PAPER ARMIES for SMALL SPACES

With the ice storm outside it gave me a little time to work on some PAPER ARMIE projects. The photos here show a magnetic board (36"x 24") mounted to the back of an office door, with Republican Roman and Gallic armies mounted to magnetic cards and attached. This board actually has a light 1"squares marked on it, but they cannot be seen in the photos. Price was $19.95 at Walmarts school supplies area.

The photo at top shows a close up of the Gallic infantry mass. These Paper Armies are laid out per BASIC IMPETUS rules, but by shrinking 50% on your printer you could use most of them for DBA style games as well. DBA on the back of a door might be ideal for those crowded dorm rooms.

ICE STORM HITS HOME

Ice on the cars, one the decks, down the hill, on the pond walkway, even under the deck where it dripped through.

Ice everywhere!

Well, we have been stormed in for the last couple of days with ice. Luckily no significant snow fall as expected, but with cold weather it is unlikely to melt the ice until the weekend or early next week.

Max, our dog, managed to get down the hill and then couldn't get back to the house. Kept sliding back down the hill. Finally went out to rescue him, when the poor guy gave up and just sat down.

Just before the ice storm hit, saw this owl watching for dinner. Pretty cool.

Here are a few shots taken from inside the house.

All of Persia comes to aid Darius. Plus he's hired a few Greeks as well. Scythed chariots, Cavalry, Persian Levy, Horse archers, Heavy Noble cavalry - a true melting pot of humanity.




















The Macedonians look pretty well organized as they started out. Gotta like masses of pikes.

So doing my part to grow the hobby.

Taylor playing Ancient Persian Empire - you must make whoosh sounds when you shoot your arrows and javelins - it's mandatory.

(Persians vs. Macedonians)

Pikes are a little disordered - hoplite mercenaries are putting up a better fight in the center then anticipated, and some Persian colonial cavalry has gotten around the flanks. Somebody is very happy with herself.

Wargame table being used for projection screen - GETTYSBURG on the big screen.

If I remove the two screws that are safety latches for the screen when it is wall mounted, I can place it over the fold down table in the foreground.

Now I can place DVD containers under the felt pad, and then apply scenics. The lips on the edges of the screen, prevent the DVD cases from sliding from under the felt, even if right at the edge.

Hope this give some ideas for a quick and easy dual purpose table (that is out of the way when not required).

Just got back...

A few weeks ago I was sent to NC to attend a tradeshow on waste management, what has this to do with this blog... I listened to an exceptional speaker Tracy Williams who discussed PASSION and PROFITS. I'll skip the Profits part for now, but his discussion of being passionate about what you do was mesmerizing.



Most of the folks in the audience were in the waste removal business (engineering firms, manufacturers who provide equipment, service agencies that do cleanup or containment services, etc.) Most of us thought of the waste industry as a necessary but not to glamourous business to be in - hey basically we move garbage to a place we can bury it.



Tracy though made the following comment. "you guys are more important then doctors, if you don't do your jobs huge numbers of people get sick and die. Very few doctors can keep as many people healthy as you do". It was like a bolt of lightning hit that audience. He was right - most people on earth used to die of disease, and a large number still do.

It's a good thing to sometimes get a fresh opinion on something you "know well", its surprising sometimes.