Happy New Year / PF 2013, review of the year and New Year’s resolutions

So Happy New year (in a few hours in Prague) to all, and wishing my fellow gamers success in improving the ratio of their painted to unpainted figures; may your mountains of lead rapidly diminish…

2012 was a really hectic year, with the birth of a new daughter and a new role at work; free hours were in short supply. Still I completed two projects - a British company in 28mm for Sharp Practice, and a 1000 point British army in 15/18mm for General de Brigade. I started two other projects – a Saxon army in 28mm for Dux Bellorum (half painted), and British and German Companies in 28mm for “Through the Mud and the Blood” (figures based and primed, but still at the starting blocks for painting).

In terms of wargaming generally, I think 2012 has been a great year. The rise of hard plastics in 28mm and the launch of Osprey’s series of wargames rules has been a shot in the arm for the hobby, and both are appearing on the shelves of high street shops which can only be a good thing. In tandem other older innovative rules sets such as Sharp Practice and the other new “Dux” from the Two lardies, as well as the General de Brigade Stable 3^rd editons (“Deluxe”), go from strength to strength. Blackpowder is also having an impact, but I am yet to see if they can develop more period flavour (another discussion). Saga is also another great edition, if not exactly a wargame in the traditional sense.

Blogging has also been a great help, and really reenergised the gaming community. Certain blogs stand out such as Roundwood’s World, Tarleton’s Quarter and Der Alte Fritz to name a few, but there are many more that I hope I could approach in terms of quality one day.

There have been some low points as well such as the crash of Maelstrom Games with a backlog of unfulfilled orders to customers. We’ll have to see how that plays out. I am sure there may be other companies feeling the economic pressure as well, so let’s hope they can stay afloat, or exit gracefully. It will be interesting to see who emerges as the trusted product aggregator in UK/Europe after the Maelstrom Games mess.

The various price rises as well are never welcome, but inevitable (thankfully I do not rely on Games Workshop). On the upside we see more small niches figure ranges emerging, using the third party services of figure sculptors and casting companies (the Drum and Fife range springs to mind). This can only be a good thing, as long as they complete their ranges (Trent Miniatures…).

So my 10 Resolutions for the New Year (hopefully most will be met in 2013):

1. Complete "The big project" – to run an Austerlitz (Slavkov) wargame in 28mm by end of August down at the site of the battle in Moravia (Czech Republic). You will see the progress of painted armies and plans over at this blog (http://bohemiangamers.blogspot.cz/) in the coming months. We have about six committed participants, so there will be a team of us slaving away to get figures painted in time. We’ll be using an adapted General de Brigade scenario
2. Adding to and adapting the French force from the Austerlitz game for the French Revolutionary wars, and Napoleon’s Italian campaigns (especially the Marengo scenarios, and Montebello). I just got my first order of some Trent Miniatures figures and they are full of character. Eureka Miniatures look excellent as well, but sooo pricey…
3. More posts on battlefields – especially more on the Battle of Jankov, and later a more detailed article on the battle. Also a follow up to the battle of White Mountain (considering I’m only a 15 minute tram ride from the site). I also want to finish up reports on the other battlefields I visited a year ago (Vimeiro, Rolica, Ciudad Rodrigo, Fuentes de Onoro, Almeida, Sabugal, Bussaco).
4. Complete/bring to conclusion an exciting project I started early in 2012. This may involve some new 28mm figures... More details and lovely pictures coming soon….
5. Get the Dark Age Early Saxons finished during January (along with some lovely buildings from Gripping Beast), and get the ball rolling with dark age gaming in the club with a first try of Dan Mersey’s new rules. Dux brittania may also get a look-in
6. Complete another 1000 point force for General de Brigade (most likely 15mm Russians) as part of redoing one of the scenarios for 1813 by year's end (probably Dolitz & Probstheyda – Leipzig)
7. Seriously try to eat into the lead mountain: two AWI armies, one Carlist army, French for Sharp practice, British and Russian Napoleonics in 15mm, the lovely WW1 figures by Great War miniatures, a whole 28mm army for thirty years War and so on…
8. Build more quality terrain for the club – especially Mediterranean/South American, and trenches for WW1
9. More regular blog posts, with a target for 2013 of at least 50
10. And the final and most important project is to finally sell property one and find  a larger house, with man cave potential for a permanent gaming room :-)

 We’ll see if I have to eat my hat on 31^st December 2013.  

So best New Year wishes from Goose Towers to all who have strayed across my blog, and success in 2013!