The year thats's gone and the twelve months to come.

I’ve finally managed to round up the low brow ingrates that constitute the Baccus workforce from the gin palaces and sleazy dens of iniquitous behavior that they frequented over the festive season.  With them safely chained to the casting machines once again it is time to move to more uplifting work and regale you all with the annual bout of reflection and prediction.

Like most men of letters I feel that I have the makings of an author of a great work of literature that will demand the respect of my peers and stand the test of time.  Sadly, I am forced to squander these talents on what follows…

Bah! Humbug!

Once again, we find ourselves on the cusp of the Festive Season and, as is traditional at this time of year, I give the workers at Baccus Megacorps Industries half a day off and an extra lump of coal each with which to warm their miserable hovels.   Strangely enough, when I made this overly generous offer to the assembled group of hollow-eyed wage slaves, as a man they declared that they were off down to the pub and would not be back until the New Year.   Faced with this show of ingratitude I had no alternative but to close the workshop until their return and walk home through the snow,  taking the opportunity to kick the odd street urchin and curse random groups of carol singers for their irritating jollity.

What we did in our holidays...

As many of you will know, we have recently taken some time out to expand and refurbish our working environment at Baccus HQ.   We’ve only really completed the first phase of the project as a whole, but enough people have been asking me about how it has all gone for me to take some pictures of what we have done to the place.   As a lot of phases 2 and 3 are tidying up and adding some extra bits and pieces, apologies in advance if things can seem a little rough around the edges and in need of some finishing off.   This is generally because things ARE a little rough around the edges and in need of some finishing off…

New WW2 German releases!

After the recent cogitations over the state of the hobby, it’s time to get things moving with some real news in the form of some new releases to help get back into Enthusiasm Mode.   These were scheduled originally to be released at Crisis, but as we won’t be off to Antwerp this year, there seems no need to hang on to them.   As anticipated, these are mostly WW2, but there is a little surprise tucked in at the end.  Apologies in advance for the quality of the photos.  We haven’t got the photographic area set up following the refurbishment, so these have been taken with less than optimal kit.

What is the purpose of a wargames show?

This is another one of my occasional ‘musing’ pieces about the hobby.   It’s been prompted by just chatting to various people at the recent Fiasco show.  The fact that they all had this conversation with me in one form or another was the catalyst for me to get typing.   Before I get started can I say right from the start that I attend about 15 shows each year and love going to each and every one of them, and that all the show organisers do a great and thankless task.   Anything that I write below is neither malicious nor aimed at any one person or show.   Finally, all points refer to the UK show scene with which I am familiar.  Experiences will vary in different countries.

Crisis 2019 - Sorry chaps

I apologise to all concerned, but the Baccus stand will not be present at this year's Crisis show in Antwerp.   Ironically, given the positive steps towards sanity of late,  this has nothing at all to do with Brexit.    There are personal reasons why I am needed at home over this period.

Cry Havoc and let loose the Shopping Cart of War(games figures)!

Emerging through a heady atmospheric mix of brick and saw dust mingled with good old workshop muck, the Baccus team are taking a well deserved weekend break following a three week marathon of moving stuff, dismantling stuff, rebuilding stuff, moving stuff again, rebuilding other stuff and finally realising that everyone had been working from a different version of the plan. 'Stuff that for a game of tin soldiers!' was the heartfelt response to all of this.

Shopping cart closed for a while as we rebuild the workshop

We've now closed the shopping cart to new orders for three weeks.   The reason?   Well, after a decade or so of organic growth, adding bits of kit  and cobbling storage together, the workshop layout is buckling under the strain of an extra casting machine, extra staff and lots and lots of extra moulds.   The time has come for a complete reorganisation of how we do things here at Baccus central.

It's too quiet out there - just TOO darned quiet...

...and yes, in any halfway decent film the actor uttering those fateful words has approximately 1.5 seconds of employment ahead of him before an arrow buries itself in his chest and he slides off his horse, a lifeless corpse.

Yet more updates: Shopping Cart, a small holiday and Colours show

Yes, yet another Very Important Announcement!

September 3rd marks the anniversaries of the stunning victories of the Army of Parliament at the battles of Dunbar and Worcester.  In celebration of these glorious occasions it will also mark the day the Baccus shopping cart will be reopening for business.