So as the sun sets on another gaming year its time to take stock of this year's gaming, accomplishments and plans for the coming gaming year.
If I had to sum up the year it would mainly encompass one word.....Frostgrave.
This game has certainly taken up a large chunk of the gaming year. I have painted up many miniatures (probably around 100) and made up a heap of terrain. From little things big things grow as they say, and after starting Frostgrave at our club we now have around eight active players and a campaign in full flight.
Our games have focused so far, just on the scenarios in the main rulebook, so we have plenty of gaming to look forward to as we work our way through all the expansions. I just recently completed my final purchases (a bear and a vampire) to complete my Frostgrave Bestiary from the main rule book. I expect a fair amount of my 2017 hobby time will involve adding the creatures from the expansion books and building the scenario specific terrain pieces. I am looking forward to painting some Barbarians from Northstar (lovely figures!)
In a related topic, I think I will pick up a copy of the Otherworld Miniatures fantasy skirmish rules or maybe Songs of Blades & Heroes as an alternative fantasy skirmish rule set to try some different games since I already have the miniatures painted.
Beside Frostgrave, some of the other games I played was Chain of Command for WWII and Sharp Practice for black powder skirmish games. Both these rule sets are terrific and I really want to explore these rules with more games. On the painting front I need to finish off a little bit more stuff for my 15mm Early War Germans and Soviets. After that I will probably move on to late war Brits and Germans for Normandy.
For Sharp Practice I still need to keep working on my Napoleonic Russians and paint up a small French force to oppose them. I also have in the painting queue some seven years war Prussians and Austrians for SP. I need some new terrain for these games also. Some nice German and Russian 28mm buildings.
Lion Rampant was another popular game this year. I have a couple more units to paint up for this too so that I have two retinues to play at home. Only problem is the mounted knights are a pain to paint with all that heraldry! I also have a big terrain project planned for this but that's a secret!!
Other smaller projects that occupied my painting time were Early Imperial Romans, Mars Attacks Martians, Super Heroes and my recent Soccer players. I think these projects will continue to move slowly along filling the motivational gaps in my bigger projects.
My painting total for the year has ticked over 250 miniatures. I think that was a pretty good effort but a bit shy of the 365 I was aiming for. Next year, if I focus on projects where the figures are more "uniform" like Romans for example, I can probably boost that total. However with around 350 miniatures purchased for the year I certainly need to rein in my purchases so the lead/plastic pile doesn't increase.
So will there be any new projects for 2017??
In a word, yes!
I am pretty much set on getting into American Civil War in 28mm. I did have some 15mm figures from Blue Moon but besides our 15mm WWII forces I just can't get excited by painting 15mm figures. I will sell my 15mm figures and I am looking at using Perry miniatures 28mm plastics and building up forces for Sharp Practice games. Eventually working up to Black Powder sized games but probably only SP for 2017.
Another project I am still in two minds to get into. I have been thinking of getting into Saga. Looking at Vikings and Saxons or Welsh. Dark Ages gaming has never been much on my radar. It is fairly popular at the club and I think Saga is a good sized game. I can also use Saga figures in games of Lion Rampant so that is another plus.
Finally we are looking at another Lion Rampant rules variant called "The Men who would be Kings" for Colonial gaming with the period of choice being the Sudan. I already have a heap of terrain for the desert so I just need to paint up a small force and maybe make a Nile river boat or two. Should be a nice small project.
So farewell to the gaming year that was 2016 and bring on 2017!
Happy gaming everyone!
