelins for +1 Points

1+ Levy Infantry 

- Upgrade with Javelins- Shoot 3 (6MU) for +1 Point

1+ Irregular infantry

- Upgrade with Javelins- Shoot 3 (6MU) for +1 Point

0+ Skirmishers

• Sea Peoples can arm 0-2 Units with Iron Weapons at +2 Points per unit
• Sea Peoples can Equip all Units with Terror for +2 Points per unit
• Professional Troops for Sea People may be armed with Thrown Weapons for +2 Points per Unit 

Thrown Weapons

The Sea People had a reputation for barraging their opponents with darts and javelins as they closed the distance to melee.  This was to soften up an enemy as they approached with casualties and laden-down shields.  

A Unit that charges, counter-charges, or is charged may spend a King's Decree to use their thrown weapons.  The enemies' Armor is reduced by 1 to a minimum of 1 in the following melee.  In the End Phase, the opponent's Armor rating is returned to normal.  

Sample Sea People Army 

Below you can see a sample Sea People army built using the Line-of-Battle above.  This is to give you an idea of what a Sea Peoples army could look like.  It is built to a 48-point force.  This force gives you 8 units and 9 King's Decree at the start of the battle. 

1 Professional Infantry                            12

- Thrown Weapons, Terror, Warlord    

1 Light Chariots                                       11

= Javelins, Terror

2 Levy Infantry                                        10                                    

- Javelins

2 Irregular Infantry                                  10

- Javelins

2 Skirmishers                                           4

Painting Sherden from Baccus 6mm

Final Thoughts

This army list adds a completely different style of play to your games of In Strife and Conflict.  Many of the Lines-of-Battle found in the core rules focus on Chariot Wars armies supported by archers and infantry.  The Sea Peoples are a completely different playstyle than the dominant fighting style of the region.  Therefore, any commander who wishes to use the Sea Peoples will have a to develop new strategies and tactics to help make these infantry heavy forces successful.  We do not know historically how the Sea People were about to do this and that is what makes playing a Sea Peoples force so exciting.  

Let me know if you think I missed out on any other Lines-of-Battle for In Stife and Conflict.  I will gladly look into expanding into more forces.   

Until next time! 

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