Friday, January 5, 2018

2018: Hobby Plans and Goals




Expenses:

I really want to try to hold my hobby expenditures to $1,500 or less for 2018. My goal last year was to keep expenses under $1,000, and I failed utterly and miserably at that, spending almost 3 times that amount.  The Spanish army and unusually heavy convention related expenses were among the culprits. 


Gaming: 

1) Finish our Lannes Napoleonic "Campaign". That was a goal for last year as well, but we only managed to do one battle!  We have three to go, and the first is now scheduled for later this month. That could set the stage for another short campaign jusing Brent Oman's "Seasons of Battle" when it is released later this year. 

2) Run a game for Jared's Middle School gaming club - this was rescheduled from December due to snow, now scheduled for the end of January. This will be a big Punic Wras game using To the Strongest!

3) Host a game at HAVOC in April if my schedule permits. We have had bad luck with snowy conditions the past few years. This would almost certainly be a game using To the Strongest, which is well suited to their =time slots and table sizes - maybe using the Hussites? 

4) Maybe participate in a big Napolenic game Jared is running for his club in March using Black Powder. 

5) Historicon Games - returning to Lancaster, a far more agreeable drive from Connecticut than Fredericksburg!  
A) The big project is the 1809 Talavera Campaign in a Day, featuring Wellesley's return to Portugal and Spain, and using Snappy Nappy. In this case, neither side will have unity of command. Some supply rules (and wagons) and Guerillas are a must, plus infighting Spanish Juntas and French Marshals!
B) Battle of Talavera itself as a game, using Field of Battle 2nd edition
C) Probably one or two games with To the Strongest!, opponents to be determined.
D) Play in Tim and/or Jared's game(s), or others!


Purchases:

As needed to finish my Spanish Napoleonic project - mostly command for the Line cavalry and Garochistas when they becomes available, eventually a unit of Hussars and/or Cazadores a Caballo, maybe some Perry line and/or Militia to round out the force, maybe some additional high command figures. 

Use Army card before it expires in early March to buy Highlanders, any other odds and ends needed from Old Glory..


Maybe one unit of Perry Nassau troops? I have had my eye on them for a while, and they fought (as part of the CoR) at Talvaera, along with the Frankfurters. Hot dog!


As I said last year, if my purchases stay low (which they were anything but!), I might flesh out the rest of the lead for my Eureka Tyrolian Rebellion project; that would be late in 2018 or more likely early in 2019. Of course, If Murawski releases Baden Light Dragoons and or Artillery, they will soar to the top of the "Must Have" (and must paint) list once again.


Painting:

1) Finish the Spanish Napoleonic army by June so that is ready for Historicon.

2) Make a substantial dent in the huge pile of Macedonians acquired from Edgar in late 2015 (carried over from 2017 with no progress)

3) Great Italian Wars - The Essex Gendarmes, and maybe a new Pike block (carried over from 2017 with no progress).

4) Consider starting the Tyroleans in the Fall of 2018... or painting the additions to my ECW lead to be used for For King and Parliament.

5) Avoid starting any other new projects!


Blogging

Keep about the same pace of posting as I have the past 3 years (circa 100 post per year().


Rules 

Work on the Renaissance Galley rules - another holdover from 2017. Not likely to happen before the second half of 2018. 

18 comments:

  1. Enjoyed reading your 2018 look-ahead, Peter. How much more Spanish lead is needed by June? I post my 2018 Goals and Objectives in the morning.

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    1. Of the Spanish forces planned so far, left to do are:

      2 units of Dragoons (in progress)
      4 batteries of Artillery (in progress)
      3 More line infantry (all lead on hand)
      2 line cavalry (need command figures, ? to be released at Cold Wars
      1 unit Garochista Lancers (likewise re: command)
      Assorted Guerrillas and commanders - about 18 figures.

      (Also some Supply Wagons and French foot Gendarmnes)

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  2. "No new projects..." let me know how that works out for you.......

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    1. LOL! I have so many projects to work on (Napoleonic, Macedonians, other Ancient odds and ends, Renaissance, ECW expansion, even some old African Colonials) that I hardly need any new ones. Which guarantees exactly nothing, of course! :-)

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  3. A definite plan indeed.
    Unfortunately mine always fall apart upon contact with the perennial enemy time !!

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    1. How true, Garry! One advantage this year is that the Historicon theme is already known, and thus no sudden changes of plans need be made to fit that!

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  4. That looks very disciplined to me Peter. I'm definitely trimming back myself as I have more than I'll ever be able to complete.

    A Polish Renaissance 28mm army to oppose my Turks and some WWII US warships is all I have planned at this stage, but no doubt something else will catch my eye at some point.

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    1. A polish Renaissance army is a great project, Lawrence. That plus the Ottomans should be more than enough for a year at least!

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  5. It has been fun watching your armies take shape!

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    1. Thanks, Scott. There will be plenty more Spanish for the next several months at least.

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  6. Enjoyed your Spanish so far, looking forward to your gendarmes good luck with the no new projects!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Iain. It all depends upon what the definition of "new project" is, doesn't it? :-)

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    2. Meaning whatever money spent is spent regardless? :-)

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  7. I look forward to seeing the Gendarmes and the Pike Block Peter!

    Happy New Year

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    1. Happy new year, Oli!
      Gendarmes and Pike block will almost certainly be an after Historicon thing at best!

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  8. As usual... way too organized. Planning in the warren is "what project stumbles in front of me method." If I wrote down plans they last as long as the first contact or die roll on the scenario tabletop. Still there is hope.... so my YR2018 planning Peter is:

    The big number #1: Finish either the Austrian 1806 to 1815 army or my Prussian 1808 to 1815 army. At least one of the napoleonic major powers this year. Been working on them since the early 80's I think.... a unit here, another there... both now number over 2,500 miniatures for 2nd and 3rd place in the painted miniature inventory lists. Both have earilier components for the 1790-1807 periods painted too. The later Russians and Spanish have further to go on the painting table....the British are just a shell for now and the Ottomans.... well you can never have sufficient Ottomans. Big or small... they run about in all directions for me.
    2) Minor powers looking good. Maybe finish up my Polish army with some new miniatures. Maybe some more dutch (Holland) miniatures? I already have painted the 1812 Lithuanian component for the Poles.... what a fool gamer!

    3) Play game per month....should be able to keep that pace.

    4) Play more ancients... better yet finally inventory the large 25/28mm ancient miniatures collection. That would be a table covered with miniatures day and a grand sight.

    5) Keep up the blog output for WR..... more miniatures means more games which means I need to write more scenario and research background material.

    Time will tell if any of the above is done.... near December 31st I think.

    Enjoy your New Year Peter with family and friends... and the snow.

    Michael

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    1. With over 2,500 miniatures in each army, it would seem that finishing them is already done, aside from the figures in the Lead Pile, LOL!
      More Poles is always good - the Murawski figures are amazing! Dutch are good, too. Lithuanians? You're killing me here! :-)
      Games sounds good - I have trouble averaging 1 game per month.
      Ancients - let me humbly suggest trying "To the Strongest!"
      Blogging - you do some of the best researched, under viewed posts that I can think of - really awesome work on your scenarios ans background material. Most are far better than the average article in the glossy British publications.
      (Toy) Soldier on!

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