2021 Plans

Afghan reinforcements for TMWWBK

There are old projects I'd like to return to including my 15mm Elizabethan English and Irish for Irregular Wars and my 10mm Chinese Warlord armies for Red Actions. And there are new things I'd like to progress, particularly my 28mm Ardennes armies for Chain of Command. I've also been thinking of extending my 28mm Elizabethan collection in an Irish direction (using the Hoka Hey Timeline figures), albeit a duplication of the above Irregular Wars project at a different scale. Yes, I am fond of 'Celtic' armies.

However, my time and psychological energy is limited, so I decided to continue my immediate focus on undercoating and putting initial washes on my least complete 28mm Rampant armies as these jobs won't require too much thought or planning and can be fitted in at odd moments, including at night during bouts of insomnia.

I'll also continue the slow but steady collection of 28mm Russian Civil War figures as this requires only hitting the buy button once a month.

Once I've got all the newer Rampant armies to a minimally acceptable (to me) level I'll probably finish the bases on the fully painted ones which will complete them. Apart from minor repairs, additions and paint improvements, I will then have the following completed armies:

Lion Rampant
Late Saxons and Vikings
Swiss and Burgundians
Feudal

Rebels and Patriots
American War of Independence
American Civil War

The Men Who Would Be Kings
British
Zulus
Afghans
Egyptians

The next priority will be to finish the 6mm Thirty Years War armies for Tilly's Very Bad Day, including the application of brush-bristle pike replacements. That will hopefully be complete by the end of June in anticipation of a resumption of gaming.

I'll then concentrate on proper painting of the remaining Rampant armies. These are:

The Pikeman's Lament
Border Reivers, Garrison troops, Tudor rebels
1671 Buccaneers and Spanish

Rebels and Patriots
1798 Irish Rebellion

Dragon Rampant
Elves
Trolls (Orcs)
Goblins
Halflings
Aegean Bronze Age
Nordic Bronze Age
Fantasy extensions to Lion Rampant armies.

The Men Who Would Be Kings (variant)
Russian Civil War (still being collected)

The 1798 armies are already part painted, but there's a huge amount of work in completing the rest, hence my 'play now, paint as I go' approach. At least I am confident enough of this year's fancies to describe them as plans.

Reflection No 1: Getting in Sync

I may yet have some 'rants' to deliver, but the idea of a rant is too  aggressive for many of my thoughts, so I'm pitching this as a 'reflection'.

Like most wargamers, I'm a serial obsessionalist. I'm happiest when concentrating on one thing and totally submerging myself in it, but then I'm also easily bored and likely to flit to something else! Finding the right balance is a perpetual challenge.

This year I've planned for a limited set of areas and a close integration between what I'm painting and what I'm playing. As I'm basing-before-painting and using-while-painting I'm well placed to do this. (I'm committed to adding more paint before an army is used again so I have to slip the figures on and off painting bases, but that's no great burden.)

I typically play two games a month so the idea is to spend the preceding fortnight working on the armies I intend to use in my next game. Devotion to theme doesn't stop at modelling or swatting up on rules, but may extend to what I read or watch or listen to.This will not only 'feel right' but give me a big incentive actually to do some painting. At the moment I'm focusing on my 1798 figures and the strategy is working.

This approach is much better than the one that involves months of painting before you can play a game with the inevitable loss of interest before an army is finished. I have the semi-painted lead mountain to prove it.

It's a little unusual to write about process rather than models or games, but it's actually fundamental to the whole pursuit.

2019 - 6 monthly review

A recent 'cut-down' game of Hammerin' Iron kindly
organised by my friend Ian using his ships. Photo
shows my very bad handling of the CSS Virginia. Ouch.

Of the games I wanted to play this year, I have played:

• The Men Who Would Be Kings.
• Lion Rampant.
• Dux Bellorum.
• Hammerin' Iron.

I have not played:

• Dragon Rampant
• L'Art de la Guerre.

As regards planned projects:

• Worked on the 28mm Border Reivers for The Pikeman's Lament.
• Continued collecting 28mm 1798 Irish Rebellion companies for Rebels and Patriots.
• Got some 28mm AWI Continentals to partner the British for Rebels and Patriots.
• Made some progress with reorganising, rebasing and supplementing my old 15mm Ancient and Mediaeval armies for L'Art de La Guerre.

