Well, I imagine most would wish for a friend like this. A few days before Christmas, my long-time gaming buddy, Jake (see: Dartfrog's Adventures in 6mm), let me know that he would be in town for the afternoon and we could exchange our traditional Christmas gifts. This year with social distancing, I would leave my package on the porch and Jake would make the swap in a drive-by gift exchange. I did not see him pull up into the driveway. By the time I did, he was back in his vehicle, waved and was on his way. What I saw deposited on my porch was a large sack having several boxes stacked within. I did not know what they were until I returned inside. When the items were pulled from the boxes, I found this.Jake's entire 28mm Egyptian Kushite Army built to face my Assyrians. What? That's right. Jake gifted me his collection of Egyptians. Astonishing generosity. I was gobsmacked. What a spectacle! Jake's Egyptians were part of a joint project built to face my growing Assyrians. With lead time required to paint these armies, scheduling challenges, and finally this year, COVID, we only managed two games with our armies in three years. Since we are separated by about 80 miles, our schedules have not allowed for as much gaming time as hoped.
With my pandemic-inspired layoff in June prompted by the collapse of the commercial airline industry, Jake said his Egyptian Army would make for a suitable retirement commemoration. I should say so! Besides, he added, "you will have more time to game now and I have no plans to build an opposing army." One funny note from this is that my Hittite build for 2020 had fighting these Egyptians on the field of battle as its primary goal! Chapeau to you, my friend. One day, you be able to command these troops, once again, on the field of battle.
Amazing, huh? What a great friend and a pleasantly surprising end to an unpleasantly challenging year.
A wonderful looking and sizeable army, and such generosity!
ReplyDeleteCorrect on all fronts, Peter!
DeleteTerrific looking army and wonderful gift!
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
DeleteA wonderful gifting and the perfect ending to your years work and final push on the Hittite forces - some rather nice looking ancients battle for 2021 methinks :-)
ReplyDeleteNow for the hard part .... which rules!
This is a beautiful gift, for sure, Norm! hopefully, we can return to F2F play in 2021. For rules, "To the Strongest" or Impetvs are my current preferences.
DeleteWhat a wonderful and generous gift! Jake sounds as if he is a thoroughly good chap and a great friend!
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Bob
Jake is definitely a thoroughly good chap and great friend. I have known and gamed with Jake for decades. No better opponent can be found.
DeleteBob, I am very pleased to read that you are recovering satisfactorily from your recent surgery.
What a fantastic gift from Jake. Not one to forget. The figures are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteYes - also with Norm, with great interest in seeing which rules you'll use.
A great gift, indeed, Darren! This army has really only switched "home base." Jake will be able to command this army when F2F gaming returns.
DeleteImpetvs and "To the Strongest!" are my current favorite rulesets to use. Of course, that may change!
That is great Jonathan- Your Friend Jake is very generous and thoughtful- hope in the New Year you two get to game.
ReplyDeleteJake is thoughtful and generous, no doubt! Hopefully, we get in some gaming in the New Year.
DeleteWow, that is indeed a very generous and fantastic gift from Jake! I really look forward to seeing them go up against your Hittites. Now I suppose you have to decide upon a set of rules to fight the battle, if you don't have one already in mind.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is an unexpectedly fantastic gift! Added to the Egyptians I have already, this is a MASSIVE army. I look forward to clashes with these Egyptians and my newly minted Hittites. Rule are decided but subject to change...
DeleteSet them up on the table, & fire up Skype!
ReplyDeleteYeah, that is a great idea. Hosting a remote game is untried on my end. My game room is in the basement and wi-fi can be spotty in places as the signal tries its best to maneuver through the house. I need to work on this aspect of my gaming set up. Additionally, I am not certain I could match your confidence both behind and in front of the camera. I really ought to give it a try and see if this is viable. Besides, then I could return your generosity in hosting!
DeleteMy table is in a shed in the garden. I put in some Tenda wi-fi Mesh units to improve the signal. As for me and the camera...I've been wargaming with these guys for years, so I that helps. For you, start small with just you and your friend, and work up from there.
DeleteThanks for the tips. I need to overcome my inertia and give this a test on the home front.
DeleteThat was marvelously generous! When all this is done, you'll need to have him over for a game (and post many, many pictures ;) ).
ReplyDeleteWhen we can once again game F2F, this will definitely be on the To Do list.
DeleteWhat a fantastic army and a spectacular gift!
ReplyDeleteCorrect on both counts, Sir! This is a spectacular gift, for sure.
DeleteWooow! And that's amazing looking army sir!
ReplyDeleteYes, it is!
DeleteAn amazing and most generous gift!
ReplyDeleteIt sure is!
DeleteA lovely thing to do Johnathan, So if you could just bundle up your lovely Assyrian army and post it to the UK for me.
ReplyDeleteThis was a lovely gesture, for sure. First postage would be a killer, Robbie, and second, my newly acquired Kushite Egyptians would be without a foe.
DeleteWell, that is a gift fit for a Pharaoh! May the blessings of Amun-Ra shine upon both of you!
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit ironic that my own Hittites/Canaanites are a result of first a similar gift my my friend and co-author, Ken Baggaley, fiollowed by the acquisition of Bill McHugh's Hittites (etc) after his unfortunate death 2 years ago.
If we can make remote gaming work, perhaps a remote Qadesh is in the works? We could both set up the same table at our homes, even! Obviously remote gaming with Jake is something you need to work on. If the internet is spotty in the basement, there are signal boosting devices, etc, right?
This is a gift for the wannabe Pharaoh, for sure. I am on my way, with my little army of ushabti! We find much in common, Peter. Are you a long, lost twin?
