A Year in Review, and in Prospect.

As is traditional (for me at least) - I have been looking both back, and forward. 

Looking back

2017 was in many ways a horrible year personally, with loss, health issues and crisis, as well as supporting others through their own hard times. 

From a wargaming point of view, it had many highlights though. I tend to find that when times are tough, it is therapeutic to deal with solving things that merely require research, glue, paint, raw materials and some tools. I built some kits, painted some vehicles, won a couple of prizes, came to love and understand my airbrush, and even played a few games. Oh, and added to the pile of lead and plastic (discreetly, you understand).

Games at Kirriemuir have been great, with the caveat that I don't get to use my own figures, because as usual, I haven't completed enough of them other than for Call of Cthulhu.. which doesn't need figures and isn't really suited to a club anyway, 15mm Cold War, which no-one else there plays, and 15mm Ancients.. ditto.  Ah well. I attended a few conventions and even played half a tournament. 

On the bright side, I did get a few bits and pieces finished, and I am seeing my nephew enjoy some actual wargaming, as opposed to reading it, and imagining it solo. And you know what? He's pretty good at it.  

Looking forward..  

Firstly: All the best for 2018  to anyone and everyone who reads this blog: -
As ever, and in keeping with every wargamers resolution...    no more lead/plastic whatever, till I get stuff painted...   lets see how long it lasts. And, given how I always neglect terrain, no ban on terrain modelling purchases.
More importantly perhaps, a few minor health niggles and the loss of a loved one have given me a healthy reminder of my own mortality, as well as realising I now weigh 1.5 times what I did 10 years ago. So that's the other thing.

In wargaming terms, I reckon I should focus on a few small achievable projects. My only problem, is that with my Magpie instincts, I don't actually have any small achievable projects..  Ha!

This year I am going to play some Chain of Command games either here, at the nephew's, or up at Kirrie. I am pleased that rather than go all out for more and more figures, I have forces suitable for the following:

28mm German - DAK, half painted plus 6 vehicles and a couple of other support options -
British 8th Army - ditto   - plus I collected and built desert buildings, so all I need is a groundcloth and we are on. Target for this.. realistically, I could get this completed in a few days, but I am sure I will get distracted, so end of February it is..   

28mm German and British for North West Europe. Again, I have a load of vehicles, many figures painted to 75%, buildings that need completing. I'm calling this one, end of June. The real challenge is the trees, bushes, rivers, roads and all the other hundred and one terrain pieces required.

For some reason, I just can't get too excited about the Soviet stuff. Don't really know why, but the Germans for NWE are perfectly usable for Eastern Front, so it makes sense to do the Soviets as well.  

Finish painting and terrain for 28mm AWI, this has actually progressed fairly well.. but I keep acquiring ‘bargains’ so that I now have forces way too large for Sharp Practice 2.  Again I need to finish terrain, and just focus on a few additional groups. I really could knock over the troops for SP forces very quickly. I have all the British I need finished, (and hundreds more to paint..) ... so a push with the Colonials would see this one on the table as soon as terrain was done!  Target is to get SP sized forces completed by end March.

Start Painting for 28mm Napoleonics, British and French Peninsular, again intended for SP, but now large enough for General d’ Armee. This will have to be a background project, maybe just one to aim to do a group a month in the background of other major projects... let's see.

I am going to find a decent set of rules to do ‘Team Yankee’ size engagements with Cold War 15mm - as I have my Danes all ready to go, have done a set of Soviet T55, and have the PSC Soviet Cold War infantry pack to use as opponents. All suggestions gratefully received. Looking for 'small battlegroup' level. That's a longer term thing. No rush. End of the year will be soon enough.  




Just keep the 15mm ancients ticking over. I am considering getting an army sent over from Oz, or maybe apply paint to either the Early Crusaders (Baueda Normans, still awaiting a crossbowman figure in the range though), or the Picts. Early Crusaders looks the favourite..   

Finally, 28mm Lion Rampant Otterburn Period Scots. Maybe this is another one of those Napoleonic ones..  a group a month? 

And then there are all those 6mm figs ...   plus a 1/3000 French Pre-Dreadnought fleet, and the Colonial French...   the 28mm Napoleonic Prussians.. etc..