Most of my collectong/modelling/painting time has, however, been focused on unexpected and unscheduled (!) activity:

• Fantasy armies for Dragon Rampant.
• Buccaneers and Spanish for The Pikeman's Lament.

It's in the nature of a wargamer's life to flit from one thing to another. I'll just have to sell off more books to make room for even more figure-filled RUBs.

My priorities for the rest of the year are:

• To play more Rampant games of all types.
• To play some more games of Hammerin' Iron.
• To base and at least undercoat all Dragon Rampant warbands so they can be tabled.

I haven't spent a great deal of time on the hobby, but I have attended most club game nights and chipped away at a whole load of projects.

I keep a very basic diary of jobs done. It shifts the focus from contemplating an unscaleable lead mountain to enjoying little steps actually taken, and it's a great source of satisfaction and encouragement.

2019 Interests

GAMES
I didn't actually get to play many games last year, so this year I need to be more proactive. Games I'm keen to play are:

• The Men Who Would Be Kings using my Pathans and Egyptians.
• Lion Rampant using my Late Medievals. 
  
• Dragon Rampant.
• Dux Bellorum using my 25mm Vikings and Anglo-Danes. 
  
• Hammerin' Iron.
• L'Art de la Guerre.

PROJECTS
I've learnt not to over-face myself with too long a to-do list, so while I have a lot of unfinished and potential projects, I'm only going to list (1) major projects which are (2) currently underway and (3) which I seriously intend to progress during the year:

 Timeline Miniatures Border Reivers from Hoka
Hey Wargaming (not my painting!).

• 28mm Border Reivers for The Pikeman's Lament. This is my main painting project for 2019. As soon as they have a basic coat of paint I intend to start using them and will then finish painting them over time.

• 28mm 1798 Irish Rebellion for Rebels and Patriots. I'll continue gradually to collect these. If I complete my Border Reiver project, acquisition might speed up.

• 28mm American War of Indepenence for Rebels and Patriots. I recently bought an ideal collection of well-painted Perry plastic British and am now looking out for a matching force of Continentals. This project will either be realised suddenly or not at all.

• 15mm armies for L'Art de La Guerre. I'm currently reorganising, rebasing and supplementing some of my old 15mm Ancient and Mediaeval armies in order to create paired opponents for ADLG. My areas of interest are the Late Roman period, the Dark Ages and Europe 1250-1300. Rebasing figures and buying painted ones doesn't involve too much time or effort.

So there you have it: a modest range of rules systems (mostly closely related) and a firm committment to working on only one major painting project.

2017 Plans and resolutions

Crossfire: due for revival

I hope to reverse the downward trend in 2017 by getting more painting done and by playing more games. I'm unlikely to have more time, but I'm going to try to make better use of the time I do have.

My painting/modelling priorities are to :

1. Complete the Sci-Fi armies for Gruntz 15mm.
2. Paint the 10mm Chinese Warlord armies for Red Actions.
3. Undertake some trial painting of the 6mm Franco-Prussian War figures for Bloody Big Battles!

My gaming ambitions are to play games of:

1. Bloody Big Battles!
2. Command & Colours Ancients.
3. Crossfire.
4. Galleys & Galleons.
5. Gruntz 15mm.
6. Hammerin' Iron II.
7. Irregular Wars.
8. Maurice.
9. Red Actions.

Following the wise words in response to my last post from Norm of the Battlefields and Warriors blog about valuing engagement with all aspects of the wargaming hobby I should also add a few words about my plans for research, collecting and blogging.

I've largely completed the research for my  current projects, though some background reading and 'mood setting' would be good if I get the time. As for collecting, I would like to get some more painted 1/600 ACW ironclads if the opportunity arises, and I might photo some of my existing armies/navies that have not previously been featured on the blog in any detail. Blogging will continue as now.

Another aspect of the hobby which should also get a specific mention is 'planning'. Although it doesn't always have an actual output in terms of a wargaming project, I probably spend more time planning/dreaming about new armies than anything else. My current interest in that area is centred on possible approaches to and armies for Bloody Big World War Two Battles and The Men Who Would Be Kings. More anon no doubt.