DeleteYou know, the thought of having two, remote, duplicate tables of troops is a really an interesting idea. I need to work on my capability to remote game host. Seems I tried a signal booster years ago with not much success. I should explore this option in depth.
Oh, and retirement in June 2020?! I think I missed that somewhere. For me, the plan remains circa Fall 2025... assuming I don't pick up anymore new jobs along the way! :-)
ReplyDeletePeter, you did not miss a retirement announcement. Boeing offered a voluntary layoff package in June that was too good to bypass. I accepted and here I am. If the right opportunity arises, I may return to the workforce. I must admit, I have really enjoyed the last six months and wonder how I ever found time for a day job.
DeleteVery nice no excuse not to get them on the battlefield. As for retirement I guess a good option. The good news for me after some negotiation with my boss I have agreed to reduce my hours during 2021. My choice as I need more time and less work.......so for March I no longer work Fridays they are reserved for walking and cycling 😀
ReplyDeleteVery nice and completely unexpected.
DeleteI am happy to see that your work hours will be cut down at your request. This will allow time for the more important activities in life like wargaming, hiking, and cycling.
Spectacular army and gift Jonathan! I am astounded by the generosity of the folks in this hobby. I myself have received generous gifts from two friends I have never actually met from across the pond. Truly humbling.
ReplyDeleteA complete army is a spectacular gift to receive. I agree with you that the hobby is filled with kind, honest, and generous people.
DeleteA great gift! Well done Jake.
ReplyDeleteWell done, for sure!
DeleteAstonishing generosity, you've said it!!! Incredible and gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteMy sentiments exactly, Phil!
DeleteWow...I think all the superlatives have been used already...that is just the best Christmas present...ever! Good news on the redundancy/retirement package too...if I had the opportunity, I would give up working for a living in a heartbeat!
ReplyDeleteQuite an impressive sight is it not? This is a terrific and generous gift indeed. As for retirement/redundancy, there have been a few positives to come out of the debacle that has been 2020.
DeleteWhat a terrific gift and it all looks beautifully done. Like Peter, I thought I too had missed the retirement announcement. One of my closest friends has been hoping to get a redundancy package from Virgin which he thought would be a fait accompli when they entered voluntary administration here in Australia, but they seem to have let everyone else go in his department apart from him.
ReplyDeleteHi Lawrence, you missed no announcement on retirement. I feel for your friend who wanted be released but was not. What was nice about my situation was that the company asked for volunteers first before moving on to involuntary releases. I took up the generous offer!
DeleteHow splendid Jonathan...
ReplyDeleteThere are indeed some lovely people in the world...
Hurrah!
I look forward to seeing them in action.
All the best. Aly
Aly, I have found that wargamers, as a class, are generous and lovey people.
DeleteI look forward to fielding this army in battle too.
Happy Holidays!
What a great pal! Nice one Jake!
ReplyDeleteJake exemplifies a great (and generous) pal, indeed!
DeleteWow, what a wonderful present from Jake. A "key-turn" opposing army for your Assyrians. Amazing man, that guy!
ReplyDeleteAmazing generosity from my longtime opponent.
DeleteWow! That is a great gift and you truly are a lucky man. I cannot help but think that this is just the universe paying you back for your own previous acts of generosity. 😀
ReplyDeleteStew, receiving these Egyptians was a great surprise. If this is karma then so be it!
DeleteThat’s what I would call a five star friend. Two thumbs up for Jake!
ReplyDeleteAmazing, isn’t it?
DeleteWhat a kind friend and what a wonderful gift. I am sure that this army will get the care and play that it deserves.
ReplyDeleteI noticed in your post that you "retired" in June. I hope that it was as much jump as push in your case and that you've enjoyed the time since then. Coincidentally I retired from the military myself in June (entirely by choice) but by month's end I was back at work in a civilian job that I enjoy. I had two weeks of retirement and enjoyed the taste. Looking forward to more in a year or so.
Cheers and all the best,
Michael
The army will certainly be well cared for in my possession and Jake has visitation privileges any time.
DeleteThe 'retirement' was actually me accepting a "Voluntary Layoff" package. So, this was a 'jump' to preclude a possible later 'push'!
I have really enjoyed the last six months but may re-enter the workforce under the right conditions. Not yet, though!
Great friend and congratulations on the retirement Jonathan, time is so precious! Still many years away for me!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mark!
DeleteWhat a fabulous present, hopefully you will be able to make use of your new spare time over the coming months and pit these against your Hittites in many a clash.
ReplyDeleteHopefully these armies will take to the field more frequently now?
DeleteSplendid looking army and what a great gift! I hope you enjoy your retirement, I guess that means you have even more time to paint!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
A ready made army of Kushites, just what I wanted for Christmas! My quantity of painting is in a good place. What I need to work on is more game time.
DeleteThat's a nice gift.
ReplyDeleteI wish you a lot of fun with them. Maybe solo wargaming would be possible with these armies.
It’s a beautiful gift and very generous. Solo gaming is possibility, for sure. Most of my table is consumed by a Rivoli setup which I am hoping to begin soon after the New Year.
DeleteWhat a fabulous retirement gift, Jonathan! How are you surviving your isolation Christmas?
ReplyDeleteFabulous gift, no doubt, but Jake is a generous comrade. For me, the isolation is not too onerous since I tend to self-isolate most of the time anyway. For others in my family, this situation has been much more difficult.
DeleteIt is good to have good friends!
ReplyDeleteVery good to have good friends!
DeleteWow what a gift ....
ReplyDeleteCheers
Matt
Remarkable, isn’t it?
Delete